GUEST: Fausta Rodriguez-Wertz, the editor of Fausta’s Blog……we will discuss the latest about the murder of Alberto Nisman in Argentina……the continuing political and economic crisis in Brazil………..President Maduro and Venezuela……the continuing story of repression in Cuba…..the Asia Pacific trade agreement…..Marco Rubio & Ted Cruz in 2016…..the Clinton Foundation…..
Click to listen:
Senator Ted Cruz
The Ted Cruz Democrats! (a.k.a. “Cubanito Cruz” que bueno baila usted!)
Last month, Senator Cruz was called every name in the book for suggesting that ObamaCare should be repealed, or at least defunded.
Despite the vicious attacks, Senator Ted Cruz fought on because he understood just how unpopular Obama Care is outside of Washington.
Where are we now?
Today, red state Democrats have decided to call for delays:
“Lawmakers are pressing to extend the deadline beyond March 31 after the troubled roll out of Obamacare raised concerns that people might not be able to sign up in time to avoid the $95 fine that jumps to $695 by 2016.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who faces re-election next year, wrote to President Obama, noting the glitch-plagued roll out that began Oct. 1 and asked him to extend the deadline beyond March 31.
“The difficulty that people in New Hampshire and in other states that are relying on the federally facilitated marketplaces are experiencing is incredibly frustrating and disappointing,” Shaheen wrote. “For over three years, we have been waiting for the creation of the health insurance exchanges, which now in their fourth week of existence, are riddled with problems.”
Backing Shaheen are Sens. Mark Begich, D-Ala., and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., two more more vulnerabP.S. le Democrats from red states facing competitive re-election bids next year.
Pryor, considered the most vulnerable Democratic Senator, said in a statement that “it makes sense” to extend the deadline and that the Obama administration “should state clearly how the enforcement mechanism will work if people can’t sign up in time.” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who is not up for re-election but whose state is more purple than blue, said he and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., would introduce legislation to delay the health care law’s individual mandate by a year.”
Will The White House call them reckless and irresponsible? Terrorists and arsonists?
Yes, it’s true that these red-state Democrats are looking out for themselves. They are also hearing from constituents, specially after the ObamaCare web site fiasco! They are not hearing anything pretty from angry taxpayers who can’t understand why the Obama administration spent $600 million on a website that doesn’t work.
Let’s welcome and cheer the first class of “Ted Cruz Democrats”!
For more on these Democrats, check out Kimberley Straeel at The Wall Street Journal:
“The pressure for other Democrats to join will rise, as will the pressure for the party to embrace more extensive changes to the law.”
Yes, slowly but surely they will become Ted Cruz Democrats, i.e. people who come to their senses about this horrific law!
Dear Mr Leisman: Cruz is Cuban and the jobs report is pre-shutdown
Steve Leisman of CNBC had a very embarassing moment today:
“There was a brief moment of awkwardness on CNBC Tuesday morning when, during a discussion of the weak jobs report and Senator Ted Cruz, reporterSteve Liesman asked for some “Mexican music” to be played while they talked about Cruz.
Liesman said, “We’re going to call this the Senator Ted Cruz jobs report. These are the jobless claims of Senator Ted Cruz.”
When a picture of Cruz appeared on the screen, he continued, “Can we get some music to go along with that? Some Mexican music, maybe?”
There was also some music briefly playing for a few seconds before immediately being cut.”
Leisman is wrong on two counts:
First, and less important, the reference to Mexican music misses the point that Senator Cruz is Cuban American. I’m not worked up about this but there is a double standard in the media. Would he have said “play Mexican music” if he was talking about a Mexican American Democrat? My guess is no!
Second, and very important, the jobs report is all pre-shutdown:
“September’s report predates the culmination of the most recent fiscal showdown, whose effects are more likely to be found in the October employment report.”
So Mr Leisman got the wrong music and bad analysis of the numbers.
The jobs report was very weak. We created a lousy 148,000 jobs but the big story that 10 millions have now dropped out of the labor force.
We are in the 5th year of the Obama stimulus and we have very little to show for the $847 billion spent.
Forget the music. It’s the policies!