WE’RE 53 DAYS from Election Day, and a storm is barreling toward the East Coast. People will probably lose their lives and their belongings. The response to the storm already has some Republicans spooked. It’s always sensitive to talk about the political impact of a storm of this nature. But with utility companies predicting power outages for weeks, and roads already flooding, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S government will be under a microscope.AND YESTERDAY -- when he denied that 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria -- the president showed he wasn’t exactly savvy in dealing with suffering. A top Hill Republican pointed out that North Carolina has several House seats up for grabs. If you combine government dysfunction with a dash of insensitivity, that has the potential to be a drag for the GOP. THE PRESIDENT’S reaction to the travesty in Puerto Rico also might be instructive in predicting how he could react to an electoral calamity in … [Read more...] about POLITICO Playbook: Florence nears Carolinas, as Republicans fear electoral impact
Republicans
Trump and Republicans are setting us up for another Wall Street crash
opinion Morris Pearl Opinion contributor Published 8:12 AM EDT Sep 14, 2018 Lehman Bros., one of the largest investment banks in the USA, filed for bankruptcy protection a decade ago Saturday and triggered the worst financial crisis in modern American history. In the aftermath of the financial system’s collapse, as the excesses of Wall Street were revealed to the American public, people were shocked that banks had been allowed to make such reckless bets with their money. It seemed absurd that there were no rules in place to prevent these bankers from playing roulette with the U.S. economy on the line. Ten years later, many of the rules and regulations put in place to prevent such a crisis from happening again are under attack. It would have been unthinkable as recently as a few years ago, but in the past year we’ve actually seen banking deregulation legislation pass Congress. In an effort to inflate profits for big banks, the Trump … [Read more...] about Trump and Republicans are setting us up for another Wall Street crash
Does Nike give more to Democrats or Republicans? The answer might surprise you
Nike's controversial advertising campaign with Colin Kaepernick has driven a new wedge between liberals and conservatives. That was obvious in the cultural split over Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn's short-lived ban on City Hall and non-profit booster clubs buying Nike apparel for youth recreation leagues. Proponents hailed the Republican mayor's stand. Opponents blasted him. But when it comes to Nike's federal campaign contributions, Republicans are getting more than three times as much money as Democrats, the Center for Responsive Politics reports. Nike employees and the company's political action committee have given GOP candidates $424,000 in the 2018 election cycle, and only $122,000 to Democrats who generally are seen as more aligned with what backers call Nike's "progressive" message. It was the same in the three of the four previous election cycles: 2014, 2012 and 2010. In the 2016 cycle, the year that Republican Donald Trump won the presidency, Nike gave more to Democrats, the Center … [Read more...] about Does Nike give more to Democrats or Republicans? The answer might surprise you
Republican Pa. Congressman among those pledging not to vote for Speaker without rules changes
Good Friday Morning, Fellow Seekers.U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County has joined with a bipartisan group of 15 lawmakers who say they'll withhold their vote for the next U.S. House Speaker unless that candidate backs their proposals to reform the chamber. U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-8th District As Roll Call reports, the eight Democratic and seven Republican members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus rolled out a package of rules changes in late July that they dubbed "Break the Gridlock." The rules changes prioritize bipartisanship in the deeply polarized, 435-member chamber. Among the group's ideas: "A fast-track process for legislation co-sponsored by at least two-thirds of the House; a guarantee each member gets at least one markup of a bipartisan bill in a committee they serve on; a three-fifths threshold to pass bills under a closed rule; and at least one germane amendment from each party for structured rules," Roll Call reported. At a … [Read more...] about Republican Pa. Congressman among those pledging not to vote for Speaker without rules changes
Top Republican asks GOP collegues to rebuke Gov. Matt Bevin
Phillip M. Bailey Louisville Courier Journal Published 7:03 AM EDT Sep 14, 2018 Former House Speaker Jeff Hoover has had enough of Gov. Matt Bevin, and is urging fellow Republican lawmakers to rebuke the party's leader for supporting an independent state House candidate. Bevin is appearing at a fundraiser this month for small-business owner Stacie Earl, who said she is the "true conservative" in a race against Republican C. Ed Massey. The two are among the five candidates running for the House 66th District seat, which covers northern Boone County. Massey told the Courier Journal this week that Bevin administration officials recruited Earl to enter the race, in part because he's been endorsed by the political arm of the Kentucky Education Association, the statewide union that has been at odds with Bevin over pension reform. "I have no desire to attack this governor but I am tired of this governor belittling teachers and others with his comments and the things … [Read more...] about Top Republican asks GOP collegues to rebuke Gov. Matt Bevin