Governor Beshear's weekly address

On this day 45 years ago...

The Republican Tea Party Contract on America

From the DNC's blog:

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine and Democratic members of Congress held a press conference today to highlight the real Republican agenda for America, unveiling "The Republican Tea Party Contract On America." For the better part of the past year, Republicans have tried to come up with a new agenda for the American people with mixed results. However, with the Tea Party now the most potent force in Republican politics, the Republican agenda has become clear.

Chairman Kaine summed up the Republican Tea Party Contract on America:

“We’re here to offer a helpful suggestion. Republicans and their Tea Party supporters can take a break from the town halls and relax because we have distilled their agenda for the American people into a handy ten point blue print for how they would govern that we are calling the ‘Republican Tea Party Contract on America.’ This wasn’t hard to come up with so were a little bit at a loss as to why this has been difficult for Republican leaders. We literally have just listened to what their leaders and candidates have been saying – people who have been increasingly influenced by the Tea Party.”

The Republican Tea Party Contract on America is a compilation of GOP leaders’ top priorities, providing Americans with a clear outline of just what the Republican Party will have to offer this fall. Republican leaders and Tea Party-supported Republican candidates from Nevada to Utah and Kentucky to Florida can now rally around the Republican Tea Party Contract on America.

The DNC also released this web ad:

Keeping Politics in the Shadows

Be sure to check out the editorial in today's New York Times:

Free speech implies responsibility. The Supreme Court said earlier this year that corporations and unions have the First Amendment right to spend whatever they want on independent political ads, but many businesses don’t want the responsibility that comes with that new right. They want to make their unlimited donations anonymously so the public will not know who is flooding the airwaves. On Tuesday, the Republicans in the Senate voted to let them get away with it.

In a party-line vote, Senate Democrats were unable to break the Republican filibuster of the Disclose Act, which would have required the biggest contributors to identify themselves. The bill, which had already passed the House, will probably be revived later this year, but not in time to affect the Congressional campaigns — for which the big checkbooks are now being readied.

...by blocking the bill on Tuesday, opponents made clear that their real problem was disclosure itself. They want the right to poison the political atmosphere without being held accountable for their speech. During the coming onslaught, Tuesday’s vote will be worth remembering.

Bunning's chorus line

There's an excellent editorial in today's Courier-Journal. Here's an excerpt:

The national Republican Party has become a Jim Bunning karaoke act. A few short months ago, the lame duck senator stood by his lonesome in opposing jobless benefits for out-of-work citizens if the benefits weren't paid for in the budget. Never mind that Republicans had voted for such supports under former President George W. Bush, and that such expenditures are considered emergency responses to hard times. Now most of Mr. Bunning's party sisters and brothers in Washington have joined his chorus. They're betting your farm that more knees will jerk over “deficits” than “unemployment benefits” in November.

That won't happen if voters remember these things: The checks are in the mail this week because Democrats voted to bring some much-needed assistance to two-and-a-half million Americans whose jobless benefits had expired in June. Beyond the humanitarian aspects of the benefits extension lays an economic ripple effect: Those who receive the help actually spend the money in their communities; some analysts say there's a $1.74 impact for every dollar of unemployment benefits.

Will Rand Paul flip-flop once again?

Today the DSCC issued this press release:

On the anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, extremist Rand Paul remains staunchly opposed to the landmark legislation that represented a giant leap forward in the rights of Americans who suffer from physical disabilities. Coincidently, Jeb Bush, whose father, former Republican President George H.W. Bush signed ADA into law, is holding a closed-door fundraiser for Paul today in Louisville. Will Rand Paul stick by his position as establishment Republican Jeb Bush comes to town or will he once again backtrack on his position?

“From civil rights to Mitch McConnell to the bailout, Rand Paul has proven he will bow to pressure from establishment Republicans. With Jeb Bush raising money for him in Louisville today, will he do it again and change his position on the American Disabilities Act?” said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. “Rand Paul will either backtrack on his principles, or push his extreme philosophical agenda over what’s best for Kentucky. Either way, the people of Kentucky deserve better.”

Rand Paul continues to flip-flop and walk back his previously held convictions. A month after saying the Civil Rights Act shouldn’t apply to private business and refusing to say he would have voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act, Paul backtracked on his positions, saying the federal government was right to impose civil rights on private business. Paul committed the same politically expedient move after he defended BP after the oil spill, calling criticism of the company “Un-American.” Under fire for his remarks, Paul went back on his comments, saying government regulations of offshore drilling were not adequate. Paul has also gone into hiding with the media, refusing to conduct interviews and forcing journalists to submit all questions in writing despite “offering detailed answers on just about any topic during his primary campaign.” Paul recently held a fundraiser in Washington DC with the same establishment Republicans he railed against on the campaign trail.

Paul Said He Opposes Americans With Disabilities Act. Asked at a May 2010 campaign stop what he thinks of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Paul said he opposed it because businesses shouldn’t be told what to do. He said: “You know a lot of things on employment ought to be done locally. You know, people finding out right or wrong locally. You know, some of the things, for example, we can come up with common sense solutions. Like, for example, if you have a three-story building and you have someone apply for a job, you might get them a job on the first floor if they’re in a wheelchair as opposed to making the person who owns it put an elevator in, you know what I mean? So things like that aren’t fair to the business owner. […] I don’t like the idea of telling a business owner that they have to put an elevator in vs. not making accommodations to work on the first floor. It’s a very emotional issue for people, you know.” [YouTube, 5/16/10; Think Progress, 5/17/10]

Paul Repeated Opposition To ADA. Using the Americans With Disabilities Act as an example, Paul said the government shouldn’t interfere with private business. “I think a lot of things could be handled locally. For example, I think that we should try to do everything we can to allow for people with disabilities and handicaps. You know, we do it in our office with wheelchair ramps and things like that. I think if you have a two-story office and you hire someone who's handicapped, it might be reasonable to let him have an office on the first floor rather than the government saying you have to have a $100,000 elevator. And I think when you get to the solutions like that, the more local the better, and the more common sense the decisions are, rather than having a federal government make those decisions.” [NPR, All Things Considered, 5/19/2010]

President Obama's weekly address

Following the signing of historic Wall Street Reform legislation, the President contrasts his economic plan focused on the middle class and moving America forward with the Republican plan focused on the very wealthiest Americans and moving us backward.

Addicted to Bush

Today's column by Paul Krugman is a must-read:

For a couple of years, it was the love that dared not speak his name. In 2008, Republican candidates hardly ever mentioned the president still sitting in the White House. After the election, the G.O.P. did its best to shout down all talk about how we got into the mess we’re in, insisting that we needed to look forward, not back. And many in the news media played along, acting as if it was somehow uncouth for Democrats even to mention the Bush era and its legacy.

The truth, however, is that the only problem Republicans ever had with George W. Bush was his low approval rating. They always loved his policies and his governing style — and they want them back. In recent weeks, G.O.P. leaders have come out for a complete return to the Bush agenda, including tax breaks for the rich and financial deregulation. They’ve even resurrected the plan to cut future Social Security benefits.

...Republicans aren’t trying to rescue George W. Bush’s reputation for sentimental reasons; they’re trying to clear the way for a return to Bush policies. And this carries a message for anyone hoping that the next time Republicans are in power, they’ll behave differently. If you believe that they’ve learned something — say, about fiscal prudence or the importance of effective regulation — you’re kidding yourself. You might as well face it: they’re addicted to Bush.

We can't afford any more of the old agenda

Governor Beshear's weekly address

President Obama targets wasteful spending

Today the White House issued this press release:

President Obama to Sign Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act

Bill aims to help achieve goal of reducing wasteful payments by $50 billion by 2012

WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama will sign the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) which will help achieve the President’s new goal of reducing wasteful, improper payments by $50 billion between now and 2012.

President Obama said, “The bipartisan bill I’m signing today will help ensure that our government serves as a responsible steward for the tax dollars of the American people, and builds on the efforts we’re taking to cut wasteful spending. Those include my proposal for a three-year freeze on all non-security discretionary spending in my budget and working to put an end to wasteful government contracting and unnecessary no-bid contracts. The bill I’m signing today passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate – a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we put partisanship aside and do what’s best for the people we serve.”

Each year, the federal government wastes billions of American taxpayers’ dollars on improper payments to individuals, organizations, and contractors. These are payments made in the wrong amount, to the wrong person, or for the wrong reason. Since taking office, the President has worked to eliminate wasteful spending in part by reducing improper payments. In November 2009, the President issued an executive order laying out a strategy to reduce improper payments through boosting transparency, holding agencies accountable, and creating strong incentives for compliance. He followed that up in March 2010 by directing all federal departments to intensify and expand payment recapture audits, and in June by ordering the establishment of a federal Do Not Pay List so that there is one source for agencies to check on the eligibility status of an individual or contractor.

A full fact sheet on the IPERA is below, and a full background document is attached.

FACT SHEET:

The Improper Payment Elimination and Recovery Act and the Administration’s Effort to Cut Wasteful Improper Payments

July 22, 2010

Today, the President will sign into law the Improper Payment Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA), an important step toward realizing the President’s new goal of reducing wasteful, improper payments by $50 billion between now and 2012.

In 2009, improper payments totaled nearly $110 billion, the highest amount to date. These include payments made in error or because of fraudulent claims by contractors and organizations as well as benefits sent to individuals who are dead or in jail. In fact, over the past three years, federal auditors have reported that the government paid out benefits totaling more than $180 million to approximately 20,000 Americans who were dead; and more than $230 million in benefits to approximately 14,000 fugitive felons or those in jail and who are not eligible for benefits.

Since taking office, the Administration has moved aggressively to reduce improper payments:

• On November 19, 2009, the President issued an executive order laying out a strategy to reduce improper payments through boosting transparency, holding agencies accountable, and creating strong incentives for compliance. Specifically, the executive order required the identification of high-priority programs, the selection of accountable officials to coordinate agency program integrity efforts, the development of supplemental measures of payment error for high-priority programs, a public website to track progress in reducing improper payments (PaymentAccuracy.gov), and the pursuit of tough penalties on contractors for failing to timely disclose credible evidence of significant overpayments received on government contracts.


• On March 10, 2010, the President signed a presidential memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to expand and intensify their use of payment recapture audits. These are audits which offer specialized private auditors financial incentives to root out improper payments, and have been demonstrated through pilot programs to be highly effective. It is anticipated that using the payment recapture audits will return at least $2 billion over the next three years to American taxpayers, and more than that with new authorities to use these audits made available in the Improper Payment Elimination and Recovery Act.


• On June 8, 2010, the President announced that the Administration would cut the improper payment rate in the Medicare Fee for Service program in half by 2012. Doing so will eliminate more than $20 billion in payment errors by FY 2012.


• On June 18, 2010, the President issued a memorandum directing that a Do Not Pay List be established, a single source through which all agencies can check the status of a potential contractor or individual. Too often, an agency does not check all the different databases the government has or finds it difficult to do so. This denies agencies essential information they need to determine, for example, if an individual is alive or dead or if a contractor had been debarred. The Do Not Pay List will allow federal agencies to access this information in a more timely and cost effective manner and will help reduce improper payments made by the Government and help save taxpayer dollars.


• Also on June 18, the Vice President announced the expansion of a cutting-edge fraud mapping tool that the Recovery Accountability Transparency Board (RATB) has deployed that gathers enormous quantities of information in real time and then analyzes the data and helps connect the dots to identify indicators of possible fraud or error. The Administration is expanding the use of this type of tool across government, and piloting it first at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The IPERA will complement and help implement the Administration’s campaign against improper payments. Specifically, the bill will improve agency efforts to reduce and recover improper payments in several ways, including:

• Identification and Estimation of Improper Payments. IPERA requires agencies to conduct annual risk assessments, and if a program is found to be susceptible to significant improper payments, then agencies must measure improper payments in that program. Further, over time, IPERA lowers the threshold for determining a program is susceptible to improper payments.


• Payment Recapture Audits. The bill expands the types of programs that are required to conduct payment recovery audits (from contracts to all types of programs and activities, including grants, benefits, loans, and contract payments), and lowers the threshold for programs and activities that must conduct these reviews if cost-effective (from $500 million to $1 million in annual outlays).


• Use of Recovered Improper Payments. IPERA also authorizes agency heads to use recovered funds for additional uses than currently allowed, including to improve their financial management, to support the agency’s Office of Inspector General, and for the original intent of the funding.


• Compliance and Non-Compliance Requirements. Currently, if an agency does not reduce improper payments or implement the existing law, there are no repercussions. Under IPERA, there is a list of actions that an agency must take to be in compliance with the law, and the agency Inspector General is responsible for determining whether the agency is in compliance with the law. If the agency is found not to be in compliance with the law, then IPERA contains a series of actions that the agency must take to improve its error reduction efforts.

Would Paul repeal Wall Street reform?

Yesterday, the DSCC issued this press release:

As President Obama signs historic Wall Street reform into law today, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is asking extremist Rand Paul to finally tell Kentucky voters if he will campaign on a pledge to repeal these reforms. The financial regulatory reform bill will hold banks and financial firms accountable, strengthen consumer protections, and end taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailouts. The bill, which was opposed by special interest groups looking out for Wall Street, will result in commonsense measures that will protect taxpayers and consumers against unfair financial practices. Despite all this, Rand Paul opposed the bill, but has yet to say if he will work to repeal it.

“From day one, extremist Rand Paul obstinately opposed holding the big banks accountable, strengthening consumer protections and ending taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailouts,” said DSCC National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. “After standing up for the special interests instead of Kentuckians, voters have a right to know if Rand Paul will campaign on a pledge to repeal this critical legislation.”

Today, President Barack Obama signed the Frank-Dodd financial regulatory reform bill that will hold banks accountable and protect consumers. The bill will end taxpayer bailouts by forcing banks to clean up their own messes from now on. The bill will also stop banks from taking secret, excessive risk with consumers’ money and force big banks and credit card companies to offer clear, fair terms to consumers. This legislation will put an end to the reckless and irresponsible behavior that led to the economic collapse in the first place, while ensuring that the financial system works for all Americans. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll shows voters back financial reform by a 65% to 31% margin.

Exact Same Agenda

Check out the great new ad from the DNC:

Clean Energy Makes America More Secure

Brigadier General Steven Anderson (Ret.) backs clean energy legislation, saying it is not just a military mission, it's an American mission.

Mitch gets fact-checked

FactCheck.org busts Mitch McConnell for making a false statement this past Sunday:

On CNN’s "State of the Union," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was wrong when he said that letting the Bush tax cuts expire for upper-income earners would affect "the income of 50 percent of small businesses." That’s not true. It would affect the income of only 3 percent of those with business income, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation.

Reform, Part II

There's a very good editorial in today's Courier-Journal:

As the Senate Democratic leadership skillfully peeled off three crucial Republican votes last week to assure financial reform would have the 60 votes needed to achieve the super-majority necessary for passage, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky complained about a "government-driven solution" to problems in the economy's financial sector.

Well, yes. That is precisely why financial reform -- like health care reform before it -- is a potentially transformational moment. Both represent decisions by the people's elected representatives to employ public power to protect citizens from often unregulated actions by vast and powerful business interests that can have devastating effects.

...Passage of the bill is only a first step, however. Complex regulations to implement its provisions must now be written, and financial sector lobbyists, who shelled out almost $600 million to weaken the reform bill, will push hard with their Republican allies for ineffective or unenforceable regulations.

Video: Vice President Biden on 'This Week'

In case you missed Vice President Joe Biden on ABC's This Week yesterday, here's the video:

Part 1


Part 2

President Obama's weekly address

The President blasts Republicans in the Senate who are blocking unemployment insurance and small business tax breaks to create jobs, even as they push for permanent, massive tax cuts for the richest Americans.

Governor Beshear's weekly address

Drug problem no sitcom fantasy

Be sure to check out the editorial in today's Herald-Leader:

In the world of 1950s sitcoms, Rand Paul's ideas on handling the drug issue at the local level would have made a great story line for Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife, who, by the end of the episode, would have foiled the evil drug gang and have its members locked up in a cell next to Otis — all without Barney having to take that bullet out of his shirt pocket.

..."I think issues like drug use and abuse are best dealt with at the local level," he told [a gathering of local officials from across the commonwealth], adding that the efforts should be paid for at the local level as well.

It was another instance where his narrowly focused vision of a miniaturized federal government failed the reality check.

Filibusters for the Big Money

There's an excellent editorial in today's New York Times. Here's an excerpt:

...we hope that [Republican Senator Olympia] Snowe shuns her party’s diktat and supports legislation that would require corporate and special-interest contributors to identify themselves on their campaign ads, the same way candidates must. And maybe she could bring other Republicans with her.

Ms. Snowe noted in January that the misguided Citizens United court decision did uphold disclosure, a tool she fostered in campaign law. The disclosure bill has passed the House and may come up in the Senate this week. But if it is to become law, Senate Democrats will need Republican supporters to break an expected filibuster by the minority leader, Mitch McConnell.

Yes, the same Mitch McConnell who used to speak highly of disclosure as a control on campaign abuse.

Editorial comic roundup

(Click for larger image)

President Obama's weekly address

President Obama announces that the Department of Veterans Affairs, led by Secretary Shinseki, will begin making it easier for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to receive the benefits and treatment they need.

Governor Beshear's weekly address

Kentuckians Down on McConnell’s Leadership

Here's the latest from Public Policy Polling:

A near majority of Kentucky voters disapprove of Mitch McConnell’s job performance and do not want him to continue as the Republican leader in the Senate next January. Voters are split on whether his leadership role is a good thing for the state. Democrats and moderates are even more against him than Republicans and conservatives are for him.

By a 48-34 margin, Kentucky voters are unhappy with the job McConnell is doing for them. Conservatives approve, 47-27, as do Republicans, 51-25, but 63% of both moderates and the 52%-majority Democrats disapprove.

President Obama's weekly address

As part of the explosion of Recovery Act projects this summer and as a move towards a clean energy future, the President announces nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments to key solar companies.

Governor Beshear's weekly address