The real job creators are leaning towards the Democrats..
From Wapo:
Nearly half of small business owners (47 percent) plan to vote for a second term for the president, compared to 39 percent who plan to vote for Mitt Romney, according to a new poll conducted by the George Washington University School of Political Management and Thumbtack.com. Even more importantly, perhaps, the president is perceived as more supportive of small companies by the most coveted group of voters — independents.
Effective, centrist, pragmatic.
He’s doing everything right it seems – and quickly becoming a very strong contender for the Democratic Nominee for General Election in 2016.
From the NY Times:
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday called for “comprehensive reform” of New York’s tax code that would mean higher tax rates for the wealthy and a tax cut for the middle class, according to officials briefed on the plan.
Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat whose popularity soared as he cut spending and won concessions from labor unions during his first year in office, also called for a stimulus package that would increase spending on road and bridge construction; finance new programs to train poor urban youths; and legalize resort-style casino gambling.
The Democrats have kept their stand on the jobs bill since last Thursday! This almost calls for a celebration.
Here’s Axelrod last night:
David Axelrod told ABC News that the White House is not negotiating changes to the President’s jobs bill.
Said Axelrod: “It’s not an a la cart menu.”
Surreal.
He did a solid diatribe on Libya and the unconstitutionality of the process this week.
Clip starts here – full 45 minutes in total.
He makes a good case. He warns of the breach of legitimacy, the dangerous precedence, the violation of founding principles, and the risk of expanding a conflict by intervention.
Kucinich bio here.
Just a passing thought regarding the current lame-duck session that just ended, with all its big achievments and surprisingly huge wins for the Democrats. I’m just feeling a bit hesitant to give that much credit to the President for the whole thing, as this is not really about him at all. He was just as passive, weak and non-confrontational as he has been from the beginning.
The true heroes and winners of the DADT, the START treaty and the 9/11 first responders bill are a serious of other people taking matters into their own hands and acting with force. VP Joe Biden, NY-Sen Chuck Schumer, NY-Sen Kirsten Gillibrand, Comedian Jon Stewart and FOX News anchor Shep Smith. These people were the driving forces. Good on them.
And this might prove to be a new and productive way forward for the Democrats in governing the country. The president is a supporter and facilitator, a brilliant man, but no leader. And his boring foggy speeches ruin the moments of emotion and progress. Better let the others take the spotlight.
Another factor in the lame-duck was the fault of McConnell’s no-strategy on all issues available. Security and 9/11 backfired heavily, as one might have expected. A huge block refused to obey the strict party discipline and the idea of four full years of blocking the government, even all non-partisan stuff included. This is not the time for such silly and irresponsible games. And the new crowd of grassroots debt-focused senators, that will probably challenge and weaken the binary agenda of McConnell in the 112th Congress even further. Good for the government, and good for the country.
Reading this Kansas-book – you start to wonder.. Republicans won the South and Middle America by pushing hot-button social issues and “liberal disdain” for religion and rural culture. Which makes a heap of people voting for a party that takes away their jobs, health care and social security benefits. Which again makes the rift between the coasts and the middle even bigger.
And it fits the corporate agenda just fine.
So many things at once – accumulated democratic disappointments over two years – and the defiant gearing up towards a contentious 112th Congress. “F*k the President”, “We can’t trust him” and “Just say No!” were statements from the democratic caucus last night.
This is “bigger” than two million losing/having delayed their unemployment benefits – it’s about values, humiliation and survival of the Democrats in Congress – representing 150 million people. And many more millions could get hurt, unless the economy and middle class are fixed in the very near future.
PRINCETON, NJ — In the same week the U.S. Senate passed a major financial reform bill touted as reining in Wall Street, Democrats pulled ahead of Republicans, 49% to 43%, in voters’ generic ballot preferences for the 2010 congressional elections.
