Democracy | News-Opinion
TOP NEWS: Democracy: July 19, 2012
- Economic Fears Hurting Obama, Poll Indicates
- Mitt Can’t Wait Out His Tax Storm
- What voters are really choosing in November
- Congress Needs to Lose Its Too-Big-to-Fail Status
- Why liberalism faces a new era of constitutional insecurity
Excerpts and More Top Stories
ECONOMIC CRISIS: Economic Fears Hurting Obama, Poll Indicates
Jim Rutenberg and Majorie Connelly, NY Times – According to the latest NYT/CBS News Poll, declining confidence in U.S. economic prospects appears to be the most powerful force influencing voters. The poll showed a significant shift in opinion about Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy, with 39 % now saying they approved and 55 % saying they disapproved, compared to April, when 44 % approved and 48 % disapproved.
TAX RETURNS: Mitt Can’t Wait Out His Tax Storm
Frank Rich, New York Magazine – What Mitt doesn’t seem to realize is that whatever embarrassments are in his tax returns, the bigger problem is that his secrecy keeps accentuating all the mysteries in his resume. If he keeps trying to wait out the tax storm, it will keep growing…
ELECTION 2012: What voters are really choosing in November
Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, Opinion – Below all the mudslinging lies a real divide. Obama has been making the case that the U.S. economy needs investment — in infrastructure, education, training, basic sciences and technologies of the future. Romney argues that America needs tax and regulatory relief. He wants to cut taxes for all, reduce regulations and streamline government.
ECONOMIC CRISIS: Congress Needs to Lose Its Too-Big-to-Fail Status
Caroline Baum, Bloomberg, Opinion – The banks failed to perform due diligence when they made loans to unqualified homebuyers. The same holds true for Congress, which acted irresponsibly (again) by focusing on short-term fixes instead of long-term solutions to the deficit. Now, with the expiration of an array of tax cuts and spending measures threatening to send the economy into recession, according to budget experts, lawmakers get a second chance.
SUPREME COURT: Why liberalism faces a new era of constitutional insecurity
Paul Starr, The New Republic, Opinion – John Roberts’s decision to spare the ACA at least allows the president this fall to claim health reform as a major achievement. But the chief justice’s new limits on the scope of the Commerce clause and federal spending powers may put future reforms at risk of being struck down and require liberals to rethink their approach to national policy.
SUPREME COURT: Public’s Opinion of Supreme Court Drops After Health Care Law Decision
Adam Liptak and Allison Kopicki, NY Times – The American public’s satisfaction with the Supreme Court, which had already been low by historical standards in recent polls, dropped further in the wake of the court’s 5-to-4 ruling last month upholding President Obama’s health care overhaul law.
SURPEME COURT: Scalia Says He Had No ‘Falling Out’ With Chief Justice
Adam Liptak, NY Times – Justice Antonin Scalia said in a television interview on Wednesday night that the Supreme Court’s bitterly divided decision upholding President Obama’s health care law had not led to a falling out with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
TAX RETURNS: Romney Steadfast in the Face of Growing Calls to Release More Tax Returns
Michael D. Shear and Trip Gabriel, NY Times – Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, is facing millions of dollars in searing ads from President Obama and a rising chorus from puzzled Republicans, urging him to reveal more of his financial history. But with each answer he gives, Mr. Romney seems more determined than ever that voters will not see any of his tax history before 2010.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Romney’s London fundraisers will take him to heart of scandal-plagued banking industry
Philip Rucker and Dan Eggen, Washington Post – Mitt Romney’s overseas trip next week will take him to the heart of London’s scandal-ridden banking industry, as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee holds two campaign fundraisers hosted by lobbyists and executives from more than two dozen financial institutions.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Group Comes to Romney’s Defense
Danny Yadron and Colleen McCain Nelson, Wall Street Journal – One of Mr. Romney’s allies in the super PAC world plans to give some direct help. American Crossroads, a GOP-aligned political action committee, will begin an $8.8 million ad buy in nine states on Thursday to defend Mr. Romney from Democratic charges that he helped ship U.S. jobs overseas, said the PAC’s president.
GUN RIGHTS: Why gun lovers still fear President Obama
Darren Samuelsohn, Poltico – President Barack Obama hasn’t done much of anything to curb Americans’ gun rights. But the National Rifle Association and many gun enthusiasts still deeply distrust and fear him. The powerful gun rights group — which is setting aside at least $40 million to defeat Obama in November — claims he would gut the Second Amendment in his second term through a series of domestic or international moves that he’s been hesitant to advance over the past three-plus years.
More on Elections 2012:
ELECTION 2012: Jokes About Fox News Creep Into Obama’s Comments as the Campaign Heats Up
Jeremy W. Peters, NY Times – Fox News and the Obama White House have never enjoyed a warm relationship. But after a caustic feud erupted in late 2009, the two seemed to agree to coexist peacefully. But now, with the presidential campaign entering its most competitive phase, the simmering tensions between Mr. Obama and the country’s highest-rated news channel threaten their fragile détente.
ELECTION 2012: Philosophic Clash Over Government’s Role Highlights Parties’ Divide
Peter Baker, NY Times – Putting aside the predictable partisan cross-fire and the inevitable Internet-fueled distortions, even in proper context the president’s remarks crystallize a profound disagreement that defines this year’s campaign. More perhaps than any presidential contest in years, the choice between Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney presents voters with starkly different philosophies about the role of government in American society.
ELECTION 2012: Romney Catches Obama In Virginia, Poll Finds
Quinnipiac University – Romney wipes out President Obama’s lead in Virginia and the two candidates are deadlocked 44-44 percent in the race for the Old Dominion’s 13 electoral votes. This compares to a 50-42 percent lead for President Obama in a March 20 survey.
ELECTION 2012: Obama Gets Down and Dirty
Karl Rove, Wall Street Journal, Opinion – Since mid-May, President Barack Obama and his campaign have been attacking Mitt Romney for “shipping U.S. jobs overseas.” They’ve suggested he made false filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission. And they’ve hit him for having “Swiss bank accounts and offshore investment funds in the Caymans.” But Mr. Obama’s negative attacks will not put anyone back to work, reduce our growing national debt, or get America moving in the right direction.
ELECTION 2012: Can Romney survive the summer storm?
Dan Balz, Washington Post – Romney’s operation is under a relentless and carefully choreographed assault from President Obama’s campaign, which has used the new media environment to feed and amplify a negative advertising effort that has cost tens of millions of dollars. The key question is whether that theory can survive the summer storm that threatens to envelop the Republican’s candidacy.
ELECTION 2012: Are Bachmann and Sununu attacks part of a new McCarthyism?
Mary C. Curtis, Washington Post, Opinion – Americans aren’t endorsing a return to the “Red Scare,” when being a union or civil rights activist could be enough to warrant an appearance before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. But plenty of people are shouting accusations of communist, socialist and fascist from placards and rooftops. At the top of their list is the democratically elected president of the United States.
ELECTION 2012: After SB1070 decision Obama widens lead over Romney among Latinos
Staff, Latino Decisions – Latino Decisions released new national poll of Latino registered voters showing Barack Obama winning 70% of the Latino vote compared to 22% for Mitt Romney. The poll, commissioned by the Center for American Progress Action Fund and America’s Voice.
