Independent & Bipartisan Political Analysis
This Week’s Stories
– Ted Cruz: Why he won’t win, but what he could accomplish.
– Indiana: Anti-gay or pro-religion? (Both, maybe?)
– Bowe Bergdahl: should he be prosecuted, or has he suffered enough already?
– The ungodly mess that is U.S. foreign policy.
– The mystery man behind California’s “Sodomite Suppression Act”
Links
– Ted Cruz’s phenomenally bad idea (Washington Post)
– Indiana’s ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’
– The proposed ‘Sodomite Suppression Act’
Hillary Clinton deleted all the emails on the private email server she used while Secretary of State, according to the chair of the House committee investigating Benghazi. But she promised that her attorneys looked over everything and made sure all work-related emails were released. I *totally* believe her, because when it comes to sharing with the public, Hillary has such a great track-record. (Politico, 3/27/15)
You may be a damn good DEA agent, but around here, we do things by the book!—- attend a party with drug cartel hookers, and you’re looking at a two to ten day suspension!
“Seven of the 10 DEA agents alleged to have participated in the gatherings — most of which took place at “quarters” leased by the U.S. government — admitted to having attended the parties, the report found. They received suspensions of between two to 10 days.” (Washington Post, via MSN News, 03/26/15)
In his ‘farewell speech‘ disgraced Representative and former Men’s Health cover model Aaron Schock said that his situation was a lot like Abe Lincoln’s. Except for the cheating on his mileage reports. And spending tens of thousands of dollars to decorate his office, Downton Abbey style. And being, in general, a big giant corrupt ass. But that aside yeah – they’re practically the same guy. (Politico, 3/26/15)
Ted Cruz wants people to believe that he has no choice but to sign up for Obamacare. But in reality, as this article details, he could forego an Obamacare exchange if he were willing to pay for the privilege. While Cruz may hate Obamacare, he loves money even more, apparently. (ThinkProgress, 03/25/2015)
In an article guaranteed – and probably designed – to rile up its subscriber base, The New Yorker looks at how Ted Cruz is like Barack Obama, how a Cruz nomination could further transform the GOP, and how – just maybe – he could win. (Though their reasoning – in a general election, anything can happen – isn’t exactly impressive.) (The New Yorker, 3/24/2015)
You won’t find any mention of the cost in this New York Times article. The Pentagon frowns on discussing costs, and most of the mainstream media seems all too happy to go along. If you dig a little, you can get at least a rough estimate.
According to the Congressional Research Service, it costs roughly $3.9 million per troop per year in Afghanistan. Meaning that keeping 9,800 troops there for another year should run about $38 billion (and change). Now, I’m certainly not a highly trained journalist like the people working at the New York Times, but that seems like a pretty important fact.
In announcing his candidacy at Liberty University, Cruz said, “imagine abolishing the IRS” – and its not the first time he’s called for eliminating the agency. While Ted Cruz is chock full of bad ideas, this might have emerged as the very worst of them (Washington Post)
Iran’s usually vocal clerics and military commanders are heeding the call of the country’s supreme leader, who has largely supported the negotiations. (New York Times)
Trump on Cruz: “You’re supposed to be born in this country” (Salon.com)