House Democrats Ready to Give Huge Gift to NRA

House Democrats are trying to pass a bill that would impose new disclosure requirements for corporate campaign expenditures. Sponsors hope that the measure will mitigate concerns arising from the Supreme Court's controversial ruling in Citizens United.

In order to secure passage of the bill, House Democrats are ready to enact a provision that would exempt the National Rifle Association from the bill's requirements. According to Politico,

The proposal would exempt organizations that have more than 1 million members, have been in existence for more than 10 years, have members in all 50 states and raise 15 percent or less of their funds from corporations. Democrats say the new language would apply to only the NRA, since no other organization would qualify under these specific provisions. The NRA, with 4 million members, will not
actively oppose the [bill], according to Democratic sources.

While the language would exempt the NRA, other advocacy groups, like unions, would have to comply with the bill's disclosure requirements. If Congress passes the measure, expect litigation.

Some Tea Party Members Engage In Abusive Racist and Homophobic Behavior

Several liberal blogs are reporting that Tea Party members hurled the N and F words towards House Democrats James Clyburn and Barney Frank and spat on Emanuel Clever. The racist homophobes were protesting an upcoming vote on healthcare reform:

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) had been spat on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a ["nigger"] And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a "faggot," as protesters shouted at him with deliberately lispy screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president's speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

"It was absolutely shocking to me," Clyburn said, in response to a question from the Huffington Post. "Last Monday, this past Monday, I stayed home to meet on the campus of Claflin University where fifty years ago as of last Monday... I led the first demonstrations in South Carolina, the sit-ins... And quite frankly I heard some things today I have not heard since that day. I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus."

Homophobia and racism are pervasive social forces, and fear and anxiety often bring out the worst biases in people. Hence, these developments, though quite disturbing, are not shocking. Furthermore, the Tea Party movement began its healthcare protests in a circus-like atmosphere; apparently, things will remain that way until the bitter end.

What's In a Name? Some Dems Want to Rename "Public Option" as "Medicare"

In several blog entries, I have analyzed the perplexing (and immensely annoying) hypocrisy of many Republicans and conservatives who blast "government-run" healthcare, while claiming to support Medicare. In September, a PPP poll revealed that 62% of Republicans supported the idea that the government should "stay out of Medicare." This argument, however, is patently unsound because Medicare is a government-run and government-created health plan.

Also, many conservative bloggers (rightfully) criticized a recent violent attack against an elderly man who attended a rally protesting healthcare reform. These bloggers, however, conveniently neglected to report that the victim of the assault went to an emergency room and received treatment covered by (drum roll) Medicare (also known as a government-run health plan or public plan).

Even Joe "You Lie" Wilson is guilty of speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Although Wilson has blasted government-sponsored health plans as "unnecessary and unacceptable," he strongly praises and benefits from TRICARE, the government-run plan for military personnel, veterans and their families.

Although opinion polls continue to show that voters support the public plan option, many voters seem confused about the meaning of a "public plan" and the extent to which the federal government and states fund medical treatment. Nearly 1/3 of the public is covered by government-sponsored health insurance. In addition, workers who have "private" insurance health plans receive large governmental subsidies because these plans do not qualify as "income" for tax purposes. Only a small fraction of Americans actually purchase their health insurance out-of-pocket -- without governmental or employer support.

Dealing With Hypocrisy: Renaming the Public Plan
Apparently, some members of the House of Representatives realize the importance of framing and politics. According to an article in The Hill, some House Democrats want to rename the public option as "Medicare." This would link the supported -- though maligned -- public plan with an already established and popular government-sponsored program. The strategy would also force hypocritical politicians to confront the contradictory nature of their arguments that dismiss the public plan as "socialized medicine" but simultaneously seek to defend Medicare.

51 House Democrats Vote Against Obama's Supplemental War Funding Request

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Fifty-one House Democrats voted against President Obama's request for additional money to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The supplemental spending measure, H.R. 2346, allocates $81.3 billion for war-related expenditures and $15.4 billion for various other projects, including military construction and flu preparedness. Despite opposition among Democrats, the measure passed by a vote of 368-60. Nine Republicans also voted against the spending bill.

Many members of Congress have expressed concern that Obama's supplemental spending requests could fund the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States. According to recent news reports, the Obama administration is considering transferring certain Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States for detention.

In late April, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that between 50 and 100 detainees were too dangerous to release and too risky to prosecute (due to lack of admissible evidence). Rather than releasing the detainees or risking an acquittal (which would lead to a release), the government could possibly detain the individuals indefinitely, a move that would likely cause more tension between Obama and his liberal base.

In light of political opposition to the transfer of suspected terrorists to the United States,the House measure contains an amendment that precludes the use of the allocated funds to facilitate the relocation of inmates from Guantanamo Bay to points in the United States unless the President first submits a report to Congress detailing the national security impact of locating the transferees in the United States. The measure also requires the President to submit a general report on the disposition of each detainee later this year.

Roll Call
The Democratic "nays" include: John Conyers, Barney Frank (7 out of the 10 Massachusetts House Democrats voted against the measure), Luis Gutierrez, Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, John Lewis, Zoe Lofgren, and Maxine Waters.