Still Waiting on Bachmann’s Numbers
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on July 6th, 2011 4:42 am by HL
Still Waiting on Bachmann’s Numbers
The Washington Post notes the only major GOP presidential candidate who has not reported second quarter fundraising totals is Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN). Her campaign says she will not announce her fundraising totals until July 15, the day the reporting is due at the Federal Election Commission.
Time for a Third Party?
John Avlon: “The two parties are deeply polarized, but the American people are not. That’s why we’re witnessing a market breakdown in our politics. A rising tide of voters might describe themselves as fiscally conservative but socially liberal, but because of the disproportionate influence of special interests like the religious right and public-sector unions, the two parties cannot meet this market demand. They are polarized and paralyzed — incapable of reasoning together to solve long-term problems, absent a crisis.”
“Impractical extreme voices dominate the debate. And unless they show a new capacity to self-correct, it just might take a third party to remind Republicans and Democrats that they are Americans first — and that hyperpartisanship is the opposite of patriotism.”
Disorder in the House
“The rapid-fire succession of floor votes in the House this year has triggered lawmaker confusion and mistakes,” according to The Hill, as Republican leaders attempt to balance a schedule with more recesses with the need to complete the business of the House.
“The new House GOP majority has adopted a much different schedule from what Democrats embraced during the last Congress. By and large, the House recesses once every three weeks, allowing members to spend more time with their families and constituents. That change has attracted praise from members, but it also puts pressure on leaders to cram as many votes as they can into the schedule… With as many as 30 amendments in a series, legislators have found themselves confused as they insert their member voting card into the electronic reader.”
