The Hollywood Liberal

Jon Huntsman: States Should Have The Right To Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (R) — who is seeking the GOP’s presidential nomination — reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage during an appearance on CNN this afternoon, but said states should be allowed to pass marriage equality laws. Huntsman’s remarks are likely to ruffle the fathers of fellow 2012 candidate Rick Santorum, who recently […]

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (R) — who is seeking the GOP’s presidential nomination — reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage during an appearance on CNN this afternoon, but said states should be allowed to pass marriage equality laws. Huntsman’s remarks are likely to ruffle the fathers of fellow 2012 candidate Rick Santorum, who recently lashed out at Texas Governor Rick Perry for also suggesting that he was “fine” with New York’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

BLITZER: Would you agree that states like New York or Iowa should have the right — if they want to have gay marriage, they should have that right?

HUNTSMAN: Of course, that’s absolutely their right. This is an issue that’s more and more should be driven at the state level.

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Huntsman is one of the few Republican presidential hopefuls to support civil unions and reciprocal beneficiary rights for same-sex couples, and has even reached out to LGBT groups in Utah. Huntsman first embraced civil unions in February 2009, despite supporting a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage in 2004.

Private Real Estate Ownership Coming To Cuba
When I went to China last year, it made me very optimistic about the future for Cuba suddenly. The basic story of China, after all, is that reform works. It works for Chinese people, and it works for the Chinese government too. There’s no reason any government anywhere, authoritarian or otherwise, should feel compelled to […]

When I went to China last year, it made me very optimistic about the future for Cuba suddenly. The basic story of China, after all, is that reform works. It works for Chinese people, and it works for the Chinese government too. There’s no reason any government anywhere, authoritarian or otherwise, should feel compelled to stick with total elimination of private property rights. And, indeed, today I read that economic reform in Cuba continues to trundle forward, this time with a government plan to allow for private ownership of real estate.

Keeping all the property government-owned hasn’t changed the fact that desirable dwellings are still in limited supply. It’s merely led to a lot of non-market allocative mechanisms that you can read about along with destroying incentives to maintain property correctly. If the U.S. keeps moving to relax our pointless and counterproductive embargo and the Cuban government keeps moving to relax its pointless and counterproductive curbs on exchange, then the country should have a bright future.

Meanwhile, Daniel Davies argues that Barack Obama is the new Fidel Castro (in a good way).

Afternoon Fix: Gingrich explains Twitter followers

Newt Gingrich’s campaign explains his Twitter followers, Emanuel Cleaver explains what’s in a real Satan sandwich, and Rick Santorum is offering free jelly.

 Make sure to sign up to get “Afternoon Fix” in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m.!

EARLIER ON THE FIX:

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Gun industry sues over new ATF border rule

U.S. gunmakers filed suit Wednesday to block requirements that weapons dealers along the border with Mexico report multiple sales of semiautomatic rifles, escalating a fight with the Obama administration.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives last month ordered more than 8,000 gun dealers in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California to report such sales to try to stem the “iron river” of firearms flowing to violent Mexican drug cartels.

Starting Aug. 14, dealers must report sales of two or more guns to the same person at one time or over any five business days for semiautomatic rifles greater than .22 caliber and with the ability to accept a detachable magazine.

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White House pursues ways to boost economy

The White House is exploring new proposals to boost the struggling economy, including tax cuts to spur hiring and programs that could provide a lift to the housing market, as President Obama shifts his focus from the debate over the debt, said people familiar with the efforts.

Obama, who is planning a three-day bus tour of the Midwest this month to discuss the economy, has been searching for ways to generate economic growth that could attract broad public support.

White House officials are weighing a proposal to offer tax cuts to employers in return for hiring new workers. The administration considered this idea last year, but it gave way to a broader payroll tax deduction for workers in a bipartisan deal in December.

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Poll suggests distance between Democratic voters and liberal groups bashing debt deal

Much is being made of the anger on the political left over the debt-ceiling deal struck by President Obama. 

  Liberal interest groups are speaking out, promising to stage protests. Some wonder if Obama will be able to count on his liberal base turning out in next year’s election or even keeping up their political donations.

   The White House is taking heart from a  new Gallup survey measuring public reaction to the debt-ceiling deal. The poll finds that more Americans oppose than favor the deal. But then there’s this: Most Democrats and liberals support it.

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Obama set to turn 50, with sub-50 approval ratings

President Obama turns 50 tomorrow, but a less enviable milestone awaits: absent a dramatic one-night upturn, Aug. 4 will mark 60 days with job approval ratings under 50 percent in Gallup tracking polls. And an again sputtering economy threatens to keep it there for awhile.

The two-month stretch sub-50 is not Obama’s longest in Gallup data — he was below 50 from June through December 2010 — but the extended period under that mark puts clear pressure on Obama’s re-election bid.

Now, Obama’s current 43 percent percent approval rating nearly matches former president Ronald Reagan’s Gallup tally in early August 1983 (44 percent), and Reagan of course went on to a landslide victory the following year.

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Dems Have One Shot on Taxes. Don’t Blow It
Ezra Klein, Washington Post
There are now two sides in the American tax debate: the Republican Party, which refuses to have a serious conversation about taxes, and the Democratic Party, which ."‰."‰. refuses to have a serious conversation about taxes.Let's start here: We cannot fund anything close to the government's commitments if we don't raise taxes, or if we let only the Bush tax cuts for income over $250,000 expire. And that's true even if we make deep cuts across all categories of federal spending.

Where’s Your Budget, Mr. President?
Rep. Paul Ryan, Wall Street Journal
During the negotiations over raising the debt ceiling, President Obama reportedly warned Republican leaders not to call his bluff by sending him a bill without tax increases. Republicans in Congress ignored this threat and passed a bill that cuts more than a dollar in spending for every dollar it increases the debt limit, without raising taxes.Yesterday, Mr. Obama signed this bill into law. He was, as he said, bluffing.

Debt Deal May Hurt GOP Nominee With Center
Ed Kilgore, New Republic
With the passage of the debt limit increase package this week, many political activists and observers have undoubtedly heaved a sigh of relief and either headed off on vacation or refocused their attention on the “normal” business of American politics. Certainly the Republican candidates and campaigns have to be happy to dispose of the daily pressure of monitoring and commenting (or, in the case of Mitt Romney, avoiding comments) on the “debt crisis,” without getting crossways with the hyper-conservative activists that will dominate the early stages of…