Calling Radicalism by Its Name

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An editorial, at The New York Times:

President Obama’s fruitless three-year search for compromise with the Republicans ended in a thunderclap of a speech on Tuesday, as he denounced the party and its presidential candidates for cruelty and extremism. He accused his opponents of imposing on the country a “radical vision” that “is antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity.” More of this please.

Young People In The Recession: The War Against Youth

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Stephen Marche, at Esquire:

David Frum, former George W. Bush speechwriter, had the guts to acknowledge that the Tea Party's combination of expensive entitlement programs and tax cuts is something entirely different from a traditional political program: "This isn't conservatism: It's a going-out-of-business sale for the Baby Boom generation." The economic motive is growing ever more naked, and has nothing to do with any principle that could be articulated by Goldwater or Reagan, or indeed with any principle at all. The political imperative is to preserve the economic cloak of unreality that the Boomers have wrapped themselves in. If you read nothing else this week, please read this article. I apologize in advance at how much it will depress you but hopefully it will make you angry.

Republican Congressmen Host "Vacation" For Lobbyists With $10,000 Entrance Fee; CBS Secretly Films The Shindig, Has List of Reps In Attendance

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Sharyl Attkisson, at CBS:

In 2010, many freshmen Republicans were swept into Congress on the promise of doing things differently. But fast-forward to 2012, and the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla. -- an exclusive seaside resort and home to 54 holes of championship golf and a private marina full of luxury yachts. That's where we caught up with a select group of Republican freshmen, engaged in business as usual. But they didn't come alone. They invited big campaign donors and lobbyists to join them - for a price. And we secretly sent our cameras along for a unique inside look at their first joint fundraiser, where special interests got the kind of access ordinary Americans can only dream of: on the golf course; over drinks at the resort bar; at a private beach lagoon. "Book your Key Largo getaway now," reads the invitation, obtained by CBS News. The hosts are veteran congressmen Spencer Bachus, of Alabama, Pete Sessions, of Texas, "and 12 of your favorite Republican freshmen!" Not surprised.∗

Rick Santorum's Housing Hypocracy

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Andy Kroll & Tim Murphy, writing for Mother Jones:

Rick Santorum wants the government out of every aspect of Americans' lives—especially the housing market. He pledges to eliminate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the twin government housing giants that help guarantee 90 percent of all new mortgages in America. He wants to "let capitalism work" and allow the housing market to "find its bottom." Only then, he says, will the recovery begin. It's a plan that would make Adam Smith proud. Yet Santorum wasn't always so opposed to government intervention in housing. In a deal that's gone unreported during his presidential run, Santorum bought his first house in 1983 with a cut-rate government-backed mortgage, according to records compiled by the campaign of Sen. Harris Wofford (D-Penn.), who Santorum defeated in 1994. He received his loan through a state program to boost homeownership among low- and middle-income families. Santorum, in other words, benefited from a program whose mission mirrored that of Fannie and Freddie, the companies he now rails against and wants to dissolve. (Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley did not respond to a request for comment.) I'm pleased that Rick Santorum was able to take advantage of the benefits that so many other families have been able to take advantage of as well to help in home ownership. Advantages that he wants to strip away now that he no longer needs them himself.

SC County GOP: If You’ve Had Pre-Marital Sex, You Can’t Be A Republican

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As I said earlier on Twitter, there are few things these days that can surprise me. I really shouldn't be surprised at the level of ignorance and naivety that is required to think that this could possibly be a good idea… yet they've done it again. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Republican Party: Jillian Rayfield, writing for Talking Points Memo:

Before you can join the Laurens County Republican Party in South Carolina and get on the primary ballot, they ask that you pledge that you’ve never ever had pre-marital sex — and that you will never ever look at porn again. Last Tuesday, the LCGOP unanimously adopted a resolution that would ask all candidates who want to get on the primary ballot to sign a pledge with 28 principles, because the party “does not want to associate with candidates who do not act and speak in a manner that is consistent with the SC Republican Party Platform.” Just…wow. How would one enforce this rule? What about the fact that a vast majority of people have had premarital sex? The date on that study is 2006, by the way. This isn't new. From the linked-to study: The study, which used statistics from the 1982, 1988, 1995 and 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, asked about 40,000 people ages 15-44 about their sexual behavior and traced the trends in premarital sex back to the 1950s. Of those interviewed in 2002, 95% reported they had had premarital sex; 93% said they did so by age 30. Among women born in the 1940s, nearly nine in 10 did. At the same time, people are waiting longer to marry; 2005 data show median age at first marriage is just over 25 for women and 27 for men. Wait - I've changed my mind. The GOP should put this rule into place on a national level. It would guarantee the Democrats would win every election because of the poor caliber of candidates the GOP would be forced to come up with due to the rule diluting their pool of candidates down so small.

Two Charts That Should Terrify Republicans

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Brian Beutler, writing for Talking Points Memo:

But over that same stretch, the economy began moving in the right direction. Indicators of economic growth started moving upward, and the eye-popping indications of economic weakness started moving downward. That’s surely had an effect. And if the trends continue, it augurs very well for Obama in the general election. Check out these two charts. Also, I suspect this is why the main Republicans message these days are contraceptives, abortions, and gays. As usual in an election year when they have no real platform to run on.