MOMocrats™

EMILY's List: All Eyes on Wisconsin

Our friends at EMILY's List have been on the ground in Wisconsin, where five of the six Democratic candidates vying to replace Governor Scott Walker's cronies are women. Here's a first-hand report from WOMEN VOTE! director Denise Feriozzi (UPDATED 2:20 PM Pacific Time)

 

Tonight, all eyes will be on Wisconsin. Today, it’s all hands on deck.

Since Friday I’ve been here in Milwaukee, where EMILY’s List is on the ground to get out the vote for Sandy Pasch in what may be the closest election in the Wisconsin recall races. But it’s not just EMILY’s List—we’ve been working in tandem with an amazing mix of volunteers from the community as well and groups who've all come together in common purpose, from Planned Parenthood and the League of Conservation Voters to AFSCME, WI AFL-CIO, SEIU, and WEAC. If we win tonight, it will be because we all did this as one effort. 

As the director of our WOMEN VOTE! program, I’ve been training volunteers who come in to help with this race, including some of the great Team EMILY members who've been out knocking on doors. Rarely in my career have I seen such an impressive on-the-ground operation, and never have I witnessed so much political activity in such a small area.

We know that a strong field operation can make a couple of points difference, and in close races like these are, that could be the margin! This is hand-to-hand combat to get our voters out to the doors, and it’s going to all come down to what we’re able to accomplish today. The TV ads have already been run, the debates have happened—now it’s all up to us.

 We're also staying vigilant and making sure that Republicans don't try any of the shenanigans we've seen them attempt in the past. And while many voters are being asked to show identification at the polls, we're making sure folks know that they aren't yet required to do so (the new Republican voter ID law is not yet in effect), and shouldn't feel intimidated from voting.

With just hours until the polls close at 8pm Central Time, we'll be working hard until the very last minute.

2008 Redux?

Following Standard & Poor’s cutting its rating on US long-term debt late Friday from AAA to AA+, the US stock market fell significantly today: the Dow Jones industrial average had a one-day decline of more than 600 points (over 5 percent) and the Nasdaq dropped close to 200 points (nearly 7 percent).

Let's take a deep breath.  Some refreshers:

• S&P is only one of the three big credit ratings agencies.  The other two, Moody's and Fitch, did not downgrade US debt (though they did change their outlooks to "negative").  However, remember that the ratings agencies played a significant role in their overly optimistic ratings of structured debt securities which were instrumental in the 2008 crash.  It's arguable that having been caught with their pants down, S&P is reacting rashly in the opposite direction, seeing danger where there is none.  But ratings are as much a dart game as they are a science and have been called, among other things, "substandard and porous."
• However, because of the interconnectedness of the US financial sector, the downgrade of US debt will have (and has had) direct follow-on effects: specifically, the downgrade today of the debt of Fannie and Freddie Mac, and of DTCC, the central depository for United States securities, all of which rely significantly on the US government. 
• Downgrades are significant because many "safe" investment vehicles (such as money market funds and low risk pension funds) have mandated investment rules, which may include, for example, a rule that such funds invest only in AAA rated securities.  The downgrade of US debt (and subsequent downgrade of other US backed securities as well as the as-yet-unseen ancillary effects of the downgrade) may lead to massive sell-offs by these funds, fueled by nothing but their mandates.
• Despite all of the above, IF investors are genuinely worried about default by the US government (which is what a downgrade signals), then the interest rate on 10-year Treasury bonds should be soaring (because the likelihood that the US government will continue to honor its debt in 10 years should have just deteriorated significantly).  Instead, that interest rate has actually edged down today. 
• What happened today is generally being seen as a flight from securities to "safe havens" (which includes US Treasuries and gold, which broke all-time highs again today).
• The fear is most likely driven by a renewed sense that the global economic outlook is bleak.  Most are speculating that the continued deterioration of Eurozone sovereign debt is the main driver of this fear, but the botched debt deal (see below) and the S&P downgrade are likely contributing to an overall sense that a double dip is imminent.
• There is definitely an element of psychological fear in today's market gyrations.  Volatility, measured via the VIX (or fear index) was off the chart today.
• But in the end, it may be helpful to remember that the stock market is not the economy.

Even if the main driver for the market gyrations these past few days lies squarely in Europe, the US government is far from blameless.  There are real, grown-up ways to deal with the continued economic instability, and real steps that could have been taken to fortify our domestic economic situation while we brace for the inevitable from Europe.  And yet, Congress has consistently shied away from taking such steps over the past 3+ years.  One view, from the Economist:

[The US government's] prescription for a weak economy [through the debt deal] is a large slug of austerity. Thanks to the expiry of a payroll-tax credit and extended jobless benefits in December, the United States is on course for a fiscal contraction of some 2% of GDP next year, the biggest of any large economy—and enough to drag a weak economy into recession.

The debt deal, which implies only modest new spending cuts in the short term, is not directly responsible for this. But Congress could, and should, have stopped this potentially ruinous trajectory. There was a deal to be had: keep up spending in the short term, with a stress on much-needed infrastructure investment, as well as extending the temporary tax cuts, in exchange for a big medium-term reduction in the deficit, centred on entitlements and tax reform. Congress did precisely the opposite, failing to support the economy now and failing to find enough cuts over the next decade to stabilise America’s debt.

Worse, the poisonous politics of the past few weeks have created new sorts of uncertainty. Now that the tea-partiers have used default successfully as a political weapon, it will surely be used again. The refusal to compromise, rapidly becoming a point of honour for both parties, is wreaking damage ... At best, the politicians will have slowed a sputtering expansion; at worst they will have killed off the recovery and inflicted lasting harm on the world’s most impressive prosperity machine. (emphasis added)

Kady is back from a self-imposed sabbatical and may be persuaded to occasionally pop back on her other blog.

MOMocrats Readers: Tell Us Who You Are Survey

After nearly torpedoing the world economy with the manufactured debt ceiling crisis, the Tea Party House of Representatives has decided to take a three-week break. (Never mind that they leave the FAA floundering without a budget; if I were them I'd consider taking the train back home to my district -- it's kind of hard to enforce airline safety when the government stops paying the workers).

The MOMocrats also have summer plans, which include a reunion in San Diego this week for the BlogHer conference. Unfortunately, not all of us are able to be there -- but enough MOMos from around the country will be in attendance to allow us to have an extended, in-person meeting. This is fitting, because Elizabeth Edwards' keynote at BlogHer was the inspiration for the MOMocrats site back in 2007. It will be something like a homecoming.

It will also be our first opportunity for a quorum of MOMos to make plans about where we want to take the site in 2012. We've changed a lot since '07, and we suspect our readers have, too. But those are only suspicions. We invite you to do us the favor of taking a short survey, to help us determine what our priorities will be. 

We're hoping for as many readers as possible to participate by 3:00 PM Pacific Time tomorrow (August 3), so we can use it as a framework in our planning session.

And if you're going to be at BlogHer, we hope you look us up!

Michele Bachmann and Me

Michele Bachmann and I had lunch together. It's true! She even had these lovely Tea Party cookies!

OK, there were about 200 other people in the room, too. But we were both eating in the same place at the same time!

Bachmann was at the National Press Club and, as a member, I was lucky to snag a couple of tickets so Mr. PunditMom and I could see and hear the Tea Party powerhouse up close and personal. No, it's not our usual kind of date, but it is part of our theory on the importance of knowing what those on the other side of the political aisle are up to. So when one of them is in your 'hood, why not go?

Bachmann pretty much took the opportunity to give her standard stump speech -- raising the debt ceiling is bad, President Obama is bad, Ronald Reagan was a saint, Constitution, God, Americans are scared. You've heard it before.

But it was at the National Press Club. So that means questions that aren't planted or scripted. Heh.

Fox News Cycle: Building a smear, one segment at a time

 

I've been writing about FOX News' campaign to smear Media Matters over at Crooks and Liars for the past three weeks. No low has been too low for them. Fox News is a bit hot under the collar over Media Matters holding them accountable for their lies and distortions while promoting Republicans running for office with free air time and other perks. With the News of the World scandal unfolding in the UK, it's just a matter of time before it unravels here. 

It should disturb everyone -- conservative and liberal alike -- that hacking, breakins, theft of tax returns, and unfounded character smears are part of News Corp's culture. Even as news breaks about former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's tax returns, bank accounts and phone being hacked into (not to mention confidential medical records), it's worth remembering that the man who currently heads up Dow Jones & Co -- Wall Street Journal publisher -- was involved with News of the World and the Times in the years involved. 

I predict this story rolling across the Atlantic into the United States like a category 5 hurricane. Meanwhile, they continue to manufacture stories over there and pretend it's news. 

I'm not much for online petitions as a general rule, but there are some worth their weight in gold. Media Matters and CREW are pushing for a federal investigation into News Corp and the allegations that 9/11 victims were targeted for hacking. You can sign the petition here to ask Congress to open an investigation immediately. Also, you can follow their DropFox program to encourage sponsors to drop ads from their networks here.

Medicaid In Extremis

Three months ago the Republicans opened debate on the FY2012 budget when Rep. Paul Ryan released The Path to Prosperity: Restoring America’s Promise. In that plan, he proposed a remaking of Medicaid that would eviscerate the program’s core purpose: provide health care to the most vulnerable.

Many labor under the misconception that Medicaid is health benefit open to any low-income American. In reality, states are only required to cover impoverished children (including those in foster care), pregnant women, some disabled persons, some adults with dependent children, and the elderly. In fact, more than 2/3 of Medicaid spending pays for services for the disabled and elderly; children consume about 1/5 of the total funds with the rest going to adults.

Childless adults, even those with incomes far below the poverty line are not automatically eligible for Medicaid. Nor are the parents of Medicaid-eligible children automatically eligible for coverage. For example, in Alabama, parents’ incomes cannot exceed 24% of the federal poverty line – less than $5000 a year for a family of three. Eleven other states all have income eligibility well below the FPL.

Whatʼs The Matter with Kansas? The 750 Mile Plan (Guest Contributor KSMom)

Once again, the elected officials in Kansas, who are more loyal to their version of the bible than to the citizens they serve, have managed to earn points on the attention meter.

 

Ten years ago it was evolution. Kansas was the first of many states to attempt to remove evolution from its Science classrooms. The good news is this insanity woke up Kansans, who worked to remove the zealots from the state board of education and restore evolution to the Science curriculum. The bad news is most people outside of Kansas donʼt realize this and still assume our kids are taught creationism instead of evolution. And this started the ball rolling for several other states to challenge the teaching of evolution.

Now it looks like Kansas has started yet another ball rolling, this time about abortion. In November, the most radical group of far right (mainly tea party) folks were elected to the state legislature. Thankfully, the state Senate remained more moderate, but they were out shouted by the extremists in the House.

This Week on MOMochat: Life, Liberty and the Wisconsin Recall Elections

This week's MOMochat podcast was pre-recorded so the MOMocrats could prepare to enjoy the 4th of July holiday with our families.

But while we're busy organizing barbecues and swim parties, EMILY's List is on the ground in Wisconsin, supporting the effort to recall six Republican legislators who supported Governor Scott Walker's union busting bill -- and five of the six are pro-choice women!

EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock was our MOMochat guest in a spirited interview about the effort in Wisconsin, what we can do to support them, and why we should.

"I really see this as a springboard for all of our races coming up in 2012," Schriock said. "I think it’s going to be a very, very, interesting year and as long as women continue to step up and run, I think we’re going to see a lot of new, inspirational women leaders serving all over the country, from legislative seats, city council; right up to the United States Senate."

The protests at the state Capitol in Madison energized the Democratic party in this country and inspired people around the world. Now the people in Wisconsin have an opportunity to undo some of the damage of the 2010 mid-term elections that gave the statehouse to a Koch Brothers-funded Republican majority that has been in the forefront of this year's legislative "War on Women."

As Schriock explains, "We say there is a War on Women, and with wars, there’s two sides and I intend that women will be the victors in this war. And it is really a time for us all to pull together."

We can help the effort by donating -- and/or joining Team EMILY and phone banking to people in the state. "Of you can’t get to Wisconsin, you sure can sit in your living room and pick up the phone and call voters in Wisconsin. And we’ve got it all set up; you can go through in the comfort of your home and make those calls and share with those voters in Wisconsin how important is is – not just to the folks in Wisconsin, but to the women of this country, to see this change. And to get these women elected," Schriock said. 

"The great thing about what EMILY’s List does is we network women and men all over the country who really believe that representative democracy is our true future, is our best policy. And by getting more women elected, we’re going to get where we want to go as a society," she said.

Schriock had a lot more to say: about hero Governors like North Carolina's Beverly Purdue, who repeatedly vetoed bills from the state's Republican controlled legislature that would defund Planned Parenthood... the end of the era of the moderate Republican women... and voter caging efforts throughout the country, disenfranchising voting rights (particularly of women).

Hear the entire podcast here.

 

Guest Post: The Way to Confound Bachmann - Your Kids?

Last month, MOMocrats entered into a competition at the Circle of Moms community to find the 25 most popular political blogs written by mothers. Thanks to your votes, we made it into the Top 10 -- along with some of our other favorites. Plus, through the Circle of Moms list, we've been introduced to several new progressive voices, like Shannon Drury of the Radical Housewife (#3), who kindly offered us this account of an up close and personal encounter with now-official Presidential candidate, Rep. Michele Bachmann:

As a longtime activist in the service of feminist and other social justice causes, I have spent more than my fair share of time in the Minnesota State Capitol.  And because I believe that politics is an all-ages activity, I like to take my two kids.  

This was easier when they were small, as Elliott and Miriam were in the capitol session of 2006.  I dragged them and a stroller full of one-year-old Miriam’s junk to a hearing that involved regulating abortion procedures in our state so stringently that the “choice” in “pro-choice” would be meaningless for all but wealthy urbanites, the types who had access to everything anyway.  My sister and her four-year-old son joined us.  Great pals as well as cousins, Elliott and Aidan liked any opportunity to hold signs and chant as loud as they could, proving my oft-held theory that there are no finer activists than energetic little boys.  Yet even these two grew tired of flapping “PRO-CHOICE PRO-FAMILY” signs, taking their first opportunity to sneak away from their mothers in search of greater kicks.

“STOP THAT,” came the inevitable bark of an irritated stranger.  

A slender, finely-coiffed brunette had her gaze fixed on the boys, who were zipping in between a marble alcove and a copper bust of some long-dead former legislator.  My cheeks reddened as I plopped Miriam in my sister’s arms, mentally preparing for a heartfelt apology and a promise that the children in my care would stop behaving like overcaffeinated puppies.  Until I got a closer look at the woman’s face, that is.

I realized that my children were being admonished by Michele Bachmann, a state representative from Stillwater.

Rarely am I able to identify Minnesota legislators outside my home of Minneapolis, but Bachmann was making quite a name for herself in state politics, and not always for the reasons that she hoped.  I wouldn’t have recognized her if she hadn’t been exposed for hiding in the bushes outside a LGBT rights rally outside the capitol building the session before.  Why was she hiding there?  Bachmann never quite explained this herself, but the universally held opinion was that she couldn’t resist a peek at the folks she’d spent her tenure in the Minnesota legislature demonizing.  That very day, in fact, I’d passed by a gentleman holding a homemade sign with the words “HATEMONGER” scribbled across her headshot.  

Michele Bachmann: Taking Political Motherhood to the White House?

If you thought Michele Bachmann was a conservative mom political superstar before the last GOP debate, then you're probably standing in line to get her autograph this week as she officially announces her 2012 presidential bid, as well as her special beauty secrets of how she still looks so young and fresh after 28 kids. I certainly don't look that put together on most days and I only have one child!

I'm no fan of Bachmann's political views or the fact that even though she's a lawyer, her understanding of the Constitution leaves a little something to be desired. But I have to hand it to her -- she pretty much hit it out of the ballpark with her debate performance alongside all those GOP guys.

Bachmann was prepared, poised and made sure her answers incorporated two things that are crucial to her campaign -- her Congressional experience and her motherhood. Plus, she lucked out that she didn't have any camera malfunctions or have to answer any questions about geography. I have no doubt that she's going to use the mom thing to her advantage wherever she can, because it worked pretty well for Sarah Palin when she was trying to whip GOP women into a political frenzy.