The GOP Primary Is a Field of Broken Dreams

People near me at the Iowa State Fair were frantic. “Do you see him yet?” they panted. “Do you think he’ll come out into the crowd to talk?” When the presence of Secret Service officers made it clear that former President Donald Trump would appear at the Steer ’N Stein restaurant on the Grand Concourse, fairgoers formed a line whose end was out of sight. Not all of them could squeeze into the restaurant, so they filled the street outside, one giant blob of eager, sweating Iowans. When the former…

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A Hysterical Hit Job on Florida’s History Standards

As someone who has taught American history in a Florida school, I’ve followed with particular interest the controversy over the state’s curriculum regarding the so-called “benefits” of slavery. The way this issue has been demagogued is nothing short of outrageous. Florida officials last year created a working group “to review the state’s education standards relating to African American history.” The working group’s members were recruited based on expertise in teaching K-12 history, particularly black history, in Florida. There were no political, ideological or identity group requirements. Six of the 13…

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MoveOn Activists Celebrate Victory in Debt Ceiling Battle

(Photo by Sean Zanni/Getty Images for MoveOn) After months of MAGA Republicans’ holding our economy hostage, the Biden administration and Congress have finally reached a deal to raise the debt ceiling, prevent a national default, and preserve critical federal programs. The budget deal that President Biden secured isn’t perfect, but it protects jobs, veterans’ benefits, historic climate change investments enacted in 2022, and lifesaving health care benefits, while mostly preserving the social safety net. Together, MoveOn members’ activism stopped Republicans in Congress from dragging all of us into a catastrophic…

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn: House’s Biden impeachment inquiry key to investigating foreign business deals

Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Sunday that she supports the House opening an impeachment inquiry into President Biden because it would unlock additional powers to investigate his family ties to foreign business deals when he was vice president. The Washington Times stories: White House

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What a lapse in funding might look like in October of 2023

The crazy weather throughout the country seems to be reflected in Congress. On recess, when it returns it will have 12 working days to workout a regular federal budget for 2024. Ain’t gonna happen. Joining the Federal Drive with Tom Temin  to explore the possible consequences, the vice president for policy and programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, John Hatton. Interview Transcript: Tom Temin And it looks more and more like, because of political developments in the short time period, there could be a lapse. But…

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Abortion Is Inflaming the GOP’s Biggest Electoral Problem

The escalating political struggle over abortion is compounding the GOP’s challenges in the nation’s largest and most economically vibrant metropolitan areas. The biggest counties in Ohio voted last week overwhelmingly against the ballot initiative pushed by Republicans and anti-abortion forces to raise the threshold for passing future amendments to the state constitution to 60 percent. That proposal, known as Issue 1, was meant to reduce the chances that voters would approve a separate initiative on the November ballot to overturn the six-week abortion ban Ohio Republicans approved in 2019. The…

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