Newsflash:
The End of the Perpetual War President Obama’s speech on Thursday was the most important statement on counterterrorism policy since the 2001 attacks, a momentous turning point in post-9/11 America.For the first time, a president stated clearly and unequivocally that the state of perpetual warfare that began nearly 12 years ago is unsustainable for a democracy and must come to an end in the not-too-distant future.       Read the Full Story
Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial Bills WASHINGTON — Bank lobbyists are not leaving it to lawmakers to draft legislation that softens financial regulations. Instead, the lobbyists are helping to write it themselves. Read the Full Story
Elizabeth Warren: Trade talks could weaken bank oversight Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised concerns Tuesday that negotiations over new trade agreements could be used as a backdoor way to water down financial regulations. Read the Full Story
Exclusive: Why I Spoke Out at Obama's Foreign Policy Speech On why Obama's policies themselves, not those who speak out against them, are rude Having worked for years on the issues of drones and Guantanamo, I was delighted to get a pass (the source will remain anonymous) to attend President Obama’s speech at the National Defense University. Read the Full Story
Pivoting From a War Footing, Obama Acts to Curtail Drones WASHINGTON — Nearly a dozen years after the hijackings that transformed America, President Obama said Thursday that it was time to narrow the scope of the grinding battle against terrorists and begin the transition to a day when the country will no longer be on a war footing.       Read the Full Story
New Terror Strategy Shifts C.I.A. Focus Back to Spying WASHINGTON — For more than seven years, Mike — a lean, chain-smoking officer at the Central Intelligence Agency’s headquarters in Virginia — has managed the agency’s deadly campaign of armed drone strikes. As the head of the C.I.A.’s Counterterrorism Center, Mike wielded tremendous power in hundreds of decisions over who lived and died in far-off lands.       Read the Full Story
Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths GRAPEVINE, Tex. — The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its longstanding policy of forbidding openly gay youths to participate in its activities, a step its chief executive called “compassionate, caring and kind.”       Read the Full Story
PDA, Allies March Against Fracking in Maryland More than 100 "Fracktivists" rallied for clean air and water outside the Democratic Governors Association meeting in Maryland yesterday. Concerned about the controversial practice of extracting methane gas from shale rock formations known as hydraulic fracturing or "Fracking", Progressive Democrats of America, Food and Water Watch, MoveOn, Progressive Neighbors, and Progressive Cheverly members and others gathered to hear speakers and then matched chanting outside the high-level meeting. Read the Full Story
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to President Obama’s Call for AUMF Repeal, Introduces Legislation Creating Greater Oversight of Drones Washington, D.C.— Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s speech focusing on drone warfare and national security. In advance of the speech, Congresswoman Lee introduced related legislation, The Drones Accountability Act. Read the Full Story
Obama Heckled During Speech On Drones, Gitmo (VIDEO) President Barack Obama was heckled during a speech at the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Read the Full Story
IMF Sounds Warning on U.K. Austerity LONDON—The International Monetary Fund urged the U.K. government to counter the effects of its austerity program by raising spending on infrastructure projects to avoid long-term damage to the nation's growth prospects. Read the Full Story
Congresswoman Lee Introduces “No More Ghost Money Act” Washington, D.C.— Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced the No More Ghost Money Act of 2013. The bill would prohibit illegal payments to foreign officials and would require a report to Congress on payments made by the CIA to employees, officers, and elected officials to foreign entities. Read the Full Story
image The End of the Perpetual War
image Banks’ Lobbyists Help in Drafting Financial Bills
image Elizabeth Warren: Trade talks could weaken bank oversight
image Exclusive: Why I Spoke Out at Obama's Foreign Policy Speech
image Pivoting From a War Footing, Obama Acts to Curtail Drones
image New Terror Strategy Shifts C.I.A. Focus Back to Spying
image Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths
image PDA, Allies March Against Fracking in Maryland
image Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to President Obama’s Call for AUMF Repeal, Introduces Legislation Creating Greater Oversight of Drones
image Obama Heckled During Speech On Drones, Gitmo (VIDEO)
image IMF Sounds Warning on U.K. Austerity
image Congresswoman Lee Introduces “No More Ghost Money Act”
Friday, 12 October 2012 00:17

VIDEO: Powell/Cantor Debate Post Mortem

Written by  DailyKos
VIDEO: Powell/Cantor Debate Post Mortem

Perhaps you should give it a look, post-mortem.  After all, this is the first debate Eric Cantor has agreed to in TEN YEARS.

Most of you are either watching some hardscrabble baseball team try and eke their way into the playoffs or you are watching the Massachusetts Senate debate.  I'm not sure how many of you are watching the Wayne Powell-Eric Cantor debate.

Perhaps you should give it a look, post-mortem.  After all, this is the first debate Eric Cantor has agreed to in TEN YEARS.

I have to say that Mr. Powell is hitting Rep. Cantor very hard and strong.  His themes are very pointed, logical and detailed.  Cantor's responses are pretty trite and rote.

Powell had some very strong things to say about why taxes on the hyper rich need to increase.  He talked in detail about the growth in economic disparity.  He launched a very detailed attack on the whole "we're helping small business" meme.

Wayne Powell is a small businessman.  In his words, "Small businessmen don't worry about regulations.  We are focused on profit.  We overcome any obstacles we need to overcome."

Cantor, on the other hand, is coming off pretty smug and smarmy.  The camera panned the audience a short time ago, just as he was insisting that he never took money from Sheldon Addleson and the heads of several audience members were shaking, "no."

The buzzsaw that Cantor is running into is that Americans generally believe that the government should do some things like help our veterans and help disadvantaged students get college loans.  Cantor cannot come up with an effective response as to why we refuses to fund those things.  He can only come up with platitudes like "we're so grateful for your military service."

Powell is unapologetic about his support for renewable energy and fighting climate change.  He was just asked a question about new coal regulations and he responded with issues of pollution and climate change....citing how polluted areas in China are that use coal.

Cantor, on the other hand, isn't really addressing the new regulations on coal, but changes the subject to natural gas and drilling for oil off the coast of Virginia.

 

Cantor did cite the layoffs happening among several coal companies who believe they cannot comply with new EPA regulations.  Powell countered with the fact that other nations are investing in renewable energy at rates higher than the US.  I'm not sure that's the most effective answer by either party for this critical issue to the district.

Powell is effectively countering statements by Cantor that the government could more effectively address health care issues more economically than Obamacare.  He is reminding voters that the very companies that finance Cantor's campaign would be charged more taxes under Obama's plan, so perhaps they have a stake in undermining Obamacare.

This is just a taste of the exchange.  There is supposed to be no applause, but spontaneous applause is erupting just about every time Powell speaks.  One gets the impression that this race is very highly competitive.

Contribute to Powell's campaign here.

Link to original article from DailyKos

Read 1839 times Last modified on Monday, 15 October 2012 01:44
Published in Wayne Powell
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