One of those "leftist" Coit Tower WPA murals.
News? We have to do some news...
Manufacturers are moving back to America. From the Financial Times: "Two-thirds of big US manufacturers have moved factories in the past two years, with the most popular destination being the US, according to a survey being released on Monday by Accenture, the consultants. The report provides some of the first industry-wide empirical evidence of 'reshoring,' the trend of jobs once outsourced to low-cost emerging economies being brought back to the US." 65 percent of executives said they have moved manufacturing in the past two years; China came in second place, and Mexico third.
Drawing lines in the sand, Obama and Boehner claim their ground in the debt ceiling debate. "Both he and Speaker John A. Boehner put down their respective markers this week, suggesting a potential replay of their damaging showdown over the debt ceiling last summer. On Tuesday, the speaker reiterated what has become known as the Boehner Rule: House Republicans will not increase the debt ceiling again without spending cuts of a greater amount. Mr. Obama, on Wednesday, told him Congress must pass a “clean” debt-limit increase to cover the nation’s obligations; there will be no more deficit deals, he said, without higher tax revenues from the wealthiest Americans." The stand-off begins, but we have months to go before it becomes a pressing issue.
"Paul Ryan Claims Romney Budget, Which Adds $10 Trillion To Debt, Will ‘Prevent A Debt Crisis’." This is one of those times when the title stands alone.
Joshua Green at the Boston Globe imagines a world without filibuster abuse. "Had the filibuster not applied, the United States would have a market-based system to control carbon emissions, which would limit the damage from global warming, vitalize the clean technology sector, and challenge other large polluters like China and India to do the same. The new health care law would have a public option. Children of undocumented immigrants who served two years in the military or went to college could become US citizens. Women paid less than their male colleagues because of their gender would have broader legal recourse against their employers. Billionaires would not be able to manipulate the political system from behind a veil of anonymity." * sigh *
Why yes, Governor Rick Scott will be the perfect GOP face to show the nation from their convention in Tampa. He exemplifies everything they are about. "This is unwelcome news for Mitt Romney: Florida Gov. Rick Scott expects a high-profile speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. 'I would hope so,' he told a newspaper editorial board this week when asked if he anticipates giving a prime-time speech in Tampa. Nothing says 'Elect Mitt Romney!' like an unpopular multimillionaire awkwardly making the case on national TV." It does beg the question though - who else do they have?
The Ricketts episode points to a huge problem - the SuperPacs are out of control on messaging, and may make or break a candidate by going rogue with a distasteful smear campaign. But does anything really shock the public anymore?
We're about to find out. Fundraising totals show that, while Romney only raised half as much as Obama in April, he is keeping pace with the President thanks to the billionaries who are backing the Republican Party and donating to these SuperPacs. While the President still leads with cash-on-hand, the vast rightwing juggernaut is putting everything they have into this campaign to install their own puppet in power. The WSJ reports the Obama campaign is holding back on spending for now - which is probably a great idea when you are going to need the firepower for the end game.
ABC News has a great breakdown on the fundraising totals for campaigns and S-Pacs here.
USA Today comes up with categories for five different economic classes of America as it stands right now, and measures the election based on how those groups see the candidates and this election. "The Downbeats and a second group that leans overwhelmingly to Romney, the Thriving, make up 51% of those surveyed. The other three categories — the 99 Percenters, the Hard-Pressed and the Upbeats — make up 49% of the total. They lean almost as decisively to Obama." Might be more accurate than regular polling, but I'm guessing the tribal factor still rules supreme.
Off to face the week....