partisan politics

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New COVID Stats Illustrate a Widening Divide
New COVID Stats Illustrate
a Widening Divide
analysis

New COVID Stats Illustrate a Widening Divide

Death toll is significantly higher in red America versus blue America

(Newser) - An analysis by David Leonhardt in the New York Times has the provocative headline "US COVID Deaths Get Even Redder." And the key stats he cites illustrate the point:
  • "In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from COVID, more than
...

Coney Barrett: I Don't Always Like Results of My Decisions

Supreme Court justice says court is not made up of 'partisan hacks'

(Newser) - Justice Amy Coney Barrett isn't happy with how the public perceives the Supreme Court, a problem she blames in part on "hot takes on Twitter." In a speech at the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, the 49-year-old pushed back against the notion that court decisions...

Why Democrats Should Become Republicans
Why Democrats Should Become Republicans
OPINION

Why Democrats Should Become Republicans

Matt Miller: So they can fix the GOP from within

(Newser) - Matt Miller floats an unorthodox idea in the Washington Post today for Democrats frustrated by the "rightward lurch" of the GOP to the conservative fringes: He thinks those Democrats should switch parties and become Republicans. The idea—and Miller gives full credit to his wife for the idea of...

Huntsman, Manchin Launch 'No Labels' War on Partisanship

Group aims for cross-aisle discussion, congressional reform

(Newser) - Joe Manchin and Jon Huntsman are reaching across the aisle in a push to trip up partisan politics. They're the leaders of "No Labels," an alliance formed in 2010 that is now seeking congressional reforms to fight the partisan divide in DC. Around a dozen congressmembers are...

House GOP Lets Violence Against Women Act Expire

House GOP opposed new protections

(Newser) - Public scorn may have saved the vote on emergency aid funding for superstorm Sandy victims , but the same can't be said for the Violence Against Women Act. The Huffington Post reports that the latest version of VAWA—which was originally signed in 1994 and reauthorized in 2000 and 2005—...

How Obama Lost That 'Hopey-Changey' Thing
 How Obama Lost That 'Hopey-Changey' Thing
ANALYSIS

How Obama Lost That 'Hopey-Changey' Thing

'New Yorker' piece shows post-partisan hope giving way to reality

(Newser) - In a lengthy New Yorker piece culled from hundreds of pages of internal White House memos, Ryan Lizza paints a detailed picture of President Obama's fall from the idealistic candidate who promised to usher in an era of post-partisanship. A week before his inauguration, Obama enjoyed an amiable dinner...

Lawmakers: We Hate Congress, Too

9% approval rating sounds too high to some members of Congress

(Newser) - You can add one more group to the long list of those who hate Congress—members of Congress. News that Congress' approval rating has hit a record low of 9% has left many lawmakers wondering just who the 9% are, Politico finds. “We’re below sharks and contract killers,...

Nikki Haley Gives SC Legislators Report Cards

Dems oddly scored a bunch of Fs

(Newser) - Look out South Carolina lawmakers—Nikki Haley is grading you. The governor this week followed through on her promise to issue “report cards” for the state’s legislators, grading them on how well they supported her agenda, the Columbia Free Times reports. Unsurprisingly all the Fs went to Democrats,...

'Corrosive' Partisanship Drives DC's Gridlock

Divided government requires compromise, critic opines

(Newser) - Washington's hyper-partisan gridlock is far worse than the usual political squabbling; in fact, this political breakdown "could be as corrosive to the political system as the possible financial default looming could be to the economy," writes Dan Balz in the Washington Post . Voters have chosen divided government...

What's Up With Our Ridiculous Bill Titles?

Just try to say any of these five times fast

(Newser) - Remember when bills had simple names like the Civil Rights Act or the Highway Beautification Act? Not any more. Lawmakers are increasingly using these titles as a political tool, saddling bills with cumbersome and partisan names like the Reducing Barack Obama's Unsustainable Deficit Act or the Repealing Ineffective and...

27% of Senate Press Releases Taunt Other Side

Professor analyzes writings, finds lots of name calling

(Newser) - This could explain why Congress is having such a hard time agreeing on a budget: Its members are too busy taunting one another. A Harvard professor analyzed the writings of Congress members, and found that about 27% of the time, they're just insulting each other. “It’s jarring and...

A Goodbye to Olbermann Is a Goodbye to Wingnuts

America is finally demanding something different, writes John Avlon

(Newser) - Keith Olbermann, Glenn Beck, and Sarah Palin are “the best-known faces of the … extreme partisanship and the cycle of incitement that [is] dividing our nation instead of trying to unite it.” But now they’re fading away—Olbermann out at MSNBC, Beck’s ratings collapsing, Palin’s...

Mag Names Most Liberal, Conservative Lawmakers

Rankings show ideology trumping Obama's change agenda

(Newser) - National Journal 's rankings of the most liberal and conservative lawmakers confirm that President Obama's first term has had little effect on the partisan atmosphere in Congress. Most members stick to the ideological positions they've staked out for most of their careers, with Sherrod Brown, John Kerry, and Chris...

Health Reform Hit Partisan 'Buzz Saw': Obama

President says he won't quit trying 'just because it's hard'

(Newser) - President Obama says his health care overhaul has "run into a bit of a buzz saw" and acknowledges the process is looking ugly. Nonetheless he says he'll keep working to finish sweeping legislation. In comments prepared for a town hall meeting in Ohio today, Obama said, "I am...

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