Michele Bachmann

The campaign for U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann issued a press release late Tuesday that was titled: ’9-9-9′ would wreck the U.S. economy. Quoting FreedomWorks, the Wall Street Journal and several other media outlets, the Bachmann campaign argued that Cain’s signature plan “levies a brand new national sales tax and would further weaken the U.S. economy, leaving American taxpayers vulnerable to skyrocketing rates imposed by future Congresses.”

… Mr. Cain’s plan has a worthwhile intention, but 9-9-9 would cause more problems for the U.S. economy and job-creation than it would solve. Sensible tax reform will lower the burden on American business, simply the tax code for all taxpayers, and make the U.S. the most competitive engine of economic growth in the world.

As a former federal tax litigation attorney, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann has seen firsthand the how the current code devastates American job creators. As President, she will reform the tax code to produce real jobs, right now, without creating new taxes.

On Wednesday morning the plan also drew the scrutiny of Vice President Joe Biden, who said the plan would place an added burden on the middle class.

“That’s standing on its head what Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, had in mind when he proposed a national income tax that’d be progressive,” Biden said during an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. “But it’s totally consistent with the Republican philosophy that what you continue to do is continue to cut taxes for the millionaires and billionaires and continue to add a burden on the middle class.”

Herman Cain

Cain proposes replacing the current tax code with a 9 percent national sales tax, a 9 percent personal income tax rate and a 9 percent corporate income tax rate.

Bachmann, who may have offered the most damning critique of the plan, is far from the only member of the 2012 crowd that takes issue with it. The proposal received widespread criticism from the GOP field Tuesday night during an economic-focused debate in New Hampshire.

Former China ambassador and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman noted the “catchy phrase” reminded him of the “price of a pizza” when he first heard it. When former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum asked for a show of hands in support of the idea, and none appeared.

“There you go, Herman. That’s how many votes you’ll get in New Hampshire,” Santorum said.

Cain has defended his plan, saying that it will lead to lower taxes for all.

The Miami Herald reports that “Katherine Archuleta, the political director for Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, is coming to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa from Friday to Sunday. She’ll meet with Democratic elected officials and the grassroots Obama leaders known as the Fall Fellows, who help recruit volunteers and man phone banks. At the same time, Vice President Joe Biden travels to Miami Beach to raise campaign cash.”

According to the Herald, the Obama reelection campaign is focusing on Hispanics. The Pew Research Center data shows that Hispanic voters supported Obama over GOP presidential candidate John McCain “by a margin of more than two-to-one in the 2008 presidential election.”

A Gallup poll issued early this month indicates that Obama “earned the lowest monthly job approval rating of his presidency to date in August, with 41% of U.S. adults approving of his overall job performance, down from 44% in July. He also received term-low monthly job approval ratings from both Hispanics (48%) and whites (33%) and tied his lowest rating from blacks (84%).”

Gallup adds that “although Hispanics’ monthly approval of Obama dipped below 50% for the first time in August, more still approve than disapprove (48% vs. 37%) of his job performance.”

Last Thursday, a group of anti-war protesters, disgruntled over the Obama administration’s treatment of alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Pfc. Bradley Manning, interrupted a speech from the president with a self-penned song. The song highlighted Manning’s treatment in the Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Va. (he’s since been moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he has allegedly received better treatment), before ending with the lines, “We paid our dues; where’s our change?” in three-part harmony. Marinucci’s video of the incident is below:

The group reportedly paid nearly $80,000 for the chance to sing their song to President Obama. Bronstein contends that it was the video that did Marinucci in, leading an embarrassed and angry White House to drop her from the press corps.

Buried in Bronstein’s column is the fact that the White House did arguably have legitimate reasons for dismissing Marinucci from the press pool:

The White House Press Correspondents’ Association pool reporting guidelines warn about “no hoarding” of information and also say, “pool reports must be filed before any online story or blog.” While uploading her video probably was the best way to file her report, Carla may have technically busted the letter of that law.

Still, Bronstein points out that the dismissal was a decision handed down by the administration of a president who was elected on promises of transparency and commending whistleblowers. Bronstein makes much of the fact that the Obama campaign prided itself on being plugged in to new technology and is paradoxically punishing a reporter for using technology. The larger issue, however, appears to be that transparency sticking point.

CBS News’ Mark Knoller has decried the limited access afforded to the press when it comes to Obama fundraisers like the one in San Francisco. Although the bylaws of the White House Press Correspondents’ Association state that print reporters can take pictures and video while on duty, the fundraiser at the center of the controversy was technically closed to dedicated video and audio coverage. Such limitations on press coverage have been the case with many recent Obama fundraisers, a fact that Knoller challenged White House Press Secretary Jay Carney with as not being a “consistent” policy.

The news follows last month’s high-profile incident in which Orlando Sentinel reporter Scott Powers was kept in a supply closet for the duration of a Florida fundraiser at which Vice President Biden was the guest of honor. At the time, a Biden spokesperson apologized not for blocking press access to official events, but for the “lack of a better hold room.”

Archbishop Chaput

“There is unity among the bishops about abortion always being wrong, and that you can’t be a Catholic and be in favor of abortion — the bishops all agree to that,” Chaput said. “But there’s just an inability among the bishops together to speak clearly on this matter and even to say that, if you’re Catholic and you’re pro-choice, you can’t receive holy communion.”

Chaput said the bishops should adopt a clear policy that directs priests to not give communion to pro-choice Catholics and that instructs pro-choice parishioners not to present themselves for communion at mass.

Chaput said he’s been trying to persuade the U.S. bishops conference to take his view on this issue for years but that some bishops believe a hard-line stand like the one he proposes would make it difficult for Catholic politicians to win election.

“Help me convince the bishops on this subject,” he asked the crowd.

Polling data published last month suggests the majority of Catholics in the pews will not help Chaput convince the bishops on the subject because they side with the bishops who oppose him.

On the issue of gay rights, for example, wide majorities of Catholics favor allowing gay people to marry or form civil unions and believe gay people should enjoy legal protections against workplace discrimination.

“It may come as a surprise to many that rank and file Catholics are more supportive of rights for gays and lesbians than are other Christians and the general public,” said Dr. Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute, one of the organizations that polled Catholics last month. “The best data available paints this consistent portrait across a range of issues, including same-sex marriage, workplace non-discrimination, open military service, and adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples.”

Speaking on the Institute’s research, Dr. Michelle Dillon, chair of the Sociology Department at University of New Hampshire, told the Huffington Post that Catholics accept the fact that they will disagree with Church leaders on these sorts of issues as a matter of course.

“Most American Catholics believe that one can be a good Catholic and disagree with the Vatican and the bishops on issues of personal conscience. Gay-marriage has clearly become another issue, along with artificial contraception and divorce and remarriage, that Catholics believe is not core to what it means to be Catholic.”

On banning communion, Michael Sean Winters at the National Catholic Reporter wrote that Chaput mischaracterized the debate around the issue in his talk at Notre Dame.

There isn’t an “inability to speak clearly on the matter,” he wrote; there is instead a genuine disagreement on the topic that includes opinion among the majority of bishops that Chaput is incorrectly interpreting Church law, specifically Canon 915 on refusing communion, and that he is promoting bad policy.

It would be more accurate to say that Chaput and very few other bishops interpret Canon 915 in such a way as to suggest that such denial of communion should be the norm, while the vast majority of bishops disagree. The reasons for their disagreement is obvious: It is lousy theology.

There are many reasons why someone might not support a certain piece of legislation that would restrict or criminalize abortion. Chaput’s simplistic approach is belied by the fact that he has never been able to suggest precisely what such anti-abortion legislation should look like. Would women who procured an abortion go to jail? If not, and only a fool would think our polity would tolerate women going to jail for this, what should the penalty be? Would abortion be considered simply as murder? Would the doctor go to jail or merely lose his or her license? These are not easy questions.

Winters believes Chaput is also wrong to suggest that the bishops who oppose him lack courage of conviction.

Those bishops who disagree with [Chaput]… are not cowards. They disagree with Chaput as to whether or not his understanding of Canon 915 constitutes sound theology and/or sound pastoral practice.

Chaput made headlines during the Denver-hosted Democratic Party National Convention in 2008 for saying national Catholic pro-choice politicians like Vice President Joe Biden should be denied communion. Chaput made news in Colorado this month for fighting to defeat same-sex civil unions legislation.

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Wasserman Schultz represents Florida’s 20th congressional district, which covers parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties and is member of the House Judiciary and Budget committees. #

The Miami Herald reports: #

An email from Vice President Joe Biden on Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s ascension to DNC chief: #

“Debbie has served the people of Florida – first in the Florida State Legislature, and more recently in Congress – for nearly two decades. During that time, she has fought for America’s children, seniors, and men and women in uniform. #

“In selecting Debbie to lead our party, President Obama noted her tenacity, her strength, her fighting spirit, and her ability to overcome adversity. President Obama expressed great admiration for her as a leader, and he was honored that she accepted this important challenge on behalf of the Democratic Party. #

The Herald adds: #

The South Florida congressional delegation is traditionally friendly, regardless of political affiliation. But Wasserman Schultz, a staunch defender of the economic embargo against Cuba, has especially warm ties with South Florida Republicans who share her stance on tough sanctions against the island. #

The Sun-Sentinel comments that “Wasserman Schultz will lead a party hoping to rebound from what Obama called a ‘shellacking’ in last year’s elections, when Republicans regained majority control of the U.S. House. Republicans swept the Florida races for governor, U.S. senator and all six of the state’s closely contested U.S. House seats.” #

On Monday, Vice President Joe Biden, during his address to the University of New Hampshire, is expected to announce that, for the first time, rape, sexual assault and sexual battery will be considered not just to be crimes, but to be acts of discrimination, similar to how sexual harassment is classified under federal law.

(Listen to Biden’s speech live here, at 11:45 a.m. EST.)

According to the Post, the initiative has been spurred by high numbers of sex offenses reported at colleges and public high schools in recent years. The Obama administration has cited 3,300 forcible sex offenses on college campuses in 2009. In 2007-2008, there were reportedly 800 rapes and attempted rapes and 3,800 incidents of sexual battery at public high schools.

Consequently, the administration is urging schools, particularly those that receive federal funding, to do more to prevent sexual violence on campuses and to act quickly when complaints arise.

Last week President Obama issued a “proclamation” in honor of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, wherein he declared:

Nearly one in six American women will experience an attempted or completed rape at some point in her life, and for some groups, rates of sexual violence are even higher.  Almost one in three American Indian and Alaska Native women will be sexually assaulted.  Young women ages 16 to 24 are at greatest risk, and an alarming number of young women are sexually assaulted while in college.  Too many men and boys are also affected.  With each new victim and each person still suffering from an attack, we are called with renewed purpose to respond to and rid our Nation of all forms of sexual violence.

Sexual assault is considered to be the most underreported violent crime in America, and criminal justice responses vary widely across our country.  Some communities have developed highly trained, coordinated teams who understand the nature of sexual assault and can respond with compassionate understanding.  In other places, victims hesitate to report these crimes because they fear the criminal justice system will respond with skepticism or fail to bring the perpetrator to justice.  We must ensure our police, prosecutors, and courts treat victims with the seriousness and respect they need and deserve.  We must do more to provide services that help victims recover from the trauma of sexual assault.  And ultimately, we must prevent sexual assault before it happens.

Under Vice President Joe Biden’s leadership, my Administration is committed to engaging a broad spectrum of Federal agencies and community partners to prevent sexual assault, support victims, and hold offenders accountable.  The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women is leading the Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative to improve the way sexual assault survivors are served.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is funding innovative prevention campaigns that engage bystanders in reducing sexual assault, and the Department of Education is working to combat sexual violence at schools and universities.  We will continue to support new approaches that show promise in changing cultural attitudes toward sexual violence and preventing these crimes.

Read the rest of the proclamation here.

The website Real Aspen rounds up some of the more heated slams of Biden, who flew into the Eagle County Airport Thursday night and proceeded on Interstate 70 in a motorcade using a “rolling roadblock” along U.S. Highway 82 to Aspen. Biden was back in Washington in time for Obama’s address on Libya.

Giving Biden little credit for attending the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass over the weekend, some of his critics pointed out the vice president’s threat to impeach former President George W. Bush if he attacked Iran without congressional approval.

Many leading Democrats, including Colorado’s senior congresswoman, Diana DeGette of Denver, feel Obama should have proceeded more cautiously before involving the nation in a third military conflict in a Muslim country. DeGette and other Colorado lawmakers are receiving a classified briefing on the situation today.

At Friday’s Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser in Philadelphia, Vice President Joe Biden — talking about the federal budget — threw in a rape analogy, as reported by The Hill, calling Republicans who favor cutting spending while cutting taxes for the wealthy just like people who blame rape victims.

According to the press pool account, after reminding his audience that he helped champion the Violence Against Women Act, Biden,said:

“There was this attitude in our society of blaming the victim. When a woman got raped, blame her because she was wearing a skirt too short, she looked the wrong way or she wasn’t home in time to make the dinner. We’ve gotten by that. But it’s amazing how these Republicans, the right wing of this party – whose philosophy threw us into this God-awful hole we’re in, gave us the tremendous deficit we’ve inherited – that they’re  now using, now attempting to use, the very economic condition they have created to blame the victim – whether it’s organized labor or ordinary middle-class working men and women. It’s bizarre. It’s bizarre.”

In response to the vice president’s statement, the National Republican Campaign Committee demanded Biden apologize:

“As much as Vice President Biden should retract this specific statement, he should apologize for comparing our country’s dismal economic situation to such horrid acts as violence against women,” NRCC spokeswoman Joanna Burgos told the Hill.

Chris Geidner of the Washington D.C. based Metro Weekly reports on the planned conference and the president’s participation:

Calling it an issue “very near and dear to the president and first lady’s heart,” [White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody] Barnes noted that the president had recorded an “It Gets Better” video and said that the conference would include “students and parents and teachers and others impacted by bullying” and address, among other topics, “ways to take action to address [bullying] in their communities.”

The announcement was good news to Kevin Epling, co-chair of Bully Police U.S.A. The East Lansing resident lost his teenage son, Matt, in a bullying related suicide in 2002. Since then, Epling and his wife Tammy have been actively engaged in pushing the state legislature to pass a comprehensive anti-bullying bill.

Michigan is one of only five states that does not have an anti-bullying law. Legislation has been stonewalled by Republican leadership for years.

“I am very happy that President Obama has called this conference so this invisible epidemic will get the attention it deserves. We have lost far too many children to one of the most preventable things in our schools: peer to peer abuse,” Epling tells Michigan Messenger. “My hope is that an important voice will be there at the table along with educators; Parents who have lost children to bullycide who can help guide the change by actually exploring past problems and not just ‘theorizing’ what could happen. Ask those who have lived and have already been working with schools. .

“Honestly it should have never taken so long for this to happen, but it has because adults are the ones who don’t want to change. If you ask the students they are tired of the bullying they want things to change but the biggest problem with anti-bullying is the adults,” he continued. “Adults who are afraid of change even when the prognosis is very good.”

The White House is responding to a string of highly publicized bullying related suicides across the country. Those suicides gave birth to the “It Gets Better” campaign — an internet driven program wherein adults video words of support for teenagers who are being targeted with bullying.

President Barack Obama is one of many politicians who released a video for the program. Vice President Joe Biden also released a video.

Most of the juicy bits seem to be about these personality clashes, and in that context, it’s worth digging up this old gem from Joan Didion’s 1996 review of Woodward’s work:

…Mr. Woodward describes his role, “to sit with many of the candidates and key players and ask about the questions of the day as the campaign unfolded.” What seems most remarkable in this new Woodward book is exactly what seemed remarkable in the previous Woodward books, each of which was presented as the insiders’ inside story and each of which went on to become a number-one bestseller: these are books in which measurable cerebral activity is virtually absent. The author himself disclaims “the perspective of history.” His preferred approach has been one in which “issues could be examined before the possible outcome or meaning was at all clear or the possible consequences were weighed.”

Woodward, of course, does care about writing about issues that in his judgment will one day have historical import. As he told Charlie Rose in 2009:

The first nine months of the Bush administration I spent working on Bush’s tax cut, thinking that would be the center of gravity. Of course, I was dead wrong, and I still have boxes of interviews and notes if you run into anyone who wants to write a book about the Bush tax cut. It’s there. I worked for months on it thinking it was important. Of course, it’s important but compared to 9/11, which still defines our times, and the problems Obama has, the Bush tax cuts is probably not going to go in the history books.

Actually, with the “the perspective of history” (and the current debate on extending those tax cuts), those boxes of notes might be interesting. Any takers?