MORNING MESSAGE: How "Centrist" Democrats Help Conservatives, Fail Moms
OurFuture.org's Richard Eskow: "It's true that Mitt Romney has said stunningly insensitive things about lower-income mothers. And his 'bromance' partner Paul Ryan has cooked up a second round of welfare cuts which would decimate lower-income mothers and their children - even though we now know the first 'reform' was a cruel failure.
But Romney's comments aren't all that different from what Bill Clinton said about welfare cuts back in the nineties ... When will Democrats learn that repeating right-wing talking points only accomplishes three things? It helps turn right-wing ideas into right-wing realities, it legitimizes bad ideas - and it elects Republicans."
Buffett Rule Filibustered
Republicans filibuster Buffett Rule. TPM: "Democrats fell short of the 60 votes ... 51 in favor, 45 against, with Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) breaking ranks with their leadership."
Republicans push tax cut for the wealthy instead. NYT: "Republicans argued that no one’s taxes should be raised while the economy is struggling to regain its footing. The House bill would offer a tax cut to small businesses, but it is drawn so broadly that it would benefit anyone with income through partnerships and other 'pass-through entities.' Almost half the benefit would accrue to the households with income over $1 million..."
After Protecting Rich, Republicans Target The Poor
Along with cuts in food aid for the poor. Politico: " ... driving the latest cuts is a newer narrative, voiced by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), that the social safety net is at risk of becoming a 'hammock.' ... An average family of four would face an 11 percent cut in monthly benefits after Sept. 1 and, even more important, tighter enforcement of rules would require that households exhaust most of their liquid assets before qualifying for help. This hits hardest among the long-term unemployed, who would be forced off the rolls until they have spent down their savings to less than $2,000 in many cases."
NYT examines impact of the Earned Income Tax Credit: "...the credit has played a critical role in smoothing the hard edges of an unforgiving labor market for the country’s most vulnerable workers ... the credit lifted about six million Americans out of poverty last year ... But the boost is often temporary. Many people who receive the credit fall back into poverty over the course of the year, caught in the same cycle of low-wage work and reliance on credit that put them there in the first place."
Historically Unpopular Romney Panders To 1%, Tea Party
Romney attacks Buffett Rule at Tea Party rally. WSJ: "Contending that the so-called 'Buffett Rule’' would raise only enough revenues to pay for 11 hours of government operations, Mr. Romney said, 'This is not exactly a grand idea.' 'This man is out of ideas; he is out of excuses'..."
Aides say Romney was just " tossing around ideas" when he was overheard discussing termination of Cabinet departments with big donors. NYT: "Campaign surrogates and officials played down Mr. Romney’s candid talk about tax changes for the wealthy, including ending mortgage interest deductions for second homes, eliminating deductions for state and local taxes, as well as closing or merging federal agencies that deal with education and housing ... 'Apparently, Governor Romney believes only high-dollar donors have a right to know what programs he will cut,' wrote Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Mr. Obama’s campaign..."
Romney deeply unpopular as general election campaign begins. W. Post: "The number of Americans with unfavorable views of him continues to hover near an all-time-high set in late March, with favorable impressions mired around one in three, making him less popular than any recent major party nominee in available Post-ABC polling dating to 1984."
Even his secret plan doesn't add up. The Atlantic's Matthew O'Brien: "There are two important numbers to keep in mind when it comes to Romney's tax plan: $480 billion and $900 billion. The former is how much the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center reckons his plan would add to the deficit in 2015 alone in a world where the Bush tax cuts continue; the latter is the same for a world where the Bush tax cuts expire ... Romney's proposal to only eliminate the mortgage interest deduction on second homes shows how unwilling he is to throw out the whole thing. And that's the third-biggest loophole in our loophole-laden tax code! Unless he's considering scrapping the employer healthcare or pension contribution deductions, there's not too many ways for him to make up for the revenue shortfall he'd bring about."
Baseline Scenario's James Kwak adds: "This is the guy who’s supposed to be the hard-headed businessman? ... there just aren’t enough tax expenditures to balance out the huge rate cuts that Romney has promised to the 1%."
