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Congress Heads to Summer Recess with Many Key Issues Yet to be Tackled

Laolu Davies-Yemitan — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:15:18 +0000

As the United States Congress goes into recess, we thought we would take a look back on what has been a grueling legislative year thus far. The year began with closing debates on health care reform, and the March 20th passage of the historic Affordable Care Act, with barely a majority in the House and just enough votes to avoid a filibuster in the Senate. The highly contentious bill had to go through reconciliation in the Senate for certain House amendments to be included. No sooner than the bill passed did we see its opponents take up arms and vow to take their fight to the courthouse with nearly two dozen mostly right-leaning states filing lawsuits that aim to repeal the bill. The ultimate impact of the health care legislation is yet to be recognized, as most of its key provisions will not be enacted until 2014. And between now and then, one can anticipate a great deal of lobbying as state legislatures work to implement key requirements related to Medicaid, Medicare, and Insurance Exchanges. With healthcare reform enacted, the Democrats next charge was financial reform, a major part of the party platform during the 2008 presidential candidate. In spite of what appeared to be a commitment from both parties to reform a financial system that almost brought the world’s economy to a halt during the latter part of 2008, both sides could not reach an agreement on reform and you even had the Democrats face a hard time reaching a consensus within their party. The financial reform bill that was passed in July will now have to stand up to other tests as financial industry groups and lobbyists work to mitigate the regulatory impact of the legislation to preserve the industry’s ability to maintain profitability. Coinciding with financial reform, was a growing bipartisan effort to draft a comprehensive energy and environmental bill in the Senate, an effort that all but seemed to come to a halt when national attention shifted to immigration in response to passage of Arizona’s now infamous Senate Bill 1070. Then April 20, 2010 marked an unprecedented oil drilling disaster, as the Transocean drilling rig operated by British Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. The whole world watched for nearly 100 days until BP was finally able to successfully execute a “top-kill” procedure, which temporarily cause the oil gushing to stop. The final verdict on this catastrophe might not be reached for years to come. Declining support for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, ethics trial of key House Democrats, the fight to lift the Cuban trade embargo, further debate on the Disclose Act, and a potential Supreme Court case on California’s Proposition 8 should suffice in keeping us occupied in the mean time. Congress heads into this year with a lot of work left to be done. Furthermore, we have yet to see how the year’s events will impact the outcome of the 2010 fall elections. Earlier in the year, it appeared that Republicans were going to hang their hope of reclaiming congressional seats on the public debate on healthcare, while Democrats hopes relied on painting Republicans as “the party of NO”. However, as the events of the year have unfolded it is unclear what the strategy on either side will end up being. Republicans have gone from hoping for gains in the House, to believing they have an opportunity to reclaim both chambers of Congress. On the other side of the table are the Democrats who believe passage of financial reform and the debate on immigration might be just the right combination to help energize their base and keep them in power for at least two more years (It, however, did not help that the President’s Press Secretary Robert Gibbs appeared on Meet The Press and proclaimed that Democrats were at risk of losing both the House and Senate). Mainstream Republicans have struggled this year as we have watched experienced legislators like Utah’s Senator Bob Bennett lose his party primary, and veterans like John McCain have to run to the hard right to retain their seats. Then there are the fights in Colorado and Florida where the Tea Party effect might have been just the poison pill that diminishes any chance of Republicans being reelected to the Governor and US Senate seats in those states respectively. Upon Congress’ return from recess, they will be faced with decisions on what do regarding immigration, a comprehensive energy policy, an uncertain economic climate, above nine percent unemployment, mounting resentment on the Afghanistan war, and continually rising debt. All said, this year’s fall elections bear no resemblance to the historic 2008 fall elections, however, with so much on the table your guess is just as good as mine on what the outcome is going to be.

BP: Dead or Alive

Laolu Davies-Yemitan — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:51:41 +0000

Yesterday June 16, 2010, the Obama administration announced that BP had agreed to its request for a $20 billion escrow account to be setup to aid victims of the oil spill. The fund that's set up will be run by Kenneth Feinberg the lawyer and mediator who ran the fund for victims of September 11. This is welcome news considering the fact that there has been significant uncertainty about the future of BP. Its stock market value has been cut in half since the initial onset of the spill, and it was rumored earlier this week that a certain bank had warned its employees not to issue debt contracts to BP that extend beyond a year. Then you take into consideration that FEMA the federal government's disaster recovery arm has yet to recover from the barrage of floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires that have depleted its funds over the past five years. It goes without saying that the federal government needs BP just about as much as BP needs the government right now. The agreement by BP to the demands of the Obama administration should not come as a surprise to anyone paying close attention to what is at stake. However, by being readily agreeable to the President's request, BP effectively killed multiple birds with one stone. In order for BP to survive they were already going to have to pay for the damages from this tragedy. So by acquiescing to the the administration's demand, BP was able to cast itself as compassionate, while at the same time enabling the administration to show some stealth and build some political capital in the process. Despite the staggering sum being set aside, some have speculated this amount would be insufficient to cover the long-term costs this disaster is bound to run. To offer some comparison, BP had gross earnings of $246 billion in 2009 with net profits being $17 billion. So in actuality, BP is putting up all of last years profit and some change as a show of goodwill to the administration and the American public. It is safe to conclude that we need BP to be alive and well in order to not only preserve 23,000 jobs, but also to ensure that our nation recovers from this catastrophe.

Houston Elections

Hector Carreno — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:25:58 +0000

Tomorrow is election day for the Houston City elections runoff. It is important that we all come out and vote. I would would ask that you vote for my good friends Annise Parker for Mayor and Alma Lara for HISD Trustee #1. It only takes a few minutes to vote so please remember to do Continue Reading

Presidents Healthcare Reform Speech More Popular Than #1 Rated TV Show’s

Hector Carreno — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:09:13 +0000

President Obama’s healthcare reform speech was a huge hit, according to Nielsen TV Audience Measurement. In his second address to a joint session of Congress, across ten broadcast and cable networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, BET, CNBC, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Univision and Telemundo) last Wednesday night speech aired to over 31 million viewers, adding up to a combined household rating of 20.4 and a share of 35. The TV show “Friends” airing on NBC from 1994 to 2004, had a 9.2 rating at its height and last seasons “American Idol” finale, FOX Network reality show had 28.8 million viewers.

With all the drama that took place at town hall meetings across America this past August you would not have believed that so many people would tune in to watch the President. So the question I have to ask is, why would so many viewers spend time watching a politician, who according to recent polling data, the majority of Americans do not trust, talk about an issue they don’t agree with him on?

Could it be that Americans across all political parties, ethnic and age groups are truly interested in healthcare reform? Maybe the President is right, healthcare reform is tied to our economy’s recovery and Americans understand the connection. Didn’t the polls and the “talking heads” predict early on last year that Mayor Rudy (Winning Florida will win me the election) Giuliani was going to be the GOP nominee for president?

Could it be that they are wrong … again!

Flip Flopping and the Politics of Indecision… How Elections are Lost in 21st Century Texas

carrenogroup — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:13:04 +0000

In the race to lead the Lone Star State, the choices are getting hairier and hairier…literally.

Picture one 2010 scenario: The perfectly-coiffed Rick Perry, longest-serving Governor in Texas history, squeaks by to win the Republican Primary to face-off against Democratic multi-millionaire hair exec, Farouk Shami (think BioSilk and the CHI hair-straightening irons) or an even hairier opponent, Kinky Friedman, whose cult following has expanded with each bid for Governor.

Seriously, in the “anybody-but-Perry” category, there are no standouts among the motley crew of Democrats. They desperately need a candidate who captures the hearts and minds of Texans or the race for Governor will be decided in the Republican Primary with the promise of orchestrated thrills and chills like Friday night wrestling: Smack-down 2010, Welcome to the Thunderdome.

The Politics of Indecision

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison aims to send Governor Perry into early retirement and she has the money to make it happen. Kay’s problem is that she suffers from the politics of indecision.

In 2006, she intended to run for Governor, and then sat out the race. Some say that the state’s conservatives sent her a message: Not now Kay, next time. She says that the Governor pledged to retire in 2010. Either way, she’s a candidate now, and has yet to announce her retirement from the Senate, leaving politicos in limbo questioning when the Governor will appoint her replacement and who that might be… Kay, it’s time to make a decision already.

Kay’s campaign is all about pointing to Perry’s failures and saying that he's been there too long. Tough talk coming from a Washington insider. Her 16 years in the U.S. Senate make for a tough sell as she tries to distance herself from Washington and its policies.

Without a clear campaign strategy, she’s tried to out-right Rick Perry and it’s backfired. Labeling Perry “governor-for-life” isn’t enough for Kay to win. She needs to claim the party moderates and change the face of the GOP primary. At risk is her base of women. In particular, those women whose support she won when she voted against overturning Roe v. Wade, and who may cross party lines to vote for her.

Compounding Kay’s ability to connect with Texas women is mounting speculation that Governor Perry may name the first Latina to the Texas Supreme Court in a move to solidify Hispanic voters who are still stinging over the Senator’s snub of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Though recent polls give Perry a lead over Hutchison, they also show large numbers of undecided voters. Enter Debra Medina, a Ron Paul Republican who chairs the Wharton County GOP (near Houston). Count on her to split the conservative vote. More importantly, she’ll dip into Kay’s base of women and join Perry in branding the Senator a flip flopper who shouldn’t be trusted to lead Texas.

Flip Flopper

Former Forth Worth State Representative Tom Schieffer may lead the field in flip flopping. The two-time Bush appointee and former George W. Bush business partner (co-owners of the Texas Rangers baseball team) has Democrats questioning his pedigree – it’s a bit too red for most of the party faithful to sign on to his gubernatorial bid. His campaign spends most of their time trying to prove their credentials leaving little time to articulate a vision or to connect with Texas Democrats.

Most voters stay home during non-Presidential elections or sit out the primary and cast their vote in the November General Election. This means that candidates must increasingly target their message and presence on the many social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to turn out primary voters.

Take Hank Gilbert, the highest Democratic vote getter on the 2006 ballot. A lifelong Democrat who ran for Agriculture Commissioner, Hank’s a simple man, a farmer chock full of Texas grit who lacks the resources to spread the word about his campaign for Texas Governor. His social media strategy amounts to four photos on his Facebook page (let’s hope the beauty queen in that photo is related). Democrats may need to forfeit the social media advantage to Kinky. There are at least five Kinky Friedman groups on Facebook, 478 videos on YouTube, and Kinky’s crew tweets to boot.

It’s time candidates move forward to fully embrace 21st Century American politics in Texas.

In this new political landscape, shifting demographics and social media have changed almost everything in Texas, although a good media strategy doesn’t guarantee victory. Candidates who ignore these new realities are sure to lose. Remember Tony Sanchez?

Lone Star Latinos

Since 1977, I’ve had a hand in scores of campaigns from school boards to presidential elections and have seen record numbers of Latinos running for office and turning out to vote throughout the country. Nowhere is this truer than in Texas.

Texas’ Hispanic population is the second largest in the nation with roughly 3.6 million Latinos registered to vote. The largest voting blocs – Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso and the Valley — boast burgeoning Hispanic populations with the fastest growing numbers of Latino voters.

This is good news for Democrats who are focusing new resources on Lone Star Latinos. Democrats are getting a much needed boost in 2010 from the Democratic National Committee. This week Virginia Governor Time Kaine became the first DNC Chair to ever visit South Texas holding the quarterly meeting of the 300-plus DNC members in Austin this weekend for the first time since the 70’s. Proof of their commitment is the team of 10 full-time political strategists on the ground working everyday to turn Texas blue…and they’re still hiring.

Democrats are banking on the fact that Texas is trending blue in a historically red state. The current Gallup poll (Hyperlink: http://www.gallup.com/poll/122003/Political-Party-Affiliation-States-Blue-Red-Far.aspx) ranks Texas as competitive – 42% of Texans call themselves Democrats; 40% Republican. While Democrats are much better than Republicans at losing statewide elections, both parties have a decent shot at losing the important down-ballot races for the Texas House – Democrats are two seats shy of a majority.

Hispanic candidates rarely fare well in GOP primaries, and this year Latinos have little reason to vote Republican …wait, there’s Ted Cruz running for AG, another Republican with good hair.

Flip Flopping and the Politics of Indecision… How Elections are Lost in 21st Century America

Hector Carreno — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:13:55 +0000

On November 3, Houstonians will elect a new Mayor, City Controller and 14 City Council members. In the race to lead the City, all three major candidates have a decent shot at losing the election. Based on the most recent polls, not one has broken from the pack to connect with voters.

One candidate is blowing their financial advantage by waiting too long to buy media. Going on TV earlier would have given them a psychological lead and branding advantage over the other candidates. The second mayoral candidate sends daily news releases about who is working for their campaign, or “spinning” about their great campaign organization. They spend more time talking to insiders than to voters and remind me of a bad episode of the 1990’s sitcom “Spin City.” The third mayoral candidate is too worried about playing it safe to win the election.

While these candidates play insider politics and blow through their campaign war chests, they lose their chance to seize the lead and connect with voters. I should point out, in the interest of full disclosure, that I know all three of these candidates. I know that all three of the top mayoral candidates are well qualified to be our next Mayor, but I do have to question their campaign tactics.

What do these candidates have in common? They over-think their election strategy by flip flopping on issues and campaign strategies. Case in point, can anyone tell me what any of the top 3 candidates for mayor stand for? Can anyone tell me what issues they differ on? Political campaigns are about winning the hearts and minds of voters. They are about ideas and communicating your stance on issues that are important to voters. They are about leadership. But most importantly, campaigns are about building TRUST with voters.

For inexplicable reasons, some candidates don't seem to understand these basics. History has shown us that instead of trying to prove to voters that they are the best candidate for the job, they start to worry about losing. And, that’s when it happens…they lose.

Flip Flopping

In 2004, Republicans were able to retain their hold on the White House largely by depicting U.S. Senator John Kerry as a “flip-flopper.” It did not help matters one bit that Senator Kerry uttered such dense statements as, “I voted for it before I voted against it.” The Bush campaign was able to spin Senator Kerry into a candidate who could not be trusted on national security and other issues and President Bush returned to a job he did not deserve.

As a veteran of hundreds of campaigns from school boards to presidential elections since 1976, I view the election process with a very unique set of eyes. I can guarantee that the moment a candidate starts seriously thinking about winning and losing, they have lost the heart, soul and direction of the campaign.

It’s time we move forward and embrace 21st Century American politics.

In the new political landscape, social media has changed almost everything. Candidates now post campaign themes and ideas on Facebook. Voters post comments, pictures and videos on multiple social media platforms. Rumors that can boost or kill a campaign (and sometimes facts) move quicker in today’s world than they did just a few years ago.

The real question about social media and candidates is does the number of Facebook fans translate into voters and money for a campaign? It did for President Obama, but that may not translate into voters or money for everyone. In short, having a Facebook or social media page does not win voters.

Candidates need more than a social media strategy. Candidates must learn how to connect with voters outside their base of comfort and show up to special interest screenings whether they share interests or not. Candidates can’t always buy endorsements, as some have done in the current election cycle; they need to actually talk to voters about the issues that impact their daily lives. They need to engage in grassroots campaigns. They need to have a total integrated campaign plan.

The Politics of Indecision

In 2008, the politics of indecision tanked the presidential hopes of U.S. Senator John McCain. While exit polls showed that 62 percent of the electorate ranked the economy as the most important issue, McCain famously quipped, “The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should” . The Obama campaign made sure that Americans saw that clip on every social media outlet. McCain would go on to suspend his campaign and fly to Washington with the working theory that he would put country first, and force Obama off the campaign trail. That didn’t happen. What happen was that Senator Obama was able to forge a bipartisan compromise, and alter the dynamics of the race for his advantage. Senator Obama won the election 365 to 173 electoral votes.

As we embrace a new political engagement strategy in American politics, we need to remember that ours is a representative republic, despite the fact that only 3 of every 10 voters shows up to participate. Low voter turnout insures that political insiders become the new smoked-filled backrooms where elections are brokered.

Houston’s candidates in the November 3 election would do well to remember that engaging voters and connecting with them is still priority #1. Elections are still about ideas and values and not just a personality contest. Elections today are about using all the mediums available – direct communications, grassroots campaigning, voter outreach – and about connecting with the heart and mind of that target voter.

Candidates that do not understand this are destined to lose.

Facebook Photos Spice Up California Congressional Race

Richard Cron — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:45:12 +0000

In California, Congressional candidate Gil Cedillo has taken photos posted on one of his opponent’s Facebook page and used them to craft a fairly vicious campaign mailer targeting young political newcomer Emanuel Pleitez. Cedillo and Pleitez are among 12 candidates vying to replace newly appointed Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in California's 32nd Congressional District- which covers East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. The special election will be held May 19.

The mailer is obviously intended to portray Pleitez as immature and reckless. This campaign tactic will of course be used more and more in the future – photos capturing your opponent in a bad light have always been too easy to ignore for most campaigns – so candidates dont make it easy for your rivals – be aware and do not upload photos anywhere that can be used against you in any way. Also check your Facebook settings to control what photos can be added to your site by “friends”. Check out the entire story below from Calitics.com about the mailer, the campaign, and what all this may mean for tomorrow’s election. Links to the actual mailer can be found halfway through the text.

http://www.calitics.com/diary/8783/cedillo-goes-strong-negativeon-emanuel-pleitez

Helpful Hints on Testifying Before Congress

Richard Cron — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:43:53 +0000

The Hill newspaper carried a great piece on best practices for folks who have the opportunity (voluntary or required) to testify before a congressional hearing. Lobbyists who work on Capitol Hill in Washington offer their tips to those who find themselves appearing before federal lawmakers.

A couple of interesting takeaways from the article. First, witnesses should understand that the meeting itself is not a really a formal legal proceeding but better described as a “political proceeding” or a “made-for-TV drama.” The second, witnesses need to be aware of perception and should not wear ties that cost more than the committee chairman’s suit.

Access the story below:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dont-wear-a-tie-more-costly-than-panel-chairmans-suit-2009-03-24.html

Politico, AP Forward GOP Small Business Falsehood

Hector Carreno — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:40:16 +0000

In March 15 articles, the Politico and the Associated Press forwarded the false Republican talking point that President Obama's proposals to let the Bush tax cuts for wealthy taxpayers expire and reduce the tax rate at which families making more than $250,000 could take itemized deductions to 28 percent would increase taxes on a large percentage of small businesses. Politico staff writer Carrie Budoff Brown reported, “Whenever Republican criticize [sic] Obama's tax-hike plans, the group they push front-and-center as bearing the brunt is small-business owners.” She later wrote: “Republicans, in turn, say that it's Obama's tax-plan that is providing a double-whammy to these businesspeople, not just the recession but policies that would roll back the Bush tax cuts in 2011 and fall heavily on business owners who earn more than $250,000 a year.” Likewise, the AP's Hope Yen reported, “Republicans say Obama's budget proposal to raise taxes, starting in 2011, on individuals earning more than $200,000 and on households earning more than $250,000 will hurt small businesses which face higher dividend taxes and limits on itemized deductions.” Neither Brown nor Yen pointed out, as Media Matters for America has repeatedly documented, that according to the Tax Policy Center's table of 2007 tax returns that reported small business income, 481,000 of those returns — about 2 percent — are in the top two income tax brackets, which include all filers with taxable incomes that would be affected.

Change & Latino Politics: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

carrenogroup — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:58:17 +0000

Change & Latino Politics: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Week of January 27th 2009

The GOOD: 2^nd Annual Latino State of the Union

America’s premier Latino organizations – LULAC, NCLR and MALDEF – convened at the Hyatt Regency in Washington DC last week for a roundtable on law, policy and civil rights. Dubbed the 2^nd Annual Latino State of the Union, the groups held panel discussions entitled Priorities Under the Obama Administration; Putting a Quality Education Within Reach; Hate Crimes and Civil Rights Enforcement; The Economy in Retrospect: What Went Wrong to What’s Next; and Bringing It All Together and Taking Action in 2009.

During his address, MALDEF President John Trasviña mentioned that Latinos have “friends in high places” in the Obama administration, like the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar; the Labor Secretary Hilda Solis; and the White House’s director of intergovernmental affairs, Cecilia Muñoz, formerly a vice president of NCLR.

The Latino political blog www.latinopoliticsblog.com reported on the 2^nd Annual Latino State of the Union as did last week’s New York Times politics blog. Except for these two news sources and a couple of Spanish news outlets, the gathering went unnoticed by mainstream media.

That these highly-respected advocacy groups would formalize a Latino agenda is commendable. That so few were part of the discussion and that even fewer know about the Latino agenda points to the challenge that lies ahead: The challenge of including Latinos in the life of our country.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/immigration-tops-latinos-wish-list-at-dc-meeting/

The BAD: No Regrets? Bush, Cheney and Gonzales, Oh My!

It seems none of the out-going Bush Administration has any regrets from their tenure in the White House. Not the war in Iraq, not the economy, not the handling of Katrina … no regrets. BUSH - Columnist Ellen Goodman put it best, “The 43rd president is going home with less remorse and fewer regrets than my grandchildren express for spilling their cereal.

This is the tenor of the farewell tour being conducted across the landscape from ABC to the American Enterprise Institute. It's the No Regrets Tour, the non-reflective “reflections by a guy who's headed out of town.”

George W. Bush will be remembered with names such as Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and Katrina. With phrases such as “weapons of mass destruction” and “mission accomplished.” He came in with a budget surplus and leaves with a massive deficit. He blew the goodwill of the post-9/11 world. But being this president means never having to say you're sorry. . .

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008561234_opin26goodman.html CHENEY – In his first television interview since the presidential election in November, former Vice President Dick Cheney displayed no regrets and gave no ground to his many critics within America and around the world. He summed up his record by saying: “I think, given the circumstances we've had to deal with, we've done pretty well.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/17/dick-cheney-interview-guantanamo-waterboarding

GONZALES – “As for regrets,” says former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, “I'm not sure how productive it is to lament about things that went wrong. Maybe it was inevitable.” The former AG has had trouble finding new work since he left the Department of Justice. He told NPR that things are looking up: “Gonzales says he is writing a book, and he believes his job prospects will look up when the economy improves and when investigations into actions of his Justice Department are put to rest.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/26/alberto-gonzales-i-dont-t_n_160955.html

The UGLY: Immigration Reform Headed for the Back-Burner

Taking to heart an inauguration speech that honored those who “traveled across oceans in search of a new life,” thousands embarked on a campaign last week to make immigration reform a priority for the new president.

Immigrants who lent President Barack Obama their support at the ballot box joined those who cannot vote in marches and prayers, writing letters and raising banners from Miami to Los Angeles to push the issue to the top of Obama's long to-do list. In spite of the president's promise to tackle the thorny issue within his first year in office, even advocates recognized that with two wars and a floundering economy on the table, immigration reform was a tough sell. Compounding the frustration with comprehensive immigration reform is Obama’s appointment to Homeland Security, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, who became the first woman to serve in this post when she was sworn in January 21, 2009. Her record on immigration has leading immigration activists questioning her “smart” reform stance along with the fact that the state of Arizona leads the country in the number of immigrant deaths annually along the border. It should be pointed out that the two Latino groups: Puerto Ricans and Cuban-Americans do not have an immigration issue as such. Both groups view immigration not an immediate concern: the Puerto Ricans are born U.S. citizens and the Cubans are paroled into the U.S. once they touch dry land. Hence, both have no employment issue for their newly arrived migrants or exiles.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11519751