House GOP Bill Would Actually End Welfare Reform Work Requirements

Source: Talking Points Memo

Republicans have embraced a widely debunked premise to attack President Obama for “gutting” welfare reform. But a House GOP bill that has already cleared a major committee would actually ax the welfare program’s work requirements, according to Congress’ nonpartisan referee.

The legislation — H.R. 4297, The Workforce Investment Improvement Act — was unveiled in March by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and cosponsored by six Republican colleagues. Among them was Education & Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN), who passed the bill through his committee in June.

The measure is aimed at streamlining workforce training by letting states slash redundant programs and consolidate them with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program — into one Workforce Investment Fund (WIF). States would be given so much flexibility that the restrictions in the 1996 welfare law need no longer apply, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

“Thus, for example, if TANF funds were consolidated into the WIF, TANF program requirements (e.g., work requirements) may no longer apply to that portion of funding because the TANF funding would not exist (i.e., it would be part of the WIF and thus subject to WIF program requirements),” CRS concluded in a memo.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/PDF/CRS-TANFWaiverAuthorityMemo.pdf

Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/house-gop-bill-end-welfare-reform-work-requirent.php?ref=fpa

Romney Adviser: 'Apology' Statement Fit Our Narrative, So We Went With It',

n short, it’s now clear that top Romney policy director Lanhee Chen basically confirmed to the Times — even though he was not quoted on record doing so — that the Romney camp attacked Obama in the way it did because it fit the campaign’s predetermined narrative.

Here’s the key quote in the original version of the story (with the subsequently removed part in bold):

US IDENTIFIES ANTI-MUSLIM FILMMAKER

Source: Associated Press

Sep 13, 9:26 PM EDT

US IDENTIFIES ANTI-MUSLIM FILMMAKER
BY STEPHEN BRAUN AND EILEEN SULLIVAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS


WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal authorities identified a Southern California man who is on federal probation for financial crimes as the key figure behind an anti-Muslim film that has spawned mob violence against American embassies across the Mideast, a U.S. law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday.

There was no sign of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, at his family's home Thursday in Cerritos outside Los Angeles, as details slowly began to emerge about his checkered past, his connections among Southern California's right-wing Christian organizations and his central role in the production of the film.

Excerpts from the movie, which the filmmaker said was called "Innocence of Muslims," enraged Islamic protesters in Egypt, Libya and Yemen over its portrayal of the prophet Muhammad.

Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed Thursday that the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation into the deaths of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other diplomats killed during an attack on the American mission in Benghazi. It was not immediately clear whether authorities were focusing on Nakoula as part of that probe.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EGYPT_FILMMAKER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-09-13-05-55-40

Haaretz Editorial warns Netanyahu to stop meddling in the US election

Netanyahu versus Obama

A month and a half before the presidential election in the United States, Netanyahu has been picking a very public fight with the administration of President Barack Obama.

And as it happens, Netanyahu and the Republican Party's candidate for the presidency have mutual friends who are willing to dig deep into their pockets to get them elected or to keep them in power.
It's very simple and it's no great secret: Netanyahu wants to see Obama defeated on November 6. He wants Romney elected. It's possible that Netanyahu genuinely believes that Romney is good for Israel, that the new administration will be quick to attack Iran or will at least encourage Israel to do so.

But even if Netanyahu can foresee the future and even if Romney would comply with orders coming from Jerusalem, the outcome Netanyahu wants would be catastrophic. Israel would be accused of meddling in domestic American politics, perhaps even of trying to overthrow the president. And just so that the prime minister can beat the drums of war. Acquiring that kind of reputation, which would never be erased, would exact a much more painful price from Israel than would even the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
The editorial concludes with this slam at Netanyahu recent behavior.

Obama's refusal to meet with Netanyahu, coupled with Defense Minister Ehud Barak's intimation that he is not party to the onslaught against Obama, must cool Netanyahu's passion and remind him that he swore an oath to the State of Israel, not to an American patron who wants Obama to be vanquished.

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/netanyahu-versus-obama.premium-1.464625
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/13/1131226/-Haaretz-Editorial-warns-Netanyahu-to-stop-meddling-in-the-US-election

Santa claus politics

Romney campaign 'quietly advising' GOP on how to cover Mitt's ass

Facing criticism for its aggressive and politically-charged response to Tuesday's violent attacks on the American embassies in Egypt and Libya, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is quietly advising Republicans how to respond to questions about the campaign's handling of the episode.

In talking points currently being pushed to Republican leaders and top surrogates, the Romney campaign recommends attacking President's Obama "foreign policy of weakness" and dismissing questions about how the campaign responded to the crisis last night.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/12/romney-camp-tries-to-manage-fallout-from-libya-response/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/12/1130858/-Romney-campaign-quietly-advising-GOP-on-how-to-cover-Mitt-s-ass

John Kerry: 'Exactly the wrong time to throw political punches'

Source: Politico

John Kerry: 'Exactly the wrong time to throw political punches'


By ALEXANDER BURNS | 9/12/12 11:15 AM EDT
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, last seen tearing into Mitt Romney at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, issues a statement on the attacks on Libya and Egypt including a gentler rebuke of the GOP nominee:



The deaths of Ambassador Stevens and his team are heartbreaking. It's easy for a lot of people to forget that our diplomats are on the frontlines of the world's most dangerous places and they're there trying to make the world safer at great risk to themselves and their families. Chris Stevens was all that and more. He was a foreign service professional down to his toes, a guy who had served on the Foreign Relations Committee and embraced tough odds and tough assignments overseas. He had the guts and grit to serve as our envoy during the rebellion, and his presence there reminded Libyans that America stood with them for freedom in the face of violence. He was continuing that noble work as ambassador with enormous skill. He was an important part of the work we are doing in Libya, and we will not let this deplorable violence turn back the progress he helped make possible.

The violence in Cairo and Benghazi is unacceptable and unjustifiable. The stupidity of one filmmaker, no matter how offensive, is not now, and never, a rationale for violence. A despicable act like this hurts us all — Americans and peaceful people who aspire to build their own democracy.

This is one of those moments when Americans must unite as Americans. It is exactly the wrong time to throw political punches. It is a time to restore calm and proceed wisely.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/09/john-kerry-exactly-the-wrong-time-to-throw-political-135297.html

TIME: One of the most craven and ill-advised tactical moves in this entire campaign.

Unless the Romney campaign has gamed this crisis out in some manner completely invisible to the Gang of 500, his doubling down on criticism of the President for the statement coming out of Cairo is likely to be seen as one of the most craven and ill-advised tactical moves in this entire campaign.

http://thepage.time.com/2012/09/12/romney-and-foreign-policy/


Romney’s decision to use a fatal attack on Americans as an opportunity to seek political gain based on a complete lie is just the latest example of his copyrighted #romneyshambles campaign. It is a classic #romneyfail.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/09/12/when-youve-lost-halperin-and-his-500/
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/12/13828189-romney-fails-critical-leadership-test


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Jumping Ship Update:

Romney’s decision to weigh in is generating criticism from fellow Republicans. Former Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire said on MSNBC Wednesday morning: “They probably should have waited. … You look at the way things unfolded, you look at the timing of it, they probably should have waited.”
http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/romney-campaign-denies-acting-rashly-on-libyan-situation-20120912

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Bracing for trouble before the start of the protests here and in Libya, the American Embassy released a statement shortly after noon that appeared to refer to Mr. Jones [the idiotic Koran-burning "pastor" Terry Jones]: "The United States Embassy in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims -- as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions." It later denounced the "unjustified breach of our embassy."

Apparently unaware of the timing of the first embassy statement, the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, put out a statement just before midnight Tuesday saying, "It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks." Mr. Romney also said he was "outraged" at the attacks on the embassy and consulate.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/three-quick-points-on-the-libya-killings/262263/

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/romneys-false-libya-attack-puts-him-way-ahead-of-mainstream-gop.php?ref=fpblg

President Obama A Failure?

‘I Didn’t Know You Had Families’ Mitt Romney Told Group Of Gay Parents

“I didn’t know you had families,” remarked Romney to the group, according to Wilson.
The offhanded remark underscored that Romney, the governor of the first state prepared to grant same-sex marriage, hadn’t taken the time to look at what the landmark case was really about. By this point the plaintiff’s stories had been widely covered by national media — in particular, Julie Goodridge’s heartrending tale of how her then-partner, Hillary, was denied hospital visitation following the precarious birth of daughter Annie. It was the ignorance of these facts — and Romney’s inaccurate, insensitive answer to her parting question, that pushed Julie Goodridge to her breaking point.

“I looked him in the eye as we were leaving,” recalls Goodridge. “And I said, ‘Governor Romney, tell me — what would you suggest I say to my 8 year-old daughter about why her mommy and her ma can’t get married because you, the governor of her state, are going to block our marriage?’”

His response, according to Goodridge: “I don’t really care what you tell your adopted daughter. Why don’t you just tell her the same thing you’ve been telling her the last eight years.”

Romney’s retort enraged a speechless Goodridge; he didn’t care, and by referring to her biological daughter as “adopted,” it was clear he hadn’t even been listening. By the time she was back in the hallway, she was reduced to tears.

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/i-didnt-know-you-had-families-mitt-romney-told-group-of-gay-parents/politics/2012/09/11/48832?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNewCivilRightsMovement+%28The+New+Civil+Rights+Movement%29