It isn’t easy saying no to a partner when you aren’t in the mood. Sex experts share secrets for softening the blow
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I just don’t want to have sex with you!
Showing posts with label Don't. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Don't. Show all posts
Saturday, April 5, 2014
I just don’t want to have sex with you!
I just don’t want to have sex with you!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Maine"s senators will vote to declassify torture report summary. But don"t expect to read it soon
Sens. Angus King, the Maine independent who caucuses with the Democrats, and Susan Collins, a Republican who is as close to a maverick as the party includes these days, announced Wednesday that they will vote to declassify the “Finding & Conclusions” and the Executive Summary of the 6,300-page torture report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Both senators are members of the 15-member committee, which is scheduled to vote on declassification Thursday.
Good to hear. But even if the vote is favorable, as now seems probable, it might be months or longer before the public actually sees the report, which was completed 16 months ago. It has been the subject of review by the CIA and unproductive discussions between committee members and the agency, which ran the torture program whose methods became euphemized as “enhanced interrogation techniques.” The CIA would almost certainly seek a final review of the parts of the report the committee seeks to declassify.
Having the CIA handle such a review is especially troubling given the details of the report that have been leaked to the press. In addition to what was already known, what those details show is that the agency intentionally released false information to persuade people that torture works and that it employed methods of torture not previously confirmed. Nobody should be surprised by either of those revelations.
More on the report and possibility of declassification below the fold.
Maine"s senators will vote to declassify torture report summary. But don"t expect to read it soon
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
PRO TIP: Don"t Photoshop Your Profile Pic
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PRO TIP: Don"t Photoshop Your Profile Pic
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
What Happens When Teachers, Delivery People And Fast Food Workers Don’t Care Anymore…
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What Happens When Teachers, Delivery People And Fast Food Workers Don’t Care Anymore…
Friday, March 14, 2014
A CRITICAL WEEKEND FOR CRIMEA – McCain to GOP: Don’t call yourselves ‘Reagan Republicans’ – ST. PADDY’S DAY LUNCH -- Senate strikes deal on jobless aid – HOUSE FIGHTS OVER ISSA AND iPADS
A CRITICAL WEEKEND FOR CRIMEA: RUSSIA MASSES TROOPS ON BORDER – In Moscow, Steven Lee Myers and Alison Smale report on A1 of the New York Times: “With a referendum on secession looming in Crimea, Russia massed troops and armored vehicles in at least three regions along Ukraine’s eastern border on Thursday, alarming the interim Ukraine government about a possible invasion and significantly escalating tensions in the crisis between the Kremlin and the West. The announcement of the troop buildup by Russia’s Defense Ministry was met with an unusually sharp rebuke from Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who warned that the Russian government must abandon what she called the politics of the 19th and 20th centuries or face diplomatic and economic retaliation from a united Europe.” http://nyti.ms/1lC5b2G
– SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY is meeting today in London with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in an attempt to ease tensions before Sunday’s vote. While testifying on Capitol Hill Thursday, Kerry warned that Russia will face an immediate, “very serious series” of responses from the U.S. and Europe if it annexes Ukraine’s Crimea region. AP: http://bit.ly/1ikGNlZ
– U.S.: NO ARMS FOR UKRAINE … YET – “Ukraine’s interim government has appealed for U.S. military aid, including arms, ammunition and intelligence support, according to senior U.S. officials. But the Obama administration has agreed to send only military rations for now, wary of inflaming tensions with Russia. …” Adam Entous reports on A1 of the Wall Street Journal. The U.S. “wants to show support for Ukraine’s interim leaders without further antagonizing an unpredictable Moscow or inadvertently emboldening the Ukrainian military to take steps that could spark violence. ‘It’s not a forever ‘no,’ it’s a ‘no for now,’’ a senior U.S. official said of Ukraine’s request for lethal military support.” http://on.wsj.com/Nd0kIY
– McCAIN TO GOP: DON’T CALL YOURSELVES ‘REAGAN REPUBLICANS’— Seung Min Kim writes for POLITICO: “Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ripped fellow Republicans on Thursday for objecting to a package of aid and sanctions to respond to the Ukrainian crisis, calling himself ‘embarrassed’ and telling his GOP colleagues: ‘Don’t call yourself Reagan Republicans.’ The Senate has erupted in a dispute over provisions related to the International Monetary Fund in the Ukraine bill, as conservative Republicans protest that it is an unnecessary component of the package that passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a bipartisan vote this week.” http://politi.co/Ob2o5j
– U.S. markets tumbled Thursday over worries about the Ukraine crisis and a slowdown in China. The Dow fell 231.19 points or 1.4 percent. Reuters: http://reut.rs/Ob7r5R
** Presented by RepealSGR.org: Congress has bipartisan/bicameral legislation to repeal the SGR and reform the Medicare physician payment system. This new system will be sustainable, fair and efficient, secure patient access, and encourage quality, affordable care. Republican and Democratic Leadership in Congress need to continue working together to develop bipartisan pay-fors. www.repealsgr.org
SENATORS REACH DEAL TO EXTEND JOBLESS BENEFITS – Burgess Everett writes for the hometown paper: “Senators struck a bipartisan deal on Thursday to revive expired long-term jobless benefits following months of dramatic stops and starts on the issue. After an afternoon of frantic negotiations, five senators from each party announced a deal that should finally deliver 60 votes necessary for the aid package to pass the Senate, barring procedural snags. … The negotiations were led by Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.), each hailing from states with high unemployment. …
– “It will be awhile before the package sees a vote. The jobless aid package will be considered in late March after the Senate returns from its St. Patrick’s Day recess — though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said aid to Ukraine will be the first order of business on March 24. And the legislation still must go through a conservative House, where aides to Speaker John Boehner declined to offer an assessment of the Senate deal on Thursday.” http://politi.co/1qC74ju
– Keeping with the spirit of bipartisanship, senators also passed two measures dealing with flood insurance and federally subsidized child care, writes the Washington Post’s Wesley Lowery and Ed O’Keefe: “The Senate voted 72 to 22 Thursday to pass a flood insurance bill that will roll back sharp premium increases to homeowners that were implemented as part of a federal overhaul of the flood insurance program. … Earlier Thursday, senators voted 96 to 2 to reauthorize a child-care development block-grant program and make several changes to improve the quality of federally subsidized child care.” http://wapo.st/1gw9CHW
OBAMA CALLS FOR DEPORTATIONS REVIEW – Seung Min Kim and Reid J. Epstein report for POLITICO: “President Barack Obama finally bowed to pressure from immigration rights activists and signaled on Thursday that he may change his deportation policy. The president changed course after months of claiming there was nothing his White House could do to stem the flow of deportations of undocumented immigrants. Obama announced in a meeting readout that he has requested a review of his administration’s enforcement policies for immigration laws to see if that enforcement can be done ‘more humanely within the confines of the law,’ the White House said Thursday. To immigrant rights activists, however, that is something of a victory. It means Obama is taking steps toward changing the administration’s deportation policies — though the groups won’t be satisfied until the policies are in force.” http://politi.co/1cXSgsl
‘OPEN MIKE’ LAUNCHES WITH MACON PHILLIPS – Check out the debut video of POLITICO’s new weekly series, “Open Mike,” featuring a conversation between Mike Allen and the digital diplomacy lead at the State Department, Macon Phillips. Watch Phillips’ take on how social media and digital strategies are helping shape diplomacy in Ukraine, and hear his thoughts on the popular Deathstar petition: www.politico.com/open-mike/
WHO WANTS PI? – The only two physicists in Congress, Reps. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and Rush Holt (D-N.J.) will be celebrating Pi Day today with … pie. “On 3.14, take a break from the irrational Congress and celebrate an irrational number with the only two physicists in Congress,” Foster’s office said in an email. There will be a variety of pies and the event, at noon in Foster’s office in Longworth 1224, is open to the public.
COLIN POWELL’S #tbt pic was pretty sweet. But here’s Rep. Nita Lowey and her husband on their wedding day more than 50 years ago: pic.twitter.com/B4v9chykmK
FLORIDA REPUBLICAN DAVID JOLLY was sworn in Thursday as the newest member of the House. He won a special election Tuesday and fills the vacancy left by the death of Rep. Bill Young.
BOEHNER, PELOSI INVITE POPE TO ADDRESS CONGRESS – Our own Jake Sherman writes: “Speaker John Boehner has invited Pope Francis to address a joint session of Congress. It is an open invitation, the speaker’s office said, and it’s not yet clear when he’ll give the speech on Capitol Hill. … ‘His address as a visiting head of state before a joint meeting of the House and Senate would honor our nation in keeping with the best traditions of our democratic institutions’ [Boehner said in a statement]. ‘It would also offer an excellent opportunity for the American people as well as the nations of the world to hear his message in full.’ Boehner and the previous speaker, Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, are Catholics.” http://politi.co/1gwfMYy
GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 14, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of all the action on Capitol Hill. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.
My new followers include @BenSchorr and @KatiepLong.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is out today. The House is in at 9 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act. Both chambers are out on recess all of next week.
AROUND THE HILL – Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra and Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Michelle Lujan Grisham speak on the ACA and Latino Americans, at 9 a.m. in HVC 215. Speaker John Boehner hosts President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny at the annual St. Patrick’s Day luncheon at 11:30 in Statuary Hall. A departure ceremony takes place at 1:25 p.m. on the East House Steps.
SCOTT BROWN BEGINS SEEKING STAFF FOR SENATE RUN – Steve Peoples writes for the AP: “Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown has begun seeking campaign staff while aggressively courting New Hampshire’s political elite, marking what local Republicans consider serious steps toward launching a Senate campaign against Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The stakes are high for the GOP’s national push for the Senate majority this fall as well as for Brown’s own political ambitions. The longtime Massachusetts resident, having recently relocated to his seacoast New Hampshire vacation home, is expected to launch an exploratory committee to enter the race as soon as Friday, according to several New Hampshire Republican officials who spoke directly to Brown about his plans. The move officially allows him to begin raising money and hiring staff. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly disclose his plans before an official announcement.” http://huff.to/1gnHsme
THE ANTI- HARRY REID – “Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is nearly impossible not to like,” Jon Ralston writes in POLITICO Magazine. “He has a sunny disposition and seems ever eager to work with Democrats, who have nary a bad word to say about him. He’s highly popular in Nevada, with approval numbers in the mid-60s, and he stays on message as well as anyone in politics. He is, in a phrase, the anti-Harry Reid. Which is why the prospect of Sandoval facing off against the occasionally dyspeptic, sharply partisan and manifestly unpopular Senate majority leader in the 2016 U.S. Senate race has some Republicans writing Reid’s political eulogy. ‘It would be a wipeout,’ said one Nevada insider. ‘He is 100 percent the perfect candidate against Harry Reid.’
– “Reid knows this, of course. No one plays the political chessboard like the majority leader; following his moves sometimes feels like watching a real life House of Cards, without the murders. He saw the Sandoval threat coming nearly a decade ago. Back then, Reid managed to sideline the up-and-coming Sandoval with a federal judgeship … But … Sandoval left the bench in 2009 and defeated Reid’s son, Rory, in a race for governor. Now it may be Reid the Elder’s turn as Sandoval could defeat two members of the same family for the two highest offices in the state. There’s just one question: Does Sandoval even want to run for the U.S. Senate?” http://politi.co/1npfFqI
A FIGHT OVER ISSA AND IPADS – Matt Fuller, Emma Dumain and Steve Dennis report for Roll Call: “Republicans once again blocked a Democratic resolution demanding a House floor apology from Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa for silencing Rep. Elijah E. Cummings last week during an IRS hearing. The nearly party line vote to table the privileged resolution came after a theatrical display of protest on the floor, with Democrats refusing to give up on the issue. As [Rep. Dan] Kildee and his Democratic colleagues offered the resolution, they defiantly held pictures of Issa making the throat-cutting motion, displaying the image on iPads, iPhones and paper. A floor procedure kerfuffle, in which a new House precedent may have been established, ensued.
– “Presiding officer Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, insisted that that ‘House will not proceed’ as long as Democrats continued to hold up their iPads displaying the image. ‘Regular order would be putting the iPads down,’ Simpson said.” http://bit.ly/1kQIfiS
POT LOBBY’S PITCH: IT’S GOOD BUSINESSES – Holly Yeager reports for the Washington Post: “The delegation from the National Cannabis Industry Association made a point of dressing well for its day on Capitol Hill, sporting mostly dark suits, lots of ties and plenty of the group’s signature lapel pins, which feature a sun rising over vibrant fields of marijuana. Marijuana advocates have come to lobby Washington before, often to argue for more lenient treatment under federal law. But on Thursday, buoyed by a flurry of state decisions that have expanded the legal use of marijuana, the cannabis crowd came less as social activists than as entrepreneurs, asking Congress to remove some of the obstacles that stand in the way of their fledgling businesses.” http://wapo.st/1iHCv6x
– How many members of Congress use pot? Jared Polis has a guess. Elahe Izadi in National Journal: http://bit.ly/1dWhFAC
THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Paul Hays was first to correctly answer that Wilmer “Vinegar Bend” Mizell, a former North Carolina congressman, was raised in Mississippi but nicknamed after a town in Alabama where he was born.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Brad Grantz has today’s question: This former Pennsylvania Democratic congressman had a grandson who went onto fame as a baseball announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Name the congressman and his grandson. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/
** Presented by RepealSGR.org: Bipartisan/bicameral legislation to repeal the failed Medicare cost control formula called the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), and reform the Medicare physician payment system, has been introduced. The bill would create a system that is sustainable, fair and efficient, secure patient access and encourage quality, affordable care. SGR threatens patient access with drastic Medicare provider cuts. Physicians face constant instability, demonstrated by the 23.7 percent cut to physician payments scheduled for April 1. Congress has spent over $ 154 billion – more than the cost of the legislation – on 16 short term patches in the last decade. These patches are the equivalent of paying the minimum on a credit card – it delays the inevitable, increases the total bill and is bad for the budget. Republican and Democratic Leadership need to continue working together to develop bipartisan pay-fors so the House and Senate can pass S.2000/H.R. 4015, by March 31. www.repealsgr.org
A CRITICAL WEEKEND FOR CRIMEA – McCain to GOP: Don’t call yourselves ‘Reagan Republicans’ – ST. PADDY’S DAY LUNCH -- Senate strikes deal on jobless aid – HOUSE FIGHTS OVER ISSA AND iPADS
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
News We Don"t Have Time To Write About (archive)
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News We Don"t Have Time To Write About (archive)
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Watch Paul Ryan spin how Republicans don"t offer jack
The key line from Ryan on Thurs will be a scathing synopsis of the Democrats’ pitch, saying they offer “a full stomach — and an empty soul.”— @costareports
Stupid Democrats. Don’t they know that nothing feeds the soul like tax cuts for the rich? That trumps food on the table, good education, clean air and water, and accessible health care any day of the week!
Watch Paul Ryan spin how Republicans don"t offer jack
Paul Ryan: Kids getting free lunches don"t have caring parents
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) asserted on Thursday that liberals did not understand that kids who got free lunches at school did not have parents who cared about them at home.
Speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference, the former Republican vice presidential nominee argued that conservatives should let Democrats be the “party of personality,” while “we will be the party of ideas.”
“I’m optimistic about our chances because the left, the left just isn’t out of ideas, they’re out of touch,” he explained. “Take Obamacare — not literally, but figuratively here, okay? We now know that this law will discourage millions of people from working. The left thinks this is a good thing.”
Ryan insisted that liberals were only offering people “a full stomach and an empty soul.”
He then told a story of a “young boy from a very poor family” who received free lunches at school “from a government program.”
“He didn’t want a free lunch,” Ryan insisted. “He wanted his own lunch, one in a brown paper bag, just like the other kids.”
“He wanted one, he said, because he knew a kid with a brown paper bag had someone who cared for him. This is what the left does not understand.”
Paul Ryan: Kids getting free lunches don"t have caring parents
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
BUDGET DAY: ANOTHER SPLIT –SCREEN MOMENT – U.S. Threatens sanctions against Russia, Hill preps Ukraine aid package – Potential Sinema rival: Don"t switch districts
BUDGET DAY: ANOTHER SPLIT-SCREEN MOMENT – Our own Darren Samuelsohn explains: “President Barack Obama is facing a major foreign policy test — but on Tuesday he’ll have to pause for the ritualistic domestic politics of the budget. Unlike Vladimir Putin, budget politics are predictable: Obama’s fiscal blueprint isn’t going anywhere in Congress, and it’s designed primarily as an appeal to his Democratic base in a midterm election year. The president will unveil the $ 3 trillion-plus fiscal plan at 11:30 a.m. at a Washington elementary school, while most of official Washington’s attention is halfway around the world. …
– “The budget will follow on themes from his State of the Union address of economic inequality. It will avoid calling for a big change to entitlements that’s been widely panned by liberals and instead seek to expand a popular tax credit to middle-class workers without children. It also suggests slashing the Pentagon and beefing up spending for early childhood education, highway repairs and combating climate change. Budget politics are often Kabuki theater at their best — this year will be no different. After all, the critical spending caps that will help keep the government open are already in place, and both sides have reasons to avoid tough votes on appropriations bills before November. Yet, as tradition dictates, Washington is sure to proceed with a mad dash to analyze — and pick apart — most of the goodies stuffed into the latest White House budget.” http://politi.co/1dWLr4G
THE DAY AHEAD — 8 a.m.: Copies of the fiscal year 2015 budget will be delivered to Capitol Hill in Dirksen 608 and Cannon 207.
– 11:30 a.m.: President Obama tours a classroom and delivers remarks on his 2015 budget at Powell Elementary School in Washington, D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood.
– 12:45 p.m.: OMB Director Sylvia Matthews Burwell holds a news conference at EEOB about the president’s budget. She’ll be joined by Jason Furman, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Cecilia Muñoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council and Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council.
“Obama budget sets up a debate on poverty,” A1 below the fold, By the Washington Post’s Zachary A. Goldfarb and Robert Costa: “In his latest request to Congress, Obama plans to seek $ 56 billion in fresh spending to expand educational offerings for preschoolers and job training for laid-off workers … Meanwhile, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (Wis.) is at work on a GOP budget plan that aims to overhaul the nation’s welfare system, in part by cutting spending on programs that Ryan argues have locked people into poverty.”
***CONGRESS ADOPTS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MEDICARE SOLUTION! Only if they pass legislation to finally fix Medicare’s broken funding formula. SGR is the problem; H.R. 4015 and S. 2000 are the solution. Let’s act now! FixMedicareNow.org
U.S. THREATENS SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA – Peter Baker writes on A1 of the New York Times: “The United States prepared Monday to impose sanctions on high-level Russian officials involved in the military occupation of Crimea, as the escalating crisis in Ukraine prompted turmoil in global markets, pounding the Russian ruble and driving up energy prices. The Obama administration suspended military ties to Russia, including exercises, port visits and planning meetings, just a day after calling off trade talks. If Moscow does not reverse course, officials said they would ban visas and freeze assets of select Russian officials in the chain of command as well as target state-run financial institutions. …
– “The besieged Kiev government said Monday that the Russians had deployed 16,000 troops in the region over the past week and had demanded that Ukrainian forces there surrender within hours or face armed assault. While Russia denied it had issued any ultimatums, it was clearly moving to strengthen its control over Crimea, the largely Russian-speaking peninsula in southern Ukraine where Moscow has long maintained a military base.” http://nyti.ms/1dWPK03
HILL PREPS AID PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE – John Bresnahan reports for POLITICO: “House and Senate leaders in both parties are promising quick action on potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. economic aid to Ukraine along with possible sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Crimea. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said he had spoken to House committee chairmen on Monday about assembling a Ukranian aid package, including possible loan guarantees. …
– “House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) has already scheduled a hearing on the Ukrainian crisis for Thursday. … Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), however, cautioned that Obama should secure European support for any sanctions against Russia before the United States attempts to impose them.” http://politi.co/1cyPWly
BBC News: “Global markets steady as Ukraine impact fears ease” http://bbc.in/1jO6zyN
BOEHNER: REELECTION AS SPEAKER ‘WON’T EVEN BE CLOSE’ – Sheila McLaughlin and Deirdre Shesgreen report for the Cincinnati Enquirer: “West Chester Republican John Boehner said he is confident he can win a third term as House speaker, despite his rocky three years in the post and his narrow re-election to that leadership slot in 2013. ‘It won’t even be close,’ Boehner said of his re-election as speaker during an hourlong exclusive interview Monday with The Enquirer. ‘I frankly think I’m in better shape with my own caucus than I have been any time in the last three years. … I think they understand me better.’” He also called Putin a “thug.” http://cin.ci/1hCeBL5
POSSIBLE RIVAL TELLS SINEMA: DON’T SWITCH DISTRICTS – Arizona state Rep. Ruben Gallego, in Washington yesterday pitching Phoenix as a host city for the 2016 DNC, made time for a round of interviews about his own congressional run, including with Roll Call’s Anny Livingston: “A Democrat running for the seat of retiring Arizona Rep. Ed Pastor said Sunday he would not drop his bid in deference to freshman Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, a fellow Democrat who may opt to run for the newly opened seat instead of her own. Pastor’s 7th District is solidly Democratic, while any Democrat running for Sinema’s neighboring 9th District could face a tough general election fight every cycle until the next round of redistricting. Because of that, speculation about the possibility that Sinema might move to the open district emerged immediately after Pastor’s Feb. 27 retirement announcement. …
– Gallego said he’ll run no matter what Sinema does. “‘I’m a big supporter of Kyrsten Sinema,’ Gallego said. ‘I got to work for her, work with her. I’ve donated to her campaign the first time around, the second time around, and I hope she stays in District 9 because she is the right moderate, business-oriented voice for that district.’ He added: ‘But, if she decides to move to District 7, we will have a very spirited race and I will run against her.’” http://bit.ly/1kuezYK
– Former White House staffer Ronnie Cho, a Phoenix native, is “seriously considering” running for the Pastor seat, reports the Washington Examiner’s Tim Mak. Cho had a memorable role in an HBO documentary about the Obama campaign. If he wins, he would become the first Korean-American Democrat in Congress. http://washex.am/1lw9U8Q
GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 4, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of all the action on Capitol Hill. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.
My new followers include @RepJeffDuncan and @RubenGallego.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is back at 2 p.m. today but both votes and weekly caucus meetings have been postponed until Wednesday due to travel issues related to the snow storm.
The House also meets at 2 p.m. with votes expected about 6:30 p.m. on several bills considered under suspension of the rules: The Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation (HHEATT) Act, Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, a resolution supporting the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for democratic change and calling to end the violence, and a homeowners flood insurance bill.
AROUND THE HILL – Copies of the fiscal year 2015 budget will be delivered to Capitol Hill at 8 a.m. in Dirksen 608. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer holds a pen and pad with reporters at 11 a.m. in H-144. Also at 11, House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp keynotes a tax reform forum in Rayburn 2325. Rep. Joe Crowley, vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, will deliver remarks at the Aspen Institute’s “Working Towards a Secure Retirement: Strengthening Our Nation’s Savings System” congressional briefing at 1:45 p.m. in Rayburn B-318. At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dave Camp headlines a Christian Science Monitor breakfast at the St. Regis Hotel.
SEN. BOB CORKER (R-TENN.), writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, accuses the auto union of trying to muzzle public officials: “Picture an election where an entity is given nearly unfettered access to voters for two years and then is allowed to call for a surprise vote with only a few days’ notice. Then imagine that the entity loses the vote and complains that ‘outside forces’—who happen to be community leaders—should not have been allowed to speak or share their point of view. While most Americans can contemplate such a scenario playing out in another country, this is what has been happening in Tennessee.” http://tinyurl.com/mfdn8lm
TEXAS PRIMARY TESTS TEA PARTY – Nathan Koppel writes for the Wall Street Journal: “Texans head to the polls Tuesday in the first primary of the year, an election which will show whether several prominent Republican lawmakers can fend off antiestablishment challengers. It’s also expected to provide the first big test of a tough new voter-identification law. … The most consequential primary battle involves U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces several Republican challengers and stirred up resentment among many conservatives in Texas last month, when he joined Democrats to vote to increase the government’s borrowing authority. …
– “Mr. Cornyn remains a decided favorite in the contest, political experts said, largely because his most well-known challenger, U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, has alienated tea-party groups by running a lackluster campaign in which he has made few public appearances. …
Rep. Pete Sessions is facing a test from Katrina Pierson, a Dallas area tea-party activist who has received support from tea-party groups statewide.” http://on.wsj.com/1dWT0s9
– REP. RALPH HALL, 90 years old and the oldest member of Congress, is facing his toughest fight yet, writes POLITICO’S Jose DelReal: http://politi.co/MKJOQ9
SCOTT BROWN: ATTACKS PRODDING ME TO RUN – POLITICO’s Manu Raju caught up with the former senator in the Capitol: “Scott Brown has been barraged by Democratic attacks as he decides whether to run for the Senate in New Hampshire. Those attacks, he says, are only encouraging him to get into the race. …[T]he former Massachusetts senator said he was still seriously weighing whether to run in New Hampshire against Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and would ‘probably’ make a decision before the June filing deadline. But Democratic TV ads blistering him on the airwaves – clearly intended to make him think twice about jumping in – are having the opposite effect, he said. ‘They keep running these negative ads and crushing my integrity and distorting my votes and the like — almost antagonizing me, challenging me to get in,’ Brown told POLITICO. ‘Had they left me alone, I may feel a bit different. But they didn’t.’” http://politi.co/1mS5NWb
LANDRIEU NOW BACKS HOUSE FLOOD BILL – Bruce Alpert reports for the Times-Picayune: “Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., on Monday endorsed a House flood insurance bill that she called ‘far from perfect’ but sufficient to provide real protections against unaffordable premium increases. If the bill passes the House, as expected, Landrieu said she would urge the Senate to pass it. ‘It looks like victory is close,’ Landrieu said. House leaders tentatively set debate to begin Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. central time, with a vote possible Tuesday night or Wednesday. … Landrieu lashed out at a statement last week by a leader of the conservative R Street Institute, that congressional leaders are moving away from the Biggert-Waters Act for political reasons, with Democrats wanting to help Landrieu’s re-election efforts and Republicans wanting to assist her main GOP challenger, Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.” http://bit.ly/1fXwmEh
– CASSIDY, in a statement, made it clear Landrieu had endorsed legislation that he himself had co-authored: “I thank Senators Vitter and Landrieu for supporting the Grimm-Cassidy substitute amendment to the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act. A broad coalition of homebuilders, bankers, realtors, business and civic leaders support the long-term, lasting relief afforded by the Grimm-Cassidy Amendment.”
MEMBERS TRADE DOWN FOR LOWER-PROFILE JOBS – National Journal’s Scott Bland reports: “Washington has become so toxic these days that one member of Congress is leaving after just one term—to run for a position in local government. After only a year in office, Democratic Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod of California plotted her escape from the House to seek a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. If she is successful, Negrete McLeod will become at least the second member of Congress in two years to move straight from federal government to a smaller, local constituency. Former Rep. Todd Platts, R-Pa., is now known locally as Judge Todd Platts, ever since he won a seat on the York County Court of Common Pleas in 2013, a year after leaving the House. Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Tim Griffin is leaving the House after two terms to seek a decidedly less high-profile position, running for Arkansas lieutenant governor.” http://bit.ly/1kum2XT
MONDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – We had a tie: Paul Hays and Claude Marx correctly answered just seconds apart that William Holden was the Oscar-winning actor who was Ronald Reagan’s best man when he married Nancy Davis in 1952.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Ben Goodman has today’s question: Name the person who served simultaneously as a state first lady and a member of the House. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/
** After years of saying “wait until next year,” Congress finally has bipartisan legislation to repeal Medicare’s broken funding formula. This is the news seniors have been waiting for. But we’re not over the finish line yet. Congress must act by March 31st to avoid another costly temporary patch. Let’s pass H.R. 4015/S. 2000, scrap the broken SGR formula and fix Medicare once and for all! FixMedicareNow.org
BUDGET DAY: ANOTHER SPLIT –SCREEN MOMENT – U.S. Threatens sanctions against Russia, Hill preps Ukraine aid package – Potential Sinema rival: Don"t switch districts
BUDGET DAY: ANOTHER SPLIT –SCREEN MOMENT – U.S. Threatens sanctions against Russia, Hill preps Ukraine aid package – Potential Sinema rival: Don"t switch districts
BUDGET DAY: ANOTHER SPLIT-SCREEN MOMENT – Our own Darren Samuelsohn explains: “President Barack Obama is facing a major foreign policy test — but on Tuesday he’ll have to pause for the ritualistic domestic politics of the budget. Unlike Vladimir Putin, budget politics are predictable: Obama’s fiscal blueprint isn’t going anywhere in Congress, and it’s designed primarily as an appeal to his Democratic base in a midterm election year. The president will unveil the $ 3 trillion-plus fiscal plan at 11:30 a.m. at a Washington elementary school, while most of official Washington’s attention is halfway around the world. …
– “The budget will follow on themes from his State of the Union address of economic inequality. It will avoid calling for a big change to entitlements that’s been widely panned by liberals and instead seek to expand a popular tax credit to middle-class workers without children. It also suggests slashing the Pentagon and beefing up spending for early childhood education, highway repairs and combating climate change. Budget politics are often Kabuki theater at their best — this year will be no different. After all, the critical spending caps that will help keep the government open are already in place, and both sides have reasons to avoid tough votes on appropriations bills before November. Yet, as tradition dictates, Washington is sure to proceed with a mad dash to analyze — and pick apart — most of the goodies stuffed into the latest White House budget.” http://politi.co/1dWLr4G
THE DAY AHEAD — 8 a.m.: Copies of the fiscal year 2015 budget will be delivered to Capitol Hill in Dirksen 608 and Cannon 207.
– 11:30 a.m.: President Obama tours a classroom and delivers remarks on his 2015 budget at Powell Elementary School in Washington, D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood.
– 12:45 p.m.: OMB Director Sylvia Matthews Burwell holds a news conference at EEOB about the president’s budget. She’ll be joined by Jason Furman, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Cecilia Muñoz, director of the Domestic Policy Council and Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council.
“Obama budget sets up a debate on poverty,” A1 below the fold, By the Washington Post’s Zachary A. Goldfarb and Robert Costa: “In his latest request to Congress, Obama plans to seek $ 56 billion in fresh spending to expand educational offerings for preschoolers and job training for laid-off workers … Meanwhile, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (Wis.) is at work on a GOP budget plan that aims to overhaul the nation’s welfare system, in part by cutting spending on programs that Ryan argues have locked people into poverty.”
***CONGRESS ADOPTS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MEDICARE SOLUTION! Only if they pass legislation to finally fix Medicare’s broken funding formula. SGR is the problem; H.R. 4015 and S. 2000 are the solution. Let’s act now! FixMedicareNow.org
U.S. THREATENS SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA – Peter Baker writes on A1 of the New York Times: “The United States prepared Monday to impose sanctions on high-level Russian officials involved in the military occupation of Crimea, as the escalating crisis in Ukraine prompted turmoil in global markets, pounding the Russian ruble and driving up energy prices. The Obama administration suspended military ties to Russia, including exercises, port visits and planning meetings, just a day after calling off trade talks. If Moscow does not reverse course, officials said they would ban visas and freeze assets of select Russian officials in the chain of command as well as target state-run financial institutions. …
– “The besieged Kiev government said Monday that the Russians had deployed 16,000 troops in the region over the past week and had demanded that Ukrainian forces there surrender within hours or face armed assault. While Russia denied it had issued any ultimatums, it was clearly moving to strengthen its control over Crimea, the largely Russian-speaking peninsula in southern Ukraine where Moscow has long maintained a military base.” http://nyti.ms/1dWPK03
HILL PREPS AID PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE – John Bresnahan reports for POLITICO: “House and Senate leaders in both parties are promising quick action on potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. economic aid to Ukraine along with possible sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Crimea. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said he had spoken to House committee chairmen on Monday about assembling a Ukranian aid package, including possible loan guarantees. …
– “House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) has already scheduled a hearing on the Ukrainian crisis for Thursday. … Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), however, cautioned that Obama should secure European support for any sanctions against Russia before the United States attempts to impose them.” http://politi.co/1cyPWly
BBC News: “Global markets steady as Ukraine impact fears ease” http://bbc.in/1jO6zyN
BOEHNER: REELECTION AS SPEAKER ‘WON’T EVEN BE CLOSE’ – Sheila McLaughlin and Deirdre Shesgreen report for the Cincinnati Enquirer: “West Chester Republican John Boehner said he is confident he can win a third term as House speaker, despite his rocky three years in the post and his narrow re-election to that leadership slot in 2013. ‘It won’t even be close,’ Boehner said of his re-election as speaker during an hourlong exclusive interview Monday with The Enquirer. ‘I frankly think I’m in better shape with my own caucus than I have been any time in the last three years. … I think they understand me better.’” He also called Putin a “thug.” http://cin.ci/1hCeBL5
POSSIBLE RIVAL TELLS SINEMA: DON’T SWITCH DISTRICTS – Arizona state Rep. Ruben Gallego, in Washington yesterday pitching Phoenix as a host city for the 2016 DNC, made time for a round of interviews about his own congressional run, including with Roll Call’s Anny Livingston: “A Democrat running for the seat of retiring Arizona Rep. Ed Pastor said Sunday he would not drop his bid in deference to freshman Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, a fellow Democrat who may opt to run for the newly opened seat instead of her own. Pastor’s 7th District is solidly Democratic, while any Democrat running for Sinema’s neighboring 9th District could face a tough general election fight every cycle until the next round of redistricting. Because of that, speculation about the possibility that Sinema might move to the open district emerged immediately after Pastor’s Feb. 27 retirement announcement. …
– Gallego said he’ll run no matter what Sinema does. “‘I’m a big supporter of Kyrsten Sinema,’ Gallego said. ‘I got to work for her, work with her. I’ve donated to her campaign the first time around, the second time around, and I hope she stays in District 9 because she is the right moderate, business-oriented voice for that district.’ He added: ‘But, if she decides to move to District 7, we will have a very spirited race and I will run against her.’” http://bit.ly/1kuezYK
– Former White House staffer Ronnie Cho, a Phoenix native, is “seriously considering” running for the Pastor seat, reports the Washington Examiner’s Tim Mak. Cho had a memorable role in an HBO documentary about the Obama campaign. If he wins, he would become the first Korean-American Democrat in Congress. http://washex.am/1lw9U8Q
GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 4, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of all the action on Capitol Hill. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.
My new followers include @RepJeffDuncan and @RubenGallego.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is back at 2 p.m. today but both votes and weekly caucus meetings have been postponed until Wednesday due to travel issues related to the snow storm.
The House also meets at 2 p.m. with votes expected about 6:30 p.m. on several bills considered under suspension of the rules: The Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation (HHEATT) Act, Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, a resolution supporting the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for democratic change and calling to end the violence, and a homeowners flood insurance bill.
AROUND THE HILL – Copies of the fiscal year 2015 budget will be delivered to Capitol Hill at 8 a.m. in Dirksen 608. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer holds a pen and pad with reporters at 11 a.m. in H-144. Also at 11, House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp keynotes a tax reform forum in Rayburn 2325. Rep. Joe Crowley, vice chair of the Democratic Caucus, will deliver remarks at the Aspen Institute’s “Working Towards a Secure Retirement: Strengthening Our Nation’s Savings System” congressional briefing at 1:45 p.m. in Rayburn B-318. At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dave Camp headlines a Christian Science Monitor breakfast at the St. Regis Hotel.
SEN. BOB CORKER (R-TENN.), writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, accuses the auto union of trying to muzzle public officials: “Picture an election where an entity is given nearly unfettered access to voters for two years and then is allowed to call for a surprise vote with only a few days’ notice. Then imagine that the entity loses the vote and complains that ‘outside forces’—who happen to be community leaders—should not have been allowed to speak or share their point of view. While most Americans can contemplate such a scenario playing out in another country, this is what has been happening in Tennessee.” http://tinyurl.com/mfdn8lm
TEXAS PRIMARY TESTS TEA PARTY – Nathan Koppel writes for the Wall Street Journal: “Texans head to the polls Tuesday in the first primary of the year, an election which will show whether several prominent Republican lawmakers can fend off antiestablishment challengers. It’s also expected to provide the first big test of a tough new voter-identification law. … The most consequential primary battle involves U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who faces several Republican challengers and stirred up resentment among many conservatives in Texas last month, when he joined Democrats to vote to increase the government’s borrowing authority. …
– “Mr. Cornyn remains a decided favorite in the contest, political experts said, largely because his most well-known challenger, U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, has alienated tea-party groups by running a lackluster campaign in which he has made few public appearances. …
Rep. Pete Sessions is facing a test from Katrina Pierson, a Dallas area tea-party activist who has received support from tea-party groups statewide.” http://on.wsj.com/1dWT0s9
– REP. RALPH HALL, 90 years old and the oldest member of Congress, is facing his toughest fight yet, writes POLITICO’S Jose DelReal: http://politi.co/MKJOQ9
SCOTT BROWN: ATTACKS PRODDING ME TO RUN – POLITICO’s Manu Raju caught up with the former senator in the Capitol: “Scott Brown has been barraged by Democratic attacks as he decides whether to run for the Senate in New Hampshire. Those attacks, he says, are only encouraging him to get into the race. …[T]he former Massachusetts senator said he was still seriously weighing whether to run in New Hampshire against Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and would ‘probably’ make a decision before the June filing deadline. But Democratic TV ads blistering him on the airwaves – clearly intended to make him think twice about jumping in – are having the opposite effect, he said. ‘They keep running these negative ads and crushing my integrity and distorting my votes and the like — almost antagonizing me, challenging me to get in,’ Brown told POLITICO. ‘Had they left me alone, I may feel a bit different. But they didn’t.’” http://politi.co/1mS5NWb
LANDRIEU NOW BACKS HOUSE FLOOD BILL – Bruce Alpert reports for the Times-Picayune: “Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., on Monday endorsed a House flood insurance bill that she called ‘far from perfect’ but sufficient to provide real protections against unaffordable premium increases. If the bill passes the House, as expected, Landrieu said she would urge the Senate to pass it. ‘It looks like victory is close,’ Landrieu said. House leaders tentatively set debate to begin Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. central time, with a vote possible Tuesday night or Wednesday. … Landrieu lashed out at a statement last week by a leader of the conservative R Street Institute, that congressional leaders are moving away from the Biggert-Waters Act for political reasons, with Democrats wanting to help Landrieu’s re-election efforts and Republicans wanting to assist her main GOP challenger, Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.” http://bit.ly/1fXwmEh
– CASSIDY, in a statement, made it clear Landrieu had endorsed legislation that he himself had co-authored: “I thank Senators Vitter and Landrieu for supporting the Grimm-Cassidy substitute amendment to the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act. A broad coalition of homebuilders, bankers, realtors, business and civic leaders support the long-term, lasting relief afforded by the Grimm-Cassidy Amendment.”
MEMBERS TRADE DOWN FOR LOWER-PROFILE JOBS – National Journal’s Scott Bland reports: “Washington has become so toxic these days that one member of Congress is leaving after just one term—to run for a position in local government. After only a year in office, Democratic Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod of California plotted her escape from the House to seek a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. If she is successful, Negrete McLeod will become at least the second member of Congress in two years to move straight from federal government to a smaller, local constituency. Former Rep. Todd Platts, R-Pa., is now known locally as Judge Todd Platts, ever since he won a seat on the York County Court of Common Pleas in 2013, a year after leaving the House. Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Tim Griffin is leaving the House after two terms to seek a decidedly less high-profile position, running for Arkansas lieutenant governor.” http://bit.ly/1kum2XT
MONDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – We had a tie: Paul Hays and Claude Marx correctly answered just seconds apart that William Holden was the Oscar-winning actor who was Ronald Reagan’s best man when he married Nancy Davis in 1952.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Ben Goodman has today’s question: Name the person who served simultaneously as a state first lady and a member of the House. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/
** After years of saying “wait until next year,” Congress finally has bipartisan legislation to repeal Medicare’s broken funding formula. This is the news seniors have been waiting for. But we’re not over the finish line yet. Congress must act by March 31st to avoid another costly temporary patch. Let’s pass H.R. 4015/S. 2000, scrap the broken SGR formula and fix Medicare once and for all! FixMedicareNow.org
BUDGET DAY: ANOTHER SPLIT –SCREEN MOMENT – U.S. Threatens sanctions against Russia, Hill preps Ukraine aid package – Potential Sinema rival: Don"t switch districts
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Viral Video “Don’t Freak I’m Sikh” Spreads Amazing Message About Race, Culture & Religion
It’s a special moment when you can look at another human being entirely for who and what they are: another soul having an experience here. So often do we taint this idea with judgments and connotations about who and what people are by putting them into boxes based on culture, gender, looks, style etc. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could just see each other and appreciate each other for exactly who we are? I’m not talking about avoiding culture, gender or race, but instead just embracing it all – realizing that these socio-cultural attributes are only part of a role we are playing in this life time and that we are one in the same.
I believe this video spreads an important message we can all embrace.
Viral Video “Don’t Freak I’m Sikh” Spreads Amazing Message About Race, Culture & Religion
Friday, February 14, 2014
The Tom Perkins system: "You don"t get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes"
Oooh, I get it now. Venture capitalist Tom Perkins is not actually venture capitalist Tom Perkins, but a very dedicated performance artist.
The venture capitalist offered the unorthodox proposal when asked to name one idea that would “change the world” at a speaking engagement in San Francisco moderated by Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky.“The Tom Perkins system is: You don’t get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes,” Perkins said.
“But what I really think is, it should be like a corporation. You pay a million dollars in taxes, you get a million votes. How’s that?”
The audience at the Commonwealth Club reacted with laughter. But Perkins offered no immediate indication that he was joking. Asked offstage if the proposal was serious, Perkins said: “I intended to be outrageous, and it was.”
He’s the Gallagher of rich people, that one.
To be clear, Perkins was of course joking. Everybody knows that that is largely how the system currently works. If you don’t pay much in taxes, you probably also have more trouble getting to the polls, and if you pay millions of dollars in taxes you get to buy your own government. Current stakeholders wouldn’t like Perkins’ proposed new system very much at all, because all the companies that do not currently spend vast sums of money on their own lobbyists and electoral plans would suddenly have, in aggregate, votes on par with the Koch/Pope/Adelson efforts, and that is not how the system is meant to work. The top tenth of a percent is supposed to have absolute authority in these things; you can’t have the merely wealthy gumming up the hopes and goals of the super rich.
Silly Mr. Perkins. Such a card, that fellow.
The Tom Perkins system: "You don"t get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes"
The Tom Perkins system: "You don"t get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes"
Oooh, I get it now. Venture capitalist Tom Perkins is not actually venture capitalist Tom Perkins, but a very dedicated performance artist.
The venture capitalist offered the unorthodox proposal when asked to name one idea that would “change the world” at a speaking engagement in San Francisco moderated by Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky.“The Tom Perkins system is: You don’t get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes,” Perkins said.
“But what I really think is, it should be like a corporation. You pay a million dollars in taxes, you get a million votes. How’s that?”
The audience at the Commonwealth Club reacted with laughter. But Perkins offered no immediate indication that he was joking. Asked offstage if the proposal was serious, Perkins said: “I intended to be outrageous, and it was.”
He’s the Gallagher of rich people, that one.
To be clear, Perkins was of course joking. Everybody knows that that is largely how the system currently works. If you don’t pay much in taxes, you probably also have more trouble getting to the polls, and if you pay millions of dollars in taxes you get to buy your own government. Current stakeholders wouldn’t like Perkins’ proposed new system very much at all, because all the companies that do not currently spend vast sums of money on their own lobbyists and electoral plans would suddenly have, in aggregate, votes on par with the Koch/Pope/Adelson efforts, and that is not how the system is meant to work. The top tenth of a percent is supposed to have absolute authority in these things; you can’t have the merely wealthy gumming up the hopes and goals of the super rich.
Silly Mr. Perkins. Such a card, that fellow.
The Tom Perkins system: "You don"t get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes"
Dear Susan Patton, Single Women Don"t Need Your "Straight Talk"
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Dear Susan Patton, Single Women Don"t Need Your "Straight Talk"
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
This is why Saudi Arabia and Iran don"t like each other
All the key players were at the table in Switzerland as the Syria peace conference began in Montreux on Wednesday.
All except one.
The peace talks, dubbed Geneva II, nearly fell apart before they began, when United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon extended an invitation to Iran on Sunday.
Iran is a key financial and military backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Ban issued the last-minute invite after he was assured by Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that the country would “play a very positive and constructive role.”
By Monday evening, with the Syrian opposition threatening to withdraw from Geneva II, and the United States and other Western powers urging the UN to rescind its invitation, Iran had lost its spot at the Syria peace talks.
More from GlobalPost: Iran invite to Syria peace talks imperils Geneva conference
The United States and other western powers opposed Iran’s attendance based on its refusal to accept a communique — adopted at the first Geneva talks on June 30, 2012 — calling for a transitional government in Syria.
But perhaps no one was more enraged at the idea of sharing a table with Iran than regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, which is a major supporter of the Syrian opposition and a historic foe of Iran.
Iran did not “announce officially and openly its agreement (to)… the creation of a transitional government,” the Saudi government said on Monday in an official statement.
This rendered Iran “unqualified to attend.”
Riyadh’s response should come as no surprise. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia and Iran are not only divided by the Persian Gulf, but also along religious lines.
Saudi Arabia has a predominantly Sunni Muslim population, while Iran is mostly Shiite (Shia).
Both countries have been locked in a cold war for decades as they battle for religious, political and economic dominance in the region.
To better understand this rivalry, GlobalPost selected four articles explaining the complex relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the context of the United States, Syria, the Arab Spring and the recent nuclear deal with Tehran.
“Explaining the Iran-Saudi rivalry” by University of South Florida Prof. Mohsen M. Milani on CNN
Milani wrote: “Iran and Saudi Arabia are neither natural allies nor natural enemies but natural rivals who have long competed as major oil producers and self-proclaimed defenders of Shia (Shiite) and Sunni Islam, respectively. Until the Iranian revolution in 1979, their rivalry was managed and controlled by the United States, with whom they were both strategic allies.
“But after the Shah was overthrown, Saudi Arabia’s leadership became frightened by the Ayatollah Khomenei’s denunciation of the Saudi monarchy as antithetical to Islam and his ambition to export to the revolution to the Arab world. Saudi Arabia remained an ally of the United States; Iran became an implacable foe. Thereafter, the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia became defined by the new US strategy – ally with Saudi Arabia to offset Iran.”
Boucek (who died of a heart attack two months after the article was published) made this point: “The challenge is that both countries view power and influence in the region as a zero-sum game. If Iran gains, Saudi Arabia loses — and vice versa. In Saudi Arabia there is not just a fear that Iran wants a greater role in the region, there is alarm that Iran wants to control the region. Saudi Arabia often seems to view the region through sectarian lenses and wants to unite people under the sectarian umbrella of Sunnis. Riyadh therefore views the ascendency of Shias and the war in the region in zero-sum terms.”
Gause wrote that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not the Saudis’ only concern: “They have a more profound fear: that geopolitical trends in the Middle East are aligning against them, threatening both their regional stature and their domestic security. The Saudis see an Iran that is dominant in Iraq and Lebanon, holding onto its ally in Syria, and now forging a new relationship with Washington — a rival, in short, without any obstacles to regional dominance, and one further emboldened to encourage Shiite populations in the Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia, to oppose their Sunni rulers.”
Soltani talked about the importance of a détente between the rivals: “During the 1960s and 1970s the two countries were in a strategic alliance with considerable political, military and security interactions. The West, and the US in particular, used these two states to deter the influence of Soviet communism in the Middle East.
“The change following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 dealt a heavy blow to the interests and ambitions of the West and the US in the Middle East, and also took some allies, including Saudi Arabia, by surprise. Tehran-Riyadh relations then entered a new stage fraught with mistrust and hostility.”
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/140120/saudi-arabia-iran-rivalry-relationship
This is why Saudi Arabia and Iran don"t like each other
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