Chad’s Morning Brief: Joe Biden Doesn’t Want More Senators Like Ted Cruz, Kumbaya Session a Distant Memory, & More
Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of June 13, 2013. Give me your feedback below and tune in to The Chad Hasty Show for these and many more topics from 8:30 to 11am.
1. Biden Talks About Ted Cruz and Rand Paul (link)
During a Democratic fundraiser Tuesday night, Vice President Joe Biden talked about how important it was to keep Republicans out of the Senate. Why? Because of the influence Senators Cruz and Rand Paul have.
“I’m not talking about the character or even the quality of the minds of the people I’m going to mention. But the last thing in the world we need now is someone who will go down to the United States Senate and support Ted Cruz, support the new senator from Kentucky,” Biden said referring to Sen. Rand Paul.
“Or the old senator from Kentucky,” he added, referring to Sen. Mitch McConnell.
Biden appeared bewildered at the power the two freshmen senators wielded in the Senate with their Republican colleagues.
“Think about this,” he said. “Have you ever seen a time when two freshman senators are able to cower the bulk of the Republican Party in the Senate? That is not hyperbole.”
The Vice President expressed frustration with his failure to pass more gun control laws, explaining to the crowd that every time he tried to win the support of a Republican Senator, they cited Cruz and Paul as the reason they couldn’t join him.
“I actually said, ‘Are you kidding? These are two freshman,’” Biden added. “This is a different party, folks. They’re not bad guys, and they’re both very bright guys. And I’m not questioning their motive.”
If you are a Ted Cruz or Rand Paul supporter, you have to love what Joe Biden said.
2. Kumbaya Session Becoming a Distant Memory (link)
Remember how Texas lawmakers loved the regular session and how everyone basically got along? According to the Texas Tribune, the Special Session won't go the same way.
Gov. Rick Perry has ensured no one will affix that label to the current special session — and maybe to a second one, if it comes to that.
The state's longest-serving governor called the current 30-day session at the end of last month for the redrawing of the political boundaries. The redistricting process already is dragging out longer than proponents said it would, and it has led to predictable sparring between the two major parties.
This week Perry injected two new issues, equally explosive and with potentially far-reaching implications, into the body politic. And the week isn't over.
On Tuesday, the governor announced that he was adding abortion restrictions to the special session agenda, eliciting praise from fellow GOP lawmakers and his conservative base but riling Democrats who hope to cast the effort as an attack on women.
“We have an obligation to protect unborn children, and to hold those who peddle these abortions to standards that would minimize the death, disease and pain they cause,” said Perry, who has also expanded the special session agenda to include transportation funding and legislation related to punishment for capital felonies committed by 17-year-olds.
Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who lost the U.S. Senate race to Tea Party darling Ted Cruz and is eager to shore up his conservative flank ahead of a potentially difficult 2014 re-election campaign, welcomed Perry's announcement and said he would “not leave any option off the table to achieve the will of the people during the special session.”
Democrats said putting abortion on the call — after restrictive measures failed to gain traction during the regular session — was an unnecessary and divisive move.
All I have to say about that is, it's about damn time. Now it's time for the Governor to add campus carry and really make the left go nuts.
3. FEMA Denies Aid to West (link)
Remember when President Obama said that US government wouldn't forget about West, Texas? That memo apparently did not get to FEMA.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has said that the April 17th, 2013 explosion in West, Texas, was not severe enough to get a major disaster declaration.
According to the Associated Press, West Mayor Tommy Muska says the town suffered $57 million in damage, $40 million of which would go to rebuild a destroyed school.
Texas Governor Rick Perry issued a release Wednesday afternoon responding to FEMA’s denial, saying “The day of the West memorial service, President Obama stood in front of a grieving community and told them they would not be forgotten. He said that his administration would stand with them, ready to help.”
“We anticipate the President will hold true to his word and help us work with FEMA to ensure much-needed assistance reaches the community of West,” Perry concluded.
Texas U.S. Senator John Cornyn also weighed in, saying “I know there’s a lot of reasons to be skeptical of this administration on so many different fronts, but I’m going to withhold judgment at this point and try to find out factually what FEMA’s basis for refusing the aid might be. If it is people playing politics with something this sensitive and important, then you’ll be hearing from me very loudly and consistently.”
Thoughts?
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These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of The Chad Hasty Show. Tune in mornings 8:30-11am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.
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