The GOP’s New Abortion Bill

TPM Reader MB on the new GOP abortion ban bill …

I just wanted to underscore how horrific the Republicans’ abortion bill was, and how it’s sent shockwaves through my circle of friends. While I’m political, many of my friends aren’t, and they were terrified last night when they heard the 20 week ban had passed the House. They didn’t understand the process and thought it would soon become law. I had to assure them that the Democrats would stop the ban and that it’d die in the Senate.

Status Check on the Autopsy

There were supposedly two takeaways from the 2012 election. First, the GOP had a difficult time polling the new American electorate, a shortcoming tied to the second takeaway, which was that the GOP was ill-prepared to win elections in the new American electorate which was more socially liberal and less white and, on both measures, getting more so. Basically all Democrats believed this, albeit somewhat self-servingly. Most independent analysts believed it because it seemed to be obvious. And a lot of Republicans seemed to believe it - especially those most focused on winning elections, which tends to mean party elites. But look where we are right now.

A Nation of Weiners?

Japanese politicians apparently have a really hard time not embarrassing themselves on theTwitter.

Please Get This Doofus Off TV

Like quantum theory and relativity, who can really explain why they still let lazy and permanently and embarrassingly wrong ‘historian’ Niall Ferguson on TV? All I can figure is that it is a testament to how much Americans are still pushovers for a British, especially a high-born British accent. This morning he’s on MSNBC complaining about the regulatory burden on small businesses and apparently how some small business of his failed, obviously because of onerous regulations.

ICYMI: Michael Hastings, Dead at 33

In case you missed the news last night, a big shock and a big loss in the world of journalism. Michael Hastings died yesterday in a car crash in Los Angeles. He was 33. He was probably known best, among many other things, for the blockbuster 2010 story in Rolling Stone that led President Obama to fire then-commander of US forces in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal.

ICYMI: Michael Hastings, Dead at 33

In case you missed the news last night, a big shock and a big loss in the world of journalism. Michael Hastings died yesterday in a car crash in Los Angeles. He was 33. He was probably known best, among many other things, for the blockbuster 2010 story in Rolling Stone that led President Obama to fire then-commander of US forces in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal.

Not So Much

Our report on why congressional oversight of the intelligence community doesn’t work very well and maybe isn’t supposed to. Fascinating piece.

No Help There

House Republicans appear to be coalescing around an attempt to kill immigration reform. But they’re not getting any help from this CBO study, requested by arch-immigration reform foe Sen. Jeff Sessions. It shows that rather than ballooning the deficit the current Senate bill would reduce the deficit by almost $200 billion over the next decade.

Issa’s Latest Racket Unravels

House Oversight Committee Chair Darrell Issa (R-CA) says he is ”deeply disappointed” that Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) decided to release the full unedited interviews from the IRS investigation.

These supplement the bits and pieces selectively leaked to the press by Issa’s staff.

The Day In 100 Seconds

Wondering if the NSA is monitoring America’s phone calls? The agency’s chief supplied an answer, over and over again.

Full-size version.

Is That How It Works?

Shorter WSJ columnist: Let’s be honest, it takes two to have a sexual assault.

Could Change Everything

Don’t look now but medical costs may actually be starting to go down.