9/12-14 News & Open Threads – The Progressive Wing

Ad buys are heating up now that we’re into full campaigning for the fall. Join us below for news and commentary.

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#TXPol: Here's a first look at the "Coulda Been Worse" ad opposing Greg Abbott. The group spent $6.1M yesterday on statewide airtime.
3 advertisers have now launched multi-million $ ad campaigns for the #TXGov general:
Abbott: $13.4M
O'Rourke: $11.8M
Coulda Been Worse: $6.1M pic.twitter.com/Q0NYErXNNO
— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) September 9, 2022

Benny

https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbott-saying-uvalde-shooting-coulda-been-worse-resurfaces-1741595

A dark money group has taken out more than $6 million in advertisements ahead of the midterm elections criticizing Texas Republican Greg Abbott’s performance as governor, including a clip of him stating a recent mass shooting of several dozen children and teachers at a Texas elementary school “coulda been worse” against revelations law enforcement in Uvalde did little to stem the violence.
The advertisement, which is scheduled to air statewide through October according to FCC purchasing records, depicts a set of crying eyes against a black backdrop as images of guns and the Uvalde Elementary School hallway flash across the corner of the screen.
“Four years of sorrow, tears, anguish,” a narrator reads. “AR-15s everywhere, for everyone. Even 18-year-olds.”
The narrator reads off a list of all of the examples of mass shootings across the state during Abbott’s tenure—Santa Fe, El Paso’s Wal-Mart, Uvalde—alongside other, high-profile missteps under his administration. The failure of the Texas power grid during a massive ice storm resulted in numerous deaths. And a border shutdown that led to massive supply chain shortages across the country, what the narrator called “another political stunt gone wrong.”
“Education system craters, abortion criminalized […] women’s freedom taken away, property taxes crush home owners, property taxes actually higher than California,” the narrator continues. “Any one of these, a terrible shame for Texas. All of these are horrific signs something is terribly, terribly wrong.”
Then Abbott appears, a clip from a highly circulated snippet of his post-Uvalde press conference where he says things “could’ve been worse,” a phrase later employed in attack ads and billboards by groups like Mothers Against Greg Abbott who criticized his administration’s response to the shooting in what has become a defining issue in his race against Democrat Beto O’Rourke.
“It coulda been worse,” text across the screen reads. “Really?”
It is unclear where the advertisement, first reported by market research firm AdImpact, came from, or how it was paid for. The group that paid for it, Coulda Been Worse LLC, was created via a registered agent in Delaware, and a search on the Texas Secretary of State’s Office reveals nothing about the company or who is funding it.
However, the advertising campaign would rank among the most expensive in what many believe will be among the most-watched governor’s races in the country this cycle, even as most polling shows Abbott leading O’Rourke by roughly 7 points. While Abbott’s and O’Rourke’s campaigns have spent more than $25.2 million combined this cycle, Coulda Been Worse marks just the third multimillion-dollar ad buy in the state.
That spending only compounds an already well-funded effort opposing him. According to Texas campaign finance reports, Mothers Against Greg Abbott, another anti-gun violence group, has already spent more than $105,000 opposing Abbott in addition to its sizable social media following.

orlbucfan

I won’t live long enough to see it, but they really need to clean up the corruption and the hidey holes these PR crooks use. Who is funding this so-called slick PR?

orlbucfan

Liked the third choice. LOL. 🙂

Benny

Money is flowing to Arizona's Senate race for GOP candidate Blake Masters — despite a polling advantage by Sen. Mark Kelly and a massive disparity in fundraising and spending between the two parties https://t.co/GfDGVd849K
— POLITICO (@politico) September 12, 2022

orlbucfan

Kelly and his wife (Gabbie Giffords) campaigning with him should be able to beat this FRightwing waste. If they don’t, that’s on them.

Benny

Comparatively, @JoshShapiroPA is already slated to spend $4.4 million in September, more than $5 million in October and $1.5 million in the final week run-up to November 8, per @AdImpact_Pol https://t.co/3AI9O6znmw #PAGOV
— David Catanese (@davecatanese) September 9, 2022

wi64

Counting on the Cult-45 R’s to save the day or the dark ads by someone.

Benny

This isn’t a political movement—that’s just a byproduct—more than anything else, it’s a profit center, the first seditious conspiracy with merchandising. https://t.co/xHtFrLOg7c
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) September 12, 2022

Benny

In the 21 years since 9/11, the United States spent $8 trillion+ on wars. Can you imagine if we had instead invested those funds in climate, health care, housing, and education?
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) September 11, 2022

Benny

This is from Investors Business Daily…

President Joe Biden’s approval rating bounced higher over the past month, helped by lower gas prices and a series of legislative wins, a new IBD/TIPP Poll finds. Younger Americans, in particular, rallied around Biden following approval of the climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act and his decision to forgive up to $20,000 in college loans.
Biden’s approval rating jumped 6.6 points to 49, the highest since April. The IBD/TIPP presidential job approval measure indicates that 49% of adults who stated an opinion approve of Biden’s job performance and 51% disapprove, in a measure that excludes those who were unsure or declined to state an opinion.
Including the full survey group, 46% of American adults approve how Biden is handling the presidency, and 48% disapprove. That net -2 approval rating improved from August’s -14, with 39% approval and 53% disapproval. It also marks an improvement from July’s -9, with 40% approval and 49% disapproval, as well as June’s -12 with 37% approval and 49% disapproval.
Biden Approval Rating Details
The bounce in Biden’s approval rating came as his standing among independents improved from dire levels. Net disapproval of Biden narrowed to 21 points among independents from 36 points in August. Now, 57% of independents pan Biden’s job performance and 36% approve. That compares with 62%-26% in August and 60%-26% in July.
Members of Biden’s own party now approve of his job performance by a 76% to 17% margin, improving from 70%-19% in August, 72%-19% in July, and 66%-22% in June.
Republicans disapprove 86%-11%, a modest improvement from 89%-8% in August and 85%-9% in July.
Adults 18-44 now approve of Biden’s handling of the presidency by a 51%-40% margin. Biden’s net approval of 11 points among younger Americans reversed from net disapproval of 11 points in August. At that time, just 40% approved and 51% disapproved of his job performance.
Biden is still underwater among adults 45 and over, with 42% approval and 54% disapproval. That’s still better than August, when 39% approved and 56% disapproved.
Biden’s move to forgive a portion of federal college loans probably contributed to his polling bounce, but it’s not clear how much. College grads now approve of Biden’s job performance 56%-41% vs. 51%-43% in August.
Among those with some college, Biden’s approval rose to a still-negative 44%-49% from 37%-54%. Among those with no more than a high school degree, Biden’s approval bounced but remained low at 38%-54%, from 28%-62%.
Approval Of President Biden’s Policies
Net disapproval of Biden’s economic policies narrowed to 14 points from 27 points. Now adults disapprove of Biden’s economic policies 47%-33% vs. 54%-27% in August. Independents still widely disapprove, 53%-22%.
All signs point to inflation as a major source of Biden’s poor reviews. U.S. employers added 9.7 million jobs in the first 19 months of Biden’s presidency, including 315,000 last month, Labor Department data shows. Meanwhile, the average hourly wage has grown a strong 5.2% over the past year. Yet inflation has eaten away all of that increase and more for many Americans.
The IBD/TIPP Poll finds that just 22% of adults say their wages have kept pace with inflation, while 51% say they haven’t kept pace. Meanwhile, 90% of Americans are concerned about the path of inflation over the next 12 months. The share of Americans who think the U.S. economy is in a recession slipped to 59% from 62% in August.
The IBD/TIPP Financial-Related Stress Index dipped 0.9 point to 67.6 in August. That’s still not far off April 2020’s 69.8 record high in polling going back to December 2007. Readings above 50 mean financial stress is rising.
Approval of Biden’s handling of the pandemic improved to 45%-34% from 42%-37%, with both cases and hospitalizations on the wane.
Americans now disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by a 40%-35% margin, a modest gain from August’s 43%-32% poll result. Polling came ahead of weekend news that Ukraine has seized back large portions of occupied territory .

Biden Gets Bounce Among Investors
Investors now approve of Biden’s job performance 56%-41%, a big leap from August’s disapproval of 49%-47%. That’s despite a rough ride for stocks in recent weeks, since Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell signaled interest rates would stay higher for longer.
However, market sentiment has improved ahead of Tuesday’s consumer price index report, which should show a second month of tame inflation, though the annual inflation rate may only ease to about 8%.
IBD/TIPP counts as investors those respondents who say they have at least $10,000 in household-owned mutual funds or equities.
Through Friday, the Dow Jones was down 11.5% year-to-date, while the S&P 500 had lost 14.7% and the Nasdaq 22.6%. Since Election Day on Nov. 3, 2020, the Dow is up 17%, the S&P 500 20.7% and the Nasdaq 8.5%.
Biden’s big problem is among non-investors, who tend to be hit harder by inflation. Non-investors now disapprove of Biden’s job performance, 51%-42%, an improvement from 56%-35% in August.
The September IBD/TIPP Poll reflects online surveys of 1,277 adults from Sept. 7-9. The results come with a credibility interval of +/- 2.8 points.

jcitybone

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/09/12/packed-rally-fetterman-vows-be-vote-scrap-filibuster-and-codify-roe

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman told a packed Pennsylvania gymnasium Sunday that he will support eliminating the filibuster to protect abortion rights if elected in November, drawing a sharp contrast with Republican opponent Mehmet Oz and clearly laying out the stakes in the critical battleground with the midterms just weeks away.
“Should this decision be made by Dr. Oz?” Fetterman asked the roughly 3,000-strong and enthusiastic crowd, which replied with a forceful “no!”
“It should be left to a woman and a real doctor,” said Fetterman, the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, one of a handful of states where Democrats hope to flip Senate seats in November. “Send me to D.C. and you will know I will be there to be that vote to scrap the filibuster and codify Roe v. Wade.”
Fetterman’s campaign, which is currently leading in the polls, has sought in recent weeks to highlight Oz’s position on abortion, particularly in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision overturning Roe and imperiling reproductive rights across much of the country.
That ruling has angered and galvanized people nationwide, with abortion rights groups taking coordinated legal action to protect fundamental freedoms and demanding urgent action from legislators who have thus far failed to codify abortion rights at the federal level, blocked by Republicans and right-wing Democrats. Groups in Pennsylvania say they’ve seen a jump in registered voters since June, many of them young women.
“Women are the reason we can win,” Fetterman said during Sunday’s rally at Montgomery County Community College. “Don’t piss women off.”

Fetterman takes the stage in Montgomery county to a packed gym of over 2750 people. Not including the 300 people who could not get in due to being at capacity. pic.twitter.com/mKNxKNNcGC
— Joe Calvello (@the_vello) September 11, 2022

Benny

I stand in solidarity with the 15,000 @mnnurses on strike this week fighting for safer care, fair scheduling, and higher wages. Nurses are the backbone of our health care system. They understand what’s best for their patients. https://t.co/XHo3aqyiQy
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 12, 2022

Benny

It’s not often one can credit the DNC but they are right on this. They join many Senators and Native Americans throughout the country calling to release the longest serving political prisoner in America #FreeLeonardPeltier https://t.co/P0A2R5FlMZ
— Jordan (@JordanChariton) September 12, 2022

@LieparDestin

jcitybone

BREAKING: Texas has added 300,000 new voters since SCOTUS overturned Roe – and they are YOUNGER and more DEMOCRATIC than before the June ruling.
Democrats in TEXAS now have a 10% advantage among new registrants. This is BIG.
— Antonio Arellano (@AntonioArellano) September 11, 2022

Paul ADK

Those chickens keep coming home to roost.

Benny

🎶 we takin overrrr 🎶 https://t.co/c6qO29YEhA
— Summer Lee (@SummerForPA) September 12, 2022

Benny

Bernie was supposed to host a Zoom call with progressives this week, but looks like that got scrapped.

Benny

See tweet by Bernie downthread.

orlbucfan

T and R x 2, Ms. Benny!! 🙂

wi64

UW Health nurses, administrators reach tentative deal to avert strike

David Wahlberg | Wisconsin State Journal , Alexander Shur | Wisconsin State Journal 10 hrs ago

David Wahlberg | Wisconsin State Journal , Alexander Shur | Wisconsin State Journal
UW Health nurses and administrators have reached a tentative agreement to avert a strike that was scheduled to start Tuesday, a source said Sunday.

Gov. Tony Evers hosted the parties at the governor’s mansion for “hours of negotiation,” where they reached a proposed deal, a source with knowledge of the discussions said.

Spokespeople for UW Health and the union trying to organize the nurses, SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin, would not confirm an agreement late Sunday afternoon.

On Sept. 3, UW Health nurses gave administrators an official notice of their plan to strike Sept. 13-16, saying they seek quality patient care, safe staffing and recognition of their union.

The 10-day notice, required by labor law, came after nurses said the previous week they voted to strike unless UW Health administrators agreed to recognize and bargain with their union, a request they have been making since December 2019.

“I’m striking to take a stand for quality patient care for my community and the well-being of frontline nurses,” Amanda Klinge, a nurse in the orthopedic trauma unit at UW Health, said in a statement. “When my nurse colleagues and I see potentially preventable patient care problems occur day after day because of extreme understaffing, it is damaging to our psyche and our very soul.”

SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin has said UW nurses “have been struggling with a dangerous crisis of understaffing, turnover, cuts, exhaustion and burnout, which has been aggravated by the pandemic and puts patient care at risk.”

UW Health said the strike would be “unpleasant for patients and for our staff but we will get through it.” The organization said it was “ensuring patient care is impacted as minimally as possible” and a strike would “do nothing to alter the legal uncertainties surrounding the health system’s ability to collectively bargain.”

Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s signature legislation, Act 10, banned collective bargaining for most public workers except for cost-of-living pay increases. At the time, UW Hospital administrators said the law abolished unions at the hospital even though they didn’t seek that action. In 2014, when a contract for about 2,000 nurses and therapists represented by SEIU expired, they lost the union.

In December 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, nurses announced they were restarting the union and asked the UW Hospital Board to voluntarily recognize it. The board and hospital leaders have repeatedly said the law doesn’t allow them to recognize and bargain with the union.

Unlike other public employees affected by Act 10, UW Hospital workers are not state or municipal employees. When the hospital became a public authority separate from the university in 1996, it acquired its own special status. How Act 10 and other laws apply to that status has been the subject of various legal memos.

For-profit companies’ entry into Wisconsin program for disabled, elderly raises concern
LOCAL NEWS
For-profit companies’ entry into Wisconsin program for disabled, elderly raises concern
David Wahlberg | Wisconsin State Journal
After two memos last year from the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council appeared to reach different conclusions, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul in June said the hospital can contract with its employees and set their terms of employment through a voluntary collective bargaining process. Kaul’s nonbinding opinion came at the request of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

UW Health last week said: “The Attorney General has said he believes we can, but by his own admission states that his opinion is not law and that only the courts or the legislature can provide a conclusive answer.”

In January, SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin said it gave UW Health CEO Dr. Alan Kaplan more than 1,500 cards signed by nurses supporting a union. SEIU says 2,600 nurses at UW Hospital would be in the bargaining unit.

jcitybone

"the legal threat to debt forgiveness makes implementing the forgiveness as fast as possible even more critical. Every story of someone receiving their cancellation will build momentum for a program that makes it tougher politically to dislodge." https://t.co/5J8cCoEYmn
— ryan cooper (@ryanlcooper) September 12, 2022

https://twitter.com/mtsw/status/1569409338619625472?s=20&t=grRFnQJtABTXNhGgmTguOA

magsview

Gee, perhaps Biden should try a few more of Bernie’s suggestions?

orlbucfan

Gawd, Sick Rott is one hideous looking freak! 💩💩

jcitybone

Members of Congress are putting pressure on student loan servicers to actually assist borrowers with debt relief instead of "attempting to scam" them by promoting refis that would make them ineligible for debt cancellation. From me:https://t.co/0ry3p4cTsj
— David Dayen (@ddayen) September 13, 2022

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