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Strengthening the middle class in Wisconsin is a top priority for Assembly Democrats in the 2015-16 legislative session, said Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, last week.

"Most importantly is ... trying to create a better environment for the middle class, trying to ensure that there are more family-supporting jobs, trying to make sure that people have the ability to make a living (and) support their family in dignity," Barca said.

From Democrats' perspective, the policies favored by the Republican lawmakers who carry the majority run counter to that goal.

Barca criticized tax cuts that have benefited the state's wealthiest taxpayers over those in lower income brackets, along with reductions to credits that benefited low-income taxpayers like the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Homestead Credit.

The theme that stands out from the 2013-14 legislative session, Barca said, is the issue of income inequality.

"When you take the trickle-down approach, as theyve done, its just never proven to be effective," he said, adding that Democrats' proposed solution is. "Lets help build the middle class and theyll buy more goods and services. Small business owners will do better if more middle-class people have money in their pockets."

Democrats see a further threat to the middle class in right-to-work legislation, an idea some Republicans have voiced interest in. Gov. Scott Walker has said work on such a bill would be a distraction to other reforms he wants passed.

"The Assembly speaker has indicated that it wont originate in the Assembly," Barca said. "So Im glad to hear that. Im hoping that as people learn more about what it really does and the negative impact it has on the middle class, maybe the bill wont advance. Thats my hope."

Barca also voiced concerns with cuts made to public education funding, along with the possibility of further expansion to the state's school voucher program. He questioned whether taxpayer-funded voucher schools are held to the same level of scrutiny and accountability as public institutions.

Other worrisome Republican proposals, from Barca's perspective, include calls to reform the state Government Accountability Board and its process for John Doe investigations.

Link:
Wisconsin Assembly Democrats focused on strengthening middle class, says Peter Barca

The race is on.

Democrats and Republicans have already started their campaigns to win over Hispanic voters for the 2016 presidential election, according to articles in various publications.

An article in Politico argues that the Democratic leadership, upset over low support and turnout by Latino voters in the 2014 midterms in which Hispanics voted Democratic by a 28 percent margin, down from 44 percent in 2012 has responded by upping fundraising efforts in heavily Latino congressional districts, selecting the New Mexico congressman Ben Ray Lujn to head up the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and forming an Immigration Strike Team earlier this month.

Composed of members of both the White House and the Congressional Democratic Caucus, the idea behind the strike team is to coordinate talking points and media appearances to counter Republican objections to President Obamas executive actions on immigration.

The presidents approval ratings among Hispanics since announcing the moveswhich extend deportation protection to between 4 and 5 million people in the country illegally and increase some border security measuresjumped from 47 percent in September to 57 percent in a Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Telemundo poll released last week.

It was really bad timing for some senators who approached the president and asked him to put off taking executive action on immigration, California Rep. Tony Crdenas, the new chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucuss political action committee told Politico. Talking to Latinos, a lot of them were very bothered, a lot of them were very perplexed and confused.

The way many Democrats see it, the presidents unilateral immigration action has put the GOP on the defensive, at least where Latino voters are concerned.

I think Republicans have a problem right now with immigration reform, Lujn told Politico. Republicans are going further and further to the right instead of trying to find a way to work in the middle to get this done. Thats going to hurt GOP chances in the debates, in the presidential campaign, as well as in these House elections.

The veteran political analyst, Larry Sabato, told the International Business Times, Republicans can choose to maximize or minimize this Democratic advantage by how they handle the reaction to the executive order.

Whether that is the case or not, the Republicans have done a much better job over the last 10 years of cultivating Hispanic politicians and grooming them for prominent positions with national recognition.

Read the original here:
Democrats push to win back Latino support that slipped during midterm elections

In a survey of the Craziest Politicians of 2014, GQ had difficulty locating any Democrats. Seventeen out of 20 on the list were Republicans, with the only liberals being Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson and Americas reigning nabob of nuttiness, Joe Biden.

In a note appended to the story, GQ defensively said it wasnt guilty of standard liberal-media bias, it just couldnt find any loony Democrats to speak of.

Lets give GQ a little help, shall we? Here are 16 more Democrats to the list of the most cra-cra political figures.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Democratic National Committee Chair (Fla.):

Debbie Wasserman SchultzPhoto: AP

Compared Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to a wife-beater: Scott Walker has given women the back of his hand. I know that is stark. That is direct. But that is reality. What Republican tea party extremists like Scott Walker are doing is they are grabbing us by the hair and pulling us back. It is not going to happen on our watch. Wait, Im confused, this abuse already happened, is happening but its not going to happen?

Rep. Barbara Lee (Calf.):

Barbara LeePhoto: Getty Images

Called for a $26 minimum wage so that people . . . could afford to live in areas now where they cannot afford to live and you would increase diversify in certain communities where you dont have diversity anymore. You would have economic parity. Nah, $26 an hour isnt going to diversity Park Avenue. Try $260 an hour, thatll work!

Sean Eldridge and Chris Hughes, rich and clueless:

Continued here:
Hey GQ, cant find any crazy Democrats? Here are 16

What do Democrats and Republicans really think of each other?
As the 113th session of Congress comes to a close, PostTV asked five outgoing lawmakers to give their candid thoughts about Republicans and Democrats.

By: Washington Post

Excerpt from:
What do Democrats and Republicans really think of each other? - Video

Are the Democrats the year #39;s biggest losers?
Are the Democrats the year #39;s biggest losers? The Morning Joe panel shares their picks on this year #39;s biggest losers which include: the Democrats and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. MORNING...

By: MSNBC News

See the original post here:
Are the Democrats the year's biggest losers? - Video