Michael Reagan: "My Father Would Not Support" Trump's Campaign

Mike Pence: Reagan Spoke Truth "Just Like Donald Trump"

Wow. This is bold.

According to VP Republican running mate Mike Pence, speaking at the Reagan Presidential Library today, Donald Trump is now the "second coming" of Ronald Reagan.

From Politico:

“The American people picked a bold truth teller in 1980, and I know they’re going to elect a bold truth teller in 2016,” he said. “These challenging times bear a striking similarity, I believe, to the time America faced in 1980. Then as now we stand at a fault line in history. An economy in decline, joblessness stretched as far as the eye can see, alarming social upheaval and an America pushed around abroad.”

Pence, at times emotional, described Reagan as an outsider who made the political elite uncomfortable but won over voters with a refreshing bluntness. “In his voice they heard the rare and unmistakable sound of a man unbound by Washington niceties and pretense of power. In his voice they heard, for the first time in a long time, the truth,” Pence said. “Ronald Reagan spoke the truth to the American people, just like Donald Trump has.”

Patti Davis, the daughter of President Reagan, is no fan of Trump having recently denounced his “fondness for verbal violence” in regard to his comments about “Second Amendment people” and Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton Circles Back To Reagan/AIDS Comment With Depth

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued a second and far more in-depth response to her misstatements about the Reagans' record on AIDS/HIV.

As someone who felt great hurt by her overreach about the role of the Reagans in terms of AIDS in the 1980s, I feel this is thoughtful and heartfelt.

I appreciate that she came back to this with more than a simple apology.

Clinton's full statement:

Yesterday, at Nancy Reagan’s funeral, I said something inaccurate when speaking about the Reagans’ record on HIV and AIDS. Since then, I’ve heard from countless people who were devastated by the loss of friends and loved ones, and hurt and disappointed by what I said. As someone who has also lost friends and loved ones to AIDS, I understand why. I made a mistake, plain and simple.

I want to use this opportunity to talk not only about where we’ve come from, but where we must go in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

To be clear, the Reagans did not start a national conversation about HIV and AIDS. That distinction belongs to generations of brave lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, along with straight allies, who started not just a conversation but a movement that continues to this day.

The AIDS crisis in America began as a quiet, deadly epidemic. Because of discrimination and disregard, it remained that way for far too long. When many in positions of power turned a blind eye, it was groups like ACT UP, Gay Men’s Health Crisis and others that came forward to shatter the silence — because as they reminded us again and again, Silence = Death.

They organized and marched, held die-ins on the steps of city halls and vigils in the streets. They fought alongside a few courageous voices in Washington, like U.S. Representative Henry Waxman, who spoke out from the floor of Congress. Then there were all the people whose names we don’t often hear today — the unsung heroes who fought on the front lines of the crisis, from hospital wards and bedsides, some with their last breath.

Slowly, too slowly, ignorance was crowded out by information. People who had once closed their eyes opened their hearts. If not for those advocates, activists, and ordinary, heroic people, we would not be where we are in preventing and treating HIV and AIDS. Their courage — and their refusal to accept silence as the status quo — saved lives.

We’ve come a long way. But we still have work to do to eradicate this disease for good and to erase the stigma that is an echo of a shameful and painful period in our country’s history. This issue matters to me deeply. And I’ve always tried to do my part in the fight against this disease, and the stigma and pain that accompanies it. At the 1992 Democratic National Convention, when my husband accepted the nomination for president, we marked a break with the past by having two HIV-positive speakers — the first time that ever happened at a national convention.

As First Lady, I brought together world leaders to strategize and coordinate efforts to take on HIV and AIDS around the world. In the Senate, I put forward legislation to expand global AIDS research and assistance and to increase prevention and education, and I proudly voted for the creation of PEPFAR and to defend and protect the Ryan White Act. And as secretary of state, I launched a campaign to usher in an AIDS-free generation through prevention and treatment, targeting the populations at greatest risk of contracting HIV.

The AIDS crisis looks very different today. There are more options for treatment and prevention than ever before. More people with HIV are leading full and happy lives. But HIV and AIDS are still with us. They continue to disproportionately impact communities of color, transgender people, young people and gay and bisexual men. There are still 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States today, with about 50,000 people newly diagnosed each year. In Sub-Saharan Africa, almost 60 percent of people with HIV are women and girls. Even though the tools exist to end this epidemic once and for all, there are still far too many people dying today.

That is absolutely inexcusable.

I believe there’s even more we can — and must — do together. For starters, let’s continue to increase HIV and AIDS research and invest in the promising innovations that research is producing. Medications like PrEP are proving effective in preventing HIV infection; we should expand access to that drug for everyone, including at-risk populations. We should call on Republican governors to put people’s health and well-being ahead of politics and extend Medicaid, which would provide health care to those with HIV and AIDS.

We should call on states to reform outdated and stigmatizing HIV criminalization laws. We should increase global funding for HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment. And we should cap out-of-pocket expenses and drug costs—and hold companies like Turing and Valeant accountable when they attempt to gouge patients by jacking up the price of lifesaving medications.

We’re still surrounded by memories of loved ones lost and lives cut short. But we’re also surrounded by survivors who are fighting harder than ever.

We owe it to them and to future generations to continue that fight together. For the first time, an AIDS-free generation is in sight. As president, I promise you that I will not let up until we reach that goal. We will not leave anyone behind.

Official Statement From Clinton Campaign Regarding Nancy Reagan / AIDS "National Conversation"

Hillary Clinton's campaign has issued this official statement regarding her statement yesterday at Nancy Reagan's funeral that the Reagan's helped begin a "national conversation" on AIDS."

"As Hillary Clinton has said, while the Reagans were strong advocates for stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease, she misspoke about their work on HIV and AIDS.

"Hillary Clinton has been a longtime advocate on the treatment and prevention of HIV and AIDS.

"In 1992, for the first time ever, the DNC Convention highlighted the AIDS plague and Bill and Hillary Clinton discussed the need to cure the AIDS plague in this country.

"As First Lady, Clinton traveled the world to raise awareness on combating AIDS and assembled government officials and world leaders to discuss how to enhance and coordinate AIDS efforts.

"As Senator, Clinton introduced and voted for legislation to improve and expand global AIDS research and assistance, improve global AIDS programs for women and girls, and prevention and education services.

"As Secretary of State, Clinton began an ambitious campaign to usher in an AIDS-free generation, focusing on improvements in treatment and prevention practices. This blueprint consisted of five goals:

1. Rapidly scaling up the most effective prevention and treatment interventions;

2. Targeting the populations at the greatest risk of contracting HIV, including key populations at risk of discrimination;

3. Promote sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness in the treatment of HIV/AIDS to ensure that we get the most out of every dollar spent;

4. Ensuring a global effort to achieve an AIDS free generation; and

5. Support research on innovative technologies for prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

"As President, she will continue to drive towards the goal of an AIDS-free generation and will:

• Call on Republican governors to extend Medicaid coverage to provide life-saving health care to people living with HIV. Clinton believes that every state should extend Medicaid coverage to provide life-saving health care to people living with HIV.

• Cap out-of pocket expenses for people with HIV/AIDS. Clinton has announced a plan to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable and to achieve lower drug costs for Americans, including for medications that help treat HIV and reduce the risk of contracting AIDS. Clinton will ensure that Americans can get the care their doctors prescribe by requiring health insurance plans to cap covered out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $250. She also will allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and will stop direct-to-consumer advertising subsidies for drug companies—reinvesting those funds in research.

• Expand the utilization of HIV prevention medications, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). While we work to diagnose and treat all Americans with HIV and AIDS, we also must work to prevent exposure. Decades of research are beginning to offer a promising path to prevention. Clinton will increase the CDC investment to ensure populations at greatest risk of infection have access to the drug, and encourage states to follow suit."

Conservative God Ronald Reagan On Immigration Issues With Mexico

Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush debate Mexican border security...
What would Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush say about immigration and securing the Mexican border today?Well, here's what they said about it in 1980 during a GOP debate in Houston.(Archival video from Getty Images)
Posted by Houston Chronicle on Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Short Film: When AIDS Was Funny

Absolutely chilling.

Filmmaker Scott Calonico juxtaposes the audio of Reagan-era press conferences - snickering and all - against a backdrop of dying AIDS patients.

From Vanity Fair:

Using never-before-heard audio tapes from three separate press conferences, in 1982, 1983, and 1984, When AIDS Was Funny illustrates how the reporter Lester Kinsolving, a conservative (and not at all gay-friendly) fixture in the White House press corps, was consistently scoffed at when he posed urgent questions about the AIDS epidemic.

With snickering, homophobic jokes and a disturbing air of uninterest, Speakes dismisses Kinsolving’s concerns about the escalating problem. “Lester was known as somewhat of a kook and a crank (many people still feel the same way),” says Calonico. “But, at the time, he was just a journalist asking questions only to be mocked by both the White House and his peers.”

Watch this on The Scene.

Ebola Response

Via Occupy Democrats

Who did a better job with job creation - Reagan or Obama?

If you did an informal poll asking which president has done a better job of creating jobs - Reagan or Obama - you'd probably get a lot of Reagan answers.  In memory, often things seem so much better than they might have been.

But the facts show that President Obama has actually done a better job creating and reducing unemployment than the Reagan administration.

From Forbes.com:

President Reagan has long been considered the best modern economic President. So we compared his performance dealing with the oil-induced recession of the 1980s with that of President Obama and his performance during this ‘Great Recession.’

As this unemployment chart shows, President Obama’s job creation kept unemployment from peaking at as high a level as President Reagan, and promoted people into the workforce faster than President Reagan.

President Obama has achieved a 6.1% unemployment rate in his 6th year, fully one year faster than President Reagan did. At this point in his presidency, President Reagan was still struggling with 7.1% unemployment, and he did not reach into the mid-low 6% range for another full year. So, despite today’s number, the Obama administration has still done considerably better at job creating and reducing unemployment than did the Reagan administration.

Another right wing myth goes down: Obama's vacation days

It's a popular myth for the right wing to bellow about the "extreme" number of days that President Obama has taken.

Except...

The last couple of 2-term GOP Presidents took a WHOLE lot more vacation days than Obama.

I don't remember them complaining about that, do you?

Oh - and the stock market didn't double under them, either.

And we have never had 53 straight months of positive job growth until Obama.

Pesky, pesky facts...

Read full details at Politifact.

President Ronald Reagan on undocumented immigrants

Conservative Logic 101

Throwback Thursday: President Ronald Reagan

President Obama quotes Reagan regarding gun safety

Ronald Reagan on the separation of church & state

Mitt Romney wants 4% unemp - Reich tells him how to do it

Speaking in Pittsburgh yesterday, Mitt Romney said that “anything over 4% [unemployment] is not cause for celebration.”

The United States last achieved a sub-4% unemployment rate in December 2000, the end of President Clinton’s term.

On Twitter, Robert Reich, a Secretary of Labor under President Clinton, reminded Romney how America got there:

Romney, however, has a different plan.  As a matter of fact, it's exactly the opposite. His tax plan would give massive tax cuts to the rich. (The top 0.1% for example, would receive a $264,000 tax cut.)

Meanwhile, in a closed-door fundraiser, Romney revealed he planned to make massive reductions in education spending. He is also proposing cutting funding for infrastructure, including the possible elimination of the Department of Housing and Urban development.

Romney now says he wants to emulate former President Ronald Reagan. However, to follow in the footsteps of Reagan would be to not achieve his "4%" goals today.  The average yearly unemployment rate exceeded 7% for most of his presidency and never dropped below 5.5%.
 (via ThinkProgress)

CNN: Why Obama can't match the Reagan recovery

CNN has an excellent piece up today regarding the differences between what economic pressures President Reagan had to cope with versus President Obama today.  Conservatives like to herald Reagan as a super-president, but comparing his situation at this point in his first term to President Obama's is comparing apples to oranges. 

From CNN:

Reagan had an advantage over Obama: The recession of the early 1980s was caused by runaway inflation, which the Federal Reserve countered by hiking interest rates. When inflation dropped, the Fed lowered rates and a massive economic boom resulted.

The major causes of the recent recession were a banking crisis and housing bubble that exploded during President George W. Bush's final months in office.

Another difference: With comparatively small debt loads, Reagan was able to push through a 23% across-the-board cut of individual income tax rates. Obama, meanwhile, entered the presidency with substantial budget deficits and an economy contracting at a rate of 6.7%.

Something that doesn't come up in the CNN article but I think bears noting: politics in 1984 were not nearly as partisan as they are today.  Back in the 80s "compromise" was not a dirty word.  Politicians were more statesman-like and put country first.

From the beginning of the Obama administration, the GOP in DC has stated their main goal for four years was to make President Obama a one term president.  And they have done all they could to stop any progress in the US knowing that, even at the pain of the lower and middle classes, if they held progress to a minimum - while cashing their $170,000+ annual salaries - they would diminish President Obama's chances at reelection.

Read the whole article at CNN.com

Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama on same tax loophole page

Watch their statements side by side.