Some of you may remember the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as a major Biden initiative from before he was cool (and by cool I mean Vice President). The National Organization for Women called it "the greatest breakthrough in civil rights for women in nearly two decades." Phyllis Schlafley called it proof "that the feminists control the Democratic Party." So you can guess where John Cornyn stands.
Last week, VAWA came up in the Senate Judiciary Committee for reauthorization. And while the Democrats on the committee voted it to the floor unanimously, Cornyn joined his Republican brethren in doing just the opposite. Fortunately, despite their best efforts, it's still moving on to a full floor vote.
Cornyn and the other Republicans on the committee tried to play down their opposition by pointing out that they supported an alternative of the bill. This "more fiscally responsible" alternative included things like shutting down the Office of Violence Against Women. And the version that did pass - they one they thought was too expensive - is already $135 million cheaper than the 2005 version. As with many other issues, this is the first time it's gotten really partisan. VAWA was passed in 1994 and has been reauthorized twice with bipartisan support.
We've come a long way since (and because of) VAWA. It was one of the first major pieces of legislation to recognize the severity of domestic violence. In fact, thirty years ago, spousal rape was not recognized as a crime. Many states didn't have a single domestic violence shelter or a hotline to help victims. It provided for stronger prosecution and law enforcement surrounding domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and provides grants for services and housing for victims, community violence prevention programs, and legal aid.
The best part of the VAWA reauthorization is that it now recognizes that domestic violence is not always an act perpetrated on a woman by a man. In an important (though overdue) step, the reauthorization bill also includes language that would ensure protections and services for all victims of domestic violence- regardless of gender and sexual orientation.
So Cornyn missed yet another opportunity to support basic human decency. But there's still a good chance the bill passes this year - and with some pretty big improvements.
Below are the stated positions of every member of the Texas Congressional delegation with links to their websites so you can voice your disapproval with this dangerous legislation.
Supporting SOPA/PIPA
Lamar Smith - Yes, the driving force behind SOPA is not backing off of his support for this legislation.
John Cornyn - Cornyn was a co-sponsor of PIPA, but thanks to the overwhelming backlash against the bill, urged Congress to take more time to consider the bill, and seemed to back off from his earlier support.
John Carter - Carter is one of the co-sponsors of SOPA.
Please contact your representatives and senators and tell them to vote no on these terrible bills. If their positions have changed, please note it in the comments.
In a recent interview with Jim Lehrer, Sen. John Cornyn said that Republicans would move "pretty quickly" to repeal health insurance and Wall Street reform if the party wins control of congress in the November election.
Today DNC Chairman Tim Kaine hit back against Cornyn, the chairman of the NRSC.
“Senator Cornyn is not the first Republican to call for the repeal of Wall Street reform and health insurance reform, but I grow more concerned for our country's future every time I hear another Republican leader pledging to do away with critical legislation that guarantees, among other things, that American taxpayers will never again be left to bail big banks out of a mess of that the banks created.
"There is a rapidly growing rank of Republicans who show themselves to be hopelessly out of touch with middle class Americans’ concerns – for their families, their finances, and their future.
“Senator Cornyn and Republicans might act like they’re promising change, but really they’re just promising more of the same policies that failed so miserably and put us on the brink of a second Great Depression. It's more of the same back-room dealing with special interests – like the strategy sessions they held with Wall Street lobbyists shortly before voting against financial reform in the first place. And it's more of the same cynical obstructionism – like the political tactics they used to delay reforms that are ending unfair lending practices and putting a stop to unfair credit card rate hikes.
“If Senator Cornyn thinks the America people want to go back to the policies that nearly left our economy in tatters; if Senator Cornyn thinks the American people are ready to let corporate special interests and lobbyists write their own rules again; and if Senator Cornyn thinks for minute we’re not going to spell out very clearly for the American people how Republicans are putting these special interests at the head of the line; then I have a message for Senator Cornyn: 'You are wrong.'”
Tim Kaine is exactly right: John Cornyn is wrong. More talk like this from Republicans will enable Democrats to make it clear what this election is about. The more Cornyn continues to talk, the greater chance Democrats have to fair far better in November than the coventional wisdom would dictate.
Senator Cornyn proudly proclaims that he voted to allow businesses with significant foreign shareholders to continue to spend unlimited amounts of money to affect elections in the United States, but is that the act of a patriot? He's also proud that he voted to allow businesses with government contracts to continue to spend unlimited funds to influence elections. Cornyn claims to be protecting small donors but the only ones required to file new reports are donating over $10,000. Now I don't know about you but to me $10,000 is serious money to just drop on a campaign ad. I doubt that any of us are ever likely to make such a donation, so who is he really protecting?
The Supreme Court has specifically said, "transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages." We've all heard the old axiom that "sunlight makes the best disinfectant". Polls show that 80% of all Americans and 76% of Republicans want disclosure of who is paying for campaign ads yet John Cornyn voted to let them remain hidden. Tell Senator Cornyn he was wrong to vote against the DISCLOSE Act, call him at 202-224-2934 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-224-2934 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
Pressure is building for the Senate to push the DREAM Act in the wake of the refusal of any Republican to back comprehensive immigration reform. The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act would allow a conditional permanent residency for students who are earn or on track to earn a college degree.
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That Republican opposition includes Sen. John Cornyn, who couldn't have been more insulting in his dismissal of the effort.
“This is getting to be a joke. No one believes that there is enough time that we could do a responsible job,” said Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. The Senate should approach the issue in “a responsible, reasonable way and not just try to play to the peanut gallery and act like we’re going to do something we’re not.”
The reviews of Republicans Pete Sessions and John Cornyn and their performance, or lack thereof, on NBC's Meet the Press yesterday has come in. All indications are that it landed with a loud thud in not only GOP circles, but amongst the American people as well.
As leader of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Pete Sessions is tasked with candidate recruitment and fundraising toward the effort of taking back the House of Representatives this coming November. But according to the Chair of the Texas Workforce Commission, a Rick Perry appointee and Republican stalwart, Tom Pauken doesn't think Sessions is smart enough for the task:
"He's not up to the job," Pauken said, arguing that no matter how well the GOP does this fall, Sessions should be replaced by "a smart conservative who knows what needs to be done."
Bless Pete's poor little heart. That's quite a dagger to one's ego is it not? To imply that a "smart conservative" should take over the job, "no matter how well the GOP does this fall," leaves only the most obvious conclusion to make and that is Pete Sessions must be a dumb conservative according to Republican Tom Pauken. Not exactly a rallying cry for the Republican Party heading toward November is it? Doesn't quite instill confidence in leadership does it? I mean, if Republicans chose Pete Sessions to take on this arduous task in leading the NRCC, what does it say about Republican leadership if they chose someone that even GOP stalwarts think don't quite pass muster on the intelligence scale?
I suppose it is safe to say that Republican Tom Pauken came to the conclusion that Pete Sessions isn't a "smart conservative" based on his awful performance on Meet the Press. Of course, that same statement must also apply to John Cornyn too. Pressed by David Gregory to give specifics in what Republicans would do to cut the national deficit and to offer economic policy alternatives different than Democrats, Pete Sessions and John Cornyn had no answers other than to insinuate we should return to Bush economic policies. Read the transcript and watch the video here.
What a novel idea, yes? Let's return to the economic policies responsible for ramming this country's economic engine into a ditch to begin with shall we? And John Cornyn's assertion that we wait till December 1st for a bi-partisan commission to dictate economic policy and deficit spending controls equates to "vote Republican this fall and pray like hell we have sense enough to figure out what the hell we want to do IF we take control."
No thank you. I believe we've seen that horror flick one too many times if you ask me. I think the verdict is in as to whether or not the chosen leaders of both the NRCC and NRSC have the confidence of their own GOP faithful and it is a resounding no. All that Sessions and Cornyn did on Meet the Press was confirm they have no policy alternatives to offer the American people in November and therefore make no compelling argument to vote Republican in November either. This is no 1994 folks, as much as the GOP want it to be, it's not.
Perhaps next election cycle Tom Pauken will get his wish that "smart conservatives" emerge to lead the modern Republican Party because so far they appear to be an endangered species.
I betcha Louie Gohmert and Sarah Palin did not realize that their hysterical invocations of Hitler when bellyaching about President Obama's demands to BP have brought the Evil One back from the grave.
Hitler is back and he is foaming at the mouth with rage. It looks like Hitler's ghost is going to haunt Smokey Joe and his GOP for a very long time.
"I think it's good that there's going to be some money there, I don't know whether it's going to be enough money to pay all the claims. They should pay the legitimate claims. But the part that Representative Barton is expressing some concern about, that I share the concern, is this has really become a political issue for the President and he's trying to deal with it by showing how tough he's being against BP. The problem is BP's the only one who really is in control of shutting down this well, and he's trying to mitigate, I think, his own political problems."
“He was told, ‘Apologize, immediately. Or you will lose your position, immediately,” a House GOP leadership aide said, describing a meeting between Barton and House Minority Leader John Boehner and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor.
John Cornyn should know better. The Civil Rights Act is not some technical piece of legislation subject to a “gotcha question.” And it’s not just some “law that was passed 40 years ago.” It is an indelible measure of our character as a nation. Anyone running for the U.S. Senate should be able to intelligently explain their beliefs about the Act that guaranteed the most fundamental rights to all citizens of our American democracy. Click here to donate $5 or more today and tell Texas Republicans we are sick and tired of backward leadership.
Later, he continued making excuses for Rand:
“Rand Paul, like every new candidate, is going to get better,” Cornyn said. Candidates “make mistakes and they misspeak.” (Bloomberg, 5/21/10)
Why is John Cornyn making excuses for Rand Paul’s ignorance? If John Cornyn needs “more detail” about the Civil Rights Act so he can be better informed on historical legislation that transformed America forever, then we’re happy to teach him all about it. I’d tell Senator Cornyn to go look up the Civil Rights Act in a textbook, but I can’t be sure if the State Board of Education has left that in the curriculum standards. He’ll just have to learn “more detail” about the Civil Rights Act from Texans directly.
As Libby Shaw pointed out, David Corn of Mother Jones said on MSNBC that endorsing Rand Paul was like hugging a hand grenade. If Cornyn continues to make excuses for Paul's extremist remarks, it will be a question of when, not if, that grenade is going to go off. The extremist views (and that's the only accurate way to describe them) of Paul and the Tea Party could ultimately alienate moderate and independent voters this November.
The sad reality for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (and Cornyn, the group's chair) is that there's more than five months until Election Day. There is no doubt that Paul will make more outrageous comments in the days, weeks, and months to come. And John Cornyn will continue be there to make excuses for Paul's views that are far outside the mainstream of America.
You can take Richie's advice by e-mailing Cornyn's office at info@johncornyn.com or calling (202) 224-2934.
In the wake of Tuesday's Republican Senate primary in Kentucky, where Rand Paul defeated Trey Grayson by over twenty points, Sen. John Cornyn finds himself in a difficult position.
Grayson had entered the race as the chosen candidate of Cornyn, who chairs the NRSC, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. Cornyn even contributed to Grayson's campaign. With their anointed candidate completely rejected by Kentucky Republican primary voters, Cornyn and the NRSC have thrown their support to Paul.
There's one problem: Rand Paul's views are way outside the mainstream of America and Kentucky. During an interview on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow, Paul refused to say whether he would have supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
And who was there to defend Paul's comments? You guessed it, John Cornyn. From Politico:
“I think it was sort of a gotcha question,” Cornyn said of Maddow’s approach. “If I’m walking down the street minding my own business and somebody sticks a microphone under my nose about a law that was passed 40 years ago, without more detail — I think it probably caught him a little bit by surprise.”
Unfortunately for Cornyn and Paul's hope for victory in November, Paul's comments actually fit into his rigid ideology. What he said was not a gaffe; it is simply what he believes. His beliefs place him (like his father) far outside the political mainstream of America.
"Rand Paul, like every new candidate, is going to get better,” Cornyn told Bloomberg's Al Hunt in an interview to air this weekend. Candidates, Cornyn said, “make mistakes and they misspeak.”
If Cornyn is waiting for Rand Paul to stop talking about the extremist views he has held his entire life, he'll be waiting forever. Paul's lack of experience and extremist ideology make him an underdog in his race against Democratic nominee and Attorney General Jack Conway.
If elected, Rand Paul would be one of (if not the most) extremists senators in the history of this country. And John Cornyn is his biggest cheerleader. What's worse is, given Cornyn's past behavior and eagerness to put his duties as NRSC chair above his duties as senator, this is no real surprise.
