Scores of Republican leaders denounced Donald Trump’s proposal to prohibit Muslims from entering the U.S., while Ted Cruz’s response recalled the way people nod passively when their taxi driver says something racist. Paul Ryan provided one of the more notable denunciations, and it tells you everything you need to know about our politics when the statement, "No, I don’t support a racist policy that is a blatant violation of the First Amendment" scores political points. And 64 percent of Americans say that it's more important for the U.S. to focus on preventing terrorism than gun violence, though that number plummets when you change the wording to “terrorists exercising their Second Amendment rights.” This is HUFFPOST HILL for Tuesday, December 8th, 2015:
INSIDE JON STEWART'S 9/11 BILL LOBBYING CAMPAIGN - Mike McAuliff and Christine Conetta: "In a full day of walking the halls of the Capitol and its office buildings, Stewart did all that was asked of him. He didn't take time to eat until he cadged some cranberries in a Senate office. He cracked his trademark jokes, and he and the cops and firefighters with him even managed to change one senator's mind. But a day chock-full of empty smiles, vague promises and incessant talk of 'pay-fors' took its toll. Not that Stewart complained, but lawmakers and staffers' clinical, political and bureaucratic responses to the ailing 9/11 responders did not sit well with the comedian. He looked drained. 'He looked like shit,' said John Feal, the founder of the FealGood Foundation and a construction worker who lost half his foot at Ground Zero." Check out HuffPost's video [HERE.
The House approved a bill tightening visa waivers.
PAUL RYAN PROVES HE'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF LEADER BY EXHIBITING A MODICUM OF HUMANITY - The speaker's "handsome Denver resident who likes to hike" beard also denounces Trump's proposal. Laura Barron-Lopez and Matt Fuller: " In a meeting with House Republicans on Tuesday, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) denounced Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump for proposing to bar all Muslims from entering the United States. When addressing the press, he went further. 'Freedom of religion's a fundamental constitutional principle,' Ryan said. 'It's a founding principle of this country.' 'Normally,' Ryan continued, 'I do not comment on what's going on in the presidential election. I will take an exception today. This is not conservatism. What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it's not what this country stands for.' Ryan mentioned that there are Muslims serving in the armed forces, as well as Muslims 'serving right here in the House.' He also said some of the United States' best allies in the fight against 'radical Islamic terrorism' are Muslims, and that the vast majority of them are peaceful. " [HuffPost]
Trump has nearly doubled his lead in New Hampshire.
WHITE HOUSE SAYS TRUMP SUCKS, EVERYONE SHOULD HATE HIM - Reuters: "The White House on Tuesday said Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's call for the United States to ban Muslims from entering the country disqualified him from becoming president and called on Republicans to reject him immediately. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Trump's campaign had a 'dustbin of history' quality to it and said his comments were offensive and toxic. Earnest said other Republican presidential candidates, who have pledged to support the person who eventually wins their party's nomination, should disavow Trump 'right now.'" [Reuters]
Yesterday evening HuffPost announced we're putting Trump back in our politics section after an unsuccessful effort to quarantine him in the Entertainment section.
DELANEY DOWNER - As the government imposes "work requirements" on unemployed food stamp recipients around the U.S., a new White House report says benefits don't stop people from working in the first place. In a Tuesday report summarizing recent research done on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the White House Council of Economic Advisers says SNAP's monthly benefits reduce hunger, lift people out of poverty and improve lifetime health for children whose parents receive benefits. As for the notion that food stamp benefits diminish people's work effort, the report says "the existing research suggests that the effects are either modest or negligible." More than 45 million Americans are enrolled in the program, a number that is only slowly declining after it surged because of the Great Recession. This year, several states have hurried to limit benefits for able-bodied adults without children or jobs. [HuffPost]
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TRUMP OPEN TO INTERNMENT CAMPS - At what point does Jeff Bezos issue an apology for the giant piece of performance art marketing that Donald Trump's campaign is for the "Man in the High Castle?" Willa Frej: "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump couldn't say definitively that he wouldn't have voted in favor of Japanese internment during World War II, since war involves making difficult decisions. 'I would have had to be there at the time to tell you, to give you a proper answer,' he told TIME. 'I certainly hate the concept of it. But I would have had to be there at the time to give you a proper answer.' Countries must implement questionable policies in order to win wars, he continued. 'It’s a tough thing. It’s tough' he conceded. 'But you know war is tough. And winning is tough. We don’t win anymore. We don’t win wars anymore. We don’t win wars anymore. We’re not a strong country anymore. We’re just so off.” [HuffPost]
Meanwhile, Jeb snagged an endorsement from Thad Cochran.
He that shall not be named: "J.K. Rowling sprang to the defense of her most evil character Voldemort on Tuesday after he was compared to Donald Trump. The Harry Potter author posted on Twitter that it was 'horrible' that people were calling Trump by the half-blood wizard's name. And she added, 'Voldemort was nowhere near as bad.' Rowling responded to the trending story when she retweeted a BBC Newsbeat article. The Republican presidential candidate was likened to 'He Who Shall Not Be Named,' portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in the movies, after suggesting Muslims should be banned from entering the U.S." [HuffPost]
@mpventura: Sunset Park trash can accepting votes for @realDonaldTrump
DIMINISHED FREEDOM HAS SALUTARY EFFECT ON PERSONAL FINANCES - Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar: "For the fourth straight year fewer Americans are struggling to pay medical bills, according to a major government survey released Tuesday. Most of the progress has come among low-income people and those with government coverage. The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the number of people in households that faced problems paying medical bills decreased by 12 million from the first half of 2011 through the first six months of this year. Most of the improvement happened in the last two years, coinciding with the big coverage expansion under President Barack Obama's health care law. The results from the National Health Interview Survey are for people under age 65, since virtually all seniors are covered by Medicare." [AP]
SEEING PROGRESS, CONGRESS THINKS, 'LET'S UNDO THAT' - Johnathan Cohn and Jeffrey Young: "Congress is on the brink of taking a big bite out of the Affordable Care Act, after more than five years of mostly futile efforts by Republicans to weaken or repeal the law. Both houses now seem intent on approving a two-year delay in the introduction of the law’s 'Cadillac tax' -- a controversial levy on expensive health insurance plans -- as part of must-pass legislation now moving through Congress. But while Republicans are happily supporting the delay as a blow to Obamacare, multiple sources privy to negotiations say it's the Democratic leaders in Congress, responding to pressure from labor unions, who have insisted on acting now. In fact, pretty much the only powerful Democrat interested in fighting to keep the tax in place and on schedule is the one in the Oval Office. And all signs point to President Barack Obama going along with this proposal, however reluctantly, because the pressure to avoid the Cadillac tax has become so overwhelming -- even Hillary Clinton has joined the calls -- and because the change could be folded into a broader legislative package that would provide significant benefits to low-income Americans." [HuffPost]
AMERICANS HATE TERRORISTS - Ariel Edwards-Levy: "In the wake of a tragedy that highlighted the combined dangers of both gun violence and terrorism, Americans are far more concerned about the latter, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds. Sixty-four percent of Americans say that it's more important for the U.S. to focus on preventing terrorism than on preventing gun violence, while just 25 percent view gun violence as more important. A 53 percent majority of respondents say issues related to terrorism will be 'very important' when they vote next year, while just 36 percent say the same of gun issues. This is despite the fact that while 29 Americans have been killed in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in the past decade, 132,349 have been killed by gun violence during the same period." [HuffPost]
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here's a little girl singing Adele.
BERNIE IN BALTIMORE - Julia Craven: "As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) walked down the streets of one of Charm City's most disenfranchised neighborhoods on a sunny Tuesday morning, he was met with straight talk from the area's predominantly black residents. 'What you gon' do with all this, Bernie?' shouted one man running alongside the crowd moving down the streets of Sandtown-Winchester, the neighborhood that was home to Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after a 'rough ride' in police custody in April. Another woman yelled about the need for change, while others voiced a desire for better schools, more job opportunities and an end to police violence." [HuffPost]
COMFORT FOOD
- The world's fastest guitar player.
- Metro map with station anagrams.
- Cats are awful.
TWITTERAMA
@jamesoliphant: Trump drops a rhetorical bomb, upends news cycle, ends up on all the morning shows, gets WH to respond. It's almost like it's a strategy.
@pourmecoffee: It's okay to ban Muslims from your LinkedIn network. And Christians.And all others. Also atheists. Stop sending LinkedIn invitations.
@leighmunsil: Press conference, paraphrase:
Ted Cruz: I won't attack Donald Trump
Media: Are you sure? Here's another chance
Ted Cruz: Nope
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