Author Archives: Gary LaMaster

Republican Myths about Privatization and De-Regulation

Leading conservative, Grover Norquist, once said, “I don’t want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.” And it seems the Republican … Continue reading

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Republicans Double Down On Vouchercare

Despite polls showing voter displeasure with Congressman Paul Ryan’s plan to replace Medicare with vouchers seniors could use to purchase private insurance on the free market, Republicans continue to support the program. Following passage in the House, many Senate Republicans … Continue reading

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Arab Spring – What Next?

In recent months, we have seen several nations in the Middle East overthrow long-time dictators. The uprising in Tunisia was followed by the overthrow of Mubarak in Egypt and large protests in Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Syria and … Continue reading

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A Memorial Day Tribute To Those Who Serve

It seems as if the United States has been perpetually at war during its existence. Just in the last century, we have fought WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Afghan War and the Iraq … Continue reading

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A Peek Into One of Democrats’ Best Brains

Democratic Perspective had the privilege of interviewing Celinda Lake, one of the Democratic Party’s leading political strategists and pollsters. Celinda and her firm are known for cutting-edge research on issues including the economy, health care, the environment and education. The … Continue reading

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The Death of the Death of Medicare

Since the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the so-called Ryan plan to voucherize Medicare, the public outcry has been almost universal. Democrats, independents, even Republicans confronted Republican Representatives at Congressional town hall meetings with objections to the plan. As a … Continue reading

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A Chat With Howard Dean

Howard Dean recently spoke with Democratic Perspective on a wide range of topics ranging from SB1070 to the 2012 elections. The former six-time governor of Vermont, former presidential candidate, and past Chair of the Democratic National Committee began by paying … Continue reading

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“Unite and Conquer”

That’s the title of a book by Arizona State Senator Kyrsten Sinema which describes her relationship with conservatives. As one of the very few Democrats in the Tea Party-controlled legislature, she describes her approach to working with conservatives as “letting … Continue reading

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A Closer Look at the Republican Plan to “Reform” Medicare.

The Ryan budget plan, which was recently passed by Republicans in the US House of Representatives, purports to “reform” Medicare by offering a defined benefit plan.  Congressman Ryan calls it a “premium” plan that allows Medicare beneficiaries to choose health insurance “the same way … Continue reading

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Debunking Common Myths about Social Security

For many years, conservatives opposed to Social Security have created and perpetuated a number of myths regarding our social safety net. Following are just a few of those myths and the non-partisan truth about the program: Myth 1 – We … Continue reading

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