A highly contentious initiative blocking unions from making political contributions via automatic payroll deductions will be on the ballot in November 2012. In what promises to be a turbulent, divisive election year, this proposition will bring out the heavy artillery, as both sides will unquestionably raise and spend millions trying to defeat or pass it.

In yet another showdown between the Obama Administration and the states, which are already challenging President Obama's signature health care legislation in the nation's highest court, the Supreme Court announced Monday that it would also be taking on Arizona's controversial and tough immigration law, passed in 2010.

Cited by some activists as horsemen of the American Apocalypse, “big business” and “big labor” are none too popular in the  current political climate. On the other hand, a Gallup poll released Monday points to yet a third proverbial horseman in the form of “big government” and possibly reflects a distancing on the part of public from the two major parties in power.

DC Decoder: Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney: How will delegate math impact the GOP race?

dcdecoder:

‎76% of registered voters say that most members of Congress should not be re-elected. However, 53% believe their own Congressional Representative deserves re-election. What do you make of these seemingly contradictory poll numbers?

The approval ratings of the federal government, and of Congress in particular, remain at an abysmal low.  A CBS News poll (.pdf) released on Friday found that just 11% of Americans approve of the way the Congress is handling its job while 82% disapprove.  This broad majority represents a veritable national consensus across all partisan lines.  Among those polled, 77% of Democrats, 81% of Republicans, and 87% of Independents expressed disapproval of

The Euro crisis has thrown into sharp relief the dangers inherent in pooling sovereign authority with other nations for economic advantage.  Imagine the loss of control over our own destiny had the United States taken the NAFTA treaty all the way to formally combining our financial future with that of Mexico and Canada by merging the U.S. and Canadian dollars and the Mexican peso into, say, the 'Northa'.

Stored energy is the ability to take generated electricity and store in a form where it can be used later, on-demand, as needed. This is especially important for renewable energy. Wind and solar plants need to be able to store power for use when the wind has stopped blowing or when the sun isn't out. The variability of renewable energy production is one of its biggest challenges now. The ability to store that power is essential for renewable energy to become a reality, with grid-scale storage everywhere.

Either the Republican candidates demonstrate that they understand the challenges facing middle-class families, or this presidential race will be over before it has even begun.
Columnist Reihan Salam argues that GOP candidates are profoundly out of touch with what voters want.  (via thedailyfeed)

The Tweets, Tics And Turns Of Twitter Politics

npr:

Is public political discourse any different in the new age of social media? Survey says: Yes.