Friday, August 31, 2012

More good news on voting


Texas, again:  A three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia unanimously ruled that the Texas voter I.D. law was illegal.  The Texas law was even worse than Pennsylvania’s law.  It required voters in some cases to travel up to 200 mile and pay $22 to obtain the proper I.D.

Rick Perry, hair in place, was quoted as saying, “Chalk up another victory for fraud.”  

Ohio:  A U.S. District Court judge ruled that Ohio, which had allowed in-person early voting since 2005, had no good reason for changing the rules now.  In 2008, 93,000 people voted on the weekend before the election--mostly the elderly and minority voters.  For the full story go to <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/31/ohio-obama-early-voting-lawsuit_n_1821882.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular>

Earlier this week another federal judge said Ohio must count all ballots, even those that were cast in the wrong precinct if the fault was with the precinct officials, not the voter.  In 2008 there were about 14,000 such votes.  For the story on this, see <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ohio-ordered-to-restore-weekend-early-voting-in-judges-ruling/2012/08/31/c7f3b5d4-f3a6-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_story.html?wprss=rss_national>.

Onward to Pennsylvania.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Can Pennsylvania be far behind?


Two court decisions in two southern states will to make elections more representative.

First, in Texas, three federal District Court justices ruled that the gerrymandered voting districts were drawn with a “discriminatory purpose” against blacks and Latinos.  Texas is one of the states that needs “preclearance” because of a history of past discrimination.  The way the districts were drawn is a good example of why that preclearance clause was put into the Voting Rights Act.  Texas, by the way, is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.  

The second ruling concerns Florida and was reported in today’s New York Times.  The Republican-dominated legislature and governor [did I even need to say that?] passed a bill that fined volunteers who turned in registration forms more than 48 hours after they were signed.  Not only were fines imposed, but the volunteers could also be subject to felonies.  Groups like the League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote abandoned efforts to register voters.  As a result, Democratic registration is down from previous years.   A federal judge said on August 29 that he planned to block the law. 

Now we will see what the Pennsylvania Supreme Court says about the photo I.D. law.  A hearing is set for September 13.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

It's not your father's Republican Party


1980 Republican Platform--Ronald Reagan is the candidate:
     We reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental principle of fairness in labor relations, including the legal right of unions to organize workers and to represent them through collective bargaining....

2012 Platform--Mitt Romney is the candidate:
     We salute the Republican governors and state legislators who have saved their states from fiscal disaster by reforming their laws governing public employee unions.

and

1980:  Neither Hispanics nor any other American citizens should be barred from education or employment opportunities because English is not their first language.

2012:  ...while we encourage the retention and transmission of heritage tongues, we support English as the nation’s official language.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Happiness is Lubbock, Texas, in the rearview mirror


That’s a line from an old country-western song.  It is more relevant than ever.

According to an article in today’s New York Times, County Judge Tom Head, who is evidently the county’s top elected official, said he was expecting civil unrest if President Obama were reelected.  He thought the President would send in U.N. troops to capture Lubbock.

Manny Fernandez, author of the article, quoted Judge Head from an interview on the local Fox station:  “He [the President] is going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the U.N.  O.K., what’s going to happen when that happens?  I’m thinking worst-case scenario:  civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war, maybe.  And we’re not talking just a few riots here and demonstrations.  We’re talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy.”

Actually, Mr. Head, even if there were a U.N. plot to take over the world, I can guarantee  that Lubbock, Texas, is quite safe.  I’ve been there.  Nobody wants it.

Monday, August 27, 2012

The Republican Convention


You know what is a really bad combination.  Dumb and mean.  Those two words sum up the Republican Party on the eve of its convention.  

Dumb:  In Texas the Republican platform calls for an end to the teaching of critical thinking.  In North Carolina the Republican legislature forbids state agencies from referring to the rise in sea level.  The Vice Presidential choice takes his economic theory from a juvenile philosophy.  A Senate candidate thinks rape victims don’t get pregnant.  The Presidential candidate proposes to bring back the policies that led to the latest economic meltdown.  Global warming denial, “creationism” taught in schools, faith-based politics...how did a major political party go down this road?  

Mean:  Denying people who are American citizens the right to vote because they can’t produce certain prescribed IDs, demanding the deportation of children, slashing programs for the very poor while cutting the taxes for the very rich, denying prenatal care for poor women because Planned Parenthood provides it--the list goes on.  These are people without empathy, without morals, without a modicum of the Christian virtue they keep throwing in our faces.

Here is the worst of it.  They might win this November.  

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Stupidity about guns


I have heard people say that the death toll in the Colorado movie theater shooting would have been less if other patrons had been armed.  They could have pulled out their Glocks and Sig Sauers and blown away the shooter.

On Friday morning a gunman killed a man in front of the Empire State Building.  Two NYPD officers opened fire on the shooter--justifiably in my opinion--and killed him.  Nine bystanders were injured.  According to a report in today’s New York Times, three were hit by police department bullets; the rest may have been struck by shrapnel or fragments.

Think about that.  These were trained police officers shooting in daylight.  In addition to the shooter, they inadvertently shot three other people and injured six more.

Now think about a dark movie theater.  Let’s say 10 people are armed.  A guy opens fire.  The ten start firing back.  They aren’t trained.  They see the flashes.  They don’t know who is the bad guy.  There’s smoke, and noise, and people screaming.  Can you imagine the chaos, the carnage, the additional people killed?  

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Romney's foreign tax credit


One of the big mysteries of the presidential campaign is why Romney won’t release his tax returns.  He did release his 2010 return, in which he claimed a foreign tax credit of $129,697, which he used to offset his U.S. tax liability.

James B. Stewart explains how Romney may have used the foreign tax credit to reduce his 2009 tax bill (which he did not release) to a very low level.  I hope this link works tomorrow, but you can read about it in today’s New York Times at <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/business/in-romneys-tax-return-clues-in-foreign-taxes.html?ref=todayspaper>.  

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t understand the foreign tax credit.  All I know is that I don’t have one, and that Linda and I paid a higher rate than Romney paid.  I also know that under the Romney-Ryan plan, our taxes will increase, while Romney’s and the Koch Brothers rates will go down.

I’ll even release our tax returns for the last ten years if I can find them up in the shed and if the mice haven’t chewed them to bits.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Success at PennDOT


I returned to the Route 443 PennDOT license center with Mr. Jones (still not his real name) today.  This time we had done everything right, and he received his picture I.D. with expiration date.  It wasn’t a total test of the system, though, since he was replacing an I.D. he had lost.  Because of that, we also had to pay $13.50.  Still, it took us less than half an hour, and we were both very happy.  

One thing I thought was disconcerting, however, was when I gave the check for $13.50 and the clerk asked me how my peppers were doing.  I said, “How do you know I raise peppers?”  He said something like, “You’d be amazed at what we know.”

He was very nice, and we discussed the merits of various hot peppers, but I still find it somewhat disconcerting.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Not that photo


Today I picked up a young man in Aquashicola who needs a photo I.D. to vote.  He did have a photo I.D., but he lost it.  We reached the PennDOT center on 443 about 10:20.  There were only three people ahead of us, and the sign said that Thursday was for photos, not drivers’ tests.

OK, this should be a piece of cake. 

But....

Thursdays are for license pictures.  You need a notice, called a “photo card,” telling you that you need a new picture.  Thursday is not a day for the Voter I.D. cards.  I am not making this up.

I remained calm.  I was a Zen master of calm.  The D.M.V. clerk gave us directions to the Allentown office on Airport Road, but we decided we didn’t want to drive to Allentown.  Tomorrow I am picking up Mr. Jones (not his real name) at 2 p.m., and we will try it again.  By the way, the man I took to the PennDOT Center about a month ago still has not received his birth certificate with the raised seal.

I am not sure how long I can keep my Zen-like calm.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

People not voting


I am not writing about the Photo I.D. law three nights in a row, but....

Every Saturday Charles Blow writes an article in the New York Times involving statistical analysis.  The column last Saturday was about the Republican effort to cheat on the election by adopting legislation that discriminated against Democratic voters.  I understand this effort is actually endorsed in the Republican National Platform.  

Mr. Blow pointed out that in national polls, Romney and Obama are just about tied.  Among non-voters, on the other hand, Obama leads Romney by about 2 to 1.  There are 90 million non-voters.  Blow notes that if just half of these non-voters would vote, Obama would win in a landslide. 


Some of those non-voters may be discouraged by the new laws.  Many others, though, are simply too apathetic to vote.  That’s why the race is tight.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

It gets better


Last night I discussed the tale of Bill and Billy O’Gurek, who received letters noting that their voter registration forms (O’Gurek with an apostrophe) didn’t match their drivers’ licenses (OGurek without the apostrophe).  I was assuming a long wait at the DMV to rectify the problem.

Tonight I spoke to my friend Sue, who received a similar letter for a slight difference between registration form and license.  The easy way to handle this, Sue explained, is simply to fill out a new voter registration form to match the driver’s license.  Instead of waiting for hours, all you need is a registration form and a first class stamp.

Duh.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Wait, it gets worse



Tonight I learned that Billy O’Gurek, the Chair of the Carbon County Democratic Party, and William O’Gurek, Carbon County Commissioner, both received letters telling them that they were ineligible to vote unless they obtained new identification cards.  

It seems as though their voter registration forms included an apostrophe, but the names on their drivers’ licenses do not.  Hence they do not meet the state requirements for voting. 

I am not kidding about this.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Ryan and Rand


Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is one of those books teenagers read and often take to heart.  The message of rugged individualism and a selfishness elevated to the level of heroism resonates with teenage boys.  By their early Twenties, however, most realize the shallowness of Rand’s philosophy and turn to more advanced economists.

The fact that Ryan, a man in his Forties, still admires Rand is astounding.  The fact that I hear him described as an intellectual is even more astonishing.  This guy is a lightweight.

I always find it interesting that admirers of Ayn Rand never mention her sexual activism or her atheism.  (In my view, her better qualities.)  If Ryan embraces her ideology, he ought to go all the way and support a woman’s right to abortion the way she did. 

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Something I've noticed


We had four teams out today contacting voters for Obama.  Emilio and I walked Lehigh Avenue and part of Delaware in Palmerton.  I’ve been on Lehigh so much that people are starting to wave to me on the street.  The day went well--beautiful weather, lots of commitments to vote for Obama, an office volunteer discovered, and a young guy registered to vote.  

Here’s what I’ve noticed about people who don’t like Obama.  They are rude.  It’s not enough for them to say, “No thanks, I’m voting for Gov. Romney.”  It’s always something like “Get off my porch” or “I’d never vote for him” followed by the door slammed shut.

This is not a new observation.  It has been my experience in 2008 and this year that Democrats and Obama supporters are almost always nice people.  They seem to be tolerant, friendly, and generally upbeat.  Republicans are almost always angry.  I think they need a hug, but they won’t get one from me.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

How much do seniors care


You may remember last year when Rep. Barletta was confronted by an angry woman at a town hall in Lansford.  Barletta was making the point that any proposed changes in Medicare would only affect people under 55 years old.  The woman, whose name was Linda, made the point that the children and grandchildren of the people in the room would most definitely be affected, and she cared about them as well.  (You may have seen her on CNN or on Rachael Maddow.)

Now the Republicans are at it again.  The Ryan budget is supposed to affect Medicare for people under 55.  Ryan and the Republicans are hoping that seniors care only about themselves

Is Ryan correct?  The fall election may depend on whether seniors only worry about themselves, or whether they also care about their children and grandchildren.  Should be interesting.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Voter fraud?


The judge who ruled that the Pennsylvania Photo I.D. law was constitutional said there were remedies for voters.  He noted that voters could apply for an absentee ballot without a picture I.D.

Judges often seem to be unaware of the real world.  In Pennsylvania there are two reasons you can apply for an absentee ballot.  One is that you have a medical condition that makes it difficult for you to vote in person.  For example, you have difficulty in walking. 

The second reason is that you will be absent on the day of the election.  You will be on a business trip or on vacation.

The lack of a picture I.D. is not a valid excuse.  Voter fraud in Pennsylvania is a felony.    So if you are able to get to the polls, and you are not absent from the area, and you apply for an absentee ballot, you have committed voter fraud.  That’s a felony.  

Sandra and I visited the Registrar’s Office in Jim Thorpe to clarify the policy.  The Registrar will ask the County Solicitor for an opinion.  I believe that he will say that lack of a photo I.D. does not constitute a reason to request an absentee ballot.  That means the ruling makes absolutely no sense.

Did the judge who issued the ruling today even look at the application for an absentee ballot?

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Funny Times


I subscribe to The Funny Times, a tabloid-style newspaper containing cartoons and articles, most of which have a liberal slant.  The publication is the product of a husband and wife team, and you can get the subscription information at <www.funnytimes.com>.  The cost is $26 for 12 issues.  

If you subscribe to the Morning Call or the Times News, you may be yearning for something more.  You might try The Funny Times as an antidote.

Here’s a sample cartoon.  A politician defending voter I.D. is saying, “We’re just trying to keep America safe!!”  A guy in the audience tells his friend, “Never trust a politician who believes it should be harder to vote than to purchase 6000 bullets off the internet!!”  

You won’t see that in the Times News.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Screen test


Today Linda and I were part of screen test at Lehighton Demo HQ to determine if we would be suitable spokespeople for a movie to be run during the Democratic Convention, probably before President Obama’s acceptance speech.  Nine Carbon County residents were filmed answering a number of questions about our views and attitudes related to current politics and issues.  If we are selected, we will go to New York later this week for a final filming. 

The director asked me what kind of America I envisioned.  I told him I would give him an example.  In The Grapes of Wrath there’s this scene where an Okie and two kids come into a restaurant and ask for half a loaf of bread.  The waitress tells him they can’t sell him half a loaf of bread.  The counterman sizes the guy up and realizes he has no money, and he tells the waitress to sell the guy half a loaf.  The waitress does, and then the kids ask how much the candy is.  The waitress tells them it’s penny candy, although it is much more.  The guy pays a penny and the kids get the candy.  Two truck drivers who witness the event know the candy costs more than a penny and make fun of the waitress for being a softie.  Then, when they leave, they put down a big tip for the waitress.  It’s working class America united, looking out for each other.  That’s the America I want to live in.  

I’m not sure I could describe that scene without tearing up.  I’m tired of Tea Party greed and Paul Ryan selfishness.  I see a different America. 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Paul Ryan


Here’s a mental exercise for you.  Close your eyes.  Now think of the United States with President Paul Ryan.  It just doesn’t work, does it?

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Politics, 24/7


Well, maybe not quite 24/7, but close to it.  We started off this morning hearing that Romney had picked that anti-Medicare twit Paul Ryan.  Close your eyes and imagine Paul Ryan as president.  Scary, isn’t it.  More than scary.

Then we canvassed from 9:30-12:00--Linda in Jim Thorpe with Kim, me with Sandra and Emily in Lehighton, where we learned there is a Jamestown Drive, a Jamestown Street, and a Jamestown Road.  Sandra and Emily found a woman who switched from Republican to Democrat when McCain picked Palin.  Maybe we will a similar bounce when people understand Ryan.

At 3 p.m. we went down to the Fair to set up the tent, only to find that Kris and Marian had already set it up and were hard at work.  While we were there a woman and her mother stopped by.  The mother had no picture I.D.  She never had a driver’s license.  She also had no birth certificate since she was born at home.  If Doyle Heffley had been at the Republican booth, I would have taken her over to him and asked him for help.  This woman has voted for years, but now will need to go to the D.M.V., and this is going to be a major hassle.

At 5 p.m. I went over to Lehighton to work the booth for the Lehighton Area Democratic Club.  We sold bottled water, which is not the first drink of choice for bikers, but we did make some money.  We closed down at 8 p.m., before things got rowdy.

Then I bought a bottle of rum at the State Store, and now I plan to relax.  Tomorrow we start again.  

Friday, August 10, 2012

Agent Orange


One of the big targets of anti-war protestors during the Vietnam War was Dow Chemical, manufacturer of napalm and Agent Orange.  Agent Orange, or dioxin, was a “defoliant” that killed all the plants it touched.  It was used in Vietnam in far greater concentrations than in American agriculture, and it was sprayed over a large area of the country--according to a New York Times article today--an area roughly the size of New Jersey.

Frequently American troops were in the spray zone.  After years of agitation, the U.S. government finally recognized that American troops who were exposed to Agent Orange  suffered various disabilities. Now the U.S. has agreed to help Vietnam clean up the area around Da Nang.  The American ambassador said in a ceremony with Vietnamese officials, “We’re cleaning up this mess.”  You can read the article at <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/world/asia/us-moves-to-address-agent-orange-contamination-in-vietnam.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper>.

Dow Chemical, meanwhile, said that a “...very substantial body of human evidence on Agent Orange establishes that veterans’ illnesses are not caused by Agent Orange.” 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Hope and Despair


Despair first  
I registered a young woman at the fair today.  She was accompanied by her child and her husband, and she was obviously not in the top 1%.  When I came to the question of Party, she said, “What is Obama?”  I said, “He’s a Democrat.”  She said, “Then you better put me down for the other party.”  Trying to make the best of a bad situation I pointed out that there is a category for “no party.”  She said, “Ok, put be down for that.”

Here is a woman whose taxes will go up if Romney wins.  She probably won’t have health care.  She will be subsidizing the richest people in America.  I did give her some literature on Obama’s accomplishments, but I couldn’t help feeling dejected.

Hope
The Detroit Institute of Arts, one of the premier museums in the country, faced a budget shortfall and devastating cutbacks.  On Tuesday voters in three surrounding Michigan counties agreed to a property tax increase earmarked for the museum.  The tax will raise $23 million a year and put the museum on sound financial footing.  I couldn’t help feeling uplifted.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Aunt Viola


My Aunt Viola died last Sunday.  She was 83, and her death came after a long illness.  What I want to note here is her amazing knowledge of the natural world.  She was raised on a farm near Andreas, but unlike most Pennsylvania Dutch farmers of her age, she somehow acquired an interest in birds, insects, plants, and flowers.  She kept a daily record of birds she saw, which flowers were blooming, and which berries were ripe.  

When I wanted to know the name of a weed in the garden, I asked Aunt Viola.  When I wanted to know what a bird call was, she knew.  She provided me with raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and sour cherries.  (I will also mention rhubarb pies.)  This spring, when I went back to pick blueberries at her house, she helped me pick.  She was barely able to walk, but the pleasure she got from picking blueberries brought her out of the house.  

She valued her family too much to ever live at Walden Pond for two years, but to me she seemed like a modern version of Henry David Thoreau.  She was a model of how to live in harmony with nature.  I wish I could be more like her.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Working the Fair


The Carbon County Democratic Party is again sponsoring a booth at the County Fair.  Our booth is almost directly across from the County Republicans.  They give out peanuts; we give out lollipops.  The 9-11/Tea Party booth is in another area of the fair; they give out vitriol and bile.

What do we accomplish?  Mainly we reassure Democrats.  Imagine if there were a Republican booth and we weren’t there.  We do register an occasional voter, and we picked up a volunteer today.  Each county club takes a day; tomorrow is the Lehighton Area Club’s responsibility.

What I’d like to do is have a big sign that says, “If you believe Obama is a Muslim or global warming is a hoax, please sign our register.”  When people came over to sign and asked what it was for, I’d then say, “We’re making a list of stupid people.”  So far I haven’t gotten this idea approved, but I’m still working on it.

Monday, August 6, 2012

The Price of Inequality


That’s the title of a new book by Nobel laureate and professor of economics Joseph Stiglitz.  Professor Stiglitz teaches at Columbia, and is not considered a liberal.  His book, reviewed by Tomas B. Edsall in the Sunday New York Times, details how a money-driven political system rewards the wealthy and increases inequality.

Stiglitz tells us that the U.S. is becoming a nation “...in which the rich live in gated communities, send their children to expensive schools and have access to first-rate medical care.  Meanwhile, the rest live in a world marked by insecurity, at best mediocre education and in effect rationed health care.”  

He points out that inequality acts to undermine a robust capitalist economy.  It means the nation is not making the best use of all of its citizens.

The book is available from W. W. Norton & Co., and costs $27.95. 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Our grandson


Our daughter and our six-year-old grandson are visiting from California.  Our grandson hunted for fossils, gathered eggs, harvested potatoes, caught beetles, played with his cousins, wrote in his journal, and visited the Lehigh Valley Zoo.  I missed the weekend canvass and tried not to think about politics too much.  
They leave tomorrow at noon.  In the morning they will help pick hot peppers, onions, and tomatoes to enter at the Carbon County Fair.  
Here’s what I’m worried about.  Let’s say it is 2050 and our grandson is 44.  What will have happened to the ice caps?  How many thousands of plants and animals will be extinct?  What conflicts will be in progress because of food shortages brought on by desertification, pollution, and salt water intrusion?  What kind of Third World political system will we have, dominated by a few rich individuals who combine their economic power with political dominance?
Will he look back and wonder how we could be so short-sighted.  How could we have been so downright stupid?  Right now he’s a little boy with little boy concerns about beetles and dinosaurs.  It’s been a wonderful week.  I just wish I could be more optimistic about his and his country’s future.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Blogging for Dummies


That’s the title of the book I’m currently reading.  It's somewhat over my head, but I'm learning a few things.  For example, I should post a list of my favorite blogs.  Arrogant guy that I am, I don’t read any.
The author also notes that I can link posts to Facebook and Twitter, but I don’t see how I can do that when I am not connected to either one.
According to the book, I should be adding photos to make the posts more interesting, but I don’t have a digital camera. 
Links are said to be important.  I agree I need more of that.  Last night’s posting, for example, should have had the Tax Policy Center’s site listed.  I’ll try to do more of that.
Finally, the author said that one of the ideas of the blogging universe is to create a dialogue.  He suggested that when people comment on an entry, the blogger should respond.  I just don’t feel very comfortable in doing that.  I will say that I like comments, read them, and mull them over.  I thank you for them.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Romney's plan

The Tax Policy Center analyzed Romney's $5 trillion tax cut proposal and found it would mean huge tax reductions for the wealthy and an increase in taxes for about 95% of the rest of us.  This is why people like the Koch Brothers are pouring so much money into Romney's campaign.  Those contributions have little to do with ideology or or philosophy and much to do with getting more--and more.

At a demonstration a few weeks ago, I was asked if I were a Communist.  I'm not, but I understand that politics is often a reflection of economics.  Usually other factors are also important, but in this election, it is so clear that Romney is the candidate of the rich.  A lot of poor people will vote for him, of course.  Marx would have called that "false consciousness."  They are distracted with lies about Obama's birthplace or about guns or about the health care bill.  They don't know their own self-interest.  I can tell you the Koch Brothers do know their self-interest.  And Mitt Romney is their lapdog.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Holding Back the Tide


About 1020 the English King Canute took his throne down to the shore and commanded the tide to stop.  It didn’t, of course, and the King soon had wet feet.
In a thousand years you’d think we would have learned something.  Not so.  Recently the North Carolina legislature passed a law that scientific evidence predicting a rise in the sea level could not be used in planning.  Evidently a number of developments planned along the coast will be swamped by the rise in the sea level.  By ignoring the predictions, the developments can proceed.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Death of Moderation


Almost every piece of legislation--especially major legislation--results from compromise.  Even the Health Care bill, passed when Democrats controlled both the House and the Senate, was a compromise.  Liberals wanted a single payer plan, but the legislation that was finally adopted kept the insurance companies as a major component of the health care system.
“Blue Dog Democrats” and moderate Republicans were the grease between the liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans.  Democrats from states like Montana and Utah and Republicans from states like Illinois and Maine tended to stray across party lines.
Now Congress is almost completely polarized, and getting more so.  Yesterday Steven C. LaTourette, Rep. of Ohio, announced that he was retiring after nine terms.  In March he had refused to vote for the Ryan budget, and he was one of two Republicans to vote against the contempt citation for Attorney General Holder.
In another race Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz won the nomination for the U.S. Senate. His opponent, David Dewhurst, was backed by Rick Perry.  Cruz ran ads that accused Dewhust of being a moderate.  That is interesting on two fronts--first, that a candidate supported by Rick Perry is called a moderate, and secondly, that the word “moderate” is used as an insult.
The polarization has been mostly one way.  Republicans are no longer interested in any compromise.  Democrats, the responsible legislators, still try, but the more extreme Republicans become, the less Democrats will be willing to bend.  And why should they?