Portside Politics

Why Do Republicans Hate Americans?

2011-10-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

On the very day President Obama met with leaders of the business world to figure out how to put Americans back to work and all agreed that infrastructure is the key to our economic revival, exactly the key to Obama’s job plan, last night, the jobs bill was defeated because of yet another Republican filibuster. Every single Republican voted no. The 50 page report submitted to the president by this jobs council said there’s no market for anything they’re selling so they’d like to modernize our tunnels, railways, ports, dams, schools, airports, electric grids, water and waste water systems, and expanding our broadband networks.

The filibuster came as no surprise, that’s been the standard practice for the Republicans since this man was sworn in, but what I find upsetting is two Democrats joining them, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jon Tester of Montana. From what I’ve read, Harry Reid had to do some serious arm twisting to get Claire McCaskill and Jim Webb to vote yes. What has happened to the Democratic Party? This was the party of the people. And while they’re not as egregiously obvious that they’re in the back pockets of the rich and the powerful, it’s clear that some of them are. As Bill Maher said on Rachel Maddow’s show last night, (not this clip) there are probably 40 good Democrats, but 13 who can’t be trusted to act as Democrats.

If the thousands of Americans protesting the corporate greed from coast-to-coast aren’t making a difference, I’m not sure anything can. I have to say, my stress level and depression are increasing as time moves on. I still have very high hopes for Occupy Wall Street and Occupy wherever, but I’m saddened that there are some Democrats who are more interested in their own jobs than 24 million unemployed Americans. All the 99% want is fairness. Basic fairness has been missing from our system for 30 years. This movement has more in common with the original Boston Tea Party than the racists with tri-cornered hats, carrying guns, screaming about the Muslim Marxist, Nazi from Kenya.

John Stanton of Roll Call discusses the vote with Rachel Maddow.

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*Rachel made the correction after the break to Stanton’s report where he misnamed Webb as a no vote instead of Tester.

You Can't Bring Them Back

2011-10-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

What I’m about to write has been in my brain for many years. Frankly, my family has supplied enough drama to write a book; but this one, this one has never left me. Ten days ago, after Troy Davis was executed even though there was ample evidence suggesting he was not the man who killed police officer Mark MacPhail, my brain went back to 1975 after a pro-death penalty friend texted, “what if it was a member of your family that was killed” and I retorted that “it has been a member of my family.” I haven’t been able to shake it. I want to write a short story of an incident in my youth so people understand that this stuff happens in so many families. You can’t ever think, “no, not me, not us, it’s the others.” An eye-for-an-eye can never undo the damage.

In August of 1975, not too long after my 13th birthday, we got word that my aunt Vicki was dead. I believe she was 42 at the time. My uncle Sonny who was an alcoholic had thrown her down some stairs in a drunken fit. I now know he had always been physically abusive towards her and everyone looked the other way. Yet he had always been so nice to me. As a kid, I was a big baseball fan and loved the Red Sox. He gave me my first baseball glove. It was used and worn, but man I loved that thing. Carl Yastrzemski was my favorite player and he gave me this awesome picture of Yaz in his batting stance. Then after he went to a Sox game, came back with a glossy team photo of the Red Sox for me. He even gave me my first driving lesson on a tractor. He was my favorite uncle. I was totally unaware of the darkness.

Unlike most of my aunts, my aunt Vicki always said girls can do anything boys can do and I should do what makes me happy. She knew I wasn’t a girly girl from the start and she was totally cool with that, and never tried to encourage me to be someone I wasn’t. In fact, she encouraged my passions. I liked sports, I played with trucks and while I loved teddy bears, I hated dolls. And I liked to write. She used to read my lame little Red Sox game caps, she was the only one. Even my parents couldn’t be bothered. My funniest memory was her tying my socks together when I was little and me crying because I was not smart enough to just take them off!

I vaguely remember parts of a day so many, many years ago, so long before that dark August day. My aunt Vicki had showed up in her Ford Falcon at our house because Uncle Sonny had beaten her up again. I remember the black eye. I remember her crying and holding herself up against our refrigerator before I was scooted away. Next thing I knew, she was gone. My father didn’t want to let her stay, didn’t want to get involved. My mother has always been subservient of his demands, even though I know now that she regrets not taking a stand, it’s too late. Just so you know, my father has never been physically abusive, but emotionally, well that’s another story. The thing that changed for my mother was that as I hit my teens, I fought back to his sexist, subservient tone and while it didn’t really help me as I was who I was, I think it helped her. Yet, to this day, she somehow remembers the days of her youth when women stood with their men no matter what as a positive. But, I digress…

I’m not sure how often I saw Aunt Vicki after that incident as I’m sure she didn’t feel welcome or supported. As an adult, I can only wonder how my parents support might have helped her. I also wonder, with her encouragement if I would’ve pursued my dreams of journalism, as she was the only one who believed in me and encouraged me to swim upstream when needed. I wanted to be a writer, a sports writer at the time. Who knows, with encouragement, maybe I’d be Jackie McMullen today. My parents didn’t believe in college. I went back to school when I was in my 30’s, but by then felt journalism had passed me by so I jumped on the computer technology train where I serve today.

So here I am many years later putting pieces of my life together and thinking about the “Butterfly Effect.” My Uncle Sonny did not deserve the death penalty. He was ill. There were at least two sides to him as I’ve stated. He wasn't always an abusive drunk. Back then, especially in a small farming community, getting help was still a sign of weakness. That said, he killed my aunt. He was only sentenced to seven years, served six and was let out on good behavior. His pattern repeated. But since I don’t have all the details, I won’t bother with speculation. However, I can say first hand that anyone who wants to cut spending for addiction is foolish.

I guess in the end, capital punishment is playing God. I personally would not be comfortable sending someone to death. Yet, I can also understand certain cases, like the Petit case in Connecticut where the perpetrators couldn’t possibly be more evil, and if the state executes them, no one will care. This is such a complex issue, but it’s becoming more and more clear that innocents are being executed with shoddy evidence or in Troy Davis’ case, no evidence; we must decide what kind of society we want to be. No matter what they’ve said publicly, officer MacPhail’s family will now be living with, “what if he wasn’t the one.” This stuff stays with you forever, it will never make more sense tomorrow than it did yesterday. Meanwhile, you’ve taken another life. Will you feel better about your loss? I doubt it.

Who writes this stuff, indeed!

2011-09-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

As usual, my writing fell off throughout summer so hopefully with the change in season comes a rebirth of writing out my thoughts. Today a friend and co-worker brought in a column from the local paper that was written by a Northampton, MA M.D., a right winger. She was incensed at the contemptuous tone and narcissim he displayed. First of all, I want to share the link so you can read what this fella had to say: Jay Fleitman: Who writes this stuff? While I share Sandra's passion, I thought, "what the heck, this deserves a response." I think it's important to disclose I've never responded to a newspaper column before, but living in the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts, I haven't had much cause for rebuttal. Below, is what I will be submitting to the Daily Hampshire Gazette this evening.

I always find it entertaining when a so-called “conservative” such as Jay Fleitman accuses the left of the very things the right has been up to for years. He writes an entire article without any facts to back up his statements. Let’s look at his “points” one at a time.

1) I’m going to start with his “left wing think tanks” comment. While I know the right wing loves to point at George Soros, he is not organizing retreats like the ones the multi-billionaire Koch Brothers are. Every few months, the Koch’s arrange a little getaway where Republican governors convene to discuss how to crush the working class and further enrich the affluent. Do you think all the anti-union, anti-woman, anti-voting rights policies flooding out of the far right are coincidence? Really, do you? Never mind Rove’s groups, the Chamber of Commerce and any other easily searchable extremely organized "right wing think tank." Try the Google if you doubt this.

2) Then he denies the Tea Party and Republicans want to protect the rich and uses the U.S. corporate tax rates as an example of how tough it is for companies operating within our borders. What difference does it make what the tax rates are when the corporate loopholes in the tax codes allow companies like BOA and GE to pay no taxes at all? Meanwhile the current crop of GOP politicians are on record saying “entitlements” must be cut while Bush’s tax cuts that mainly benefit the top 2% must be sustained. Let me add that, using the word “entitlements” as a dirty word is a word play by the right to make it sound like these are freebies going out to the undeserving. All of us have paid into them our entire working lives so yes, we are entitled to them. Privatizing Social Security, turning Medicare into a voucher program and cutting funding to Medicaid does indeed end these programs, it does not “reform” them, another word play. Kind of like “job creators” has now replaced “the wealthy” in right wing lingo.

3) Much of our ills are Bush’s fault, at least those that aren’t Reagan’s. Reagan’s slashing of taxes in the 80’s coupled with massive deregulation was the beginning of the end of a balanced society where everyone could live the American Dream. His policies began the wealth disparity that we suffer from today. Not since the 20’s have we had such a wealth disparity, which led to the Great Depression. Check your local library where you’ll find some fascinating history books. Those who don’t learn by history are doomed to repeat it. GWB inherited a budget surplus that would have allowed us to be debt free in approximately 10 years, but instead decided a budget surplus meant we were paying too much in taxes, so in June of 2001, he signed his first tax cut. Then September 11 happened. Instead of rescinding the already signed tax cut, he started not one, but two wars, one which was started on the idiotic premise of non-existent WMD— “a web of misinformation designed to distract the minds of America with implausible silliness.” Then in 2003 at a time of war, signed another tax cut! Never in our history have we been at war and authorized tax cuts, it has been quite the opposite actually, including Republican presidents. Now the debt and deficit has exploded, but instead of undoing as much of Bush’s policies as possible, the right runs around screaming the sky is falling and tries convincing Americans through their corporate mouthpiece Fox News, that it’s their unemployed neighbors fault.

As far as Obama, I’m a supporter, but not a cheerleader. His reach across the aisle philosophy is a failure. It made sense early on, but after a few months, it should’ve been evident their game plan was to follow Rush Limbaugh’s playbook. How he ever thought reasoning with people who publicly declared their number one goal was to make him a one term president is beyond me. (By the way, those are Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s words, not mine.) And anyone who watched unemployment benefits held hostage last winter in exchange for an extension of the Bush era tax cuts, or the debt ceiling debacle a couple months ago, with the Republicans demanding cut after cut without any revenue or the very fact that they ran on jobs and have not produced one single bill to address that dire need in this country, knows which party supports which group of constituents. (By the way, I am fine with all Bush era tax cuts going away if that’s what it takes to grow our economy.)

4) The size of the financial stimulus has been a matter of debate since its inception, not since last week. However, since Fox News doesn’t report anything factual, perhaps the writer was unaware of the fact that many economists questioned the size of the stimulus from the very start, as well as the wisdom of making 40% of it…tax cuts! Maybe the stimulus failed to keep unemployment under 8% (which was Paulson’s prediction, not Obama’s by the way), but it softened what would have undoubtly been a bigger blow to a sluggish economy. Ask people holding the three million jobs it saved if it was worth it.

5) Nobody thinks the Republican candidates are “political dwarfs”; however several of them are insane. Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, for example believe in Christian Dominionism, which is frightening in a country which was founded by people fleeing another country who was mandating a state run religion. Gingrich and Santorum? Ok I’ll give it up and call them political dwarfs. Romney and Huntsman are legitimate contenders being overshadowed by the lunatic fringe. They could win a general, but will not get the nomination because the tea party wants state run religion, they do not believe in science and applaud austerity.

6) And to say there is no racism in the tea party would be comical if you didn’t so hardily believe it. Which isn’t to say that every tea partier is a racist. Sorry none of us are saying that, no matter how badly you and right wing talking heads want to believe it. I’m glad your experiences have been positive, but again, use Google, or Bing if you prefer, if you don’t believe racism does exist within the group, and no, they are NOT liberal plants to make the tp’ers look bad, so don’t even use that tired argument. You’re living in a progressive state, where even though we may have disagreements, people are generally respectful of others. Not every part of the country behaves as such.

What your writing displayed was “intellectual and political bankruptcy” by also asserting that this movement was “spontaneously” started by a bunch of concerned Americans. To actually believe that and peddle it as truth is laughable. Who’s paying for the fancy tour buses with the $13K wraps? Who’s reserving the fancy hotels? Finally, the petty little liberal/progressive swipe doesn’t hold any water either. Conservatives have tried to redefine what a liberal/progressive is by calling us every negative incantation that Fox viewers can easily remember. Trust me; it IS cool to be a liberal. Read JFK’s eloquent quote and tell me what he got wrong. “Yes indeed the right needs some new material.”

Most Unpopular Group in America Dictating Republican Policy

2011-08-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Rachel Maddow talks about how Americans dislike the tea party more than gay people, Muslims, atheists, and liberals by looking at data from a recent poll. The poll found that the Tea Party is easily the single most unpopular group in America. This is something you'd think the Republican Party would take to heart. As Maddow noted, "If you were the Republican Party, and you were going to give one of these groups of Americans veto power over who was going to be your presidential nominee...which of these groups would you choose? I mean, really? You'd give that power to the one at the very, very bottom, underneath the atheists? Really?"

Yet looking at the 2012 Republican presidential field to date, the only guy who has solidly distanced himself from the Tea Party and is actually making any sense is Jon Huntsman, who is polling at a 1% and at bottom of the pack.

Nicole Wallace, former White House communications director and senior advisor to the McCain-Palin campaign joined Rachel to discuss why Republicans are so deferential to the tea party and why they're so unpopular.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Maddow Appears on Letterman - August 23, 2011

2011-08-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

Last night, the smart, talented, attractive, and funny Rachel Maddow was a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman and as usual, she did not disappoint. I'm not generally a Letterman fan, but I have to give him credit, when he has her on his show, he seems genuinely interested in what she has to say and does not interrupt her. And as usual, the quick witted MSNBC host supplies a few zingers. Enjoy!

Had Enough Yet?

2011-08-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Just wondering if Democrats or people left of center in general are finally getting it, that the right wing plays for keeps. They will stop at nothing to get total power. They lie, they cheat, they steal. There is no equivalency in what their side does and what our side does. They are organized in deceiving people to an alternate reality. They own the airwaves. It's why we can't stay in power, they fight dirty while our side tries to take the high road (ex. Dukakis, Gore, Kerry, Obama). There is no equivalency that Fox and MSNBC are opposite sides of the same coin. Fox IS the Republican Party and they created the tea party with the Koch roaches. Their one "liberal" Alan Colmes is nothing more than a punching bag for their right wing thugs, which include the Stepfaux Blondes. On the other hand, MSNBC allows Scarborough three hours every day to bash the administration. It gives Mrs. Greenspan (Andrea Mitchell) an hour to question the administrations decisions. And it employs racist, bigot Pat Buchanan is a contributor. These right wing lunatics only believe in the first amendment when it's them doing the talking. They love the Constitution so much they want to change it. If they're waving a flag and carrying a Bible, be afraid, be very afraid.

Please read: Revealed: Fake Facebook Identity Used By Military Contractors Plotting To Hack Progressive Organizations

Thanks Once Again Jon Stewart

2011-08-18T23:55:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett's op-ed is a thoughtful commentary on the advantages the super-wealthy currently enjoy at the hands of the tax code, or to put it another way, "class warfare."
Stop Coddling the Super-Rich from the New York Times.

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The Daily Show - World of Class Warfare - The Poor's Free Ride Is Over
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Maddow and Steele Don't Agree - On Pretty Much Anything

2011-08-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I think Michael Steele is pretty much a clown politically, but he seems like a decent guy so I generally enjoy his exchanges with Rachel Maddow. I couldn't believe that he actually said that the Tea Party (I prefer teabaggers) are not just Republicans. Rachel quickly pointed out that the religious right is a major part of the group. Steele was trying to sell it that the the fundies jumped in later. I totally disagree. Those people are the birthers, those people cried they wanted their country back, presumably from the black man, those people doubt his Christianity; and they've been there from the start. President Obama could cure cancer, solve world piece, allow everyone a ride on Air Force One or kill Osama bin Laden and they'd still hate him. Oh wait, we have proof of that. The Republicans want to credit George W. Bush for the death of bin Laden, even though he disbanded the group "searching" for him in 2006, but blame Obama for Bush's economy. Rewrite history! That's the ticket. Teabagger Heaven. C'mon Mr. Steele, don't be part of the problem. Classy, good-natured exit though.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Hartmann: Can Republicans get elected without fraud & treason?

2011-08-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me this video. It's definitely worth the watch. And there's nothing I can add, except to say no, no they can't.

Since Dwight Eisenhower left the presidency in 1961 - 5 different Republicans have been President of the United States. And every single one of them - from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush - have been illegitimate - ascending to the highest office in the land NOT through small-D democratic elections - but instead through fraud and treason. Don't believe me? Watch!

Thom Hartmann: Can Republican get elected without fraud & treason?

Radical Rick Makes the Evangelical Hearts Go Pitter Patter

2011-08-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Damn that Oprah Winfrey! There's one big reason to be concerned about the entrance of Rick Perry into the presidential race, and Rachel Maddow, as usual, is all over it. She begins the segment by playing yet another round of clips of crazy pastors attending Perry's "Response" (with all their offensive rhetoric towards Jews, gay people, the Statue of Liberty and Oprah), and wonders whether this fool's potential success is being viewed by these extremists as a chance to take over the ruling class. Rachel concludes and shares, that "There are some patterns among these folks." She describes them as being part of the "New Apostolic Reformation," a specific political and religious movement, which is outlined in in this frightening Texas Observer article.

They believe they are modern-day prophets and apostles, who, unlike rapture-ready evangelicals believe the only way the world can end is if they clear the way for it by taking over politics and infiltrating and controlling the following "seven mountains" of society: media, government, the family, religion, business, education, and arts and entertainment.

Food for thought: Are we really ready for another dumb ass from Texas? I think this one is worse than the last one. This guy will take us to theocracy if given the chance. The hard right has taken over the Republican Party and they're not fighting back. What's scaring me is that the Democrats aren't either.

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President Santorum? I Think Not

2011-08-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

I had to share this video. Can you imagine this guy as President? This was more painful to watch than Palin's interview with Katie Couric as she tried to figure out what she read. As far as I can tell, he was trying to explain that he opposes gay marriage because paper towels are not napkins. Given Santorum's comments, I thought O'Donnell's analogies were brilliant; essentially stating that napkins and paper towels are interchangeable. Last week, Santorum made a similar argument: “It's like saying this glass of water is a glass of beer. Well, you can call it a glass of beer, but it's not a glass of beer. It's a glass of water. And water is what water is. Marriage is what marriage is.” Alrighty then...

By the way, have you googled Santorum yet? Just don't do it from work!

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Colbert Takes On GOP's Latest Scare

2011-08-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

You got to hand it to Stephen Colbert. He has an amazing ability to turn actual GOP beliefs into hilarious fodder for his show. I will admit that a few years ago, I wasn't much of a fan. He did segments now and then that I thought were really funny, but I wasn't really "feeling it." However, I've changed my mind. I will tip my hat to a good friend of mine for cluing me in on the man's comic genius. This was my favorite segment since Palin rewrote Revere's famous ride and Colbert mounted his steed!

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Attention Starved Head Banger Must Be Sad

2011-08-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

As Rachel Maddow returned from a well deserved vacation, she thanked her guest hosts, congratulated Chris Hayes for his new weekend gig at MSNBC and gave the news all her fans rejoiced upon hearing; that Rachel's contract has been extended. No details are available, but internet rumors say it keeps her at MSNBC through 2014. I guess a frivolous lawsuit from a homophobic nobody wasn't enough to keep her off the air. Keith Olbermann had been openly commenting that he's like to poach her away from NBC while CNN was mulling offering her a contract to replace Piers Morgan (who is probably tied into Murdoch's phone hacking scandal). Best new thing in the world, indeed.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Head Banger Suing Maddow For Airing Video of His Hatespeech

2011-07-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

By now it's obvious that I hold Rachel Maddow in the very highest regard so here's the real deal. Attention starved Michele Bachmann supporter Bradlee Dean is attempting to sue Rachel and MSNBC for $50 million in connection with a segment she did on him on her show last year. Today right wing blogs were aglow thinking this "Christian" heavy metal, brain dead rocker, homophobe is going to take her down. Here's the rub, they're all just posting the story and conveniently not linking the video so I will below. They've also done some pretty damn creative editing of the segment to paint the thin-skinned wingnut as a victim. He's suing her for defamation because she reported on his "You Can Run But You Cannot Hide" group and reported that he has called for the incarceration of gay people and seemingly supported the part of Muslim Sharia law that calls for the execution of homosexuals. Here's the beauty of it. She didn't just say it baselessly, she played a video and in fairness even read his lame little disclaimer.

Rachel is on vacation this week, but here's the statement from MSNBC: "This suit is baseless and we stand by our reporting." Isn't America awesome! You can attempt to sue someone for defamation because you don't like that there's audio/video of your hatespeech and a cable news host actually played it! Watch the video. This will get dismissed in a heartbeat. Personally I don't even think he'll pursue it. I believe this is entirely a publicity stunt to lead him to be booked on Faux Newz and right wing radio. Look at him, he's a talentless Axl Rose wannabee who's music career failed so he's decided on a frivolous lawsuit career. When will conservatives ever learn that video and audio are forever! One more thing, I wonder if he's ever read Leviticus 19.28 from his glass house?

The Last American Hero

2011-07-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is a true statesman. Not beholden to special interests as he doesn't take their money, but a true American hero fighting the good fight. When I read derogatory comments about this man on various blogs, it's not just upsetting, it's frightening. This man is fighting for us in the 98%. How folks that are in the same income range as myself (middle class), can still support supply side economics based solely on our corporate media teaching them that greed is good and "they're gonna be rich some day" is mind boggling. This isn't about punishing the rich, this is about getting them to pay their fair share. We haven't seen taxes this low since the 50's yet right wing media complain Washington has a spending problem. Here's the problem, enough Democrats have bought into this plutocratic idea that we're now stuck, and Americans are intellectually lazy so they won't read The Guardian or BBC or even Al Jazeera English. It's easier to be told what to think. They rely on a corporate owned American media. The oligrarchs make sure we have enough money for an Xbox or an iPod to keep us entertained while they totally screw us as we play Angry Birds. I wonder if Bernie can awaken anyone?

Will Republicans Regret Blocking Warren's Appointment to the CFPB?

2011-07-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

Since President Obama decided to look in another direction for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, speculation is that Elizabeth Warren has an eye on Scott Brown's (R-MA) senate seat. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee has already launched a "Draft Warren for Senate" campaign and is raising money in case she decides to run.

It could get really, really awkward in the Senate dining room come 2013. RepublicOns in both chambers think it's OK to berate Elizabeth Warren, once the leading contender to run the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The bureau was Warren's idea and is part of a sweeping reform package passed in the wake of the Wall Street screw-ups that caused the recession. Warren has been running the operation without the title, and now she won't get that, since Republicans vowed to stop her nomination if President Obama appointed her to the job.

Wall Street doesn't like Warren, which under the circumstances, should hardly be a barrier. Then there are the Republicans who don't like the consumer protection board at all. Why would they want anything to protect consumers when the cash flows directly from Wall St. to their coffers. Holding up any nomination to force changes in a law already passed by officials elected to office by voters is nothing other than extortion and a brazen effort to rewrite history.

In the end, Obama decided to nominate former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the bureau. Maybe he will be confirmed or more likely, the GOP will hold up any nomination to thwart the enforcement of a law they don't like. Warren is being encouraged by Democrats to run for Brown's U.S. Senate seat. While Brown has a strong war chest thanks to the Koch Brothers, any Democrat in deep-blue Massachusetts would present a strong challenge to Brown, particularly in a presidential election year. If Warren runs and wins, Senate RepublicOns should hope she has a short memory or a very forgiving nature. Dealing with Warren as a colleague is much more delicate than dealing with her as head of a consumer protection board. Somehow I don't get the feeling she has a short memory!

Elizabeth Warren joins Rachel Maddow to discuss the nomination of Cordray and the ongoing RepublicOn obstruction leading to her not being able to lead the agency she assembled.

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Opening a Door to a Closet Full of Skeletons

2011-07-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

As gaydar all across the country is blowing off the charts since we all got a glimpse of Marcus Bachmann, then even better, heard him speak, comedians and even some evening hosts have had some fun. Here's an amusing youtube video from The Second City Network taking advantage of this gift from the comedy Gods!

Marcus and Michele Bachmann Explain Marriage

Thank you to The Second City Network

Pray the Gay Away? Oops!

2011-07-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen explains to Lawrence O'Donnell why they launched an undercover investigation into Marcus Bachmann's so-called clinic. Linked is the story John M. Becker writes of his experience.Read about it here.

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Rhode Island Governor Signs Civil Union Law, But...

2011-07-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, an independent who supports gay marriage, said this does not go far enough toward legalizing gay marriage, nonetheless signed the Civil Union measure with the promise that it would move Rhode Island closer to the ultimate goal of legalizing gay marriage. Chafee had urged the General Assembly to consider same-sex marriage this legislative session. But some legislators felt it would be doomed in a state populated by many elderly and Catholic voters, and a civil unions bill was passed instead.

Chafee said he signed the civil unions bill with "reservations" because it "brings tangible rights and benefits to thousands of Rhode Islanders. He had two major criticisms of the civil union bill: that it failed to provide full marriage equality to same-sex couples and that it allowed religious entities to choose to not recognize civil unions. Describing the proposal that passed the tiny New England state's Senate this week as "a step forward," he said it did not fully achieve its goals of giving same gender pairs the same rights, benefits, protections and responsibilities as married couples.

The new law includes a section that says no religious organization -- including some hospitals, cemeteries, schools and community centers -- or its employees may be required to treat as valid any civil union, providing a religious exemption "of unparalleled and alarming scope," Chafee said in a statement. As a result, a civil union spouse could be denied the right to make medical decisions for his or her partner, access to health insurance benefits, property rights in adjoining burial plots or family memberships at some community centers. That could cause partners significant harm at critical moments in their lives, the governor said. "This extraordinary exemption eviscerates the important rights that enacting a civil union law was meant to guarantee for same sex couples in the first place," Chafee said.

Rhode Island and Maine have not joined their four New England neighbors - Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut -- in legalizing same-sex nuptials. Same sex marriage is also now legal in Iowa, the District of Columbia and, most recently, New York. Civil unions are also approved in Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey.

But as Think Progress reports, this could be a loaded weapon against marriage equality:

Yesterday, the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee approved a civil unions bill that marriage equality advocates oppose, but not before making a subtle revision. In regards to reciprocity (recognizing unions from other states and countries), the language that allowed for recognizing “substantially similar legal relationships” was removed. It now reads:

15-3.1-8. Reciprocity. — A civil union legally entered into in another jurisdiction, shall be recognized in Rhode Island as a civil union; provided, that the relationship meets the eligibility requirements of this chapter.

This means that the bill would only recognize “civil unions” from other states, leaving the question of same-sex marriages and domestic partnerships up in the air, and possibly severely at risk.

Currently, the status of imported same-sex marriages in Rhode Island is considered inconsistently on a case-by-case basis. In 2007, Attorney General Patrick Lynch released a legal opinion stating that the state did not explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage and so should recognize such marriages performed elsewhere. That same year, however, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that a same-sex couple could not get a divorce in the state. Until the legislature or courts specifically weigh in on the matter, same-sex couples married elsewhere face some uncertainty, but certainly some potential in Rhode Island.

Both the civil union bill itself and the change made to it yesterday could seriously jeopardize that potential. Should the civil unions bill become law and then be challenged by a married couple, the courts could look to the bill and this change as evidence of the legislature’s intentions. In other words, if it looks like the legislature specifically did not want to recognize marriages, the courts may be inclined to follow suit.

While civil unions seemingly afford the same protections as marriage on paper, they do not live up to “separate but equal” in reality, as a review commission in New Jersey found. In the case of Rhode Island, not only would they not live up to the marriage equality a significant majority support, they could very well endanger the expansion of marriage equality in the future.

Pro-Choice Cause Finally Scores A Few Victories

2011-07-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

This has been a rough year for reproductive rights in this country, and anti-choice legislators around the country won't be letting up anytime soon. But there have been at least a few pro-choice victories lately, as Rachel Maddow noted last night on MSNBC. A jury has found a North Carolina anti-choice leader guilty of stalking abortion providers in the state, and the man is now forbidden from, among other things, publishing any more "Wanted" signs. Also, in Topeka, Kansas, a federal judge blocked Sam Brownback from instituting new regulations that nearly shut down every abortion provider in the state. Also struck down was South Dakota's law that would've required a woman seeking an abortion to wait three days and be forced to sit through a lecture by an anti-abortion activist. This brought scorn from the judge who said forcing a woman to divulge to a stranger that's she's chosen to undergo an abortion humiliates and degrades her as it suggests she hasn't thought it through, but has made the wrong decision.

Where are all the anti-abortion activists after the child is born? Oh, that's right, once they've forced a woman to go through with the unwanted pregnancy, they move from the anti-choice demonstrations to the teabagger rallies where they bitch about their taxes helping pay for unwanted kids and single parents. These people are the worst representation of Christianity ever, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

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The Strange Affairs of Uncle Bruce*

2011-07-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

Potential first couple...a crazed woman who hates gays, yet married one?!

Listen to the audio below and tell me your gaydar isn't going off the charts complete with bells and whistles, and what the heck, let's throw in gun shots just to appease Sarah Palin fans. Go ahead, tell me!!!

This audio of him speaking out against gays in a high, lisping voice has lead to a whole lot of speculation on the interwebs. The Stephanie Miller Show this week was hilarious as they played this audio and did their own impressions. Wonder where he goes to "dithipline hith barbarianths." I'm sorry, I'm cleary a gay rights supporter, but I have zero tolerance for any gay person speaking out against gay people while hiding deeply in the closet, and while picking out his wife's clothes. Seriously, I'm not making that up, he picks out her clothes. This guy is as gay as the sun is hot. Looks like some serious, internalized self-loathing by Marcus, not Mark, Marcus. Bachmann supporters are calling out other bloggers who've questioned his sexuality and effiminant mannerisms as being homophobic. I've explained the difference above. The motivation behind the animus is the Bachmann’s own hateful statements about gay people. A so-called “Christian” psychotherapist (by the way, ex-gay reparative therapy, a practice found to be fraudulent and dangerous by every single medical, psychiatric and psychological organization in the country) who uses the Bible to treat his patients, Bachmann’s attitude toward LGBT people stands in sharp contrast to what many would consider his stereotypically gay behavior. In an interview Bachmann gave last year to a syndicated Christian radio program, he compared gays to barbarians and said they need to be disciplined:

“We have to understand: Barbarians need to be educated. They need to be disciplined. Just because someone feels it or thinks it doesn’t mean that we are supposed to go down that road. That’s what is called the sinful nature. We have a responsibility as parents and as authority figures not to encourage such thoughts and feelings from moving into the action steps. And let’s face it: what is our culture, what is our public education system doing today? They are giving full, wide-open doors to children, not only giving encouragement to think it but to encourage action steps. That’s why when we understand what truly is the percentage of homosexuals in this country, it is small. But by these open doors, I can see and we are experiencing, that it is starting to increase.”

Truth Wins Out Looking For Victims of Quackmann

It's now apparent why Michele Bachmann nearly sucked George W. Bush's teeth out of his mouth after a State of the Union. I guess it's been a while!

Marcus Bachmann’s public statements are consistent with those of his wife, who represents a right-wing district of Minnesota in Congress and recently announced that she’s seeking the GOP presidential nomination. Michele Bachmann has made her opposition to equality a cornerstone of her political career. She has said that homosexuality is “from Satan” and that encouraging young people to be tolerant of gays amounts to “child abuse.” She is also estranged from her lesbian step-sister because, well, she's a lesbian. Although you have to know that she's curious about "the gay" as she was caught hiding in some bushes spying on a a pro-gay-rights rally. You can see some of her memorable moments here although it needs updating from 10/21/08. She's the founder of the congressional Tea Party caucus (or as I call them, Teabaggers). It's amazing how a bunch of crazy, rich, white politicians can convince average working people that giving more to the well-to-do while slashing programs that benefit them is salubrious. Bachmann has also made her opposition to government spending a key issue in her public life. However, she’s come under fire in recently for hypocrisy on that front amid revelations that she and Marcuth accepted money from both the federal and state government for a farm subsidy ($260,000) and that Quackmann's "clinic" accepted $30,000 from Medicaid. Hypocrisy?

We’ve watched one married fundamentalist Christian "family values" man after another caught up in a same-sex extramarital scandal. There seems to be a pattern, a right-winger's level of animus toward gay people has become an indicator of how much he's trying to hide about his private life. I've got the popcorn ready. I have no doubt this is going to explode. Somewhere, Anthony Weiner is smiling.

*Uncle Bruce definition from Urban Dictionary - a closeted gay man who betrays his own people.

Mama Turtles Force Closure of Runway at JFK Airport

2011-06-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Flights crawled to a stop at one of the world's busiest airports this morning when it was invaded by turtles! One runway was closed at New York's JFK Airport when about 150 Diamondback Terrapin turtles were spotted crossing the tarmac. The mama turtles were trying to get to the other side to lay eggs on the shores of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which borders the airport. Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York said pilots from Jet Blue and other airlines halted their flights to let the expectant turtles pass. But he brushed off the turtle invasion saying: "Flight delays attributed to turtles were minor, about 15 minutes or so." People began tweeting about the turtles soon after the news broke. Within 8 hours, @JFKTurtles had almost 3,000 followers on Twitter. It's nice hearing these stories. Think of the alternative had the pilots been jerks.

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Look for Oligarchs Attack on Workers to Continue

2011-06-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

During the 2010 midterms, several far-right U.S. Senate candidates said they either wanted to slash the minimum wage or eliminate it altogether. Each of these candidates, incidentally, lost. The Republicans’ hostility towards the minimum wage hasn’t gone away. Michele Bachmann, for example, has argued that eliminating the minimum wage would eliminate unemployment entirely. Bachmann conceded she’d consider eliminating the policy as president as part of her efforts to crush “expansion of government.”

Their cockamamy theory is that instead of a company paying 4 workers $10 per hour, it would be better to pay 8 workers $5 per hour or even better in the regressive party's mind, 16 workers making $2.50 per hour. I've been saying this for months. Their plan to lower unemployment is to abolish minimum wage. Then they can bring back the jobs they've farmed out to third world countres while making the United States one. If their goal is accomplished, non-union companies can start slashing wages of current employees who are making a fair wage and/or threaten their job security if they fight back with the ability of cheap labor. Do you think maybe this is the long term goal of all the union busting? Anyone who thinks it can't happen here isn't watching what this SCOTUS is doing.

Such a radical change would be unpopular, and the idea is so far from the American mainstream, there aren't any polls even asking the question. The problem is the current Teapublican Party doesn't care about what the American people want. They don't care if their position is unpopular. Look no further than Ayn Rand fan boy Paul Ryan's "bold and couragious" budget proposal. It screws future Medicare recipients and further slashes taxes for the wealthy while raising the debt! Teapublicans only care about their strict ideology

I wonder if others in the GOP field will go on the record supporting this as well? Or they'll just pull a Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI). Run on balancing the budget and then spend every waking moment destroying unions with the help of the billionaire Koch Brothers, or as I prefer, Koch-roaches. Meanwhile, the idiotic voters who elect these fascists because
"the gays are out to get them," are chanting, "U.S.A., U.S.A." like a bunch of indoctrinated zombies.

People need to put down their iPods and stop playing Warcraft and start paying attention to what the plutocrats are up too, damn it.

New York Becomes 6th State to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

2011-06-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

MSNBC actually allowed "The Rachel Maddow Show" to run fourty minutes over it's normal 10PM conclusion last night to cover the New York state senate vote which legalized same-sex marriage in that state at approximately 10:30PM. It must also be noted that the NY state senate currently has a Republican majority. New York joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia where same-sex marriage is permitted. New Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) had made it clear that this legislation granting full and equal rights was a priority of his administration. He signed the measure at 11:55 p.m., less than an hour and a half after the vote. The law will go into effect in 30 days, meaning that same-sex couples could begin marrying in New York by late July. Evidently he's already evolved enough to understand that equality is equality. C'mon President Obama, you see how easy that was?

The powers that be at MSNBC must've had a tough call, cover a historical vote or switch to Lock-Up, their normal weekend programming which starts at 10PM on Fridays. I shouldn't pick on MSNBC too much, Faux Newz is still pretending it didn't happen. There was absolutely no live coverage from the "fair and balanced" network.

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Very nicely done New York and congratulations!

Clarence Clemons Dead at 69

2011-06-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Clarence Clemons — the Big Man with the big horn of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band — died yesterday of complications from a stroke he suffered a week ago. He was 69.

Clemons, the group’s saxophonist was probably the most charismatic figure in The E Street Band's history, since even those of us who weren't devout fans knew who he was. Even Springsteen seemed to acknowledge this by always introducing Clemons last at concerts.

Statement from Bruce Springsteen:

“Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage.”

Best New Thing ... Since 2008 Anyway

2011-06-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit burned out by the craziness, but I thought this was a very nice gesture by the only consistantly competent commentator on the tv machine. I found it enjoyable to watch this "star" ridicule herself, while showing the artwork from some youngsters who called her out on her Sponge Bob error. I'm sure it was a huge deal for these kids. Very cool!

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Weiner Succumbs to Media Circus Because, IOKIYAR

2011-06-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

Rachel Maddow delivers a big F U to the Democrats in the nicest possible way:

"Congratulations, Democrats. In an era of unhinged, ideological, big money conservative media that is wholly and admittedly divorced from the precepts of journalism, in hounding Anthony Weiner into resigning ... you have just fed and unleashed this beast onto yourselves, probably for a generation."

I know, I know, but she's the best thing that has happened to our news media in at least 30 years. Democrats never learn. Because of this "let's take the high road" bs, we ended up with a dumb ass, selected by the SCOTUS to wreak havoc on us from 2001-2009. An era we may never recover from.

Meanwhile, Republicons operate under different rules. David Vitter, a Republican senator from Louisiana who was caught in the same sex scandal as Eliot Spitzer (Democratic NY governor forced to resign)in 2006 is still serving in the Senate even though he was making dates with hookers from the Senate floor. Oh, by the way, did I mention that this "family values" jackass liked to wear diapers and get spanked, presumably for being a bad boy? Meanwhile, he rails against same-sex marriage for couples who actually love each other and want to be in a committed relationship because in his mind, it's creepy. Freakin' douche bag.

I'm not condoning Anthony Weiner's actions, in fact it pisses me off because this guy was the best fighter for liberals/progressives and middle-class in the congress. He's a bigger disappointment than Clinton for liberals. Clinton ran to the right and gave us NAFTA, DOMA, and DADT. What did Weiner actually do? He sent some pics via twitter which as lame as it is, isn't illegal. If Teapublican Eric Canter had done this (although I'm guessing he's got nothing to show), the Republicans would've rallied around him, blamed the non-existent "liberal media" and the story would've disappeared within three days. However, self-righteous Democrats shoot our wounded, give an asinine story legs and allow, as Rachel basically said, feed and unleash a conservative media juggernaut that we'll be dealing with for years.

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Will the Democrats ever learn to stand up to the GOP attack machine? I'm not hopeful.

*For non-Twitter folks, IOKIYAR is a hash tag which means "It's ok if you're a Republican."

Olbermann Comments On Embarrassing Weiner Roasting

2011-06-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Keith Olbermann explains how Republicans and Democrats alike have embarrassed themselves over Anthony Weiner’s Twitter-revelations, and what Weiner should do next. This is a tough one. I love Weiner's fire, and I initially thought he shouldn't resign. The problem now is, the Democratic leadership has turned against him so this passionate voice of the people will not have the same affect. It's a shame.

Republican Dirty Tricks With Fake Primary Challengers in Wisconsin

2011-06-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

You see, Republicans can't win on their ideas. They got voted into office promising jobs, but instead went full throttle into far right wing ideology. Once voters caught on and realized they were bamboozled they fought back in the only way they could, recalls. First stop, Wisconsin.

Republicans in Wisconsin got caught planning to recruit fake Democrats to run primary races against the Democrats in the upcoming recall elections. In order to delay recall elections, the GOP has planned to run fake Democratic primary candidates against the GOP challengers, which would push the elections back another month. That would give Republicans an extra month’s worth of distance from the collective-bargaining debacle that got them in this situation, and would allow more time to campaign. It certainly appears like an admission that Republicans are struggling. And while it can be argued that the recall elections in themselves are merely dirty tricks, enough of a double standard exists that this ploy could backfire. They don't even care who knows that they're willing to win an election by any means necessary. As Rachel points out, even the National Review is saying this could backfire on them.

The key here is that recalls are now tentatively scheduled for July 12, under the state election officials' proposed timelines, targeting six Republicans. If there were only one Democrat against each one Republican, then the July 12 date would immediately be held as the general election. But if there were additional Democrats, the July 12 date would then become the primary, giving the incumbents more time to campaign for a general election in August. Also, thanks to Wisconsin's open primary system in which anybody can vote in a party primary, it would force the Democrats to spend time, money and resources campaigning for their own nominations. The strategy is being officially coordinated by state Republican leaders, and has been endorsed by state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. Evidently the extra expense to taxpayers doesn't concern these "fiscal conservatives."

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Fetus Personhood Supercedes Human Personhood in Right-Wing World

2011-06-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, joins Rachel Maddow to mark the anniversary of the legal right to birth control in the U.S. and to discuss the rash of anti-abortion "personhood" legislation across the U.S. that would effectively ban the birth control pill.

As we continue to watch the far, far right dismantle womens reproductive rights, we find that making abortion criminal isn't enough for them. They also strive to make birth control unavailable. Don't forget, today's unwanted fetus is tomorrow's soldier. We need more pawns for our appetite of world domination. If you follow their logic, every sperm is also sacred. Hey boys, you know what that means, right? Oh wait, this only applies to women as the male "plants" the seed. And you know, seeds have a way of "blowing in the wind." Afterall, not every "seed" sown in the Kingdom of Heaven would take root and produce a harvest.

I would once again like to post an actual piece of the Bible on this subject; the book that they all say is what guides them, a book none of them has even bothered to open. King James version: Genesis: 2.7. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

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Louisiana Bill Will Criminalize Abortion Even In Cases Of Rape

2011-06-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the Political Correction website. Evidently, Louisiana has a bill that would criminalize abortion even in cases of rape. The Republicons must think we're running short on future soldiers

As I've been writing about the Teapublicans attack on womens reproductive rights, it has managed to get worse. A Louisiana bill currently under consideration by the state legislature is the most extreme yet. The bill would not only criminalize most abortions, threatening to punish doctors for performing a medical procedure whose legality has been upheld by the Supreme Court, but it would also force poor women whose lives are endangered by their pregnancies to pay for a life-saving abortion out-of-pocket. Victims of rape or incest aren't even afforded that exception.

In addition to banning abortions, the proposed bill would actually violate the federal Hyde Amendment, which states that while federal money cannot be used to pay for abortions except in the cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment, in those cases Medicaid and other government funds must be provided. Rep. John LaBruzzo's abortion ban would not include such exemptions. Will the fed push back?

Attempting to criminalize in Louisiana what is nationally a legal redress available to victims of a violent crime is part of a larger conversation on abortion rights that is given to trivializing rape and its consequences. It's the same callous, paternalistic attitude towards women and their bodies seen in the idiotic Kansas lawmaker who last month suggested that women ought to plan ahead for rape because after all, he carries a spare tire.

That Roe v Wade challenge is on the horizon. I just hope we can get to 2012, an Obama re-election, hopefully an Anthony Kennedy retirement to sway the SCOTUS back to a less politically ideological group. Bush II was all about far right ideologues, and as a lefty I wasn't thrilled with Obama's play it safe choices although I don't have major issues with his selections. My issue was with his exemptions from consideration.

Palin's Version of Revere's Ride Re-Enacted by Stephen Colbert

2011-06-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Stephen Colbert proves that Paul Revere could have ridden a horse while ringing a bell and firing multiple warning shots from a front-loading musket. I was laughing so hard I started to cry. A brilliant, hilarious skit that I recommend to all!

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Palin Fans Spent Weekend Trying To Rewrite Revere's Ride on Wikipedia

2011-06-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Sarah Palin told a news station in Boston that Paul Revere "warned the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms." As the media pointed out that Revere was actually warning the American colonists (which also isn't totally accurate, because as I pointed out Friday, he was to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were coming to arrest them), not the British, Palin's supporters instead attempted to update the Wikipedia entry on Revere in order to make the facts conform to Palin's version of history. According to the revision history on the Wikipedia page, Palin supporters attempted to add this line (among others): "also, most colonial residents at the time considered themselves British as they were all legally British subjects." By the way, Revere did not shout the phrase later attributed to him ("The British are coming!"), largely because the mission depended on secrecy. I'll at least give the reporters credit for reporting what we were taught back in the day...her, not so much.

That revision was deleted with the explanation "content not backed by a reliable sources (it was sarah palin interview videos)." On Sunday, Palin, a paid Faux Newz employee, insisted on "Faux Newz Sunday" that she was correct, with no dissent from the enamored host, who I also spoke of yesterday. She says there were British soldiers in the area for years before Revere's legendary ride, and that he was warning them, as well as his fellow colonists. "Part of his ride was to warn the British that were already there that 'hey, you're not going to take American arms, you are not going to beat our own well-armed persons individual private militia that we have.'" Here's a big surprise ---She blamed her previous answer on the media, saying it was a "gotcha question."

Thank you to Little Green Footballs for once again exposing this crackpot for what she is. A clueless, narcissistic, sociopath and media w***e. It is actually frightening to watch the levels her followers will go to to make her look like she's correct. What does that say about us? What does that say about our future? Look at Texas rewriting history in text books. They've removed Thomas Jefferson because he backed church-state separation! They've dropped references to slave trade! Laugh if you will, but as Joe Biden would say, "This is a big f*****g deal." People need to understand that based on sheer numbers, Texas and California purchase the largest amount of textbooks, so they get what they want. These revisionist text books will make their way to the northeast and to the west coast. What will our history look like in 50 years? The fact that our "history" teaching is up for grabs should scare people. People like Palin emphasize how dangerous this is. This is not a good thing, not good at all.

Wallace and Palin Sittin in a tree...

2011-06-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday is always a great day for a game of softball! Thanks for pitching Chris. This morning on Faux Newz, Chris Wallace couldn't stop gushing about Palin's "Boffo" interview. Honestly, why doesn't he just ask Palin to (insert thought here) him get it over with? You know he wants to. There is no depth to this woman yet they keep building her up to be something she's not. And you also know that his father, Mike Wallace is rolling over in his grave watching what his son has become. Watch Chrissy allow the abominable snowbitch to double down on her stupidity.

In the midst of her supposedly non-campaign bus tour of America (where she trampled on Mitt Romney's presidential bid announcement in New Hampshire, driving through the western Massachusetts tornado to get there in time), Faux Newz Sunday host Chris Wallace let Sarah Palin continue to babble through the network, with an "exclusive" half-hour long interview. Not sure why Faux declares it as exclusive since she won't talk to any other network. However, Wallace wasn't content to promote Palin simply by handing her Sunday program, he began an all-day Palin-cheerleading session by declaring in the second half of his show that her performance was "boffo." He went on to add that she was "sharp on the issues" and that she has "a serious possibility to be president." If indeed he's correct and she has a serious chance of becoming president, be afraid, be very afraid.

After his show, Wallace appeared on Faux Newz and said that in that interview, "I think you see Sarah Palin the way people never quite have before. She talks in great depth and I think with a good deal of expertise about the economy, about the debt, about Paul Ryan's Medicare plan, about our involvement in Afghanistan." What the hell is he smoking? This woman couldn't make change at McDonald's with the cash register showing her the exact change due to the customer. The debt? Ask Alaskans about her expertise. Oh, and how she managed to slide materials for her new house into the budget of the new arena that was built. A taxpayer funded house! Ayn Rand Ryan's Medicare Plan? Ask those of us under 55 who were basically told, "go to hell." Not only have we paid into it our whole lives, if this draconian bill passes, we'll still get to pay into it without any benefit! Isn't Republicanism ****ing awesome?! Apparently Republicans are banking on the fact that many voters are over 55, and are hoping they don't care about their younger family members so they can pull this off. Oops. Afghanistan? Yes, I want words of wisdom on military intervention form a woman who thought North Korea was an ally.

Later Wallace again appeared on Faux Newz America's Newz HQ and told host Shannon Bream: "I have never seen her as impressive and specific on the issues as she was, whether it was the debt or the state of the economy or what the situation is on the ground in Afghanistan" Of course, Wallace's praise for his Faux Newz colleague, while creepy, isn't surprising. Faux is, after all, the friendliest place in the universe for her. But his assessment of her as a serious contender for president in 2012 only strengthens the case that Faux is an unethical network by continuing to employ her as a contributor. Not that ethics mean a whole heck of a lot to the television media wing of the Teapublican propaganda machine.

Still, let's be fair, Palin's interview was even more impressive than the time that Paul Revere rang the bells of Westminster Abbey to warn the British that the Minutemen were coming.

For more laughs, check the link below out:
Palin Fans Trying To Edit Wikipedia Paul Revere Page

Idaho Woman Charged For "Unlawful Abortion"

2011-06-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is what is beginning to happen as the far right evangelicals are being voted into positions of power...

Idaho Woman Charged For "Unlawful Abortion," Turned In By Anti-Choice Advocate

Unable to afford the doctors visits and medical bills associated with an actual medical abortion, Jennie L. McCormack of Idaho instead had her sister purchase drugs online to ingest in order to cause a miscarriage. McCormack, who is the mother of three, is now being charged with "unlawful abortion" according to the Associated Press. If McCormack is found guilty, she could be subject to a $5,000 penalty as well as up to five years in prison.

McCormack's case is a sign of the true desperation of women in this country. She said she believed she was only 14 weeks along, although the examination of the remains concluded it was more likely 20-25. She is already a mother of more than one child, one still a toddler. But financially she was cut off from any choice she wanted to make about how many people she wanted in her family, unable to procure an abortion she couldn't afford and now facing criminal penalties for taking the only option left to her. According to the report, McCormack was turned into the police by the sister of one of her friends, a woman who stated "There's other things she could have done. She could have asked for some type of help."

But it's obvious that the only "help" that was acceptable in this situation, according to the tipster, was to have the baby, and that the woman who contacted the police did it solely to punish McCormack. "I'm a grandmother myself. And the love and the compassion I have for my grandkids? They're my life. And I felt that if somebody didn't speak up for this baby, who would? It doesn't have a voice anymore," Carnahan said.

Idaho has recently passed a 20 week abortion ban, making any abortion after that point a criminal activity. How many more women will take it into their own hands to try and self-abort due to the lack of ability to obtain a doctor who can perform the procedure safely? And how many women are conservatives willing to throw a friend in jail for the crime of not wanting to add another mouth to feed to their families?

More here: Idaho Press Tribune

If anyone believes this will be an isolated case if the right wing fringe gets their way and outlaws abortion, they're mistaken. There are plenty of stories pre Roe v Wade to support the desperation women feel towards an unwanted pregnancy. For all you voters who think old white guys and far right religious zealots like Palin and Bachmann are good for American women, wake up and smell the coffee. This is America's future with ideologues in charge. If you don't believe your daughter or sister or girlfriend is smart enough to make a decision that is best for her, you're a symptom of the message that the evangelicals have been selling since the 70's. Democracy doesn't matter when you don't believe another should have the same rights as you if they do not think as you do.

As Keith Olbermann Would Say, This Woman...Is An Idiot

2011-06-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

“He who warned uh, the British that they weren’t gonna be takin’ away our arms, uh by ringing those bells, and um, makin’ sure as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed.”

For those who wonder what was wrong with this idiotic statement, I first ask if your school taught history, and then wonder did you go to school. Paul Revere’s historic ride occurred in 1775, the constitutional convention did not even convene until 1787. And "ringing those bells" and "warning shots"...really? Where the hell did she get that? Nevermind, it's Palinese, who knows. On the evening of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere was sent for by Dr. Joseph Warren and instructed to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them. Revere wasn’t ringing bells or firing shots into the air. He had to quietly deliver the message that the regulars were coming to arrest them. And he had the assistance of nearly 40 riders spreading the message of the movement of the British army, and preparing the patriots to fight.

The Real Story of Revere's Ride

As stupid as I think this woman is, and I really think she's stupid with a capital "S', what scares me even more are her followers. The dumber she is, the more they love her! Also, is it just me...and I doubt it is, her voice is in Edith Bunker territory to start with, but when she starts using voice influctions, don't you just want to stick screwdrivers through your ears? Seriously, when snowbilly grifter was talking about Paul Revere, all the dogs within 15 miles had their paws over their ears.

And a sidenote to Michele Bachmann who also spent some time in Concord, New Hampshire recently and proclaimed, "This is where the shots heard 'round the world were fired." Not so much. One of the reasons Paul Revere is famous today is also because of the battles of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. He played an important role as he helped to organize an intelligence and alarm system that was designed to keep watch over the British forces and warn Americans of threats so that they could be prepared.

The Floodgates Are Wide Open For Anti-Abortion Republicans

2011-06-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) talks with Rachel Maddow about the rabid escalation of the anti-abortion legislation and rhetoric as each republican candidate tries to out-extreme the next. I've written about this a lot because I think the stakes are extremely high for the next generation of young women. Once you've lost rights, you never get them back. And for some reason the far right fringe, lead by Evangelicals are wielding a lot of power at this time, even though they're not a majority in this country. The fright wingers gets upset when some of my like-minded bloggers call them the Christian Taliban, but they're really not far off. This particular group of Christians do not view women as equals and hate the fact that we've been given a voice, not just with bodily decisions, but with careers, education and votes. They want that to go away. Mark my words, if they win on the abortion issue, they will move on to the next anti-woman policy that they think they can win while lying about what's in the Bible.

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The Last Thing So-Called "Pro-Lifers" Care About Is Actual Human Life

2011-05-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

I'm reposting this well written article By Cliff Schecter | Sourced from Al Jazeera English. This is so very well written and right on the money that I wanted to share. I'll post my follow-up commentary at the end.

Yesterday, I pulled up to a drive-through ATM, and sitting in front of me in the line was a car with a license plate that simply stated, "Choose Life".

Who can argue with that? I support life, don't you?

The problem, of course, is the relationship between that phrase and the US right wing. You know, the ones who are petrified of everything from black presidents to black helicopters to Black Sabbath.

Yes, they piously claim to be "pro-life", but it is a simple platitude, for - to paraphrase Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride - I do not think that word means what they think it means.

To those not steeped in US politics, being pro-life might seem like it means what one would expect - to oppose policies and endeavours that duly result in a loss of human life. But, in the US political arena, it means something quite different. Generally, it is a way of telling everyone that it's your business to give a woman her marching orders - that she must eventually carry a three-day-old embryo to term, even if it's the result of rape or incest.

Or its corollary, that you're some kind of Nietzschean Superman for ensuring that 91-year-old patients in terrible pain due to pancreatic cancer must stick a tube in any empty orifice to force themselves to stay alive and suffer, even against their own wishes.

The sad reality is that, to be pro-life in the US today, which is to be conservative in almost all cases, is to love thy enemy by supporting illegal wars - or just plain stupid ones - that kill hundreds of thousands of innocents, cutting health-care benefits and nutrition programs for children and the poor, and turning the other cheek … of the person you're torturing.

It is also to cut funding for bridges that are falling down to make room for slashing the tax on yacht shoes, make a best faith effort to ensure criminals, the mentally unbalanced and terrorists have access to assault weapons and C4 explosives, and to love thy neighbour - to love them so much as to give him or her a lethal injection if you think they killed someone.

"Think" is the operative word here, as it seems the conservative Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, may be about to put an innocent man to death. Shawn Hawkins, the man in question, is to be executed on June 14, 2011. This, even though there are serious enough concerns he may be innocent that on May 11, the Ohio Parole Board unanimously recommended that the governor grant him clemency due to increasing doubt over his guilt.

But hell, what's a little faulty eyewitness testimony, evidence destroyed before it could be DNA tested, and lack of placing the defendant in possession of the murder weapon between friends?

So, in other words, the morning-after pill is murder, but taking a guy who even Ken Blackwell, Republican candidate for Governor in 2006, thinks should be given clemency - and killing him - that is just so pro-life!

The truth is that those on the US right are about as "pro-life" as Arnold Schwarzenegger is pro-wife. Or Dominique Strauss Kahn is pro-maid.

It is an empty phrase they throw around to attract a core demographic of foaming mouths, those who hate the very idea of a woman choosing to have sex and having any control over her body. Because presumably, Jesus, who talked about love and brotherhood, would have taken the time to stop walking on water and curing the infirm to publicly flog any woman contemplating a life of self-determination.

This is not to say there are not legitimate concerns with late-term abortions. I have these concerns. Or underage girls making this decision without adult guidance. I have those ones too.

But this is not what this particular battle's about. Because if it were, I probably wouldn't have once argued on a television show with a conservative, who in one sentence told me that abortion was murder, and in the next that we should eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency (the guys who, you know, make sure we can breathe) - and turn Iraq into a "glass factory" (See: sand and extreme heat).

Now maybe you're reading this and asking: "I already know all of this, why is he wasting my time?" Well, perhaps this is just my way of saying I'm tired of the platitudes, particularly on the licence plates of portly, pale, Rush Limbaugh-imbibers who take way-too-much time at the drive-through ATM because they're still working their way through fractions.

You can pick whatever political slogan you want. But pro-life is pro-life in any language. And you're probably a bit closer to actually being pro-life if you care about how a pregnant woman will get healthcare, and aren't the guy trying to cut it, while wearing your wife-beater t-shirt and holding up the Obama sign with the Hitler moustache.

Here's what anti-choice activists promote:
- Abortion bans (even in cases of rape/incest victims, health risks to the pregnant woman, and genetic/developmental problems with the fetus)
- Defunding women's clinics (where working class and poor women get most of their basic health care and where women get birth control that prevents unwanted pregnancies)
- Eliminating comprehensive sex education (the only proven method in decreasing pregnancies and STDs in teens)

This isn't speculation. We have many studies measuring the objective results. We have data comparisons between states and between countries. We know what works and what doesn't work. It's just a fact that anti-choice policies do increase the number of unwanted pregnancies, don't decrease the number of abortions and in some cases can increase them, and do force desperate women to seek illegal risky abortions that harm women and that when they fail harm the fetus. There is nothing pro-life about anti-choice. In reality, pro-choice and pro-life mean the same thing. For the "pro life" zealots, life ends at birth.

There are so many examples of the right wing's disdain for women, the unproductive ailing elderly, and anyone non-white and non-Xtian, that it's hard to narrow them down. But forced pregnancy, and extending life-support in a futile effort not desired by the patient, are both torture as much as anything that happens at Bagram, Abu Ghraib, and Guantanamo. Republicans clearly enjoy this stuff. I've been writing about it quite a bit, but if you think I'm exaggerating, here's some more proof about what the new bait and switch Republicans have cooking. Chipping Away at Roe v Wade

The Police State of America

2011-05-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

So now the Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a "protected area" per the Patriot Act?

A disgusting overreach by federal goons at the Jefferson Memorial results in several arrests of innocent tourists, including a couple who were kissing! Adam Kokesh was also arrested for dancing, but not before a choke-hold and a throw-down.

While a soldier risks his/her life to protect freedom, here is how our law enforcement chips it away. It embarrasses me to think people in other countries will view this. I expect Faux Newz and Limpballs to be crediting the police for these gross violations of "freedom" since the right wing doesn't know how to relax and enjoy a moment.

Watch what happened May 29, 2011 at the Jefferson Memorial in DC. Since Congress reauthorized the Patriot Act, more acts of self expression may be deemed inappropriate. After watching the video, ask yourself what these people did wrong? I've seen more violence in a mall at Christmas time!

Hopefully, no young children saw all that evil hugging and dancing. *snark*

Another Anti-Gay Preacher Caught Not Practicing What He Preaches

2011-05-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Boy, who could've seen this coming! Here's a footnote to all the homophobes buying into this "God hates gays" nonsense from preachers or politicians. Any man or woman who devotes his/her life to trashing gays and lesbians is probably a deeply conflicted homosexual.

Civil lawsuits filed by four men accusing Bishop Eddie Long, of one of the nation's most influential black churches of sexual abuse have been resolved, according to representatives for both sides. The complaints, filed in October in DeKalb County court, targeted Long, an international televangelist and pastor of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a suburban Atlanta congregation with more than 25,000 members.

The suits accused Long of using his position to coerce the men into having sexual relationships with him while they were teenage members of his congregation. The lawsuits say Long engaged in intimate sexual acts with the young men, such as massages, masturbation and oral sex. Long took the young men on trips including to Kenya, according to the suits. He allegedly enticed the young men with gifts including cars, clothes, jewelry and electronic items. The 58-year-old husband and father of four has championed strong families and been an outspoken opponent of gay marriage.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Bishop Eddie Long’s Vintage Controversial Anti-Gay Sermon “God Said…If You’re Gay You Deserve DEATH!” Video below:

The New GOP Focused on Uterus, Not Urjobs

2011-05-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Just six months ago, the new Teapublican House was swept into power promising to focus on job creation. However, they pulled a bait and switch with the American voters. Their radical agenda has been an all-out attack on womens reproductive rights and our social safety net, particularly Medicare. As you'll see in the video below, Rachel Maddow explains how, since coming to power in January, the Republican majority in the House has unsuccessfully tried to cut off federal money for Planned Parenthood, acted to write permanently into law the ban on federal funds to perform abortions, to make it easier for hospitals to refuse abortion cases, and to make it more expensive for small businesses to choose insurance plans under the health care act that provide abortion coverage. Not to be out-neanderthaled by their anti-woman colleagues in the House, six Senate Republicans introduced a bill last week that sets 10-year prison terms for abortion doctors who violate these senators‘ new proposed parental consent waiting period for abortion.

And you'll see it's even worse at the state level. Wherever Republicans are in control of the legislature, it's happening. The Louisiana House voted a bill out of committee this week that would ban abortion in that state. Florida and Georgia have proposed total bans. Lots of others have proposed bans starting at 20 weeks. Ohio‘s proposed ban could start as early as five weeks, so as soon as you notice your period is late, it will be too late and illegal to get an abortion.

In the 11 green states, violating a proposed abortion ban would send your doctor to prison for anywhere from 6 months to eight years. In the three yellow states, violating that proposed ban could get your doctor as much as 10 years prison. And in two states (GA in red), yes, Florida makes the list twice so it's green and red striped. Under bans proposed in Florida and in Georgia this year, your doctor could get anywhere from 30 years in prison to life in prison for doing an abortion.

What is boggling my mind is that Roe v Wade is still a federal law. I think it's pretty clear that these extremists want a test case to go to our right-wing majority SCOTUS to overturn Roe v Wade. Women across the country need to wake up. If you're personally opposed to abortion, don't get one. It's as simple as that. How women are allowing a bunch of old white men dictate to them how to handle their bodies is extremely frustrating to watch. If they don't think this is not just the beginning of the neanderthal attack on women, they're mistaken. Meanwhile, they've made sure that Viagra and Cialis are readily available at a moments notice. And women idolizing the likes of Palin, Bachmann, Angle, the witch, etc... are doing a disservice to women across the country. No one believes that abortion should be a form of birth control. And anyone who believes women just walk into a clinic for this invasive procedure as non-chalantly as going to the movies are fools. NAF Facts and Guttmacher Institute Fact Sheet provide the stats and dispose of the myths.

As for all the religious zealots trying to turn us into a puritanical society, I offer this; When does a fetus become a life? Biblicaly speaking, read Genesis - 2:7. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Does that settle it?

Another excellent installment by Rachel Maddow, the only MSM figure covering these regressive policies.

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Former Right-Wing Evangelical Pastor Sees the Light

2011-05-22T11:16:00.001-07:00

Reposted from Church & State Magazine / By Jason Childs

I Was a Right-Wing Evangelical Pastor -- Until I Saw the Light

The fundamentalist political movement is the beginning of a cultural revolution that will take our nation to a very dark place.

May 21, 2011 | I was a Liberty University-trained evangelical pastor. I was sure that I was right and that every other person not of my faith was going to burn in hell forever. I was taught that we as Christians should take this nation back, only to find out later that we never had it to begin with.

After five years of teaching this homophobic, divisive message that has hurt so many millions of people in our world, I went through a divorce. The Southern Baptist Convention will not let you remain in the ministry after a divorce, so I had to think of something else to do with my life. After several years of selling cars, I decided to become a truck driver –; you know, see America and all that jazz.

Well, I did see America, and the country I saw was very different from the one I was taught about by Jerry Falwell and my mentors at Florida Bible College. What I found was that this nation is filled with people from all walks of life, and from every different culture. I met thousands of people, from the beautiful forests of Washington state to the bayous of Louisiana. I found that these folks are not the wicked sinners I was taught about. They are just good-hearted Americans from all faiths and cultural backgrounds, trying to pay their bills, care for their families and have a few good times with their friends and lovers.

I began to notice a change in me as well. I started reading a lot of books that were not on the seminary reading list and listening to NPR as I was driving 10 hours a day. It was a great second education. I decided to return to Alabama and work to help all of the people of my great state, and to protect them from the oppression I was once a part of propagating.

I want you to know that the fundamentalist political movement is the beginning of a cultural revolution that will take our nation to a very dark place. You have to understand that this has been methodically planned and is being carried out with the utmost vigilance. In accordance with their worldview, my old friends do not in the least care about what you think. They are against democracy, and they are seeking to end the rule of the majority in our great country.

They truly believe that if you have not been “saved,” you are living under a curse and are incapable of knowing what is best and that because of this you should be ruled over. You should also know they do not believe that even centuries-old Christian communities (Catholics, Anglicans, Greek Orthodox, etc.) are “saved,” only those who think like they do.

You might be thinking that a minority fundamentalist group of zealots can’t really take over the direction of a society. Just look at Iran, or the countless other places where people have allowed this to happen. Are you all really going to sit back and watch this happen? They will begin to attack all sources of accurate information. Public radio was first, next will be museums and then science books. Just listen to them argue against the scientific facts about the peril our planet is facing, because it does not fit in with their ideas. They represent a clear and present danger to our union.

If I told you that the Amish in Pennsylvania were running for public office in record numbers with the intention of outlawing electricity and forcing others to act, dress and think like them, you would not believe it. Well, that is exactly what is happening in America, only it is not the Amish, it is the fundamentalists. It is not outlawing electricity, it’s placing limits on being a human with free will. Enjoying art and music, loving the person of your choice, dancing, –; the things that fundamentalists call “sins” –; are a big part of what it means to be a human.

The good news is that we are witnessing the beginning of a new era in human existence. While we watch the revolutions across the Middle East, we are seeing a great truth: that people have within them the natural desire to be free. It is so sad that as the people of the world are fighting for freedom, we here in the United States are going in the opposite direction. The far right, under the control of fundamentalists, is declaring an all-out war on human progress.

The consequences of not acting are dire. We are not just fighting for ourselves. We are struggling to protect the future generations of Americans who will suffer from these ruthless actions of the far right. We are speaking out against the measures being taken against those in our community who can least afford to be marginalized.

My kudos to Mr. Childs for a very well written article. One of my favorite quotes is, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.” - Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here. When I say favorites, I don't mean it in a good way, I mean it in an accurate way. It just that it seems like we're heading down that path and I don't like what that path looks like. I don't like it at all.

Is Anyone Still Buying The Small Government Baloney From Last Fall?

2011-05-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

I've been writing about this nonsense along with other bloggers who are incensed at this ongoing attack on womens reproductive rights since January. These azzclowns were elected last November by promising to deliver jobs. McDonald's is the only major company that had a major hiring boon...flipping burgers folks! When a quarter million people show up for 50K jobs making roughly $9 an hour, there's an issue with our economy.

However, the newly elected Teapublicans played the bait and switch game. Not one single solitary jobs bill has been introduced by the new Teapublican leadership, but if you want to check out the long list of strip women of their reproductive rights bills....get a comfy chair! We can discuss the financial "Let's do what we can to screw Obama" bills later.

Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, talks with Rachel Maddow about the Republican anti-abortion agenda and how the Republicans have compromised their alleged principles about less government to wage war on womens health. Some of Ms. Schultz's statements are frightening. I really hope this ongoing attack is opening Republican voting womens eyes. I also hope it's opening mens eyes as well, although I have less expectations from the boys since they can walk away if they so choose. Let me be fair, I doubt most men feel this way, but there are enough idiots who "feel the need to spread the seed" without responsibility, to make me feel confidant with that comment.

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Is anyone still buying the Tea Party "small government" message? If you do, you're a fool. Furthermore, I really don't care what the size of government is, I want one that works. I don't understand how other countries not as "rich" as us can give their young people college educations and give everyone universal health care while our country refuses to do so. Yes, refuses. Are we so arrogant we can't even fathom the thought that someone had a better idea than us? There are wealthy people around the world who believe that they prosper when others prosper...not here...not since Reagan...not since it became blame your neighbor.

Rape, Flat Tire...More or Less The Same?

2011-05-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

During a House debate in Kansas, Rep. Pete DeGraaf, a Republican who supports a bill to make women pay for abortions out of pocket in all circumstances, or pay a rider to ensure you have coverage just in case you need it, explained, "We do need to plan ahead, don't we, in life?" Rep. Barbara Bollier, a Mission Hills Republican who supports abortion rights asked him, "And so women need to plan ahead for issues that they have no control over with a pregnancy?" DeGraaf responded, "I have spare tire on my car. I also have life insurance. I have a lot of things that I plan ahead for."

Once the Republicans have their way and eliminate abortion coverage from all insurance plans, there will have two choices -- pay for abortions out of pocket in all circumstances, or pay a rider to ensure you have coverage just in case you need it. Why would you need it? You know, in case you get pregnant via rape. Evidently, you should always plan ahead for that sort of thing. That's the current undertone of the current Teapublican Party who wants to ban insurance coverage of abortions in all cases, even rape.

Let's be clear, life insurance is something that you pay a premium for and, if you have an accident, your family receives the money to recoup costs. On the other hand, an abortion rider would be something you pay for in order to, if you have an unwanted or nonviable pregnancy, terminate the pregnancy without it costing even more than if you didn't have the coverage in the first place. Think about the overall picture of what is being discussed because it needs to be stated clearly. A Republican just suggested a woman should have to "plan ahead" and obtain insurance in case she is raped. She should have a plan ready in case she is raped. Did you get that? --- a Republican lawmaker believes that women should be planning for a future in which she is raped, just in case. Does anyone still doubt there is a war on women? Read the full article from the McPherson Sentinel here.

If any Republican voting woman happens upon this site and reads this, please comment and explain to me why you vote with this party. If you don't personally believe it's right for you, that's fine and I respect that, but please explain why you'd infringe on another woman's most personal decision for something that doesn't concern you. There is no federal funding for abortion and there hasn't been since 1976 (Hyde Amendment) so please don't about talk tax payer dollars. It's an honest question and I'd love an honest answer.

An Easy Explanation For Men About Womens Health Services

2011-05-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Rachel Maddow pauses for a "man cave moment" to explain to men like Indiana governor Mitch Daniels why preventive health care for women is necessary and important. Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of Politics and African-American studies at Princeton University eventually joins for analysis. Yes, we know Ms. Maddow is exceptional, the way she uses intellect and humor particularly when using analogies is brilliant! This was classic. Unfortunately, on this issue, Rachel's male viewers already get it. It's the neanderthals who were watching Hannity while this aired who need a clue. This anti-woman right wing attack that's in motion in Republican politics today should be scaring women. I can't for the life of me understand why you would vote with a party who will take your rights away. The Palin's and Bachmann's that the right wing are holding up as "real American women" are bogus. They are an affront to any self-respecting woman who believes in her ability to make her own decisions about her own body and her own life. Do these women have a clue as to the damage they're doing to the next generation? Do they really want to go back to 1918? Sarah Palin has NO business ever invoking Susan B. Anthony's name. It actually p****s me off.

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Sovereign Citizens Are A Legitimate Domestic Threat

2011-05-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Last night, 60 Minutes' Byron Pitt aired a well done segment on the Sovereign Citizens movement, inspired from the case of Jerry and Joe Kane, two Sovereign Citizens who murdered a couple of West Memphis, Arkansas police officers before also being killed. It was an insightful piece of reporting, including the analysis provided by J.J. McNabb, who is unquestionably one of the leading experts on the movement from the outside. And while they let movement leader Alfred Adask ramble on, his own radicalism and complete lack of any connection to reality were made evident.

The story featured the work of Bob Paudert, the police chief in West Memphis father of one of the two slain officers. He's been adamant that the information that could have saved his officers that day hadn't been circulated to them because it was being stifled.

Why is that happening? We need look no further than excruciating whining from the right-wing, which has done everything it can to demonize factual reportage of the actual threat of domestic terrorist activity from right-wing extremists lead by Faux Newz and right wing radio.

Will "terrorist hunter", Peter King (R-NY) finally listen and hold a congressional hearing on right-wing-extremist domestic terrorism, too? I'm guessing no. Those are his peeps.

Please do yourself and those you know a service. Read the attached article and watch the videos. Most importantly, stop allowing the right wing media to control the conversation that terrorists are only "the other."

60 Minutes Looks at the "sovereign citizen" movement

Pelosi's Response to Republican Crybabies...

2011-05-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

Aw, poor babies. The Republicans were loving the beating Democrats took at town hall events in the summer of 2009 over the health care debate. Fast forward to 2011 after the Republicans announced they are going to destroy Medicare and shred Social Security. They now find themselves on the receiving end of the angry town halls. How's that kill Grandma thingy workin' out for ya? They even wrote President Obama a letter begging him to tell the Democrats to stop telling the truth about Republican plans because they're feelings are getting hurt. Obama must've laughed has azz off when he received it! Funny how they feel now that the shoe is on the other foot. Even though we don't know Obama's reaction, we do know Nancy Pelosi's. Below is a letter she sent to the GOP Freshman in Congress. What a great response. Who knew what a cutting sense of humor she has!

MEMORANDUM

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Leader's Press Shop

To: GOP Freshman

Fr: Democratic Leader’s Press Office

Da: May 13, 2011

Re: Facing the Music – Suggested Songs for Your Trip Home

As you go home to face the music of your vote to end Medicare as we know it, we know you’re worried about what your constituents are going to say…for good reason. Here is a suggested playlist for your trip:

Think – Aretha Franklin (1968)

Desperado – Eagles (1982)

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word – Elton John (1976)

Hard to Say I’m Sorry – Chicago (1982)

I’m Sorry, So Sorry – Brenda Lee (1960)

You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Rolling Stones (1969)

You Got Another Thing Coming – Judas Priest (1982)

Mama Said – The Shirelles (1961)

Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home) – The Impalas (1959)

Cryin’ – Aerosmith (1993)

Who’s Sorry Now? – Connie Francis (1958)

Lost Cause – Beck (2002)

I Learned the Hard Way – Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (2010)

Not Ready To Make Nice – Dixie Chicks (2006)

Bad Day – Daniel Powter (2005)

Troubles – Alicia Keys (2001)

When the music stops, you should try listening to the American people.

Schultz Gives Bush The Credit He Deserves

2011-05-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Since the right wing is still claiming Bush is actually responsible for bringing OBL to justice, I thought I'd share these videos. I'd also like to add that Senator John McCain (video here) seems to have regained some sense of integrity by standing against his own party and debunking the myth that torture lead to OBL's whereabouts. This important development, at a time when 43% of Americans say torture is sometimes justified, further discredits Bush apologists who claim torture was an effective tactic. Not only did those methods fail, but the idea that GWB deserves recognition for the recent victory is absurd. The first video by Think Progress, is a montage which does a great job of recounting how Bush let bin Laden slip away while also revealing his true concern for finding America's most wanted man. In the second video, Ed Schultz gives credit where credit is do and is even joined by awesome firebrand Alan Grayson, the former Congressman from Florida. Remember how upset the right wing was when he said of the Republicans during the health care debate, "Don't get sick. If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly?" And here we are 2 years later with a plan to kill Medicare. I think if he chooses to run again in 2012, he's got a shot at getting his seat back in senior heavy Florida. But I digress, this time around he joins Big Eddie calling GWB the worst president of his lifetime, while also crediting him for other failures.

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Republican Under-Cover(ed) Culture War

2011-05-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

E.J. Dionne, columnist for The Washington Post and senior fellow at The Brookings Institute, talks with Rachel about the culture war Republicans are waging while the Beltway media parrots their false narrative about fiscal conservatism and responsibility. Once again going where other political commentators won't, Maddow nails it. The PhD in Political Science has certainly paid off for this former Rhodes Scholar. The Republicans never change. They don't know how to govern. They run up debt. They start stupid wars. They gin up fear. They lie, lie, lie. They can't win on their ideas so they keep the culture war running on high speed.

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Limbaugh: Democrats Are Not "Just Simple Opponents; They're Also The Enemy"

2011-05-09T17:50:00.000-07:00

Rush Limbaugh continues to do his part to pit neighbor against neighbor so his tax rate doesn't go up 4%. The false equivalency that the left does it too is baloney. Maybe there's a marginal lefty talker out there talking smack, but none of our main stream liberal voices are preaching to their audience that the "opponent is more than that, they're the enemy." I say this on Media Matters Facebook page earlier today, but what actually flabbergasted me are the ignorant, hateful posts by Rush's fans. They really think we, on the left are more dangerous than the Koch Brothers or the DeVos family who are leading us towards fascism. This man, along with Glenn Beck are truly dangerous. These guys make it scary for someone with Massachusetts tags to drive through South Carolina. They don't care, they're making millions spreading fear and hate. A thirty year boon to the wealthy in this country on our backs isn't enough for these greedy gasbags. Republicon, Teabagger, Con voters are a scared little bunch of crybabies who are afraid of their own shadow and actually believe that they're going to hit the big one and live on easy street. They're willing to allow Republicons to strip away social safety nets because they listen to asshats like this guy who make them believe anyone can be a millionaire. Right wing media has wrecked the country's psyche and I think it's beyond repair. The public seams sufficiently dumbed down.

Check out this photo which was taken at a Nascar race. You know this fool listens to Limbaugh. He's got his bigotry on the tailgate, his racism on the rear window, and his ignorance on his parking spot. The only thing missing is a God Hates Fags bumper sticker.

Banana Republicans [via DailyKOS]

2011-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share what I think is an excellent article that was posted today at the DailyKOS and written by Stranded Winds. Banana Republicans.

It's a real life account at how this writers life through hardship has actually turned out worse than his fathers even though he was fully disabled by the time he was fifty. He tells how when he got sick, he lost everything and was even considered a “suspicious malingerer” when Lyme disease had failed to be diagnosed. He tells how it was nothing more than "luck" that he wandered to New England, where doctors actually check for Lyme.

It is well worth the read. We might be the "richest" country in the nation, but the wealth is in few hands. He also stresses how the top 5% didn't work for it, they stole it from the rest of us. The link from the article is above, but I'm also going to post one of the comments by HamptonRoadsProgressive below.

I think actually does a disservice to actual Banana Republic dictators. At least cold-hearted, soulless, evil dictators are up-front and honest about what they're doing.

American Conservatives and Republicans are lying piles of sludge who can't even sell their own ideology in a straight-forward fashion because most of their constituents would hate it.

Instead they lie, they sugar coat, and they wage a class war with an "us versus them" mentality, where "Us" is righteous, moral, and defensible, whereas "Them" are the unknown "Other", coming to "steal" what is "rightfully" "Theirs" via the practically Satanic method known as "Socialism".

No, Republicans. We don't intend to take from the small business owner to give to the lazy do-nothing pothead.

We do, however, believe and intend to tax away a few billion dollars in profit from mega-companies so we can feed, clothe, shelter, and educate our fellow men and women.

The "Free Market" demands that companies must make do with what the market gives them. If that means only making $1B in profit versus $20B a year, then tighten your belts and make do with that, you immoral fascist jackboots.

Tina Fey Reprises Role as Palin on 'SNL' With Mock Republican Debate

2011-05-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey reprised her role as Sarah Palin for an RNC debate with the potential candidates that did not attend Fox News’ actual debate last week, also known as the "Who's who of: Who?" Also making an appearance were other potential Republican candidates who have not officially announced. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was played by Jason Sudeikis and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was played by Bobby Moynihan. Darrell Hammond returned to SNL to play Donald Trump. I got a chuckle out of it, I hope you do too.

Maher's New Rules - May 6, 2011

2011-05-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Epic Maher here. One of his best closing dialogues in a while.

Condi Avoids Answering Direct Questions About Bush's Misadventures

2011-05-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Lawrence O'Donnell interviewed Condoleeza Rice, but after it was through, I wasn't quite sure why he bothered. She did not answer what was asked and played defense the entire time. The jealousy of how the administration she was part of bungled capturing or killing Osama bin Laden when the naive new Democratic president delivered what he promised in a 2008 debate with John McCain is head-shaking to watch.

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No Jobs Bills, But Anti-Women Legislation Continues To Dominate House Teapublican Policy

2011-05-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Obviously it's been quite a week for national security so this was probably missed by most Americans since it was buried on the news. However, on Tuesday, 251 Members of Congress voted to "redefine rape." Extremists in House of Representatives voted to approve an anti-choice bill that would significantly restrict women's access to abortion services and "redefine rape." The final vote was 251 - 175.

Before the vote, Mother Jones reported that even though Republicans removed controversial language from the bill which would have "redefined rape," the House executed a backdoor maneuver that would allow them to deny federal funding for abortion even in a case involving incest and statutory rape. Extremists were able to pass this bill in the House, but it is unlikely even to make it to the floor in the Senate. What's more, President Obama has indicated he would veto the bill should it get to his desk.
House Passes "Redefining Rape" Bill, H.R.3

H.R. 3 would sharply reduce access to safe, legal abortions for women in this country by virtually eliminating insurance coverage for abortions. The redefinition of rape could be used to block women who were victims of incest involving statutory rape from using Medicaid to pay for an abortion. And in some cases, the bill would force women who were sexually assaulted into the hellish scenario of proving to IRS agents that they were victims of "forcible rape" or incest.

Let's be clear about what the anti-choice supporters of H.R. 3 want. They want to "redefine rape." They want to make it impossible for low-income women to have access to abortion services. They want to force women whose pregnancy is causing major health risks short of death (such as blindness) to go through with the pregnancy. And they want to eliminate insurance coverage for abortion in order to make reproductive care unaffordable for women.

The Republican bill -- which was supported by 16 anti-choice Democrats -- represents a vicious assault on women's rights. "The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" or H.R. 3 goes far beyond any other anti-choice measure that has been proposed in the House, including the Stupak Amendment that passed the House last year. If you're a Democrat and anti-choice, you're not really a Democrat. We know Republicans want to repeal womens right to vote, but here are the 16 so-called Democrats who supported this regressive bill.

Altmire, Boren, Costello, Critz, Cuellar, Donnelly, Holden, Kaptur, Kildee, Lipinski, Matheson, McIntyre, Peterson, Rahall, Ross, Shuler.

So, where are all the so-called independent voters who put these asshats in office? Not one jobs bill has been introduced by the Republicans, but they've blocked jobs bills by Democrats. No surprise, they want Obama to look like a failure, country be damned. However, if you want to see what they've been up to, look no further than their relentless attack on womens rights since they took over the House majority in January. While I have absolutely no idea how anyone can vote Republican (unless you're a white male millionaire), I am baffled by any woman who would vote for politicians who see them as nothing more than an incubator or a vessel for mens needs. It's actually nauseating.

Bankrupting America was Bin Laden's Ultimate Goal

2011-05-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

Osama Bin Laden was clearly smarter than George W. Bush. He laid out a trap knowing we had an unintellectual in the White House. He committed a terrorist attack, knowing President Bungler would make Americans fearful of their own shadow. All the while, Bin Laden knew exactly what he was doing since he had already done it to the Soviets. It wasn't about loss of life, it was about the loss of the quality of life. He lead them to bankruptcy and wanted the same for us. I would say he was pretty much a success, unfortunately. By 2004, his $500,000 event on 9/11 had cost the U.S. $500 billion by conservative estimates. And look at us now.

This is really an eye-popping story, not just about the cost of the wars, but about how our education has suffered, fuel has nearly tripled, and how those who have benefited most since 9/11 are not going to give up what they have reaped since that September morning.

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Republican Spin Cycle In Overdrive

2011-05-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

Surprise! Not really. Republicans are trying to steal credit for President Obama's magnificent victory for our national security, and maybe more importantly, national psyche. They are besides themselves with lies and innuendo trying to say that Obama just continued Bush policies and Bush is the reason the world has rid itself of Osama bin Laden. An article from the New York Times in 2006 disproves all that baloney...in addition to the video of GWB, six months after 9/11 telling the country he didn't care where bin Laden was and he doesn't lose sleep over him, etc...

And let's suppose, for just one second that my analogy is wrong (it's not, we have the tape), let's think about how it would've went down. If Dumbya had cared about finding OBL, which he clearly didn't, the mission wouldn't have been covert. His overcompensation and large ego wouldn't have allowed that. Nope, he would've sent the army in, guns-a-blazin'; we would've had multiple U.S. casualties and our poor excuse of a media would've drooled over what a tough commander-in-chief he is. Shock-and-Awe, baby! Shock-and-Awe! Our media, with a couple exceptions sucks.

You know what is irritating? After we got hit in 2001, Americans on both sides of the aisle supported GWB. What does it say about the other side, that they will not afford that same courtesy? Finally, here's a question to all these idiots on the right. Had this mission failed, who would've got the blame?

I loved this interview Cenk Uygar conducted with Joan Walsh today. It is totally correct.

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Eight Years Later, Mission Really Accomplished

2011-05-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, our cooler-than-cool President laughed and joked at the White House Correspondents Dinner all while knowing exactly what he had activated, a mission to kill Osama bin Laden. He's restoring confidence in many of us. I surely hope he can maintain this ascension. I'm starting to believe the chess/checkers analogy again.

On May 1, 2003, GWB stood on an aircraft carrier wearing a flight suit and pronounced, "Mission Accomplished." Of course, that was a lie. Yesterday, on the eighth anniversary of that proclamation, under the guidance of President Barack Obama, "mission accomplished" was realized to a certain extent. There was no arrogant swagger, no tough talk, no bravado, just a president who understood this is not theatre, this is real.

He had directed CIA Director Leon Panetta to find Osama bin Laden in June 2009. By August of 2010, they were reasonably sure they knew where he was. The Navy SEALS began training. Once their plan was practiced non-stop to perfection for months and they were confident this mission would succeed, they announced they were ready. On Friday, April 29, 2011, the green light was given, on Sunday, May 1, 2011, the mission was accomplished to perfection. Osama bin laden was killed by Navy SEALS...textbook.

Today it's time for America to see who the real National Security party is...it's the Democrats. GWB was a miserable failure. His leadership allowed OBL to escape from Tora Bora, and the foolish invasion of Iraq for oil is still aggravating. Thousands of people died as a result. And still, beltway media claimed Democrats are soft on terror, we must trust Republicans for our safety. WRONG! Democrats have a very strong tradition of being the party that gets things done on national security. Look at history instead of listening to what our corporate media is spewing. Bin Laden is dead. He is dead as a result of the hard work of Special Forces. He is dead because the commander-in-chief, Barack Hussein Obama – a member and the current leader of the Democratic party – made the final order. Donkey's having been cleaning up Elephant crap for decades. When will our ill-informed voters figure that out?

Well done, Mr. President.

Obama Rules The White House Correspondents Dinner

2011-05-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the event, President Obama was quite funny from start to finish. His presentation started after former wrestler Hulk Hogan's patriotic anthem, "Real American," played. Images of Americana from Mount Rushmore to Uncle Sam were shown on the screen, while images of his "long form birth certificate" flashed intermittently. He then offered to show his live birth video, which turned out to be a clip from the Disney film, "The Lion King." He then advised Fox News, it was a joke. The presidents comedic timing and delivery are quite good. Seth Meyers had a tough act to follow.

SNL comedian Seth Meyers was next. In one segment (at 13:45) regarding Trump's "I have a good relationship with the blacks" comment; Meyers quipped, "unless 'the blacks' are a family of white people, I'll bet he is mistaken. Video of "The Donald" during Meyers routine showed a very displeased casino mogul.

Democrats Willing To Fight Fire With Fire

2011-04-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

An announcement yesterday that two former top White House aides were forming a non-government group underwritten in part by secret donors has sparked pointed disagreement over the strategic direction and moral compass of the Democratic Party. The first, Priorities USA Action, is a political committee organized primarily for influencing elections -- 527 groups, according to the tax code. The second, and more controversial group, is Priorities USA. It is a new type of organization with a 501(c)4 tax status that does not require donor disclosure. Former Wisconsin Democratic Senator Russ Feingold said, “I’m not going to endorse playing with the devil. I'm not going to endorse becoming just another corporate candidate. I know a lot of Democrats in D.C. don’t agree with me on this. And I, of course, understand the desire to do everything possible to win. But, essentially what you’re doing by this is, you’re trying to become corporate-lite, in effect. And we’ll lose that battle, because Republicans are going to have more money.” He then added, "I don’t think my race is a good example, because we had one of those sweep years.” Um, yeah Mr. Feingold, your race is the perfect example. He was a popular 3 term senator and was outspent 4-1. That made all the difference in the world. As much as I admire Feingold, I totally disagree with him on this issue. Do I like what the Democrats feel they have to do to stay competitive? No. But this is the playing field we currently have to play on until there's some campaign finance reform. After the brutal 2010 election cycle for Democrats, and a clear pattern established by Republicans, such comments seem foolishly idealistic and dangerously naive. If we want to change the system, we need to rid ourselves of elephants.

David Donnelly, national campaigns director of the Public Campaign Action Fund asked, "How do can you engage in these types of campaigns with hands tied behind your back? In the end, I want as many reformers as possible to be elected. We need more allies in office to change the rules.” Donnelly is aware of the paradox. Despite bemoaning the influence of 527 organizations, his group operates one in hopes of electing "reformers.” He is, he stresses, "completely comfortable engaging in the fight in order to get more people in office who are interested in structural reforming government."

If not for the SCOTUS disastrous Citizens United ruling, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce pledge to fight President Obama's executive order to make government contractors disclose their political spending, none of this would have been necessary. Chamber of commerce to fight Obama with all available means

TPM: In 2012 Money Race, Democrats Say Game On!

We're Not In Wisconsin Anymore

2011-04-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

Way to go Massachusetts...of all places!!! In the clip below, Harold Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Firefighters joins Rachel Maddow to discuss withholding financial support for federal Democrats who have not done enough to fend off the GOP's anti-union agenda. Why might they do this you ask? Because the Democratically controlled House in Massachusetts are drinking "the tea." State Democrats seem to be buckling under lack of national leadership. NPR article here. I live in this state. Our public employees are not the problem. It's revenue. It's revenue across the entire country. This situation was not created at the local level. I get it, no one wants their taxes increased, yet no one wants their services cut. I offer this. What is more essential? Do you want quality protection from your firefighters and police? I do. Do you want good education for kids? I do, and I don't have kids. I want them to be able to do something with their lives so they're not robbing my house. Do you want to drive down the street without damage to your vehicle because the roads are crumbling? I do. Your vehicle is the second most expensive purchase besides your home. When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, he changed the psyche of the country. He not only made the most disasterous tax, deregulation (including our media) and financial decisions of my lifetime, he managed to turn a country that worked together for the most part, since WWII at least, into a country that pointed the finger and blamed anyone else for their failures. In other words, the country that had a "we can do this" attitude, turned into, "I got mine...F you." attitude and it prevails today. Today's Republican party has not only become Reaganism on steroids, it has overdosed. The folks voting on the other side are truly convinced that those of us who don't agree that funneling money from our pocket to the top are anti-American. They are convinced that womens most personal decisions are best left to rich white men who know best. They see today's impoverished as tomorrow's soldiers. I could go on, but I think the point has been made. If a state like Massachusetts falls into this regressive policy syndrome plaguing our country, what happens to those of us without lobbyist? I can't see Governor Deval Patrick signing this bill even if it gets through the Massachusetts state senate, since he's on record saying he won't sign a WI type bill. But here's the thing...if this anti-public worker crapola can even be discussed in Massachusetts, it will happen everywhere. This is our future, these are our lives. American Idol really isn't that important, is it?

In this clip, Rachel echoed a fear I expressed on April 15, when I said, "I'm not going to get my hopes up too much because Democrats have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory." She used that exact term discussing this asinine idea that MA Dems have hatched. What I wrote that day was actually talking about the wildly unpopular attempts by Republicans to kill Medicare, but it applies to EVERYTHING. I don't know what it is or why it happens, but Democrats have this instinct to run toward a terrible policy idea, lend their hand and end up owning it, much to the chagrin of voters. At the end of the day, they end up out of power with egg on their face, for supporting such a hugely unpopular position. Democrats don't know how to message, Republicans do. It's the only thing they're good at. It truly pisses me off that they do this, and it works time and time again.
This Charlie Brown/Lucy football stunt has grown old. We need more Bernie Sanders' and Anthony Weiner's who don't disappoint and actually work for the people, even when met with hostility. They are true representatives for the people, not those who have it all.

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Mark Your Calendar For June 20, Olbermann Returns

2011-04-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

Three-time Murrow-Award Winner Keith Olbermann announces his return to cable news. His new show will be entitled ... Countdown with Keith Olbermann! Hmm, that sounds familiar. Unfortunately it's not available from my cable company at this time. Hopefully Keith's presence will allow Current TV to expand. It will be nice to have his voice back.

Sanders and Maddow Talk Sense - Oh No!

2011-04-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite political people: The honorable Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and brilliant political commentator Rachel Maddow discuss Republican cockiness and overreach. Bernie explains how corporate money will be spent to counter the outcry against Ayn Rand, I mean Paul Ryan's budget plan that all but four House Republicans embraced. By the way...for anyone curious, Atlas Shrugged is bombing at the box office. Huh, most Americans don't like being compared to parasites...unless you're in a deep red state where you either wear it as a badge of honor or don't understand that you are the parasite.

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Anyone who watches these two get an instant IQ boost. However, Republican/Conservative voters drinking the "tea" must watch on a loop to start the deprogramming from conservative media. My dream ticket? Bernie Sanders/Anthony Weiner 2016 after an Obama re-election.

Right Wing Gets What They Want, Then Cries [UPDATED]

2011-04-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this is not enough for the racist right wing to get a large portion of stfu. However... Today, President Barack Obama produced a long form Hawaii birth certificate in an attempt to bury the ridiculous issue of where he was born and confirm his legitimacy to hold office to the wackos who were starting to drag independent voters onto the crazy train. Obama declared, “We do not have time for this kind of silliness.” Once again, Obama portrayed himself as the adult in the room, a voice of reason amid a loud, ignorant debate on his birth status. I was listening to The Stephanie Miller Show on my iPhone, via Tune-In (an awesome app BTW) when they cut away from Donald Chump's childlike speech to move on to the President. It was all I could do to not start laughing our loud and applauding when he said, “We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers.” While Obama never named names, it was clear he was speaking of Donald Trump's grand birther BS. Pinch me. In the last couple weeks, the guy I voted for has reemerged. While I still don't agree with his endless "reach across the aisle and lose another finger" approach, he is finally talking like the guy I voted for.

The certificate looks pretty much the same as the electronic "Certificate of Live Birth" version that has been available for view for over two years that the wackos viewed as illegitimate, even though it's the official record of birth in Hawaii. Since the newly disclosed "long form" is typed and hand signed, I fully expect that the next round of criticism to say there's no way to prove it's authentic. My "original" birth certificate is a typed out 3x5 card with way less information than the state of Hawaii presents.

After questioning the man's birthplace for over two years, the hard right goofballs who demanded to see the "long form" and lead by Rush Limpballs are now crying that instead of releasing his birth certificate, he should've released a jobs bill. Funny how they never mention that when the Democrats held the House and passed several job bills, they died in the Senate via Republican filibuster. I really hate these people on the hard right. They are anti-American, they are bigots, they are greedy, they are liars and the worst part is, because they are loud and funded by big biz, our corporate owned media ignores the facts to push their agenda. The dumbing down of the American people has worked splendidly for them.

Obama releases birth certificate, ripped by GOP

UPDATE (Goldie Taylor reviews history of demanding ID's from blacks in America).

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The Boehner or Vermont? - Vermont Wins

2011-04-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Vermont state Senate gave preliminary approval Monday to health care legislation that is a key part of Gov. Peter Shumlin's agenda. The bill, a version of which already has been passed by the House, would put Vermont on a path toward what it calls a "universal and unified health system" and what the Democratic governor calls single-payer health care, with the objective of ensuring health insurance coverage for every resident. If the reptilians (aka GOP) in D.C. get their way killing Medicare, Vermont might find itself with more residents, unless other states catch on...which I think blue states will.

Think Progress: The Vermont sate Senate Passes Bill establishing A Single Payer Health Care System In The State

Meanwhile, we have the Republicans in D.C doing the opposite for the people.:

Undaunted by the backlash Republicans are facing in town halls all over the country since Paul Ryan's "Path To Poverty" was disclosed. Agent Orange Boehner, or as I like to call him, "The Boner," decided to double-down on a policy 80% of Americans are against, including the majority of Republicans. I'm telling you --- they are rigging 2012 behind the scenes. Their ongoing, blatent disregard for what voters want is a warning. Voters overwhelmingly want the wealthiest to be taxed at a higher rate as opposed to cutting spending on programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Will the Democrats call their bluff and fight back?

The Raw Story: Boehner flirts with debt default if Dems don't accept Medicare cuts

These are what town hall meetings look like after a "destroy Medicare" vote:

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Reverend Kiley Reminds What This Country Used To Represent

2011-04-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Reverend Cletus Kiley inspired the 2,000+ Building Trades union leaders and members who filled the Washington Hilton for the 2011 Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) Legislative Conference.

The tone was set by Reverend Kiley’s heartfelt repudiation of the status quo, of the “current social contract,” and his espousal of the blessing of the “righteous anger” that has filled the movement.

This Is What Compassionate Christians Concoct on Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all the sane people out here! Is this something that we now consider acceptable? Is this not pushing the limits of free speech? How can this not be equated with yelling fire in a crowded theater? Here's an example of right wing "intelligence" ... or something ... on this fine Easter day. A friend on Facebook passed it along and encouraged everyone to report it, which I did since I agree. If anyone on the left posted something like this about Bush or Palin, they'd already be in shackles. I am posting this, not to give them publicity, but to prove what was on Facebook because this will be coming down and Fox News and Rush Limbaugh will deny it ever existed. I'd hate to be the asshat who posted this because from what some sources are reporting, the secret service is working on getting it taken down and it is being investigated.

Koch Brothers Caught Telling Thousands of Employees How to Vote

2011-04-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Nation magazine has revealed that Koch Industries sent a letter to most of its 50,000 employees dated October 4, 2010, just prior to the November mid-term elections, strongly advising them on whom to vote for and warning them of the dire consequences should they choose to vote otherwise. As a result of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling last year, corporations are now legally allowed to pressure their workers to adopt their political views. Koch Industries is run by the billionaire brothers, Charles and David Koch, who have helped bankroll the Tea Party movement and dozens of other right-wing causes, including the recent attacks on public sector employees and unions going on in many states. Let's not forget the prank call Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker took when he thought he was speaking to David Koch, which revealed what they were actually up to. It doesn't matter that the caller was fake, the intentions of these hard right politicians being funded by the Kochs and other wealthy donors is not. Then last week when Walker was called in front of congress, thinking he was going to be greeted as a hero by the Republican congressional majority, the Democrats actually took no mercy on him when they forced him, under oath, to admit that his union busting bill does nothing for Wisconsin's budget.

I don't think this story is getting as much coverage as it should be. A friend of mine thinks this right wing hysteria we're on right now is just a bump in the road, part of a cycle. I'm not so sure. In the past, there wasn't a 24/7 right wing propaganda network spewing nothing but ideological talking points. Our media wasn't entirely owned by five large corporations controlling the information we have access to. We didn't have a majority right wing SCOTUS. And while I obviously wasn't there during the last big fight between the people and the corporations, I'm willing to bet even the timid ones who didn't get directly involved weren't actively working against their peers to help the oligarchs as we have today. Today they call themselves Tea Party Patriots and are well-funded by the likes of the Koch Brothers. They know nothing of the original tea party patriots or they'd be fighting the oligarchy, not fighting for them. This current crop of lost souls either doesn't know what the Boston Tea Party was actually about or just don't care --- they're still enraged that the black guy won.

Democracy Now's Amy Goodman interviews journalists Mark Ames and Mike Elk of The Nation magazine. Their interview begins at the 32:48 mark in the video.
The Nation article is linked below video.

The Nation Big Brothers: Thought Control at Koch

Remember When...

2011-04-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

...these two fabulous lefty's were back-to-back on MSNBC? I truly miss those days. Lawrence O'Donnell can be interesting to watch and as a former insider, he understands the reality of what can actually be done as opposed to what we want done yesterday. Yeah, yeah, the same can be said about Chris Matthews except that O'Donnell isn't annoying about it. Still, Lawrence lacks Keith Olbermann's pizazz and the fiery in your face force that we need on the left to combat the loud mouth crackpots on the right. Lawrence can get passionate about certain subjects, but Keith rarely brought a story to the viewer that he didn't feel was egregious in some way. Rachel's our happy warrior, our thoughtful intellect. Always ready with the facts, a smile and a twinkle in her eye, carrying a scalpel as opposed to a machete' to get her point across. Keith and Rachel were our one-two punch, our Yin-Yang, our superheroes. Tonight, a glimpse of what we had from October 2008-January 2011. Keith's video covers something I've been talking about for months, that Republican voters vote against their own best interest because they think that winning Powerball ticket is a drawing away. And Rachel finally covered a topic I did on April 11 --- the budget proposal from the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Maybe she finally got around to reading my blog!
Who needs Al Jazeera or BBC?!

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Drill Baby Drill, But We Still Can't Contain A Spill

2011-04-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Since yesterday was the anniversary of the Gulf Disaster and I made a comment about new drilling permits being handed out freely without any new safety rules, I should've made some sort of reference to that point. Rachel Maddow had been hammering the administration about the rapid increase. In late February, Noble Energy, Inc. received the first new permit to drill in deep water, and they're now averaging five per week. As Rachel described it, “The government says that's because the oil industry has been, quote, complying with rigorous new safety standards implemented in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. According to BOEMRE (The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.), these new permits show the industry has demonstrated the capability to contain a deepwater loss of well control and blowout.” Curious about these new standards, Maddow’s team asked to review Noble’s oil spill response plan. The plan they received was written in September 2009, seven months prior to the Gulf Disaster.
Maddow then reported:

“We contacted the government after we obtained this document because we thought somebody must have sent us the wrong thing. We thought we must have been sent by accident an old version of this oil response plan. They informed us that, in fact, we do have the most up-to-date version on hand. They also told us that in general rig operators are eligible to get new permits while they’re in the process of revising old oil spill response plans. So what exactly is the permitting process reviewing?”

After several critical segments, she finally landed an interview with, Michael Bromwich, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. He's the guy in charge of handing out those permits. He pretty much told her that the Deepwater Horizon failure has changed nothing! AND when she asked him if he knew why oil rig workers in U.S waters are 4 times more likely to be killed at work than their peers in Europe, his answer was a simple no. Gee, maybe loose regulations to maximize money regardless of safety might have something to do with it?

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And she reviewed her own interview a few days later:

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The Gulf - One Year Later

2011-04-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

While the right wing media is touting the Gulf Disaster of one year ago as totally cleaned up, and the liberal media is lying to hurt BP, Transocean and Halliburton, here are some realities. Gulf coast residents are sick and dying from BP's toxic chemicals and the U.S. Government is covering up record dolphin deaths. Here are some NBC News videos featuring Brian Williams. On the second one, Captain James Peters discusses how there isn't any scientific evidence to prove that it's safe to eat the seafood from the area and he's very pessimistic about the future of the Gulf. The tragedy of this story continues, but the Obama Administration continues to hand out permits to drill at a high rate, even though there have been no safety improvements. What happened to this guy?

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NOLA: A year after Gulf oil spill, Congress is sitting on its hands

Republicans Weighting the Scale To Get What They Want

2011-04-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

Rachel Maddow discusses all the hurdles and obstacles Republicans are making law to;
A.) Try to keep President Obama off the 2012 Presidential ballot and B.) Dissuade likely Democratic voters from showing up for the Presidential election in 2012. This is another example that the Republicans can not win with their 1920 ideas so they have to "put their thumb on the scale" to tilt the election. Keep an eye on those tricky electronic voting machines as well. There's not a doubt in my mind that the right wing is working behind the scenes to pull off another 2000 or 2004. Otherwise, all these hugely unpopular policies from the new teapublican Governors in the midwest or the hugely unpopular kill social safety nets policies in DC would not be moving full steam ahead. They are NOT concerned about the voters. Heck, maybe they'll just hold back until a county doesn't go their way and have 14,000 votes miraculously appear! Thanks for the heads up Wisconsin! Check this: Programmer under oath admits computers rig elections. Also don't forget Karl Rove's IT Guru Mike Connelly's "mysterious" plane crash just before he was to testify in 2008.

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Death Panels, Republican Style

2011-04-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ayn Rand fanboy Paul Ryan seems to have boxed Republicans in. They really don't want to support his death panel...I mean "Medicare transformation," with an election coming up, nor do they want to say anything bad about the *BUDGET MUNSTER. C'mon Dems, I know you guys are trying to figure out a way to screw this up, but you have an open net...SHOOT, and keep shooting until the net is ripped wide open! Let me give all Democrats a tip, watch all the teabagger videos from the summer of 2009 with HCR when they were screaming about death panels, etc... But especially target those idiots who were running around with signs saying, "Keep your 'guvmint' hands off my Medicare.

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*BUDGET MUNSTER borrowed from the Stephanie Miller Show. They have noticed that Ryan not only looks like Eddie Munster, but acted like an 8-year-old after Obama gave him the smack down last week. They hilariously mock him daily with his "serious plan."

Aww...Wingnuts Need a Woobie

2011-04-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Aww...poor little teabaggers crying that President Obama spent 45 minutes criticizing Ayn Rand fanboy Paul Ryan's budget proposal when all he actually did was describe it. This is what happens when you don't fight back for 2.5 years, once you do, your opponent doesn't recognize it. They were shell-shocked that he had the audacity to call out their shameful plan for what it is and for that, I'm grateful.

Teabagger math: Destroying Medicare and cutting the top tax rate for the wealthy to 25% will balance the budget! Ryan also wants to bring down the corporate tax rate because the 0% GE paid last year was too high! Are they freakin' serious? Who's dumb enough to think any of this makes sense? The Republicans are liars. And middle-class voters who listen to their rhetoric are idiots. They only care about the uber-wealthy and demonstrate that every single day. I'm 48 years old. Old enough to understand the dire consequences this holds for those of us under 55. We will be screwed if Medicare goes to a voucher system. I won't have the extra $12,500 out of my pocket they're estimating it will cost annually. Michael Steele was on Bill Maher's Real Time Friday night when Maher asked him what happens when the $15,000 voucher runs out which will only take 3 months if you're in assisted living. Steele's response, "We don't know." The audience let out a collective groan and boos, Ed Schultz grabbed his head and Maher's eyes bugged out. I would've posted that particular video below as well, but HBO has already taken it down. Schultz and Steele got into several heated discussions with Steele at one point actually saying, "I'm going to have to take you out back." Good idea Michael, Schultz is a former college football player. Let us know how it works out for ya!
Hey Dems, here's a golden opportunity - Medicare for all and it will be self-funded!

Cenk Uygar hosts' Joan Walsh and Ernie Istook to discuss teabagger math.
By the way, I don't care if the top 1% of income earners pay 40% of total federal income taxes. I want each and every one of them individually to pay at the same rate as us little folks. 35% out of $50,000 hurts a lot more than 35% coming out of $1,000,000. I'm really tired of that argument. I'm also tired of "they're the job creators." Really? 10 years of the Bush tax cuts and we've actually lost jobs. Creating jobs in India and China doesn't count. Hey Democrats, feel free to point that out LOUDLY. I'd also like to know how many of our wealthiest 2% are professional athletes or entertainers, clearly not job creators. Republicans really do want a third world America. Robin Hood in reverse explains it perfectly. Continued below...

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I wonder how long it will take for some right wing genius to pursue a bill that will allow the government to remove The Statue of Liberty inscription," "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." and replace it with, "Keep out you no good immigrant, nothing's free here, even the air you breathe, you are wretched and homeless. Go home." Just sayin...

Is Obama Finally Getting His Mojo Back?

2011-04-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

I know we're going to be diving into campaign season very soon. I also know the Republicans are going to try to hold something else hostage before raising the debt ceiling in June, but this week we saw the President Obama we voted for, and have expected all along. On Thursday, a live mic recorded the President talking to Democratic friendlies about the budget negotiations in what was supposed to be an off-the-record exchange. Railing on the Republicans for trying to sneak in attacks on health care reform and other priorities as part of the budget process, Obama said he told the GOP, “You want to repeal health care? Go at it. We’ll have that debate. But you’re not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget. You think we’re stupid?’” Welcome Back Prez!

And a related topic...
Wall Street Tells Boehner: Don't mess with the debt ceiling or grave consequences will follow

Republicans Are Officially On Record To Kill Medicare [UPDATED]

2011-04-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

Talk about killing grandma! Obviously I don't have the readers Think Progress or Talking Points Memo do, but tonight for anyone who missed this, I'm just going to share their articles of today's events because it's starting to appear that Democrats can play politics too. The video below and the articles attached are a hopeful sign that after 30 years of slumber and complacency, the Democrats are waking up. Steny Hoyer and real Democrats nearly punked the teabaggers into oblivion. But, Blue Dogs as usual, stuck a stick in the spokes. All in all, this week has given me glimmers of hope. I'm not going to get my hopes up too much because Democrats have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Still, it's a ray of hope. Even a couple conservative websites said the Democrats flustered the Reptilianones on the House floor today. Finally, thank you Wisconsin. Their relentless pushback to Walker's union stripping messures have ignited a movement. I'm hoping Democrats see that "we the people" aren't going down without a fight. There's way more votes within the 98% than the 2%. Maybe, just maybe they're seeing that?! Please read:

Think Progress: Democratic Procedural Move Forces Republicans To Vote Down Their Own Crazy Budget Proposal

TPM: How Democrats Railroaded Republicans Into Almost Passing A Budget Too Conservative For Them

When Being a Birther Isn't Quite Ridiculous Enough...

2011-04-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Ben Hart, a blogger for Escape Tyranny a website which presents itself as a Social Network Forum For Conservatives, wrote something Glenn Beck/Michele Bachmann worthy. They believe they've detected a smoking gun, an alleged scar on Obama's head.

"Was it a brain operation? Has it affected his thinking? Is he really an alien from another planet, which would explain no birth certificate? We have no proof as to where he was born, to whom, where he came from, or what his national origin is. Maybe he’s one of the androids (a replicant), like in Bladerunner, not really human at all."

Funny how the fright wing can continue to disregard the proof of everything we need to know. These nine photos were posted November 1, 2008. Get over it baggers, he WON!

I'm not quite sure if this is meant to be satire because the right wing is so colossally crazy, but if this is their lame attempt at humor, I would suggest that Ben Hart go back to the drawing board. And if this is a serious observation, holy chit, what's next! By the way, yes this President occasionally hesitates/pauses mid-sentence - do to a complex thought process. He doesn't rattle out the first thought that pops in his head. The last so-called President couldn't even finish a sentence. And any mumbo-jumbo he slapped together was incoherent to non-Texans. As far as the commenters below the article go, it's sadly easy to see how any Republican can ever win with these simple minded morons. While the Republicans rob them blind, take their earned benefits away and scream that Democrats are the enemy of the Republic, they march out and vote against their own best interests.

If you dare, here it is: Escape Tyranny. In other words, Escape Reality.

The Anti-Reagan, Government Can Work When Done Right

2011-04-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Since I've been on an Obama bashing binge of late, I will refrain today after watching the guy I voted for step up to the mic. I was impressed. I liked what he had to say even though he was a bit short on details. What made me take notice is that for the first time in two-and-a-half years, he finally called out the Republicans for what they are. FINALLY! He even used the word "progressive" for team blue! He called the Republicans vision of America "deeply pessimistic." He continued, "The fact is, their vision is less about reducing the deficit than it is about changing the basic social compact in America. As Ronald Reagan's own budget director said, there's nothing 'serious' or 'courageous' about this plan. There's nothing serious about a plan that claims to reduce the deficit by spending a trillion dollars on tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. There's nothing courageous about asking for sacrifice from those who can least afford it and don't have any clout on Capitol Hill. And this is not a vision of the America I know." Invoking Saint Ronnie's name within this context was brilliant in my opinion. The right still loves to wag him around like he should be mentioned with Lincoln.

"Just as we must find more savings in domestic programs, we must do the same in defense." YES! 47% of the world's spending on military is us. Our spending has doubled since 2001. He added, "We need to not only eliminate waste and improve efficiency and effectiveness, but conduct a fundamental review of America's missions, capabilities, and our role in a changing world." Is he suggesting that we shouldn't be the world's police? Stay with it Prez.

"But let me be absolutely clear: I will preserve these health care programs as a promise we make to each other in this society. I will not allow Medicare to become a voucher program that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry, with a shrinking benefit to pay for rising costs. I will not tell families with children who have disabilities that they have to fend for themselves. We will reform these programs, but we will not abandon the fundamental commitment this country has kept for generations. That includes, by the way, our commitment to Social Security. While Social Security is not the cause of our deficit, it faces real long-term challenges in a country that is growing older."I'm fairly sure Faux Newz will edit this part out. Wouldn't want their elderly viewers to hear this little tidbit. Beck, O'Reilly and Hannity will be doing some fancy editing tonight emphasizing when he said he won't renew Bush era tax cuts for the wealthy.

"Worst of all, this is a vision that says even though America can't afford to invest in education or clean energy; even though we can't afford to care for seniors and poor children, we can somehow afford more than $1 trillion in new tax breaks for the wealthy. Think about it. In the last decade, the average income of the bottom 90% of all working Americans actually declined. The top 1% saw their income rise by an average of more than a quarter of a million dollars each. And that's who needs to pay less taxes? They want to give people like me a two hundred thousand dollar tax cut that's paid for by asking thirty three seniors to each pay six thousand dollars more in health costs? That's not right, and it's not going to happen as long as I'm President."

"We cannot afford one trillion dollars in tax cuts for every millionaire and billionaire in our society. We can't afford it. And I refuse to renew them again," Good, that's what the majority of Americans want. It's going to be a messy fight, but if he holds strong and frames this correctly, and fellow Democrats don't wilt, people will line up behind him and take this country forward.

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Yes We Can, But We Won't

2011-04-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling really beat down today. I just read an article in the current Newsweek entitled "War on the Weak: How the GOP came to view the poor as parasites—and the rich as our rightful rulers." It discusses new Republican heartthrob Paul Ryan who once said of radical right winger Ayn Rand, “The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand.” Those very same democracy crushing beliefs have already spread throughout the Republican Party via the Tea Party and a bunch of clueless followers who hate the black guy. And you know the Democrats, they'll try to catch up.

Other articles I've read suggest that tomorrow President Obama will embrace the suggestions of the so-called bi-partisan Cat Food Commission he assembled early in his presidency, who were all conservatives, regardless of which letter was after their name. While not as draconian as Ryan's plan, still a devastating blow to the middle class with tax "relief" to those with the most. It pains me to say this, it's not just disappointment any longer; I no longer trust Obama. I feel like he's working behind the scenes to yank us to the right without making it as obvious as a Republican administration would. Did he have a conversation with Paul Ryan and tell him to come up with something so freakin' insane that the Cat Food Commission recommendations will look palatable?

Meanwhile, as it went largely unnoticed in the mainstream media, President Reach-Across-the-Aisle-and-Always-Cave agreed to the Republican demands that the budget bill would prohibit the capital from spending its own local money for reproductive health care services affecting low-income women on procedures such as abortion, etc. It could also even eliminate initiatives that help prevent the spread of AIDS. DC Mayor Vincent Gray was arrested yesterday in a protest and stopped just short of calling Obama a traitor. Change you can believe in?

This video could've been recorded yesterday. George Carlin was brilliant and timeless. Considering the current BS the "conservatives" are shoveling in their attempts to defund Planned Parenthood and all their other anti-woman legislation, this is perfect. This guy is truly missed.

Too Bad Obama Lacks the Courage to Do What's Right

2011-04-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Funny how Paul Ryan's draconian budget is getting heralded all over our corporate owned media as couragious and serious, but not a peep about the proposal from the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Unlike Ryan's proposal which has been scoffed at by economists, actually stating it would add to the deficit, the CPC budget potentially puts us on solid footing by 2021, with a fully balanced budget by 2014. So tell me again that we have a liberal media. Once again that lie is exposed.

Real courage involves raising taxes and explaining that we can't pay for wars without a cost attached. Real courage involves protecting the most vulnerable and asking those with much to give a fair share. Real courage is standing up to the oligarchy. This budget is actually courageous and serious. Ryan's is just another attack on those without. Be warned now, the long-term Republican plan for job creation is to eliminate minimum wage and bring back slave labor jobs at say $3 per hour. Break unions, destroy the Democratic Party, return women to brood mare status without rights, etc... Start connecting the dots people.

Too bad our cowardly Democrats have only a passing interest with such seriousness and no interst in courage. They'll disgard it as "we don't have the votes" without even discussing it in earnest, on their way to capitulate to the Republicans continuing attack on the weakest.

Don't Be Fooled, the Protests By Labor Continue

2011-04-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Let's see, a week and a half ago, a hundred teabaggers showed up in Washington D.C. and there was so much media there, they each had their own personal reporter. The reporters even went so far as to keep the shots tight as to not show the sparse turnout. Even duller-than-dull Harry Reid quipped, "There were tens of them there."

Meanwhile the ongoing pushback from the labor movement is not being covered by the mainstream media. How can thousands of people gather ever week, sometimes daily and not get coverage? Oh yeah, that corporate owned "liberal media." What a crock of BS.

This weekend it was Olympia, Washington that went ignored. Read about it here. How can people be so blind to what is going on. This is our democracy folks. Citizens United was a devastating blow, but we can fight back if we unite. If you believe in it, fight for it. Unfortunately the brainwashing that has turned "we the people" against each other instead of those truly responsible has probably ruined any ability to come together.

So Harry and Barack Walk Into a Showroom...

2011-04-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a PDF which contains a list of the Policy Riders the GOP had introduced for the 2011 budget. Greedy Old Plutocrats Policy Riders.
I dare anyone to challenge those of us on the left who have no doubt that Republicans are willing to take food stamps out of the hand of a child or a senior citizen to give more money to a millionaire. I have no way to know at this time how many of these riders Democrats buckled on, but you can be sure they did on some.

Let me offer you all a tip. If you've got your eye on a shiny new Camaro SS which lists for $38K, don't bring Harry Reid or President Obama with you. You will proudly walk out of the showroom after some intense negotiating with the keys to a shiny new car which ended up costing you $65K. In addition, instead of the 5-year drivetrain/3-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, you agree that it will be cut to 2 and 1 respectively because the salesman persuades you that the 5/3 will place too much of a burden on the service department. But you continue to negotiate! Instead of the 5.75% rate for a 4-year loan, you will be pay 9.50% because you've been convinced that what's best for the dealership will be what's best for you. You will demand a full tank of gas, but are told they'll put in enough to get you home. So you counter, demanding a half tank, they say a quarter tank and you walk away satisfied that you negotiated the best deal possible. But hey, be proud, you've got that hot new Camaro SS so a victory can be claimed!!! Time to schedule another haircut...

*GOP graphic depicting
the 'liberty killing' party,
courtesy of my friend Tracy Knauss

Democrats Finally Say, "Enough!"

2011-04-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

There's no more room for debate. This is not a budget issue. Republicans have been officially hijacked by the hard right teabaggers and their corporate masters. They lied to get elected and have launched into a full assault on all social programs. They especially want to pick on the poorest, weakest, sickest and oldest. Right now in their site is Planned Parenthood (next year will be Medicare) and other lesser known womens health clinics. They're willing to shut down the government in order to stop poor women and men from accessing affordable care. Evidently the folks who rely on these clinics for breast and cervical cancer screenings to STD testing and contraception are not worthy. The constant lies from the likes of Mike Pence (R-IN) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) have just fueled the uninformed into a frenzy. For all their bravado about abortion, the Guttmacher Institute reported that nation’s abortion rate would be two-thirds higher and the rate for poor women would be twice as high without PP. So if they want less abortions, why would you close down a service that provides birth control? This is all about repealing every advance women have made over the past 40 years before the move onto all advances the middle-class has made for the past 70 years. How can anyone, especially women vote for the party with one hand in your wallet and the other hand on your uterus? I fear for women in this country if we don't fight back. Meanwhile, these old men are staying active with little blue pills while trying to force every woman who is sexually active to become an incubator, willing or not. This is just wrong. To their credit, in a joint statement that I heard on the radio, Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Patty Murray (D-WA) indicated that their caucus is solid and this is a bridge they will not cross. I couldn't find the complete video that included Murray unfortunately.

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Right Wing Pulls Out Magic Vote Count Again...This Time in Wisconsin

2011-04-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

Two days after election, mysteriously "found" votes flip Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Yesterday 14,315 uncounted votes magically appeared in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election once it was determined that Democratic challenger Kathleen Kloppenburg had beaten Conservative incumbent and Scott Walker partner, David Prosser by 204 votes. Yeah, there would've been a recount and I'm sure it would've got twisted to Prosser's side, but the Republicans didn't want to take the chance on a recount from the left, so as it currently stands, Prosser has now won by 7,399 votes --- outside of the automatic recount range. Kloppenburg would have to pay for the very costly recount and investigation herself.

Does anyone actually believe the 7,500 new GOP votes attributed to 'human error' are legitimate? Isn't it funny how these things always land in the right wing win column? Let's think about past history. Bush stole the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections via Florida and Ohio, respectively, and got away with it. In 2008 President Obama won by more than 8 million votes, but the right wing screamed voter fraud and were able to get ACORN defunded and shut down.

Here's the best part. Kathy Nickolaus, the Waukesha County Clerk who is up to her eyeballs in this scandal was a staffer for...get this...David Prosser.
This latest incident is not her first brush with political shenanigans.
Check out her past oopsie moments at Huffington Post

Daily KOS is pointing out that her excuse that she "forgot to hit save" holds no water as Microsoft Access (any version) doesn't ask you to save. When you enter data into a table, it automatically updates the underlying database. If you close the database accidentally, the data you entered (or imported, in the case of Nickolaus) remains. If you stop to take a phone call from your buddy the governor (for example), your data will still automatically save. Read more at Daily KOS

Statement from state Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D):

It stretches the bounds of credibility to think that over 14,300 votes were somehow "overlooked" until two days after the election.
Based on the partisan, political history of Ms. Nickolaus and the serious concerns that have been raised, by other Waukesha County officials, about the quality of her election administration and the possibility for fraud, an independent investigation of her conduct and the county's election results is not just warranted but urgently demanded to protect the integrity of our electoral system in Wisconsin.

Will the Justice Department get involved and clean this up? The right have become so brazen with vote fraud and intimidation, they seem to think they're untouchable.
But you can't blame them, it works every time.

Don't forget how a popular governor of Alabama, Dan Siegelman was framed in a crooked trial and sent to prison by the extremely corrupt Bush administration. Valerie Plame was not their only victim. The hard right plutocracy ruining this country know no bounds. Cross them and they will ruin you. These guys are in it to win it --- country be damned.
Going to Jail for Being a Democrat: How Alabama Gov. Dan Siegelman Got Roved

UPDATE: Also, check this out: Washington Monthly. Steve Benen questions what the reaction would be from Republicans, on Fox News, etc. -- if the situation were reversed. Imagine there was a close, important race and the conservative candidate eked out a narrow win, and the very next day, a Democratic donor with a sketchy election record discovered 7,000 additional votes for the liberal. What do you suppose we'd hear from the right under those circumstances?

Hero - Jan Schakowsky of Illinois

2011-04-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, I was listening to yesterday's Stephanie Miller Show on my iPhone at work today, and her big guest was Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). Schakowsky is one of the great liberals in government right now. I wanted to share her proposal for a new tax code. As a preface, wealthy Americans have received most of the wealth gains in the past 30 years. They have also benefited from lower tax rates, thanks to Reagan, that were unaffordable and account for most of the national debt. According to Schakowsky, "This isn’t about punishment or revenge. It’s about fairness. It’s about avoiding budget cuts that harm middle class families and those who aspire to it. We can choose to cut education, job creation and health care, or we can choose to ask those who can contribute more to do so.”
Schakowsky's proposal, the Fairness in Taxation Act, creates a new tier of tax brackets that distinguishes between the merely rich and obscenely wealthy. (The current top tax bracket makes no distinction after $373,000 income.) Here's what the tax brackets would look like under the Fairness in Taxation Act:

■$1-10 million: 45%
■$10-20 million: 46%
■$20-100 million: 47%
■$100 million to $1 billion: 48%
■$1 billion and over: 49%

The bill would also tax capital gains and dividend income as ordinary income for those taxpayers with income over $1 million. If enacted this year, the Fairness in Taxation Act would raise more than $78 billion.

Conservatives (oxymoron) are lying when they say that they can get deficits under control through budget cuts (and that they actually care). But polls also show that specific programs that they want to cut are popular with the public. Once it becomes clear that the budget cuts will trigger cuts to programs middle-class America loves, tax increases become very appealing. If Washington has the guts to get serious about raising taxes, it's apparent that higher rates on the rich -- beyond simply rolling back the Bush tax cuts -- are more way more popular than pick-pocketing middle class voters! Polls prove it to be true. Go figure! Will Democrats have the guts to do it? Not holding my breathe in liberal Massachusetts.

P.S. Obviously, I LOVE this proposal. Good work, Jan!

Mike Pence, You Lie!

2011-04-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

So...who actually believes Republicans are for cutting spending and balancing the budget, not just radical ideologues? Hmm, silence. Mike Pence (R-IN) lays out a huge part of their agenda. The shameless pandering to the extremists in the religious right comes before the reproductive health of women, especially poor women and he'd prefer to shut down the government before funding Planned Parenthood. No matter what the budget bill says, he will block it unless Planned Parenthood is defunded. The blind sheep following this group think that PP's sole purpose is abortion provision. The truth is that only about 2% of their services involve the very legal procedure.

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He also admits that the fRightwing is
"trying to score a victory for the Republican people,"

Pence is lying about Planned Parenthood, and he knows it. Not a dime of government funding goes to PP to provide abortions. The group has a separate organization, with separate staff in separate buildings, all with private funds, to provide abortion services. Federal funding pays for a broad range of women’s healthcare, from breast and cervical cancer screenings, STD testing and contraception. Last year Planned Parenthood, which provided family planning and other healthcare services to 2.5 million women, performed over a million cervical cancer screenings and more than 800,000 breast exams. Six in 10 clients say it’s their main source of healthcare.

A 2009 Guttmacher Institute report found that the nation’s abortion rate would be two-thirds higher — and the rate for poor women would be twice as high — without federally funded family planning services, most of which go to Planned Parenthood’s network. Former President Clinton, who tends to stay out of culture war discussions, made this statement.

“The assault on Planned Parenthood is unjustified. It is penny-wise and pound foolish. The law strictly and clearly prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion services. The Republicans’ elimination of funding for Planned Parenthood, will in the end cost more than it saves by ending the ability of millions of American women to receive family planning services, breast and cervical cancer screenings and preventative healthcare at cost-efficient Planned Parenthood centers. And the denial of simple birth control and family planning services may well increase both the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in our country.”

Stay tuned to see how the Democrats cave in some way.

Being a Democrat is Like Being a Cubs Fan

2011-04-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

Who negotiates like this? Republicans ask for $33B cut in spending and Democrats offer $34B. Then Republicans taste blood and ask for $40B and Democrats say $78B. Now Republicans want $100B and 218 republican votes before a budget can be passed. I'm waiting to see how many Democrats will switch parties to help them out! Did any of the Democrats ever buy a new car or a house? This is NOT how you negotiate. What the hell are Dems doing? Voting for Democrats is like being a Cubs fan. Seriously, as a long suffering Red Sox fan who finally saw the end of the curse in 2004 (otherwise they'd be my example). Let's think about the Cubs. They haven't won the World Series since 1908. Throughout the years, they've had many stars; Rick Santo, Ernie Banks, Roger Hornsby, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, etc... However, they have the Curse of the Goat, Steve Bartman, the black cat running past the dugout (hogwash, black cats rule), etc... Politically, we have a superstar manager in Barack Obama, solid progressive Senators like Bernie Sanders, Barbara Boxer, Sherrod Brown, Al Franken and Debbie Stabenow. Progressive Congressmen/women such as Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Jan Schakowsky, Anthony Weiner and Dennis Kucinich. Why do I always feel like Ernie Banks? He played for 19 years and never got the prize --- a World Series Ring. We had control of all three branches for two years and what happened? President Bi-Partisan. All he and our Democratic leaders did was capitulate to minority whining and crying. Pelosi failed to pass a 2011 budget late in 2010 so we're facing a government shut-down or the demise of womens health services. Why-oh-why does the party of the people cower when they have every single opportunity to do what the people want by large majorities? The Democrats as a whole are 1980's style Republicans, I begrudgedly get that. I don't know exactly when it happened (I expect it was the Reagan years), but it did. Maybe my wish that out more liberal members can make a difference is a far fetched dream. At this point I just want them to protect what we have already fought for and earned, but I'm not seeing a real fight for it. It's upsetting that our uninformed electorate isn't up in arms. Instead they're worried about who's going to win American Idol or Charlie Sheen's latest antics.

Mackinac Can Dish It Out, But Can't Take It [Updated]

2011-04-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

You've got to love this. The Mackinac Center admits to looking for emails containing the name "Maddow" because of her critical commentary of Michigan governor/dictator Rick Snyder . No where does it say she got anything wrong, it just seems the audacity this woman had to expose these right wing dictators for what they are have their feathers ruffled.
Full article here

Here's the text directly involving Ms. Maddow:
Some of the concern expressed about our recent FOIA inquiry has had to do with our requesting emails mentioning not just Wisconsin and Michigan public-sector labor topics, but also Rachel Maddow. We asked for these emails first because Ms. Maddow had recently criticized at length Michigan’s governor and his labor-related legislation in a TV segment virally circulated on the Web, and second because FOIA requests are an inexact art, much like a Google search. You can ask for everything, and get everything, but not only is it costly to do so (public bodies can charge the fair costs of retrieving public records), it is both time-consuming and needlessly intrusive on the activities of public employees.

Hence, by including emails referring to Ms. Maddow, we were aiming to generate a more narrowly targeted set of emails that nevertheless didn’t depend closely on exact phrases that she or the letter writers might have used and that would have excluded emails relevant to our request. Nothing in our request intentionally impinged on or attempted to override the privacy exemptions built into Michigan’s FOIA law, including exemptions for personal material subject to doctor-client privilege, student privacy, social security numbers, trade secrets or material protected by other statutes. In any event, public employees are aware that their use of government resources can be constrained and monitored, just as private-sector employees know this about their use of their businesses' resources.

If you read the article, you'll love their five sections of hypotheticals. Do they think everyone is as dumb as a typical Faux Newz viewer? The answer would be yes, yes they do. All their hypotheticals have been proven. It is what they do! The band-aid was ripped off and the scab came with it. The Koch brothers and their Koch-suckers never thought their gig would get exposed. Thanks to many left leaners, lead by mainstream Maddow, their donations and deceit are up front and center. Is it enough to save us before the next election? I don't know. Ignorance and fear run rampant in this country. The very people that Americans should fear have the most money and use it to spread the lies and fears that have divided us. As I've said before, they've done a masterful job of pitting us against each other instead of allowing the public to focus on the real danger...plutocracy.

If you'd like to join the boycott of the Koch products, here's a list.

UPDATE
Not surprisingly, Rachel Maddow was all over this story explaining the Mackinac Center's dishonesty and the intimidation tactics they're using to silence their political opposition.

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Lincoln's Party Now Comprised of Right Wing Zealots

2011-04-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

I'm still not a Chris Matthews fan, the man generally exasperates me, but the recently introduced segement "Let Me Finish" is often a concise and accurate synopsis of whatever topic he chooses on a given day. I have a tendency to catch it since it's shown in the last few minutes. I thought this was a very good commentary about the state of todays Republican party. This is no longer the party of Lincoln, and haven't been for a very, very long time.

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Another Example of the Arrogance and Stupidity of Republicans

2011-04-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

A Southwest Airlines flight flying from Phoenix to Sacramento made an emergency landing in Yuma after the roof ripped open. Luckily only a flight attendant received minor injuries. The FAA reported pilot made a controlled descent from 34,400 feet to 11,000 feet after the hole opened. Here's what's scary, the 15-year-old plane underwent a routine safety inspection on Tuesday. Reports say a tear along a riveted "lap joint" shows evidence of extensive cracking that hadn't been discovered during routine maintenance — and probably wouldn't have been unless mechanics had specifically looked for it. Call me cynical, but it seems like this is the kind of thing inspectors should be specifically looking for, especially on older planes. Southwest is in the process of retiring the Boeing 737-300's and have halted flying the other 79 until further more detailed inspections have taken place. But there are over 1000 still in service world-wide with many carriers.
Meanwhile, the Republicans have vowed to cut $4 Billion from the FAA budget. These cuts would force the layoff of hundreds of workers, including safety inspectors, and would delay modernization of the nation's air traffic system, which is needed to accommodate forecasted increases passengers and flight without nightmarish congestion. Much of the rest of the world is either using satellite-based air navigation and air traffic control or planning to upgrade to GPS technology. Not us, not when the rich don't give a damn about anything except their wallet.

This isn't new territory of stupidity for the GOP. Don't forget, they also voted to cut a reported $126 million from the National Weather Service, about 30 percent of agencies total budget. In all, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would have its budget cut by $454 million. In the context of the disastrous earthquake northern Japan and the resulting tsunami, it's not hard to see what effect those cuts might have had on our ability to monitor the tsunami heading towards our shores. But the Republicans just don't care! They said the disaster in Japan changes nothing in their budget plans. All they want is tax cuts for the rich! All they care about is money and power. The people who listen to their lies are fools. Democrats scared to make a stand are cowards. Reaganomics and the military industrial complex are the reasons we're being dragged down. The fact that they've masterfully turned every argument in this country into left vs. right is the reason we will not overcome. The oligarchy has won with brilliant strategy.

Just For Laughs...

2011-04-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

I just need a break from all the crazy non-stop madness from the right wing. Between the every growing anti-woman legislation, to privatizing Medicare and replacing it with vouchers so the elderly can buy private insurance, my head is about to explode. I truly hate the GOP and everything they stand for. They are ruining the country. I'm not wealthy, I'm not poor, I'm totally average. I have an IRA and 401K, but when I get to my golden years, the Republican plan will never allow me to retire. I will not be able to afford $1000 per month for health insurance. I'm not alone. It seems they are literally trying to thin the herd without saying so. Why doesn't the Democratic Party fight back with real numbers? The old farts glued to Faux, clinging to their Bible while hating on gays, who vote for this party don't give a chit because it doesn't affect anyone currently enrolled. And the younger zombies clinging to their guns while hating on gays who vote for this party are a bunch of meglomaniacs who think that winning Powerball ticket is just a drawing away. Alan Grayson was right about the Republican plan. His reward was a multi-million dollar campaign by far-right interests to knock him out of office. Floridians voted against their own best interests.
Don't get sick, but if you do, die quickly
So here's a few things to hopefully make you smile. I need a drink.

Bill Maher March 25, 201l

Bill Maher April 1, 2011

There's been a car accident and there are injuries.
The liberal checks for victim responses, calls 911 and waits for the ambulance to arrive.
The conservative checks the victim for a cell phone because he/she doesn't want to use their minutes calling for help.

A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost. She lowers her altitude and spots a man fishing from a boat below. She shouts to him, 'Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am. The man consults his portable GPS and replies, 'You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude. She rolls her eyes and says, 'You must be a Democrat!' 'I am,' replies the man. 'How did you know?' 'Well,' answers the balloonist, 'everything you tell me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you're not much help to me.' The man smiles and responds, 'You must be a Republican.' 'I am,' replies the balloonist. 'How did you know?' 'Well,' says the man, 'You don't know where you are or where you're going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it's my fault.