3 Chics wrapping up the week with the Empress of Blues, Bessie Smith. We hope you’ve enjoyed her tunes.
Happy FRY-day, Everyone!
-
-
Black Girls Rock!
Flickr Photos
-
Potus Takes Oath of Office
Flotus & Daughters at Great Wall of China
My Brothers Keeper
-
-
-
-
-
AFRO PUFFS
Most Adorable Shoe Stealer
Six Little Babies
Fatherhood
-
-
Even though 3Chics Politico is written and curated by three women: Ametia, Rikyrah, and SouthernGirl2, I must nominate this as one of the most engaging blogs I've found. Devoted to politics and culture, these three shine a light on contemporary life with humor and spirit.
-
3Chics Action Alert
Lets Make It Happen
3 Chics Trio
-
REALITY Blog Award
Recent Comments
Top Posts
Guard The Change
Vote 4 Democrats
-
-
-
Go to the polls
President Barack Obama
First Lady Michelle Obama
Obama Love
Your Vote Matters
President Obama & Bo
The Obama Family
-
-
-
-
Presidential hug
-
Cain & unable
By Chipsticks 62 Comments
Herman Cain’s Iowa Director, Tina Goff, told TheIowaRepublican.com that she has submitted her resignation and is no longer working for the campaign.
…. Kevin Hall has also left the campaign. Hall served as Cain’s Straw Poll coordinator.
…Goff stated that she resigned because the Cain campaign refused to make a serious effort in Iowa, the home of the First-in-the-Nation caucuses.
With just 43 days to the Iowa Straw Poll, Cain’s campaign here in Iowa and nationally seems to be unraveling. Cain lost his New Hampshire director, Matt Murphy, who was his only staffer in that state, earlier this week.
Jim Zeiler, a Cain regional director who had been to Iowa and was helping with the campaign’s Straw Poll plans, has also left the campaign.
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/07/01/cain-eh-unable/
BWA H AH A HA HA HA HA HA HA HA AH AH AH HA
I absolutely HAD to come back to submit this post, which was written by TiMT at The People’s View. Thank you for putting this out there! That.Is.All.
“Hate is a very difficult word to use. I can never say I hate so and so. Even Bush I don’t hate while I have used a saying, “I hate that mothafucker” but really don’t hate him. I just don’t like what he stands for. If you hate someone, I really feel you are hurting. If you are hurting, you have to find a solution to heal. Easier said than done, I know.”
“Here is a definition of hate:”intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury”.
“Hate breeds hate. Hate makes you weak. Hate lessens your relevance while your feelings and emotions can be understood. It is normal human nature to say, I hate so and so because you have been done wrong. Carrying it within you however can destroy you.”
“The kind of hate I am talking about however does not have a cause like the ill feeling one would have for being done wrong. I am talking about the HATE that is taught from generation to generation simply out of ignorance. Hate that is embedded into you like a doctrine since you were a kid.”
“The kind of hate I am talking about is taught without comprehending where it will lead you some day.”
“I remember some 15 years ago where a church members’ daughter who was 4 years of age declining to give me a high-five to my surprise and when I asked why, I can still remember to this day the answer that little girl gave me and it was, “because you are black”. A 4 years old won’t give me a high five because I am black. I was embarrassed of the situation but more so embarrassed for the parents (their environment) that I played it off as if its kids being kids mambo jambo.”
“How the heck would one know to say something like that so young? The indoctrination of hate based on the color of one’s skin is not something new. If you had thought racism was America’s original sin, think again. It still is. I wouldn’t be talking about it as if it is a thing of the past.”
“Hateful and racist at age 4 without knowing what it really is. That is how it starts.”
“Kids are pure souls. Especially at an early age until they pick up shit from us adults. We adore them regardless of their race or background. Most people I know are compassionate toward kids. At least the folks I know are. I have three kids and I know their soul is gracious and pure. Most of all, I teach them right from wrong based on my values. You will find me rolling six feet under before my kids would say something that is hateful. Can’t tolerate it, Don’t tolerate it and won’t accept it under my roof. I have learned great values where it is my responsibility to pass on the good in me.”
“What are we teaching our kids today? How the heck would a 4 years old know to say something like that unless they are thought by their Parents, Grand Parents, Uncles, Great Uncles, Aunts, Great Aunts, etc. A family born of hate will breed hate until they seek remedy. I always wonder where that 4 years old girl is today. I would not be shocked to see her at one of the racist teabaggers rallies all across America.”
“What has been the case in America for the last 400 years has been the passing of the torch by some who don’t want to let go of the indoctrination of generational hatred for the Black race. That is still the case today where there is no action for a man that spews such hate on a nationally syndicated radio show. Keep listening to Neal Boortz as this hateful person speak about black folks in Atlanta and he still has a job:
This town is starting to look like a garbage heap. And we got too damn many urban thugs, yo, ruining the quality of life for everybody. And I’ll tell you what it’s gonna take. You people, you are – you need to have a gun. You need to have training. You need to know how to use that gun. You need to get a permit to carry that gun. And you do in fact need to carry that gun and we need to see some dead thugs littering the landscape in Atlanta. We need to see the next guy that tries to carjack you shot dead right where he stands. We need more dead thugs in this city. And let their — let their mommas — let their mommas say, “He was a good boy. He just fell in with the good crowd.” And then lock her ass up.
“Yep…why not just say, kill them N#$%^&S.”
“That is just one of the recent episode of what is a normal life challenge for Black folks. This happens to people of color everyday but black folks just keep on keepin’ on. Racism born of hate is part of life the privileged never has to think about until they hear that 1 in 6 black people are unemployed or 1 in 9 black men of adult age are enslaved in prison as a result of our criminal injustice system. Damn right, that is the truth!”
“Nothing explains the hatred I witness for a man who is working day and night trying to help America be revived from the brink of a disaster. Nothing explains the hatred for a black man who is fighting for America’s interest while held in a different standard. I totally understand the difference between criticism and hatred. There are hard core policy criticism of our President while I personally may not agree with them know it is not born of hatred for the man. It is not personal, disrespectful, belittling, marginalizing and mean. They don’t call him a dick, liar, monkey, very urban, demagogue, take a valium, disgraceful, etc. However, some take cover in the name of criticism to spew their hatred. Yes, our media has been giving these kinds of people a platform to continue the indoctrination of covert racism within our society in the name of free press and all kinds of excuses there is.”
“Believe me, hate doctrine is in full force in the last two and half years but it has always been there. It just became more visible since the moment a black man has become a President. I remember watching the folks at John McCain campaign head quarters and the number of jaws that dropped in the wee hours of the morning of Nov 5th, 2008, when Barack Obama won the Presidency. I know when I see disappointment when people work hard for their candidate and they don’t make it. The shock I saw in some people’s face was not of disappointment. It was of disgust that he made. That he is their President too. A Black man!”
“Our President is faced with a lot of challenges. More challenges than he would have had had he been a White President. Clarence Jones writes that there is no other way of explaining the over the top, antagonistic opposition from the Republicans to President Obama except it is just because of who he is, pure and simple. By now, those who think otherwise are simply in denial dishing out that same ole excuse for bigotry.”
“History will record not only that Obama was the first African-American to be elected president of the United States, but that he was also president during a time when our nation was confronted with issues and problems of historic, if not unimaginable, magnitude.”
“There is a tradition of partisan opposition between the two major parties in our country. Most of the time, notwithstanding speeches in Congress or criticism in the press, there is usually a commonality of noblesse oblige, of decency underlying even some of the most vociferous rhetoric.”
“It it now clear that the Republican Party is dominated by persons who, under no circumstances, no way, no how, in this life, or the next, will accept the legitimacy of Obama, as an African-American, as president of this great nation. Few people have the guts or the courage to tell it like it is, lest they be criticized for “playing the race card,” or suggesting that an African-American who becomes president somehow should not be criticized, but “given a pass” based on some offensive “double standard,” etc, etc.”
//snip
“Meanwhile in the real world, according to the Economist the IMF predicts that by 2016 China will become the largest economy on a “purchasing-power-parity basis.” China now has estimated foreign exchange reserves of more than $3 trillion and last year ran a budget deficit of 2.5% of its GDP.”
“And we have Congressional Republican clowns suggesting that we default on the payment of our debt obligations rather than raise the debt limit?”
“All to make Obama a one term Black President.”
“It is difficult to indoctrinate someone out of a set doctrine where your whole life has been a big hate feast toward a sector of our society. An African American society to be specific. Some are just hostage to their upbringing and most times they slip and slip horribly. Their true color that has been tattoo in their souls eventually resurfaces as it has been seen here.”
“Oh, I have not forgotten Obama’s Mother. They just don’t care she was white nor do they care he is Irish. They can’t see beyond the skin color. It bothers them a Black man has the smarts and wittiness to intellectually outsmart them all combined. As if it leaves bad precedent for the future of this country.”
“I wonder indeed if the President wouldn’t be up many nights listening to James Cleveland’s gospel hymn, “I don’t feel no ways tired”:
[click on link to view video of James Cleveland.]
“Nobody told me the road would be easy. But, Lord, don’t believe you brought me this far, just to leave me.”
“…and when you see this…. you can say we are a sane bunch in the Democratic Wing of the spectrum.” [Refer to chart/graphics of President Obama’s fund raising efforts thus far.]
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2011/07/they-will-never-accept-legitimacy-of.html
Excellent write up!
THIS IS SO ON POINT
ROTFLMBAO title alone’s a winner. BYE BOY!
STRAIGHT; NO CHASER! Pour us another, please.
uly 01, 2011 4:00 PM
Dems hit Romney for comical flip-flop
By Steve Benen
For weeks, one of the driving messages of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign has been that President Obama made the economy worse, not better. The argument is a demonstrable lie, but Romney has repeated it over and over again anyway.
Yesterday, asked to defend his bogus claim, Romney flip-flopped: “I didn’t say that things are worse.”
Jamelle Bouie had a good take on this:
Compared to this, Michele Bachmann’s John Quincy Adams gaffe isn’t even worth a mention. Not only did Romney lie about Obama’s handling of the economy, but then — once caught in the lie — he lied again. What’s more, he backed down from the core message of his campaign, and ceded a tremendous amount of ground to the president. For the front-runner in a presidential nomination contest, it’s an extremely amateur performance.
Well said. Lying about lying, on camera, isn’t just foolish, it’s amateurish. Lying about lying on the campaign’s central economic argument offers a reminder that Mitt Romney probably isn’t quite ready for prime time. (Remember, the guy is one-for-three in seeking public office. A natural candidate he isn’t.)
The DNC is pouncing on Romney’s latest mistake, and unveiled this video this afternoon.
DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse said in a statement, “The fact is that Mitt Romney was plain wrong on the economy, and instead of admitting it, he is compounding the problem by making another ridiculously false statement. Mitt Romney has a well-deserved reputation for flip-flopping and misleading voters about his previous statements and positions – but this really takes the cake. Not only can you not count on Mitt Romney to stand by what he said in the last campaign or in the last year — you literally can’t count on him to stand by what he said in the same week. The only question now is: what will Mitt Romney say tomorrow?”
Actually, that need not be a rhetorical question. If I had to put money on it, I’d wager that Romney flips back to his original position, and again tries to once again say Obama made things worse. Indeed, he probably can’t stick to this new line, since it would mean Romney has to admit that Obama made the economy better, and that’s not a line Romney wants to make.
Indeed, as of right now, it appears that Romney’s new is that the economy is stll in bad shape, but Obama didn’t make things worse. Behold, the GOP frontrunner.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/dems_hit_romney_for_comical_fl030637.php
Rikyrah, you can add this updated information about Romney to the list:
“On May 16, with great fanfare, Mitt Romney announced that he “raised $10.25 million” in a single day. The announcement resulted in an avalanche of good press. A database search reveals hundreds of references to his fundraising haul, virtually all of it positive. A sampling of headlines:
Mitt Romney Lays Down The Gauntlet To Republican Contenders With A One Day Fundraising Haul of More Than $10 Million [Christian Science Monitor, 5/17/11]
$10 Million Day For Romney [Washington Post, 5/17/11]
Romney holds daylong event to display fundraising prowess; Vegas drive adds about $10.25M To Coffers, Aides Say [Boston Globe, 5/17/11]
Team Romney Rakes In $10.25 Million In One Day [National Journal, 5/17/11]
Romney himself touted the $10 million figure, saying, “That’s a terrific start. Actually it’s more than just a start – it really gives us the boost that we need at this early stage in my effort.”
“So how was it that, after raising over $10 million in one day, the campaign recently announced it only raised $15 to $20 million for the entire quarter?”
“As it turns out, the campaign wasn’t telling the truth. Yesterday, the Los Angeles Time revealed Romney’s “sleight of hand“:
“The former Massachusetts governor’s campaign told reporters in May that he had raised $10 million in a one-day phone-a-thon in Las Vegas. But the amount actually represented pledges gathered earlier and tallied that day, not just funds actually taken in by the campaign.”
“So the campaign not only didn’t raise $10 million in one day, they didn’t even collect $10 million dollars in pledges in one day. Instead, they “tallied” pledges they received ‘earlier.'”
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/07/01/259150/romney-fact-check-10-million/
The Romney campaign purposely misled the press and the public for their own political advantage.
Fri Jul 01, 2011 at 02:39 PM PDT
Hateful Herman Cain Insults President’s Ethnicity; He Should Go Back to Baking Pizzas +*
by Kwik
Former Godfather’s Pizza Chairman and current Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain apparently has a title the rest of us didn’t know about: CEO of Who Gets to Be Black, Inc.
Check out these excerpts from an interview Cain did with Andrew Goldman published in the New York Times June 30 titled, Ballad of the Long Shot:
Before you announced your campaign, you said that the liberal establishment is scared that “a real black man might run against Barack Obama.” Are you suggesting Obama isn’t really black?
A real black man is not timid about making the right decisions, that’s what I meant. Look, I’m not getting into this whole thing about President Obama. It is documented that his mother was white and his father was from Africa. If he wants to call himself black, fine. If he wants to call himself African-American, fine. I’m not going down this color road.
Before you announced your campaign, you said that the liberal establishment is scared that “a real black man might run against Barack Obama.” Are you suggesting Obama isn’t really black?
A real black man is not timid about making the right decisions, that’s what I meant. Look, I’m not getting into this whole thing about President Obama. It is documented that his mother was white and his father was from Africa. If he wants to call himself black, fine. If he wants to call himself African-American, fine. I’m not going down this color road.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/01/990569/-Hateful-Herman-Cain-Insults-Presidents-Ethnicity;-He-Should-Go-Back-to-Baking-Pizzas-?via=siderecent
Herman Cain = house nigga of the highest order!
Yep! you called it!
I am high fivin” it!!
July 01, 2011
And down … goes … Minnesota: Stay tuned
It’s a model state that once brimmed with crisp progressivism and button-downed goo-goos and a one-for-all civic ethic and it gave us Humphrey, Mondale, and Wellstone. Now it’s effectively closed, a shambles of pseudoconservative ideology and uncompromising nihilism.
Welcome to Minnesota. In the opening line I used the present tense — it still is a model state — although the model no longer fits its history. Now it’s a model, as political scientist Lawrence Jacobs warns, of “ungovernability.”
The causation is simple: “There’s a new ethic here,” adds Jacobs, “that compromise is weakness.” And of course sticking to one’s guns ultimately (and I scarcely need add, paradoxically) translates into a corruption of principled leadership, since the inevitable wreckage of deadlock translates only into the singular principle of desolate rudderlessness.
At stake is a choice of deficit-resolution that virtually anyone, let’s say, ideologically born after the era of Horace Mann would find a no-brainer. The Democratic governor has suggested “rais[ing] income taxes only on those earning more than $1 million a year — an estimated 7,700 Minnesotans, or 0.3 percent of all taxpayers.” The Republican-controlled legislature’s proposal? “[D]elaying another $700 million in payments owed to schools.”
The malevolence of contemporary Republicans’ assorted Plutocrat-Protection and Nineteenth-Century-Restoration Acts requires little discussion, if any. Their diseased ideology of Bachmannesque indifference to the public — or what they would call egads! the collective — good is simply too manifest to beg any further diagnosis. Only the cure remains: for exasperated, exhausted voters to send these predatory bumpkins packing back to their suburban mansions or rustic log cabins, where in privacy they can polish their blue steel and caress their Bibles and with luck find someone to reread to them the classics of anarchy theory.
That’s the American Way — a polite, thanks-but-no-thanks, we’ve-had-enough, essentially conservative, peaceful change of leadership and governance, the nonrevolutionary limits of which, as I speculated yesterday, the GOP is rather ill-advisedly testing.
http://pmcarpenter.blogs.com/p_m_carpenters_commentary/2011/07/and-down-goes-minnesota-stay-tuned.html
July 01, 2011
An inexorable showdown
I agree with Tim Pawlenty on the potentially transcendent virtue of his state’s collapse, and extend the logic nationally. Pawlenty:
There’s going to be a variety of near-term impacts, but the longer-term goal is what is most important here.
As I have opined before, in the GOP’s infinitely contemptible debt-ceiling rebellion we’re witnessing the greatest threat to this republic since the sectional crisis of the late 1850s and early 1860s. The party means to remake the nation in its own, unrehabilitated and minority image; if it cannot, then the nation be damned, says the GOP to President Obama, much as the South dismissed President Lincoln’s attempts at political reasonableness. (Lincoln’s 1861 position on slavery may seem deeply un-reasonable to us today, but remember the historical context.)
Now — as then — at hand is an inexorable showdown, and we might as well have it out this August. Skirting the showdown through a one-way compromise or resorting to a presidential override of statutory law might by definition postpone the showdown, yet there no longer seems to be a persuasive reason for any such a postponement. Obama has already proven his reasonableness to the electorate. That was a large part of his December, 2010 compromise. Now that, as the kids say, is so last year.
A debt-ceiling showdown would indeed have severe “near-term impacts,” yet the concessionary alternative is the permanency of long-term governance by Republican racketeering. There is, however, another alternative: expose these ideological thugs for what they are, and exchange the near-term pain of an immense fiscal crisis for the much longer-term gain of electoral House- and Senate-cleaning.
Be assured I take none of this lightly. I’m not of a political temperament that would casually recommend a virtual civil war. However the radicalization, the extremism, the utterly sociopathic gangsterism of the GOP accelerates almost daily, and at exponential speed, and with a seeming endlessness. Unless Obama stops them, now.
http://pmcarpenter.blogs.com/p_m_carpenters_commentary/2011/07/an-inexorable-showdown.html
July 01, 2011
Prima-facie treason
A reader quotes, and asks:
…in the GOP’s infinitely contemptible debt-ceiling rebellion we’re witnessing the greatest threat to this republic since the sectional crisis of the late 1850s and early 1860s.” This is an extremely powerful statement. Can you provide historical context to validate and elaborate on this? I am asking this only because I think this matter deserves much more than the single paragraph you have given it.
To which I would quote myself, from June 23:
[T]he lawmakers of the 1920s could be forgiven their sins, for mostly they knew not what they were doing. But what might one call the acts of contemporary lawmakers who, with full and pre-advised knowledge, understood precisely that their actions would devastate the nation and destroy its credit and severely cripple its economic future and throw millions more into unemployment and despair? What would one call the lawmakers’ intentional betrayal of a national trust? There is a legal term for it.
Treason.
I believe one can legitimately make that case; indeed, I think it stands as staggeringly prima facie.
Not since the sectional crisis has an American political party — a minority party no less — assumed dictatorial powers that so arrogantly defy the U.S. presidency and all attempts at reasonable, pluralistic compromise. House Republicans, in addition to their minority counterparts in the Senate, have unilaterally declared who shall rule absolutely supreme, and how. That, perhaps, is just politics. Yet in this instance the material consequences of their actions spell a devastation to this nation that is, economically speaking, tantamount to the bloodshed of the Civil War — the minority South’s treasonous response to Constitutional compromise and republican governance.
In brief, the Republican Party would rather instigate and rule over a hellish America on Earth than serve in a constitutional republic of inescapable compromises. That, too — again, given its horrific consequences — is treason.
But don’t mistake. We as a country made it through the Civil War, a couple of global wars, the Great Depression and the cultural maelstroms of the 1960s, so we’ll certainly make it through the attempted dictatorialism of the GOP’s petty tyrants.
I’ll now climb off this particular soapbox.
http://pmcarpenter.blogs.com/p_m_carpenters_commentary/2011/07/prima-facie-treason.html
Judge Rules For NLRB Over Boeing, Graham Piping Mad
A federal judge denied Boeing’s motion to dismiss a National Labor Relations Board lawsuit that charged the aerospace giant with unfairly penalizing Washington workers’ collective bargaining rights by moving a new production line to South Carolina.
Administrative Law Judge Clifford Anderson is allowing the case against Boeing to proceed to trial. The NLRB charged Boeing executives with retaliating against union workers in Washington state for striking by opening up the South Carolina factory, which Boeing flat-out denies.
With job creation at the forefront of politicians’ minds in Washington, D.C., the issue has become fodder for the 2012 election with Republican contenders blaming the Obama administration with unfairly penalizing Boeing and showing its anti-business hand. The administration appoints top officials at the NRLB, though the agency operates in an independent manner.
President Obama’s first comments on the matter, however, had some pro-union factions up in arms because they appeared to support Boeing’s decision to relocate an operation to South Carolina.
“What I do know is this — that as a general proposition, companies need to have the freedom to relocate,” he said at a press conference Wednesday. “They have to follow the law, but that’s part of our system. And if they’re choosing to relocate here in the United States, that’s a good thing.”
“And what it doesn’t make — what I think defies common sense would be a notion that we would be shutting down a plant or laying off workers because labor and management can’t come to a sensible agreement,” he continued.
A spokesman for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) declined to comment on the meaning of Obama’s remarks, but Graham did not hold back when it came to blasting the judge’s decision to allow the NLRB case to proceed.
“Right now Boeing is stuck in what amounts to a union-controlled NLRB Star Chamber whose sole purpose is to extract a pound of flesh from the company,” Graham said in a statement. “Eventually Boeing will break free from the union-dominated process and move to a truly independent court of law. It’s there Boeing ultimately prevails over this frivolous NLRB complaint.”
“South Carolina earned the right to build these airplanes and no unelected bureaucracy is going to take that away from us,” he added.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/judge-rules-for-nlrb-over-boeing-graham-piping-mad-4.php
Ouch: Tim Pawlenty Raises Anemic $4.2 Million For Presidential Bid
Tim Pawlenty raised a disappointing $4.2 million in his first quarter as a presidential candidate, falling short of expectations and raising questions about his ability to compete with the better-funded Mitt Romney and buzzier Michele Bachmann.
The former Minnesota governor hoped to establish credibility early as a legit challenger to Romney’s frontrunner status, but he was hampered by a weak debate performance in which he appeared hesitant to go after his rival on health care. Romney is expected to raise between $15 and $20 million with more cash flowing into independent PACs loyal to his candidacy, meaning he may quintuple Pawlenty’s numbers or more.
Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant noted that then-struggling Mike Huckabee and John McCain had less cash at the same point in 2007 before they turned things around.
“Gov. Pawlenty will report that his campaign has raised about $4.2 million, and begins the third quarter with more available cash-on-hand than the Republicans who won the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary had in July 2007,” he said in an e-mail to reporters.
It will be tough to gain ground without more cash, however: already a number of Pawlenty staffers are barely being paid and the campaign is reportedly planning to spend as much as $1.75 million on the upcoming Ames Straw Poll in Iowa.
“Pawlenty is not out but he is paying the price for a poor debate performance and a lack of campaign leadership,” one unattached Republican strategist told TPM. “Donors who were ‘sizing-up’ Pawlenty are disappointed….While [they] like Pawlenty’s ‘executive’ experience and his stance on the economy they are concerned that he doesn’t have the right stuff to win. They are also not impressed with who is running his campaign.”
Pawlenty can take comfort in lackluster fundraising from rival Jon Huntsman, which were inflated by a $2 million personal loan to the campaign. And even though Romney dominates the cash race so far, his numbers are at least expected to be a little below expectations. The rest of the field has yet to release their numbers.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/ouch-tim-pawlenty-raises-anemic-42-million-for-presidential-bid.php?ref=dcblt
this man has SERIOUS ISSUES
………………………………………………..
Prosser Grabs Reporter’s Microphone, Quickly Hands It Back (VIDEO)
Wisconsin state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, who has been publicly accused of putting Justice Ann Walsh Bradley in a chokehold, had another flare-up on Thursday — this time with a reporter.
The local Fox affiliate in Milwaukee sent reporter Mike Lowe to the state Capitol in Madison, seeking to track down the members of the Supreme Court, including Prosser, and repeatedly ask them for comment.
In all, Lowe caught up with four out of the seven Justices. Of course, the Justices predictably declined to comment on a matter that is under a pending investigation — especially a story that is embarrassing the court.
But when Prosser met up with Lowe, he quickly grabbed the microphone out of Lowe’s hand, before just as quickly handing it right back to the surprised reporter — apparently realizing that was a really bad idea in front of a video camera
Watch the video …
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/prosser_grabs_reporters_microphone_quickly_hands_i.php?ref=fpa
July 01, 2011 4:40 PM
Taxes aren’t a third rail
By Steve Benen
The percentage of Americans who want to pay higher taxes is extremely small. It’s why candidates rarely seek public office promising to raise taxes, and it’s why Republicans see this as such a potent issue. If a GOP candidate can convince voters his or her Democratic rival will raise their taxes, the conventional wisdom goes, the odds of the Dem losing go up.
And in the context of the debt-reduction talks underway in D.C., congressional Republicans believe they not only can win the fight by refusing to compromise, they can also win the fight for public opinion by repeating, ad nauseum, that those rascally Democrats want to “raise taxes.”
The problem for the GOP is that this isn’t quite the electoral winner they assume it to be. Bruce Bartlett, a veteran of the Reagan and Bush administrations, noted yesterday:
Contrary to Republican dogma, polls show that the American people strongly support higher taxes to reduce the deficit and improve income inequality. Following are 19 different polls since the first of the year that say so.
Bruce goes on to reference (and link to) 19 polls, all from 2011, which show large chunks of the public support at least some tax increases. Indeed, the most interesting poll on Bruce’s list is a Washington Post/ABC News poll from last month that found 61% of the country believes higher taxes will be necessary to reduce the deficit.
Once policy details are added to the mix — if, for example, the public was told Democrats were only trying to eliminate unnecessary tax breaks for the oil industry and corporate-jet owners, for example — the so-called tax increases would probably be even more popular.
The assumption among Republicans is that the American mainstream believes exactly as GOP leaders do: all taxes are bad, all tax increases are bad, ergo anyone who supports more taxes is also bad.
Like most Republican assumptions, the evidence to support this is extremely thin.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/taxes_arent_a_third_rail030638.php
Looking for a Progressive Win?
by BooMan
Fri Jul 1st, 2011 at 05:58:21 PM EST
It will be a test of the Republican media wurlitzer’s restraint. It’s hard to think of anything easier to fearmonger than some commission deciding to reduce the sentences of over 12,000 crack felons, many of whom will be released from prison at roughly the same time. But that’s what the U.S. Sentencing Commission unanimously decided to do by applying elements of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactively. One definition of progressivism is help for the helpless, love for the unloved, power to the powerless. No one is more helpless than an inmate, or unloved and powerless than a crack offender. Springing people out of prison who may make you live to regret your decision is one of the hardest things for a politician to do. The upside may be justice, but few people will notice or care. The downside is someone gets robbed, raped, or murdered and you like a fool.
This is why prison reform is such a thankless and difficult task. Fortunately, the disparity in the sentences for crack and powder cocaine were so obvious, and the effects some obviously racially unfair, that Congress finally rectified the situation and the Sentencing Commission had the courage to do the right thing.
You don’t see things like this happen too often, so cherish it. It’s one of the only truly progressive outcomes I’ve seen come out of Washington in a very long time. Even so, we’ve got a long way to go.
Not every federal crack cocaine offender in federal prison will be eligible for a lower sentence as a result of this decision. The Commission estimates, based on Fiscal Year 2010 sentencing data, that approximately 12,000 offenders may be eligible to seek a sentence reduction. The average sentence reduction for eligible offenders will be approximately 37 months, and the overall impact on the eligible offender population will occur incrementally over decades. The average sentence for these offenders, even after reduction, will remain about 10 years. The Bureau of Prisons estimates that retroactivity of the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 amendment could result in a savings of over $200 million within the first five years after retroactivity takes effect.
Non-violent drug offenders should not be spending a decade in prison. That’s ridiculous. But this is still something to celebrate.
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/7/1/175821/0592
THREE GUESSES ON WHAT COLOR THE VET IS, AND THE FIRST TWO DON’T COUNT.
………………………………………………….
GA HOA Blocks Home for Disabled Vet
by Steven D
Fri Jul 1st, 2011 at 01:36:49 PM EST
Imagine you served your country as an Army sergeant who served two tours of duty in Iraq. Imagine that during that second tour in 2008 an IED device exploded, causing you to sustain lifelong disabilities: paralysis on your right side and the inability to speak brought about by a stroke tied to the injuries from the blast.
Imagine that a non-profit charity dedicated to providing homes to wounded and disabled veterans offered to build you a 2,785 square foot home, free and clear, with all the amenities needed to make your life better. A home where your family could take care of you. A home that would be built in a nice neighborhood in a suburb of Augusta, Georgia. Imagine your family moved to that suburb and rented a home while they waited for your new home to be built. You even started sending your children to the local schools. Life was looking up.
Now imagine your worst nightmare: the local homeowners association (HOA) of the subdivision where your home was to be built decided it didn’t want you there and did everything in its power to keep you out. Now stop imagining, because this is the true story of former Army Sgt. 1st Class Sean Gittens and a groups of assholes known as the Knob Hill Property Owners Association of Augusta who didn’t want Sean Gittens, wounded warrior, living next door:
Homes for Our Troops formally announced at a press conference today they would not build a home for paralyzed veteran Sean Gittens at the Knob Hill subdivision in Evans. […]
Homes for Our Troops has built homes free of charge for over 100 severely disabled veterans nationwide. [President of Homes for our Troops, John Gonsalves] said it’s the first time a build has been blocked by a homeowners association.
What was the excuse given by the homeowners who spent so much time and effort keeping Sgt. Gittens from having a home built for him by this laudable charity? Well that depends. Their excuses were flimsy at best.
Let’s go through the list shall we?
The paperwork excuse:
Construction was to begin on Friday, but Gonsalves said the homeowners association at the last minute filed a cease-and-desist order on the project, claiming that he had failed to file all the necessary paperwork.
“This could have been a done deal had they just gotten us the paperwork,” said Rick Trump, president of the Knob Hill Homeowners Association, during a phone interview. “Who’s really to blame here? Is it that we blocked them or that they’re disorganized and don’t have everything they need?”
The “This will lower our property values” excuse:
The association had blocked construction of the Gittens home after months of negotiations because it believed the house would lower neighboring property values. […]
Sharon Gittens, Sean’s wife, told news media Monday the family decided not to stay in Knob Hill because they did not feel they would be welcome.
A claim disputed, by the way by one prominent real estate expert:
In reality, though, the HOA needn’t have worried, according to New York appraiser Alice Palmisano.
The claim that smaller houses drag down neighboring property values is unfounded, she said. “It usually works the other way around, where the smaller house typically sees a boost in home value,” but there’s no evidence that smaller homes hurt the value of larger ones. Given the special nature of the home, it wouldn’t even be used as the basis for a “comparable property,” she said.
“Just because a custom home is built for a handicapped person does not mean that home can’t sell to a conventional buyer,” she added. “And considering the circumstances, it sounds kind of mean-spirited.”
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/7/1/133649/4624
Senator Anchor Baby Rubio needs to go somewhere and sit his grifting ass down, before he’s asked why, after his ass is nothing but an anchor baby, he refuses to SPONSOR THE DREAM ACT IN THE SENATE.
…………………………..
July 01, 2011 2:25 PM
Rubio shouldn’t condemn what he doesn’t understand
By Steve Benen
Sen. Marco Rubio (R) chatted with National Review this week, and shared his outrage over President Obama’s press conference remarks.
Rubio tells us that he will respond to Obama’s recent press conference, where the president reveled in class-warfare bluster. “Quite frankly, I am both disappointed for our country and shocked at some of the rhetoric,” he says. “It was rhetoric, I thought, that was more appropriate for some left-wing strong man than for the president of the United States.”
“Talking about corporate jets and oil companies,” Rubio says, missed the point. “Everybody here agrees that our tax code is broken,” he says, and he is open to discussing tax reform. “But don’t go around telling people that the reason you are not doing well is because some rich guy is in a corporate jet or some oil company is making too much money.”
The right-wing freshman added that “by every measure,” conditions are “worse than it was” when Obama took office. (That’s still blisteringly stupid.)
But it’s Rubio’s basic listening comprehension skills that trouble me. As the Floridian sees it, the president is telling the country that some are struggling “because some rich guy is in a corporate jet or some oil company is making too much money.”
Consider what the president actually said.
“I want to be clear about what we’re proposing here. I spent the last two years cutting taxes for ordinary Americans, and I want to extend those middle-class tax cuts. The tax cuts I’m proposing we get rid of are tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires; tax breaks for oil companies and hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners.
“It would be nice if we could keep every tax break there is, but we’ve got to make some tough choices here if we want to reduce our deficit…. Before we ask our seniors to pay more for health care, before we cut our children’s education, before we sacrifice our commitment to the research and innovation that will help create more jobs in the economy, I think it’s only fair to ask an oil company or a corporate jet owner that has done so well to give up a tax break that no other business enjoys. I don’t think that’s real radical. I think the majority of Americans agree with that.”
This really isn’t complicated. A member of the United States Senate should be capable of listening to the words and understanding their meaning.
Did Obama say people are struggling because of the wealthy? Of course not. The president merely said that people are going to have to make some sacrifices to bring down the deficit (a deficit Republicans created and now pretend to care about). Those sacrifices should include the end of tax breaks the very wealthy do not need.
Rubio hears this and it reminds him of “some left-wing strong man”?
I’ve long been concerned that Marco Rubio just isn’t terribly bright. This latest only salvo reinforces those fears.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/rubio_shouldnt_condemn_what_he030634.php
Would The Constitutional Option Work?
Jonathan Adler thinks Congress couldn’t stop Obama:
Were the White House to authorize the assumption of debt above and beyond that authorized by Congress, it is not clear that anyone would have standing to challenge this action in federal court. As a consequence, the question would be left to the political branches.
Chait rounds up more commentary. Stan Collender sees “a concerted effort is underway … to get the word out about the 14th Amendment”:
First, the White House wants to make sure that invoking the amendment won’t be a shock if it is used and that the bond market will be comfortable buying debt issued without specific congressional approval. Second, the White House clearly wants to show congressional Republicans that their plan to demand ransom for the debt ceiling might well be based on a completely incorrect assumption that they can hold the borrowing limit hostage.
http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/
Section 4 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution:
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Romney Signs Pledge Saying U.S. Should Default On Its Debt Unless Congress Passes A Balanced Budget Amendment
By Pat Garofalo on Jun 29, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Back in 2002, a spokesman for former Gov. Mitt Romney (R), a current GOP presidential hopeful, derided an anti-tax pledge as “government by gimmickry.” But Romney is evidently okay with gimmickry now, as he signed the Americans for Tax Reform anti-tax pledge last week.
Not through with putting his John Hancock on cockamamie pledges, Romney today signed the right-wing “Cut, Cap, and Balance” pledge that is being pushed by a host of conservative organizations and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC). Among other things, the pledge demands that the nation’s debt ceiling not be raised without congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution:
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) said Wednesday that he supports a pledge put forth by some congressional Republicans and conservative groups calling for significant spending cuts and caps as well as a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution in exchange for a vote this summer to raise the country’s debt ceiling.
“I am for cut, cap and balance,” Romney told reporters after a Capitol Hill meeting with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), according to the Salt Lake Tribune’s Tommy Burr.
In addition to calling for the U.S. to default on its debt unless Congress approves a balance budget amendment (which is totally unrealistic as well as economically bone-headed), the pledge also calls for caps on federal spending. Romney has voiced support for such caps before before, and as I noted here, they would be terribly destructive and force deep cuts to important government programs, without even resulting in a balanced budget.
As Judd Legum noted today, even the radical House Republican budget authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) wouldn’t pass muster under the balanced budget amendment. That Romney is willing to risk the economic meltdown that could occur if the U.S. defaults on its debt in order to pander to DeMint and his conservative allies is quite distressing.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/29/257740/romney-pledge-default-amendment/
Romney Repeatedly Said Obama ‘Made The Recession Worse,’ Now Claims ‘I Didn’t Say That Things Are Worse’
By Scott Keyes on Jul 1, 2011 at 1:10 pm
From the onset of his presidential campaign, Mitt Romney has “bet his candidacy on the economy,” as Dan Balz of the Washington Post put it. During the former Massachusetts governor’s announcement speech, he declared:
Barack Obama has failed America. When he took office, the economy was in recession. He made it worse.
Romney has repeated the same line during campaign stops since, including as recently as three days ago.
The Massachusetts Republican was asked about this charge by NBC’s Sue Kroll during a press conference in Allentown, Pennsylvania yesterday. Romney claimed to never have said it, responding, “I didn’t say that things are worse”:
KROLL: You continue to say that the economy is worse, but unemployment is lower than it was in 2009, the stock market was tumbling and it’s now above 12,000, and it is growing slowly, we just had a two percent gain this last quarter. So how can you continue to say that things are worse when they really aren’t worse?
ROMNEY: I didn’t say that things are worse. What I said was that the economy hasn’t turned around. That you’ve got 20 million Americans out of work or seriously unemployed. Housing values are going down. You have a crisis of foreclosures in this country. By the way, if you think the economy is great and doing well, be my guest.
During his 2008 presidential bid, Romney garnered a reputation as a flip-flopper. As far back as his Senate run in 1994, the late Sen. Ted Kennedy coined the term “multiple-choice Mitt.” Romney’s words Thursday did little to shed that image.
Washington Monthly’s Steven Benen summed up the situation well: “Even for Romney, who’s flip-flopped more often and on more issues than any American politician in a generation, this is ridiculous. He’s argued repeatedly that Obama made the economy worse, and when asked to defend the bogus claim, says he never made the argument in the first place.”
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/07/01/259102/romney-flip-flops-obama-economy-worse/
America’s Right: all at sea
Adam Haslett
22nd June 2011 —
Mike Huckabee is eating a cheeseburger and fries on the Lido Deck of the Sapphire Princess, a luxury cruise ship bound from Seattle to Alaska across the rough waters of the Queen Charlotte Sound. A 40-knot wind blasting down from the north is causing this floating resort to roll to and fro, sending pallid-faced passengers back to their state rooms and depressing the sales of booze, on which the profits of the Princess rest. The ship is massive: one third the weight of the Empire State Building and as long as the Eiffel Tower is high.
Of its 2,600 passengers, 250 have signed up for the Freedom Cruise, a Christian gospel music extravaganza of which Huckabee, the Baptist minister and former governor of Arkansas, is the star guest and attraction. Until mid-May, Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican candidacy in 2008, was among the front-runners for the party’s presidential nomination in 2012. But then he told the audience of his eponymous Fox News show that: “For me, to do it apart from an inner confidence that I was undertaking it with God’s full blessing is simply unthinkable. All the signs said ‘go,’ but my heart said ‘no.’”
………………………………..
Maggie Benedict and Jinx Drda from suburban St Louis were also greatly disappointed to hear Huckabee had bowed out of the presidential race. They’ve always voted but it wasn’t until Obama’s victory that they became more active in politics.
“It’s the first time I’ve felt the president wasn’t a true American,” Maggie says. “And that he wants to become a dictator. We didn’t like seeing him get elected because of his race.”
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2011/06/america-right-huckabee-libertarian-evangelical-cruise/
Michael Vick In Nike Endorsement Deal
By CNNMoney staff
Michael Vick, the star National Football League quarterback whose career was sidelined by a dog fighting conviction, has reached an endorsement agreement with athletic equipment maker Nike.
“We have re-signed Michael Vick as a Nike athlete,” said Megan Saalfeld, a Nike spokeswoman, in an e-mail to CNN.
Vick, currently on the roster of the Philadelphia Eagles, served 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dog fighting operation.
The conviction cost him a $2 million endorsement deal with Nike and a 10-year, $130 million contact with the Atlanta Falcons.
He has since emerged as a spokesman against dog fighting.
“Michael acknowledges his past mistakes,” Saalfeld said. “We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field.”
For his part, Vick said in a statement that he is “thrilled” to be back with Nike.
“I am thrilled to be on the Nike roster. The brand represents the most exciting athletes in sports,” Vick said. “My focus is now on preparing for the football season and performing at the highest level for my team and my fans.”
Vick signed his first post-conviction deal in January, when he sealed a two-year contract with Unequal Technologies, a company that makes protective athletic gear.
He had worn Unequal apparel after suffering a rib injury against the Washington Redskins in the 2010-2011 season.
Read more: http://www.4029tv.com/sports/28420599/detail.html#ixzz1QtRsTNUs
Friday, July 01, 2011, 5:36 am
My New D-Word for Tavis and Cornel
Before I get to Mark Halperin, let me give you a little background.
They say that if you’re angry with someone, you should write a letter, get all the mean stuff out, and then tear it up or delete it. When you’re a little more calm, you write another letter or confront the person face to face.
About a month ago, I wrote a blog about Tavis Smiley and decided to table it because I said some things I didn’t want to publish. You’re probably thinking I went too hard him, but no. In reality, I hadn’t gone hard enough – and I knew it. I said I’d wait until something pissed me off so bad that I would have the words harsh enough to express what I was really feeling about him and his side piece – I mean side kick – Cornel West.
Well, yesterday, when Mark Halperin – a well-respected journalist, employed by a well-respected magazine and a contributor to a well-respected news network – had the audacity to call the president of the United States a dick, that was all I needed.
While I am appalled at Halperin’s statement, I have no expectations of him as a man and know nothing about his character. I am appalled, however, that as editor-at-large of Time magazine, he is responsible for among other things, deciding what stories will be covered in that publication. As the person in charge of political content, it is upsetting to know that he probably has not been objective in his dealings with material I and so many people look forward to (until now) reading each week. Needless to say, I’ve cancelled my subscription to Time magazine and hope you will too.
But I’m even more disgusted with Smiley and West, two brothers who I did have expectations of – and thought I knew. These two have done much worse than what Halperin has done because they set the tone for it, opened the door to it, and must take much of the blame for creating a climate that would make a white, professional journalist feel comfortable verbally and vulgarly attacking the first black president of the United States.
When you think you know a person, when you’ve given a person a forum to present his views, when you’ve had a hand in a person’s success, you want to believe that he is the same person he always was.
Remember THAT Tavis – the one who could take any complicated political story that had an impact on black America and “break it down” for us every Tuesday and Thursday in less than five minutes. The one who coined the phrase “radio advocacy” and alerted us any time anyone – from a private business owner to a politician to a corporate giant – even thought about doing black folks wrong. The Tavis that loved black people so much that he would sometimes, during his commentaries, be moved to tears. Where is that guy? You know, the guy that would have been telling me, “Fly Jock, Halperin has got to go.” For a while, I thought he was still with us, even though people around me (and many of you) tried to convince me otherwise. “Tavis is a hater.” “Tavis is only about himself.” “Tavis is jealous of the president.” I wouldn’t believe any of it. I had so much respect for him before his primary goal became selling books, and, later, selling out.
As we approach the Fourth of July weekend, one that celebrates our freedoms, including freedom of speech, I wish someone would use that as …..
http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=blog_inner/29954/1573138/The%20Fly%20Jock
July 01, 2011 11:15 AM
Why the Blame Game matters, cont’d
By Steve Benen
The latest New York Times/CBS News poll, released Wednesday, included the question that continues to surprise me: “Who do you think is mostly to blame for the current state of the nation’s economy — (1) the Bush administration, (2) the Obama administration, (3) Wall Street and financial institutions, (4) Congress, or (5) someone else?”
And as with all other recent polls on this, the public still isn’t blaming the president the way Republicans had hoped.
Few Americans blame the President for the economy’s current condition, however. Only 8% think the Obama administration deserves most of the blame for the state of the nation’s economy. More say George W. Bush’s administration (26%) and Wall Street and financial institutions (25%) are mostly to blame. 11% blame Congress.
Got that? On the list of relevant institutions, the Obama administration ranks near the bottom on the list of those getting the blame for the economy. What’s more, the numbers have been pretty steady on this for the last year and a half.
When I wrote about this earlier in the week, I got all kinds of angry emails from conservatives insisting that the poll I cited was wrong. It couldn’t be true that Americans are declining to blame Obama because … well, it just couldn’t.
But I’m just the messenger here, and all of the surveys say the same thing. The latest polls from McClatchy/Marist and NBC/WSJ show the exact same thing as the CBS/NYT poll: Americans are angry, frustrated, and pessimistic about the economy, but most of the public just doesn’t see Obama as the main culprit.
One need not like the results to see the results as they exist.
If it makes the right feel any better, this dynamic may well change. The economic circumstances may reach a point where public impatience boils over, and the blame shifts.
But for now, the “he made it worse” crowd isn’t persuading many people.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/why_the_blame_game_matters_con030623.php
divided federal appeals court has struck down Michigan’s controversial ban on consideration of race and gender in college admissions.
The issue is likely to renew the national political and legal debate over affirmative action, which the Supreme Court could be poised to resolve in coming months.
The 2-1 ruling at the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals concluded the voter-approved ban on “preferential treatment” at state colleges and universities was unconstitutional, and “alters Michigan’s political structure by impermissibly burdening racial minorities.”
Okay, time for a music break!
Here’s a song celebrating the good weather and the upcoming holiday weekend.
Remember this?
I got y’all now…slowing down the pace for a minute.
Here’s my last entry for the day featuring Intro. (THEY KILL THIS!)
3Chics…love you much, hear?
Have a great weekend everyone!
# CHICS <3's you right back, creolechild. Stay safe and happy this weekend. Wonderful cover of Stevie W. Thanks so much, and it's great seeing you back. Come back anytime!
Sweet! Thank you.
Here’s an explanation of why ALL OF US should be concerned about the debt ceiling issue~
“The ongoing debate surrounding America’s looming debt ceiling is big news inside the Beltway and in the press, but for many of us, even the phrase “debt ceiling” sounds too far removed from daily life to be of much interest. But ignoring this latest political battle would be a mistake: How the government handles the nation’s debt limit will directly affect our personal finances in all sorts of important ways.”
“Before we dive into how all this could hit your wallet, here’s a quick refresher course on the issue. Like every other country on Earth, America borrows money to pay for its services. But legally, there’s a limit to how much money the federal government can borrow. Congress holds the purse strings: If more borrowing is needed, they have to approve it. Every time we’ve bumped up against that ceiling in the past, the legislative branch has simply increased the nation’s credit limit.”
“Our problem right now is that the United States is only a few billion dollars from reaching its $14.294 trillion debt limit, and our elected officials aren’t ready pick the simplest choice, the one that past Congresses have made. This time: There’s debate. Should they raise the debt ceiling in order to borrow more money? Or do they hold the line and start either defaulting on our debts or stop paying for other government outlays — military and civil service salaries, for example? Do they cut federal spending, and if so, to which programs? Or do they raise taxes?”
“Yes, our taxes are tied to the debt ceiling. As long as our country is under its debt limit, it can easily borrow money by selling Treasury bonds. As Stan Collender, a partner at Qorvis Communications, explains, “given that the government currently only raises taxes to cover 60% of what it spends, being able to borrow means that the services people depend on from the government continue.” If America hits its debt ceiling, that option would be off the table. In such a scenario, the government would have to raise taxes to fund the shortfall, cut services, reduce its payroll, or do all three.”
[READ CAREFULLY!]
“But individual Americans also will be directly affected by this when it comes to our own consumer debt. As noted before, America raises money by selling debt in the from of Treasury bonds, the government’s version of an IOU. Someone — you, me, China, my grandma, China, a college endowment, a hedge fund, China (yes, China buys a lot of them) — purchases a T-bill, and the American government promises to redeem the bond at some later date, paying the buyer back with a bit of interest.”
“As long as bond buyers feel confident that America will always be willing and able to repay them, they tolerate low interest rates. Zero risk, small reward. But if the world starts to get nervous about America’s ability to repay, the markets will demand a higher interest rate on our bonds before they’re willing to buy them — and because the nation relies on borrowing for cash flow even during good times, if Uncle Sam can’t find buyers for those bonds at low rates, it will have to offer higher ones. Because it’s our tax dollars that are used to pay that interest, higher interest rates eventually will have to covered by us in the form of higher taxes.”
//
“So, America inches toward its debt limit, and bond rates start going up. The interest rates on our car loans, our mortgage loans, our student loans, and our credit cards, to name a few, are tied to bond rates. So if bond rates increase, the interest rates on our personal debt also goes up.” [HEAR THAT?]
“As if increased taxes and higher interest rates isn’t bad enough, we could also see an increase in the cost of numerous everyday items, including gas, clothes, electronics, and anything else produced overseas. If the United States starts looking like it can’t repay its debts, the value of the American dollar decreases. If the dollar weakens, foreign goods become more expensive.”
This is, of course, all speculative at this point. “We don’t know what will happen because this hasn’t happened before,” says Collender. “But if the debt ceiling isn’t raised and the government runs out of cash, at some point the president may decide he has to stop doing certain things, like paying government contractors, for example. That may not sound like such a big deal, but it is if someone in your family, or someone you know, is working for that contractor, or for the supplier of that contractor, or if that contractor is a big employer in your neighborhood or your state.”
”
It also matters because all the parts of our economy are intricately intertwined, like a woven basket where each reed relies upon the next for support. Say the government postpones payments to a contractor. That contractor may decide to hold off on that new ad campaign it had planned to launch. Now, people working in the advertising industry, and maybe the newspapers and television channels that rely on advertising dollars, start to feel the pinch, and so those people decide to start saving more and spending less, in case the economy takes a downturn. Because consumers are now spending less money, stores start seeing a decrease in sales, and respond by reducing employees’ hours or even engaging in outright layoffs. And it spirals downward from there.” [THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE MAY BE HEADED!]
“None of this is very encouraging, which is all the more reason we need to stay alert to how our Congressional representatives handle the debt ceiling issue.”
[Read the full article.]
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/06/04/how-the-debt-ceiling-issue-will-hit-ordinary-americans-in-the-wa/
The Cure for Uppity is Valium
by BooMan
Fri Jul 1st, 2011 at 10:14:02 AM EST
May 25, 2010:
President Obama paid a visit to the Senate Republican Conference today to have a direct give-and-take on current issues like immigration, the oil spill, and financial reform. Though Obama called the meeting “a good, frank discussion on a whole range of issues,” and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was “a good exchange, a candid exchange,” some people were left more bitter than before. “The more he talked, the more he got upset,” said Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas. “He needs to take a Valium before he comes in and talks to Republicans and just calm down, and don’t take anything so seriously.”
June 30, 2011:
Democrats dismissed complaints that Mr. Obama had been overly combative, noting that Republicans had demanded that he engage in the bargaining process, and then criticized him as soon as he did.
But Republicans were evidently still smarting from Mr. Obama’s chiding tone. Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas even suggested that the president needed some sedation before he resumed discussions with them.
“I remember when he talked to Republicans before, and all we got was a lecture,” Mr. Roberts said. “So maybe if he would just take a Valium and calm down and come down and talk to us, it might be helpful.”
It wasn’t funny the first time.
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/7/1/10142/63604
TRANSLATION: THAT BLACK MAN is talking to us like that; HOW DARE HE!!!
Whitey can’t handle the truth being told to them by the Black President. Truth be told they can’t accept the black man as PRESIDENT. Too fucking bad; PBO’s in and y’all gotta deal, BOO!
Political Animal
Blog
July 01, 2011 8:45 AM
If they can’t take the heat…
By Steve Benen
Some people really don’t take criticism well.
At President Obama’s press conference this week, the president urged members of Congress, especially obdurate Republicans, to be more responsible. Obama called for compromise, cooperation, and putting national interests above partisan interests. He was slightly more aggressive than usual — this was not well received by some in the media — but it’s not as if the president was reduced to name-calling and school-yard bullying. At best, his remarks represented mild chiding.
GOP officials, to put it mildly, were not pleased with Obama’s call for responsible policymaking. It’s not just that Republicans disagree with the president; the problem yesterday was that they whined bitterly that Obama hurt their feelings by saying mean things about them.
Yesterday, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley if he’s concerned that Obama’s “bluntness drove the two sides further apart” in the debt-reduction talks. I found Daley’s response pretty compelling.
“I find it ironic that at times people who continually attack the president, beat him up on not only on policy, personality, a whole bunch of things, the minute he takes a tone that is a little more direct, and it was not personal, it was direct in that the leaders of Congress in both parties and especially those who are saying that revenue are off the table period in trying to solve this problem, that somehow that’s going to hurt the feelings of people.
“This is not a time to worry about feelings, this is a time to get results,” Daley told me.
The Republican response this week reminds me of what transpired in April, when the president delivered a big speech on debt reduction. Obama criticized the radical GOP budget plan, explained (accurately) the extent to which Republicans are responsible for the current budget mess, and the right quickly became apoplectic about the president being a big meanie who upset delicate GOP sensibilities.
When it comes to the caricatures of the parties, Republicans like to present themselves as the “Daddy Party.” They’re the ones who are “tough” and “aggressive,” and refuse to get pushed around. It’s striking, then, to see how quickly they fall to pieces the moment Obama says something unpleasant-but-true about them. Suddenly, the folks who claim to be strong find their knees buckling and look for the fainting couch.
For two years, President Obama has gone to great lengths — arguably, too many — to find common ground with his Republican adversaries. In return, Republicans have generally responded with inflexibility, extremism, and blinding, seething rage.
And if the president responds to this by chiding Republicans in public, this is deemed outrageous.
In the midst of important policy disputes, the GOP is stuck in the politics of personal grievance. It’s long past time for them to grow up, develop a thicker skin, and bring some maturity to their responsibilities.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_07/if_they_cant_take_the_heat030619.php
Well CLUTCH the PEARLS, you punk ass bitches! You’re hijacking America by obstructionism, lies, distortion, attempts at voter suppression, killing democracy and you’re worried about your fucking feelings getting hurt by the black President.
BOO, FUCKIN’ HOOO!
This Is Not a Political Party
by BooMan
Fri Jul 1st, 2011 at 12:44:53 AM EST
At this point the Republicans are basically a parody of a political party. They’d be funny as a Monty Python sketch, but they’re so dysfunctional that it’s impossible to deal with them. I don’t even care that they didn’t like being compared unfavorably to the president’s daughters, who actually do their homework and pass it in on time (how about Obama letting us in on his secret?). But their foot-stomping is ridiculous. My expectations for House Republicans is set very close to zero, but the Senate is supposed to be at least tenuously tethered to reality. Our whole system is predicated on senators being the grown-ups who don’t twist and turn with every political wind. Well, you can forget about that.
The Republicans were stung by Obama’s Wednesday press conference, when he unfavorably compared GOP lawmakers to his school-age daughters, who he said get their homework done on time.
In response, Republicans blocked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) request to bring legislation authorizing U.S. military action against Libya to the floor, and walked out of a planned markup of legislation implementing a free-trade agreement with South Korea.
They also mocked and scolded the president for his leadership record and his call for them to get to work.
You read that right. The Republicans have been demanding a vote on the free trade agreements for months, threatening to block everything if they don’t get their votes. But now they’re blocking the mark-up of the goddamned South Korean one because their feelings are hurt. These are U.S. Senators.
This isn’t a political party. It’s a loony-bin, a train-wreck, a compete and utter disaster for the country. How are they going to get their shit together in the one month they have remaining before we default on our debts?
At some point, they have to realize that they’re screwed and they can’t fulfill their promises to the teabaggers. Right?
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/7/1/04453/57195
#AskObama at the First Ever Twitter @Townhall at the White House
The White House is all a-Twitter about an exciting event that’s happening next week. On Wednesday, July 6th at 2pm ET, President Obama will answer your questions in the first ever Twitter Town Hall at the White House, and you’re invited. Tweet your questions about jobs and the economy using the hashtag #AskObama.
Learn more and get involved: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/06/30/askobama-first-ever-twitter-townhall-white-house?utm_source=070111&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=daily
Sen. Thune says the best way to meet President Obama is to ‘set up a tee time’
By Jordan Fabian – 06/30/11 02:21 PM ET
One of the Senate’s top Republicans on Thursday fired back at President Obama for questioning his party’s work ethic, suggesting that the president should spend less time on the golf course.
“I think the best way to get an appointment with the president is to set up a tee time,” Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, told Fox News.
Thune’s retort came after Obama reamed out Congress for its recess schedule at a news conference on Wednesday, saying that he’s ready to get a deal done on deficit reduction and raising the nation’s debt ceiling.
“They’re in one week. They’re out one week. And then they’re saying, ‘Obama’s got to step in,’ ” the president said. “You need to be here. I’ve been here. I’ve been doing Afghanistan and bin Laden and the Greek crisis and — you stay here. Let’s get it done.”
Obama actually tried to use the golf course as a way to thaw relations between the two parties when he invited House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to hit the links with him earlier this month.
But little progress has been made on a deal since then.
The Democratic-controlled Senate canceled its planned July 4 recess with the hopes of hammering out a deal. But Republicans have kept up their attacks on congressional Democrats and Obama, claiming they have failed to lead on budget and spending issues.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/169277-sen-thune-best-way-to-meet-obama-is-to-set-up-a-tee-time
Right, Thune, because we all know the golf course is reserved for the old white boys club..
Hey, Republicans….FORE!
“Despite what the GOP keeps telling us, Bruce Bartlett has compiled a list of 19 different polls taken since January that demonstrate that Americans support increasing taxes in order to reduce the deficit and inequality. Americans may not love tax increases, but they understand their necessity for deficit reduction.”
“In the June 9 ABC News poll 61% of Americans believe higher taxes will be necessary to reduce the deficit, and 57% of those polled said that deficit reduction should include both tax increases and spending cuts.”
“A Pew poll found that more people blame the nation’s involvement in wars than tax cuts or spending for the deficit. The poll also found wide support for increasing taxes, as 67% said the more high earners income should be subject to being taxed for Social Security, and 66% support raising taxes on incomes over $250,000, and 62% support closing corporate tax loopholes.”
“A Bloomberg poll taken in May found that only 33% of those surveyed thought that it would be possible to lower the deficit without raising taxes, 64% expressed the belief that it isn’t possible to lower the deficit without raising taxes.”
“An April CBS News/NY Times poll showed that 72% of people favored raising taxes on the wealthy in order to reduce the deficit. A March NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 81% of those surveyed would support a tax on millionaires that would be used for deficit reduction, and 68% supported eliminating the Bush tax cuts on those who make over $250,000.”
[Check out Bruce Bartlett’s blog to see all the polls.]
“There are a few qualifiers that come in to play on this issue. Americans will always support tax increases as long as they are on someone else. Since the vast majority of Americans aren’t millionaires, it isn’t a big surprise that so many citizens favor additional taxes on them. Secondly, the American people are realistic. They tend to support a mixture of spending cuts and tax increases. This is a matter of common sense to most people. If you are in debt, you aren’t going to get out of debt by only spending less. At some point, you have to earn more money in order to pay your bills.”
http://www.politicususa.com/en/polls-taxes-deficit
GOP response: “POLL, polls? We don’t need NO stinking POLLS!”
For real, Senator Thune? Why don’t we add some FACTS to the mix…
Q: Has President Obama taken more vacation time than his predecessors?
A: According to one count, Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush spent more time on “vacation” during their first year than President Obama did. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton spent less time on “vacation.”
FULL ANSWER
“President Obama has spent all or part of 26 days “on vacation” during his first year as president, according to CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller.”
Knoller, who has covered every president since Gerald Ford and is known for keeping detailed records on presidential travel, counts the following among President Obama’s “vacations” in 2009:
* A four-day holiday weekend in Chicago in February where the president played some basketball and treated First Lady Michelle Obama to a Valentine’s Day dinner date.
* An eight-day stay with his family at a rented house on Martha’s Vineyard in August.
* A trip out west to the U.S. states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona that combined both business and pleasure. The president held town hall meetings on health care during the trip. And he went fly fishing and took trips to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon with his wife and two daughters.
* An 11-day stay in Hawaii where the president and his family celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
“Some of the president’s recent predecessors, however, have spent more days — either entirely or partially — away from the White House “on vacation” during their first year in office.”
“President Reagan, in 1981, spent all or part of 42 days away from the White House “on vacation” at his home in Santa Barbara, Calif, according to Knoller. President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, also spent three or four days around New Year’s Day each year in Palm Springs, Calif., at the home of philanthropist Walter Annenberg. (In 1993 the late Mr. Annenberg founded the nonpartisan Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, which is FactCheck.org’s parent organization.)”
“President George W. Bush spent even more time away from the presidential mansion in the nation’s capital than Reagan. Of the 77 total “vacation” trips the former president made to his Texas ranch while in office, nine of them — all or part of 69 days — came during his first year as president in 2001, according to Knoller.”
“Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, spent less time “on vacation” during his first year than his son, but spent more days than President Obama. According to travel records provided to FactCheck.org by the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the former president took six trips — spanning all or part of 40 days — to the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1989. The archivist at Bush’s presidential library told us she didn’t have a list of all vacations but did have the Kennebunkport visits.”
“But at least two recent presidents — by Knoller’s count — took less “vacation” time during their first year than President Obama — Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.”
“According to Knoller, Carter spent just 19 days “on vacation” in 1977. Most of that time, Knoller says, the former president spent at his home in Plains, Ga. President Clinton took all or part of 174 days of vacation during his eight years as president — most of that “vacation” time was during the summer, according to Knoller. But Knoller says Clinton only took 21 “vacation” days during his first year.”
“It’s worth mentioning that President Obama has also made 11 trips — all or part of 27 days — to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Frederick County, Md. Knoller, however, says he doesn’t count trips to Camp David as part of any presidents’ “vacation” time. But for the sake of comparison, President George W. Bush, made more trips to that country residence than Obama. According to Knoller, Bush made 25 trips — a total of 78 days — to Camp David in 2001.”
“But no matter how much time a president actually spends away from the official residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Knoller says that the commander in chief is never really off the clock. ‘I have long held the view that a US president is never really on vacation,’ Knoller told FactCheck.org in an e-mail. ‘The job – and its awesome powers and responsibilities – is his wherever he is and whatever he’s doing.’
–D’Angelo Gore
http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/president-obamas-vacation-days/
Battle lines harden for Obama, Senate GOP as time for debt deal runs short
By Ian Swanson – 06/30/11 06:00 PM ET
Senate Republicans revolted against the White House Thursday as the fight over raising the debt ceiling turned sharply more bitter and bled into other issues.
Just one week after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) left talks led by Vice President Biden, negotiations to reduce deficits appear to be in ruins.
GOP senators on Thursday sniped from the floor at President Obama’s lack of leadership and sought to stop any progress in the chamber.
The Republicans were stung by Obama’s Wednesday press conference, when he unfavorably compared GOP lawmakers to his school-age daughters, who he said get their homework done on time.
In response, Republicans blocked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) request to bring legislation authorizing U.S. military action against Libya to the floor, and walked out of a planned markup of legislation implementing a free-trade agreement with South Korea.
They also mocked and scolded the president for his leadership record and his call for them to get to work.
Sen. Jon Cornyn (R-Texas) lambasted Obama for attending Philadelphia fundraisers a day after telling Congress to get to work on a debt deal. Cornyn, the chairman of the Senate Republican campaign committee, said Obama should be embarrassed by his lack of leadership.
“Instead of going to Philadelphia tonight and raising money … why doesn’t he call …[congressional leadership] into his office and just do his job? Just do his job?,” Cornyn asked on the Senate floor.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) joked that Obama should pop a Valium to calm down before talking with Congress about a deficit deal, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) invited Obama to meet the Senate GOP and hear for himself that a deficit-reduction package with tax increases had no chance of winning approval from 60 senators.
“I’d like to invite the president to come to the Capitol today to meet with Senate Republicans — any time this afternoon, if he’s available, to come on up to the Capitol,” McConnell said. “That way he can hear directly from Senate Republicans … why what he’s proposing will not pass.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney quickly rejected McConnell’s invitation, suggesting the president had better things to do than listen to the “maximalist position” from the Senate GOP.
“We know that position. That’s not a conversation worth having,” Carney said at his daily briefing.
Behind the scenes, White House officials pointedly noted that several Republicans were scheduled to hold fundraisers on Thursday as well.
Cornyn, despite his criticism of Obama’s fundraiser, was himself scheduled to be a guest at a fundraiser for Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) on Thursday.
Tensions are intensifying with both sides running out of time to reach a deal to raise the debt ceiling. The Treasury Department has said it will no longer be able to pay the nation’s creditors after Aug. 2 without a higher borrowing limit.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/169307-battle-lines-harden-between-obama-senate-gop-as-time-runs-short
Mock, scold, and throw tantrums, GOP. That’s how you serve the American People.
Some P FUNK, for creolechild:
Thank you, Metia~ Now, I don’t have to set time aside today to exercise…
Just shake it don’t break it; took mama 9 months to make it!
Hola Creolechild. I been missing you. Hope all is well with you and your casa. It’s good to see you again.
Aquagranny- how are you sweetie pie? I’ve missed you and the fam at TPV. Hope all is well with you! (:
P Funk, Uncut Funk, The Bomb!
Make my funk the P Funk, I want My Funk uncut
Make my funk the P Funk, I wants to get Funked up
I want the Bomb, I want the P Funk, I want my Funk uncut
Make my funk the P Funk, I wants to get Funked up
From Bessie to P Funk – GREAT!
Hi GGail; happy Fry-day! Thanks for stopping in and grooving with us. :-)
Hi GGail! I’m glad to see you!
Ohio governor signs law allowing guns in bars
COLUMBUS, Ohio | Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:47pm EDT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) – Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich on Thursday signed into law a bill that allows gun owners in the state to carry concealed weapons into bars and other places where alcohol is served.
The measure, which was forwarded to Kasich on June 22 by the Ohio General Assembly, was signed on Thursday afternoon. Kasich is scheduled to sign the Ohio budget later Thursday.
Businesses can ban concealed weapons on their premises for safety reasons if the want to and some, like the Cincinnati Bengals football team, have indicated they will continue to bar gun owners from bringing firearms into the stadium.
The law also prohibits gun owners from consuming alcohol or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they carry their weapons into bars.
The new laws allow residents to carry concealed handguns into licensed establishments in the state, including shopping malls and sporting venues
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/30/us-ohio-guns-idUSTRE75T7BX20110630
Treasury Secretary Geithner considering leaving post after debt talks
By Zachary A. Goldfarb, Published: June 30
Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, an architect of the Obama administration’s economic strategy, has told the president that he may seek as soon as this summer to resign, according to people familiar with the matter.
Geithner’s departure would mark the loss of Obama’s longest-serving economic adviser at a time when the recovery has slowed and the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high.
Geithner has told the White House he will wait until the conclusion of talks with Congress over the nation’s debt before deciding whether to leave, according to the people familiar with the matter.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/treasury-secretary-geithner-considering-leaving-post-after-debt-talks/2011/06/30/AGd682sH_story.html?wpisrc=nl_fedinsider
Thank you to Doctor Biobrain, who posted the following commentary, which is specifically addressing the laws of this nation but could just as well apply to any other topic across the board that we’re dealing with today. Food for thought~
“There’s this fantasy thinking that says that life is black & white with easy answers and if people just did the right thing, they’d do the right thing and the world would be a better place. And so you have people who believe that Obama can force Congress into rubber-stamping anything he wants, if only he told people what he wanted and went on the offensive against anyone who got in his way. As if that’s ever worked for any president in the history of our country.”
“And then you have people who demand vigilante justice and insist that bad guys don’t deserve a trial; like many of the commenters at this news story about a serial killer in Cleveland. And yeah, sure, in this case I’m sure the guy did it and vigilante justice would be swifter and perhaps more accurate than what he’s going to get. And just as the liberals criticizing Obama “know” the right answer and are frustrated by this whole democracy “balance of power” system, these commenters “know” the right answer and are frustrated by the whole Due Process system.”
“But the reason we have these rules is because there AREN’T always easy answers, and we CAN’T always know if the guy is guilty; and the best way to sort this out is to have laws, elections, and trials. And yeah, this can be frustrating and you will often get bad results. We can’t always get the laws we need and bad guys will get treated better than they deserve and might even be set free.”
“But that’s simply the price we have to pay for having our form of government. If we want people to be willing to cooperate and obey laws they don’t like, then we have to cooperate and obey laws WE don’t like. And if we want to make sure mobs don’t kill innocent people, we have to have a fair justice system that also applies to guilty people. Like it or not, this is the best option.”
“As I keep saying, our system of government isn’t designed to find the “right” answer. It’s about having a process that we can all agree to, even if we don’t agree with the results. And this benefits us in the long term. Sure, it’d be nice if Obama could unilaterally give us free universal healthcare and if serial killers could be made to suffer the way they made others suffer; but that also means we could have rotten laws forced on us and endless warfare as vigilante groups waged vengeance upon one another.”
“As messy as democracy can be, it’s still far better than the alternative. After all, dictatorships rarely get the right answers either.”
http://biobrain.blogspot.com/2011/06/democracy-means-you-cant-always-win.html
Here’s what’s happening in our neck-o-the-woods:
Associated Press
Minn. braces for government shutdown over taxes
By MARTIGA LOHN , 06.30.11, 10:24 PM EDT
ST. PAUL, Minn. — In an echo of the debate unfolding in Washington, Minnesota hurtled toward a midnight government shutdown Thursday in a dispute over taxes and spending that could force thousands of layoffs, bring road projects to a standstill and close state parks just ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.
As the deadline drew ever closer without a resolution, people rushed to get driver’s and fishing licenses, and park officials began warning campers to pack their gear and leave.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/06/30/general-us-minnesota-government-shutdown_8544918.html?om_rid=DRaeQf&om_mid=_BODc-TB8cK3e4J
Here’s another perspective about the economy. I’m posting excerpts from the article but it’s worth reading in its entirety when you have time:
“Washington Monthly has another post suggesting that Republicans might be intentionally sabotaging the economy in order to hurt Obama politically, which is why they oppose any stimulus spending. I definitely disagree, as modern Republicans have been consistently against government spending of this sort for two decades; and they’ve made it a cornerstone of their party. They’ve staked their political fortunes on tax cuts and deregulation; and it’s one of the very few things they’re consistent about.”
“After all, they didn’t support stimulus spending during Bush’s second term, yet the economy was in freefall and certainly needed a boast. Unless we’re trying to suggest that Republicans were sabotaging Bush too, it’s more likely that they’re just morons who don’t know what they’re doing. Sure, they’ll hype government projects in their own districts, but they remain steadfast in their general opposition to stimulus spending.”
“But of course, the majority of the comments there reflect the idea that Democrats are wimps and/or fools for not accusing Republicans of sabotage, as if this is some easy way for us to put Republicans on the defensive.”
//
“But knowing what we know about how Washington works, why should we assume that Republicans would be on the defensive at all….Republicans are fully capable of responding to such questions in the same manner they always do. I suppose that’s why they imagine Obama never supports liberal policies or derides conservative ones, as they somehow imagine we’d always win if we did these things. As if getting what you want is as simple as talking about it.”
//
“If you want to watch them suffer, get them on record supporting Paul Ryan’s plan to destroy America, or Tim Pawlenty’s Unicorn in Every Garage plan. Those are doozies that will throw any Republican for a loop, as they’re either stuck supporting craziness or opposing it and getting attacked by the crazies. It’s all about getting Republicans to hang themselves with their own agenda. Similarly, a Republican attacking Obama isn’t nearly as damning as a Democrat doing so. Like it or not, that’s just how it works.”
//
And overall, this all fits in with the error Obama’s leftwing critics make, as they really do imagine that all we have to do is attack Republicans and defend liberalism and we’d win. They’re so confident that there are easy answers to our problems that they completely gloss over those problems all together, and we’re to imagine that it’s Obama’s fault that the media likes conservatives more than liberals.
Of course, we still have liberals insisting that Obama doesn’t make liberal speeches, all evidence to the contrary. So I suppose this isn’t the only area that they’re unclear about.”
http://biobrain.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-economic-saboge-attack-wont-work.html
GOOD NEWS!…
“This afternoon, Glenn Beck broadcast his last Fox News show. We’ll have some thoughts on the particulars in the morning. Meanwhile, I thought it might be useful to look back on his “greatest hits,” as it were, and reflect on the mess he leaves behind:
“Now, there are plenty of things to object to about Glenn’s trainwreck of a career at Fox, particularly the noxious and yet little-noticed way he almost effortlessly mainstreamed extremist ideas and rhetoric, most recently with his full-bore descent into promoting John Birch Society conspiracism. Undoubtedly, Beck’s relentless fearmongering and the vicious eliminationism of his rhetoric were important components of what made Beck so toxic. Media Matters has compiled an impressive list of the “50 Worst Things Glenn Beck Said On Fox News” that gives a pretty good rundown — but is really only a start.”
“Ultimately, the worst damage he caused was to the shape of our national discourse — from all these factors, but especially in the way he wrapped it up in a “zany” morning-zoo-show format, dragging that discourse down to the level of a prearranged pro-wrestling match.”
“Of course, he’s planning to build on his apocalyptic cult, which is a disturbing prospect, no doubt. And Beck has been promising that his plans for Total World Domination will make us whining, mewling liberals “crap ourselves”. We tremble in anticipatory fear.”
“Meanwhile, I’m drinking a nice cold beer and toasting his departure.”
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-becks-last-fox-show-our-long-n
PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS–HAVE ANOTHER BEER FOR THE REST OF US! (:””
LOL! BOY BYE!
LMBAO
Here’s another spectacular flame-out, evidently the “North Star” is finally fading into oblivion…
“Sarah and Bristol Palin were at the Mall of America today to sign their books…..and only a few people showed up. While they allowed people to show up at 5 AM to wait in line, only a few diehards trickled in to wait for the Palin family, just one day after Sarah Palin’s “The Undefeated” debuted in Iowa.”
[ See video.]
“This chilly reception was written up by MyFox9 as “It seems fitting that the mother-daughter duo received such a warm welcome, since it was here in the Twin Cities that the Palins burst into the spotlight during the GOP convention three years ago.”
//
Here is the list of rules a fan had to go through in order to get their book signed:
-No overnight waiting. Line up starting at 5 a.m.
-Wristbands will be distributed starting at 6 a.m. to those who buy Bristol’s book
-You must have a copy of Bristol’s book to purchase either of Sarah’s books.
-Each person must be present to get a wristband. They’re not transferable.
-No belongings or bags allowed on stage for the signing.
-No memorabilia will be signed; no personalization allowed.
-No photos on stage; “cameras and cell phones are to be put away once you reach the stage stairs”
-Stay in line. If you leave to use the bathroom or get food for a short period, someone in your party must stay in line at all times.
-If you leave for an extended period, you must go to the end of the line.
“Doesn’t seem as if they needed all of those rules, since there was hardly a rush. Overall, an estimated 300 people showed up according to the local TV station. This is the free market in its full beauty, for without demand there is no need to produce the product. While the media expresses shock over the low numbers, those who have been paying attention realized that Palin has been failing to draw big crowds for a while now. Her speech in Wisconsin was populated mostly by protesters, for example, and last night at her premiere, we could see the pavement in “crowd” shots just feet away from her.”
“When both the “celebrity” Palins show up and no one cares, the Palin phenomena is nearing its grisly end. Our long national nightmare is almost over. There’s nothing left to see here but just how crazy the unraveling will be when it finally dawns on Sarah Palin that her brief time as a Hollywood elite is over. It’s all she ever wanted, after all. Sarah Palin settled for becoming a politician when her TV career as a sportscaster didn’t work out. And we see what she did as soon as the national cameras turned her into a star after the 2008 campaign. There’s no where to go from here except down.”
h/t The Immoral Minority
New Update….
The Star Tribune reports: “The Palins signed about 700 books, but mall officials estimated that 1,500 people attended the event — some merely strolling by and stopping to gaze over the rotunda railing.” As per the rules, 700 books does not mean 700 people (you have to buy Bristol’s book if you want Sarah to sign one of her books). They report “hundreds were there”. If we take the 300 number reported by the local TV and the 700 books, we can estimate about 350-400 people came to see the Palins, plus gawkers….”
“Two years ago, 1200 people came to see Sarah Palin in what local reporters call a “vast difference” compared to today’s crowd.”
http://www.politicususa.com/en/palin-mall-of-america
BWA HA HA HA This woman couldn’t ahve picked a more appropriate day to stroll into our city. The MN government had a partial shut down at 12MN…… Bitch BEGONE!
LOL
Get off the stage, Palin. Go home!
“President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats are weighing a scaled-back U.S. budget deal that would avert a looming default but force Congress to tackle the politically toxic issue again before the 2012 elections, a Senate Democratic aide told Reuters on Thursday.”
“The deal would cover the country’s borrowing needs for seven months, the aide said. That would theoretically include budget savings of roughly $1 trillion to attract the Republican support needed to pass it through Congress.”
“At this point in time, this seems to be the most likely to happen option. The Republicans know that their positions are wildly unpopular, but they have backed themselves into a corner by repeatedly pledging to cut spending and never raise taxes.”
“A temporary increase would provide both parties with a way out of their fox-holes, of which the GOP’s is much deeper, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see a temporary increase again in another seven months since that will be right in the middle of the Republican primary season.”
“It remain[s] to be seen if the proposed $1 trillion in cuts would be over a span of five or ten years, and what revenue increases would accompany it, but a temporary increase with minimal side effects would surly be preferable to a paralyzing credit freeze which would push the country back into recession for years or maybe even the rest of this decade.”
“Because the Republicans have control over the House of Representatives, and with it the power to make demands and block legislation, we’re going to feel pain either way this goes. The question is how much pain.”
http://bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2011/06/dems-propose-temporary-debt-ceiling-increase.html
This is how a person commenting over at The People’s View (whose name I cannot remember but will look up later on and attribute credit to) characterized Republicans’ behavior when they don’t get what they want.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcSrxSkdVDY
Seems about right to me…
CHECK! SG2, where are the graphics? LOL
CHECK!
Awwww…I think Republicans haz a sad!
“Democrats often have problems with voter apathy and lackluster levels of enthusiasm, but nothing compared to this!”
“According to a new NYTimes/CBS poll, 71% of Republicans would like to see someone new enter the Republican presidential race, and only 23% are satisfied with the current crop of candidates. The numbers for enthusiasm are even more wild.”
[Click on link to view chart.]
“When looking at these numbers, it leads me to question whether or not the Republican nominee is even in the race yet. If he or she is, the enthusiasm gap between Republicans and Democrats in 2012 is likely to be astonishing.”
“Recent polling shows that President Obama’s approval rating among Democratic voters may be as high as 80%.”
http://bobcesca.com/
Excellent article from Winning Progressive (Thank you!)…
“Do you know who your state senator, state representative, U.S. senators or U.S. representative are? Most people don’t, and ignorance of their elected officials’ identities and actions is a major part of what keeps these officeholders in power.”
“To take part in political power, you need not only vote, but keep tabs on what your elected representatives are doing. Here are three ways you can do that:
1. I would like you – yes, you there reading this column as you sit at your computer at home, or at school or at work – to click here and see who your representatives are. Note their names closely. You can go to their websites from there, and subscribe to their newsletters. You can use the information in these email “newsletters” to send issue responses, if you have the time.
2. Look up your reps on Facebook, and (here’s the part that takes some willpower) “Like” their official Facebook pages, regardless of party. Why? Well, if your rep is a Democrat, you can find out what they find important in their duties and district, and “Like” or comment on their posts when appropriate. If your rep is a Republican, like many of mine are, you can also find out what they find important in their duties and district. In addition, you can help your fellow progressives disrupt the conservative echo chamber these pages tend to be. Showing your GOP rep that they cannot post radical, anti-government rants without getting some pushback from some of their constituents.
For example, here is what my state house representative Bill Johnson posted Monday:
We cannot tax and spend our way out of this problem. Working families and small business owners should be keeping more of what they earn rather than sending it to an irresponsible federal government that views taxpayers as a private piggy bank.
I responded: Bill, you are now part of the federal government that you seem to hate so much, and I think you need to start recognizing all the good that it does, not just the bad.
Public roads, public schools, national defense, and public health programs are just some of the valuable programs that receive funds from our shared American government.
I have found that since I have started to responding to every one of his posts, (especially if I am the first to respond) that the “Amen, brother!”-type comments seem to have declined markedly from Bill’s supporters. I keep my comments clean, civil, and fact-based and have not been banned yet, even though I disagree with almost every one of his posts. Progressives should use every opportunity and media to break up the conservative echo chamber with voices of reason.
3. Use the information you learn from your elected representatives’ Facebook pages, websites, etc. to find out if your Rep is going to be appearing in public, has made an outrageous statement that should be shared publicly, or is introducing legislation that progressives might want to know about. And then share that information with your friends and with us here at Winning Progressive. That way we can work together to get favorable or unfavorable turnout at town hall meetings, highlight outrageous statements, build support for good legislation being proposed, and call our elected officials out when they make bad votes or propose bad legislation. In other words, you can help be the eyes and ears of the progressive movement so that we can all be more aware of what is going on in DC.”
“Please take a couple of minutes to carry out the above actions, and then share what you learn with us here at Winning Progressive so that we can be even more effective in spreading the progressive message and in keeping our elected officials educated on the issues. Thanks!”
http://www.winningprogressive.org/be-a-progressive-watchdog
Great tips. It’s as easy as 1.2.3…. Thanks WP!
Great ideas! I keep tabs on all mine and fax and email them constantly. I was actually in one of those virtual townhalls with my teapotty Repugnant Rep this week regarding the debt ceiling. As soon as they discovered I disagreed with him, I was cut off even though I was respectful and had facts. They did that to others too. They only wanted people who agreed. I fired off a fax to him that probably blistered the paint off the walls of his office and I DID NOT swear in English or Spanish, I promise!
You did good, Aqua! It’s been long overdue and I’m happy to see that we’re taking the fight to them because they were so sure that people would just sit back, complain, and do nothing…
WRONG!
“By land or by sea, the Wisconsin protesters are organized, united, spirited, media savvy, and determined. Not only are they showing the rest of the country that we can all work together to stand up for our rights, but also they are showing us how to do it.”
“Watch this video of their protest of Scott Walker at Devil’s Lake and notice how no matter where the camera turns, there is a protest sign or ten. When Walker stands up at the podium, the protesters are in boats and canoes behind him. When he walks the line, the protesters surround him. When he gets in his car, there is a protester holding a sign above his door, another holding a sign up in the area where he has to walk to the door, and another one on the other side of the car. There is literally no possibility of getting a camera shot of Walker without catching a protest sign. This is indeed what democracy looks like.”
(thank you to the Teamsters Nation Blog!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G-YKF-dyEA&feature=player_embedded
http://www.politicususa.com/en/wisconsin-protesters-pursue-scott-walker
Hi ya, AG; stay on it!
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”
— The Mad Hatter from Lewis Carroll’s, “Alice in Wonderland”.
There are a number of propositions in today’s America that would seem to be a natural fit for The Mad Hatter’s philosophy:
* Giving the wealthy more money will make those who don’t get that money, wealthier.
* Taking the country back for the people can only be accomplished by passing legislation that goes against their best interest.
* The budget deficit is a crisis that will destroy our nation and we must be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to save ourselves but it’s not so serious that we need to raise taxes on the wealthy.
* Healthcare for all Americans will undermine their lives.
* To prove that they have what it takes to be the best leader, Presidential candidates must prove that they are the best followers of their party’s leaders.
* The way for the media to combat running shallow and exploitative stories that undermine giving the public real news is to run them frequently and explain that they would rather be reporting on issues of substance.
“We live in a society that sometimes seems to be the equivalent of The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party…and that includes The Tea Party…some of whom howl about wanting government to keep their hands off of their Medicare, claim that they want to put democracy back in the hands of the people by taking it away from the majority and some even boast that they are so passionate about preserving our democracy, they support the violent overthrow of it.”
“We see this elsewhere in our society too, eating Subway sandwiches make you lose weight, oil companies are good for the environment, drinking chemicals, high fructose corn syrup and gas in a concoction called Coke is a good thing and in the past, cigarettes are cool and harmless enjoyment. Corporations have thrived in their businesses by using dishonesty to promote their products and now that they have become so dominant in our politics, they naturally bring the same proven marketing tools with them.”
“If our society was analyzed by a psychologist as if it was a person, it might be diagnosed as schizophrenic. How did American society disintegrate to a point where there is broad acceptance of such concepts as corporations are people, fighting back against class warfare is the only real class warfare and the way to help the poor is to give money to the wealthy?”
http://planetpov.com/2011/06/28/the-mad-hatters-america/
(Thank you, AdLib!)
It’s one big ball of karmic slime. LOVE is the answer to it all.
THIS…
“In Exxon Mobil’s recent TV ad campaign, a camera tracks across a scenic landscape as a company geologist reassures us that the key to our national energy security lies just below our feet. “Technology has made it possible to safely unlock this clean and green natural gas,” he says.
“What you won’t hear in the Exxon ad is the name of this technology: fracking. The controversial drilling method has become the new F-word after being linked to environmental calamities in at least a half dozen states.”
“These calamities are well documented and difficult to dispute. In Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, explosive methane gas and hazardous fluids from fracking operations have contaminated drinking water, private wells and rivers. In several states, drilling companies have irresponsibly disposed of tainted wastewater, spilling toxic chemicals into streams and groundwater and sending radioactive wastewater to city sewage treatment plants that were unequipped to filter those kinds of materials.”
“Fracking is illegal in North Carolina—for now—and we would be hard-pressed to look for good examples of regulation in other states, where laws and enforcement of fracking are piecemeal at best.”
“No state is a model that shows this can be done safely,” says Molly Diggins, state director of the N.C. chapter of the Sierra Club. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. There’s been one disaster after another.”
“There is little guidance from the federal government, which six years ago agreed to exempt fracking fluid—which can contain not only water and salts but cancer-causing chemicals—from many key federal clean-water regulations.”
“Yet given the dangers and unknowns, some North Carolina lawmakers are determined to legalize fracking in our state, especially in areas near the Triangle. Many of these legislators have cribbed their talking points from industry, claiming fracking can be done safely if it’s well regulated—a big if. These proponents of fracking justify the practice by contending natural gas production will generate state revenue in royalties and taxes and help ensure our energy independence.”
http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/despite-the-dangers-of-fracking-north-carolina-lawmakers-want-to-legalize-it/Content?oid=2454484
Exactly! Case in point…
“Exxon Mobil Corp. launched a website Thursday to tout the abundance of U.S. natural-gas supplies and the benefits of hydraulic fracturing, the process that’s enabling a production boom but bringing fears of water pollution alongside it.”
“Natural gas is providing the United States with an enormous economic advantage as a result of American ingenuity and innovation,” the website states.
“The site is a mix of text, animation and slide presentations touting U.S. development and defending the safety of hydraulic fracturing, which is commonly called ‘fracking.'”
“It involves high-pressure injections of water, chemicals and sand into shale rock formations, which opens cracks that enable gas to flow. Developing these so-called unconventional reserves is prompting a gas boom in a number of states.”
“Water supplies are protected by proper well design and rigorous processes to ensure safe and environmentally sound operations,” states the website. [LIAR!]
“Exxon has bet big on natural gas. Last year it completed a $41 billion acquisition of XTO Energy Inc., a company that specializes in producing natural gas from shale formations.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/169317-exxon-parrying-attacks-launches-natural-gas-website
“We’ve long known that executive pay has skyrocketed during the last 40 years — and especially during the last 20. As the Economic Policy Institute has reported, the average CEO makes roughly 300 times the average worker — up from 100 times the average in the early 1990s and 40 times the average in the 1970s. In this new Gilded Age, we are inundated with stories about how executives — even in taxpayer-subsidized industries like banking — are paying themselves record salaries. This is nothing new — in fact, it’s lately been a bragging point for firms in their efforts to attract talent.”
“So, then, why is Corporate America suddenly so shy about compensation rates?
This is the question after a recent Washington Post report on big corporations lobbying against a new regulation compelling them “to report the median annual total compensation for workers and the annual total compensation for the chief executive, and to report the ratio of the two.” Companies, of course, were already obligated to publish CEO pay rates — the new provision just asks them to publish the same information about the average worker on a company-by-company basis.”
“The fact that this modest provision has prompted such an aggressive opposition campaign suggests business leaders fear something. Do they fear that revelations of huge pay gaps will alienate socially conscious customers? Or is it a fear of something more? I’d say the latter.”
“First and foremost, it’s likely CEOs don’t want these ratios being published because they would fuel shareholder activism that is already threatening to curtail executive abuse. Remember, last year, Congress granted shareholders “say on pay” powers, allowing them to cast nonbinding votes on executive pay packages. These votes, however, happen in an information vacuum whereby shareholders only see executive pay data, but not how that data compares to the rest of a company’s compensation rates. Should firms now have to publicize that comparison, executives know that downward shareholder pressure on their salaries will only intensify.”
“The second reason CEOs don’t want these ratios being published may involve the ongoing discussion about corporate tax reform. As the deficit has exploded, incriminating facts have leaked out showing that many corporations pay more to their executives than they pay in taxes (and many firms pay no corporate income tax at all). One of the easiest solution to this problem is to base corporate tax rates on a company’s pay gap.”
//
“That may not serve the interests of CEOs, but it is in the best interest of America.”
http://www.truth-out.org/shining-spotlight-corporate-pay-gap/130952845
Happy Fry-day, Everyone! :-)
Happy Fry-day to you too! BTW, love your new avatar…
LOL Time to break out some Friday jams
Here’s my chance to dance my way…..out of my constriction!
LOL!
Metia~
Since you put up some PFunk, I’m going to add Bootsy to the mix too…
Glory BE,; the FUNK’s on ME!
@ Creolechild: Oh snap! The Funk’s on me!
Brings back fond memories. My mother used to just shake her head when we would be dancing and listening to the Funkadelics. She’d say: “Nothing they say makes any sense…and there’s a BIG difference between an outfit and a GET-UP!”
Too funny!
LMBAO@ “Get-Up” Lawdy, we’d party hard with the funk.
We want the funk
Give up the funk
We need the funk
We gotta have that funk
..We’re gonna turn this mother out
I just love New Yorkers…they let you know EXACTLY where you stand with them! (Thank you, Rosalie 1942 for the video.)
SAY IT LOUD, SAY IT CLEAR; SCOT WALKER’S NOT WELCOME HERE!
Bye Boy!
“The level of American discourse seems to always find a new way to decline, bringing to mind the old joke: “It has reached rock bottom. And begun to dig!” Our latest tool of decay? The congresswoman from Minnesota.”
“Michele Bachmann, now finally in a spotlight large enough satiate her ego, has managed in recent days to not only scuttle her chance of being taken seriously by anyone with command of historical facts or logic, but has managed to make a mockery of our political process, harming our national image.”
“She is in fact such a catastrophe of a public figure that she has the potential to rival Bush in terms of sheer national embarrassment.”
//
“Back to topic, how is Bachmann’s making a laughingstock of herself negative for the United State’s image abroad? Because our politics are a important enough that they are watched, and closely, by every other country with a functioning news media. That means that our political happenings are in fact reported, less of course than at home, but with great regularity, and in a variety of mediums. And who is front and center? Bachmann. She’s the type of person that reasonable people have nightmares about.”
“And she’s doing well. It’s almost scary, looking at her poll numbers. This person has a shot? I’m not going to go into a laundry list of her lies right now because we see a new one daily, and you don’t need extra horrified chuckles today. By the way, don’t call them gaffes. They aren’t. Bachmann doesn’t make the occasional mistake; that would be excusable. She is a pathological falsehood propagator who can’t make it four sentences without uttering something incorrect.”
“Even more, she stands behind her wrong statements. Again, and again, even when proven wrong on the air. It’s the Bachmann two-step: Lie, and then blame Obama.”
http://www.politicususa.com/en/michele-bachmann-disgrace
“As we’ve already seen the past couple of days, Republicans are demanding compromise, but are unwilling to do the same, refusing to raise taxes on anyone for any reason to raise revenue. They are probably hoping that Democrats will be so desperate to avoid a default that they’ll eventually succumb and agree to the GOP’s demands. And the GOP’s recent rhetoric indicates that the GOP is fully intending on following through on forcing a default if they don’t get their way. After all, how can you say that the deadline is artificial or that defaulting isn’t so bad, and then suddenly go into a mode where you have to pass something by August 2nd or else. They’re planting the flag: we’re making it so that it will be rhetorically impossible for us to compromise with you, so you better capitulate if you don’t want the nation to go under.”
“They probably also figure that, come 16 months from now when people are voting for President, no one is going to remember this debt ceiling showdown. If the economy bombs into another recession or into a depression, all people will remember in November 2012 is that the situation hasn’t gotten better since Obama took office, and will sweep Republicans into total control of government. Then they can tax cut and slice programs with near impunity and it will take literally decades for anyone to be able to fix the damage.”
“They’re betting that Obama and the Democrats would rather face an irate Democratic base for having cut trillions from the budget with no new revenues than face the electorate in 2012 with the US economy in the tank. And they’re betting, in the end, the GOP won’t be blamed for any of it, just like how they weren’t blamed for obstructing everything in the Senate after Obama was elected, and people’s memories are fading about their culpability in causing the recession in the first place.”
“It puts Obama and the Democrats in an extremely difficult position when the GOP truly doesn’t care if the nation goes to hell and feel like the debt ceiling situation is a win-win for them, no matter how it turns out. It’s a very dangerous and damaging opponent to face, and leaves Obama and the Democrats with very few good options.”
http://www.bluewavenews.com/2011/06/boehners-dangerous-game.html
Well, this is interesting…
“Many of us got a good laugh at House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) expense a year ago, when we learned about his poor investment strategies. The oft-confused Republican invested $15,000 in a bet against U.S. government bonds, effectively expecting inflation to go up. That didn’t happen”.
“A year later, this is arguably even more interesting. What do Bill Gross, Evan Newmark and Rep. Eric Cantor have in common? They’re all betting against Treasury debt! But only one of these men has been involved in heated negotiations over the government’s debt ceiling, and that’s Eric Cantor, No. 2 Republican in the House.”
“Mr. Cantor, who walked out of debt discussions with Vice President Joe Biden last week, owns up to $15,000 in shares of the ProShares Trust Ultrashort 20+ Year Treasury ETF, Salon notes today, updating a Wall Street Journal report on this from last year.”
“Salon is raising a provocative point: Eric Cantor is helping drive debt-reduction talks. Indeed, as of last week, he was single-handedly derailing those talks. What went unreported at the time, though, is that Cantor personally stands to “reap a small financial windfall from his investment in a mutual fund whose performance is directly affected by debt ceiling brinkmanship.”
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_06/cantors_conflict_of_interest030602.php
Yep, keep posting, creolechild. We did an entire thread on the slime one.
“This is great news for the American people: The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati issued a decision today upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It’s the first of the three challenges currently before appeals courts to reach a decision point. The Fourth Circuit in Richmond, VA and the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta have also heard arguments on the law’s constitutionality, and it’s likely that we’ll be hearing their opinions soon, as well.”
“Perhaps the most interesting–not to mention encouraging– thing about the Sixth Circuit’s opinion is that it did not break down along ideological lines, but instead was achieved with a bipartisan application of law:
The Sixth Circuit opinion is the first on the merits that has not broken down strictly along seemingly partisan lines. Two of the judges on the panel were appointed by Republican presidents and one was appointed by a Democrat. At the lower District Court level, five judges have divided on the question, with three Democratic appointees ruling in favor of the law and two Republican appointees rejecting it.”
“And ThinkProgress noted something even more encouraging, with respect to possible outcomes when one of these ACA challenges reaches the Supreme Court: the writer of the Sixth Circuit’s opinion was Judge Jeffrey Sutton, a George W. Bush appointee who clerked for SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia. That might mean nothing, but it at least suggests the possibility that a near-term SCOTUS decision could also cross ideological lines to find in favor of the ACA.”
http://www.bluewavenews.com/2011/06/6th-circuit-appeals-court-upholds.html
“Darrell Issa is back in hot water for using his powerful Congressional perch to help his personal investments. A new report out today from Think Progress finds that Issa was busy last year buying up Goldman Sachs High Yield Bonds worth up to $50,000 a pop while pressing strongly to thwart an SEC investigation into potential wrongdoing at Goldman Sachs:
Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) raised hell last year to stop the federal government from investigating Goldman Sachs regarding allegations that the company defrauded investors. In April 2010, shortly after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a civil suit against Goldman Sachs, Issa sent a letter to SEC Chairwoman Mary Schapiro demanding to know if there was “any sort of prearrangement, coordination, direction from, or advance notice” between the SEC and the Obama administration or congressional Democrats over the timing of the lawsuit.”
‘Issa’s investigation of the SEC’s investigation into Goldman Sachs stole the headlines and reinforced Goldman Sach’s claim that they had done nothing wrong. Explaining his defense of Goldman Sachs, Issa said he was representing the views of ordinary Americans who are worried about the ‘growth of government and the growth of government wanting to become more complex, with more agencies and more control over our lives.'” [STOP.YOUR.LYING!]
http://obrag.org/?p=40551
“….And we need to start asking ourselves an uncomfortable question – are Republicans slowing down the recovery on purpose for political gain in 2012? It’s one thing for them to block programs they have always opposed. But when they start to contradict themselves by opposing programs they have supported—such as pro-business tax cuts—we are left to wonder.”
“Let’s not forget – Senator McConnell made it clear last October that his number one priority, above everything else, is to defeat President Obama”.
“And now it is becoming clear that insisting on a slash-and-burn approach may be part of this plan – it has a double-benefit for Republicans: it is ideologically tidy and it undermines the economic recovery, which they think only helps them in 2012.”
“The result is that Republicans aren‘t just opposing the President any more. They are opposing the economic recovery itself – and all that means for America’s working and middle class families.”
“It’s about damn time someone called the naked emperor out. I am so tired of hearing the press memes about Obama this, Obama that, and how it’s all going to land on the head of Obama. No. These crazy lunatics on the right are colluding with their corporate brothers to bring down this economy with the assistance of the media.”
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/republicans-are-intentionally-sabotaging-ec
Two words: anger management…
“Wisconsin state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, who has been publicly accused of putting Justice Ann Walsh Bradley in a chokehold, had another flare-up on Thursday — this time with a reporter.”
“The local Fox affiliate in Milwaukee sent reporter Mike Lowe to the state Capitol in Madison, seeking to track down the members of the Supreme Court, including Prosser, and repeatedly ask them for comment. In all, Lowe caught up with four out of the seven Justices. Of course, the Justices predictably declined to comment on a matter that is under a pending investigation — especially a story that is embarrassing the court.”
“But when Prosser met up with Lowe, he quickly grabbed the microphone out of Lowe’s hand before just as quickly handed it right back to the surprised reporter — apparently realizing that was a really bad idea in front of a video camera.”
Watch the video …[click on link]
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/prosser_grabs_reporters_microphone_quickly_hands_i.php
Next word: JAIL!
Yup…DO NOT PASS GO…GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL!
http://ant.sillydog.org/blog/pic/monopoly_board.jpg
Stop!!!!!!!!!!!! Send his ass directly to jail!
“‘Sixteen Democratic Senators have written a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Justice Department to carefully review the ‘highly restrictive photo identification requirements” that are sweeping state legislatures across the country.'”
“‘Concerned that the measures could ‘block millions of eligible American voters without addressing any problem commensurate with this kind of restriction on voting rights,’ the Senators ask DOJ to use the ‘full power of the Department of Justice to review these voter identification laws and scrutinize their implementation.'”
“The letter — written by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and signed by Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV), Sens. Dick Durbin (IL), Chuck Schumer (NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Sherrod Brown (OH), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Jeff Merkley (OR), Mark Begich (AK), Ben Cardin (MD), Mary Landrieu (LA), Patty Murray (WA), Ron Wyden (OR), Tom Harkin (IA), Herb Kohl (WI) and Tom Udall (NM) — comes as Wisconsin, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Kansas and Tennessee have already passed voter ID measures.”
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/dem_senators_urge_doj_to_use_full_power_to_scrutinize_voter_id_laws.php
“According to a new PPP survey, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has alienated the state’s Independents to such a degree that 45% of the state’s Independents say they are less likely to support the 2012 Republican nominee.”
“When PPP asked the question does Rick Scott make you more or less likely to support the GOP nominee, the answer revealed the extent of the damage that the governor is doing to his party in the state. Forty five percent of Independents said that Scott makes them less likely to support the Republican nominee. Scott has also made 57% of Democrats less likely to support the nominee, and even 17% of Florida Republicans are less likely to support their nominee.”
“By ideology, 51% of those who consider themselves somewhat liberal and moderate are less likely to support the GOP nominee in 2012 due to Scott. By a margin of 31%-28% those who consider themselves somewhat conservative are less likely support the Republican candidate for president. Only those who consider themselves very conservative (57%) said that Scott has made them more likely to support the GOP nominee.”
http://www.politicususa.com/en/rick-scott-independents
2012=FLORIDA, FLORIDA, FLORIDA
“So, this is what passes for political discourse these days. Never mind the economy, the wars, etc. It’s all about high school name calling like this. Halperin’s a smug asshole and has no right to be called anything other than an overgrown teenage NewsPuppet, just like his channel associate, Rachel Maddow. THIS IS NOT JOURNALISM. Not even close. You Tube Walter Cronkite to see what a REAL news journalist is supposed to act like. Walter would have dragged this jerk off the set and laid into him like nothing you would not have believed.”
“If President Obama acted like a “dick” yesterday, he had every fucking right to. Like him, the majority of mature adult Americans are sick and fucking tired of these whiny assholes on the right AND left telling him what he should do. And the President RIGHTLY told them to STFU. HE is the President, not them. And the GOP has been trying to destroy the economy with their bullshit. And the President called them on it, as he should have.”
“And now I know WHY Keith Olbermann left MSNBC. It’s not a serious news organization. It never was. It was the liberal version of Faux Noise. Keith realized that, and got the fuck out. And now, MSNBC is disintegrating with astonishing speed. Like the tag says, somewhere Keith Olbermann is laughing his ass off.”
http://thefierceadvocate.com/
the majority of mature adult Americans are sick and fucking tired of these whiny assholes on the right AND left telling him what he should do. And the President RIGHTLY told them to STFU. HE is the President, not them. And the GOP has been trying to destroy the economy with their bullshit. And the President called them on it, as he should have.”
Speak on it!
Good morning…hey, where is everyone?!!
WHAT…NO TEA!
Hmmm….I’ll just cool my jets, be patient, and wait. After all, it’s still early…
Creaolechild! Mornin’, how are you? It’s sooooo good to see you!
Um, excuse me… where are my manners; here you go:
http://chowtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/IMG_1343.jpg
Good morning…Bay-Bee! It’s good to be back, and I’m happy to see you too! Have some “bumps in the road” to navigate, so I probably won’t be here as much as I would like but I didn’t forget about y’all.
And thank you for the tea!
Good morning, SG2!
On point with the graphics, as usual! (:
I’m lovin’ it…
Inspiration for today….
A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
Psalm 34:19
Good Morning, Creolechild!
You’re like sunshine this morning. Glad to see you! I hope all is well!
Good Morning, Everyone !!
I missed y’all much! Clearly, there are some things in life that are out of our control–but I’m trying to keep my head up is about all I can say…
Good morning, rikyrah! How are you?
You are the SUNSHINE of our lives… that’s why you’re always great to be around…
Morning, SG2. Coffee: http://community.cbs47.tv/blogs/files/5005/4324331/coffee-cup-01.jpg
Creolechild; hope your dad’s ok. We’ve been sending up prayers to you and your family.
Thank you, Sweetie, for your positive energy and kind words. My dad is hanging in there–true to his stubborn, Southern nature. He never met a challenge that he didn’t like! (:
“Pres Obama doesn’t support same-sex marriage. It’s OK to be mad at me for saying it, but it’s still true”
As evidenced by that recent Tweet from Rachel Maddow, it’s obvious that she’s officially full of shit and is responding to this controversy over her dumbass remarks last Friday like a 13 year old (no insult to 13 year olds intended). NO, that is not what the President said, dumbass. Here’s what the President said at the LGBT fundraiser the night of the marriage equality vote in the NY Senate:
“I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country.” That is politicalese for “I’m for marriage equality, but I can’t say so publicly or I will lose votes.”
What part of that can’t Rachel Maddow understand? She keeps this shit up and only the pathetic 1% of the population that actually believes that bullshit will be watching her. I know I won’t.
http://thefierceadvocate.com/
And yes, I’ve got more to say about this NewsPuppet masquerading as a journalist. It’ll be up soon. “
Rachel,; go run in heavy traffic. BYE GIRL!
No one doubts Rachel’s intelligence…
That said, I find it “curious” that she can’t come up with a better excuse [ahem] I mean, “reason” to back up her claim.
Lost for words, Rach? Cat got your tongue?
We’ll wait…