Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Christie Praises Obama, Doesn't 'Give a Damn' About Romney Photo Op

Christie Praises Obama, Doesn't 'Give a Damn' About Romney Photo Op
""The president was great last night," Christie continued. "He said he would get it done. At 2 a.m., I got a call from FEMA to answer a couple of final questions and then he signed the declaration this morning. So I have to give the president great credit. He's been on the phone with me three times in the last 24 hours. He's been very attentive, and anything that I've asked for, he's gotten to me. So, I thank the president publicly for that. He's done -- as far as I'm concerned -- a great job for New Jersey"."

How the GOP's Real Agenda Is Revealed in Their Nasty Rape Comments | Alternet

How the GOP's Real Agenda Is Revealed in Their Nasty Rape Comments | Alternet
"What this umpteenth rape comment tells us isn't that the Republican party has a handful of unhinged members who sometimes flub their talking points. It reveals the real agendas and beliefs of the GOP as a whole."

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney's Auto Neurotic Prevarication

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney's Auto Neurotic Prevarication
"It's as if Mitt Romney simply can't help himself. Gripped by an irresistible obsession to become President of the United States, Romney will lie to voters on almost any issue, large or small. And on no point is Romney's compulsion to fabricate more pathological than on President Obama's successful rescue of the American auto industry. As his new ad designed to dupe voters in Ohio and across the industrial Midwest makes clear, the same Mitt Romney who was content to "let Detroit go bankrupt" now pretends to be its savior."

Romney Returns to His 'Obama Made the Economy Worse' Lie

Romney Returns to His 'Obama Made the Economy Worse' Lie
"Unfortunately for Romney, the facts and the overwhelming consensus of economists - including the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and John McCain's 2008 brain trust - flatly contradict Mitt's closing argument. Instead, the numbers show and the experts confirm that President Obama saved the American free-enterprise system from the abyss and averted Great Depression 2.0."

PERRspectives: After Bashing Auto Workers, Romney Asks for Their Votes

PERRspectives: After Bashing Auto Workers, Romney Asks for Their Votes
"In an effort to win over auto workers in Ohio and across the Midwest, Team Romney this week unveiled a jaw-droppingly fraudulent ad rewriting Mitt's opposition to the federal bailout that saved the entire industry. But largely overlooked in the shocked response to his bogus claims about Jeep shipping U.S. jobs to China has been the union-bashing that was at the center of Romney's primary campaign to win the Republican nomination for president. As a quick glance reveals, Mitt Romney may profess "I love American cars," but not the Americans who make them."

Where Did Paul Ryan Find Inspiration for 'Reforming' Social Security? A Brutal Military Dictatorship, Naturally | Alternet

Where Did Paul Ryan Find Inspiration for 'Reforming' Social Security? A Brutal Military Dictatorship, Naturally | Alternet
"While the Republican Party and its wealthy plutocrat backers have been accused of waging an elitist virtual war against the American majority, both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have financial and ideological ties to rich Latin American elites who have waged real wars against average citizens in their countries."

Monday, October 22, 2012

GOP Rep. Calls For Tax Cuts For The Wealthy, Tax Hikes For Everyone Else, And A Hit To The Economy

GOP Rep. Calls For Tax Cuts For The Wealthy, Tax Hikes For Everyone Else, And A Hit To The Economy: Tea Party Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) went on CNBC today and within the course of about two minutes managed to call for extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, while also hiking taxes on lower-income and working Americans. When asked by the host what he thought should be done about the upcoming “fiscal cliff,” [...]/p

14 Most Extreme Candidates | Alternet

14 Most Extreme Candidates | Alternet
"It’s well known that in recent years, this country has seen its electoral politics polarized to an extent that has only rarely been paralleled in American history. But that polarization in many cases goes far beyond anything resembling mainstream discourse, extending to men and women who are linked to hate groups and racial, ethnic, religious, anti-gay and antigovernment extremism, or who promote extremist propaganda."

Friday, October 19, 2012

After Attending Stimulus Funded Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, Tea Party Rep. Dismisses Stimulus Money

After Attending Stimulus Funded Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, Tea Party Rep. Dismisses Stimulus Money: CONWAY, New Hampshire — Less than a year after attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new stimulus funded infrastructure project in New Hampshire, Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH) derided the Recovery Act, telling constituents at a debate to ask “if that stimulus helped them.” The freshman congressman attended and spoke at a dedication of a new [...]/p

Add the auto bailout to the list of things Romney opposed but profited from

Add the auto bailout to the list of things Romney opposed but profited from
"Apparently there's nothing that Romney opposes so much he won't try to make a profit off of it. Which, actually, we already knew, thanks to his role in Bain investments in a medical-waste firm that disposed of aborted fetuses. And don't forget how Romney invested in a company founded to make profits on the aftermath of 9/11. Never mind all that profit from exactly the kind of Chinese trade practices he's campaigning against."

Just Study It Out Buddy: Annals of Right-Wing Idiocy | Common Dreams

Just Study It Out Buddy: Annals of Right-Wing Idiocy | Common Dreams
"llinois Tea Partier Joe Walsh is the latest, among many like-minded morons, to confirm Ellsberg, Chomsky et al are right: There are not as many differences as there should be between the major parties/candidates, but there are enough to matter. To wit: Walsh's latest drivel, after telling employers they should harass employees into voting Republican, saying he opposes abortion with no exceptions because "modern technology and science" ensure "you can't find one instance" of a woman's health or life endangered by a pregnancy."

Meet Romney’s Economic Hit Man | Common Dreams

Meet Romney’s Economic Hit Man | Common Dreams
"Hubbard is the ideological hit man instrumental in justifying the mortgage derivatives bubble that caused the Great Recession during the George W. Bush years. He now serves as Romney’s key economic adviser and is the front-runner to be the next Treasury secretary should the Republican win."

Neoconservative Jingoism Plus Mormon Delusion Equals Perpetual War | Alternet

Neoconservative Jingoism Plus Mormon Delusion Equals Perpetual War | Alternet
"You see unlike Romney's sons my military-aged son volunteered to serve our country."

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Billy Graham's Romney Endorsement Backfires -- 'Mormonism Is a Cult' Meme Could Reach Millions | Alternet

Billy Graham's Romney Endorsement Backfires -- 'Mormonism Is a Cult' Meme Could Reach Millions | Alternet
"Romney is counting on evangelicals. The irony is that this is a shotgun marriage between two very different religions but they are completely dependent upon one another for victory."

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your E-Vote?

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your E-Vote?
"But these Hart machines are deeply flawed and widely know to be open to a troubling variety of attacks and breakdowns ( http://www.bradblog.com/... ).  There is no legal or other means to definitively monitor and re-check a tally compiled on Hart or other electronic voting machines.  Ohio's current governor and secretary of state are both Republicans."

Despite Court Order, Ohio’s GOP Election Chief Is Still Cutting Back Early Voting

Despite Court Order, Ohio’s GOP Election Chief Is Still Cutting Back Early VotingThere is a simple explanation for why Ohio Republicans are so determined to cut back early voting. Early voters are more likely to be minorities and are more likely to have lower incomes. They are also much less likely to have jobs that give them the flexibility to take time off to vote on election day. According to a recent Ohio poll,President Obama leads 57 percent to 38 percent among people who already voted, but is tied at 43 percent with Mitt Romney among likely voters who have yet to cast their ballot.

Virginia GOP Caught Throwing Away Voter Registrations

Virginia GOP Caught Throwing Away Voter Registrations
"You know how every time they're in control, Republicans grow the government and run into the ground to prove that government is inefficient and bloated? Well, I think it's time to realize that the GOP is now determined to prove that their cries of voter fraud are true...because they're the ones committing it."

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes During Last Night's Debate | Alternet

Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes During Last Night's Debate | Alternet
"During the first presidential debate in Denver, Colorado Romney managed to tell  27 myths in his 38 minutes  of speaking time. But at his second encounter with Obama in New York, the GOP presidential candidate — who has run  a post-truth campaign  from day one — outdid himself and crammed 31 myths in 41 minutes:"

Romney’s Seven Biggest Debate Lies | Common Dreams

Romney’s Seven Biggest Debate Lies | Common Dreams
"Here are the seven biggest lies Romney told:"

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Paul Ryan's Misconceived Rugged Individualism

Paul Ryan's Misconceived Rugged Individualism
"In The Fountainhead, novelist Ayn Rand - Ryan's inspiration - extolled unbridled individualism by depicting an ambitious architect vying to succeed on his own. But could a real-world architect fulfill his aspirations if beset by health problems and exorbitant bills? Medical expenses are a leading cause behind the majority of US bankruptcies. Most of the bankrupted are not even poor, but middle-class. Further, approximately 45,000 Americans die every year due to inadequate health insurance. In other words, access to health care empowers people to live their lives."

Romney and Ryan Have Resorted to Lying as a Form of Debating | Alternet

Romney and Ryan Have Resorted to Lying as a Form of Debating | Alternet
"The major problem, however, is that all of this lazy thinking leaves Republicans ill-equipped to govern – as seen in the problems encountered by the Gingrich Congress, the George W. Bush administration and now the Boehner/Ryan House. And that matters a lot."

Moody’s Chief Economist On Romney’s Tax Plan: ‘The Arithmetic Doesn’t Work’

Moody’s Chief Economist On Romney’s Tax Plan: ‘The Arithmetic Doesn’t Work’: The fact that Mitt Romney’s tax plan is mathematically impossible was reinforced again on Friday, when Mark Zandi, a former John McCain campaign adviser and Chief Economist at Moody’s Economy, admitted as much. Speaking on CNN’s “Starting Point,” Zandi acknowledged a study by the Tax Policy Center that shows Romney’s plan to lower taxes by [...]/p

The 6 Studies Paul Ryan Cited Prove Mitt Romney's Tax Plan Is Impossible - The Atlantic

The 6 Studies Paul Ryan Cited Prove Mitt Romney's Tax Plan Is Impossible - The Atlantic
"Paul Ryan finally had enough time to go through the math of the Romney tax plan during the vice-presidential debate. He didn't use it. Ryan filibustered instead. About the most specific he got was citing "six studies" he said vindicate the plan's mathematical plausibility. Except they don't."

Friday, October 12, 2012

GOP Consultant Under Investigation For Voter Registration Fraud Quietly Restarts Registration Efforts

GOP Consultant Under Investigation For Voter Registration Fraud Quietly Restarts Registration Efforts: The Republican National Committee hastily cut ties with Strategic Allied Consulting in late September, when Florida opened a criminal investigation into the GOP-funded voter registration firm for turning in hundreds of fraudulent registration forms in Florida counties. Once Palm Beach County raised the alarm, other states discovered fraudulent registrations, including North Carolina, Virginia, Nevada and [...]/p

Jon Stewart Takes on the Craziest Rape-Denying, Conspiracy-Spouting GOP Candidates

In a segment titled "You Magnificent Bastards" Jon Stewart introduced his viewers last night to GOP characters like Todd Akin, Joe Walsh, Paul Broun and of course Allen West. These guys aren't just running for office, he noted, many of them hold plum committee seats already, don't you know--including the Committee on Science and Technology.

10 Conservatives Who Have Praised American Slavery | Alternet

10 Conservatives Who Have Praised American Slavery | Alternet
"For obvious reasons, the American conservative movement has long been dogged by accusations of racism and racial insensitivity. From their famed Southern strategy to their determined efforts to suppress minority voting via phony voter ID initiatives to their race-baiting Obama attacks, conservatives have made clear their opposition to a tolerant, multicultural America. In fact, much of their electoral strategy relies on scaring older, white voters about blacks and Hispanics taking over "their" country."

At The Vice Presidential Debate: Ryan Told 24 Myths In 40 Minutes

At The Vice Presidential Debate: Ryan Told 24 Myths In 40 Minutes: 1) “It took the president two weeks to acknowledge that [the Libya attack] was a terrorist attack.” Obama used the word “terrorism” to describe the killing of Americans the very next day at the Rose Garden. “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the [...]/p

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Paul Ryan: The Lyin' King -- 10 of His Worst Campaign Fabrications | Alternet

Paul Ryan: The Lyin' King -- 10 of His Worst Campaign Fabrications | Alternet
"Mitt Romney pollster Neil Newhouse recently said that the Romney campaign is “not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.” If the past few weeks are any indication, Paul Ryan is sticking pretty close to that strategy. Here are his most recent lies, going back to his universally fact-checked Republican National Convention speech."

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

What Everyone Needs To Know Before Watching The VP Debate

What Everyone Needs To Know Before Watching The VP Debate: 1. Romney and Ryan would eliminate health care for 31 million people who are poor or disabled. Medicaid, which helps poor Americans, some seniors, and children afford health care, is right in the crosshairs of Paul Ryan’s House budget. He proposed cutting $1.4 trillion from the program, a move that would kick about 11 million [...]/p

Romney Breaks A Year of Promises To Rightwingers--And They're Cheering | Alternet

Romney Breaks A Year of Promises To Rightwingers--And They're Cheering | Alternet
"He was for repealing Obamacare until he wasn’t. He was forrepealing Dodd-Frank financial reforms until he wasn’t. He was for keeping tax cuts for the top 1 percent until he wasn’t. He was for ‘ self-deportation’ of illegal immigrants until he wasn’t—on the eve of the first presidential debate.
And now Mitt Romney says he won’t pursueany anti-abortion legislation if elected, except he’s said thathe’d sign an executive order barring foreign aid for abortions. And his website says the U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade. And he favors a constitutional amendment banning abortion. Mitt Romney is not just tacking to the political center —as many websites are reporting Wednesday, as if this was a time-honored, utterly predictable and therefore politically acceptable shift. It’s not. If Romney took these initial positions under oath in a court and then recanted, he’d be found guilty of perjury. Only in American elections are such shifts considered 'free speech.'

Romney flat-out lying to his own base about abortion

Romney flat-out lying to his own base about abortion
"This of course was a departure from the many promises Romney has made to his party to oppose abortion, support a constitutional amendment banning all abortion, shut down Planned Parenthood, defund health care for women, give employers the right to deny health care to their employees, and appoint activist judges to the Supreme Court who will overturn Roe v. Wade."

Clinton Mocks Romney: 'Old Moderate Mitt' Is Back!

Clinton Mocks Romney: 'Old Moderate Mitt' Is Back!
"Former President Bill Clinton literally jumped up and down on Tuesday while jabbing Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for appearing to move to the center after months of campaigning as a "severe conservative"."

Romney Praises National Health Care Mandate As A ‘Bipartisan Proposal’

Romney Praises National Health Care Mandate As A ‘Bipartisan Proposal’: Mitt Romney seemed to embrace a proposal that includes a national mandate to purchase health care insurance, during an interview with the editorial board of the Des Moines Register on Tuesday, criticizing President Obama for failing to accept a reform plan offered by former Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). That plan, [...]/p

Rewriting Republican's take on Slavery

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell asks where is the outcry over a candidate who used the Bible to justify slavery?

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Arkansas State Rep: ‘If Slavery Were So God-Awful, Why Didn’t Jesus Or Paul Condemn It?’

Arkansas State Rep: ‘If Slavery Were So God-Awful, Why Didn’t Jesus Or Paul Condemn It?’: After Arkansas Republicans disavowed a book by state representative Jon Hubbard (R-AR) claiming slavery was “a blessing in disguise” for African Americans, Hubbard’s colleague, state Rep. Loy Mauch (R-AR) has been outed by the Arkansas Times for his pro-slavery, pro-Confederacy letters to the editor over the past decade. Mauch’s run for reelection this year is [...]/p

Republican Candidate In Arkansas Says Parents Should Seek Death Penalty Against ‘Rebellious Children’

Republican Candidate In Arkansas Says Parents Should Seek Death Penalty Against ‘Rebellious Children’: A candidate for the Arkansas legislature, Charlie Fuqua, says children who don’t demonstrate “respect for parents” should be put to death, the Arkansas Times reports. Fuqua is a former member of the Arkansas legislature and has received support from the Arkansas Republican Party and two sitting members of Congress. Here’s the key passage from Fuqua’s [...]/p

Monday, October 8, 2012

Why Romney’s Mormonism Matters » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Why Romney’s Mormonism Matters » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the Mormons), with its history of religious severity, appears to be a perfect fit for the über-orthodoxy of the Tea Party-controlled GOP. Despite misgivings that many non-Mormon Republicans may have (most Christian groups don’t consider the Mormons to be Christians), the history and doctrine of the Mormon faith seem to go hand in hand with the kind of derelict bigotry and racism that the current GOP espouses."

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Mitt Romney's win is conservatism's loss

Mitt Romney's win is conservatism's loss
"But none of this changes one simple fact: Romney's last-minute wholesale reinvention tour is nothing more than the last, desperate gasp of a candidate who knows that the conservatism he had to adopt to win the primary will get him absolutely nowhere this November. It is his last, greatest, Etch-a-Sketch: starting off the last month of the campaign by pretending on national television that none of the rest of the campaign ever happened, and hoping that the public is only paying attention just now and is too stupid to realize the difference."

Friday, October 5, 2012

Top 10 Excuses Conservatives Are Already Making For Losing The Election | Alternet

Top 10 Excuses Conservatives Are Already Making For Losing The Election | Alternet
"All the current polling has President Obama beating Mitt Romney and Republicans failing to take over the Senate . There is an obvious reason for this:  the public likes how progressive Democratic policies have worked in the past four years more than how conservative Republican policies worked in the past eight.
Accepting the obvious is proving difficult for conservative leaders. Instead of taking responsibility for past policy mistakes and proposing changes, conservatives are frantically coming up with various excuses why they are about to take a ballot box beating. The list is impressive. Let it not be said conservatives are not creative."

Etch-A-Sketch Romney Tries to Rewrite 47 Percent Remarks

Etch-A-Sketch Romney Tries to Rewrite 47 Percent Remarks
"In the mean time, since he didn't get a chance to try to sanitize his remarks during the debate, he ran to Sean's loving arms at Fox to have them "Hannitized" instead."

Romney Disavows '47%' Remarks, Makes Fools of Right-Wingers Who Defended Him

Romney Disavows '47%' Remarks, Makes Fools of Right-Wingers Who Defended Him
"This is what happens when you just reflexively defend everything your candidate says, no matter how offensive and stupid."

Thursday, October 4, 2012

10 Most Shameless Romney Debate Lies -- Debunked | Alternet

10 Most Shameless Romney Debate Lies -- Debunked | Alternet
"Romney’s debate performance was chock full of lies, recalling his running mate’s address to the GOP convention, which was also chock full of lies. Hopefully, just as Ryan’s address was dissected and debunked by some media outlets, Romney’s claims are as well, so the debate can move to substantive issues instead of stylistic ones.
Here are ten of Romney’s fact-challenged claims from last night:"

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Republican brand tanking with electorate

Republican brand tanking with electorate
"The favorability ratings for both the GOP and the tea party are totally underwater, with just 39 percent approving of the GOP and 32 percent liking the tea party. Among self-identified party members, Democrats have a five-point edge over Republicans in favorability, 89 percent of Democrats are positive, versus 84 percent of Republicans. And here's where it gets interesting."

Right-Wing Media Hopelessly Confused About Their Race-Based Attacks On Obama | Alternet

Right-Wing Media Hopelessly Confused About Their Race-Based Attacks On Obama | Alternet
"It's rather amazing that Barack Obama has been on the national political stage for more than eight years and the far-right media, committed to hating the president with a peculiar passion, still haven't figured out the race angle. Or specifically, they haven't figured out which  race-baiting angle  they prefer to play against him."

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Ryan Challenged By Voter To Provide Policy Specifics, Fails To Deliver

Ryan Challenged By Voter To Provide Policy Specifics, Fails To Deliver: A woman at a rally in Clinton, Iowa challenged Paul Ryan for not providing specifics about the GOP presidential proposals on Tuesday, echoing a growing concern among reporters, pundits and voters alike: QUESTION: My question is, you know, you keep talking about China and jobs and then we talk about the unemployment, but where are [...]/p

Breaking News on the RNC's Election Fraud Scandal

Greg Palast breaks the story on the Koch Brothers Connection to the Voter Registration fraud outfit working in Florida, North Carolina, Colorado and several other states.

Tenn. GOP Candidate Posts Gun Pic on Facebook: 'Welcome to Tennessee Mr. Obama'

Tenn. GOP Candidate Posts Gun Pic on Facebook: 'Welcome to Tennessee Mr. Obama'
"You've got to wonder about the intelligence, or at the very least the lack of common sense of some people currently running for Congress. Call it the "Sarah Palin Effect", or maybe she's just a symptom of a disease that was there long before her ascent. And while it is true that many rank-and-file republicans find such posts as this one completely innocent and non-threatening, so much so they've become "normal". Whatever your take on this incident itself, many non-republicans take a dim view of all this, and see it as a cancer in that party that just keeps growing."

Evangelical fundraising campaign by Ralph Reed's coalition depends on demonizing Barack Obama

Evangelical fundraising campaign by Ralph Reed's coalition depends on demonizing Barack Obama
"It doesn't matter whether Reed actually thinks any of the flyer's claptrap is true. Most of the targeted recipients already believe the piles of lies, distortions and exaggerations about Barack Obama featured it contains and would never vote for him anyway. Reed's objective is to raise enough money from these true believers so a pernicious "voter guide" can be shipped to millions of other voters who so far may be at least a little skeptical of the demon depiction of the president. Success convincing these voters depends on one of the traditional values Reed doesn't tout on his résumé: profuse, unrepentant lying."