Sunday, June 30, 2013

America is Under Siege As The Koch Brothers Look to Replace The Constitution

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/30/america-seige-koch-brothers-replace-constitution.html
"In fact, in preparation for oligarchs and theocrats ascendance to unchallenged authority to reign over the people, Republicans are eliminating the last vestiges of democracy, economic independence, and freedom from religion as they openly oppose the Constitution in their final push toward fascism."

The Architect Of Trickle Down Economics Finally Put In His Place

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/30/the-architect-of-trickle-down-economics-finally-put-in-his-place/
"ever since Milton Friedman began pushing his ideas, companies, and our nation, have suffered. While in the short-term, it can look decent, over the longer period, only collapse is shown. If we do not halt this idea, and bury it alongside its creator, then we shall pass as a nation, great no more and just a faded memory."

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/30/the-architect-of-trickle-down-economics-finally-put-in-his-place/#ixzz2XlIgv4P7

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Thirteen Facts About America's Tax-Dodging Corporations

Thirteen Facts About America's Tax-Dodging Corporations
"Abusive offshore tax havens cost the US $150 billion in lost tax revenue every year (via FACT Coalition). That’s $1.5 trillion over the next ten years."

Friday, June 28, 2013

Why The GOP Can’t Afford To Kill The Immigration Bill

Why The GOP Can’t Afford To Kill The Immigration Bill: Immigration reform passed the Senate on Thursday, with 14 Republicans voting in favor. Despite this bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill could easily die in the more polarized House or thereafter in the conference process. If it does, the cause of death will be a lack of Republican support. That will reinforce the anti-immigrant [...]/p

North Carolina Becomes First State to Disqualify Itself for Federal Jobless Benefits

North Carolina Becomes First State to Disqualify Itself for Federal Jobless Benefits
"The wingnuts are really running wild in North Carolina. A new law taking effect over the weekend will cut unemployment benefits for new claims and disqualify the state from receiving federal funds for the long-term jobless."

The Reagan Revolution is an Utter Failure

Cavuto and Erickson Continue Flogging Fake IRS 'Scandal'

Cavuto and Erickson Continue Flogging Fake IRS 'Scandal'
"Never mind that Darrell Issa's witch hunt with the IRS has pretty well blown up in their faces, or the recent confirmation of what we've known for some time now, which is that the IRS was also giving extra scrutiny to liberal groups applying for tax exempt status, and not just these so-called tea partiers.
Never mind any of that, because no one at Fox is going to let a few facts get in the way of them continuing to flog one of the many items on the list of the fake "scandals" they've been carrying on about ever since that black Kenyan, Muslim, Socialist, Communist, Marxist usurper got reelected.
So what's their latest excuse to continue harping about this story after it's been debunked?"

Small Words, Small Guys | Common Dreams

Small Words, Small Guys | Common Dreams
"Ha. Rick 'Foot-in-the-Mouth' Perry was stupid, arrogant and contemptible enough to sound off at a right-to-life cabal on heroic filibuster Wendy Davis not learning from her own life experience as a teen mom, after which he got what was coming to him. Davis called his statement "without dignity..."

How the Supreme Court's Outrageous Assault on Our Lives Might Be Used to Knock Republicans Out of Power in Congress | Alternet

How the Supreme Court's Outrageous Assault on Our Lives Might Be Used to Knock Republicans Out of Power in Congress | Alternet
"The damage to this country that the Supreme Court's right-wing majority has done could be employed by Dems to destroy House Republican majority."

Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Marriage of Libertarians and Racists

www.consortiumnews.com/2013/06/27/the-marriage-of-libertarians-and-racists/
"The modern Republican Party and its chic libertarians have dallied with white supremacists as a political necessity, because blacks and other minorities have rallied to the Democrats due to their better civil rights record. But the Right’s dancing with the racist devil is not new."

Wisconsin Budget Includes $1 Million Taxpayer Giveaway for Well-Funded Teach for America

Wisconsin Budget Includes $1 Million Taxpayer Giveaway for Well-Funded Teach for America
"Teach for America is a non-profit whose stated mission is to "eliminate educational inequity by enlisting high-achieving recent college graduates and professionals to teach," but the organization is backed by a number of right-wing interests that have bankrolled the conservative push to privatize, voucherize, and generally dismantle free and universal public education in America."

Darrell Issa: "Fool me once..."

BREAKING: Senate Passes Historic Immigration Reform

BREAKING: Senate Passes Historic Immigration Reform: On Thursday afternoon, an immigration reform bill that would affect millions of undocumented immigrants was approved by a final vote of 68 to 32 in the Senate. The bill puts up to 11 million undocumented immigrants on a pathway to citizenship and enforces tough border security measures. Vice President Joe Biden presided over the historic [...]/p

Same Old Party

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The IRS “Scandal” Was A Set-Up | Common Dreams

The IRS “Scandal” Was A Set-Up | Common Dreams
"Got that? Republicans told the IG to limit it to conservaitve sounding names, and then when the IG report only mentioned conservative-sounding names, they blasted out this “scandal” to the media.
It was a set-up from the start. And the media completely fell for it. If you hear anyone say that “the IRS targeted conservatives” please let them know this is not what happened — not at all."

Time for Congress to Regulate the Supreme Court Clan!

Supreme Court’s War on Democracy

www.consortiumnews.com/2013/06/25/supreme-courts-war-on-democracy/
"After the Voting Rights Act was gutted on Tuesday, some officials from the Old Confederacy immediately rubbed their hands with glee, anticipating how they could minimize the number of black and brown voters in future elections and maximize the number of white Republican members of Congress."

TX Senate Erupts Into Chaos As GOP Tries to Cheat Their Way To Abortion Ban

TX Senate Erupts Into Chaos As GOP Tries to Cheat Their Way To Abortion Ban
"Because of Republicans' behavior in front of Texas and the rest of America, it's quite likely Texas really will turn blue, and sooner rather than later. Stay tuned, this is just the beginning."

Republican Senator Calls For Abolishing The Minimum Wage

Republican Senator Calls For Abolishing The Minimum Wage: On the 75th anniversary of the landmark bill that established a minimum wage, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) called for abolishing it completely, the Huffington Post reports. At a Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee meeting to mark 75 years since the signing of the Federal Labor Standards Act, which set a minimum wage and mandated [...]/p

The Court, The Corporate Coup, And The Call To Struggle

The Court, The Corporate Coup, And The Call To Struggle
"Our democracy was under siege even before the Supreme Court's ruling on the Voting Rights Act. This decision caps the Court's clean sweep on behalf of the United States Chamber of Commerce and is part of a concerted effort to seize democracy on behalf of moneyed interests."

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Ku Klux Kourt Kills King's Dream Law, Replaces Voting Rights Act With Katherine Harris Acts

Ku Klux Kourt Kills King's Dream Law, Replaces Voting Rights Act With Katherine Harris Acts
"Despite the racial stench of today's viciously antidemocratic ruling, the GOP majority knew they were handicapping the next presidential run by a good 6 million votes."

Poor Darrell Issa! Turns Out IRS Also Targeted Groups With 'Progressive' Or 'Occupy' In Title

Poor Darrell Issa! Turns Out IRS Also Targeted Groups With 'Progressive' Or 'Occupy' In Title
"That hissing sound you hear is the last of the so-called IRS scandal melting away forever. Like every right-wing faux outrage, it's yet another example of how effortlessly they light up our ADHD media, creating smoke but no fire. First it was Benghazi and now it's the IRS non-scandal which is now an embarrassment for Darrell Issa in a very, very big way."

Monday, June 24, 2013

BREAKING: Senate Clears Way For Immigration Reform Bill To Pass With Broad Bipartisan Support

BREAKING: Senate Clears Way For Immigration Reform Bill To Pass With Broad Bipartisan Support: On Monday night, the Senate moved forward a key provision predicted to make or break its ability to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The amendment, offered by Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and known as the “border surge” amendment, would add 20,000 border patrol agents, require the completion of 700 miles of fencing, [...]/p

102 Things NOT To Do If You Hate Taxes

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/22/102-things-not-to-do/
"The Republicans are lying when they say that we pay the highest taxes in the world and are only attacking taxes to reward corporations and the wealthy and to weaken our infrastructure and way of life."

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/22/102-things-not-to-do/#ixzz2XAuV6n52

Top Ten Reasons It Sucks To Be A Republican

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/23/top-ten-reasons-it-sucks-to-be-a-republican/
"The agenda seems to be to decide what sort of nonsensical, greedy, hateful or underhanded thing you feel like doing today, and then try to work out a way to make it less offensive to the general public."

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/23/top-ten-reasons-it-sucks-to-be-a-republican/#ixzz2XAtKr34X

Darrell Issa just had a bad day: IRS 'targeted' groups with 'Occupy' and 'Progressive' in names

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/24/1218531/-Darrell-Issa-just-had-a-bad-day-IRS-targeted-groups-with-Occupy-and-Progressive-in-names
"The IRS has stopped using any so-called BOLO ("Be on the lookout") lists, but you know what this looks like? It looks like they were trying to screen for groups engaged in political activity ... because groups engaged mainly in influencing campaigns are not entitled to non-profit tax exempt status. In other words, they were trying to enforce the law."

Within 24 Hours, Arizona Governor Takes Two Positions On Immigration Bill

Within 24 Hours, Arizona Governor Takes Two Positions On Immigration Bill: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer called the Senate immigration bill a “victory for Arizona” on Fox News this weekend, offering support for the bill following an agreement from Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Hoeven (R-ND) that would increase border security enforcement. “I think that what we’re seeing taking place in the Senate is a victory [...]/p

Republican Strategy For 2016: Change Nothing, Piss Everyone Off

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/23/shannons-failing-gop-piece/
"Republicans will once again lose the popular vote in the 2016 election, just as they have the last five of six presidential elections unless they put their listening caps on and and pay attention to what they are being taught. It does not matter how they convey their message if their message is: We hate poor people, we hate minorities, we hate women. Hate is no way to win an election and there isn’t a nice enough way in the world to sugarcoat it."

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/23/shannons-failing-gop-piece/#ixzz2X9WKuDxS

Rand Paul Promises To Vote Against Senate’s Immigration Reform Bill

Rand Paul Promises To Vote Against Senate’s Immigration Reform Bill: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Sunday that he will vote against the Gang of Eight’s immigration bill because it puts too little emphasis on border security. Despite the security measures expected to be included in the bill — including 700 miles of new fence, 20,000 new border agents, and triple the number of unmanned drones [...]/p

Sunday, June 23, 2013

GOP Senator Dismisses Push For Immigration Reform As ‘Ethnic Politics’

GOP Senator Dismisses Push For Immigration Reform As ‘Ethnic Politics’: During an appearance on CBS’s Face The Nation on Sunday, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) dismissed the comprehensive immigration reform bill making its way through the U.S. Senate as “ethnic politics.” Sessions’ comments came after host Bob Schieffer asked what effect GOP opposition to the legislation would have on the party’s relationship with Hispanics. After claiming [...]/p

Demographic winter? Republicans ensuring their own demise

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/23/1216898/-Demographic-winter-Republicans-ensuring-their-own-demise
"Conservative economic policies are fueling this so-called demographic winter. And if Republicans want to have any voters left who will support them, they will have to make sure that the economy works for the the generation that is currently producing children, instead of vacuuming up more wealth into the hands of those who already possess it."

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Hey, Paul Ryan -- We All Depend on Government - Even You (and Your Mom)! | Common Dreams

Hey, Paul Ryan -- We All Depend on Government - Even You (and Your Mom)! | Common Dreams
"This is the Paul Ryan whose budget plan would have slashed funding for public education, roads, and public services that are the investments we need to lift people out of poverty and strengthen our economy. Now he's taking aim at the most vulnerable people in society -- food stamp recipients.
Ryan worships at the altar of novelist Ayn Rand, the philosopher of you're-on-your-own selfishness, whose books were required reading for his Congressional staffers."

Friday, June 21, 2013

Fact-Checking the Sean Hannity Playboy Interview

Fact-Checking the Sean Hannity Playboy Interview
"Fox News propagandist Sean Hannity sat down with Playboy, and though I'm not going to attempt to correct every one of his lies, it's worth spotlighting just how much wrongness he can cram into a single interview."

How American Society Unravelled After Greedy Elites Robbed the Country Blind | Alternet

How American Society Unravelled After Greedy Elites Robbed the Country Blind | Alternet
"Thirty years ago, the old deal that held US society together started to unwind, with social cohesion sacrificed to greed."

The Tea Party’s Legacy of Racism

www.consortiumnews.com/2013/06/20/the-tea-partys-legacy-of-racism/
"The anger of Southern whites was taken out primarily on the modern Democratic Party, which had led the fight for civil rights. Opportunistic Republicans, such as Richard Nixon, fashioned a “Southern strategy” using racial code words to appeal to Southern whites and turned the region from solidly Democratic to predominantly Republican as it is today."

Senate Republicans Try To Buy Off Their Base

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

Farm Bill Dies; Hypocrisy Lives

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

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Launches A New Attempt To Kill Social Security

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/21/u-s-chamber-commerce-launches-attempt-kill-social-security.html
"It is a sad commentary indeed, that the people who built America and contributed to the obscene wealth Wall Street, banks, and corporate giants conceal offshore are facing a prospect of working until they drop dead. Republicans are attempting to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and any program for the people at the behest of America’s real leaders; ALEC, Wall Street, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and to ensure the government lacks funds to maintain, let alone strengthen, those programs, they are keeping wages low, jobs scarce, and given the opportunity, will raise taxes on those least able to subsist in the Republican economy."

North Carolina Throws Out Racial Justice Act | Common Dreams

North Carolina Throws Out Racial Justice Act | Common Dreams
"North Carolina's governor Wednesday signed away the state's Racial Justice Act that makes it illegal to pursue the death penalty against a defendant based on racial bias."

Maine's LePage in lobbyist scandal, punishes paper

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Glenn Beck Is Luring Christians Into Islamo-Mormon Deistic Universalism | Right Wing Watch

Glenn Beck Is Luring Christians Into Islamo-Mormon Deistic Universalism | Right Wing Watch
"Yesterday's TruNews radio broadcast with Rick Wiles was entirely dedicated to an interview with right-wing anti-Islam activist Walid Shoebat and his son Theodore during which the three of them attacked ... Glenn Beck!
That's right, according to the Shoebats, Beck is a practitioner of "Chrislam," meaning that he is luring his audience away from true Christianity and into a dangerous Islamo-Mormon deistic universalism with the help of Religious Right leaders such as James Robison, Franklin Graham, and David Barton."

Prepare for the Slanderous Return of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy if Hillary Clinton Runs in 2016

Prepare for the Slanderous Return of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy if Hillary Clinton Runs in 2016
"The right had fought the Clintons tooth and nail for decades. In 2000, when Hillary went out on her own and ran for the Senate from New York State, "Hillary hunting" became a reliable right-wing mantra."

From Middle Class To Peasant Class: How Republicans Made America A Top Poverty Creator

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/20/middle-class-peasant-class-republicans-america-top-poverty-creator.html
"America became an exceptional nation with the rise of the great middle class, and it is sliding into a nation of peasants as Republicans thirty year effort to destroy the middle class is reaching fruition. Nearly a quarter of America’s children are living in poverty, millions of Americans earn a pathetic minimum wage insufficient to put a roof over their heads, and the idea of ever achieving anything more is being thwarted by Republicans in all areas of government, but particularly the states. Right to work laws, banning minimum wage, eliminating healthcare, prohibiting paid sick leave, robbing food and housing assistance for seniors and the poor to provide more of the nation’s wealth for the rich and their corporations are all part of the Republicans’ three decade effort to destroy the middle class"

Tea Party rebels against New Cok—er—'rebranding'

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/20/1217507/-Tea-Party-rebels-against-New-Cok-er-rebranding
"Every immigrant community is getting a lesson in which party really cares."

House GOP In Disarray On Immigration

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

A Reminder: Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock Aren't Outliers in Today's GOP

A Reminder: Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock Aren't Outliers in Today's GOP
"this rhetoric accurately reflects Republican Party platform positions. As long as the party vows to criminalize all abortions, they're going to have people explaining why--which is what got Akin in trouble."

Meet The Republican Who Wants To Be The Next Michele Bachmann

Meet The Republican Who Wants To Be The Next Michele Bachmann: The leading Republican candidate in retiring Rep. Michele Bachmann’s congressional district denies climate science, is virulently anti-gay, and sponsored everything from voter ID legislation to a minimum wage law repeal. No wonder he’s already being labeled “Michele Bachmann 2.0.” Former Minnesota State Rep. Tom Emmer (R) was the first candidate to step up when Bachmann [...]/p

Darrell Issa Proven to be a Fraud: Full Transcripts Reveal No IRS White House Conspiracy

www.forwardprogressives.com/darrell-issa-proven-to-be-a-fraud-full-transcripts-reveal-no-irs-white-house-conspiracy/
"Basically, Issa knew there was nothing, continued to push a lie—helped build the lie—all while continuing the false conspiracy that somehow President Obama was ordering the IRS to target conservative groups."

Cummings releases the IRS transcript

Issa Angry As Transcripts Show He Fixed ‘Facts’ Of IRS Case Around His Claims Of White House Corruption

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/19/issa-angry-as-transcripts-show-he-fixed-facts-of-irs-case-around-his-claims-of-white-house-corruption/
"Once again we witness the slow death of another Republican manufactured “scandal"."

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/19/issa-angry-as-transcripts-show-he-fixed-facts-of-irs-case-around-his-claims-of-white-house-corruption/#ixzz2WhWZv8hx

Republican rebranding fail, continued: Congressman calls immigrants 'takers' at anti-reform rally

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/19/1217273/-Republican-rebranding-fail-continued-Congressman-calls-immigrants-takers-at-anti-reform-rally
"You need only listen to his words to know that Mr. Weber is a bigot. But he's also an idiot: Immigration reform isn't just the right thing to do from a moral perspective, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, it would reduce the deficit—by a lot. This isn't a tough choice: Immigration reform isn't just good for people who want to become Americans, it's also good for people who already are Americans."

The President and the Media Must Educate the American People on How to Remove the Cancer From Our Politics

The President and the Media Must Educate the American People on How to Remove the Cancer From Our Politics
"The right wing of the Republican Party no longer has the leadership or agenda to gain the presidency through a popular vote. Instead, it is relying on ruthless obstruction of the party in power, slowing down economy and voter suppression. The right wing will continue on this path until the American people put a stop to it and remove this cancer from our politics."

Maine Governor Blacklists Newspapers After They Criticize His Administration’s Energy Policies

Maine Governor Blacklists Newspapers After They Criticize His Administration’s Energy Policies: Following a critical series of articles in three Maine newspapers this week, Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s (R) office has cut off those papers’ access to administration officials. The same week the Portland Press Herald, the Kennebec Journal, and the Morning Sentinel published an in-depth analysis of the administration’s work to undermine environmental protections, a spokeswoman [...]/p

Right-Wing Immigration Foes Get Burned by Reality | Alternet

Right-Wing Immigration Foes Get Burned by Reality | Alternet
"Right-wing opponents of immigration reform expected to get a potent weapon when they requested that the Congressional Budget Office score the reforms offered by the Senate “Gang of Eight.” But it turned out to be one of those 'be careful of what you wish for' moments, when CBO projected that the Senate bill would cut the dreaded federal deficit by $197 billion over the next ten years, and $700 billion more in the decade after that."

Big Lie: America Doesn't Have #1 Richest Middle-Class in the World...We're Ranked 27th! | Alternet

Big Lie: America Doesn't Have #1 Richest Middle-Class in the World...We're Ranked 27th! | Alternet
"America is the richest country on Earth. We have the most millionaires, the most billionaires and our wealthiest citizens have garnered more of the planet's riches than any other group in the world. We even have hedge fund managers who make in one hour as much as the average family makes in 21 years!  
This opulence is supposed to trickle down to the rest of us, improving the lives of everyday Americans. At least that's what free-market cheerleaders repeatedly promise us. Unfortunately, it's a lie, one of the biggest ever perpetrated on the American people."

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Less Facts Favor the GOP, the More Scandal Narratives Do

The Less Facts Favor the GOP, the More Scandal Narratives Do
"In both these issue areas, conservative opposition to popular policies has only been maintained by concerted and disciplined lying."

Monday, June 17, 2013

9 Ways the Right’s Ayn Randian Experiment Screws Over the Young | Alternet

9 Ways the Right’s Ayn Randian Experiment Screws Over the Young | Alternet
"Their decades-long assault on our core social values is on the verge of consuming its first complete generation of Americans. Born at the dawn of the Reagan era, Millennials were the first to be fully subjected to this all-out attack on the idea that we take care of each other in this country, and they’ll pay for it from the cradle to the grave."

From Fox News to Rush: Secrets of the right’s lie machine

From Fox News to Rush: Secrets of the right’s lie machine
"
Fox News and the conservative media sector (including the conservative blogosphere) provide a “self-protective enclave” for conservatives to cocoon themselves. Research demonstrates that the more a person consumes conservative media, the more likely she is to dismiss any news or arguments that contradict the conservative position as liberal propaganda and lies."

Rand Paul Claims Liberal Elites Want to Exterminate Christians

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/15/rand-paul-claims-liberal-elites-exterminate-christians.html
"Rand Paul is a tool of the Religious Right and his avowed fears of an Islamic Caliphate fall just a little flat when he himself aspires to be a Caliph here at home. The presidency is a secular – not a religious – office, and Rand Paul and his supporters would do well to remember that in an age of declining church membership and young people increasingly tired of the persecution of their friends.
The Republican tent has gotten very small, and unfortunately for the GOP, Republicans seem to embrace that fact, using language that, while sure to appeal to the base, alienates the rest of America. Their problem in an ecumenical sense, is similar to their immigration problem."

Lindsey Graham: GOP in a Death Spiral | Alternet

Lindsey Graham: GOP in a Death Spiral | Alternet
"And this dilemma couldn't happen to a more deserving party or set of politicians."

Florida’s Governor Signs Business-Backed Bill Banning Paid Sick Leave

Florida’s Governor Signs Business-Backed Bill Banning Paid Sick Leave: Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed a bill on Friday that blocks local governments from implementing paid sick leave legislation, the Orlando Sentinel reports. He made his decision quickly, only taking four of the 15 days he legally had to review the bill before he signed it. In signing the bill, Scott sided with big [...]/p

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Rubio Refuses To Say Whether He Supports His Own Immigration Bill

Rubio Refuses To Say Whether He Supports His Own Immigration Bill: Sen. Marco Rubio (R- FL), the architect of a comprehensive immigration bill that would legalize 11 million undocumented immigrants, refused to say on Sunday whether he supports the legislation he helped draft. He instead claimed that the measure does not have strong border enforcement provisions and would not receive bipartisan support. In an interview on [...]/p

Lindsey Graham: Republicans 'Are in a Demographic Death Spiral'

Lindsey Graham: Republicans 'Are in a Demographic Death Spiral'
"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on Sunday that he favored former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) as a 2016 presidential candidate, but no Republican could win unless comprehensive immigration reform was passed because the party was in a "demographic death spiral"."

Lindsey Graham Warns GOP: ‘It Doesn’t Matter Who We Run In 2016′ If Immigration Reform Fails

Lindsey Graham Warns GOP: ‘It Doesn’t Matter Who We Run In 2016′ If Immigration Reform Fails: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — one of the Republican co-sponsors of an immigration reform bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11.1 million undocumented immigrations — told fellow Republicans that the GOP will fail to exist if reform does not become law. “If we don’t pass immigration reform , if we [...]/p

Colorado Secretary Of State Responsible For Voter Suppression Fined For Ethics Violations

Colorado Secretary Of State Responsible For Voter Suppression Fined For Ethics Violations: Colorado’s state ethics panel has ruled that Secretary of State Scott Gessler (R) violated state ethics laws and breached public trust for his own personal gain. Gessler, best known for his failed voter purge and his crusade against largely nonresistant voter fraud, received a fine for the violations. The Denver Post reported Thursday that Colorado’s [...]/p

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Republicans And Some Democrats Are Quietly Rolling Back Obama’s Wall St. Regulations

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/15/republicans-democrats-quietly-rolling-obamas-wall-st-regulations.html
"There is no other way to describe what Republican intentions are in repeating the same deregulation frenzy except to deliberately destroy the American economy once and for all to allow their wealthy supporters the opportunity to step in and buy the United States lock, stock, and barrel."

Friday, June 14, 2013

Top Republicans assemble for Ralph Reed's Annual Crook-O-Rama

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/14/1216291/-Top-Republicans-assemble-for-Ralph-Reed-s-Annual-Crook-O-Rama
"The most interesting thing about Ralph Reed's Faith & Freedom Forum being held this week is that it exists at all. Ralph Reed, for those precious few of you who do not remember recent political history, is a crook. He is a political scammer who worked with Jack Abramoff in a swindle of Native American tribes and conservative Christians alike, a scam that went to the heart of the conservative movement but in which every last person save Abramoff himself has undergone a magical conversion back into respectability based essentially on the same scam as they started out with, which is duping Good Christian People out of their money."

Rubio Thinks It’s OK To Discriminate Against Gays… But Says He’s Not A Bigot (VIDEO)

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/14/rubio-thinks-its-ok-to-discriminate-against-gays-but-hes-not-a-bigot/
"To expect an American to live as a second-class citizen because you don’t like something about them is not the sort of behavior that qualifies one to run for President of the United States."

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/14/rubio-thinks-its-ok-to-discriminate-against-gays-but-hes-not-a-bigot/#ixzz2WF4ymcOr

Conservative Minority Outreach Panelist Explains Voter Gap: ‘People Of Color Are Being Paid By The Government’

Conservative Minority Outreach Panelist Explains Voter Gap: ‘People Of Color Are Being Paid By The Government’Of course, not all public programs go exclusively, or even largely, to minority populations. What’s more, receiving public benefits doesn’t determine one’s voting patterns. Seventy percent of food stamp recipients, for instance, are white, and the vast majority of counties with the fastest-growing food stamp rolls voted Republican in 2008.

GOP Congressman: ‘Illegal Aliens Have Just Invaded My DC Office’

GOP Congressman: ‘Illegal Aliens Have Just Invaded My DC Office’: One week after House Republicans passed an amendment that effectively deports DREAMers, undocumented high school students held a peaceful protest in Rep. Steve King’s (R-IA) office. In their caps and gowns, the undocumented members of United We Dream occupied his office during regular hours to advocate for immigration reform. As is his usual fashion, King [...]/p

House GOP Revolt Against Immigration Reform Begins | The Nation

House GOP Revolt Against Immigration Reform Begins | The Nation
"While this was, at some point, inevitable, it's bad news for Boehner, and much more importantly, bad news for immigration reform."

The Tea Party's Worst Nightmare: More White Americans Are Dying Than Being Born

The Tea Party's Worst Nightmare: More White Americans Are Dying Than Being Born
"This is what groups such as the Tea Party, the NRA, the Republican Party, the Neo-Confederates, and white Christian fundamentalists – among others – have held as their core racial fear"

Spurs Answer Racist Response To Latino National Anthem Singer By Letting Him Sing Again

Spurs Answer Racist Response To Latino National Anthem Singer By Letting Him Sing Again: When Darius Rucker canceled plans to sing the national anthem ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs asked Sebastien De La Cruz to do the honors. De La Cruz, an 11-year-old Mexican-American, is a San Antonio resident who appeared as a singer on America’s Got Talent last year, and he [...]/p

GOP Rhetoric and Actions Matter to Latinos on Immigration

GOP Rhetoric and Actions Matter to Latinos on Immigration: A new survey by Latino Decisions neatly captures the strategic bind the GOP finds itself in over immigration. The short of it: when Republican Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) talk about immigration, both senators and the GOP at-large suffer among Latino voters; when Republican Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) or Democrat Bob Menendez [...]/p

Could Texas Be Turning Blue?

Could Texas Be Turning Blue?
"The primary reason that many cite for Texas going blue is the reality of demographics. Currently, 50.2 percent of the state’s 4.9 million public school children are Hispanic; last year, that figure was 49 percent. Indeed, two out of every three public school children in Texas as Hispanic, according to the Texas Education Agency."

Republicans Have Hit a New Record Low as Confidence In Congress Falls to 10%

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/14/republicans-hit-record-confidence-congress-falls-10.html
"It is seriously amazing that there are 10% of Americans who have confidence in Congress and doubtless they are extremist conservatives and teabaggers hopeful Republicans continue neutering government, or optimistic souls who believe sanity and reason will win the day and Republicans will actually work for the good of the people. However, after over four-and-a-half years of obstruction, job killing, and hostage taking crises, and a population falling deeper into poverty, there is nothing whatsoever to be confident about except more dire effects of Republicans intent on bringing governance to a halt. It is noteworthy though, that Republicans act decisively and with great resolve when their wealthy and extremist supporters demand action, but that is likely the same 10% who still have confidence in Congress and sadly they are driving the direction of the nation."

EXCLUSIVE: Rubio Says It Should Be Legal To Fire Someone For Being Gay

EXCLUSIVE: Rubio Says It Should Be Legal To Fire Someone For Being Gay: WASHINGTON, DC — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who is touted as a top GOP presidential prospect in 2016, thinks it should be legal to fire someone for their sexual orientation. ThinkProgress spoke with the Florida Senator at the opening luncheon of the annual Faith and Freedom Forum on Thursday and asked him about the Employment [...]/p

Thursday, June 13, 2013

New ‘Progressive’ Super PAC Actually Backing Conservatives, Run By Former Consultants For Rove And Bachmann

New ‘Progressive’ Super PAC Actually Backing Conservatives, Run By Former Consultants For Rove And Bachmann: A secretive new super PAC with the misleading name “Americans for Progressive Action” has made a $700,000 ad buy on behalf of Massachusetts Republican Senate nominee Gabriel Gomez. But while the group claims it is not partisan and will back independent-minded candidates, the group’s leadership includes Republican consultants with ties to Karl Rove and Rep. [...]/p

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

North Carolina Is the New Wisconsin | The Nation

North Carolina Is the New Wisconsin | The Nation
"Just like the Koch brothers backed Scott Walker, the Koch’s billionaire ally and close associate Art Pope funded North Carolina’s Republican takeover in 2010 and 2012."

GOP Congressman Channels Todd Akin: ‘The Incidence Of Rape Resulting In Pregnancy Are Very Low’

GOP Congressman Channels Todd Akin: ‘The Incidence Of Rape Resulting In Pregnancy Are Very Low’: Despite Republican strategists’ efforts to keep GOP politicians from making insensitive comments about rape victims, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) channeled former Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-MO) infamous “legitimate rape” comment during a committee hearing on Wednesday. Defending his proposal to ban all abortions after 20 weeks with no exceptions for rape and incest, Franks claimed, “The [...]/p

Trent Franks Goes Akin: His History of Anti-Choice Extremism | Right Wing Watch

Trent Franks Goes Akin: His History of Anti-Choice Extremism | Right Wing Watch
"Aside from his anti-choice activism, Franks pushes anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, has flirted with birtherism, and has claimed that marriage equality is a “threat to the nation’s survival"."

The Third Koch ‘Brother’ Hits North Carolina | Common Dreams

The Third Koch ‘Brother’ Hits North Carolina | Common Dreams
"There’s something rotten in the state of North Carolina — and it smells like money. Specifically, Art Pope’s money.
In fact, Pope and his cash are responsible for North Carolina’s recent meteoric rise as the poster child for regressive, conservative politics.
As the head of Variety Wholesalers (a family-run discount store holding company) and the$150 million Pope Family Foundation, he has invested in an array of think tanks and advocacy groups dedicated to aggressively aligning the state’s political terrain with his business interests. Gov. Pat McCrory, whose campaign he bankrolled, recently named Pope to the powerful post of state budget director.
Pope is, for all intents and purposes, North Carolina’s third, lesser known, Koch brother. In fact, he’s attended the Koch Brothers’ planning summits and considers himself their close ally."

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

‘FrackNation’ The Infomercial: Koch Industries Ties That Bind

‘FrackNation’ The Infomercial: Koch Industries Ties That Bind: The fracking industry really doesn’t want you to see “Gasland 2.” The industry has brought in anti-science film-maker Phelim McAleer to produce an industry informercial, “FrackNation.” McAleer has a long track record of trying to disrupt and disinform. Here’s Part 2 of DeSmogBlog’s exposé of this oil and gas industry PR campaign — JR. By [...]/p

If Republicans ‘Love’ America So Much Why Do They Keep Threatening to Secede?

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/11/republicans-love-america-threatening-secede.html
"For the past four-and-a-half years there has been a war to control America, and crucial to the Koch brothers and ALEC’s victory is decimating democracy by stirring up opposition to legally elected government at both the state and federal levels. With their failure to buy representatives in states like Colorado and California, they have attempted to ratchet up anger among disaffected Republicans with insane propaganda warning that renewable energy and environmental regulations are a direct assault on individual freedom and their way of life. What is stunning is that there are any Americans who so identify their way of life, and freedoms, with the fortunes of wealthy fascists intent on controlling America that they become enemies of democracy and are willing to secede over the majority’s choice of representatives."

Republicans Watch Another Fake Scandal Die; IRS Manager Reveals He Is A Conservative Republican

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/10/republicans-watch-another-fake-scandal-die-irs-manager-reveals-he-is-a-conservative-republican/
"John Shafer, the IRS manager, told the Oversight Committee that he and another employee set aside applications from groups with “Tea Party” and “patriot” in their names because granting them tax-exempt status could set a new precedent for the IRS. In other words, he was just doing the job he is paid to do, to make sure that groups are not wrongfully receiving an exempt status they do not deserve. It should also be noted that, so far, no conservative groups have come forward to say they were denied the tax-exemption."

Read more: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/06/10/republicans-watch-another-fake-scandal-die-irs-manager-reveals-he-is-a-conservative-republican/#ixzz2VvCt9INj

Darrell Issa Won’t Release IRS Transcripts Because They Prove Him Wrong

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/10/darrell-issa-wont-release-irs-transcripts-prove-wrong.html
"Darrell Issa won’t release the full transcripts because they prove him wrong. If they had an ounce of White House scandal in them, they’d have been gussied up, exaggerated, sold and devoured by the Issa-fawning press by now. Issa just can’t bear to see yet another scandal die due to reality not coinciding with his claims."

Fox News Won’t Tell Their Viewers That A Republican Was Behind IRS Targeting

www.politicususa.com/2013/06/10/fox-news-viewers-republican-irs-targeting.html
"Fox is refusing to their viewers the truth. This is why Fox News isn’t news, and it is certainly not journalism. It is a propaganda network that is intentionally leaving out facts."

Red States Get More Extreme -- How America Is Splitting Apart Without Bothering With Civil War | Alternet

Red States Get More Extreme -- How America Is Splitting Apart Without Bothering With Civil War | Alternet
"Conservative Republicans in our nation's capital have managed to accomplish something they only dreamed of when Tea Partiers streamed into Congress at the start of 2011: They've basically shut Congress down. Their refusal to compromise is working just as they hoped: No jobs agenda. No budget. No grand bargain on the deficit. No background checks on guns. Nothing on climate change. No tax reform. No hike in the minimum wage. Nothing so far on immigration reform."

How Right-Wing Ideology Has Suckered Millions of Americans into Hating Their Own Government | Alternet

How Right-Wing Ideology Has Suckered Millions of Americans into Hating Their Own Government | Alternet
"Pervasive propaganda is doing great harm to one of the few solutions the people have to deal with their problems: government"

Monday, June 10, 2013

RNC Ignores 2012 Post-Mortems, Doubles Down On Evangelicals

RNC Ignores 2012 Post-Mortems, Doubles Down On Evangelicals
"Based on that, and the College Republicans' report last week warning the party about their attitudes on gay rights, a conservative Southern Baptist guy who hates gays and promises to recruit even more Southern Baptists while ignoring the Latino community should be exactly what the RNC needs to succeed, don't you think?"

Head Of Texas Anti-Immigration Group: Politicians Who Support Reform Are ‘An Accessory To Homicide’

Head Of Texas Anti-Immigration Group: Politicians Who Support Reform Are ‘An Accessory To Homicide’: Politicians who voted for the original 1986 immigration reform bill are accessories to homicide, according to Larry Korkmas the tea party president of Texans for Immigration Reduction and Enforcement President (TFIRE). During a debate on the Senate immigration reform bill, Korkmas accused government officials of allowing the Boston Marathon bombings to occur because they failed [...]/p

Revealed: Letters From Republicans Seeking Obamacare Money | The Nation

Revealed: Letters From Republicans Seeking Obamacare Money | The Nation
"Now letters produced by a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that many of these same anti-Obamacare Republicans have solicited grants from the very program they claim to despise. This is evidence not merely of shameless hypocrisy but of the fact that the ACA bestows tangible benefits that even Congress’s most extreme right-wing ideologues are hard-pressed to deny to their constituents."

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Why Michele Bachmann Won't Run For Office Again, No Matter What

Why Michele Bachmann Won't Run For Office Again, No Matter What
"Let's be clear: Not running for office is Michele Bachmann's best bet at avoiding a criminal conviction. Once a candidate announces they're resigning, or not running for reelection, that's when the FBI usually (but not always) puts pending indictments of public officials on ice. It frustrated me as a reporter when they didn't follow through on those cases, but an FBI agent explained to me how much more efficient it was to let those investigations die. "We get a bad guy out of office and save the cost of going to trial, that's a win/win," he told me."

Friday, June 7, 2013

Maine Tries To Increase Energy Efficiency, Gov. LePage Threatens Veto

Maine Tries To Increase Energy Efficiency, Gov. LePage Threatens Veto: Maine is trying to lower energy costs and increase energy efficiency. Sadly, its Governor may veto legislation that would do this at the expense of Maine’s ratepayers and emerging renewable energy industry. A bipartisan omnibus energy bill is making its way through the Maine state legislature. The compromised package, L.D. 1559, passed the Senate on [...]/p

PERRspectives: Rubio, Like McCain, Pledges to Vote Against His Own Immigration Bill

PERRspectives: Rubio, Like McCain, Pledges to Vote Against His Own Immigration Bill
"Hispanic voter weren't buying his act, and on Election Day delivered their ballots to Barack Obama by a 66 to 32 percent margin. Four years later, Mitt Romney self-deported more Latino voters to the Democratic Party, losing that vital demographic block by a staggering 71 to 27 percent.
Hoping to catapult his White House hopes and rescue his Republican Party in 2016, Marco Rubio is trying to perform McCain's trick. But as McCain learned the hard way, voters know what a trick is."

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Hypocritical Republicans Have An Obamacare Problem

Hypocritical Republicans Have An Obamacare Problem
"But Cornyn, like other colleagues, is a secret admirer of Obamacare. Lee Fang has unearthed their appeals for grants to bolster health care services in their states, and there are many, from all those loyal GOP Obamacare haters."

Meals On Wheels Slashes Services And Adds Waiting Lists Thanks To Sequestration

Meals On Wheels Slashes Services And Adds Waiting Lists Thanks To Sequestration: Meals on Wheels, the program that brings hot food to home-bound seniors, is facing big budget cuts thanks to sequestration, and the Meals on Wheels Association of America just released a new survey of 640 of its members to find out what choices they’re making with fewer dollars. It found that nearly 70 percent have [...]/p

Marco Rubio's Immigration Cube

Marco Rubio's Immigration Cube
"You know the stupid that resides in the Conservative party and takes place on a daily basis is the kind of stupid you don't often see or hear about in everyday life. It would appear that Marco Rubio has realized that, by trying to do the right thing on immigration, he has put his own future political aspirations in jeopardy because House Republicans are crazed, fire-breathing Neanderthals. Here he is talking to another platinum member of the knuckle draggers party Hugh Hewitt and telling him that he won't even vote for his own bill."