Saturday, August 31, 2013

PERRspectives: Health Insurance "Coverage Gap" Coming to a Red State Near You

PERRspectives: Health Insurance "Coverage Gap" Coming to a Red State Near You
"The resulting Republican body count is staggering. Thanks to the GOP's rejection of Medicaid expansion, 1.3 million people in Texas, 1 million in Florida, 534,000 in Georgia and 267,000 in Missouri will be ensnared in the coverage gap.
Here's why."

Friday, August 30, 2013

How A Stupid Election Rule Could Reelect A Tea Party Governor That His Voters Hate

How A Stupid Election Rule Could Reelect A Tea Party Governor That His Voters Hate:
"Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) is not a beloved leader. Just 39 percent of Maine voters approve of his performance in office, and he would lose a one-on-one race against his likely Democratic challenger by a massive 54-39 margin. Nor are these numbers particularly surprising. Despite being the governor of a blue state, LePage supports cutting health and retirement benefits to pay for tax cuts for the rich, rolling back child labor laws, blacklisting journalists — all while making anal rape jokes and protesting a non-existent “tax on bull semen"."

GOP’s destructive grifter: Jim DeMint peddles political poison

GOP’s destructive grifter: Jim DeMint peddles political poison
"The Medicare-dependent seniors and military veterans who rely on government-run healthcare can’t be reassured by that kind of talk. It’s the sort of rhetoric that’s great for raising money from the rubes — sadly, probably even some rubes who don’t realize their healthcare is government-run — but terrible for the Republican Party."

Leaderless party endures humiliating week

Leaderless party endures humiliating week
"Republicans' flailing spectacle during the March on Washington anniversary displayed a party with no direction"

Conservative Candidate Posts ‘Shoot The N****r’ Photo Of President Obama On Facebook (IMAGE & VIDEO)

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/29/racist-maine-conservative-david-marsters-calls-obama-the-n-word/
"It seems Marsters is part of the kool-aid drinking crowd of Fox News viewers who buy into whatever fear and hate mongering talking point they are peddling on a day to day basis. And because of that fear and hate, many conservatives have resorted to making threats of violence and hurling racist epithets in an effort to get their own way."

Where Were The Republicans At The March On Washington

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

A party full of rodeo clowns: GOP flips the bird to racial justice

A party full of rodeo clowns: GOP flips the bird to racial justice
"The fact that no leading Republican bothered to attend the 50thanniversary commemoration shows how far to the right they’ve moved on race. It’s not just that they’ve thrown in the towel when it comes to appealing to black voters. They also don’t think it’s worth it to make an extra effort to appeal to white voters who flinch at racism."

Maine Teabagger Gets Visit From Secret Service After Posting 'Shoot the N****' to Facebook

Maine Teabagger Gets Visit From Secret Service After Posting 'Shoot the N****' to Facebook
"When reading the background to this story one is struck by the fact that seemingly every grievance, every supposed slight suffered by those on the far right with Barack Obama as our president is pretty much embodied by this guy. First there's the obvious and overt racism. It's unabashed and unapologetic. But then you notice a few more things, such as a person who professes to honor the constitution is making a not so veiled threat against the president, or at least exhorting others to commit a violent act. There's really no joking around with that, especially given the history of the United States."

Obamacare Myth Inspires Conservative To Post ‘Shoot The Ni**er’ On Facebook

Obamacare Myth Inspires Conservative To Post ‘Shoot The Ni**er’ On Facebook: A man in Maine took to the social media site after getting angry about his assumption that Obamacare will cause his wife to lose her health insurance. In fact, the law may actually help his family.

Every Republican That Was Asked Refused to Attend March On Washington Event

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/29/john-boehner-eric-cantor-refused-speak.html
"By refusing to even show up, Republicans sent the message to the country that only one party cares about inclusion and diversity, and it isn’t them. Their decision wasn’t just bad optics. It was bad politics.
Most of all, it was a completely unnecessary snub of the King family, and Martin Luther King’s legacy. The message has been effectively sent that Republicans don’t care about civil rights, equality, and inclusiveness.
Good luck running on that platform in 2016."

What Conservatives Are Saying About The March On Washington

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Republicans Hide Their Racist Disenfranchisement Efforts by Claiming MLK as Their Own

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/28/republicans-claim-mlk-jr-disenfranchisement.html
"With Republicans, everything is only skin deep. It’s all about appearances. That’s why they ran Sarah Palin to get women votes, and keep desperately trying to claim MLK, Jr. as their own, as if this would suddenly erase 60 years of racist Southern Strategy, actual policies that harm the poor, and racist efforts to steal the vote from minorities."

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Speaker Boehner Vows Fight On Debt Limit

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Fox News Feels The Hate From Young Viewers As Ratings Plummet to a 12 Year Low

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/27/fox-news-feels-hate-young-viewers-ratings-plummet-12-year.html
"Younger viewers (age 25-54) are avoiding Fox News like the plague. The reason why younger viewers don’t watch Fox mirrors the struggles of the Republican Party. Instead of embracing issues that matter to younger people, Fox News and the Republican Party have taken positions of opposition. It doesn’t matter how young the Fox News on air talent gets, as long as they cater to the old while male base of the Republican Party, younger people will not tune in." And it's the same trouble for the party on a national level. Losing large voting blocks like women and minorities as well the very large next generation. A dying party filled with ignorance, racism and hate is not attractive to most voters and is a real turnoff to young people.

House Republicans Have Collectively Voted To Repeal Obamacare Over 7,000 Times

House Republicans Have Collectively Voted To Repeal Obamacare Over 7,000 Times: Republican lawmakers have spent 15 percent of their time on the floor voting to dismantle Obamacare. And they're not done yet.

Ronald Reagan: Martin Luther King had It Coming

Ronald Reagan: Martin Luther King had It Coming
"Rick Perlstein gave Steve Kornacki a real insight into the way Conservatives thought about Martin Luther King back in his day. And after listening to Laura Ingraham's use of gun shot sound to denigrate Rep. John Lewis' speech, I think those sentiments still resonate today with most conservatives today."

The right is wrong about rights

The right is wrong about rights
"The conservative theory of freedom is short-sighted and confused. This helps explain why they oppose so much"

GOP Continues Full Assault Against Obamacare

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Why Do 6 Bags Of Salt Water Cost You $546

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Hypnotized by Ayn Rand and Reaganomics, Republicans Have Completely Lost Touch with Economic Reality | Alternet

Hypnotized by Ayn Rand and Reaganomics, Republicans Have Completely Lost Touch with Economic Reality | Alternet
"The GOP doesn't understand how the economy works or the concerns of middle-class families."

Monday, August 26, 2013

Laura Ingraham Plays Gunfire Sounds During John Lewis' Washington March Speech

Laura Ingraham Plays Gunfire Sounds During John Lewis' Washington March Speech
"Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham on Monday railed about the commemoration ceremonies for the 50th anniversary of civil rights March on Washington, and then interrupted a recording of Rep. John Lewis' (D-GA) speech with the sound of gunfire."

Killing Obamacare Is Killing The Republican Party

Killing Obamacare Is Killing The Republican Party:
"Americans willing to directly identify with the Republican Party is reaching historic lows. The Pollster.com rolling average of GOP party identification now stands at 22 percent and has been declining fairly steadily for the last several years."

The Republican Party's 'Defund Obamacare' Disorder | Alternet

The Republican Party's 'Defund Obamacare' Disorder | Alternet
"The Republican party is not in a good place right now. They are  historically unpopular (particularly House Republicans); they have no discernible governing agenda; they are  under assault from their own supporters; they continue to say  stupid things that upset key voting groups … and – guess what? – things are about to get even worse.
Case in point: the ongoing GOP obsession with Obamacare."

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Cruz's Tea Party Supporters: ‘Canada is Not Really Foreign Soil’

Cruz's Tea Party Supporters: ‘Canada is Not Really Foreign Soil’
"When it comes right down to it these Teabaggers don't really care if what comes out of their mouths makes any sense at all to people who don't think as they do, as the first lady's inane laugh attests, while another lady flat out admits to seeing things through a partisan prism. For them the fact that Ted Cruz was born in a foreign country doesn't matter because you can just pretend Canada isn't "foreign"."

Cruz Supporter Extends US Border To Include Canada

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Friday, August 23, 2013

Ted Cruz Follower: Canada Is Not Really Foreign Soil (VIDEO)

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/23/1233378/-Ted-Cruz-Follower-Canada-Is-Not-Really-Foreign-Soil-VIDEO?detail=facebook
"Anyone wondering why Ted Cruz and other Right Wing Republican politicians continue to say things they are intelligent enough to know are wrong should understand that they are pandering to a base that has no interest in being educated. It is not that the Republican Right Wing base is less intelligent. They are willfully ignorant. They are unwilling to accept uncomfortable realities, so they live in a delusional bubble irrespective of consequences.
Ted Cruz was born on foreign soil from an American mother and a foreign father. That is fact. President Obama was born on American soil from an American mother and a foreign father. In effect there was never a real constitutional question regarding President Obama’s eligibility to be president. Irrespective of his parents, he was born on American soil. There is a constitutional question on Cruz’s eligibility based on the definition of ‘natural born citizen’. As such one would expect the Right Wing birthers to go after Ted Cruz."

Raising The Minimum Wage Is A Political Goldmine

Raising The Minimum Wage Is A Political Goldmine: An issue that is hugely popular, fits perfectly into the progressive agenda, appeals to the white working class, and splits the Republican party.

Ted Cruz Pretends Republicans Won't Be Blamed for Government Shutdown to Defund 'Obamacare'

Ted Cruz Pretends Republicans Won't Be Blamed for Government Shutdown to Defund 'Obamacare'
"I generally don't mind watching GOP infighting and these people going at each other, but it's really frightening and disturbing to watch these irresponsible hostage takers be willing to blow up the economy of the United States and do untold damage to our citizens in order to score political points."

Public School Asks Parents to Pay $613 Per Student As Right-Wing Governor Destroys Public Education With Insane Defunding | Alternet

Public School Asks Parents to Pay $613 Per Student As Right-Wing Governor Destroys Public Education With Insane Defunding | Alternet
"Pennsylvania's right-wing governor drains public schools of basic funds -- and the sickening details will shock you."

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Ron Paul, Birch President to Speak at Anti-Semitic Conference | Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center

Ron Paul, Birch President to Speak at Anti-Semitic Conference | Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center
"Beyond the obvious, what do a far-right Italian politician, the president of the John Birch Society and former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul have in common?
In early September, the men are all scheduled to speak – along with a lengthy list of archconservative clergy, lawyers and academics – at a conference in Canada sponsored by the Fatima Center, part of the “radical traditionalist Catholic” movement, perhaps the single largest group of hard-core anti-Semites in North America."

Republicans Take America Back (To the 19th Century) By Cutting Education and Paved Roads

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/22/republicans-america-to-19-century-eliminating-education-paved-roads.html
"Republicans and their legislative arm ALEC have much more in store for Americans than simply providing gravel roads and inadequate religious education funded by taxpayers, but any emerging enterprise has to start slowly. Every tactic and policy ALEC devises for Republicans to enact in the states is a portent of the GOP’s plan for the federal government. For example, Republican states slashing education and transportation funding while providing billions in corporate tax cuts follows the Ryan budget that cuts education spending by 33% and transportation by 38% to give the wealthiest Americans a 15% tax cut. The nation’s infrastructure is at the bottom of developed countries in the world and yet Republicans refuse to fund the President’s request for $50 billion to create jobs repairing over 70,000 bridges despite the nation requires $3.7 trillion over ten years to bring America up to standards to compete with the rest of the world."

Republicans decide they need a poll to find out whether a shutdown would be a political disaster

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/22/1233070/-Republicans-decide-they-need-a-poll-to-find-out-whether-a-shutdown-would-be-a-political-disaster
"While it's true that this is a mindblowing example of the stupidity gripping House Republicans (remember, not even Republican voters want a shutdown), at least John Boehner is finally working on a jobs plan. Too bad it's just a plan to save his own."

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Ranks Swell In NC Fight Against GOP Voting Rules

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A Decade of Flat Wages: The Key Barrier to Shared Prosperity and a Rising Middle Class | Economic Policy Institute

A Decade of Flat Wages: The Key Barrier to Shared Prosperity and a Rising Middle Class | Economic Policy Institute
"The weak wage growth since 1979 for all but those with the highest wages is the result of intentional policy decisions—including globalization, deregulation, weaker unions, and lower labor standards such as a weaker minimum wage—that have undercut job quality for low- and middle-wage workers. These policies have all been portrayed to the public as giving American consumers goods and services at lower prices. Whatever the impact on prices, these policies have lowered the earnings power of low- and middle-wage workers such that their real wages severely lag productivity growth. Macroeconomic policies have often added to the forces disempowering the vast majority of workers by tolerating (or causing) unnecessarily high unemployment rates to forestall (often hypothetical) increases in inflation or interest rates."

Ron Paul to be keynote speaker at anti-Semitic conference

Ron Paul to be keynote speaker at anti-Semitic conference
"Beyond the obvious, what do a far-right Italian politician, the president of the John Birch Society and former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul have in common?
In early September, the men are all scheduled to speak – along with a lengthy list of archconservative clergy, lawyers and academics – at a conference in Canada sponsored by the Fatima Center, part of the “radical traditionalist Catholic” movement, perhaps the single largest group of hard-core anti-Semites in North America."

PERRspectives: Republican Parents Vote for Obamacare with Their Wallets

PERRspectives: Republican Parents Vote for Obamacare with Their Wallets
"Over the last few weeks, Republicans have been waging a very determined--and even more deceptive--campaign to scare the bejesus out of uninsured young adults so important to the success of the Affordable Care Act. But while the conservative commentariat has been issuing dire warnings about the so-called "Young Invincibles," their parents have quietly added millions of them to their family insurance plans, all thanks to Obamacare."

Bill Kristol Now Free to Lie on Every Network

Bill Kristol Now Free to Lie on Every Network
"Over the past decade, Kristol's "insights" have included horribly inaccurate predictions about the Iraq War, saber-rattling for war with Iran, dismissing legitimate military scandals, and smearing Democrats."

More Louisiana Republicans Blame President Obama For Hurricane Katrina Response Than Bush

More Louisiana Republicans Blame President Obama For Hurricane Katrina Response Than Bush:
Looks like republicans in Louisiana need to listen to their Gov. Bobby Jindal when he asked them to stop being the "stupid party".

EXCLUSIVE: Three More GOP Congressmen Pledge To Help Constituents Enroll In Obamacare

EXCLUSIVE: Three More GOP Congressmen Pledge To Help Constituents Enroll In Obamacare:
"The fledgling push among a few Republican congressmen to sabotage Obamacare implementation by not assisting constituents who call their offices with questions appears all but dead."

For Ted Cruz, crazy is a family business

For Ted Cruz, crazy is a family business
"When it comes to red meat and red-baiting, Ted is a piker compared to his Cuban refugee father, who talks of Castro’s tyranny but never mentions the fact that he supported the Cuban communist leader’s revolution against Batista."

Rick Perry Quietly Lobbies The White House For $100 Million In Obamacare Funding

Rick Perry Quietly Lobbies The White House For $100 Million In Obamacare Funding: Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) despises all things Obamacare, including its optional Medicaid expansion. But he'll still take $100 million of the law's funding.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Iowa County Co-Chair Quits Party Because the GOP Has, ‘Declared War on Common Sense’

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/20/iowa-county-co-chair-quits-party-gop-has-declared-war-common-sense.html
"Immigration, climate change, healthcare, the economy, and women’s rights all areas where Republicans are fighting against science and/or common sense."

GOP's Goodlatte Blocks Path To Immigration Reform

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McDonnell Scandal Deepens With Stock Revelations

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Party Duty Makes Awkward Pair Of Christie, Lonegan

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Facts Intrude On Right's 'Scandal' Spotlight

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Irrefutable Proof that Darrell Issa Completely and Totally Lied About the IRS Scandal

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/20/definitive-proof-republicans-irs-lied-congress-public-irs-scandal.html
"Russell George needs to be investigated for obstructing a Congressional inquiry, and that investigation needs to dig into a possible conspiracy with House Republicans and other IRS employees to perpetrate a wholly inaccurate narrative about the IRS targeting conservatives for political reasons.
If you want a government that is remotely accountable, demand an inquiry. The Department of Justice should investigate the Inspector General’s testimony.
Don’t be satisfied with Republicans ceasing their lying about the IRS. That is not good enough. They have a lot of explaining to do."

Gov. Christie Endorses Steve Lonegan

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Republicans Claim that America Can No Longer Afford Compromise and Bipartisanship

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/20/republicans-claim-american-longer-afford-compromise-bipartisanship.html
"The outright rejection of compromise cost Americans a million jobs and the government $19 billion during the debt limit crisis in 2011 that also set the harsh 10-year sequester in motion, and the same extremists are ramping up to sabotage the government again."

Cruz declines to ’speculate’ about eligibility to run for president

Cruz declines to ’speculate’ about eligibility to run for president
"Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday refused to say whether he believes he is eligible to run for president of the United States even though he was born in Canada."

PERRspectives: Beware the Red State Suckers!

PERRspectives: Beware the Red State Suckers!
"But if Republicans think things are bad now, just wait until this time next year. As millions of people in states like Texas, Florida and North Carolina see their friends and relatives in places like Oregon, New York and Colorado with health insurance coverage they themselves lack, there could be hell to pay for the GOP obstructionists who played them for suckers."

Will the American Right Kill Us All? | Common Dreams

Will the American Right Kill Us All? | Common Dreams
"It is dangerous to cede the historical reality to well-funded right-wing “historians” who are dispatched back in time by the Koch Brothers and their allies to cherry-pick a few quotes here and there to distort what the key Framers were actually doing with the Constitution, i.e. they were creating a vibrant federal government that would have the flexibility to address the country’s “general Welfare” then and in the future."

John Galt lives in Texas

John Galt lives in Texas
"Texas has become a John Galt paradise, thanks to Rick Perry and his merry gang of teabaggers. Texas may be representative of that utopian state where government is small and budgets smaller, but there's a problem with their roads."

Issa (not) outraged by new evidence that IRS scrutinized Democratic groups

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/20/1232553/-Issa-not-outraged-by-new-evidence-that-IRS-scrutinized-Democratic-groups
"The more we learn about the IRS "scandal," the clearer it becomes that Mark Sumner nailed it on day one: The IRS was just trying to do its job by making sure that groups seeking tax-exempt status actually qualified for the special treatment they sought."

A ’nail in the coffin’ of the IRS ’scandal’

A ’nail in the coffin’ of the IRS ’scandal’
"What was annoying has since become tiresome. Republicans were so heavily invested in this controversy that they feel the need to keep up appearances, but it seems they're just going through the motions -- no one could honestly take the story seriously anymore."

Chris Christie Signs Bill Ending Gay Conversion Therapy in NJ

Chris Christie Signs Bill Ending Gay Conversion Therapy in NJ
"Christie has made the calculus that the numbers of extremist purity Republicans isn't sizable enough to give him a viable chance at the White House and that his chances would be better served playing that "reasonable" role.
It's illusory, because Christie is still extreme in his own way, but if it benefits gay children in NJ from the horrific emotional and physical torture of gay conversion therapy, it's all good with me."

Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Gets Huge, Borderline Illegal Raise For Arresting All Those Pesky Singers | Common Dreams

Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Gets Huge, Borderline Illegal Raise For Arresting All Those Pesky Singers | Common Dreams
"How much sleazier can the empire of Scott Walker get? This much: His administration just rewarded the new hardline Capitol Police chief and his top deputy with double-digit, salary-limit skirting pay raises by moving them on paper to phantom jobs for a day before returning them to their real jobs of bravely arresting firefighters, journalists, grandmothers, kids, and at least one city council member for, umm, singing."

In Renouncing Canadian Citizenship, Ted Cruz Sounds Like A DREAMer

In Renouncing Canadian Citizenship, Ted Cruz Sounds Like A DREAMer:
"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) will renounce his Canadian citizenship because he was unaware that he is still a Canadian citizen, according to a statement released by the Washington Post on Monday evening."

Koch-Backed Group Rallies To Oppose Extending Health Care To Low-Income Virginians

Koch-Backed Group Rallies To Oppose Extending Health Care To Low-Income Virginians:
"Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, sponsored a rally on Monday to stand up against extending Medicaid coverage to nearly 400,000 low-income Virginia residents."

The Business Community Finally Realizes Republicans Are Screwing Them Over

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/20/business-community-reaps-sowed-bed-tea-party.html
"Guess who’s sorry they fell for the Koch brothers baloney? Oh, none other than the “U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and other business interests”. See, it turns out that what is good for the Koch brothers isn’t necessarily good for the rest of the business community, the country or Wall Street."

GOP prepares to self-destruct over nonsense

GOP prepares to self-destruct over nonsense
"The conservative movement seems dead-set on tearing itself apart over "defunding Obamacare," an imaginary gimmick"

Pennsylvania Governor Hires Birther Tea Party Operative As New Tax Liaison

Pennsylvania Governor Hires Birther Tea Party Operative As New Tax Liaison: Gov. Tom Corbett (R-PA) has been called one of the nation's worst governors for his record of turning state government into "a favor mill for campaign supporters." This month, he selected Tea Party operative Ana Puig to be legislative liaison for his Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.

Conservative death panels? The right’s bad healthcare idea

Conservative death panels? The right’s bad healthcare idea
"Wing-nuts are pushing young people to sit out Obamacare -- which, for some, will likely mean bankruptcy... or death"

Monday, August 19, 2013

A big bunch of of idiots bought an even bigger bunch of idiots ...

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/19/1232331/-A-big-bunch-of-of-idiots-bought-an-even-bigger-bunch-of-idiots
"GOP-aligned business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and others played a key role in helping elect dozens of conservatives to the House and Senate. Now that these conservatives are trying to drag Congress into multiple confrontations that could do untold economic damage, however, the groups that played such a big role in shaping this Congress are none too happy with the forces they helped unleash."

ACA Supporting Business Owner Trounces Obamacare Bashing House Republican At Town Hall

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/19/aca-supporting-business-owner-trounces-obamacare-bashing-house-republican-town-hall.html
"House Republicans are finding out that it isn’t 2009 anymore. They can’t just make stuff up to scare people about the ACA. People are experiencing some of the benefits of the new law, and just like the constituent in the video (Ron Nelson), they want to know why Republicans want to take away the good things that the ACA is doing?"

How Libertarian-Style Capitalism Killed My Father and My Best Friends | Alternet

How Libertarian-Style Capitalism Killed My Father and My Best Friends | Alternet
"When a nation, like the United States, uses the libertarian way, it allows corporations to send whatever products they want into the marketplace, regardless of how dangerous those products are. The theory is that once people notice how deadly something is, they will stop buying it and the "free-market" will magically correct itself."

Meet the GOPer Who Thinks HIV Doesn't Cause AIDS and That Climate Change Is "Beneficial" | Alternet

Meet the GOPer Who Thinks HIV Doesn't Cause AIDS and That Climate Change Is "Beneficial" | Alternet
"It's not an illusion. They really are getting crazier. It's getting worse."

Watauga County, NC: All Hell Broke Loose at the Board of Elections Meeting

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/17/1231845/-Watauga-County-NC-All-Hell-Broke-Loose-at-the-Board-of-Elections-Meeting?detail=facebook
"Monday at 9AM was the first time the new and not-so-improved Watauga County Board of Elections met, a Board now controlled by Republican Tea Partiers (2-1) with a clear mission to suppress any and all suspected progressive votes in time for the upcoming municipal elections, especially for the Town of Boone, the county seat. And to do it undercover as fast as possible."

Texas Converts 80 Miles Of Paved Road To Gravel Thanks To Lack Of Funds

Texas Converts 80 Miles Of Paved Road To Gravel Thanks To Lack Of Funds: A shortage of revenue has forced Texas to reconsider modern roads.

Stupid Republican Tricks: Obamacare Edition

Stupid Republican Tricks: Obamacare Edition
"This is how cynical conservatives are. They truly believe they can shove their fist in our eyes and then deny they have a fist, or that they ever had one. I realize lies are all they have left, but that's their problem, not ours. They're the ones who told the entire country to "die and die quickly", and now they're running away from it."

GOP’s secret fear: House majority is in trouble

GOP’s secret fear: House majority is in trouble
"Top Republicans are increasingly concerned that their unpopularity and incompetence could soon cost them the House"

“Indescribably insane”: A public school system from hell

“Indescribably insane”: A public school system from hell
"Want to see a public school system in its death throes? Look no further than Philadelphia. There, the school district is facing end times, with teachers, parents and students staring into the abyss created by a state intent on destroying public education."

8 Reasons Charles Koch is the Scariest Man in America | Alternet

8 Reasons Charles Koch is the Scariest Man in America | Alternet
"Scary because he  claims "We don't have the power to coerce anybody" while providing massive  funding to organizations that attack public education, social programs, worker salaries, business regulations, and the environment."

Tea Party Goes Wild As Child's Hopes Crushed

Tea Party Goes Wild As Child's Hopes Crushed
"A Tennessee tea party Republican congressman told a frightened little girl at a town hall meeting on Thursday in Murfreesboro, TN that laws are laws and that her undocumented father is going to have to be deported.According to ProgressivePopulist.org, 11-year-old Josie Molina told Rep. Scott Desjarlais (R) that she has papers but her father does not."

How Republican Obstructionism Could Hand Congress To Democrats

How Republican Obstructionism Could Hand Congress To Democrats: The data is clear: if Republicans keep refusing to govern responsibly, they very well could lose the House in 2014.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

How False History Props Up the Right

www.consortiumnews.com/2013/08/17/how-false-history-props-up-the-right/
"Why this history is particularly relevant today is that, while the Right’s mythological Constitution may be an historical fiction, it still dominates the imaginations of many Americans. Thus, even as the Right’s policy prescriptions fail in providing for “the general Welfare” – from free-market extremism to austerity in the face of recession to letting 30 million Americans suffer without health insurance – the Tea Partiers are convinced they are doing what’s right because it is what the Framers enshrined in the Founding Document.
If that misconception is shaken, the Right will have nothing left to sell the American people, except perhaps bigotry and nihilism."

Why Rand Paul Is The Greatest Pretender

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7 Idiotic and Dangerous Statements From Right-Wing Nut-Jobs Just Last Week | Alternet

7 Idiotic and Dangerous Statements From Right-Wing Nut-Jobs Just Last Week | Alternet
""We can't have a woman president until every other country has a woman leader"...and much more."

Friday, August 16, 2013

GOP Congressman: White Collar Crime on Wall Street Doesn't Exist

GOP Congressman: White Collar Crime on Wall Street Doesn't Exist
"At a town hall meeting in El Dorado Hills, California on Tuesday, a constituent asked McClintock for his “stance on Wall Street criminal practices.” The congressman responded, “Well first of all, for a criminal practice there has to be a gun. It’s pretty simple"."

More Corporations Drop Off ALEC's Conference Brochure

More Corporations Drop Off ALEC's Conference Brochure
"An examination of the promotional brochure for the Chicago meeting of theAmerican Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) reveals that the meeting -- where corporate lobbyists secretly vote as equals with legislators on model bills at ALEC task force meetings -- has fewer corporate sponsors willing to tell the public they bankroll ALEC's operations."

GOP Congressman Gets Fact Checked By His Own Constituents On Obamacare: ‘Stop Lying!’

GOP Congressman Gets Fact Checked By His Own Constituents On Obamacare: ‘Stop Lying!’: Rep. Daniel Webster received heated pushback at a town hall in Florida this week. Turns out the people in his district aren't too impressed with his talking points about why he wants to get rid of Obamacare.

10 Ways Republicans Have Blown Their Own Minority Outreach Strategy

10 Ways Republicans Have Blown Their Own Minority Outreach Strategy: All the ways Republicans have shot themselves in the foot, in impressive fashion.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Social Security Is the Only Reason Most Americans Can Afford to Retire | Economic Policy Institute

Social Security Is the Only Reason Most Americans Can Afford to Retire | Economic Policy Institute
"As we celebrate the 78th birthday of Social Security today, it’s worth noting the vital role the program continues to play in Americans’ retirement security."

PERRspectives: State-Run Exchanges Expand Blue States' Health Care Edge

PERRspectives: State-Run Exchanges Expand Blue States' Health Care Edge
"From the very beginning, one massive irony has loomed over the Obamacare debate. The elephant in the room? Health care is worst where Republicans poll best. From access to care and insurance coverage to the health of their residents, red states generally produce the most dismal rankings. And while Democratic-led states are now embracing the Affordable Care Act to bring new insurance options, lower premiums and improved customer service to blue state denizens, many GOP states are doing almost nothing at all."

Did You Know the Deficit Is Shrinking? Most Americans Don't, Thanks to Shameless Deficit Hawk Propaganda | Alternet

Did You Know the Deficit Is Shrinking? Most Americans Don't, Thanks to Shameless Deficit Hawk Propaganda | Alternet
"Here are the facts: The U.S. budget deficit has been shrinking at a rapid rate over the last few months. The deficit peaked at 10.2 percent of GDP in 2009, but over the past four quarters, it has shrunk to a mere 4.2 percent of GDP. What’s more, the Congressional Budget Office predictsthat the deficit will fall to 2.1 percent of GDP in 2015.
Why such a disconnect? Unfortunately, disgraceful propaganda has left the public misinformed and confused."

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

What To Do When You No Longer Need Your Slaves?

A Missed Introduction To Oregon's Extreme New Republican Chairman

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/08/13/a-missed-introduction-to-oregons-extreme-new-re/195370
"It's hard to do justice to the extreme views of the new chairman for Oregon's Republican party. But reports on Art Robinson often didn't even come close, merely mentioning that he is a "skeptic of human-caused global warming," while leaving out the chairman's anti-scientific statements on evolution, AIDS, and nuclear waste."

The Real Reason for the GOP's All-Out War on Obamacare

The Real Reason for the GOP's All-Out War on Obamacare
"At its core, the Republicans' scorched-earth opposition to Obamacare has never been so much about "freedom" or "limited government" or any other right-wing ideological buzzword as it has been about political power, pure and simple. Now as for the past 20 years, Republicans have feared not that health care reform would fail the American people, but that it would succeed. Along with Social Security and Medicare, successful health care reform would provide the third and final pillar of Americans' social safety net, all brought you by the Democratic Party. To put it another way, the GOP was never really concerned about a "government takeover of health care", "rationing", "the doctor-patient relationship" or mythical "death panels," but that an American public grateful for access to health care could provide Democrats with an enduring majority for years to come."

Rewriting The Effects Of Sequestration On Science

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Right-wing push poll accidentally finds Obamacare popular

Right-wing push poll accidentally finds Obamacare popular
"And yet, despite oversampling Republicans and asking misleading questions, the poll still finds that pluralities favor keeping Obamacare and that Republicans would bear the brunt of the public’s wrath if the government shuts down."

Darkness in North Carolina: A Vision of the World the GOP Seeks to Create

Darkness in North Carolina: A Vision of the World the GOP Seeks to Create
"And so, if you want to see what the Republican future will look like, you need look no further than North Carolina. This is what "The 15% Solution" to the GOP problem of rapidly declining popularity among the population as a whole, now being implemented by GOP state governments all over the country, will bring us."

Koch-Funded Franklin Center "Watchdogs" Infiltrate State Capitols

Koch-Funded Franklin Center "Watchdogs" Infiltrate State Capitols
"The Franklin Center does not disclose its funders. But based on a review of the annual IRS filings of foundations that fund groups like Franklin, as of 2011 (the most recent available financial data), 95 percent of the group's funding comes from DonorsTrust and Donors Capital Fund. These two related entities are "donor-advised funds" that were spun off by the Philanthropy Roundtable and cloak the identity of donors to right-wing causes across the country. Mother Jones has called the combined Donors funds "the dark-money ATM of the conservative movement." The Franklin Center received the Donors funds' second-largest donation in 2011. Among the most prominent funders of Donors is the Knowledge and Progress Fund, a Charles Koch-run organization, which contributed nearly $8 million from 2005 to 2011."

Meet Frank Lonegan, Koch's Candidate for NJ Senate Seat

Meet Frank Lonegan, Koch's Candidate for NJ Senate Seat
"Meet Frank Lonegan, water carrier for Americans for Prosperity. Having hitched his wagon to the Kochs, Lonegan is looking to hate his way into the United States Senate this fall as he takes on Cory Booker. Calling him colorful would be an understatement.
American Bridge dug up a collection of some of Lonegan's greatest hits, and those are likely to be just the beginning. Here are a few of the more interesting ones"

Libertarian Capitalism Killed My Best Friends

Libertarian Capitalism Killed My Best Friends
"But our country is still one big libertarian experiment. And with exploding autism and cancer rates, we'll probably find out in the next generation what's out there right now that people will look back on in 30 years the same way we look back on asbestos today.
Our country needs to seriously reconsider unregulated libertarian capitalism and think about the safety of people, everyday people, as a higher priority than the profits of hustlers and giant corporations."

Three Republicans Who Opposed Sandy Relief Now Demand Disaster Aid For Arizona

Three Republicans Who Opposed Sandy Relief Now Demand Disaster Aid For Arizona: Arizona Republicans Flake, McCain, and Gosar all voted against emergency relief funding after Sandy but are vocally complaining that FEMA is not doing enough to aid their state.

Texas Brags To Court That It Drew District Lines To ‘Increase The Republican Party’s Electoral Prospects’

Texas Brags To Court That It Drew District Lines To ‘Increase The Republican Party’s Electoral Prospects’"The reason for this admission is that Texas is currently defending against a lawsuit seeking to bring its voting laws back under federal supervision in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision neutering the Voting Rights Act. A federal court recently found that Texas engaged in intentional race discrimination when it last drew its district lines, and a still-standing provision of the Voting Rights Act allows states that engage in such discrimination to be subject to federal supervision before they can enact new voting laws. Texas is now trying to defend against this attempt to bring them back under federal oversight by saying they weren’t engaged in racial gerrymandering at all — they were merely trying to rig elections so that Democrats would lose!"

Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate: Amend Constitution To Allow Taxpayer Funding For Religious Schools

Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate: Amend Constitution To Allow Taxpayer Funding For Religious Schools: Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) proposed that Virginia amend its constitution to allow public funding for religious education -- an idea contradicted by Thomas Jefferson.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Darrell Issa, John Boehner, Clarence Thomas Lead the Republican Culture of Corruption

www.politicususa.com/2013/08/12/darrell-issa-john-boehner-clarence-thomas-lead-republican-culture-corruption.html
"There is a reason why Darrel Issa has a long history of run-ins with the law and continues unabated in a position of power, and why John Boehner continues his unethical behavior in the House; it is all down to never facing the consequences of their corruption. ALEC has been laundering corporate money to send to Republicans since 2006 with impunity because they have not been investigated by the IRS, and Supreme Court Justices Scalia and Thomas continue doing the bidding of the Koch brothers because there is no code of conduct to hold them accountable for judicial malfeasance."

What Does It Take For a Rodeo Clown to Get Banned From a MO State Fair?

What Does It Take For a Rodeo Clown to Get Banned From a MO State Fair?
"Perry Beam, who took pictures of the "Obama rodeo clown" which went viral on the Internet and asked him about how he felt while watching the event. Beam compared sitting in that crowd and listening to and watching what he did to a KKK rally."