PERRspectives: GOP Always Feared Obamacare's Success, Not Its Failure

PERRspectives: GOP Always Feared Obamacare's Success, Not Its Failure

"With sign-ups for private insurance nearing 7 million on the final days of open enrollment for Obamacare, Republicans are once again trying to unskew the polls. While Wyoming Senator John Barrasso accused the White House of "cooking the books," Ted Cruz (R-TX) pretended the number of uninsured Americans is actually rising.

Sadly, this conservative whimpering doesn't mean the GOP's all-out war on the Affordable Care Act is over. The avalanche of court challenges continues. The 50-plus repeal votes will continue to grow. The conservative misinformation campaign about mythical "death panels" and a bogus "government-takeover of health care" left millions of Americans fearful and confused--the uninsured most of all--about Obamacare. Thanks to the refusal of many Republican-led states to accept the ACA's Medicaid expansion, over 7 million red staters will needlessly remain uninsured--and thousands of them will needless die as a result. Many of the same GOP-dominated states are blocking the work of Obamacare "navigators," despite supporting the same federal outreach program for Medicare for over two decades."

Big numbers ahead of the Obamacare deadline

Let the ‘Sheldon Adelson primary’ begin

I Saved $335.00 A Month On Healthcare Because Of Obamacare

I Saved $335.00 A Month On Healthcare Because Of Obamacare

"Sure, there's still a lot of work to be done to make healthcare in America much more affordable and accessible, but we're off to a good start."

Here’s The Exact Plan The Cheating GOP Is Using To Steal The 2014 Elections

Here’s The Exact Plan The Cheating GOP Is Using To Steal The 2014 Elections

"As uncompromising conservative candidates belittle people of color, immigrants, women and lower-class individuals, it’s no surprise that in the midst of self-mutilation, Republicans are obviously trying to alter the game with their selfish needs in mind – as always."

Republican elites felled by horrible new sickness: Jeb Bush fever!

Republican elites felled by horrible new sickness: Jeb Bush fever!

"Rich donors are getting ready to draft another Bush and thumb their noses at the party’s far-right base. Good luck!"

Christie, Walker, Kasich, Bush: Sheldon Adelson's Toadies

Christie, Walker, Kasich, Bush: Sheldon Adelson's Toadies

"The race for Billionaire Blessings is on! Top winner gets lots and lots of Billionaire Bucks to spend in the Great White House Auction of 2016, brought to you by the likes of Sheldon Adelson."

How to Vote Against the Koch Brothers | The Nation

How to Vote Against the Koch Brothers | The Nation

"The Koch Brothers don't actually run for office—at least not since David Koch's amusingly ambitious 1980 bid for the vice presidency on a Libertarian Party ticket that proposed the gutting of corporate taxes, the minimum wage, occupational health and safety oversight, environmental protections and Social Security.
That project, while exceptionally well-funded for a third-party campaign, secured just 1.06 percent of the vote. The Kochs determined it would be easier to fund conservative campaigns than to pitch the program openly. Initially, the project was hampered by what passed for campaign-finance rules and regulations, to the frustration of David Koch, who once told The New Yorker, "We'd like to abolish the Federal Elections Commission and all the limits on campaign spending anyway"."

George W. Bush's Chief Strategist Blasts Jeb Bush For For 'Kissing The Ring' Of Billionaires

George W. Bush's Chief Strategist Blasts Jeb Bush For For 'Kissing The Ring' Of Billionaires

"Matthew Dowd, who was chief strategist for George W. Bush's 2004 campaign, on Sunday ripped Republican presidential hopefuls for lowering themselves to "kiss the ring" of billionaires like Las Vegas casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson."

Big Republican Donors Eye Jeb Bush For Presidential Bid

Big Republican Donors Eye Jeb Bush For Presidential Bid

"But Jeb Bush has several problems to contend with and one is his name. The country has not forgotten what his brother did to our country and he will always be tarnished with that."

PERRspectives: GOP's Obamacare Sabotage Produces Red State Death Toll

PERRspectives: GOP's Obamacare Sabotage Produces Red State Death Toll

"To put those findings in terms Republicans can understand, up to 3,000 of Rick Perry's Texans will needlessly die each year. Those dead will joined by up to 671 from Scott Walker's Wisconsin, 1,176 in Nathan Deal's Georgia, 2,221 in Rick Scott's Florida and 1,145 in Pat McGrory's North Carolina. It's no wonder Ohio GOP Gov. John Kasich got biblical on Buckeye State Republicans to extend Medicaid coverage to 300,000 of their state's residents"

Vote Big Money out of Politics | Common Dreams

Vote Big Money out of Politics | Common Dreams

"Determined to promote controversial mining projects — and to advance Gov. Scott Walker’s agenda — a group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers has waded into Tuesday’s competition for control of the Iron County Board.
With dubious “facts” and over-the-top charges, the Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity is pouring money into the county — where voter turnout in spring elections rarely tops 1,500 — for attack ads. Small-business owners, farmers and retirees who have asked sensible questions about the impact of major developments on pristine lakes, rivers, waterfalls and tourism are dismissed as “anti-mining radicals” who “just want to shut the mines down, no matter what"."

The Shame of American Politics: GOP Presidential Hopefuls now Trek to Las Vegas seeking Adelson Blessing | Common Dreams

The Shame of American Politics: GOP Presidential Hopefuls now Trek to Las Vegas seeking Adelson Blessing | Common Dreams

"A series of pro-corporation Supreme Court decisions and the latter’s disingenuous equation of money with speech, including “Citizens United”, have turned the United States from a democracy to a plutocracy."

Ryan Unsuited To Lead ‘Adult Conversation’ About Poverty

Ryan Unsuited To Lead ‘Adult Conversation’ About Poverty

"The problem is that a prerequisite for any adult conversation is telling the truth and it is there the congressman falls monumentally short."

Fox-Watching Staunch Republican Loves His Obamacare

Fox-Watching Staunch Republican Loves His Obamacare

"He didn't vote for President Obama, but he's still thrilled with his new plan."

Texas right wing nut job arrested for plotting to blow up govt buildings, kill law enforcement officers

www.freakoutnation.com/2014/03/28/texas-right-wing-nut-job-arrested-for-plotting-to-blow-up-govt-buildings-kill-law-enforcement-officers/
"According to a criminal complaint which was filed on Thursday, Talbot desired to recruit five to six other like-minded individuals to blow up government buildings, rob banks and kill law enforcement officers. He allegedly created a Facebook page titled “American Insurgent Movement” (AIM), which is inundated with bizarre anti-Government, anti-liberal, tea party-type rants on fighting tyranny. His Facebook page leaves links to TeaParty.org, inforwars and other sources."

Ted Cruz Tries To Use Facebook To Prove No One Likes Obamacare And It Blows Up In His Face (IMAGES)

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/29/ted-cruz-aca-poll-blows-up/
"Not surprisingly, statistics show that red states have the highest rate of bankruptcy in the nation. Four out of the states with the highest number of personal bankruptcies are red. Medical debt accounts for more than 60 percent of all bankruptcies. What the tea party doesn’t get is that everyone in the country has been covering their medical expenses for years. Obamacare means no more free riders. Everyone who can afford to, has to contribute to the system. Maybe that’s what they’re so mad about, underneath the surface of all that patriotic, flag waving showmanship.
There’s nothing patriotic about driving healthcare costs up for everyone else in the country, because you falsely believe that being asked to pay taxes is unconstitutional. There’s nothing patriotic about bankrupting the medical system, because you take a ‘moral position’ against buying health insurance. There’s certainly nothing patriotic about using it as a weapon in order to try and shut down the government."

Two Christian SC Senators Block Third Grader’s State Fossil Proposal Because Jesus

Two Christian SC Senators Block Third Grader’s State Fossil Proposal Because Jesus

"Sometimes, you begin reading about something and think, “Aww, how cute!” Other times, what should be a touching story of a child’s proposal to make the Woolly Mammoth South Carolina’s official state fossil passing the state House and Senate with overwhelming support, going to the Governor’s desk, and being signed into law becomes something entirely different because of a couple of Christofascists in suits who feel the need to inject God into everything."

Judge Tells North Carolina Republicans To Hand Over Docs And Emails Related To Voting Law

Judge Tells North Carolina Republicans To Hand Over Docs And Emails Related To Voting Law

"An interesting tidbit in this report is that that the attorneys for the lawmakers contended that the lawmakers were protected by legislative immunity and should be free from “arrest or civil process” related to their actions as General Assembly members."

‘Persecuted:’ Christian Conservatism Is Now A Movement Of Querulants

‘Persecuted:’ Christian Conservatism Is Now A Movement Of Querulants

"Modern Christian conservatism is a querulant movement. With the culture leaving them behind on so many issues, right wing evangelicals feel ignored by a society they resent, becoming aggrieved and indignant as they are left behind. Their sense of lost privilege and esteem in a country that no longer recognizes the moral force of  their agenda drives them to enforce that program on the rest of us by law and litigation, for our own good, to restore what they see as the natural order of American society.

In this way, the Christian right has become a “freedom movement” for bigots and busybodies who treat god as an excuse for authoritarian behavior."

Why Dark Money Groups Refused Generous IRS Limits On Political Activity

Why Dark Money Groups Refused Generous IRS Limits On Political Activity

"This week saw House Republican leadership kill legislation to help Ukraine rather than accept an IRS investigation into dark money groups, thus putting party before country yet again on behalf of their billionaire sponsors. As Darrell Issa knows, it is great work if you can get it."

Scott Walker Signs Early Voting Restrictions Making It Harder For Low-Income Voters To Vote

www.thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/28/3420374/scott-walker-signs-early-voting-restrictions-making-it-harder-for-low-income-voters-to-vote/
"After Florida’s restrictions on early voting contributed to the long lines that state saw in 2012, several Republicans admitted that the purpose of the bill was voter suppression. One GOP consultant said that the bill eliminated early voting on the Sunday before Election Day because “that’s a big day when the black churches organize themselves"."

GOP Steps Up Attack on Early Voting in Key Swing States | The Nation

GOP Steps Up Attack on Early Voting in Key Swing States | The Nation

"The waits in Florida and Ohio were no accident, but rather the direct consequence of GOP efforts to curtail the number of days and hours that people had to vote."

Our Plutocracy Problem

www.inthesetimes.com/article/16475/our_plutocracy_problem
"These days, there’s a much more direct process. One percenters and corporations can secretly buy politicians. Using front groups, the wealthy can “donate” unlimited millions to elect a candidate and remain completely anonymous."

What's The Matter With Kansas? Austerity.

What's The Matter With Kansas? Austerity.

"Results in Kansas lay waste to the lie that cutting taxes increases prosperity."

New Study Confirms Red States Take More From The Federal Government Than Blue States

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/27/red-states-need-government/
"In the aggregate these states take back much more from the federal government than they put in. More of their gross domestic product is also more dependent on direct and indirect government outlays. This turns the takers vs makers debate on its head as those pushing that message represent the end they portend to despise.
Many of the southern states that have no state income tax or have low taxes do so on the backs of the states that pay much more in federal taxes. Governors like Texas Rick Perry make the rounds attempting to bring business to their states. They do it under the pretext of these states having better business environments because of low taxes and regulations. They should note they can have low taxes because they are subsidized by the federal government and the poor."

Fact-checking the Hayes/Stefano debate

Obamacare Enrollment Tops 6 Million, Meets Projection

Obamacare Enrollment Tops 6 Million, Meets Projection

"I wonder how Republicans will explain to all those millions why they want to take their healthcare away."

BREAKING: Obamacare Enrollment Tops 6 Million

www.thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/27/3420001/breaking-obamacare-enrollment-tops-six-million/
"With several days left to go before open enrollment ends on March 31, the administration has met its target. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that Obamacare enrollment would hit six million by the end of its enrollment period. Although the CBO initially projected a seven million enrollment figure, that number was revised down after technological issues plagued the insurance marketplaces’ websites this past fall."

As Wendy Davis Surges Panicked GOP Considers Investigating Greg Abbott’s Pay Discrimination

www.politicususa.com/2014/03/27/wendy-davis-surges-panicked-gop-considers-investigating-greg-abbotts-pay-discrimination.html
"Thanks to her championing of equal pay, Wendy Davis is surging in the polls while her Republican opponent Greg Abbott could be facing an investigation into pay discrimination in his office."

Conservatives' Hilarious, Doomed Efforts to Be Cool

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/conservatives-hilarious-doomed-efforts-be-cool
"Being conservative is inherently uncool, since the whole point of conservatism is to reject the forward-looking and liberated attitude that has always defined cool. Worrying much about it is just a waste of time. Trying to be cool just makes you look ridiculous, and paradoxically, more uncool. It’s a no-win situation, and yet conservatives continue taking the bait, forever trying to get this whole concept of cool to work for them and always, always failing."

A Democrat-Sponsored Tax Cut Calls the GOP’s Anti-Poverty Bluff | The Nation

A Democrat-Sponsored Tax Cut Calls the GOP’s Anti-Poverty Bluff | The Nation

"For months now, as congressional Republicans have blocked repeated attempts to extend benefits to the long-term unemployed, as they’ve fought to deny low-income Americans access to health insurance, as they’ve advocated to cut tens of billions from the food stamp program, as they’ve resisted proposals to raise the minimum wage, they have simultaneously professed their commitment to American workers and the poor."

Koch-Backed Group in Small Town, USA | Common Dreams

Koch-Backed Group in Small Town, USA | Common Dreams

"Outside money flows into Iron County, WI"

With Eyes on 2016, Walker Courts Sheldon Adelson Cash in Sin City

With Eyes on 2016, Walker Courts Sheldon Adelson Cash in Sin City

"Despite claims to be focused exclusively on this year's gubernatorial election, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and other GOP presidential hopefuls are jetting off to Las Vegas for an exclusive gathering with billionaire Republican donor Sheldon Adelson, who is reportedly assessing the field for 2016 after plowing $92 million into the 2012 presidential election cycle."

Fox Pundits Carp About Government Contractors Being Paid Prevailing Wage

Fox Pundits Carp About Government Contractors Being Paid Prevailing Wage

"Fox's Greta Van Susteren and the Washington Examiner's Luke Rosiak are very upset that government workers are being paid the prevailing wage for their area as opposed to poverty wages. It's a scandal everyone! The government is actually paying these workers a living wage. The horror!"

Hobby Lobby’s secret agenda: How it’s quietly funding a vast right-wing movement

Hobby Lobby’s secret agenda: How it’s quietly funding a vast right-wing movement

"How entities related to the company are quietly pumping tens of millions into a mélange of fringe causes"

How Paul Ryan Is Bringing the Poverty Nightmare of Charles Dickens' Novels to America

www.alternet.org/economy/how-paul-ryan-bringing-poverty-nightmare-charles-dickens-novels-america
"Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio among others continue to assert the best way to reduce poverty is by giving more tax cuts to the rich."

Conservatives Steal Blogger's Photo For Anti-Obamacare Dirty Trick

Conservatives Steal Blogger's Photo For Anti-Obamacare Dirty Trick

"If Obamacare is so horrible then why do conservatives have to lie so much about it?"

The great Tea Party swindle: How to make lots of money off the naive

The great Tea Party swindle: How to make lots of money off the naive

"Tea Party PACs raise a ton of money from conservatives -- and spend it on enriching their friends"

How Billionaire Bucks Secretly Convert To Campaign 'Walking Money'

How Billionaire Bucks Secretly Convert To Campaign 'Walking Money'

"And zero accountability to taxpayers, who picked up the tab for that nonprofit cash moving through dark streams into nowhere.
This is why wingers are working the refs so hard on the ginned-up IRS non-scandal. If the IRS were to actually doits job, they would never approve this organization as a 501c3 nonprofit that allows for deductible contributions because it served no charitable purpose.
These dark money organizations are shapeshifters and churned on a regular basis. The machine that fueled the 2010 Koch machine morphed into a different machine, with the first entity terminated. For 2014, Americans for Prosperity is taking the lead for now, but that will change after the primaries when new organizations will spring forth, undiscovered until sometime in the middle of 2016."

Debunking the Top 10 Most Egregious Republican Lies

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/debunking-top-10-most-egregious-republican-lies?page=0%2C0
"Indeed, the president has absolutely cut the deficit by way more than half in his first five years. When he took office, the deficit for 2009 was projected to be $1.4 trillion. The deficit at the end of 2014 will be $514 billion, just three percent of GDP. That's a nearly $1 trillion reduction in five years. Not only that, but the administration boasts the lowest year-over-year increase in government spending since Truman, and it'll be one of just three administrations in the last 50 years that will have ended with a lower deficit than when it began. The last Republican do leave the White House with the same record was Eisenhower."

You need to know about the ‘Sheldon Primary’

Wisconsin Republican Flip Flops On Mandatory Coverage Of Chemotherapy Pills After Getting Cancer

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/25/wisconsin-republican-flip-flops-mandatory-coverage-chemotherapy-pills-getting-cancer/
"But wouldn’t it be nice if Rep. Czaja were just as enthusiastic about other women’s health issues as she is about her own particular one? According to We Are Wisconsin, she is an insurance industry insider who has a history of lobbying against affordable health care for Wisconsinites."

Rick Scott donor raises issue over racial tensions

Emails Show Republican Governor Used State Budget To Boost Profits For Family Member

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/25/emails-show-republican-governor-used-state-budget-boost-profits-family-member/
"Rick Snyder, along with his former budget director and current adviser, colluded to give a massive taxpayer funded subsidy to a member of the governor’s family."

Is Rick Scott Guilty of Murder?

Is Rick Scott Guilty of Murder?

"Republicans are hoping that working poor people like Charlene will be so upset that they can't get Obamacare, and won't realize that it was the Republican governors who refused their eligibility, that they'll be angry with Obama and the Democrats and vote Republican in 2014 and 2016.

It's all about politics.

These states are literally playing politics with people's lives, and Charlene is one of the people they've now killed."

Christian Right Has Major Role in Hastening Decline of Religion in America

www.alternet.org/belief/religion-america-great-decline-christian-right-has-major-role-hastening-it?page=0%2C0
"Of those aged 18 to 35, three in 10 say they are not affiliated with any religion, while only half are “absolutely certain” a god exists. These are at or near the highest levels of religious disaffiliation recorded for any generation in the 25 years the Pew Research Center has been polling on these topics."

Women Republicans Try To Explain Why Women Don't Need Equal Pay

Women Republicans Try To Explain Why Women Don't Need Equal Pay

"Using women as campaign surrogates was expected to help Abbott better relate to women voters’ needs. Unfortunately, Abbott’s campaign spokeswomen aren’t any better at addressing the GOPs failure when it comes to women’s equality, especially economically."

Chief Justice Roberts Used Slavery-Era Principles To Gut The Voting Rights Act

Chief Justice Roberts Used Slavery-Era Principles To Gut The Voting Rights Act

"U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice relied on a theory which is not contained in the US constitution, but is a slavery-era theory, to gut the Voting Rights Act in his decision last year."

U.S. Taxpayers Funding Creationism In Schools Across The Country

U.S. Taxpayers Funding Creationism In Schools Across The Country

"taxpayers in 14 states are paying a billion dollars this year in school tuition's and hundreds of them are religious which teach that evolution is a fraud while science is a form of hocus-pocus nonsense."

How The Koch Brothers Are Hacking Science

www.talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/how-the-koch-brothers-are-hacking-science
"BHI has worked closely with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a corporate-funded network of ultra-conservative legislators and policy analysts, which drafts and advocates laws that will push state policies to the right."

Negative Income Tax For Corporate-personage Me, Big Fat Taxes And Fees On Little Old You: It's The Wisconsin Way

Negative Income Tax For Corporate-personage Me, Big Fat Taxes And Fees On Little Old You: It's The Wisconsin Way

"Taxes? Corporations don't pay no stinkin' taxes! In Wisconsin, workers pick up the tab."

Report: $1 billion in taxpayer money went to anti-science private schools last year

www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/24/report-1-billion-in-taxpayer-money-went-to-anti-science-private-schools-last-year/
"Taxpayers are helping to pay for courses and textbooks that encourage students to mistrust science, mathematics, and the secular world itself – and those efforts seem likely to expand into other states."

10 Lunacies From the Right-Wing Fringe This Week: Women Want Malls, Not Equal Pay Edition

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/10-lunacies-right-wing-fringe-week-women-want-malls-not-equal-pay-edition
"So here are 10 further examples of totally dishonest lessons brought to you by "school choice" (aka, your tax dollars)"

10 Insane History Lessons that Private, Religious Voucher Schools Are Teaching America’s Kids

www.alternet.org/education/10-insane-history-lessons-private-religious-voucher-schools-are-teaching-americas-kids
"So here are 10 further examples of totally dishonest lessons brought to you by "school choice" (aka, your tax dollars)"

How Corrupt Politicians Like Chris Christie Partner with Wall Street to Rip Off American Retirements

www.alternet.org/economy/how-corrupt-politicians-chris-christie-partner-wall-street-rip-american-retirements
"Wall Street loves to celebrate its knack for innovation, and it's hard to disagree. The ingenuity financiers have mustered to scam Americans out of their retirements is truly a wonder to behold."

Dear Conservatives: If You Want to Live in a Theocracy, Get the Hell Out of the United States

www.forwardprogressives.com/dear-conservatives-want-live-theocracy-get-hell-united-states/
"But the truth of the matter is, conservatives don’t want to live in a nation based on liberty and freedom – they want to live in a theocracy. They want a nation and government based on religion. And if that’s what they want then they need to get the hell out of the United States, because this isn’t a nation based on theocracy. Our Founding Fathers made that perfectly clear when they wrote our First Amendment. If they want to practice whatever religion they want, in the privacy of their own homes (or churches), by all means go right ahead. But that doesn’t give them the right to force their narrow-minded religious beliefs on those who don’t agree with them."

Fact-checking Paul Ryan

Koch Group Yet Again Fails Fact Check On Obamacare Horror Story

www.talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/koch-obamacare-ad-politifact-false
"Americans For Prosperity is struggling to find a way to attack Obamacare that fits the facts."

The Cancer Stage of Reaganomics

The Cancer Stage of Reaganomics

"And it really hit the full-blown "cancer stage" in the 2000's, thanks to George W. Bush, who put Reaganomics on steroids"

Wisconsin Republican ‘Embarrassed’ By Own Party’s Voter Suppression Tactics: ‘There Is No Massive Voter Fraud’

Wisconsin Republican ‘Embarrassed’ By Own Party’s Voter Suppression Tactics: ‘There Is No Massive Voter Fraud’

"We were treated to a rare moment of candor last week when a republican legislator expressed a sense of shame about his party’s blatant voter suppression tactics. Wisconsin state senator Dale Schultz (R) appeared on the radio program The Devil’s Advocate last Wednesday to talk about Republican efforts to limit the hours available for early voting in the state."

Understanding Paul Ryan's Racism in 3 Easy Steps

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/understanding-paul-ryans-racism-three-easy-steps
"The Southern Strategy has been the cornerstone of Republican politics for at least five decades."

Scott Brown Woos GOP Rep Who Calls Obamacare 'A Lifesaver'

Scott Brown Woos GOP Rep Who Calls Obamacare 'A Lifesaver'

"Brown found that out on Saturday, when he stopped by the home of Herb Richardson, a Republican state representative. Sitting in Richardson's home, Brown called Obamacare a "monstrosity" that members of Congress didn't even bother to read before they passed. At that point, according to the Coos County Democrat, Richardson chimed in to explain that the law had been a "financial lifesaver" for him and his wife."

Misogynist Creep McConnell Says Wives Owe Husbands Sex

Misogynist Creep McConnell Says Wives Owe Husbands Sex

"Dennis Prager, anti-feminist, talk radio host, conservative and co-host of a fundraiser for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) decided to unwittingly unleash a slew of dreadful remarks, clearly suggesting that a married woman’s consent means nothing if her husband wants to have sex."

‘Christian’ Militia Leader NOW Networking Militias To Assassinate President Obama (Screenshots)

‘Christian’ Militia Leader NOW Networking Militias To Assassinate President Obama (Screenshots)

"How long are we going to allow this man to “test the water?” He has gone from suggestion, to direct threat, to fundraising to fund an assassin, to now attempting to assemble an army. Something needs to be done."

Right-Wing Extremists In Montana File For Legislative Races As Democrats

Right-Wing Extremists In Montana File For Legislative Races As Democrats

"Democratic primary voters in some Montana legislative districts will see new and unfamiliar names on the ballot this year. That’s because at least eight Democratic candidates are actually far-right “constitutionalists” and Tea Party activists. One of them is the current Republican vice-chairman for Sanders County."

Expand Overtime Pay? GOP Says No

www.inthesetimes.com/article/16446/expand_overtime_pay_gop_says_no
"Unlike the GOP, the vast majority of Americans believe extra effort should be rewarded. They cherish the idea that their country is one where those who work hard can get ahead. In recent years, however, the actual experience of far too many Americans is that doesn’t happen. They work 50, 60, even 70 hours a week and don’t get paid extra for it. These are not high-roller managers or executives or professionals who don’t expect time and a half for overtime. These are hourly wage earners."

The Plutocrats Strike Back

The Plutocrats Strike Back

"Populism is popular with voters, but not with big donors. But the problem for the bankers, Langone, Perkins and the rest is that they no longer operate in secret. The special interest claims no longer have legitimacy. Folks don’t buy the trickle down voodoo anymore."

Anti-Obamacare ads neutered after backlash

5 million healthcare sign ups, and the GOP still lies

Wisconsin Republican Legislator Tears Into His Own Party For Voter Suppression

www.thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/19/3416499/wisconsin-senator-voter-suppression/
"As his own party pushed through the Wisconsin Senate the latest in a series of measures to make it harder to vote in the state, Sen. Dale Schultz (R) blasted the efforts as “trying to suppress the vote” last week.
Schultz, who is not seeking re-election and was the lone Republican to oppose a bill last week to limit the hours of early voting in every jurisdiction in the state, was a guest on The Devil’s Advocates radio program on Madison’s 92.1 FM last Wednesday. Asked why his party pushed the bill, Schultz responded, “I am not willing to defend them anymore. I’m just not and I’m embarrassed by this"."

GOP Lawmaker: Equal Pay And Minimum Wage Bills Make Women Look Like Whiners

GOP Lawmaker: Equal Pay And Minimum Wage Bills Make Women Look Like Whiners

"By the way, Republicans...How's that rebranding effort going?"

Wisconsin GOP Introduces Bill To Thwart Dark Money Investigation

Wisconsin GOP Introduces Bill To Thwart Dark Money Investigation

"If enacted, the legislation would not necessarily stop the John Doe probe. It would, however, legalize the conduct under investigation in the John Doe for state elections later this year -- including Scott Walker's hotly-contested reelection campaign."

Kochtopus Tentacles Hide In Alphabet Soup

Kochtopus Tentacles Hide In Alphabet Soup

"Documents released in recent months show the Kochs have added wrinkles to their network that even experts well versed in tax law and campaign finance say they’ve never seen before — wrinkles that could make it harder to discern who controls each nonprofit in the web and how it disperses its money."

Wisconsin GOP Heads Off Criminal Probe Into Corporate Election Spending By Trying To Make It Legal

www.thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/17/3414121/wisconsin-coordination-probe/
"Wisconsin’s State Senate Majority Leader, who is reportedly under investigation for his role in a possibly illegal campaign finance scheme, has come up with a novel way to shut down the criminal probe: changing the state law to legalize the activity in question."

Wisc. lawmaker blocks cancer treatment bill after insurance lobbyist brother opposes it

www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/17/wisc-lawmaker-blocks-cancer-treatment-bill-after-insurance-lobbyist-brother-opposes-it/
"On Wednesday, the Majority Leader called a phantom committee meeting to prevent votes from being taken on the bill, but he insisted that his lobbyist brother, who opposes the measure on behalf of insurance companies, had nothing to do with the move. If the legislation is not brought up for a vote by Tuesday, it will most likely be considered dead for this session."

Koch Brothers Group Abandons Anti-Obamacare Ads After Fact-Checkers Prove Them False

www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/koch-brothers-anti-obamacare-ads-backfire
"The commercials by Americans For Prosperity backfire after being overwhelming panned for falsehoods."

Fox News Analyst Pathetically Attacks Obama for Being a Good Father

www.forwardprogressives.com/fox-news-analyst-attacks-obama-good-father/
"you have to be a true bottom-feeder to even think about bashing the president for being a good father and buying his daughters something nice. The people on Fox News will really try to attack President Obama for anything. Even if it’s something as stupid as being photographed holding up pink sweaters that he was contemplating buying for his daughters."

Pensiongate? Christie Campaign Donors Won Huge Contracts | The Nation

Pensiongate? Christie Campaign Donors Won Huge Contracts | The Nation

"While trumpeting “pension reform,” the New Jersey governor placed retiree assets in the hands of hedge fund managers bankrolling his political career."

Christie's Wall St. Donors Won Huge Contracts, Sucked Out Fat Pension Fees

Christie's Wall St. Donors Won Huge Contracts, Sucked Out Fat Pension Fees

"Christie bragged about pension "reform," but outsourced the assets to his Wall St. buddies so they could siphon off large fees."

GOP Bill Designed to Disrupt John Doe Dark Money Probe, Court Filings Confirm

GOP Bill Designed to Disrupt John Doe Dark Money Probe, Court Filings Confirm

"New court filings confirm that Wisconsin's John Doe campaign finance investigation hinges on how state election law treats "issue ad" groups coordinating with political campaigns, shedding new light on a Republican effort to quietly change the law in advance of Governor Scott Walker's reelection campaign."

PERRspectives: Kentucky Showcases Paul Ryan's Wrong-Way War on Poverty

PERRspectives: Kentucky Showcases Paul Ryan's Wrong-Way War on Poverty

"Paul Ryan tried to put a face--a black face--on American poverty. As it turns out, Ryan's dog-whistle to the GOP's right-wing base wasn't merely cynical, it was also wrong.
After all, about two-thirds of the nation's 46.5 million people living in poverty are white. The U.S. Census Bureau also informs us that the 17.7 percent poverty rate in rural areas is almost three points higher than the national average. (Poverty is highest in the South, which in 2012 was the only part of the country where it increased.) In many cities and across the countryside, tectonic structural changes in regional economies, and not Paul Ryan's "tailspin of culture," are wiping out good paying jobs. The result is that many communities are sustained by a patchwork of federal and state programs helping to provide food assistance, income support, unemployment benefits, health care and more.
To put it another way, the faces of American poverty can be found in Rust Belt cities, in the Mississippi Delta and in Appalachia. And now--just as it did when LBJ launched his War on Poverty 50 years ago--Kentucky shows why."

8 Shocking Instances of Moronic Right-Wing Malevolence This Week

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/8-shocking-instances-moronic-right-wing-malevolence-week
"The far-right assemblage called CPAC may have ended, but the wingnuts carried on undaunted this week."

Conservative Myths About the Minimum Wage, Debunked

www.alternet.org/economy/conservative-myths-about-minimum-wage-debunked
"raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would save taxpayers $4.6 billion in spending on food stamps."

Arizona Republican: Slavery Was Good For Black People Because ‘Slave Owners Took Care Of Their Livestock’

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/15/arizona-republican-slavery-was-good-for-black-people/
"As it turns out, most welfare recipients are actually white and happen to live in red states. Therefore, if anyone is turning into government “slaves,” it’s the GOP base. But comparing welfare to slavery is total nonsense. Receiving federal aid to keep from starving to death or becoming homeless is not the same as slavery."

Fox News: Where Helping Workers "Undercuts Work Ethic"

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2014/03/14/fox-news-where-helping-workers-undercuts-work-e/198491
"Fox News is once again pining for the days when more work came with less pay, claiming that expanding overtime pay protections "undercuts work ethic"."

Mitch McConnell’s Tea Party disaster: How the buffoons he created can sink him

Mitch McConnell’s Tea Party disaster: How the buffoons he created can sink him

"After pumping up a movement of fringe lunatics, Mitch McConnell may become yet another victim of his own "success"."

PERRspectives: Republicans Burr, Deal Split on GOP's Emergency Room Plan

PERRspectives: Republicans Burr, Deal Split on GOP's Emergency Room Plan

"Rather than take President Obama's money to run the Peach State's hospitals, Nathan Deal would prefer to leave hundreds of thousands uninsured and put an end to the only health care plan Republicans have consistently supported. (Unsurprisingly, he wants to avoid accountability for his decision by shifting responsibility for the Medicaid rejection to the Georgia state legislature.) In Deal's ideal Georgia, you couldn't just go to the emergency room."

Republican Who Posted That He Ate His Battered Women Plain Refuses to Apologize

www.politicususa.com/2014/03/14/republican-posted-ate-battered-women-plain-refuses-apologize.html
"New Hampshire State Representative Kyle Tasker refuses to apologize for a very offensive comment about battered women that he left on a Tea Party Facebook page."

Fox News Host Worries Overtime Changes Will Stifle Workaholism

Fox News Host Worries Overtime Changes Will Stifle Workaholism

"In five minutes, this group came up with some of the dumbest reasons ever to oppose modernizing overtime rules that read like the US Chamber of Commerce wrote them. The dumbest claim of the lot was MacCallum's "concern" that paying employees overtime will diminish the standout effect of workaholics when compared to the rest of their co-workers."

The Right's Crusade to Repeal the 20th Century

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/rights-crusade-repeal-20th-century?page=0%2C0
"Opposing the minimum wage, overtime pay, even child labor laws, the GOP is trying to make it easier to exploit workers."

GOP Strategist Saves Bundle On ACA Policy, Still Hates It!

GOP Strategist Saves Bundle On ACA Policy, Still Hates It!

"Seriously, at this point it's just a stretch to understand how this guy can criticize something that is saving him at least $1,000 per month and likely more when he looks at what is and isn't covered."

Muppet-hater leads wave of Tea Party ‘extremists’ running as Democrats in Montana

www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/03/14/muppet-hater-leads-wave-of-tea-party-extremists-running-as-democrats-in-montana/
"Tea Party conservatives have filed to run as Democrats in at least eight Montana primary races, according to reports."

GOP senator deflated by facts from doctor

Scott Brown dumps former state for look at NH

GOP’s sleazy pickup artists: Why their lame lines will never work on women

GOP’s sleazy pickup artists: Why their lame lines will never work on women

"The right thinks it has a new way to woo female voters. Unfortunately for them, women aren't as dumb as they think"

Climate Change Denying Koch Brothers Are Deemed a Threat to National Security

www.politicususa.com/2014/03/12/climate-change-denying-koch-brothers-deemed-threat-national-security.html
"The Pentagon’s report, 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, identified the impacts of climate change they call “threat multipliers” that “will increase the frequency, scale, and complexity of future missions,” and outlines some “creative ways” of addressing them. The QDR reports that climate change will “devastate homes, land, and infrastructure,” as well as “exacerbate water scarcity and lead to sharp increases in food costs.” According to the QDR, the desperation that many people, particularly in poorer regions like southern America, will face due to climate change impacts could lead to “resource competition” and “terrorist activity. The pressure caused by climate change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies, societies, and governance institutions around the world. These effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate stressors such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions; conditions that enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence"."

SEE: How To Attack A Democracy, In A Single Image

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/13/kochtopus-koch-brothers-democracy/
"Over the past 30 years, the Koch brothers have slowly but surely used their wealth to infiltrate and take over our political system and processes. Because for them, $92 billion isn’t enough. They will not be satisfied until they’ve polluted all of our air and water, and have left us so economically desperate we’ll toil away in their coal mines and oil fields 80 hours a week for just pennies per day."

Paul Ryan’s worthless attempt to save face: Why he’s still an overrated fraud

Paul Ryan’s worthless attempt to save face: Why he’s still an overrated fraud

"From Ayn Rand to Charles Murray, he thinks the rich deserve their wealth and the poor are to blame for their misery"

Issa eyes privatizing US Postal Service

Too Much Voting and Not Enough Cash, Say Wisconsin Legislators

Too Much Voting and Not Enough Cash, Say Wisconsin Legislators

"The Wisconsin Senate is poised to vote today on a number of bills that would restrict access to the ballot and increase the influence of lobbyists in the state, despite the strong objections of grassroots and voting rights groups."

The McCutcheon Decision Hangs in the Balance. So Does Our Democracy | Common Dreams

The McCutcheon Decision Hangs in the Balance. So Does Our Democracy | Common Dreams

"The US Supreme Court is about to rule in a case that, if successful, would sound the death knell for average Americans’ rapidly-dwindling influence over our politics. McCutcheon vs. FEC seeks to remove many of  the few leftover limits protecting  our democracy sinceCitizens United."

GOP assaults the Constitution: Why they don’t really care about free speech

GOP assaults the Constitution: Why they don’t <em>really</em> care about free speech

"Remember their love of liberty and freedom? Now they want to curtail protests and shut down workers' free speech"

Tea Party Activists Aren’t Gearing Up For 2016 — They Want To Refight 1964

www.thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/10/3381721/conservative-actvists-at-cpac-arent-gearing-up-for-2016-they-want-to-refight-the-1964-election/
"The conservative movement’s choice for president believes that whites-only lunch counters should be legal. He believes that business owners’ rights trump civil rights, that Medicare should be undermined or even destroyed, and that workers simply have too much power to demand better wages and working conditions from their employers."

Uninsurance Rate Falls As Millions Sign Up For Obamacare, Survey Finds

www.thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/10/3381991/uninsurance-hits-another-five-year-low/
"The U.S. uninsurance rate has hit another five-year low as Americans continue enrolling in health coverage during Obamacare’s first open enrollment period, according to a new Gallup survey. All told, the uninsurance rate in the first three months of 2014 stood at 15.9 percent, compared to 17.1 percent in the last quarter of 2013 — and the largest drops in uninsurance occurred among African Americans and lower-income people, who are among the most likely to benefit from the ACA’s financial assistance."

How the GOP Ambushed the VW Union Election

How the GOP Ambushed the VW Union Election

"In Chattanooga, an employer respected workers' right to choose, but the threats and intimidation of anti-union extremists and Republican lawmakers pressured Volkswagen workers into voting against the union. Now, that is a good topic for Chairman Kline's next labor hearing."

Grover Norquist has a plan to destroy the middle class and Democrats in one fell swoop

Grover Norquist has a plan to destroy the middle class and Democrats in one fell swoop

"What did come as a surprise, however, is the right wing let the metaphorical cat out of the bag when it comes to their strategy of transforming America’s democracy for the many into a tyrannical plutocracy for the very few, revealing just how disingenuous the Republican Party is whenever it offers any lip service to dealing with income inequality."

WI GOP Marches in Lockstep with ALEC Agenda, Voting Records Show

WI GOP Marches in Lockstep with ALEC Agenda, Voting Records Show

"A review of 2011-2012 voting records by a University of Wisconsin academic demonstrates that many Wisconsin legislators are marching in lockstep with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Sixty-one Wisconsin politicians -- or 46 percent of the legislature -- voted with the ALEC agenda one hundred percent of the time."

Conservatives Offer Americans Empty Stomachs and Empty Rhetoric | Common Dreams

Conservatives Offer Americans Empty Stomachs and Empty Rhetoric | Common Dreams

"Paul Ryan says that “the left” is offering Americans “a full stomach and an empty soul.” The truth is that conservatives like Paul Ryan are offering Americans empty stomachs and empty rhetoric . The American people want more than that."

Rick Santorum: Easier for GOP to cut social safety net if we talk like the pope

Rick Santorum: Easier for GOP to cut social safety net if we talk like the pope

"Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Sunday advised Republicans that it would be easier to oppose equal rights for LGBT people, roll back reproductive rights for women, and cut the social safety net if they adopted the rhetoric of Pope Francis."

8 Colossal Jackasses From the Right-Wing Fringe: Just-Stop-Being-Poor Edition

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/8-colossal-jackasses-right-wing-fringe-just-stop-being-poor-edition
"asinine comments were made elsewhere in the right-wing lunasphere"

Republicans Slash Public Education to Fund Tax Cuts For Millionaires and Corporations

www.politicususa.com/2014/03/09/republicans-slash-public-education-fund-tax-cuts-millionaires-corporations.html
"In America, the foreign power this government needs protection from is Republicans and their evangelical fanatic voting bloc that revels in ignorance and superstition. One wonders how long Republicans like Sam Brownback will stay in power now that Kansas’ Supreme Court ordered him to, as Thomas Jefferson asserted, provide adequate funding to inform the people’s discretion by education."

Ann Coulter Goes off on Disgusting Racist Rant, Compares Immigration Reform to Sexual Assault

www.forwardprogressives.com/ann-coulter-goes-disgusting-racist-rant-compares-immigration-reform-sexual-assault/
"Her comments were absolutely disgusting, and if the Republican party wants to not be seen as the party that supports racism, it starts with denouncing reprehensible individuals like Ann Coulter. But sadly, instead of denouncing her comments – they’re probably celebrating them."

News Flash to Christian Right: Religious Freedom Doesn't Give You the Right to Control Other People

www.alternet.org/books/new-book-far-persecuted-religious-rights-take-first-amendment-offensive-and-intolerant
"What the Religious Right labels “persecution” is something else entirely: it is the natural pushback that occurs when any one sectarian group goes too far in trying to control the lives of others. Americans are more than happy to allow religious organizations to tend to their own matters and make their own decisions about internal governance. When those religious groups overstep their bounds and demand that people who don’t even subscribe to their beliefs follow their rigid theology, that is another matter entirely."

Ann Coulter: If Immigration Reform Passes, 'Organize The Death Squads For The People Who Wrecked America' | Right Wing Watch

Ann Coulter: If Immigration Reform Passes, 'Organize The Death Squads For The People Who Wrecked America' | Right Wing Watch

"UPDATE: During a press conference with Eagle Forum head Phyllis Schlafly, Coulter compared the increasing Latino population to rape"

Is This Really What’s Driving the Tea Party?

Is This Really What’s Driving the Tea Party?

"When you look at what animates the tea party, there are several different hatreds that are core to the tea party."

CPAC Presidential Straw Poll Picks Guy Who Thinks Whites-Only Lunch Counters Should Be Legal

www.thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/03/08/3381181/cpac-straw-poll-picks-guy-who-thinks-whites-only-lunch-counters-should-be-legal-for-president/
"The son of libertarian icon and former Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), Rand Paul has emerged as the nation’s leading spokesperson for an anti-government philosophy that would undo nearly all the accomplishments of the New Deal and the Civil Rights Era. As a Senate candidate in 2010, Paul came out against the Civil Rights Act of 1964′s bans on private discrimination — including the bans on employment discrimination and whites-only lunch counters — claiming that the right of “private ownership” should trump African Americans’ and other minorities’ right to be free from invidious discrimination."

Craigslist Casual Encounters Ads Explode During CPAC (NSFW)

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/08/craigslist-casual-encounters-ads-explode-cpac-nsfw/
The thing a about these Craigslist ads — and the reason they are so entertaining — is because the CPAC folks are the ones who frown on everything we see in those ads. Well, except for that liberal chick. These are the people who call women sluts for wanting to practice birth control. These are the people who denounce gays for their “sinful lifestyle.” These are the folks who are so far into the closet that they found their 1980s dinner jacket. And it was fabulous!"

Totally not racist Ann Coulter at CPAC whines about the “browning of America”

www.freakoutnation.com/2014/03/08/totally-not-racist-ann-coulter-at-cpac-whines-about-the-browning-of-america/
"The Conservative Political Action Conference is working out as expected. Apparently the organizers just threw their hands in the air and just let anyone on stage. Today Ann Coulter graced the conference with her racist messages.
She attacked MSNBC for “celebrating the browning of America.” and added, “But if you don’t celebrate it you’re a racist.”
I beg to differ. Either way, she’s a racist."

Wingnuts baffled by inequality: Why they’re totally confused about how to talk about it

Wingnuts baffled by inequality: Why they’re totally confused about how to talk about it

"From decrying the problem to praising it to ignoring it, the right is totally lost on how to talk to the 99 percent"

Extreme As It Ever Was: Five Things To Know About This Year's CPAC | Right Wing Watch

Extreme As It Ever Was: Five Things To Know About This Year's CPAC | Right Wing Watch

"Despite everything we hear about how the GOP is really making an effort this time to attract non-white voters, very few CPAC members bothered to show up for the summit’s panel on minority-outreach."

“Wisconsin is the model”: Grover Norquist’s Tea Party scheme to crush his union enemies

“Wisconsin is the model”: Grover Norquist’s Tea Party scheme to crush his union enemies

"At CPAC panel, RNC Chair Priebus touts "total and complete unity" between GOP, Tea Party, and Glenn Beck acolytes"

The sociopathic 1 percent: The driving force at the heart of the Tea Party

The sociopathic 1 percent: The driving force at the heart of the Tea Party

"In their warped view of society, only the individual exists -- with no social relations, shared history and culture"

While Trying to Avoid Prison Michele Bachmann Calls Obama a Threat To America’s Survival

www.politicususa.com/2014/03/08/avoid-prison-michele-bachmann-calls-obama-threat-americas-survivial.html
"Bachmann is the central player in an FBI investigation into allegations of money laundering and wire fraud."

After Attacking Poor Families at CPAC, Paul Ryan Embarrassingly Gets Caught Plagiarizing from Book

www.forwardprogressives.com/attacking-poor-families-cpac-paul-ryan-embarrassingly-gets-caught-plagiarizing-book/
"Paul Ryan absolutely embarrassed himself at CPAC. Not only did he attack families living in poverty, but he had to plagiarize a story from a book to do it."

Here’s What A Conservative Minority Outreach Event Looks Like

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/03/07/cpac-minority-outreach-panel/
"While these are important issues, the fact that the GOP has a serious problem with outreach has never been more evident. CPAC should have been the place to bring that into the open, and possibly where they could start coming up with a real plan. Instead, all the empty ballroom showed was that conservatives just don’t care about minorities."

CPAC – An Absurdist Theater Where Reality Goes to Die

www.politicususa.com/2014/03/08/cpac-absurdist-theater-reality-die.html
"These people have become caricatures of conservatives in a post-conservative world. It is difficult to believe they take each other seriously, and that they can get through their shticks without laughing, but they somehow do, and expect the audience to applaud this absurdist theater. It’s crazy, but it’s the Republican Party. This is what they think America wants, and this is what they are going to give America."

Rick Santorum Tells Conservatives to Stop Using the Economic Term “Middle Class”

www.forwardprogressives.com/rick-santorum-tells-conservatives-stop-using-economic-term-middle-class/
"Using the term “middle class” isn’t “leftist class-evny” – it’s called understanding simple economics. Republicans have already waged a war on proven science, are they now out to rewrite economics books simply because people are growing sick and tired of their top-down economic approach to everything? It’s basically the go-to move for Republicans."

Right-Wing Bigot Michael Medved: ‘No State Has Ever Banned Gay Marriage. ‘That is a Liberal Lie (Video)

Right-Wing Bigot Michael Medved: ‘No State Has Ever Banned Gay Marriage. ‘That is a Liberal Lie (Video)

"If you had any remaining doubts that the far right thinks we are all stupid, the claim made by conservative radio host Michael Medved during a panel discussion at CPAC on Friday should forever banish them.  In response to remarks made by Alexander McCobin, executive director and co-founder of the libertarian organization Students for Liberty defending the right of same sex couples to marry, Medved said, “There has never been a state in this country that has ever banned gay marriage.  That is a liberal lie.”

Of course the real lie is the one Medved told when he said that no state has ever banned gay marriage.  The truth is that 33 states still have an outright ban on those unions."

ALEC, National Corporate Friendly 'Bill Mill', Going Local | Common Dreams

ALEC, National Corporate Friendly 'Bill Mill', Going Local | Common Dreams

"According to a report in the Guardian, the Koch brothers-backed group—which has been responsible for many conservative pieces of legislation shaped in the form of ALEC "model bills"—is spring-boarding a new initiative that will focus the group's energy on issues and political campaigns in "villages, towns, cities and counties" across the country."

Disastrous State of Conservative Movement on Full Display at CPAC

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/disastrous-state-conservative-movement-full-display-cpac
"After they got hammered in the 2012 election, and with early polls indicating the GOP might be facing an even bigger wipeout in 2016, a moment of introspection might have revealed valuable insights to the party. Instead, party leaders seem hell-bent on continuing the trend of demonizing the poor, gays, atheists, liberals, Muslims, and women in an effort to appeal to its rabid Christian evangelical base."

Paul Ryan uses a borrowed story

The truth about Paul Ryan’s ‘brown bag’ story

Darrell Issa: The GOP’s grand disappointment

Jon Stewart Absolutely Annihilates Republicans for Opposing Veterans’ Benefits Bill

www.forwardprogressives.com/jon-stewart-absolutely-annihilates-republicans-opposing-veterans-benefits/
"The fact that these Senators would try to tie in new Iran sanctions with veterans’ benefits, or dare to say that “we can’t afford” to help those we sent off to war, is absolutely reprehensible. How these senators can sit there and say they support our troops, while blocking an extension to veterans’ benefits, shows what absolute hypocrites they are. And it also shows exactly where the Republican party sits as it relates to helping our veterans.
It’s okay to send them off to war – but they’ll only vote to help those veterans as long as it’s “cost effective” or new Iran sanctions are attached to the bill. Yup, sounds like those “good, wholesome” Republican values to me."

Clown car unloads at CPAC

Paul Ryan Gets Caught Telling A Huge Whopper Of A Lie About School Lunches At CPAC

www.politicususa.com/2014/03/07/paul-ryan-caught-telling-huge-whopper-lie-school-lunches-cpac.html
"The only thing he is truly sorry for is that he got caught. That story was just too good not to use and if nobody fact-checked it, it would have been used over and over again. Without that story proving to be true, especially how it was presented in his speech, the entire substance of what he was trying to convey crumbles apart."

There Is Hope For The Youth Of America: Millennials Share Democrats' Values

There Is Hope For The Youth Of America: Millennials Share Democrats' Values

"Young adults like to think of themselves as independent, but when it comes to politics, they're more likely than not to lean to the left.
Half of American adults ages 18 to 33 are self-described political independents, according to a survey out Friday, but at the same time half of these so-called millennials are Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party, the highest share for any age group over the last decade.

CPAC Parties: 2016 Hopefuls Hang Out With Bloggers and Frauds

CPAC Parties: 2016 Hopefuls Hang Out With Bloggers and Frauds

"The new resolve on the part of conservative billionaires to be more 'hands on' and dictate the political direction of those they support was on display not only at CPAC, but also at BlogBash, bringing it a little extra shine. Phil Kerpen of American Commitment signed on to the event and perhaps even tossed a few billionaire bucks their way for the privilege of announcing Blogger and Activist of the Year.

If you want to understand how craven this group is, consider this: Their "activist" award was given to white nationalist Robert Stacy McCain, for his seriously creepy series on underage lesbians."

In the Midst of an Investigation, WI GOP Fast-Tracks "Dark Money" Bill

In the Midst of an Investigation, WI GOP Fast-Tracks "Dark Money" Bill

"A proposed bill that would keep the public in the dark about the sources of money in Wisconsin elections could also make it easier for dark money groups to coordinate with candidates, an issue of particular salience given the ongoing "John Doe" probe into alleged campaign finance violations in the state.

"Dark money" is a phrase which refers to election spending by nonprofits that exploit loopholes in campaign finance disclosure laws and keep their donors secret by running "issue ads" designed to influence elections. Wisconsin's "dark money" bill was just introduced this week. It is now being fast-tracked in the Wisconsin legislature before the end of session, with little time for the press and public to asses its impact."

Paul Ryan’s CPAC Speech Was Based on a Lie | The Nation

Paul Ryan’s CPAC Speech Was Based on a Lie | The Nation

"Paul Ryan’s CPAC speech yesterday was almost comically offensive even before it became clear that it was based on a lie."

ALEC: Now Coming To A City Or Town Government Near You

ALEC: Now Coming To A City Or Town Government Near You

"The American Legislative Exchange Council, founded in 1973, has become one of the most pervasive advocacy operations in the nation. It brings elected officials together with representatives of major corporations, giving those companies a direct channel into legislation in the form of Alec “model bills”."

These Nine Maps Show How The GOP is Destroying Southern States

These Nine Maps Show How The GOP is Destroying Southern States

"Upward mobility is also a scenario that southerners cannot expect to experience at a rate matching the more sensible parts of the country. Red state voters have a decreased likelihood of moving up the economic ladder, as shown below. The dark red areas are places where the American Dream is all but dead."

It’s Official: Job Growth Exploding While Poverty Shrinks In State With Highest Min. Wage! (Video)

It’s Official: Job Growth Exploding While Poverty Shrinks In State With Highest Min. Wage! (Video)

"However, the gridlock congress and the fact that the Tea Party would rather see someone else die before they raise the minimum wage (someone else who was preferably Black or Hispanic) means it’ll likely be up to local governments for the foreseeable future, and some aren’t waiting around. San Fran and Santa Fe are both increasing theirs to $10.74 and $10.66, respectively, while New Jersey voters have voted to increase it by $1, and tied future increases to the consumer price index. New Jersey in particular is notable; since the increase in minimum wage, the state’s added over 8,000 new jobs at a rate the fastest it’s being since 2012. And this doesn’t even touch on SeaTac, a suburb of Seattle; they voted a $15.00 minimum wage for people in certain service sectors."