http://www.occupydemocrats.com/american-medical-association-obamacare-is-a-huge-success-gop-is-wrong/
"The Journal of the American Medical Association has just released a report declaring the Affordable Care Act a rousing success, especially for minorities without healthcare."
Friday, July 31, 2015
50 Years Later, Medicare And Medicaid Are A Smashing Success
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/07/30/3686092/medicare-medicaid-50/
"50 years after their creation, Medicaid and Medicare are very popular programs, ranked by Americans as the most important in the country."
"50 years after their creation, Medicaid and Medicare are very popular programs, ranked by Americans as the most important in the country."
Bernie Sanders: We Need Medicare for All, Not Cutbacks That Will Kill Our Seniors @alternet
Bernie Sanders: We Need Medicare for All, Not Cutbacks That Will Kill Our Seniors @alternet
"The coalition of nurses and other health care professionals have organized a day of actions including lobbying legislators in Washington to encourage expanding Medicare for all. Other cities including Boston, Detroit, El Paso, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oakland, Portland, Maine, St. Paul, and Lakewood, Ohio will be holding rallies, town hall meetings, parties, picnics and barbecues where nurses and other health care workers can celebrate the success of Medicare and talk about ways to expand the program to cover more people."
"The coalition of nurses and other health care professionals have organized a day of actions including lobbying legislators in Washington to encourage expanding Medicare for all. Other cities including Boston, Detroit, El Paso, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Oakland, Portland, Maine, St. Paul, and Lakewood, Ohio will be holding rallies, town hall meetings, parties, picnics and barbecues where nurses and other health care workers can celebrate the success of Medicare and talk about ways to expand the program to cover more people."
Bernie Sanders Draws Army of 100,000 Volunteers to First Nationwide Organizing Event @alternet
Bernie Sanders Draws Army of 100,000 Volunteers to First Nationwide Organizing Event @alternet
"The Sanders campaign has long organized itself around the principle that organizing people is the only way to take on organized money. With the massive crowds the candidate is drawing at every stop and the enormous volunteer base they have gathered, it looks like they will get a chance to test their theory."
"The Sanders campaign has long organized itself around the principle that organizing people is the only way to take on organized money. With the massive crowds the candidate is drawing at every stop and the enormous volunteer base they have gathered, it looks like they will get a chance to test their theory."
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Happy 50th birthday, Medicare!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/30/1407284/-Happy-50th-birthday-Medicare
"Turning Medicare into a voucher program is basically ending it. Republicans know that, the American people know that, which is why the proposal is hugely unpopular."
"Turning Medicare into a voucher program is basically ending it. Republicans know that, the American people know that, which is why the proposal is hugely unpopular."
Sanders Makes History With 2016 Cycle's Biggest Campaign Event Yet
Sanders Makes History With 2016 Cycle's Biggest Campaign Event Yet
"Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addressed an estimated 100,000 supporters at more than 3,500 house parties in all 50 states on Wednesday night, at what is being called the largest campaign event of the 2016 election cycle thus far."
"Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addressed an estimated 100,000 supporters at more than 3,500 house parties in all 50 states on Wednesday night, at what is being called the largest campaign event of the 2016 election cycle thus far."
Bernie Electrifies Crowds In Louisiana With Climate Change Message
Bernie Electrifies Crowds In Louisiana With Climate Change Message
"After speaking about the importance of doing away with Citizens United, Sanders credited Pope Francis for doing a good job highlighting the need for action on climate change."
"After speaking about the importance of doing away with Citizens United, Sanders credited Pope Francis for doing a good job highlighting the need for action on climate change."
Get Ready for Scott Walker… and the Ruthless Politics of Walkerism
http://www.thenation.com/article/get-ready-for-scott-walkerand-the-ruthless-politics-of-walkerism/
"Walker’s allies have also poured money into election campaigns for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where a conservative majority has steadily upheld the governor’s most controversial moves—including those weakening the political hand of the state’s once-powerful labor unions. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, a stickler for judicial independence, refused to dance to Walker’s tune, so his legislative allies crafted a constitutional amendment rewriting the rules for choosing the chief justice; his corporate allies funded a campaign to enact it; and Abrahamson was removed from her powerful office in April. Two months later, when the court shut down an inquiry into alleged wrongdoing during the governor’s recall election—and, in so doing, effectively trashed the state’s remaining campaign-finance laws—Justice Abrahamson warned that the decision would usher in an era of “anything goes” politics. That was just fine by Walker, who immediately moved to shut down the state agency that enforced election and ethics rules.
This is the record that Scott Walker will not discuss on the 2016 campaign trail, where he is positioning himself as the party’s most palatable conservative."
"Walker’s allies have also poured money into election campaigns for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where a conservative majority has steadily upheld the governor’s most controversial moves—including those weakening the political hand of the state’s once-powerful labor unions. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, a stickler for judicial independence, refused to dance to Walker’s tune, so his legislative allies crafted a constitutional amendment rewriting the rules for choosing the chief justice; his corporate allies funded a campaign to enact it; and Abrahamson was removed from her powerful office in April. Two months later, when the court shut down an inquiry into alleged wrongdoing during the governor’s recall election—and, in so doing, effectively trashed the state’s remaining campaign-finance laws—Justice Abrahamson warned that the decision would usher in an era of “anything goes” politics. That was just fine by Walker, who immediately moved to shut down the state agency that enforced election and ethics rules.
This is the record that Scott Walker will not discuss on the 2016 campaign trail, where he is positioning himself as the party’s most palatable conservative."
This Map Shows Where People Are More Likely To Die Young–Sorry, Republicans (IMAGES)
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/29/this-map-shows-where-people-are-more-likely-to-die-young-sorry-republicans-images/
"According to the National Institute of Health, if the universe re-purposes your energy before age 75, you have died prematurely. If you have died prematurely, chances of you having lived in a red state are much higher than if you had lived where people rely less on religion and more on science.
Science, which is frowned upon through most of the south and in the more rural states, assists people who believe in it with information about things like preventable deaths from heart disease, cancer, stroke and more.
Red states, particularly in the South, have a much higher rate of premature death than the progressive states of the Northeast, the heavily unionized states of the midwest and the exceedingly liberal “left coast” of California. According to the CDC, a massive portion of the premature death in the South would be preventable with adequate education, health care and personal responsibility.
Oh, the irony."
"According to the National Institute of Health, if the universe re-purposes your energy before age 75, you have died prematurely. If you have died prematurely, chances of you having lived in a red state are much higher than if you had lived where people rely less on religion and more on science.
Science, which is frowned upon through most of the south and in the more rural states, assists people who believe in it with information about things like preventable deaths from heart disease, cancer, stroke and more.
Red states, particularly in the South, have a much higher rate of premature death than the progressive states of the Northeast, the heavily unionized states of the midwest and the exceedingly liberal “left coast” of California. According to the CDC, a massive portion of the premature death in the South would be preventable with adequate education, health care and personal responsibility.
Oh, the irony."
How the 2000 Election in Florida Led to a New Wave of Voter Disenfranchisement
http://www.thenation.com/article/how-the-2000-election-in-florida-led-to-a-new-wave-of-voter-disenfranchisement/
"The 2000 election in Florida forever changed American politics and kicked off a new wave of GOP-led voter disenfranchisement efforts."
"The 2000 election in Florida forever changed American politics and kicked off a new wave of GOP-led voter disenfranchisement efforts."
How Corrupt Lawyer Ted Cruz Helped George W. Bush Steal The 2000 Election
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/how-corrupt-lawyer-ted-cruz-helped-george-w-bush-steal-the-2000-election/
"Jeb Bush’s role in the criminal misuse of the governor’s powers is well known by this point. What is less known is the role of another 2016 GOP candidate. The legal team whose machinations put George W. in the White House was put together by none other then Ted Cruz.
Cruz had formerly clerked for Chief Justice Willam H. Rehnquist, and one of his first calls was to John Roberts, the man who is now in his tenth year as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Cruz told the New York Times that “We started to assemble a team of the best lawyers and in particular the best Supreme Court lawyers in the country, and John’s name naturally came near the top of the list.” Roberts had also previously clerked for Rehnquist and was known to be a voracious opponent of voter’s rights."
"Jeb Bush’s role in the criminal misuse of the governor’s powers is well known by this point. What is less known is the role of another 2016 GOP candidate. The legal team whose machinations put George W. in the White House was put together by none other then Ted Cruz.
Cruz had formerly clerked for Chief Justice Willam H. Rehnquist, and one of his first calls was to John Roberts, the man who is now in his tenth year as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Cruz told the New York Times that “We started to assemble a team of the best lawyers and in particular the best Supreme Court lawyers in the country, and John’s name naturally came near the top of the list.” Roberts had also previously clerked for Rehnquist and was known to be a voracious opponent of voter’s rights."
Minimum Wage Tracker
http://www.epi.org/minimum-wage-tracker/#/min_wage/Massachusetts
"In the absence of action at the national level, many states and localities have raised their own minimum wages. Explore the map to see how these rapidly changing laws differ across the country"
"In the absence of action at the national level, many states and localities have raised their own minimum wages. Explore the map to see how these rapidly changing laws differ across the country"
How the American South Drives the Low-Wage Economy
How the American South Drives the Low-Wage Economy
"the Southern labor system (with low pay and no unions) is wending its way north."
"the Southern labor system (with low pay and no unions) is wending its way north."
The Koch Brothers & Rubio Launch Plot To Wreck & Privatize Vets’ Healthcare
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/the-koch-brothers-rubio-launch-plot-to-wreck-privatize-vets-healthcare-3/
"Behind the movement to pass these bills is a group called Concerned Veterans of America (CVA), who are funded by- you guessed it- Charles and David Koch, America’s oligarchs. While pretending to represent veterans interests, they in fact are just another part of the Kochtopus, the network of groups like Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and the American Legislative Council (ALEC) or the other seventy-plus groups that are worming their devious tentacles into American politics."
"Behind the movement to pass these bills is a group called Concerned Veterans of America (CVA), who are funded by- you guessed it- Charles and David Koch, America’s oligarchs. While pretending to represent veterans interests, they in fact are just another part of the Kochtopus, the network of groups like Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and the American Legislative Council (ALEC) or the other seventy-plus groups that are worming their devious tentacles into American politics."
Obamacare, more health insurance and more health care
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/28/1406555/-Obamacare-more-health-insurance-and-more-health-care
"Obamacare improved key health-care measurements for millions of Americans, reversing a troubling trend, a new study strongly suggests. The study found marked gains in the number of people with insurance—as other research has repeatedly confirmed—as well as improved access to doctors and medications, affordable health care and good health status after implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
But the research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association also noted that the the gains in health coverage and access to care for low-income adults were particularly striking in states that expanded their Medicaid programs under the ACA to include more poor people."
"Obamacare improved key health-care measurements for millions of Americans, reversing a troubling trend, a new study strongly suggests. The study found marked gains in the number of people with insurance—as other research has repeatedly confirmed—as well as improved access to doctors and medications, affordable health care and good health status after implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
But the research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association also noted that the the gains in health coverage and access to care for low-income adults were particularly striking in states that expanded their Medicaid programs under the ACA to include more poor people."
How Big Corporations Cheat Public Education
How Big Corporations Cheat Public Education
"All of our technology, securities trading, medicine, infrastructure, and national security have their roots in public research and development. The majority (57 percent) of basic research, the essential startup work for products that don't yet yield profits, is paid for by our tax dollars.
But big business apparently views its tax responsibility as a burden to be avoided at the expense of the rest of us."
"All of our technology, securities trading, medicine, infrastructure, and national security have their roots in public research and development. The majority (57 percent) of basic research, the essential startup work for products that don't yet yield profits, is paid for by our tax dollars.
But big business apparently views its tax responsibility as a burden to be avoided at the expense of the rest of us."
Paul Krugman Decimates Jeb Bush's Medicare Delusion @alternet
Paul Krugman Decimates Jeb Bush's Medicare Delusion @alternet
"Jeb Bush's declaration that he wants to "figure out a way to phase out" Medicare last week—and his campaign's immediate lame back-pedaling— came as no big surprise to Paul Krugman."
"Jeb Bush's declaration that he wants to "figure out a way to phase out" Medicare last week—and his campaign's immediate lame back-pedaling— came as no big surprise to Paul Krugman."
Obama Vows To Veto Any Republican Bill That Repeals Wall Street Reform
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/25/obama-vows-veto-republican-bill-repeals-wall-street-reform.html
"If Republicans want to challenge Obama and Congressional liberals on this issue, they are going to run into a brick wall."
"If Republicans want to challenge Obama and Congressional liberals on this issue, they are going to run into a brick wall."
Bought And Paid For: Wisconsin Supreme Court Saves Scott Walker From Corruption Charges
Bought And Paid For: Wisconsin Supreme Court Saves Scott Walker From Corruption Charges
"Walker was being investigated for breaking campaign finance laws and corruption during his 2012 recall election. It was alleged that he coordinated with various conservative groups – which is against the law. Well, he won’t have to worry about that anymore because the case was thrown out by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a 4-2 decision, with all evidence ordered to be returned and destroyed. To top it off, the four justices who ruled to throw out the case against Walker all received campaign funds from the groups Walker was alleged to have conspired with illegally."
"Walker was being investigated for breaking campaign finance laws and corruption during his 2012 recall election. It was alleged that he coordinated with various conservative groups – which is against the law. Well, he won’t have to worry about that anymore because the case was thrown out by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a 4-2 decision, with all evidence ordered to be returned and destroyed. To top it off, the four justices who ruled to throw out the case against Walker all received campaign funds from the groups Walker was alleged to have conspired with illegally."
Trump: I Would ‘Love’ to Have Sarah Palin In My Cabinet, ‘She’s A Special Person’
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/trump-i-would-love-to-have-sarah-palin-in-my-cabinet-shes-a-special-person/
"Palin has managed to make a cool mint out of exploiting America’s only limitless resource: ignorance. Her most recent scandal has been getting caught skimming from her own SuperPAC, SarahPac, and treating it like her personal bank account. But none of these massive ethical lapses mean anything to Donald Trump, who himself is being sued for defrauding thousands of people with his “Trump University” scam.
Appearing on the “The Palin Update,” a show dedicated to all things Palin (like she needs even more unnecessary attention), Trump actually called Palin a “tough and smart” leader who bravely stood up to “disgusting lies.” For those of use with real functioning brain cells, we know that Sarah is neither tough (she quit her elected post as Alaska Governor) nor smart (just YouTube search any of her speeches). Furthermore, we know that it was that vile woman who perpetuated every lie in the book, particularly about President Obama and Roy Ayers."
"Palin has managed to make a cool mint out of exploiting America’s only limitless resource: ignorance. Her most recent scandal has been getting caught skimming from her own SuperPAC, SarahPac, and treating it like her personal bank account. But none of these massive ethical lapses mean anything to Donald Trump, who himself is being sued for defrauding thousands of people with his “Trump University” scam.
Appearing on the “The Palin Update,” a show dedicated to all things Palin (like she needs even more unnecessary attention), Trump actually called Palin a “tough and smart” leader who bravely stood up to “disgusting lies.” For those of use with real functioning brain cells, we know that Sarah is neither tough (she quit her elected post as Alaska Governor) nor smart (just YouTube search any of her speeches). Furthermore, we know that it was that vile woman who perpetuated every lie in the book, particularly about President Obama and Roy Ayers."
Sarah Palin In A Trump Administration? Apparently So.
Sarah Palin In A Trump Administration? Apparently So.
"Isn't she out grifting to fill her PAC with more grifty bucks to maintain her lavish lifestyle?"
"Isn't she out grifting to fill her PAC with more grifty bucks to maintain her lavish lifestyle?"
Donald Trump Promises To Put Sarah Palin In His Cabinet If He Is Elected President
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/28/donald-trump-promises-put-sarah-palin-cabinet-elected-president.html
"There are only two things that Sarah Palin has ever been good at, and they are failing and quitting. If America did not have enough of a reason to vote against Donald Trump, the idea of Palin serving in a presidential cabinet should be enough to scare voters away in droves.
The Trump circus is an out of control joke that has now added Sarah Palin as a featured clown. It is impossible to imagine Donald Trump’s cabinet because this man is never going to be elected president. It is natural that two phonies who have been playing Republicans for years with empty bluster and cartoonish behavior would team up to suck all of the oxygen out of the 2016 campaign.
Just when voters thought that the Republican primary could get less intelligent, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump have teamed up form the ultimate dumb Republican dream team."
"There are only two things that Sarah Palin has ever been good at, and they are failing and quitting. If America did not have enough of a reason to vote against Donald Trump, the idea of Palin serving in a presidential cabinet should be enough to scare voters away in droves.
The Trump circus is an out of control joke that has now added Sarah Palin as a featured clown. It is impossible to imagine Donald Trump’s cabinet because this man is never going to be elected president. It is natural that two phonies who have been playing Republicans for years with empty bluster and cartoonish behavior would team up to suck all of the oxygen out of the 2016 campaign.
Just when voters thought that the Republican primary could get less intelligent, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump have teamed up form the ultimate dumb Republican dream team."
House Republicans Invite Architect Of The Financial Crisis Over For Advice
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/07/28/3684707/phil-gramm-peter-wallison-dodd-frank-hearing/
"Gramm brings a history of interfering with America’s regulators to Capitol Hill just as lawmakers are trying to use the budget process to tear down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence and remake it in the image of other regulators that are more subject to legislator influence. The attack on CFPB structures is just the latest in a long string of maneuvers to sabotage Dodd-Frank reform."
"Gramm brings a history of interfering with America’s regulators to Capitol Hill just as lawmakers are trying to use the budget process to tear down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence and remake it in the image of other regulators that are more subject to legislator influence. The attack on CFPB structures is just the latest in a long string of maneuvers to sabotage Dodd-Frank reform."
IRS Surrenders To The Koch Brothers’ Dark Money, Gives Up On Regulating PACs
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/irs-surrenders-to-the-koch-brothers-dark-money-gives-up-on-regulating-pacs/
"His announcement comes on the heels of another decision earlier this year in which the commissioner said he would allow the political organizations who have disguised themselves as nonprofit “social welfare” groups to keep their tax exempt status as long as they only spend up to 49 percent of their revenue on political activity.
The IRS has been under attack from the GOP ever since they began investigating just where the Tea Party groups came from, and where the war-chests that toppled mainstream Republicans from their seats and began rapidly radicalizing American politics. The GOP erupted in self-righteous fury, accusing the IRS of bias and that conservative ‘nonprofits’ were being unfairly targeted by the I.R.S. Even though it was quickly discovered the left-leaning groups were given the same scrutiny that Tea Party groups were given, but that didn’t stop the hysterical cries of victimization and government overreach that fulfilled their purpose- to draw attention away from the puppet masters- the Koch Brothers. Since then, the GOP has been steadily cutting away funding from the I.R.S, hindering them from fulfilling their most basic functions.
Now, they are backing down from the Kochs and their dirty dollars once again. It is absolutely infuriating that Koskinen is not going to crack down on these groups, especially when you find out just how much money they are illegally spending on political activities."
"His announcement comes on the heels of another decision earlier this year in which the commissioner said he would allow the political organizations who have disguised themselves as nonprofit “social welfare” groups to keep their tax exempt status as long as they only spend up to 49 percent of their revenue on political activity.
The IRS has been under attack from the GOP ever since they began investigating just where the Tea Party groups came from, and where the war-chests that toppled mainstream Republicans from their seats and began rapidly radicalizing American politics. The GOP erupted in self-righteous fury, accusing the IRS of bias and that conservative ‘nonprofits’ were being unfairly targeted by the I.R.S. Even though it was quickly discovered the left-leaning groups were given the same scrutiny that Tea Party groups were given, but that didn’t stop the hysterical cries of victimization and government overreach that fulfilled their purpose- to draw attention away from the puppet masters- the Koch Brothers. Since then, the GOP has been steadily cutting away funding from the I.R.S, hindering them from fulfilling their most basic functions.
Now, they are backing down from the Kochs and their dirty dollars once again. It is absolutely infuriating that Koskinen is not going to crack down on these groups, especially when you find out just how much money they are illegally spending on political activities."
Former US Ambassadors To Israel Just Wrote A Letter Supporting The President On Iran
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/27/former-us-ambassadors-to-israel-just-wrote-a-letter-supporting-the-president-on-iran/
"However, one group of individuals who actually sides with the president and his deal with Iran, are several former U.S. ambassadors to Israel. Yes, the same Israel Republicans like to use in their fear-mongering game."
"However, one group of individuals who actually sides with the president and his deal with Iran, are several former U.S. ambassadors to Israel. Yes, the same Israel Republicans like to use in their fear-mongering game."
PERRspectives: For Mike Huckabee, Everything is the Holocaust
PERRspectives: For Mike Huckabee, Everything is the Holocaust
"While Mike Huckabee and his Republican fellow travelers are comparing Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, surveys show that most American Jews, like the American people overall, support the Iran nuclear deal. And with their cheapening of the greatest conflagration ever visited upon any people in history, Mike Huckabee and his right-wing ilk are helping ensure that Jewish voters remain Democratic."
"While Mike Huckabee and his Republican fellow travelers are comparing Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, surveys show that most American Jews, like the American people overall, support the Iran nuclear deal. And with their cheapening of the greatest conflagration ever visited upon any people in history, Mike Huckabee and his right-wing ilk are helping ensure that Jewish voters remain Democratic."
WHAT? Chuck – It’s Not My Job To Ask Questions – Todd Is Getting A Show On MSNBC
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/23/what-chuck-its-not-my-job-to-ask-questions-todd-is-getting-a-show-on-msnbc/
"Todd is a mouthpiece for corporate media and conservatives."
"Todd is a mouthpiece for corporate media and conservatives."
Bernie Sanders Blasts MSNBC and Comcast For Canceling Ed Schultz
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/23/bernie-sanders-blasts-msnbc-comcast-canceling-ed-schultz.html
"The decision to replace Schultz’s voice with that of NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd made MSNBC’s new direction obvious.
They don’t get much more corporate than Chuck Todd." This is what happens when republicans run all the corporate channels. They can't have working class people learning about things like Citizens United. That would threaten all the profits they will earn via Super Pacs.
"The decision to replace Schultz’s voice with that of NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd made MSNBC’s new direction obvious.
They don’t get much more corporate than Chuck Todd." This is what happens when republicans run all the corporate channels. They can't have working class people learning about things like Citizens United. That would threaten all the profits they will earn via Super Pacs.
Chuck Todd Must Be Stopped Before He Destroys America
http://www.breitbartunmasked.com/2015/07/28/chuck-todd-must-be-stopped-before-he-destroys-america/
"In the latest sign of this disturbing Toddian trend towards fake, right wing-friendly news, this past Sunday’s Meet The Press saw a panel discuss the completely-discredited David Daleiden smear videos of Planned Parenthood as if they represent a factual reality of some kind rather than a fraud being perpetrated on the news-consuming public. Daleiden made sure that Republicans saw the videos early so they could be unified in their response, so of course Todd made sure to mention that unity of purpose as a sign of strength instead of foul play — and wondered aloud whether Planned Parenthood is doomed on this fallacious basis. Who cares if the evidence is a series of bald-faced lies? Only the drama is a subject worthy of discussion! Never mind the immense damage to American public health that would ensue if millions of low-income women lost access to prenatal care, pap smears, and contraception as the result of proven fabrications. Poor women dying of preventable causes aren’t an appropriate use of air time on Very Serious Programs, but fake videos are. See how that works?
Sadly, we are still frighteningly close to experiencing Nigerian yellowcake uranium and aluminum tubes all over again. When mainstream news has been fully Drudgified and Breitbartized, who will need lying White House neocons to start a war anymore? When vaccine deniers can drive the news cycle, is there any hope left for us? Hillary email nontroversies, Benghazi conspiracies, and a laundry-list of Bigfoot-style political sham issues stand to dominate yet another critical election cycle, blocking out honest discussion of important issues that have actual, real, not-imaginary impact on American lives. It has been six years since Deleiden’s rapetastic friend James O’Keefe destroyed the most important anti-poverty organization in the country with a similarly-contrived set of videos and a pre-arranged rapid Republican response, but our mainstream media organizations seem little better at screening out this smoke, and no more willing to fight these false fires, than they were back then.
Why is Daleiden treated like a rock star at the Koch brothers’ bill mill get-together? Because the right doesn’t care whether his videos are fake or not, and they know it won’t matter to Chuck Todd, either."
"In the latest sign of this disturbing Toddian trend towards fake, right wing-friendly news, this past Sunday’s Meet The Press saw a panel discuss the completely-discredited David Daleiden smear videos of Planned Parenthood as if they represent a factual reality of some kind rather than a fraud being perpetrated on the news-consuming public. Daleiden made sure that Republicans saw the videos early so they could be unified in their response, so of course Todd made sure to mention that unity of purpose as a sign of strength instead of foul play — and wondered aloud whether Planned Parenthood is doomed on this fallacious basis. Who cares if the evidence is a series of bald-faced lies? Only the drama is a subject worthy of discussion! Never mind the immense damage to American public health that would ensue if millions of low-income women lost access to prenatal care, pap smears, and contraception as the result of proven fabrications. Poor women dying of preventable causes aren’t an appropriate use of air time on Very Serious Programs, but fake videos are. See how that works?
Sadly, we are still frighteningly close to experiencing Nigerian yellowcake uranium and aluminum tubes all over again. When mainstream news has been fully Drudgified and Breitbartized, who will need lying White House neocons to start a war anymore? When vaccine deniers can drive the news cycle, is there any hope left for us? Hillary email nontroversies, Benghazi conspiracies, and a laundry-list of Bigfoot-style political sham issues stand to dominate yet another critical election cycle, blocking out honest discussion of important issues that have actual, real, not-imaginary impact on American lives. It has been six years since Deleiden’s rapetastic friend James O’Keefe destroyed the most important anti-poverty organization in the country with a similarly-contrived set of videos and a pre-arranged rapid Republican response, but our mainstream media organizations seem little better at screening out this smoke, and no more willing to fight these false fires, than they were back then.
Why is Daleiden treated like a rock star at the Koch brothers’ bill mill get-together? Because the right doesn’t care whether his videos are fake or not, and they know it won’t matter to Chuck Todd, either."
Veteran Editors And Journalists Rip NY Times' "Ready-Fire-Aim" Approach On Clinton Emails
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/07/28/veteran-editors-and-journalists-rip-ny-times-re/204637
"Veteran newspaper editors and other longtime journalists are harshly criticizing how The New York Times has handled its recent botched story related to Hillary Clinton's emails, calling out the paper for failing to take responsibility for its errors and for being slow to offer corrections for its mistakes sparked by anonymous sourcing."
"Veteran newspaper editors and other longtime journalists are harshly criticizing how The New York Times has handled its recent botched story related to Hillary Clinton's emails, calling out the paper for failing to take responsibility for its errors and for being slow to offer corrections for its mistakes sparked by anonymous sourcing."
Veteran Republicans Say Right-Wing Media Is "A Big Problem For The Party" In New Harvard Report
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/07/28/veteran-republicans-say-right-wing-media-is-a-b/204634
"The conservative media's influence on the Republican Party has become a key story during the 2016 presidential primary season. Fox News has an unprecedented media role in the process, as it is hosting the first Republican debate and using polling to cap the number of debate participants at 10. Candidates competing to get into the debates are now frequently appearing on the network's airwaves, and their allies are spending big money on advertising to reach Fox's conservative audience."
"The conservative media's influence on the Republican Party has become a key story during the 2016 presidential primary season. Fox News has an unprecedented media role in the process, as it is hosting the first Republican debate and using polling to cap the number of debate participants at 10. Candidates competing to get into the debates are now frequently appearing on the network's airwaves, and their allies are spending big money on advertising to reach Fox's conservative audience."
Paying the debate tax: Fox News’ debate caps are costing candidates big time — in both money and dignity
Paying the debate tax: Fox News’ debate caps are costing candidates big time — in both money and dignity
"What did they get by instituting these caps? Not just constant appearances from the candidates themselves in their desperate quests for exposure, but now feedback in the form of actual money, too."
"What did they get by instituting these caps? Not just constant appearances from the candidates themselves in their desperate quests for exposure, but now feedback in the form of actual money, too."
Mike Huckabee & Glenn Beck are right-wing con artists: How conservative icons are stoking fear & getting filthy rich
Mike Huckabee & Glenn Beck are right-wing con artists: How conservative icons are stoking fear & getting filthy rich
"The American conservative movement seems to be more about making money than influencing society. But is it really surprising that a movement which embraces fear, nationalism, and credulity is full of con-artists? The conservative extremist is a perfect candidate for being ripped off, with all of his or her distraught emotions being commodified. Whether it be paranoia of the government or nostalgia for classic American culture, when someone is full of such emotional zeal, it is easy to open up their wallets, and what better place for it to happen than the consumption crazed United States of America."
"The American conservative movement seems to be more about making money than influencing society. But is it really surprising that a movement which embraces fear, nationalism, and credulity is full of con-artists? The conservative extremist is a perfect candidate for being ripped off, with all of his or her distraught emotions being commodified. Whether it be paranoia of the government or nostalgia for classic American culture, when someone is full of such emotional zeal, it is easy to open up their wallets, and what better place for it to happen than the consumption crazed United States of America."
Mike Huckabee’s “Oven Door” Comments Condemned by Jewish Groups
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/27/mike-huckabees-oven-door-condemned-jewish-groups.html
"just another example of Republican extremism run amok, of a complete, Palinesque disregard for facts or feelings."
"just another example of Republican extremism run amok, of a complete, Palinesque disregard for facts or feelings."
Fox So-Called "News" Is "GOP TV" in the 21st Century
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/32046-fox-so-called-news-is-gop-tv-in-the-21st-century
"It's time to stop calling the Fox cable TV network a "news" network and start calling it what it is: a propaganda network for billionaires like Rupert Murdoch who own the Republican Party.
And, it's Roger Ailes' dream of "GOP TV" come to life.
Even though the network has long called itself a source of "Fair and Balanced News," the reality is that the network produces content that is anything but fair or balanced. And it's certainly not news.
Because much of the content that Fox puts out is propaganda for the Republican party and the billionaires that own the party."
"It's time to stop calling the Fox cable TV network a "news" network and start calling it what it is: a propaganda network for billionaires like Rupert Murdoch who own the Republican Party.
And, it's Roger Ailes' dream of "GOP TV" come to life.
Even though the network has long called itself a source of "Fair and Balanced News," the reality is that the network produces content that is anything but fair or balanced. And it's certainly not news.
Because much of the content that Fox puts out is propaganda for the Republican party and the billionaires that own the party."
Monday, July 27, 2015
10 Brutal Ways the American Safety Net Is Being Shredded @alternet
10 Brutal Ways the American Safety Net Is Being Shredded @alternet
"Republicans have been going after social security with a vengeance. The privatization of social security was proposed by President George W. Bush in 2004, and far-right Republicans, the Tea Party and wingnut lobbying groups like the Club for Growth have been doubling down on the idea of privatizing social security. GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush called for social security privatization at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire in June, and he also favors raising the social security retirement age to 69 or 70, which would be especially bad for blue-collar workers who have spent decades in physically demanding jobs."
"Republicans have been going after social security with a vengeance. The privatization of social security was proposed by President George W. Bush in 2004, and far-right Republicans, the Tea Party and wingnut lobbying groups like the Club for Growth have been doubling down on the idea of privatizing social security. GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush called for social security privatization at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire in June, and he also favors raising the social security retirement age to 69 or 70, which would be especially bad for blue-collar workers who have spent decades in physically demanding jobs."
Scott Walker Is the Belle of the ALEC Ball
Scott Walker Is the Belle of the ALEC Ball
"ALEC and Governor Walker are similar not just in the policies they push, but in their process and focus. ALEC's process and policy agenda doesn’t come from the people and doesn't benefit actual people. At ALEC, it's about circumventing those people so ALEC corporate members can maximize their profits by privatizing what is public."
"ALEC and Governor Walker are similar not just in the policies they push, but in their process and focus. ALEC's process and policy agenda doesn’t come from the people and doesn't benefit actual people. At ALEC, it's about circumventing those people so ALEC corporate members can maximize their profits by privatizing what is public."
Right-Wing ALEC Now Says School Vouchers Are for Kids in Suburbia, Not the Poor @alternet
Right-Wing ALEC Now Says School Vouchers Are for Kids in Suburbia, Not the Poor @alternet
"School vouchers were never about helping poor, at-risk or minority students. But selling them as social mobility tickets was a useful fiction that for some twenty-five years helped rightwing ideologues and corporate backers gain bipartisan support for an ideological scheme designed to privatize public schools."
"School vouchers were never about helping poor, at-risk or minority students. But selling them as social mobility tickets was a useful fiction that for some twenty-five years helped rightwing ideologues and corporate backers gain bipartisan support for an ideological scheme designed to privatize public schools."
ALEC Conference Funding Dominated by Big Polluters
ALEC Conference Funding Dominated by Big Polluters
"At the top of the agenda, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker spoke to ALEC delegates over breakfast on Thursday. Walker is now campaigning on a promise to destroy the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) if elected President in 2016, a plan which was earlier debated by ALEC at its December 2014 conference and is in line with ALEC’s long-term legislative agenda."
"At the top of the agenda, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker spoke to ALEC delegates over breakfast on Thursday. Walker is now campaigning on a promise to destroy the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) if elected President in 2016, a plan which was earlier debated by ALEC at its December 2014 conference and is in line with ALEC’s long-term legislative agenda."
Under a Shroud of Secrecy and Security, ALEC Conference Gets Underway
Under a Shroud of Secrecy and Security, ALEC Conference Gets Underway
"ALEC is a three-legged stool consisting of state legislators, corporations and right wing think tanks that come together to push pro-corporation policies to maximize corporate profits, drive down workers’ wages and privatize everything."
"ALEC is a three-legged stool consisting of state legislators, corporations and right wing think tanks that come together to push pro-corporation policies to maximize corporate profits, drive down workers’ wages and privatize everything."
How Walker Turned 'Job Creation' Into a Goodie Bag for Campaign Donors
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/how-scott-walker-turned-job-creation-into-a-goodie-bag-for-campaign-donors
"From the iPhones, to a subsequent $11,000 expense for iPads, to millions in unmonitored loans, WEDC’s expenses were never congruent with its mission and the promised jobs never seemed to appear.
But more importantly, WEDC didn’t seem to care whether the jobs materialized or not. One underwriter said that “it was almost like they couldn't say ‘no’ to anybody.”
All of which raises an obvious question: if this agency isn’t creating jobs, what is it actually for?
Well, the list of recipients of WEDC grants and its generous taxpayer-funded forgivable loans is populated with Walker campaign donors."
"From the iPhones, to a subsequent $11,000 expense for iPads, to millions in unmonitored loans, WEDC’s expenses were never congruent with its mission and the promised jobs never seemed to appear.
But more importantly, WEDC didn’t seem to care whether the jobs materialized or not. One underwriter said that “it was almost like they couldn't say ‘no’ to anybody.”
All of which raises an obvious question: if this agency isn’t creating jobs, what is it actually for?
Well, the list of recipients of WEDC grants and its generous taxpayer-funded forgivable loans is populated with Walker campaign donors."
Rick Perry Loses As Court Rules That He Must Face Felony Abuse Of Power Charge
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/24/rick-perry-loses-court-rules-face-felony-abuse-power-charges.html
"Rick Perry has gone nowhere in the Republican presidential polls, but after losing another appeal, it is clear that the former governor has a better chance of living in prison than in the White House."
"Rick Perry has gone nowhere in the Republican presidential polls, but after losing another appeal, it is clear that the former governor has a better chance of living in prison than in the White House."
Jeb Bush And Scott Walker Campaign To Impress the Koch Brothers, Not the People
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/24/bush-walker-campaign-impress-koch-brothers-people.html
"the lure of nearly a billion dollars in campaign donations to put a Republican in the White House drives them to openly oppose the will of the people. It is not that Republicans opposing the people, or working against them, is anything new, but to openly campaign on serving the billionaire cabal is nearly as brazen as campaigning to abolish Medicare and eliminate agencies tasked to keep the election process fair and democratic."
"the lure of nearly a billion dollars in campaign donations to put a Republican in the White House drives them to openly oppose the will of the people. It is not that Republicans opposing the people, or working against them, is anything new, but to openly campaign on serving the billionaire cabal is nearly as brazen as campaigning to abolish Medicare and eliminate agencies tasked to keep the election process fair and democratic."
Jeb Bush Wants Us To Work More, Have No Benefits And No Medicare When We Retire
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/23/jeb-bush-wants-us-to-work-more-have-no-benefits-and-no-medicare-when-we-retire/
"Unfortunately, poor Republicans are too dumb to realize that they’d be voting against their own interests if they choose any of these guys."
"Unfortunately, poor Republicans are too dumb to realize that they’d be voting against their own interests if they choose any of these guys."
Mike Huckabee & Glenn Beck are right-wing con artists: How conservative icons are stoking fear & getting filthy rich
Mike Huckabee & Glenn Beck are right-wing con artists: How conservative icons are stoking fear & getting filthy rich
"The American conservative movement seems to be more about making money than influencing society. But is it really surprising that a movement which embraces fear, nationalism, and credulity is full of con-artists? The conservative extremist is a perfect candidate for being ripped off, with all of his or her distraught emotions being commodified. Whether it be paranoia of the government or nostalgia for classic American culture, when someone is full of such emotional zeal, it is easy to open up their wallets, and what better place for it to happen than the consumption crazed United States of America."
"The American conservative movement seems to be more about making money than influencing society. But is it really surprising that a movement which embraces fear, nationalism, and credulity is full of con-artists? The conservative extremist is a perfect candidate for being ripped off, with all of his or her distraught emotions being commodified. Whether it be paranoia of the government or nostalgia for classic American culture, when someone is full of such emotional zeal, it is easy to open up their wallets, and what better place for it to happen than the consumption crazed United States of America."
Meet Scientology’s favorite GOP governor: Why Greg Abbott is more dangerous than George W. Bush & Rick Perry
Meet Scientology’s favorite GOP governor: Why Greg Abbott is more dangerous than George W. Bush & Rick Perry
"Given what we know now, it’s only a matter of time before this heretofore unknown first term governor ends up locked in a doomsday bunker with Alex Jones, a lifetime supply of tinfoil, and videos of every Ron Paul floor speech playing on endless loop. Eerily, leaders like Abbott are becoming increasingly commonplace on the Republican side, so much so that Abbott and others are coming damn close to taking over the mainstream of the party — especially when coupled with the reality that Donald Trump is 14 points ahead of the second place candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. The Republicans are spiraling out of control, and there’s no end in sight."
"Given what we know now, it’s only a matter of time before this heretofore unknown first term governor ends up locked in a doomsday bunker with Alex Jones, a lifetime supply of tinfoil, and videos of every Ron Paul floor speech playing on endless loop. Eerily, leaders like Abbott are becoming increasingly commonplace on the Republican side, so much so that Abbott and others are coming damn close to taking over the mainstream of the party — especially when coupled with the reality that Donald Trump is 14 points ahead of the second place candidate for the GOP presidential nomination. The Republicans are spiraling out of control, and there’s no end in sight."
Deceptively Edited Videos And How The Media Keeps Playing The Same Game
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/07/23/deceptively-edited-videos-and-how-the-media-kee/204553
"The activists release a series of videos in an effort to build a big takedown story, and the press usually plays along. Meanwhile, activists coordinate with right-wing media players and members of Congress to generate simultaneous outrage over the clips.
The problem for the activists, and the problem for journalists who excitedly treat the clips as news, is that the videos invariably turn out to be doctored, filled with deceptive edits, and missing context in an effort to manufacture scandal."
"The activists release a series of videos in an effort to build a big takedown story, and the press usually plays along. Meanwhile, activists coordinate with right-wing media players and members of Congress to generate simultaneous outrage over the clips.
The problem for the activists, and the problem for journalists who excitedly treat the clips as news, is that the videos invariably turn out to be doctored, filled with deceptive edits, and missing context in an effort to manufacture scandal."
The Vast, Hidden Community Of Racial Hatred In America
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/07/23/3683234/vast-hidden-community-racial-hatred-america/
"Christian Identity refers to a swath of American religious sects that consider white Europeans, rather than the Jewish people, the true descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. According to the Anti-Defamation League, “many of the major conspiracies and violent acts by right-wing extremists in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s can be attributed in whole or in part to adherents of Christian Identity, including shooting sprees, bombings and bomb plots, and armed robberies. Christian Identity mingled with neo-Nazis, through groups such as Aryan Nations; it appealed to many racist skinheads; and it took root in a number of Klan groups, some of which became exclusively Christian Identity in nature.”
It was this ideology that reportedly stirred Larry McQuilliams, who was shot and killed by police last year after firing more than 100 rounds into the downtown Austin area and attempting to burn down the Mexican Consulate. McQuilliams was allegedly inspired by the book Vigilantes of Christendom, a notorious tract which claims that anyone who acts with violence against “race mixers,” homosexuals and abortionists is automatically drafted into the secretive and elite Phineas Priesthood."
"Christian Identity refers to a swath of American religious sects that consider white Europeans, rather than the Jewish people, the true descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. According to the Anti-Defamation League, “many of the major conspiracies and violent acts by right-wing extremists in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s can be attributed in whole or in part to adherents of Christian Identity, including shooting sprees, bombings and bomb plots, and armed robberies. Christian Identity mingled with neo-Nazis, through groups such as Aryan Nations; it appealed to many racist skinheads; and it took root in a number of Klan groups, some of which became exclusively Christian Identity in nature.”
It was this ideology that reportedly stirred Larry McQuilliams, who was shot and killed by police last year after firing more than 100 rounds into the downtown Austin area and attempting to burn down the Mexican Consulate. McQuilliams was allegedly inspired by the book Vigilantes of Christendom, a notorious tract which claims that anyone who acts with violence against “race mixers,” homosexuals and abortionists is automatically drafted into the secretive and elite Phineas Priesthood."
Tom Cotton blocks judges that might be hostile to contributors at his old law firm
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/21/1404329/-Tom-Cotton-blocks-judges-that-might-be-hostile-to-contributors-at-his-old-law-nbsp-firm
"In blocking the five new appointments, who have now been waiting 15 months for a vote, Cotton said that the court's workload just didn't justify having all sixteen seats filled. The chief judge of the court, Patricia E. Campbell-Smith, disagrees. He wrote to the Senate pleading for these appointments because "current judges face unrelenting deadlines for cases unique to that court—some of which involve national defense and national security—and the cases are complex and time-consuming." So no surprise that Cotton is full of it.
No surprise, either, that he learned so quickly how to maximize obstruction and do it on behalf of benefactors. The GOP must be holding special training sessions on that for incoming senators."
"In blocking the five new appointments, who have now been waiting 15 months for a vote, Cotton said that the court's workload just didn't justify having all sixteen seats filled. The chief judge of the court, Patricia E. Campbell-Smith, disagrees. He wrote to the Senate pleading for these appointments because "current judges face unrelenting deadlines for cases unique to that court—some of which involve national defense and national security—and the cases are complex and time-consuming." So no surprise that Cotton is full of it.
No surprise, either, that he learned so quickly how to maximize obstruction and do it on behalf of benefactors. The GOP must be holding special training sessions on that for incoming senators."
Another State Fails The Drug Test
Another State Fails The Drug Test
"it's cost taxpayers millions of dollars while doing little more than further stigmatizing poverty and marginalizing the poor.
The results are thin: According to USA Today, Arizona tested more than 87,000 welfare recipients in the three years after the program began. The total number of drug cheats caught was exactly one — a single positive result, which saved the state precisely $560."
"it's cost taxpayers millions of dollars while doing little more than further stigmatizing poverty and marginalizing the poor.
The results are thin: According to USA Today, Arizona tested more than 87,000 welfare recipients in the three years after the program began. The total number of drug cheats caught was exactly one — a single positive result, which saved the state precisely $560."
Meet ALEC’s Little Brother, ACCE
http://www.thenation.com/article/meet-alecs-little-brother-acce/
"So how has the American Legislative Exchange Council, a powerful lobby serving right-wing interests at the state level, responded to this resurgence of local democracy? With a systematic effort to destroy it.
ALEC task force director Cara Sullivan recently explained to a room full of local officials that when it comes to citizen movements supporting job creation and higher wages, “perhaps the biggest threat comes from the local level.”
Thankfully, she added, ALEC has a solution: “ALEC has passed…state legislation that preempts the polities from within the state from raising the minimum wage higher than the state level.” In other words, if living-wage campaigns succeed at the city or county level, state legislators should intervene, repeal, and ban any such advances."
"So how has the American Legislative Exchange Council, a powerful lobby serving right-wing interests at the state level, responded to this resurgence of local democracy? With a systematic effort to destroy it.
ALEC task force director Cara Sullivan recently explained to a room full of local officials that when it comes to citizen movements supporting job creation and higher wages, “perhaps the biggest threat comes from the local level.”
Thankfully, she added, ALEC has a solution: “ALEC has passed…state legislation that preempts the polities from within the state from raising the minimum wage higher than the state level.” In other words, if living-wage campaigns succeed at the city or county level, state legislators should intervene, repeal, and ban any such advances."
Elizabeth Warren Lets Primerica Prez Have It At Retirement Hearing
Elizabeth Warren Lets Primerica Prez Have It At Retirement Hearing
"On Tuesday, Senate Republicans invited Primerica President Peter Schneider to testify against proposed regulations that would protect retirement savings from sketchy financial schemes — and it didn’t take long before he wished they hadn’t."
"On Tuesday, Senate Republicans invited Primerica President Peter Schneider to testify against proposed regulations that would protect retirement savings from sketchy financial schemes — and it didn’t take long before he wished they hadn’t."
Democrats Drill Republicans By Hitting Them In The Koch With Supreme Court Ethics Bill
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/23/democrats-introduce-supreme-court-ethics-bill-kochs-pass.html
"Slaughter was referring to Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas Koch-funded attendance at a highly-secret Koch brother strategy meeting and corporate fundraiser with Citizens United plaintiffs prior to hearing and ruling that corporations are exempt from campaign finance laws according to their 1st Amendment right of free speech. She also noted that Clarence Thomas deliberately concealed hundreds-of-thousands of dollars paid to his wife by the “anti-Obamacare” conservative Heritage Foundation to lobby against the Affordable Care Act; even while the Supreme Court was taking up the Constitutionality of the healthcare insurance reform law."
"Slaughter was referring to Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas Koch-funded attendance at a highly-secret Koch brother strategy meeting and corporate fundraiser with Citizens United plaintiffs prior to hearing and ruling that corporations are exempt from campaign finance laws according to their 1st Amendment right of free speech. She also noted that Clarence Thomas deliberately concealed hundreds-of-thousands of dollars paid to his wife by the “anti-Obamacare” conservative Heritage Foundation to lobby against the Affordable Care Act; even while the Supreme Court was taking up the Constitutionality of the healthcare insurance reform law."
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Jeb Bush Wants You To Work Harder, But He Doesn’t Want You To Have ‘Benefits And Stuff’ (VIDEO)
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/23/jeb-bush-wants-you-to-work-harder-but-he-doesnt-want-you-to-have-benefits-and-stuff-video/
"Perhaps we should appreciate Jeb’s honesty. At least with him, we know that he doesn’t give a flying fig about American workers, or for that matter, the American people. Bush has had almost no donations from private people, yet he’s miles away from the pack in fundraising, largely because of his Super PAC, which has raised a whopping $103 million, much of which is coming from the same people who supported his brother. I guess there’s something refreshing about a candidate who puts his priorities right on the table, but if you think we have an oligarchy now, watch out for Bush III."
"Perhaps we should appreciate Jeb’s honesty. At least with him, we know that he doesn’t give a flying fig about American workers, or for that matter, the American people. Bush has had almost no donations from private people, yet he’s miles away from the pack in fundraising, largely because of his Super PAC, which has raised a whopping $103 million, much of which is coming from the same people who supported his brother. I guess there’s something refreshing about a candidate who puts his priorities right on the table, but if you think we have an oligarchy now, watch out for Bush III."
Jeb Bush Quietly Suggests ‘Phasing Out’ Medicare
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/07/23/3683804/jeb-bush-medicare/
"Bush was speaking at event sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a right-wing group backed by the billionaire Koch Brothers that has doggedly advocated against fully implementing the Affordable Care Act.
In his comments, Bush referenced Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) politically contentious plan to radically restructure the Medicare program — which independent analysts predicted would more than double health costs for the average 65-year-old"
"Bush was speaking at event sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a right-wing group backed by the billionaire Koch Brothers that has doggedly advocated against fully implementing the Affordable Care Act.
In his comments, Bush referenced Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) politically contentious plan to radically restructure the Medicare program — which independent analysts predicted would more than double health costs for the average 65-year-old"
Democrats win as Social Security cuts removed from Senate highway bill
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/23/1405016/-Democrats-win-as-Social-Security-cuts-removed-from-Senate-highway-nbsp-bill
"Two provisions to cut Social Security benefits in the proposed highway bill caused Democrats in both the Senate and House to revolt. Democrats have succeeded in getting both of those provisions removed, but now Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing a serious challenge in getting the bill past his own party, in both chambers of Congress."
"Two provisions to cut Social Security benefits in the proposed highway bill caused Democrats in both the Senate and House to revolt. Democrats have succeeded in getting both of those provisions removed, but now Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing a serious challenge in getting the bill past his own party, in both chambers of Congress."
We Need To Phase Out Medicare, Says Jeb Bush at Koch Brothers Sponsored Event
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/23/phase-medicare-jeb-bush-koch-brothers-sponsored-event.html
"what passes as a winning argument in a room full of Koch brothers’ GOP lackeys and what passes as a winning argument with the American people are two very different things."
"what passes as a winning argument in a room full of Koch brothers’ GOP lackeys and what passes as a winning argument with the American people are two very different things."
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Watch: Warren Rips A Finance Crook For Stealing Billions From Retiring Workers
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/watch-warren-rips-a-finance-crook-for-stealing-billions-from-retiring-workers/
"Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) shames and embarrasses the president of Primerica, Peter Schneider, for the predatory and exploitative practices his company uses to pillage the retirement funds of thousands of American seniors."
"Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) shames and embarrasses the president of Primerica, Peter Schneider, for the predatory and exploitative practices his company uses to pillage the retirement funds of thousands of American seniors."
Many Successes in Just a Few Years: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Turns 5
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/housing/news/2015/07/21/117803/many-successes-in-just-a-few-years-the-consumer-financial-protection-bureau-turns-5/
"The CFPB is the only financial regulator solely dedicated to protecting consumers, and as of July 2015, it has helped return more than $10.1 billion to more than 17 million consumers tricked by deceptive financial practices. For years, critics have argued that the agency is too powerful. But the CFPB’s track record of leveling the playing field between consumers and the financial services industry has proven that the agency is worthy of longevity."
"The CFPB is the only financial regulator solely dedicated to protecting consumers, and as of July 2015, it has helped return more than $10.1 billion to more than 17 million consumers tricked by deceptive financial practices. For years, critics have argued that the agency is too powerful. But the CFPB’s track record of leveling the playing field between consumers and the financial services industry has proven that the agency is worthy of longevity."
Elizabeth Warren humiliates executive invited by Senate Republicans to defend opposition to financial regulations
Elizabeth Warren humiliates executive invited by Senate Republicans to defend opposition to financial regulations
"He never directly answered her very direct question, even though she asked a version of it three times."
"He never directly answered her very direct question, even though she asked a version of it three times."
Social Security Has Enough Money To Expand Benefits Now, Trustee's Report Shows @alternet
Social Security Has Enough Money To Expand Benefits Now, Trustee's Report Shows @alternet
"Social Security is projected to run a surplus again this year. And next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. These annual surpluses simply add to its large and growing accumulated surplus.
Over the next 5 years, Social Security has sufficient funds to pay every penny of benefits and every penny of associated administrative costs. That is true for the next 10 years. And also the next 15 years. Over the next 25 years, Social Security is projecting a modest shortfall of just .51 percent of GDP. Over the next 50 years, the projection is just 0.8 of GDP. And over the next 75 years, the shortfall is projected to be just 0.96 percent of GDP. Let's put those percentages in perspective. Military spending after the 9/11 terrorist attack increased 1.1 percent, of GDP. Spending on public education nationwide went up 2.8 percent of GDP between 1950 and 1975, when the baby boom generation showed up as school children.
The fact is that, as the richest nation in the world at the richest point in our history, not only can we afford the current levels of Social Security protections, we can afford to greatly expand Social Security."
"Social Security is projected to run a surplus again this year. And next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. These annual surpluses simply add to its large and growing accumulated surplus.
Over the next 5 years, Social Security has sufficient funds to pay every penny of benefits and every penny of associated administrative costs. That is true for the next 10 years. And also the next 15 years. Over the next 25 years, Social Security is projecting a modest shortfall of just .51 percent of GDP. Over the next 50 years, the projection is just 0.8 of GDP. And over the next 75 years, the shortfall is projected to be just 0.96 percent of GDP. Let's put those percentages in perspective. Military spending after the 9/11 terrorist attack increased 1.1 percent, of GDP. Spending on public education nationwide went up 2.8 percent of GDP between 1950 and 1975, when the baby boom generation showed up as school children.
The fact is that, as the richest nation in the world at the richest point in our history, not only can we afford the current levels of Social Security protections, we can afford to greatly expand Social Security."
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Citibank To Refund $700 Million For Illegal Credit Card Practices
Citibank To Refund $700 Million For Illegal Credit Card Practices
"Citibank has agreed to refund an estimated $700 million to about 8.8 million credit card customers for deceptive marketing, billing and other illegal practices, federal regulators said Tuesday.
In addition to the refunds, Citibank was fined a total of $70 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates national banks."
"Citibank has agreed to refund an estimated $700 million to about 8.8 million credit card customers for deceptive marketing, billing and other illegal practices, federal regulators said Tuesday.
In addition to the refunds, Citibank was fined a total of $70 million by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates national banks."
Obama Administration Announces New Rules Protecting Military Families From Predatory Lenders
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/07/21/3683030/pentagon-payday-loan-revamp-finalized/
"Multiple studies between 2007 and 2014 revealed the vast negative consequences of this ongoing financial exploitation for members of the armed services. Late last year, Pentagon officials proposed revised rules that would eliminate the loopholes relating to the time, value, and style of loans made to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and their families. But Congress responded with that rarest of things in American politics: public opposition to an idea that would benefit men and women in uniform."
"Multiple studies between 2007 and 2014 revealed the vast negative consequences of this ongoing financial exploitation for members of the armed services. Late last year, Pentagon officials proposed revised rules that would eliminate the loopholes relating to the time, value, and style of loans made to soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and their families. But Congress responded with that rarest of things in American politics: public opposition to an idea that would benefit men and women in uniform."
Consumer bureau celebrates 5th birthday with big fines for Citibank
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/21/1404306/-Consumer-bureau-celebrates-5th-birthday-with-big-fines-for-Citibank
"the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a first-of-its-kind consumer watchdog, which has created strong safeguards for Americans taking out mortgages, paying student loans, using credit cards, and dealing with debt collectors. The Bureau’s enforcement activities have also returned more than $10.1 billion to more than 17 million consumers. Building on that record, the Department of Labor recently proposed new rules to crack down on conflicts of interest in retirement advice, requiring retirement advisers to put their clients’ best interests first."
"the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a first-of-its-kind consumer watchdog, which has created strong safeguards for Americans taking out mortgages, paying student loans, using credit cards, and dealing with debt collectors. The Bureau’s enforcement activities have also returned more than $10.1 billion to more than 17 million consumers. Building on that record, the Department of Labor recently proposed new rules to crack down on conflicts of interest in retirement advice, requiring retirement advisers to put their clients’ best interests first."
Bernie Sanders Brings The Fight For 15 To Washington
Bernie Sanders Brings The Fight For 15 To Washington
"The Fight For 15 is heading to Washington. On Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), co-chairs of the 70-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, will unveil legislation that would set the federal minimum wage at $15 an hour--a figure that’s more than double the current rate of $7.25."
"The Fight For 15 is heading to Washington. On Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), co-chairs of the 70-member Congressional Progressive Caucus, will unveil legislation that would set the federal minimum wage at $15 an hour--a figure that’s more than double the current rate of $7.25."
Candidates Push For Support At Iowa Hall Of Fame Dinner
Candidates Push For Support At Iowa Hall Of Fame Dinner
"You could watch all four Democratic candidates fire up the faithful at this Iowa dinner Friday night. If you've never heard them speak, here's your chance."
"You could watch all four Democratic candidates fire up the faithful at this Iowa dinner Friday night. If you've never heard them speak, here's your chance."
Red States 'Feel The Bern' as Populist Message Resonates
Red States 'Feel The Bern' as Populist Message Resonates
"In Arizona and Texas, massive crowds—including his biggest one yet—showed up to see Sanders speak on economic and inequality issues."
"In Arizona and Texas, massive crowds—including his biggest one yet—showed up to see Sanders speak on economic and inequality issues."
Bernie Sanders Takes His Populism to the Red States and Draws Huge Crowd @alternet
Bernie Sanders Takes His Populism to the Red States and Draws Huge Crowd @alternet
"Sanders' speech in Phoenix on Saturday night brought together an estimated eleven to twelve thousand people – one of the largest political rallies in the city's history"
"Sanders' speech in Phoenix on Saturday night brought together an estimated eleven to twelve thousand people – one of the largest political rallies in the city's history"
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Republicans Want To Take Money From The Elderly And Injured To Pay For Roads
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/17/republicans-want-to-take-money-from-the-elderly-and-injured-to-pay-for-roads/
"as far as Republicans are concerned, retirees and the injured can go live and die in the street before they would take one extra penny from the rich."
"as far as Republicans are concerned, retirees and the injured can go live and die in the street before they would take one extra penny from the rich."
GOP Lawmakers Want to Kill America's Single Largest Conservation Funding Source @alternet
GOP Lawmakers Want to Kill America's Single Largest Conservation Funding Source @alternet
"In 1965, Congress forged a compact that has guided American offshore drilling policy for half a century. Through what is known as a conservation royalty, U.S. law requires that a portion of oil and gas companies’ revenues from drilling in the federally owned Outer Continental Shelf be invested in parks, open space, trails, and historic preservation projects across the country.
Today’s Congress — backed by nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars from the fossil fuels industry — is about to break that promise. On September 30, Congress is expected to allow the country’s single largest funding source for land, water, and wildlife conservation — known as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF — to disappear."
"In 1965, Congress forged a compact that has guided American offshore drilling policy for half a century. Through what is known as a conservation royalty, U.S. law requires that a portion of oil and gas companies’ revenues from drilling in the federally owned Outer Continental Shelf be invested in parks, open space, trails, and historic preservation projects across the country.
Today’s Congress — backed by nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars from the fossil fuels industry — is about to break that promise. On September 30, Congress is expected to allow the country’s single largest funding source for land, water, and wildlife conservation — known as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF — to disappear."
Friday, July 17, 2015
Jeb Bush Exactly As Unpopular Among Latinos As Mitt Romney
Jeb Bush Exactly As Unpopular Among Latinos As Mitt Romney
"27 percent is not a good place to start. In 2016, Republicans will need at least 40 percent of the Latino vote to win, according to a campaign adviser for Florida Senator Marco Rubio, another Republican presidential candidate."
"27 percent is not a good place to start. In 2016, Republicans will need at least 40 percent of the Latino vote to win, according to a campaign adviser for Florida Senator Marco Rubio, another Republican presidential candidate."
Foreign Agent For United Arab Emirates And Saudi Arabia Raising Money For Jeb Bush
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/07/16/3681645/jeb-bush-bundler-saudi-agent/
"A registered lobbyist who serves as a foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia has already raised at least $32,400 in campaign cash for the presidential campaign of former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL), according to newly released campaign filings."
"A registered lobbyist who serves as a foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia has already raised at least $32,400 in campaign cash for the presidential campaign of former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL), according to newly released campaign filings."
How the Billionaires Bought Justice for Scott Walker
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/31934-how-the-billionaires-bought-justice-for-scott-walker
"Scott Walker is the perfect example of how billionaires can purchase justice a la carte to protect their pet politicians."
"Scott Walker is the perfect example of how billionaires can purchase justice a la carte to protect their pet politicians."
Bob McDonnell Inches Closer To His Prison Cell After Appeals Court Upholds His Conviction
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/10/bob-mcdonnell-inches-closer-prison-cell-appeals-court-upholds-conviction.html
"On Friday, the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld former GOP Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s conviction on 11 counts of corruption. The Governor was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in accepting 177,000 dollars worth of gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, in exchange for illegally using his influence as Governor to promote a dietary supplement Williams was hawking."
"On Friday, the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld former GOP Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s conviction on 11 counts of corruption. The Governor was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in accepting 177,000 dollars worth of gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, in exchange for illegally using his influence as Governor to promote a dietary supplement Williams was hawking."
Is the IRS Abandoning Its Duty to Stop "Dark Money" From Ruling the 2016 Election?
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/31804-is-the-irs-abandoning-its-duty-to-stop-dark-money-from-ruling-the-2016-election
"Republicans on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) have continually blocked Democratic commissioners' efforts to force dark money groups to disclose their donors."
"Republicans on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) have continually blocked Democratic commissioners' efforts to force dark money groups to disclose their donors."
Former Rep. Michael Grimm To Serve 8 Months For Tax Evasion
Former Rep. Michael Grimm To Serve 8 Months For Tax Evasion
"You may remember this guy as the one who threatened to throw a reporter off a balcony at the senate rotunda. Despite being under indictment, Grimm easily won re-election last fall, before stepping down after pleading guilty a few months later."
"You may remember this guy as the one who threatened to throw a reporter off a balcony at the senate rotunda. Despite being under indictment, Grimm easily won re-election last fall, before stepping down after pleading guilty a few months later."
Rick Perry Caught Red-Handed Brazenly Breaking Campaign Finance Laws
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/rick-perry-caught-red-handed-brazenly-breaking-campaign-finance-laws/
"The F.E.C. is made up of six commissioners, three Democrats and three Republicans. Earlier this year, the head of the commission Ann M. Ravel gave an interview and explained just how bad the situation had deteriorated:
“The likelihood of the laws being enforced is slim,” she said. “I never want to give up, but I’m not under any illusions. People think the F.E.C. is dysfunctional. It’s worse than dysfunctional.”
The reason for the paralysis is that Republican board members block the Democrats every single time they try to address violations or attempt to fix the glaring problems the system has. Republicans are happy with the status quo because they have the most to gain from the screwed-up electoral system. They have allowed themselves to be bought, like Perry has, which leads to the focusing of all of their energy on influencing legislation to favor the rich. The Republican candidates aren’t even trying to hide their violations anymore."
"The F.E.C. is made up of six commissioners, three Democrats and three Republicans. Earlier this year, the head of the commission Ann M. Ravel gave an interview and explained just how bad the situation had deteriorated:
“The likelihood of the laws being enforced is slim,” she said. “I never want to give up, but I’m not under any illusions. People think the F.E.C. is dysfunctional. It’s worse than dysfunctional.”
The reason for the paralysis is that Republican board members block the Democrats every single time they try to address violations or attempt to fix the glaring problems the system has. Republicans are happy with the status quo because they have the most to gain from the screwed-up electoral system. They have allowed themselves to be bought, like Perry has, which leads to the focusing of all of their energy on influencing legislation to favor the rich. The Republican candidates aren’t even trying to hide their violations anymore."
Mayor Insults ‘Gorilla Face’ Michelle Obama, Won’t Resign Because ‘That’s Admitting I’m Racist’ (VIDEO)
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/15/mayor-insults-gorilla-face-michelle-obama-wont-resign-because-thats-admitting-im-racist-video/
"A mayor in Washington State has refused to resign after he shared a racist post on Facebook comparing President Obama and the First Lady to gorillas and monkeys. His reason for not stepping down? Doing so would be like admitting he’s racist."
"A mayor in Washington State has refused to resign after he shared a racist post on Facebook comparing President Obama and the First Lady to gorillas and monkeys. His reason for not stepping down? Doing so would be like admitting he’s racist."
Dimwitted Florida Republican Suggests Donald Trump Could Be a Clinton Plant to Hurt GOP
Dimwitted Florida Republican Suggests Donald Trump Could Be a Clinton Plant to Hurt GOP
"So, in reality, all Rep. Curbelo did was admit that there’s a huge contingent of conservative voters who are racists and bigots."
"So, in reality, all Rep. Curbelo did was admit that there’s a huge contingent of conservative voters who are racists and bigots."
Food Disaster: Republicans Stomp on GMO Labeling @alternet
Food Disaster: Republicans Stomp on GMO Labeling @alternet
"With no debate and only a voice vote, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture today (July 14, 2015) passed out of committee H.R. 1599, a bill to preempt states’ rights to label GMOs."
"With no debate and only a voice vote, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture today (July 14, 2015) passed out of committee H.R. 1599, a bill to preempt states’ rights to label GMOs."
Hurtful Lindsey Graham Proposal Targets Military Retirees
http://samuel-warde.com/2015/07/hurtful-lindsey-graham-proposal-targets-military-retirees/
"Conservatives love starting wars, but they have never cared about supporting the troops – all the way back to turning down Gen. George Washington’s request for food and blankets for his winter encampment at Valley Forge. Most recently, Republicans came under attack from veterans groups this March for killing a bill that would have expanded federal healthcare and education programs for veterans.
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is jumping in with both feet this week, saying military retirees will eventually have to pay more for their health care."
"Conservatives love starting wars, but they have never cared about supporting the troops – all the way back to turning down Gen. George Washington’s request for food and blankets for his winter encampment at Valley Forge. Most recently, Republicans came under attack from veterans groups this March for killing a bill that would have expanded federal healthcare and education programs for veterans.
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is jumping in with both feet this week, saying military retirees will eventually have to pay more for their health care."
GOP Begins To Panic
GOP Begins To Panic
"If the electorate changes in line with census estimates, the slice of college-educated whites will grow by 1 point, to 37 percent of all voters, while the portion of whites without degrees will shrink 3 points, to just 33 percent of the total.
In other words, the GOP doesn't just have a growing problem with nonwhites; it has a shrinkage problem as well, as conservative white seniors are supplanted by college-educated millennials with different cultural attitudes"
"If the electorate changes in line with census estimates, the slice of college-educated whites will grow by 1 point, to 37 percent of all voters, while the portion of whites without degrees will shrink 3 points, to just 33 percent of the total.
In other words, the GOP doesn't just have a growing problem with nonwhites; it has a shrinkage problem as well, as conservative white seniors are supplanted by college-educated millennials with different cultural attitudes"
Florida Republican: Donald Trump is a Democratic plot to make GOP look stupid
Florida Republican: Donald Trump is a Democratic plot to make GOP look stupid
"A spokesman for Florida’s Democratic Party dismissed Curbelo’s comments as absurd and urged him to “take off his tinfoil hat"."
"A spokesman for Florida’s Democratic Party dismissed Curbelo’s comments as absurd and urged him to “take off his tinfoil hat"."
Texas Governor Vetos Mental Health Bill At Urging Of Scientologists Who Don’t Believe Mental Illness Exists
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/14/texas-governor-vetos-mental-health-bill-at-urging-of-scientologists-who-dont-believe-mental-illness-exists/
"Under Abbott’s short tenure, Texas has become a state defined by oxymorons. A public school system run by a homeschooler. A government kowtowed by anti-government zealots. And now a medical community led by an anti-medicine religious group."
"Under Abbott’s short tenure, Texas has become a state defined by oxymorons. A public school system run by a homeschooler. A government kowtowed by anti-government zealots. And now a medical community led by an anti-medicine religious group."
Ted Cruz Is Really Excited About Pluto. So Why Does He Want to Cripple NASA?
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/pluto-nasa-ted-cruz-new-horizons
"NASA is also one of the main purveyors of the satellite observations of Earth that are a basic necessity for many fields of Earth science."
"NASA is also one of the main purveyors of the satellite observations of Earth that are a basic necessity for many fields of Earth science."
Thursday, July 16, 2015
35 Mind-Blowing Facts About Inequality @alternet
35 Mind-Blowing Facts About Inequality @alternet
"the rise of Ronald Reagan’s conservative revolution at home, accelerated the long and painful contraction of the middle class. Cuts in corporate taxes, stagnant worker wage growth, the right-wing war on unions, and corporate outsourcing of work overseas greased the wheels of the middle-class decline and the upper-class elevation. Cuts in taxes on the wealthy, under the guise of trickle-down economics, have resulted in lower government revenue and cuts to all kinds of services. All of which has led to today, an era of national and international inequality unparalleled since the days of the Roaring '20s."
"the rise of Ronald Reagan’s conservative revolution at home, accelerated the long and painful contraction of the middle class. Cuts in corporate taxes, stagnant worker wage growth, the right-wing war on unions, and corporate outsourcing of work overseas greased the wheels of the middle-class decline and the upper-class elevation. Cuts in taxes on the wealthy, under the guise of trickle-down economics, have resulted in lower government revenue and cuts to all kinds of services. All of which has led to today, an era of national and international inequality unparalleled since the days of the Roaring '20s."
Scott Walker's latest anti-worker move will risk shoddy construction but won't save money
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/14/1402247/-Scott-Walker-s-latest-anti-worker-move-will-risk-shoddy-construction-but-won-t-save-money
"One of the anti-worker pieces of the budget Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed over the weekend partially repeals the state's longstanding prevailing wage law. Prevailing wage laws set a floor on what construction workers on publicly funded projects can earn, according to typical local wage levels. But repealing them doesn't just hurt workers—it hurts the communities that end up with shoddy work and it hurts high-road business owners who value their skilled workers. Oh, and it doesn't save money"
"One of the anti-worker pieces of the budget Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed over the weekend partially repeals the state's longstanding prevailing wage law. Prevailing wage laws set a floor on what construction workers on publicly funded projects can earn, according to typical local wage levels. But repealing them doesn't just hurt workers—it hurts the communities that end up with shoddy work and it hurts high-road business owners who value their skilled workers. Oh, and it doesn't save money"
Tea Party Utopia: Scott Walker’s Wisconsin #1 In Household Income Decline
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/tea-party-utopia-scott-walkers-wisconsin-1-in-household-income-decline/
"Walker has been very proud of his “successes” in ramming through a Koch Brother-approved agenda that crushed unions and public bargaining, efforts to privatize public schools, give millions in tax breaks to the rich and to huge corporations. They may be well and pleased with his efforts, but it has dealt grievous wounds to the state’s middle class and the working families of Wisconsin. He has ruined job creation in Wisconsin, falling far short of his campaign pledge to create 250,000 in his first term- barely achieving 129,000 while the liberal high-tax policies of neighboring Minnesota have made them the #1 state in the country for doing business."
"Walker has been very proud of his “successes” in ramming through a Koch Brother-approved agenda that crushed unions and public bargaining, efforts to privatize public schools, give millions in tax breaks to the rich and to huge corporations. They may be well and pleased with his efforts, but it has dealt grievous wounds to the state’s middle class and the working families of Wisconsin. He has ruined job creation in Wisconsin, falling far short of his campaign pledge to create 250,000 in his first term- barely achieving 129,000 while the liberal high-tax policies of neighboring Minnesota have made them the #1 state in the country for doing business."
Wisconsin Residents Sue State Over Unconstitutional Republican Gerrymandering
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/wisconsin-residents-sue-state-over-unconstitutional-republican-gerrymandering/
"The plaintiffs presented two pieces of evidence to the federal court to prove that the new map heavily favors Republicans. The first piece the is actual votes from the 2012 election. In 2012, Republicans overwhelmingly won the state Assembly elections even though more Democrats– 1.4 million versus 1.2 million–voted. Republicans walked away with 60 seats compared to Democrats’ 39 seats. It was a landslide that never would have happened if the map was not so heavily tilted in the GOP’s favor."
"The plaintiffs presented two pieces of evidence to the federal court to prove that the new map heavily favors Republicans. The first piece the is actual votes from the 2012 election. In 2012, Republicans overwhelmingly won the state Assembly elections even though more Democrats– 1.4 million versus 1.2 million–voted. Republicans walked away with 60 seats compared to Democrats’ 39 seats. It was a landslide that never would have happened if the map was not so heavily tilted in the GOP’s favor."
The Right-Wing Dog Whistle Buried In Scott Walker’s Announcement Speech
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/07/14/3680245/scott-walker-radical-libertarianism/
"He also appears to align himself with more modern constitutional theorists who wish to reinstate long-discredited Supreme Court cases that would eliminate much of the legal framework protecting workers from exploitation."
"He also appears to align himself with more modern constitutional theorists who wish to reinstate long-discredited Supreme Court cases that would eliminate much of the legal framework protecting workers from exploitation."
The Disappearance of John Doe
The Disappearance of John Doe
"the Wisconsin Supreme Court is likely to quash an investigation--run by a veteran Republican prosecutor--into allegations that Walker's team broke campaign finance laws during the 2012 recall elections by working in concert with dark money groups.
The prosecutor has asked two justices with ties to these same groups to recuse themselves from the case, but they have refused. And the court will rule behind closed doors, having eschewed oral arguments or even a full accounting of the case."
"the Wisconsin Supreme Court is likely to quash an investigation--run by a veteran Republican prosecutor--into allegations that Walker's team broke campaign finance laws during the 2012 recall elections by working in concert with dark money groups.
The prosecutor has asked two justices with ties to these same groups to recuse themselves from the case, but they have refused. And the court will rule behind closed doors, having eschewed oral arguments or even a full accounting of the case."
Scott Walker makes Mitt Romney look like FDR: The Kohl’s shopper is even more callous toward the poor
Scott Walker makes Mitt Romney look like FDR: The Kohl’s shopper is even more callous toward the poor
"Calling the minimum wage a “lame idea,” Walker and the 2016 GOP field position themselves well to Romney's right"
"Calling the minimum wage a “lame idea,” Walker and the 2016 GOP field position themselves well to Romney's right"
Ted Cruz at Secret Koch-Backed Fracking Lobby Group Meeting
Ted Cruz at Secret Koch-Backed Fracking Lobby Group Meeting
"Members of the forty year old Western Energy Alliance include massive fracking corporations like Devon Energy, Encana, Whiting, and Halliburton, as well as Koch Exploration Company, the fracking arm of the Charles and David Koch’s sprawling energy business."
"Members of the forty year old Western Energy Alliance include massive fracking corporations like Devon Energy, Encana, Whiting, and Halliburton, as well as Koch Exploration Company, the fracking arm of the Charles and David Koch’s sprawling energy business."
Lindsey Graham: Retired Veterans Must Pay More For Their Healthcare
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/lindsey-graham-retired-veterans-must-pay-more-for-their-healthcare/
"It’s just another glaring example of how the Republican Party’s effusive praise for our veterans is nothing but empty words. They send them to fight and die to achieve their political ambitions, but have no regard for their well-being once they’ve served their purpose- exactly like the way they treat their own constituents. The US has the biggest defense spending budget in the world, given to a Pentagon that has lost $9 trillion over the past twenty five years, but somehow we can’t find enough money to take care of the people who put their lives and limbs at risk to defend our nation and her interests."
"It’s just another glaring example of how the Republican Party’s effusive praise for our veterans is nothing but empty words. They send them to fight and die to achieve their political ambitions, but have no regard for their well-being once they’ve served their purpose- exactly like the way they treat their own constituents. The US has the biggest defense spending budget in the world, given to a Pentagon that has lost $9 trillion over the past twenty five years, but somehow we can’t find enough money to take care of the people who put their lives and limbs at risk to defend our nation and her interests."
Paul Krugman Explains One of Jeb Bush and the GOP's Favorite Lies About Non-Rich People @alternet
Paul Krugman Explains One of Jeb Bush and the GOP's Favorite Lies About Non-Rich People @alternet
"Bush has previously expressed his admiration for the work of Charles Murray, the racist so-called thinker behind the 1994 book "The Bell Curve"."
"Bush has previously expressed his admiration for the work of Charles Murray, the racist so-called thinker behind the 1994 book "The Bell Curve"."
The overwhelming idiocy of America’s obsession with “gaffes”
The overwhelming idiocy of America’s obsession with “gaffes”
"most of what gets called “gaffes” are not at all gaffes. They’re expressions of beliefs and political and ideological positions that turn out to be intensely unpopular or offensive to a segment of the population, and the press, usually so careful in our language, tosses them in the same linguistic barrel as when Palin said “refudiate” or when President George W. Bush talked about “how hard it is to put food on your family.”
Take last week, when Jeb Bush offered that Americans need to work longer hours. The proposal was immediately attacked by Democrats, and Bush was forced to address the comments later that same day after the swift and substantial backlash. Bush’s rush to clarify his unpopular comments was reported on seemingly uniformly as an effort to mend his “gaffe,” as though he simply misspoke or exhibited the sort of clumsy speech his brother is known for. Major political news outlets assigned the word “gaffe” to Bush’s proposal–Politico, the Boston Herald, Business Insider, The Hill, and Vox, among others.
Bush was presenting his solution to the anemic recovery after the financial crisis of 2007-08. Bush’s remedy includes Americans working longer hours, a point he reiterated in his clarification. The word “gaffe” seems to have been so widely assigned to the initial comments simply because they offended wage-working Americans and became an early weapon for Democrats against the GOP front-runner. But it’s not a gaffe if it’s a repeated belief. And it’s not a gaffe just because a well-considered belief turns out to be an unpopular way to view Americans from someone in a position of wealthy political aristocracy."
"most of what gets called “gaffes” are not at all gaffes. They’re expressions of beliefs and political and ideological positions that turn out to be intensely unpopular or offensive to a segment of the population, and the press, usually so careful in our language, tosses them in the same linguistic barrel as when Palin said “refudiate” or when President George W. Bush talked about “how hard it is to put food on your family.”
Take last week, when Jeb Bush offered that Americans need to work longer hours. The proposal was immediately attacked by Democrats, and Bush was forced to address the comments later that same day after the swift and substantial backlash. Bush’s rush to clarify his unpopular comments was reported on seemingly uniformly as an effort to mend his “gaffe,” as though he simply misspoke or exhibited the sort of clumsy speech his brother is known for. Major political news outlets assigned the word “gaffe” to Bush’s proposal–Politico, the Boston Herald, Business Insider, The Hill, and Vox, among others.
Bush was presenting his solution to the anemic recovery after the financial crisis of 2007-08. Bush’s remedy includes Americans working longer hours, a point he reiterated in his clarification. The word “gaffe” seems to have been so widely assigned to the initial comments simply because they offended wage-working Americans and became an early weapon for Democrats against the GOP front-runner. But it’s not a gaffe if it’s a repeated belief. And it’s not a gaffe just because a well-considered belief turns out to be an unpopular way to view Americans from someone in a position of wealthy political aristocracy."
Jeb Bush Is Promoting The Koch-Republican Job-Killing Economic Agenda
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/13/jeb-bush-promoting-koch-republican-job-killing-economic-agenda.html
"Their agenda is solely destroying long-standing labor protections put in place by the New Deal. Republicans have lusted to abolish New Deal worker protections since their inception with a simple goal of creating a slave-labor workforce and increase wealth for their corporate masters."
"Their agenda is solely destroying long-standing labor protections put in place by the New Deal. Republicans have lusted to abolish New Deal worker protections since their inception with a simple goal of creating a slave-labor workforce and increase wealth for their corporate masters."
Famous Economist DESTROYS Jeb Bush For ‘Work Longer Hours’ Comment – Here’s Why
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/13/famous-economist-destroys-jeb-bush-for-work-longer-hours-comment-heres-why/
"Krugman says that Jeb Bush subscribes to ideas put forth in a book called, “Coming Apart,” which talks about rising income inequality and a lack of good jobs, as being consequences of straying from traditional values. The author of that book, Charles Murray (a complete idiot), believes that government programs enable this decline in values, because “men no longer need to work to survive.”
In other words, Murray thinks, at least insofar as that statement goes, that people really should live to work, rather than work to live. This is the mentality that Krugman says Jeb labors under, which is where his remark that Americans just need to work longer hours, so they can bring more home to their families, comes from.
Krugman isn’t the only person of prominence to rip Jeb Bush for this. Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, also did it. He flat-out said he didn’t think much of Jeb’s comments. He also said that 80 percent of working men are working more than 40 hours a week, along with 66 percent of women and he reminded everyone that Jeb does not support raising the minimum wage, pay equality, or more stringent overtime laws that would open up time and a half pay for millions more workers."
"Krugman says that Jeb Bush subscribes to ideas put forth in a book called, “Coming Apart,” which talks about rising income inequality and a lack of good jobs, as being consequences of straying from traditional values. The author of that book, Charles Murray (a complete idiot), believes that government programs enable this decline in values, because “men no longer need to work to survive.”
In other words, Murray thinks, at least insofar as that statement goes, that people really should live to work, rather than work to live. This is the mentality that Krugman says Jeb labors under, which is where his remark that Americans just need to work longer hours, so they can bring more home to their families, comes from.
Krugman isn’t the only person of prominence to rip Jeb Bush for this. Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, also did it. He flat-out said he didn’t think much of Jeb’s comments. He also said that 80 percent of working men are working more than 40 hours a week, along with 66 percent of women and he reminded everyone that Jeb does not support raising the minimum wage, pay equality, or more stringent overtime laws that would open up time and a half pay for millions more workers."
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Jeb Bush Is Clueless About Working Americans @alternet
Jeb Bush Is Clueless About Working Americans @alternet
"Jeb! and his GOP buddies should blame those actually at fault: the nation’s highly profitable corporations that cheat America’s highly productive workers. Corporations need to rise to the occasion and hire workers at decent wages. Corporations must reward workers for their increased productivity by paying them time and a half when they work longer hours.
It’s the GOP that’s in a rut. It’s a mental ditch from which they fling mud on workers endlessly while shielding corporations and the rich, like Jeb!, from responsibility. Jeb! can go ahead and crack his whip. But he should make sure wage-stealing corporations and the idle rich are at the other end."
"Jeb! and his GOP buddies should blame those actually at fault: the nation’s highly profitable corporations that cheat America’s highly productive workers. Corporations need to rise to the occasion and hire workers at decent wages. Corporations must reward workers for their increased productivity by paying them time and a half when they work longer hours.
It’s the GOP that’s in a rut. It’s a mental ditch from which they fling mud on workers endlessly while shielding corporations and the rich, like Jeb!, from responsibility. Jeb! can go ahead and crack his whip. But he should make sure wage-stealing corporations and the idle rich are at the other end."
Wisconsin’s Construction Industry Is In For A Rough Ride — And So Are Its Taxpayers
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/07/14/3680019/wisconsin-prevailing-wage-repeal-scott-walker/
"About 24 hours before announcing his official White House candidacy, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) made life a lot harder for people who sweat for a living."
"About 24 hours before announcing his official White House candidacy, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) made life a lot harder for people who sweat for a living."
You Could Almost See The Koch Lips Moving As Scott Walker Announced His Run For President
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/13/koch-lips-moving-scott-walker-announced-run-president.html
"No matter how much he tried, Scott Walker sounded like a college dropout governor from Wisconsin. Walker will be a force in the Republican primary because he knows how deliver the ideological talking points that conservatives crave, but Donald Trump has set a high bar. Trump is willing to give Republican voters what they want in a way that Walker isn’t.
Scott Walker claimed to be a new leader, but his plan for the future is straight out of centuries past.
Walker promised to fight and win for Americans, but by Americans he clearly meant the wealthy billionaires.
The name Scott Walker will be on the ballot, but it is the Koch brothers agenda that he is running on."
"No matter how much he tried, Scott Walker sounded like a college dropout governor from Wisconsin. Walker will be a force in the Republican primary because he knows how deliver the ideological talking points that conservatives crave, but Donald Trump has set a high bar. Trump is willing to give Republican voters what they want in a way that Walker isn’t.
Scott Walker claimed to be a new leader, but his plan for the future is straight out of centuries past.
Walker promised to fight and win for Americans, but by Americans he clearly meant the wealthy billionaires.
The name Scott Walker will be on the ballot, but it is the Koch brothers agenda that he is running on."
GOP Iowan: 'Walker is making Romney look like a model of consistency'
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/13/1401798/-GOP-Iowan-Walker-is-making-Romney-look-like-a-model-of-consistency#
"The thing to remember about Shifty Walker is that he's not faking being a dyed-in-the-wool social and economic conservative. That is his natural habitat. He's just done a good job of moderating his demeanor in elections. In fact, he's currently prepping to sign into law in Wisconsin a 20-week abortion ban that has no exceptions for rape or incest. Meanwhile, during his 2014 re-election campaign in the state, he claimed to support leaving "the final decision to a woman and her doctor." There should have been a giant "I am lying" asterisk next to that statement."
"The thing to remember about Shifty Walker is that he's not faking being a dyed-in-the-wool social and economic conservative. That is his natural habitat. He's just done a good job of moderating his demeanor in elections. In fact, he's currently prepping to sign into law in Wisconsin a 20-week abortion ban that has no exceptions for rape or incest. Meanwhile, during his 2014 re-election campaign in the state, he claimed to support leaving "the final decision to a woman and her doctor." There should have been a giant "I am lying" asterisk next to that statement."
Infographic: Scott Walker’s Economy
https://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/general/news/2015/07/09/117137/infographic-scott-walkers-economy/
"he’s stood on the side of the wealthy few instead of middle-class families. He gave tax breaks that disproportionally favored the top 1 percent but cut $56 million in tax credits for working families. At the same time, he opposed raising the minimum wage and waged an attack on unions, passing right-to-work legislation in Wisconsin. And it’s middle-class families in Wisconsin bearing the brunt of his actions."
"he’s stood on the side of the wealthy few instead of middle-class families. He gave tax breaks that disproportionally favored the top 1 percent but cut $56 million in tax credits for working families. At the same time, he opposed raising the minimum wage and waged an attack on unions, passing right-to-work legislation in Wisconsin. And it’s middle-class families in Wisconsin bearing the brunt of his actions."
Scott Walker’s Wisconsin Struggles While Next Door, Democratic Run Minnesota Thrives
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/07/13/scott-walkers-wisconsin-struggles-while-next-door-democratic-run-minnesota-thrives/
"In Wisconsin, Walker has mercilessly cut the state budget. He slashed education spending, shifted healthcare and pension costs onto state employees, eliminated tax credits for low income workers and cut taxes for the rich, claiming it would stimulate the economy. The result has been weak job growth and Wisconsin ranks last in personal income growth among midwest states since Walker took office.
When Mark Dayton became Minnesota’s governor in 2011, he set about to reverse many of the policies of his Republican predecessor, Tim Pawlenty. Dayton and Minnesota Democrats raised taxes on people making over $250,000 and they also raised corporate taxes. Dayton and his allies raised the state’s minimum wage and indexed future increases to inflation. They managed to balance the budget while increasing spending on public education.
Minnesota has a huge budget surplus and thanks to increases in personal and corporate income, the state is reporting higher tax collections than expected. Minnesota also expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and set up their own state insurance exchange. Now Minnesota has some of the lowest insurance premiums in the country. Wisconsin refused to participate in the ACA and their rate of uninsured is double that of Wisconsin. Plus, Walker removed many people from Badgercare, the state’s popular health insurance program for children and families.
Now, Scott Walker wants to be president. Here’s a suggestion, Scott: If you want to stand any chance at all, avoid the slogan “He’ll Do For America What He Did For Wisconsin"."
"In Wisconsin, Walker has mercilessly cut the state budget. He slashed education spending, shifted healthcare and pension costs onto state employees, eliminated tax credits for low income workers and cut taxes for the rich, claiming it would stimulate the economy. The result has been weak job growth and Wisconsin ranks last in personal income growth among midwest states since Walker took office.
When Mark Dayton became Minnesota’s governor in 2011, he set about to reverse many of the policies of his Republican predecessor, Tim Pawlenty. Dayton and Minnesota Democrats raised taxes on people making over $250,000 and they also raised corporate taxes. Dayton and his allies raised the state’s minimum wage and indexed future increases to inflation. They managed to balance the budget while increasing spending on public education.
Minnesota has a huge budget surplus and thanks to increases in personal and corporate income, the state is reporting higher tax collections than expected. Minnesota also expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and set up their own state insurance exchange. Now Minnesota has some of the lowest insurance premiums in the country. Wisconsin refused to participate in the ACA and their rate of uninsured is double that of Wisconsin. Plus, Walker removed many people from Badgercare, the state’s popular health insurance program for children and families.
Now, Scott Walker wants to be president. Here’s a suggestion, Scott: If you want to stand any chance at all, avoid the slogan “He’ll Do For America What He Did For Wisconsin"."
Walker Adviser Admits: Start Conservative, Be 'Moderate Later On'
Walker Adviser Admits: Start Conservative, Be 'Moderate Later On'
"This of course is redolent of Mitt Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom's famous "Etch-a-Sketch" comment from 2012"
"This of course is redolent of Mitt Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom's famous "Etch-a-Sketch" comment from 2012"
Scott Walker Wants To Run The Country. Here Is How He Ran Wisconsin.
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/07/13/3614885/scott-walker-wants-run-country-ran-wisconsin/
"several studies have shown that the governor’s economic agenda — slashing property and corporate taxes, restricting collective bargaining and keeping wages low — has left the state in a precarious position. Data from the Pew Charitable Trusts predicts that Wisconsin will end this fiscal year with less money in reserve than any other state in the country. Walker’s 2011 tax cuts, which largely benefited wealthy landowners and factory owners, will cost the state at least $275 million in additional lost tax revenue over the next two years — twice as much as originally predicted."
"several studies have shown that the governor’s economic agenda — slashing property and corporate taxes, restricting collective bargaining and keeping wages low — has left the state in a precarious position. Data from the Pew Charitable Trusts predicts that Wisconsin will end this fiscal year with less money in reserve than any other state in the country. Walker’s 2011 tax cuts, which largely benefited wealthy landowners and factory owners, will cost the state at least $275 million in additional lost tax revenue over the next two years — twice as much as originally predicted."
Scott Walker Campaigns Against Unions, Wages and Weekends
http://www.thenation.com/article/scott-walker-campaigns-against-unions-wages-and-weekends/
"The state budget that Walker signed on Sunday as Wisconsin’s governor includes a provision that eliminates a historic guarantee that factory and retail employees “must get at least 24 consecutive hours of rest for every seven-day stretch” of work.
That does not sound very worker-friendly. And that’s cool by Walker.
The Wisconsin governor is running for the presidency as the guy who cracked down on workers and their unions — and who delivered for corporations and their CEOs — and the budget he just signed offers a signal of just how far he and his allies are willing to go.
Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled legislature dutifully delivered a budget to Walker before his announcement. But the document was so fundamentally flawed that a dozen Republicans in the state Assembly and Senate joined Democrats in opposing it.
The Republicans did not say much about why they were voting “no,” although the prospect of having to defend cuts to higher education, funding schemes that threaten rural schools, blows to programs that care for the elderly and the disabled and fiscally-irresponsible borrowing undoubtedly weighed on the eleven Republican representatives and one Republican senator who refused to support the budget. So too, surely, did concerns about having to explain a budget that rips up prevailing wage, living-wage and workplace protections for workers who have already taken hard hits."
"The state budget that Walker signed on Sunday as Wisconsin’s governor includes a provision that eliminates a historic guarantee that factory and retail employees “must get at least 24 consecutive hours of rest for every seven-day stretch” of work.
That does not sound very worker-friendly. And that’s cool by Walker.
The Wisconsin governor is running for the presidency as the guy who cracked down on workers and their unions — and who delivered for corporations and their CEOs — and the budget he just signed offers a signal of just how far he and his allies are willing to go.
Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled legislature dutifully delivered a budget to Walker before his announcement. But the document was so fundamentally flawed that a dozen Republicans in the state Assembly and Senate joined Democrats in opposing it.
The Republicans did not say much about why they were voting “no,” although the prospect of having to defend cuts to higher education, funding schemes that threaten rural schools, blows to programs that care for the elderly and the disabled and fiscally-irresponsible borrowing undoubtedly weighed on the eleven Republican representatives and one Republican senator who refused to support the budget. So too, surely, did concerns about having to explain a budget that rips up prevailing wage, living-wage and workplace protections for workers who have already taken hard hits."
4 Horrifying Things Scott Walker Did in Wisconsin That He Could Impose on All of America @alternet
4 Horrifying Things Scott Walker Did in Wisconsin That He Could Impose on All of America @alternet
"Walker has used the power of his office to impose his vision of a “Wis-issippi” with low wages, minimal corporate taxes, widespread crony capitalism, and a depleted public sector."
"Walker has used the power of his office to impose his vision of a “Wis-issippi” with low wages, minimal corporate taxes, widespread crony capitalism, and a depleted public sector."
Scott Walker Begins His 2016 Run for the White House
Scott Walker Begins His 2016 Run for the White House
"On the campaign trail, Walker has boasted of a long series of legislative "reforms," failing to mention that almost all of them have their roots in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). At ALEC, lobbyists and politicians vote behind closed doors on 'model bills' that benefit the corporate bottom line, such as the perennially-popular "Minimum Wage Repeal Act"."
"On the campaign trail, Walker has boasted of a long series of legislative "reforms," failing to mention that almost all of them have their roots in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). At ALEC, lobbyists and politicians vote behind closed doors on 'model bills' that benefit the corporate bottom line, such as the perennially-popular "Minimum Wage Repeal Act"."
Scott Walker's Selective Memory
Scott Walker's Selective Memory
"Unable to tout his record on job creation, a healthy business environment, lower taxes or much of anything else, Walker decided to make sh*t up, like how he "stood his ground" and was "unintimidated" by his own constituents and the workers of Wisconsin. Walker also bragged about winning the recall election (look for this to be a common theme from him).
Of course, by standing his ground, he means scurrying around in the tunnels below the state Capitol, like the rat he is"
"Unable to tout his record on job creation, a healthy business environment, lower taxes or much of anything else, Walker decided to make sh*t up, like how he "stood his ground" and was "unintimidated" by his own constituents and the workers of Wisconsin. Walker also bragged about winning the recall election (look for this to be a common theme from him).
Of course, by standing his ground, he means scurrying around in the tunnels below the state Capitol, like the rat he is"
George Will Is The Canary In American Democracy’s Coal Mine
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/07/13/3679558/george-will-canary-american-democracys-coal-mine/
"The Declaration of Independence proclaims that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” In his latest column, conservative writer George Will boldly rejects this founding principle."
"The Declaration of Independence proclaims that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” In his latest column, conservative writer George Will boldly rejects this founding principle."
Residents Fight Back Against Pittsburgh's Privatized Water Authority
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/31830-residents-fight-back-against-pittsburgh-s-privatized-water-authority
"Residents in Pittsburgh have seen their water bills climb as high as 600 percent, and after the city began shutting off water-bill delinquent homes, some filed a class-action lawsuit. In the process they discovered the private water corporation that's really pulling the strings."
"Residents in Pittsburgh have seen their water bills climb as high as 600 percent, and after the city began shutting off water-bill delinquent homes, some filed a class-action lawsuit. In the process they discovered the private water corporation that's really pulling the strings."
Fox News Host Loses His Mind On Gay Rights, Declares Official ‘Jesus chicken’ (Video)
Fox News Host Loses His Mind On Gay Rights, Declares Official ‘Jesus chicken’ (Video)
"Again, nobody cares what these people believe. That’s the funny thing about all of this – they seem to really think that the rest of us spend every waking moment of our lives concerned about the nonsense they believe. The only thing the rest of us want is for these people to stop trying to force their views on other people. If someone doesn’t agree with same-sex marriage - great - nobody is forcing that person to marry someone of the same sex."
"Again, nobody cares what these people believe. That’s the funny thing about all of this – they seem to really think that the rest of us spend every waking moment of our lives concerned about the nonsense they believe. The only thing the rest of us want is for these people to stop trying to force their views on other people. If someone doesn’t agree with same-sex marriage - great - nobody is forcing that person to marry someone of the same sex."
Ted Cruz loses his wingnut welfare: How the New York Times smacked down a decades-old conservative racket
Ted Cruz loses his wingnut welfare: How the New York Times smacked down a decades-old conservative racket
"There has been a controversy for many, many years over the conservative movement’s manipulation of the New York Times’ bestseller list to create the impression of massive popularity of their wingnutty ideas among the public. This is not to say that right-wingers don’t ever legitimately sell books. They do, of course. But all you have to do is look at the sheer number of these books that are published to see that something else is going on. It is called “wing nut welfare"."
"There has been a controversy for many, many years over the conservative movement’s manipulation of the New York Times’ bestseller list to create the impression of massive popularity of their wingnutty ideas among the public. This is not to say that right-wingers don’t ever legitimately sell books. They do, of course. But all you have to do is look at the sheer number of these books that are published to see that something else is going on. It is called “wing nut welfare"."
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Bradley Foundation's Grebe Named Walker's Campaign Chair
Bradley Foundation's Grebe Named Walker's Campaign Chair
"the Bradley Foundation laundered money through another right wing foundation in order to put up a lot of racist billboards aimed at suppressing the vote during Walker's first election and the recall.
The media also failed to mention that Walker and Grebe's relation is so symbiotic that Walker appointed Grebe's son to the University of Wisconsin's Board of Regents.
Regardless of the corporate media's failings, this does confirm what we already known...that Walker is completely beholden to his dark money benefactors like the Bradley Foundation and just like Grebe, the Money Badger, he doesn't give a damn about the people."
"the Bradley Foundation laundered money through another right wing foundation in order to put up a lot of racist billboards aimed at suppressing the vote during Walker's first election and the recall.
The media also failed to mention that Walker and Grebe's relation is so symbiotic that Walker appointed Grebe's son to the University of Wisconsin's Board of Regents.
Regardless of the corporate media's failings, this does confirm what we already known...that Walker is completely beholden to his dark money benefactors like the Bradley Foundation and just like Grebe, the Money Badger, he doesn't give a damn about the people."
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Help Save Our Public Postal Service
Help Save Our Public Postal Service
"First, in 2006 Congress required the USPS to come up with $5.5 billion per year to pre-fund 75 years of retiree costs. The Postal Service has to set aside money now for employees who are not even born yet. Even with this in the way, they also require the Postal Service to at least break even. But unlike businesses, they hamstring what the USPS is allowed to offer the public – because it would have major advantages over private businesses."
"First, in 2006 Congress required the USPS to come up with $5.5 billion per year to pre-fund 75 years of retiree costs. The Postal Service has to set aside money now for employees who are not even born yet. Even with this in the way, they also require the Postal Service to at least break even. But unlike businesses, they hamstring what the USPS is allowed to offer the public – because it would have major advantages over private businesses."
Four Ways ALEC Tried to Ruin Your State This Year
Four Ways ALEC Tried to Ruin Your State This Year
"ALEC's legislative playbook for 2015 focused on blocking action on climate change, thwarting local democracy, attacking labor unions, and further privatizing public education in the U.S"
"ALEC's legislative playbook for 2015 focused on blocking action on climate change, thwarting local democracy, attacking labor unions, and further privatizing public education in the U.S"
A Federal Court Just Dealt The First Big Blow To Citizens United Decision
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/a-federal-court-just-dealt-the-first-big-blow-to-citizens-united-decision/
"Wealthy Republican donors like the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson have used the cover provided by these regulations to buy off politicians’ support towards their nefarious ends, and have in the process shifted the entire tone of the Republican Party towards a more divisive, extremist, and rightist position. Unsurprisingly, the Republican politicians now in the pocket of these big donors have without irony rushed to cheer the supposedly democratizing influence of unlimited corporate money in politics."
"Wealthy Republican donors like the Koch Brothers and Sheldon Adelson have used the cover provided by these regulations to buy off politicians’ support towards their nefarious ends, and have in the process shifted the entire tone of the Republican Party towards a more divisive, extremist, and rightist position. Unsurprisingly, the Republican politicians now in the pocket of these big donors have without irony rushed to cheer the supposedly democratizing influence of unlimited corporate money in politics."
LA County Supervisor Hires Phony Corporate-Backed 'Research' Firm to Kill the Minimum Wage Plan
LA County Supervisor Hires Phony Corporate-Backed 'Research' Firm to Kill the Minimum Wage Plan
"It has been the subject of widely-publicized investigations and exposes by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, USA Today, CBS' 60 Minutes, CNN, the Center for Media and Democracy, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and many other organizations.
Moreover, there's no need for a new study. In late June, the LA County Economic Development Corporation presented the Board of Supervisors with its own 72-page report that included a thorough survey of a thousand employers within the county as well as a review of three separate studies sponsored by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (conducted by Beacon Economics), the City of Los Angeles (conducted by UC-Berkeley economists), and the LA County Federation of Labor (conducted by the LA Economic Roundtable). Antonovich's move to hire EPI is simply a ploy to delay and debunk a vote on the minimum wage."
"It has been the subject of widely-publicized investigations and exposes by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, USA Today, CBS' 60 Minutes, CNN, the Center for Media and Democracy, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and many other organizations.
Moreover, there's no need for a new study. In late June, the LA County Economic Development Corporation presented the Board of Supervisors with its own 72-page report that included a thorough survey of a thousand employers within the county as well as a review of three separate studies sponsored by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (conducted by Beacon Economics), the City of Los Angeles (conducted by UC-Berkeley economists), and the LA County Federation of Labor (conducted by the LA Economic Roundtable). Antonovich's move to hire EPI is simply a ploy to delay and debunk a vote on the minimum wage."
George W. Bush charged $100,000 to speak at charity for veterans wounded in his wars
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/09/1400822/-George-W-Bush-charged-100-000-to-speak-at-charity-for-veterans-wounded-in-his-wars
"These people are wounded veterans because George W. Bush liked to start wars. And they need charity help because George W. Bush and his party did not like to adequately fund care for returning veterans. And now this charity is all grateful that he lowered his speaking fee to a mere $100,000 to raise some more money to help provide reasonable lives for these people who would not have lost their limbs or suffered other severe injuries if not for his war-starting habit.
This is so many kinds of f'ed up. This is like a perfect loop of Bush toxicity."
"These people are wounded veterans because George W. Bush liked to start wars. And they need charity help because George W. Bush and his party did not like to adequately fund care for returning veterans. And now this charity is all grateful that he lowered his speaking fee to a mere $100,000 to raise some more money to help provide reasonable lives for these people who would not have lost their limbs or suffered other severe injuries if not for his war-starting habit.
This is so many kinds of f'ed up. This is like a perfect loop of Bush toxicity."
Voter Rights Win Big as Florida Court Rules Against GOP Gerrymandering
Voter Rights Win Big as Florida Court Rules Against GOP Gerrymandering
"The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the state legislature's redistricting plans ahead of next year's U.S. presidential election are tainted by "unconstitutional intent to favor the Republican Party and its incumbents" and ordered new congressional districts to be redrawn within 100 days."
"The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the state legislature's redistricting plans ahead of next year's U.S. presidential election are tainted by "unconstitutional intent to favor the Republican Party and its incumbents" and ordered new congressional districts to be redrawn within 100 days."
Lindsey Graham: Trump Is Going To Kill The Party
Lindsey Graham: Trump Is Going To Kill The Party
"Senator Graham: "Here's the problem with the Republican Party nationally. We're getting 27% of the Hispanic vote, we're getting less than 10% of the African American vote and about 25-26% of the Asian vote."
"Senator Graham: "Here's the problem with the Republican Party nationally. We're getting 27% of the Hispanic vote, we're getting less than 10% of the African American vote and about 25-26% of the Asian vote."
Donald Trump is not helping the Republican 'demographic death spiral'
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/10/1401075/-Donald-Trump-is-not-helping-the-Republican-demographic-death-spiral
"Republicans can't afford to piss off Trump's many supporters, but the party's leaders really would have preferred to keep those voters happy with messages sent through dog whistles, not foghorns."
"Republicans can't afford to piss off Trump's many supporters, but the party's leaders really would have preferred to keep those voters happy with messages sent through dog whistles, not foghorns."
Now Some Conservatives are Actually Trying to Claim Donald Trump is Really a Liberal
Now Some Conservatives are Actually Trying to Claim Donald Trump is Really a Liberal
"in a desperate attempt to hide the bigotry, racism and ignorance that fuels a lot of the Republican party – some conservatives are now trying to claim that Donald Trump really isn’t a Republican, but rather a Democrat."
"in a desperate attempt to hide the bigotry, racism and ignorance that fuels a lot of the Republican party – some conservatives are now trying to claim that Donald Trump really isn’t a Republican, but rather a Democrat."
Donald Trump is the clown in charge: Sorry, GOP — you created him, now he’s the face of your party
Donald Trump is the clown in charge: Sorry, GOP — you created him, now he’s the face of your party
"Priebus reached out to Trump (quietly, of course) to urge him to “tone it down” a bit. Priebus and Republican financiers, the authors of the piece note, are concerned that Trump’s blend of bigotry and bombast “will set back the party’s efforts to rehabilitate its image and broaden its reach"."
"Priebus reached out to Trump (quietly, of course) to urge him to “tone it down” a bit. Priebus and Republican financiers, the authors of the piece note, are concerned that Trump’s blend of bigotry and bombast “will set back the party’s efforts to rehabilitate its image and broaden its reach"."
Congressional Spending Bill Is an Extreme Attack on Public Lands and Wildlife @alternet
Congressional Spending Bill Is an Extreme Attack on Public Lands and Wildlife @alternet
"More than 25 anti-environmental riders have been inserted into the 2016 House Interior and Environment appropriations bill."
"More than 25 anti-environmental riders have been inserted into the 2016 House Interior and Environment appropriations bill."
Exxon Knew of Climate Change in 1981, Email Says — But It Funded Deniers for 27 More Years @alternet
Exxon Knew of Climate Change in 1981, Email Says — But It Funded Deniers for 27 More Years @alternet
"Exxon said on Wednesday that it now acknowledges the risk of climate change and does not fund climate change denial groups."
"Exxon said on Wednesday that it now acknowledges the risk of climate change and does not fund climate change denial groups."
Oil Company Exxon Knew About The Scientific Reality Of Climate Change In 1981
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/10/3678684/original-sin-denial-exxon-climate-change-1981/
"the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), an anti-action lobbying group backed by fossil fuel industries, ignored its own climate scientists during the 1990s while spreading disinformation about global warming. An internal report stating that the human causes of global warming “cannot be denied” was ignored by GCC leaders."
"the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), an anti-action lobbying group backed by fossil fuel industries, ignored its own climate scientists during the 1990s while spreading disinformation about global warming. An internal report stating that the human causes of global warming “cannot be denied” was ignored by GCC leaders."
Caught Red-Handed – Exxon Has Been Funding Climate Change Denial For 30+ Years
http://samuel-warde.com/2015/07/exxon-knew-human-caused-climate-change-was-real-in-1981/
"In a replay of the tobacco industry’s decades long stance that cigarettes posed no health risks, Exxon has been exposed for knowing since at least 1981 that the rapid climate change we are experiencing is caused by human activity. Despite having that knowledge, ExxonMobil, the largest oil company in the world, spent millions of dollars over the next 27 years promoting climate denial and misinformation."
"In a replay of the tobacco industry’s decades long stance that cigarettes posed no health risks, Exxon has been exposed for knowing since at least 1981 that the rapid climate change we are experiencing is caused by human activity. Despite having that knowledge, ExxonMobil, the largest oil company in the world, spent millions of dollars over the next 27 years promoting climate denial and misinformation."
Exxon Knew About Global Warming More Than 30 Years Ago
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/exxon-climate-change-email
"Exxon said on Wednesday that it now acknowledges the risk of climate change and does not fund climate change denial groups."
"Exxon said on Wednesday that it now acknowledges the risk of climate change and does not fund climate change denial groups."
Big Oil Knew. Big Oil Lied. And Planet Earth Got Fried.
Big Oil Knew. Big Oil Lied. And Planet Earth Got Fried.
"as early as 1981—nearly seven years before NASA scientist James Hansen made his famous testimony before Congress about the dangers of human-caused global warming—internal discussions about the reality of the threat were already occurring inside the corporate offices of ExxonMobil and others."
"as early as 1981—nearly seven years before NASA scientist James Hansen made his famous testimony before Congress about the dangers of human-caused global warming—internal discussions about the reality of the threat were already occurring inside the corporate offices of ExxonMobil and others."
Bernie Sanders Delivers A Knockout Punch To Jeb Bush
http://samuel-warde.com/2015/07/bernie-sanders-demolishes-jeb-bush/
Sander’s official campaign website, Bernie 2106, goes on to explain
"Americans are working longer hours than anyone else in the industrialized world. Productivity increases won’t change that. For roughly thirty years, workers’ wages kept pace with productivity. That ended in roughly 1980, when conservatives took power and began implementing policies designed to ensure that the wealthiest among us kept the income created by productivity gains for themselves."
Sander’s official campaign website, Bernie 2106, goes on to explain
"Americans are working longer hours than anyone else in the industrialized world. Productivity increases won’t change that. For roughly thirty years, workers’ wages kept pace with productivity. That ended in roughly 1980, when conservatives took power and began implementing policies designed to ensure that the wealthiest among us kept the income created by productivity gains for themselves."
Walker Does The Transparency Two-Faced Two Step
Walker Does The Transparency Two-Faced Two Step
"In the dark of the night, just before the long Independence Day weekend, Wisconsin Republicans tried to slip in a budget amendment that included the gutting of open records laws.
When the news broke, Walker feigned to be surprised and upset, vowing to make sure that the provision was eliminated or at least changed. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Walker was part of the cabal that hatched the plan to wipe out government transparency. He even tried to rationalize his involvement in the scheming"
"In the dark of the night, just before the long Independence Day weekend, Wisconsin Republicans tried to slip in a budget amendment that included the gutting of open records laws.
When the news broke, Walker feigned to be surprised and upset, vowing to make sure that the provision was eliminated or at least changed. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that Walker was part of the cabal that hatched the plan to wipe out government transparency. He even tried to rationalize his involvement in the scheming"
In A Sneaky Move, Scott Walker and Wisconsin GOP Take Away Workers’ Right To Weekends Off
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/08/sneaky-move-scott-walker-wisconsin-gop-workers-weekends.html
"In a move designed to turn the clock in Wisconsin back to the 19th Century, Scott Walker and Republicans in the state legislature have included a provision in the budget that takes away a worker’s right to the weekend off.
Wisconsin Republicans used the 4th of July holiday weekend to sneak provisions into the state budget that destroy open records laws, eliminate the state’s definition of a living wage, and make the activities of the legislature secret."
"In a move designed to turn the clock in Wisconsin back to the 19th Century, Scott Walker and Republicans in the state legislature have included a provision in the budget that takes away a worker’s right to the weekend off.
Wisconsin Republicans used the 4th of July holiday weekend to sneak provisions into the state budget that destroy open records laws, eliminate the state’s definition of a living wage, and make the activities of the legislature secret."
New report finds sick American state democracies
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/08/1400171/-New-report-finds-sick-American-state-democracies
"In analyzing accessibility of the ballot, this report identifies two key findings: first, the highest ranking states in this category have significantly higher voter turnout—on average, almost four percentage points higher than the lowest ranking states; second, that states previously covered by Voting Rights Act preclearance requirements perform poorly in this category—none of the nine states that were covered in total by preclearance requirements receives a grade higher than a D+ in this accessibility of the ballot measures."
"In analyzing accessibility of the ballot, this report identifies two key findings: first, the highest ranking states in this category have significantly higher voter turnout—on average, almost four percentage points higher than the lowest ranking states; second, that states previously covered by Voting Rights Act preclearance requirements perform poorly in this category—none of the nine states that were covered in total by preclearance requirements receives a grade higher than a D+ in this accessibility of the ballot measures."
How Gilded Ages End
How Gilded Ages End
"As daunting as the political challenges were at the time, the Gilded Age came to an end with the reforms of the Progressive era and the New Deal."
"As daunting as the political challenges were at the time, the Gilded Age came to an end with the reforms of the Progressive era and the New Deal."
Scott Walker’s double-dealing exposed: How one of the right’s worst talking heads just embarrassed him
Scott Walker’s double-dealing exposed: How one of the right’s worst talking heads just embarrassed him
"There are few people in politics who are quite as hilarious as Stephen Moore. Formerly the Heritage Foundation’s chief economist (he’s now a “Distinguished Visiting Fellow” for the group) Moore has achieved greater notoriety as one of the worst pundits alive. The man is constantly, flagrantly wrong. He’s been blacklisted by a major newspaper for making too many embarrassing errors in his columns. He’s a climate change denier who draws his arguments against environmentalism from sci-fi monkey movies. He’s written anti-Obamacare Op-Eds that are literally 0 percent accurate. As an economic thinker he’s been no more successful – he has a string of bad predictions under his belt and a tenuous grasp of the field he’s supposedly an expert in.
But Moore is fortunate to work in conservative politics, where one can make a lucrative career out of being constantly wrong so long as you remain ideologically consistent."
"There are few people in politics who are quite as hilarious as Stephen Moore. Formerly the Heritage Foundation’s chief economist (he’s now a “Distinguished Visiting Fellow” for the group) Moore has achieved greater notoriety as one of the worst pundits alive. The man is constantly, flagrantly wrong. He’s been blacklisted by a major newspaper for making too many embarrassing errors in his columns. He’s a climate change denier who draws his arguments against environmentalism from sci-fi monkey movies. He’s written anti-Obamacare Op-Eds that are literally 0 percent accurate. As an economic thinker he’s been no more successful – he has a string of bad predictions under his belt and a tenuous grasp of the field he’s supposedly an expert in.
But Moore is fortunate to work in conservative politics, where one can make a lucrative career out of being constantly wrong so long as you remain ideologically consistent."
Conservative oligarchs declare war on democracy: Their brazen new ploy reveals their true motives
Conservative oligarchs declare war on democracy: Their brazen new ploy reveals their true motives
"it’s a consequence of Citizens United and the other rulings like it, which have made these unfathomably privileged men and women even more powerful.
Simply put, Republican donors have, with good reason, begun to see the party as nothing more than a vehicle for their legislative ambitions. But since the GOP is so ideologically uniform to begin with, the battle to establish complete control of the party hasn’t been waged along policy lines. It’s been about politics. And since the party’s candidates have pledge to do what these donors want already, there’s a clear logic to the latter’s request that they don’t let their personal ambitions muck everything up. In essence, they’re trying to make the GOP primary more efficient — or at least as efficient as is feasible until they figure out how to entirely remove voters from the process."
"it’s a consequence of Citizens United and the other rulings like it, which have made these unfathomably privileged men and women even more powerful.
Simply put, Republican donors have, with good reason, begun to see the party as nothing more than a vehicle for their legislative ambitions. But since the GOP is so ideologically uniform to begin with, the battle to establish complete control of the party hasn’t been waged along policy lines. It’s been about politics. And since the party’s candidates have pledge to do what these donors want already, there’s a clear logic to the latter’s request that they don’t let their personal ambitions muck everything up. In essence, they’re trying to make the GOP primary more efficient — or at least as efficient as is feasible until they figure out how to entirely remove voters from the process."
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Last-Minute Assault on Wages and Workers in Wisconsin Budget
Last-Minute Assault on Wages and Workers in Wisconsin Budget
"Now the wages of 116,000 construction workers are under attack. Republicans in the legislature had tried to repeal prevailing wage through stand-alone legislation earlier this year with fake studies and misleading spin, but could not get it passed until the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity turned up the heat with a radio ad blitz targeting Republicans who had their doubts.
The proposed changes will repeal prevailing wage requirements for all municipal, school district, and local sewerage district projects and remove the determination of prevailing wages for remaining state projects from the state agency that currently administers the program. Two Republican state senators and all the Democrats opposed the changes, but every other Senate Republican toed the anti-union line and the amendment passed 17-16."
"Now the wages of 116,000 construction workers are under attack. Republicans in the legislature had tried to repeal prevailing wage through stand-alone legislation earlier this year with fake studies and misleading spin, but could not get it passed until the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity turned up the heat with a radio ad blitz targeting Republicans who had their doubts.
The proposed changes will repeal prevailing wage requirements for all municipal, school district, and local sewerage district projects and remove the determination of prevailing wages for remaining state projects from the state agency that currently administers the program. Two Republican state senators and all the Democrats opposed the changes, but every other Senate Republican toed the anti-union line and the amendment passed 17-16."
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