Wednesday, April 30, 2014

How the Democrats Can Avoid Going Down in the 2014 Midterm Election | New Republic

How the Democrats Can Avoid Going Down in the 2014 Midterm Election | New Republic

Justice Scalia Makes Epic Blunder In Supreme Court Opinion

Justice Scalia Makes Epic Blunder In Supreme Court Opinion



It's not often that a Supreme Court justice makes a factual blunder in a formal opinion. 



 Legal experts say Justice Antonin Scalia erred in his dissent in the 6-2 decision Tuesday to uphold the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate coal pollution that moves across state lines. The Reagan-appointed jurist argued that the majority's decision was inconsistent with a unanimous 2001 ruling which he mistakenly said shot down EPA efforts to consider costs when setting regulations.



He got it exactly backward. Just proves what I always argue... half the Supremes are living in a mirror universe.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Poll: Young Voters Uninterested In November 2014 Elections : It's All Politics : NPR

Poll: Young Voters Uninterested In November 2014 Elections : It's All Politics : NPR



Kick ass, take names, and get people out ot vote. It's as important, maybe more so, to vote in the off year elections, as it is in the Preznitial froofraws. VOTE. Early and often! ;)

NY Congressman Michael “I’ll Throw You Off This F**king Balcony” Grimm Indicted On 20 Counts (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

NY Congressman Michael “I’ll Throw You Off This F**king Balcony” Grimm Indicted On 20 Counts (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers



You may remember U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) as the d-bag congressman that we featured back in late January when he was caught on film threatening to throw NY1 reporter Michael Scotto of the balcony off of the Capital Rotunda at the State of the Union Address.

Limbaugh: Sterling Only 'In Trouble' Because He Didn't Donate Enough To Obama (AUDIO)

Limbaugh: Sterling Only 'In Trouble' Because He Didn't Donate Enough To Obama (AUDIO)



Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh on Monday said that Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling's racist rant is only news because he didn't contribute enough to President Barack Obama's campaign.



Rush is our idiot of the week...er, no... month... wait.... year? nah, let's make it an Idiot Lifetime Achievement Award :)

Billionaire vs. billionaires? Tom Steyer challenges the Koch brothers to a climate debate - Salon.com

Billionaire vs. billionaires? Tom Steyer challenges the Koch brothers to a climate debate - Salon.com



This could be fun :)

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Conservative Christians In Virginia Plan 40-Day Fast

Conservative Christians In Virginia Plan 40-Day Fast



Forty days without food? They're like to become irrational and do and say stupid things. How will we know when the strike is over? ;)

Creationist Battle With Neil deGrasse Tyson of Cosmos Is Humiliating For America

Creationist Battle With Neil deGrasse Tyson of Cosmos Is Humiliating For America



The ongoing, and one-sided, battle between creationist Ken Ham of “Answers in Genesis” notoriety and highly-regarded astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson of Fox’s Cosmos is humiliating for America because Ham typifies the right wing evangelical Christian ignorance founded on ancient mythology

Saturday, April 26, 2014

This sculpture by Issac Cordal in Berlin is called Politicians discussing global warming.


Hannity's Dilemma :)


Can The GOP Save Itself From The Desire To Make A Hero Of Cliven Bundy? - The National Memo

Can The GOP Save Itself From The Desire To Make A Hero Of Cliven Bundy? - The National Memo



Even after he suggested that black people were better off under slavery, Cliven Bundy probably could still be elected to the House of Representatives in certain districts, if he were the Republican nominee.

America Is Exceptionally Dumb When It Comes To Guns - The National Memo

America Is Exceptionally Dumb When It Comes To Guns - The National Memo



While Americans typically laud our national “exceptionalism” — a sense that the trajectory of history has bestowed greatness upon the United States — there are a few of our distinctive characteristics that don’t deserve celebration. On the subject of firearms, for example, the United States is exceptionally irrational. No other nation has set guns aside as an object of worship.

Now We Know: Economic Inequality Is A Malady -- Not A Cure - The National Memo

Now We Know: Economic Inequality Is A Malady -- Not A Cure - The National Memo



It has been a long, long time since Americans accepted the advice of a French intellectual about anything important, let alone the future of democracy and the economy. But the furor over Thomas Piketty’s stunning bestseller, Capital in the 21st Century – and especially the outraged reaction from the Republican right – suggests that this fresh import from la belle France has struck an exposed nerve.

Secret Court Denies Phone Company's Challenge of NSA Demands

Secret Court Denies Phone Company's Challenge of NSA Demands



A secret U.S. court overseeing government surveillance programs denied a phone company’s legal challenge contending that it shouldn’t be required to give calling records to the National Security Agency.



Why do I see a boot stamping on a face, forever?

10 Things I Learned About the World from Ayn Rand's Insane "Atlas Shrugged' | Alternet

10 Things I Learned About the World from Ayn Rand's Insane "Atlas Shrugged' | Alternet



Entertaining take-down of Ayn Rand and the endless Atlas Shrugged (the climax is a speech that goes on for iirc 60+ pages). Pretty much hitting all the highlights mentioned here :)

Friday, April 25, 2014

Looks Fair.......


Three Reasons Why You Should Keep Gmail far Away from Your Credit Card Information | Alternet

Three Reasons Why You Should Keep Gmail far Away from Your Credit Card Information | Alternet



Google wants your money. Or, more precisely, Google wants your bank account and credit card info.

The FCC Is About to Axe-Murder Net Neutrality -- What You Should Know | Alternet

The FCC Is About to Axe-Murder Net Neutrality -- What You Should Know | Alternet

We're NOT Number 1: Guess Which Country Now Has a More Affluent Middle Class Than America? | Alternet

We're NOT Number 1: Guess Which Country Now Has a More Affluent Middle Class Than America? | Alternet



Fancy living up in Canada? Granted, it’s a bit chilly. But the middle class up there has just blown by the U.S. as the world’s most affluent. America’s wealthy are leaping ahead of the rest of much of the globe, but the middle class is falling behind. So are the poor.

Why Economist Thomas Piketty Has Scared the Pants Off the American Right | Alternet

Why Economist Thomas Piketty Has Scared the Pants Off the American Right | Alternet



Thomas Piketty is no radical. His 700-page book Capital in the 21st Century is certainly not some kind of screed filled with calls for class warfare. In fact, the wonky and mild-mannered French economist opens his tome with a description of his typical Gen X abhorrence of what he calls the “lazy rhetoric of anticapitalism." He is in no way, shape, or form a Marxist. As fellow-economist James K. Galbraith has underscored in his review of the book, Piketty "explicitly (and rather caustically) rejects the Marxist view" of economics. 



 But he does do something that gives right-wingers in America the willies. He writes calmly and reasonably about economic inequality, and concludes, to the alarm of conservatives, that there is no magical force that drives capitalist societies toward shared prosperity. Quite the opposite. He warns that if we don't do something about it, we may end up with a society that is more top-heavy than anything that has come before — something even worse than the Gilded Age.

5 Ways American Policies and Attitudes Make Us Lonely, Anxious, and Antisocial | Alternet

5 Ways American Policies and Attitudes Make Us Lonely, Anxious, and Antisocial | Alternet



You would think that by the 21st century, we would know something about what it takes for humans to live fulfilling lives. After all, we’ve witnessed enormous advances in science, psychology, sociology, and related fields over the past couple of centuries. 



The great mystery is that we seem to be doing worse, not better.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Democrats Are On a Roll as Even Southern Red States Want To Keep Their Obamacare

Democrats Are On a Roll as Even Southern Red States Want To Keep Their Obamacare



The roof has officially fallen in on Republicans as a poll of Southern red states has found that in each state people want to keep their Obamacare.

President? REALLY? 5 Things You Don't Know About JEB

President? REALLY? 5 Things You Don't Know About JEB



 This guy REALLY does not like Jeb, and gives us all a lot reasons not to, either :)

Asshole Of The Day, Cliven Bundy, Asshole of the Day for April 24,...

Asshole Of The Day, Cliven Bundy, Asshole of the Day for April 24,...



– Bigoted Ohio Teacher Fired For Telling Black Student We Don’t “Need Another Black President”

– Bigoted Ohio Teacher Fired For Telling Black Student We Don’t “Need Another Black President”



Sounds like all it takes for a stupid bigot to get fired in Ohio is for his years-long stupidity and bigotry to be leaked to the press. How was he still teaching?!?!?

Net Neutrality Finally Dies at Ripe Old Age of 45 | Mother Jones

Net Neutrality Finally Dies at Ripe Old Age of 45 | Mother Jones



<sob>

Roger Ailes owns Cliven Bundy now: How dumb opportunism became a right-wing nightmare - Salon.com

Roger Ailes owns Cliven Bundy now: How dumb opportunism became a right-wing nightmare - Salon.com



Cliven Bundy, the infamous welfare rancher, was holding forth at his Nevada homestead Wednesday, and apparently he had a lot to say about “the Negro.” Who could have guessed?

Conservative Media Hero Cliven Bundy Goes On Racist Tirade | Blog | Media Matters for America

Conservative Media Hero Cliven Bundy Goes On Racist Tirade | Blog | Media Matters for America



It might have been worth the few collateral damage casualties (ie, the women volunteered by their oh-so-brave hubbies to be human shields in case the feds moved against Bundy and his fellow criminals) to be rid of this pus-ridden boil on the behind of America.

Celebrating Affirmative Action Ban Decision, Right-Wing Media Ride The Reverse Racism Unicorn | Blog | Media Matters for America

Celebrating Affirmative Action Ban Decision, Right-Wing Media Ride The Reverse Racism Unicorn | Blog | Media Matters for America



"On April 22, the Supreme Court ruled in Schuette v. BAMN, a badly split opinion in which the Court's five conservatives rejected long-established equal protection law under the Fourteenth Amendment to uphold Michigan's voter-approved ban on affirmative action. Right-wing media immediately began misinforming about the case..."



Anyone shocked?

FCC To Allow Commercial Discrimination on the Internet - Public Knowledge

FCC To Allow Commercial Discrimination on the Internet - Public Knowledge



Get ready to pay more and get less.

We Need Straightforward Rules to Protect Net Neutrality - Public Knowledge

We Need Straightforward Rules to Protect Net Neutrality - Public Knowledge

Subtle lawyering got the FCC into its current mess. More of the same is not the right way forward.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Feds May Be Looking To Bail On Net Neutrality: WSJ

Feds May Be Looking To Bail On Net Neutrality: WSJ



Net neutrality is not dead. But it may be about to take a big blow to the head. 



The Wall Street Journal has a foreboding scoop that provides details on an early draft of the Federal Communications Commission's new net neutrality rules. And to put it mildly, Internet activists will not be thrilled.



Get off your butt, call your congresscritter, your senator, your mom, all your friends, and get LOUD about this.. If the feds bail on this, you'll have to move to Canada to get decent internet service. We'll fall further behind Europe and Asia in both speed and availability.

Model Air Force Capt. Beaten By Cop At His Own Home, Now Must Stand Trial (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

Model Air Force Capt. Beaten By Cop At His Own Home, Now Must Stand Trial (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

Bundy Ranch, vigilantism going mainstream: The idea that the Constitution is interpreted at the point of a gun isn’t new.

Bundy Ranch, vigilantism going mainstream: The idea that the Constitution is interpreted at the point of a gun isn’t new.



Constitutional vigilantism of the type on display at Bundy Ranch last week has been a recurrent feature on the margins of American political life. What is new—and dangerous—is that it has suddenly moved from the margins to the mainstream. And it comes with guns.

10 reasons why Ronald Reagan was the worst president of our lifetime - Orlando liberal | Examiner.com

10 reasons why Ronald Reagan was the worst president of our lifetime - Orlando liberal | Examiner.com

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Maddow Asks: 'Why Do We Overlook Right-Wing Violence and Refuse to Call it Terrorism?' Answer: Because They're White | Alternet

Maddow Asks: 'Why Do We Overlook Right-Wing Violence and Refuse to Call it Terrorism?' Answer: Because They're White | Alternet



Terrorism is what "other people" do.

LOL Of The Week: The GOP Is Closer To A 'Death Spiral' Than Obamacare Ever Was - The National Memo

LOL Of The Week: The GOP Is Closer To A 'Death Spiral' Than Obamacare Ever Was - The National Memo



While Republicans have been plotting about what to do with control of the U.S. Senate, they’re trying to ignore how the debate over Obamacare has now shifted to whether the law has “won” or is simply “winning.”

Fox News warns of 'The Unholy War on Easter'

Fox News warns of 'The Unholy War on Easter'



"Blah blah interview Satan blah."

Sen. Harry Reid Calls Bundy Supporters "Domestic Terrorists", FOX Freaks Out, Reid Stands by Words

Sen. Harry Reid Calls Bundy Supporters "Domestic Terrorists", FOX Freaks Out, Reid Stands by Words



Good for Harry. About time somebody called these idiots outs. Pity they'll probably cap him, but they need to be pointed out, and surveilled to within an inch of their psychotic lives....

Fox's Dana Perino Calls President Obama a Jerk

Fox's Dana Perino Calls President Obama a Jerk



Dana Perino on Fox News' The Five: 



 "We're getting our makeup done and we're watching, and I'm like, you know what, the President's got some good news, got some good numbers, and then I just lost it, with anger. I just don't understand why he can't help himself to just lead and say I have some good news to share with you America - I'd like to take your questions. And just leave it at that. Then people wouldn't say, 'why is he such a jerk all the time?'"

Friday, April 18, 2014

Rush Limbaugh Is In Ruins - Bad News Coming From Everywhere - Even The Right | Liberals Unite

Rush Limbaugh Is In Ruins - Bad News Coming From Everywhere - Even The Right | Liberals Unite



It’s been a very bad week for talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, and a very rewarding week for the millions of Americans who have protested his extreme hate speech for decades. Two years ago, newer groups like BoycottRush, FlushRush and StopRush, began a massive national boycott movement that is exposing Limbaugh and crushing his career. Here are four new recent developments

Cliven Bundy steals from America: The scary return to a West where guns — not law — rule - Salon.com

Cliven Bundy steals from America: The scary return to a West where guns — not law — rule - Salon.com



The showdown in Bunkerville last week was sensational – a rancher, his cows, and an armed militia resisting the federal government’s roundup of trespassing livestock. With banners pronouncing “Liberty” and “We the People,” these protesters mistook the issue of long overdue grazing fees for an issue of states’ rights and federal overreach. In the end, Cliven Bundy’s 400 cows were herded back onto the Mojave Desert to trample desert tortoise habitat, degrade water quality, crush cultural sites, consume native vegetation and defecate in springs and the Virgin River. The cheering crowds proclaimed, “Freedom!” and “Victory!” 



What a disaster.

The State of Texas Has Held a Man in Prison for 33 Years Without a Valid Conviction and Sentence

The State of Texas Has Held a Man in Prison for 33 Years Without a Valid Conviction and Sentence



Meet Jerry Hartfield. He's 55 years old, and for 33 of those years, he's been housed in a Texas prison without a valid conviction or sentence.



Sometimes, I'm SOOOO proud of my homeland....

Kochs pissing away their money

Kochs pissing away their money



Yes, unregulated big money shouldn't be in politics. But I want to keep hammering this home: conservatives are spending a shit-ton on ads, and yet they are getting ZERO from them.

'This thing is working': 8 million are now insured through the exchanges

'This thing is working': 8 million are now insured through the exchanges



A few weeks ago, 7 million sign-ups for Obamacare's insurance exchanges was rightly celebrated as a victory. Now, though, we've blown past that: President Barack Obama announced Thursday afternoon that 8 million people have gotten health coverage through the exchanges, in addition to the millions more who have benefited from expanded Medicaid or been able to stay on their parents' insurance.

Constituent puts Florida Republican on defensive over Obamacare repeal

Constituent puts Florida Republican on defensive over Obamacare repeal



Republicans still thank they can run—and win—on Obamacare repeal in 2014. If that's going to happen, they're going to have to come up with a much better answer than this.

The Koch Brothers Are Now Worth an Obscene $100 Billion -- And They Are Using That Fortune to Destroy Our Society | Alternet

The Koch Brothers Are Now Worth an Obscene $100 Billion -- And They Are Using That Fortune to Destroy Our Society | Alternet



On Wednesday, Charles and David Koch - the Koch Brothers - reached a new personal milestone. 



According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, they now have a total net worth of around $100 billion. 



That means that if the Kochs were counted as a single person, they would be the single richest person in the entire world. It also means that they control two million times the amount of wealth that the average American takes home every year.

Matt Taibbi: The SuperRich in America Have Become 'Untouchables' Who Don't Go to Prison | Alternet

Matt Taibbi: The SuperRich in America Have Become 'Untouchables' Who Don't Go to Prison | Alternet



Taibbi discusses his new book, "The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap."

5 Things to Know About How Corporations Block Access to Everything from Lifesaving Drugs to Basic Scientific Research | Alternet

5 Things to Know About How Corporations Block Access to Everything from Lifesaving Drugs to Basic Scientific Research | Alternet



Intellectual property rights are supposed to help inventors bring good things to life, but there’s increasing concern that they may be keeping us from getting the things we need.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Fox News’ demented poster boy: Why angry rancher Cliven Bundy is no patriot - Salon.com

Fox News’ demented poster boy: Why angry rancher Cliven Bundy is no patriot - Salon.com



The latest right-wing media poster-victim, Cliven Bundy, is just the latest in a long line of desert dwellers who thinks he or she should not have to follow the law and has a god-given right to unlimited use of public resources, in this case, rangeland. I know the mentality well, because I grew up in rural Nevada and clung desperately to such beliefs until only a few years ago.

Nice Record, Keep it Rolling!


Industry Expert Says StopRush Has Destroyed Limbaugh's Business For Good

Industry Expert Says StopRush Has Destroyed Limbaugh's Business For Good



Speaking yesterday on the Ed Schultz radio show, industry insider Holland Cooke credited a persistent online activist movement with completely destroying right wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh's business model by using the very free speech that El Rushbo claims gives him carte blanche to do what he does.

GOP’s new class of jokers: Meet the “rising stars” of the dumbest rebrand ever - Salon.com

GOP’s new class of jokers: Meet the “rising stars” of the dumbest rebrand ever - Salon.com

Who Are the Koch Brothers and What Do They Want? | Sen. Bernie Sanders

Who Are the Koch Brothers and What Do They Want? | Sen. Bernie Sanders



As a result of the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, billionaires and large corporations can now spend an unlimited amount of money to influence the political process. The results of that decision are clear. In the coming months and years the Koch brothers and other extraordinarily wealthy families will spend billions of dollars to elect right-wing candidates to the Senate, the House, governors' mansions and the presidency of the United States. These billionaires already own much of our economy. That, apparently, is not enough. Now, they want to own the United States government as well.

Asshole Of The Day, Bryan Fischer, Asshole of the Day for April 17,...

Asshole Of The Day, Bryan Fischer, Asshole of the Day for April 17,...



Charges dropped against PA teen who recorded himself being bullied

Charges dropped against PA teen who recorded himself being bullied



A victory for common sense!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

RNC Reaches Out To Women (Again) - The National Memo

RNC Reaches Out To Women (Again) - The National Memo



The Republican Party has a problem with women, and it knows it.

New CBO report on Obamacare giving Republicans heartburn

New CBO report on Obamacare giving Republicans heartburn

This Is How We Win In 2014: GOP Congressman Believes Civil Rights Act Is Unconstitutional

This Is How We Win In 2014: GOP Congressman Believes Civil Rights Act Is Unconstitutional



Moron of the day.... <sigh>

Brit Hume says Obama and Holder use race as a 'sword,' is stung by reactions

Brit Hume says Obama and Holder use race as a 'sword,' is stung by reactions



So Fox News "serious" news person Brit Hume talked this last Sunday on his let's-call-it "news" network that for President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, "race has been a shield and a sword." He said this on a lily-white Fox News panel containing the likes of lily-white George Will and lily-white Chris Wallace, and that Fox News held a conversation between people like Brit Hume and George Will and Chris Wallace to talk about how mean black people were being is pretty much all you need to know about Fox News.

Krystal Ball calls out Rancher Cliven Bundy And His Gang Of Thugs

Krystal Ball calls out Rancher Cliven Bundy And His Gang Of Thugs



Cliven Bundy is a rancher who has been grazing his cattle on public lands without paying the required fees. He was also grazing on protected land. Cliven Bundy has lost his case against the federal government several times. The federal government finally came in and impounded Cliven Bundy’s livestock. 



Ultimately an armed gang of thugs came from many parts of the country to support Cliven Bundy. Fox News and other conservatives referred to Cliven Bundy and his thugs as patriots. 



 Imagine if these were armed land owners in North Dakota and South Dakota attempting to protect their land against corporations evoking eminent domain on their land. Does anyone believe conservatives would call them patriots? Does anyone doubt the government would go in for the kill?

New York exceeds Obamacare enrollment expectations by 60 percent, premiums halved

New York exceeds Obamacare enrollment expectations by 60 percent, premiums halved



New York might very well be the most successful of all the states in implementing Obamacare. It had a bit of a head start, since it had already regulated insurers to prevent discrimination against people with existing medical problems. But the whole of New York's remarkable success—more than 900,000 signed up in both private and government plans and premiums cut in half—came with more tough choices in regulating insurers.

Hank Aaron gets a new ton of racist hatemail, proving his point

Hank Aaron gets a new ton of racist hatemail, proving his point



Because baseball great Hank Aaron had the audacity to say that racism still exists and things haven't really changed that much over the last few decades. So the racists responded by entirely proving his point and sending a deluge of racist hatemail to the Atlanta Braves.

Fox News outraged that all the people it told not to buy insurance can't get insurance until fall

Fox News outraged that all the people it told not to buy insurance can't get insurance until fall



The only thing worse than taking financial advice from Fox News is taking it from Fox Business News :)

(Update) ChickenSh*t TeaParty Militia Leader, Richard Mack, Planned To Use Women as Human Shields

(Update) ChickenSh*t TeaParty Militia Leader, Richard Mack, Planned To Use Women as Human Shields



The fine line between far right, Tea Party Repugs and the Taliban, always wafer thin, gets even thinner. 

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The U.S. Navy Just Announced The End Of Big Oil And No One Noticed -

The U.S. Navy Just Announced The End Of Big Oil And No One Noticed -

Top 5 Reasons LNG Exports Are a Very Bad Idea | EcoWatch

Top 5 Reasons LNG Exports Are a Very Bad Idea | EcoWatch



Most Americans have probably heard about the “boom” in natural gas, with U.S. production up by one-third since 2005. Besides historically low natural gas prices, one consequence is that companies like Exxon Mobil are now pushing the federal government to approve permits for more than 20 liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals. Big fossil fuel’s goal is to sell U.S. natural gas overseas, where it can fetch a higher price. Is that really such a good idea?

Monday, April 07, 2014

Who Can Afford to Talk Now?


How Comcast Bought the Democratic Party | National Review Online

How Comcast Bought the Democratic Party | National Review Online



The communications giant Comcast announced in February that it would buy Time Warner Cable for $45 billion, creating the largest cable provider in America, with more than 33 million customers. That is about one third of the U.S. cable- and satellite-television market. FCC approval is required for the merger to go into effect. Critics of the deal say it would lessen competition and lead to even shoddier customer service. They are probably right, as all of us will soon find out, because there is little chance the merger will be stopped. Comcast, Time Warner, and their political fixers have spent years preparing for this moment — by buying off the Democratic party.

Justice Bought? Justice Kennedy's Lobbyist Roots Might Explain His Vote on McCutcheon | Alternet

Justice Bought? Justice Kennedy's Lobbyist Roots Might Explain His Vote on McCutcheon | Alternet



For a large and bipartisan majority of Americans, the increasing power of money in politics is deeply troubling. But not for the conservative majority of the United States Supreme Court, whose members appear to regard the dollar's domination of democracy as an inevitable consequence of constitutional freedom -- and anyway, not a matter of grave concern. Expressed in their decisions on campaign finance, which continued last week to dismantle decades of reform in the McCutcheon case, the court's right wing sees little risk of corruption and little need to regulate the flamboyant spending of billionaires.

How Right-Wing Loons and Pro-Gun Nuts Blame Everything But Guns for Mass Shootings | Alternet

How Right-Wing Loons and Pro-Gun Nuts Blame Everything But Guns for Mass Shootings | Alternet



When a mass shooting occurs, conservative media rush to blame mental health, video games, a lack of armed people present, and even liberal values -- anything but the fact that the shooter was able to get a gun.

8 Things Mainstream Media Doesn't Have the Courage to Tell You | Alternet

8 Things Mainstream Media Doesn't Have the Courage to Tell You | Alternet



The following are all relevant, fact-based issues, the "hard news" stories that the media has a responsibility to report. But the business-oriented press generally avoids them.

The Only Form Of Corruption The Supreme Court Cares About Is Almost Impossible To Prosecute

The Only Form Of Corruption The Supreme Court Cares About Is Almost Impossible To Prosecute

GOP Grapples With The Unsettling Fear That Obamacare May Succeed

GOP Grapples With The Unsettling Fear That Obamacare May Succeed



In light of Obamacare achieving its goal of 7 million initial insurance sign-ups, William Kristol's 1993 memo urging his party to block health care reform at all costs seems prescient. In it, the then-GOP operative's message was remarkably candid: it's a "serious political threat to the Republican Party."

Former FEC Chairman: McCutcheon An 'Open Invitation To Corruption' - The National Memo

Former FEC Chairman: McCutcheon An 'Open Invitation To Corruption' - The National Memo



Find out what else campaign finance expert Trevor Potter thinks about the Supreme Court's "really odd" decision.

Supreme Oligarchy - The National Memo

Supreme Oligarchy - The National Memo



Fed up with the steady transfer of power towards America's richest and
most powerful citizens? Blame the High Court's Republican majority.

Maine Senator Rips Dick Cheney, Invites Him To Be Waterboarded (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

Maine Senator Rips Dick Cheney, Invites Him To Be Waterboarded (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers



Independent Maine Senator Angus King is making major waves on Sunday for his outspoken criticism of ex Vice-President and current war criminal Dick Cheney’s recent defense of the CIA’s use of waterboarding. 



 Last week, Cheney reaffirmed his reputation as perhaps one of the most vile figures in American politics when, defending himself against accusations of being a war criminal at American University, he literally doubled down when defending the inhuman torture technique; 



“Some people called it torture. It wasn’t torture… If I would have to do it all over again, I would. The results speak for themselves.”

WATCH Westboro Baptist Church Protestors Get Run Out Of Moore Oklahoma In 1:39 Seconds (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

WATCH Westboro Baptist Church Protestors Get Run Out Of Moore Oklahoma In 1:39 Seconds (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers



RUN, DON’T WALK! 



In a glorious video just uploaded to You Tube, vile protestors from Westboro Baptist Church, who’s notorious funder Fred Phelps just died, just showed their true cowardly colors when the group got run off of a protest in Moore, Okalhaoma in less than 2 minutes on Sunday. The video shows a group of local bikers that showed up en mass to “handle that,” and handle it they did.

Saturday, April 05, 2014

What Obama Secretly Did in Newtown

What Obama Secretly Did in Newtown



How many more families will the President have to console before Congress does something about America's mass-shooting problem? You may remember mostly Goposaurs disgustingly thwarted 90% of public opinion and struck down gun control laws after Sandy Hook.



Really touching!

Irrational Hatred Of Obamacare Is Hard To Fathom - The National Memo

Irrational Hatred Of Obamacare Is Hard To Fathom - The National Memo



The GOP is running out of reasons to hate health care reform -- but that won't quiet their whining.

On Our Highest Court, A Former Lobbyist Guts Campaign Finance Reform - The National Memo

On Our Highest Court, A Former Lobbyist Guts Campaign Finance Reform - The National Memo



For a large and bipartisan majority of Americans, the increasing power of money in politics is alarming, but not for the conservative majority of the United States Supreme Court, whose members appear to regard the dollar’s domination of democracy as an inevitable consequence of constitutional freedom — and anyway, not a matter of grave concern. Expressed in their decisions on campaign finance, which continued last week to dismantle decades of reform in the McCutcheon case, the Court’s right wing sees little risk of corruption and little need to regulate the flamboyant spending of billionaires.

Friday, April 04, 2014

New Tapes: Donald Rumsfeld LIES About 9/11 and Saddam Hussein | DemoNews.org

New Tapes: Donald Rumsfeld LIES About 9/11 and Saddam Hussein | DemoNews.org



Personally, I'd like to see the entire Shrub administration get the death penalty. Rumsfeld can go second, after the puppetmaster (save Shrub for last and make him watch them all...) No, I'm not angry much.... why do you ask? :)

Mother Allegedly Beats 4-Year-Old to Death Over Perceived Homosexuality

Mother Allegedly Beats 4-Year-Old to Death Over Perceived Homosexuality



Jessica Dutro and her boyfriend, Brian Canady, are currently on trial in an Oregon courtroom for the murder of Dutro’s 4-year-old son, Zachary Dutro-Boggess, who prosecutors say was beaten to death over a fear he was gay.

Supreme Court's McCutcheon Ruling Is 'Amateurish,' 'Mind-Boggling,' Democrats Say

Supreme Court's McCutcheon Ruling Is 'Amateurish,' 'Mind-Boggling,' Democrats Say



The Supreme Court's latest campaign finance ruling is a mind-bogglingly "naive" and "amateurish" decision that only promotes the power of the rich and pushes the United States closer to a Ukraine-like nation ruled by oligarchs, Democrats charged Wednesday.

Darrell Issa, Charged With Reining In Wasteful Spending, May Be Biggest Offender

Darrell Issa, Charged With Reining In Wasteful Spending, May Be Biggest Offender



One of the main purposes of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is to root out waste and duplication in government spending. 



The goal is pretty clearly spelled out on the committee's website. "We exist to secure two fundamental principles. First, Americans have a right to know that the money Washington takes from them is well spent. And second, Americans deserve an efficient, effective government that works for them." 



But one of the biggest offenders may be its chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).

White America Is Oblivious to the Truth About Black Poverty | Alternet

White America Is Oblivious to the Truth About Black Poverty | Alternet



There’s been a fascinating debate over the past few weeks between Ta-Nehisi Coates from the Atlantic and New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait regarding the language President Obama employs in addressing African-American communities. Obama’s been criticized by Coates and other supporters for using rhetoric that reinforces the belief shared by many on the right, that personal initiative and hard work is sufficient to overcome the obstacles confronting many young black men despite the continued existence of institutional racism in education, employment, healthcare, criminal justice and civic participation (to name a few).

The Supreme Court Just Destroyed Our Democracy in Favor of the Plutocrats | Alternet

The Supreme Court Just Destroyed Our Democracy in Favor of the Plutocrats | Alternet



That clanging sound you hear is the Supreme Court, hammering the final nails into democracy’s casket. With Wednesday’s decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, the court has crossed the line protecting the last vestige of campaign finance reform, and making it official: Rule by the rich is now unfettered. Plutocracy’s moment has arrived.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Under Attack from Christians Who Want More Biblical Creationism on His Show | Alternet

Neil deGrasse Tyson Under Attack from Christians Who Want More Biblical Creationism on His Show | Alternet



Conservative Christians are really mad about the reboot of the legendary science series Cosmos, starring Neil deGrasse Tyson. The complaint? That an ancient myth about creation invented by Hebrews thousands of years ago is not being included in a show that is there to teach science. Christian conservatives have been taking to the airwaves complaining about the non-inclusion of ancient myths in a science program, with Danny Faulkner of Answers in Genesis whining, “Creationists aren’t even on the radar screen for them,” and Elizabeth Mitchell of the same organization decrying the show for having “blind faith in evolution.” (She’s just straight up lying here. Evolution is well-established by evidence, something Cosmos covers in its second episode.)

10 Reasons Americans Should be Wary of Rand Paul's Libertarianism, Especially Young People | Alternet

10 Reasons Americans Should be Wary of Rand Paul's Libertarianism, Especially Young People | Alternet



Republican Senator Rand Paul has been making a big play for millennials lately, most notably by taking his civil liberties pitch to colleges around the country. Paul has got the right idea when he says his party must “evolve, adapt or die” (although I think the first two are virtually the same thing). Katie Glueck of Politico wrote that “The Kentucky senator drew a largely friendly reception at the University of California-Berkeley as he skewered the intelligence community."

John Roberts Lays The Groundwork To Wipe Out Campaign Finance Limits

John Roberts Lays The Groundwork To Wipe Out Campaign Finance Limits



Not only did the Supreme Court deliver a major blow Wednesday to campaign finance restrictions, it may have laid the groundwork to dismantle what's left of campaign contribution limits, legal experts say.



This court is a prime example of why you should never, never, never vote Republican. You get SCOTUS Justices like Roberts, Alito, Scalia, and, everyone's cuddle-toy, Thomas. 

How The White House Is Always Outflanking The GOP On Obamacare

How The White House Is Always Outflanking The GOP On Obamacare



The Obama administration has outmaneuvered Republicans on Obamacare, and
the opposition party doesn't have many options left in its quest to
roll back any part of the law. By making changes itself, the White House
hasn't let the GOP get in on the game, despite the party's unending
stream of anti-Obamacare bills -- therefore denying Republicans the
opportunity to extract the high-profile pound of flesh from the law that
they've been seeking for years

Another Orwellian Op-Ed From Charles Koch | ThinkProgress

Another Orwellian Op-Ed From Charles Koch | ThinkProgress



Koch’s agenda is to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few, especially himself, with no regard to the health and well-being of the many who will suffer along the way — and he will stop at nothing to achieve this

Exxon Is Behind The Landmark Climate Report You Didn't Hear About | ThinkProgress

Exxon Is Behind The Landmark Climate Report You Didn't Hear About | ThinkProgress



Climate change is already impacting all continents. But it isn’t yet impacting all companies. The latest installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report released on Monday confirmed the former. A report released by Exxon Mobil the same day about how greenhouse gas emissions and climate change factor into its business model found that climate change, and specifically global climate policies, are “highly unlikely” to stop it from selling fossil fuels for decades to come.

Pelosi Slams SCOTUS McCutcheon Ruling; Pushes For Constitutional Amendment (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

Pelosi Slams SCOTUS McCutcheon Ruling; Pushes For Constitutional Amendment (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers



On Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi slammed the recent Supreme Court McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ruling that allows for unlimited campaign contributions to candidates and PACS. The move will open the floodgates for the monied interests to virtually dominate the democratic process and heavily influence legislation to benefit those that spend the most.

We’re Not No. 1! We’re Not No. 1!

We’re Not No. 1! We’re Not No. 1!

Rick Perry: Let the Prison Rape Continue | Alternet

Rick Perry: Let the Prison Rape Continue | Alternet



Texas will not abide by parts of a federal law aimed at reducing prison rape, Gov. Rick Perry told U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in a letter. 



The Prison Rape Elimination Act was enacted in 2003 under President George W. Bush, a former governor of Texas.
In 




his March 28 letter, Perry said the law has "good intentions" but that recently adopted rules by the Department of Justice make it impossible for many states to comply with the act.

Robert Reich: How Increasing Numbers of Americans are Saying 'No Deal' to Absurd Inequality | Alternet

Robert Reich: How Increasing Numbers of Americans are Saying 'No Deal' to Absurd Inequality | Alternet



"Every year I ask my class on “Wealth and Poverty” to play a simple game. I have them split up into pairs, and imagine I’m giving one of them $1,000. They can keep some of the money only on condition they reach a deal with their partner on how it’s to be divided up between them. I explain they’re strangers who will never see one other again, can only make one offer and respond with one acceptance (or decline), and can only communicate by the initial recipient writing on a piece of paper how much he’ll share with the other, who must then either accept (writing “deal” on the paper) or decline (“no deal”)."

Charles Koch Adds His Voice to the Growing Chorus of Whiny Billionaires | Alternet

Charles Koch Adds His Voice to the Growing Chorus of Whiny Billionaires | Alternet



Does being super-wealthy make you extra susceptible to self-pity today? That’s the only conclusion we can draw from an epidemic of self-pitying American billionaires decrying their persecution by “despots,” and the “Kristallnacht” of rising concern about income inequality, over just the last few months.

Arm Yourself! Read Breyer's Dissent in McCutcheon v. FEC | Alternet

Arm Yourself! Read Breyer's Dissent in McCutcheon v. FEC | Alternet



Breyer writes in clear English. His arguments (signed with Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Kagan) are as informed and articulate a defense of campaign finance laws as you will find. It's better and more efficient to read him, than to read about him, imho. For the non-lawyers/scholars, just skip over the legal references, detailed case arcana, and anything else that isn't obvious -- you'll still get the basic ideas.

Thursday, April 03, 2014

GOP gets ObamaCare angst | TheHill

GOP gets ObamaCare angst | TheHill



Anxious Senate GOP are worried party leaders are focusing too much this election year on ObamaCare.

Pretty Self-Explanatory


The 5 Conservative Supreme Court Justices are Nothing More Than Puppets for the Rich and Powerful

The 5 Conservative Supreme Court Justices are Nothing More Than Puppets for the Rich and Powerful



By now most of you have probably heard about yesterday’s Supreme Court decision striking down the limit on the amount of money wealthy donors can contribute to candidates and political committees. This follows the Citizens United ruling a few years ago which essentially said “corporations are people.” 



Seeing this trend of the conservative judges on the Supreme Court favoring the side of the rich and powerful to have no barriers for their desires to essentially buy our government is extremely alarming.

Even Hoover Got IT... Why not today's Repugs?

 






Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Why Customers Aren’t Winners in the Cell Phone Wars | Alternet

Why Customers Aren’t Winners in the Cell Phone Wars | Alternet: SoftBank 



CEO says Sprint purchasing T-Mobile will benefit consumers. Don’t buy it.

Michael Moore: The Criminals at GM Should Pay the Ultimate Penalty | Alternet

Michael Moore: The Criminals at GM Should Pay the Ultimate Penalty | Alternet



GM executives knew their defective ignition switch would kill people—and covered it up.

Daily Kos :: News Community Action

Daily Kos :: News Community Action



If you listened to the pundits, conservative media or GOP politicians over the past few months, one thing was clear: Obamacare was imploding, doomed to a certain death by a website that wouldn't work and a value proposition that wouldn't sell. 



Of course, they were wrong. Very, very wrong. They'd probably like to forget their predictions ... but we haven't...

Sign the pledge: Don't buy these Koch products

Sign the pledge: Don't buy these Koch products



Sign the pledge: Don't buy Koch products 



 Koch industries and its subsidiaries are expansive––their holdings include everything from gas stations to pipelines, paper products for everyday use, greeting cards, chemicals used to make materials, and the fabric that makes your clothing. 



With an interest in almost everything and status as the number two privately held company in the country–behind Cargill––Koch industries is a behemoth that is hard to avoid.

Originalists Making It Up Again: McCutcheon and ‘Corruption’ - The Daily Beast

Originalists Making It Up Again: McCutcheon and ‘Corruption’ - The Daily Beast



The Supreme Court decision ending aggregate limits on political donations was made possible by a dangerous, narrow definition of "corruption" the Framers themselves wouldn't recognize. 



At the core of the disaster that is the Supreme Court’s McCutcheon v. FEC decision lies a mistake. A strategic mistake, made by the government. In this mistake, we can see all that’s wrong with modern American constitutional law.

Abortion Restrictions Take Effect In Arizona After Judge’s Ruling - The National Memo

Abortion Restrictions Take Effect In Arizona After Judge’s Ruling - The National Memo



Restrictions on some types of abortions in Arizona went into effect Tuesday morning after a federal judge upheld state changes limiting a woman’s access to an abortion-inducing drug. 



U.S. District Judge David Bury issued an order Monday afternoon rejecting a bid to block the new abortion restrictions while the state’s 2012 law is litigated. The law allowed the state to issue new rules banning the use of the most common abortion-inducing drug, RU-486, after the seventh week of pregnancy, compared with the current restriction of nine weeks.

Meet The New Paul Ryan, Same As The Old Paul Ryan - The National Memo

Meet The New Paul Ryan, Same As The Old Paul Ryan - The National Memo



Over the past several months, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) has attempted to rebrand himself from an austerity-obsessed weak link in Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign to the Republican Party’s foremost anti-poverty warrior (with limited success, at best). 



But as Ryan’s latest “Path to Prosperity” budget plan makes clear, the House Budget Committee chairman’s priorities have not changed at all. Ryan is still committed to radically downsizing the government — and shafting the working Americans with whom he claims to empathize.

Obamacare Denialism Is More Futile Than Ever - The National Memo

Obamacare Denialism Is More Futile Than Ever - The National Memo



So it turns out that millions of people dealt with the Affordable Care Act enrollment cutoff pretty much the way they habitually deal with the April 15 income tax filing deadline: procrastinating until the last minute to insure maximum stress and standing in line. Like mobbing shopping malls on the day after Thanksgiving, it’s the American way of life.

CNN’s Smerconish SCHOOLS Tea Party For Falsely Labeling Affordable Care Act “Socialist” (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers

CNN’s Smerconish SCHOOLS Tea Party For Falsely Labeling Affordable Care Act “Socialist” (VIDEO) | The Everlasting GOP Stoppers





Wow! If they've lost Smerconish, they've lost the radical right! :)

Paul Ryan rehashes an old Social Security lie--at your expense - latimes.com

Paul Ryan rehashes an old Social Security lie--at your expense - latimes.com



Two of the best things about the LATimes are Michael Hiltzik and David Lazarus in the biz section. Today, Hiltzik disassembles Paul Ryan's latest truly evil budget, and explains why you shouldn't touch it, or Ryan, with a bargepole.