Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
McCain ‘Outraged’ By Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Sex Crimes Negligence
McCain ‘Outraged’ By Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Sex Crimes Negligence: pNotorious Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is facing increasing fire over his office’s failure to adequately investigate hundreds of sex crimes, including dozens of alleged child molestations. Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has previously gone easy on the sheriff, joined the critics. While he stopped short of calling for Apraio’s resignation, in an interview with [...]/p
Report: Israel Intel Chief Says Nuke-Armed Iran Not An Existential Threat
Report: Israel Intel Chief Says Nuke-Armed Iran Not An Existential Threat: pThe head of the venerable Israeli spy agency Mossad reportedly told a group of Israeli ambassadors that even if Iran should get a nuclear weapon, it would not pose an existential threat to the Jewish State. The comments come amid increasing war chatter and rising tensions between the West and Iran over the latter’s nuclear [...]/p
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
U.S. Receives Record Demand For Its Bonds Under Obama, Helping The Deficit
U.S. Receives Record Demand For Its Bonds Under Obama, Helping The Deficit: pBloomberg News reports that the U.S. government received record demand for its bonds in 2011, “pushing longer-maturity treasuries to their best performance since 1995 in a sign that President Obama may have little difficulty” financing the budget deficit. The European debt crisis is driving investors to buy U.S. assets, allowing the government to get an [...]/p
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Iraq Troops Home In Time For Christmas
Iraq Troops Home In Time For Christmas: pA week ago, the last U.S. troops rolled out of Iraq into Kuwait. Today, all but a small handful of the last combat brigade from Iraq, where the U.S.-led coalition fought a war for nearly 9 years, arrived home to Fort Hood, Texas, in time to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with their families. [...]/p
Thank you to the troops! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Thank you to the troops! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Israeli Defense Minister: Israeli-U.S. Defense Coordination Is ‘Absolutely Fine’
Israeli Defense Minister: Israeli-U.S. Defense Coordination Is ‘Absolutely Fine’: pThe GOP presidential field is quick to criticize President Barack Obama’s relationship with Israel. But concerns about Obama’s lack of support for the Jewish state are nowhere to be found in recent statements by Israeli officials. On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak praised Obama’s commitment to Israel’s security. Barak, who last month characterized Obama [...]/p
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Groups Boycott Radio Show’s Advertisers After Hosts Target Immigrant Advocate
Groups Boycott Radio Show’s Advertisers After Hosts Target Immigrant Advocate: pMInority and immigrant rights groups have been pushing for John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, hosts of The John and Ken Show on the Clear Channel radio station KFI in California, to be taken off the air ever since the hosts targeted an immigrant advocate in a Sept. 1 show. On air, the hosts gave out [...]/p
Then there's these two disgusting and vile hate mongers.
Then there's these two disgusting and vile hate mongers.
Auto Industry Success Continues, Further Vindicating Obama Rescue
Auto Industry Success Continues, Further Vindicating Obama Rescue: pThough the economy has struggled throughout 2011, one sector that saw some significant improvement was the American auto industry. In fact, about one million more cars are expected to be sold this year than last year, and American automakers are once again claiming a larger share of the American auto market than their foreign competitors: [...]/p
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Romney Wants His Billionaire Wall Street Donors To Be Able To Give Him Unlimited Sums Of Money
Romney Wants His Billionaire Wall Street Donors To Be Able To Give Him Unlimited Sums Of Money: pIf campaign donations are any sign, Mitt Romney is the runaway favorite candidate of billionaires and Wall Street bankers. Indeed, Wall Street has flooded his campaign with donations and a massive 10 percent of all American billionaires donated to his campaign. So it should probably come as no surprise that, in an interview with MSNBC’s [...]/p
Mr. 1%
Mr. 1%
Rep. Kingston Lies On The Air And Pretends That The Republicans Care About A Middle Class Tax Cut
This pathetic excuse for a national leader tries to BS his way through this interview. The Bush Recession has hurt this country and the only tax cuts republicans care about are those that benefit the 1%. This boob is a disgrace to his state. Tanking the economy has been job one for these dishonest cheats. The reason we are in this mess is because of the trickle down policies of Kingston and his crook pals in the republican party.
Speaker Cuts Off C-SPAN Cameras When Dems Attempts To Bring Vote On Payroll Tax Cut
Speaker Cuts Off C-SPAN Cameras When Dems Attempts To Bring Vote On Payroll Tax Cut: pDuring a quick pro-forma session of the House this morning, Republicans rebuffed a Democratic attempt to force an up-or-down vote on the Senate-passed payroll tax holiday extension, which Republicans have thus far refused to allow. Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who was serving as the speaker pro-temp, ignored shouts of “Mr. Speaker!” from Democratic Whip Steny [...]/p
Conservatives Pan GOP Strategy On Payroll Tax Cut: ‘A Fiasco,’ ‘Entirely Outplayed’ By Obama
Conservatives Pan GOP Strategy On Payroll Tax Cut: ‘A Fiasco,’ ‘Entirely Outplayed’ By Obama: pMost of the House of Representatives left for the holidays yesterday after House Republicans rejected a bipartisan Senate compromise to extend the payroll tax cut that is expiring at the end of the year. Several Republican senators took the House GOP to task, with Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) calling the House’s action “irresponsible and wrong,” [...]/p
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Wall Street Crooks: Politifact Has Decided That A Totally True Thing I...
Wall Street Crooks: Politifact Has Decided That A Totally True Thing I...: Politifact Has Decided That A Totally True Thing Is The "Lie Of The Year," For Some Reason | Common Dreams
Romney Defends ‘Wall Street’ And ‘Insurance Company Executives’ From Obama’s Criticism
Romney Defends ‘Wall Street’ And ‘Insurance Company Executives’ From Obama’s Criticism: pAppearing on PBS last night with Charlie Rose, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney suggested President Obama is risking the very prosperity of the country and the middle class when he criticizes Wall Street and insurance executives: ROMNEY: He has been the most divisive president I’ve ever seen. He has attacked one American after another, one [...]/p
PolitiFact's 'Lie of the Year' is true
PolitiFact's 'Lie of the Year' is true
Politifact runs cover for the dishonest republicans and shows the country that Politifact has no credibility.
Politifact runs cover for the dishonest republicans and shows the country that Politifact has no credibility.
BREAKING: House Republicans Walk Away From Bipartisan Compromise on Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefits
BREAKING: House Republicans Walk Away From Bipartisan Compromise on Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefits: pMoments ago, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted 229-193 to walk away from a bipartisan compromise that would have extended for two months both the payroll tax cut for 160 million working Americans and long-term unemployment benefits for millions of jobless Americans, as well as stopped automatic cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors that are scheduled [...]/p
Remember that the republicans only like tax cuts when its for corporations and the wealthy.
Remember that the republicans only like tax cuts when its for corporations and the wealthy.
Two More Ways Republicans Are Undermining Financial Regulations
Two More Ways Republicans Are Undermining Financial Regulations: pAfter Republicans took over the House of Representatives in November 2010, the incoming House Financial Services Chairman, Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), said he believes Washington’s role is to “serve the banks.” And the GOP has done its best this year to follow that directive, by denying regulators the money they need to implement the Dodd-Frank [...]/p
Monday, December 19, 2011
Gingrich PAC Took $7.6 Million From One Donor, Used Money To Fly Across The Country For Public Events
Gingrich PAC Took $7.6 Million From One Donor, Used Money To Fly Across The Country For Public Events: pThe Supreme Court’s decision to gut campaign finance laws in its 2009 Citizens United decision predictably opened the gates of the American electoral system to an influx of corporate money and influence, first in the 2010 midterm elections and then in numerous statewide and local campaigns. In Ohio, Wisconsin, and other states with contentious campaigns, [...]/p
McConnell Takes Every Single Judicial Nominee Hostage To Sabotage Consumer Protection Agency
McConnell Takes Every Single Judicial Nominee Hostage To Sabotage Consumer Protection Agency: pOn Saturday, the Senate closed off what was supposed to be its last day of business for the year (the Senate may need to reconvene, now that Speaker John Boehner has blown up a deal to extend tax cuts to middle class Americans). Yet the Senate closed out the year without confirming any of the [...]/p
DOJ Uncovers Rampant Lawbreaking By Sheriff Joe Arpaio Despite His Stonewalling
DOJ Uncovers Rampant Lawbreaking By Sheriff Joe Arpaio Despite His Stonewalling: pMaricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is unquestionably the most notorious law enforcement official in the country, infamous for his ruthless and illegal treatment of the undocumented immigrants under his charge. He’s known for cramming detained immigrants into outdoor “tent cities” he proudly likens to concentration camps, and for parading prisoners around in pink underwear to [...]/p
Romney Still Making Millions From Lucrative Bain Capital Retirement Deal, Pays Little Taxes
Romney Still Making Millions From Lucrative Bain Capital Retirement Deal, Pays Little Taxes: p2012 GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has been banking on his time running the private equity firm Bain Capital to be a major selling point for his campaign. “I spent my career in the private sector. I think that’s what the country needs right now,” Romney says. Romney has had to contend with the fact [...]/p
Sunday, December 18, 2011
PHOTOS: Last Troops Leave Iraq: ‘That’s It, The War Is Over’
PHOTOS: Last Troops Leave Iraq: ‘That’s It, The War Is Over’: pThe final convoy of American troops to leave Iraq crossed the border into Kuwait early this morning, finally marking the end of the nine-year military misadventure in the country. At the height of the war, more than 170,000 U.S. troops were in Iraq at more than 500 bases; now, just 150 U.S. troops will remain [...]/p
Boehner Rejects Bipartisan Senate Compromise, Puts Tax Cut For 160 Million Americans In Danger
Boehner Rejects Bipartisan Senate Compromise, Puts Tax Cut For 160 Million Americans In Danger: pOn Saturday, the Seante passed a bill to extend the payroll tax holiday for two months, overcoming Republican opposition by including things favored by the GOP, like expediting consideration of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. With the extension, the Senate adjourned for the rest of year. But it looks like the massive concessions Democrats made [...]/p
The 5 States With the emMost/em Installed Wind and Solar Power Saw the emLeast/em Increase in Electricity Prices from 2005-2010
The 5 States With the emMost/em Installed Wind and Solar Power Saw the emLeast/em Increase in Electricity Prices from 2005-2010: pThe findings presented here show quite clearly that states with high volumes of wind and solar PV have seen well below average cost increases. When this fact is considered in conjunction with the various health, environmental, energy security, and job creation benefits of renewable forms of generation, it helps to form a compelling argument in [...]/p
Tyrants Replace Local Democracy In Michigan
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Saturday, December 17, 2011
L.A. Times: Earth’s Top 10 Biggest Enemies in Congress
L.A. Times: Earth’s Top 10 Biggest Enemies in Congress: pRepublicans launched an unprecedented frontal assault against environmental protections and regulations this year, prompting Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) to call his chamber “the most anti-environment House in history.” Here are the 10 most powerful and outspoken opponents of clean air, clean water, conservation and climate action. That’s the Los Angeles Times editorial board opening its “Year [...]/p
Friday, December 16, 2011
Congress Cuts Winter Heating Aid For The Poor While Boosting The Defense Budget
Congress Cuts Winter Heating Aid For The Poor While Boosting The Defense Budget: pPoverty in America is only getting worse, with data showing rising income inequality and the startling fact that half of all Americans are now either in poverty or considered low-income. Were it not for the government programs that comprise the social safety net, those numbers would be even worse. More than a quarter would live [...]/p
Thursday, December 15, 2011
House Republicans Target The American Children Of Immigrants In Punishing Payroll Tax Bill
House Republicans Target The American Children Of Immigrants In Punishing Payroll Tax Bill: pAs ThinkProgress has reported, congressional Republicans are exploiting the necessity of extending the payroll tax cut and the looming government shutdown to push their conservative agenda. Their radical demands have nothing to do with the matters at hand, and include provisions to restrict abortion in DC, gut life-saving environmental regulations, and raise taxes on Medicare [...]/p
Statewide Budget Cuts Force Ohio Town To Turn Off Street Lights To Save Money
Statewide Budget Cuts Force Ohio Town To Turn Off Street Lights To Save Money: pIn the aftermath of the recession, states across the country have cut their budgets, in turn forcing cities and towns in those states to make their own drastic cuts. Different towns have made different decisions, with some closing libraries, un-paving roads, closing schools, and even attempting to decriminalize domestic violence, all in efforts to save [...]/p
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Holder’s Voting Rights Speech Part I: Protecting Democracy In The Era Of John Roberts
Holder’s Voting Rights Speech Part I: Protecting Democracy In The Era Of John Roberts: pThis post is the first in a three-part series on last night’s voting rights speech by Attorney General Eric Holder Last night, Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library to give the most comprehensive explanation of the Obama Administration’s voting rights policy to date. The venue was certainly well chosen. [...]/p
New Data: Obamacare Extended Health Coverage To At Least 2.5 Million Young Adults
New Data: Obamacare Extended Health Coverage To At Least 2.5 Million Young Adults: pAt least 2.5 million younger Americans now have health insurance as a result of a provision in the Affordable Care Act that allows adults to stay on their parents’ health care plans until 26 years of age, the Associated Press reports. The Obama administration is expected to release additional data later this afternoon: Using unpublished [...]/p
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Return Of Debtor’s Prisons: Thousands Of Americans Jailed For Not Paying Their Bills
The Return Of Debtor’s Prisons: Thousands Of Americans Jailed For Not Paying Their Bills: pFederal imprisonment for unpaid debt has been illegal in the U.S. since 1833. It’s a practice people associate more with the age of Dickens than modern-day America. But as more Americans struggle to pay their bills in the wake of the recession, collection agencies are using harsher methods to get their money, ushering in the [...]/p
GOP: Raising Taxes On Millionaires A Non-Starter, But Hiking Taxes On Medicare Retirees Is A-OK
GOP: Raising Taxes On Millionaires A Non-Starter, But Hiking Taxes On Medicare Retirees Is A-OK: pThe Associated Press’ Ricardo Alonos-Zaldivar has this devastating take of the House GOP’s proposal to pay for a payroll tax cut by further means testing the Medicare program: Raising taxes on millionaires may be a non-starter for Republicans, but they seem to have no problem hiking Medicare premiums for retirees making a lot less. The [...]/p
PA GOPer Admits There’s No Evidence That Voter ID Laws Are Needed, But He’s Ramming One Through Anyway
PA GOPer Admits There’s No Evidence That Voter ID Laws Are Needed, But He’s Ramming One Through Anyway: pIn the wake of the 2010 elections, numerous GOP-controlled states have adopted so-called “voter ID” laws to target the entirely fabricated problem of in-person voter fraud. Such voter fraud is so uncommon that a voter is 39 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to actually commit fraud at the polls. Yet because [...]/p
GOP’s Coal Poison Pill Risks White House Veto Of Payroll Tax Cut Bill
GOP’s Coal Poison Pill Risks White House Veto Of Payroll Tax Cut Bill: pRepublican leadership in Congress have decided to use must-pass payroll tax cut legislation as a vehicle to push key polluter priorities, despite a veto threat from the White House. House GOP have attached a rider to extend a Clean Air Act loophole for the coal industry, daring a White House veto. The coal-powered poison pill, [...]/p
2012 Federal Deficit Shrinks To Less Than $1 Trillion
2012 Federal Deficit Shrinks To Less Than $1 Trillion: pUnder President Obama, the nation’s deficit will shrink to less than $1 trillion in 2012, the Treasury Department announced yesterday. Treasury projects that the budget deficit for fiscal year 2012 will come in at $996 billion. Additionally, as a result of the debt super committee’s failure to reach an agreement, an automatic $1.2 trillion in [...]/p
Documents Show Boehner Engineered Gerrymandered Ohio Map Giving GOP 12 of 16 Congressional Seats
Documents Show Boehner Engineered Gerrymandered Ohio Map Giving GOP 12 of 16 Congressional Seats: pThe GOP-controlled Ohio legislature recently approved a heavily gerrymandered Congressional map that gives Republicans an advantage in 12 of the state’s 16 congressional districts, despite the fact that the state is roughly evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. Moreover, according to newly released documents, Ohio residents can blame the Speaker of the House for turning [...]/p
Monday, December 12, 2011
Romney Admitted Stat About Obama Regulations Was A Lie, Keeps Using It Anyway
Romney Admitted Stat About Obama Regulations Was A Lie, Keeps Using It Anyway: pOne of the favorite conservative myths of the moment involves the supposed “job-killing” effects of regulations coming out of the Obama administration. Today, it was evidently 2012 GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s turn to take this tall tale out for a spin. During an event in New Hampshire, Romney claimed that the rate of new [...]/p
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s Push To Close 36 Unemployment Offices Declared Unconstitutional
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s Push To Close 36 Unemployment Offices Declared Unconstitutional: pEarlier this year, the Iowa legislature enacted a budget that shields three dozen state unemployment offices from Gov. Terry Branstad’s (R) desire to close those offices. In response, Branstad used a line-item veto to remove the prohibition on closing these offices from the bill, and proceeded with a plan to shut them down and replace [...]/p
The Cowardice Of Lowe’s, And The Bigotry Of ‘All-American Muslim’ Bashers
The Cowardice Of Lowe’s, And The Bigotry Of ‘All-American Muslim’ Bashers: pAs you may have heard, home improvement giant Lowe’s pulled their advertising from TLC’s All-American Muslim. That in and of itself might not be a massive sin — companies have a right to spend their advertising dollars where they like, or order for a few episodes and don’t re-up. But Lowe’s, at every step of [...]/p
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Lowe’s, Bank Of America, And Others Pull Ads From Muslim Reality TV Show After Pressure
Lowe’s, Bank Of America, And Others Pull Ads From Muslim Reality TV Show After Pressure: pThe TLC reality TV show All-American Muslim chronicles the lives of a group of Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan. The show has been well-received for its fair and realistic portrayal of the Muslim American experience in the United States. Watch a trailer for the show here. But a reality TV show that lets Americans relate to [...]/p
As Businesses Pull Out Of Alabama Due To Anti-Immigrant Law, Gov. Pleads With Car Companies To Stay
As Businesses Pull Out Of Alabama Due To Anti-Immigrant Law, Gov. Pleads With Car Companies To Stay: pFirst, farmers saw the immediate economic catastrophe in Alabama because of the state’s draconian immigration law HB 56 as immigrant workers fled and their crops rotted. Then two high-profile arrests of foreign autoworkers legally in the state potentially put international investment in Alabama at risk. As a result, business leaders are now joining the chorus [...]/p
Friday, December 9, 2011
The NLRB Dropping Its Boeing Case Is A Victory For Collective Bargaining, Not Conservatives
The NLRB Dropping Its Boeing Case Is A Victory For Collective Bargaining, Not Conservatives: pThe National Labor Relations Board today dropped a complaint against mega-manufacturer Boeing that had been used as a political football by Republicans for months. Of course, the GOP rushed forward to hail this as some sort of win for conservatism. 2012 GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich called it “a victory for South Carolina and all [...]/p
Republicans And Business Groups Unable To Find One ‘Job Creator’ Who Opposes A Tax On Millionaires
Republicans And Business Groups Unable To Find One ‘Job Creator’ Who Opposes A Tax On Millionaires: pYesterday, Republicans again shot down an extension of a payroll tax break for middle-class families due to their objection to a 1.9 percent tax increase on the top 0.2 percent of income earners. Naturally, Republicans are recycling their spurious claim that taxing America’s millionaires will somehow hit small businesses and stifle job creation. “It’s just [...]/p
NOAA Chief: U.S. Record of a Dozen Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters in One Year Is “a Harbinger of Things to Come”
NOAA Chief: U.S. Record of a Dozen Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters in One Year Is “a Harbinger of Things to Come”: pThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released an analysis, “U.S. sets record with a dozen billion-dollar weather disasters in one year.” They report: To date, the United States set a record with 12 separate billion dollar weather/climate disasters in 2011, with an aggregate damage total of approximately $52 billion. This record year breaks the [...]/p
GOP State Rep. Bob Nicholas Arrested For Kicking And Beating Mentally Disabled Son
GOP State Rep. Bob Nicholas Arrested For Kicking And Beating Mentally Disabled Son: pLate last month, Wyoming state Rep. Bob Nicholas (R) was arrested following an incident where he kicked and beat his disabled son outside of a restaurant: Nicholas, 54, was arrested in Boca Grande, Fla., while on vacation after allegedly punching and kicking his 19-year-old mentally disabled son, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report. [...]/p
FLASHBACK: After Oklahoma City Bombing, Gingrich Tried To Hold Disaster Relief Hostage To Spending Cuts
FLASHBACK: After Oklahoma City Bombing, Gingrich Tried To Hold Disaster Relief Hostage To Spending Cuts: pEarlier this year, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) made a series of major missteps when he decided the House GOP would not release federal disaster funds unless it included offsetting spending cuts following a deadly Missouri tornado, a hurricane that hit the east coast, and an earthquake in Virginia. Though Cantor was roundly criticized [...]/p
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Contrary To Republican Rhetoric, Europe Is Not In Trouble Because Of Spending And Debt
Contrary To Republican Rhetoric, Europe Is Not In Trouble Because Of Spending And Debt: pEuropean leaders are meeting in Brussels this week in yet another attempt to craft a plan that would deal with their ongoing fiscal crisis and preserve the Euro. The International Monetary Fund will likely play a roll in a fiscal rescue plan, with Reuters reporting today that “Euro zone leaders will likely agree to boost [...]/p
Despite A 0.0002 Percent Rate Of Voter Fraud, Reince Priebus Claims Wisconsin Is ‘Riddled With Voter Fraud’
Despite A 0.0002 Percent Rate Of Voter Fraud, Reince Priebus Claims Wisconsin Is ‘Riddled With Voter Fraud’: pRepublican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus made a curious claim on MSNBC today, alleging that Wisconsin is a state “that was absolutely riddled with voter fraud.” The problem? A recent study by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice found just seven cases of voter fraud out of three million votes cast in Wisconsin during the [...]/p
Romney’s Attack On Newt: I Pledge To Get Rid Of Medicare Faster
Romney’s Attack On Newt: I Pledge To Get Rid Of Medicare Faster: pMitt Romney’s campaign is stepping up their attacks against current GOP presidential frontrunner Newt Gingrich today over his criticism of Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) Medicare privatization plan. In a press release to reporters, Gail Gitcho, Romney’s communications director, charged, “Speaker Gingrich’s attack on Paul Ryan’s plan as ‘right-wing social engineering’ – and then denying his [...]/p
BREAKING: GOP Filibusters Middle Class Tax Cut — Again
BREAKING: GOP Filibusters Middle Class Tax Cut — Again: pA bill to extend the payroll tax holiday failed in the Senate this afternoon after Republicans filibustered the extension for a third time, preventing it from getting the 60 votes needed to begin debate or receive an up-or-down vote. The latest bill would have paid for the extension of the holiday, which primarily affects middle [...]/p
Disingenuous Karl Rove Ad Smears Elizabeth Warren, Implies She Facilitated Bank Bailouts And Corporate Bonuses
Disingenuous Karl Rove Ad Smears Elizabeth Warren, Implies She Facilitated Bank Bailouts And Corporate Bonuses: pKarl Rove’s independent group Crossroads GPS is up with a new advertisement today, smearing Massachusetts senate candidate Elizabeth Warren (D) by insinuating that she was responsible for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the bank bailout that took place at the height of the financial crisis. The ad blames Warren for “bailing out the same [...]/p
Australian Green Party Leader: U.S. Climate Denial Machine “Being Directed Straight into Australia” Via Murdoch’s News Corp
Australian Green Party Leader: U.S. Climate Denial Machine “Being Directed Straight into Australia” Via Murdoch’s News Corp: pThe Winning Aussie Strategy: Fighting Back Against Deniers and Talking About Climate Change If President Obama needs a role model for his stance (or lack thereof) on climate change, he should look no further than the Deputy Leader of Australia’s Green Party, Christine Milne. In a wide-ranging interview with Climate Progress at the COP 17 [...]/p
REVEALED: The Secret, Coordinated Effort To Smear ThinkProgress As Anti-Semitic And Anti-Israel
REVEALED: The Secret, Coordinated Effort To Smear ThinkProgress As Anti-Semitic And Anti-Israel: pYesterday Politico published an article written by Ben Smith purporting to highlight a divide on the left on Middle East policy. The story quoted sources — including former AIPAC spokesman Josh Block — saying that bloggers here at the Center for American Progress are “borderline anti-Semitic” and “anti-Israel.” In the process, Politico also cherry-picked a [...]/p
Sen. McConnell Claims Electing The President By Popular Vote Is A ‘Genuine Threat To Our Country’
Sen. McConnell Claims Electing The President By Popular Vote Is A ‘Genuine Threat To Our Country’: pSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) attacked a proposal to switch to a national popular vote for presidential elections during a speech at the Heritage Foundation today. McConnell and six Republican secretaries of state discussed the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPV), a proposed plan for using a popular vote in presidential elections. The NPV [...]/p
45 GOP Senators Filibustering Consumer Protection Nominee Have Received Millions From Wall Street This Year
45 GOP Senators Filibustering Consumer Protection Nominee Have Received Millions From Wall Street This Year: pThe Senate today is scheduled to vote on the nomination of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the new agency created by the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. It’s unlikely, at this point, that Democrats have enough votes to overcome a Republican filibuster. Forty-five Republican senators have pledged to [...]/p
Polar Bears Are Turning To Cannibalism As Arctic Ice Disappears
Polar Bears Are Turning To Cannibalism As Arctic Ice Disappears: pPolar bears are now being observed by scientists resorting to cannibalism, and expect to see more as Arctic sea ice declines. In “Observations of cannibalism by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) on summer and autumn sea ice at Svalbard, Norway,” published in the journal Arctic, polar bear biologist Ian Stirling and photojournalist Jenny Ross describe seeing [...]/p
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Romney: Medicare May Not Be Guaranteed Every Year, If I’m President
Romney: Medicare May Not Be Guaranteed Every Year, If I’m President: pMitt Romney clarified his plan to partially privatize the Medicare program during an interview with the Washington Examiner’s editorial board Wednesday morning, suggesting that he would allow Congress to vote on the amount of “premium support” credits (or vouchers) seniors receive to buy health care coverage every year. Broadly speaking, like Paul Ryan, Romney seeks [...]/p
Koch Political Group Brags About Bullying GOP Lawmakers Into Denying Climate Science
Koch Political Group Brags About Bullying GOP Lawmakers Into Denying Climate Science: pIn its cover story this week, the National Journal explores a curious phenomenon: while the science supporting climate change has only gotten stronger, the onetime Republican consensus on the issue has fallen apart. The reason, quite simply, is the right-wing polluter Koch Industries and its political front group Americans for Prosperity. As Political Correction notes, [...]/p
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Obama on ‘Trickle Down’ Economics: ‘It Doesn’t Work, It Has Never Worked’
Obama on ‘Trickle Down’ Economics: ‘It Doesn’t Work, It Has Never Worked’: pIn 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt gave his rousing “New Nationalism” speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, where he called for new approaches to dealing with the problems the nation faced. President Obama visited Osawatomie today, and in his own speech — his first major economic speech since Occupy Wall Street protests began highlighting income inequality and [...]/p
Amen!
Amen!
Study: Children’s Uninsurance Rate Could Double If GOP Undermines Funding
Study: Children’s Uninsurance Rate Could Double If GOP Undermines Funding: pA new study published today in Health Affairs finds that “health reform has the potential to cut the number of uninsured children by about 40 percent, from 7.4 million to 4.2 million, and the number of uninsured parents by almost 50 percent, from 12.7 million to 6.6 million.” But if Republicans are successful in repealing [...]/p
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Scott Walker’s New Policy May Result In Protesters Being Charged For The Pepper Spray Used Against Them
Scott Walker’s New Policy May Result In Protesters Being Charged For The Pepper Spray Used Against Them: pUnder a new policy unveiled late this week by the Walker administration, protesters who apply for permits to protest outside government buildings in Wisconsin may be charged for clean-up costs and the presence of police officers. “Gov. Scott Walker now wants to charge protesters for the time that the police that will monitor them and [...]/p
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Debunking The America’s Health Care System Is ‘Based On The Private Sector’ Myth
Debunking The America’s Health Care System Is ‘Based On The Private Sector’ Myth: pConservatives like to pretend that the United States enjoys the best private health care system in the world, where some may have trouble purchasing insurance coverage, but everyone has access to care when they absolutely need it. Case in point, Sarah Kliff’s interview this morning with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) about his support [...]/p
Democrats Introduce Bill To Protect Medicare From Sequestration
Democrats Introduce Bill To Protect Medicare From Sequestration: pThe Budget Control Act of 2011 includes a sequestration process that will make automatic cuts to domestic and defense spending in January 2013 unless Congress can agree on a proposal to lower the national deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Since the demise of the super committee, both parties have signaled their [...]/p
New Hampshire GOP Speaker Discourages Students From Voting Because They’ll Vote ‘Liberal’
New Hampshire GOP Speaker Discourages Students From Voting Because They’ll Vote ‘Liberal’: pAs ThinkProgress has been reporting, the slew of unnecessary voter ID laws passed by Republicans in many states this year are a transparent attempt to disenfranchise core Democratic voters, especially college students, the poor and minorities. But Republicans usually claim these laws are passed for the sake of curbing nonexistent voter fraud — it’s rare [...]/p
Former Chase Banker Admits His Bank Pushed Minorities Into Subprime Mortgage Loans
Former Chase Banker Admits His Bank Pushed Minorities Into Subprime Mortgage Loans: pOne of the most pernicious practices in which the nation’ biggest banks engaged during the lead up to the financial crisis was pushing minority borrowers into subprime loans, even when many of them qualified for prime loans. Wells Fargo had perhaps the most horrifying practices in this department, calling the subprime loans that they pushed [...]/p
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
U.S. Collects Third-Lowest Tax Revenue In Developed World
U.S. Collects Third-Lowest Tax Revenue In Developed World: pDespite Republicans’ constant protestations that the U.S. has “a spending problem, not a tax problem,” the U.S. actually collects the third-lowest amount of tax revenue as a percentage of GDP in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. According to the OECD’s latest data, “Mexico (18.7% in 2010) and Chile (20.9%) have the lowest tax-to-GDP [...]/p
Study: States That Legalize Medical Marijuana Reduce Traffic Fatalities
Study: States That Legalize Medical Marijuana Reduce Traffic Fatalities: pOpponents of marijuana legalization often suggest that legalization would lead to an increased number of vehicle accidents. However, a new study from the Institute for the Study of Labor finds that states that legalized medical marijuana have seen a decline in traffic fatalities, the “leading cause of death for Americans age 35 and under.” According [...]/p
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Oxfam: Extreme Weather Has Helped Push Tens of Millions into “Hunger and Poverty” in “Grim Foretaste” of Warmed World
Oxfam: Extreme Weather Has Helped Push Tens of Millions into “Hunger and Poverty” in “Grim Foretaste” of Warmed World: pClimate Change Endangers Food Security Worldwide “Extreme weather like the droughts in Russia, China and Brazil and the flooding in Pakistan and Australia [in 2010] have contributed to a level of food price volatility we haven’t seen since the oil crisisof 40 years ago. Unfortunately, this could be just a taste of things to come [...]/p
Another Day, Another Unconstitutional Proposal From Newt Gingrich — This Time On Immigration
Another Day, Another Unconstitutional Proposal From Newt Gingrich — This Time On Immigration: pFew candidates in modern American history have shown deeper contempt for the Constitution than GOP presidential frontrunner Newt Gingrich. He began his campaign with an appeal to tentherism — the radical belief that most of the last 100 years violates the Constitution. Gingrich believes that he can simply ignore court decisions that he disagrees with, [...]/p
GOP Willing To Raise Payroll Taxes On 113 Million Households To Spare 345,000 Millionaires From Tiny Surtax
GOP Willing To Raise Payroll Taxes On 113 Million Households To Spare 345,000 Millionaires From Tiny Surtax: pSenate Democrats yesterday introduced legislation — as they’ve been promising to — that would extend a soon-to-expire payroll tax cut, and pay for it by implementing a surtax on income above $1 million. Republicans, of course, are opposing the plan, reviving their false claims that taxing the very wealthiest Americans will hit small businesses and [...]/p
Monday, November 28, 2011
College Students Across Florida Rally Against Gov. Rick Scott’s ‘Relentless Attack On Higher Education’
College Students Across Florida Rally Against Gov. Rick Scott’s ‘Relentless Attack On Higher Education’: pThroughout this week, Florida college students will hold rallies to protest Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) hostility to higher education and proposed tuition hikes: Across the state this week students at seven college campuses will gather to protest what they call a “relentless attack on higher education” by Gov. Rick Scott. Scott has been a vocal [...]/p
Mastermind of $850,000 Smear Campaign Against Occupy Wall Street Co-Hosting Mitt Romney Fundraiser
Mastermind of $850,000 Smear Campaign Against Occupy Wall Street Co-Hosting Mitt Romney Fundraiser: pTwo weeks ago, a leaked secret memo written by a Republican lobbying firm, Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford, outlined an $850,000 plan for the American Bankers Association (ABA) to combat the growing resonance of the Occupy Wall Street movement’s message — that we need an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest 1 Percent. (The [...]/p
GOP Sen. Kyl Pushes Raising Payroll Taxes On Middle Class But Refuses To Raise Taxes On Millionaires
GOP Sen. Kyl Pushes Raising Payroll Taxes On Middle Class But Refuses To Raise Taxes On Millionaires: pIn a clear display of misplaced priorities, congressional fiscal super committee member Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) entirely dismissed the idea of extending the payroll tax cut for middle class families yesterday, even though failure to do so “would reduce GDP growth by 0.5 percent and cost the economy 400,000 jobs.” “The payroll tax holiday has [...]/p
Affordable Care Act Lowering Prescription Drug Costs For Seniors
Affordable Care Act Lowering Prescription Drug Costs For Seniors: pSeniors — the demographic most skeptical about health care reform — are already benefiting from provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the Associate Press’ Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports, as the law gradually closes the doughnut hole in Medicare Part D. The coverage gap is the result of a political compromise in the Medicare Modernization Act of [...]/p
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Hunger In America, By The Numbers
Hunger In America, By The Numbers: pLast year, 17.2 million households in the United States were food insecure, the highest level on record, as the Great Recession continued to wreak havoc on families across the country. Of those 17.2 million households, 3.9 million included children. On Thanksgiving Day, here’s a look at hunger in America, as millions of Americans struggle to [...]/p
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
United States Still Number 1 … In Health Care Spending
United States Still Number 1 … In Health Care Spending: pA new Health at a Glance 2011 report finds — to nobody’s great surprise — that the United States is leading the world in health care costs, spending some $7,960 per person in 2009 or 2.5 times the average of the 34 other countries studied: The report attributes the difference to higher than average prices [...]/p
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Former AIG CEO Sues Claiming Taxpayers Need To Pony Up $25 Billion More
Former AIG CEO Sues Claiming Taxpayers Need To Pony Up $25 Billion More: pFor many years, insurance behemoth AIG was so poorly managed that the American taxpayer eventually had to invest nearly $70 billion in the incompetently run company to prevent its collapse from taking the entire U.S. economy along with it (much of this money has since been repaid). Former AIG CEO Maurice Greenberg, however, thinks that [...]/p
Monday, November 21, 2011
With 50 Million Americans In Poverty, David Vitter Proposes Gutting Food Stamp Program
With 50 Million Americans In Poverty, David Vitter Proposes Gutting Food Stamp Program: pA record number of Americans have fallen into poverty since the financial crisis sparked a deep recession in 2008, but that hasn’t stopped House and Senate Republicans from targeting the poor on their crusade to slash federal spending. In September, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) declared that “the poor are getting richer even faster” than [...]/p
Bank Lobbying On Track To Reach Record High This Year
Bank Lobbying On Track To Reach Record High This Year: pAs the Occupy Wall Street protests have highlighted the outsize influence financial institutions wield in politics, banks’ spending on lobbying is on track to reach an all-time high this year. Lobbying expenditures by the five biggest spenders among commercial banks are up 12 percent so far this year compared to 2010, according to an analysis [...]/p
Washington Lobbyists Crafted $850,000 Secret Plan For Bank Lobbyists To Undermine Occupy Wall Street
Washington Lobbyists Crafted $850,000 Secret Plan For Bank Lobbyists To Undermine Occupy Wall Street: pThis weekend, the MSNBC show Up! With Chris Hayes broke a stunning story about how Washington lobbyists are scrambling to undermine the protesters on Wall Street and across the country. Hayes’ report, which can be viewed here, details how the Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford (CLGC) compiled a secret plan to [...]/p
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Gingrich: Secularism Is Responsible For ‘All The Problems We Have’
Gingrich: Secularism Is Responsible For ‘All The Problems We Have’: pNewt Gingrich said that America’s problem are the result of the country’s growing secularism, telling the FAMiLY Leader’s Thanksgiving Family Forum, “A country that has been now since 1963 relentlessly in the courts driving God out of public life shouldn’t be surprised at all the problems we have. Because we’ve in fact attempted to create [...]/p
Idiot
Idiot
Rep. Paul Ryan Votes Against Balanced Budget Amendment Because It Doesn’t Ruin The Constitution Enough
Rep. Paul Ryan Votes Against Balanced Budget Amendment Because It Doesn’t Ruin The Constitution Enough: pEarlier this afternoon, just 261 members of the House voted in favor of a balanced budget amendment — far fewer that the two-thirds majority necessary for the amendment to move forward. One somewhat surprising “no” vote was House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI). Ryan is the House GOP’s chief Chicken Little on the deficit — [...]/p
Police Attack Peaceful UC Davis Students With Pepper Spray
Police Attack Peaceful UC Davis Students With Pepper Spray: pYesterday, a group of students at the University of California Davis staged a sit-in to protect their occupation encampment and demand the release of those who had already been arrested. Police dressed in riot gear approached the peaceful group of students and began attacking them with peppy spray, forcing them to cover their faces. Many [...]/p
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