When Truth Tried to Stop War | Common Dreams

When Truth Tried to Stop War | Common Dreams
"Ten years ago, Katharine Gun, then a 28-year-old British intelligence officer, saw an e-mailed memo from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) that confirmed for her in black and white the already widespread suspicion that the U.S. and U.K. were about to launch war against Iraq on false pretenses."

Hagel: ‘I Think It’s Always Wise To Try To Talk To People Before You Go To War’

Hagel: ‘I Think It’s Always Wise To Try To Talk To People Before You Go To War’: One of the main themes senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee committed themselves to today during Chuck Hagel’s confirmation hearing to be the next Secretary of Defense was — not wondering whether Hagel fully supports a diplomatic approach to Iran’s nuclear program, as most Americans do — but rather, whether the former Republican senator [...]/p

For McCain, Hagel Opposition A Proxy War With History

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New Activists Fight for the Life of the American Worker | Alternet

New Activists Fight for the Life of the American Worker | Alternet
"As unions decline, new worker movements are rising up to preserve the dignity and health of hard-working people."

McCain And Graham Lambaste Their Friend Chuck Hagel

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Angry warmonger McCain looks for someone to tell him that the terrible idea of war in Iraq and the surge was a good idea.

Chris Christie Vetoes Help For Homeowners In State Plagued By Foreclosures

Chris Christie Vetoes Help For Homeowners In State Plagued By Foreclosures:  New Jersey is facing a twin crisis of foreclosures and lack of affordable housing, but Gov. Chris Christie (R) recently vetoed two bills that would have brightened the outlook for New Jersey residents [...]/p

ALEC-Inspired "Right to Work" Bill Back Again in Pennsylvania

ALEC-Inspired "Right to Work" Bill Back Again in Pennsylvania
"Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Darryl Metcalfe has introduced so-called "right to work" legislation that would cripple state labor unions by allowing non-union members to free-ride -- benefiting from union representation, including higher wages and benefits, without paying the costs of that representation. For decades, right to work laws were used in southern states to bust unions and keep wages low.

Metcalfe's bill, like the recent Michigan's legislation, is strikingly similar to the ALEC "model" Right to Work Act."

Recall Effort Against America's Most Notorious Immigrant-Hating Sheriff Begins | Alternet

Recall Effort Against America's Most Notorious Immigrant-Hating Sheriff Begins | Alternet
"A citizen’s group called Respect Arizona filed paperwork at the Maricopa County Elections Department on Wednesday to initiate a recall effort against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio."

Sandy Hook Parent David Wheeler: My Son Had Right To His Life

Sandy Hook Parent David Wheeler: My Son Had Right To His Life
"I only wish he had given this powerful testimony before Congress, too -- while staring straight into the eyes of Wayne LaPierre."

Virginia Lawmakers Approve Bill Forcing Universities To Fund Student Groups That Discriminate

Virginia Lawmakers Approve Bill Forcing Universities To Fund Student Groups That Discriminate: The Virginia House of Delegates voted 80-19 today to approve HB1617, a bill that would invite any religious or political university student group to discriminate as they please and still require the campus to providing them funding and access to campus facilities. This would make LGBT students particularly vulnerable to discrimination because universities’ protections for [...]/p

PERRspectives: On the Wrong Side of Everything, McCain Attacks Hagel

PERRspectives: On the Wrong Side of Everything, McCain Attacks Hagel
"As a quick glance at his record shows, no American political figure has been as consistently and catastrophically wrong on matters of national security than John McCain. (Worse still, McCain's out-of-control temper and erratic judgment led many of his Republican colleagueslike Thad Cochran to worry that "the thought of his being President sends a cold chill down my spine.") Nevertheless, John McCain, who long ago anointed himself judge, jury and executioner on defense issues, today blasted President Obama's Pentagon nominee Chuck Hagel as being on the "wrong side of history."

As a reminder, here is a brief history of John McCain's reign of error."

Tea Party Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli: Scalia Is Too Liberal

Tea Party Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli: Scalia Is Too Liberal: Justice Antonin Scalia is easily the Supreme Court’s most strident conservative. He defends torture and finds little wrong with executing the innocent. He once argued that the Constitution does not protect women from gender discrimination (although he’s since backed off this statement somewhat). Scalia compared same-sex attraction to murder. He believes our immigration law should [...]/p

Seattle Joins Campuses in Nationwide Effort to Divest from Fossil Fuel | Common Dreams

Seattle Joins Campuses in Nationwide Effort to Divest from Fossil Fuel | Common Dreams
"Citing the damage caused by climate change, the city of Seattle's public employees may sell off their pension fund's holdings in some of the world's largest fossil fuel companies as part of a national campaign to divest from the dirty energy sector."

How raising Maryland’s minimum wage will benefit workers and boost the state’s economy | Economic Policy Institute

How raising Maryland’s minimum wage will benefit workers and boost the state’s economy | Economic Policy Institute
"Increasing the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour by July 2015 will have a demonstrably positive impact on the well-being of Maryland workers and the overall Maryland economy. The characteristics of those benefiting most from increasing the minimum wage dispel many prevailing beliefs about who gains from increasing the minimum wage."

The Judicial Assault on Unions | Alternet

The Judicial Assault on Unions | Alternet
"It should come as no shock that Republicans in Congress would like to see the power of labor further diminished. The same is true of governors and state legislatures in red and purple states such as Wisconsin and Indiana. But now conservative courts have joined the fray."

How States Lose $600 Million On A Worthless Corporate Tax Break

How States Lose $600 Million On A Worthless Corporate Tax Break: There’s no shortage of corporate tax giveaways at both the federal and state levels. Lawmakers of all stripes love to use the tax code to subsidize companies, either directly or indirectly. But in some instances, federal tax breaks for corporations undermine state budgets. As the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities detailed today, one particular [...]/p

The Question No One is Asking about Keystone XL

Right now in Texas, a foreign corporation, TransCanada, is using our government's 5th Amendment right of eminent domain to confiscate private land belonging to Americans, to build a massive oil pipeline so TransCanada can ship oil from the Gulf of Mexico to non-Americans around the world. Oil, by the way, that will accelerate our planet's plunge into global warming-induced catastrophe. So the question is, "Why?"

ALEC: There Is No Climate Change, Environmental Danger or Animal Cruelty on Factory Farms, and Even If There Is You Don't Need to Know About It | Common Dreams

ALEC: There Is No Climate Change, Environmental Danger or Animal Cruelty on Factory Farms, and Even If There Is You Don't Need to Know About It | Common Dreams
"The "corporate bill mill" that is the fossil-fuel-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is alarmingly busy: It's pushing bills mandating the “balanced” teaching of climate science - the hilariously named ”Environmental Literacy Improvement Act“ - in public schools in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona in addition to the 11 states it's already invaded. Most egregiously, it's also pushing so-called Ag-Gag bills, or the Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act, making it an "act of terrorism" for anyone to point out the animal and environmental horrors of factory farms, in New Hampshire, Wyoming and Nebraska, having already introduced them in 10 states."

Hannity Explodes After Being Confronted By ThinkProgress About Previous Offer To Be Waterboarded For Charity

Hannity Explodes After Being Confronted By ThinkProgress About Previous Offer To Be Waterboarded For Charity: Fox News host Sean Hannity is so adamant that waterboarding is not torture that he once offered to be waterboarded at a charity event and donate the proceeds to soldiers’ families. Four years later, a yet-to-be-waterboarded Hannity did not take kindly to being called out about it on his own radio show. On April 22, [...]/p

Hagel Takes On McCain: Calls Iraq War ‘Most Fundamentally Bad, Dangerous Decision Since Vietnam’

Hagel Takes On McCain: Calls Iraq War ‘Most Fundamentally Bad, Dangerous Decision Since Vietnam’: The confirmation hearing of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to take on the role of Secretary of Defense — already sure to be testy — heated up with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) pointedly asking Hagel to justify his stance on the Iraq War. McCain, an ardent supporter of the Iraq War from the start, began his [...]/p

House Judiciary Chair Introduces Unconstitutional Bill To Permanently Abolish The Income Tax

House Judiciary Chair Introduces Unconstitutional Bill To Permanently Abolish The Income Tax:Goodlatte believes that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional, so it is both unsurprising that the House Judiciary Chair is too unfamiliar with the Constitution to draft a constitutional tax bill and ironic that his bill actually permits taxes for the two programs he thinks are unconstitutional.

Sixty-nine members of Congress co-sponsored Goodlatte’s unconstitutional proposal to bankrupt the federal government.

As Predicted, Austerity Policies Send US Economy Downward | Common Dreams

As Predicted, Austerity Policies Send US Economy Downward | Common Dreams
"As warned by experts not cowed by the "deficit hawk" alarmists who dominate the national conversation on the economy, the dip in growth was not the result of "uncertainty" in the private sector or the future demands of public spending obligations, but rather on the contraction of public spending and the tax increases prematurely foisted on low-income and middle class workers in the form of a payroll tax increase that took effect on January 1."

The New Anti-Choice Legislation To Watch: ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bills Banning Nearly All Abortions

The New Anti-Choice Legislation To Watch: ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Bills Banning Nearly All Abortions: 2011 and 2012 were both record-breaking years for new abortion restrictions, and abortion opponents are aren’t showing signs of letting up this year. The “personhood” movement to endow zygotes with the full rights of U.S. citizens, effectively outlawing all abortions and even some forms of contraception, has largely been a failure — but that doesn’t [...]/p

Senator Catches NRA Head In Epic Flip Flop

Senator Catches NRA Head In Epic Flip Flop: While NRA leadership opposes universal background checks, its members back the change. A national survey conducted by Johns Hopkins University found that “89 percent of all respondents, and 75 percent of those identified as NRA members, support universal background checks for gun sales.

Spending Cuts Slow Economy

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What Is Visa Hiding? Majority Shareholders Thwart Effort to Require More Disclosure of Money Spent on ALEC

What Is Visa Hiding? Majority Shareholders Thwart Effort to Require More Disclosure of Money Spent on ALEC
"Meanwhile, Visa is only one of 49 companies that socially responsible investors wrote to last year to urge ALEC funders to reconsider their financial support for the controversial group.  Walden Asset Managementand their other allies are continuing their shareholder-based outreach that has helped move other corporations out of ALEC.

But as a result of the shareholder vote in January, the amount of money Visa has spent funding ALEC over the years will remain hidden from investors and the public."

Republicans Learn How To Hide Their Positions On Women

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Insane Legislator Says Not to Worry, Rape Victims Who Want An Abortion: We Won't Charge You With Felony Tampering With Evidence, Just Your Doctor | Common Dreams

Insane Legislator Says Not to Worry, Rape Victims Who Want An Abortion: We Won't Charge You With Felony Tampering With Evidence, Just Your Doctor | Common Dreams
"After much uproar, New Mexico attorney, Right to Life board member and GOP Rep. Cathrynn Brown is walking back as fast as she can from her proposed bill to charge rape survivors with "tampering with evidence" - a felony carrying a possible three-year prison sentence - if they choose to abort a rapist's fetus. No no, Brown says: It was "an error - I missed that one" to suggest the bill would prosecute victims of rape, who she wants to "protect." Actually Brown, whose Facebook page sports an iconic photo of a gun resting on a Bible in front of the Constitution,  just wants to hammer those who might help the victim - ie: doctors or nurses "facilitating" an abortion for her. Let them go to jail for "intent to destroy evidence of the crime." Wanna see a crime? This person in a position of power. Alas, she isn't alone. More travesties in many states here."

Austerity Is Dead: Can Someone Please Tell Paul Ryan and His Deluded GOP Cohorts? | Alternet

Austerity Is Dead: Can Someone Please Tell Paul Ryan and His Deluded GOP Cohorts? | Alternet
"In the academic world, at least, the debate over austerity seems to be at an end. But if the GOP has its way, austerity will come to America in a big way in 2013."

Shot by Their Own Men: How the Virginia Senate Inadvertently Predicts Republican Decline

Shot by Their Own Men: How the Virginia Senate Inadvertently Predicts Republican Decline
"There's a final irony here. Just as the Republican Party is accidentally destroying itself through acts of gerrymandering and bigotry like commemorating Stonewall Jackson instead of Dr. King, one might note that something similar happened to old Stonewall himself.

You know how Jackson died, right?"

Gun Control Agenda Is Launching White Paranoid Extremists to Prepare for Armed Revolution | Alternet

Gun Control Agenda Is Launching White Paranoid Extremists to Prepare for Armed Revolution | Alternet
"Peel back the code words of "defending" America and you have a treasonous movement in the works."

PERRspectives: Public Sector Austerity Still Slowing U.S. Economy

PERRspectives: Public Sector Austerity Still Slowing U.S. Economy
"All along, the real danger of the so-called "fiscal cliff" wasn't that U.S. national debt would increase, but instead that it would drop too quickly. Now, the surprise news that the American economy contracted by 0.1 percent in the last quarter of 2012 is providing a case in point. Along with the impact of super storm Sandy, declining exports and shrinking inventories, steeps cuts in federal (especially defense) spending explain much of the shortfall from the consensus forecast of 1.1 percent growth. As it turns out, since the start of the great recession the unprecedented shrinkage of the U.S. public sector has hampered economic growth and likely added a full point to the unemployment rate."

Today’s teachable GDP moment: Slower government spending => slower GDP growth | Economic Policy Institute

Today’s teachable GDP moment: Slower government spending => slower GDP growth | Economic Policy Institute
"Today’s GDP report, while overstating the current weakness in the economy, clearly illustrates what economists have known since the 1930s: Government fiscal contraction during periods of excess capacity—particularly when interest rates are already near-zero—is exactly the wrong thing to do. The coming year will see further cuts called for in the Budget Control Act (BCA) as well as possible cuts depending on the resolution of the “sequester” negotiations in March. These cuts will slow economic growth. Maybe not quite as dramatically as this quarter’s numbers indicate, but inevitably."

REPORT: Prominent Conservative Leader Once Ran White Supremacist Group

REPORT: Prominent Conservative Leader Once Ran White Supremacist Group: A new report by Mother Jones reveals that James B. Taylor, a prominent conservative movement leader and board member for the Young America’s Foundation, once served as vice president of a white supremacist group. Taylor’s bio notes that he is “chairman of World Youth Crusade [for Freedom] and former executive director and chief of staff [...]/p

9/11 First Responders Begin Getting Their Health Payments

9/11 First Responders Begin Getting Their Health Payments: More than a decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 15 first responders were the first to receive health payouts on Tuesday as part of a federal compensation fund for victims. The awards will help victims and their families face the unexpected healthcare costs, lost wages, and suffering that resulted from the exposure to toxic fumes, [...]/p

Chrysler Has Come All The Way Back From Bankruptcy, And Workers Will Reap The Benefits

Chrysler Has Come All The Way Back From Bankruptcy, And Workers Will Reap The Benefits: U.S. automaker Chrysler, which just three years ago received a rescue from the federal government, made $1.7 billion last year, and anticipates making more than $2 billion this year due to strengthening American demand for autos, according to information released today by the company. And workers will be receiving some of the spoils: All eligible [...]/p

AEI Scholar To Fellow Conservatives: Forget About The Debt!

AEI Scholar To Fellow Conservatives: Forget About The Debt!
"Seriously, I think hell just froze over. An American Enterprise Institute "stink tanker" publicly contradicts the party line and tells conservatives the debt is no big deal -- based on actual facts n' stuff? The AEI, home to Lynne Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Newt Gingrich and John Bolton?

There's always the possibility this is merely a public relations move in reaction to the sound drubbing conservatives took in the November election, but even if it is, so what? A chink in the armor is going to make our job of stopping austerity measures a lot easier"

Vast majority of wage earners are working harder, and for not much more: Trends in U.S. work hours and wages over 1979–2007 | Economic Policy Institute

Vast majority of wage earners are working harder, and for not much more: Trends in U.S. work hours and wages over 1979–2007 | Economic Policy Institute
"As is well-documented in The State of Working America, 12th Edition (Mishel et al. 2012), the U.S. economy over the past decade has worked primarily to the advantage of a small sliver of winners. Meanwhile, the vast majority of workers have not fared well—a trend that stretches back to the late 1970s. Contrary to some political rhetoric of late, this is not due to lack of effort; the broad middle class has increased its productivity, upgraded its educational attainment, and worked more hours. In other words, workers have been offering more to the economy and the labor market, and what they have received in return—particularly in the form of real hourly wages—has been very disappointing."

Report: Climate Change Has Already Brought Catastrophe to US Wildlife | Common Dreams

Report: Climate Change Has Already Brought Catastrophe to US Wildlife | Common Dreams
"Climate change has already pushed the nation's wildlife into crisis, according to a report released Wednesday from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and further catastrophe, including widespread extinction, can only be curbed with swift action to curb the carbon pollution that has the planet sweltering."

The Sandy 36: Republicans Vote Against Relief For Hurricane Victims

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Report: Nearly Half of Americans Have No Safety Net to Keep Them Out of Poverty | Alternet

Report: Nearly Half of Americans Have No Safety Net to Keep Them Out of Poverty | Alternet
"A new report reveals a fact that too many Americans are familiar with first-hand: nearly half of the nation's residents have no safety net to protect them from falling into poverty in the event of a layoff or other financial misfortune."

Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class

Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class: Students in Missouri have no sexual education requirement, so there’s a good chance they don’t know how to properly protect themselves from STIs or unintended pregnancy. Soon, though, they may be able to protect themselves from guns. Missouri state Senate is considering a bill that would require all first graders in the state to take [...]/p

Ted Cruz thinks He's Qualified To Judge Kerry, Hagel On Military Support

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‘Fundamentally Unfair’: How States Tax Their Richest 1 Percent At Half The Rate Of The Poor

‘Fundamentally Unfair’: How States Tax Their Richest 1 Percent At Half The Rate Of The Poor: The poorest Americans are subject to a tax rate at the state and local level that is twice as high as the tax rate paid by the wealthiest earners thanks to “fundamentally unfair” state tax laws, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Middle-class taxpayers also pay higher [...]/p

Communism, Polygamy And Human Cloning Are More Popular Than The NRA’s Position On Gun Safety

Communism, Polygamy And Human Cloning Are More Popular Than The NRA’s Position On Gun Safety: Later today, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre is set to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and will reaffirm his organization’s opposition to universal background checks for persons who wish to purchase a firearm. According to a copy of LaPierre’s prepared remarks that was leaked on Tuesday, the NRA’s top executive will claim [...]/p

U.S. Economy Shrinks For First Time Since 2009 Due To Government Spending Cuts

U.S. Economy Shrinks For First Time Since 2009 Due To Government Spending Cuts: According to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. economy contracted slightly in the fourth quarter of last year, shrinking by 0.1 percent. Analysts has expected growth of 1 percent. This was a large tumble from third quarter’s growth of 3.1 percent and the first contraction since 2009. According to the [...]/p

Michelle Rhee, Hands off California!

Michelle Rhee, Hands off California!
"erry Brown came to the California legislature at once triumphant but still breathing fire during his State of the State address last week. While declaring victory over California's budget deficits, he had some choice words for the education "reformers" of our time"

The Five Things You Have To Know Before Today’s Gun Policy Hearing

The Five Things You Have To Know Before Today’s Gun Policy Hearing: At 10 AM on Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its first hearings on new legislation to reduce gun violence in the United States. Here are the five things that’ll help you make sense of the policy and politics at play in today’s hearing. 1. America has a gun problem. Study after study after [...]/p

Goldman Sachs Made 400 Million in 2012 Manipulating Food Commodities Derivatives

Goldman Sachs Made 0 Million in 2012 Manipulating Food Commodities Derivatives
"Some will point to ever increasing food costs as their proof of inflation caused by an expansionary monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, but that’s not true.  Food costs and other must have commodities are being manipulated by Wall Street so that every time you buy a loaf of bread – you’re funding the bankers.  Every time you buy tortillas – you’re giving pennies at a time to bankers.  Goldman Sachs has invested $44 TRILLION into derivatives (source) with an unknown amount of that being funneled directly into commodities.  They’re cornering the market to make sure they extract their pound of flesh.  Worse yet – they’ve sued the Obama administration for implementing regulations that would limit how banks can manipulate food prices.  The courts ruled on behalf of the banks and against the Obama administration."

Lou Barletta (R-PA) Wouldn't Be An American If His Immigration Standards Had Been Official US Policy

Lou Barletta (R-PA) Wouldn't Be An American If His Immigration Standards Had Been Official US Policy
"And if the United States had barred "low-skilled" non-high school graduates when Italians were pouring wave after wave into Ellis Island, it's likely that neither Barletta, Antonin Scalia or Rick Santorum would call themselves Americans today.

But apparently, none of this bothers Barletta in the least.

Hey, eff you, Mexicans. He got his."

Failing Coral Reefs Pushing Marine Ecosystems Towards Tipping Point | Common Dreams

Failing Coral Reefs Pushing Marine Ecosystems Towards Tipping Point | Common Dreams
"Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean are nearing a dangerous tipping point, says a new analysis published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, as erosion begins to outpace the plummeting growth rates of new reef structures threatening some of the planet's most biologically diverse ecosystems."

Immigration Reform Must Include Workers' Rights | Common Dreams

Immigration Reform Must Include Workers' Rights | Common Dreams
"At this moment, various plans to reform America's broken immigration system are working their way through Congressional debate. On Monday, a bipartisan group of eight lawmakersunveiled a plan that includes what they call a "tough but fair" path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Last Friday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus met with President Obama to discuss the issue, and this caucus' input will be influential in shaping any final legislation."

How Big American Corporations Dodge Taxes By Claiming Huge Profits In Tiny Countries

How Big American Corporations Dodge Taxes By Claiming Huge Profits In Tiny Countries: American corporations avoid millions of dollars in taxes each year by reporting that large shares of their income are earned in five popular tax havens, even though small segments of their workforce and investment take place in those countries, according to data from the Congressional Research Service. The report analyzed five countries — Switzerland, Ireland, [...]/p

Mississippi Tea Partiers Seek To Nullify Any Federal Laws They Don’t Like

Mississippi Tea Partiers Seek To Nullify Any Federal Laws They Don’t Like: Responding to President Obama’s plan to issue 23 executive orders on gun violence prevention, radical lawmakers in a number of states have re-upped their efforts to exempt their state from federal gun laws through the insidious and unconstitutional practice of nullification. Now, Tea Partiers in Mississippi want to institutionalize the nullification process, with a proposal [...]/p

Three Charts Reminding The GOP That Domestic Spending Is Already Headed Toward Historic Lows

Three Charts Reminding The GOP That Domestic Spending Is Already Headed Toward Historic Lows: Republicans like to portray President Obama as a big government spender, despite the fact that government spending under Obama has grown at its slowest pace since the Eisenhower administration. The GOP is also trying to pretend the spending cuts that Obama has signed into law over the last two years simply didn’t happen. In fact, [...]/p

The Anti-Economist: Misleading American History - Truthdig

The Anti-Economist: Misleading American History - Truthdig
"By ignoring the historic role government played in enabling economic growth, the prevailing myths about how the U.S. became prosperous allow lawmakers, officials and lobbyists to craft policies that prevent the majority of Americans from taking their rightful share of the national wealth"

Opponents of “Corporate Personhood” Eye US Constitution | Common Dreams

Opponents of “Corporate Personhood” Eye US Constitution | Common Dreams
"There is a growing national movement to establish a 28th amendment to the constitution of the United States to address the issue of unlimited corporate spending in elections, although the groups working on the issue diverge on what exactly the amendment should say."

Contrasting Words With Deeds In Republican Tax Policy

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31 Senate Republicans Opposed Sandy Relief After Supporting Disaster Aid For Home States

31 Senate Republicans Opposed Sandy Relief After Supporting Disaster Aid For Home States: When the Senate passed the long-delayed $50.5 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package Monday, 36 Republicans voted against the bill. But of the 32 no-votes from Senators who are not brand-new members, at least 31 came from Republicans who had previously supported emergency aid efforts following disasters in their own states. While opponents complained that the [...]/p

Biotech Giants Battle to Stop Generic Competition | Common Dreams

Biotech Giants Battle to Stop Generic Competition | Common Dreams
"Biotech giants are fighting tooth and nail to prevent pharmacists from giving generic substitutes for biological drugs, which could cost the companies billions of dollars in annual sales but save consumers thousands of dollars."

Crusader Limbaugh Goes To War With Immigration Reform

Crusader Limbaugh Goes To War With Immigration Reform
"Boss Rush is all over comprehensive immigration reform, declaring that "it's up to [him] and Fox News" to stop immigration reform, before it's too late."

GOP Governors Increase Burden On Poor With Regressive Tax Plan

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If You Don’t Want The U.S. to Be Greece, Forget Austerity

If You Don’t Want The U.S. to Be Greece, Forget Austerity
"See, one of the only reasons why many countries in Europe have suffered so much after the financial collapse has been because, instead of turning towards Keynesian policies that Paul Krugman has begged for, they’ve embraced the Conservative principles that the UK’s Cameron touted. And that decision ushered in very painful austerity measures upon the people of their nations. The effects of those decisions has been a non-existent financial recovery to their economy and an accompanying nightmare to their population."

Republican Advocacy Group Coaching GOP on How Not Sound like Racist A**holes | Alternet

Republican Advocacy Group Coaching GOP on How Not Sound like Racist A**holes | Alternet
"But it also seems like pretty obvious advice—or at least it should be obvious advice to any congressman who doesn't hate brown people. And the fact that the pro-GOP Hispanic Leadership Network thought it was necessary to remind their party not to say offensive things like "send them all back" is a damn harsh commentary on the state of the Republican Party."

How Big Banks Are Making Jobless Americans Pay Millions To Access Their Benefits

How Big Banks Are Making Jobless Americans Pay Millions To Access Their Benefits: According to a new report from the National Consumer Law Center, jobless Americans are being forced to pay millions of dollars in unnecessary fees to big banks in order to access their unemployment insurance benefits. Several states do not give beneficiaries the option of having their benefits deposited directly into their bank accounts, forcing them [...]/p

GOP Rep Says He Opposes Immigration Reform Because Latinos Are Uneducated, Will Never Support Republicans

GOP Rep Says He Opposes Immigration Reform Because Latinos Are Uneducated, Will Never Support Republicans: Republican senators in the so-called Gang of 8 working to enact comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship argue that repairing the broken system would attract Latino voters to the GOP. As Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) explained during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s This Week, “We are losing dramatically the Hispanic vote, which we [...]/p

Dear Republicans: It's Not Your 'Messaging'. It's You.

Dear Republicans: It's Not Your 'Messaging'. It's You.
"The GOP brand is still reeling from the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush. To wit, 53 percent of voters last year said Bush was responsible for our current economic problems, compared with 38 percent for Obama. It’s no wonder voters gave Obama a second term—it takes more than four years to clean up a mess of that magnitude."

How CNBC And Fox News Misinformed Viewers About The Dangers Of The Debt Ceiling

How CNBC And Fox News Misinformed Viewers About The Dangers Of The Debt Ceiling: House Republicans recently agreed to raise the debt ceiling, preventing a self-inflicted economic calamity. Experts agree that failure to raise the debt ceiling would have catastrophic consequences for the U.S. economy. The debt ceiling debacle of 2010, during which the U.S. did not actually breach the debt limit and default, will wind up costing U.S. [...]/p

Four Important Ways Immigration Reform Could Benefit America’s Economy

Four Important Ways Immigration Reform Could Benefit America’s Economy: A bipartisan group of senators introduced a comprehensive immigration reform plan today that would reshape the nation’s outdated economic laws by putting 11 million undocumented immigrants on a path to citizenship while boosting border security. The plan would expand the pool of visas for highly-skilled immigrant workers and put young immigrants and undocumented agricultural workers [...]/p

New Jersey Governor Vetoes Minimum Wage Increase

New Jersey Governor Vetoes Minimum Wage Increase: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) today vetoed an increase in the minimum wage that was passed by the state’s Democratic senate. Using what’s known as a “conditional veto,” Christie sent the bill back saying he would sign it if certain changes were made, including: shrinking the increase from $8.50 to $8.25 per hour, phasing [...]/p

Virginia Electoral College Rigging Scheme Would Further Disenfranchise Minority Voters

Virginia Electoral College Rigging Scheme Would Further Disenfranchise Minority Voters: As the Virginia Senate’s Privileges and Elections Committee prepares to take up a bill to rig bill the state’s electoral college vote, Democrats and even Republicans are distancing themselves from the effort, calling it “a bad idea,” “skewing,” and a “partisan bill aimed at defying the will of the voters.” A ThinkProgress analysis of Virginia [...]/p

GOP Vote Rigging Stalls in Virginia and Florida but Pushes On in Wisconsin and Michigan -- Why?

GOP Vote Rigging Stalls in Virginia and Florida but Pushes On in Wisconsin and Michigan -- Why?
"Over the weekend, Wisconsin Governor Walker expressed support for a plan to end the longstanding practice of awarding a state's presidential elector votes to the winner of the statewide vote, and replacing it with a plan to allocate electors according to the victor in each Congressional district (a sentiment he also had expressed in December). Such a change would significantly benefit the GOP's presidential chances, largely because Republicans were in a position to redraw Congressional maps to favor their party during the last redistricting process."

The GOP Plan To Rig The 2016 Presidential Election

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Analysis Shows Virginia GOP Governor’s Tax Plan Would Pound The Poor

Analysis Shows Virginia GOP Governor’s Tax Plan Would Pound The Poor: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has been touring his state to promote a plan that would eliminate Virginia’s gas tax and replace it with an expanded sales tax. McDonnell is touting the plan as a way to fix the state’s dysfunctional transportation funding system, but its practical effect would be to make Virginia’s already regressive [...]/p

Court Ruling on Labor Board a Bid to Return to Era of Open Season on Workers | Common Dreams

Court Ruling on Labor Board a Bid to Return to Era of Open Season on Workers | Common Dreams
"The appeals court ruling Friday overturning President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board is a huge gift to Wall Street, big corporations and the politicians they control who have worked for years to overturn protections for working people in the U.S.

In healthcare the implications are especially insidious. It is a clear assault on the ability of nurses to act collectively to improve safety standards and public protections for patients. If nurses are unable to speak out for patients and act together to safeguard conditions, all patients are threatened in an era in which most hospital employers place their bottom line above patient safety."

AIG and Ethics: The Corporatization of Public Higher Education

AIG and Ethics: The Corporatization of Public Higher Education
"The notorious insurance monolith AIG gave two-thirds of the Ethics Center’s $16,000 first year budget. What might AIG’s intentions have been for funding the Center? AIG has not been known for its ethics. In fact, the insurer’s risky bets on derivatives were central to the 2008 economic crash. They received a $182 billion bailout. Yes, billion."

Thoughts On Energy And Climate Policy In Obama’s Second Term

Thoughts On Energy And Climate Policy In Obama’s Second Term: by Robert Stavins, via Harvard In his inaugural address on January 21st, President Obama surprised many people – including me – by the intensity and the length of his comments on global climate change.  Since then, there has been a great deal of discussion in the press and in the blogosphere about what climate policy [...]/p

Americans for Prosperity Provides "Grassroots" for Controversial Wisconsin Mining Bill

Americans for Prosperity Provides "Grassroots" for Controversial Wisconsin Mining Bill
"SB 1/AB 1, commonly called the "Mining Reform Bill," is a renewed effort by supporters of a Florida-based mining company called Gogebic Taconite, or GTAC, to loosen environmental rules so the company can build an open-pit, iron ore mine in rural Northern Wisconsin. The mine is a top priority for Governor Scott Walker who is stung by continued reports placing Wisconsin at the bottom of the nation in terms of job creation. He featured the mine and a small group of miners in hard hats in his State of the Union address last week."

Only Three Choices for Afghan Endgame: Compromise, Conflict, or Collapse | Common Dreams

Only Three Choices for Afghan Endgame: Compromise, Conflict, or Collapse | Common Dreams
"Only one thing is certain in 2014: it will be a year of American military defeat.  For more than a decade, U.S. forces have fought many types of wars in Afghanistan, from a low-footprint invasion, to multiple surges, to a flirtation with Vietnam-style counterinsurgency, to a ramped-up, gloves-off air war.  And yet, despite all the experiments in styles of war-making, the American military and its coalition partners have ended up in the same place: stalemate, which in a battle with guerrillas means defeat."