Proof That Cutting Government Slows The Economy

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2 Years in Jail for Sitting on a Milk Crate? The Shocking Ways America Punishes Poor People Living on the Street (Hard Times, USA) | Alternet

2 Years in Jail for Sitting on a Milk Crate? The Shocking Ways America Punishes Poor People Living on the Street (Hard Times, USA) | Alternet
"Laws all over the country are designed solely to target the homeless, a glaring example of the criminalization of poverty in America. There are better solutions."

Race-Baiting For Profit: Check Out Tweets By Former Head of SC GOP

Race-Baiting For Profit: Check Out Tweets By Former Head of SC GOP
"No one will be surprised that Todd Kincannon, former Southern Carolina Republican Party chairman is tweeting racist nonsense. It's just that this racist nonsense is, even by conservative standards, pretty blatant and ugly."

New Rules - Taking from Rubes Edition

Bill Maher this week on the gradual Dying of Fox News and the end of the Palin nonsense....

Eight Senators Vote To Block Violence Against Women Act

Eight Senators Vote To Block Violence Against Women Act: Eight Senators on Monday voted not to consider the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill that protects victims of domestic violence. The Senators who voted against moving to debate on the bill were: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tim Scott (R-SC), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Johanns (R-NE), Rand Paul (R-KY), [...]/p

Hundreds Rally in NY: 'Not One Fracking Well' | Common Dreams

Hundreds Rally in NY: 'Not One Fracking Well' | Common Dreams
"Hundreds of anti-fracking activists a packed legislative hearing in Albany, NY on Monday to demand that Governor Cuomo protect the state's air and water supply and not lift the ban on the controversial drilling practice known as fracking."

Who Needs to Win to Win?

Who Needs to Win to Win?
"In the immediate aftermath of last November’s election, the Republican Party, snapped suddenly out of the self-delusion of imminent victory promulgated by the Karl Roves and Dick Morrises of their party, came face-to-face with grim reality: Most of America hated them. And the Americans who didn’t hate them were dying off at a disconcerting pace. Something, nearly everybody both inside and outside the party agreed, would have to be done to rehabilitate the party brand. These were the choices: change, or continue to lose.

Since the New Year, though, a third possibility has emerged. What if Republicans don’t compromise with public opinion, but also don’t lose?

A glimpse of such a future came slowly into view in the weeks following the election, when Republican legislators in Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio floated, with varying levels of commitment, a plan to rig the Electoral College."

Congressman Slams Fellow Republicans’ Immigration Efforts As ‘A Shameless Political Ploy To Buy New Voters’

Congressman Slams Fellow Republicans’ Immigration Efforts As ‘A Shameless Political Ploy To Buy New Voters’: As GOP leaders commit themselves to a serious overhaul of the nation’s immigration system, pundits have lauded the bipartisan group of eight senators spearheading a good-faith effort to find a comprehensive solution. But at least one Republican wants to put an end to that. In a fundraising email to supporters, Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI) — [...]/p

Continuing LIBOR Scandal Reveals The Farce Of ‘Light-Touch’ Regulation

Continuing LIBOR Scandal Reveals The Farce Of ‘Light-Touch’ Regulation: London became one of the globe’s primary financial hubs partly through its so-called “light touch” regulatory approach — effectively trusting some of the world’s largest and most powerful banking enterprises to manage their own affairs without much government intervention. As a result, the U.K. central bank alternately ignored the burgeoning business of LIBOR-rigging and actively [...]/p

Breaking the Chains of Debt Peonage | Common Dreams

Breaking the Chains of Debt Peonage | Common Dreams
"The only way to break this fear and passivity is to organize workers to break the cycle of mounting debt. And the first step to achieving independence from debt—the primary form of political control by the corporate state—is to raise the minimum wage. There are other solutions—forgiving mortgage and student debt, instituting universal health care, establishing a nationwide jobs program to rebuild the country’s Third World infrastructure, and green energy—but none of this will happen until we are able to mount a sustained mass movement that discredits the corporate state. This mass movement will arise, as Nader says, when we mobilize around the minimum wage."

The NRA Enemies List: AARP to YMCA to Britney Spears to Hallmark Cards | Common Dreams

The NRA Enemies List: AARP to YMCA to Britney Spears to Hallmark Cards | Common Dreams
"Among them: The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Nurses Association, American Firearms Association (say what?), Consumer Federation of America, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, U.S. Catholic Conference, YMCA, Tony Bennett, N Sync, The Temptations, Geraldo, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Levi Strauss, Kansas City Chiefs, Time Warner, etc etc. Man, the NRA's world must be getting some lonesome. Scary."

Florida Father With Assault Weapon Forces Wife to Watch as He Kills Two Sons

Florida Father With Assault Weapon Forces Wife to Watch as He Kills Two Sons
"A Florida man armed with an weapon that had once been banned under federal law forced his wife to watch as he strangled one of his sons and then shot a second before turning a gun on himself."

Oklahoma Woman Locks Her Neck to Keystone XL Construction Equipment | Common Dreams

Oklahoma Woman Locks Her Neck to Keystone XL Construction Equipment | Common Dreams
"Early this morning Norman, Oklahoma resident Elisabeth Leja locked her neck to equipment used in constructing the Keystone XL pipeline. Citing concerns for Oklahoma’s waterways, and their importance for the health of future generations, her actions have halted construction at the site on Highway 62, just North of the North Canadian River, for the day. The Gulf Coast segment is being actively constructed in Oklahoma and Texas, despite objections by impacted communities."

Study: Republican Gerrymandering Cost Democrats 1.7 Million Votes In Just 7 States

Study: Republican Gerrymandering Cost Democrats 1.7 Million Votes In Just 7 States:  Republicans so effectively gerrymandered congressional maps before the 2012 election that Democratic House candidates would need to win the national popular vote by over 7 points in order to win back the House. Last November, the American people preferred Democratic House candidates to Republican House candidates by almost 1.4 million votes, [...]/p

Wisconsin's "Shameful" Gerrymander of 2012

Wisconsin's "Shameful" Gerrymander of 2012
"The GOP's partisan redistricting process has come under renewed scrutiny in recent months, with gerrymandered maps helping Republicans hold Congress despite receiving fewer votes than Democrats, and state legislators discussing plans to rig the presidential election by awarding electoral votes according to those contorted boundaries. But out of all the states re-drawing Congressional boundaries along partisan lines after the 2010 elections, Wisconsin's gerrymandering may have been the most egregious."

Pennsylvania Republicans To Introduce New Election-Rigging Plan

Pennsylvania Republicans To Introduce New Election-Rigging Plan: Last month, Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus called up “states that have been consistently blue that are fully controlled red” to rig future presidential elections by changing the way electoral votes are allocated. Under Priebus’ proposal, blue states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania would stop awarding electoral votes to the winner of the [...]/p

Damage From US Navy Ship to Pristine Reef Far Worse Than Estimated | Common Dreams

Damage From US Navy Ship to Pristine Reef Far Worse Than Estimated | Common Dreams
"With attempts to salvage a US Navy minesweeper stranded in a pristine coral reef in the Philippines not yet underway, reports indicate that the damage the grounding caused to the marine sanctuary is far worse than initially estimated."

Paul Krugman Destroys GOP’s Talking Points On Government Jobs

Paul Krugman Destroys GOP’s Talking Points On Government Jobs: On Sunday, economist Paul Krugman hit back against GOP claims that public sector employment has increased under Obama, and that such jobs consist mainly of wasteful bureaucrats and somehow count less economically than private sector ones. Back in September it was tea party Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) toeing that line, and this morning it was [...]/p

AL Teacher Rants About Michelle Obama's 'Big Butt' and 'Queers'

AL Teacher Rants About Michelle Obama's 'Big Butt' and 'Queers'
"When the tea party gained prominence, my husband scoffed at my insistence that they were propelled by racism. But the more he saw of them, the harder it became for him to deny. All of the things that existed when George W. Bush was president suddenly became tyranny when an African American man occupied the White House."

The Baffling Response to Arctic Climate Change | Common Dreams

The Baffling Response to Arctic Climate Change | Common Dreams
"The Arctic may seem like a distant place, just as the most extreme consequences of our wasteful use of fossil fuels may appear to be in some distant future. Both are closer than most of us realize."

How the Public Can Win the New Financial War | Alternet

How the Public Can Win the New Financial War | Alternet
"Wall Street lobbyists blame unemployment and the loss of industrial competitiveness on government spending and budget deficits – especially on social programs – and labor’s demand to share in the economy’s rising productivity. The myth (perhaps we should call it junk economics) is that (1) governments should not run deficits (at least, not by printing their own money), because (2) public money creation and high taxes (at lest on the wealthy) cause prices to rise. The cure for economic malaise (which they themselves have caused), is said to be less public spending, along with more tax cuts for the wealthy, who euphemize themselves as “job creators.” Demanding budget surpluses, bank lobbyists promise that banks can provide the economy with enough purchasing power to grow. Then, when this ends in crisis, they insist that austerity can squeeze out enough income to enable private-sector debts to be paid.

The reality is that when banks load the economy down with debt, this leaves less to spend on domestic goods and services while driving up housing prices (and hence the cost of living) with reckless credit creation on looser lending terms."

Seattle Coffee Chain Charging 'Sick Leave Surcharge' Of 1.5%

Seattle Coffee Chain Charging 'Sick Leave Surcharge' Of 1.5%
"this shameful little tale of passive-aggressive douchebaggery: A coffee chain owner whoannounces a "surcharge" to cover the city's new mandatory sick pay law -- instead of quietly raising his prices:"

Obama Administration’s New Birth Control Rules Already Gaining Support Among Catholic Leaders

Obama Administration’s New Birth Control Rules Already Gaining Support Among Catholic Leaders: On Friday, the Obama Administration announced updated regulations for its birth control rule that requires employer-based insurance plans to offer contraceptive services without a co-pay. The new rules address concerns from both Catholic groups and women’s health organizations — clarifying that women who work for religious employers will still be able to access no-cost birth [...]/p

GOP Lawmaker Behind Abortion Ban: ‘We’re Not Going To Allow Minorities To Run Roughshod’

GOP Lawmaker Behind Abortion Ban: ‘We’re Not Going To Allow Minorities To Run Roughshod’: On Wednesday, the Arkansas Senate approved an unconstitutional bill to ban abortion as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. As The Nation’s Lee Fang noted Friday, this is part of a larger strategy by chief sponsor Sen. Jason Rapert (R) to remake America as a arch-conservative country. Rapert explained his long-term goals in a [...]/p

Hospital Chain Flouts NLRB Order After Court Ruling On Recess Appointments

Hospital Chain Flouts NLRB Order After Court Ruling On Recess Appointments: Last week’s radical federal appeals court ruling that called into question hundreds of presidential recess appointments made over the last 150 years is already taking a toll. While the decision finding unconstitutional President Obama’s appointment last January of three members to the National Labor Relations Board invalidated just one particular NLRB decision, a hospital chain declared this [...]/p

43 GOP Senators Threaten Obstruction Unless Consumer Protection Bureau Is Weakened

43 GOP Senators Threaten Obstruction Unless Consumer Protection Bureau Is Weakened: When the Dodd-Frank financial reform law first passed, Senate Republicans refused to confirm a director for the newly-created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They promised to block any nominee — regardless of that nominee’s qualifications for the job — unless the Bureau was weakened and made subservient to the same bank regulators who failed to prevent [...]/p

NRA Publishes Enemies List With 506 Names

NRA Publishes Enemies List With 506 Names: Late last year, the National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm published a Nixonian enemies list naming organizations and individuals that “lent monetary, grassroots or some other type of direct support to anti-gun organizations” or have otherwise backed efforts to promote gun safety. The list totals 506 names, including major medical associations, law enforcement organizations, former presidents [...]/p

Two Charts That Make The Case For More Infrastructure Spending

Two Charts That Make The Case For More Infrastructure Spending: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today that the U.S. economy added 157,000 jobs last month, which is not enough to quickly bring down the unemployment rate. At the same time, America faces a huge infrastructure gap that is going to cost it 3.5 million jobs over the next decade. The obvious solution should be [...]/p

Scott Brown Is Out!

Scott Brown Is Out!
"We've added Ed Markey to our Blue America page so please donate if you can. He's a real progressive and we need more of them in Congress."

Rebuking Austerity, Americans Say: Strengthen Social Security | Common Dreams

Rebuking Austerity, Americans Say: Strengthen Social Security | Common Dreams
"While recent proposals from lawmakers and corporate CEO 'extremists' have put Social Security benefits on the chopping block, Americans are coming out in strong support of the vital program. They are saying: Preserve it.  Fund it.  Strengthen it.  Raise our taxes for it."

'Just the Beginning': US Drought Kills Hundreds of Thousands of Trees | Common Dreams

'Just the Beginning': US Drought Kills Hundreds of Thousands of Trees | Common Dreams
"The historic drought of 2012, which continues to ravage over half of the contiguous US, has a new legacy: the death of hundreds of thousands of trees across the Midwest."

Manmade Carbon Pollution Has Already Put Us On Track For 69 Feet Of Sea Level Rise

Manmade Carbon Pollution Has Already Put Us On Track For 69 Feet Of Sea Level Rise: The bad news is that we’re all but certain to end up with a coastline at least this flooded (20 meters or 69 feet): The “good” news is that this might take 1000 to 2000 years (or longer), and the choices we make now can affect the rate of rise and whether we blow past [...]/p

Sandy Hook ER Doctor Testifies

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Five Possibilities for the Next Great Progressive Push | Common Dreams

Five Possibilities for the Next Great Progressive Push | Common Dreams
"Obama’s second inaugural address opened some hope of a brighter progressive future, yet virtually all the critical economic and distributional issues were off the table—and the pain is likely to continue. Paradoxically, the failings of traditional politics—and the anger that is already building up—suggest strategic possibilities that focus on critical institutions, along with opportunities for the step by step “evolutionary reconstruction” of basic ownership of the economy at different levels."

Texas Assistant DA Assassinated, Possible Aryan Brotherhood Link

Texas Assistant DA Assassinated, Possible Aryan Brotherhood Link
"The Aryan Brotherhood is a criminal gang. Their activities transcend your run-of-the-mill white supremacist type."

The 25 Most Vile Statements by Fox News' Newest Pundit | Alternet

The 25 Most Vile Statements by Fox News' Newest Pundit | Alternet
"As Erick Erickson leaves CNN for Fox News, let's take a look at why the station will love its newest employee."

Exxon, Chevron Made $71 Billion Profit In 2012 As Consumers Paid Record Gas Prices

Exxon, Chevron Made $71 Billion Profit In 2012 As Consumers Paid Record Gas Prices: While 2012 might not be a banner year for Big Oil profits, it wasn’t a bad one either. With just BP left to announce 2012 earnings, Big Oil earned well over $100 billion in profits last year, while the companies benefit from continued taxpayer subsidies. Average gas prices also hit a record high last year, [...]/p

High Health Care Costs Bankrupt One In Four American Seniors

High Health Care Costs Bankrupt One In Four American Seniors: According to a new study released by the Journal of General Internal Medicine, out-of-pocket medical spending in the last five years of life left one in four American seniors bankrupt. The study found that average “out-of-pocket expenditures in the 5 years prior to death were $38,688 for individuals, and $51,030 for couples in which one [...]/p

Exposed: How Whole Foods and the Biggest Organic Foods Distributor Are Screwing Workers | Alternet

Exposed: How Whole Foods and the Biggest Organic Foods Distributor Are Screwing Workers | Alternet
"Whole Foods is under investigation for 45 violations of federal labor law."

Noam Chomsky: Obama Would Have Been Called a ‘Moderate Republican’ in Recent Decades | Alternet

Noam Chomsky: Obama Would Have Been Called a ‘Moderate Republican’ in Recent Decades | Alternet
"The professor argues Dems function as moderate Republicans and the GOP so extreme you can barely call it a political party."