Monday, January 28, 2013
How One Iowa Senator Secured Civil Rights For Americans Living With Disabilities
How One Iowa Senator Secured Civil Rights For Americans Living With Disabilities: This past weekend, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced he will not seek re-election in 2014, bringing an almost 40 year career in Congress to a close. But as Harkin steps aside, his legacy — particularly his work to champion increased protections for Americans living with disabilities — remains. Twenty two years ago, President George H.W. [...]/p
A Vicious New Strain Of Stomach Flu Shows The Importance Of Paid Sick Leave
A Vicious New Strain Of Stomach Flu Shows The Importance Of Paid Sick Leave: Jane Farrell, a research assistant for economic policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. It seems that the U.S. is set up for a double-whammy outbreak of illness this winter — after enduring one of the worst flu seasons in years, America now faces an especially vicious strain of [...]/p
Michigan’s GOP House Speaker Expresses Support For Election Rigging
Michigan’s GOP House Speaker Expresses Support For Election Rigging: Late last week, democracy scored two important victories over a Republican plan to rig future presidential elections by changing the way electoral votes are counted in several key blue states. Two Virginia Republican state senators spoke out against the plan, effectively killing it. And Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford (R) attacked the election-rigging scheme as [...]/p
Obama Is Dismantling Reagan's Right-Wing Legacy | Alternet
Obama Is Dismantling Reagan's Right-Wing Legacy | Alternet
"Actually, the GOP is doing a pretty good job annihilating itself. As Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal put it, Republicans need to “stop being the stupid party"."
"Actually, the GOP is doing a pretty good job annihilating itself. As Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal put it, Republicans need to “stop being the stupid party"."
The GOP's Class Warriors: Makers, Takers, Fakers | Common Dreams
The GOP's Class Warriors: Makers, Takers, Fakers | Common Dreams
"Republicans have a problem. For years they could shout down any attempt to point out the extent to which their policies favored the elite over the poor and the middle class; all they had to do was yell “Class warfare!” and Democrats scurried away. In the 2012 election, however, that didn’t work: the picture of the G.O.P. as the party of sneering plutocrats stuck, even as Democrats became more openly populist than they have been in decades."
"Republicans have a problem. For years they could shout down any attempt to point out the extent to which their policies favored the elite over the poor and the middle class; all they had to do was yell “Class warfare!” and Democrats scurried away. In the 2012 election, however, that didn’t work: the picture of the G.O.P. as the party of sneering plutocrats stuck, even as Democrats became more openly populist than they have been in decades."
Sunday, January 27, 2013
To Resist, To Join Together, Occasionally To Win | Common Dreams
To Resist, To Join Together, Occasionally To Win | Common Dreams
"It was three years ago that we lost Howard Zinn, teacher, historian, activist, optimist, speaker of truth to power. He is missed."
"It was three years ago that we lost Howard Zinn, teacher, historian, activist, optimist, speaker of truth to power. He is missed."
Paul Ryan: Calling Out My Hypocrisy on 'Entitlements' is a 'Straw Man Argument'
Paul Ryan: Calling Out My Hypocrisy on 'Entitlements' is a 'Straw Man Argument'
"Apparently taking note of the fact that someone is s hypocrite and rightfully pointing out that their policies hurt the most vulnerable among us is now a "straw man argument." On this Sunday's Meet the Press, David Gregory asked Rep. Paul Ryan about this quote from President Obama's inaugural speech, and Ryan pretty well twisted himself in knots trying to pretend that he and his fellow Republicans really don't want to gut our social safety nets. And all of that talk about "makers vs. takers"... well, just disregard all that."
"Apparently taking note of the fact that someone is s hypocrite and rightfully pointing out that their policies hurt the most vulnerable among us is now a "straw man argument." On this Sunday's Meet the Press, David Gregory asked Rep. Paul Ryan about this quote from President Obama's inaugural speech, and Ryan pretty well twisted himself in knots trying to pretend that he and his fellow Republicans really don't want to gut our social safety nets. And all of that talk about "makers vs. takers"... well, just disregard all that."
Paul Ryan Embraces Spending Cuts He Said Would Devastate The Country
Paul Ryan Embraces Spending Cuts He Said Would Devastate The Country: During an interview on Meet The Press on Sunday, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) predicted that the sequester cuts are “going to happen” and made no concrete proposals for how to avoid the reductions. The tone represents a sharp rhetorical and policy shift for the onetime GOP vice presidential nominee, who warned during the 2012 presidential [...]/p
Corporate Land Grabs Reveal a Hidden Agenda: Controlling the Water | Alternet
Corporate Land Grabs Reveal a Hidden Agenda: Controlling the Water | Alternet
"The food crisis and recent droughts have confirmed that controlling the source of food—the land and the water that flows under or by it—are equally or even more important."
"The food crisis and recent droughts have confirmed that controlling the source of food—the land and the water that flows under or by it—are equally or even more important."
Boehner Promises to Make Ending Abortion a National Priority
Boehner Promises to Make Ending Abortion a National Priority
"However, if Mr. Boehner wants to continue to push the Republican party into irrelevance, that's okay by me. As long as he doesn't waist precious time that should be devoted to real issues that concern the majority of Americans today."
"However, if Mr. Boehner wants to continue to push the Republican party into irrelevance, that's okay by me. As long as he doesn't waist precious time that should be devoted to real issues that concern the majority of Americans today."
US Chamber CEO Donohue: Fracking Is Our Future, Safety Nets Be Damned
US Chamber CEO Donohue: Fracking Is Our Future, Safety Nets Be Damned
"If you want to understand the source of the world's problems, follow the Davos coverage by CNN andBloomberg News for a few days. Not only will they tell you what the source is, they'll prove that your instincts are right about billionaires and those who present them as the arbiters of all things fair and right.
"If you want to understand the source of the world's problems, follow the Davos coverage by CNN andBloomberg News for a few days. Not only will they tell you what the source is, they'll prove that your instincts are right about billionaires and those who present them as the arbiters of all things fair and right.
Davos is the annual billionaires' conclave where they network, get their message straight, gladhand hungry politicians, and try to determine our fate. Ladies and gentlemen, our problem isn't what the billionaires think it is. Our problem is the billionaires."
FreedomWorks Putting Its War Chest to Work for ALEC’s Union-Busting Agenda in the States | Alternet
FreedomWorks Putting Its War Chest to Work for ALEC’s Union-Busting Agenda in the States | Alternet
"The Tea Party-affiliated group FreedomWorks -- the right-wing organization that helps connect “Tea Party” groups with talking points, rallies, and more -- is gearing up to direct its sizeable war chest towards advancing anti-union initiatives in the states, supporting an agenda set by groups like David Koch's Americans for Prosperity and the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). This strongly suggests that the battle for the future of private and public sector unions in America is beginning a new phase of combat."
"The Tea Party-affiliated group FreedomWorks -- the right-wing organization that helps connect “Tea Party” groups with talking points, rallies, and more -- is gearing up to direct its sizeable war chest towards advancing anti-union initiatives in the states, supporting an agenda set by groups like David Koch's Americans for Prosperity and the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). This strongly suggests that the battle for the future of private and public sector unions in America is beginning a new phase of combat."
Finally, the Swaggering Republicans Are Afraid | Alternet
Finally, the Swaggering Republicans Are Afraid | Alternet
"Of course, the Republicans still have the Right-Wing Machine churning out propaganda to rally the party’s angry white-male base. Plus, the GOP is coming up with more new plans for minimizing the votes of black and brown people and maximizing the political clout of whites, such as a scheme in several states to apportion presidential electors based on the Republicans’ gerrymandered congressional districts.
"Of course, the Republicans still have the Right-Wing Machine churning out propaganda to rally the party’s angry white-male base. Plus, the GOP is coming up with more new plans for minimizing the votes of black and brown people and maximizing the political clout of whites, such as a scheme in several states to apportion presidential electors based on the Republicans’ gerrymandered congressional districts.
But Boehner seems to sense that something fundamental has changed. Perhaps he was playacting a bit when he warned fellow Republicans that Obama hoped to “annihilate” the Republican Party. But – overdramatized or not – Boehner’s alarm suggests that finally it is the Republicans who are afraid."
Republicans Already Moving To Obstruct Consumer Protection Director… Again
Republicans Already Moving To Obstruct Consumer Protection Director… Again: Less than a day after President Obama announced that he is re-nominating Richard Cordray to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Republicans suggested that they again intend to obstruct his nomination based on their continued opposition to having a strong independent agency protecting consumers from predatory lending practices. Cordray’s recess appointment is [...]/p
The Peak of Her Game
The Peak of Her Game
"We've seen many Hillarys come and go over the years, but the one who faced down the Tea Party was the one she always wanted to be."
"We've seen many Hillarys come and go over the years, but the one who faced down the Tea Party was the one she always wanted to be."
Michigan GOP moving forward on election-rigging scheme
Michigan GOP moving forward on election-rigging scheme
"The Republican plan to rig the 2016 presidential election is starting to hit some speed bumps. Leading GOP lawmakers in Florida have already balked, and support among VirginiaRepublicans is far from unanimous."
"The Republican plan to rig the 2016 presidential election is starting to hit some speed bumps. Leading GOP lawmakers in Florida have already balked, and support among VirginiaRepublicans is far from unanimous."
Democrats Fight GOP Election Rigging Scheme
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Re-Calculated Results in Pennsylvania Show Charter Schools Fail Their Own Hype | Common Dreams
Re-Calculated Results in Pennsylvania Show Charter Schools Fail Their Own Hype | Common Dreams
"The nationwide push for privatization of education through corporate-backed charter schools received a rebuke this week after newly calculated data in Pennsylvania showed that such schools are markedly out-performed by their public counterparts."
"The nationwide push for privatization of education through corporate-backed charter schools received a rebuke this week after newly calculated data in Pennsylvania showed that such schools are markedly out-performed by their public counterparts."
Next Big Challenge Facing DC: The Sequester
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Saturday, January 26, 2013
Kiriakou Defenders Hope to Get Whistle-Blower’s Prison Sentence Commuted - Truthdig
Kiriakou Defenders Hope to Get Whistle-Blower’s Prison Sentence Commuted - Truthdig
"High-profile defenders of John Kiriakou have written President Barack Obama to request that he commute the whistle-blower’s sentence or pardon him.
"High-profile defenders of John Kiriakou have written President Barack Obama to request that he commute the whistle-blower’s sentence or pardon him.
Kiriakou was charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, allegedly disclosing classified information to members of the news media after speaking out against waterboarding in 2007. He pleaded guilty in October as part of an agreement that would sentence him to 30 months in prison."
Teacher Boycott of Standardized Test in Seattle Continues to Spread | Common Dreams
Teacher Boycott of Standardized Test in Seattle Continues to Spread | Common Dreams
"A boycott of Washington state’s mandated standardized test by teachers at a Seattle school is spreading to other schools and winning support across the country, including from the two largest teachers’ unions, parents, students, researchers and educators."
"A boycott of Washington state’s mandated standardized test by teachers at a Seattle school is spreading to other schools and winning support across the country, including from the two largest teachers’ unions, parents, students, researchers and educators."
New Englanders Converge: 'No Tar Sands Pipeline' | Common Dreams
New Englanders Converge: 'No Tar Sands Pipeline' | Common Dreams
"Opponents of a proposed pipeline project that would bring Canadian tar sands oil through New England gathered in Portland, Maine Saturday for a regional protest against the scheme by oil pipeline companies to use existing lines to transport what experts call the "world's dirtiest fuel"."
"Opponents of a proposed pipeline project that would bring Canadian tar sands oil through New England gathered in Portland, Maine Saturday for a regional protest against the scheme by oil pipeline companies to use existing lines to transport what experts call the "world's dirtiest fuel"."
Arizona Bills Require Public School Students To Recite Loyalty Oaths
Arizona Bills Require Public School Students To Recite Loyalty Oaths: Public high school students in Arizona will have to “recite an oath supporting the U.S. Constitution” to receive a graduation diploma, if a new bill introduced in the new session of the state legislature is passed and signed into law. The measure, House Bill 2467, was offered by Rep. Bob Thorpe (R), a freshman tea [...]/p
Don’t Buy Lies About Social Security | Common Dreams
Don’t Buy Lies About Social Security | Common Dreams
"Let’s be brutally frank today: The claim by some of those Wall Street money changers and politicians like Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan and many of his Republican colleagues that Social Security is contributing to the national debt and therefore needs to be “fixed” is nothing more than an outright lie."
"Let’s be brutally frank today: The claim by some of those Wall Street money changers and politicians like Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan and many of his Republican colleagues that Social Security is contributing to the national debt and therefore needs to be “fixed” is nothing more than an outright lie."
Survey: Americans Love Their Public Libraries | Common Dreams
Survey: Americans Love Their Public Libraries | Common Dreams
"The survey shows that 91% of people felt libraries are important to their communities; and 76% say libraries are important to them and their families."
"The survey shows that 91% of people felt libraries are important to their communities; and 76% say libraries are important to them and their families."
More Threats From Fracking: Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
More Threats From Fracking: Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
"The controversial drilling practice known as fracking is under renewed scrutiny, this time for producing radioactive waste."
"The controversial drilling practice known as fracking is under renewed scrutiny, this time for producing radioactive waste."
Las Vegas Accused of Engineering Massive Water Grab: Is This the Future of the West? [With Photo Slideshow] | Alternet
Las Vegas Accused of Engineering Massive Water Grab: Is This the Future of the West? [With Photo Slideshow] | Alternet
"Climate change is going to make life harder, water scarcer, and decisions about the future tougher."
"Climate change is going to make life harder, water scarcer, and decisions about the future tougher."
Friday, January 25, 2013
Are Conservatives Rethinking Fox News' Endless Outrage Model? | Alternet
Are Conservatives Rethinking Fox News' Endless Outrage Model? | Alternet
"But it's exhausting. And it doesn't work. (Note the Republican Party's 26 percent approval rating.) That, plus the fact that the perpetual outrage approach is now entering its second four-year cycle with Obama. If politically, the tactic didn't work the first time, why is it being adopted again and reprised for the second term?
"But it's exhausting. And it doesn't work. (Note the Republican Party's 26 percent approval rating.) That, plus the fact that the perpetual outrage approach is now entering its second four-year cycle with Obama. If politically, the tactic didn't work the first time, why is it being adopted again and reprised for the second term?
The bad news for Erickson is not only is the conservative movement purposefully trapped inside the phony Outrage Machine, but the machine's stuck on a replay loop."
GOP Governors Would Help the Rich Pick Your Pockets - Truthdig
GOP Governors Would Help the Rich Pick Your Pockets - Truthdig
"A slew of Republican governors are taking advantage of an “improving economy and a gradual rebound in revenues” toaggressively push for cuts to personal and corporate income taxes, and propose to make up the difference by raising sales taxes.
"A slew of Republican governors are taking advantage of an “improving economy and a gradual rebound in revenues” toaggressively push for cuts to personal and corporate income taxes, and propose to make up the difference by raising sales taxes.
We’ve been over this before. Sales taxes do not differentiate based on people’s ability to pay. All are equal before the cash register. The Wall Street banker is treated no differently from the lowly paid schoolteacher. Therefore all are required to pay the same tax rate regardless of income. The result is a tax scheme that takes more from the middle class and the poor than the wealthy."
Fox News Isn’t Renewing Sarah Palin’s Contract
Fox News Isn’t Renewing Sarah Palin’s Contract: At the New York Times, cable news chronicler Brian Stelter has the story that Sarah Palin’s original contract with Fox News will not be renewed: Yes, Ms. Palin’s contract with Fox News has ended, and no, it is not being renewed. A Fox spokeswoman confirmed Friday that Fox had parted ways with the former Alaska [...]/p
New ‘Rock Candy’ Process To Manufacture Silicon Could Make Solar Power Even Cheaper
New ‘Rock Candy’ Process To Manufacture Silicon Could Make Solar Power Even Cheaper: By Tina Casey Via Clean Technica Researchers at the University of Michigan have come up with a low-cost way to manufacture high-grade silicon, based on a concept familiar to anyone who has tried to make rock candy at home. If the breakthrough can be translated into a commercially viable process, it would make ultra-cheap solar [...]/p
Meet the "The Untouchables"
Wall Street banksters have been committing rampant crimes against the American people for years - but have managed to escape punishment. Why did the Department of Justice refuse to prosecute these criminals - and what does this say about Wall Street's sway with the federal government? The banksters on Wall Street got away with murder, literally. There have been broken families, divorces, suicides, and even murders that arguably can be tracked back to people's lives being destroyed by the greed of the banksters on Wall Street. And not a single Wall Street executive has gone to jail.
INFOGRAPHIC: What Republicans Could Do With $3 Million Other Than Defend Discrimination
INFOGRAPHIC: What Republicans Could Do With $3 Million Other Than Defend Discrimination: This spring the Supreme Court will issue a final ruling on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. This odious law treats families headed by legally-married same-sex couples as second class citizens, depriving those families the same economic [...]/p
America Is A Liberal Country (just look at polling on major issues)
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ALEC Has Opposed "Popular Vote" Efforts Which Would Protect Against Partisan Rigging of Electoral College
ALEC Has Opposed "Popular Vote" Efforts Which Would Protect Against Partisan Rigging of Electoral College
"The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has actively lobbied against state plans to implement a national popular vote for president, urging state legislators to preserve the Electoral College -- which GOP legislators are now trying to rig to ensure the the next president is a Republican. In late 2011, ALEC officially changed its policy on the Electoral College to implicitly support allocating electoral votes by congressional district."
"The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has actively lobbied against state plans to implement a national popular vote for president, urging state legislators to preserve the Electoral College -- which GOP legislators are now trying to rig to ensure the the next president is a Republican. In late 2011, ALEC officially changed its policy on the Electoral College to implicitly support allocating electoral votes by congressional district."
Frontline Gets Its Man: Lanny Breuer Leaves DOJ After Exposé | Common Dreams
Frontline Gets Its Man: Lanny Breuer Leaves DOJ After Exposé | Common Dreams
"In a testament to the power of independent media, the award-winning public television show Frontline this week helped push a top Department of Justice (DOJ) official out the door."
"In a testament to the power of independent media, the award-winning public television show Frontline this week helped push a top Department of Justice (DOJ) official out the door."
CIA Torture Whistleblower Sentenced to 30 Months | Common Dreams
CIA Torture Whistleblower Sentenced to 30 Months | Common Dreams
"CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison on Friday for what critics of his prosecution are calling trumped-up charges by the Department of Justice for his exposure of the spy agency's torture program established by the former Bush administration."
"CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison on Friday for what critics of his prosecution are calling trumped-up charges by the Department of Justice for his exposure of the spy agency's torture program established by the former Bush administration."
Michigan Republican: GOP Killed Election-Rigging Plan in 2012 Because They Thought It Would Hurt Romney
Michigan Republican: GOP Killed Election-Rigging Plan in 2012 Because They Thought It Would Hurt Romney: Republicans in several blue states are currently considering a plan to rig the next presidential election by changing the way electoral votes are allocated to candidates. Under the Republican Plan, key blue states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania would assign electoral votes one-each to the winner of the state’s heavily gerrymandered congressional districts. If [...]/p
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