Five Things Everyone Should Know About GOP Senate Candidate Ted Cruz

Five Things Everyone Should Know About GOP Senate Candidate Ted Cruz: Today, Texas Republican primary voters selected Ted Cruz as their candidate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX). Cruz, a former Solicitor General of Texas and law clerk to Chief Justice William Rehnquist, is among the nation’s most skilled Supreme Court advocates. Yet his considerable intellect is rivaled by his very poor judgment. [...]/p

GOP Rep. Steve King Defends Dogfighting

GOP Rep. Steve King Defends Dogfighting: If you believe that the United States should legalize dogfighting because we allow humans to fight, fear not. You’ve got an ally in the United States Congress. During a tele-townhall late last week, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) fielded a question about his opposition to animal rights and recently introduced legislation that would undermine local standards [...]/p

5 Ways Churches Get Preferential Treatment and Benefit from Legal Loopholes | Alternet

5 Ways Churches Get Preferential Treatment and Benefit from Legal Loopholes | Alternet
"Many conservative religious leaders insist that houses of worship in America today struggle under intense persecution. To hear some of the Catholic bishops tell it, religious freedom may soon be a memory because they don’t always get their way in policy debates.

It would be highly ironic if the United States, the nation that perfected religious liberty and enshrined it in the Constitution’s First Amendment, had become hostile to the rights of religious groups. But that’s not what’s happening. In reality, U.S. law is honeycombed with examples of preferential treatment and special breaks for religion. Some of these practices may grow out of the First Amendment command that the “free exercise” of religion must not be infringed. Others are traditions or were added to the law after lobbying efforts by religious groups."

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Senate Nominee Shorting U.S. Treasury Bonds, Would Profit From Government Default

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Senate Nominee Shorting U.S. Treasury Bonds, Would Profit From Government Default: The Republican nominee in Ohio’s Senate race stands to reap a significant financial windfall if the government defaults by not raising the debt ceiling, a move he opposed last year and has indicated he would vote against if elected to the Senate. According to personal financial disclosure documents examined by ThinkProgress, Josh Mandel’s wife owns [...]/p

Former Florida Republican Party Chair Says Republicans Actively Suppressed The Black Vote

Former Florida Republican Party Chair Says Republicans Actively Suppressed The Black Vote: In a 630-page deposition, released to the press yesterday, former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer described a systemic effort by Republicans to suppress the black vote. Referring to a 2009 meeting with party officials, Greer said “I was upset because the political consultants and staff were talking about voter suppression and keeping blacks from voting.” [...]/p

Conservative Millennials, Boomers & Libertarians all being Conned

Worst. Congress. Ever.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The damage the 112th Congress is doing to America, the media's complicity by letting them off the hook, and voters' disgust with the whole process

James Taranto: A-Hole!

James Taranto: A-Hole!
"I figured after a little time off I wouldn't get so sick reading and writing about the twisted minds of the conservative/TeaCrack Party, but I was wrong. Twitter has really fueled their lunatic scribblings. Check this out."

Senior Economists Feel That GOP Jobs Package Is More Likely To Make People Sick Than Create Jobs

Senior Economists Feel That GOP Jobs Package Is More Likely To Make People Sick Than Create Jobs: House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor have taken every opportunity to tout the work that the GOP has done on jobs. From carrying around cards that lists the “more than 30 jobs bills” to bringing it up in every press conference or campaign ad, Republicans have been keen to publicize their [...]/p

Bucking The GOP Trend, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Signs Bill To Strengthen The State’s Solar Industry

Bucking The GOP Trend, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Signs Bill To Strengthen The State’s Solar Industry: When New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie ran for office in 2009, he campaigned very aggressively on his belief in the value of renewable energy. Yesterday, Christie backed up that belief by signing a bill into law that will help expand and stabilize New Jersey’s robust solar industry. For Christie, expanding the solar industry was [...]/p

Pennsylvania admits there has been no voter fraud

Pennsylvania admits there has been no voter fraud
"More than a million Pennsylvania citizens—including registered, active voters—disenfranchised not because of the problem of voter fraud, but to win the state for Mitt Romney."

How the Brutal Murders of a Little Girl and Her Father Doomed the Xenophobic Minuteman Movement | Immigration | AlterNet

How the Brutal Murders of a Little Girl and Her Father Doomed the Xenophobic Minuteman Movement | Immigration | AlterNet
"The brutal killings of Junior and Brisenia Flores highlighted growing extremism on the fringes of the anti-immigrant movement."

PERRspectives: Democrats Crush Republicans as Capitalists in the White House

PERRspectives: Democrats Crush Republicans as Capitalists in the White House
"As the historical record shows, from economic growth and job creation to stock market performance and just about every other indicator of the health of American capitalism, the modern U.S. economy has almost always done better under Democratic presidents. Despite GOP mythology to the contrary, America generally gained more jobs and grew faster when taxes were higher (even much higher) and income inequality lower. While the U.S. recovery from the crippling Bush recession has been painfully slow, most economists - including the nonpartisan CBO and some of John McCain's own 2008 advisers - believe President Obama saved the American free-enterprise system from the abyss. And many economists are increasingly worried that businessman-turned-President Romney would lead the United States back into recession."

Tucson Sheriff Candidate Exploits Colorado Massacre To Promote U.N. Gun Conspiracy Theory

Tucson Sheriff Candidate Exploits Colorado Massacre To Promote U.N. Gun Conspiracy Theory: While many right-wing figures have suggested that armed theatergoers would have prevented James Holmes’ killing spree, Pima County Sheriff candidate Terry Frederick (R-AZ) has taken the genre to new and especially absurd heights. Frederick used the killing as an argument against, of all things, ratifying the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT): The horrors of the [...]/p

Mitt’s Offshore Shenanigans: The Bigger Story | Common Dreams

Mitt’s Offshore Shenanigans: The Bigger Story | Common Dreams
"Are America’s rich getting richer? They’re certainly making much more than ever before. Every official income measure we have shows that America’s most affluent are upping their incomes at a much faster clip than everyone else."

Romney Campaign's Race-Baiting Strategy Could Have Dire Consequences for America | Election 2012 | AlterNet

Romney Campaign's Race-Baiting Strategy Could Have Dire Consequences for America | Election 2012 | AlterNet
"The Romney campaign got the memo: Race-baiting and xenophobia works -- at least among the segment of the electorate former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney hopes to capture in his quest for the presidency."

Emails Show Racist Motivation Behind Arizona Immigration Law | Common Dreams

Emails Show Racist Motivation Behind Arizona Immigration Law | Common Dreams
"The e-mails were acquired through a public records request to the state legislature. The ACLU included many of the emails in a legal filing on Thursday,asking U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton to prevent the 'show me your papers' section of the law, slated to go into effect.

The e-mails uncovered from Pearce included racial bias and offensive language. Some quotes released to theArizona Republic include:"

Shocking: Well-Connected Tea Party Fundraiser Charged With Multiple Counts of Rape, Kidnapping | AlterNet

Shocking: Well-Connected Tea Party Fundraiser Charged With Multiple Counts of Rape, Kidnapping | AlterNet
"He has been charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping, three counts of rape, seven counts of object rape, and one count of forcible sexual abuse, all first-degree felonies; nine second-degree felony counts of forcible sexual abuse; one third-degree felony count of burglary. He also is charged with one count each of assault and sexual battery, both misdemeanors."

Disturbingly White-Supremacist Emails From Author Of Arizona’s SB 1070 Prove the Law's Racial Motivation | AlterNet

Disturbingly White-Supremacist Emails From Author Of Arizona’s SB 1070 Prove the Law's Racial Motivation | AlterNet
"The ACLU of Arizona has released thousands of emails it says prove that SB 1070, Arizona’s controversial immigration law, was racially motivated. According to a report by the Arizona Republic, the emails, acquired through a public records request, are to and from the author of SB 1070, recalled Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce (R). The documents may help the ACLU to convince a federal judge to prevent the “show me your papers” section of SB 1070 from going into effect."

REPORT: Biggest Donor To Romney And GOP Did Business With Chinese Mob

REPORT: Biggest Donor To Romney And GOP Did Business With Chinese Mob: Things are getting awkward for Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate who pledged to spend a “limitless” amount of money to get Mitt Romney elected. Adelson’s latest woes stem from business practices surrounding his lucrative casino in Macau, the only Chinese city with legalized gambling. The Macau operation has long been under scrutiny but a new [...]/p

Florida's Tea Party Governor Blows Smoke In War on Voters | AlterNet

Florida's Tea Party Governor Blows Smoke In War on Voters | AlterNet
"Florida's partisan GOP-led war on perceived Democratic voting blocks is heating up in political circles, but knowledgeable election officials tell AlterNet that the latest heated rhetoric might amount to little more than face-saving antics--underscoring Republican Gov. Rick Scott's utter disrespect for voting rights and Florida's legal voters. "

The Makers vs The Takers?

Is Mitt Lying To Cover Up How He Was Sole Shareholder Of Brookside Capital Funds - And Its Purchase Of Abortion Waste Firm?

Is Mitt Lying To Cover Up How He Was Sole Shareholder Of Brookside Capital Funds - And Its Purchase Of Abortion Waste Firm?
"There's a great diary over at Daily Kos and if the author's information is correct, Mittens has quite a situation on his hands - he's lying about his departure date from Bain to cover up his personal connection to Stericycle, the company that disposed of aborted fetuses. Obviously, that information would cause a real problem with getting out the religious fundamentalists on election day."

Ayn Randroids and Libertarians Join Forces: Will Her Noxious Philosophy Further Infect America? | Tea Party and the Right | AlterNet

Ayn Randroids and Libertarians Join Forces: Will Her Noxious Philosophy Further Infect America? | Tea Party and the Right | AlterNet
"Ayn Rand is a toxic figure to many people in America today, even on the right. Look how Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, backpedaledfuriously (and unconvincingly) to deny that he was an acolyte of the Russian-born novelist."

Mitt Romney's Offer of Government of Billionaires, for Billionaires, by Billionaires | Common Dreams

Mitt Romney's Offer of Government of Billionaires, for Billionaires, by Billionaires | Common Dreams
"How else can one explain the allegiance of the Republican party to the profoundly unpopular Ryan tax plan, which would eviscerate Medicare and Medicaid while delivering more tax cuts to the rich? What is the future of a party in a democracy when the powers-that-be can no longer even understand, much less address, the welfare of the vast majority of its citizens?"

SEE 2012 CLEARLY: Robert Reich Puts Things In Perspective In Under 3 Minutes

California Governor Signs Homeowners’ Bill Of Rights Into Law

California Governor Signs Homeowners’ Bill Of Rights Into Law: California lawmakers earlier this month passed a series of foreclosure reforms known as the “Homeowners’ Bill of Rights” that are meant to protect borrowers from wrongful foreclosures. Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed the legislation into law Wednesday, giving California homeowners “some of the nation’s strongest protections from foreclosure and aggressive bank practices.” Under the law, [...]/p

Romney's Exit from Bain: Lying Then or Lying Now? | Common Dreams

Romney's Exit from Bain: Lying Then or Lying Now? | Common Dreams
"In other words, Romney lied to the federal government either way. Either to the SEC, or in his more recent financial dislocure forms.  And either one appears to be a felony."

Sen. Scott Brown’s Preferred Policies Reduce The Deficit Far Less Than Elizabeth Warren’s

Sen. Scott Brown’s Preferred Policies Reduce The Deficit Far Less Than Elizabeth Warren’s: Since he came into office, Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) has complained about the nation’s deficit, at one point blocking a crucial extension of unemployment benefits because it wasn’t offset with spending cuts. “The federal government continues its binge spending at an astonishing pace — running up our national debt and leaving our children, grandchildren and [...]/p

Thanks To President Obama, Seasonal Firefighters Will Be Able To Buy Federal Insurance

Thanks To President Obama, Seasonal Firefighters Will Be Able To Buy Federal Insurance
"I was really shocked last week to find out that these wildfire firefighters were uninsured contract workers, so I'm very happy that they will now have health insurance, thanks to the intervention of President Obama."

PERRspectives: 10 Things the GOP Doesn't Want You to Know about Taxes

PERRspectives: 10 Things the GOP Doesn't Want You to Know about Taxes
"But while Romney's regurgitation of these tired Republican talking points comes as no surprise, it doesn't make them any more true. Here, then, are 10 things the GOP doesn't want you to know about taxes."

House Farm Bill Would Kick 280,000 Low-Income Children Off Of Free School Meals Program

House Farm Bill Would Kick 280,000 Low-Income Children Off Of Free School Meals Program: Members of the House Agriculture Committee this week will be marking up a “compromise” version of this year’s farm bill, which includes cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — i.e. food stamps — that would result in two to three million people losing their food assistance. 45 percent of the proposed cuts to [...]/p

Child-Support Dodging Republican Denigrates War Veteran Opponent's Military Service--She Responds | | AlterNet

Child-Support Dodging Republican Denigrates War Veteran Opponent's Military Service--She Responds | | AlterNet
"Tammy Duckworth speaks with Alex Seitz-Wald about her Republican opponent's attack on her military service"

Texas GOP Declares: "No More Teaching of 'Critical Thinking Skills' in Texas Public Schools"

Texas GOP Declares: "No More Teaching of 'Critical Thinking Skills' in Texas Public Schools"
"This is not only a telling moment for a complex empire in spiraling decline, but also a frightening moment, for we can see evolution transformed into devolution and schools converted into the supernatural rabbit holes that lead to Alice-in-Wonderland gated communities of ignorance governed by a chilling hierarchy of totalitarianism and fear."

Rep. Joe Walsh Doubles Down on Tammy Duckworth Attacks

Rep. Joe Walsh Doubles Down on Tammy Duckworth Attacks
"Joe Walsh, America's Most Offensive Congressman ®, doubled and then tripled down on his comments disparaging Tammy Duckworth today in an interview on CNN."

5 Ways Republicans Have Sabotaged Job Growth

5 Ways Republicans Have Sabotaged Job Growth: New numbers released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the economy added a mere 80,000 jobs in June. That’s down from an average of 150,000 jobs a month for the first part of the year, and far too little to keep up with population growth. Republican intransigence on economic policy has been [...]/p

5 Consequences Of The GOP’s Bill To Repeal Obamacare

5 Consequences Of The GOP’s Bill To Repeal Obamacare: The economy may be struggling to create enough jobs to keep up with population growth, but Republicans are busy drafting legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act — a law which the Supreme Court upheld last week and has already extended coverage for thousands of uninsured Americans. On Monday, the GOP will convene an “emergency” [...]/p

Republican Party Descends Rapidly Into Moral Insanity | AlterNet

Republican Party Descends Rapidly Into Moral Insanity | AlterNet
"In just five years, the percentage of Republicans who say the government should take care of people who can't take care of themselves has dwindled by 18 percentage points. That's no minor shift. That is a political party in the throes of a descent into moral madness."

Gallup: Young gaining insurance, older adult workers losing it

Gallup: Young gaining insurance, older adult workers losing it
"Despite employer-based insurance rates declining for younger adults, up to age 27, there arefewer of them without insurance because of the Affordable Care Act's provision that allows them to stay on their parents' health plans. So while fewer are reporting employer-based insurance, their insurance rates have improved."

Romney Embraced Medicaid Expansion As Governor

Romney Embraced Medicaid Expansion As Governor: While 16 Democratic governors have pledged to accept Obamacare funding to expand their state Medicaid programs, Republican governors say they will likely turn down billions in federal dollars to grow a “failed program,” even if it could insure millions of lower-income Americans. In Florida, for example, Gov. Rick Scott (R) says he will refuse the [...]/p

10 Reasons Most People Like Obamacare Once They Know What's Really In It | Personal Health | AlterNet

10 Reasons Most People Like Obamacare Once They Know What's Really In It | Personal Health | AlterNet
"There are two Affordable Care Acts. There's the legislation passed by Congress in 2009, and then there's the mythical Affordable Care Act – the perfidious “government takeover” decried and demagogued by so many conservatives (and quite a few liberals). The former is quite popular, the latter gets decidedly mixed reviews."

Obamacare Is A Major Tax Cut For Middle Class Families

Obamacare Is A Major Tax Cut For Middle Class Families: Following the Supreme Court’s Affordable Care Act ruling, Republicans — including Mitt Romney — have vigorously insisted that the Affordable Care Act is a tax on the American people. But instead of being a tax increase, Obamacare will provide millions of families with large tax credits to make health care more affordable. Only about 1 [...]/p

Tea Party Congressman attacks war veteran

Rep. Joe Walsh Attacks Double Amputee Veteran Again, Says She Uses Her Service ‘As A Political Ploy’

Rep. Joe Walsh Attacks Double Amputee Veteran Again, Says She Uses Her Service ‘As A Political Ploy’: Despite earning widespread condemnation for dismissing the military service of a double amputee woman, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) has decided his original comments didn’t go far enough. In a statement released this evening on his campaign website, Walsh again refused to apologize, instead attacking Tammy Duckworth — his Democratic opponent who lost both her legs [...]/p

Why Our Founding Fathers Would Disapprove of the Tea Party | Tea Party and the Right | AlterNet

Why Our Founding Fathers Would Disapprove of the Tea Party | Tea Party and the Right | AlterNet
"Not too long ago, Americans only dressed up in George Washington wigs and tri-corner hats on the Fourth of July. But then the tea party came along."

Veterans Flood Rep. Joe Walsh’s Facebook Page To Denounce His Attacks Against Double Amputee

Veterans Flood Rep. Joe Walsh’s Facebook Page To Denounce His Attacks Against Double Amputee: After ThinkProgress published video showing Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) denigrating his opponent’s — a double amputee — military service, veterans swarmed the Illinois Republican’s Facebook page to denounce his attacks. Many of these veterans described themselves as “dedicated conservatives”, “rock-ribbed Republicans”, and “Tea Party members.” Yet despite their ideological leanings, Walsh’s insult drove them to [...]/p

Dozens Of GOP Lawmakers’ Children Eligible To Benefit From Obamacare

Dozens Of GOP Lawmakers’ Children Eligible To Benefit From Obamacare: House Republicans have already set the date for another symbolic vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, despite bipartisan support for some provisions of the law. Despite Republicans’ promises to eliminate Obamacare, the children of several congressional Republicans join the 6.6 million young adults up to age 26 covered through their parents’ health care. According [...]/p

Right Wing Blogosphere Revolts Against Romney Over Mandate

Right Wing Blogosphere Revolts Against Romney Over Mandate: ThinkProgress noted that the GOP leadership can’t seem to make up its mind about whether the individual mandate is a tax (as the Supreme Court says) or not (as lead Romney campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom suggested). While the leadership dithers, the base’s backlash against Romney putting down the “it’s a tax” club builds. In National [...]/p

Veterans Group Condemns Rep. Joe Walsh For Attacking Double Amputee’s Military Service, Calls For Resignation

Veterans Group Condemns Rep. Joe Walsh For Attacking Double Amputee’s Military Service, Calls For Resignation: A leading veterans group has denounced Rep. Joe Walsh’s (R-IL) attack on his opponent’s military service, first highlighted by ThinkProgress this morning, and called on the Illinois Republican to resign. At a town hall on Sunday, Walsh blasted his Democratic opponent, Tammy Duckworth, for having the temerity to note that she’s spent two decades serving [...]/p Tea Party Coward, Joe Walsh.

Rep. Joe Walsh Blasts Double Amputee’s Military Service, Says She’s Not A ‘True Hero’

Rep. Joe Walsh Blasts Double Amputee’s Military Service, Says She’s Not A ‘True Hero’: pThough he never joined the military himself, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) disparaged his Democratic opponent’s military service at a town hall on Sunday, saying that she’s not a “true hero.” Walsh is running against Tammy Duckworth, a double amputee who lost both her legs in Iraq when insurgents hit her helicopter with an RPG in [...]/p Tea Party Values

8 Ways America's Headed Back to the Robber-Baron Era | | AlterNet

8 Ways America's Headed Back to the Robber-Baron Era | | AlterNet
"Over the past 40 years, corporations and politicians have rolled back many of the gains made by working and middle-class people over the previous century. We have the highest level of income inequality in 90 years, both private and public sector unions are under a concerted attack, and federal and state governments intend to cut deficits by slashing services to the poor.

We are recreating the Gilded Age, the period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when corporations ruled this nation, buying politicians, using violence against unions, and engaging in open corruption. During the Gilded Age, many Americans lived in stark poverty, in crowded tenement housing, without safe workplaces, and lacked any safety net to help lift them out of hard times."

Three Controversial Bain Decisions That Happened Before Romney Left

Three Controversial Bain Decisions That Happened Before Romney Left: The Romney campaign has deflected criticism of the former governor’s business record as head of Bain Capital by insisting that he cannot be held responsible for its actions following his departure in February of 1999. However, SEC documents unearthed by Mother Jones directly contradict the campaign’s assertion that Romney broke all ties with Bain after [...]/p

Romney lied about role in Bain's investment in medical-waste firm that disposed of aborted fetuses

Romney lied about role in Bain's investment in medical-waste firm that disposed of aborted fetuses
"David Corn sets up his explosive scoop about Mitt Romney's role in Bain Capital's investment in Stericycle, a medical-waste firm that disposed of aborted fetuses, among other things:"