Thursday, February 28, 2013

Contrary To GOP Rhetoric, Low-Tax States Have Worse Economic Growth

Contrary To GOP Rhetoric, Low-Tax States Have Worse Economic Growth: Republicans love to claim that low-tax states such as Texas enjoy a disproportionate amount of economic success, while higher-tax states like California are economic basket cases. Republican governors in several states are using that rationale to propose gutting their state income taxes (and, in many instances, replacing them with regressive sales taxes). But a new [...]/p

Since 2011, 105 Wage Supression Bills Have Been Introduced In State Legislatures

Since 2011, 105 Wage Supression Bills Have Been Introduced In State Legislatures: During his State of the Union address, President Obama called for raising the minimum wage to $9 per hour. Some Congressional Democrats have called to increase it all the way up to $10.10 (getting it close to the buying power it had in the 1960s). But at the state level, conservative lawmakers are trying to [...]/p

Bill Blum: The Political Forces Behind the Attack on the Voting Rights Act - Truthdig

Bill Blum: The Political Forces Behind the Attack on the Voting Rights Act - Truthdig
"Those organizations—whose ranks range from well-known right-wing think tanks such as the Federalist Society and the American Enterprise and Cato institutes to relatively obscure nonprofits such as the Virginia-based DonorsTrust foundation and the Project on Fair Representation—form a de facto alliance that aims at nothing less than a wholesale transformation of constitutional law to limit, if not altogether prohibit, the use of federal power on behalf of historically oppressed minorities. The Voting Rights Act is simply the target of the day."

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

In Blind Poll, Republicans Choose Progressive Budget Solutions Over Their Own Party's | Common Dreams

In Blind Poll, Republicans Choose Progressive Budget Solutions Over Their Own Party's | Common Dreams
"When the Business Insider polled registered voters and asked for their preferences among three Congressional plans floated to avoid the looming "sequestration" cuts in Washington, they found that when stripped of their partisan labels, the policies most favorable to the majority were those offered by the progressive wing of the Democratic caucus."

The Obnoxious Tea Party Leaders Have Vanished from the Political Stage -- Palin, Beck, DeMint, Paul, Bachmann... Poof! | Alternet

The Obnoxious Tea Party Leaders Have Vanished from the Political Stage -- Palin, Beck, DeMint, Paul, Bachmann... Poof! | Alternet
"Who are the names that come to mind when you think about leaders of the Tea Party movement? Maybe Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Jim DeMint, Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann? Those were the most popular leaders listed by self-identified Tea Party activists in  a 2010 Washington Post poll, at the height of the movement. You could add to that list a handful of other congressmen, especially outspoken Reps. Steve King, Allen West and Joe Walsh, among others.
And then you’d realize that every single one of them either lost their job or abandoned being a voice of the movement."

Alaska Lawmaker to GOP Colleagues: 'This is Secessionist Talk'

Alaska Lawmaker to GOP Colleagues: 'This is Secessionist Talk'
"Alaska's GOP-controlled House just passed a bill which, if passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, would make it illegal for federal law enforcement officers to enforce federal gun laws."

Mississippi Republicans Would Prohibit Towns From Establishing A Minimum Wage

Mississippi Republicans Would Prohibit Towns From Establishing A Minimum Wage: As President Obama pushes to increase the national minimum wage, Mississippi Republicans are digging in their heels to prevent any similar efforts in the Hospitality State. A bill working its way through the Republican-controlled Mississippi legislature aims to ensure that no local government enacts a mandatory minimum wage or other worker protections. Mississippi has no [...]/p

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Everybody Listen Up! The Deficit Is Actually Shrinking, Despite the Beltway Propaganda | Alternet

Everybody Listen Up! The Deficit Is Actually Shrinking, Despite the Beltway Propaganda | Alternet
"There is no deficit problem. The deficit is down 50 percent as a share of gross domestic product just since President Bush’s fiscal year 2009 deficit and is falling at the fastest rate since the end of World War II. Yet the Washington debate is about how and where to cut us back into recession. Why?
Congress should just repeal the sequester – we don’t need it. We have 10 years to fix the long-term deficit situation. We should not be stampeded by deficit-scare propaganda and instead take the time to carefully consider the right approach. That way we won’t make the mistakes that Europe is making."

Monday, February 25, 2013

More Evidence That David Barton's 'History' Cannot Be Trusted | Right Wing Watch

More Evidence That David Barton's 'History' Cannot Be Trusted | Right Wing Watch
"Just about everything in Barton's explanation of this court decision is fundamentally misleading and demonstrably false ... and yet it will continue to make no difference to those on the Right who regularly cite him as an expert historian."

Glenn Beck Wants To Make Cable Subscribers Pay For His Conspiracy Theory Channel

Glenn Beck Wants To Make Cable Subscribers Pay For His Conspiracy Theory Channel: Since Glenn Beck left Fox News in 2011 and founded his own web channel, TheBlaze, the former right-wing sensation has been less prevalent in the mainstream political conversation. Still, Beck has cultivated a substantial audience for his subscription-only programming, and is now using that following to pressure cable networks into carrying his channel. Beck started [...]/p

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Tea Party Governor Calls For GOP To Compromise On Taxes To Avert Sequester Cuts

Tea Party Governor Calls For GOP To Compromise On Taxes To Avert Sequester Cuts: Automatic sequester cuts originally meant to motivate Congress to pass a budget deal look like they may become reality on March 1. Congressional Republicans are refusing to consider new tax revenue as part of a deal; some GOP lawmakers even insist that the across-the-board sequester cuts should be allowed to kick in. Republican governors, however, [...]/p

Saturday, February 23, 2013

What's It Like to Wake Up From a Tea Party Binge? Just Ask Florida!

Right-Wing Smear Machine Kicks Into Overdrive

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Stephen Colbert Takes Apart Breitbart for 'Friends of Hamas' Debacle

Stephen Colbert Takes Apart Breitbart for 'Friends of Hamas' Debacle
"Stephen Colbert took apart Breitbrat Ben Shapiro, the right wing echo-chamber that fell for his hit piece on Chuck Hagel and the Republicans who are now asking President Obama to withdraw Hagel's nomination"

"Friends of Hamas" Rumor

Ted Cruz, Radical McCarthy Conservative, Accuses Harvard Law Of Harboring Communists On Faculty

Ted Cruz, Radical McCarthy Conservative, Accuses Harvard Law Of Harboring Communists On Faculty
"A Reagan Conservative refutes everything he says. Hah! But that's inconsequential. To the extreme right, reality means nothing. The fact that Cruz is willing to act like McCarthy in a Senate hearing is music to their ears. And he's framing every incendiary thing he says as an attack on liberals. The Tea Party revels in that kind of behavior."

Friday, February 22, 2013

Texas Secessionist Kilgore: 'Hitler and Lincoln Are Very Similar'

Texas Secessionist Kilgore: 'Hitler and Lincoln Are Very Similar'
"For anyone who didn't think Gov. Rick Perry was a big enough wingnut to suit the state of Texas, there's an even nuttier one waiting to take his place -- secessionist Larry Kilgore."

Montana Bill Would Give Corporations The Right To Vote

Montana Bill Would Give Corporations The Right To Vote: A bill introduced by Montana state Rep. Steve Lavin would give corporations the right to vote in municipal elections: Provision for vote by corporate property owner. (1) Subject to subsection (2), if a firm, partnership, company, or corporation owns real property within the municipality, the president, vice president, secretary, or other designee of the entity [...]/p

NY Man With Liberal 'Hit List,' Tank-Piercing Ammo Arrested

NY Man With Liberal 'Hit List,' Tank-Piercing Ammo Arrested
"Police in Clarkstown, New York have confiscated a cache of high-powered weapons and body armor from a man who was arrested for posting death threats against against many Democratic politicians and every liberal supporter of President Barack Obama."

On Issue After Issue, America Is A Center-Left Country

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Birthers of the World Unite: Larry Klayman to Represent Group Defending Joe Arpaio | Right Wing Watch

Birthers of the World Unite: Larry Klayman to Represent Group Defending Joe Arpaio | Right Wing Watch
"Well this comes as no surprise. Larry Klayman, the birther attorney who is now calling for an armed revolution against President Obama, is representing a new group of Tea Party members defending Sheriff Joe Arpaio from a potential recall election. "

Republicans Declare War on College | Alternet

Republicans Declare War on College | Alternet
"Bobby Jindal doesn't want the GOP to be the "stupid party," but fellow governors are plotting to wreck higher ed"

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Scott Walker Proposes Budget That Cuts Taxes While Reducing Funding For Public Schools

Scott Walker Proposes Budget That Cuts Taxes While Reducing Funding For Public Schools: Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) is proposing a budget that would fund a variety of right-wing priorities by slashing support for public services and local communities, according to an outline of the plan given in Walker’s “State of the State” address Wednesday night. Walker, who had already cut taxes significantly in his first term, proposed an [...]/p

Congressman Says Americans Need Guns To Protect The Nation From Sharia Law

Congressman Says Americans Need Guns To Protect The Nation From Sharia Law: Tea Party Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) told a conservative radio show on Thursday that the GOP must oppose gun regulations to protect the country from the threat of “Sharia Law.” Appearing on The Voice of Freedom, Gohmert said he “hoped and prayed” that Congress rejects gun safety legislation, arguing that Americans may need to use [...]/p

Middle Out Economics 101

Anti-Spending GOP Rep Wants Federal Funds To Make George W. Bush’s Childhood Home A National Park

Anti-Spending GOP Rep Wants Federal Funds To Make George W. Bush’s Childhood Home A National Park: Rep. K. Michael “Mike” Conaway (R-TX) has been among the most vocal critics of federal spending, claiming that massive cuts would actually create more jobs. But as he publicly pushed to stop “wasteful government spending,” he privately lobbied the National Park Service to turn the childhood home of former President George W. Bush into a [...]/p

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Boehner Caught Red-Handed On Sequester Fib

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Arizona Republicans Stand Up to Fight Evil UN Enviro Plot

Arizona Republicans Stand Up to Fight Evil UN Enviro Plot
"Oooh, look out, people. The United Nations is coming to destroy your freedoms and take away your way of life.
Fortunately, we have the far-right Republicans of the Arizona Legislature out there on the front lines protecting us.
The same woman -- Republican Sen. Judy Burges, R-Hateful Old People (aka Sun City West) -- who sponsored Arizona's notorious birther law is back this session with SB 1403, a bill that would prevent Arizona from participating in any kind of legislation that would support the eeeeevil UN "Agenda 21" plan to destroy America through environmental laws."

PERRspectives: Memo to Media: GOP Debt Ceiling Hostage Taking Responsible for Sequester

PERRspectives: Memo to Media: GOP Debt Ceiling Hostage Taking Responsible for Sequester
"Never before has the threat to block a debt limit increase been coupled with one party's intent and ability to actually do it. The BCA's sequester process is the price America paid to the Republican extortionists.
So, to all of the so-called pundits and ersatz journalists out there, repeat after me. No Republican debt ceiling hostage taking, no sequester."

Why GOP and Breitbart Smear Machine Fell for 'Friends of Hamas' Joke | Alternet

Why GOP and Breitbart Smear Machine Fell for 'Friends of Hamas' Joke | Alternet
"It was against that backdrop of routine right-wing dysfunction that the Times published its lengthy article. Author Robert Draper argued -- and many Republican operatives agreed -- that the GOP's perennial online failures have made it almost impossible for the party to communicate effectively with younger voters; voters who have developed a deeply hostile perception of the GOP brand."

Republican Party 2013: D.O.A.? | Alternet

Republican Party 2013: D.O.A.? | Alternet
"There's the oft-mentioned electoral data—those vast demographic changes that are seeing the GOP's ability to win grossly compromised. Mitt Romney's strongest age demographic was seniors, his weakest was the youngest voters. The circle of life guarantees that Democrats will come out of that divide looking quite good. And of course, not entirely unrelated, is the rise of the Latino and Asian vote, as those young groups begin entering the voting age population in force.  Remember, every month, 67,000 Latinos turn 18, while 100,000 (predominantly white and conservative) seniors die. Do the math."

Former Republican: How the GOP Turned Into a Racket Ripping Off Vulnerable Americans | Alternet

Former Republican: How the GOP Turned Into a Racket Ripping Off Vulnerable Americans | Alternet
"As the GOP narrowed and hardened its dogma, the affluent, educated suburbs drifted away from the Church of Reagan, leaving the organization to an increasingly less educated, southern, rural, and downscale white voting base (needless to say, the executive wing of the party is decidedly not downscale in its personal finances; they know, just as surely as L. Ron Hubbard knew, that there is gold to be mined from the suckers). The slide among both voters and elected officials has been frighteningly steep since 2008. Compared to thecurrent crop of congressional GOP freshmen and sophomores, even George W. Bush looks like Henry Cabot Lodge. The party of Abraham Lincoln (a genuine architect of popular enlightenment through his establishment of land grant colleges) has degenerated into Scientology for rednecks who think embryology, evolutionary biology, and geology are lies from the pit of hell."

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Wrecking Crew Is Winning | Common Dreams

The Wrecking Crew Is Winning | Common Dreams
"Once more, the Republican Congress is holding the economy hostage as “leverage” to extort deep and unpopular cuts in the core pillars of family security – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  Not surprisingly, Americans disapprove in large numbers, with Congress in general and Republicans in particular setting new records in popular disregard.
But make no mistake; the wrecking crew is winning by defining what the national debate is about.  Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell calls the deficit the “transcendent issue of our time,” as if balancing the budget would fix our economy.
No, the fundamental issue of our time is an economy that works only for the few, plagued by mass unemployment, declining wages and increasing insecurity.  But despite the best efforts of the president in his State of the Union address, the fiscal hostage-taking by McConnell and the Tea Party Congress have made deficits the only subject in town."

OOPS: The GOP Governors Resisting Obamacare Are Endorsing A More Liberal Version Of Health Reform

OOPS: The GOP Governors Resisting Obamacare Are Endorsing A More Liberal Version Of Health Reform: This past Friday was the final deadline for governors to decide whether they will take some ownership over setting up a state-level health insurance exchange, an Obamacare provision that will take effect in 2014. But even though the Republican Party typically resists handing over any power to the federal government, the vast majority of GOP [...]/p

7 Craziest Fox News Attacks Against Its Critics | Alternet

7 Craziest Fox News Attacks Against Its Critics | Alternet
"Fox News is often the subject of well-deserved criticism due to its aversion to facts and a long record of strident bias. However, its first reaction to reasonable rebuttals is to go on the attack against its perceived enemies. This is behavior reminiscent of schoolyard bullies with marshmallow centers who struggle to mask hurt feelings with forced bluster. Some recent examples illustrate just how thin-skinned this allegedly powerful network really is, and how prone it is to whining when it gets smacked down."

The New Know Nothing Party and the High Price of Willful Ignorance | Common Dreams

The New Know Nothing Party and the High Price of Willful Ignorance | Common Dreams
"Here in the 21st Century the Republicans have become the new Know Nothing Party.  Just as the original Know Nothings employed fear, bigotry, ignorance and hate to motivate its base, so too does the Republican Party."

Monday, February 18, 2013

PERRspectives: Happy President's Day Abe, from the Party of Lincoln

PERRspectives: Happy President's Day Abe, from the Party of Lincoln
"But within the Party of Lincoln are many who are not so enamored with the GOP's namesake. One hundred and forty eight years after the end of the Civil War, the whitewashing of slavery, the resurrection of the "Lost Cause," the championing of states' rights and the casual endorsement of nullification and secession are among the modern Republican Party's tributes to Abraham Lincoln."

Join The Party, The "Rebranded" GOP

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Raising the Minimum Wage and the Forces Opposed to It

Raising the Minimum Wage and the Forces Opposed to It
"For the most part, Hayes' guests were outstanding and really informative to listen to, with the exception of the Hispanic Leadership Network's Jennifer Sevilla Korn. She may be the kinder, gentler face of the Republican Party with toned down rhetoric with respect to the immigration issue, but on Hayes' show, she was nothing but a right wing talking points regurgitation machine with little to no facts to back up her assertions.
If you listen to her carefully during her time on the show, she was challenged by Hayes quite a few times to give specifics for her claims about minimum wage supposedly causing businesses not to hire or that it might cause inflation. How often does that happen? And just like a typical conservative, she never answers him. The same can't be said for the others on the panel who were more than willing to talk about specifics and shoot holes straight through her talking points."

Marco Rubio’s Impossible Task: Make Racism Palatable to Latinos | Common Dreams

Marco Rubio’s Impossible Task: Make Racism Palatable to Latinos | Common Dreams
"But for a speech from the man supposed to lead a fractured and beleaguered GOP into a more colorful America, it clung tightly to familiar Republican themes. Though the general consensus seems to be that a GOP shift on immigration led by a young Latino senator will be enough to show the country that not all Republicans are rich white men named Mitt, the opening acts from Rubio do not amount to a move to the center. In fact, on nearly every issue he’s remained quite tightly in line with the party’s far right.

This makes one wonder if the Florida freshman’s task as the GOP’s front man is less about leading the Republican party toward a rebirth and new constituencies, and more about testing exactly how much the party can manage to stay the same without dying."

Friday, February 15, 2013

The Great Tax-Cut Experiment

The Great Tax-Cut Experiment
"These dramatic cuts in tax rates, however, have not led to an acceleration in economic growth, investment, or productivity."

Tea Party Group "Deeply Embarrassed" by Failure to Plan Pro-Gun Rallies | Alternet

Tea Party Group "Deeply Embarrassed" by Failure to Plan Pro-Gun Rallies | Alternet
"In politics as in all else, money, money, money makes the world go round. If tea party outfits can't even adequately fund a few gun rallies, you know they're on the ropes."

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

GOP 'Savior' Rubio Votes No on Violence Against Women Act

GOP 'Savior' Rubio Votes No on Violence Against Women Act
"Florida senator Marco Rubio led a group of 22 male Republicans who voted against the bill, which established a system for helping women in danger from domestic violence. No women or Democrats opposed the bill and it passed 78-22. That's right, the guy that Time magazine hailed this week as the "GOP Savior" voted against helping protect women from violence."

Revealed - The Tea Party Paid for by Phillip Morris

Study: Kochs Tried To Start 'Grassroots' Tea Party In 2002

Study: Kochs Tried To Start 'Grassroots' Tea Party In 2002
"The common public understanding of the origins of the Tea Party is that it is a popular grassroots uprising that began with anti-tax protests in 2009.However, the Quarterback study reveals that in 2002, the Kochs and tobacco-backed CSE designed and made public the first Tea Party Movement website under the web address www.usteaparty.com."

6 Game-Changing Ideas In The State Of The Union

6 Game-Changing Ideas In The State Of The Union: On Tuesday night, President Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union and laid out an agressive agenda that could set the nation on a more progressive course. Below are 6 of his most ambitious and far reaching proposals: 1) Executive action on climate change. “I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution [...]/p

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

‘Senator Cruz Has Gone Over The Line’: Colleagues Slam Ted Cruz For Irresponsible Rhetoric On Hagel

‘Senator Cruz Has Gone Over The Line’: Colleagues Slam Ted Cruz For Irresponsible Rhetoric On Hagel: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) criticized Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during an Senate Armed Services Committee meeting today on Chuck Hagel’s Defense Secretary nomination for suggesting that Hagel is being influenced financially by foreign countries. During the meeting, Cruz objected to moving forward with Hagel’s nomination, saying — without offering any evidence — that the former [...]/p

Teabagger Congressman Invites Ted Nugent To SOTU Speech

Teabagger Congressman Invites Ted Nugent To SOTU Speech
"So teabagging Rep. Steve Stockmen, who threatened the president with impeachment, has invited Ted Nugent (the draft-dodging blowhard who's threatened to kill Obama) as his Very Special Guest at tonight's State of the Union address. He will offer comments for the media after the speech, and the media will of course oblige."

Conservative Pressure To Stop Violence Against Women Act

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The Real Debt Issue: It’s Not How Much We Will Owe, It’s Who Will Hold the Note | Common Dreams

The Real Debt Issue: It’s Not How Much We Will Owe, It’s Who Will Hold the Note | Common Dreams
"The dirty little secret is that if we follow their advice, we the people will end up with more debt than if we don’t, and fat cats and corporations will be holding the note."

Tea Party Brings Circus Back To State Of The Union

Meet the Texas GOPer Who's Bringing Ted Nugent to Obama's SOTU | Alternet

Meet the Texas GOPer Who's Bringing Ted Nugent to Obama's SOTU | Alternet
"Texas Republican Steve Stockman, once drummed from the party for being nuts, now the future of the party again."

Monday, February 11, 2013

Rand Paul To Deliver Tea Party SOTU Response, Make Fringe Happy

Rand Paul To Deliver Tea Party SOTU Response, Make Fringe Happy
"Whichever it is, it highlights a division in the party simply by virtue of the desire to put him out there as the spokesman for the tainted Tea Party brand. I'm sure Paul's pals at Stormfront.org will cheer him on, at least."

Texas Congressman Invites Ted Nugent, Who Threatened The President’s Life, To The State Of The Union

Texas Congressman Invites Ted Nugent, Who Threatened The President’s Life, To The State Of The Union: Congressman Steve Stockman (R-TX) has announced that he would be bringing musician and conservative loudmouth Ted Nugent to President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. “I am excited to have a patriot like Ted Nugent joining me in the House Chamber to hear from President Obama,” Stockman said on his congressional website on [...]/p

The GOP Plan to Flush Your State’s Economy Down the Toilet | Alternet

The GOP Plan to Flush Your State’s Economy Down the Toilet | Alternet
"The GOP has plans for a comeback. But it may cost you a lot. The idea is to capitalize on recent Republican state takeovers to conduct an austerity experiment known as the new “red-state model” and prove that faulty policies can be turned into gold.
There will be smoke. There will be mirrors. And there will be a lot of ordinary people suffering needlessly in the wake of this ideological train wreck."

Saturday, February 9, 2013

How Organizations with Ties to Hate Groups Are Trying to Influence the Immigration Debate

How Organizations with Ties to Hate Groups Are Trying to Influence the Immigration Debate
"The U.S. House of Representatives held its first hearings for the current session on immigration reform Tuesday. Many immigration groups also submitted official testimony for the record. One name, in particular, jumped out as questionable, at best, in terms of being an expert witness on the topic of immigration—Jessica Vaughan, who submitted a written statement. Vaughan is the director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), an organization that portrays itself as an "independent, non-partisan, non-profit, research organization" that advocates a "low-immigration, pro-immigrant" public policy. In reality, CIS is connected to a shadowy network of anti-immigrant funders and activists who participate in or are associated with movements for white nationalism."

Bachmann Keeps Seat On Intelligence Committee Despite Discredited Anti-Muslim Witch Hunt

Bachmann Keeps Seat On Intelligence Committee Despite Discredited Anti-Muslim Witch Hunt: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) will remain a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during the 113th Congress — despite leading a widely discredited anti-Muslim witch hunt against government personnel last year. According to the committee list released Friday, Bachmann will stay on the powerful committee despite calls from People for the American [...]/p

Friday, February 8, 2013

Pastor Apologizes for Praying Alongside Muslims, Jews at Newtown Vigil

Pastor Apologizes for Praying Alongside Muslims, Jews at Newtown Vigil
"A pastor in Connecticut has apologized for taking part in a vigil for the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School because his church does not allow worshiping with other faiths.
Rev. Rob Morris of Newtown's Christ the King Lutheran Church offered a letter of apology after he was reprimanded by church president Matthew Harrison for "joint worship with other religions," according to the Religion News Service.
King Lutheran Church is a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which bans ministers from praying alongside Muslims, Jews or even other Christians."

Hating Karl Rove: Not Just For Liberals Anymore | Alternet

Hating Karl Rove: Not Just For Liberals Anymore | Alternet
"With his new Conservative Victory Project, Rove seeks to knock off Tea Party candidates in GOP primaries. Tea Party leaders are crying treason."

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Let's Face It, Ayn Rand's Gospel of Selfishness and Billionaire Empowerment Is the Dominant Ideology | Alternet

Let's Face It, Ayn Rand's Gospel of Selfishness and Billionaire Empowerment Is the Dominant Ideology | Alternet
"Between stupidity like this, and the re-birth of Ayn Rand through corporate-funded think tanks and Hollywood movies, the Billionaire Class wants to make sure the next generation buys into a toxic ideology that’s quite literally destroying the world as we know it."

PERRspectives: For Republicans, Everything is the Holocaust

PERRspectives: For Republicans, Everything is the Holocaust
"Republicans in 2012 still lost among Jewish voters by over a 2-1 margin. The reasons for the GOP's consistently dismal performance are no mystery. Survey data show that Jewish Americans overwhelmingly rejectthe Republicans' reactionary social policies and mockery of education and science. Worse still, many of the right's hardline supporters of Israel see God's chosen people as biblical cannon fodder needed to fulfill End Times prophecy. And then, as Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) showed this week, Republicans routinely compare Democratic positions on guns, education, health, taxes, the debt--and almost everything else--to the Holocaust."

Virginia Is For Wackos! Now They Want To Create Their Own Currency

Virginia Is For Wackos! Now They Want To Create Their Own Currency
"Stories like this one aren't going to help the Republicans much with their so-called "rebranding' effort"

How The Civil War Between Karl Rove And Tea Party Could Cost The GOP The Senate

How The Civil War Between Karl Rove And Tea Party Could Cost The GOP The Senate: Think of the brewing Republican civil war between establishment-types like Karl Rove and right-wing Tea Party activists as a bullfight. Initially, in 2009-10, Rove and establishment Republicans were scared of this new, large group that had entered the ring. It was unruly, unrefined. As time progressed, though, Rove came to see its strength and the [...]/p

12 Months of Misinformation: Explaining Fox News’ ‘Record Low’ Credibility | Alternet

12 Months of Misinformation: Explaining Fox News’ ‘Record Low’ Credibility | Alternet
"After another year of airing misinformation and embarrassing gaffes, it’s no surprise that Fox News continues to lose Americans’ trust"

Why Are Conservatives Trying to Destroy the Voting Rights Act? | The Nation

Why Are Conservatives Trying to Destroy the Voting Rights Act? | The Nation
"The current campaign against the VRA is the result of three key factors: a whiter, more Southern, more conservative GOP that has responded to demographic change by trying to suppress an increasingly diverse electorate; a twenty-five-year effort to gut the VRA by conservative intellectuals, who in recent years have received millions of dollars from top right-wing funders, including Charles Koch; and a reactionary Supreme Court that does not support remedies to racial discrimination."

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Five Reasons Why Fewer People Trust Fox News Than Ever Before

Five Reasons Why Fewer People Trust Fox News Than Ever Before: A poll released Wednesday by Public Policy Polling shows that fewer people than ever trust Fox News as a source for accurate news and reporting. Just 41 percent expressed trust in the network — down from 49 four years ago — while 46 percent said they distrust Fox. There’s an obvious reason why: Fox misrepresents [...]/p

The Revisionaries: Texas State Board Of Education Rewrites Textbooks

Watch The Revisionaries on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.

Karl Rove Pokes Tea Party Hornets' Nest

Karl Rove Pokes Tea Party Hornets' Nest
"Karl Rove blasted some of the "grassroots" Tea Party groups who have declared war on his newest effort to repackage the conservative crap sandwich in a prettier package that "can win elections." This is the purpose of Rove's new group, he claims, though Hannity contended he was really protecting incumbents from being primaried by more conservative candidates."

Postal Cuts Are Austerity on Steroids | Common Dreams

Postal Cuts Are Austerity on Steroids | Common Dreams
"Ryan and his fellow proponents of austerity manufactured the current crisis in USPS funding, when they enacted the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). The PAEA forced the Postal Service to prefund its future healthcare benefit payments to retirees for the next seventy-five years. That’s something no major corporation could or would do, as it required the service to divert more than $5 billion annually to pre-pay the health benefits of retirees who have not yet been hired."

Is the U.S. #1, or #What? | Alternet

Is the U.S. #1, or #What? | Alternet
"Gross Domestic Product is the only factor where the U.S. ranks as #1, which we do both on "GDP” and on “GDP as a Share of World GDP.”
Health Care has the U.S. ranking #34 on “Life Expectancy,” and #41 on “Infant Mortality.” Education in the U.S. is also mediocre. On “Quality of Primary Education,” we are #38. On “Primary Education Enrollment Rate,” we are #58. On “Quality of the Educational System,” we are #28. On “Quality of Math and Science Education,” we are #47. On “Quality of Scientific Research Institutions,” we are #6. On “PCT [Patent Cooperation Treaty] Patent Applications [per-capita],” we are #12. On “Firm-Level Technology Absorption” (which is an indicator of business-acceptance of inventions), we are #14. Trust is likewise only moderately high in the U.S. We rank #10 on “Willingness to Delegate Authority,” #42 on “Cooperation in Labor-Management Relations,” and #18 in “Degree of Customer Orientation” of firms."

Republican Congresswoman Likens Regulations Of For-Profit Colleges To The Holocaust

Republican Congresswoman Likens Regulations Of For-Profit Colleges To The Holocaust: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) compared efforts to regulate the for-profit college industry to the Holocaust during a speech Tuesday. Speaking at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Foxx invoked a famous Holocaust maxim in order to defend for-profit colleges against increased scrutiny. “They came for the for-profits, and I didn’t speak up,” the [...]/p

Offshore Tax Havens Robbed States of Nearly $40 Billion in 2011 | Alternet

Offshore Tax Havens Robbed States of Nearly $40 Billion in 2011 | Alternet
"States across the country lost nearly $40 billion dollars of revenues in 2011 due to offshore tax havens, according to a new report by U.S. PIRG Education Fund. The study reveals that corporations account more than $26 billion of lost revenue, while wealthy individuals are responsible for the rest. The blow to states rests on top of nearly $150 billion of lost annual federal revenue due to corporate loopholes.
In a statement, PIRG said everyday Americans bear the burden when the nation’s wealthiest elites avoid paying their fair share. Tax haven abusers benefit from our markets, infrastructure, educated workforce, and security, but they pay next to nothing for these benefits. Ultimately, taxpayers must pick up the tab, either in the form of higher taxes, cuts to public spending priorities, or increased national debt."

4 Secretive Ways Wall Street Extorts You | Alternet

4 Secretive Ways Wall Street Extorts You | Alternet
"While our political elites warn us about becoming the next Greece (do we get the tasty retsina, good weather and nice beaches too?), the real "tax and spend" game is taking place on Wall Street, hidden from view. In fact, Wall Street is essentially exerting a hidden tax on us day in and day out -- but we don't even notice or get anything back in return."

Thanks To Congressional Incompetence, Saturday Mail Delivery Is History

Thanks To Congressional Incompetence, Saturday Mail Delivery Is HistoryUnder the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Congress has for years forced the USPS to pre-fund 75 years’ worth of pensions for its employees, a requirement not made of any other public or private institution. That means that the Postal Service is footing the bill for employees it hasn’t even hired yet.
The USPS doesn’t actually receive money from the government, but still needs Congressional approval to make any changes to its structure. An analysis in July showed that the USPS, without its pension requirement, would have a $1.5 billion surplus.

GOP Tries To Hide Extremist Base With A Rebranding

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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

8 Reasons Why Cantor’s Rebranded GOP Looks Just Like The Old GOP

8 Reasons Why Cantor’s Rebranded GOP Looks Just Like The Old GOP: On Tuesday afternoon, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) delivered a speech that sought to “rebrand” the GOP as a party that can advance legislation that would improve the lives of the “most vulnerable” Americans. “Our solutions will be based on the conservative principles of self reliance, faith in the individual, trust in the family, [...]/p

Right-Wing Congressman Suddenly Embraces A Health Care Mandate…For Immigrants

Right-Wing Congressman Suddenly Embraces A Health Care Mandate…For Immigrants: Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, suggested, during an immigration hearing on Tuesday, that American farmers should be required to provide health care coverage to temporary workers. Speaking before the House Judiciary Committee, Gohmert raised concerns about immigrants benefiting from tax-payer funded health care programs and argued [...]/p

Monday, February 4, 2013

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."

Sunday, February 3, 2013

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."

Friday, February 1, 2013

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."

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."