Scott Walker Just Doesn't Get Labor Day
"Yeah, nothing honors the American worker like selling cheap crap made in China to promote a guy who has devastated his state's middle class."
Monday, September 7, 2015
How The GOP’s Top 5 Presidential Candidates Really Feel About American Workers
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/06/how-the-gops-top-5-presidential-candidates-really-feel-about-american-workers/
"This Labor Day, it’s important to remember that, without workers, without labor, most companies wouldn’t exist. Companies depend on their workers to get business done. Small business owners actually seem to realize this, as many of them pay their employees well and provide benefits, even without federal laws. Big, highly profitable corporations, however, have forgotten that they’re built on their workers. The GOP has clearly forgotten that, too."
"This Labor Day, it’s important to remember that, without workers, without labor, most companies wouldn’t exist. Companies depend on their workers to get business done. Small business owners actually seem to realize this, as many of them pay their employees well and provide benefits, even without federal laws. Big, highly profitable corporations, however, have forgotten that they’re built on their workers. The GOP has clearly forgotten that, too."
Get The Facts on President Obama’s Labor Day Executive Actions to Protect Workers
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/07/facts-president-obamas-executive-actions-protect-workers.html
"The President will be giving a speech in Boston at the Greater Boston Labor Council Labor Day Breakfast to highlight his Administration’s continued efforts to expand the labor force, support greater workplace flexibilities, and strengthen the middle class."
"The President will be giving a speech in Boston at the Greater Boston Labor Council Labor Day Breakfast to highlight his Administration’s continued efforts to expand the labor force, support greater workplace flexibilities, and strengthen the middle class."
The media vs. the American worker: How the 1 percent hijacked the business of news
The media vs. the American worker: How the 1 percent hijacked the business of news
"they tend to subscribe to the notion that what very rich chief executives think is best for the economic structure of the United States is, by definition, the only point of view worth listening to."
"they tend to subscribe to the notion that what very rich chief executives think is best for the economic structure of the United States is, by definition, the only point of view worth listening to."
The rebellious spirit of the first Labor Day is spreading anew
The rebellious spirit of the first Labor Day is spreading anew
"America’s grassroots have come alive with organizing campaigns to reverse the rampant inequities and abuses being perpetuated by the plutocratic powers"
"America’s grassroots have come alive with organizing campaigns to reverse the rampant inequities and abuses being perpetuated by the plutocratic powers"
The Fight for 15 Is Creating a Fighting Labor Movement for the 21st Century
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18365/to_understand_the_power_of_fight_for_15_look_to_mcdonalds
"Wage theft is another travesty in the fast-food industry. Managers are under intense pressure to squeeze workers and cut costs while getting ever more productivity out of them. Almost 90 percent of fast-food workers report wage theft. Sixty percent of fast-food workers report being required to perform tasks before clocking in or after clocking out. Forty-six percent have not been paid for all hours worked or all tasks performed. Wage theft results from of a lack of power and collective organization among workers—employers steal wages when they think employees are powerless to do something about it."
"Wage theft is another travesty in the fast-food industry. Managers are under intense pressure to squeeze workers and cut costs while getting ever more productivity out of them. Almost 90 percent of fast-food workers report wage theft. Sixty percent of fast-food workers report being required to perform tasks before clocking in or after clocking out. Forty-six percent have not been paid for all hours worked or all tasks performed. Wage theft results from of a lack of power and collective organization among workers—employers steal wages when they think employees are powerless to do something about it."
GOP Budget Cuts Leave Nuclear Sites Dangerously Vulnerable
GOP Budget Cuts Leave Nuclear Sites Dangerously Vulnerable
"Republican-led budget cuts have left dangerous caches of uranium deposits vulnerable as the security systems of containment complexes become outdated and undermanned"
"Republican-led budget cuts have left dangerous caches of uranium deposits vulnerable as the security systems of containment complexes become outdated and undermanned"
Sarah Palin Says She Wants To Be Donald Trump’s Energy Secretary
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/09/06/3699123/sarah-palin-energy-secretary/
"Palin went on to explain that her theoretical tenure as Energy Secretary would be short, primarily because she would immediately disband the entire department."
"Palin went on to explain that her theoretical tenure as Energy Secretary would be short, primarily because she would immediately disband the entire department."
Palin Wants To Lead Trump's D.O.E. So She Could Get Rid Of It
Palin Wants To Lead Trump's D.O.E. So She Could Get Rid Of It
"Jake Tapper gave Sarah Palin over fifteen minutes to vomit a copious amount of word salad upon the unfortunate viewers of CNN."
"Jake Tapper gave Sarah Palin over fifteen minutes to vomit a copious amount of word salad upon the unfortunate viewers of CNN."
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Understanding the Historic Divergence Between Productivity and a Typical Worker’s Pay: Why It Matters and Why It’s Real
Understanding the Historic Divergence Between Productivity and a Typical Worker’s Pay: Why It Matters and Why It’s Real
"The entirety of the gap between productivity and hourly pay growth is income accruing somewhere in the economy besides the paychecks of typical workers. Mostly, this “somewhere” has been in the pockets of extraordinarily highly paid managers and owners of capital."
"The entirety of the gap between productivity and hourly pay growth is income accruing somewhere in the economy besides the paychecks of typical workers. Mostly, this “somewhere” has been in the pockets of extraordinarily highly paid managers and owners of capital."
PERRspectives: Unicornomics
PERRspectives: Unicornomics
"Unveiling the Congressional Budget Office's latest long term forecast this week, new CBO Director Keith Hall made an unremarkable statement. "The evidence," Hall explained, "is that tax cuts do not pay for themselves." For the overwhelming majority of economists or just about anyone with a passing familiarity with the U.S. budget since Ronald Reagan first took the oath of office in 1981, Hall's inescapable conclusion is about as close to a self-evident truth as his profession can offer.
But for Republicans and their conservative water carriers, Hall's remark came as an unpleasant surprise indeed. After all, Congressional Republicans chose Hall over incumbent Douglas Elmendorf precisely to implement "dynamic scoring" models which would show their tax-cutting schemes wouldn't hemorrhage red ink (or at least as much), thanks to amped-up economic growth the cuts themselves would magically produce. Worse still, virtually every one of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates is counting on Arthur Laffer's 40 year-old myth and other fictions to produce economic growth no one's seen, tax revenue that has never materialized and balanced budgets that simply cannot come to pass.
Call it Unicornomics."
"Unveiling the Congressional Budget Office's latest long term forecast this week, new CBO Director Keith Hall made an unremarkable statement. "The evidence," Hall explained, "is that tax cuts do not pay for themselves." For the overwhelming majority of economists or just about anyone with a passing familiarity with the U.S. budget since Ronald Reagan first took the oath of office in 1981, Hall's inescapable conclusion is about as close to a self-evident truth as his profession can offer.
But for Republicans and their conservative water carriers, Hall's remark came as an unpleasant surprise indeed. After all, Congressional Republicans chose Hall over incumbent Douglas Elmendorf precisely to implement "dynamic scoring" models which would show their tax-cutting schemes wouldn't hemorrhage red ink (or at least as much), thanks to amped-up economic growth the cuts themselves would magically produce. Worse still, virtually every one of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates is counting on Arthur Laffer's 40 year-old myth and other fictions to produce economic growth no one's seen, tax revenue that has never materialized and balanced budgets that simply cannot come to pass.
Call it Unicornomics."
A New Way American Cities Can Free Themselves of Wall Street’s Control @alternet
A New Way American Cities Can Free Themselves of Wall Street’s Control @alternet
"This is the mentality that led Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi to call Goldman Sachs “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.”
It’s not just Goldman. All of municipal finance has become an extractive industry, pumping billions away from the communities that need them most. Morality is an externality that financial firms seldom concern themselves with. The financial sector’s fee-based business model is designed to maximize profits, not to protect taxpayers.
Banks may not have a moral compass, but their business contracts with our state and local governments can and should. After all, our cities, states and school districts are not simply fodder for Wall Street’s insatiable greed. Our elected leaders have a duty to protect us from predatory financial practices. Cities and states can force banks to charge drastically lower fees, do away with arbitrary fee structures and eliminate onerous terms that divert billions of dollars away from the most vulnerable members of our society into bonus checks for our nation’s wealthiest few.
Governors in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois are waging war on collective bargaining and telling taxpayers that empowering publicsector unions robs state coffers, but the real drain on public treasuries is the billions in fees paid to banks every year. And unlike money that goes into workers’ pockets, most of these fees are not recycled back into the local economy but sent to offshore tax havens or invested in complex financial schemes. The irony is that collective bargaining is one of the most effective tools available to public officials who truly want to do right by taxpayers—and cast off Wall Street’s tentacles."
"This is the mentality that led Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi to call Goldman Sachs “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.”
It’s not just Goldman. All of municipal finance has become an extractive industry, pumping billions away from the communities that need them most. Morality is an externality that financial firms seldom concern themselves with. The financial sector’s fee-based business model is designed to maximize profits, not to protect taxpayers.
Banks may not have a moral compass, but their business contracts with our state and local governments can and should. After all, our cities, states and school districts are not simply fodder for Wall Street’s insatiable greed. Our elected leaders have a duty to protect us from predatory financial practices. Cities and states can force banks to charge drastically lower fees, do away with arbitrary fee structures and eliminate onerous terms that divert billions of dollars away from the most vulnerable members of our society into bonus checks for our nation’s wealthiest few.
Governors in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois are waging war on collective bargaining and telling taxpayers that empowering publicsector unions robs state coffers, but the real drain on public treasuries is the billions in fees paid to banks every year. And unlike money that goes into workers’ pockets, most of these fees are not recycled back into the local economy but sent to offshore tax havens or invested in complex financial schemes. The irony is that collective bargaining is one of the most effective tools available to public officials who truly want to do right by taxpayers—and cast off Wall Street’s tentacles."
Prescription Drug Prices Are Out Of Control. Bernie Sanders Has A Plan.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/09/03/3697990/sanders-prescription/
"The U.S. has some of the highest prescription drug prices and spending in the world, with much higher average yearly spending compared with Europeans or Canadians."
"The U.S. has some of the highest prescription drug prices and spending in the world, with much higher average yearly spending compared with Europeans or Canadians."
Sanders Vows To End Pres. Bush’s ‘Prescription Drug Heist’
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/sanders-vows-to-end-pres-bushs-prescription-drug-heist/
"President Bush catered to a billion dollar industry and made sure that elderly Americans on Medicare had no choice but to pay insanely high drug prices; none of the Republican presidential candidates will address this issue, because they don’t care about vulnerable Americans who do not pad their bank accounts."
"President Bush catered to a billion dollar industry and made sure that elderly Americans on Medicare had no choice but to pay insanely high drug prices; none of the Republican presidential candidates will address this issue, because they don’t care about vulnerable Americans who do not pad their bank accounts."
Sanders Does What He Does Best; Beats the Hell Out of Spineless War Pimps
http://ringoffireradio.com/2015/09/sanders-does-what-he-does-best-beats-the-hell-out-of-spineless-war-pimps/
"Unlike Republicans who claim such, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) actually cares about military veterans. Sanders gave a scathing criticism of war hawk Republicans and explained why he opposed the Iraq War."
"Unlike Republicans who claim such, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) actually cares about military veterans. Sanders gave a scathing criticism of war hawk Republicans and explained why he opposed the Iraq War."
Dick Cheney’s savage revisionist history: inside his disturbing campaign to twist the facts of Iraq
Dick Cheney’s savage revisionist history: inside his disturbing campaign to twist the facts of Iraq
"There was an estimated 31-60 billion dollars worth of contractor fraud and waste in Iraq war, and a large part of that came from Halliburton, now known as KBR. As Adam Weinstein reported for Mother Jones, KBR cost “at least $193 million in pay for unnecessary personnel, and maybe as much as $300 million,” which includes $100 million of government-furnished property that cannot be accounted for. KBR has also been blamed for the electrocution and death of 12 soldiers, because of poor wiring jobs at army bases.
In a country where leaders were held accountable, Cheney would currently be in a prison cell. Luckily for the former vice-president, we live in a country where the corrupt revolving door is everywhere and political bribery is the name of the game. Iraq was really a perfect capitalist war, and Cheney was doing what any good capitalist would. This is what many call crony-capitalism — when private industry infiltrates the government (or donates millions to political campaigns) and then uses it to their advantage — but really, it’s just plain old capitalism, and private industry has always been in cahoots with the state to some degree (today more than ever). The Bush administration invaded Iraq with the intent of privatization and ended up making millions for private industry. It’s just like when Wall Street executives from Goldman Sachs or Citibank become financial regulators, bail out big banks and then return to their banks after concluding their honorable duty. If gaining control of the government helps the profit motive, you can be sure private industry will attempt to do it."
"There was an estimated 31-60 billion dollars worth of contractor fraud and waste in Iraq war, and a large part of that came from Halliburton, now known as KBR. As Adam Weinstein reported for Mother Jones, KBR cost “at least $193 million in pay for unnecessary personnel, and maybe as much as $300 million,” which includes $100 million of government-furnished property that cannot be accounted for. KBR has also been blamed for the electrocution and death of 12 soldiers, because of poor wiring jobs at army bases.
In a country where leaders were held accountable, Cheney would currently be in a prison cell. Luckily for the former vice-president, we live in a country where the corrupt revolving door is everywhere and political bribery is the name of the game. Iraq was really a perfect capitalist war, and Cheney was doing what any good capitalist would. This is what many call crony-capitalism — when private industry infiltrates the government (or donates millions to political campaigns) and then uses it to their advantage — but really, it’s just plain old capitalism, and private industry has always been in cahoots with the state to some degree (today more than ever). The Bush administration invaded Iraq with the intent of privatization and ended up making millions for private industry. It’s just like when Wall Street executives from Goldman Sachs or Citibank become financial regulators, bail out big banks and then return to their banks after concluding their honorable duty. If gaining control of the government helps the profit motive, you can be sure private industry will attempt to do it."
Scott Walker, meet Noam Chomsky: Here’s the real Iran history Republicans need to learn
Scott Walker, meet Noam Chomsky: Here’s the real Iran history Republicans need to learn
"For years, Washington and the news media have portrayed Iran as the most dangerous national power on the planet. That opinion is not widely shared by the global community, however, which by a significant margin places the United States at the top of a list of the biggest threats to world peace. Despite the abundance of negative public opinion on Iran in the U.S., the question of what exactly makes the country such a threat is rarely meaningfully explored.
A brief history of U.S.-Iranian relations reveals everything about who should be distrustful of whom.
In 1953, the CIA overthrew Iran’s democratically elected government and installed the Shah, a brutal dictator who proceeded to establish one of the worst human rights records of the era. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which deposed the Shah, Washington turned its favor to another brutal dictator in the region: Saddam Hussein, who received U.S. aid throughout the Iran-Iraq War. Ever since the revolution, the U.S. has imposed various sanctions on Iran. And most recently, we launched major military operations in two of Iran’s neighboring states, further destabilizing the region and threatening Iran’s own safety.
But in the eyes of U.S. commentary, Iran remains the supreme evil. It’s instructive, for instance, that without any irony or self-awareness we charge Iran with interfering in the Iraq War – a war we instigated from the other side of the world, against massive international protest, on Iran’s doorstep. Actually, Iran’s involvement in the Iraq conflict has necessarily increased with the growing threat of ISIS, a group that only exists because of the immense power vacuum and destabilization caused by the U.S. invasion.
With all the trouble Washington causes in and around Iranian borders, it’s a wonder Tehran has as much restraint as it does. Iran has launched zero invasions in modern history."
"For years, Washington and the news media have portrayed Iran as the most dangerous national power on the planet. That opinion is not widely shared by the global community, however, which by a significant margin places the United States at the top of a list of the biggest threats to world peace. Despite the abundance of negative public opinion on Iran in the U.S., the question of what exactly makes the country such a threat is rarely meaningfully explored.
A brief history of U.S.-Iranian relations reveals everything about who should be distrustful of whom.
In 1953, the CIA overthrew Iran’s democratically elected government and installed the Shah, a brutal dictator who proceeded to establish one of the worst human rights records of the era. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which deposed the Shah, Washington turned its favor to another brutal dictator in the region: Saddam Hussein, who received U.S. aid throughout the Iran-Iraq War. Ever since the revolution, the U.S. has imposed various sanctions on Iran. And most recently, we launched major military operations in two of Iran’s neighboring states, further destabilizing the region and threatening Iran’s own safety.
But in the eyes of U.S. commentary, Iran remains the supreme evil. It’s instructive, for instance, that without any irony or self-awareness we charge Iran with interfering in the Iraq War – a war we instigated from the other side of the world, against massive international protest, on Iran’s doorstep. Actually, Iran’s involvement in the Iraq conflict has necessarily increased with the growing threat of ISIS, a group that only exists because of the immense power vacuum and destabilization caused by the U.S. invasion.
With all the trouble Washington causes in and around Iranian borders, it’s a wonder Tehran has as much restraint as it does. Iran has launched zero invasions in modern history."
America’s silent-but-deadly billionaires: How our tight-lipped overlords are waging stealth campaigns against the middle class
America’s silent-but-deadly billionaires: How our tight-lipped overlords are waging stealth campaigns against the middle class
"The United States also needs a robust public financing system, which would allow for more small donor democracy. According to Brian Schaffner, the average small donation (under $200) in 2012 was $85, meaning that to equal the $889 million the Koch Brothers plan to spend, it would take 10.5 million small donors."
"The United States also needs a robust public financing system, which would allow for more small donor democracy. According to Brian Schaffner, the average small donation (under $200) in 2012 was $85, meaning that to equal the $889 million the Koch Brothers plan to spend, it would take 10.5 million small donors."
Ted Cruz Thinks Employers Should Be Allowed To Deny Their Employees Paid Family Leave
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/09/02/3697995/ted-cruz-family-leave/
"These programs don’t end up costing businesses, and in fact in the states that have set them up, employers are supportive. In California, the vast majority report that paid leave has had either a positive impact or none at all on profitability, employee performance, and productivity, and it’s also helped reduce turnover. The majority in New Jersey say it hasn’t hurt their finances and has come with some of the same benefits."
"These programs don’t end up costing businesses, and in fact in the states that have set them up, employers are supportive. In California, the vast majority report that paid leave has had either a positive impact or none at all on profitability, employee performance, and productivity, and it’s also helped reduce turnover. The majority in New Jersey say it hasn’t hurt their finances and has come with some of the same benefits."
New Poll Shows The Right-Wing Base Loves Living In A Completely Deluded Fantasy Land
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/02/new-poll-shows-the-right-wing-base-loves-living-in-a-completely-deluded-fantasy-land/
"In a nutshell, the right-wing extremist embodies all that is ignorant about America. They’ve hijacked the words “patriot” and “freedom,” mobilizing them to support treason and secession. They’ve declared the Constitution to be their personal document, but only understand a single line each from the Second and Tenth Amendments, commonly misinterpreting them."
"In a nutshell, the right-wing extremist embodies all that is ignorant about America. They’ve hijacked the words “patriot” and “freedom,” mobilizing them to support treason and secession. They’ve declared the Constitution to be their personal document, but only understand a single line each from the Second and Tenth Amendments, commonly misinterpreting them."
Governors Have Collected Millions In Presidential Campaign Contributions From State Contractors
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/08/27/3695683/republican-governors-state-contractors/
"The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that campaigns and super PACs supporting Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) together have raised at least $2.5 million in donations from companies with state contracts or taxpayer subsidies in their states."
"The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that campaigns and super PACs supporting Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) together have raised at least $2.5 million in donations from companies with state contracts or taxpayer subsidies in their states."
5 Quotes From Teddy Roosevelt That Exemplify What It Means To Be A Progressive
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/31/3694934/teddy-roosevelt-progressive-environmentalsim-patriot/
"Yes, the famous Republican President Teddy Roosevelt would be what modern conservatives typically label a socialist tree-hugger."
"Yes, the famous Republican President Teddy Roosevelt would be what modern conservatives typically label a socialist tree-hugger."
Boehner And McConnell Rocked As Republican Disapproval Hits A Record High
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/08/31/boehner-mcconnell-rocked-republican-disapproval-hits-record-high.html
"Republicans have long treated the American people like they are not paying attention, but results like this demonstrate that while the vast majority of American voters don’t follow the day to day details of politics, they have a general sense of what is going on.
If Boehner and McConnell believe that they can survive a government shutdown by blaming President Obama, they are in for a big surprise. A Republican-caused government shutdown could be the tipping point where a fed up electorate takes control of the Senate away from the Republican Party."
"Republicans have long treated the American people like they are not paying attention, but results like this demonstrate that while the vast majority of American voters don’t follow the day to day details of politics, they have a general sense of what is going on.
If Boehner and McConnell believe that they can survive a government shutdown by blaming President Obama, they are in for a big surprise. A Republican-caused government shutdown could be the tipping point where a fed up electorate takes control of the Senate away from the Republican Party."
Conservatives Are Waiting For Their Shot At Dismantling The New Deal
Conservatives Are Waiting For Their Shot At Dismantling The New Deal
"If one of these justices retires under a Republican president, who then appoints a Lochnerian to fill the vacancy, it will change the Court profoundly. If more than one of them steps down, the Court will become unrecognizable."
"If one of these justices retires under a Republican president, who then appoints a Lochnerian to fill the vacancy, it will change the Court profoundly. If more than one of them steps down, the Court will become unrecognizable."
Our Roads and Bridges are Crumbling, Yet GOP Wants to Build Walls Blocking Mexico and Canada
Our Roads and Bridges are Crumbling, Yet GOP Wants to Build Walls Blocking Mexico and Canada
"The American Society of Civil Engineers has estimated that the United States will require approximately $1.7 trillion worth of repairs to infrastructure by the year 2020.
That’s not going to happen if the GOP gets its way and we’re wasting our time and money on a bunch of walls we don’t need."
"The American Society of Civil Engineers has estimated that the United States will require approximately $1.7 trillion worth of repairs to infrastructure by the year 2020.
That’s not going to happen if the GOP gets its way and we’re wasting our time and money on a bunch of walls we don’t need."
Unemployment Rate Under Obama Is Now Lower Than Ronald Reagan Ever Achieved (IMAGE/VIDEO)
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/05/unemployment-rate-under-obama-is-now-lower-than-ronald-reagan-ever-achieved-imagevideo/
"Instead of talking about the unemployment rate, they’re trying to confuse the matter by pointing out that the labor-force participation rate (LFPR) is at its lowest level since 1977, at 62.6%.
This is misleading.
The LFPR has been steadily declining all throughout the Bush years. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in 2012 concluded that at least half of this decrease comes from the retirement of baby boomers. This was expected and is what’s referred to as a structural change – not indicative of a weak economy at all. Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor, echoes this same sentiment along with the fact that more Americans are now choosing to receive an education."
"Instead of talking about the unemployment rate, they’re trying to confuse the matter by pointing out that the labor-force participation rate (LFPR) is at its lowest level since 1977, at 62.6%.
This is misleading.
The LFPR has been steadily declining all throughout the Bush years. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in 2012 concluded that at least half of this decrease comes from the retirement of baby boomers. This was expected and is what’s referred to as a structural change – not indicative of a weak economy at all. Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor, echoes this same sentiment along with the fact that more Americans are now choosing to receive an education."
Obama Shatters Republican Fantasies By Posting Lower Unemployment Numbers Than Reagan
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/05/obama-shatters-republican-fantasies-posting-unemployment-numbers-reagan.html
"Before Republicans start scrambling for excuses, Yglesias pointed out that labor participation is lower now than when Reagan was in office, but that is due to the fact that the United States is an older country that has more retired people than when Reagan was in office. Labor participation rates have been dropping for decades so blaming Obama for decreasing labor participation rate is both false and disingenuous.
In 2011, President Obama became the biggest tax cutter in history, “Beneath all of the Republican and Tea Party grumbling about taxes, one key fact continues to be ignored. According to the Tax Policy Center, Federal taxes are lower than at any time since 1955. Obama has now reduced taxes by more than any president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.”
President Obama’s 2009 stimulus was the single biggest tax cut in US history:
The Obama tax cut is $282 billion which is larger than the tax cuts of Ronald Reagan, JFK, and George W. Bush. Even worse, Republicans voted against it.
According to the Wall Street Journal, George W. Bush’s first tax cut in 2001 was $174 billion. His second tax cut in 2004 and 2005 was $231 billion. As Steven Waldman of Beliefnet pointed out last week, Obama has kept a campaign promise to cut taxes that few Republicans thought he would keep."
"Before Republicans start scrambling for excuses, Yglesias pointed out that labor participation is lower now than when Reagan was in office, but that is due to the fact that the United States is an older country that has more retired people than when Reagan was in office. Labor participation rates have been dropping for decades so blaming Obama for decreasing labor participation rate is both false and disingenuous.
In 2011, President Obama became the biggest tax cutter in history, “Beneath all of the Republican and Tea Party grumbling about taxes, one key fact continues to be ignored. According to the Tax Policy Center, Federal taxes are lower than at any time since 1955. Obama has now reduced taxes by more than any president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.”
President Obama’s 2009 stimulus was the single biggest tax cut in US history:
The Obama tax cut is $282 billion which is larger than the tax cuts of Ronald Reagan, JFK, and George W. Bush. Even worse, Republicans voted against it.
According to the Wall Street Journal, George W. Bush’s first tax cut in 2001 was $174 billion. His second tax cut in 2004 and 2005 was $231 billion. As Steven Waldman of Beliefnet pointed out last week, Obama has kept a campaign promise to cut taxes that few Republicans thought he would keep."
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Paranoid history of the GOP: How conspiracy theories poisoned the Republican Party
Paranoid history of the GOP: How conspiracy theories poisoned the Republican Party
"conspiracism is virtually all the GOP has left"
"conspiracism is virtually all the GOP has left"
PERRspectives: Economists Warn of GOP Threat to U.S. Economy
PERRspectives: Economists Warn of GOP Threat to U.S. Economy
"it's not the instability of Chinese stock prices, the devaluation of its currency, the Eurozone's Greek tragedy or even a premature Fed interest rate hike that has WSJ's economists so concerned. Instead, the fear is that the GOP-controlled Congress will once again precipitate a fiscal crisis this fall."
"it's not the instability of Chinese stock prices, the devaluation of its currency, the Eurozone's Greek tragedy or even a premature Fed interest rate hike that has WSJ's economists so concerned. Instead, the fear is that the GOP-controlled Congress will once again precipitate a fiscal crisis this fall."
Republicans Actually DO Like Obama’s Ideas…When They Think They’re Trump’s: Poll (IMAGES)
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/03/republicans-actually-do-like-obamas-ideas-when-they-think-theyre-trumps-poll-images/
"One thing that we should learn from this is that it is important to pay close attention to the details of an idea rather than the person supporting or opposing it."
"One thing that we should learn from this is that it is important to pay close attention to the details of an idea rather than the person supporting or opposing it."
Consumer Reports calls latest Tesla best vehicle they've ever tested, right wing goes nuts
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/31/1417018/-Consumer-Reports-calls-latest-Tesla-best-vehicle-they-ve-ever-tested-right-wing-goes-nuts
"In other words, today's Tesla supercar is tomorrow's mid-range commuter. Tesla is building out technology for well-heeled early adopters that will (in three years, if anyone believes Tesla timetables anymore) soon be available in more affordable mass-market cars. For those of us hoping for a transition to clean transportation, this is pretty exciting stuff, and Tesla is proving that electric cars aren't golf-cart equivalents. Rather, they are better than the gas-powered supercars of today.
Which is all great news! Well, unless you are conservative and have a bug up your ass about clean air and renewable fuels that would eliminate dependence on petroleum from regressive regimes and lessen the need for wars. For those people, Consumer Reports now has a liberal agenda to destroy freedom."
"In other words, today's Tesla supercar is tomorrow's mid-range commuter. Tesla is building out technology for well-heeled early adopters that will (in three years, if anyone believes Tesla timetables anymore) soon be available in more affordable mass-market cars. For those of us hoping for a transition to clean transportation, this is pretty exciting stuff, and Tesla is proving that electric cars aren't golf-cart equivalents. Rather, they are better than the gas-powered supercars of today.
Which is all great news! Well, unless you are conservative and have a bug up your ass about clean air and renewable fuels that would eliminate dependence on petroleum from regressive regimes and lessen the need for wars. For those people, Consumer Reports now has a liberal agenda to destroy freedom."
4 Charts That Prove Just How Successful President Obama Has Been
4 Charts That Prove Just How Successful President Obama Has Been
"With Republicans, it really is more like cult-like propaganda than normal, every day political rhetoric. It’s become so bad that indisputable facts have suddenly become “opinions” simply because they don’t want to believe in them."
"With Republicans, it really is more like cult-like propaganda than normal, every day political rhetoric. It’s become so bad that indisputable facts have suddenly become “opinions” simply because they don’t want to believe in them."
Thanks To President Obama The US Leads The World in Economic Growth
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/08/28/thanks-obama-leads-world-economic-growth.html
"While the president is not solely responsible for a nation’s economic health, Barack Obama has presided over 65 consecutive months of private sector job growth. 13 million new jobs have been added during his tenure in the White House.
If a Republican president were in office under similar conditions, pundits at Fox News and the GOP members of Congress would be shouting from the roof tops daily about how the “Republican savior” in the White House was making the economy hum along. They might even say the president was “making America great again”, to borrow a phrase from the Republican candidate currently leading in the presidential polls.
The bottom line is that while the economies of other developed nations are struggling to grow, the U.S. economy is moving forward at a healthy clip."
"While the president is not solely responsible for a nation’s economic health, Barack Obama has presided over 65 consecutive months of private sector job growth. 13 million new jobs have been added during his tenure in the White House.
If a Republican president were in office under similar conditions, pundits at Fox News and the GOP members of Congress would be shouting from the roof tops daily about how the “Republican savior” in the White House was making the economy hum along. They might even say the president was “making America great again”, to borrow a phrase from the Republican candidate currently leading in the presidential polls.
The bottom line is that while the economies of other developed nations are struggling to grow, the U.S. economy is moving forward at a healthy clip."
More Bad News for Coal Country as Common Byproduct Found to be Radioactive
More Bad News for Coal Country as Common Byproduct Found to be Radioactive
"Coal ash, a common and unregulated byproduct of coal-fired power plants, has been found to contain high levels of radioactive contaminants, placing at great risk the countless number of people who live near such dumps—including the thousands of North Carolina residents affected by the 2014 Dan River spill."
"Coal ash, a common and unregulated byproduct of coal-fired power plants, has been found to contain high levels of radioactive contaminants, placing at great risk the countless number of people who live near such dumps—including the thousands of North Carolina residents affected by the 2014 Dan River spill."
'Big Moment' for California as Assembly Votes to Divest From Dirty Coal
'Big Moment' for California as Assembly Votes to Divest From Dirty Coal
"In a significant victory for the fossil fuel divestment movement, the California Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill requiring the state's two pension systems, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to release their holdings from coal investments."
"In a significant victory for the fossil fuel divestment movement, the California Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill requiring the state's two pension systems, CalPERS and CalSTRS, to release their holdings from coal investments."
General Mills Takes Climate Change Seriously Because You Can’t Make Wheaties Without Wheat
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/31/3696953/general-mills-climate-emissions-reduction-plan/
"On Monday, General Mills — the sixth-largest food company in the world — announced plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent by 2025.
The announcement comes at a time when a growing number of major food companies are pledging to take more steps to encourage sustainability throughout their businesses. But General Mills’ plan is slightly unique, because it seeks to reduce carbon emissions throughout the company’s entire supply chain, from farm to landfill — a first for major food companies."
"On Monday, General Mills — the sixth-largest food company in the world — announced plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent by 2025.
The announcement comes at a time when a growing number of major food companies are pledging to take more steps to encourage sustainability throughout their businesses. But General Mills’ plan is slightly unique, because it seeks to reduce carbon emissions throughout the company’s entire supply chain, from farm to landfill — a first for major food companies."
On Taking Climate Action, Even Wall Street Asks: 'Why Would You Not?'
On Taking Climate Action, Even Wall Street Asks: 'Why Would You Not?'
"Fortunately, the report finds that taking action to cut carbon pollution and slow global warming by investing in energy efficiency and renewable power generation would result in a positive return on investment, ultimately saving trillions of dollars."
"Fortunately, the report finds that taking action to cut carbon pollution and slow global warming by investing in energy efficiency and renewable power generation would result in a positive return on investment, ultimately saving trillions of dollars."
Big Bank Says It’s Going To Cost A Lot To Do Nothing On Global Warming
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/31/3696952/climate-action-costs-less-than-inaction-citibank-says/
"A new report from Citibank found that acting on climate change by investing in low-carbon energy would save the world $1.8 trillion through 2040, as compared to a business-as-usual scenario. In addition, not acting will cost an additional $44 trillion by 2060 from the “negative effects” of climate change."
"A new report from Citibank found that acting on climate change by investing in low-carbon energy would save the world $1.8 trillion through 2040, as compared to a business-as-usual scenario. In addition, not acting will cost an additional $44 trillion by 2060 from the “negative effects” of climate change."
Report: Extravagant CEO Pay Packages Are Fostering Planet's Destruction
Report: Extravagant CEO Pay Packages Are Fostering Planet's Destruction
"the complex cycle in which corporate bosses are given "enormous personal financial incentive" to promote the development of fossil fuels, which in turn allows them to donate ever-increasing funds to lobbyists and lawmakers who promote climate denial policies."
"the complex cycle in which corporate bosses are given "enormous personal financial incentive" to promote the development of fossil fuels, which in turn allows them to donate ever-increasing funds to lobbyists and lawmakers who promote climate denial policies."
How Charles Koch Prevents Clean Energy Businesses From Succeeding
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/32615-how-charles-koch-prevents-clean-energy-businesses-from-succeeding
"the Kochs use their political influence and funding for efforts to repeal laws designed to support the deployment of more renewable electricity. Specifically, their political network's agenda includes weakening renewable energy standards, preventing customers from installing solar panels (by charging fees on people that go solar), and protecting the government monopolized electric utilities.
The facts are indisputable."
"the Kochs use their political influence and funding for efforts to repeal laws designed to support the deployment of more renewable electricity. Specifically, their political network's agenda includes weakening renewable energy standards, preventing customers from installing solar panels (by charging fees on people that go solar), and protecting the government monopolized electric utilities.
The facts are indisputable."
PERRspectives: Cheney: Congress Should Have No Say in President's Iran Policy
PERRspectives: Cheney: Congress Should Have No Say in President's Iran Policy
"For Cheney, of course, not all presidents are created equal. Once upon a time, he furiously condemned Congressional interference with the President's policy towards Iran. Condemned it, that is, provided the President was not Barack Obama but Ronald Reagan and the issue wasn't limiting Iran's arsenal, but enhancing it."
"For Cheney, of course, not all presidents are created equal. Once upon a time, he furiously condemned Congressional interference with the President's policy towards Iran. Condemned it, that is, provided the President was not Barack Obama but Ronald Reagan and the issue wasn't limiting Iran's arsenal, but enhancing it."
Tom Cotton’s endless war: What his ongoing crusade against the Iran deal says about the GOP
Tom Cotton’s endless war: What his ongoing crusade against the Iran deal says about the GOP
"This single-mindedness makes him either a dangerous ideologue or the Senate’s equivalent of Mr. Magoo, blindly but confidently stumbling from his own little world into reality over and over and over again, without ever being affected in his attitudes and opinions.
Take his famous letter to the leaders of Iran. Back in March, just two months into his first term in the Senate, Cotton convinced 46 of his Republican colleagues to sign one of the most ill-considered diplomatic correspondences since the Zimmerman telegram. In the letter, Cotton helpfully explained to the Iranian mullahs that there was no point in their agreeing to a nuclear arms control agreement with President Obama because any such deal will get tossed in the garbage as soon as a Republican is back in the White House. And indeed, multiple contenders for the GOP nomination for 2016 have promised to tear up the deal their first day in office, which would be more of a concern if any of them had a prayer in hell of being elected.
Cotton’s letter led to widespread condemnation from the White House, Democrats in Congress, even a few Republicans. Some of the Senators who signed it immediately distanced themselves by saying they had read and signed it in haste, which does not exactly inspire confidence in the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body but does lead one to wonder what else we could fool these guys into signing. Someone please draft the Free Beer for Life for All Americans Act of 2015 and put it in front of the Senate Republicans, chop-chop.
The letter also led to one of the great moments in, as the kids call it, pwning. When the foreign minister of Iran knows more about how America’s Constitution works than you, an elected representative of America, it’s perhaps incumbent on you to examine your life choices.
Which brings us to this week’s trip to Israel and Cotton’s continued very public attempts to undermine the Obama administration as it works to secure Congressional support for the Iran deal. No one disputes that there is a role for Congress in shaping foreign policy. Although particularly in the decision about whether or not to wage war, it is a role that the legislative branch has ceded to the executive more and more over the last few decades. But there is also an old saw that politics stops at the water’s edge, which legislators have long taken to mean that they will not travel overseas to visibly undercut a president’s policies with the leaders of foreign nations. Like so many of the old political norms, it has long since gone out the window in our highly polarized era. And Tom Cotton is the purest distillation of this conflict, a bathtub of the most blindness-inducing moonshine in the national still."
"This single-mindedness makes him either a dangerous ideologue or the Senate’s equivalent of Mr. Magoo, blindly but confidently stumbling from his own little world into reality over and over and over again, without ever being affected in his attitudes and opinions.
Take his famous letter to the leaders of Iran. Back in March, just two months into his first term in the Senate, Cotton convinced 46 of his Republican colleagues to sign one of the most ill-considered diplomatic correspondences since the Zimmerman telegram. In the letter, Cotton helpfully explained to the Iranian mullahs that there was no point in their agreeing to a nuclear arms control agreement with President Obama because any such deal will get tossed in the garbage as soon as a Republican is back in the White House. And indeed, multiple contenders for the GOP nomination for 2016 have promised to tear up the deal their first day in office, which would be more of a concern if any of them had a prayer in hell of being elected.
Cotton’s letter led to widespread condemnation from the White House, Democrats in Congress, even a few Republicans. Some of the Senators who signed it immediately distanced themselves by saying they had read and signed it in haste, which does not exactly inspire confidence in the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body but does lead one to wonder what else we could fool these guys into signing. Someone please draft the Free Beer for Life for All Americans Act of 2015 and put it in front of the Senate Republicans, chop-chop.
The letter also led to one of the great moments in, as the kids call it, pwning. When the foreign minister of Iran knows more about how America’s Constitution works than you, an elected representative of America, it’s perhaps incumbent on you to examine your life choices.
Which brings us to this week’s trip to Israel and Cotton’s continued very public attempts to undermine the Obama administration as it works to secure Congressional support for the Iran deal. No one disputes that there is a role for Congress in shaping foreign policy. Although particularly in the decision about whether or not to wage war, it is a role that the legislative branch has ceded to the executive more and more over the last few decades. But there is also an old saw that politics stops at the water’s edge, which legislators have long taken to mean that they will not travel overseas to visibly undercut a president’s policies with the leaders of foreign nations. Like so many of the old political norms, it has long since gone out the window in our highly polarized era. And Tom Cotton is the purest distillation of this conflict, a bathtub of the most blindness-inducing moonshine in the national still."
Traitor Cotton To Obama: You’re Not My President, I Take Orders From Netanyahu
http://www.occupydemocrats.com/traitor-cotton-to-obama-youre-not-my-president-i-take-orders-from-netanyahu/
"Cotton, absent of any punishment for his actions, has doubled down, not only conspiring with other lawmakers to sabotage an international peace deal — but now with a foreign power. We have a word for working in collusion with a foreign power to damage the operation of our government — treason."
"Cotton, absent of any punishment for his actions, has doubled down, not only conspiring with other lawmakers to sabotage an international peace deal — but now with a foreign power. We have a word for working in collusion with a foreign power to damage the operation of our government — treason."
Kim Davis Reveals GOP Support For Sharia Law
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/03/kim-davis-reveals-gop-support-for-sharia-law/
"America exists under a system of laws, not religious edict. Those laws protect the right to worship, but the beliefs of worshippers don’t have precedence over our laws. Several members of the Republican Party’s presidential field, campaigning for a job that is in many ways the chief law enforcement officer for the United States, and who would nominate Justices to serve on the Supreme Court, have come down on the supremacy of religious beliefs over our written rules of law."
"America exists under a system of laws, not religious edict. Those laws protect the right to worship, but the beliefs of worshippers don’t have precedence over our laws. Several members of the Republican Party’s presidential field, campaigning for a job that is in many ways the chief law enforcement officer for the United States, and who would nominate Justices to serve on the Supreme Court, have come down on the supremacy of religious beliefs over our written rules of law."
Let Me Explain Religious Freedom to Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis
Let Me Explain Religious Freedom to Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis
"Religious freedom means that, on a personal level, every American is free to follow whatever religion they want. They’re also free to not follow any religion at all. As Americans we are free to attend church seven days a week, 365 days a year – or not at all. If you want to be Christian one year, Muslim the next and an atheist after that, guess what? That’s your right. Heck, if you want to follow some weird hybrid of a whole bunch of different religions combined into one set of spiritual beliefs, go right ahead. Do you know what the best part is? This country is set up so that no law can ever force anyone to adhere to a certain set of religious beliefs or principles. In your private life, or your places of worship, you can be as religious as you want. However... Once you go into work, school or any number of public, non-religious places – your religious rights change. While some are protected, such as observing certain religious holidays or even the right to organize hate-filled religious protests, others are not. For example, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church can protest all they want, but that same person couldn’t go to work at Home Depot wearing a “God Hates F*gs” shirt claiming “religious freedom.”
In other words, religious freedom is not without limits. Especially if you’re a government employee, like Ms. Davis. As an elected official for the State of Kentucky, she swore an oath not to govern based on biblical law, but to uphold the laws of the state – which, again, are bound by our Constitution. I couldn’t care less what she thinks of same-sex marriage, because her job isn’t to determine who should or shouldn’t get married based on her own personal feelings. Just like a county clerk couldn’t have denied her the right to marry for the second, third or fourth time based on their personal religious beliefs concerning divorce – she can’t legally do that to gay couples. Her job is to issue marriage licenses in accordance with the State of Kentucky which is bound to the Constitution of the United States of America. If she wants to become an anti-gay marriage advocate, she needs to quit her job and go join some hate group filled with knuckle-dragging fools like herself. She has no right (nor does any other business owner or government employee) to deny service to anyone based on religious beliefs."
"Religious freedom means that, on a personal level, every American is free to follow whatever religion they want. They’re also free to not follow any religion at all. As Americans we are free to attend church seven days a week, 365 days a year – or not at all. If you want to be Christian one year, Muslim the next and an atheist after that, guess what? That’s your right. Heck, if you want to follow some weird hybrid of a whole bunch of different religions combined into one set of spiritual beliefs, go right ahead. Do you know what the best part is? This country is set up so that no law can ever force anyone to adhere to a certain set of religious beliefs or principles. In your private life, or your places of worship, you can be as religious as you want. However... Once you go into work, school or any number of public, non-religious places – your religious rights change. While some are protected, such as observing certain religious holidays or even the right to organize hate-filled religious protests, others are not. For example, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church can protest all they want, but that same person couldn’t go to work at Home Depot wearing a “God Hates F*gs” shirt claiming “religious freedom.”
In other words, religious freedom is not without limits. Especially if you’re a government employee, like Ms. Davis. As an elected official for the State of Kentucky, she swore an oath not to govern based on biblical law, but to uphold the laws of the state – which, again, are bound by our Constitution. I couldn’t care less what she thinks of same-sex marriage, because her job isn’t to determine who should or shouldn’t get married based on her own personal feelings. Just like a county clerk couldn’t have denied her the right to marry for the second, third or fourth time based on their personal religious beliefs concerning divorce – she can’t legally do that to gay couples. Her job is to issue marriage licenses in accordance with the State of Kentucky which is bound to the Constitution of the United States of America. If she wants to become an anti-gay marriage advocate, she needs to quit her job and go join some hate group filled with knuckle-dragging fools like herself. She has no right (nor does any other business owner or government employee) to deny service to anyone based on religious beliefs."
No, Christians, you’re not being “persecuted” — and Kim Davis is not a martyr
No, Christians, you’re not being “persecuted” — and Kim Davis is not a martyr
"Davis was found in contempt for refusing to abide by a federal court order to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. She is being appropriately dealt with for not doing the taxpayer-funded job the citizens of Rowan County elected her to do, for not upholding the Constitution she took an oath to abide by. I know that lots of Christians are used to cherry picking their Bible verses to make their points, but you’re not allowed to be quite so selective with the Constitution."
"Davis was found in contempt for refusing to abide by a federal court order to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. She is being appropriately dealt with for not doing the taxpayer-funded job the citizens of Rowan County elected her to do, for not upholding the Constitution she took an oath to abide by. I know that lots of Christians are used to cherry picking their Bible verses to make their points, but you’re not allowed to be quite so selective with the Constitution."
Jeb Bush Made Millions Giving Investors Billions Of Florida Pension Funds To Lose
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/08/30/jeb-bush-millions-giving-investors-billions-florida-pension-funds-lose.html
"According to a comprehensive International Business Times analysis of Florida government documents, and a list of George W. Bush’s bundlers compiled by Public Citizen, there were no less than 11 firms that received the Jeb Bush pension investments because they were qualified as “Pioneers.” Further analysis of data from the Florida Division of Elections and Political Moneyline determined how much money executives from those firms donated directly to Jeb Bush’s campaigns, George W. Bush’s campaigns, the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Florida between 1998 and 2006 while Jeb Bush was in charge.
For example, Lehman Brothers, already recipients of Florida pension largesse courtesy of Jeb Bush donated $499,000 to Bush campaigns and received $175 million in pension money from Bush. Also included in the eleven investment firms was the largest private equity firm in the world, the Carlyle Group, where Bush daddy George H. W. Bush served as senior adviser from 1998 to 2003 during the time all these “Pioneer” transactions were occurring. The Carlyle Group received $275 million of Florida public employees’ pension savings for donating $69,000 to keep George W. Bush in the White House. As one pundit noted, the special relationship between Jeb and giant financial institutions really means that the “quid pro quo was a double windfall for the Bush clan,” and contributed to monumental pension losses for Florida public employees."
"According to a comprehensive International Business Times analysis of Florida government documents, and a list of George W. Bush’s bundlers compiled by Public Citizen, there were no less than 11 firms that received the Jeb Bush pension investments because they were qualified as “Pioneers.” Further analysis of data from the Florida Division of Elections and Political Moneyline determined how much money executives from those firms donated directly to Jeb Bush’s campaigns, George W. Bush’s campaigns, the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Florida between 1998 and 2006 while Jeb Bush was in charge.
For example, Lehman Brothers, already recipients of Florida pension largesse courtesy of Jeb Bush donated $499,000 to Bush campaigns and received $175 million in pension money from Bush. Also included in the eleven investment firms was the largest private equity firm in the world, the Carlyle Group, where Bush daddy George H. W. Bush served as senior adviser from 1998 to 2003 during the time all these “Pioneer” transactions were occurring. The Carlyle Group received $275 million of Florida public employees’ pension savings for donating $69,000 to keep George W. Bush in the White House. As one pundit noted, the special relationship between Jeb and giant financial institutions really means that the “quid pro quo was a double windfall for the Bush clan,” and contributed to monumental pension losses for Florida public employees."
Walker Keeps Telling Tales Out Of School
Walker Keeps Telling Tales Out Of School
"On Sunday, Walker appeared with Chuckles the Toad on Meet the Press. Since Chuckles was letting him get away with saying about anything, Walker laid it on thick regarding his record on education in Wisconsin."
"On Sunday, Walker appeared with Chuckles the Toad on Meet the Press. Since Chuckles was letting him get away with saying about anything, Walker laid it on thick regarding his record on education in Wisconsin."
New report examines Kochs' role in Hurricane Katrina damage and slow recovery
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/28/1416301/-New-report-examines-Kochs-role-in-Hurricane-Katrina-damage-and-slow-recovery
"the Kochs' "PR machine" is in full gear, with the Kochs sponsoring all kinds of 10th anniversary events, "using their positive PR effort to distract from their business practices and response ten years ago," once again using "Hurricane Katrina to their own benefit"."
"the Kochs' "PR machine" is in full gear, with the Kochs sponsoring all kinds of 10th anniversary events, "using their positive PR effort to distract from their business practices and response ten years ago," once again using "Hurricane Katrina to their own benefit"."
How Jeb! helped his corporate buddies profit off Katrina
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/28/1416355/-How-Jeb-helped-his-corporate-buddies-profit-off-Katrina
"Jeb!'s role in a federally funded post-Katrina boondoggle inspired by high-dollar donors close to his campaign and the GOP."
"Jeb!'s role in a federally funded post-Katrina boondoggle inspired by high-dollar donors close to his campaign and the GOP."
Bombshell Report Reveals That The Kochs Profited From The Misery Of Katrina Victims
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/08/28/report-documents-kochs-compounded-profited-hurricane-katrina.html
"The Koch brothers see opportunity in natural disasters. In some cases, their actions can intensify the disaster’s impact, but more importantly, after the catastrophe unfolds they can exploit the tragedy to make more money. The Koch brothers are “disaster capitalists” who see in other people’s suffering an opportunity to further enrich themselves."
"The Koch brothers see opportunity in natural disasters. In some cases, their actions can intensify the disaster’s impact, but more importantly, after the catastrophe unfolds they can exploit the tragedy to make more money. The Koch brothers are “disaster capitalists” who see in other people’s suffering an opportunity to further enrich themselves."
Donald Trump humiliates himself on conservative radio: “That is a gotcha question! This is ridiculous!”
Donald Trump humiliates himself on conservative radio: “That is a gotcha question! This is ridiculous!”
"Hewitt wanted to conclude the interview by asking Trump a few questions of the sort he can expect in the upcoming debate, and Trump was amenable — at least, that is, until he realized that he didn’t know how to answer any of the questions, because he fundamentally didn’t know what they were about. For example, Hewitt asked him if he was familiar with General Soleimani, and Trump replied like any panicked student would, saying “Yes, but go ahead, give me a little, go ahead, tell me.”
Hewitt told him he runs the Quds Forces — the Iranian equivalent of the Navy SEALs — and Trump started talking about the Kurds. “No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forces,” Hewitt said.
“I thought you said Kurds,” Trump replied, and tried to start talking about them again. Hewitt insisted he talk about the Quds, and an audibly annoyed Trump started speaking generally about “what’s happening with Iran.”
Hewitt allowed him to do so, but shortly thereafter asked him another specific question about the Middle East. “I’m looking for the next commander-in-chief, to know who Hassan Nasrallah is, and Zawahiri, and al-Julani, and al-Baghdadi. Do you know the players without a scorecard, yet, Donald Trump?” he asked.
Trump’s reply was a magisterial defense of the virtues of his ignorance, worthy of quoting it in its entirety:
No, you know, I’ll tell you honestly, I think by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed. They’ll be all gone. I knew you were going to ask me things like this, and there’s no reason, because number one, I’ll find, I will hopefully find General Douglas MacArthur in the pack. I will find whoever it is that I’ll find, and we’ll, but they’re all changing, Hugh. If, if they’re still there, which is unlikely in many cases, but if they’re still there, I will know them better than I know you.
Hewitt, taken aback, said “I don’t believe in gotcha questions — and I’m not trying to quiz you on who the worst guy in the world is.”
Trump was on a roll though, and replied that that was “a gotcha question, though. I mean, you know, when you’re asking me about who’s running this, this this, that’s not, that is not — I will be so good at the military, your head will spin.”
As if that weren’t enough empty bluster, Trump argued that he doesn’t know who these figures are because he doesn’t have personal relationships with them."
"Hewitt wanted to conclude the interview by asking Trump a few questions of the sort he can expect in the upcoming debate, and Trump was amenable — at least, that is, until he realized that he didn’t know how to answer any of the questions, because he fundamentally didn’t know what they were about. For example, Hewitt asked him if he was familiar with General Soleimani, and Trump replied like any panicked student would, saying “Yes, but go ahead, give me a little, go ahead, tell me.”
Hewitt told him he runs the Quds Forces — the Iranian equivalent of the Navy SEALs — and Trump started talking about the Kurds. “No, not the Kurds, the Quds Forces, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Forces,” Hewitt said.
“I thought you said Kurds,” Trump replied, and tried to start talking about them again. Hewitt insisted he talk about the Quds, and an audibly annoyed Trump started speaking generally about “what’s happening with Iran.”
Hewitt allowed him to do so, but shortly thereafter asked him another specific question about the Middle East. “I’m looking for the next commander-in-chief, to know who Hassan Nasrallah is, and Zawahiri, and al-Julani, and al-Baghdadi. Do you know the players without a scorecard, yet, Donald Trump?” he asked.
Trump’s reply was a magisterial defense of the virtues of his ignorance, worthy of quoting it in its entirety:
No, you know, I’ll tell you honestly, I think by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed. They’ll be all gone. I knew you were going to ask me things like this, and there’s no reason, because number one, I’ll find, I will hopefully find General Douglas MacArthur in the pack. I will find whoever it is that I’ll find, and we’ll, but they’re all changing, Hugh. If, if they’re still there, which is unlikely in many cases, but if they’re still there, I will know them better than I know you.
Hewitt, taken aback, said “I don’t believe in gotcha questions — and I’m not trying to quiz you on who the worst guy in the world is.”
Trump was on a roll though, and replied that that was “a gotcha question, though. I mean, you know, when you’re asking me about who’s running this, this this, that’s not, that is not — I will be so good at the military, your head will spin.”
As if that weren’t enough empty bluster, Trump argued that he doesn’t know who these figures are because he doesn’t have personal relationships with them."
7 Inconvenient Truths for Trump About Immigration @alternet
7 Inconvenient Truths for Trump About Immigration @alternet
"Trump and his followers don’t want their rage disrupted or redirected to the real causes of economic insecurity: how America’s capitalist system, exemplified by selfish strivers like Trump, has made a growing schism of have-nots and haves. Instead, it’s easier to falsely blame some of the most powerless people in America—undocumented immigrants—by fingering a fake threat, undocumented Mexicans, and a fake remedy, a bigger wall."
"Trump and his followers don’t want their rage disrupted or redirected to the real causes of economic insecurity: how America’s capitalist system, exemplified by selfish strivers like Trump, has made a growing schism of have-nots and haves. Instead, it’s easier to falsely blame some of the most powerless people in America—undocumented immigrants—by fingering a fake threat, undocumented Mexicans, and a fake remedy, a bigger wall."
White Supremacist Jared Taylor Explains Why Trump Is His Guy
White Supremacist Jared Taylor Explains Why Trump Is His Guy
"So we finally come to an understanding of what the strategy is for 2016. Pick off some white supremacists here, some Christian fundies over there -- all white, of course -- and hope to win with white people and white people alone.
Of course, that assumes that all white people, in their heart of hearts, are so afraid of Black and Brown people that they will fall into lockstep with the likes of Jared Taylor.
Good luck with that, GOP."
"So we finally come to an understanding of what the strategy is for 2016. Pick off some white supremacists here, some Christian fundies over there -- all white, of course -- and hope to win with white people and white people alone.
Of course, that assumes that all white people, in their heart of hearts, are so afraid of Black and Brown people that they will fall into lockstep with the likes of Jared Taylor.
Good luck with that, GOP."
White Nationalists for Trump: The disturbing truth about The Donald’s base
White Nationalists for Trump: The disturbing truth about The Donald’s base
"In Evan Osnos’ excellent New Yorker piece last week detailing Trump’s emerging support among white nationalists, he found many of his rallies were also populated by supporters casually selling white supremacist merchandise, from books such as “The True Selma Story,” “Authentic History of the Ku Klux Klan” to stickers reading “The Federal Empire Is Killing the American Dream”. Indeed, there is little evidence of Trump ever denouncing white nationalism outright, only vaguely belittling their value to him or acting like he doesn’t know who they are. He recently told Bloomberg News, for example, that he “doesn’t need” or “want” David Duke’s endorsement but when asked if he would repudiate the former KKK Grand Wizard, he glibly said, “sure, if it makes you feel better I will.” This answer was apparently good enough for Mark Halperin who quickly moved on but should outrage any thinking person. One should jump at the chance to distance themselves from the KKK, Trump did so reluctantly and only because it made Halperin “feel better"."
"In Evan Osnos’ excellent New Yorker piece last week detailing Trump’s emerging support among white nationalists, he found many of his rallies were also populated by supporters casually selling white supremacist merchandise, from books such as “The True Selma Story,” “Authentic History of the Ku Klux Klan” to stickers reading “The Federal Empire Is Killing the American Dream”. Indeed, there is little evidence of Trump ever denouncing white nationalism outright, only vaguely belittling their value to him or acting like he doesn’t know who they are. He recently told Bloomberg News, for example, that he “doesn’t need” or “want” David Duke’s endorsement but when asked if he would repudiate the former KKK Grand Wizard, he glibly said, “sure, if it makes you feel better I will.” This answer was apparently good enough for Mark Halperin who quickly moved on but should outrage any thinking person. One should jump at the chance to distance themselves from the KKK, Trump did so reluctantly and only because it made Halperin “feel better"."
New poll indicates exactly who’s supporting Donald Trump — and the GOP should be worried
New poll indicates exactly who’s supporting Donald Trump — and the GOP should be worried
"By a significant majority, Trump’s supporters consist of the relatives you’ve been forced to block on Facebook because you’d finally seen enough pictures of President Barack Obama’s face superimposed onto the body of a chimpanzee or suicide bomber. Public Policy Polling’s latest national poll found that 66 percent of Trump’s supporters believe Obama is a Muslim, compared to only 12 percent who believe he’s Christian."
"By a significant majority, Trump’s supporters consist of the relatives you’ve been forced to block on Facebook because you’d finally seen enough pictures of President Barack Obama’s face superimposed onto the body of a chimpanzee or suicide bomber. Public Policy Polling’s latest national poll found that 66 percent of Trump’s supporters believe Obama is a Muslim, compared to only 12 percent who believe he’s Christian."
Ted Cruz is not a true-believing wingnut — he’s something much more dangerous
Ted Cruz is not a true-believing wingnut — he’s something much more dangerous
"If Ted Cruz swallowed an enema, I’m convinced he’d disappear. The man lies and panders and exaggerates with near-heroic virtuosity. If you’ve watched him in the debates or on the stump, you know exactly what I mean. As I noted a few weeks ago, Cruz delivers every line as though he’s auditioning for “Hamlet.” His flair for the dramatic has kept his name in the headlines, which is all that matters in the Republican Party.
For several months Cruz has positioned himself as the candidate of right-wing theocrats. His only real competition on this front has been Mike Huckabee. Bobby Jindal and Rick Santorum have tried to desperately to appeal to this same constituency, but no one has cared and even fewer have listened. So we’re left, it seems, with Cruz as the savior of the Christian right."
"If Ted Cruz swallowed an enema, I’m convinced he’d disappear. The man lies and panders and exaggerates with near-heroic virtuosity. If you’ve watched him in the debates or on the stump, you know exactly what I mean. As I noted a few weeks ago, Cruz delivers every line as though he’s auditioning for “Hamlet.” His flair for the dramatic has kept his name in the headlines, which is all that matters in the Republican Party.
For several months Cruz has positioned himself as the candidate of right-wing theocrats. His only real competition on this front has been Mike Huckabee. Bobby Jindal and Rick Santorum have tried to desperately to appeal to this same constituency, but no one has cared and even fewer have listened. So we’re left, it seems, with Cruz as the savior of the Christian right."
Jeb Bush declares war on American labor: “People should work longer hours”
Jeb Bush declares war on American labor: “People should work longer hours”
"Recent research indicates that U.S. productivity has increased steadily since the 1940s. Through the 1950s and 1960s, hourly compensation rose along with productivity, but in the 1970s this connection severed. Since then, a disproportionate share of earnings has gone to shareholders and upper management rather than to ordinary workers. Instead of having already overworked Americans remain at work longer, a more sensible solution to the country’s economic woes would be to ensure that productivity growth translates into higher wages and to make sure there is continued investments in research and development that lead to innovations. Such investments require vision and risk-taking, but simply squeezing workers harder is not a viable alternative."
"Recent research indicates that U.S. productivity has increased steadily since the 1940s. Through the 1950s and 1960s, hourly compensation rose along with productivity, but in the 1970s this connection severed. Since then, a disproportionate share of earnings has gone to shareholders and upper management rather than to ordinary workers. Instead of having already overworked Americans remain at work longer, a more sensible solution to the country’s economic woes would be to ensure that productivity growth translates into higher wages and to make sure there is continued investments in research and development that lead to innovations. Such investments require vision and risk-taking, but simply squeezing workers harder is not a viable alternative."
The Rise of Donald Trump Has Cemented the GOP’s Legacy as the Party of Stupid
The Rise of Donald Trump Has Cemented the GOP’s Legacy as the Party of Stupid
"I love it when I hear Republicans try to find excuses as to why Trump has become such a right-wing favorite. They’ll say things like “he’s just telling it how it is” or “he’s just tapping into an anger that many Americans have felt.”
Bullsh*t.
Trump has become a right-wing hero because he’s just saying whatever the hell it is he thinks Republicans want to hear. He doesn’t care if most of what he’s saying is complete nonsense, because he knows conservatives couldn’t care less about facts or truth – they just want someone who tells them what they want to hear. He’s pandering to racism, bigotry and ignorance. If you can do that effectively (which he has) conservatives will love you."
"I love it when I hear Republicans try to find excuses as to why Trump has become such a right-wing favorite. They’ll say things like “he’s just telling it how it is” or “he’s just tapping into an anger that many Americans have felt.”
Bullsh*t.
Trump has become a right-wing hero because he’s just saying whatever the hell it is he thinks Republicans want to hear. He doesn’t care if most of what he’s saying is complete nonsense, because he knows conservatives couldn’t care less about facts or truth – they just want someone who tells them what they want to hear. He’s pandering to racism, bigotry and ignorance. If you can do that effectively (which he has) conservatives will love you."
Group behind Planned Parenthood attacks has close ties to extremists
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/31/1417154/-Group-behind-Planned-Parenthood-attacks-has-close-ties-to-extremists#
"The group behind the falsified videos attacking Planned Parenthood calls itself a "group of citizen journalists," but is of course not actually journalists. What the so-called Center for Medical Progress really is is a group of committed anti-abortion activists with close ties to "some of the country's hardest-line anti-abortion extremists," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center."
"The group behind the falsified videos attacking Planned Parenthood calls itself a "group of citizen journalists," but is of course not actually journalists. What the so-called Center for Medical Progress really is is a group of committed anti-abortion activists with close ties to "some of the country's hardest-line anti-abortion extremists," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center."
First prominent Republican politician to endorse Trump is arguably the most racist
First prominent Republican politician to endorse Trump is arguably the most racist
"The endorsement was fitting, because Sessions has been known as one of Congress’ biggest bigots."
"The endorsement was fitting, because Sessions has been known as one of Congress’ biggest bigots."
Jeb Bush Blatantly Lies About Planned Parenthood in Desperate Attempt to Save His Campaign
Jeb Bush Blatantly Lies About Planned Parenthood in Desperate Attempt to Save His Campaign
"As Jeb Bush’s campaign continues to sink, expect his rhetoric to only get worse and more ridiculous. Because as we’ve seen with Donald Trump’s popularity, conservative voters don’t want to hear the truth – they just want to support the most entertaining clown at the circus."
"As Jeb Bush’s campaign continues to sink, expect his rhetoric to only get worse and more ridiculous. Because as we’ve seen with Donald Trump’s popularity, conservative voters don’t want to hear the truth – they just want to support the most entertaining clown at the circus."
Cruz Sends Sermon to Thousands of Pastors in Violation of Fed. Law: How Many Will Read it at Church
Cruz Sends Sermon to Thousands of Pastors in Violation of Fed. Law: How Many Will Read it at Church
"Mindless babble from a mindless conservative, right? Except for the fact that pastors preaching Cruz’s sermon is violating the terms of its 501(c)3 nonprofit status. Churches and religious groups are not permitted to practice politics, this is what provides them with their tax-exempt status."
"Mindless babble from a mindless conservative, right? Except for the fact that pastors preaching Cruz’s sermon is violating the terms of its 501(c)3 nonprofit status. Churches and religious groups are not permitted to practice politics, this is what provides them with their tax-exempt status."
Ted Cruz Reaches New Low, Uses Tombstones Of Dead Soldiers to Fearmonger About Religious Freedom
Ted Cruz Reaches New Low, Uses Tombstones Of Dead Soldiers to Fearmonger About Religious Freedom
"You see, this is just what Ted Cruz does. He knowingly spreads misinformation and lies because he’s well aware that conservatives are ignorant enough to believe it and get scared."
"You see, this is just what Ted Cruz does. He knowingly spreads misinformation and lies because he’s well aware that conservatives are ignorant enough to believe it and get scared."
Evangelical Pastor Claims Giving Him Your Hard-Earned Money Can Cure Brain Tumors (VIDEO)
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/08/28/evangelical-pastor-claims-giving-him-your-hard-earned-money-can-cure-brain-tumors-video/
"It becomes another thing entirely, though, when someone uses their position to steal money from people on false pretenses. Parsley, by all accounts, has used the church over the years for tremendous financial gain. He flies’s around in a personal jet and makes untold amounts of money on the backs of his many followers. Somehow, people still buy this propaganda. It should be illegal."
"It becomes another thing entirely, though, when someone uses their position to steal money from people on false pretenses. Parsley, by all accounts, has used the church over the years for tremendous financial gain. He flies’s around in a personal jet and makes untold amounts of money on the backs of his many followers. Somehow, people still buy this propaganda. It should be illegal."
Before Concert Foo Fighters Troll Demonstrators of the Famous Hate Group Westboro Baptist Church
Before Concert Foo Fighters Troll Demonstrators of the Famous Hate Group Westboro Baptist Church
"Before a concert in Kansas City, the Foo Fighters Rick Rolled protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church. The band cruised by in a pickup truck, blasting Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give Up” much to the enjoyment of the public. This is brilliant."
"Before a concert in Kansas City, the Foo Fighters Rick Rolled protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church. The band cruised by in a pickup truck, blasting Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give Up” much to the enjoyment of the public. This is brilliant."
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