ZadPolBlog

Fear-mongers never change

2010-08-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

In 1860, conservatives accused Lincoln of being Catholic
In 1940, conservatives accused Roosevelt of being Jewish
Now, conservatives accuse Obama of being Muslim

Dangerous ideas

2010-08-17T20:57:00.000-05:00

You can just feel the conservative hatred for liberals and their dangerous ideas building with each word uttered...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS4Qw4lIckg

Screw the unemployed

2010-08-17T20:55:00.001-05:00

Hypocrisy At It's Worst: 40 Senate Republicans Who Filibustered $25 Billion In Benefits For The Unemployed Because It Was "Fiscally Irresponsible" All Voted For Bush Tax Cuts That Will Cost America Over $2 Trillion

www.prosebeforehos.com

It's not just Nevada

2010-08-17T20:31:00.002-05:00

The nutcase running for the Senate in Nevada is getting a lot of press for being the most fringe GOPper out there, but she doesn't have a monopoly on unqualified candidate lunacy. Here in 'sconsin, the gazillionaire that got the Republican nod because he pledged to spend his entire fortune to buy Russ's Senate seat actually claims that global climate change exists (what, I thought they weren't allowed to say that) because of ... get this ... sunspots.

http://blog.russfeingold.org/?p=595

Seriously, how deep to the conservatives have to dig to find pieces of work like this?

Drop the tac-nukes now

2010-08-17T20:16:00.001-05:00

So, let me get this straight. Bush's appointment to the UN, John Bolton, was an unmitigated disaster. Now fox "news" is reporting, as news, his proclamation that we must have all-out war in the Middle East in a way that would pull Russia into the frey RIGHT NOW.

Yes, John, I know that elections are near and your political masters would like to see ANOTHER disaster launched, but you and your ilk are not in charge now. The world does not need more death and destruction just because it suits a conservative political agenda.

www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/17/israel-weeks-end-strike-iran-nuclear-facility-bolton-says

BTW, just in case there's anyone left out there that somehow things that fox is actually a news organization, they just publicly donated a MILLION dollars to Republican gubernatorial candidates. That's in addition to all the propaganda that they push promoting the conservative agenda.

Primer on trickle down

2010-08-16T22:04:00.002-05:00

www.ourfuture.org

What's even worse than the effect of conservative economics on a country is when they combine it with their nation-building habit.

Iraq Reconstruction money: $8,700,000,000 of $9,100,000,000 (8.7 of 9.1 billion dollars) is unaccounted for by Dept of Defense. (see report 10-020)

www.sigir.mil/directorates/audits/auditReports.html

Remember when the Republicans said one of the good parts about bombing the Iraqi people is that it would be free, because they would give us their oil money to pay for the war and reconstruction?

Back to the "religious war" to stir the base

2010-08-16T21:42:00.002-05:00

Interesting how the proposed Islamic center near the WTC site went by for months, with not a hint of disapproval from conservatives. But once we started getting closer to the election cycle, and the Republican edict was to stir race and religious intolerance, all of a sudden they're outraged.
www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/08/16/ground_zero_mosque_origins

So, Republicans are all of a sudden against an Islamic center. OK, well what does the "family values" party approve of in that space?
www.politicususa.com/en/ground-zero-strip-club

Then again, this is the party that says the US border with Mexico in Arizona is Arizona's business, and the rest of us should ignore it. While they micromanage NYC after letting the actual ground zero remain a pit for Bush's entire administration.

Personally, I'm still trying to understand how former Burlington Coat Factory
locations became "sacred ground". Jon?
tv.gawker.com/5609824/jon-stewart-calls-out-those-blindly-opposed-to-ground-zero-mosque

oh yea, we did that

2010-08-16T21:40:00.001-05:00

Just a reminder - the chief demand of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda was met by the Commander in Chief of the United States. But it's OK, but it was Bush that gave in to their demand.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2984547.stm

Another thing that al Qaeda has as its goals is to create divisiveness using religion. Way to support the terrorists, conservatives.

mediamatters.org/research/201008160028

The problem with always blaming Obama

2010-08-15T19:38:00.001-05:00

The problem with blaming Obama for everything you don't like ... the truth can be difficult to assimilate

http://cagle.com/working/100807/plante.jpg

Another shill, looking for a big fox contract?

2010-08-15T19:13:00.003-05:00

Dr. Laura - race fires fanned, following the plan. Good job, shill.
mediamatters.org/blog/201008120045

www.thegrio.com/politics/dr-lauras-n-word-nonsense-the-latest-in-string-of-slurs.php

I suppose next she'll take the "not a shred of evidence" tack to say she never said what she said. Always a popular option.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/08/rachel-maddow-takes-on-bi_n_674794.html

Actually address illegal immigration?

2010-08-15T19:12:00.000-05:00

Immigration - if we were serious about addressing the problem, instead of making it political theater and finding scapegoat outlets in racism

www.contracostatimes.com/tom-barnidge/ci_15745802?nclick_check=1

We already have a way to stop illegal immigration: "[T]he Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 ... prohibits employers from knowingly hiring or recruiting illegal immigrants. Why this portion of the bill has not been fully enforced is a riddle for the age."

Bob Burnett

2010-08-15T19:09:00.001-05:00

Just another whack-a-loon from the working poor, nobody that any conservative has to bother listening to. Oh wait, Bob Burnett fits the stereotypical Conservative description to a tee: an uber-rich, retired executive and founder of a large, successful corporation. Well, dang, how do we spin this? Perhaps they'll just label him as a Socialist - that seems to be very trendy.

www.commondreams.org/view/2010/08/13-6

The world's largest tidal turbine about to be installed in Scotland

2010-08-15T19:08:00.000-05:00

www.boingboing.net/2010/08/13/the-worlds-largest-t.html

It's not 1981 any more, we don't have to let conservatism set the national agenda. Can we please get out of the "me, me, me, grab what I can" mindset that caused the US to transition from global leadership to a shell of its former self. The US should be leading the world in moving to renewable and clean sources of energy, not watching others do it.

Up next in the crosshairs...

2010-08-12T20:30:00.005-05:00

...teachers, police and firefighters. Did your representative vote in favor of them, or did they want them laid off?

http://www.opencongress.org/vote/2010/h/518

What does a loyal Republican do when faced with a bill that will reduce the deficit? You guessed it - whatever the party tells him to do. And since their #1 mission is to obstruct the workings of government to make the President look bad, they'll vote against fiscal conservancy and prefer to throw 300,000 teachers, police and firefighters off the job.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/04/state-aid-clears-senate-h_n_670440.html

While it seems nonsensical to be anti-teacher, anti-police and anti-firefighter as a political stance, these are the folk with all the anti-science and anti-smarts rhetoric to get their base excited.

http://thechapel.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/the-war-on-brains/

Before Bush came into office, nearly every single state had record surpluses and their budgets were balanced. After The Bush Recession, nearly every single state ran a deficit (other possible titles: "why do the Republicans hate Firefighters and Teachers", "when trickle-down becomes pour-down").

donklephant.com/2010/08/11/teachers-cops-firefighters-the-new-welfare-queens/

========================
Also, since it's an election year, another old enemy gets attacked: science.
This time the character assassination target for conservatives is ... none other than Albert Einstein.

Yes, in their inexplicable "war on science", they are turning some of their propaganda cannons against perhaps the greatest scientific mind of the 20th century. If you can't understand something, it must be the work of the devil. Yea, stay classy, conservatives.

conservapedia.com/Counterexamples_to_Relativity

Jon Stewart

2010-08-12T20:17:00.001-05:00

Strong wit, easy targets. To channel Will Rogers: There is no credit to being a comedian, when you have the whole Government working for you. All you have to do is report the facts. I don't even have to exaggerate.

tv.gawker.com/5610818/jon-stewart-exposes-the-financial-idiocy-of-sarah-palin-john-boehner-and-other-republicans

A couple of simple graphs

2010-08-12T20:12:00.002-05:00

Although conservative media likes to blame President Obama for the job losses and economic stagnation of the entire Bush Administration, here's a simple graph to illustrate the issue of job losses.

from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/who_can_we_blame_for_job_losse.html

We also averted 3,000,000+ job losses by preventing GM and Chrysler from disappearing, as the Republicans called for. We also just saved 300,000 teachers, police and firefighters from losing their jobs, again, as Republicans called for.

I know that very high rates of unemployment are good for those wishing to cheaply employ workers who will be so happy to have a job that benefits and vacations can be greatly reduced or eliminated, but this strikes be as very bad for the overall health of the United States.

More good change. Speaking of which - tax cuts. Where do you fall? Which side cares about which people?

from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/the_bush_tax_plan_vs_the_obama.html

bomb, bomb, bomb Iran

2010-08-12T20:09:00.001-05:00

Interesting article. Sounds like we must start dropping bombs on Iran immediately, or at least join in when Israel starts doing so.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/09/the-point-of-no-return/8186/1/

Wait a minute, that author's name sounds familiar. Glenn, can you refresh my memory, please?

www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/08/12/goldberg/index.html

America hating alert

2010-08-12T20:07:00.001-05:00

Alert fox, Rush and the rest of the hate-speakers! The President has good things to say about an Imam at a meeting with Muslim leaders. He even betrayed his country by accepting a Koran from the Imam and then thanking him. He even went to far as to say "the teachings of Islam are the teachings of peace and good". This is proof-positive that the President is on the side of terrorists and hates America.

Oh wait, that was President Bush, never mind.

www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/8/12/892420/-Republicans-are-now-worse-than-Bush

A trickle-down insider speaks

2010-08-12T19:31:00.000-05:00

Refreshing when an insider dares to speak what they all know

www.marketwatch.com/story/reagan-insider-gop-destroyed-us-economy-2010-08-10

Success of the conservative media - revising history

2010-08-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

Poll: Voters Think TARP Passed Under Obama

www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/weigel/archive/2010/08/11/poll-voters-think-tarp-passed-under-obama.aspx

Facts - the Troubled (Toxic) Asset Relief Program was a Republican initiative passed by President George W. Bush. The plan was to spread $700B across the banking industry to avert an economic meltdown in the United States. As Bush's Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson explained, the number needed to be sufficiently large, there must be no rules about where it should go, and all people involved in distributing the funds must be made exempted from any investigation or prosecution for wrongdoing in the future. The money must be given with no strings attached, for the good of the economy.

The compromise was to allow Bush to distribute the first $350B, and incoming President Obama to distribute the second half. Bush burned through his $350 before leaving office and asked to distribute the rest. The Democratically controlled Congress did not allow that.

When President Obama distributed the remaining funds, it came with strings attached. Under Obama, the new TARP rule was that any financial institution that received TARP funds had to limit executive bonuses until the US government was repaid the money. The results were quite predictable. Instead of TARP being a $700B taxpayer bailout as originally planned, it became a loan that was mostly REPAID WITH INTEREST back to the US government. This SAVED taxpayers from the financial hardship of the original Big Bush Bailout plan.

Still trying to justify more tax subsidies for the rich

2010-08-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

The Republican plan: massive increases to the national debt by continuing tax subsidies for the wealthiest, because it will help the economy and small business, even though we know for a fact that it will not help the economy or small business.

Well, at least it keeps the corporate masters happy...

www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/08/11/republicans-intellectual-dishonesty-regarding-bush-tax-cuts.html

Why Raising Taxes on the Wealthy Helps Everyone, Including the Rich:
America prospered from WWII through the '60s with tax rates on the rich of between 75% and 92%. Not just the rich, but everyone got richer.

www.laprogressive.com/economic-equality/raising-taxes-on-wealthy/

Instead of returning to a tax structure that provided wide-spread prosperity, we're having an argument as to whether or not we should continue a tax subsidy program for the very rich that has proven to be disastrous to the economy. Stop this brainless argument and return to prosperity.

Wells caught

2010-08-11T19:32:00.000-05:00

IMHO, when it comes to the big banks, Wells Fargo is by far the most upstanding and customer-focused of the bunch. Yet they still used deceptive practices to bilk their customers with excessive and undeserved fees.

money.cnn.com/2010/08/11/news/companies/wells_fargo_overdraft/index.htm

Just a couple of years ago, practices like this where welcomed by the White House as "the magic of the free market at work". The theory was, if all of the big banks squeezed surprise fees from their customers to increase their profits, then that's what the market wanted, and as a consequence that's what was best for the country. Now we have a White House that is willing to go after the big banks when they break the rules and screw over their customers. Change is good, because banks regulating themselves has been proven to be disastrous.

Speaking of good change, I never understood why it was considered perfectly acceptable for drug kingpins to run their operations while incarcerated.

www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/10/obama.prison.phone.ban/index.html

the conservative internet?

2010-08-11T19:28:00.000-05:00

A preview of one aspect of a conservative takeover of the internet: we know best what you should be able to read, so we're in charge of censorship

alternet.org

Still in charge of South Carolina

2010-08-11T19:26:00.000-05:00

Approve of deficit spending to fund tax subsidies to the very rich and launch a war on phony pretenses? Check!

Publicly rails against the economic stimulus designed to save the economy? Check!

Pledge to turn down stimulus money? Check!

Wait for the news cycle to look somewhere else, then accept all the stimulus money you can get? Check!

No wonder Sanford is such a star in the Republican Party. He doesn't even need to jet down to Argentina on taxpayer money to have sex with his mistress to be a standout "family values" conservative.

thinkprogress.org/2010/08/11/sanford-stimulus-jobless-benefits
www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/us/politics/11carolina.html?_r=2&hp

Yet more great change - being under budget

2010-08-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

Talk about great change. Add some efficiency, cut some waste, and now instead of habitually adding to the deficit without a thought like the last administration, we SAVED $1.6 billion!

www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/10/census.under.budget/index.html

While the previous method was far more profitable for crony contractors, as a taxpayer I much prefer the current mindset. This change is good.

Want more change to believe in? How about supporting education.
www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/09/obama.education/index.html

The conservative long-term goal of firing every public school teacher and completely disbanding the Department of Education would be a boon for the folk who would be given the physical assets of public education for pennies on the dollar. Privatization of public education would have that initial profit, plus in the long run they would only have to focus on quarterly profits, instead of providing quality education. Personally, I don't just think that's a bad plan, I think it would be utterly disastrous for the long-term ability of America to compete on the global stage. Education should not just be for those of ample means, it should be available to all.

Big win for Democrats, big loss for Republicans

2010-08-10T19:34:00.000-05:00

300,000 teachers, police and firefighters will NOT be fired. Two Republicans defected, and that allowed a vote to take place.

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/house-passes-state-aid-bill-to-help-teachers-gop-freaks.php

Republican leaders are already decrying this as needless, wasteful spending. Personally, I think the US is better off having teachers, police and firefighters that work for the good of the people, rather than privatizing such functions so profit can be squeezed out.

We need more vacation time at your expense

2010-08-09T22:11:00.001-05:00

So, with 2 wars, umemployment, the economy, healthcare, education, oil dependency, aging infrastructure, and a myriad of big issues facing this country, what has risen to the top of the Republican agenda? Time off, of course.

"Republicans Demand Two-Month, Taxpayer-Funded Recess After Election"

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/09/gop-to-introduce-lame-duc_n_675630.html

Well, they are just following the lead of their conservative icon. Bush made 77 trips to Crawford, costing the taxpayers a quarter million bucks each time - just for the flight.

www.dailykos.com

Has corruption been eliminated?

2010-08-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

Are there still corrupt Congresspeople? Yup, no change.

But are their ethics violations still being ignored (or rewarded) like they were under Bush, if they're loyal to the party? Nope.

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-maxine-waters-20100810,0,6980293.story

Sorry Maxine, that was indeed a conflict of interests, and that's not OK with Dems.

foxy logic

2010-08-09T21:56:00.000-05:00

fox "news" logic - because I can call you names and our viewers believe what we say, that makes everything we say fact, and everything you say a lie. Do not, under any circumstances, rebut with actual facts...

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/08/rachel-maddow-takes-on-bi_n_674794.html

more great change, another inherited mess cleaned up

2010-08-09T21:53:00.000-05:00

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4TUDX0gek0

The Bush Administration created a "donut hole" in Medicare that cost seniors millions of dollars if they wanted their prescriptions filled. On top of that, they declared the system as failing and wanted to cut back on healthcare to seniors.

In one move, Dems just expanded coverage to 32 million more people, ended the most unethical practices by insurance companies, and reduced the deficit in comparison with previous policy.

Instead of staying the course, the Obama Administration, against strong opposition from Republicans, has closed this coverage hole created by Medicare Part D. In another great change, instead of simply piling on more debt like the previous administration, a buildup of waste and fraud is being eliminated to pay for it. Republicans, for their part, are so enamored with the person who perpetuated the greatest case of Medicare fraud ever, that they've made him the party choice for governor of Florida.

More great change, and another inherited mess cleaned up.

Dammit, you're supposed to be a dittohead

2010-08-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

So, they brought on a Bush lawyer, assuming he'd be another dittohead following the anti-gay edict of the GOP. Instead, he talked common sense, cited actual facts and rulings and exposed ridiculous analogies for what they are. You can just feel Wallace's blood pressure rising as he's unable to put incendiary words into Olson's mouth.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJwSprkiInE&

"Most people use the term 'judicial activism' to describe something they don't like". SNAP. There's fox's buzzword gameplan in a nutshell.

Shouldn't there be protests?

2010-08-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

Iraq Veteran Will Be First to Get Adult Stem Cell Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury in FDA Trial

www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-08/studying-stem-cells

Where's the conservative outrage? Isn't it disrespectful to our troops to try to heal them with medical research that involves the word "stem"? They beat it into the heads of their base in 2000 and 2004 that this was absolutely evil...

Where the deficit came from

2010-07-29T21:43:00.004-05:00

Gee, thanks Conservatives.

Queue the next crazy

2010-07-29T21:40:00.001-05:00

Wait a minute - if the Republicans' latest anti-Obama ploy is to remove his citizenship, doesn't that mean that they admit that he's a citizen right now? That kinda contradicts one of their more far-fetched pre-election propaganda campaigns.

I just get so confused with their talking points. First, a website allows you to make a Kenyan birth certificate with any name you like, so that proved that President Obama wasn't a citizen. Then the claimed that Hawaii didn't issue real birth certificates, so they don't count. Then they claimed that Hawaii either wasn't a state then or isn't "real America" enough to count. Then they claimed that the birth certificate wasn't authenticated because not every anti-Obama dittohead physically saw it in person.

Now they think that the actions of a few Swedes is justification enough for revoking his citizenship? Are they that devoid of ideas, or do they think their base is just that stupid?

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/iowa-gop-embraces-plan-to_n_663621.html?ir=Politics

GOP Opposes Medical Funding for 9/11 Victims

2010-07-29T21:38:00.002-05:00

There is no depth the new conservatives won't stoop to in order to make this country fail, because it furthers their political agenda of "see, it's all Obama's fault, put us back in charge".

www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_07/024949.php

House Republican leadership is advising its members to vote against a bipartisan bill that would, among other things, bolster medical support to Sept. 11 victims.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009, sponsored by New York City Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D), provides medical monitoring to those exposed to toxins at Ground Zero, bolsters treatment at specialized centers for those afflicted by toxins on 9/11 and reopens a compensation fund to provide economic loss to New Yorkers.

And it's all paid for by closing a tax loophole on foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries, Democrats say.

"I was under the impression that the emergency teams who responded to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 are considered American heroes."

I was under that impression too. Republicans, however, think differently.

Bilking the base

2010-07-29T21:34:00.000-05:00

Scam that fox "news" played on its viewers, bilking them of their money.
i.imgur.com/Hbwq1.jpg

Poof goes 8.7 billion bucks

2010-07-28T21:35:00.001-05:00

Fact - pentagon cannot account for $8.7B in Iraq reconstruction money.

www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=2012362&nid=35

Liberal reaction: this unaccountability is a waste of taxpayer money and we need to be more careful with the money.

Conservative reaction to liberal reaction: why do you want America to be less safe? If we don't part with a little bit of treasure, the terrorists will win.

Conservatives just lost another battle

2010-07-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

Largest Wind Power Project in the United States Breaks Ground

greenanswers.com/news/180345/largest-wind-power-project-united-states-breaks-ground

Taxpayers should pay for BP spill

2010-07-27T21:28:00.001-05:00

Republicans are still at it. They are still trying to get the US taxpayers to foot the bill for cleaning up BP's disaster.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/gops-oil-spill-liability_n_660878.html

Those conservative values always seem to be awfully quick to stick it to the taxpayers...

Do you WANT another Great Depression?

2010-07-27T21:06:00.001-05:00

It's amazing that nearly 80 years after the Great Depression, some adults are actually arguing for Hoover economics over Roosevelt economics.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704720004575376923163437134.html

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Bonus amusement - Rep Ryan has consistently been a loyal party voter, going along with all the budget-busting, debt-raising policies when his party was in charge. Now he wants his new words to make you forget all his past actions. On behalf of Wisconsin: America, I'm sorry you're being subjected to Ryan...

First Amendment issue of our time

2010-07-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

Sen. Franken: Stop the Corporate Takeover of the Media

Net Neutrality is the First Amendment issue of our time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ODV5U87yps

Oppose transparency at all costs

2010-07-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

Nobody could have predicted it...

So, the DISCLOSE act would say that corporations (domestic, international and foreign) and foreign governments donating to US political races must declare their contributions. Since the Supreme Court legislated a new law allowing them to donate without limit, this is one way to shine light on the dirty dealings.

Who would be against transparency in our elections? Not only are the Republicans unanimously against transparency, but they're using parliamentary maneuvers to prevent a vote on the issue from even taking place. What ever happened to their mantra of "we just want an up or down vote?". Guess that's only their stance when they're in power.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/disclose-act-faces-gop-fi_n_660461.html

Reform vs. fraud

2010-07-27T20:59:00.001-05:00

One of the reasons why Republicans fought against President Obama's health insurance reform initiative:

www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1007088

When you start eliminating $98B worth of fraud, sure it benefits the people, but that's a lot of really rich fraudsters that are going to be really pissed off, and donating a lot of money to the people campaigning on repealing the progress that has been made.

The base speaks

2010-07-26T21:22:00.002-05:00

Reminder - this is how "the base" responded to the conservative propaganda during the presidential campaign.

Is anyone really surprised at how fox and the rest of the conservative media have continued spreading lies to keep this momentum?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRqcfqiXCX0&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Hey, speaking of "the base", as top Republicans always refer to their loyal followers, does anybody know what "al Qaeda" translates to?

Journalism

2010-07-26T20:43:00.000-05:00

What would it look like if liberal took journalism as seriously as conservatives:

dailykos.com

Shirly Sherrod followup

2010-07-23T10:37:00.002-05:00

Fox is just doing what it does best. Taking some piece of information, removing all context, and surrounding it with their own narrative to promote their political agenda. In this case, to stir up racism. They are succeeding wildly with "the base", who still cannot comprehend the extent to which they're being manipulated.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/38353774#38353774

www.salon.com/news/opinion/joan_walsh/politics/2010/07/20/the_tragedy_of_right_wing_journalism/index.html

www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/07/sherrod-breitbart-and-vilsack/60202/

http://www.politicsplus.org/blog/?p=2342

Cutting waste - more great change

2010-07-23T10:31:00.001-05:00

I remember the Clinton/Gore campaign talking about the dangers of government waste that had built up in the previous 12 years of Republican rule. They were so successful in reversing that trend and reducing government waste that they not only balanced the budget, but created a surplus that was on track to completely eliminate the national debt in a decade.

Unfortunately for the working class of the United States, Republicans returned with a vengeance and government waste not only returned, but exceeded the massive levels of the 80s. The budget was shifted horribly out of balance as government spending rocketed to new levels.

Part of the change what we wanted when voting President Obama into office was to once again reign in wasteful government spending, correcting the damage caused by the previous eight years of runaway spending.

www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/22/obama.wasteful.spending.act/index.html?hpt=T2

Republicans tried their best to stop this bill, and were successful with their parliamentary maneuvers in delaying a vote, but once a vote was allowed, they were unable to prevent the will of the people from being victorious. We're once again on a path of reducing government waste.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Shirley Sherrod

2010-07-22T10:41:00.002-05:00

Isn't it a bit early in the election cycle for conservatives to launch their "Willie Horton" style blitz to let their base know that black people are scary and only the GOP can protect you from them?

talkingskull.com/article/summer-of-racism-in-united-states

This story does serve to demonstrate just how much positive change there has been in Washington with regards to the White House. A character assassination is done by a dubious news organization for the purposes of stirring up racial tensions. Some official actually believes what fox puts out and fires the target of the character assassination.

The Obama Administration hears of this, and finds out the actual truth. Then they admit the obvious - that this person was done a great disservice, and apologizes.

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-white-house-usda-apology-20100722,0,6600718.story

What a change from the previous "stay the course" strategy where not changing one's position was more important than realizing that a mistake (accidental or intentional) was made in the first place.

Once again, thanks Mr. President for bringing us to a better place than we were just a couple of years ago.

Kettles and Pots in WI

2010-07-22T10:29:00.000-05:00

Wow, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

GOP Rep. Ryan: Republicans Are Putting Politics Over Principle

www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/07/gop-rep-ryan-republicans-are-putting-politics-above-principle/60230/

For those outside of Wisconsin, Ryan fancies himself as a national up-and-comer in the GOP. To that end, he consistently touts the party line, votes as told, and will place national political interests above the interests of his own constituents. His record on job losses alone is enough to show how much of an "outsourcer" he is. But now that it's becoming fashionable to appear "anti-establishment", this tool takes a break from doing party bidding to claim to be above the party? Sorry, Rep. Ryan. Your record speaks much louder than your latest words.

By the way, exempting big business from all taxation (and making up for it by adding more taxes on the working class), abolishing Medicare and handing Social Security over to private crony contractors is still exactly what your party is pushing for. So how exactly does that make you different?

Thanks, Dems

2010-07-16T21:29:00.000-05:00

thehill.com/homenews/administration/109163-left-vows-to-fight-any-proposed-cuts-to-social-security

I've been paying into Social Security for my entire working life. I know it won't make me rich in retirement, but I've put so much into the system that I'd like to get a reasonable amount back to help with retirement, when that day comes.

Therefore, I'd just like to say: Thank you Democrats.

Just a few years ago, President Bush tried to tie Social Security to the stock market via crony contractors who were guaranteed to become rich by skimming off the top. This was just before Bush's Great Recession hit and the stock market lost 1/2 of its value. Some actually claim that the timing was coincidental, but it's just too suspicious with too selfish a track record.

Currently Republican leaders are calling for the earliest that Social Security can be taken be raised from 62 to 70, and reducing benefits. They say that by keeping the working class working an extra 8 years later in life, and reducing the quality if their life afterwards, it can partially pay for the tax subsidies for the very rich enacted under Bush.

Other Republicans are actively calling for an end to Social Security or "weaning us off", such that everything I have put into the system will be lost. This seems like a pretty bad deal for the working class.

Thusfar, Democrats have been successful in preventing any of these scenarios. So I just wanted to say "thanks".

Dittoheads

2010-07-10T20:26:00.003-05:00

mediamatters.org/blog/201007020039

I have encountered many people who cannot understand how otherwise intelligent and common-sense people love conservative propaganda and hate-speech, and seem all too willing to accept complete falsehoods as truth, despite themselves, their upbringing and their circumstances.

Perspective - have you ever known someone with a life-threatening cholesterol or weight problem who just cannot stop themselves from eating horrible food? Have you ever known a smoker fully aware of the dangers they're exposing themselves and those around them to? Not to mention drug addiction, alcohol abuse, reckless/inattentive driving and the like.

Well, why wouldn't there be perfectly intelligent people who really do crave information but decide instead to feed their minds junk food?

Screw the unemployed

2010-07-10T20:13:00.006-05:00

They've probably forgotten how we brought the economy to the brink of disaster and caused them to be unemployed in the first place.

So, Republicans succeeded in preventing unemployment benefits from being extended to those in need. Their claim is that we cannot afford it, and we're better off letting the unemployed find alternative means of supporting themselves and their families.

One thing, according to those same Republicans, that we have absolutely no problem affording is the Bush tax cuts to the very wealthiest Americans. That subsidy is supported by taxation on the rest of us.

Here's the cold truth. Bush's tax cuts account for 40% of the 2010 Deficit. Unemployment benefits account for just 3%.

www.sj-r.com/opinions/x1876471793/Ralph-Martire-Deficit-hawks-wrong-to-nix-jobless-benefits-extension

This isn't a hard math problem, conservatives. You're simply lying to your base, hoping they cannot understand the math.

It may seem bad taste to accuse Republicans of wanting a rise in unemployment but their actions leave no other explanation

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jul/06/republicans-party-of-unemployment

========================

www.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/opinion/05krugman.html?_r=3&hp

Punishing the Unemployed - "Republicans have made the cynical calculation that blocking anything President Obama tries to do - especially anything that might alleviate the nation’s economic pain - improves their chances in the midterm elections."

Returning to absolute power by harming the very country you seek to control. And my conservative friends can't understand how I can't embrace "the party"...

========================

A look, on a small scale, of what results from actually implementing all that conservative economic rhetoric.

griperblade.blogspot.com/2010/07/conservative-economics-at-work.html

Gee, but it sounded so good when they just repeated their mantra over and over...

========================

Big money makes another big-time Republican operative a major player in the tea party movement.
www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39426.html

It's all about the money, big party agendas, and dirty politics...

U.S. Forces Drawing Down In Iraq -- On Schedule

2010-07-09T20:48:00.002-05:00

musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2010/07/us-forces-drawing-down-in-iraq.html

Sure beats the previous plan of perpetual military occupation of Iraq and blank taxpayer checks to crony contractors to the tune of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars every year.

Liberals protest war. Conservatives protest healthcare.

===========

So, let me get this straight. Because President Obama gave a speech at a company that produces electric vehicles, the conservative media feels obliged to spread lies about that company?

I know they're all about more drilling and killing for oil, but c'mon. Electric vehicles are not the enemy.

mediamatters.org/research/201007090025

By Republican logic, are historic projects such as rural electrification, TVA and the Interstate system complete and wasteful failures because they weren't completed in 1.5 years?

Change in spying

2010-07-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

Now this is change I can believe in. Under Bush he subverted our national security and nuclear non-proliferation by outing an under cover spy for cheap political gain. Under Obama we capture foreign spies and strengthen our national security.

www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/world/europe/09russia.html?_r=2&hp

Turns out the Russian spies didn't uncover anything, and they were exchanged for US spies that were being held by Russia. This is way better than the alternative of exposing our own secret organization trying to secure black market nuclear weapon materials, just so you can make an example of someone who's unwilling to repeat your lie.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota

2010-07-07T20:17:00.001-05:00

Pawlenty asks feds for more aid to recover from June storms

www.startribune.com/local/97949134.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUT

On its surface, this seems rather mundane. A governor asking the federal government for assistance. But this is Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty who loudly repeats that he wants the federal government out of states' business. Same goes for the stimulus package which he decried, vowed to reject, then summarily collected when he wasn't addressing "the base".

No wonder he's such a rising star in the Republican/Tea Party. He has absolutely no qualms taking actions in direct opposition to his words. Just follow those party orders, Tim.

======================
Head South and the conservative logic gets even more interesting.

Very conservative, very Republican law: in Alabama, if you're a drug addict and you become pregnant, you could be arrested if you DON'T have an abortion, because otherwise your addiction might hurt the child, and that cannot be allowed.

No, it's not supposed to make sense, but this is what happen when you take conservative political posturing and actually make it into laws.

www.aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/pregnant-woman-not-meth-lab

Slavery never existed

2010-07-07T20:14:00.002-05:00

Slavery never existed in the United States. We simply had "Atlantic triangular trade". There, that doesn't sound so bad now, does it.

Republican logic.

www.wfaa.com/news/local/Slave-trade-would-become-Atlantic-triangular-trade-under-new-proposals-94506319.html

===========================

Typical conservative family values. A twice-divorced Republican champions "family values" and "the sanctity of marriage" by saying homosexuals don't deserve rights like heterosexuals. The party of strong federal law once again flips to the side of state autonomy when it's convenient to push a wedge issue. Hypocrites.

politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/07/hawaii-governor-vetoes-civil-unions-bill-says-vote-should-decide

Class warfare

2010-07-06T20:36:00.002-05:00

You're not supposed to think about the endgame, where every policeman, firefighters and public schoolteacher is fired, and those institutions are sold for pennies on the dollar to cronies, and then the services they provide are only for those who can afford to pay a for-profit corporation whose sole purpose is to charge the highest possible fees for the least possible service.

You're only supposed to agree with the latest mantra from the conservative political leaders - that policemen, firefighters and teachers are your new enemy.

www.progressive.org/wx070510.html

========================

Eric Cantor - just another Republican leader betting against America. At least he had the guts to use his own money to bet against us.

washingtonindependent.com/87455/minority-whip-cantor-bets-against-u-s-bonds

Thankfully, the second half of the equation failed - his party was unsuccessful in creating runaway inflation. Therefore, his bet lost.

Got $108k to spare?

2010-05-25T20:17:00.002-05:00

You already did. It was the Republicans' parting shot to YOU.
www.boingboing.net/2010/05/25/september-2008-crash.html

2010-04-02T11:48:00.001-05:00

In the Bush years, things like federal funding and disaster relief were simply more generous to red states than blue states. Their mantra of "elections have consequences" justified this in conservative minds.

Of course, because they did it, they just assume that everyone does it, and are now complaining loudly that stimulus funding is disproportionately going to "blue states".

Naturally, this is complete fiction. Just another made-up political talking point to get "the base" all riled up.

www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/04/study-claiming-link-between-stimulus.html

The lying continues

2010-04-02T11:42:00.005-05:00

This time from Lindsay Graham. Again.

motherjones.com/mojo/2010/03/politifact-sets-lindsey-graham-straight-student-loan-reform

"PolitiFact's Truth-O-Meter has deemed the Republican senator's claim totally false"

Graham stated that the student loan reform (which reduces the interest that students pay, and opens the loans up to more students) would cost students MORE. His proof - Republicans offered an amendment to have the government pay for more of the cost of the loan. By that reasoning, I could say that the government should give me a million dollars, and then complain that their refusal cost me a million dollars out of my own pocket.

=========================
Just for good measure, another Republican talking point debunked:

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/01/republican-irs-expansion_n_521825.html

I wish President Obama would hold a pres conference to declare that up is up and down is down, just so we could watch the Republicans attack him because clearly up is down and down is up.

=========================
In the Bush years, things like federal funding and disaster relief were simply more generous to red states than blue states. Their mantra of "elections have consequences" justified this in conservative minds.

Of course, because they did it, they just assume that everyone does it, and are now complaining loudly that stimulus funding is disproportionately going to "blue states".

Naturally, this is complete fiction. Just another made-up political talking point to get "the base" all riled up.

www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/04/study-claiming-link-between-stimulus.html

=========================
Keep in mind, Boehner isn't one of their random talk-radio rhetoric-repeaters, he's the GOP House Minority Leader. The top ranking Republican managed to pack a lot of lies and misinformation into a single tweet.

www.dailykos.com

No shame, no integrity, no conscience.

What the ditto-heads don't know they're defending

2010-04-02T11:38:00.002-05:00

OK, so the top 25 hedge fund managers took home an average of over a BILLION dollars per person in 2009.

money.cnn.com/2010/04/01/markets/hedge_fund_manager_pay/index.htm

Thanks to Republican economic policies, these folk pay LESS of a percentage of their income than you. Middle class - around 30%. Hedge fund managers - 15%.

www.epi.org/publications/entry/pm120

Let that sink in. A BILLION dollars in one year. Massive tax break from the Republicans, funded by taxes on the middle class. Massive donations to the Republican Party from those managers. Republican Party using that money to whip their base into a frenzy to convince them that they're on the side of average folk.

NOW you're trumpeting fiscal conservancy?

2010-03-31T22:23:00.001-05:00

So, where were these so-called "fiscal conservatives" DURING the Bush Administration? During the Bush years, some of us were pointing out that racking up long-term debt, massive unfunded mandates and unprecedented borrowing was a bad idea. For this, we were labeled as "America hating terrorists lovers".

Now that fiscal responsibility is returning to America, conservatives who once applauded Reaganomics and it's continuation, Dubyanomics, are now trying to distance themselves from their effects.

finance.yahoo.com

From an economic standpoint, the current Obama Administration is on the right track. The Clinton Administration was an incredible success, and the Reagan and 2 Bush Administrations were unmitigated disasters, especially when their long-term effects are taken into account.

Understanding the outrage

2010-03-31T22:21:00.001-05:00

One of the reasons for the outcry against the recently passed health insurance reform bill:

The health care reform law provides $700 million over the next decade in new funds to fight fraud and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that every $1 invested to fight fraud yields approximately $1.75 in savings.

That would be over a BILLION dollars in fraud that will be prevented. The recipients of that fraud are a very powerful special interest, and were keenly interested in killing the bill. Thankfully, they failed.

Change!

2010-03-30T19:59:00.002-05:00

"The Obama administration is making final preparations to sell its stake in the New York [Citi] bank, according to industry and federal sources. At today's prices, the sale would net more than $8 billion, by far the largest profit returned from any firm that accepted bailout funds, and the transaction would be the second-largest stock sale in history."

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/26/AR2010032604938.html

Let this sink in for a minute. When the Great Bush Recession hit in full force, economists were warning that a complete collapse of the US economy was quite possible, and extreme action was needed. That extreme action, as described by the Bush Administration, was to pick a sufficiently large number, $700 BILLION, and dole it out to private financial institutions WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED. The compromise was to allow the Bush Administration to give out the first $350B, and the incoming Obama Administration would give out the remaining $350B.

After the change in Administrations, a very important string got attached to the big bank bailout. All of a sudden, banks were expected to repay the $700B, or else executive pay had to be capped. The banks complied, and the bailout funds, originally meant as a giveaway, started getting returned WITH INTEREST.

And now the Obama Administration is poised not only to get back the taxpayers' money from the Citi bailout, but make $8B in PROFIT for the taxpayers.

THAT is outstanding change that we can believe in!

No You Can't (Featuring John Boehner)

2010-03-30T19:58:00.000-05:00

The Conservative Health Insurance Reform

2010-03-30T19:51:00.004-05:00

So, in 1993, President Clinton embarked on an attempt to improve healthcare in the United States to better serve the citizenry. He was relentlessly attacked and mischaracterized by conservatives, and ultimately failed to pass reform. One of the weapons in the conservative arsenal was a plan that they put forward to mandate that every US citizen purchase private insurance. They went so far as to have ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justice Scalia make a case for the Constitutionality of their insurance mandate.

belowthebeltway.com/2010/03/30/justice-scalia-may-have-already-made-the-constitutional-case-for-insurance-mandates

Now that Congress has passed, and President Obama has signed, a health insurance reform bill that contains the exact same insurance plan, those same conservatives are now saying that their original plan, the one that they had Justice Scalia deem Constitutional, is now somehow unConstitutional which makes the law invalid and the President a Socialist (or Marxist, or Communist, or Nazi - their hate-words keep changing)

Funny, that.

Results of Republican Economics

2010-03-30T19:49:00.002-05:00

Putting things in perspective.

The Federal Reserve gives Congress a report on the entire wealth of the United States. Every house, small business, large business, stock ownership, 401(k), etc.

In the last 18-months of the Bush Administration, from June 2007 to December 2008, this total wealth dropped from $62T to $50T. In other words, the accumulated value of the United States that was built up over the past 200+ years lost 20% of its value.

That equates to over $40,000 for every man, woman and child in the country. These are facts.

Over two centuries of building saw 20% simply wiped out in just 18 months, thanks to Republican economic policies. Now the very architects of this massive loss of wealth are claiming to be the only one who should be, once again, trusted with control of the US economy. Elections have consequences. Do right by America, and keep Republicans away from the national checkbook until they learn to be responsible with it. Until then, don't be fooled again.

Well put, Rosie

2010-03-29T20:11:00.001-05:00

www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/28/851912/-We-had-eight-years-of-Bush-and-Cheney,-Now-you-get-mad!

=======================
Party differences?
Here are current screenshots of gop.com and democrats.org. They're a microcosm to see why it's easy to respect Democrats and hard to take Republicans seriously.
i.imgur.com/P7uNU.jpg

Money in Elections

2010-03-29T20:03:00.001-05:00

For the 2010 mid-term elections, there's going to be an unprecedented amount of money spent by Conservatives.

tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/chamber_gearing_up_to_spend_like_never_before_on_m.php

This is due largely by the highly activist and political decision by the US Supreme Court that corporations - including foreign governments via US subsidiaries of their state-run corporations - can pour unlimited amounts of money into US political campaigns.

As a reminder - here's the result of 6 years of one-party conservative rule, followed by 2 more years of a conservative White House:

www.americanmanufacturing.org/china-job-loss

Don't be influenced by the big money you're about to be walloped with. Vote for the candidates of your choice based on your values and their track record.

Progressive vs. Liberal

2010-03-29T20:02:00.000-05:00

The Key Differences Between Progressive and Liberal, and how "Liberal" Thinking Can be Part of the Problem

www.alternet.org/story/146207/how_liberalism_almost_killed_the_chance_for_real%2C_progressive_change

Scorched Earth

2010-03-26T20:22:00.001-05:00

In their continuing temper tantrum against improving healthcare insurance in this country, the Republicans have found a new group to hit with their frustrations - the unemployed.

Are you out of a job? Were you counting on an unemployment check just because you and your employer have been paying into that fund for years? Well, Republicans say "NO"!

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other members of the Republican caucus have joined with Sen Tom Coburn, promising to block billions in unemployment benefits just as the Senate is set to leave on a two-week recess.

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/coburn-pulls-the-trigger-jobless-benefits-extention-blocked-by-gop.php

You might wish to remember this in future elections...

A good sign from the GOP

2010-03-25T19:36:00.004-05:00

A sure sign that the healthcare bill is a success?

Republican ex-critics who waged a long and hard smear campaign of disinformation against it and voted against it are now taking credit for passage of the bill and its reforms.

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/grassley-look-how-great-this-health-care-bill-is.php

================================
3/29
Speaking of the GOPpers, what's important to the Republican National Committee when
traveling? Apparently, bondage-themed nightclubs.

blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2010/03/29/has-michael-steele-just-run-out-of-lives-as-rnc-chair/?cxntfid=blogs_jay_bookman_blog

This is how party leaders decide to keep Republican leadership happy. In their defense, however, people donate to the RNC freely, and it's their money to spend as they wish. There is nothing inherently wrong with spending RNC money on this, it just seems hypocritical considering how strongly those same people preach their superior "family values" and morality.

I'm taking my ball and going home

2010-03-25T19:12:00.004-05:00

The jobs bill is trying to get people back to work. There's a smallpox outbreak in Uganda that could spread into a global catastrophe if not contained. The US and Russia are working to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world. Financial reform is trying to prevent another meltdown like the Bush Recession.

But Republicans are holding up the entire Senate by providing amendment after amendment to the already passed health insurance reform bill. Mind you, not useful things, just time-wasting things. They have scores of amendments just to change dates in the bill back and forth. Oh yea, and this element of health insurance reform that is now topping the GOP wish-list: Brownback 3690 -- “To provide for the relocation of the United State Embassy to Jerusalem.”

Sadly, it doesn't stop there. Republicans to veterans: screw you! We're going to throw a temper tantrum and don't care if you get hurt. We're also shutting down national security committees, and hearings on training Afghan police to take over security of Afghanistan, so don't think you rate as important in our eyes.

www.hawaii247.org

These would be the same people that unanimously approved of GWB extensively using recess appointments, including for the National Labor Relations Board, but now yell that President Obama doing the exact same thing "would disregard the Senate's constitutional responsibility of advice and consent".

thehill.com

And the “stunning assault on liberty” that Democrats have "forced" on America by following the will of the people? The irony is that Republican leaders Richard Nixon,
Bob Dole, and Bill Frist all embraced the idea before this.

www.thedailybeast.com

What a bunch of whiny, bratty, spoiled children now that they're not getting their way completely. I'd be embarrassed if my representatives behaved that way.

Harry states facts.
www.dailykos.com/tv/w/002632/

=====================
Just a hissy fit...
www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/26/martin.republicans.cooperation/index.html

=====================
Republican leadership commenting on the temper tantrum

www.michaelmoore.com/words/latest-news/mccain-dont-expect-gop-cooperation-legislation-rest-year

So, in other words John, you will continue to "stay the course" and continue to do absolutely nothing to benefit your constituents. Since this has been the case since Bill Clinton was first elected, how is this a revelation?

Your continued irrelevance has been duly noted, Senator.

Mature reactions

2010-03-25T19:04:00.003-05:00

With all the violence and threats that Democrats and their families are now receiving from "the base", Minority Whip Eric Cantor reported that his office was also shot at. Being a loyal Republican, he reported the incident just has he's expected to - by completely lying about it.

theplumline.whorunsgov.com
www.nytimes.com

Although, in Cantor's defense, he know that this is what happens to Republicans when they dare to deviate from the party script that they're given:

www.washingtonpost.com

Besides, Cantor got to tell his version of the facts without having to face the actual facts or questions. Standard approach, because this is what happens when a master conservative talking-point pusher attempts to have a discussion with someone who knows the actual facts

O'Reilly looks more foolish than usual. Every time a factual answer is given that isn't in line with a Republican talking point, Bill just pretends that an answer wasn't given. What a freaking idiot.

More change to believe in

2010-03-24T19:36:00.001-05:00

What a great change. Not only do we have a President that is working in the best interests - both short and long term - of the US citizenry, but his administration can work on more than one major issue at a time.

www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/24/us/politics/AP-US-Russia-Nuclear.html

The cost savings alone in reducing the number of times we can destroy the planet would make this a landmark agreement. But throw in the fact that we're reducing the number of nuclear weapons, and you have a win of global proportions.

==================
3/26
Instead of provoking Russia in order to look tough, actually talking resulted in reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world.

www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/26/start.treaty/index.html

So, let me get this straight

2010-03-24T19:25:00.002-05:00

So, let me get this straight. The following conservative/Republican priorities were INCLUDED in the newly passed health insurance reform bill:
* no public option
* no government takeover of healthcare insurance
* no government takeover of healthcare delivery
* individual mandate to purchase coverage
* an exchange to sell policies in multiple states
* no funding for abortions

But it also included some show-stoppers that they could not swallow:
* long-term reduction in the national debt
* coverage for all Americans (but they wanted the mandate - I don't get it)
* no exclusions for pre-existing conditions
* no rescission, where insurance companies could instantly drop you if you got sick
* no lifetime maximums, where insurance companies could drop you if you stayed very sick

And because of these items, they're acting as if the world is ending and refusing to represent even their own constituents.

news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100324/pl_mcclatchy/3460142

www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/gop-senators-refusing-to_n_511639.html

=====================

Republican response to 30M+ Americans finally getting healthcare (plus a host of additional progress): We want to stop the government from working at all - including national security!

thinkprogress.org/2010/03/24/senate-gop-hearings

Really, guys? You'd rather stop fighting terrorism then allow the government to follow the will of the people? Might I remind you that America still has enemies, and they won't take a break because you're throwing temper tantrums. Grow up, already.

Now that it's law...

2010-03-23T19:38:00.003-05:00

As the actual contents of the new healthcare bill becomes the new topic of conversation, rather than rhetoric and misinformation, all of a sudden the citizens of the US are becoming quite favorable to it. Too bad we had to waste so much time and energy on the ridiculous "socialism, end of America, death panel, kill grandma" propaganda.

www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-23-health-poll-favorable_N.htm

Sadly, the conservative propaganda machine is turning this out instead
www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-03-22/scary-new-gop-poll

"Even though you have opposed this health-care bill, we've made sure it is going to cover you, too, in your time of need."
www.thedailybeast.com

Conservative Q&A

2010-03-22T19:44:00.001-05:00

Conservative Q&A

Q: Does this mean that the terrorists have now won?
A: Yes. The legislation formally surrenders the United States to al Qaeda.

Q: But I don't want to surrender. Is there anything I can do?
A: The only hope is to get your state to secede from the US, which is the only logical path for a patriot who loves America. 50 independent countries is the true desire of the Founding Fathers.

Q: Is this worse than when we lost the fight against civil rights?
A: Yes. This completely destroys America as we know it.

Q: But we were told that Social Security, banking regulations to prevent another Great Depression, entering WWII, Medicare and civil rights would all destroy America, yet somehow America survived. Are you sure this healthcare reform will really destroy America?
A: Yes. This time we REALLY mean it.

Q: Will this raise my taxes?
A: Yes. George W. Bush made taxation illegal. All taxation would have ended the moment he left office, had President Obama not mandated that we become the highest taxed nation in the history of the planet. Healthcare reform triples this record level. (it was going to quadruple taxation, but polling suggested that not enough people knew what "quadruple" meant)

Q: Are we now a socialism, communism, dictatorship or part of Europe?
A: All of the above. All of those terms polled very negatively, so you can use them interchangeably when talking about anything President Obama does, from healthcare, to creating jobs, to rescuing the economy, to what he has for lunch.

Q: How long does my grandma have?
A: This legislation has already killed her, just like we warned you.

Q: My grandparents are already deceased, so they're safe from the "kill grandma" edict, right?
A: No. Through evil medical research that uses stem cells and a pact with Satan, the new legislation will bring deceased ancestors back to life so they can be immediately killed.

Q: My only concern is opposing abortion, and this reform prevents use of federal funds to support abortion. Therefore, I shouldn't care too much, right?
A: No, do not read the actual bill under any circumstances. You must accept on faith that this legislation mandates that forced abortions will occur on a nationwide scale and will be funded by your 401(k).

Q: We had complete control for 6 years. How come we simply didn't make abortions illegal? After all, it could have been done any day, with a one-page bill.
A: Obama is evil, he is the anti-Christ, he is the reincarnation of Hitler. All Democrats are his demons and are reincarnations of SS officers. Your question has been answered.

Keep your government hands...

2010-03-17T14:03:00.002-05:00

The inevitable sequel to "keep your government hands off of my Medicare"

========================

Interesting how some very conservative groups have created their own healthcare solution. They simply embraced socialism to the full extent. If it works for them, then more power to them! Funny how that would be the same kind of folk screaming that one of the reasons that President Obama is evil is because he's somehow a socialist (a claim that offends actual socialists)

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124544505

Also interesting is that these groups operate as non-profit entities, another point that conservatives often say is unAmerican when "liberals" dare bring up the possibility.
========================

While Democrats are working (not well enough, imho) to get medical coverage for all Americans, Republicans are implementing their own solutions where they can.

Arizona's Republican-controlled legislature just voted to cut medical coverage to 47,000 low income kids and many more adults.

www.azcentral.com

It was a two-fer. They're also trying to abolish state parks in the same bill, another "liberal" concept that is a thorn in the side of conservatives.
========================

Simple explanation of Republican "math" (read: propaganda)

www.ourfuture.org

Knowledge and truth are better than political rhetoric.

Historical rhetoric quiz

2010-03-17T13:59:00.003-05:00

I assumed I'd do well in this quiz by recognizing the language nuances between the 30's, 60's and today, even though I knew the content was just the same old, same old. At least I got a majority right...

More legacy to repair

2010-03-12T20:10:00.001-06:00

One more conservative legacy we need to overcome, the fear of stem cells

www.click2houston.com/news/22798745/detail.html?dsq=39381039#comment-39381039

Although I'm sure there's no lack of "she was meant to be blind" to be found in the anti-science community, I think that if medical research can give a child sight, then it's a good thing.

Meanwhile, in Iraq

2010-03-10T20:16:00.000-06:00

For those of you keeping score at home, here's one more way we were lied into a war against Iraq.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_Nayirah

Why are we still there?

Grayson!

2010-03-10T20:14:00.000-06:00

H.R. 4789
Holy crap. A simple, straightforward healthcare proposal on the floor of Congress. Whatever it costs, that's what you would pay, if you want in. By definition, it will add ZERO to the debt and deficit. A 4-page solution, no mandate, that gives every American another option.

Lots of chatter has happened about "Medicare Part E", but until now, nobody had the combination of guts and common sense to actually propose it.

The very best part - this is making BOTH sides squirm.

Typical Republican

2010-03-09T20:18:00.001-06:00

After Voting Against Jobs Bill, Rep. Broun Criticizes Lack Of A Jobs Bill

mediamattersaction.org/factcheck/201003090005

So, it's better for Americans to be unemployed than for them to have good jobs that are in any way a result of Democratic action. Got it.

We MUST stay the course, no matter how wrong it is

2010-03-08T20:21:00.000-06:00

Wow. Just ... wow.
They actually want to campaign on "returning to the status quo".

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com

30-40M Americans without healthcare, illness (despite having insurance) being the leading cause of bankruptcy, 10-40% annual rate increases, rescission, exclusion for pre-existing conditions, ranked 37th globally in overall quality but #1 by far in cost - they want to preserve it all. They are that convinced that "the base" will turn out because they say Obama wants to kill grandma.

Here's their cornerstone of logic:
"Every [GOP] candidate who is running a campaign in November 2010, that will be one of the first questions and the first ads that will want to ask, 'Are your health care costs lower now by virtue of passing this health care bill?' I think the answer to that will be no, they are not."

So, if the first step of healthcare reform passes this year, it will have taken 65 years. But because that first step cannot INSTANTLY fix everything that's wrong with the system, we must return to proven failure?

Just how stupid to they think "the base" is?

The current deficit

2010-02-11T20:48:00.002-06:00

Real source of the current deficit

www.businessinsider.com

Yes, the economic recovery plan is currently adding to the US debt. It accounts for approximately 7% of the deficit. The remaining 93% was inherited, and economists recommend continuing deficit spending until the economy stabilizes. While this contradicts conservative talking points, the truth is the truth.

Obama's Q&A with House Republicans

2010-02-11T20:13:00.004-06:00

So, President Obama attended the House GOP's annual retreat. It was an open forum for the conservatives to question and grill him - on any subject, with no vetting. Republicans could bring any prepared statement, and the President answered them completely impromptu. It's quite a remarkable change from the previous administration, and a must-see for anyone who thinks that there's little or no difference between politicians and parties.

Before the meeting, the Republicans were "itching to grill the President". Instead of allowing this opportunity to be constructive, they tried throwing out false statements and their standard, hollow talking points. While this technique works well for controlled interviews and conservative media "reporting", their approach cannot stand up to the actual truth. When confronted with such propaganda, the President calmly answered all of the questions they presented to them, but also corrected them when they made false or misleading statements.

The meeting was also recorded, and afterwards, the Republicans took a different tone:

Barack Obama, for an hour and a half, was able to refute every single Republican talking point used against him on the major issues of the day. In essence, it was almost like a debate where he was front and center for the majority of it. As one Republican said: “It was a mistake that we allowed the cameras to roll like that. We should not have done that.”

Sorry Republicans, one of the things of an open government that you'll have to deal with is that your constituents get to know what you're saying and how you're representing them. Clearly you don't perform well under such conditions.

thinkprogress.org
www.huffingtonpost.com
my.barackobama.com
www.thedailyshow.com

But really, it couldn't have been THAT bad for Republicans to actually have to face the President in a Q&A session, could it? Well, let's put it this way. Fox News cut away from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended. That's how bad it was looking for Republicans.

mariopiperni.com/barack-obama/obama-lectures-republicans.php

=======================

Obama's response to the group that is willing to sacrifice the good of America to achieve the political goal of making him look like a failure:

www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/29/obama.gop/index.html?hpt=T2

Good to know our President is an adult, even when faced with extreme political partisanship.

Oh, BillO

2010-02-04T20:58:00.000-06:00

Compliments for having Jon Stewart on your show, and especially for getting out of character and allowing him to speak. It was going so well, and was an actual interview. But did you have to ruin the good karma by trying to slip in "your audience is primarily stoned slackers"? Had to ruin it by reverting back to your standard namecalling, huh?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDqBvnh-SBM

Then Bill tried to defend fox as news. That's where his wheels really came off. I think it'll be a long time before he interviews anyone daring enough to bring up such obvious points again.

www.politicususa.com/en/Stewart-on-Fox-News

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the "fair and balanced news", Sean Hannity, in an attempt to insult President Obama, factually declared that George W. Bush never played golf after he launched wars against Afghanistan and Iraq.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3p9y_OEAdc

Corporatizing government

2010-02-04T20:56:00.001-06:00

A small example of what privatization of government function would look like.

House on fire? Who cares if the whole town has paid taxes to cover the cost of a fire department - you're on the hook to pay all the expenses of the fire department. So while you're dealing with the loss of all your possessions, here's a 5-figure bill too. Including, of course, a tidy profit for the private company that's handing the act of billing you.

abcnews.go.com

=================
What do you call it when a city's streetlights go dark, police helicopters are for sale on the internet, firefighting jobs are cut, a vice team is disbanded, burglary investigators are stopped, and beat cops are fired?

Throw in city parks that are allowed to decay and fill with trash, rec centers shuttered leaving teens idle, bus routes cancelled, roads not maintained and closings at museums, pools and libraries.

What is it called? The path to conservative utopia. Death of public services, rely on the corporations to provide.

www.denverpost.com/search/ci_14303473

"After the 10-year frenzy of tax-cutting, middle-class families are earning less today, in real dollars, than they did in 1999. Add in skyrocketing health care costs and the plummeting value of people's homes, and we get the harsh reality of mushrooming poverty."

www.creators.com/liberal/jim-hightower/republicans-out-of-touch-as-middle-class-sinks.html

Social Security

2010-02-02T20:45:00.001-06:00

This was one growing problem that was completely ignored by the Bush Administration, except for one ill-fated and unwise attempt to privatize it.

Now that long-term fiscal responsibility has returned to the White House, it's time to do something to fix Social Security. The last time that Social Security was paying out more than it was taking in was the early 1980s, and the Republican solution was to cut benefits and raise taxes, so there could be a surplus of Social Security taxes that could fund other big government project.

It would have been a lot simpler to fix the system years ago, when we could have used Social Security's cash surpluses to buy securities other than US Treasury Bonds. Then we'd have the surplus of the past to cover current shortfalls, but that was squandered and now it's too late for that fix.

This time around we need to be smarter and more responsible. With the cost of living going up and the specter of real inflation, it sounds particularly unwise to slash benefits on seniors that already paid into the system. So perhaps it's finally time to eliminate the tax break for the wealthy. As salaries increase from around $90K/year, the percentage of Social Security withholding goes down. The very rich see a tiny fraction of the tax burden, when compared to the chunk taken out of middle
class paychecks. It's time to level the playing field, with everyone paying in.

Understanding conservative leadership

2010-02-01T20:32:00.004-06:00

Senate GOP leader McConnell repeatedly urges new approach to fiscal discipline. Democrats bring it to a vote. McConnell votes against it.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/31/AR2010013101837_pf.html

================
"Who's buying" and "Who's reading" Palin's book are very different questions. The answer to the first question is: she is. With money donated to her campaign. Classy.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/01/palin_used_pac_money_to_buy_books.html

=================
How do Republicans respond to President Obama using a Republican framework, just like they publicly pleaded for him to do? By turning around and degrading to namecalling. Apparently, Republicans have a hard time telling the difference between conservatism and Bolshevism.

http://2parse.com/?p=4779

=================
So, why did Bush try terrorists as criminals? Because it is effective. Both Republicans and Democrats agreed.

Now Obama wants to continue the effective strategy. Now, all of a sudden, Republicans are opposing this and decrying it as wanting the terrorists to win, and other political rhetoric.

Democrats just want to have an effective fight against terrorism. Not exactly fiery political rhetoric, but and effective way to run a country.

www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/3/833406/-Oh-noes!-Treating-a-Terrorist-Like-a-Criminal-Actually-Works

A very productive Congress

2010-02-01T20:25:00.000-06:00

Despite what political attacks say and mainstream media tries to sensationalize, the facts stand on their own merit. Congress has been very effective for the American people in the past year.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012902516.html

Don't just compare the 2009 Congress to the do-nothing Congress of 2001-2006, compare them to history.

This Democratic Congress is on a path to become one of the most productive since the Great Society 89th Congress in 1965-66, and Obama already has the most legislative success of any modern president -- and that includes Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson. The deep dysfunction of our politics may have produced public disdain, but it has also delivered record accomplishment.

Economic planning - liberal vs conservative

2010-02-01T20:20:00.002-06:00

In 1981, with bond prices at their highest rate ever, the US government had a historic opportunity. We could have bought bonds from economically stable governments across the world, and US taxpayers would have reaped the benefits for 30 years. Unfortunately for the citizens of the United States, the conservative movement that was in power declared that debt is good, and borrowed unprecedented amounts of money at historically high interest rates. The plan of increasing government spending and borrowing went on for 12 years until Democrats took back the White House, and the work began to repair America's long-term economy. It took 8 years of responsible spending and budgeting, but we went from the largest budget deficit in history to having a $200B surplus, and were on track to completely eliminate the national debt.

In 2001, all the long-term economic planning was laid to ruin as Bush II returned the US to a policy of increased spending and increased borrowing. However this time it was much worse - huge expenditures (2 wars, 2 tax cuts for big business and the wealthy) were left off the budget so future administrations would have to deal with them. Once again, we heard the conservative mantra that "debt doesn't matter", and 8 years later, we were saddled with a massive amount of structural debt that projected into the future, and crippled the US economy.

In 2009, hope returned for financial responsibility, and long-term fiscal planning that is beneficial to the US.

"[President Obama] outlines a plan to reduce the nation's debt by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years, and to get annual deficits as a percent of the economy down from 10.6% today, to 3% by 2015."

money.cnn.com/2010/02/01/news/economy/obama_budget_deficits/index.htm?hpt=T1

In his first year, President Obama is taking a lot of heat for not being able to instantly solve an extremely serious problem that is literally 30 years in the making.
While a quick fix isn't possible, these facts represent real progress towards fixing a fundamental problem with the long-term US economy that began in 1981 and greatly accelerated in 2001.

Outstanding change

2010-01-29T20:08:00.000-06:00

The right likes to repeat over and over that Obama has done nothing to lift America out of the Republican recession (and almost depression), and the economic stimulus that they opposed (admitting that something was indeed done) failed. However, simple facts blow away their empty political rhetoric to the point where even the main stream media must report it:

"The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in more than six years during the fourth quarter of 2009"

money.cnn.com/2010/01/29/news/economy/gdp/index.htm?hpt=T1

One need only look at the simple graph to see the difference between Republican and Democratic economic policies. Massive debt, tax relief to the rich and deregulation culminated in NEGATIVE 6.4% GDP growth, while under Obama we've turned that into an INCREASE of 5.7%.

Plus, I've never understood how their followers can accept the logic that if Democrats cannot fix Republican economic blunders quickly, then Republicans should be put back in charge to return to the same failed economic policies that created the problems in the first place.

=========================
Why it's good for government to be transparent. On the topic of "the government should be able to pay for something before spending", the vote was absolutely unanimous for Republicans. Following their party's orders to oppose anything that President Obama wants to do to help America, all 40 voted NO. Every single Republican Senator wants the debt increased instead. That is why they cannot be trusted with the national checkbook.

www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm

Senate Republicans vote 40-0 against re-establishing PAYGO rules. They'd rather continue the only plan they've had since 1981 - massive debt for US taxpayers.

=========================
One of the things that President Obama wants to improve, as laid out in the SotU address, is access to college for American students. This is in contrast to a Republican approach:

www.allgov.com/ViewNews/Congressmans_Foundation_Has_Money_for_Golf_Outings_but_Not_for_Scholarships_100127

Congressman Steve Buyer (R-Indiana) raises $800,000 over 7 years for a scholarship program that has yet to actually award any scholarships. It has been able to pay for fundraising golf outings at luxury locales.

One dollar, one vote

2010-01-26T20:00:00.004-06:00

Olbermann on the Supreme Court "corporations are people" decision. This should be required viewing, as folk need to understand the severity.
thisweekwithbarackobama.blogspot.com/2010/01/keith-olbermanns-special-comment-of.html

Do folk really get the ramifications of this? This is not to give power to the mom-and-pop shop down the street, it's for multi-national corporations. For example, an oil company interested in drilling in Venezuela can now legally give BILLIONS of dollars to a candidate on the sole basis that they will launch a war against the people of Venezuela, so they can reap more billions in profits - this will be good for business, good for profits and is now perfectly legal. That company need not be an American company - it can be Russian, Chinese, Saudi, anything. Whomever has the most money is now free to try to purchase US elections. Thanks, Republicans.

Grayson:
grayson.house.gov/2010/01/grayson-save-our-democracy.shtml

If we do finally understand the horrible ramifications of this, from that can we now extrapolate just how damaging to democracy it is when judges are picked based on their extremely biased political views, rather than their dedication to the Constitution and laws which they are supposed to serve?

==================
White House response
www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-todays-supreme-court-decision-0

==================
"All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any
political purpose should be forbidden by law" ---Teddy Roosevelt

Based on their current stated values, conservatives now consider Teddy Roosevelt to be anti-American, since they're applauding the ability of foreign and multi-national corporations to spend unlimited money to promote candidates of their choice.

www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/519819

==================
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power" -Benito Mussolini

How to explain the 5 Republican political appointees to the Supreme Court?
"Garbage in, garbage out...If you have selfish ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish ignorant leaders." -George Carlin

I'm sure our founding fathers would have been happy to know that in 2010, corporations linked to foreign governments would be legally entitled to campaign for and against our nation's candidates for public office.

trueslant.com/level/2010/01/22/supreme-court-ruling-means-get-used-to-campaign-ads-from-mother-russia

===================
“The rule announced today — that Congress must treat corporations exactly like human speakers in the political realm — represents a radical change in the law,” he said from the bench. “The court’s decision is at war with the views of generations of Americans.”

www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/us/26bar.html?hpw

Just curious, this is very likely the single greatest act of "judicial activism" ever perpetrated on the United States. Foreign companies (many of which are synonymous with their foreign governments) can now legally pour billions of dollars into US elections to insure that our representatives respect their wishes, rather than the citizens of the US.

The conservatives used to cry about "judicial activism" whenever there was a ruling that they disagreed with. Now that we're facing this devastating blow to the fundamentals of democracy, where's the outrage?

Perfect

2010-01-26T19:55:00.002-06:00

http://i.imgur.com/qo9kr.jpg

No matter what one particular political party starts to claim during election time.

Conservative family values

2010-01-26T19:21:00.003-06:00

Down on your luck? Don't look to the GOP for anything but being called an animal, undeserving of food.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35067031/ns/politics-more_politics
www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/26/jon-stewart-blasts-gop-ca_n_436674.html

==================
Meanwhile, down in conservative Texas

If you want to write children's books, but your name has similarities to someone who wrote about something that must be banned, like Marxism, don't bother trying to sell your children's books in Texas. They'll be banned by their board of education, just to be safe.

scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2010/01/texas_boe_bans_childrens_book.php

==================
So, now that the dubya rendition of conservative values is behind us, what are the ramifications that we're left to deal with?

"The pregnancy rate among teenage girls in the United States has jumped for the first time in more than a decade"

Unwed teenage pregnancies are up as a direct result of the "just say no" campaign to eliminate education on the taboo subject of sex. The conservative "abstinence only" approach seeks to minimize knowledge and precaution, and has only one potential outcome - more babies born to unwed teenage mothers. I don't know why the conservatives consider this a family value, but their plan is working as intended. Mission Accomplished.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/25/AR2010012503957.html

Something else to get the conservatives mad

2010-01-26T19:18:00.001-06:00

The conservatives threw a huge fit when President Obama decided that part of the emergency economic action that was required to prevent a full-blown depression was to save General Motors, rather than allow it to fall into bankruptcy and put 3-4 million Americans out of work.

Here's the next chapter that has Republicans fuming:
money.cnn.com/2010/01/26/autos/gm_electric_motors/index.htm

That's right. Instead of outsourcing the new electric motors to a foreign country, they're going to be made right here. While I would consider this a huge positive for both GM and the US, this decision files in the face of the long-term conservative plan to move manufacturing overseas.

United States of GE

2010-01-21T20:20:00.001-06:00

Sen. Feingold: "The American people will pay dearly for this decision when, more than ever, their voices are drowned out by corporate spending in our federal elections"

thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/political-fallout-from-the-supreme-court-ruling

Billions can now be thrown behind any puppet who will work exclusively for the masters who paid for their election. There no longer needs to be any veil of doing the will of the people. Great.

Can't be more blatant

2010-01-21T20:18:00.001-06:00

‘I believe in racial and ethnic profiling’ because ‘all terrorists are Muslims or Middle Easterners.’ - Jim Inhofe

thinkprogress.org/2010/01/21/inhofe-profiling

Yea, that's not racist at all. And it's not some random whackaloon at a teabagger rally. That's one of their Senate "moral" leaders.

Also interesting that a Senator from Oklahoma has completely forgotten about the Oklahoma City bomber. Stay classy, Republicans.