It’s Election Day in Florida! Some people are saying that the results from Florida may give the Republican race a degree of “clarity.” Wow. How bad have things gotten when America turns to Florida for definitive election results? Let Florida’s motto be “Hey, We Can’t Possibly Do Any Worse Than Iowa!” I guarantee you, we will have a winner.
Mitt Romney has hit some very sour notes already in this campaign—now he’s doing it literally. If you thought there was nothing more painful than listening to Mitt Romney reciting the lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” wait until you hear him try to sing it! Mitt Romney butchered “America the Beautiful” a lot worse than he butchered that poor roasted pig the other day.
This proves one thing—all the money in the world can’t buy you the ability to sing on key. I thought Mormons could sing. They’ve got that “Tabernacle Choir,” AND the Osmonds! Hell, even Jon Huntsman was in a prog-rock band when he was young. Great—we got the only Mormon who can’t sing! Mitt’s singing came during an appearance at a big retirement village. Thank God—at least the people in the audience had the option of turning off their hearing aids. The fact that Mitt is singing “America the Beautiful” just shows how devoid of ideas his campaign is. All of the Republicans are running campaigns that have no meaning… just a lot of meanness.
Mitt Romney said that he wishes he could “claim” he was Hispanic. Not that he wishes he was Hispanic, mind you—that would be going too far. On Fox News (where else?) Mitt said “You know, I wish I could claim I was Hispanic.” “Claim,” Mitt? What’s stopping you? You’re constantly claiming things that aren’t true. If you can say you’ve never been pro-choice, or pro-gay rights, then you might as well claim that you’re Hispanic. But then Mitt said WHY he wished he could claim he was Hispanic—because “it would help me with the Latino community here in Florida and around the country.” Ah! So you don’t want to BE Hispanic. You just want to pass for Hispanic whenever it would be useful to get votes. Sorry Mitt, but you can’t change you’re ethnicity the way you change your political beliefs. Actually, you can’t change your political beliefs the way that you do, but we’ve given up telling you that.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Today the Republican primary race for the White House hits Florida. Polls indicate that Mitt Romney is headed for a victory in the sunshine state – but are voters this year really choosing candidates – or special interest groups? Research shows that election spending by outside groups is up 1,600% this year in the Republican primary compared to 2008 – and about half of all the political ads on the air are paid for by Super PACs – those corporate front groups that came into existence thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.
Most of the 13,000 television ads running in Florida on behalf of Mitt Romney are not paid for by the Romney campaign at all – but instead by pro-Romney Super PACs. Because of Citizens United - we no longer have candidates running for office, we have INTEREST GROUPS promoting the candidates they like running for office. Interest groups like Wall Street – big oil – and the for-profit health insurance industry that now have free reign to buy our elections this way.
So even though Mitt Romney will likely win Florida tonight by double-digits – the real winner will be Wall Street, which has already handed $3.6 million to the Romney camp.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
In Florida, Mitt Romney is surging ahead of Newt Gingrich in the polls. Florida may be dangling from the United States, but we’re not that far out there. Despite what it looks like on the map, South Carolina is way more out there than Florida. If Newt Gingrich is stopped here in Florida, that shows that South Carolina is crazier than Florida. Add the fact that Iowa showed this year that their elections are more poorly run than Florida elections, and Florida has beaten two negative stereotypes in one election! And if Newt Gingrich doesn’t win the nomination, it will break South Carolina’s streak of always picking the candidate who eventually wins the nomination in every Republican primary since 1980. What South Carolina did will just be an aberration that won’t affect what the more rational states do. Of course, that’s what people were hoping back in 1861, too.
Last week in South Carolina, Herman Cain said “We the people are still in charge of this country, and I am endorsing we the people.” Some endorsements don’t make sense politically—Herman Cain’s endorsements don’t even make sense grammatically. Herman evidently had a change of heart, and he endorsed Newt Gingrich on Saturday in Florida. Or maybe Herman wants to continue endorsing “we the people” while getting a little side action with Newt.
Sarah Palin says Florida voters should “rage against the machine” and vote for Newt. Sarah, both you and Newt are parts of the machine. Damaged, malfunctioning parts that make a lot of terrible noises... but still parts of the machine. Sarah said “both party machines” are trying to “crucify Newt Gingrich.” Sarah, the Democrats aren’t trying to crucify Newt. On the contrary, they want to see him be resurrected.
Finally, there’s a great photo of Mitt Romney carving up a roasted pig on the campaign trail in Florida. I’m pretty sure that photo op was for the Florida’s Hispanic community... and not for Florida’s Jewish community. Mitt looks like he’s enjoying it. But then we know from his work at Bain that Mitt likes carving up dead carcasses.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Multi-millionaire lobbyist Grover Norquist is calling for the impeachment of President Obama. In an interview with the right-wing National Journal – Norquist warned that if President Obama wins re-election and decides to let the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% expire at the end of the year – then Republicans will “have enough votes in the Senate in 2014 to impeach [him].”
What does that mean? It means that the super rich in America – and their political operatives like Norquist in Washington, DC – have now compared a tiny tax increase on the wealthy to high crimes and treason – the only Constitutional basis Congress can use to impeach a President. It sounds like the oligarchs are now openly talking about a coup d'état in America.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The last debate for a month is finally over! In a switch, last night Mitt Romney was on the offensive. And, as is par for the course, Newt Gingrich simply was offensive. Romney had spent most of this week really stepping in it. But for the most part last night, Mitt avoided getting anything nasty on his shoes—and that’s not easy to do when you’re kicking Newt Gingrich. If you’re a Republican looking for a credible candidate, you’re still out of luck. But if you just enjoy watching a couple of losers claw each other up, this has been the greatest primary ever!
One very important question about these candidates came up during this debate—“quien es mas anti-immigrant?” As far as I’m concerned, the correct answer is “Todos los Republicanos.” Actually—for once—the Republicans were fighting over who was the least anti-immigrant. You see, Florida has a significant Latino population—time to brush up on your Spanish, guys. OK, not all of you. I just can’t picture Rick Santorum speaking Spanish. And I’m sure Spanish speakers don’t want to hear Rick talking about “hombre en sexo de perro.”
Wolf Blitzer asked Mitt about an ad of his that says Newt Gingrich called Spanish the “language of the ghetto.” That sounds exactly like an ad Mitt would run—and exactly like something Newt would say. And it was, in both cases. Mitt said “I doubt that’s my ad, but we’ll take a look and find out.” Mitt says he doesn’t watch all of the ads! But he does tack on that statement at the end saying “I’m Mitt Romney, and I approve this ad.” He’s such a banker that Mitt Romney is actually robo-signing his own political ads! A little later, Wolf said they double-checked, and it was a Mitt campaign ad “and at the end you say, ‘I’m Mitt Romney, and I approved this ad.’” In the immortal word of Rick Perry: “Oops.”
For his part, Newt said the ad took his comments “out of context. Yet, Newt apologized for it, so he must have said it! Newt Gingrich doesn’t apologize for things he didn’t do! Heck, Newt doesn’t apologize for 99 percent of the things he does do. Oh, and Newt apologized... in Spanish! Maybe that’s why Newt was willing to apologize—he didn’t know what he was saying!
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation – 75% of Americans believe the Supreme Court is driven by ideological views rather than objective legal analysis. Of course – the justices themselves have done one heck of a job advancing this notion. Scalia, Alito, and Thomas have attended and spoken at right-wing gatherings – gone hunting with prominent Republicans like Dick Cheney – accepted gifts from right-wing organizations – and been educated through right-wing legal think tanks like the Federalist Society. And in the process – have been one of the friendliest courts to corporate interests in recent history.
The Supreme Court has dropped the ball when it comes to objectively analyzing the rule of law in America – and it’s time Congress fulfill it’s Constitutional obligation and hold these corrupt justices accountable.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Mitt Romney staged an event outside of a Fannie Mae-foreclosed home so he could embarrass Newt Gingrich over Newt's ties to Freddie Mac. Unfortunately, Mitt spoke, and that means he ended up embarrassing himself. Mitt said “The banks aren’t bad people. They’re just overwhelmed right now.” The poor banks! So little time, and so many dreams to crush! This foreclosure crisis has been hell for the banks— they’re totally exhausted from the robo-signing alone. And “The banks aren’t bad people?” Mitt! Get it through your head! The banks aren’t people at all!
Later, Mitt doubled down on the gaffe, telling distressed homeowners “The banks are scared to death, of course.” Yeah, right now they’re scared to death that you’re going to keep on talking. And he did! Mitt told foreclosure victims that the banks “are feeling the same thing that you’re feeling.” Really? They’re feeling ripped-off by heartless bankers? Mitt, one more time—banks can’t feel anything. If they did, then they would feel shame and remorse, and they would cease being banks. Florida right now is actually the perfect time and place to go after Newt Gingrich over Freddie Mac. But Mitt Romney is absolutely the worst person to try and do it... outside of Freddie Mac himself, right, Mitt?
Mitt claims that capital gains are taxed at a 35 percent rate when the company earns them, and then at 15 percent when the profits are distributed as dividends, so he’s really paying a total of 50 percent. Wow. No wonder Newt Gingrich wants to give him a giant tax break. Mitt is essentially saying that companies would give shareholders a lot more if they didn’t have to pay taxes. I have news for you, Mitt—a lot of the biggest companies don’t pay any taxes at all. Mitt, if you’re going to try and tell us that Bain was actually paying a corporate tax rate of 35 percent, then you’re going to have to release Bain’s tax returns. And I really don’t think you want to do that.
And it looks like the rightwing is uniting around Newt Gingrich... no wait, they’re not uniting around him... they’re trying to surround him! Politico is reporting that the rightwing is acting in concert to try and derail Newt’s campaign before he blows everything. Well, it looks like Republicans have finally found a leader who can bring the party together.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
That was quite a State of the Union speech. What kind of corner have the Republicans painted themselves into? Now they have to sit on their hands every time good news gets mentioned. The President reported that the state of our union was strong and getting better. But from the looks on their faces, the Republicans in Congress have little interest in being part of that Union. The Republicans looked like they were sitting through the funeral speech for a loved one. In a sense they were—it was a funeral speech for the recession that meant so much to Republicans. The more things come together for America, the more the Republicans’ plans fall apart.
The President sketched out a plan for economic growth, borrowing the phrase “built to last” from the auto industry that he saved... the same industry that Mitt Romney wanted to let go under. The phrase “Built to last” means nothing to a vulture capitalist like Mitt Romney. His slogan should be “Killed for profit.” Obama also called for Congress to pass the “Buffet rule” which would make sure that those making over a million dollars pay at least 30 percent in taxes. Too bad it’s already called the “Buffet rule,” because it would be just too perfect to call it the “Romney rule.” To illustrate his point, Obama had Warren Buffet’s actual secretary in the audience! Psyche! Hey Republicans, I think you just got “Buffeted.” The President also said he will have the Attorney General go after those who engage in deceptive and abusive lending practices, or as conservatives call it, “banking.”
Mitt Romney released his tax returns yesterday in the hope that they would be overshadowed by the State of the Union speech. It turns out that they were highlighted by the speech. You couldn’t help but think of Mitt when the President was talking about leveling the playing field—Mitt Romney is like a giant 50-foot rock jutting out right in the middle of the playing field. Obama was referencing Romney again when he said “When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because they envy the rich.” I’m sure Mitt Romney heard that and thought “He’s just jealous!” Thanks for the material, Mitt. If speeches had writer’s credits, they would have to list a “special thanks” to Mitt Romney on this one.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
President Obama's State of the Union Tuesday night threw down a gauntlet Republicans won't be able to cast aside simply by saying "he's dividing us". His basic thrust was that it's time for American to actually be America, a challenge this country must embrace if we are to think of ourselves as a world leader. What was interesting, however, was the tack of GOP response to the speech.
Republicans, you see, are in a bind. The establishment of the party is very nervous about the direction the right flank is taking (they're more scared of Newt Gingrich than Democrats are). They also know that Mitt Romney, with his $10,000 bets and 15% effective tax rate has absolutely no empathy with the broad swath of the electorate they hope to seduce. So they let the four presidential candidates and the House leadership say what they wanted, and put their faith in Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels to respond. It was Daniels that tried to use the issue of divisiveness to paint the president as ineffective.
Yet a confluence of events rendered the Republicans impotent. When President Obama talked about a 30% tax rate for millionaires, he didn't have to mention Romney, who does no real work other than run for president but is worth a quarter of a billion dollars. His attempt to portray himself as a captain of American industry through his stewardship of Bain Capital a decade ago hardly rings true. At the same time, Republican bleating over the president's defense priorities were made moot when two teams of Navy Seals freed an American and a Dane kidnapped and held hostage in Somalia.
For many, the Barack Obama of the past couple of months bears a much closer resemblance to the guy they voted for in '08 than the Obama of '09 and '10. He seems ready to wield his power more frequently, and to circumvent Congress if they want to play the obstructionist games of the recent past. The terms executive order and recess appointment will likely be heard more often moving forward toward the November elections. Ironically, the last hope the Republicans have is that the economy craters again, which is in fact a possibility. That's why President Obama crerated a new mortgage unit to hopefully guard against a new wave of foreclosures.
Make no mistake. This president is done playing. Now the real battle for the soul of America begins.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 9 AM on WWRL AM 1600.
Down and dirty debates, and dueling document dumps! The State of the Union Address can’t come soon enough. Yes there was yet another debate last night. I want one of these losers to win just so we can end these debates once and for all. Last night Romney attacked Gingrich as a slimy influence peddler, and Newt attacked Mitt as a desperate hypocrite. Gentlemen, please! You’re both right! Mitt was trying to regain the offensive. Good luck with that—Newt IS the offensive.
Both Newt and Mitt have performed a massive dump of documents in the past 24 hours. And that’s not the first time either of those guys has been associated with the phrase “massive dump.” Newt Gingrich released his lobbying contract with Freddie Mac. Of course, Newt would tell you he released his “consulting” contract with Freddie Mac, but a glance at the contract confirms otherwise. During the time Newt says he wasn’t lobbying for Freddie Mac, he was reporting to the person in charge of lobbying at Freddie Mac. If Newt was really there just to provide advice, his first piece of advice should have been to point out that they had him reporting to the wrong person. Newt only released a one-year contract of his with Freddie Mac. He worked for them for eight years and made $1.8 million. One lousy year? Newt, are you trying to pull a “Mitt” on us?
Meanwhile, Mitt Romney released his 2010 tax returns and an estimate for 2011. This will just make people hungry for more, but they won’t be hungry until they’re through being sick over what they see on these returns. Mitt made $12.6 million in capital gains, $4.9 million in dividends, and $3.3 million in interest. How do I get that job? Oh that’s right—it’s not a job at all. In 2010, Mitt paid an effective tax rate of about 13.9 percent. That’s not very “effective” at all. Next year, Mitt’s estimates show that he will pay a tax rate of 15.4 percent. And that’s the number he manipulated to look good on this release! Mitt Romney literally can’t pay a fair tax rate if he tries to! Mitt said his tax bill is “entirely legal and fair.” Well, he’s half right.
Ugh! What a pair Newt and Mitt are! These two deserve everything they hit each other with. And the Republican Party deserves to end up getting stuck with one of them.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Early reports indicate the President will focus on the issues that are absent from most Republicans debates, which are help for the middle class, ways to reduce wealth inequality, and a plan for renewable energy. Despite 22 straight months of private sector job creations, glimmers of hope in an economic recovery, and one fewer war abroad since the President took office three years ago – the state of our union is still weak.
There’s massive inequality – rivaling that of third world nations. There are still 5 million homeowners on the verge of foreclosure. There are 49 million Americans living in poverty, including 1-out-of-5 children. There’s instability in the Middle East as a result of our addiction to foreign oil. The list goes on.
We need revolutionary change in America as the millions who’ve taken to the streets since the 99% Movement began have demanded. Unfortunately – until we get money out of politics, end corporate personhood, and say that money is property, not speech – real change will be hard to come by. And sadly – it’s unlikely the President will call for a Constitutional Amendment tonight to end the great sell-off of our democracy. But we can still keep the pressure on him – go to MoveToAmend.org
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Newt-mentum by Randi Rhodes,posted Jan 23 2012 5:19PM
What a weekend! The sounds coming out of South Carolina were almost as bad as the sounds coming out of Steven Tyler. Newt Gingrich shocked the political world with his big comeback in South Carolina. OK, the crazy rightwing extremist candidate won the crazy rightwing extremist state. Why should anybody be shocked? Now it looks like Newt Gingrich has come back from the dead! But then that’s how Newt Gingrich always looks. It was fun watching Mitt squirm after South Carolina, but it always disturbing to see Newt in his triumphant mode. That’s the only problem with these Republican primaries—somebody has to win them. People are saying “now, anything can happen!” Let’s get real. Only two things can happen—Mitt Romney, or Newt Gingrich. So nothing good can happen.
South Carolina is full of lunatics who love to cause trouble. It was always a perfect match for Newt Gingrich. Floridians don’t have as much in common with Newt... other than the alligators, that is. If you look at the polls for Florida, Newt Gingrich’s line shows radical swings up and down... kind of like Newt Gingrich himself. Can Florida possibly vote for a scary rightwing extremist with a history of terrible ethics problems? I can answer that in four words: “Florida Governor Rick Scott.”
Mitt Romney is only releasing his tax returns from last year, along with an estimate for his taxes this year. Those returns are the ones that were prepared with an eye to running for the presidency. They’ve been sanitized... for Mitt’s protection. Mitt, release returns from the years before you were running for president! It’s a lot easier if you just rip the band-aid off in one quick yank. Unless what we’re dealing with here is a lot more than a band-aid. You can’t yank off a full-body cast.
When you weren’t listening to South Carolinians howl for Newt over the weekend, you could listen to Steven Tyler howl. If you didn’t see it, Steven’s rendition of the National Anthem was even more off target than the Baltimore Ravens’ field goal attempt at the end of the game. Back to American Idol, Steven. They say that those who can’t do, teach. And those that really can’t do, judge. ”
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The Republican Party has a serious problem on its hands...and its name is Newt Gingrich.
Newt shocked the establishment on Saturday night crushing Mitt Romney in a landslide victory in the South Carolina Primary. By referring to President Obama as the “Food Stamp President” as often as he could – and characterizing the poor, and in particular minorities, as lazy – Newt proved that race baiting in the South is still a winning strategy…at least when only Republicans are voting.
That means after three contests so far – and three different winners – this race is wide open – and Gingrich might have a real shot at becoming the nominee - Florida polls are showing him ahead there today. And with that – there’s already speculation that leaders within the Republican Party might push for a brokered convention – in which the nominee – who might not even be in the race today – is picked behind closed doors at the Republican National Convention later this year with little regard to what the actual voters across the nation wanted.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
If you look at last night’s debate as a game show, Newt Gingrich won the grand prize display package right at the beginning of the show. Newt really unloaded. And when Newt Gingrich unloads, we’re talking a very big load. John King started off by asking Newt about his ex-wife’s claims that he had asked her for an open marriage. King didn’t attack Newt, he teed him up! Newt launched into a tirade about how the media make “it harder to govern this country.” Exactly! I bet there are thrice-married family values hypocrites out there who won’t even run because they’re afraid of what the media would do to them. Newt thundered “I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.” Yes, appalled! Appalled, and eternally grateful! Come on, John King! You don’t think that Newt was waiting for that one like a cat under the bird feeder? The bottom line is that you know that Newt would be totally prepared for an infidelity question, just like you know that Mitt Romney would be completely prepared to deal with any income tax question. Oh... OK, bad example.
Mitt Romney always seems to be caught totally unprepared by these questions about his taxes. Odd, considering how incredibly well-prepared I’m sure he always is to DO his taxes. When Romney was asked about his taxes, he said that people were criticizing him for “being successful.” Not exactly, Mitt—they’re criticizing you for being successful at avoiding taxes. John King beautifully used Mitt’s father George Romney’s release of 12 years of his tax returns as an example. If King stepped in it at the beginning with Newt Gingrich, he later wiped his shoes on Mitt Romney. When asked if he would release multiple years of taxes like his father did, Mitt awkwardly blurted out “Maybe.” Mitt, “maybe” isn’t a definitive answer any more than the vote count from the Iowa caucus is a definitive result.
Romney attacked Newt for always talking about all the things he supposedly did with Ronald Reagan. It’s true. To listen to Newt, he and Ronald Reagan sound more like Starsky & Hutch. You know that Newt Gingrich wasn’t that close to Ronald Reagan. If he was that intimate with Reagan, he would have cheated on him. Heck, Newt would have asked Reagan if he could see other Republican icons. “I want an open mentoring relationship. Jack Kemp doesn’t care what I do, neither should you.”
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Occupy the Courts! Today – in over 100 cities across America – demonstrators are rallying in front of federal courthouses – and in front of the Supreme Court here in Washington, DC – to protest the two-year anniversary of the Citizens United decision. The grassroots organization Move To Amend is spearheading the day of action to raise awareness and encourage people to fight back against the radical ruling of the Supreme Court that declared corporations are people and money is speech – and put our democracy up for sale to the highest bidder.
This week – Portland, Maine became the latest city in America to pass a resolution calling on Congress to amend the Constitution to overturn Citizens United and declare that corporations are not people. We saw the effects of Citizens United in the 2010 midterms when over $300 million in secret, corporate cashed was dumped into our elections – that’s more than 4 times more money than was spent in the last midterm in 2006 – and is why a wave of millionaire corporate shills saying they represent the Tea Party were elected to the House of Representatives. If we don’t do something about this – 2012 will be even worse.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Rick Perry announced today that he is leaving the race. You know what that means—tomorrow Rick Perry will announce that he is staying in the race. Rick Perry’s campaign has been so full of mistakes and flubs that, frankly, I’m a little worried about whether or not he’s going to be able to find his way home. We’re going to miss you, Rick. If dead campaigns had gravestones, this one’s would just read “Oops!”
Perry has endorsed Newt Gingrich. Newt stands a good chance of picking up Rick Perry’s supporters... both of them, if he’s lucky. The amazing thing when you look at it is that Gingrich seems to be in big trouble... and Romney also seems to be in big trouble. The candidates can’t ALL be in big trouble. I mean, somebody has to win, right? Well, maybe not...
The Republicans have finally picked their winner in Iowa... and they say that it’s nobody. I think they got it right—given what we’ve seen of the candidates in the Republican field, the only truly correct choice is to throw your hands in the air and give up. Republican officials in Iowa have announced that they can’t determine an actual winner because results from eight precincts cannot be located. Cannot be located? Rule number one in counting votes—when you’re done, keep the votes, at least for a little while. Oh, and it’s nice if you make a note of where you put them.
After counting the votes that they managed to hang on to, it turns out that Rick Santorum is 34 votes ahead. Rick Santorum moved quickly to declare victory. Can you blame him? It’s the only chance he’s going to have to declare victory for the rest of his life. But there is no official winner in Iowa. That’s appropriate. In the long run, it was just an election to choose a loser anyway. Bottom line—Iowans can’t count for crap, and Republicans don’t count for crap.
As a Floridian, I’m gratified that somebody finally showed they can screw up an election even worse than we did. Yes, we had those crazy butterfly ballots. But we did manage to hang on to them, even after election night. At least in Florida in 2000, after all the fuss, we had a clear cut winner—and then the Supreme Court picked the other guy. But that wasn’t our doing.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The State Department officially rejected the Keystone XL pipeline – that would have transported highly toxic Canadian tar sands 1,600 miles across America, on top of the nation’s largest aquifer, down to Texas where transnational oil corporations could ship it off to Asia, South America, and Europe.
Canada says it will now look into sending the tar sands to China. I say Canada should leave all that dangerous carbon in the ground. Despite enormous pressure – including tens of millions of dollars in lobbying and advertising – and even an explicit threat made against the President by the largest oil special interest group – the American Petroleum Institute – the oil barons lost. The environmental movement – and 1,200 patriots who were willing to get arrested in front of the White House last year to protest the pipeline won…at least for now.
Let’s keep up the pressure on our lawmakers – and really begin to heal our planet.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Taxing Romney by Randi Rhodes,posted Jan 18 2012 2:58PM
It turns out that the thing that could do in Mitt Romney isn’t his association with the 1 percent, it’s his association with the 15 percent—the 15 percent tax bracket, that is. I have no doubt that everything Mitt does to make his tax rates lower is strictly legal. That’s actually the most disturbing part. Saying something is legal doesn’t make it right, especially when the rich essentially say what will be legal. The tax laws have been written for the rich. What’s worse—a person who breaks the tax laws for their own benefit, or the person who makes the tax laws for their own benefit?
Mitt seems determined to only release his tax returns for last year come April—the taxes he hasn’t even done yet. I’m sure that every year prior to this, Mitt had an army of accountants go over his tax returns before he turns them in. This year, he’s going to have an army of political consultants go over his tax returns before he turns them over. Mitt wants to stall until April so he can just release the latest returns. That’s like getting pulled over for drunk driving and telling the cop that you will supply a breath sample a week from Tuesday. I don’t know what’s more insulting, that Mitt Romney thinks we’re so stupid that we would allow him to get away with that, or that he thinks he’s so privileged that he should be allowed to get away with that.
Mitt also might be using fancy offshore strategies to avoid taxes. Voters will certainly have no problem with that—as long as Mitt is running for President of the Cayman Islands. Mitt might also be taking advantage of a loophole called the “carried interest loophole.” If that sounds like something you would have a hard time understanding... well, that’s intentional. You’re not supposed to understand things like offshore strategies and carried interest. Heck, you’re not supposed to even know about those things. Don’t worry your middle-class head about the tax strategies that rich people like Mitt use. Just shut up and pay your 35 percent, little man!
No matter how disgusted you may be with Mitt Romney, you can always be even more disgusted by Newt Gingrich. Newt has put out an ad trying to capitalize on his racially inflammatory statements during the debate. You see, Newt doesn’t just say the wrong things—he works hard to reap benefits from saying the wrong things!
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Last night the Republicans held their first of two South Carolina debates. Holding a Republican debate in South Carolina on Martin Luther King Day is like organizing a bunny hunt for Easter Sunday. But then I’m sure Martin Luther King Day means about as much to conservatives as Labor Day means for Mitt Romney. These are the people who insisted that President Obama reschedule an address to a joint session of Congress so that Rick Perry could make his debate debut. Of course they wouldn’t think twice about scheduling their debate for Martin Luther King Day. Actually, Martin Luther King Day would be totally appropriate for a thoughtful examination of the issues confronting this country. But that’s the last thing you’re going to see at a Republican debate.
This being South Carolina, the candidates served up huge helpings of raw meat, and of course Newt Gingrich was the head butcher. Juan Williams confronted Newt over comments that were insulting to minorities (video below). Naturally, Newt responded with comments that were insulting to minorities. He literally sneered and rolled his eyes as he responded to Williams, saying “First of all, Juan...” The way Newt said “Juan,” you could almost see him making air quotes with his hands. It was like he was saying “Why don’t you call yourself John like a real American?” (Incidentally Juan, how’s that job at Fox News working out for you? Remember, when he’s not running for President, Newt also works at Fox News. It’s going to be very awkward next time he runs into Juan Williams in the break room.)
Mitt called the super-PAC attacks on his record at Bain “probably the biggest hoax since Bigfoot.” I guess Mitt just lost all the voters who believe in Bigfoot. But then, odds are, those people are already confirmed Ron Paul supporters. When asked if he had been hunting recently, Mitt said that yes, he had been in Montana hunting moose. Then he corrected himself and said he had actually been hunting elk. They’re all the same. You know—the really big varmints. What does Mitt Romney do if he takes down an elk? Does he extract all of its assets and force the elk into bankruptcy?
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
And its 2012! Today, the superstitious and the Mayans are combining to create the perfect storm of Doom Prophecy. If we can just find a way to link today to the Book of Revelations, we’ve got the Apocalypse Trifecta! This year, there are actually three Friday the 13ths, all occurring within exactly 13 weeks. For the superstitious, it’s the worst thing this side of having to walk through a parade of black cats. The clinical term for fear of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia. Who comes up with these phobia names? They should just call it Fridaythe13thphobia. That’s actually shorter and easy to remember.
Newt Gingrich has begun airing anti-Romney ads that show Mitt in various awkward moments. In one clip Mitt says “I’ve always been a rodent and rabbit hunter, small varmints, if you will.” Varmints, Mitt? You sound like the banker Mr. Drysdale on an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies. Here’s a little advice, Mitt—the term “varmints” doesn’t mesh well with the phrase “if you will.” It’s like saying “pass the grits, my good fellow.” Mitt says “I began when I was 15 and hunted those kind of varmints more than two times.” Wow, more than two times! Since you were 15? Why, that’s almost once every 25 years. What happens, Mitt? Every two-and-a-half decades or so, you just wake up itchin’ to shoot yourself a nice fat muskrat for the stewpot?
Another clip Newt is using shows Romney talking about the infamous “family dog on the roof of the car” story. Well, you knew that one was going to hit the fan... or the windshield, as the case may be. Mitt, you may have managed to hose down the dog and the car back when the incident happened, but poor Seamus is still going to crap all over your presidential run in 2012. Imagine how that poor dog felt on the roof of the car. That’s how each one of us is going to feel if Mitt Romney is at the wheel of the United States. What I’m saying is, if Mitt Romney is elected president, don’t bother putting on clean underwear. They’re going to get ruined anyway.
The days of the Tea Party controlling Congress may be numbered. Congressional aides are suggesting that Speaker of the House John Boehner is planning to work around his Tea Party members and negotiate with Democrats on a deal to extend the payroll tax cut when Congress reconvenes later this month.
Afraid of another payroll tax cut embarrassment – and afraid of a long debate that could distract Republicans trying to defeat President Obama in the next election – Boehner is uneasy about giving Tea Partiers a say in the upcoming debate.
As one aide to a member of the House Republican leadership team said, ““I think Boehner will seek a more accommodating approach to get a good percentage of Democrats to vote for it – even if it costs him a lot of House Republican freshmen…His instincts will be, not to be so reliant on House Republican freshmen.” Let’s hope this means an end to government by hostage-takers.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Wow, things are already getting very ugly, and we’re just getting started in South Carolina—which is the environment where ugly thrives. South Carolina is known for its whisper campaigns, where terrible things are said in hushed tones. Well, this time, all those terrible things are going to be said over the airwaves in millions of dollars of purchased airtime. South Carolina is where they spread the vicious lie that John McCain had an illegitimate black baby. They’re going to be saying even meaner things about Mitt Romney. And the worst part is that the things they’re going to say about Romney are all true. This year they’re going to be saying that Mitt Romney has an illegitimate, black heart.
Defending his attacks, Newt Gingrich said he was concerned about the rules of capitalism: “Are they fair to the American people, or are the deals being cut on behalf of Wall Street institutions and very rich people?” Wow. Is Newt angling to become the Republican nominee, or the next head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?
The reason for all of this comes down to the fact that Mitt really went after Newt Gingrich in Iowa, and it made Newt crazy. Really, Mitt, why go after Newt as viciously as you did? Did you have any doubt that Newt Gingrich would quickly implode on his own? Think about it—Newt Gingrich is dangerous, erratic, and unpredictable. Mitt Romney unnecessarily provoked him, and now Mitt has a lunatic attacking him. Do you really want Mitt Romney to be dealing with North Korea? Republican bigwigs say they want to try and talk Newt “off the ledge.” The problem is that Newt isn’t on the ledge. Mitt Romney is on the ledge, and Newt is standing behind him.
Mitt Romney’s talking point has been that all the attacks on how he made his money are being driven by “envy.” Of course, Envy is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Mitt Romney really shouldn’t be bringing up one of them—some of the other Seven Deadly Sins are Greed, Pride, and Vanity. And those are three terms that definitely appear in all opposition research about Mitt Romney. Mitt said “I think it’s about envy.” Essentially, that’s the 8th-grade response to every argument—“Well, you’re just jealous!”
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
First, let me be clear. This wasn't my idea, but that of Steven Thrasher of the Village Voice. In Wednesday's edition, he has the cover story, The 100 Most Powerless New Yorkers. The piece is brilliant, and while this humble blog can't share the entire list, a good number of the most powerless are worth noting. There are a bunch of politicians on the list, but they're not particularly powerless or interesting. Others, whether categories or small groups of people, make the story worth reading.
For example: weed delivery guys. Certainly they're doing something illegal, but they also, according to Thrasher, at the bottom of a pyramid scheme as far as sales and distribution are concerned. In other words, they'll never get rich. Bodega owners also make the list. I'm not sure why, but in New York City anything that isn't a large supermarket like Whole Foods has become defined as a bodega. Little by little, as the city changes, these small businesspeople are being driven out.
Homeless people who hang out in public library branches, librarians themselves, carriage horses, and an 82 year old resident of Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant who's facing eviction from her home (don't ask!) are among the most powerless. Weed delivery people aren't the only powerless deliverypeople, according to this list. Food delivery people take it on the chin as well, as everyone knows they carry cash and often get robbed.
A young lesbian also made the most powerless list. She's homeless, and spends her nights on the subway. Even members of the press made the list. This is because 21 or 26 journalists busted trying to cover the Occupy Wall St. protests didn't have press passes the NYPD doles out. Right after them come those with press passes, since they think they have an easier time by trying to flash them. Also among the most powerless: food cart vendors, pedicab drivers, riders who get on a "Select Bus" without a receipt (that gets you a $150.00 fine), postal workers, retail clothing workers, security guards, and journalists who have to come up with lists like the one done by Thrasher (refreshing to see a writer with both a sense of humor and irony).
After scanning this list, one comes away with a unique sense of what it's like to live and work in New York City, but not being able to exert much influence on the forces that call the shots. Here's hoping Steven Thrasher does another list next year.
Maybe things will get better for some of those on this year's.
Mitt Romney won New Hampshire. I guess that means now he’s going to extract all of its cash, break it up, and sell it off in pieces. Of course Mitt was forecast to win New Hampshire. For Republicans, a forecast of Mitt Romney winning is like getting a forecast of heavy clouds, bitter cold, and a mixture of sleet and snow—they don’t freak out like they would for a hurricane like Newt Gingrich—they just shrug their shoulders and deal with it. Mitt Romney may have gotten 39 percent of the vote in New Hampshire, but he only got a pathetic 25 percent among voters younger than 30. So you better get the nomination this time, Mitt, because the future doesn’t look good. Heck, that’s probably one reason some Republicans are voting for Mitt Romney. They just want him to get the nomination so that he’ll finally stop running.
Ron Paul came in second with 23 percent of the vote. Ron Paul is big among the younger voters. You know what else is really big with young people? Tattoos. Neither of those is a very good indication of strong decision-making skills. Jon Huntsman came in third with 17 percent. He said “third place is a ticket to ride.” If it is, it’s definitely a ticket to ride in coach. And no baggage, please. Newt Gingrich only got 9.4 percent. But Newt won’t stop. He wants to get a lot more than 10 percent—he wants to get revenge. Oh, and Rick Perry got 0.7 percent. That certainly validates Rick’s decision… to quit the race. Too bad he didn’t stick with it. 0.7 percent! Do you know how low of a number that is? If you do, please explain it to Rick Perry.
Republican power brokers are rallying around Mitt Romney. They realize they have to embrace Mitt Romney with all of his flaws... if only because all of his flaws are their flaws. Is this whole process just going to expose and ruin Mitt Romney the way the exposure of his past ruined Herman Cain? Herman Cain was forcing himself on women. At Bain Capital, Mitt Romney was forcing himself on whole companies. At least after an encounter with Herman Cain, a woman could put her life back together with therapy and emotional support. After an encounter with Mitt Romney, companies had no recourse except bankruptcy. And Herman Cain never extracted all of the women’s money, cut them into parts, and sold them off. Well, if he did, that hasn’t come out yet.
Listen to me live Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Newt's Revenge by Randi Rhodes,posted Jan 10 2012 6:31PM
Today is Election Day if you live in New Hampshire. And if you live in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, today already was Election Day. Tiny Dixville Notch traditionally opens its polls at midnight on Election Day and closes them moments later after everyone has voted. That’s perfect for this year’s Republican primary—everyone just wants to get it over with. In the Notch, among 6 Republican votes cast, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman tied for first with two votes each. Those are the numbers, unless someone demands a recount.
Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul each got one vote. I bet all the voters in Dixville Notch went to a diner after voting, sat around the table, and said “OK... who voted for Ron Paul?” Actually, it would be easy to tell who voted for Ron Paul. When the bill for the meal came, they were the one who wanted to pay in gold. And they could easily tell the Mitt Romney voters—they were the ones who wanted to go to Denny’s, maybe get some bean dip.
Mitt Romney will undoubtedly emerge the winner from New Hampshire. He’s also likely to emerge as a job-killing corporate raider. Republicans are portraying Mitt Romney as a soulless, greedy capitalist. That’s right—Republicans are portraying Mitt Romney as a Republican... to convince Republicans that he’s not right for the Republican Party. Not that any of them would have done anything differently from the way Mitt did it. Mitt just had the opportunity to do it better. And they can’t even complain that Mitt had an unfair advantage. The reason Mitt had the opportunity to do it better was because he was born into wealth and privilege... and that is also pure Republican! I just love seeing Republicans debating business ethics. Up until now, the only debate among Republicans about business ethics was about the best way to eliminate them.
Mitt likes to say that he created a net of 100,000 in his work in the private sector. He must be counting all the illegal immigrant landscapers that he hired using the money he made from laying off American workers. Mitt’s claims about creating 100,000 jobs are “unproven,” which is another term for “made up out of thin air.” Hey Mitt, why don’t you claim credit for something you really did, Mitt... like Romneycare?
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Full of Mitt by Randi Rhodes,posted Jan 9 2012 5:15PM
If you like football, it was on pretty much continuously this weekend. If you like Republican debates, they were on continuously too. The only difference is that the football teams that were playing changed every half-day or so. The Republican candidates had a debate on Saturday night, and then another first thing on Sunday morning. I’ve heard of continuous debate, but this is ridiculous. It was more of an endurance test than anything else. But then when you think about it, so is being President of the United States. Hey, maybe we should determine who would handle that “3 a.m. phone call” by holding a debate at 3 a.m. and seeing how they handle it. Oh, and don’t let them know when the 3 a.m. debate is going to be—just wake them up with a phone call and throw them all in front of the cameras.
The best moment on Saturday came when Rick Perry actually said he would send troops back into Iraq! So Rick’s going to re-do George Bush’s biggest mistake. Typical Perry—he can’t even come up with an original disaster. Reality check, Rick—the Iraqis don’t want us there. If you “send troops back” at this point, I believe the term for what you are doing is “invading.” You can’t just “send troops back”! First you have to lie about weapons of mass destruction, fix the intelligence, fool the American people, and send Colin Powell to the UN with a vial of anthrax.
The best moment on Sunday came when Newt Gingrich told Mitt Romney to “drop the pious baloney.” Classic! “My baloney has a first name, and it’s M-i-t-t.” Newt, you should know that Mitt would never touch baloney. You should have told him to drop the aged prosciutto. How appropriate—first Newt called out Mitt’s “baloney,” and then Newt ate Mitt for lunch! I’m glad somebody finally called out Romney for being such an insufferable ass. Too bad it was another insufferable ass like Newt Gingrich.
Over the weekend, Mitt Romney had just two hurdles to jump before he cruises to a victory in tomorrow night’s New Hampshire Primary – and those were back-to-back debates on Saturday night and Sunday morning. After escaping the first debate completely unscathed – Romney was attacked in the second debate for being a career politician, making a living killing jobs, and being far too moderate to represent the Republican Party. Romney himself fueled criticism when he seemed to suggest that only rich people should run for office, quoting advice that his dad gave him saying, “never get involved in politics if you have to win an election to pay a mortgage.”
But despite the attacks in Sunday’s debate – polls out of New Hampshire show Romney with a sizeable lead. According to the latest poll out of the University of New Hampshire – Romney is sitting pretty at 41% - with Ron Paul in second at 17%. Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman are tied at 11%. A win for Romney in New Hampshire will be historic – making him the first non-incumbent Republican candidate to win in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Romney is also leading in South Carolina and in Florida – two primaries that will be held later this month. So, there’s a good chance this race could be wrapped up fairly early if he pulls off the January sweep.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
T.G.I.F.! by Randi Rhodes,posted Jan 6 2012 7:19PM
The new jobs numbers are out. It seems that President Obama is beating the recession a lot more convincingly than Mitt Romney is beating any of his opponents. The private sector added 212,000 jobs last month. That beat the economic experts’ forecasts by 50,000 jobs. We’re doing better than the experts expected, and much better than the Republicans hoped. For all of 2011, government employment fell by 280,000, but the private sector added 1.9 million jobs. Republicans can shrink the size of government, but they can’t shrink the size of America!
If you thought that Rick Santorum’s statement about giving money to “black people” was the most racist thing you have recently heard from a GOP candidate, you haven’t heard Newt Gingrich recently. Newt said he would tell the NAACP, quote, “...the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps.” A little advice, Newt—when you give that speech to the NAACP, don’t wait for applause after you deliver that line. Newt might have outdone Santorum. Newt! This isn’t a contest to see who can be the most racist. Wait! This is the Republican primary—maybe it IS a contest to see who can be the most racist. The sad thing is that Newt Gingrich says things like this. The sadder thing is that, on a certain level, he doesn’t realize that it’s racist. And the saddest thing is that, on another level, he does know just how racist it is.
Rick Santorum’s coalminer grandfather had dirt under his fingernails. And that’s not the only dirt in Rich Santorum’s past. Rick likes to talk about growing up in a working class environment. Well, after his time in the Senate, Santorum made millions of dollars in ways that had nothing to do with working... or with class. Like any Republican, Santorum cashed in on his years in the Senate, as detailed in the article in Bloomberg. Santorum says “I come from a little different background than most Republicans.” But he ended up in the same place—in the pockets of the big corporations.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Jackée Harry Kicks Off 2012 on Clay Cane LiveTonightat 10pm EST
By Clay Cane
Since Clay Cane Live debuted on WWRL 1600AM via Equality Pride Radio on November 3rd, 2011 we've brought a little pop, politics, laughs and flair to late night radio. With sharp commentary and consistent "gags" the show has created a buzz on the airwaves. Guests have included: Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Rahsaan Patterson, Lalah Hathaway, Cynthia Bailey from Real Housewives of Atlanta and others.
For the first two Thursdays in January, Clay Cane Live will gain an extra hour, airing from 10pm to midnight, immediately following the Rev. Al Sharpton radio program. In addition, our first guest of 2012 will be the vivacious TV veteran, Jackée Harry, live on the air tonight in the 10pm hour. The following week, Jackée's ex-husband and star of Beverly Hills Fabulous, Elgin Charles, will be a guest.
Celebrate the new year tonight with Clay Cane, his co-host, writer and actress J'Nara Corbin and in-studio guest, Rob Smith of I Want to Work For Diddy. Plus, we'll have a ticket giveaway of Better Midler's Priscilla Queen of the Desert on Broadway.
Listen on the radio dial in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut or the worldwide live stream at wwrl1600.com.
The results of the Iowa Republican Caucuses are now known. So the candidates, from top to bottom, can now stop acting like they really care one way or the other about the people of that good state. I asked a Des Moines talk show host about the fact that once the caucuses are done, presidential hopefuls seem to rarely return to the places where they pressed the flesh with such passion for weeks earlier. He said Iowans used to that by now. How sad.
Now the roadshow moves to the Granite State of New Hampshire! Who will actually be moving on? Rick Perry's gone home to Texas, to "reassess" his campaign. We all know what that means. Just ask Herm Cain. Michele Bachmann, after saying she's staying in the race, canceled some campaign appearances in South Carolina. That leaves Gingrich, Paul, Santorum, Romney, and the only sane person in the race, Huntsman. Perry and Bachmann may yet continue, but not for long.
And what's at the end of the rainbow for these folks? More media coverage, for sure. The 24 hour news cycle now demands that each primary until the nomination is decided is the political equivalent of the Super Bowl. That makes it easier for the punditocracy to ply their trade, and cash those checks. By the way, did any of them forsee the "Santorum Surge"? Just asking.
Put bluntly, do any of these people really have what it takes to be President? Can Gingrich get past his past? Will Paul bury his racist and homophobic newsletters? Is Santorum, with his blather about airstrikes on Iran, for real? Is Romney now on a clear path to victory, or will the far right wing of his own party do him in?
For political junkies, this is manna from heaven. For everyone else, maybe not so much.
For over a week, Republicans have refused to focus on anything but so-called scandal. And, it turns out, that's exactly the way they want it. On Thursday, the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, sent a letter to...
A new CNN poll shows Obama's favorability rating at 53 percent. That's up from 51 percent in April, and up from the 51.1 percent from the poll that really counted last November. Like before the scandals, 45 percent of people disapprove of the...
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have made their point – they hate Obamacare. And, just in case anyone didn't get the message the first 36 times they made that point, they're about to waste even more taxpayer...
It turns out the IRS was investigating conservative organizations seeking tax-exempt status. Duh! And the TSA has been looking at people seeking to get on airplanes. None of the conservative organizations that the IRS was "targeting" were...
The Associated Press has accused the Justice Department of "massive and unprecedented intrusion." That's according to one of the AP's top executives, after learning that the government secretly acquired two months of the news...
It seems that the Republicans won't stop until their attacks over Benghazi are as vicious as the attack in Benghazi. The Republicans would have you believe that the Obama administration altered the talking points on Benghazi out of political...
According to the U.S. Supreme Court, Monsanto has the right to control our food supply. In a unanimous ruling released this morning, the nine Justices sided with the agricultural giant, and held that an Indiana farmer violated Monsanto's...
Yesterday, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives postponed all floor votes so they could hold their ninth hearing about Benghazi. Instead of working on any number of pressing issues effecting Americans, Republicans spent nine...
Oh, you crazy Americans! Here you are, obsessed with guns, thinking you need them to stop some leering thug from invading your home and taking everything you have. Truth be told, you don't have to worry about that nearly as much as, say, 20...
Now the abducted women are back with their families. Maybe now people will stop thinking of Cleveland as the butt of jokes and start thinking of it as a really weird and creepy place. This is a story straight out of… wow, I don't think...
