The Banksters like stealing candy from little children. No, I'm not exaggerating...they really do. At least according to a new study out of the University of California Berkeley and the University of Toronto. Two teams of researchers discovered that wealthy upper-class Americans are more likely than middle-class or poorer Americans to break traffic laws - lie for financial gain - and yes - steal candy from children.
First - when it comes to traffic laws - people driving higher-end cars like BMWs and Mercedes were seen breaking traffic laws and cutting off pedestrians more often than people driving cars like Camrys and Corrollas. In another observation - wealthier people were three times more likely to lie in a game of dice when a $50 prize was at stake for whoever rolled the highest number. As the lead researcher Paul Piff noted, "Even in people for whom $50 is a relatively small amount of money, cheating was three times as high."
I guess they just can't help themselves - but the next study takes the cake. Researchers put a jar of candy in front of someone and told them that the candy was for children in a nearby lab and then left the room. Sure enough - wealthier people took twice as much candy from the jar as poorer people did. Based on these observations - Piff concluded, “It really shows the extreme lengths to which wealth and upper rank status in society can shape patterns of self-interest and un-ethicality.”
My response to this? NO KIDDING! So the rich like to steal candy from children - frankly, I doubt most people are surprised. But what's really important here is what they've stolen from all of us over the last 30 years. Like our money...
Did you know that 80% of all new wealth created in American since Reagan took office in 1981 went to just the top 1% of Americans? Did you know that despite increased productivity - working peoples wages have barely increased? That means Americans aren't getting the fruits of their labor - and all the money left over from that increased productivity over the past thirty years - trillions of dollars that should have gone into workers pockets - was instead taken by the CEOs and shareholders. The top 1% have seen their after-taxes income go up 275% since 1980 - while the middle-class' income gains can't even keep up with inflation. Not to mention - these guys moved $7 trillion of wealth out of the hands and homes of the middle class when they crashed our economy during Bush's presidency. And they're not just stealing our money - they're also stealing our commons.
Corporations like the Corrections Corporation of America are conning state governments into selling off public prisons to be run for-profit - costing taxpayers far more money in the long run. And while they're at it - they're stealing our freedom - as those same for-profit prison corporations support candidates who push for harsher and harsher drug and other laws - that throw more and more Americans in prison - making the CEOs more and more money while devastating the working class. As a result, America now has the highest incarceration rate in the entire world, both per capita and in absolute numbers.
On top of that - in Michigan - Governor Rick Snyder who was elected by millionaires and billionaires - signed a financial manager law last year that allows a crony of his to collect a quarter million bucks to take control of a city, and sell off its commons - like public parks and utlilities - to corporate interests at a fire sale price.
They're stealing our right to democratize the workplace through unions. Since 1980 - union membership has plummeted - beginning with Reagan breaking up PATCO - and most recently Indiana becoming the 23rd state in the nation to pass a right-to-work-for-less law - meaning workers will earn 5,000 dollars less in Indiana than in free bargaining states. They've stolen our right to healthcare. Unlike every single other developed nation in the world - the United States doesn't consider healthcare a basic human right thanks to a massive lobbying effort by the for-profit health insurance industry, which makes trillions denying sick people medical care. They've even stolen our peace.
Drive around Virginia and you see gigantic Mansions belonging to defense contractors who lobby Congress for more and more weapons systems whether we need them or not - and beat the drums to war to keep their profits up. That's why the Defense Budget has TRIPLED since 1997 - and why since around that time - our nation has been in perpetual warfare. And most tragically - they've stolen our right to self-governance. The Supreme Court delivered the terrible blow to our democracy with their 2010 Citizens United decision - which lets the rich spend unlimited amounts of money to steal our elections. More than 300 million dollars in outside corporate cash was spent in the 2010 midterms - leading to one of the most corporate-friendly Houses in the history of this nation. And this year's election - corporate spending will likely top a billion dollars for the first time - meaning our elections are increasingly becoming a game in which only the rich can compete.
Plus, through shadow corporate think-tanks like ALEC - the Koch-brothers-funded American Legislative Exchange Council - rich lobbyists and corporate CEOs are now literally writing our laws and handing them off to state legislators to be passed as is - regardless of what "we the people" have to say. As a result of all this theft - our equality has been stolen too. We now have wealth inequality levels in American not seen since before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. And in return for stealing all this stuff from us - the rich have given us a long list of social ills. As Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson at the Equality Trust in the UK discovered - countries with higher wealth inequalities - have higher rates of social ills. The US ranks low in Drug Abuse, Teen Pregnancy, Mental Illness, Violent Crime, Obesity and Mistrust.
I WISH the rich were only stealing candy from children - but the truth is they've been robbing the middle class blind for thirty years - and now that middle class is broke - flat broke and disappearing. And whether it's in certain people's genes to steal and be selfish - which in turn makes them more likely to be wealthy in America - or whether being selfish just comes with the territory of being born into wealth in America - nobody knows yet.
But whatever it is - to paraphrase Jim Morrison - there are 99 of us for every one of them. And it's time to take back what they've robbed from us - and put regulations and taxes back into place that will keep them from stealing from us - regulations and taxes like we had between 1932 and 1980, during the period of the most rapid growth of the Middle Class in American history. Roll back Reaganomics, roll back the Reagan tax cuts, get out of the WTO, and undo Reagan's war on unions.
Don't just stand there - OCCUPY SOMETHING!
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The headline above should include an important caveat. War wongering neocon moustache John Bolton wants the US to go to war yesterday over Iran's nuclear intentions. It now appears Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants military action as well. After weeks of warlike rhetoric from "sources" in the Israeli military and political leadership, published reports say Netanyahu wants President Barack Obama to up the ante for him. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that when the Israeli PM comes to the US next Monday, he'll press President Obama to threaten to take military acfion if the Iranians cross "certain red lines" in their alleged nuclear ambitions. What those lines would be wasn't immediately apparent from the report.
If that's the substance of Netanyahu's message to Obama, it sets up a complex and potentially damaging set of possibilities. Netanyahu is a close ally of billionaire casino boss Sheldon Adelson, who when last seen was writing out yet another check to fund the otherwise moribund presidential campaign of New Gingrich. What will Gingrich say if Obama refuses to accede to Netanyahu's wishes? You can bet he and the other GOP presidential hopefuls will pillory the administration for being "weak" on Iran.
That brings up the question of whether all the players in this little drama have underestimated the American public's aversion to war. It seems clear that just plain folks want to get the economy fixed, and for most, war isn't the way to accomplish that. Let's be clear. Most Americans, this writer included, want to see a safe and secure Israel, one that's free from fear of attack by anyone. Yet despite the anti- Israel and at times Anti Semitic nonsense that comes from Tehran, there are serious risks for whoever would order a military strike to disable Iran's nuclear program. Likewise, Iran's leaders would have to be suicidal to even contemplate a military (nuclear or otherwise) against an Israeli target.
Given the late breaking news that North Korea has agreed to a nuclear moratorium and IAEA inspections without a shot fired or a US military boot on their soil, the Bolton argument that Iran must be stopped in some set time frame seems even more ludicrous than when first proferred (if that's possible).
Benjamin Netanyahu would do well to keep this in mind when he comes to the White House next week.
It’s Election Day in Michigan and Arizona. Be sure to go out and vote for the candidate you prefer. Or, if you’re a Democrat in Michigan, for the candidate you prefer to run against. Michigan has an open primary, and Rick Santorum’s campaign is openly encouraging Democrats to vote for him. What’s the slogan for that strategy? “Reelect Obama—Vote Santorum!” All Santorum has to do is convince Democrats that he has the best shot at losing to President Obama in the general election. But Mitt Romney is making that a very close call.
The Santorum campaign is placing robo-calls to Democratic voters. The Santorum calls to Democrats say that Romney “supported the bailout for his Wall Street billionaire buddies, but opposed the auto bailout.” Rick! If you convince Democrats that Romney is terrible, they’re going to vote for him. You have to convince them that you are worse! The ad should say “Democrats! Rick Santorum thinks Satan is targeting America and that nobody should go to college. How’d you like to run against that loser? Paid for by Rick Santorum for President.” I think relatively few Democrats will bother to go out and vote for Santorum. Democrats don’t like voting for losers, even when it’s in their best interest.
Alternet has compiled a handy list of vomit-inducing speeches by Rick Santorum. Rick has given so many speeches that induce vomiting that a warning about him should be listed on containers of hazardous household chemicals. “If swallowed, do not listen to Rick Santorum.”
A new poll shows that Rush Limbaugh is America’s most disliked “news personality.” How can that be? He has nothing to do with the news, and he has no personality. Still, 46 percent of people chose Rush as one of their least favorite news personalities. The fact that it was only 46 percent tells you just how many unlikeable news
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The Supreme Court is set to hear a case that could give corporations the power to commit genocide with no consequences. The High Court has agreed to hear the case of Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum which could give corporations immunity from any civil suits for engaging in some of the worst violations of human rights around the world that you can think of.
According to the Alien Tort Act law – private parties are responsible – and can be sued – for violations of international law. However – a recent Second Circuit court decision – ruled that corporations are not considered “private parties” and thus cannot be sued or held liable for breaking international law. The ironic thing here is this is essentially a corporate personhood case. If corporations are people – and can spend unlimited amounts of money in our elections – as the court ruled in Citizens United – then as people corporations should be held liable for atrocities committed abroad. But should the Supreme Court reconsider corporate personhood in this case – strictly to benefit corporate interests – then the consequences could be disastrous.
As Second Circuit court judge Pierre Leval wrote last year in his dissent, “So long as they incorporate, businesses will now be free to trade in or exploit slaves, employ mercenary armies to do dirty work for despots, perform genocides or operate torture prisons for a despot’s political opponents, or engage in piracy – all without civil liability to victims.” Welcome to the corporatocracy – where – to quote Thomas Hobbes – life is nasty, brutish, and short.
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Rick gets sick by Randi Rhodes,posted Feb 27 2012 4:45PM
Rick Santorum has been saying that seeing John F Kennedy’s classic 1960 address on the role of religion in public life made him want to “throw up.” Wow. This is a guy who evidently isn’t nauseated by cuddling a dead fetus. Rick, I think there may be something wrong with your gag reflex. You should go see a gastroenterologist. Here’s the JFK line Rick found so sickening: “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.” Sorry, Rick, but for most people, that statement actually has a calming effect on the stomach. They should read it to people who get carsick instead of giving them Dramamine. Yesterday, Rick Santorum doubled down on his comments about throwing up. (How do you double down on throwing up? Isn’t that the dry heaves?) Rick said “To say that people of faith have no role in the public square? You bet that makes you throw up.” Rick, JFK didn’t say people of faith had no role in the public square. He was just reassuring people that he wouldn’t allow the public square to become St. Peter’s Square.
Rick also says that President Obama is a “snob” for wanting every American child to be able to go to college. Uh, Rick, snobbery is about keeping people down, not trying to give them a hand up. For the record, Rick Santorum has three college degrees, including an MBA and a law degree. But he doesn’t want you getting that kind of education... because he’s no snob.
Mitt Romney went to the Dayton 500 NASCAR race this weekend to prove he’s just a regular guy... which is usually the type of situation where he proves the exact opposite. Sure enough, Mitt said “I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners.” Oh, Mitt! Just give it up! You should go around everywhere in a top hat and tails, asking people to pass the Grey Poupon. Mitt is really good at reminding people that he is just one of the guys… if by “guys” you mean the Koch brothers.
An the big Oscar winner last night was “The Artist,” a black and white, silent movie. This is one time in Hollywood that everyone probably won’t be rushing out to imitate success. Too bad—I think that about half the movies I see every year would be better it they were silent.
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Conflicts between Afghan Security forces and US and NATO troops are on the rise in the fallout from the Koran-burning incident more than a week ago. Our withdrawal plans hinge on NATO officials working with Afghan security forces after American troops leave – but after two NATO officers were killed by an Afghan Security official – that working relationship is in doubt.
A top UN Commander has recalled his forces from Afghan ministries in the wake of recent violence. This has always been a hearts and minds struggle – but with each new instance of torture, desecration of enemy bodies, and disrespect of the Muslim religion – we’re losing that struggle.
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In a speech yesterday, President Obama confronted the problem of rising gasoline prices. Well, most Americans consider rising gas prices to be a problem. Republicans consider them to be a godsend.
Gas prices are up 29 cents a gallon since December. Every penny increases the chance that a Republican can win in November. But with this batch of Republicans, you might need 10-dollar per gallon gas to win. The price of gas is being affected by greedy speculators, who have a lot to gain from manipulating the price... and even more to gain if they can prevent President Obama from winning a second term.
Obama said that Republicans are “dusting off their three-point plans for $2 gas.” That would a gas price from the 1970’s. Ironically, Republicans can set us back by several decades... in everything except gas prices. Newt Gingrich is claiming he has a plan to guarantee gas prices of $2.50 per gallon. Newt, if you’re that good at moving numbers around, how come you can’t get your polling numbers into double digits?
Rick Santorum says that a college or university education is “secular indoctrination.” Rick has a BA in political science, an MBA, and a law degree. That makes him one of the most indoctrinated people in America. Rick, why do you think that kids can be “indoctrinated” by college? You managed to get several college degrees without it seeming to affect you in any way whatsoever. Somehow, Rick managed to sit through all those university courses without letting it affect his mind. It’s almost like he was attending college as a spy for the ignorant people. It’s “Rick Santorum: Undercover Scholar”! I wonder if undercover Rick ever came close to getting caught in college in the 70’s—“Rick, is that a crucifix under your sweater vest?” “No! It’s a coke spoon on a chain, honest! I gotta go!”
Unlike Rick, I have no hatred for American colleges. I do have one problem with them, however—how can they possibly let someone like Rick Santorum graduate?
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Yesterday I said how much I missed the Republican debates. And about a minute into last night’s debate, l I remembered how much all of these people annoy me. Hmmm... maybe that’s the only reason I missed them. It was like going through a two-hour root canal—from four different dentists who are all incompetent jerks.
Debates are where Newt usually stands out... just like a pimple stands out in a certain light. Last night Newt crowed that “Not once did anybody in the elite media ask why Barack Obama voted in favor of legalizing infanticide.” I’ll tell you why they didn’t ask—because it never happened. The vote Barack Obama cast back in Illinois no more legalized infanticide than the healthcare reform act legalized euthanasia. Oh, that’s right—you claim that that happened too. And another thing—the media did not ignore the issue. Obama’s vote was covered by many media outlets, including CNN. The facts are out there if you want them, Newt. But then, the facts are the last thing you want.
Everyone wanted to pile on Rick Santorum. And that is an uncomfortably gay image for Rick Santorum to have to mentally deal with. The other candidates tried to portray Rick Santorum as a big spender. That’s not easy to do when there are other guys on the stage who own five homes, or have had a half million dollar line of credit at Tiffany’s. At one point, Ron Paul called Rick Santorum a “fake.” Rick said “I’m real. I’m real.” That’s certainly true... it’s the scariest thing about Rick Santorum.
A lot of statistics over the last few months have indicated that we’ve finally turned the corner on providing jobs. But the number one statistic that tells you we’re beating unemployment is this number—at last night’s GOP debate, Rick Santorum mentioned jobs zero times. Hardly anybody talked about jobs last night. That, more than anything else, tells you that the jobs are out there.
Overall, it seemed boring and pointless, and full of people you don’t really want to hear talking. It was just like any other night on CNN.
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Republicans held – literally – their 20th debate last night. With a pivotal Michigan primary just 5 days away – and polls showing Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum neck-and-neck – the four candidates took to the stage in Arizona to see who can win the race to the bottom. And with the exception of Ron Paul – everyone in the debate thinks the United States needs to be involved in another war – this time with Iran.
Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich all painted doomsday scenarios of a nuclear Iran and how big of a threat that nation is to America’s security. They stopped just short of using Bush’s famous war-mongering line of a smoking gun being a mushroom cloud over an American city. Apparently no one on the stage learned the lessons of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars – their vision of America is one of continuous and costly warfare across the Middle East – the same sort of perpetual warfare that’s bankrupted every empire that’s ever existed in history.
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The Republican Party claims to represent religious America. But when it comes to healthcare – the two couldn’t be farther apart. As the Supreme Court gets ready to hear arguments on Obamacare – a broad coalition of religious groups in America filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the high court in support of Obamacare.
From Methodists to Presbyterians to Catholics – several different denominations are represented in the brief – putting them at odds with nearly every single Republican in Congress and on the campaign trail who have vowed to repeal the President’ health reform law. Considering that the bible calls for the weak and needy to be rescued – and the Pope recently declared healthcare was a “inalienable right” – it’s no surprise that religious organizations are lining up in favor of Obamacare.
What is surprising - and tragic - is that Republicans would rather let sick Americans die than give President Obama a legislative victory.
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The Rev. Franklin Graham, whose only claim to fame is the fact that he's the son of a world famous evangelist, has become the latest to weigh in on the beliefs of President Barack Obama. Never in my lifetime have I seen and heard so many so called prominent people question the religion of a sitting president. Although there were issues around President John F. Kennedy's Roman Catholicism when he ran for president, no one disputed that he was in fact, a Roman Catholic. Yet Franklin Graham goes on national television as an arbiter of Barack Obama's religious beliefs.
Like many before him, Graham won't come right out and say this president is not a Christian. Those who practice this new brand of intolerance rarely do. Instead, they hint at it, as Mitt Romney does when he opines that the Obama Administration "has fought against religion". Rick Santorum accuses the president of practicing a "phony theology". Of course, this pair want Barack Obama's job. Their naked partisan agenda is easily explained.
So what's Franklin Graham's excuse?
While Rev. Graham may not want to be president, he does seem to be quite comfortable designating who is and isn't a Christian. He even said Mitt Romney's Mormonism isn't seen as Christian "by many Christians". How nice this guy has taken it upon himself to enlighten us. This obsession about religion is a partisan political attempt to create an "other". That would be the other who doesn't share in basic Christian values, the other that doesn't adhere to the teachings of the Bible, the other that is, you know, different from the rest of us.
This has been going on as long as there's been religion. Though I know any pushback won't get much media attention, it's time for Christians of conscience to stand up and tell the Franklin Grahams of the world to shut up and stop acting as if they speak for all of us. The Jesus I was taught about spent time ministering to the poorest of the poor. He helped the afflicted, and died so that all humankind (that would be of all faiths, reverend) could live and hopefully move forward.
Franklin Graham doesn't speak for me! If he doesn't speak for you, let me know.
Yesterday, Rick Santorum said that liberals are “the anti-science ones” because they won’t use technology to its limits to exploit the wealth that can be obtained from the Earth. What science is that—the science of bio-finance? Rick said that “unlike the Earth, we’re intelligent and we can actually manage things.” Come on, Rick! How do you think the earth survived for 4 and a half billion years before there were any human beings around? Oh, that’s right... you think the Earth has only been here for 6,000 years. Rick thinks mankind has to rush in and save the Earth for its own good. Rick is proposing that we treat the Earth the same way that Mitt Romney and Bain treat the businesses they take over—just extract all the wealth and then get the heck out of there. Of course, the problem when you do that to the Earth is that it’s pretty difficult to abandon Earth after you’ve ruined it. And Earth can’t declare bankruptcy after we’ve drained all the oil and minerals out it.
Santorum was speaking in eastern Ohio, emphasizing his regional heritage as the grandson of a Pennsylvania coalminer. Rick said “we need someone who understands, who comes from the coal fields.” Rick, you don’t come from the coal fields, your grandfather did, two generations ago. There were no sweater-vests in the coal fields. Rick is a lawyer, an unregistered lobbyist, and a Fox News pundit. I’d say he’s pretty safe from contracting black lung disease.
When Rick Santorum is talking about putting man above the Earth, he’s talking the language of Dominionism. Domionists think that people have a God-given right to do whatever they want to do with the Earth. Combine that with the belief that corporations are people, and suddenly corporations are God’s stewards on Earth. A literal interpretation of Genesis plus Citizens United equals people who believe that God created Exxon-Mobile in his own image.
The Republicans are trying to mount a sexual counterrevolution. Of course, they want to do it without “mounting” it. Republicans want to control what we do in our bedrooms. What are they going to do when they find out we do it in other rooms too?
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More than a 1,000 people – most of whom were women – took to the streets outside the Virginia state capital on Monday – locked arm in arm and silently protested against anti-abortion legislation working it’s way through the state legislature. The bill that the women are protesting against would define a fertilized egg as a person, thus criminalizing most birth control and IVF for infertile couples – slash state aid to poor women – and require all women to have a state agent insert a probe into them before they can get a legal abortion.
That’s right the same Republicans that rail against big government also favor government having the power to probe women. Despite the protests – the law is expected to pass the legislature this week and be signed into law by Republican Governor Bob McDonnell.
Let’s hope this blatant Republican war on women comes with consequences at the polls in November.
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The President's approval rating is up to 50% again. Unemployment has dropped to an all time low, and dropped consecutively for four months. Congress doesnt have anything left to filibuster and Republicans are unhappy with their choices in candidates....so what do Republicans do? They jump onto a Washington Post article and come up with an ad to paint the President as a hypocrite who gives federal funding to his campaign donors.
What we're talking about specifically here is clean green energy companies. The President is being attacked because his administration has provided federal grants to companies with ties to venture capitalists that backed and continue to back the President not just ideaologically, but financially.
The President promised when campaigning to take action to build a foundation for a clean energy economy and that's what he is doing. The administration has made it clear that the funding is based on merit, not politics. So let's look at some of the recipients: although Republicans love to tout Solyndra's failure, the majority of those who have received funds are still thriving.
Brightsource was named one of the top green company start ups in the world. They used the funding to create and save 86 operations which created and saved jobs. And with the plans for a thermal power plant in Coyote Springs, they will be creating more jobs.
Tesla-twice as energy efficient as a Toyota Prius. They employee 900 people. They had 6500 orders for their cars being built here in the U.S. this year in 2012 and this year, have plans to open a new plant in Fremont, California, which will create more jobs.
In 2001 when then President Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney sat down and met with companies such as the American Petroleum Institute or with James Rowe of Exxon and of course with Enron, the Republicans remainded silent. Now theyre accusing President Obama of the same things Democrats were angry with the practices of the former administration for in this regard. They have very short memories.
And let me ask you a question...how many clean energy companies provide funding to Republicans? Hmm? I would bet nearly ANY company that does, is on the same page as the Democrats; hence they would have backed and would still back the President. In other words, any federal funds given to any clean energy company would be looked at as payback. This reminds me of that "six degrees of Kevin Bacon..." And when the Republicans put their ad out, Mitt Romney better keep quiet, because I have two words for him: BAIN CAPITAL.
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Yesterday House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) held a hearing on contraception without any women witnesses. That’s because, to Darrell Issa, women aren’t the witnesses in this proceeding—they’re the defendants. Republicans claimed there were no women witnesses because the hearings weren’t about women’s reproductive health, they were about religious freedom. So you’re saying women have nothing to do with religion? That’s hardly better—just less starkly ironic. Before leaving the hearing in protest, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), asked “Where are the women?” That’s not a question that ever occurs to conservative men... unless they’re at a function where they expect there are going to be strippers.
It’s not just that Darrell Issa would be willing to hold a hearing about contraception that included no women. It’s also that it wouldn’t even occur to him that that might not look so good. Hello! It’s a hearing by the Committee on Oversight! At least try to avoid any major oversights in putting it together! Darrell Issa was right about one thing—this wasn’t a hearing about women’s reproductive health... it was a hearing about undermining women’s reproductive health.
No matter how hard the Republicans in Washington are working at undermining women’s reproductive health, they’re still miles behind the Republicans in statehouses across the country. A law passed by the Virginia legislature requires any woman seeking an abortion to submit to a trans-vaginal ultrasound. If that sounds frightening, that’s exactly the point. Not surprisingly, a “trans-vaginal ultrasound” requires penetration of a woman’s vagina... with an implement that looks like it’s a prop from one of the Star Wars movies. Critics call the law “state-sanctioned rape.” That’s not strictly accurate—it’s actually “state-mandated rape.” At the same time that Virginia is proposing the state-mandated rape bill, another bill defines a fertilized egg as a “person.” Put the two bills together, and in Virginia, a fertilized egg is more of a person than a woman. If Virginia succeeds in essentially stripping all of its female residents of personhood, I suggest that Virginia shouldn’t be allowed to count women residents for purposes of determining the number of Representatives the state gets.
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Last December – the Montana State Supreme Court ignored the Citizens United ruling – and continued its ban on corporate election spending – upholding a 1912 law known as the Montana Corrupt Practices Act. According to the Act - "a corporation may not make ... an expenditure in connection with a candidate or a political party that supports or opposes a candidate or a political party." But those corporate interests – in this case known as the American Tradition Partnership – that were upset by this law are now petitioning the Supreme Court to have it reversed.
The lead attorney for the American Tradition Partnership – James Bopp, Jr. – who assisted with the Citizens United legal argument – filed a stay with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Wednesday calling for the Montana’s law to be overturned. As Bopp said, "[i]mmediate relief is needed to prevent irreparable harm to the Corporations' First Amendment free-speech right." It’s likely the court will strike down the Montana ruling – thus for a second time ruling that corporations are people and money is speech, without looking at the real world consequences of such a ruling.
As Montana Supreme Court Justice James Nelson – who even dissented in the case in January – wrote, "In the real world of politics, the 'quid pro quo' of both direct contributions to candidates and independent expenditures on their behalf is loyalty…And, in practical effect, experience teaches that money corrupts, and enough of it corrupts absolutely." He’s right – and as long as Citizens United stands – then our democracy is corrupted. Time to go to MoveToAmend.org to fight for a constitutional amendment to kick corporations out of our democracy.
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This week, new polling and other data would seem to show President Barack Obama is starting to regain the mojo many thought he lost in the recent past. At the root of this resurgence, obviously, is the economy. Unemployment is trending down, the stock market is trending up. It looks like people are finally starting to buy the president's vision. A New York Times/CBS News poll says half those surveyed approve of his performance.
Just as important, the same poll says those who are optimistic about the economy outnumber those who feel the other way by double digits. Just last September, pessimists outnumbered optimists by three to one. With the deal on the payroll tax cut extension all but done, those who follow politics see some shifts in the winds. President Obama has played hardball with congressional Republicans, just as many on his progressive flank have hoped he would. Only days after signalling big problems in the tax cut extension, Republicans suddenly decided that co-operation was in their interest.
There's no doubt that a stagnating unemployment rate, rising gas prices, or other economic setbacks could strengthen his opponents and hurt his momentum. Yet Barack Obama wasn't even seriously damaged by the GOP's attempt to make hay over the latest battle in the culture wars, the fight over contraception. Next stop for the Republican presidential hopefuls is sure to be the defense budget. Yet even here, the president has an advantage in that some congressional Republicans have advocated some of the same downsizing he proposes.
If there's one true indicator that Barack Obama again firing on all cylinders (pardon the metaphor) it's this. Mitt Romney had to return to Michigan, the state where he grew up, and explain why he thought two of the nation's three big carmakers should simply be allowed to go under. In an op-ed piece, he said he favored a managed bankruptcy, which is precisely what his president engineered. Beyond that, imagine having to tell people in a city like Detroit that helping the auto industry, which saved over 160,000 jobs, was the wrong thing to do.
Let's hope the good news keeps coming.
The environment is screwed. Big oil and coal want to brainwash your children. The Center for American Progress obtained a secret document produced by the Heartland Institute – a right wing, global warming-denying think tank funded by the Koch brothers – to teach children in K through 12th grade that global warming is a “major scientific controversy.”
The document includes secret plans to re-write environmental curricula to downplay the effects of global warming. The man in charge of writing the new curricula is named Dr. David Wojick - who also works as a coal industry consultant. The Heartland Institute defended its reeducation effort by saying, “We hope that our efforts will restore sound science to climate change education and discourage the political propaganda that too often passes as ‘education.’” In other words – they think big oil should be teaching kids – and not the scientific community.
This is exactly the sort of stuff that former Supreme Court justice Lewis Powell called for in his infamous 1971 memo to the Chamber of Commerce when he suggested rewriting school textbooks to advance more business-friendly attitudes. The billionaires are continuing their campaign of good old-fashioned brainwashing.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The environment is screwed. Big oil and coal want to brainwash your children. The Center for American Progress obtained a secret document produced by the Heartland Institute – a right wing, global warming-denying think tank funded by the Koch brothers – to teach children in K through 12th grade that global warming is a “major scientific controversy.”
The document includes secret plans to re-write environmental curricula to downplay the effects of global warming. The man in charge of writing the new curricula is named Dr. David Wojick - who also works as a coal industry consultant. The Heartland Institute defended its reeducation effort by saying, “We hope that our efforts will restore sound science to climate change education and discourage the political propaganda that too often passes as ‘education.’” In other words – they think big oil should be teaching kids – and not the scientific community.
This is exactly the sort of stuff that former Supreme Court justice Lewis Powell called for in his infamous 1971 memo to the Chamber of Commerce when he suggested rewriting school textbooks to advance more business-friendly attitudes. The billionaires are continuing their campaign of good old-fashioned brainwashing.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Valentine’s Day is here, and the Republican Party can’t seem to decide who its sweetheart is going to be. They have their choice of four ardent suitors, none of whom really have the qualities they’re looking for. Most recently, there’s been Rick Santorum. He’s exciting and new, but still unknown. He looks so dashing in those sweater vests, but then every once in a while he says something that comes off as just plain weird. I’m afraid there may be some things going on under the surface there.
At least he’s not that awful Mitt Romney! Mitt is the guy their parents want them to marry. He comes from a good family, he’s got oodles of money, and he’s so handsome. So what it is it about this guy that just turns them off so much? Mitt just tries too hard. He actually scares them away when he comes on so strong. Back off a little, Mitt. They want some space. Mitt says all the right things, but somehow he never seems to mean it. I suspect that he doesn’t love the Republican Party for their policies. He just loves the idea of being the one they picked.
Then there’s Ron Paul, the older guy who likes to come off as an outsider. Ron is SOOOO intellectual! He’s always talking philosophy. He doesn’t give a damn what people think! Of course, they know that Ron Paul would be an absolute disaster in an actual relationship. But they flirt with him just because it pisses their parents off.
Of course, Newt Gingrich is the creepy ex who keeps hanging around. They had a thing in the 90’s, and it turned into a nightmare. Then, for some crazy reason, when Newt showed back up last year, they had another little dalliance with him in South Carolina. It didn’t take long to be reminded of just how crazy Newt can be, so they broke it off right away. But Newt doesn’t want to accept that. At this point, Newt doesn’t even want a relationship. He just hates the handsome rich boy Mitt so much that he wants to sabotage his chances.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the state of Washington has legalized gay marriage. Now on a visit to Washington, Rick Santorum called for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. For Rick, it was like visiting a disaster area. He was there to promise local homophobes that help was on the way.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Billionaire hedge fund manager – and primary contributor to Rick Santorum’s Red, White, and Blue SuperPAC – Foster Friess let the truth slip out about politics in this post-Citizens United age during an interview with Politico. Friess was among several billionaires who attended the Koch brothers secret meeting last month where over a hundred million dollars was pledged to beat President Obama.
Trying to get other oligarchs on the side of Rick Santorum – Friess said, “There isn’t a person at the Koch brothers events who would not get a good return on their investment by investing in [Santorum] as president, because of what they believe about the free enterprise system.” The key word there: investment. These aren’t campaign contributions – these are investments that millionaires and billionaires are making to keep their tax breaks, their subsidies, and their lax regulations in place.
We no longer have actual people running for President – we have a few very, very rich people like Friess and the Kochs investing in stooges to do their bidding – and hoping to see major returns in their bank accounts. So who will you vote for this year? Big Oil, Big Casinos, or Wall Street?
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
President Obama has announced his compromise on the contraception coverage rule (video below). Compromise in this instance is risky by its very nature—you don’t want to anything half-assed when it comes to birth control. Under the compromise, religious employers would not have to offer the free contraceptive coverage to employees... the insurance company would have to. Yes, it’s absurd, but then so is anything that accommodates demands from the conservative fringe. Predictably, conservatives were unhappy. But then conservatives are always unhappy—it’s the only thing that makes them happy. Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski called the compromise “too little, too late.” Too late? This, from an organization that only recently pardoned Galileo for saying the earth revolves around the sun in the year 1600!
The Catholic leaders were looking for a fight. The last time they did that, we got the Crusades. And they were ready for this fight—on the day that the contraceptive decision was announced, Catholic bishops all over the country issued pre-written letters of condemnation. They were ready with their talking points... or preaching points, as the case may be. I wouldn’t be surprised if this all somehow traced back to Frank Luntz. Compromising does give President Obama a chance to look more reasonable than the Republicans. But then the shirtless drunks on the show “Cops” look more reasonable than the Republicans.
It’s CPAC time! If you don’t know what CPAC is, it’s when conservative nutbags gather to reinforce each other’s nutbaggery. CPAC is kind of like a Burning Man festival for people who want to burn witches. The attendees at CPAC don’t like the Republican presidential field. They are very disappointed in their choices. Hello! What do you expect from a gathering where everybody is anti-choice? Mitt Romney is at CPAC trying to prove his conservative credentials to leaders of the far right. But then it’s a daunting task for Mitt Romney to convince human beings in general that he is one of them.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Low-income children are screwed when it comes to getting a good education. New studies show that a quality education in America is now increasingly only available to the very rich. A study out of Stanford shows that the gap in standardized testing scores between rich students and low-income students has increased 40% since the 1960’s. And another study out of the University of Michigan shows that gap between rich and low-income students when it comes to college completion – which is the single biggest factor when it comes to succeeding in the economy – has grown 50% since the 1980’s.
As the New York Times reports, “The changes are tectonic, a result of social and economic processes unfolding over many decades.” Those social and economic processes are called Reagan, Clinton, and Bush-onomics. In the last 30 years, thanks to the Reagan Tax Cuts, Clinton’s attack on welfare and embrace of Free Trade, and Bush’s Great Depression – our economy only benefits the very rich.
And with public education budgets being slashed around the nation – and taxpayer dollars being diverted to for-profit schools – the one great equalizer in America – our education system is under attack.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
So now we’re fighting over birth control? John Boehner said on the floor of the House that the rule requiring insurance to cover contraception is an attack on “religious freedom.” Easy for him to say—I think John Boehner’s preferred method of birth control is alcohol-induced erectile dysfunction. Hey, if you drink as much as John Boehner, alcohol not only functions as a contraceptive, it also effectively enforces chastity... unless you consider mumbling drunken apologies naked in bed to be a form of sex.
The Republican candidates love to flaunt their large numbers of offspring. What are they—presidential candidates... or hamsters? Rick Santorum has seven kids, while both Mitt Romney and Ron Paul have five each. That doesn’t tell you who is best to be president. It tells you who is best to repopulate the earth in case of a nuclear holocaust. The guy with the fecundity deficit is Newt Gingrich. Newt actually has more marriages than he has children... 3 to 2! Uh oh. Newt’s relatively low number of offspring indicates that he may have been practicing birth control. But then just the fact that he is Newt Gingrich is a form of birth control.
Dana Perino doesn’t think we should be giving free birth control to women because Dana sees “a lot of people out there able to buy a new pair of shoes.” Incredible! They used to want to keep you barefoot and pregnant. At least Dana Perino is giving you the choice—barefoot OR pregnant! Dana wants women to be forced to choose between motherhood and shoes… the two most sacred things to a woman!
Finally, Sean Hannity said that President Obama never would have gotten bin Laden if President Obama had “had his way.” What? Sean, what do you think President Obama said after he got bin Laden? “Oops”? He’s not Rick Perry, you know. Sean, if President Obama didn’t want to get bin Laden, all he had to do was put former President Bush in charge of tracking him down. That would have guaranteed that bin Laden would never be found, and it would have given George Bush something to do. Or not do, as the case may be.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
oung people are screwed. Only 54% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 are employed – that’s the lowest number ever recorded since tracking began more than 60 years ago. There’s now a 15% gap in employment between young people and all working Americans – that’s also the largest gap ever recorded.
On top of that – they’re drowning in over one trillion dollars worth of student loan debt. This is quickly becoming a lost generation of Americans – which might explain why there’s an Occupy Wall Street movement out there. The choice is simple: live on the streets or take to the streets.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
There are bad nights, then there are REALLY bad nights, and then there are nights like the one Mitt Romney had last night. Three states held caucuses and primaries Tuesday night to pick a Republican nominee for President – including Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota – and it was a clean sweep for Rick Santorum.
In Missouri – Santorum got 55% of the vote with Romney coming in second at 25% - oddly though there were no delegates at stake. In Minnesota – Santorum cleaned up with 45% of the vote – while Romney came in third behind Ron Paul with 17%. And later in the night – in Colorado – a state Romney expected to win and DID win in 2008 – Santorum came out on top – beating Romney 40 to 35%.
So what does this mean? It means Conservatives can still play around with the idea of nominating someone who isn’t named Mitt Romney for at least a few more weeks. But the millionaires and billionaires have decided Mitt Romney is their guy – and thanks to Citizens United – they can speak louder than anyone else in the country so it would be shocking if Mitt weren’t the guy on stage accepting the nomination later in the year down in Tampa.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
I have to confess; when I started to think about what to write for today's posting, my first thought was to lay into the puckish reaction to the Chrysler "Halftime in America" spot that ran during the Super Bowl. But that's been vetted and written about so much over the past few days, I think it's time to move on.
President Obama has taken lots of heat the past couple of days over his decision to reverse course and support a super PAC run by a former aide. After some pretty harsh criticism both on the campaign trail and since taking office about the corrosive influence of money on elections, some see the president's change of heart as a betrayal of his ideals. Problem is, this is politics, and his opponent(s) have no such scruples. They're talking about raising a half billion dollars to bring Barack Obama down. The question then becomes this. Can this president raise that kind of money on his own, without the help of the super PAC tsunami created by the Citizen's United decision?
The short answer is simple. He can't. The second simple fact is this. Without the ability to match the Republican candidate (whoever that turns out to be), President Obama could lose an election he should win. One person who has criticized his decision ought to know. Former Wisconsin Senator Ruyss Feingold got hammered by corporate money in his last bid for re-election. He calls the president's reversal "a dumb approach". Maybe, but do you bring a knife to a gunfight on principle?
WWRL listeners were correct to point out that the only real hope of ever reversing the Citizen's United decision lies with having a president prepared to name progressive justices to the Supreme Court. While many may have misgivings about Barack Obama's reversal on super PACS, it's time to take a page from Russ Feingold's book.
Despite his criticism of this president on this, Russ Feingold says he still supports Barack Obama in this election year. In other words, this isn't a dealbreaker, even for someone who vehemently disagrees with his position.
And really, you should never bring a knife to a gunfight.
The Republican punditocracy seems to think that the Super Bowl car industry ad with Clint Eastwood was an ad for President Obama. Hey, the ad was upbeat, optimistic, and hopeful—it sure didn’t have anything to do with the Republicans. Republicans, you’re the ones who have turned your back on everything that’s good about America. So don’t complain when such things are automatically associated with your opposition. Incidentally, Clint Eastwood himself said the ad had nothing to do with Obama. Clint said “It was meant to be a message about just about job growth and the spirit of America... I thought the spirit was OK.” Sorry, Clint, but anything about growth is definitely not OK for Republicans while Obama is still president.
Karen Handel, the Susan G. Komen VP who spearheaded the move to oust Planned Parenthood, has resigned. Good riddance—it’s kind of like Komen has had a tumor removed. Let’s hope they recover. So long, Karen! I’m sure you have a bright and prosperous future at some Koch brothers-funded think tank.
It’s Election Day in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri—kind of. Seventy delegates are up for grabs. You can grab them, but you can’t take them with you The RNC sent out a memo reminding reporters that all of today’s contests are “non-binding.” Hey, if those were the candidates of my party, I wouldn’t want to be bound to any of them either.
The Republican Secretary of State in Indiana has been convicted of voter fraud. This guy shouldn’t be working for the state of Indiana—he should be working for a Republican election campaign! Republicans have spent so much time crying “voter fraud” when there was no voter fraud, I guess they figured they would have to create some on their own. Under Indiana law, any public officer convicted of a felony must be removed from office. So... how are there any Republicans in office in Indiana at all? Governor Mitch Daniels said he would put the convicted Secretary of State back in office if a court reduces his conviction from a felony to a misdemeanor. Amazing! Mitch Daniels is actually looking for a technicality so he can allow a convicted criminal to serve as Indiana’s Secretary of State! Really, Mitch? Wouldn’t it be easier to find a Republican who isn’t guilty of a crime? Oh, maybe not.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The Republican punditocracy seems to think that the Super Bowl car industry ad with Clint Eastwood was an ad for President Obama. Hey, the ad was upbeat, optimistic, and hopeful—it sure didn’t have anything to do with the Republicans. Republicans, you’re the ones who have turned your back on everything that’s good about America. So don’t complain when such things are automatically associated with your opposition. Incidentally, Clint Eastwood himself said the ad had nothing to do with Obama. Clint said “It was meant to be a message about just about job growth and the spirit of America... I thought the spirit was OK.” Sorry, Clint, but anything about growth is definitely not OK for Republicans while Obama is still president.
Karen Handel, the Susan G. Komen VP who spearheaded the move to oust Planned Parenthood, has resigned. Good riddance—it’s kind of like Komen has had a tumor removed. Let’s hope they recover. So long, Karen! I’m sure you have a bright and prosperous future at some Koch brothers-funded think tank.
It’s Election Day in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri—kind of. Seventy delegates are up for grabs. You can grab them, but you can’t take them with you The RNC sent out a memo reminding reporters that all of today’s contests are “non-binding.” Hey, if those were the candidates of my party, I wouldn’t want to be bound to any of them either.
The Republican Secretary of State in Indiana has been convicted of voter fraud. This guy shouldn’t be working for the state of Indiana—he should be working for a Republican election campaign! Republicans have spent so much time crying “voter fraud” when there was no voter fraud, I guess they figured they would have to create some on their own. Under Indiana law, any public officer convicted of a felony must be removed from office. So... how are there any Republicans in office in Indiana at all? Governor Mitch Daniels said he would put the convicted Secretary of State back in office if a court reduces his conviction from a felony to a misdemeanor. Amazing! Mitch Daniels is actually looking for a technicality so he can allow a convicted criminal to serve as Indiana’s Secretary of State! Really, Mitch? Wouldn’t it be easier to find a Republican who isn’t guilty of a crime? Oh, maybe not.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Another good Super Bowl! If you wanted to see a blowout this weekend, you had to go to Nevada. Mitt Romney won big in Nevada, perhaps thanks to the state’s large Mormon population. On the other hand, Nevada also has a lot of whores, scorpions, and snakes, and that didn’t help Newt Gingrich. I don’t know what’s more fun—watching Newt Gingrich lose, or watching Bill Belichick lose. I guess Newt is more fun to watch lose—you know all of his fans are nutcases. Some perfectly nice people are New England Patriots fans.
That was the greatest Super Bowl I’ve ever seen in terms of physicality and sheer athleticism—and I’m talking about Madonna. The woman is 53 years old. I want to be able to do what Madonna did! And I don’t mean the dancing—I mean being pulled everywhere by hundreds of muscle men in Roman centurions’ outfits. OK, now we’ve had Super Bowl halftime performances from Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen. OK—stop with the 80’s performers before we have a halftime show with Air Supply.
During Madonna’s performance, the singer M.I.A. flipped the bird on TV. Shameful! I hope Madonna gave M.I.A. a stern lecture about using manufactured controversy to generate publicity. As controversy goes, it wasn’t exactly Janet Jackson’s nipple. A little advice to M.I.A.—if you’re going to do something like that, you at least have to top the last time. So you’re looking at a minimum of two nipples.
Incidentally, a 30-second Super Bowl ad spot costs 3.5 million dollars, or as Mitt Romney calls it, 'a paycheck'. GM and Chrysler both aired high-profile ads during the Super Bowl. Mitt Romney wanted to let the auto industry go bankrupt! If it were up to Mitt, GM and Chrysler wouldn’t even exist. You would have been watching ads for job search websites aimed at all the people thrown of out of work when the auto industry collapsed. Some people say the auto industry ads came off as ads for Obama’s reelection. It’s not that the car companies were telling people to vote for Obama. Just the fact that they’re still around tells people to vote for Obama.
Listen to me Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
All 50 Attorneys General across the nation have until today to decide if they’re going to sign on to a settlement with the nation’s biggest banks to let banksters off the criminal hook for widespread fraud committed on Wall Street during the financial crisis. The settlement – which is against the biggest of the big banks like JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo – is worth $25 billion – which is chump change compared to the real damage they've done to the American middle class – where over $7 trillion in wealth has vanished.
By agreeing to the settlement, Attorneys General will waive their right to pursue further criminal investigations on Wall Street – meaning no banksters will see a jail cell. George Goehl, the executive director of National People’s Action, slammed the deal saying, “People are very disappointed in ... this …We’re giving away the store.”
While most states want to take the settlement – California is still holding out and reserving the right to launch its own investigations. And in New York, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed suit last week against JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo over improper foreclosure practices. "We the people" need to make sure any deal that doesn’t include jail time for Wall Street’s criminals and doesn’t force the banks to refinance the exploding mortgages they bilked customers into buying – is rejected outright.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Our democracy is screwed. It’s been long speculated that Republican state lawmakers are taking their orders from the shadowy right-wing think tank funded by the Koch Brothers and known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – and now there’s proof. It was discovered in Florida – when Republican State Representative Rachel Burgin introduced legislation in the state House back in November that - oops - still included ALEC’s mission statement at the top of the bill, reading: “Whereas it is the mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council to advance Jeffersonian principles...”
ALEC gathers lawmakers and corporate interests together to draft model legislation, which is then sent back to state legislatures to be passed. But usually, the lawmakers remember to strip out the ALEC branding from it. Everything from stricter drug laws that help the private prison industry – to anti-EPA laws that help the big oil industry – to voter ID laws that help the Republican Party are produced by ALEC. It’s become increasingly clear what’s going on: we elect representatives – and they represent corporations.
That’s how ALEC is turning our Democracy into a Corporatocracy.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels took his state backwards on Wednesday – signing legislation to make Indiana the 23rd “right-to-work” state in the nation. It’s the first state in ten years to go right-to-work and also the first state in the nation’s manufacturing belt to adopt a right-to-work law, which starves labor unions of much-needed funding.
So what can workers in Indiana expect now? First off – lower wages. It’s really right-to-work FOR LESS – as the average worker makes more than $5,000 less in wages a year in right-to-work-for-less states versus free-bargaining states. They can also expect less healthcare – as 21% fewer workers on average receive employee-sponsored healthcare in right-to-work-for-less states.
And finally – workers can expect more workplace injuries. Without unions to ensure safe working conditions – right-to-work-FOR-LESS states experience 51% more workplace injuries and deaths. So the only winners here are transnational CEOs who don’t give a damn about their workers – and don’t give a damn about democracy. That’s what unions are – democracy in the workplace – and they are just as essential to creating a stable middle class as democracy in our government. So Republican Governor Mitch Daniels didn’t just declare war on unions in Indiana – he also declared war on the middle class.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Well, Mitt won Florida, but he didn’t win all of Florida. Look at the results on a map. Mitt won the dangle. Newt won most of the Florida panhandle—the part where Florida’s testicles would be, if it had any. If you look at a map of last night’s electoral results, the dangle and the panhandle are completely different colors. It looks like Florida is wearing a condom. So how did the Keys get there? There is a section right in the middle of the dangle that went for Newt—pretty much where the Everglades are. I guess Newt won the alligator vote, which makes perfect sense. The alligators are going to vote for the vicious, swamp-dwelling reptile in the race.
Newt was defiant during his concession speech. How defiant? Well for starters, there was no concession. The crowd at Newt’s speech was waving signs that said “46 states to go!” I’m not surprised. Well, I’m a little surprised that they got the math right. Newt vowed that he is going all the way to the Republican convention. That sound you heard was the Republican convention changing all the locks. It’s going to be fun watching Newt lose. And on those occasions when he pulls out another win, it’ll be fun watching Mitt lose. It’s a win-win! I know—in every state, either Newt or Mitt is actually winning. But I try to just concentrate on the fact that the other one lost. I like to look on the bright side. Does Newt Gingrich have the sheer brass it takes to keep on going? Look at this way—here is a guy who wakes up every morning, realizes that he is Newt Gingrich, and still goes out to meet the world.
Mitt and Newt simply do not like each other. Statistically speaking, that would be most likely—nobody likes either one of these guys. What are the odds that they would like each other? Both Mitt and Newt know a hypocritical phony when they see one... unless, of course, if they see one in the mirror. According to a media study group, this Republican primary in Florida was the most negative campaign ever. The ads run by the Romney campaign were 100 percent negative! Think about that. Mitt Romney literally didn’t have a single positive thing to say about himself. The super-PAC backing Newt Gingrich actually ran ads that were only 53 percent negative. Look at that, Mitt! Newt managed to say positive things about himself... and there are no positive things about him!
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
No surprises - Mitt Romney on the Florida primary last night by 15 points over Newt Gingrich. The Romney campaign – with the help of SuperPACs funded by Wall Street billionaires – carpet-bombed the state with TV ads – airing 13,000 TV ads, compared to Newt Gingrich who only aired 200.
But if Romney thought the race would be over soon – he thought wrong. Last night, Gingrich gave a speech to supporters in front of a sign reading “46 states to go.” And thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision – Newt CAN keep running until the end of the primary race – as long as he has casino millionaires cutting him checks.
Meanwhile – in a victory interview with CNN last night, Romney admitted that he’s “not concerned with the very poor” in America because they have a “safety net there.” Of course, it’s a safety net that Romney and Republicans in Congress are trying to get rid of. Currently – almost half the nation is in poverty or low-income – meaning the Republican front-runner for President just admitted he’s not considered with half of all Americans.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
If there's one topic that's generated a great deal of heat on the WWRL Morning Show this week, it's been whether to ban eating on the New York City subway. People who called in ran the gamut from "it's disgusting to eat on the train", to "it's class warfare"! At issue is a bill introduced by Manhattan State Senator Bill Perkins that would not only ban eating or drinking on the train, but also impose a first time fine of $250.00. Senator Perkins says the bill seeks to curb eating not for appearances sake, but because of the huge spike in the rat population underground.
Being a man of a certain age, I can remember the day when it seemed the subway system encouraged people to eat. There were vending machines that offered candy and gum, as well as underground eateries that stayed open 24 hours a day. I remember the one near the Times Square shuttle on the West Side. Early most mornings, the smell of freshly made doughnuts wafted through the station, mixing with the countless other smells, some good, some bad. One would have to conclude the rat problem either wasn't that bad, or the cause and effect of rats and food (and garbage) had not yet become apparent.
Even today, cavernous spaces like the 47-50th St. station under 6th Ave. still have a number of places where straphangers can buy food. So it's fair to ask whether a ban on eating anywhere on trains, in stations, or on platforms means these places would end up closing. The larger issue, however, can be summed up by two videos which have gone viral on the Web. One is a physical altercation between two women on a train when one takes umbrage at the other eating spaghetti. The other is a rat crawling all over a sleeping sunbway passenger. He slept alright, until the rat scampered over his face.
As difficult as it may be to change the habits of the hard core New Yorker (or tourist who doesn't know any better), it's time to ban eating on the trains. As one who has had to confront rodents that look like they're on steroids, anything that has the potential to help decrease their population underground neds to be done. Rats are a fact of New York life, and you're never going to get rid of all of them, especially the dark, wet environment of the subway.
Yet it can't be denied that making life more difficult for them makes life better for us.
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Mitt Romney won Florida; no big surprise. He's the guy that's going to be standing on the platform across from the President come November.
Now that does not make me or many in the White House happy as Romney appeals to some Independents and centrists who I believe will determine the outcome of the Presidential election; as well as the seats up for grabs in the House and the Senate. And this is why, now more than ever, those of us who call ourselves Liberals or Progressives or Democrats need to unite. We need to back our President. We need to stop whining and complaining that we did not get enough "hope" or "change." You can bet the Republicans who even still are "anyone but Romney," but at the end of the day, they'll throw their support to a guy they would not have asked for a dance and they'll give him their vote for President.
Predictions are that there will be low voter turnout from both sides in November. Let the Republicans stay home, but we on the left need to stand up, get out and vote. Those in the 99%, those with OWS also need to take their frustration and their anger and vote for the candidate that will help the 99% rather than the top 1%. Mitt Romney is the top 1% of the 1%. He will help he rich, hurt the middle class and seniors by the amount he will cut. If the wants to run this country as he ran his companies as he suggests, there will be even more of a sucking sound of jobs being outsourced overseas and unemployment will rise along with it. Do not let his calm demeanor and nice hairdo fool you. This is a man who has and will say anything for your vote. A man who reformed healthcare in Massachusetts and even stated it should be a model on a federal level. The Affordable Care Act is a stepping stone; just as Social Security was. Social Security originally did not include women, African-Americans or Native Americans; but Democrats and Republicans together built upon it. That is what needs to be done with healthcare and the Affordable Care Act as well.
If you want to avoid a war with Iran, vote for our President. If you want our relationship to continue to improve worldwide, vote for our President. If you want peace in the Middle East, and not just peace with Israel; vote for our President. If you want Medicare to remain intact and not have the elderly literally dying in emergency rooms because there is simply not the manpower to care for the numbers of those entering the system (10,000 per day since January of this year for 19 years), vote for our President. If you want any chance of Gitmo closing, vote for our President. If you want the Bush tax cuts to expire and the rich to pay their fair share, vote for our President. If you want children who came here with their parents illegally, who are graduating from top colleges to be provided a pathway to citizenship, vote for our President.
As a liberal, progressive, Democrat; the choice come this November is simple for me. My vote will be for our President, Barack Obama. But I cannot let him, the country or the world know that if I stay home, and believe me, Mitt Romney's counting on you doing just that.
Listen to me Monday through Friday from Midnight to 1 AM on WWRL AM 1600.
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...
