Asked yesterday by Dick Durbin if Americans needed guns to take on their own government, Wayne LaPierre said the Founding Fathers wrote the 2nd Amendment so that Americans “would never have to live under tyranny.” And by “tyranny,” he means government that the Founding Fathers were setting up with the rest of the Constitution. Wayne LaPierre thinks that the Founding Fathers set up a system of government, and then included the 2nd Amendment as some sort of “self-destruct button” if people didn’t like everything that government did.
Gayle Trotter was like Wayne LaPierre with even more testosterone. I guess it’s hard to come off as a credible spokesperson for women when your point is that female empowerment comes from the barrel of an assualt rifle. I don’t think that women got the vote by brandishing assault weapons. I’ve seen a lot of pictures of Susan B. Anthony, and never have I seen her posing with an AR-15. Gayle Trotter probably thinks that Seneca Falls was a military strategy summit where women planned out their siege of Washington.
Gayle lives in a world where a mommy with babies fights off “three, four, five violent attackers” with her trusty assault rifle (even though that has never happened). But how good is an assault rifle against “three, four, five” other assault rifles? Gayle—if the NRA has their way, all those hardened, violent criminals will have easy access to the same weapons! The way Trotter describes it, the attackers never seem to have the sense to get the same guns as mommy has, even though they’re readily available at any gun show. Trotter lives in a fantasy world where mommy is Bruce Willis with an AR-15, and all the “hardened, violent criminals” for some bizarre reason still rely on weapons like icepicks and baseball bats.
President Obama’s nominee for Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee today. John McCain went on one of his “Grumpy Grandpa” tirades over Hagel’s previous statements about the surge and Iraq. McCain thundered “history has already made a judgment about the surge, sir, and you are on the wrong side of it.” Yes John, and history has made a much harsher judgment about the invasion of Iraq in the first place, and you are definitely on the wrong side of that.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Welcome to America, where half the nation lives right on the razor’s edge. A shocking new report out of the Corporation for Enterprise Development, finds that 44% of Americans are just one financial shock away from complete ruin. Nearly half the nation doesn’t have enough savings to keep them out of poverty for more than 3 months, should they suffer a job loss, an accident, a sickness, or other financial shock.
Another recent study out of the Consumer Federation of American, found that 40% of all American households live paycheck-to-paycheck, with virtually no savings. This is what’s become of the once valued American middle class, after thirty years of trickle-down Reaganomics. And it’s the main reason why are economy continues to falter – our nation's working people and consumers don’t have enough money to spend.
Let’s roll back the Reagan tax cuts – put in place a new wealth tax on everyone making over a billion dollars and redistribute some of that wealth down to working people, who will actually spend it. Go to NoBillionaires.com.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Today at a Senate hearing on gun violence, both Gabrielle Giffords and Wayne LaPierre spoke. Gabrielle Giffords presented a moving testament to the need to rein in gun violence. And Wayne LaPierre did the same thing—just not intentionally. If Gabrielle Giffords doesn’t fill you with enough compassion to make you want to do something about gun violence, Wayne LaPierre will fill you with enough fear to give you plenty of motivation. I know that gun advocates hate it when shooting victims testify—yet they are totally unwilling to take any actions to reduce the number of shooting victims. As long as the gun advocates insist on their right to stockpile military-style weapons, sadly we will always have a steady stream of shooting victims and family members to testify at these hearings.
Then the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre had the brass to say “Unfortunately we’ve seen a dramatic collapse in federal gun prosecutions in recent years.” Could part of that be that your allies in the Congress have kept the BATF without a director? The NRA and its allies in Congress have impeded every effort at every level of government to stop illegal gun sales or even to keep track of criminals and the mentally ill. If the present law is not working, that’s because the NRA won’t let it work.
Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham are angry that they couldn’t bring guns to the hearing as some sort of sick visual aid. Frankly, I think they should have let them do it. I can’t think of a better argument for gun control than the image of somebody like Ted Cruz wielding an assault rifle at a Congressional hearing.
Here’s a shocking but totally non-surprising fact: 131 of the 233 House Republicans represent districts that are more than 80 percent white. Republican state legislatures have carved out all of these lily-white districts. It’s not just gerrymandering, it’s white-man-dering. Decades after we made segregation illegal, Republicans have managed to impose de facto segregation onto our electoral map. With these racially gerrymandered districts, the Republicans don’t really represent America. They’re actually closer to representing South Africa—and the South Africa of 1985, at that.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRWL AM 1600.
For the first time since 2009, the U.S. economy shrank last quarter. New numbers out of the Commerce Department, show that the economy shrank in the fourth quarter of 2012 by point-1 percent. That’s a complete reversal from the robust 3.1% growth rate, which we saw in the third quarter of 2012.
What’s behind the sudden drop? Conservative austerity spending cuts. Federal spending was down 15% in the fourth quarter, after rising 9.5% in the third quarter. And as we’re seeing in the UK, which is on the verge of entering a triple-dip recession – Greece, which is on the verge of total collapse – and Spain, which has the highest unemployment rate in Europe – austerity kills economies.
But thanks to Republican hostage-taking, and demands for more and more spending cuts – the United States is about to enter this same austerity death spiral in 2013. Already – the US is scheduled to enact austerity measures totaling 2.1% of GDP – which is more austerity than the U.K., France, and Spain have enacted thus far. And with even bigger spending cuts looming in a few months, it’s only going to get worse.
We need pro-growth policies, that put money back in the hands of working people. Spending cuts don’t do that. And no nation, in the history of the world, has ever cut its way to prosperity.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Today President Obama announces some of his plan for immigration reform. The President’s plan will surely be better than the bipartisan Senate proposal. Maybe that’s the selling point that they’ll use to get the bipartisan plan past the Tea Party—“Yes, it makes sense, but not nearly as much sense as Obama’s plan!” Dealing with the bizarre world of the GOP extremists in the House is like trying to write legislation in the mirror!
The Senate proposal would make the path to citizenship much tougher than Obama’s plan. Under the Senate plan, it would almost be as hard to get citizenship as it is for an Obama nominee to get confirmed in the Senate. Under the Senate proposal, the path to citizenship could involve a wait of decades. Guys, it’s supposed to be a path, not an Odyssey. The path to citizenship shouldn’t include having to blind a Cyclops.
The President’s plan would also treat immigrants in same-sex relationships the same way that married heterosexual immigrants are treated. Gay immigrants! That’s like a double whammy in the minds of rightwing extremists! To their minds, a gay immigrant is like a vampire who is also a zombie. To conservatives, the very concept of gay immigrants is like a perfect storm of the things they hate. The only way it could be worse is if they were Muslim gay immigrants. If conservatives had their way, we wouldn’t even allow any immigration from gay countries. And you just know that they have a list of countries that they consider gay.
Within the Tea Party wing of the GOP, the bipartisan immigration plan faces stiff opposition. What do you expect from a bunch of stiffs? Republicans who deviate from the lunatic-fringe mentality of the GOP base have a tough balancing act—they’re trying to prevent the GOP from destroying itself, even as it’s trying to destroy them for not toeing the line. The Republicans who have the biggest problems with immigration are those in the Deep South of the old Confederacy—the secessionists! They don’t want people coming into this country, but they themselves want to leave this country! “All you dang foreigners get out of America... so we can leave America!”
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The Obama administration is considering its next move, after a panel of three Republican-appointed judges on a DC Circuit Court ruled last week, that President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were unconstitutional. The court ruled that the president can only make a recess appointment when the Senate is officially in recess – which only happens once a year – after the Senate finishes the first half of its session.
That decision directly contradicted a 2004 federal appeals court ruling – and 190 years of recess appointments by both Republican, and Democratic, presidents. But Corporate America is applauding the decision – and arguing that decisions made by the National Labor Relations Board, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, since the recess appointments, should be null and void.
According to court rules, the Obama Justice Department still has 45 days to appeal the ruling to a larger court of appeals – plus another 90 days to appeal to the Supreme Court. Of course – none of this would have been an issue had Senate Republicans not filibustered the President’s nominees – forcing him to make recess appointments in the first place.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Hello WWRL loyalists, It’s your resident fashionisto, Damion West, from Clay Cane Live to serve you up a hot cup of red carpet tea from the Mecca of glamour — New York City.
Last night the on-screen talent of television and film gathered to pay tribute to their peers at the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Held at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles and the name of the venue says it all, “Shrine”. Oh yes lawd! As I sat in anticipation for the red carpet to begin I could feel a praise coming on in the name of Chanel, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford and Armani Prive. *Dances lyrically across living room floor* Seriously, waiting to see all my favorites like Kerry Washington, Emma Blunt, and Jennifer Lawrence on the red carpet had me on edge all day. So many questions raced through my mind. What designers will be worn tonight? Will Jessica Chastain redeem herself from her Globes fumble? Who will be the bell of the ball? As the clock drew closer to 6:00 pm there were three things this fashion devotee needed to assure this red carpet viewing went off without a hitch; 1. Veuve Clicquot Champagne. 2. Truffles from La Maison du Chocolat. 3. A girlfriend to ki-ki and disagree with. With all in place I was ready for the games to begin.
It seems all the players were bidding for the coveted role of “Head to Toe Ovahness”. YESSSSS. Prance I say! The stars
were shining bright. Lighting up the carpet with style and grace, or dare I say, with S.A.G. While this years awards season began with a softer pallet, like Amy Winehouse many of the ladies on this night went “back to black”. Nicole Kidman in Vivienne Westwood, Michelle Dockery in vintage Chado Ralph Rucci and the ever-loving Amanda Seyfried in Zac Posen.
Opulence was the word of the night. My nominee for bell of the ball is a beauty of another color; ravishing red. Jessica Chaistain, you were the cherry on top. She looked simply divine in her Alexander McQueen gown. This dress was so regal. The silhouette was absolute perfection. Also strolling along the carpet were the Dons of the evening. These gentlemen were dapper, chic and chiseled in single breast tailored blazers and trousers. Bow-ties perfectly knotted; Gentleman’s Quality at its best. Bradley Copper’s charming smile topped off a supremely tailored Tom Ford tuxedo. Leiv Schreiber the chaperone of choice in sharp navy blue. Eddie Redmayn showed us all what crush velvet can do on you.
So that about sums up some of my favorite red carpet moments from the evening. I hope you all enjoyed seeing the players run amongst their stage as much as I did. Until we me again, may you remain in style.
Listen to Clay Cane Live Tuesday nights from 10 to Midnight right here on WWRL AM 1600.
Last night President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared in a joint interview. It was almost overkill—like one of those comic book specials where Superman and Batman team up. You don’t expect that to happen in real life. At several points Barack and Hillary almost looked like they were in love. And you know who has to be going crazy with jealousy—Joe Biden! Poor Joe Biden—he’s the one who gets left out in this little love triangle. He’s like Eponine in Les Miserables. Just don’t sing, Joe.
George Will says that women should not be allowed in combat because of “certain anatomical facts.” Yes George, that would make total sense… if soldiers fought with their penises. Will said that women don’t have the upper body strength to engage in combat. Somebody tell George that we’re not fighting with swords and axes anymore—I can see why the Vikings didn’t allow their women in combat. Then Fox News contributor Lt. General Jerry Boykin says that women shouldn’t be in combat because it’s embarrassing for male soldiers to have to poop or pee in front of them. According to General Boykin, our male soldiers fear nothing... except giggling women.
The Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece titled “The Reality that Awaits Women in Combat.” A former Marine described the rigors of going without basic hygiene for weeks on end. These guys evidently think that a woman can’t go 72 hours without exfoliating. Let me assure this Marine that, for the sake of her country, a woman is more than willing to forego a pedicure until final victory is achieved. The Marine wrote that it is “potentially traumatizing to be forced to be naked in front of the opposite sex.” Hey, if people of both genders were unable to overcome that potential trauma, we could never reproduce. Men seem able to conquer their fear of being naked in front of a woman when there’s sex involved. I think they’ll be able to do it when their survival is at stake.
A New Mexico lawmaker has proposed a law that says a woman who gets an abortion after being raped is guilty of “tampering with the evidence.” According to the logic of this law, a person who gets shot and survives cannot have the bullet removed from their body without tampering with the evidence.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
With President Obama set to tackle immigration reform on Tuesday, a group of bipartisan Senators came out today with their own compromised deal. The team of four Democrats and four Republicans introduced a plan that will put the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants, currently in the United States, on a path to citizenship. But first, they will have to register with the government, pass background checks, pay back taxes and penalties, and then move to the back of the line for full citizenship status.
The proposal also puts in place new border security measures – and young people – or “DREAMers” who were brought to the country illegally when they were a child, but have gone to school here and kept their nose clean, will be put on a faster track toward citizenship.
This is a good sign that a deal on comprehensive immigration reform can be struck this year. Stay tuned.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday thorugh Firday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
On Thursday, Senate leaders, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, came to a deal on a very modest, watered-down filibuster reform package – which virtually guarantees that all legislation in the Senate, will again have to meet the 60-vote threshold over the next two years. The filibuster reform does little to put more pressure on the minority party that is filibustering – and only works to speed up the process in the Senate, and cut down on redundant filibusters.
Senator Jeff Merkley, who was leading the charge for strong filibuster reform, including forcing filibustering Senators to actually talk on the floor the entire time they wish to block a bill, expressed “disappointment” that the Senate did not, “take a bolder step to fix” the filibuster. But he did vow, “If the modest steps taken today do not end the paralysis the Senate currently suffers, many Senators are determined to revisit this debate, and explore stronger remedies.”
Unfortunately, they won’t have the opportunity to revisit this issue for another two years – when the new Senate session begins. And that’s only IF Democrats keep the majority. Yesterday, Democrats had a golden opportunity to change the rules of the Senate, and pass legislation on behalf of working people – and also put pressure on House Republicans to moderate their agenda. But, ultimately, they dropped the ball.
Democratic Senator, Tom Harkin, said it best yesterday after the failure to enact real meaningful reform. He said, with Republicans free to continue to obstruct at will, then President Obama, “might as well take a four-year vacation.”
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Yesterday Congressional Republicans tried to grill Hillary Clinton. They ended up getting burned on their own grill. Rand Paul told Hillary that “Had I been president... I would have relieved you of your post.” Rand, America isn’t screwed up enough to make you president. You’re lucky Kentucky is screwed up enough to make you Senator.
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson was the only one who got a rise out of Hillary, and that was only because he actually stood out as even dumber than the rest. Later, Johnson boasted that he got the best of Hillary because he “got under her skin.” Well Ron, if your point is that you’re even more annoying than the other idiot Republicans, you’re exactly right. Was that the point of a Congressional hearing, Senator Johnson—to “get under the skin” of the Secretary of State? There’s a great use of the government that the Founding Fathers gave us. Hey Ron, you know how else you can get under someone’s skin? Popping your gum, sucking your teeth, or kicking the back of her seat on an airplane. It’s not a difficult thing to do.
John Boehner says that President Obama’s plan is to “annihilate” the Republican Party. Here’s a little advice for John Boehner—somebody who drinks as much as you do shouldn’t even TRY to pronounce the word “annihilate.”
Fox News’ crackpot in-house shrink Dr. Keith Ablow says that President Obama wants to control guns because he was “abandoned again and again” as a child. Brilliant. Dr. Ablow is to psychiatry what Dr. Pepper is to brain surgery. Obama wants gun control because he was abandoned as a child? So I guess that the people who hoard automatic weapons and ammunition in their fortress homes are the ones who had happy childhoods!
Virginia is now poised to be the first state to move legislation forward, which will rig the Electoral College to benefit Republican presidential candidates in the future. On Wednesday, legislation to dole out Electoral College votes based on gerrymandered Congressional districts, instead of the current winner-take-all system, advanced out of a state Senate subcommittee. It now heads to full committee, where it will likely be approved, before heading to the full state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.
So, Republicans have actually taken rigging the next presidential election seriously, with efforts also underway in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio to do the same thing. Progressives must counter with an equally aggressive push for a national popular vote. Nine states have already passed National Popular Vote laws, which commit their electors to vote for whichever candidate wins the national popular vote, even if that candidate lost the state Electoral College vote.
Those nine states that have passed national popular vote laws - including California, Maryland, and Illinois - account for 132 electoral votes among them, nearly half of the 270 needed in the Electoral College to win the White House. If this trend continues, and enough states sign up to bring their combined Electoral College votes to 270, then the Electoral College, which Republicans are currently trying to rig, dies just like that. Let’s get active and fight fire with fire.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
"All officers, without exception, agree that the Negro lacks initiative, displays little or no leadership, and cannot accept responsibility. Some point out that these defects are greater in the Southern Negro. . . .
Due to his susceptibility to ‘Crowd Psychology’ a large mass of negroes, e.g., a division, is very subject to panic. Experience had indicated that the negroes produce better results by segregation and cause less trouble. Grouping of negroes generally in the past has produced demands for equality, both during war and after demobilization. . . .
An opinion held in common by practically all officers is that the negro is a rank coward in the dark. His fear of the unknown and unseen will prevent him from ever operating as an individual scout with success. His lack of veracity causes unsatisfactory reports to be rendered, particularly on patrol duty. . "
The above is taken directly from a US Army War College study on the fitness of Black people to serve in the Armed Forces. It particularly questioned Black fitness to serve in combat. These conclusions were reached despite the heroic service of the 369th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters, during World War I just a few short years earlier.
These thoughts came to mind as I heard and read pushback to the decision to allow women in the military to serve in combat roles. Over and over, it appears people (men and women) believe there's something in the DNA of men that makes us automatic warriors. Conversely, women, obviously lacking whatever that is, can't do the job as well.
But they can, and they have. The change being made Thursday is one of classification rather than on the ground reality. Defense Secretary Panetta's edict allows women to serve openly in combat, rather than be "attached" to a combat unit as is currently the case. This will allow women to compete for promotions and climb the ladder of military success more easily.
Concerns about female fragility, whether in the field, or if captured, are misplaced. When properly trained, and with the internal discipline necessary of all good soldiers, there's no reason to believe females won't measure up simply because of their sex.
". . . the eventual use of the Negro will be determined by his performance in combat training and service. . . . If the Negro makes good the way is left open for him to go into combat eventually with all-Negro units."
Below is the source for the material I've cited. As you can tell by this War College Report, times do change, and so do perceptions. I for one am glad to see this barrier against women lifted.
How about you?
SOURCE | "Memorandum for the Chief of Staff regarding Employment of Negro Man Power in War, November 10, 1925," President's Official Files 4245-G: Office of Production Management: Commission on Fair Employment Practices: War Department, 1943; Archives of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu
With all the hoopla over the inauguration, there was a chance that the momentum for gun control would dissipate. But don’t worry—the NRA’s Wayne LaPierre will get it going again! Last night Wayne LaPierre accused Obama of demonizing gun owners. With your ads attacking the President’s daughters, you’re doing a better job of demonizing gun owners, Wayne.
Embarrassingly, Wayne’s speech came on the same day there was a gunfight at a Texas college campus. But if he’s going to wait for a day when there is no gun violence, he’s never going to get to speak. It turns out the shooting at the campus in Texas wasn’t a mass killing. It was an argument that escalated into a gunfight... or what’s going to happen several times a day everywhere if the NRA gets their way. In some ways this is scarier than a mass shooting—this is the kind of thing that the NRA proposes as a solution for mass shootings! The reaction to this fiasco was quick—Texas Republicans are calling for more guns! That way if an argument escalates into gunfire, bystanders can choose sides and turn it into a regular shootout. I’m sorry, but for most Americans, the Gunfight at the OK Corral was NOT an example of conflict resolution.
Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL), a Tea Party freshman says that citizens should have the same weapons as the military. That way we’re safe from “tyranny”... and totally subject to mob rule. Yoho claims the Second Amendment says that “the militia had the same equipment as the military to protect them against the tyrannical government.” No, they had the same equipment because back in the 1700’s, that’s all the equipment that they had.
NRA board member Ted Nugent is comparing President Obama to King George III and threatening another American Revolution. Ted doesn’t have a powdered wig, but he does seem to have a powdered brain. Ted says Obama is “attempting to re-implement the tyranny of King George that we escaped from in 1776.” It’s odd that we managed to overthrow tyranny in the years BEFORE we had a Second Amendment. He then said “If you want another Concord Bridge, I’ve got some buddies.” Ted, if you and your buddies were restricted to the kind of weapons available to the people on the Concord Bridge, we’d all feel a lot better.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
In the Senate. Last night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he’s giving Republicans 24 to 36 hours to come to the table, and agree on some sort of filibuster reform. But, he said, if Republicans don’t do it – then he’ll proceed on his own. Democrats will fight to change the rules of the Senate, and curb some of the obstructionism we’ve seen over the last four years in the upper chamber.
Reid must choose between two options for filibuster reform. There’s an ambitious reform plan, promoted by Senators Jeff Merkley and Tom Udall, which would put in place a “talking filibuster” - requiring the minority to stand on the floor of the Senate, and actually talk the entire time they wish to filibuster legislation. And there’s a more moderate reform plan, which preserves the minority’s silent filibuster, but cuts down on how many times they can filibuster a particular piece of legislation.
While most progressive organizations have endorsed the Merkley-Udall “talking filibuster” reform, it’s unlikely Senator Reid has the votes among Democrats to pass such plan – and he will likely settle on a more moderate approach. But, if Democrats want to sweep the midterm elections in two years, and re-take the House of Representatives, then they have to pass legislation out of the Senate, and show the American people their agenda, and how it differs from the agenda of House Republicans. Strong filibuster may be the only way to accomplish this.
Call your Senator today – and tell them to support the Merkley-Udall “talking filibuster” reform.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The Republican reaction to the President’s address was not good. Darrell Issa said “We were hoping that he would use this day to reach out to all Americans and all parties.” Obama hadn’t even begun his second term, and new Republican members of Congress were talking about impeachment. And now they’re chastising him for not reaching out! Why? Do they want to slap the cuffs on him?
Bill O’Reilly said that Obama sees Republicans as “purveyors of white privilege.” For once, I think O’Reilly has totally misread his audience. They are not going to go for that statement—they don’t know what the word “purveyors” means. Bill said “that’s the theme that runs through his advisors: the white privilege has to be broken down.” And they should know—most of his advisors are white. For a guy who wants to break down white privilege, Obama sure appoints enough of them to Cabinet positions.
Yesterday the President made his points in clear but soaring prose. Then the First Lady made her points in bangs and Jason Wu. The President has done a great job. But if he could nail it like Michelle does all the time, we would have single-payer healthcare, a balanced budget, and cars would run on positive thoughts.
The losing candidate usually shows up to the inauguration as a gesture of reconciliation. But then few losing candidates are as big of a loser as Mitt Romney is. Where was Mitt? Hello! Mitt didn’t even have plans for a concession speech! His plans for Inauguration Day were probably still that he would get inaugurated. You could have showed up, Mitt! It’s not like you have a job to go to. By the way, Mitt’s son Tagg now says that Mitt never wanted to be president anyway! Well in that case, he sure wasted a decade of his life desperately trying to become president! Tagg actually said “He wanted to be president less than anyone I’ve met in my life.” That makes it even more of a shame that he completely sold any shred of dignity he ever had in his ruthless quest for the presidency. I guess Mitt was just trashing the other Republican candidates and telling vile lies about Obama because he enjoys doing that sort of thing.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
As many as a million Americans gathered on our National Mall today, to watch Barack Obama be publicly sworn in to serve his second term as President of the United States. And he rides into his second term with a mandate – as the only President since Dwight Eisenhower to be elected twice with 51% of the vote. But if there’s one thing the President learned from his first term, it’s that Republicans will at all costs destroy whatever mandate he’s earned.
In fact, on this day, four years ago, Republicans gathered at a fancy steakhouse in Washington, DC, just as President Obama was attending the inaugural balls. The likes of Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, and Frank Luntz all attended this meeting. And the purpose of the meeting was simple: How to destroy the Obama Presidency and retake the White House in four years. That night – Republicans committed themselves to four years of obstruction and economic sabotage. And that’s exactly what they did – even though it didn’t work out for them in the end.
Today, the question is – what are Republicans plotting now? How will they sabotage the President’s second term? Let’s hope the President has learned lessons from the first term, and accepts that he’s facing a loyal opposition in the Republican Party. He’s facing economic terrorists – and the only way he can succeed is by taking the debate to the American people, using his bully pulpit, and shaming the fossils on the Right who serve the Billionaire Class.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Today is both Presidential Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Day—and we arranged to have a black president for the occasion. Somebody planned this very well! Always look ahead! If Inauguration Day fell on St. Patrick’s Day, would we have to have an Irish president? Barack Obama would qualify for that one too.
At the inauguration four years ago, we were in the middle of an economic collapse. Heck, last time things were so bad that George Bush should have just symbolically handed Obama a plastic bag full of his dog Barney’s poop. There’s isn’t quite the excitement this time. Obama has a tough act to follow. At least he has the satisfaction of knowing that tough act to follow is him. I hope Barack Obama appreciates the groundbreaking and pioneering that Barack Obama did to make this moment possible for him.
Obama took the oath with his hand on not one, but two Bibles. Is that for extra emphasis, as in “I swear on a stack of Bibles”? One Bible was owned by Abraham Lincoln, and one was owned by Martin Luther King. Of course, Bill O’Reilly will say that’s because Obama doesn’t have a Bible of his own.
In his speech, Obama mentioned gay rights, voter suppression, climate change, and gun control! He didn’t just rely on the fact that he was being inaugurated to drive conservatives up a wall! He also ticked off all the things that tick them off!
Finally, Beyonce sang the National Anthem. We’re seeing a lot of Beyonce these days. But in terms of wardrobe, we didn’t see nearly as much of her today as we’re going to at the Super Bowl halftime show. It was amazing to see so many black faces up there on the podium. Wait! That one is John Boehner! Now I realize that John Boehner has almost exactly the same skin tone as Beyonce. Maybe that’s what he’s been shooting for all this time. Now we know—when he goes home at night, John Boehner dances in front of a mirror, lip-synching to “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Poet Richard Blanco was the inaugural poet. That was very nice, but I have a feeling we won’t be seeing Richard Blanco at the Super Bowl halftime.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Chris Christie has condemned the NRA ad that attacked President Obama’s daughters. That’s good news in the sense that there’s at least one Republican who knows that crazy is not the way to go. Christie even made the correct observation that the president and his children “don’t have a choice” whether they are protected or not. He not only tells Republicans when they’re wrong, he explains to them why they are. Christie said that the NRA’s actions make them “less of a valid, trusted source of information.” I would disagree with that on the grounds that there’s no way the NRA could be any less of a valid, trusted source of information.
Two idiots target shooting with an AK-47 in suburban Ohio sent bullets flying into homes. First of all, what’s the point of “target shooting” with an assault rifle? Anybody can hit a target with an AK-47. The problem is that you will also hit everything else within hundreds of yards! The men face a series of felony charges. Sadly, that’s the only surprising thing about this whole story. The local newspaper said that the police who responded “found themselves dodging bullets.” Nobody is fast enough to dodge a bullet. It’s more accurate to say that police found themselves lucky not to get hit by bullets. So did everybody in the neighborhood. The men were also drinking and had drugs on them. And the NRA thinks the 2nd Amendment exists so that imbeciles like this can resist “tyrants!”
After a week of news about guns, we have a big story about drugs. You know we’re in America! Lance Armstrong has confessed to doping, after years of vehement denials. I guess when you bicycle as fast as a doped-up Lance Armstrong did, it’s pretty hard to backpedal. Armstrong described his years of denial as “one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.” And now it’s one big lie that he’s making major revisions to. This isn’t about Lance Armstrong getting something off his chest—this is about Lance Armstrong getting back into cycling. It’s not exactly a “come to Jesus” moment. It’s more like Lance is trying to make a new arrangement with the Devil.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Republicans are now admitting that the only reason they still control the House of Representatives is because they rigged the election. In a new report by the Republican State Leadership Council, the Party brags about how it spent $30 million in 2010 to put Republicans majorities in state legislatures in blue states, like Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Those majorities went on to carve up Congressional districts in a way that benefits Republicans – by carving up very safe red districts –and hurts Democrats by splitting up Democratic strongholds. So by the time the 2012 elections came along – Republican House seats were already very well-protected. As the report notes, “2012 could have been a repeat of 2008, when voters gave control of the White House and both chambers of Congress to Democrats…Instead, Republicans enjoy a 33-seat margin in the U.S. House…having endured Democratic successes atop the ticket and over one million more votes cast for Democratic House candidates than Republicans.”
Yes, Republicans just admitted that voters wanted Democrats to control the House – but Republican gerrymandering prevented that from happening. Clearly the Republican Party has adopted one simple strategy: If you can’t win elections fair and square – then steal them.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The NRA is defending its attack ad on President Obama’s daughters. Well, not so much defending, as denying it says what it says. Asked about the ad, NRA President David Keene claimed “Nobody was talking about his children.” So, who does the phrase “his kids” refer to, if not to his kids? When Keene said “Nobody was talking about his children.” Maybe he meant “Nobody was talking about his children, so we decided to bring it up.”
Rush Limbaugh has mocked the children who had written letters to the White House about gun violence, saying “You got these little kids there. They don’t want to die.” And he began mock sobbing. Evidently Rush thinks that not dying is too much for these kids to ask for. In the world that he and the NRAwant, kids need to know that they could die at any moment.
The only suggestion the NRA has for stopping gun violence is armed guards at our schools. That’s great for the NRA, since the NRA’s real constituency is the gun manufacturers. They get to sell assault rifles to lunatics, and then they get to sell guns to armed guards to protect us from the lunatics they armed.
Virginia Tech survivor Colin Goddard has a good point. He said that if it were true that more guns would make us safer, “then we would already be the safest place in the entire world. We are quite the opposite of that.” You got that—in terms of the risk of getting shot, we’re basically Somalia with a better standard of living. And of course, if it’s up to Republicans, the standard of living thing is out the window too.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
I have to admit it. I'm a serial reader of online comments to almost every story I access to do my job (and many that have nothing to do with it). It never ceases to amaze me what people will write when they think nobody will ever call them on it. Lucky for me I have no desire to comment about anything myself. That could get me in real trouble. However, the debate over gun violence and the regulations President Obama has proposed to make it less frequent have brought out the absolute worst in people.
We know (at least I hope we do) about the threats of secession, impeachment, and the callous use of the President's daughters in an NRA attack ad. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, here come a group of trolls badmouthing (of all things) the beautiful voices of the Children of Newtown. If you don't know about them, know only that they are children from the Sandy Hook Elementary School, and they came together in the home of Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club) and recorded a beautiful version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".
After reading the story, and just before downloading the video, I read the comments following the article in on online edition of one of NYC's tabloids. I was astonished. Post after post questioned the agenda behind the song, criticized parents for letting their children sing it, and some questioned if the Sandy Hook Massacre even took place! I was momentarily dumbfounded. What would lead rational adults to comment with such venom?I thought for a minute about the horrific prospect of some of these people actually owning guns (I thought the same thing about Alex Jones to be honest).
Then it hit me. The vehement reaction to the children of Newtown was driven by two things, fear and power. These commenters feared those angelic little children as much as they feared an armed intruder. Maybe even more. The power of those children's voices to change American minds about guns is what the online trolls fear, because they can't control it.
Those children, they know, will more than likely grow to adulthood rejecting the gun culture that far too many in this country embrace. Those children know, firsthand, the violence our obsession with guns can bring. Their voices represent change more than any mere piece of legislation does. And so, the trolls snipe. And they'll continue. And they'll eventually lose.
The power of children's voices, raised in song, is not a power they can fight and hope to win.
Including signing more than 20 executive orders – Republicans are reacting with calls for impeachment. Despite Presidents routinely signing executive orders – Republicans are accusing the President of high crimes. Republican Congressman Steve Stockman compared the President to Saddam Hussein, and previously threatened to impeach him. Also, Republicans Louie Gohmert and Trey Radel piled on – saying impeachment is one of a number of options that should be on the table to respond to the President’s gun reforms.
Of course, to the rational person, the President's executive orders are common sense reforms: including better record sharing between federal agencies – new studies on gun violence – and even providing incentives for schools to hire resource officers. But to the insane, these are tyranny, which is odd because these same Republicans didn’t seem to mind when Bush signed a number of far more radical executive orders during his term, including: a ban on stem cell research – authorization of torture – creating more powers for the Vice President’s office – and making it harder to get a hold of presidential records.
All of these actions were taken without any consideration of Congress. But none of them were taken against the deep-pocketed gun industry – so Republicans were just fine with them. Enough with the rhetoric, it’s time for Congress to do what the American people overwhelmingly support, which is take action to get weapons of war off our streets, and out of the hands of the mentally ill. And that also includes addressing the wealth inequality issue in America that is underlying all this violence in our society.
Pass an Assault Weapons Ban – and repeal the Reagan tax cuts, too.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
President Obama announced his proposals for dealing with gun violence today (video below). This is the biggest push for sensible gun control in more than a generation—and it’s designed to give members of the next generation a better chance of survival. Obama is putting a ban on assault rifles, limits on high-capacity magazines, and tougher background checks all on the legislative agenda. But this Congress doesn’t approve of curbs on any type of weapon—they’ll even use the debt ceiling as a weapon. The President is hoping that public opinion has swung in favor of gun control. And nobody is working harder on making that happen than the NRA...
The NRA is out with an ad attacking President Obama’s daughters. Seriously. The NRA never has to worry about people spreading lies about them. Nobody could come up with anything that’s worse than the things they actually do. The ad is called “Stand and Fight.” Congratulations, NRA members—you are standing and fighting schoolgirls. I guess on a sick level, this makes sense. The NRA attacks Obama’s children as part of a campaign to protect people who want the same weapons used to slaughter children. The ad asks “why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools when his kids are protected by armed guards at their schools?” Obama’s kids are protected by armed guards wherever they go—mostly because of incendiary attacks on his family like this one!
A neighbor of the Newtown school who helped children on the day of the massacre is being harassed by conspiracy theorists who think the event was staged by “crisis actors” to sway public opinion against guns. You know it’s odd that you never see any of these “crisis actors” in anything else. You would think they would pop up on “CSI” or “Law and Order” sometime. “Hey look—it’s a guy from the Virginia Tech shooting. He’s on ‘Homicide’ playing a pimp!” I guess crisis actors have to vow only to appear in faked crisis events. Do you think there are a lot of actors out there who would make that career choice? The thing is, you can only be a crisis actor in one staged crisis, too! We can’t be seeing the same guy running from the World Trade Center, playing a teacher at Columbine, and then being the neighbor at Sandy Hook. So these crisis actors get exactly one role (with no credits, SAG benefits, or residuals) in their lifetime. That’s too bad, because from what I’ve seen, they’re the best actors in the world!
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
In New York City on Tuesday, more than 8,000 school bus drivers walked off the job. It’s the first time school bus drivers have gone on strike in New York City in 33 years – and it’s the largest bus drivers’ union in the nation. The union claims bus drivers’ jobs are in danger as the city puts their contract up for bid in an effort to reduce costs.
On average, the drivers make $35,000 a year – with starting pay at $14 an hour – barely enough to get by, especially in New York City. These school bus drivers in New York City are facing the same problem as police officers in Camden and sanitation workers in Detroit. This is made worse by their cities teetering on the edge of bankruptcy since Wall Street crashed our economy – and the Bush Housing Bubble loaded everyone with debt. Now, looking to get their balance sheets in order, cities are cutting public services and selling our commons off to private corporations that don’t like unions and don’t give a damn about paying their workers a living wage.
Luckily, as we've seen over the last few years in Wisconsin, Ohio, at WalMarts across the nation, at fast food joints in New York City, and at shipping ports on the east and west coasts – American people are saying enough is enough, and are going on strike. And as we know, progressive change in America has always moved forward by the efforts of organized working people.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Vice President Biden’s gun violence task force has reportedly identified 19 separate actions on guns that the President can make with executive orders. Obama may direct federal agencies to more effectively share mental health records. Not every seriously mentally ill person posts public videos like James Yeager... or goes on paranoid rants like Alex Jones. The legislative action with the greatest chance of passing would be to improve the system of background checks. We need universal background checks. Right now anyone who can’t pass a background check can just get their gun at a gun show. It would be like having a separate entrance to the airplane for people who didn’t want to go through a security screening.
The task force may also recommend making gun trafficking a federal crime. As it stands now, gun trafficking is a joke. Under current law, to get a conviction for gun trafficking, prosecutors have to prove the seller knew the buyer was a felon, or had clear reason to know. How could they prove that the seller knew the buyer was a felon—if the buyer had a chin mullet?
Congressman Steve Stockman of Texas is threatening to impeach President Obama if he uses executive orders to regulate guns. Have you noticed that the conservative solution to any problem these days seems to either be impeachment, secession, or going on a killing spree? Impeachment, really? Does he think that using executive orders to regulate guns rises to the level of “high crimes and misdemeanors” like, say, consensual sex.
President Obama is warning Republicans not to allow the federal government to default on its obligations. Obama said “They will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the American economy.” In a sense it’s a shame that Republicans can’t get anything for crashing the economy—it’s the one thing they really know how to do. Refusing to raise the debt limit doesn’t put an end to spending. All it does is to put an end to paying. We don’t save any money by not raising the debt ceiling. The time to save on your heating bill is when you set the thermostat, not when you’re writing the check to the utility company.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Today New York is expected to pass the toughest gun control law in the nation – and the first new gun law since the massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school. Under the new provision, which passed the state Senate Monday night, and will be taken up by the state Assembly today, any assault weapons with a “military rifle” feature will be banned.
Also, every single assault weapon sale, whether through a private dealer or not, will be subject to a background check – and internet sales of assault weapons will be banned altogether. The legal limit for ammo clips will be reduced from ten to seven bullets – and residents who own high-capacity magazines will have one-year to sell them out of state before they are in violation of this new law. Those who refuse could face a misdemeanor for possession of high-capacity ammo clips. There are also provisions to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill who have made violent threats.
New York’s passage of tough gun control laws sets the stage for the national debate. According to the New York Times, President Obama will push for comprehensive gun control – and even endorse 19 specific executive actions he will take on his own – without Congress – to prevent weapons of war from ending up in the hands of the deranged. Among the President’s options include – restrictions on gun imports from overseas, better sharing of mental health records between federal agencies, and tougher background checks.
This fight is just getting started – and the safety of future generations is on the line. Stay tuned.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The gun nut who threatened to “start killing people” on a video is now out with yet a third video. Stop it already, James Yeager! You’re killing me! Yeager has a guest star on this video—his lawyer. It seems that in addition to packing ammo and a few snacks, you should also have the phone number of a good attorney... or at least just of an attorney.
Yeager says he’ll post a link with ways to contact your elected officials. And when James says it, your first thought is “Oh no! He knows where they live!” Yeager cautions listeners that when they write to their elected officials, don’t use “excessive capitalization or exclamation points.” It seems James Yeager is the voice of reason when it comes to proper punctuation. James is fully supportive of curbs on the use of capitalization and exclamation points—but mention background checks for buying assault rifles, and he will kill you. At the end, Yeager says “it’s for us to reflect.” You know what else is a good time to reflect, James? Before you make your first video. Oops! Too late!
Yeager is doing duets with his lawyer because the state of Tennessee has suspended his handgun carry permit. A Tennessee Homeland Security official said that Yeager’s comments sounded like “a veiled threat against the whole public.” As a member of the whole public, I would agree... except for the “veiled” part. A “threat against the whole public”! Really James, if you must be threatening, can you at least be specific. If you’re going to threaten the entire public, James, then everyone in society will have to stay away from you. But then, I’m sure that’s the case already. Yeager evidently worked for a private security contractor in Iraq... just in case you were still unclear on all of the reasons that whole thing went so terribly wrong.
Leave it to Pat Robertson to give us a break from all the gun talk by saying something outrageous about something different. Pat says that you can’t keep love alive in a marriage if women allow themselves to become “slatternly looking.” A quick pointer, Pat—advice from the 19th century sounds even more out of date when you use terminology from the 18th century.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Aaron, who often appeared on this show, was found dead in his apartment after an apparent suicide over the weekend. He had long battled depression. But friends, family, and supporters of Aaron are placing the blame for his death on the Department of Justice, which was currently prosecuting Aaron for an incident that happened back in 2011 on the campus of MIT. Aaron, an advocate for freedom of information on the Internet, was busted for tapping into MIT’s network, and downloading millions of scholarly journals from the online database JSTOR.
Despite it being a victimless crime, and JSTOR itself settling the matter with Aaron, the Department of Justice stepped in to make an example out of Aaron – charging him with multiple crimes and the possibility of serving more than 30 years in prison – which is more than killers, bank robbers, child pornographers, and terrorist sympathizers receive. The Secret Service even got involved in the matter. According to a statement – Aaron’s family blamed his death on, “an exceptionally harsh array of charges.”
Our justice system is clearly broken. How is that banksters who steal billions, or corporate executives who are responsible for the deaths of workers on oil rigs and mines, never see a day in jail. But whistleblowers and freedom of information activists have the book thrown at them, and suffer the full might of the United States Justice Department?
Over the weekend – online activists affiliated with Anonymous claimed responsibility for taking down the websites of MIT and the Department of Justice. One thing is for sure, the online community, which had joined together in the past for significant achievements, like the defeat of SOPA and PIPA, will not let Aaron die in vain.
Like the suicide of the Tunisian street vendor, which kicked off the Arab Spring, Aaron’s death just may be a spark to wake Americans up to this cancer in our justice system, this abuse of copyright laws, and this corporate domination of the internet, and our society. Let’s hope.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
(NaturalNews) With so much misinformation out there about food and how it affects human health, making healthy food choices for you and your family can be difficult and confusing. There are a number of specific foods; however, that you will want to avoid in almost every circumstance because they provide virtually no health benefits while posing plenty of health risks. Here are nine foods you should never eat again if you care about preserving your long-term health:
1) White bread, refined flours. By definition, white bread and refined flours in general are toxic for your body because they have been stripped of virtually all vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients. Because of this, the body does not know how to properly digest and assimilate these so-called foods, which can lead to health problems. Refined white flour has also been bleached with chlorine and brominated with bromide, two poisonous chemicals that have been linked to causing thyroid and organ damage.
2) Conventional frozen meals. Most conventionally-prepared frozen meals are loaded with preservatives, processed salt, hydrogenated oils and other artificial ingredients, not to mention the fact that most frozen meals have been heavily pre-cooked, rendering their nutrient content minimal at best (especially after getting microwaved again at home). With the exception of a few truly healthy frozen meal brands such as Amy’s and Organic Bistro, most frozen meals are little more than disease in a box, so avoid them in favor of fresh foods.
3) White rice. Like white bread, white rice has been stripped of most of its nutrients, and separated from the bran and germ, two natural components that make up rice in its brown form. Even so-called “fortified” white rice is nutritionally deficient, as the body still processes this refined food much differently than brown rice, which is absorbed more slowly and does not cause the same spike in blood sugar that white rice does.
4) Microwaveable popcorn. This processed food is a favorite among moviegoers and regular snackers alike, but it is one of the unhealthiest foods you can eat. Practically every component of microwaveable popcorn, from the genetically-modified (GM) corn kernels to the processed salt and preservative chemicals used to enhance its flavor, is unhealthy and disease-promoting. On top of this, microwaveable popcorn contains a chemical known as diacetyl that can actually destroy your lungs. If you love popcorn, stick with organic kernels that you can pop yourself in a kettle and douse with healthy ingredients like coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and Himalayan pink salt.
5) Cured meat products with nitrates. Deli meats, summer sausage, hot dogs, bacon, and many other meats sold at the grocery store are often loaded with sodium nitrite and other chemical preservatives that have been linked to causing heart disease and cancer. If you eat meat, stick with uncured, nitrite and nitrate-free varieties, and preferably those that come from organic, grass-fed animals.
6) Most conventional protein, energy bars. By the way they are often marketed, it might seem as though protein and energy bars are a strong addition to a healthy diet. But more often than not, these meal replacements contain processed soy protein, refined sugar, hydrogenated fat, and other harmful additives that contribute to chronic illness. Not all protein and energy bars are bad, of course — Thunderbird Energetica, Organic Food Bar, Boku Superfood, Vega Sport, PROBAR, and Zing all make healthy protein and energy bars. Just be sure to read the ingredient labels and know what you are buying.
7) Margarine. Hidden in all sorts of processed foods, margarine, a hydrogenated trans-fat oil, is something you will want to avoid at all costs for your health. Contrary to popular belief, butter and saturated fats in general are not unhealthy, especially when they are derived from pastured animals that feed on grass rather than corn and soy. And if animal-based fats are not for you, stick with extra-virgin coconut oil or olive oil rather than margarine.
8) Soy milk and soy-based meat substitutes. One of the biggest health frauds of modern times, the soy craze is a fad that you will want to skip. Besides the fact that nearly all non-organic soy ingredients are of GM origin, most soy additives are processed using a toxic chemical known as hexane, which is linked to causing birth defects, reproductive problems, and cancer. Soy that has not been fermented is also highly estrogenic, which can throw your natural hormone balance out of whack.
9) “Diet” anything. Many so-called “diet” products on the market today contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame (Equal) and sucralose (Splenda), both of which are linked to causing neurological damage, gastrointestinal problems, and endocrine disruption. Many diet products also contain added chemical flavoring agents to take the place of fat and other natural components that have been removed to artificially reduce calorie content. Instead, stick with whole foods that are as close to nature as possible, including high-fat foods grown the way nature intended, and your body will respond surprisingly well.
The NRA issued a snotty statement attacking the Vice President and the gun task force that they just met with. I guess when you’re armed all the time, you just get used to saying whatever the hell you feel like saying. The NRA said they came to have “a meaningful conversation about school safety, mental health issues, the marketing of violence to our kids and the collapse of federal prosecutions of violent criminals.” Wow. That’s about everything... except for guns. Hello! You’re the National RIFLE Association. The gun control task force didn’t invite you to hear your opinions about “the marketing of violence to our kids.” It seems the NRA thought they were being asked their opinion on how to reign in those video games that the shooter in Newtown used to kill all those kids.
James Yeager, the gun lunatic who threatened to “start killing people” over improved background checks is back with a second video. Guy, the sequels for these “shoot ‘em up’s” are never any good. Didn’t you see what happened to the “Rambo” franchise? Next we’re going to have “Start Killing People III,” where James Yeager has a cage-fight match with a character based on Eric Holder. As someone who earnestly wants to see public opinion support gun control legislation, I have two things to say to James Yeager. First, thank you for being online. Secondly, you can go away now.
While James Yeager rants about killing people, Judge Andrew Napolitano is telling Fox News viewers that the Second Amendment gives them the “right to shoot tyrants. Andrew Napolitano is just James Yeager with a tie instead of tattoos. It’s scary to think James Yeager is out there making up credentials for himself. It’s even scarier to realize that Judge Andrew Napolitano really was judge. Napolitano told Fox viewers the Second Amendment was “written to protect your right to shoot tyrants if they take over the government.” He did everything except hold a picture of Obama with a bull’s-eye on it. My God, this “Judge” essentially has the same advice to mentally unhinged people as James Yeager does: time to start shooting people! Hey Judge Napolitano, who makes the determination that the people running the government are “tyrants”? For most of the Second Amendment nuts out there, that line was crossed when we elected the black guy. After he tells people they have a legal right to shoot any officials that they deem to be “tyrants,” Napolitano says “How about chewing on that one?” It’s like he’s telling them to stew in their bunkers until they work up the courage to do it! The target audience for Fox News used to just be angry old white guys. Now it’s Travis Bickle.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
All around us, people are coming down with the flu – and the Centers for Disease Control warn that it could be the worst flu season in ten years. And to make matters worse, our national workplace policies are helping to spread the flu. Despite the CDC recommending people “stay home and avoid contact with other people,” most workers don’t have that option, as the United States is the only developed country that doesn’t guaranteed paid sick days to its workers.
As a result, 40% of private sector workers and 80% of low-income workers don’t get any paid sick days. In the food industry, where the chances of the flu spreading are highest, 79% of workers say they receive no paid sick leave. Our lack of protections for workers is directly responsible for more flu illnesses around the nation. As a 2009 study in the American Journal of Public Health found, there were as many as 5 million additional cases of the H1N1 flu in 2009, due to a lack of paid sick time.
Giving workers what they have earned – which is paid sick days – isn’t about workers rights. It’s about national security, and saving millions of Americans from needlessly contracting the flu when they dine out or go to the grocery store. Unfortunately, the billionaire class running Corporate America has squeezed every bit of profit they can from their workers – denying them union representation, healthcare, and paid vacations and sick leave.
This is insanity – and we should protest with our wallets and pocketbooks. Before dining out, call the restaurant and ask if they offer paid sick days to their employees. If not, then eat there at your own risk.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
With all the gun violence across the country in the past month or so, one might hold out the hope that the nation will finally take a long look at itself and it's collective love of the gun. Sadly, the holistic, generational approach to break the gun's spell on our soul will likely not happen soon. There's too much work to do, too much denial, and the gun culture seems far too firmly entrenched.
Gun advocates do have one thing right. A ban on assault weapons by itself won't work. That doesn't mean it won't have an effect, just that the misinterpretations of the Second Amendment will defy an easy legislative solution. Does this part of the Constitution give us the right to bear rocket launchers, like the pair that were turned in during a recent gun buyback in LA? Of course not. But neither does it give Americans the absolute right to carry guns into bars, which at least a couple of states now allow.
We must confront the fact that for many of us, guns have been presented as problem solvers since we were small children. Their possession gives a sense of safety and security, the ability to fight back in case any of "them" would seek to hurt us. Trouble is, all too often, we have learned that "them" is us, people who are able to buy guns legally because of loopholes in the law, or through theft or deception.
Our response to gun violence is to buy more guns. As lobbyists hide behind the shield of legitimate hunters to keep sensible laws off the books, we mourn the deaths of innocent children, but move on as soon as the last casket is in the ground. Rarely if ever do we question our fundamental beliefs about why they are so necessary.
Laws are but one part of the solution. We must break the cycle of vicarious violence in our everyday lives, whether it comes from movies, television, or video games. That will take time. That will take work. It's work that we as Americans aren't yet prepared to do.
Vice President Biden said after a meeting of his gun task force that President Obama is considering using executive orders to combat gun violence. There is plenty Obama can do. Conservative members of Congress have kept the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms without a director for the past six years! Obama can make a recess appointment for someone to head the BATF. That should be no problem—this is a Congress that takes a LOT of recesses.
The NRA is trying to stop the city of Tucson from destroying guns that people turned in for a gun buyback program. Oh. My. God. The NRA loves guns the way Rick Santorum loves zygotes! How long before we have a law giving personhood to guns? If the NRA fails to save these guns and they end up being destroyed, I wonder if they’ll build a memorial to the slain guns.
I truly thought it was impossible, but someone has “out Alex Jones’d” Alex Jones! One James Yeager has posted a video saying he will “start killing people” if Obama strengthens gun background checks through executive order. If that’s your cue to “start killing people,” then your threshold for killing people is WAY too low. Yeager runs a company called “Tactical Response.” I would say his response here was not very tactical. Some conservative pundits are going to bemoan the fact that psychopaths like Yeager undermine their message. But it’s conservative pundits like Glenn Beck and Matt Drudge who create the James Yeagers. James Yeager is the kind of Frankenstein’s monster that all this rhetoric from people like Wayne LaPierre has created. If James Yeager is Frankenstein’s monster, Wayne LaPierre is Dr. Frankenstein.
Wait! There’s a guy in Florida who says that the Newtown massacre was a fake staged with professional actors. Are these people in some sort of contest to top each other? Bad news for James Yeager—Yeager is from Tennessee. If there’s a contest over who is craziest, the entrant from Florida always wins. Yes, James Tracy, a professor from Florida Atlantic University, says that Obama arranged for trained “crisis actors” to stage the Newtown massacre. Of course, the big unanswered question is—were they really child actors, or did Obama use midgets?
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
The days of guaranteed retirement benefit in the form of a pension are long gone. As numbers out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics show – defined benefit retirement pension are on a drastic decline since 1981. That was the year when over 80% of full-time workers in the private sector participated in a pension plan. By 1997, that number had plummeted to just over 50%. And by 2011, looking at all workers in all private businesses in America, fewer than 20% of workers have some sort of pension retirement plan.
This translates into economic insecurity for seniors – especially now that Republicans in the House are trying to turn Social Security and Medicare over to private sector profiteers. This also adds to the growing list of things that Corporate America is taking from their workers, in its quest for higher and higher profits.
In recent months – we’ve seen employers promise to reduce hours to avoid providing health insurance, we’ve seen the right to free political speech taken away, guaranteed vacation time and maternity leave don’t exist – workplace safety laws are getting watered down – heck, they’ve even taken our money by flattening our wages during a time of increased productivity. In some states, they even want to take away our bathroom breaks!
This is nothing short of theft. And pretty soon, we’ll be handing over the shirts on our backs, just so that our bosses can squeeze whatever profits they can out of them.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
After his tragic/comic, spittle-spewing rant on CNN’s Piers Morgan show, rightwing nutcase Alex Jones went back to his hotel room and made a video that makes his on-air diatribe seem calm and reasoned. I would say that Alex Jones comes off in this video like someone who is clinically paranoid, but he doesn’t “come off” that way at all. He clearly really is that way.
Jones said that the CNN headquarters in New York had “torn up carpet, and feces all over the wall and the floor on the bathroom.” I have a feeling that any room that Alex Jones spends any time in ends up with feces on the wall and floor. And I’m sure the feces is smeared on the wall with messages like “Stop the voices!”
Here’s the scary part—Alex Jones is a spokesman for gun ownership. The fact that Alex Jones owns guns (over 50 guns according to him) is enough to make anyone paranoid—not nearly as paranoid as Alex Jones, but close. Bottom line, I don’t know exactly what we have to do to strengthen gun laws, but I do know that whatever law we come up with should prevent anyone as crazy as Alex Jones from ever having a gun.
This week, as part of the gun violence task force, Vice President Biden will meet with interest groups including the NRA. The gun task force is considering universal background checks for gun buyers. The shocking part of that recommendation is that we don’t currently have background checks for gun buyers. Why can’t we track the purchases of guns? We track the purchase of everything else. If you don’t believe me, just buy anything on line. If you buy a shower curtain at Target online, for the next several months, every website you visit will mysteriously have banner ads for bathroom rugs and towels. If you buy an MP3 of a Kanye West song on Amazon, you are suddenly going to be linked online to Kanye West more than Kim Kardashian is linked online to Kanye West! If they can track my online purchases with as much detail as they do, then if we do get a new law to track gun sales, I suggest that we put Amazon in charge of administering it. That way, people who purchased automatic weapons would get harassed to buy other things that paranoid lunatics like to buy! “Hey there! Did you know that other people who purchased the Bushmaster .223 assault rifle also enjoy reading Glenn Beck’s new book, Agenda 21!”
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Florida Governor Rick Scott is using poor people in his state as pawns in his political game. Scott is one of a number of Republican Governors, who are using their grudge against President Obama to deny millions of low-income Americans health insurance coverage. As part of Obamacare – states are expected to expand their Medicaid coverage to cover more low-income Americans. And for the first few years – the federal government will pay for all the costs of this expansion – and after that will continue to pay for the vast majority of the coverage indefinitely.
All the states have to do is say, “Yes.” But Governor Scott, whose state has one of the highest uninsured rates in the nation, is saying, “No.” Not only is he saying, “No,” but he’s lying, too, claiming that Medicaid expansion will cost his state $26 billion over the next ten years. In reality – it will cost his state one billion – so he’s inflated the cost by 2,500%, just to justify his decision to screw poor, sick people in his state.
Several Republicans have a personal grudge against President Obama, and they want to do everything in their power to see that he fails. But condemning poor people in their states to untimely death due to lack of health insurance, as Rick Scott is doing, is downright appalling.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Cable news is now featuring freaks that are comparing the idea of gun control to what happened under the Third Reich... which from their point of view, was basically the tragic story of a crazed dictator denying people guns. Hitler’s priority wasn’t to ban the selling of high-capacity ammunition clips. He was too busy suppressing minorities and crushing the unions—the same things that today’s conservatives are obsessed with.
Despite the fantasies, of gun nuts, Adolf Hitler never enacted a ban on guns. Guns weren’t the first thing Adolf Hitler went after. In fact, he never got around to going after guns—and Adolf Hitler found the time to go after a LOT of things. Hitler knew that guns don’t free people from tyranny—people free people from tyranny. So he went after the people who would oppose him—like union members.
A new ad from an ammo company called USAAmmo compares President Obama to tyrants like Hitler and Stalin. I’m shocked. Mostly, I’m shocked that an ammo company feels the need to advertise. Isn’t that stuff flying off of the shelves? The video with the ad claims that the President and Attorney General Eric Holder “are secretly conspiring American Citizens of the right to bear arms.” This ad is based on inciting fear and paranoia among people who are completely misinformed. Give the ammo company this much—they know their customers. A spokesman for USAAmmo said Obama is “anti-gun and he’s obviously a socialist cramming healthcare down America’s throats.” Obama is cramming healthcare down America’s throats! Well a lot of good all those guns are doing you guys—you can’t even prevent yourselves from being given affordable healthcare!
Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell refuses to say if he would use the debt ceiling as a weapon... which is just another way of using the debt ceiling as a weapon. Republicans will always use any weapon they have. This is the party of 2nd Amendment solutions. They love weapons. The reason is obvious—if you don’t have the numbers, you better have the guns. It’s not easy running the country with a tiny base of elderly white men in the rural south. You have to be armed with things like assault rifles and debt ceilings.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Of what might happen if Republicans refuse to raise the debt limit, is beginning to emerge. According to analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center – if the debt limit isn’t raised by the end of February – then a chain reaction of events will happen that will ruin both the United States’ and global economy. To begin with, the Treasury Department has to make roughly 100 million payments a month, to pay for things already spent by Congress. Without an increase in the debt limit – those payments will not be able to go out.
Yes, in the short term, the Treasury can prioritize what they pay out first – and keep payments to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Education, and Defense going for a little while – but that would mean everything else would cease getting funding after March 1st. That includes food safety inspectors, prisons, researchers, courts, the FAA, and the list goes on and on. And then there’s the subsequent shock to global financial markets, that will occur once America defaults on her debt – and the benchmark interest rate for US debt skyrockets – forcing rates on credit cards, mortgages, and complex derivatives to spike as well. The interest on our debt will go up – revenue into the government will go down – and we’ll be in an even worse fiscal situation than we were before.
This would be a nightmare for everyone. Yet, it’s exactly what House Republicans are willing to bring about, unless President Obama agrees to significant cuts in Medicare and Social Security Insurance programs. There’s no other way to describe this than economic terrorism. And the President must cut off negotiations with these terrorists right now – and embrace either the 14th Amendment, or the trillion-dollar platinum coin, to raise the debt limit on his own
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL 1600.
Former NRA chairman Marion Hammer has equated an assault weapons ban with racism. How vile! Next, they’re going to say that Martin Luther King would support assault weapons... if he were still alive. It’s absurd to say that some sort of “discrimination” against assault weapons is like racism. Gun control advocates aren’t out there saying “But some of my best friends are automatic rifles!” According to Hammer, “this is about banning the ugliest guns, it’s about cosmetics and it has nothing to do about how a firearm works.” Nobody cares about banning the “ugliest guns.” A gun can look like Louie Gohmert, and I wouldn’t want to ban it unless it’s capable of killing dozens of people in a matter of seconds.
There was another shooting in Aurora, the Colorado town where the Batman movie massacre took place. The entire town of Aurora has post-traumatic stress disorder. And the NRA’s only response is to suggest more trauma and more stress. The number of calls to the crisis hotline in Aurora has more than double since the theater shootings in July. If the NRA were running the crisis hotline, they’d be telling people “Just remain calm. We’re getting more guns as soon as possible.”
In the wake of all these killings, the state of Georgia has introduced four new bills to loosen restrictions on guns. It seems that no matter how many shootings we have, it’s not enough for some people. One of the bills is called the Restoring Gun Rights During State of Emergency Act. It prevents the governor from restricting the buying and selling of guns during a State of Emergency. I guess that the next time there’s a flood in Georgia, the plan is to shoot it.
Lisen to The Randi Rhodes show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL 1600.
Are Republicans really going to blow up the economy in the debt-limit fight? All signs point to yes. On Sunday, Republican Congressman Matt Salmon called on his colleagues to shut down the government unless President Obama agrees to significant spending cuts to Social Security and Medicare Insurance. Also – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to say whether or not his party will shut down the government if they don’t get what they want in upcoming budget battles.
Unlike government shutdowns in the 1990’s, allowing the United States to default on its debt, by not raising the debt-ceiling. would be catastrophic to the global economy. Just playing with the idea back in 2011 led markets to tumble and our national credit rating to be downgraded. But Republican hostage takers are undeterred – and the cable news media is giving them cover, by not calling our just how dangerous their brinksmanship is.
President Obama must listen to Democrats in the House like Nancy Pelosi and Jerrold Nadler, who are pushing him to not negotiate with Republicans on the debt limit, and instead take executive action to raise the debt-limit on his own: either through invoking the 14th Amendment or by printing platinum coins at the Treasury.
The United States has long had a policy of not negotiating with terrorists. Today – Republicans are acting like economic terrorists – and could do far more harm to our economy by defaulting on our debt, than al Qaeda could have dreamed of. We should not negotiate with them.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
Well, John Boehner is Speaker of the House again. I guess John Boehner is the best thing the Republicans have got. Hey, wasn’t that the same reason they nominated Mitt Romney?
There was a mini-coup against Boehner in the voting to be speaker. But the coup was poorly thought out and totally ineffective. You would think that the people attempting the coup should realize from that that John Boehner is their natural leader. Allen West, who lost his reelection bid to the House, got two votes to be Speaker of the House! Casting a vote for Allen West isn’t a statement—it’s a threat. Casting a vote for Allen West to be Speaker of the House on the floor of the House should be considered like shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater. It has nothing to do with free speech—you’re just trying to scare people.
Fox News crackpot psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow might run for the Senate seat that John Kerry would vacate if he becomes Secretary of State. If Scott Brown doesn’t run, then Ablow says “I will take those who have asked me to run much more seriously.” Who is asking Dr. Keith Ablow to run for Senate? Well, he is a psychiatrist... who works for Fox News—he must talk to a lot of crazy people. Dr. Ablow, when people say you have no business being a doctor, they don’t say it because they think you really should be a United States Senator!
More guns mean more mass shootings. The statistics prove it. And if that’s not enough for you, the NRA denies it—that should prove it beyond any doubt. In the US, the increase in the number of firearms has wildly outpaced population growth. Of course, part of that may be due to the fact that having so many guns causes enough shooting deaths to dampen population growth. Although there are so many more guns, they are owned by fewer households—in the 80’s 50 percent of households owned guns, but today only 40 percent of household own guns. America’s guns are being concentrated more and more into the hands of fewer and fewer people... kind of like America’s wealth. When people hoard wealth, it could lead to economic disaster. When people hoard weapons, the potential for disaster is thousands of times worse.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 6 PM to 8 PM on WWRL 1600.
In the House, John Boehner was narrowly elected to his second term as Speaker – surviving a revolt by a handful of Tea Party Republicans. But the action is in the Senate, where the battle for filibuster reform is heating up. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid brought the Senate into session yesterday, then immediately recessed it until later this month, keeping alive the option to reform the filibuster in a few weeks with a simple majority vote. That gives time for Senators Jeff Merkley and Tom Udall to whip up support for their plan to bring back the talking filibuster, which will force Senators to actually stand on the floor and talk the entire time they wish to filibuster.
Meanwhile, a group of bipartisan Senators led by John McCain are trying to kill filibuster reform, with a watered down version that will actually make the problem even worse. That’s because Republicans know there filibustering over the last few years has meant big money for their corporate donors. As the Public Campaign Action Fund found, huge money from corporate America, including Big Oil and Wall Street, is fueling the filibusters to make sure their tax rates stay low, their subsidies keep flowing, and that regulations are kept to a minimum. In other words, the filibuster is very profitable for Corporate America, which is why Republicans are desperately trying to keep it.
But if Democrats want any chance at taking back the House of Representatives in two years, then its critical they take up the Merkley-Udall plan, and reform the filibuster to finally get some good, progressive legislation passed out of the upper chamber. Stay tuned.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL 1600.
President Obama signed the fiscal cliff bill into law via autopen from Hawaii where he is on vacation. Wait a minute! There’s a presidential autopen? Don’t tell Grover Norquist. He already thinks that all he needs in a president is enough working digits to sign things. Now he won’t even want that much. The presidential autopen has been around since the administration of George W. Bush. You kind of know why they wanted one then—with an autopen, you don’t have to worry about Bush misspelling his name. “George” is not easy for Bush to spell. For that matter, neither is “W.”
Yesterday, Chris Christie came down hard on John Boehner for blowing off the vote to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy (video below). Shortly after Christie’s diatribe, John Boehner scheduled a half-assed fix to provide interim relief for Sandy victims. Boehner said he will hold a vote on $9 billion of the relief package on Friday, and on the remaining $51 billion on January 15th. See that, John? You tried to avoid doing something, and now you have to do it twice.
Boehner did allow a bunch of other bills to go through on New Year’s Day, even as he killed Hurricane Sandy relief. John Boehner thinks it’s more important to rename post offices than it is to rebuild New York and New Jersey. How dumb is John Boehner that he didn’t anticipate the massive outcry? But then heavy drinkers aren’t the best people in the world when it comes to weighing consequences. Otherwise there would be no such thing as “drunk dialing.”
Conservative groups like the Club for Growth had been pressuring House Republicans to vote against Hurricane Sandy Relief. The Club for Growth? What kind of growth do they want—the growth of mold in waterlogged homes? Americans for Prosperity also opposes funding for hurricane relief in New York and New Jersey. I guess that the billionaires who fund Americans for Prosperity all own penthouses in New York. They’re all dozens of stories above the damage. AFP’s biggest funder is David Koch, who has a nice place on the Upper East Side... the operative word being “Upper.”
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL 1600.
The United States is set to jump into an austerity economic death spiral this year. Already – thanks to Republican hostage scenarios forcing deep spending cuts, the United States is set to swallow $348 billion in austerity measures in 2013. That includes $200 billion in spending cuts and an additional $125 billion from the expiration of the payroll tax cut. These austerity measures total 2.1% of our national GDP – which is more austerity than most nations in Europe have endured thus far – including the UK, France, and Spain. This month, we learned that thanks to austerity, the UK is now in a double-dip recession. And Spain, which has been choking on austerity for a year, now has the highest unemployment rate in Europe of 26.2%.
Austerity sucks money out of the hands of working people, so that rich people don’t have to pay their fair share for deficit reduction and economic growth. And since working people are the real job creators – and not rich people – then austerity kills economies. All austerity has done to the Eurozone is push it closer and closer to collapse – and it will do the same thing to the United States. And considering that a new so-called fiscal cliff looms two months from now – and Republicans, as well as President Obama, are pushing for more spending cuts and more austerity – our nation could be facing a tumultuous 2013.
Today is the first day of the new Congress -- and we all have to get active and convince our lawmakers to abandon this psychotic thinking that we can cut our way to prosperity. It’s never happened before anytime in the history of the planet. We need stimulus spending – not austerity gutting.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL 1600.
I hope you had a great New Year’s. But if you spent New Year’s Eve counting down the fiscal cliff negotiations, your counting went quite a while past midnight. In fact, you were still counting until late on Tuesday night. By then I’m sure your champagne was decidedly flat. Some people get time off for the holidays, other people have to work. Then there are the people in Congress, who have to work, but take the time off anyway. The fiscal cliff deal was a typical Congressional action—a day late, and a trillion dollars short. We didn’t exactly avert the fiscal cliff—we actually went over it and spent a day dangling from a tree branch over the chasm. Or more accurately, it was like we were hanging on to the cliff ledge by our fingers, while Eric Cantor and the Tea Party caucus in the House were stomping on our hands.
Nobody is happy—it’s just that Republicans are much, much louder when they’re unhappy. Anything that makes conservatives this apoplectic has got to have a lot of good things going for it. Charles Krauthammer said “This is a complete surrender on everything.” Gee Charles, as much as I’d like to believe we got everything we wanted, at least it’s nice to know that you believe it, if only because I know it really bugs you.
Ultimately, the negotiations were saved by Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell, two veterans of the Senate. It’s ironic—Washington can make you crazy, but the only sane people left are the ones who have been there a long time. These days, the people who are just showing up in D.C. are crazier than the ones who have been there forever.
John Boehner has pulled the plug on a bill to provide relief for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Peter King, a Republican from Long Island said “What they did last night was put a knife in the back of New Yorkers and New Jerseyans.” Hey, they had been trying to knife people on Social Security and Medicare in the fiscal cliff negotiations. Maybe they just really felt like knifing somebody.
BTW, at noon on Thursday, the new 113th Congress will get sworn in. So lobbyists should remember to stop writing “112th Congress” on their checks.
Listen to The Randi Rhodes Show Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL AM 1600.
So now it's official. Republicans in the House of Representatives can't chew gum and walk at the same time. Either that, or they are deliberately playing partisan politics with human suffering. Or both. Anyone with the slightest bit of sense knows they didn't want to sign off on a bill to avert the "fiscal cliff" that contained no spending cuts.
Yet they did, and 86 of their number sided with Democrats. No sooner was the vote done, however, than the House adjourned without even considering a bill aimed at helping the thousands of victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Ironically, some of the harshest language used in condemning these cowards come from members of their own flock. That would be Rep. Peter King, whose district was particularly hard hit by the hurricane, as well as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. As soon as these eyes read the news, the first instinct was to utter an expletive followed by the word "payback".
Could it be payback to those New York Area GOP legislators who sided with the majority on the fiscal cliff bill? Might it be the House Republican leadership is paying Christie back for the kind words he said about President Obama after the storm? Needless to say, none of these cowards would have the guts to admit that's what they did by forcing the Sandy Bill to be taken up by the new Congress.
This wasn't just a slap in the face to lawmakers, or the thousands of people still trying to put their lives back together after losing everything. It's also an affront to the countless number of people who reached out to help those same victims of the hurricane. They don't want money for themselves, they never did. What they did want was to see those they were helping get their lives back to some semblance of normalcy.
The penny pinching petulance of House Republican leadership has made the hope a little bit further away.
For shame!!
Update!!!! They do have some shame Boehner now says he'll bring the bill up in two stages this week. This of course, after a barrage of criticism. Still, as one person I've admired for a long time once said, "Do it once. Do it right. Then move forward".
The House of Representatives needed overtime – but late Tuesday night, they agreed with the Senate and passed legislation to avert half of the so-called “fiscal cliff.” And despite President Obama and some Democrats declaring victory after Republicans were forced to sign on to a small tax increase for the wealthiest Americans, this fiscal cliff deal is actually a dream come true for billionaires and banksters. Not only does it keep in place most of the Bush tax cuts FOREVER – it also gives massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and transnational corporations – while giving Americans who earn less than $100,000 a year a tax increase.
Since the payroll tax cut wasn't extended – most working Americans will see their taxes go up by as much as $2200 a year, but corporations like Goldman Sachs, GE, and big Japanese-owned Hollywood movie studios will get hundreds of billions of dollars in tax loopholes thanks to the Republicans they own. On top of that, taxes paid by millionaires and billionaires - like estate taxes, capital gains, and dividend taxes - were all drastically and permanently cut – meaning the Mitt Romneys and Koch Brothers will pay much lower taxes thanks to this deal.
Forget the sales pitch – this deal is a tax hike on working people – and a tax cut for the top 1%. And it’s a last parting "screw you" to the middle class, courtesy of the billionaires who elected the 112th Congress in 2010 – the first election after Citizens United.
Listen to The Thom Hartmann Program Monday through Friday 3 PM to 6 PM on WWRL 1600.
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...
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew appears to have the right ideas. But, it doesn't seem like any of our elected leaders are listening. On Monday, Secretary Lew sent letters to members of the House financial services committee, urging them to...
Last year, five major U.S. Banks and 49 state attorneys general agreed on a $25 billion settlement to compensate victims of abusive bank practices and foreclosure fraud. But, according to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the...
Last night the on-screen talent of television and film gathered to pay tribute to their peers at the 19th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Held at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles and the name of the venue says it all, “Shrine”. Oh yes lawd! As I sat in anticipation for the red carpet to begin I could feel a praise coming on in the name of Chanel, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford and Armani Prive. *Dances lyrically across living room floor* Seriously, waiting to see all my favorites like Kerry Washington, Emma Blunt, and Jennifer Lawrence on the red carpet had me on edge all day. So many questions raced through my mind. What designers will be worn tonight? Will Jessica Chastain redeem herself from her Globes fumble? Who will be the bell of the ball? As the clock drew closer to 6:00 pm there were three things this fashion devotee needed to assure this red carpet viewing went off without a hitch; 1. Veuve Clicquot Champagne. 2. Truffles from La Maison du Chocolat. 3. A girlfriend to ki-ki and disagree with. With all in place I was ready for the games to begin.
Opulence was the word of the night. My nominee for bell of the ball is a beauty of another color; ravishing red. Jessica Chaistain, you were the cherry on top. She looked simply divine in her Alexander McQueen gown. This dress was so regal. The silhouette was absolute perfection. Also strolling along the carpet were the Dons of the evening. These gentlemen were dapper, chic and chiseled in single breast tailored blazers and trousers. Bow-ties perfectly knotted; Gentleman’s Quality at its best. Bradley Copper’s charming smile topped off a supremely tailored Tom Ford tuxedo. Leiv Schreiber the chaperone of choice in sharp navy blue. Eddie Redmayn showed us all what crush velvet can do on you.
