Thursday, October 31, 2013

BREAKING: Three Bush-Appointed Judges Reinstate Texas’ Anti-Abortion Law

BREAKING: Three Bush-Appointed Judges Reinstate Texas’ Anti-Abortion Law: A panel of three Republican judges, all of whom were appointed by President George W. Bush, granted the state of Texas' request Wednesday night to reinstate a law that will force many of the state's abortion clinics to close their doors.

Tape shows truth over GOP candidate’s denials

Sandy aid naysayers now want NY money

Attention shifts to AG race in Virginia

Texas abortion law unconstitutional: judge

House GOP gives up on working rest of year

Report Exposes 'Unprecedented, Corporate-Backed Attack on Workers' | Common Dreams

Report Exposes 'Unprecedented, Corporate-Backed Attack on Workers' | Common Dreams
"A new report by the Economic Policy Institute released Thursday, examining the "unprecedented" attack on the rights of both unionized and nonunionized workers in states across the country, reveals how the right-wing machine in recent years has crippled the gains of a once prosperous middle class."

The Obamacare misinformation campaign

Women’s rights at stake in Virginia election

MSNBC's All In Reports on Devastating Food Stamp Cuts Rest of the Media is Ignoring

MSNBC's All In Reports on Devastating Food Stamp Cuts Rest of the Media is Ignoring
"These right-wingers hate the poor. They hate minimum wage which might help lift them out of poverty. They hate taxes if they're going to the "lazy moochers" who don't deserve to have food put in their mouths. And they don't want to do a thing about outsourcing and shipping jobs overseas. And they hate public education. But they expect everyone to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps by whatever means necessary. It's long past time these people were shown the door."

25 Facts Right-Wingers Desperately Want Us to Forget | Alternet

25 Facts Right-Wingers Desperately Want Us to Forget | Alternet
"Now that we have named the disease, we have to point to the cure: the facts. Here are 25 facts that right-wingers often forget, overlook, omit or ignore."

Ractopamine: The Meat Additive on Your Plate That's Banned Almost Everywhere But America | Alternet

Ractopamine: The Meat Additive on Your Plate That's Banned Almost Everywhere But America | Alternet
"Have you ever heard of ractopamine? Neither have most US food consumers though it is  used in 80 percent of  US pig and cattle operations. The asthma drug-like growth additive, called a beta-agonist, has enjoyed stealth use in the US food supply for a decade despite being widely banned overseas. It is marketed as Paylean for pigs, Optaflexx for cattle and Topmax for turkeys."

Monday, October 28, 2013

How Sequestration Gets Even Worse Next Year

How Sequestration Gets Even Worse Next Year: The accounting gimmicks and emergency measures that muted the impact this year won't be available anymore.

Say Goodbye to Your Antibiotics - Truthdig

Say Goodbye to Your Antibiotics - Truthdig
"We’ve reached the limits of medicine’s effectiveness. Thanks to overmedication and the abuse of antibiotics in the agriculture industry, there are infections that can no longer be treated with antibiotics. And there’s nothing left to do except maybe hope for the best."

With JPMorgan Under Spotlight, Growing Calls to Jail the Banksters | Common Dreams

With JPMorgan Under Spotlight, Growing Calls to Jail the Banksters | Common Dreams
"While JPMorgan Chase's $13 billion settlement for its "shady practices that five years ago helped trigger the financial meltdown, including manipulating mortgages and sending millions of Americans into bankruptcy or foreclosure" has gained attention for its record amount, a number of banking reform advocates are saying real accountability will come when executives are prosecuted and sent to jail for illegal activity."

Campaign To Defeat GMO Labeling In Washington Gets $21 Million From Industry, $550 From Actual People

Campaign To Defeat GMO Labeling In Washington Gets $21 Million From Industry, $550 From Actual People: Human beings who live in Washington have donated .0025 percent of the total funding blitz leveled against the upcoming GMO labeling initiative.

Federal Judge Blocks One Of The Restrictions In Texas’ Sweeping New Anti-Abortion Law

Federal Judge Blocks One Of The Restrictions In Texas’ Sweeping New Anti-Abortion Law: The abortion restrictions that Wendy Davis filibustered for 11 hours straight have been dealt a huge blow by a federal judge.

5 Reasons Why Cutting Social Security Would Be Irrational | Alternet

5 Reasons Why Cutting Social Security Would Be Irrational | Alternet
"Cutting this popular and well-run and life-sustaining program would be irrational."

Friday, October 25, 2013

PERRspectives: Paul Ryan's Secret Love Affair with Obamacare

PERRspectives: Paul Ryan's Secret Love Affair with Obamacare
"The Affordable Care Act, Republicans and their right-wing water carriers warn, is the worst thing to happen to America since slavery and theFugitive Slave Act. But for Congressional Republicans in general and Paul Ryan in particular, Obamacare also happens to be the love that dare not speak its name. After all, Ryan's dangerous and unpopular voucher scheme to privatize Medicare not only depends on the success of the very kind of health insurance exchanges he now decries, but also requires the ACA to cover the 65 and 66 year-old beneficiaries he would drop from the program covering 49 million seniors. And as it turns out, the same Paul Ryan who would defund, delay or repeal Obamacare nevertheless wants to keep every penny in new revenue it generates in order to fund his massive tax cut windfall for the wealthy."

Can You Guess the 10 Best Countries For Women? Hint: the U.S. Isn't One of Them | Alternet

Can You Guess the 10 Best Countries For Women? Hint: the U.S. Isn't One of Them | Alternet
"The report, which ranks 136 countries, determines its findings across four primary areas including economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment and health and survival, ranking the United States 23 rd on the list for 2013"

North Carolina GOP Official Resigns After Racist 'Daily Show' Interview

North Carolina GOP Official Resigns After Racist 'Daily Show' Interview
"The chickens are coming home to roost in North Carolina, as at least one official decided to speak candidly about their voter suppression efforts."

Republicans Demand Social Security And Medicare Cuts, Is It Reported? | Common Dreams

Republicans Demand Social Security And Medicare Cuts, Is It Reported? | Common Dreams
"Republicans are demanding cuts in Social Security and Medicare if Democrats want to change the terms of the “sequester.” I’m sure their Tea Party “base” would be shocked if they understood this. So would most Americans. So is the media giving Americans the information they need in order to make informed decisions?"

Thursday, October 24, 2013

The First High-Profile Person Blamed In The Financial Crisis Is A Woman

The First High-Profile Person Blamed In The Financial Crisis Is A Woman: A woman gets blame for the financial crisis despite men's heavy dominance in Wall Street.

A Basic Fact About Breasts That Could Save Your Life: And The Forces Trying to Keep it Under Wraps | Alternet

A Basic Fact About Breasts That Could Save Your Life: And The Forces Trying to Keep it Under Wraps | Alternet
"One in eight. That’s how many women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This grim statistic lands in the spotlight during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is currently underway."

Wall Street Journal takes on Christianity

How Texas voter ID laws undermine women

The Affordable Care Act’s Lower-Than-Projected Premiums Will Save $190 Billion

www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/report/2013/10/23/77537/the-affordable-care-acts-lower-than-projected-premiums-will-save-190-billion/
"These savings will boost the health law’s amount of deficit reduction by 174 percent and represent about 40 percent of the health care savings proposed by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform—commonly known as the Simpson-Bowles commission—in 2010.
Moreover, we estimate that lower premiums will lower the number of uninsured even further, by an additional 700,000 people, even as the number of individuals who receive tax credits will decline because insurance is more affordable."

Echoes of Confederacy seen in tea party

‘Let’s say I married Boehner...’

6 Most Brazen Right-Wing Lies About Obamacare | Alternet

6 Most Brazen Right-Wing Lies About Obamacare | Alternet
"These are not the hackneyed GOP talking points about death panels, job killers and government bureaucrats coming between patients and doctors. These are far more fanciful efforts that stretch the limits of credulity and appear to have more in common with satire than actual news reporting. But this is what it has come to as Obamacare has finally reached the consumer stage and conservatives are desperate to keep people from discovering its benefits."

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Texas’ plot to suppress female voter turnout

Denmark Is the Happiest Country on Earth! You'll Never Guess Why | Alternet

Denmark Is the Happiest Country on Earth! You'll Never Guess Why | Alternet
"The six factors for a happy nation split evenly between concerns on a government- and on a human-scale. The happiest countries have in common a large GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy at birth and a lack of corruption in leadership. But also essential were three things over which individual citizens have a bit more control over: A sense of social support, freedom to make life choices and a culture of generosity."

PHOTOS: Hundreds Of Maryville Residents Rally To Support Daisy Coleman

PHOTOS: Hundreds Of Maryville Residents Rally To Support Daisy Coleman: About 200 people stood in solidarity with two teenage girls who say they were raped last year, holding daisies to express support for Daisy Coleman.

Three Extreme Right-Wing Ideologies Have Taken Over the Republican Party -- and Could Destroy It Forever | Alternet

Three Extreme Right-Wing Ideologies Have Taken Over the Republican Party -- and Could Destroy It Forever | Alternet
"The overlapping ideologies of Ayn Rand capitalists, Christian fundamentalists and neo-Confederate white supremacists is a toxic mix"

How Obamacare Will Save The Federal Government $190 Billion

How Obamacare Will Save The Federal Government $190 Billion: The emergence of new insurers and increased competition within the law's marketplaces has lowered premiums, leading to big savings for consumers and the federal government.

Obamacare opponents wage state-level fight

Obamacare off to great start in Kentucky, Washington, Oregon

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/22/1249670/-Obamacare-off-to-great-start-in-Kentucky-Washington-nbsp-Oregon
"What do all these states have in common? Democratic governors who actually want everyone in their state to have access to health care."

Health gap between states could reshape US

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Fact-checker finds Hannity wanting

Social Security Pumps $2 Into US Economy for Every Benefit Dollar Spent

Social Security Pumps $2 Into US Economy for Every Benefit Dollar Spent
"Just as Food Stamps stimulate the economy by creating about $1.80 of economic activity for every dollar of Food Stamps spent, Social Secuity pumps up job-generating and business activity by about $2 for every dollar recipients spend.  This is according to a new study by the AARP"

Coulter 'Proud of Republicans' For ‘Magnificent, Run Beautifully’ Government Shutdown

Coulter 'Proud of Republicans' For ‘Magnificent, Run Beautifully’ Government Shutdown
"These millionaire pundits might think this is some sort of a game where the real damage done to people's lives and livelihoods don't matter much, but I doubt most of the public shares their view of the harm that was done to the country due to Republicans' brinksmanship, pure spite and their desire to lash out due to their overwhelming hatred of President Obama."

Texas Republican Judge Switches Party, Denouncing GOP as Party of Bigots and Hate-Mongers | Alternet

Texas Republican Judge Switches Party, Denouncing GOP as Party of Bigots and Hate-Mongers | Alternet
"A Republican Judge from San Antonio, Texas, has announced he is quitting the GOP and will seek re-election as a Democrat, saying that he can no longer be part of political party whose identity is based on hate, bigotry and destrying people’s lives."

Ted Cruz's Father Suggested His Son Is 'Anointed' to Bring About 'End Time Transfer of Wealth' | Alternet

Ted Cruz's Father Suggested His Son Is 'Anointed' to Bring About 'End Time Transfer of Wealth' | Alternet
"In other words, the "great transfer of wealth" is about more than wishful thinking. It's about an ongoing effort, by leaders and institutions of the evangelical right, to gradually gobble up the secular sphere of government."

Monday, October 21, 2013

Maryville Rape Survivor Fights Victim-Blaming: ‘This Is Why I Am Not Shutting Up’

Maryville Rape Survivor Fights Victim-Blaming: ‘This Is Why I Am Not Shutting Up’: Daisy Coleman tried to kill herself twice after being bullied by her peers once the news of her sexual assault went public. "I refuse to be a victim of cruelty any longer," she writes in a new op-ed.

South Dakota Doctors Urge Their Governor To Expand Medicaid Under Obamacare

South Dakota Doctors Urge Their Governor To Expand Medicaid Under Obamacare: If the state agreed to Obamacare's optional Medicaid expansion, its uninsurance rate would be cut in half.

Poll Indicates Dems Could Win 'Sizable Majority' in 2014

Poll Indicates Dems Could Win 'Sizable Majority' in 2014
"A new survey of 25 GOP-held districts shows dwindling favorability for Republican members of the House in the wake of the recent government shutdown."

McDowell County, USA Has Close to Haiti's Life Expectancy: Welcome to Third World America | Alternet

McDowell County, USA Has Close to Haiti's Life Expectancy: Welcome to Third World America | Alternet
"The Affordable Care Act is merely a small step in the direction of universal healthcare. One need only look at the data on life expectancy among Americans to realize how badly health care reform is needed in the United States. People in much of Europe are, on the whole, outliving residents of the U.S., which in some places, is looking more and more like a Third World country when it comes to life expectancy.
There is a considerable amount of data on life expectancy among Americans, much of it disturbing."

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Shutdown Will Continue To Damage Economy Through The Holiday Season, Economists Predict

Shutdown Will Continue To Damage Economy Through The Holiday Season, Economists Predict: Thousands of workers, bracing for the next budget crisis, will likely hold back on Christmas shopping and other economic activity.

Texas Republicans Figure out How To Disenfranchise Women Voters

Texas Republicans Figure out How To Disenfranchise Women Voters
"At some point, Texas is going to have to do more than be a laughingstock for the rest of the country to roll its eyes at and dismiss as being a State chock full o' nuts. If the federal government can't stop Texas from behaving like a private oligarchy, then Texans themselves are going to have to have to galvanize their women, their minorities, their students, their elderly – even what percentage still exists of white, old, rich men who love democracy and the rights of their fellow Texans – to come out in unprecedented numbers that even Republican ID laws and gerrymandering can't resist, and get rid of the 19th century racist, misogynist throw-backs currently infesting the halls of the Texas legislature. Time for a revival of REAL Texan gallantry."

I Would Be Dead Without Health Insurance -- GOPers Trying to Kill Obamacare Are Also Killing People | Alternet

I Would Be Dead Without Health Insurance -- GOPers Trying to Kill Obamacare Are Also Killing People | Alternet
"Obamacare requires insurance companies for the first time to cover everyone, regardless of any preexisting conditions. There's no more disqualifying condition than cancer; without Obamacare, I would now almost certainly be uninsurable if someday in the future I try to get insurance on the individual market. And we know what happens to people without health insurance in the United States:  they die."

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Fact-Checking Fox: What Real Journalism Looks Like

Fact-Checking Fox: What Real Journalism Looks Like
"The stubborn need to oppose something even when it goes against their own self-interest is a uniquely conservative and bewildering phenomenon. Fox News' exploitation of their own choices for ratings and demagogue points is predictable and disgusting."

10 Reasons Why the Tea Party is So Unpopular | Alternet

10 Reasons Why the Tea Party is So Unpopular | Alternet
"Now that the federal government has reopened and its debt limit raised, the Tea Party is more unpopular with Americans than ever—including among moderate Republicans—polls are finding, with analysts asking if the Tea Party is part of the GOP at all."

Friday, October 18, 2013

The Government Shutdown's Incalculable Damage to Scientific Research | Alternet

The Government Shutdown's Incalculable Damage to Scientific Research | Alternet
"So Minnesota Republican Representative Michele Bachmann told the Washington Post, commenting on the shutdown that ground many critical government functions to a halt for over two weeks. "It's exactly what we wanted, and we got it." So, what exactly did Bachmann and her Republican colleagues get out of it? A lot more than they may have bargained for, according to scientists employed by the federal government. It is not just that government researchers were locked out of their labs and offices, but whole programs were wastefully delayed and, in some cases, endangered."

Shutdown aftermath: Republicans are left with an unanswered ransom note and lame excuses

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/17/1248303/-Shutdown-aftermath-Republicans-are-left-with-an-unanswered-ransom-note-and-lame-excuses
"After Democrats in Congress stepped in on Wednesday night and ended the Republican shutdown—a sixteen day temper tantrum that cost this country $24 billion—Republicans were left with nothing but their unanswered ransom note and a lot of pathetic excuses."

House Republicans Say They Are Punishing Obama By Refusing To Vote on Immigration Reform

www.politicususa.com/2013/10/18/house-republicans-punishing-obama-refusing-vote-immigration-reform.html
"It will come as a shock to many House Republicans to learn that they are being paid by the American people to vote on things. Voting is a part of their job description. When they refuse to vote, they are sending the message that they aren’t interested in doing their jobs.
The real reason why Boehner won’t bring the immigration reform bill to the floor for a vote is that there are enough votes between Democrats and Republicans to pass it. Since it would make the tea party faction angry, Boehner can’t allow the House to properly function."

Fox's Obamacare Victims Aren't Victims At All

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/18/foxs-obamacare-victims-arent-victims-at-all/196498
"none of host Sean Hannity's guests had even attempted to shop on the exchange. When he shopped on the exchange with the information he was given for two of the three couples Hannity hosted, he found that both families could save thousands annually by enrolling in an ACA-compliant policy."

Ted Cruz vs. Twitter: Does Obamacare Hurt Americans?

www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/10/obamacare-working-benefits-stories-twitter
"Americans across the country telling tales of how Obamacare has lowered premiums for them or provided better insurance at similar rates."

Free Consultations: After Shutdown, Fox Advises GOP On Image Rehabilitation

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/17/free-consultations-after-shutdown-fox-advises-g/196481
"Fox News offered the Republican Party advice on how they might recover from the GOP-led government shutdown that damaged the images of both Republicans and the tea party and caused at least $24 billion in economic harm."

Republicans Have Done Real Damage to the Economy

Republicans Have Done Real Damage to the Economy
"Republicans have been obstructing ... everything. The ongoing economic damage has been just incredible but because it gradually worsens things the public is not as aware as they should be. There are two obstructions taking place. In the Senate Republicans have been filibustering every bill, every nominee ... everything. In the House the "Hastert Rule" prevents the majority of the Congress from being able to vote. By preventing bills from coming up for a vote if they might be passed by a majority that includes Democrats and some "RINO" Republicans, anything that could help the country and economy is blocked."

Kansas Official Gets His Law License Suspended For ‘Dishonest’ Crusade Against Abortion Providers

Kansas Official Gets His Law License Suspended For ‘Dishonest’ Crusade Against Abortion Providers: An ethics panel had determiend Kline and his subordinates repeatedly mislead others, including a grand jury, to further his investigations of abortion providers.

Fox News 'Expert' Blames Missouri Teen: 'I’m Not Saying She Deserved to be Raped but...'

Fox News 'Expert' Blames Missouri Teen: 'I’m Not Saying She Deserved to be Raped but...'
"The Fox News Channel may have taken its "Fair and Balanced" motto a little too far on Thursday when it invited criminal defense attorney Joseph DiBenedetto to make case for why an alleged rape victim was asking to be assaulted."

Ted Cruz Single-Handedly Blocks FCC Nominee Over Concerns That He’ll Make Elections More Transparent

Ted Cruz Single-Handedly Blocks FCC Nominee Over Concerns That He’ll Make Elections More Transparent:
"Cruz’s stated reason for blocking Wheeler is that he’s concerned the FCC nominee may try to make spending by corporations and millionaire donors seeking to influence elections more transparent."

Poll: Tea Party Less Popular Than Ever

Poll: Tea Party Less Popular Than Ever
"Negative views of the tea party have nearly doubled over the past two years, making the conservative movement more unpopular than ever"

The Abject Failure of Reaganomics | Common Dreams

The Abject Failure of Reaganomics | Common Dreams
"House Republicans got next to nothing from their extortion strategy of taking the government and the economy hostage, but they are sure to continue obstructing programs that could create jobs and start rebuilding the middle class. What they won’t recognize is the abject failure of Reaganomics"

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Dems stress good governance in crises' wake

Debt showdown prompts new look at House rules

Voter purge case puts Cuccinelli in conflict

Houston Paper Revokes Cruz Endorsement

Houston Paper Revokes Cruz Endorsement
"Ted Cruz’s hometown paper, the Houston Chronicle, took back their endorsement of him on Wednesday—and even claimed they only endorsed him with “many reservations” in the first place."

Thanks To Obamacare, Oregon Cut Its Unsinsured Population By 10 Percent Over The Past Two Weeks

Thanks To Obamacare, Oregon Cut Its Unsinsured Population By 10 Percent Over The Past Two Weeks: 56,000 new people have signed up for Oregon's Medicaid program so far this month. Most of them wouldn't be eligible for coverage without Obamacare.

The Air We Breathe Definitively and Scientifically Linked to Cancer | Alternet

The Air We Breathe Definitively and Scientifically Linked to Cancer | Alternet
"And asthma rates have doubled in last 30 years."

The Tea Party and the Economy: It's Like Putting an Arsonist in Charge of the Fire Department

The Tea Party and the Economy: It's Like Putting an Arsonist in Charge of the Fire Department
"The uncertainty of never knowing when an economic hostage taker is going to hold a gun to the head of the United States takes its toll."

Republicans Owe Us 24 Billion Dollars Plus for the Government Shutdown

www.politicususa.com/2013/10/17/republicans-owe-24-billion-dollars-government-shutdown.html
"The shutdown cost us at least $24 billion dollars. The shutdown that got Republicans nothing but funding at sequester levels that they claimed wasn’t theirs and blamed Obama for, but now claim as a victory – that sequester."

The Shutdown May Be Over, But It’s Still Hurting Public Health

The Shutdown May Be Over, But It’s Still Hurting Public Health:
"The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will need to start up their influenza monitoring program again, and they’ll need to scramble to make up for lost time as flu season intensifies. The CDC is also behind when it comes to monitoring and analyzing a recent outbreak of salmonella that’s started to display signs of antibiotic resistance."

Ken Cuccinelli Donor Linked To Kidnapping Case, Anti-Semitic Newspapers | Right Wing Watch

Ken Cuccinelli Donor Linked To Kidnapping Case, Anti-Semitic Newspapers | Right Wing Watch
"While Ken Cuccinelli may be the top law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth of Virginia, that hasn’t stopped him from taking campaign contributions for his gubernatorial bid from a Religious Right activist linked to a kidnapping investigation. Blue Virginia notes that Cuccinelli donor Philip Zodhiates of Response Unlimited is tied to the Lisa Miller kidnapping case."

How Elizabeth Smart Is Taking On Rape Culture

How Elizabeth Smart Is Taking On Rape Culture: Elizabeth Smart, who became a household name after she was abducted and held captive as a child, is bringing a powerful message about rape culture to other victims of sexual assault.

Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and House Republicans Are Plotting Another Government Shutdown

www.politicususa.com/2013/10/17/ted-cruz-mike-lee-house-republicans-plotting-goverment-shutdown.html
"Sens. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and House Republicans are already plotting another government shutdown/default crisis in an attempt to stop the ACA.
As soon as the bill was passed to reopen the government, the same Republican extremists who carried out the first government shutdown were already plotting round two. Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) told The New York Times, “I’ll vote against it, but that will get us into Round 2. See, we’re going to start this all over again"."

GOP congressman smacks down Tea Party

www.salon.com/2013/10/16/gop_congressman_smacks_down_tea_party/
"Louisiana Republican Charles Boustany expressed his great frustration with the “20-30″ members of Congress who make up the Tea Party wing, accusing them of caring more about appearances and ideological purity than actually governing."

Obama On Shutdown: There Are No Winners Here

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What You Can Get For The Price Of A Shutdown

What You Can Get For The Price Of A Shutdown: The shutdown may be over, but the cost can't be erased.

How The Texas GOP Is Waging A Hidden War On Women Voters

How The Texas GOP Is Waging A Hidden War On Women Voters: If you're a married woman in Texas, you may not be able to vote.

All those stunts, and yet GOP comes up empty

GOP comes up empty after shutdown stunt

Backfire! GOP Hostage-Taking Boosts Obamacare's Popularity | Alternet

Backfire! GOP Hostage-Taking Boosts Obamacare's Popularity | Alternet
'The GOP-led federal government shutdown over Obamacare has dramatically backfired on Republicans. Nearly two-thirds of active voters, the largest share yet, support the health insurance reform law and want it to work, new nationwide polling has found."

Tea Party's Popularity Reaches New Low, Poll Finds

www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/16/tea-party-poll_n_4110559.html
"Unfavorable views of the tea party have nearly doubled over the past two years, making the conservative movement more unpopular than ever, a Pew Research survey released Wednesday finds."

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

GOP-made shutdown catastrophe wreaked havoc

Chris Hayes: Hostages are being freed and the ransom is being paid

Barack Obama: ‘We've gotta get out of the habit of governing by crisis’

The political effect of the government shutdown

Houston Chronicle Expresses Regrets For Endorsing Cruz

www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/houston-chronicle-expresses-regrets-for-endorsing-cruz
"The editorial page of the Houston Chronicle expressed some buyer's remorse on Tuesday for endorsing Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in last year's election."

Tea Party Republican believes ‘Medicaid should not exist’ yet his ten children are on – wait for it – Medicaid

freakoutnation.com/2013/10/16/tea-party-republican-believes-medicaid-should-not-exist-yet-his-ten-children-are-on-wait-for-it-medicaid/
"This is reminiscent of Republicans voting against disaster aid for other states, until their state is hit by a tornado or hurricane."

Here Lies the Tea Party, 2009 - 2013

Here Lies the Tea Party, 2009 - 2013
"This why the John Birch Society ran into a wall: the American people did not share its racist, anti-government values. The Tea Party has run into that wall."

Historian: Tea Party Rise Tied to 'Continuing Abandonment' Of Responsibility By Media

Historian: Tea Party Rise Tied to 'Continuing Abandonment' Of Responsibility By Media
"A press devoted to searching for and reporting the truth, wherever it might lead, would have kept the public better informed of the basic details of the government shutdown and debt-ceiling showdowns. It also would have reported seriously the hard truths of the Tea Party "insurgency," including how it was largely created and has since been bankrolled by oil-and-gas moguls like David and Charles Koch of Koch Industries, and by a panoply of richly endowed right-wing pressure groups like Dick Armey's FreedomWorks and Jim DeMint's Heritage Foundation. It also would have reported on the basic reason for the hard right's growing domination of the Republican Party, which has been the decay of the party at every level, including what passes for its party leadership"

Joe Lhota: 'Don't Lump Me In With National Republicans'

Joe Lhota: 'Don't Lump Me In With National Republicans'
It's not easy running for mayor of New York City with the republican anvil hanging around your neck

Tea Party Nation Whines "The Complete Surrender of the Republican Party"

www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/16/1247904/-Tea-Party-Nation-Whines-The-Complete-Surrender-of-the-Republican-Party?detail=facebook
"Thank you, President Obama for just saying no to the Tea Party extortionists. You can't negotiate with extremists who hold America hostage in a brazen attempt to nullify two presidential elections."

Republican Extremism and the Lessons of History

www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/republican-extremism-and-the-lessons-of-history-20131010?print=true
"This crisis is about nothing other than the Republican Party – its radicalization, its stunning lack of leadership and its disregard for the Constitution"

Matt Drudge Predicts Pelosi Will Be Next Speaker

www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/matt-drudge-predicts-pelosi-will-be-next-speaker
"Conservative news aggregator Matt Drudge seemed to suggest Wednesday that Democrats will win back control of the House of Representatives next year.
In a message to his more than 200,000 followers on Twitter, Drudge predicted that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will soon return to the post she held from 2007 until 2011"

Things Are So Bad for GOP That Conservatives Are Rooting for Dems To Take Back the House

www.politicususa.com/2013/10/16/conservative-hopes-house-dems-2014-rid-raving-loonies.html
"Rod Dreher at the American Conservative wrote a column yesterday that called out the Republican Party as not being conservative. He sadly concluded that they are loonies and they can’t be trusted with power."

The Government Shutdown Has Cost The Economy $24 Billion

The Government Shutdown Has Cost The Economy $24 Billion:
"Standard & Poor’s calculates that the shutdown that has so far lasted just over two weeks has taken $24 billion out of the economy, shaving at least 0.6 percent off of GDP in the fourth quarter."

Misunderestimating Who They Are: They Like To Destroy Things

Misunderestimating Who They Are: They Like To Destroy Things
"If you listen to right-wing radio, watch FOX News and read their online media and take it seriously (because they do) then you would know that many on the right don’t want to live in a country that has Social Security, Medicare, Obamacare, the minimum wage, Food Stamps, immigration, public schools, infant nutrition programs and the rest of the things government does to make our lives better. Andthey don't want anyone else to live in a country that has those things, either.
They are willing to destroy the village to keep the village from having those things. If you don't "get that" before entering into negotiations, you're at risk of making a terrible mistake -- like the sequester."

Paul Ryan's Peddling a 'Shock Doctrine' Cure | Common Dreams

Paul Ryan's Peddling a 'Shock Doctrine' Cure | Common Dreams
"If you are looking for certainties in American politics, count on this one: If a crisis of governing develops, the advocates for cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will arrive with a plan to resolve the standoff by balancing budgets on the backs of America’s most vulnerable citizens.
Cue Paul Ryan.
The House Budget Committee chairman, a Republican from Janesville, has for the better part of a decade been the most determined advocate on Capitol Hill for the Wall Street agenda that says earned-benefit programs should be reshaped as investment vehicles and voucher schemes that will benefit brokers and the health insurance industry."

Ted Cruz Admits Budget Standoff Was All About Fundraising

Ted Cruz Admits Budget Standoff Was All About Fundraising: Asked what he has gained from holding-up a deal for weeks, Cruz pointed to a political petition he has been promoting for days.

House Republican Wingnuts Still Stuck on Stupid

House Republican Wingnuts Still Stuck on Stupid
"These people are not fit for governing and should never, ever be allowed again to threaten the full faith and credit of the United States government and the possibility of sending us into another recession or a depression."

Meet Rep. Paul Broun

What Obamacare Means to Me: The Difference Between Bankruptcy and Having a Life Again | Alternet

What Obamacare Means to Me: The Difference Between Bankruptcy and Having a Life Again | Alternet
"We lived under the illusion that we were adequately covered by our health insurance plan ... until my wife got sick."

We Are Witnessing the Emergence of a Political Process That Allows Right-Wing Billionaires the Power to Turn off Govt. Like a Switch | Alternet

We Are Witnessing the Emergence of a Political Process That Allows Right-Wing Billionaires the Power to Turn off Govt. Like a Switch | Alternet
"Charles and David Koch and other right-wing billionaires and near-billionaires are blind with anger after wasting millions of dollars on Mitt Romney, Karl Rove and the Republican Party in a failed attempt to defeat Barack Obama, the Democrats and health-care reform. These were the guys who smirked knowingly when Romney sneered at “the 47 percent” of Americans who receive some government help; they got snappish when Obama called them “fat cats”; they demanded the honorific title of “job creators"."

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

5 Charts Show the U.S. Has No Debt Crisis

5 Charts Show the U.S. Has No Debt Crisis
"The drastic reductions in state and local government spending fueled not just the direct loss of 737,000 public sector jobs by this summer, but constituted a major drag on the private sector economy as well. All told, the Economic Policy Institute estimates, austerity policies cost the American people 3 million jobs.
All of which is why the GOP must end the its hostage-taking of the federal government and the American economy once and for all. The numbers are clear. The U.S. does not have a debt crisis, but a jobs crisis. We've already cut enough spending for the time being. That's why Republicans should end their government shutdown"

Rep. Slaughter Grills GOP Official Over Rule Change 'Atrocity' Rigging Govt. Shutdown

Rep. Slaughter Grills GOP Official Over Rule Change 'Atrocity' Rigging Govt. Shutdown
"As it turned out, Slaughter's instincts were correct because Republicans shut down the government the next day. And 15 days later, the government remained shut down and the Senate bill had still not been brought up for a vote in the House."

That awkward moment a House Republican explains why they rigged the rules to keep the govt shut down

www.freakoutnation.com/2013/10/14/that-awkward-moment-a-house-republican-explains-why-they-rigged-the-rules-to-keep-the-govt-shut-down/
"Republican House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions was busted changing the rules of the House so that only Eric Cantor or a Republican designated by him, can bring the Senate bill to the House floor. Republicans already have control of the House, but this dirty little trick makes it impossible for any Democrat or moderate Republican have a say-so in the process of opening our government."

Shutdown's Radical Birther Streak Cannot Be Ignored

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/15/shutdowns-radical-birther-streak-cannot-be-igno/196428
"If anyone's surprised that a proud and unapologetic birther (in 2013!) was front-and-center at a right-wing anti-Obama rally this week, or that the birther charade plays a central role in government shutdown activism, then they haven't being paying close enough attention to the conservative movement in America."

Tea Party Terrorist Republicans Are on an Economic Suicide Mission to Harm Obama

www.politicususa.com/2013/10/15/tea-party-terrorist-republicans-economic-suicide-mission-harm-obama.html
"Each of the GOP’s economic disasters has cost the nation dearly including the 2007-08 crash that killed tens-of-millions of jobs and decimated the world’s economy, and in 2011 they cost America a million jobs, nearly $19 billion in interest fees, and a sequester slated to kill over a million jobs within the next year. There is no telling what the current crisis will cost the nation or how devastating the next planned crisis will be will be to the economy, but if Republicans prevail there is little doubt the cost will be painful because the GOP is highly motivated to keep the economy in dire straits."

Deficits are Rapidly Shrinking, Spending is Flat under Obama

Deficits are Rapidly Shrinking, Spending is Flat under Obama
"Simply put, there is no crisis to justify the additional spending cuts Republicans are now trying to extort. As it turns out, federal spending has hardly budged while deficits have plummeted since Barack Obama first took the oath of office in January 2009."

3 Ways Regular Americans Will Be Hurt by a Debt Ceiling Default | Alternet

3 Ways Regular Americans Will Be Hurt by a Debt Ceiling Default | Alternet
"From credit cards to mortgages, pain will be felt across the country."

How Republicans Came To Own Sequestration’s Devastating Cuts As A Victory

How Republicans Came To Own Sequestration’s Devastating Cuts As A Victory: Republicans originally pinned the damage from sequestration on President Obama, but now embrace the cuts as a win.

How The Tea Party Is Draining The GOP

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The Obama Haters

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Sunday, October 13, 2013

Debunking GOP Shutdown Myth Machine

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Eric Cantor Given Total Control Of House In Late Night Rule Change By GOP (VIDEO)

www.addictinginfo.org/2013/10/13/eric-cantor-rule-change/
"In the dead of night before the shutdown, the Republicans forced through a rule change, one which effectively handed over control of the government over to one man, Eric Cantor. You see, under the rules of the house, the members of the house had the ability to put the Senate resolution to a vote in the house. However, the rule change pushed through in the dead of night without any oversight or debate instead put the authority to proceed into the hands of the majority leader in the house, Eric Cantor. This is the same Eric Cantor who is known for having gutted anti-corruption and bribery legislation. And now, he runs the show. Even House Speaker John Boehner can not bring it up to a vote."

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Right Loses Focus And Muddles The Message

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Tea Party May Be Left Out As GOP Rift Widens

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Another Scandal In Safeguarding Of US Nukes

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The Republican Party is Now Historically Unpopular

The Republican Party is Now Historically Unpopular
"By eight percentage points and with only one year until midterm elections, Americans say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress to one controlled by the GOP."

New Class Of GOP Brings Its Own Rulebook

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The Tea Party Disconnect From Reality

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Friday, October 11, 2013

Medican't - "Taker" States

Hints Of A Path Forward On Shutdown Crisis

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False Equivalence: How So-Called 'Balance" Makes the Media Dangerously Dumb | Alternet

False Equivalence: How So-Called 'Balance" Makes the Media Dangerously Dumb | Alternet
"Let us state this unequivocally: false equivalency – the practice of giving equal media time and space to demonstrably invalid positions for the sake of supposed reportorial balance – is dishonest, pernicious and cowardly."

The Shutdown Sucks For Everyone But Is Taking A Bigger Toll On Women

The Shutdown Sucks For Everyone But Is Taking A Bigger Toll On Women: Many of the programs that are running out of funding or are on hold help women.

How Factory Farming And The Government Shutdown Collided To Create A Serious Public Health Issue

How Factory Farming And The Government Shutdown Collided To Create A Serious Public Health Issue: More people than usual are landing in the hospital with salmonella. The meat industry is to blame, and the government shutdown isn't helping either.

A Mom's Message To John Boehner And Ted Cruz

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The Sad Story Of Cruz's Sidekick, Mike Lee

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Veterans Affairs Running Out Of Money Over Shutdown

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The Eight Craziest Things Ted Cruz Said Today

The Eight Craziest Things Ted Cruz Said Today: "The Republican Party is in free-fall, thanks in large part to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Just over a week after Cruz successfully pushed House Republicans to shut down the government in a effort to defund the Affordable Care Act, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found just 24 percent of the country has a favorable view of the GOP and even less think well of the Tea Party. A larger portion of Americans blame Republicans for the shutdown than the portion that blamed Gingrich’s Republicans for shutting down the government in 1995-96. If a House election were held today, Democrats would win the popular vote by a 47 to 39 margin — all but ensuring that Nancy Pelosi would regain the speaker’s gavel."

How Talk Radio and Fox News Brainwashed My Dad | Alternet

How Talk Radio and Fox News Brainwashed My Dad | Alternet
"Jen Senko is a filmmaker who watched in horror as her father slowly came to believe the extreme right-wing lies of Rush Limbaugh and other conservative media mavens. Now she’s making a documentary about it calledThe Brainwashing of My Dad."