Watch: Teacher Infiltrates ALEC Education Meeting, Confronts Members | Alternet

Watch: Teacher Infiltrates ALEC Education Meeting, Confronts Members | Alternet
"Education activist Sabrina Joy Stevens, a former teacher in the Denver school system, tells right-wing, would-be policymakers how their agenda is destructive to education."

Fox News Promotes The 'War On Men' Meme

Fox News Promotes The 'War On Men' Meme
"Just as I predicted a few days ago, the author who claims there’s a war on men is getting lots of sympathetic airtime on Fox News. This morning, Suzanne Venker – never identified as the niece of anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly - visited Fox & Friends where she offered up her totally unqualified and unscientific opinion that the reason marriage rates are down is because “women aren’t women anymore,” as host Alisyn Camerota summarized."

Meet Gubernatorial Candidate Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s Todd Akin

Meet Gubernatorial Candidate Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s Todd Akin: Virginia’s Republican Party appears poised to nominate state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to be its candidate for governor in 2013 — embracing a man whose extreme political views bear striking resemblance to those of unsuccessful 2012 Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO). With his fervent anti-science, anti-choice, and anti-LGBT, anti-federal government activism, Akin’s extreme positions [...]/p

5 States Where GOP Extremists Are Pushing Repugnant Anti-Women Laws | Alternet

5 States Where GOP Extremists Are Pushing Repugnant Anti-Women Laws | Alternet
"The 2012 election was meant to be a referendum on, among other things, the tide of Republican extremism that swept reproductive rights to the edge of existence in many states between 2010 and 2012. Although the Tea Party was allegedly given votes in the midterms to address financial issues, abortion restriction and defunding Planned Parenthood immediately rose to the top of the new Republican priority list.

That was all supposed to end with this election--but did it? This absurd period of legislative history that became dubbed the “war on women” (though it affected people of all genders) culminated in this year's notorious spate of comments from Tea Party-approved candidates about rape -- legitimate, god-willed or otherwise -- and resulted in the biggest anti-misogynist backlash at the ballot box we’ve seen in a long time."

Donald Trump Partnership Ruins Macy’s Popularity

Donald Trump Partnership Ruins Macy’s Popularity: The old adage that “all press is good press” might not ring true with department store chain Macy’s. Their recent partnership with conservative billionaire oddball Donald Trump is causing a sudden drop in the brand’s popularity, particularly among women. According to a YouGov Brandindex survey, immediately after the Macy’s-Trump partnership, women steadily became far less [...]/p

Meet Corey Stewart, Virginia’s Mitt Romney

Meet Corey Stewart, Virginia’s Mitt Romney: Stewart, like Romney, has been a strong advocate of the idea tax cuts magically leadto balanced budgets. Like Romney, he advocates deregulating business, wants to pursue anti-LGBT and anti-women social policies, and believes Arizona’s anti-immigrant laws are the ideal model.

Republicans Pick Committee Leaders From One Demographic

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Mississippi’s Only Abortion Clinic Could Be Forced To Close In January

Mississippi’s Only Abortion Clinic Could Be Forced To Close In January: Jackson Women’s Health Organization — the only abortion clinic in the entire state of Mississippi — has been fighting to remain open after Republican legislators, aiming to force the clinic to close, passed a restrictive regulation requiring its doctors to secure hospital admitting privileges. A Bush-appointed federal judge temporarily blocked the measure in July to [...]/p

DONATE: Help Sandra Fluke Combat The War On Women

DONATE: Help Sandra Fluke Combat The War On Women: This is the first in a series of fundraising messages about our work. DONATE HERE to help fund our one-of-a-kind, progressive reporting. Sandra Fluke knows all about the GOP’s War on Women. And she knows that ThinkProgress has been right there on the front lines, covering everything from Rush Limbaugh’s [...]/p

GOP on post- election course correction

Rachel Maddow reports on what Republican leaders are saying they learned from the GOP's major 2012 losses, and what Republican lawmakers are actually doing that completely contradicts the rhetoric from the beltway.

Romney's 47 Percent Chickens Come Home to Roost

Romney's 47 Percent Chickens Come Home to Roost
"As the final 2012 vote tallies come in from all over the country, it's clear that Barack Obama didn't just squeak by, but will win by over three percentage points, leaving Mitt Romney with 47 percent of the popular vote."

Sorry, John McCain, But Anti-Choicers Are Judged on Actions, Not Words | Common Dreams

Sorry, John McCain, But Anti-Choicers Are Judged on Actions, Not Words | Common Dreams
"But they should at least stop pretending that they just came up with the idea to attack abortion rights while declining to talk about it in public. They’ve been trying that strategy for years, and no one is buying what they’re selling."

PERRspectives: Why McCain Wants GOP to Leave Abortion Alone

PERRspectives: Why McCain Wants GOP to Leave Abortion Alone
"As it turned out, McCain's Republican Party had other ideas. In 2008 and again in 2012, the Republican National Convention ignored its nominee and adopted a platform endorsing a "human life amendment" which would prohibit all abortions in all cases.

It's no wonder John McCain doesn't want to talk about it."

John McCain is not very bright

John McCain is not very bright
"Neither is Lindsey Graham. The rest of the Republicans who persist with smear campaigns against U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and other women, especially women of color, aren't too smart either. To the 97 members of the House, who wrote a letter to President Obama attacking Rice, I say, you are even stupider."

ThankProgress: 10 Things Progressives Can Be Thankful For

ThankProgress: 10 Things Progressives Can Be Thankful For: Following a long presidential campaign full of policy battles and disagreements, progressives have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Here are 10 things we can all celebrate: We are thankful for the millions of Americans serving our country at home and abroad. This includes 1.4 million Armed Services members, 80,000 AmeriCorps members, [...]/p

U.S. Sees Biggest Abortion Decrease In A Decade

U.S. Sees Biggest Abortion Decrease In A Decade: New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that abortions fell 5 percent in 2009, “in the biggest one-year decrease in at least a decade.” Researchers are attributing the reduction to the recession and increased use of more effective methods of birth control. Mississippi “had the lowest abortion rate, at 4 per [...]/p

Five Obamacare Provisions To Be Thankful For

Five Obamacare Provisions To Be Thankful For: After clearing significant hurdles over the past year — including repeated repeal votes in Congress, a Supreme Court challenge, and a presidential election — the future of President Obama’s landmark health reform law is finally secure. Now that it’s here to stay, Americans can expect to reap significant benefits as the Affordable Care Act continues [...]/p

Eve Ensler Rising: One of America's Most Amazing Activists Is About to Pull Off Her Biggest Event Yet | Alternet

Eve Ensler Rising: One of America's Most Amazing Activists Is About to Pull Off Her Biggest Event Yet | Alternet
"On February 14, 2013, Ensler says One Billion women will rise. I believe her."

Can We Help the Would-Be Secessionists Pack?

Can We Help the Would-Be Secessionists Pack?
"The Tea Party folks -- to no one's great surprise -- are not taking their electoral defeat at the hands of a black man lying down. They're threatening to pack up their soccer ball and take it home."

HHS releases draft rules on key elements of Obamacare, including pre-existing conditions

HHS releases draft rules on key elements of Obamacare, including pre-existing conditions
"This is the stuff health insurance reform was all about, the core regulations that will make health insurance affordable and accessible. They're also the parts of reform that will be most popular and important to the public. This is the stuff Republicans absolutely did not want to see implemented, and the stuff that will make "Obamacare" be as much an appreciated part of the nation's health care system as Medicare."

After Cutting Tax Credit For Children, Michigan Republicans Consider One For Fetuses

After Cutting Tax Credit For Children, Michigan Republicans Consider One For Fetuses: State legislators in Michigan held a hearing on Tuesday to consider House Bills 5684 and 5685, which would allow taxpayers to receive tax relief for unborn fetuses past 12 weeks’ gestation. The proposed legislation is an odd push for Michigan Republicans, partly because the state slashed tax credits for children last year — meaning that [...]/p

The War On Women Is a Class War | Alternet

The War On Women Is a Class War | Alternet
"Last week the voters delivered their verdict on what has come to be known as "the Republican War on Women": They're against it."

Study: Women in Manufacturing Face Five-fold Breast Cancer Risk | Common Dreams

Study: Women in Manufacturing Face Five-fold Breast Cancer Risk | Common Dreams
"Women who work in automotive plastics and food-can manufacturing industries show nearly a five-fold increase in the incidence of breast cancer, according to results of a "groundbreaking," peer-reviewed study published Monday in the journal Environmental Health."

Ohio Is The Latest Battlefield in the War on Contraception | Common Dreams

Ohio Is The Latest Battlefield in the War on Contraception | Common Dreams
"The latest battled in the war on contraception is being fought in Ohio, where the House Health and Aging Committee approved a bill to be sent to the floor that would de-fund Planned Parenthood, as well as other family planning groups that provide affordable contraception and reproductive health care to the women of Ohio. So far, these attempts to de-fund family planning have failed in the courts, though Texas has won a victory in the Fifth Circuit and could very well be successful in dramatically reducing (and perhaps eventually eliminating) funding to clinics that help low-income women afford contraception."

Ohio’s War On Women: State Lawmakers Stall Comprehensive Sex Ed Bill To Focus On Anti-Choice Legislation

Ohio’s War On Women: State Lawmakers Stall Comprehensive Sex Ed Bill To Focus On Anti-Choice Legislation: Despite the fact that voters across the country rejected radical anti-choice legislation in this month’s election, Ohio lawmakers have been busy reviving the War on Women during their lame duck session. Ohio’s Health And Aging Committee voted to strip funding from Planned Parenthood last week, Republican lawmakers introduced a misleading “sex-selective” abortion ban at the [...]/p

Shockingly Less Than: Choosing a Dying Fetus Over A Living Woman | Common Dreams

Shockingly Less Than: Choosing a Dying Fetus Over A Living Woman | Common Dreams
"A woman left to suffer and die, her life sacrificed to that of a fetus that would not live, in the name of an ideology that deems a non-viable fetus more important than a living, breathing, 31-year-old woman - this is a horror. She deserved to live. So do the nearly 22 million women worldwide who undergo unsafe abortions each year; so did the 47,000 women who each year die from them. Many protests, with the same message.Never again."

How Obamacare Will Allow Women To Be Less Dependent On Their Spouses’ Health Coverage

How Obamacare Will Allow Women To Be Less Dependent On Their Spouses’ Health Coverage: President Obama’s landmark health care reform includes multiple provisions with significant positive implications for women, including putting an end to discriminatory gender-based insurance costs and ensuring affordable access to contraceptive services and maternity care. But Obamacare could also have another unexpected effect on women’s lives: helping ensure they don’t have to rely on a spouse [...]/p

The Sore Losers Club Welcomes New Members Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan | Alternet

The Sore Losers Club Welcomes New Members Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan | Alternet
"Romney was roundly defeated last week, and the man who defeated him has now publicly saluted him  twice. This is the time for Romney to show grace, humility and maybe some humor too. Instead, he’s coming across like a sore loser, one who’d rather make excuses than give his opponent any real credit."

Woman Dies After Being Denied Abortion: When Religious Rules Trump Science | Alternet

Woman Dies After Being Denied Abortion: When Religious Rules Trump Science | Alternet
"Ireland's anti-choice policies lead to a woman's death, and to domestic and international outcry."

Ohio House Committee Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood

Ohio House Committee Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood: After a lengthy and heated hearing, an Ohio bill meant to defund Planned Parenthood cleared a House committee on Wednesday by an 11-9 vote along party lines. House Bill 298, ostensibly about re-prioritizing federal family planning money, seeks to strip $1.7 million from Planned Parenthood clinics in the state. According to Planned Parenthood Ohio CEO [...]/p

PERRspectives: Irish Abortion Tragedy Already Happening Here

PERRspectives: Irish Abortion Tragedy Already Happening Here
"Which means it's only a matter of time until the next Savita Halappanavar pays the ultimate price. Right here. In the United States of America."

More accurate than Nate Silver

More accurate than Nate Silver
"According to the Atlantic's Rebecca Greenfield, there were only three pundits, out of 74 she tracked, who called the 2012 Electoral College correctly—Nate Silver, Drew Lizner, and me."

How The Tragic Death Of A Woman Denied An Abortion In Ireland Could Become The Norm In America

How The Tragic Death Of A Woman Denied An Abortion In Ireland Could Become The Norm In America: Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian woman living in Ireland, went to the hospital when she first began to miscarry — but thanks to Ireland’s stringent abortion ban, medical professionals denied her repeated requests to quickly terminate the pregnancy because they could still detect a fetal heartbeat. The Irish hospital required her to extend her miscarriage [...]/p

STUDY: Denying Women Abortion Access Increases Their Risk Of Falling Into Poverty

STUDY: Denying Women Abortion Access Increases Their Risk Of Falling Into Poverty: Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco launched a Global Turnaway Study to explore the potential social and economic implications of denying women access to legal abortion. After documenting the experiences of the women who seek to terminate a pregnancy but are turned away from abortion services, the UCSF researchers found that those women [...]/p

VIEWPOINT: The Emerging Pro-Choice Majority

VIEWPOINT: The Emerging Pro-Choice Majority: Abortion rights, we’re told, are our Great Divider. America is cleaved in two. Fifty unremitting percent on either side. There is no United States of America, only pro and anti choice America. But what if that’s not true? Or, more precisely, what if that won’t be true for much longer? The 2012 election has been [...]/p

Brief Rundown of Just How Big a Victory Tuesday Was for Democrats

Brief Rundown of Just How Big a Victory Tuesday Was for Democrats
"After being told for six months how close the race was, turns out, No. No it wasn't. How big of a win was it? In the end, it wasn't even close. President Obama won BOTH the Electoral College AND the Popular Vote... and not just by a little, but by A LOT... 126 Electoral votes and nearly 3 Million in the Popular Vote"

Republican Party is going to have to leave their proverbial bubble to remain viable

The Republican Party is going to have to leave their proverbial bubble to remain viable. Facts matter. Terrific breakdown of election night.The national results were predicted by fact-based models while the right wing media failed as usual.

Warren: Onto the National Stage

Warren: Onto the National Stage
"With a commanding eight-point victory, the newly minted senator from Massachusetts becomes the leader of the Democratic Party's progressive wing."

Progressive Democrat Tammy Baldwin Wins U.S. Senate Seat in Wisconsin

Progressive Democrat Tammy Baldwin Wins U.S. Senate Seat in Wisconsin
"Wisconsin has upheld its reputation as a truly purple state by electing Democrat Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate, by a solid margin of 51 to 46, and reelecting President Barack Obama to a second term, just months after handing the Tea Party and out-of-state special interests a victory by voting to keep far-right GovernorScott Walker in office. Baldwin's victory, along with Elizabeth Warren's win in Massachusetts and Sherrod Brown's win in Ohio, helps ensure Democrats keep control of the U.S. Senate."

Ari Fleischer: Republican Party Will Never Embrace LGBT and Women's Rights

Ari Fleischer: Republican Party Will Never Embrace LGBT and Women's Rights
"After a stinging election night defeat, President George W. Bush's former White House secretary still says that the Republican Party will never support LGBT rights and reproductive rights for women."

Lady voters legitimately shut down that whole 'some rape isn't really rape' thing

Lady voters legitimately shut down that whole 'some rape isn't really rape' thing
"Hey, ladies, remember that time Republicans figured turning out the rapist vote might be a winning strategy? Of course you do because it was, like, yesterday."

Six Congressional Races Where GOP Extremism Lost

Six Congressional Races Where GOP Extremism Lost: The 2012 House and Senate races were to a significant degree about the GOP’s shift to the far right of the American historical norm — assaults on the fundamentals of the social safety net unseen since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, unprecedented attempts to restrict women’s reproductive freedom, and near-theological devotion to lowering tax [...]/p

Florida Voters Defeat A Republican-Backed Amendment To Restrict Abortion Rights

Florida Voters Defeat A Republican-Backed Amendment To Restrict Abortion Rights: After they could not pass stringent abortion restrictions in the state legislature, Florida Republicans added an amendment to the ballot that represented an unprecedented push to limit abortion access. The measure would have curtailed insurance coverage and privacy protections for women: Flustered by their inability to pass stronger abortion restrictions, lawmakers put Amendment 6 on [...]/p

5 GOPers Booted for Their Idiotic Rape Comments | Alternet

5 GOPers Booted for Their Idiotic Rape Comments | Alternet
"The 2012 campaign season  came to be defined  by Republican candidates making out of touch, often medically inaccurate comments about sexual assault, women’s reproductive systems, and abortion rights."

For Obama, a Bigger Win Than for Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, Bush or Bush | Common Dreams

For Obama, a Bigger Win Than for Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, Bush or Bush | Common Dreams
"By the time Romney conceded at 1 a.m., Obama had a 250,000 popular-vote lead, and it grew to roughly two million by dawn.
He was on track to win a majority of states and more than 300 Electoral Votes – at least 303 and, with the right result in Florida, 332."

OBAMA'S BIG NIGHT - The Atlantic

OBAMA'S BIG NIGHT - The Atlantic
"In the end, it wasn't particularly close. Assuming his late leads hold in Florida and Ohio, Obama will have lost just two states from his 2008 sweep, Indiana and North Carolina. Every other swing state -- from Ohio, Iowa and New Hampshire to Virginia, Florida, Colorado and Nevada -- fell for Obama. The Democratic-leaning states Romney tried to put on the board, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, never came close."

Closing arguments in Massachusetts Senate race

Closing arguments in Massachusetts Senate race
"Here's a nice closing video for Election Day from the Warren campaign, from her rally yesterday at Ramalho’s West End Gym in Lowell, where boxer Micky Ward trained for his last three fights." Don't forget to VOTE today!!!!!!

Need to tell somebody where to vote? Run into a hassle at the polls? Here is some help

Need to tell somebody where to vote? Run into a hassle at the polls? Here is some help
• California: 1-855-OFA-VOTE
• Florida: 1-855-VOTE-214
• Iowa: 1-855-VOTE-174
• Michigan: 1-877-271-1672
• Minnesota: 1-877-257-0643
• Nevada: 1-855-868-3175
• New Hampshire: 1-866-2-VOTE-22
• New Mexico: 1-877-271-5058
• North Carolina: 1-855-VOTE-171
• Ohio: 1-855-VOTE-199
• Oregon: 877-257-6154
• Pennsylvania: 1-855-834-VOTE
• Virginia: 1-855-VOTE-213
• Washington: 1-877-271-3509
• Wisconsin: 1-855-VOTE-177
• Other states* can call 1-800-311-VOTE (1-800-311-8683) and visitvote.barackobama.com
Now get out there and vote! Be patient, wait in line but get that vote in. The higher the turnout the harder it will be to steal.

Need to tell somebody where to vote? Run into a hassle at the polls? Here is some help

Need to tell somebody where to vote? Run into a hassle at the polls? Here is some help
"Here are some links and phone numbers to help with troubleshooting the voting that have been tested and found to work." Now get out there and vote!!!!!

Arizona Defends Its Restrictive Abortion Ban Because Fetal Birth Defects Are “The Woman’s Problem”

Arizona Defends Its Restrictive Abortion Ban Because Fetal Birth Defects Are “The Woman’s Problem”: A federal appeals court panel on Monday considered Arizona’s stringent abortion ban, which has the distinction of being the most restrictive in the nation because it criminalizes almost all abortions after just 20 weeks. Arizona already bans abortion after viability — which is generally considered to occur around week 23 or 24 of pregnancy — [...]/p

Voting an 'Act of Defiance Against Malicious Political Forces'

Voting an 'Act of Defiance Against Malicious Political Forces'
"voting is more than just the core responsibility of citizenship; it is an act of defiance against malicious political forces determined to reduce access to democracy. Millions of ballots on Tuesday — along with those already turned in — will be cast despite the best efforts of Republican officials around the country to prevent them from playing a role in the 2012 election."

Supporters of Mitt Romney Are Pushing Ultra-Conservative Christian Agendas in Africa That Criminalize Gays and Threaten Women's Health | Alternet

Supporters of Mitt Romney Are Pushing Ultra-Conservative Christian Agendas in Africa That Criminalize Gays and Threaten Women's Health | Alternet
"Jay and Jordan Sekulow are only the most recent Christian Right figures who manage to maintain credible reputations in the United States while taking actions overseas that would not be acceptable at home."

How Republicans Are Trying to Steal the Election | Alternet

How Republicans Are Trying to Steal the Election | Alternet
"Voting barriers erected by the GOP more than tested the patience of thousands of people in Ohio and Florida on the last weekend of early voting, leaving voters waiting for hours outdoors in long lines and then stranded in hallways before casting a vote." Get out and VOTE!!!!! Don't let them steal this election. Higher turnout makes it harder to steal.

School District Claims Student ‘Was Herself Responsible’ For Being Raped

School District Claims Student ‘Was Herself Responsible’ For Being Raped: Two teachers at Moraga middle school in northern California sexually abused Kristen Cunnane in the 1990s. One, former P.E. teacher Julie Correa, received an eight year sentence for committing multiple sex crimes against Cunnane. The other, former science teacher Daneil Witters, committed suicide after several students came forward with allegations against him in 1996. Now [...]/p

Nate Silver: Obama Has 86.3 Percent Chance of Winning Election | Alternet

Nate Silver: Obama Has 86.3 Percent Chance of Winning Election | Alternet
"Silver explained why his forecast shows Obama winning ina recent column . “Friday’s polling should make it easy to discern why Mr. Obama has the Electoral College advantage. There were 22 polls of swing states published Friday,” Silver writes. “Of these, Mr. Obama led in 19 polls, and two showed a tie. Mitt Romney led in just one of the surveys, a Mason-Dixon poll of Florida"." Now get out there and VOTE!!!!! The higher the turnout the harder it is to steal. Remember republicans have not won a presidential election (except by cheating Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004) since 1988. (Silver's final 2008 presidential election forecast accurately predicted the winner of 49 of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia (missing only the prediction for Indiana). He also correctly predicted the winners of every U.S. Senate race.)