Noam Chomsky: Obama Would Have Been Called a ‘Moderate Republican’ in Recent Decades | Alternet

Noam Chomsky: Obama Would Have Been Called a ‘Moderate Republican’ in Recent Decades | Alternet
"The professor argues Dems function as moderate Republicans and the GOP so extreme you can barely call it a political party."

When Truth Tried to Stop War | Common Dreams

When Truth Tried to Stop War | Common Dreams
"Ten years ago, Katharine Gun, then a 28-year-old British intelligence officer, saw an e-mailed memo from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) that confirmed for her in black and white the already widespread suspicion that the U.S. and U.K. were about to launch war against Iraq on false pretenses."

Hagel: ‘I Think It’s Always Wise To Try To Talk To People Before You Go To War’

Hagel: ‘I Think It’s Always Wise To Try To Talk To People Before You Go To War’: One of the main themes senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee committed themselves to today during Chuck Hagel’s confirmation hearing to be the next Secretary of Defense was — not wondering whether Hagel fully supports a diplomatic approach to Iran’s nuclear program, as most Americans do — but rather, whether the former Republican senator [...]/p

For McCain, Hagel Opposition A Proxy War With History

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McCain And Graham Lambaste Their Friend Hagel

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Warmonger John McCain pushes for someone to tell him the mistake of the Iraq War and the Surge was a good idea.

Chris Christie Vetoes Help For Homeowners In State Plagued By Foreclosures

Chris Christie Vetoes Help For Homeowners In State Plagued By Foreclosures:  New Jersey is facing a twin crisis of foreclosures and lack of affordable housing, but Gov. Chris Christie (R) recently vetoed two bills that would have brightened the outlook for New Jersey residents [...]/p

ALEC-Inspired "Right to Work" Bill Back Again in Pennsylvania

ALEC-Inspired "Right to Work" Bill Back Again in Pennsylvania
"Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Darryl Metcalfe has introduced so-called "right to work" legislation that would cripple state labor unions by allowing non-union members to free-ride -- benefiting from union representation, including higher wages and benefits, without paying the costs of that representation. For decades, right to work laws were used in southern states to bust unions and keep wages low.

Metcalfe's bill, like the recent Michigan's legislation, is strikingly similar to the ALEC "model" Right to Work Act."

Recall Effort Against America's Most Notorious Immigrant-Hating Sheriff Begins | Alternet

Recall Effort Against America's Most Notorious Immigrant-Hating Sheriff Begins | Alternet
"A citizen’s group called Respect Arizona filed paperwork at the Maricopa County Elections Department on Wednesday to initiate a recall effort against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio."

Sandy Hook Parent David Wheeler: My Son Had Right To His Life

Sandy Hook Parent David Wheeler: My Son Had Right To His Life
"I only wish he had given this powerful testimony before Congress, too -- while staring straight into the eyes of Wayne LaPierre."

Virginia Lawmakers Approve Bill Forcing Universities To Fund Student Groups That Discriminate

Virginia Lawmakers Approve Bill Forcing Universities To Fund Student Groups That Discriminate: The Virginia House of Delegates voted 80-19 today to approve HB1617, a bill that would invite any religious or political university student group to discriminate as they please and still require the campus to providing them funding and access to campus facilities. This would make LGBT students particularly vulnerable to discrimination because universities’ protections for [...]/p

PERRspectives: On the Wrong Side of Everything, McCain Attacks Hagel

PERRspectives: On the Wrong Side of Everything, McCain Attacks Hagel
"As a quick glance at his record shows, no American political figure has been as consistently and catastrophically wrong on matters of national security than John McCain. (Worse still, McCain's out-of-control temper and erratic judgment led many of his Republican colleagueslike Thad Cochran to worry that "the thought of his being President sends a cold chill down my spine.") Nevertheless, John McCain, who long ago anointed himself judge, jury and executioner on defense issues, today blasted President Obama's Pentagon nominee Chuck Hagel as being on the "wrong side of history."

As a reminder, here is a brief history of John McCain's reign of error."

Tea Party Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli: Scalia Is Too Liberal

Tea Party Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli: Scalia Is Too Liberal: Justice Antonin Scalia is easily the Supreme Court’s most strident conservative. He defends torture and finds little wrong with executing the innocent. He once argued that the Constitution does not protect women from gender discrimination (although he’s since backed off this statement somewhat). Scalia compared same-sex attraction to murder. He believes our immigration law should [...]/p

Seattle Joins Campuses in Nationwide Effort to Divest from Fossil Fuel | Common Dreams

Seattle Joins Campuses in Nationwide Effort to Divest from Fossil Fuel | Common Dreams
"Citing the damage caused by climate change, the city of Seattle's public employees may sell off their pension fund's holdings in some of the world's largest fossil fuel companies as part of a national campaign to divest from the dirty energy sector."

The Judicial Assault on Unions | Alternet

The Judicial Assault on Unions | Alternet
"It should come as no shock that Republicans in Congress would like to see the power of labor further diminished. The same is true of governors and state legislatures in red and purple states such as Wisconsin and Indiana. But now conservative courts have joined the fray."

The Question No One is Asking about Keystone XL

Right now in Texas, a foreign corporation, TransCanada, is using our government's 5th Amendment right of eminent domain to confiscate private land belonging to Americans, to build a massive oil pipeline so TransCanada can ship oil from the Gulf of Mexico to non-Americans around the world. Oil, by the way, that will accelerate our planet's plunge into global warming-induced catastrophe. So the question is, "Why?"

ALEC: There Is No Climate Change, Environmental Danger or Animal Cruelty on Factory Farms, and Even If There Is You Don't Need to Know About It | Common Dreams

ALEC: There Is No Climate Change, Environmental Danger or Animal Cruelty on Factory Farms, and Even If There Is You Don't Need to Know About It | Common Dreams
"The "corporate bill mill" that is the fossil-fuel-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is alarmingly busy: It's pushing bills mandating the “balanced” teaching of climate science - the hilariously named ”Environmental Literacy Improvement Act“ - in public schools in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona in addition to the 11 states it's already invaded. Most egregiously, it's also pushing so-called Ag-Gag bills, or the Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act, making it an "act of terrorism" for anyone to point out the animal and environmental horrors of factory farms, in New Hampshire, Wyoming and Nebraska, having already introduced them in 10 states."

Hannity Explodes After Being Confronted By ThinkProgress About Previous Offer To Be Waterboarded For Charity

Hannity Explodes After Being Confronted By ThinkProgress About Previous Offer To Be Waterboarded For Charity: Fox News host Sean Hannity is so adamant that waterboarding is not torture that he once offered to be waterboarded at a charity event and donate the proceeds to soldiers’ families. Four years later, a yet-to-be-waterboarded Hannity did not take kindly to being called out about it on his own radio show. On April 22, [...]/p

Hagel Takes On McCain: Calls Iraq War ‘Most Fundamentally Bad, Dangerous Decision Since Vietnam’

Hagel Takes On McCain: Calls Iraq War ‘Most Fundamentally Bad, Dangerous Decision Since Vietnam’: The confirmation hearing of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to take on the role of Secretary of Defense — already sure to be testy — heated up with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) pointedly asking Hagel to justify his stance on the Iraq War. McCain, an ardent supporter of the Iraq War from the start, began his [...]/p

As Predicted, Austerity Policies Send US Economy Downward | Common Dreams

As Predicted, Austerity Policies Send US Economy Downward | Common Dreams
"As warned by experts not cowed by the "deficit hawk" alarmists who dominate the national conversation on the economy, the dip in growth was not the result of "uncertainty" in the private sector or the future demands of public spending obligations, but rather on the contraction of public spending and the tax increases prematurely foisted on low-income and middle class workers in the form of a payroll tax increase that took effect on January 1."

Senator Catches NRA Head In Epic Flip Flop

Senator Catches NRA Head In Epic Flip Flop: While NRA leadership opposes universal background checks, its members back the change. A national survey conducted by Johns Hopkins University found that “89 percent of all respondents, and 75 percent of those identified as NRA members, support universal background checks for gun sales.

Spending Cuts Slow Economy

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What Is Visa Hiding? Majority Shareholders Thwart Effort to Require More Disclosure of Money Spent on ALEC

What Is Visa Hiding? Majority Shareholders Thwart Effort to Require More Disclosure of Money Spent on ALEC
"Meanwhile, Visa is only one of 49 companies that socially responsible investors wrote to last year to urge ALEC funders to reconsider their financial support for the controversial group.  Walden Asset Managementand their other allies are continuing their shareholder-based outreach that has helped move other corporations out of ALEC.

But as a result of the shareholder vote in January, the amount of money Visa has spent funding ALEC over the years will remain hidden from investors and the public."

Austerity Is Dead: Can Someone Please Tell Paul Ryan and His Deluded GOP Cohorts? | Alternet

Austerity Is Dead: Can Someone Please Tell Paul Ryan and His Deluded GOP Cohorts? | Alternet
"In the academic world, at least, the debate over austerity seems to be at an end. But if the GOP has its way, austerity will come to America in a big way in 2013."

PERRspectives: Public Sector Austerity Still Slowing U.S. Economy

PERRspectives: Public Sector Austerity Still Slowing U.S. Economy
"All along, the real danger of the so-called "fiscal cliff" wasn't that U.S. national debt would increase, but instead that it would drop too quickly. Now, the surprise news that the American economy contracted by 0.1 percent in the last quarter of 2012 is providing a case in point. Along with the impact of super storm Sandy, declining exports and shrinking inventories, steeps cuts in federal (especially defense) spending explain much of the shortfall from the consensus forecast of 1.1 percent growth. As it turns out, since the start of the great recession the unprecedented shrinkage of the U.S. public sector has hampered economic growth and likely added a full point to the unemployment rate."

REPORT: Prominent Conservative Leader Once Ran White Supremacist Group

REPORT: Prominent Conservative Leader Once Ran White Supremacist Group: A new report by Mother Jones reveals that James B. Taylor, a prominent conservative movement leader and board member for the Young America’s Foundation, once served as vice president of a white supremacist group. Taylor’s bio notes that he is “chairman of World Youth Crusade [for Freedom] and former executive director and chief of staff [...]/p

9/11 First Responders Begin Getting Their Health Payments

9/11 First Responders Begin Getting Their Health Payments: More than a decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 15 first responders were the first to receive health payouts on Tuesday as part of a federal compensation fund for victims. The awards will help victims and their families face the unexpected healthcare costs, lost wages, and suffering that resulted from the exposure to toxic fumes, [...]/p

Chrysler Has Come All The Way Back From Bankruptcy, And Workers Will Reap The Benefits

Chrysler Has Come All The Way Back From Bankruptcy, And Workers Will Reap The Benefits: U.S. automaker Chrysler, which just three years ago received a rescue from the federal government, made $1.7 billion last year, and anticipates making more than $2 billion this year due to strengthening American demand for autos, according to information released today by the company. And workers will be receiving some of the spoils: All eligible [...]/p

AEI Scholar To Fellow Conservatives: Forget About The Debt!

AEI Scholar To Fellow Conservatives: Forget About The Debt!
"Seriously, I think hell just froze over. An American Enterprise Institute "stink tanker" publicly contradicts the party line and tells conservatives the debt is no big deal -- based on actual facts n' stuff? The AEI, home to Lynne Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Newt Gingrich and John Bolton?

There's always the possibility this is merely a public relations move in reaction to the sound drubbing conservatives took in the November election, but even if it is, so what? A chink in the armor is going to make our job of stopping austerity measures a lot easier"

Vast majority of wage earners are working harder, and for not much more: Trends in U.S. work hours and wages over 1979–2007 | Economic Policy Institute

Vast majority of wage earners are working harder, and for not much more: Trends in U.S. work hours and wages over 1979–2007 | Economic Policy Institute
"As is well-documented in The State of Working America, 12th Edition (Mishel et al. 2012), the U.S. economy over the past decade has worked primarily to the advantage of a small sliver of winners. Meanwhile, the vast majority of workers have not fared well—a trend that stretches back to the late 1970s. Contrary to some political rhetoric of late, this is not due to lack of effort; the broad middle class has increased its productivity, upgraded its educational attainment, and worked more hours. In other words, workers have been offering more to the economy and the labor market, and what they have received in return—particularly in the form of real hourly wages—has been very disappointing."

Report: Climate Change Has Already Brought Catastrophe to US Wildlife | Common Dreams

Report: Climate Change Has Already Brought Catastrophe to US Wildlife | Common Dreams
"Climate change has already pushed the nation's wildlife into crisis, according to a report released Wednesday from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and further catastrophe, including widespread extinction, can only be curbed with swift action to curb the carbon pollution that has the planet sweltering."

The Sandy 36: Republicans Vote Against Relief For Hurricane Victims

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Report: Nearly Half of Americans Have No Safety Net to Keep Them Out of Poverty | Alternet

Report: Nearly Half of Americans Have No Safety Net to Keep Them Out of Poverty | Alternet
"A new report reveals a fact that too many Americans are familiar with first-hand: nearly half of the nation's residents have no safety net to protect them from falling into poverty in the event of a layoff or other financial misfortune."

Ted Cruz Thinks He's Qualified To Judge Kerry, Hagel Military Support

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Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class

Missouri Bill Would Require All First Graders To Take NRA-Sponsored Gun Class: Students in Missouri have no sexual education requirement, so there’s a good chance they don’t know how to properly protect themselves from STIs or unintended pregnancy. Soon, though, they may be able to protect themselves from guns. Missouri state Senate is considering a bill that would require all first graders in the state to take [...]/p

‘Fundamentally Unfair’: How States Tax Their Richest 1 Percent At Half The Rate Of The Poor

‘Fundamentally Unfair’: How States Tax Their Richest 1 Percent At Half The Rate Of The Poor: The poorest Americans are subject to a tax rate at the state and local level that is twice as high as the tax rate paid by the wealthiest earners thanks to “fundamentally unfair” state tax laws, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Middle-class taxpayers also pay higher [...]/p

Communism, Polygamy And Human Cloning Are More Popular Than The NRA’s Position On Gun Safety

Communism, Polygamy And Human Cloning Are More Popular Than The NRA’s Position On Gun Safety: Later today, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre is set to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and will reaffirm his organization’s opposition to universal background checks for persons who wish to purchase a firearm. According to a copy of LaPierre’s prepared remarks that was leaked on Tuesday, the NRA’s top executive will claim [...]/p

U.S. Economy Shrinks For First Time Since 2009 Due To Government Spending Cuts

U.S. Economy Shrinks For First Time Since 2009 Due To Government Spending Cuts: According to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. economy contracted slightly in the fourth quarter of last year, shrinking by 0.1 percent. Analysts has expected growth of 1 percent. This was a large tumble from third quarter’s growth of 3.1 percent and the first contraction since 2009. According to the [...]/p

Michelle Rhee, Hands off California!

Michelle Rhee, Hands off California!
"erry Brown came to the California legislature at once triumphant but still breathing fire during his State of the State address last week. While declaring victory over California's budget deficits, he had some choice words for the education "reformers" of our time"

The Five Things You Have To Know Before Today’s Gun Policy Hearing

The Five Things You Have To Know Before Today’s Gun Policy Hearing: At 10 AM on Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its first hearings on new legislation to reduce gun violence in the United States. Here are the five things that’ll help you make sense of the policy and politics at play in today’s hearing. 1. America has a gun problem. Study after study after [...]/p

Goldman Sachs Made 400 Million in 2012 Manipulating Food Commodities Derivatives

Goldman Sachs Made 0 Million in 2012 Manipulating Food Commodities Derivatives
"Some will point to ever increasing food costs as their proof of inflation caused by an expansionary monetary policy by the Federal Reserve, but that’s not true.  Food costs and other must have commodities are being manipulated by Wall Street so that every time you buy a loaf of bread – you’re funding the bankers.  Every time you buy tortillas – you’re giving pennies at a time to bankers.  Goldman Sachs has invested $44 TRILLION into derivatives (source) with an unknown amount of that being funneled directly into commodities.  They’re cornering the market to make sure they extract their pound of flesh.  Worse yet – they’ve sued the Obama administration for implementing regulations that would limit how banks can manipulate food prices.  The courts ruled on behalf of the banks and against the Obama administration."

Lou Barletta (R-PA) Wouldn't Be An American If His Immigration Standards Had Been Official US Policy

Lou Barletta (R-PA) Wouldn't Be An American If His Immigration Standards Had Been Official US Policy
"And if the United States had barred "low-skilled" non-high school graduates when Italians were pouring wave after wave into Ellis Island, it's likely that neither Barletta, Antonin Scalia or Rick Santorum would call themselves Americans today.

But apparently, none of this bothers Barletta in the least.

Hey, eff you, Mexicans. He got his."

Failing Coral Reefs Pushing Marine Ecosystems Towards Tipping Point | Common Dreams

Failing Coral Reefs Pushing Marine Ecosystems Towards Tipping Point | Common Dreams
"Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean are nearing a dangerous tipping point, says a new analysis published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, as erosion begins to outpace the plummeting growth rates of new reef structures threatening some of the planet's most biologically diverse ecosystems."

Immigration Reform Must Include Workers' Rights | Common Dreams

Immigration Reform Must Include Workers' Rights | Common Dreams
"At this moment, various plans to reform America's broken immigration system are working their way through Congressional debate. On Monday, a bipartisan group of eight lawmakersunveiled a plan that includes what they call a "tough but fair" path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Last Friday, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus met with President Obama to discuss the issue, and this caucus' input will be influential in shaping any final legislation."

How Big American Corporations Dodge Taxes By Claiming Huge Profits In Tiny Countries

How Big American Corporations Dodge Taxes By Claiming Huge Profits In Tiny Countries: American corporations avoid millions of dollars in taxes each year by reporting that large shares of their income are earned in five popular tax havens, even though small segments of their workforce and investment take place in those countries, according to data from the Congressional Research Service. The report analyzed five countries — Switzerland, Ireland, [...]/p

Three Charts Reminding The GOP That Domestic Spending Is Already Headed Toward Historic Lows

Three Charts Reminding The GOP That Domestic Spending Is Already Headed Toward Historic Lows: Republicans like to portray President Obama as a big government spender, despite the fact that government spending under Obama has grown at its slowest pace since the Eisenhower administration. The GOP is also trying to pretend the spending cuts that Obama has signed into law over the last two years simply didn’t happen. In fact, [...]/p

Opponents of “Corporate Personhood” Eye US Constitution | Common Dreams

Opponents of “Corporate Personhood” Eye US Constitution | Common Dreams
"There is a growing national movement to establish a 28th amendment to the constitution of the United States to address the issue of unlimited corporate spending in elections, although the groups working on the issue diverge on what exactly the amendment should say."

Contrasting Words With Deeds In Republican Tax Policy

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31 Senate Republicans Opposed Sandy Relief After Supporting Disaster Aid For Home States

31 Senate Republicans Opposed Sandy Relief After Supporting Disaster Aid For Home States: When the Senate passed the long-delayed $50.5 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package Monday, 36 Republicans voted against the bill. But of the 32 no-votes from Senators who are not brand-new members, at least 31 came from Republicans who had previously supported emergency aid efforts following disasters in their own states. While opponents complained that the [...]/p

Biotech Giants Battle to Stop Generic Competition | Common Dreams

Biotech Giants Battle to Stop Generic Competition | Common Dreams
"Biotech giants are fighting tooth and nail to prevent pharmacists from giving generic substitutes for biological drugs, which could cost the companies billions of dollars in annual sales but save consumers thousands of dollars."

Crusader Limbaugh Goes To War With Immigration Reform

Crusader Limbaugh Goes To War With Immigration Reform
"Boss Rush is all over comprehensive immigration reform, declaring that "it's up to [him] and Fox News" to stop immigration reform, before it's too late."

GOP Governors Increase Burden On Poor With Regressive Tax Plan

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If You Don’t Want The U.S. to Be Greece, Forget Austerity

If You Don’t Want The U.S. to Be Greece, Forget Austerity
"See, one of the only reasons why many countries in Europe have suffered so much after the financial collapse has been because, instead of turning towards Keynesian policies that Paul Krugman has begged for, they’ve embraced the Conservative principles that the UK’s Cameron touted. And that decision ushered in very painful austerity measures upon the people of their nations. The effects of those decisions has been a non-existent financial recovery to their economy and an accompanying nightmare to their population."

Republican Advocacy Group Coaching GOP on How Not Sound like Racist A**holes | Alternet

Republican Advocacy Group Coaching GOP on How Not Sound like Racist A**holes | Alternet
"But it also seems like pretty obvious advice—or at least it should be obvious advice to any congressman who doesn't hate brown people. And the fact that the pro-GOP Hispanic Leadership Network thought it was necessary to remind their party not to say offensive things like "send them all back" is a damn harsh commentary on the state of the Republican Party."

How Big Banks Are Making Jobless Americans Pay Millions To Access Their Benefits

How Big Banks Are Making Jobless Americans Pay Millions To Access Their Benefits: According to a new report from the National Consumer Law Center, jobless Americans are being forced to pay millions of dollars in unnecessary fees to big banks in order to access their unemployment insurance benefits. Several states do not give beneficiaries the option of having their benefits deposited directly into their bank accounts, forcing them [...]/p

GOP Rep Says He Opposes Immigration Reform Because Latinos Are Uneducated, Will Never Support Republicans

GOP Rep Says He Opposes Immigration Reform Because Latinos Are Uneducated, Will Never Support Republicans: Republican senators in the so-called Gang of 8 working to enact comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship argue that repairing the broken system would attract Latino voters to the GOP. As Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) explained during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s This Week, “We are losing dramatically the Hispanic vote, which we [...]/p

Dear Republicans: It's Not Your 'Messaging'. It's You.

Dear Republicans: It's Not Your 'Messaging'. It's You.
"The GOP brand is still reeling from the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush. To wit, 53 percent of voters last year said Bush was responsible for our current economic problems, compared with 38 percent for Obama. It’s no wonder voters gave Obama a second term—it takes more than four years to clean up a mess of that magnitude."

How CNBC And Fox News Misinformed Viewers About The Dangers Of The Debt Ceiling

How CNBC And Fox News Misinformed Viewers About The Dangers Of The Debt Ceiling: House Republicans recently agreed to raise the debt ceiling, preventing a self-inflicted economic calamity. Experts agree that failure to raise the debt ceiling would have catastrophic consequences for the U.S. economy. The debt ceiling debacle of 2010, during which the U.S. did not actually breach the debt limit and default, will wind up costing U.S. [...]/p

Four Important Ways Immigration Reform Could Benefit America’s Economy

Four Important Ways Immigration Reform Could Benefit America’s Economy: A bipartisan group of senators introduced a comprehensive immigration reform plan today that would reshape the nation’s outdated economic laws by putting 11 million undocumented immigrants on a path to citizenship while boosting border security. The plan would expand the pool of visas for highly-skilled immigrant workers and put young immigrants and undocumented agricultural workers [...]/p

New Jersey Governor Vetoes Minimum Wage Increase

New Jersey Governor Vetoes Minimum Wage Increase: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) today vetoed an increase in the minimum wage that was passed by the state’s Democratic senate. Using what’s known as a “conditional veto,” Christie sent the bill back saying he would sign it if certain changes were made, including: shrinking the increase from $8.50 to $8.25 per hour, phasing [...]/p

GOP Vote Rigging Stalls in Virginia and Florida but Pushes On in Wisconsin and Michigan -- Why?

GOP Vote Rigging Stalls in Virginia and Florida but Pushes On in Wisconsin and Michigan -- Why?
"Over the weekend, Wisconsin Governor Walker expressed support for a plan to end the longstanding practice of awarding a state's presidential elector votes to the winner of the statewide vote, and replacing it with a plan to allocate electors according to the victor in each Congressional district (a sentiment he also had expressed in December). Such a change would significantly benefit the GOP's presidential chances, largely because Republicans were in a position to redraw Congressional maps to favor their party during the last redistricting process."

Analysis Shows Virginia GOP Governor’s Tax Plan Would Pound The Poor

Analysis Shows Virginia GOP Governor’s Tax Plan Would Pound The Poor: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has been touring his state to promote a plan that would eliminate Virginia’s gas tax and replace it with an expanded sales tax. McDonnell is touting the plan as a way to fix the state’s dysfunctional transportation funding system, but its practical effect would be to make Virginia’s already regressive [...]/p

Americans for Prosperity Provides "Grassroots" for Controversial Wisconsin Mining Bill

Americans for Prosperity Provides "Grassroots" for Controversial Wisconsin Mining Bill
"SB 1/AB 1, commonly called the "Mining Reform Bill," is a renewed effort by supporters of a Florida-based mining company called Gogebic Taconite, or GTAC, to loosen environmental rules so the company can build an open-pit, iron ore mine in rural Northern Wisconsin. The mine is a top priority for Governor Scott Walker who is stung by continued reports placing Wisconsin at the bottom of the nation in terms of job creation. He featured the mine and a small group of miners in hard hats in his State of the Union address last week."

Only Three Choices for Afghan Endgame: Compromise, Conflict, or Collapse | Common Dreams

Only Three Choices for Afghan Endgame: Compromise, Conflict, or Collapse | Common Dreams
"Only one thing is certain in 2014: it will be a year of American military defeat.  For more than a decade, U.S. forces have fought many types of wars in Afghanistan, from a low-footprint invasion, to multiple surges, to a flirtation with Vietnam-style counterinsurgency, to a ramped-up, gloves-off air war.  And yet, despite all the experiments in styles of war-making, the American military and its coalition partners have ended up in the same place: stalemate, which in a battle with guerrillas means defeat."

How One Iowa Senator Secured Civil Rights For Americans Living With Disabilities

How One Iowa Senator Secured Civil Rights For Americans Living With Disabilities: This past weekend, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced he will not seek re-election in 2014, bringing an almost 40 year career in Congress to a close. But as Harkin steps aside, his legacy — particularly his work to champion increased protections for Americans living with disabilities — remains. Twenty two years ago, President George H.W. [...]/p

Michigan’s GOP House Speaker Expresses Support For Election Rigging

Michigan’s GOP House Speaker Expresses Support For Election Rigging: Late last week, democracy scored two important victories over a Republican plan to rig future presidential elections by changing the way electoral votes are counted in several key blue states. Two Virginia Republican state senators spoke out against the plan, effectively killing it. And Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford (R) attacked the election-rigging scheme as [...]/p

Obama Is Dismantling Reagan's Right-Wing Legacy | Alternet

Obama Is Dismantling Reagan's Right-Wing Legacy | Alternet
"Actually, the GOP is doing a pretty good job annihilating itself. As Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal put it, Republicans need to “stop being the stupid party"."

The GOP's Class Warriors: Makers, Takers, Fakers | Common Dreams

The GOP's Class Warriors: Makers, Takers, Fakers | Common Dreams
"Republicans have a problem. For years they could shout down any attempt to point out the extent to which their policies favored the elite over the poor and the middle class; all they had to do was yell “Class warfare!” and Democrats scurried away. In the 2012 election, however, that didn’t work: the picture of the G.O.P. as the party of sneering plutocrats stuck, even as Democrats became more openly populist than they have been in decades."

To Resist, To Join Together, Occasionally To Win | Common Dreams

To Resist, To Join Together, Occasionally To Win | Common Dreams
"It was three years ago that we lost Howard Zinn, teacher, historian, activist, optimist, speaker of truth to power. He is missed."

Paul Ryan: Calling Out My Hypocrisy on 'Entitlements' is a 'Straw Man Argument'

Paul Ryan: Calling Out My Hypocrisy on 'Entitlements' is a 'Straw Man Argument'
"Apparently taking note of the fact that someone is s hypocrite and rightfully pointing out that their policies hurt the most vulnerable among us is now a "straw man argument." On this Sunday's Meet the Press, David Gregory asked Rep. Paul Ryan about this quote from President Obama's inaugural speech, and Ryan pretty well twisted himself in knots trying to pretend that he and his fellow Republicans really don't want to gut our social safety nets. And all of that talk about "makers vs. takers"... well, just disregard all that."

Paul Ryan Embraces Spending Cuts He Said Would Devastate The Country

Paul Ryan Embraces Spending Cuts He Said Would Devastate The Country: During an interview on Meet The Press on Sunday, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) predicted that the sequester cuts are “going to happen” and made no concrete proposals for how to avoid the reductions. The tone represents a sharp rhetorical and policy shift for the onetime GOP vice presidential nominee, who warned during the 2012 presidential [...]/p

Corporate Land Grabs Reveal a Hidden Agenda: Controlling the Water | Alternet

Corporate Land Grabs Reveal a Hidden Agenda: Controlling the Water | Alternet
"The food crisis and recent droughts have confirmed that controlling the source of food—the land and the water that flows under or by it—are equally or even more important."

US Chamber CEO Donohue: Fracking Is Our Future, Safety Nets Be Damned

US Chamber CEO Donohue: Fracking Is Our Future, Safety Nets Be Damned
"If you want to understand the source of the world's problems, follow the Davos coverage by CNN andBloomberg News for a few days. Not only will they tell you what the source is, they'll prove that your instincts are right about billionaires and those who present them as the arbiters of all things fair and right.

Davos is the annual billionaires' conclave where they network, get their message straight, gladhand hungry politicians, and try to determine our fate. Ladies and gentlemen, our problem isn't what the billionaires think it is. Our problem is the billionaires."

Finally, the Swaggering Republicans Are Afraid | Alternet

Finally, the Swaggering Republicans Are Afraid | Alternet
"Of course, the Republicans still have the Right-Wing Machine churning out propaganda to rally the party’s angry white-male base. Plus, the GOP is coming up with more new plans for minimizing the votes of black and brown people and maximizing the political clout of whites, such as a scheme in several states to apportion presidential electors based on the Republicans’ gerrymandered congressional districts.

But Boehner seems to sense that something fundamental has changed. Perhaps he was playacting a bit when he warned fellow Republicans that Obama hoped to “annihilate” the Republican Party. But – overdramatized or not – Boehner’s alarm suggests that finally it is the Republicans who are afraid."

Republican Rebrand?

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Republicans Already Moving To Obstruct Consumer Protection Director… Again

Republicans Already Moving To Obstruct Consumer Protection Director… Again: Less than a day after President Obama announced that he is re-nominating Richard Cordray to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Republicans suggested that they again intend to obstruct his nomination based on their continued opposition to having a strong independent agency protecting consumers from predatory lending practices. Cordray’s recess appointment is [...]/p

Michigan GOP moving forward on election-rigging scheme

Michigan GOP moving forward on election-rigging scheme
"The Republican plan to rig the 2016 presidential election is starting to hit some speed bumps. Leading GOP lawmakers in Florida have already balked, and support among VirginiaRepublicans is far from unanimous."

ALEC Has Opposed "Popular Vote" Efforts Which Would Protect Against Partisan Rigging of Electoral College

ALEC Has Opposed "Popular Vote" Efforts Which Would Protect Against Partisan Rigging of Electoral College
"The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has actively lobbied against state plans to implement a national popular vote for president, urging state legislators to preserve the Electoral College -- which GOP legislators are now trying to rig to ensure the the next president is a Republican. In late 2011, ALEC officially changed its policy on the Electoral College to implicitly support allocating electoral votes by congressional district."

Democrats Fight GOP Election Rigging Scheme

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Re-Calculated Results in Pennsylvania Show Charter Schools Fail Their Own Hype | Common Dreams

Re-Calculated Results in Pennsylvania Show Charter Schools Fail Their Own Hype | Common Dreams
"The nationwide push for privatization of education through corporate-backed charter schools received a rebuke this week after newly calculated data in Pennsylvania showed that such schools are markedly out-performed by their public counterparts."

Next Big Challenge Facing DC: The Sequester

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Kiriakou Defenders Hope to Get Whistle-Blower’s Prison Sentence Commuted - Truthdig

Kiriakou Defenders Hope to Get Whistle-Blower’s Prison Sentence Commuted - Truthdig
"High-profile defenders of John Kiriakou have written President Barack Obama to request that he commute the whistle-blower’s sentence or pardon him.

Kiriakou was charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, allegedly disclosing classified information to members of the news media after speaking out against waterboarding in 2007. He pleaded guilty in October as part of an agreement that would sentence him to 30 months in prison."

Teacher Boycott of Standardized Test in Seattle Continues to Spread | Common Dreams

Teacher Boycott of Standardized Test in Seattle Continues to Spread | Common Dreams
"A boycott of Washington state’s mandated standardized test by teachers at a Seattle school is spreading to other schools and winning support across the country, including from the two largest teachers’ unions, parents, students, researchers and educators."

Arizona Bills Require Public School Students To Recite Loyalty Oaths

Arizona Bills Require Public School Students To Recite Loyalty Oaths: Public high school students in Arizona will have to “recite an oath supporting the U.S. Constitution” to receive a graduation diploma, if a new bill introduced in the new session of the state legislature is passed and signed into law. The measure, House Bill 2467, was offered by Rep. Bob Thorpe (R), a freshman tea [...]/p

Don’t Buy Lies About Social Security | Common Dreams

Don’t Buy Lies About Social Security | Common Dreams
"Let’s be brutally frank today: The claim by some of those Wall Street money changers and politicians like Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan and many of his Republican colleagues that Social Security is contributing to the national debt and therefore needs to be “fixed” is nothing more than an outright lie."

More Threats From Fracking: Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams

More Threats From Fracking: Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
"The controversial drilling practice known as fracking is under renewed scrutiny, this time for producing radioactive waste."

Las Vegas Accused of Engineering Massive Water Grab: Is This the Future of the West? [With Photo Slideshow] | Alternet

Las Vegas Accused of Engineering Massive Water Grab: Is This the Future of the West? [With Photo Slideshow] | Alternet
"Climate change is going to make life harder, water scarcer, and decisions about the future tougher."

Are Conservatives Rethinking Fox News' Endless Outrage Model? | Alternet

Are Conservatives Rethinking Fox News' Endless Outrage Model? | Alternet
"But it's exhausting. And it doesn't work. (Note the Republican Party's  26 percent approval rating.) That, plus the fact that the perpetual outrage approach is now entering its second four-year cycle with Obama. If politically, the tactic didn't work the first time, why is it being adopted again and reprised for the second term?

The bad news for Erickson is not only is the conservative movement purposefully trapped inside the phony Outrage Machine, but the machine's stuck on a replay loop."

GOP Governors Would Help the Rich Pick Your Pockets - Truthdig

GOP Governors Would Help the Rich Pick Your Pockets - Truthdig
"A slew of Republican governors are taking advantage of an “improving economy and a gradual rebound in revenues” toaggressively push for cuts to personal and corporate income taxes, and propose to make up the difference by raising sales taxes.

We’ve been over this before. Sales taxes do not differentiate based on people’s ability to pay. All are equal before the cash register. The Wall Street banker is treated no differently from the lowly paid schoolteacher. Therefore all are required to pay the same tax rate regardless of income. The result is a tax scheme that takes more from the middle class and the poor than the wealthy."

INFOGRAPHIC: What Republicans Could Do With $3 Million Other Than Defend Discrimination

INFOGRAPHIC: What Republicans Could Do With $3 Million Other Than Defend Discrimination: This spring the Supreme Court will issue a final ruling on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA. This odious law treats families headed by legally-married same-sex couples as second class citizens, depriving those families the same economic [...]/p

America Is A Liberal Country (just look at polling on major issues)

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