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."

For McCain, Hagel Opposition A Proxy War With History

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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

80 Percent of Senate Republicans Opposed Sandy Relief

80 Percent of Senate Republicans Opposed Sandy Relief
"The majority of Republicans now approach natural disasters as political fodder, another opportunity to push for massive cuts to other domestic spending. Tax cuts to the wealthy? Why, those pay for themselves. Rebuilding destroyed communities populated by millions of Americans? Only if you cut other government programs."

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."

IBEW Face-to-Face Organizing

In an age of smartphones, email and the Internet, members of IBEW local unions in the Pacific Northwest are going back to the basics to spread the union's message. They're using good, old-fashioned, in-person communication to reach out to their fellow union members and future union members.

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."

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."

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."

How raising Maryland’s minimum wage will benefit workers and boost the state’s economy | Economic Policy Institute

How raising Maryland’s minimum wage will benefit workers and boost the state’s economy | Economic Policy Institute
"Increasing the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour by July 2015 will have a demonstrably positive impact on the well-being of Maryland workers and the overall Maryland economy. The characteristics of those benefiting most from increasing the minimum wage dispel many prevailing beliefs about who gains from increasing the minimum wage."

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."

How States Lose $600 Million On A Worthless Corporate Tax Break

How States Lose $600 Million On A Worthless Corporate Tax Break: There’s no shortage of corporate tax giveaways at both the federal and state levels. Lawmakers of all stripes love to use the tax code to subsidize companies, either directly or indirectly. But in some instances, federal tax breaks for corporations undermine state budgets. As the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities detailed today, one particular [...]/p

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?"

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

House Judiciary Chair Introduces Unconstitutional Bill To Permanently Abolish The Income Tax

House Judiciary Chair Introduces Unconstitutional Bill To Permanently Abolish The Income Tax:Goodlatte believes that Medicare and Social Security are unconstitutional, so it is both unsurprising that the House Judiciary Chair is too unfamiliar with the Constitution to draft a constitutional tax bill and ironic that his bill actually permits taxes for the two programs he thinks are unconstitutional.

Sixty-nine members of Congress co-sponsored Goodlatte’s unconstitutional proposal to bankrupt the federal government.

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."

Republicans Learn How To Hide Their Views On Women

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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."

Today’s teachable GDP moment: Slower government spending => slower GDP growth | Economic Policy Institute

Today’s teachable GDP moment: Slower government spending => slower GDP growth | Economic Policy Institute
"Today’s GDP report, while overstating the current weakness in the economy, clearly illustrates what economists have known since the 1930s: Government fiscal contraction during periods of excess capacity—particularly when interest rates are already near-zero—is exactly the wrong thing to do. The coming year will see further cuts called for in the Budget Control Act (BCA) as well as possible cuts depending on the resolution of the “sequester” negotiations in March. These cuts will slow economic growth. Maybe not quite as dramatically as this quarter’s numbers indicate, but inevitably."

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

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"

Civil Rights On The Factory Floor

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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 On Military Support

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‘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

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."

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."

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

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

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

Virginia Electoral College Rigging Scheme Would Further Disenfranchise Minority Voters

Virginia Electoral College Rigging Scheme Would Further Disenfranchise Minority Voters: As the Virginia Senate’s Privileges and Elections Committee prepares to take up a bill to rig bill the state’s electoral college vote, Democrats and even Republicans are distancing themselves from the effort, calling it “a bad idea,” “skewing,” and a “partisan bill aimed at defying the will of the voters.” A ThinkProgress analysis of Virginia [...]/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."

The GOP Plan To Rig The 2016 Presidential Election

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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

Court Ruling on Labor Board a Bid to Return to Era of Open Season on Workers | Common Dreams

Court Ruling on Labor Board a Bid to Return to Era of Open Season on Workers | Common Dreams
"The appeals court ruling Friday overturning President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board is a huge gift to Wall Street, big corporations and the politicians they control who have worked for years to overturn protections for working people in the U.S.
In healthcare the implications are especially insidious. It is a clear assault on the ability of nurses to act collectively to improve safety standards and public protections for patients. If nurses are unable to speak out for patients and act together to safeguard conditions, all patients are threatened in an era in which most hospital employers place their bottom line above patient safety."

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."

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

A Vicious New Strain Of Stomach Flu Shows The Importance Of Paid Sick Leave

A Vicious New Strain Of Stomach Flu Shows The Importance Of Paid Sick Leave: Jane Farrell, a research assistant for economic policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. It seems that the U.S. is set up for a double-whammy outbreak of illness this winter — after enduring one of the worst flu seasons in years, America now faces an especially vicious strain of [...]/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"."

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."

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."

FreedomWorks Putting Its War Chest to Work for ALEC’s Union-Busting Agenda in the States | Alternet

FreedomWorks Putting Its War Chest to Work for ALEC’s Union-Busting Agenda in the States | Alternet
"The Tea Party-affiliated group FreedomWorks -- the right-wing organization that helps connect “Tea Party” groups with talking points, rallies, and more -- is gearing up to direct its sizeable war chest towards advancing anti-union initiatives in the states, supporting an agenda set by groups like David Koch's Americans for Prosperity and the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). This strongly suggests that the battle for the future of private and public sector unions in America is beginning a new phase of combat."

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."

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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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."

Survey: Americans Love Their Public Libraries | Common Dreams

Survey: Americans Love Their Public Libraries | Common Dreams
"The survey shows that 91% of people felt libraries are important to their communities; and 76% say libraries are important to them and their families."

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."

Fox News Isn’t Renewing Sarah Palin’s Contract

Fox News Isn’t Renewing Sarah Palin’s Contract: At the New York Times, cable news chronicler Brian Stelter has the story that Sarah Palin’s original contract with Fox News will not be renewed: Yes, Ms. Palin’s contract with Fox News has ended, and no, it is not being renewed. A Fox spokeswoman confirmed Friday that Fox had parted ways with the former Alaska [...]/p

Meet the "The Untouchables"

Wall Street banksters have been committing rampant crimes against the American people for years - but have managed to escape punishment. Why did the Department of Justice refuse to prosecute these criminals - and what does this say about Wall Street's sway with the federal government? The banksters on Wall Street got away with murder, literally. There have been broken families, divorces, suicides, and even murders that arguably can be tracked back to people's lives being destroyed by the greed of the banksters on Wall Street. And not a single Wall Street executive has gone to jail.

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

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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."

Frontline Gets Its Man: Lanny Breuer Leaves DOJ After Exposé | Common Dreams

Frontline Gets Its Man: Lanny Breuer Leaves DOJ After Exposé | Common Dreams
"In a testament to the power of independent media, the award-winning public television show Frontline this week helped push a top Department of Justice (DOJ) official out the door."

There's just one way to stop GOP rigging the vote...

All across America - Republicans are working hard to corrupt our democracy - and to rig the 2016 election. How could reforming the American voting process help to put integrity back into the our democracy?

Indiana Gov. Proposes Regressive Tax Cut Even Republicans Say The State Can’t Afford

Indiana Gov. Proposes Regressive Tax Cut Even Republicans Say The State Can’t Afford: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) used his State of the State speech this week to propose a 10-percent income tax cut that would cost the state so much money that even leading Republicans won’t support it. Pence’s proposal would cut the state’s income tax rate from 3.4 percent to 3.06 percent, a plan that follows [...]/p

The Rich Are Enjoying The Recovery While Wages Fall For Everyone Else

The Rich Are Enjoying The Recovery While Wages Fall For Everyone Else: As income inequality skyrockets, a new report from the Economic Policy Institute finds that the economic downturn and gradual recovery has exacerbated the trend. The wages of the richest Americans are making a dramatic comeback, while the rest of the country has seen its income drop by 1.2 percent since 2007. The wealthiest earners took [...]/p

Five Reasons Bobby Jindal Is Responsible For Transforming The GOP Into ‘The Stupid Party’

Five Reasons Bobby Jindal Is Responsible For Transforming The GOP Into ‘The Stupid Party’: Days after Mitt Romney lost his bid for the presidency, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) kicked off a publicity campaign for his 2016 run, casting himself as a different kind of Republican. In a series of interviews, statements and op-eds, Jindal called for reform within the GOP, embracing a more moderate message that could appeal [...]/p

How To Fight Back Against Reince Preibus' Bloodless Coup

How To Fight Back Against Reince Preibus' Bloodless Coup
"In the meantime, he should be shamed over and over again for endorsing a plan that is nothing more than an outright plot to steal the White House by disenfranchising voters and laying waste to the idea that every vote counts."

GOP Secretary Of State: Allowing Citizens To Register On Election Day Undermines Their ‘Individual Freedoms’

GOP Secretary Of State: Allowing Citizens To Register On Election Day Undermines Their ‘Individual Freedoms’: Giving citizens the flexibility to register to vote (or update their existing registration if they’ve recently moved) on Election Day actually chips away at Americans’ “individual freedoms,” according to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R). During a panel discussion on voting at the conservative Heritage Foundation on Thursday, Kemp lambasted the idea of same-day [...]/p

Virginia GOP Advances New Rules To Help Republican Presidential Candidates

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North Carolina GOP Governor Distances Himself From His Party’s Super-Regressive Tax Plan

North Carolina GOP Governor Distances Himself From His Party’s Super-Regressive Tax Plan: North Carolina Republican lawmakers, following on the heels of Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) and Gov. Sam Brownback (R-KS), have proposed eliminating their state’s income tax and corporate tax, replacing them with an expanded sales tax. Such a move is highly regressive, pushing taxes onto those lower on the income scale who are likely to spend [...]/p

Crazy -- Republican Lawmaker Wants to Jail Rape Victims for Ending Pregnancies | Alternet

Crazy -- Republican Lawmaker Wants to Jail Rape Victims for Ending Pregnancies | Alternet
"Apparently it took a female Republican to come up with the most vicious way to punish women who had the audacity to get themselves raped."

We Must Stop the Tyrannical Minority

We Must Stop the Tyrannical Minority
"Now that the Republican Party has been hijacked by the Billionaire Class, a very small one-percent sliver of our nation, they've taken unprecedented steps to abuse the Electoral College."

The importance of revenue revisited: Minimizing the drag of austerity | Economic Policy Institute

The importance of revenue revisited: Minimizing the drag of austerity | Economic Policy Institute
"Via Ezra Klein comes a must-read leaked memo from Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to Senate Democrats ahead of fashioning a Senate Budget Resolution. It’s an excellent chronology of the deficit reduction enacted in the 112th Congress—a hefty $2.4 trillion expected to take effect and $3.6 trillion if sequestration goes into effect—and the looming phases on the Beltway budget fights following the American Taxpayer Relief Act (i.e., the lame-duck budget fight, or ATRA for short).^1"

GOP Version2013: Battling Not Just Democrats but Democracy | Common Dreams

GOP Version2013: Battling Not Just Democrats but Democracy | Common Dreams
"So President Obama would have won by 5 million votes, carried the majority of states and swept the battlegrounds. But Romney would have been inaugurated as the nation’s forty-fifth president.

That’s not democracy. But that is the point of the Priebus plan."

VA Legislature Moves To Rig Electoral Votes In GOP's Favor

VA Legislature Moves To Rig Electoral Votes In GOP's Favor
"The only comfort in all of this is that Virginia is subject to review under the Voting Rights Act, which means this scheme (and their stealth redistricting scheme) may not pass muster. But I wouldn't count on that, particularly with the Voting Rights Act in front of the US Supreme Court this year.

I think we'd better figure out how to get rid of the electoral college altogether --and fast."