Reporters Say Exxon Is Impeding Spill Coverage in Arkansas. Reporters covering the oil spill from ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline in Mayflower, Arkansas, are reporting that they've been blocked from the site and threatened with arrest. On Friday morning, Inside Climate News reported that an Exxon spokesperson told reporter Lisa Song that she could be "arrested for criminal trespass" when she went to the command center to try to find representatives from the EPA and the Department of Transportation. On Friday afternoon, I spoke to the news director from the local NPR affiliate who said he, too, had been threatened with arrest while trying to cover the spill. Michael Hibblen, who reports for the radio station KUAR, went to the spill site on Wednesday with state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.
McDaniel was in the area to inspect the site and hold a news conference, and Hibblen and a small group of reporters were following him to report on the visit. Climate skeptic could run Down Under. Australians endured devastating bushfires, floods, and record-breaking heat waves during this year’s Southern Hemisphere summer. Per capita, Australia is one of the world’s biggest contributors to global warming — and it has also been among those hardest hit by its effects. But in recent years, the country has been doing more than most to rein in emissions and brace for climate change disaster. Australians head to the polls this year, and unfortunately for them (and everyone), the main opposition candidate vying to defeat Julia Gillard in the race for prime minister happens to be a mug who reckons all this climate change talk is just a bunch of bull dust and whingeing. Tony Abbott leads the Liberal Party, the opposition party which — because Australia is politically as well as geographically upside down — is actually the country’s conservative party.
(Abbott is less popular than Gillard but his party is leading in early polling.) From The Australian: Romney's Climate Reversal. In 2010, at the height of his transition from failed primary candidate to Republican Party nominee, Mitt Romney released “No Apology.” The book, part memoir and part policy platform, offers—in light of profound skepticism on the right—a moderately progressive stance on climate change. “I believe that climate change is occurring,” Romney wrote. “I also believe that human activity is a contributing factor. I am uncertain how much of the warming, however, is attributable to man and how much is attributable to factors out of our control.” The two-year period that began with No Apology and ended with the Republican National Convention this month witnessed radical changes in Romney’s position on climate change.
His climate policy is marked by a crucial linguistic shift: rather than use the neutral and scientifically accurate terminology of “climate change,” Romney now refers to “global warming.” Romney’s repeated shifts on climate change have not gone unnoticed. Daniel Z. Let the Shameless Debate Sandbagging Commence! | Politics Blog. Nothing is more time-honored — or hack — than Debate Sandbagging. In the days before a debate, both sides down their own candidate in the hope of lowering expectations.
That way, their guy will emerge as “the victor” as long as they do anything short of projectile vomiting or unleashing a Touretic stream of f-bombs. Exhibit A: George W. Bush v. John Kerry. The whole charade is downright shameless and it’s already begun Friday — in advance of Wednesday’s first presidential debate — with CNN “obtaining” a memo — we’re guessing it was hand-delivered on silver platter followed by a rubdown — from the Romney camp’s Beth Myers. From: Beth Myers, Senior Adviser To: Interested Parties Date: September 27, 2012 Re: 2012 Presidential DebatesIn a matter of days, Governor Romney and President Obama will meet on the presidential debate stage.
Oh, and lookie here’s a similar memo Friday from Obama campaign czar David Axelrod. You can read the longer memo here. Heath Lovell, Coal Executive, Poses As Miner In Ad For Republican Congressional Candidate Andy Barr. A Kentucky Republican running for Congress is taking heat for a misleading campaign ad featuring a coal executive. Heath Lovell appears in the ad for GOP candidate Andy Barr -- who is running agains Democratic Rep.
Ben Chandler -- dressed not in a suit, but wearing a mining helmet and standing on railroad tracks. "Obama, Ben Chandler, and the EPA are destroying us. They're putting the coal industry out of business, and it's just devastating," Lovell says in the ad. "This is our way of life. It means jobs for people around here, good-paying jobs. " The political ad has one saving grace: It displays Lovell's real name at the beginning, but without any other identifying information. A miners' union and Chandler's campaign went on the attack following the ad's release. Eric Nagy, Chandler's campaign manager, told The New York Times in a statement that the ad is "shamefully deceptive" and "an insult to hard-working Kentucky coal miners who put their lives on the line every day.
" Mitt Romney Boca Raton Fundraising Video: Candidate's 'Inelegant' Words Caught on Tape. Let's get to the secret tapes from the campaign trail. It's "your voice, your vote. " With just 49 days to go, abc's david muir is here. And no apology from mitt romney at that late-night press conference. He said say his words were inelegant. Inelegant were the way he described them. He stood by the words last night. The argument he made behind closed doors for a group of wealthy donors, describing voters, nearly half of americans, that in his words, it's not his job to worry about. Overnight in california, walking up to the podium with a forced smile in a hastily-arranged press conference. Good evening, I understand there's a video that's been on the internet for a few weeks that has attracted some attention. Who believe they are victims. That's an entitlement. Reporter: He says they don't pay income tax. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.
But he was not. Romney tells flood victim "Go home and call 211" Okayyy so why did he go there. In fact it was very childish and a political move. President Obama's trip to Louisiana was already planned and Romney calls himself beating him to it. The lady who Romney told this to had NO HOME TO GO TO CALL 211, IT FLOODED! Btw this was not in New Orleans. The article Mitt Romney Tells Louisiana Flood Victim To ‘Go Home And Call 211′by Tommy Christopher | 3:54 pm, September 1st, 2012 It was already a risky decision for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to visit Hurricane Isaac-ravaged New Orleans immediately following the Hurricane Katrina anniversary-timed Republican National Convention, a risk exacerbated by conservative gloating that Romney had beaten President Obama to the “prize.”
Already open to criticism that he was using the disaster as a political prop, Romney could hardly have asked for a worse headline than what he reportedly told one flooding victim. Romney and Louisiana Gov. Paul Ryan: Marathon Time Claim Not True. Paul Ryan's campaign walked back comments the VP nominee made about running a marathon.
"I had a two hour and fifty-something" marathon, Ryan said last week an interview. "I hurt a disc in my back, so I don’t run marathons anymore. " But the Ryan campaign confirmed to Runner's World that he has only run one marathon, the 1990 Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, which he finished in just over 4 hours. "The race was more than 20 years ago, but my brother Tobin—who ran Boston last year—reminds me that he is the owner of the fastest marathon in the family and has never himself ran a sub-three," Ryan said in a prepared statement. "If I were to do any rounding, it would certainly be to four hours, not three.
He gave me a good ribbing over this at dinner tonight. " The admission comes after wide speculation that Ryan had exaggerated his marathon time. This isn't the first time Ryan has come under fire this week for stretching the truth. Also on HuffPost: Steve King echoes Akin. The ever quotable Rep. Steve King became one of the only conservative leaders to lend credence to Rep. Todd Akin’s explosive comments on rape and abortion yesterday when he told an Iowa TV station that he hasn’t heard of someone getting pregnant from rape or incest.
“Well, I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way, and I’d be open to discussion about that subject matter,” King told KMEG-TV yesterday in comments first flagged by TPM . King even suggested that pregnancies are rare or nonexistent in cases of statutory rape, even though that’s clearly not true . When King was first asked about Akin’s comments at a town hall in Le Mars, Iowa, yesterday, he was more circumspect . Though he refused to condemn Akin, he didn’t support him either, saying he needed to review the Senate candidate’s original statement before offering a public opinion. Apparently King has now made up his mind. Congressman's Remarks About Rape and Pregnancy Rebuked on Twitter. Missouri Republican Rep. and Senate nominee Todd Akin said in an interview Sunday that in the case of what he called "legitimate rape," the "female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.
" "From what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,” Akin told local station KTVI-TV in response to a question about abortion and women's rights issues. Akin's remarks immediately ignited a social firestorm on Twitter, with many users condemning his remarks and pointing out the clear factual flaws in his understanding of biology. The term "legitimate rape" was trending within hours of the interview being picked up by a major media outlet. A snapshot of the conversation around Akin's controversial comments can be seen below: [<a href=" target="_blank">View the story "Congressman's Rape Comments Ignite Social Firestorm" on Storify</a>] Image Credit: House of Representatives.
Mitt Romney's Own 2002 Testimony Undermines Bain Departure Claim. WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney's repeated claim that he played no part in executive decision-making related to Bain Capital after 1999 is false, according to Romney's own testimony in June 2002, in which he admitted to sitting on the board of the LifeLike Co., a dollmaker that was a Bain investment during the period. Romney has consistently insisted that he was too busy organizing the 2002 Winter Olympics to take part in Bain business between 1999 and that event. But in the testimony, which was provided to The Huffington Post, Romney noted that he regularly traveled back to Massachusetts.
"[T]here were a number of social trips and business trips that brought me back to Massachusetts, board meetings, Thanksgiving and so forth," he said. Romney's sworn testimony was given as part of a hearing to determine whether he had sufficient residency status in Massachusetts to run for governor. Yet in the Aug. 12, 2011, federal disclosure form filed as part of his presidential bid, he said, "Mr. Harborside Health Center Targeted: Feds Go After 'Largest Pot Shop On The Planet' (PHOTOS)
SAN FRANCISCO -- An Oakland medical marijuana dispensary that has been billed as the largest pot shop on the planet has been targeted for closure by federal prosecutors in Northern California, suggesting that a crackdown on the state's medical marijuana industry remains well under way. U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag has threatened to seize the Oakland property where Harborside Health Center has operated since 2006, as well as its sister shop in San Jose, executive director and co-founder Steve DeAngelo said Wednesday. His employees found court papers announcing asset forfeiture proceedings against Harborside's landlords taped to the doors at the two locations on Tuesday.
Although medical marijuana is legal in California, a federal court complaint that Haag's office filed Sunday says the dispensaries are violating federal law by selling marijuana. Take a look at other local pot shops who have been forced to close since the crackdown began: Loading Slideshow. Fourth of July Fireworks: Military Fights for Energy Independence, but Congress Might Stand in the Way | Peter Lehner. Voter ID law may affect more Pennsylvanians than previously estimated. Under Pennsylvania's new voter ID law, various other forms of photo identification will be accepted at voting places in November, including U.S. passports, student identification cards with expiration dates, current military identification, and ID cards issued to government employees.
But for most voters, the Pennsylvania driver's license is the standard photo ID. The disclosure that 9 percent of the state's registered voters don't have one - or an alternative, nondriver PennDot photo ID - provides a clearer picture of the hurdle set up by the state's new voter ID requirement. Republican lawmakers pushed the bill through the legislature in March and it was signed into law by Gov. Corbett, over protests from Democrats that the measure would disenfranchise thousands of voters, disproportionately affecting those without driver's licenses - the poor, the elderly, and the young.
"Voter ID - which is going to allow Gov. South Atlantic whale sanctuary fails to pass at IWC. Despite overwhelming public support and powerful speeches from supporting countries, the IWC failed to pass the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary this afternoon. This comes to me as a big disappointment after yesterday’s great showing of enthusiasm for the whale sanctuary. Yesterday, hundreds of people joined together to save the whales. We formed an aerial whale image of a humpback whale with the word “Santuario” (spanish for ‘sanctuary’), asking countries from all over the world that are here for the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to see the overwhelming support for whale conservation. This morning, I handed the U.S. delegation your signatures.
Over 52,000 of you signed our petition, asking President Obama and the U.S. delegation to support a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic. Well, they definitely heard your voice! The U.S. delegation voted in favor of a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic, and tweeted their disappointment when the vote did not pass. Our "Sanctuary Now! " Louisiana Set to Use Public Funds to Teach Creationism & Climate Denialism | 80beats. People Are Relentlessly Mocking Shell Over Greenpeace's Social Media Take Down*
Say it ain’t soil: What’s the true value of organic farmland? Nick Maravell has been farming organically and cultivating heirloom seeds on a leased 20-acre plot of land in Potomac, Md., for over three decades. Nick’s Organic Farm is an anomaly in wealthy, suburban Potomac, where McMansions dominate the landscape, and its location has made it possible for Maravell to cultivate heirloom breeds of organic soy and corn seeds native to the Chesapeake Bay region. Corn seed is wind-pollinated, meaning organic varieties are easily contaminated by genetically modified pollen if grown anywhere near conventional farms. But Maravell’s farm is isolated, protected by a buffer of suburbia — an ideally situated piece of land that would be difficult to replace.
All this might explain why, when it became clear that Maravell would lose his lease, the surrounding community didn’t take it lightly. His landlord, the Montgomery County Board of Education, transferred the lease to the county, which then awarded a contract to a private developer to build soccer fields. World War II Vet Caught Up In Florida's Voter Purge Controversy : It's All Politics. George W. Bush's official portrait puts the president with 'A Charge to Keep': The irony behind Bush's misreading of the painting.
The changing complexity of congressional speech. Verizon refused to help police locate unconscious man unless they paid his phone bill. Mitt Romney Laughs Off Teen Bullying. Mitt Romney raises concerns for. Koch Brothers' Activism Protects Their 50-Year Stake in Canadian Heavy Oils. Environment Agency head Lord Smith supports fracking expansion. Pocket : Iceland To Resume Endangered Fin Whale Hunt. Images of Idaho trapper posing with Idaho wolf in Idaho trap cause regional uproar. Conflict Over How Open ‘Do Not Track’ Talks Will Be. Domestic violence bill opposed by GOP senators. Limbaugh: Student in contraception debate a 'slut' Gavin Newsom asks official who killed puma to quit. CLIMATE CHANGE / Truth and denial. GOP candidates' resumes a bit dated. GOP goes to extremes to demonize women. Birth control issue rankles women of both parties.
Santorum vs. JFK | Politics Blog. Virginia GOP lawmakers drop transvaginal test bill. Breaking news: A look behind the curtain of the Heartland Institute’s climate change spin. Snively X. Longbuttocks walks the dogs. Inside the nefarious Agenda 21. While temperatures rise, denialists reach lower. Republican primary candidates on climate change. For bass fishers, Alabama Rig will git-r-done.