Puppet Power | Corruption on Pakistan's "Sesame Street" | ColbertNation.com.
President. Don't Make The Economic Mistake Of Voting Republican. In the past 100 years, America has progressed in terms of equal rights, but on the economic front, equality is relatively non-existent. At the turn of the century there were approximately 400 families that controlled the lion’s share of the wealth and that figure has hardly budged in 2011. The American middle class that emerged after World War II is responsible for much of the economic prosperity the country experienced for a generation, but their numbers are dwindling as Republicans assail unions and public employees with spending cuts and their ridiculous deficit reduction scams. When Republican governors and legislatures began eliminating public employees’ collective bargaining rights, the middle class finally woke up and protested because they saw their way of life coming to an end.
However, where was the middle class for the past 30 years as Republicans assailed the poor and minorities? About Rmuse (1,228 Posts) Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Connect with Rmuse. How Money Corrupts Congress – and How to Stop It. How Money Corrupts Congress – and How to Stop It By Julian BrookesRolling Stone October 5, 2011 “There is a feeling today among too many Americans that we might not make it,” Lawrence Lessig writes in the introduction to his new book Republic, Lost. “Not that the end is near or that doom is around the corner, but that a distinctly American feeling of inevitability, of greatness – culturally, economically, politically — is gone.”
He goes on to note that Americans’ trust in government is at an all-time low, related to the (largely accurate) belief that moneyed special interests wield outsize influence over our political system. In his book, Lessig, a Harvard Law School professor and big noise in the field of law and technology, details how money came to corrupt our government, how our broken system hurts both the Left and the Right, and what it will take to return American democracy to its rightful owners – the people. Lawrence Lessig Twelve Publishers That’s right.
Introduction.
House. War on Obama. Deregulation. House Republicans Seek Auto Industry Cuts To Cover For Disaster Relief Funds. WASHINGTON -- House Republicans rolled out their plan to fund disaster relief in Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) district, but at the cost of almost half of remaining loans set aside to help the American auto industry. Included in their plan for a continuing resolution to fund the government past Sept. 30 is a provision to cut $1.5 billion of the $3.4 billion in remaining funds for low-cost loans -- sometimes referred to as "Section 136 loans.
" The money would be reused to pay for aid to states as they clean up after recent natural disasters like Hurricane Irene and the rare east coast earthquake -- both of which greatly affected Cantor's Virginia district. The cost of disaster assistance is usually added to the budget deficit instead of offset with cuts. "We absolutely need to fund disaster recovery assistance in Eric Cantor's district and all areas affected by Hurricane Irene and the recent earthquake, but that doesn't make it ok to kill American manufacturing jobs," Rep.
Will Richard Cordray Ever Lead The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? <br/><a href=" US News</a> | <a href=" Business News</a> Copy Last week's Senate Banking Committee hearing on the nomination of Richard Cordray to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau featured prepared speeches that were utterly without sound and fury but still managed to do a huge disservice to American consumers. It felt like a really bad Capitol Hill reality show, devoid of all emotion, featuring actors who made Snookie and the Situation seem like "clean" coal shills at a global warming conference. Confirmation hearings are generally only for the true political junkie, and this was no exception. Occasionally a Cordray supporter would say something intelligent, and it was clear that there are some Senators who are serious about getting Cordray confirmed so the CFPB can begin its sorely needed work.
[Article: Is Richard Cordray the New Elizabeth Warren?] While the pachyderms fiddle, the homeland is burning. Republican Rep Accidentally Admits The GOP Has No Interest In Creating Jobs. A major problem for dysfunctional liars and charlatans is that sooner or later they forget what their lies are and mistakenly tell the truth. It is a common trait among criminals who inadvertently admit their guilt and then become confused and angry when police handcuff them and lock them in a jail cell. Politicians often make similar errors and it is up to the media or the opposing party to point out obvious incongruities so the public can make informed decisions at the ballot box.
Republicans, in particular, are champion liars who repeat rote talking points without thinking, and occasionally misspeak and reveal their true agenda without realizing they exposed their anti-American mindset. However, if Americans were paying attention to Republicans, they would have heard over and over again that the GOP agenda has never changed and they would know the GOP had no intention of ever helping the economy or creating jobs. About Rmuse (1,238 Posts) Audio engineer and instructor for SAE.
Republicans Call for Gutting Social Security, Adding Trillions to Debt. Cantor Voted For Billions To Rebuild Schools In Iraq, Now Opposes Funding School Construction In America. By Judd Legum on September 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm "Cantor Voted For Billions To Rebuild Schools In Iraq, Now Opposes Funding School Construction In America" Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) voted for over $120 billion to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, funds that were used to construct and repair schools, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure. Now, Cantor is opposing President Obama’s proposal to spend $30 billion to modernize 35,000 American schools.
Reuters has the story: U.S. The president’s proposal is a modest effort. Construction and building projects generally create about 10,000 jobs per billion spent. Contact your member of Congress and tell them that it is time to rebuild america now. NRA Bill With 243 Sponsors Would Create Race To The Bottom On Concealed Handguns. By Alex Seitz-Wald on September 12, 2011 at 5:25 pm "NRA Bill With 243 Sponsors Would Create Race To The Bottom On Concealed Handguns" The NRA is pushing a sweeping new bill to radically weaken the nation’s gun control regime. Already co-sponsored by 243 members of the House, the legislation would force any state to recognize a concealed weapons permit issued by any other state: If Congress adopts a bill that the National Rifle Association is pushing, Florida’s licenses would apply to 49 states in all — allowing their holders to carry hidden guns in places such as midtown Manhattan, where the New York Police Department rejects most such applications for “concealed- carry” permits.Only Illinois and Washington D.C., where residents aren’t allowed to carry concealed handguns at all, would be exempt.
For example, Bloomberg reporter John Crewdson was able to acquire a concealed weapons permit in Florida even though he doesn’t live there and has never held a gun in his life. The FAA Is About To Run Out Of Money AGAIN Due To Senate Stalemate.
Obama's millionaire tax is class war, say Republicans | World news. US Republican leaders have accused president Barack Obama of "class warfare" as he prepares to unveil plans to increase taxes for millionaires. Obama is set to reveal details of the so-called "Buffett tax" – named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who has repeatedly called for the rich to pay higher taxes – on Monday. Obama looks set to propose a tax hike for those earning more than $1m a year as part of a wider plan to tackle the US's massive deficit.
The proposals, which have little chance of becoming law without Republican support, look set to become the latest battle ground for Republicans and Democrats gearing up for next year's election and an increasingly contentious fight over how to support the US's struggling economic recovery. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House of Representatives budget committee, said: "Class warfare may make for good politics, but it makes for rotten economics.
" Former president Bill Clinton defended the plan. More Senate Squabble, Fewer Jobs. Still waiting for that big pivot when everyone in Congress starts acting like they actually care that the unemployment and poverty rates are are record high levels. In the meantime… Republicans blocked an effort Monday by Senate Democrats to quickly pass a $7 billion aid package for victims of recent natural disasters like Hurricane Irene, tornadoes in the Midwest and the South and floods along the Mississippi, Missouri and other rivers.On a 53-33 vote, the Senate rejected an attempt by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to bring up a bill that Democrats had hoped to use to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s depleted disaster fund. What actually happened was that Senate Republicans, helped by 14 senators from both parties who didn’t even show up for the vote, blocked a motion to wrap up debate on whether or not to begin debating a bill to renew sanctions on Burma.
Majority Leader Sen. This is supposed to be “the world’s most deliberative body.” Multi-Millionaire Rep. Says He Can’t Afford A Tax Hike Because He Only Has $400K A Year After Feeding Family. By Alex Seitz-Wald on September 19, 2011 at 11:12 am "Multi-Millionaire Rep. Says He Can’t Afford A Tax Hike Because He Only Has $400K A Year After Feeding Family" Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) Rep. Fleming is himself a businesses owner, so Jansing asked, “If you have to pay more in taxes, you would get rid of some of those employees?” Jansing pointed out that whining about tax increases while making $400,000 annually is “not exactly a sympathetic position.” Considering that he has $400,000 “left over,” it seems that Fleming could actually afford to hire workers and still bring home a respectable pay.
And how hard does the congressman work to make the equivalent of eight median household incomes? So Letting Businesses Pollute the Air and Water Is How the Administration Believes We'll Create Jobs? Attorney general denies sale to controversial hospital chain. Ana Venegas/The Orange County RegisterDr. Prem Reddy, Prime Healthcare Services' owner and board chairman In a widely watched decision, the state attorney general's office today denied the sale of Victor Valley Community Hospital to Prime Healthcare Services' nonprofit foundation, saying the sale would not be "in the public interest. " Prime's nonprofit foundation blasted the decision as "unexpected" and "inexplicable. " Prime accused the attorney general of siding with a labor union that "has been running a blatantly false smear campaign of vilification against hospitals operated by Prime Healthcare.
" Prime, which owns 14 hospitals, has come under increasing fire for its business practices and is under investigation for possibly exaggerating the severity of patient illnesses for profit. Kaiser Permanente, which has 6.8 million California members, has also accused the company of "trapping" its patients and then sending inflated bills for their care. Like our content? Dr. Dr. Defending Decision Not To Investigate News Corp., Issa Contradicts Own Claim That He Knows Rupert Murdoch.
By Travis Waldron on September 20, 2011 at 12:30 pm "Defending Decision Not To Investigate News Corp., Issa Contradicts Own Claim That He Knows Rupert Murdoch" House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) has refused repeated calls to investigate News Corporation over alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act tied to the British phone hacking scandal and allegations that the company hacked the phones of 9/11 victims’ families immediately after the tragedy. The investigations, Issa complains, would amount to “picking on [the] media.”
This morning, the host of C-SPAN’s Washington Journal asked Issa about the investigations and if his refusal to probe the company had anything to do with his personal trust in News Corp. HOST: I know you’ve been criticial of ThinkProgress.org that this is coming from, a liberal blog. In February 2010, Fang interviewed Issa about a potential probe into a Saudi Arabian prince’s large ownership stake in News Corp.
AT&T Gave $963K to Lawmakers in T-Mobile Bid. Representative Pete Olson and 99 fellow House Republicans signed a letter yesterday urging the Obama administration to resolve a government lawsuit and let AT&T Inc. (T) buy T-Mobile USA Inc. All but one of the 100 lawmakers has received political donations from AT&T employees since 2009, according to a Bloomberg review of campaign finance records. The letter signers took in $963,275, Art Brodsky, a spokesman for Washington-based advocacy group Public Knowledge, said in an e-mail. “AT&T’s congressional support for its takeover of T-Mobile comes at a price,” Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a merger opponent, said in an e-mailed statement.
AT&T is working to rescue its $39 billion purchase of T- Mobile from a U.S. lawsuit that seeks to block the transaction as anticompetitive. The company is challenging a Justice Department conclusion that the merger would bring higher prices, and it is exploring compromises to satisfy regulators’ concerns. Urging Settlement Close Open J. Cornel West: Cold-hearted Republican Party tied to oligarchs | Raw Replay. Public intellectual and Princeton professor Cornel West said Tuesday on MSNBC that the Republican Party was “mean, coldhearted and tied to oligarchs,” but Democrats were “spineless” and unwilling to fight them. “Looks like Barack Obama is going to have some spine, but it could be a two-step,” he said. “It could be a speech for progressives, then move back to the center.”
“The top 10 percent got 100 percent of income growth,” West later added. “That’s pathological. You can’t sustain a democracy when you have that kind of wealth inequality. You just can’t… The greed is running amok. Watch video, courtesy of MSNBC, below: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy. CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress. 6 Dumb Arguments Against Taxing the Rich, Explained. VIDEO- Allison Kilkenny on Countdown with… Sam Seder talks “Postal Workers: The Last Union” Consumer Groups Condemn GOP Bills To Eliminate Consumer Protections. Puppets Of The Rich: John Boehner. Speaker of the House John Boehner spoke to the economic club of Washington D.C. today, and it’s safe to say he isn’t feeling Obama’s American jobs plan.
Barack Obama’s Job Speech: Them’s Fighting Words! Boehner said:“The president’s proposals are a poor substitute for the pro-growth policies that are needed to remove barriers to job creation in America…the policies that are needed to put America back to work.If we want job growth, we need to recognize who really creates jobs in America. It’s the private-sector….private sector job creators are the heart of our economy. They always have been.” Barack Obama’s Jobs Speech: The Most Powerful Lines (PHOTOS) After a powerful speech given by the President a week ago, the paralyzing pushback of the Republican leadership is showing its head again. Last week Obama said this economic situation is “simple math,” so today Boehner came with his equation: “It’s a very simple equation.
Take a look at all the numbers being pumped into his pockets. [pagebreak] Jon Kyl Threatens To Quit Super Committee Over Defense Cuts. GOP Rep Introduces ‘Jobs’ Bill That Would Completely Eliminate Corporate Taxes. Grassley says IRS whistleblower program needs more resources. GOP class warfare: protect billionaires at all costs | Manhattan Diary. Republicans close ranks against Obama jobs plan. Incredible Keith Olbermann Special Comment On Taking Back Governance From Politicians. Republican Louie Gohmert Blasts American Jobs Act For Banning Unemployment Discrimination.
Herman Cain on Energy Policy. How 'Small Government' Conservatives Raise Your Taxes Through Stealthy Back-Door Fees | Tea Party and the Right. LIVE VIDEO NOW: North Carolina Senate Gay Marriage Debate. Coburn Yields to Pressure, Backs Off FAA Shutdown Threat. Bombshell: State Department Outsourced Tar Sands Pipeline Environmental Impact Study to ‘Major’ TransCanada Contractor. Exclusive: Republican Lobbyist Raided By FBI Last Week Shared Office With Top GOP State Senator, Bob Dutton.
How Conservatives and Big Oil are Using a Phony Scandal to Undermine Obama, Clean Energy, and Government Itself | News & Politics. Centrist Dems Already Trying To Put The Brakes On Obama's Tax Increases. Do Regulations Really Kill Jobs Overall? Not So Much. Killing Clean Energy Laws. Bundlers on target in deficit committee - Anna Palmer and Manu Raju. Senator Menendez Responds to Republican Obstruction of Renewal of Critical Autism Legislation - Robert Menendez.