How Ugly/Violent will this Get

AP said Thursday that at least 10 congressional Democrats now have reported threats and menacing harassment, including incidents at their offices in New York, Arizona and Kansas. Others, including antiabortion healthcare supporter Bart Stupak, have received death threats, and an undisclosed number of lawmakers have been given increased police protection. Into that climate of real danger, Cantor inserted his own easily disproven claim of violence. And that's not all he did: He accused Democrats of increasing the risk of violence against themselves by complaining about it. "By ratcheting up the rhetoric, some will only inflame these situations to dangerous levels," Cantor claimed. "Enough is enough. It has to stop."

Palin this week faced criticism after posting a map on her Facebook page that had circles and cross hairs over 20 Democratic districts. She also sent a tweet saying, "Don't Retreat, Instead - RELOAD!"

from Salon.com

Disintegration of a Civilization, in Real Time

The Fire Department New York is estimating it might have to close 62 fire companies and lay off more than 1,000 firefighters and the board that governs the once flush-with-cash Kansas City school district is taking the unusual and contentious step of shuttering almost half its schools.

Fire Departments and Schools?!?!

Am I watching the complete disintegration of a civilization right in front of my eyes? Are these really our priorities? Our morals? Spend money on one illegal war and one that is impossible to win (why are we in Afghanistan?) and give $700 billion + to banks who were irresponsible and went bankrupt. The banks, with our tax dollars, then raise rates and continue to kick us out of our homes, then give big their top brass huge bonuses!

If this were a movie script someone handed me four years ago, I would say totally implausible.

Equal Rights for All American's May Soon Come

Star litigators Ted Olson and David Boies, best known for opposing each other in the case Bush v. Gore, have teamed up to challenge California’s Proposition 8. I guess if the issue is obvious enough, bipartisanship can be accomplished. I hope they can restore civil rights (they say human rights) to gays in California!

The Right Shines

On January 26, 2010, O'Keefe and three other conservative activists were arrested and charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony in connection with an incident at the New Orleans office of Senator Mary Landrieu.

The Brooklyn district attorney announced the local ACORN office there hadn't engaged in any criminal conduct, the dirt-bag who taped ACORN was arrested by the U.S. Marshals and the FBI for allegedly trying to interfere with the phones of the New Orleans office of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, and the carpet bagger Harold Ford was run out of New York. How long will we let the right harm this country?

Now the shenanigans from Republican Senator Jim Bunning from Kentucky, who Time magazine called one of the nations 5 worst senators in 2006.

Americans, this is your country, not these clowns in political office. Drive these madpeople out of politics.

Anthony Weiner is an American Hero

Just when I was about to give up hope on politicians, not just the Party of No (Gods Own Party), but the Democrats as well, Anthony Weiner steps up to the plate and tries to defend the American people. Wow, an elected official who cares about the people.

We Hurt Our Own For Profits

Tax payers subsidize the very corn syrup that is making us obese. 35% of our children are obese or overweight. Seems our laws and subsidies favor profits over our health. I believe we need to reexamine our priorities.

New Yorkers Beware of Harold Ford Jr.

Not a Single Republican Vote to give Citizens Health Reform

The gift from Republicans on this Christmas Eve: I've got mine, screw you... Merry Christmas!

I knew the Stock Market was Evil, but didn't know this Evil was Behind it

This Hipocrate was Almost our Prez

Flashback: McCain Refused To Grant 30 Seconds Of Time During Iraq War Debate

Yesterday, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), acting on the orders of the Senate leadership, refused to grant Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) “an additional moment” to continue speaking on the Senate floor after his 10 minutes expired. Franken’s objection caused Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to groan about how Franken’s move was unprofessional, unprecedented, and disrespectful:

McCAIN: I’ve been around here 20-some years. First time I’ve ever seen a member denied an extra minute or two to finish his remarks. … I just haven’t seen it before myself. And I don’t like it. And I think it harms the comity of the Senate not to allow one of our members at least a minute. I’m sure that time is urgent here, but I doubt that it would be that urgent.

Unfortunately, McCain’s memory is suffering. In fact, McCain has engaged in the very same behavior that he was criticizing Franken for yesterday.

On October 10, 2002 — just ahead of the looming mid-term elections — the Senate rushed a debate on a war authorization giving President Bush the power to use force against Iraq. The resolution ultimately passed the Senate after midnight on an early Friday morning by a vote of 77-23.

During the course of the frenzied floor debate, then-Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) spoke in favor of an amendment offered by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) that would have restricted Bush’s constitutional powers to wage war against Iraq. After a minute and a half, Dayton ran out of time, prompting this exchange:

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator’s time has expired.

Mr. DAYTON. I ask for unanimous consent that I have 30 seconds more to finish my remarks.

Mr. McCAIN. I object.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/18/mccain-hypocrisy-franken/

"I've got mine..."

I don't have health insurance. My dentist just emailed me about a December cleaning. I emailed back and said I don't have insurance and I need to cancel the cleaning.

Friday I had a dizzy spell. It was so strong I had to sit down as I was afraid I might fall down. I was too meet someone and had to cancel our plans. I had the dizzy spell again this morning. My action to this possible health crisis: cross my fingers.

A Harvard Medical School study released in September found that 45,000 Americans die annually because they lack health insurance, 2.5 times more than was estimated in a 2002 study.

The National Association of Free Clinics, a nonprofit organization started to help third world countries, is hosting a clinic today in New Orleans, USA. They estimate that 80% of the people they will see have a job but insufficient health insurance.

For those who feel "I've got health insurance, figure your own sh%t out" I say, "it could be you one day." Attempt empathy and compassion. Here are some other people with situations worse than dizzy spells.

Keep America Racist

A former classmate of mine, whos Facebook postings seem extreme to me, told me yesterday that she ONLY watches FOX news... then it became clear as day.



Lou Dobbs, who many speculate left CNN (or was forced out) because of his racist views, said ""Over the past six months, it has become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us..." That "change" Lou, is that American may actually be evolving away from the racist views that it was founded on.

August 14, 2009 Dobbs, "You know, it's just killing the left wing in this country that they can't force CNN to fire me."

Adiós Lou Dobbs

Over 100,000 people signed one of many petitions to get Lou Dobbs off of CNN. Now he is gone.

Our Service People Deserve Better

A new study estimates four times as many US Army veterans died last year because they lacked health insurance than the total number of US soldiers who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in the same period. A research team at Harvard Medical School says 2,266 veterans under the age of sixty-five died in 2008 because they were uninsured.

Read more here

When Will the Teabaggers & Congresspeople Wake Up?

Teabaggers Defeated

Congratulations to Democrat Bill Owens for defeating Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and their extreme right-wing 'tea party' candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 Special Election.

Boot Lieberman!

You may have heard the news. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is threatening to help Republicans block a vote on health care reform if the bill includes a public health insurance option.

But when reporters asked Lieberman if he'd be willing to lose his powerful committee chairmanship as a consequence, he said: "Oh, God no."

What's our answer? Hell yeah!

You and 90,000 others signed our petition to Democratic senators asking them to strip leadership titles from Lieberman (or others) if they block reform. Can you help us get to 100,000?

Click HERE to sign

Who Has "Done Nothing?"

Is it possible, that in nine short months, President Barack Obama and his administration have turned around the second worst economy in our history, the one George W. Bush left as part of his legacy? To those who say Obama has done nothing - Beck, Limbaugh, Coulter, Malkin - I beg you to become part of the solution or get out of the way. You have been proven very wrong. And you continue to hurt this country.

This from the BBC.com

Recovery ends US recession

The US economy grew at an annual pace of 3.5% between July and September, its first expansion in more than a year.

The US economy pulls out of recession with faster than expected, 3.5% annualised growth in the last quarter.

The growth was helped by a substantial government spending plan, including a scrappage scheme to boost car sales.

ACORN better for Americans than congress, and less corrupt

If we want to stop corruption and misuse of tax dollars, we should investigate and perhaps defund congress, not ACORN.



Do something about it HERE

FOX president R. Ailes finally admits FOX is not news!

Democrats often appear on FOX in hopes of reaching out to conservative viewers. But FOX cuts off their mic, distorts what they say, or runs biased headlines at the bottom of the screen.⁴ In the end, Democrats always lose on FOX.

FOX insists there's a difference between its news shows and its right-wing opinion shows with Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and others.

But in August, FOX's so-called news shows "aired 22 clips of town hall meeting attendees opposed" to Obama's health care plans and zero in support. CNN and MSNBC were more fair and balanced.⁵

In another "news" story, FOX passed off a GOP press release as its own research—typo and all.⁶

FOX executives now describe the channel as "the voice of opposition" to Obama's agenda. FOX president Roger Ailes—a former adviser to Nixon, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush—said, "I see this as the Alamo."⁷

But a Capitol Hill newspaper reports, "In the House and Senate, Democrats who pledged to follow the administration's near-boycott of Fox were hard to find, although many expressed support for Obama's stance."⁸

Democrats will only find the courage to join Obama if they hear from enough concerned voters. Sign this petition to ask Sen. Schumer and Sen. Gillibrand and Rep. Maloney to stay off FOX. Clicking here will add your name:

http://civic.moveon.org/foxobama/o.pl?id=17603-9815853-kyl2jQx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Noah, Nita, Michael, Kat, and the rest of the team

Sources:
1. "Fox News viewers overwhelmingly misinformed about health care reform proposals," Think Progress, August 19, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84884&id=17603-9815853-kyl2jQx&t=6

"Fox News Signs On To Tea Party Agenda, Aggressively Promotes Anti-Obama Protests," Think Progress, April 10, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84885&id=17603-9815853-kyl2jQx&t=8

"Beck-led Fox News "czar" witch hunt moves to ridiculous smear of Anita Dunn," Media Matters for America, October 16, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200910160004

2. "White House: Fox News 'a wing of the Republican Party'," New York Daily News, October 12, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84886&id=17603-9815853-kyl2jQx&t=9

3. "The Battle Between the White House and Fox News," The New York Times, October 17, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84898&id=17603-9815853-kyl2jQx&t=10

4. "Outfoxed: Fox News technique: cut their mic!" Brave New Films, May 11, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkFU4MtubU

"The Case Against FOX," FOXAttacks.com
http://foxattacks.com/facts.php

5. "Fox News' town hall coverage amplifies opponents of health care reform, ignores supporters," Media Matters for America, September 8, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/print/research/200909080004

6. "Fox passes off GOP press release as its own research—typo and all," Media Matters for America, February 10, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200902100019

7. "'Voice of the opposition': Fox News openly advocates against Democratic Congress, White House," Media Matters for America, September 11, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/reports/200909110016

8. "Congressional Democrats defend the White House's snub of Fox News," The Hill, October 14, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84899&id=17603-9815853-kyl2jQx&t=11

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