Thursday, December 30, 2010
Thom Hartmann: Stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship American jobs overseas....
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
My Grandma Sick - Positive Thoughts Please
My 90 year old Grandma`s Leg is in major pain, she cannot move, the pain medicine is making her a bit 'loopy' , she has a low tolerance to Drugs. She is having Spasms in her leg and side. My Grandma is losing a lot of weight, She is not eating much, my Aunt is trying to get her to eat more. My grandma is upstairs and she cannot get down and my Aunt is not strong enough to help her down. My Grandma`s Doctor is coming to see her today. Please send out & Show Grandma POSITIVE Thoughts - Please no Dramatics (like a Certain Family Member of mine did today) by such antics as doing a Solemn Rosary Prayer in her face as if it was her Last Rights -that would depress Anybody! Sheesh - PLEASE Use Common Sense People!!
Thom Hartmann: The United Nation's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
Randi Rhodes: Homework 4 2day
Chris Matthews: “I Don’t Think Democrats Want To Stop” Illegal Immigration
McCain whines that Latinos turned their backs on him -- after he threw them under the bus
The 'Death Panels' and Betsy McCaughey are Back at Fox News
Five memorable 2010 debate moments
Brain thickness determines political leaning: study
As President Barack Obama takes a winter vacation in Hawaii, legislation is piling up on his desk.
Obama Far More Protected From Primary Challenge Than Clinton: Poll
Inside The GOP's Plan To Stifle Obama's Executive Branch Power
New GOP House Rules Pave The Way For More Tax Cuts, Deficits
Chris Christie Slammed For Staying In Disney World During Devastating Snow Storm
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thom Hartmann: Starting to Feel like a Peon?
Monday, December 27, 2010
Randi Rhodes: 2day`s Post Holiday Homework
Gibbs: Health Care Bill Inspired Obama To Chew Nicorette Over Cigs
Michele Bachmann Calls 9-11 Responders Bill a New Entitlement Program
Larry King: Sean Hannity And Rachel Maddow Are “Preachers” Who Offer “No Learning Experience”
Thom Hartmann: Mainstream media has been taken over by Conservative ideology
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Thom Hartmann: The 111th session of Congress has passed more legislation affecting more people than any other Congress since the 1960's...
Randi Rhodes: Homework for Dec. 22nd 2010
To Provide Perspective On START, Hannity Turns To Jon Voight. Wait, What?
Stephen Colbert: Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat
Bill O’Reilly responds to Stephen Colbert who was responding to O’Reilly
Republican Senator Will Block 9/11 First Responders Bill, Potentially Killing Its Chance Of Passage
Mayor Rudy Giuliani: Pass 9/11 Health Bill
Scott Brown to support New START treaty
Dems reach magic number on arms treaty as GOP support builds
Joint Chiefs chairman Mullen urges Senate to ratify arms treaty with Russia
Senate readies for showdown over New START arms treaty
GOP shuts down bill to prevent child marriage
Greenwald: The NYT spills key military secrets on its front page
U.S. Military Seeks to Expand Raids in Pakistan
NATO denies having plans for raids inside Pakistan
US envoy Bill Richardson: North Korea 'making progress' in reducing tensions
South Korea still braces for a response from the north
Iraqi parliament approves new government
Incoming House intelligence chairman pushed for drone strikes during Bush era
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Thom Hartmann: Why the Media isn't Talking about the War...
Monday, December 20, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Homework Day 1
Randi's on vacation, but that's no excuse to fall behind on your homework!
Obama Weekly Address: National Security Over Politics on START
SNL: Assange vs. Zuckerberg on Time Magazine’s Person of the Year award.
Senate votes to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'
See how your Senator voted on the DADT repeal
For gay rights, is repeal of 'don't ask' military ban the end or the beginning?
Senate Republican leader says he'll vote against New START
Democrats Confident that 9/11 Health Bill Will Pass
Kyl Denies Health Care For 9/11 Rescue Workers Because He Doesn’t Want To ‘Hurry’
Obama reaches out to liberal groups to shore up Democratic base after tax deal
Sen. Kay Hagan’s Office, Government Buildings Vandalized In North Carolina
John Boehner's Tea Party Nightmare
Bachmann kicks up fundraising storm and Senate speculation
Rove Suspected In Swedish-U.S. Political Prosecution of WikiLeaks
NY's Rep. King says he will hold hearings on Islamic radicalization; critics fear witch hunt
In Sunday-evening surprise, Senate unanimously passes food safety bill
Friday, December 17, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Done Deal
The big tax cut compromise bill was finally passed by the House last night at midnight (see how your rep voted). While this bill was necessary, maybe midnight is the best time to pass it—there are elements of this agreement that really never should see the light of day. Actually, this bill does a lot. It’s good for the economy, and it’s good for wealthy people. And those are not complimentary aims. Most importantly, this bill extends unemployment benefits for 13 months. And that provision does dovetail nicely with healing the economy.
Meanwhile, the Senate just gave up trying to pass a bill to fund the government over Republican objections. If that sounds like the Republicans object to the government, it’s not that far off the mark. Instead, the Senate will pass a short-term stop-gap spending measure. It seems like Democrats are forever taking stop-gap measures, while Republicans are forever creating gaps. The abandonment of the spending bill shows how much more clout the Republicans have after the elections… and before they even take office. It’s almost like giving up a home run to the guy in the on-deck circle.
On a dumber note, Sarah Palin is out doing interviews to promote her book. ABC’s Robin Roberts, interviewing Sarah Palin, said that when John Boehner cries, “he’s seen as being passionate.” No. Actually, he’s seen as being drunk. Palin replied that Boehner “has worn his feelings on his sleeve.” Yup. Along with a lot of spilled merlot. Sarah doesn’t seem to be a big drinker. But what’s the point when you start out that confused? There’s the old phrase “that’s the whiskey talking.” If the whiskey could talk, it would be bound to make more sense than Sarah Palin.
This week Kate Gosselin was a guest on Sarah Palin’s show. Kate turned out to be even more annoying than Sarah Palin. Maybe that’s the strategy of the show—to have Sarah with people who are even more dislikable than she is. Look forward to upcoming guest shots from Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, and that assistant coach for the New York Jets. Gosselin whined the entire time. But then she was on a bear hunting trip with Sarah Palin. At a certain point you’re going to start asking yourself if you wouldn’t be better off with the bears.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
Larry King says so long…
Thom Hartmann: The next battle in 2012....
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Playing the Christ Card
I have news for Senators Kyl and DeMint—everybody works up until Christmas. Even the shepherds at the first Christmas were “tending their flocks by night.” So not only were they working, these poor guys pulled a graveyard shift on Christmas. And Jesus was a carpenter. I doubt very much if he routinely took the last three weeks of the year off to celebrate his birthday.
The Christmas comments from Kyl and DeMint weren’t even the most hypocritical things said by Republicans yesterday. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and John Thune (R-SD) are working through Christmas on the hypocrisy front. They were crowing about how they were going to vote against the omnibus spending bill because it was loaded with earmarks. They were quite certain of that, since they did much of the loading themselves. Cornyn has some 53 pork projects in this bill, worth $15.7 million. Thune added 53 earmarks costing $38.5 million.That’s like the doctor that wrote all those prescriptions for Michael Jackson criticizing him for abusing prescription drugs. If this bill was full of pork, Cornyn and Thune helped design the recipe. And the part they put in was “add $50 million worth of pork and place in a preheated oven.” But Cornyn came up with the capper: “We will reject any earmarks requested by us or by anyone else.” That’s the attitude! “I’m not going to let me get away with this reckless spending!”
Today’s Homework | Discuss
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blasts those using Christmas as an excuse not to work…
Thom Hartmann: Richard Holbrooke - Stop this war!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Lame Duck Quacking Loudly
EARLIER: The tax deal has passed in the Senate 81-19 (roll call of the vote)
Republicans always seem to be crying. Is all this crying sincere, or are these Republicans just in the pocket of the Kleenex lobby? They even cry on the floor of Congress. Every time Mitch McConnell takes to the floor, a Capitol Hill janitor goes to fetch a bucket and mop. Republicans have done more maudlin crying on the floor than David Hasselhoff. At least John Boehner wasn’t fumbling around with a cheeseburger.
Amidst the tears, the tax deal is slowly moving forward. The liberal Democrats in Congress who are so upset about the tax deal are the same ones who punted responsibility for doing something about it months ago. But then everybody puts off their taxes, don’t they? Congressional Democrats waited until their tax situation hit a deadline and then scrambled to do a half-assed job of it. Now Congress is going to end up trying to mail this off just before midnight on the day it’s due. I hope the Post Office stays open.
Conservative pundits, activists, and potential presidential candidates have lined up against this deal. They’re standing on the sidelines… and trying to trip up this bill like they’re a conditioning coach for the New York Jets. There’s a lot wrong with this deal. Still, conservatives have managed to object only to everything that’s right about it. Guys, sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad… even if you really hate the good.
Today President Obama is meeting with some 20 CEO’s of American businesses. Obama is going to try and get these fat cats to invest some of the money they’ve been sitting on. It’s going to be like that A&E show “Hoarders” where they try and get some crazy lady to part with one of her 2,000 dolls. Our economy is being run by people with the same mentality as the people on “Hoarders” who have a house full of knick-knacks covered in rat feces. And you know what’s going to happen. At the bottom of the huge piles of cash, they’re going to find a bunch of cat skeletons.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
Share a good cry with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell - he really gets going about 10 minutes in…
Study: either Fox News makes you stupid or stupid people watch Fox News - you decide - http://bit.ly/i5Y9uk
Thom Hartmann: Lame Duck roundup
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Lessons from FDR
The polls show broad support for the tax deal. A Washington Post/ABC poll showed 69 percent support for the package as a whole, but only 11 percent supported all four of the deal’s primary provisions. People like compromise, but not what comprises compromise. This deal is like sausage—everybody likes it, but they don’t necessarily like everything that’s in it. Just eat the sausage, people. We’ll start eating healthy breakfasts after 2012.
Remember that hardcore conservatives absolutely hate this tax compromise. There’s proof right there that it must be helpful. The group Tea Party Patriots is blasting the reinstatement of the estate tax. Yeah, a lot of those people at the tea party rallies look like they’re going to get hit by a tax on estates worth over $10 million. If the people at all those tea party rallies have many estates worth over $10 million, they should be spending more money on professional sign makers. Or at least on a spelling dictionary.
As you listen to the new Republicans in Congress rail about spending, remember this history lesson from the last Democratic president who faced pressure on deficits from Republicans during an economic crisis: when FDR spent, unemployment fell. When FDR cut back under pressure from Republicans, unemployment rose. Like FDR, Obama has a choice. He can listen to Republicans, or he can listen to common sense. In 1938, in this famous fireside chat, Roosevelt recommitted to using government action to relieve the depression. Then, as today, the only reason to listen to Republicans on financial matters is to get a firm grip on what NOT to do.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
Jon Stewart tore into Republicans last night over their continued blocking of healthcare funding for 9/11 first responders…
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Lame-as-F@#k Congress | ||||
www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
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Thom Hartmann: Don't ever fall in love with a politician...
Monday, December 13, 2010
Randi Rhodes: The Crying Game
John Boehner is from a poor family and had to struggle to get ahead. And now he’s devoting his life to making sure other poor people have to struggle even more. I think Boehner is like one of those ex-smokers who ends up being rabidly anti-smoking. He grew up poor, and now it seems like he wants to stomp out the poor. Not stomp out poverty… stomp out poor people. Maybe Boehner just doesn’t want anybody else to go through what he went through… and by that I mean eventual wealth and success. It also came out that Boehner met his wife while working as a night shift janitor in college. He’s come a long way from janitor. These days he spends his time trashing the Constitution.
Boehner choked up when talking about the American Dream. He said “I’ve been chasing the American Dream my whole career.” I just hope he never catches it, because I have a feeling he wants to strangle it. At the end he said “I’m a regular guy with a big job.” And that would be making sure no other regular guys get a job until he can get Obama out of the White House.
A big snowfall in the Midwest has collapsed the roof of the Minneapolis Metrodome (watch). That sounds worse than what actually happened, since the roof is essentially a giant balloon. Did they not see this eventually happening? Any giant public engineering project that includes the phrase “inflate the roof” has structural problems—literally. Now workers are trying to repair the roof. Looking at it, all I can think is that they’re going to need an awful lot of duct tape. At least the Minneapolis Metrodome doesn’t have a corporate sponsor. It would be embarrassing to be associated with a deflated and collapsed structure. Although, it would be kind of appropriate if it was the Viagra Metrodome.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
Bill Clinton on Friday threw his support behind President Obama’s tax plan compromise and even went on to take questions after Obama left…
Thom Hartmann: New class of GOP power players
Friday, December 10, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Bernie Filibusters & The Palin Reading List
Happening Now: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is holding old-school filibuster on the tax deal. Watch it live
Some Democrats are starting to come around to seeing the tax cut deal in a more positive light. Nobody likes paying ransom, but it’s hard not to feel good when the hostages start coming home. The tax cut deal is like one of those artifacts they drag up from an old shipwreck. The tax cuts for the rich and the estate tax are the ugly layer of barnacles. After you chip those away, and you realize you may have something valuable on your hands. A person making around $50,000 gets about another $1,679 out of this deal. The average millionaire gets an extra $140,000. And the millionaires who die… well, they really make out. Essentially, Obama agreed to give a lot of money to people who don’t deserve it, in exchange for being able to give a lot more money to people who really need it. The bottom line is that it’s important to keep the middle class from sinking, even it means allowing the super rich to rise into the stratosphere.
But let’s end the week on a light-headed note. And that means Sarah Palin. Barbara Walters recently asked Sarah what she reads. I’ll tell you one things she reads—memos from staffers telling her she needs to come up with a list of things she reads before that Barbara Walters interview. Sarah said “I read a lot of C.S. Lewis when I want some divine inspiration.” C.S. Lewis wrote everything from children’s books to literary criticism. Something tells me Sarah isn’t talking about his literary criticism.
Palin also said she reads Newsmax. If you don’t know what Newmax is, chances are that you’re pretty well-informed. Newsmax has a radically conservative stance. It’s a news site for people who don’t really want to know what’s going on. And it gives them their lies served up to them in bite-sized chunks. Basically, Newsmax is for people who want to remain completely ignorant, but who don’t want to put a lot of work into it. Think of it as the USA Today for people for whom “USA” is a chant, not a country.
Then Sarah asked “Why would it be that there is that perception that I don’t read?” Oh, I don’t know, Sarah. Maybe for the same reason there is a perception that Kirstie Alley doesn’t run marathons. From appearances, there is simply no evidence for it.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show last night spotlighting the shameless blocking of healthcare benefits for 9/11 first responders by Senate Republicans…
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
Republicans Block 9/11 Health Care Bill | ||||
www.thedailyshow.com | ||||
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Thom Hartmann: House Democrats reject President Obama's tax cut
You need to know this. President Obama's tax cut compromise was rejected by House Democrats in a near unanimous caucus vote yesterday. Without significant changes to the bill - it's likely Speaker Pelosi will not bring the package to the floor anytime soon. Reacting to the rejection in the House - the Senate is preparing to take the first steps and schedule a vote as early as Monday. To gain more support among Democratic Senators - additional tax provisions were added to the legislation targeting clean energy investments like hybrid automobiles - energy efficient homes - and biodiesel fuel. But the measures likely won't sway angry Democrats in the House who still want to see changes made in the proposed new estate tax - which amounts to $66 billion giveaway to millionaires and billionaires. Regardless of whether or not the bill passes - major Democratic donors have already lost faith in their President. And they plan on expressing their discontent by holding out on campaign funds in 2012. As big Republican donors plan on flooding super PACs with millions in special interest money for the next election - Democrats could face a real uphill battle if their wealthy supporters sit on the sidelines in two years.
Petition to the USPS for a Gypsy Rose Lee Centennial Stamp
In anticipation of her impending 100th birthday--and in celebration of her unique and lasting impact on our culture--we are gathering signatures in support of a United States postage stamp commemorating the First Lady of American Burlesque, Gypsy Rose Lee.
Born Rose Louise Hovick in Seattle, Washington in 1911, Ms. Lee was a legendary stage and screen entertainer, whose 1957 memoir inspired the Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents musical, Gypsy: A Musical Fable. Adapted for the screen in 1962 (with Natalie Wood in the title role), Gypsy is widely considered one of the crowning achievements of mid-20th century musical theatre; remaining as relevant--and popular--today as when it first debuted in 1959.
But there was much more to Gypsy, the woman, than Gypsy: the Fable. While her legacy as America's most celebrated stripteaser endures, Ms. Lee's other accomplishments--as an author, playwright, political activist, popular talk show host, fashion icon, and a devoted single mother--are equally noteworthy. A proud patriot, she entertained troops during the Korean and Vietnam wars and was adored by factory workers, homemakers, the military, New York's literary elite, gangsters, Eleanor Roosevelt, and everyone in between.
In honor of Ms. Lee's centennial, we humbly request a tribute worthy of such a beloved (and enduring) American icon: a United States postage stamp in her honor.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Tax Deals & Dead Things
There’s a lot of good in this deal. Liberal commentators are acting like Obama walked out of the negotiations with a handful of magic beans. They characterize Obama’s deal as a surrender. In reality, it’s more like a negotiated cease-fire. Obama didn’t cave. He dug himself a foxhole to ride out the next couple of years. Remember, in any negotiation, Republicans have a huge bargaining chip in the fact that they’re perfectly willing to let the country go to hell.
The rich aren’t the only ones to make a killing recently. On the latest episode of her reality TV show, Sarah Palin hunted, killed, and butchered a caribou. Man. And I thought reality TV hit rock bottom of gratuitous violence when Snooki got punched on “The Jersey Shore.” As Aaron Sorkin pointed out, Sarah Palin is a millionaire. She wasn’t shooting the caribou for meat. She was shooting it for fun. But then how did you expect Sarah Palin to relax… by doing crosswords? Nice. Sarah Palin unwinds by killing things. As far as how politicians relax in their spare time, I have more respect for Mark Sanford, Eliot Spitzer, and Larry Craig.
As real hunters have pointed out, not only was Sarah Palin slaughtering animals, she was doing it all wrong. Pathetic. Most killers take a little pride in their work. Just look at Dexter. Palin made a truckload of basic hunting mistakes. She’s no better at handling a gun than she is at handling the English language. For starters—she missed. Repeatedly! There were bullets flying everywhere but at the caribou. Palin looked like Al Pacino at the end of Scarface. “Hey Caribou, say hello to my little friend!” Palin missed the caribou five times before finally hitting it. Really Sarah, at a certain point, just call in an air strike. People who oppose hunting always say that the animals don’t stand a chance. Well, they do when Sarah Palin is handling the rifle.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, tackles the Obama tax deal in the latest edition of “White House White Board”…
Thom Hartmann: Democratic Caucus votes democratically on tax cut deal
-Thom
(Were they right? What do you think will happen now? Tell us here.)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Randi Rhodes: Dems Without TV Shows Dig Obama
The right wing is also apoplectic about President Obama comparing the situation to “hostage takers.” Obama isn’t just willing to deal realistically with what the Republicans are doing… he’s also willing to call it what it really is. This was definitely hostage taking. The Republicans should have written their tax cut proposals with words cut out of magazines like kidnappers do. And Obama should have conducted the tax cut negotiations through a megaphone. It was like “Dog Day Afternoon II,” except Al Pacino is a much more charismatic hostage taker than Mitch McConnell.
The tax cut deal functions as a backdoor stimulus plan. It’s not the most efficient way to stimulate the economy, but then the Republicans are on the lookout to stop all the most efficient ways of stimulating the economy. Obama snuck a second stimulus bill past the Republicans while they were busy counting all the money they got for the rich.
As for leftwing discontent, Obama’s approval rating among Democrats has held steady at about 80 percent for the past year. But you’d never know that because of Obama’s seemingly dismal approval rating among Democrats with TV talk shows or blogs. It seems Obama has a silent majority. Or maybe they just seem silent compared to all the noise that’s being made by the leftwingers who are angry with him. The people who are upset with Obama are the starry-eyed types who projected all their hopes onto him. The people who just elected him to run the country realize that he’s doing that… quite well, actually. After all, we elected Barack Obama to lead, not to go where he’s told to go.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
After 30 years it still seems like just yesterday…
Thom Hartmann: There's a full revolt taking place within the Democratic party following President Obama's tax cut deal with Republicans
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Randi Rhodes: It’s Lonely at the Top
I know, I know. Relax. This is all part of a plan. And if it’s a plan to throw Obama’s base into a tizzy, it’s working. This deal is completely bipartisan, at least in the sense that it makes Obama’s supporters as mad at Obama as they are at Republicans. Remember, the Republicans didn’t get everything they wanted in this deal. But then the Republicans want everything.
The White House says this is part of a deliberate strategy to demonstrate Obama’s ability to compromise with Republicans. The plan is to portray the president as the last reasonable man in a sharply divided Washington. But if Obama’s twin goals are to find agreement with Republicans and to look reasonable, is it even possible to agree with Republicans and look reasonable at the same time?
You have to remember, the fight between Obama and Republicans is kind of like a fight between a guy driving a car and the person in the passenger seat. And despite what they think, the Republicans are not the ones in the driver’s seat. Obama is, and he has to keep the car on the road while the lunatic in the passenger seat is attacking him. President Obama still has to worry about running the country. All the Republicans have to worry about is ruining the country. At least in one sense we’re on the same page. Obama is trying to make the best of a bad situation. And Republicans are trying to make a bad situation.
If you have any doubts that there are some very good things about this deal, just consider this—Michele Bachmann hates it. So it this is a bad deal, it’s not bad enough for Michele Bachmann. Michele doesn’t want her tax cuts for the rich tied to an extension of jobless benefits. It’s kind of like saying that they refuse to give the rich a feast if there’s a chance that the poor will be able to gather a few crumbs from the table. Is it any surprise that Michele Bachmann refuses to make concessions? This is a woman who refuses to make concessions to reality.
The bottom line is that there are a lot of things in this deal that are good for the economy. It’s better than nothing. And believe me, the Republicans would much prefer nothing. At least this is something.
Today’s Homework | Discuss
President Obama announces the tax cut/unemployment benefits compromise last night…