Today's edition of quick hits:
Associated Press
* It begins: "Democratic New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed suit against Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo for deceptive and fraudulent use of a private database used to register mortgages."
* Obama must be the least-effective socialist in human history: "A surge in hiring in the world's largest economy last month drove the Nasdaq to an 11-year high on Friday."
* In the wake of the Komen for the Cure controversy, Planned Parenthood they've raised over $3 million in three days. That's a stunning figure.
* Saber rattling in Tehran: "Iran's supreme leader lashed out at the United States in a defiant speech on Friday, vowing to retaliate against oil sanctions and threats of war over Iran's nuclear program."
* On to the House: "The Senate passed a sweeping new ethics bill on Thursday that would ban insider trading by members of Congress and require prompt disclosure of stock transactions by lawmakers and by thousands of officials in the executive branch of government." The final vote was 96 to 3.
* Obama's message to Congress today: "Do not slow down the recovery ... don't muck it up!"
* For some reason, Fox News didn't consider the new job numbers important. It must have slipped their minds.
* On a related note, the encouraging jobs report, at least for a little while, left Republican leaders speechless.
* At one event in Nevada today, Mitt Romney argued the economy is recovering under Obama, and that Obama made the recession worse. He may want to give this some additional thought.
* That's a lot of money: "At a private three-day retreat in California last weekend, conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch and about 250 to 300 other individuals pledged approximately $100 million to defeat President Obama in the 2012 elections."
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Charles and David Koch and about 250 to 300 other individuals pledged approximately $100 million to defeat President Obama in the 2012 elections."
I wonder how this compares to the 3 or 4% extra they will have to pay when the Bush tax cuts expire. I doubt they are worried about the 30% buffet minimum.
It's funny, isn't it, that when it comes to doing good, the right can't spare a dime. But if there is the opportunity to prop up a dying, nihilistic ideology, then the right is a bottomless well of money. Way to prioritize, guys.
100 million
That may sound like a lot but consider that the CEO of Apple will make about 300 million this year alone. One man, one job, one year.
I've been thinking and what we need is a Buffet Rule for Corporations. Maybe if they actually are required to pay taxes they will not have enough left to buy all our politicians. When we start demanding that suddenly a Buffet Rule for the 1% will not look so bad.
The Corporation complain about the high tax rate that only small business actually pays. So we lower the top margin but put a bottom garanteed rate.
The rich are getting their exorbitant money from corporations. If we can't limit campaign contributions from the 1% let's lower the amount that they have.
So that is about 10% of what the President's campaign is aiming to spend. And that is in addition to any SuperPACs on the Deomocratic side. There will be Billions spent between the parties.
That is because their priority is take for the bottom 80% and give to the top 20%. I never heard anyone to say the Koch Brothers claim to be Christians. I know that to mix politics and religion may not be the liberal thing. But I am a liberal and I think that Christianity practiced in life will guide you in your decisions. I never believe that I would get an abortion but I would not judge anyone or keep anyone from making the decision to have one. I am old enough to remember the lives that were lost when it was totally illegal. So, I will fail on the side of the woman who will painfully sees herself having to make that choice. So, that is why I am pro-choice.
The Koch Brothers if they are real Christians (and I am yet to see a Real Christian among the GOP ranks then they will really look into the Bible for their decisions which will affect millions of people in our country.
Mark 10:21-22 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Proverbs 14:31
"Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly." Proverbs 29:14
(Proverbs 29:4) 4 By justice a king makes a land keep standing, but a man out for bribes tears it down.
Proverbs 29:27) 27 A man of injustice is something detestable to the righteous ones, and one who is upright in his way is something detestable to a wicked one.
Mr. Romney (aka Robme) has in the past directly caused the poverty and financial persecution of thousands. That we know of, he has not call them to apologize or offer some type of restitution. That has shown that he has no remorse and like those members of the Bohemian Grove Club, he has performed the Burning of Care Ritual and has burnt the care for others feeling away.
The GOP has shown to have no benevolent concern for others and if will not take a brainy person to realize that what he did before will be something he will be able to do in a grander scale if he is president.
It is sad that money play such an important role in our political system. The reason that we say it is all politics, is just an excuse to accept and be complaisance with these affairs. We should call it the processed of choosing the person who will help us achieve a better future for all. That will not be the GOP, neither now, nor ever.
Afrommi,
It is nice to hear from a person who is concerned about Christianity and the GOP. I have always been puzzled by religious support that the GOP gets.
I really have never heard a reasonable explanation for it.
It's 'cause they're dumb and all they know is the name. Republicans call themselves Christians and the other dumbasses say yeah, yeah, Christians but do not know what the word means any more than they know socialist/Marxist. Once you understand that they are dumb then everything makes sense. Do Republicans including Romney EVER produce evidence for their insults? Hell no! They do not know what "evidence" is. Romney says, Obama stimulus failed. Oh yeah? Since when? Gingrich rants like a madman at things that are not real. They live in a parallel universe where whatever they make up is true.
That's a good point. I'd go further to say that they not only do not know the meanings of the words they use, they don't care. They're used only to provoke positive and negative responses in their audience. Which would explain why no proof is ever offered for their charges. You don't have to justify the ringing bell to the dog.
From the AP:
The Wisconsin Republican lawmaker who presides over the state Assembly said Friday he's been carrying a concealed weapon during floor sessions. He said he has carried a hidden Glock 26, a subcompact semi-automatic, onto the floor at times.
He said he feels he needs the weapon given the toxic atmosphere at the state Capitol, and he's not the only lawmaker packing in the chamber.
"Have you been in the Capitol lately?" Kramer said. "The saying is you don't need a gun until you need it. I hope I go to my grave having never fired at anything but a paper target."
Oh, waah.
Don't propose stupid policies and people won't be mad at you, you stupid person, you.
I think he is afraid of being assaulted with sharp words and derision.
Unless you are a black socialist Kenyan commie who hates Jebsus and the ameriKKKan flag!
Wait a minute! That's like the best since the last socialist Democrat who was President (and also not a complete nincompoop)?
Mr. Benen,
Do you have an email address thru which we can communicate links and other news info and comments we do not want to share with the world?
Please do not use the phrase Iran's nuclear program! That is the corporately owned media phrase which conveys the misinformed impression that it is a nuke weapons program being discussed. Per the CIA's most recently released briefing and per the IAEA and per SecDef Panetta, Iran does NOT have a nuke weapons program!!! They have an acknowledged nuclear program trying to enrich uranium to the grades needed for nuclear power plants and nuclear medicine equipment. Those are purity levels greatly below that needed for nuke weapons and they have not yet achieved them. While it is the Israeli fear that the Iranian program to enrich uranium for power and medical usage could be the fundamentals for a potential future nuke weapons program, there is zero reason to believe that a nuke weapons program exists. We do not need bloggers or the corporately owned media stars encouraging another preemptive war based upon bullsh!t and bogus and misleading evidence! The reason that many, if not most of the ameriKKKan sheeple believe that Iran has a nuke weapons program is that they are mislead by those who talk about Iran's nuclear program. Please be a leader toward truth and not one of the Judith Millers of the blogging world.
You mean like those newspersons saying Komen issued a retraction and an apology?
So this happened a few months ago.
The Iranians still resent when Eisenhower tried to kill the Shah so BP could keep their monopoly.
That's creative. Eisenhower helped the British support the Shah so BP (then called the Anglo-Persian Oil Co) keep its profits from the popular leader Mossadegh who promised to nationalize the oil industry.
So will Eric Schneiderman attend the 2012 DNC at the Bank of America stadium in Charlotte?
The economy was losing 750,000 jobs a month when President Obama took office, and it's steadily gaining jobs now.
Mitt Romney regularly says he's going to "turn this country around."
Think about it.
We are driving AWAY from the Abyss. Clearly we are GOING THE WRONG WAY! Hasn't anyone seen Rebel Without a Cause? The car that explodes at the bottom of the ravine first WINS! DUH!
McCain's former campaign guy, Steve something (sorry), thinks that Republicans will get behind the eventual nominee by the time the general election season comes around. They will, but I don't really see that as a counter-argument to Rachel's contention that Republican enthusiasm appears to be down this cycle. I mean, yes, Steve is probably right that Republicans will unite behind their nominee. Each day that goes by means one less day a potential third-party right-wing spoiler will pop up. I'm not sure how much that matters, unity, if enthusiasm is down.
Republicans strongly dislike their choices. We may be in for a long, brutal primary season. At the end of which there will be a nominee, but it will probably be a nominee chosen by attrition, of a sort. Instead of losing a few soldiers here and a few there, eventually adding up to a loss, it'll be gaining a few delegates here and a few there, adding up to what amounts to a win. But it won't necessarily be a win that enthuses anyone. That the nominee is Anybody-But-Obama may not be enough to drive Republicans to the polls. "Vote for me because I'm not the other guy" isn't a slogan anyone can really campaign on.
And then there is the matter of all the delusions concerning Obama that the right have spent the last four years convincing themselves are true. To any reality-based person, it was pretty obvious that the McCain campaign died when it was "suspended", and that picking Palin as VP cremated the corpse. But wingers were genuinely shocked when Obama won. He didn't win simply because McCain sucked. Obama gave reasons (not all delivered upon) to vote for him. And yet, the cry went up from the right 'How could this happen?'
I think the main reason for their shock stemmed from the fact that they had convinced themselves of several untrue things about Obama, things that they believed were evident to everyone else. ODS has only grown stronger since then. Sometimes an election can be lost if one side becomes so convinced it has already won, that enough voters stay home in the false belief that the election is a lock and consequently throw the election to the other side. Could something like that happen among Republicans this year? Could they have convinced themselves that Obama is so un-re-electable that, combined with a drop in enthusiasm caused by an uninspiring nominee, that they surrender without knowing it?
Well, there's no way of knowing until it happens, but it will be interesting to watch it all unfold. I would suggest not only monitoring signs of Republican enthusiasm or lack thereof, but also watching for signs of delusional over-confidence.
This is strange. I was intending to reply to Tom Yarnes post about a possible landslide for Obama. Now my post is a non sequitur.
i know this sounds crazy.. but i for see a landslide victory for President Obama... the Republican's are just not into their candidates.... time to take back the House and Senate too!
There are 23 Democratic seats in the Senate up for election this year. Less than half that many Republican seats are up, and those (the survivors of 2006) are mostly very safe seats.
In order to get a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, Democrats would have to keep all 23 of the Democratic seats and also score almost half of those bulletproof Republican seats. Don't bet your life savings on that happening.
After 4 years of ridiculous obstruction on everything from judicial nominations to routine matters, don't be surprised if the rules on filibusters change. Typical: things are useful until they are abused, and then the go out with the bathwater.
The Republicans knew they had a huge deal with Obama, that's why they ran Christmas list to Santa candidates. They just know they won't win, but if they do, they'd like Bush tax cuts on steroids, Christians want a theocracy, Libertarians want legalized drugs and no more wars, the Koch bros wanted their own candidate who would leave their trading partner Iran alone because it is mountainous.
But mostly the Republicans wanted a Democrat president who will play patty-cake with them to whom they could say No and still please their base.
I'm not suggesting that I disagree with your prediction, Tom, but I do get nervous every time I see it. I just worry that we dems might take the election too lightly and have a low turn out on our side, expecting an easy victory.
I wish I could be so optimistic. Regardless of issues, competence, honesty, the economy and character, the driving force is that Obama is a Democrat. The Republicans seem to believe, from top to bottom, that there is nothing more important than establishing their Thousand Year Reich, and they have shown themselves willing to burn this country to the ground, rather than let go.
I mean, really? Obama has a bare advantage over Romney in MICHIGAN! Any reasonable person would think that Republicans would be hiding in shame anywhere in the Rust Belt, but instead, they have solid support. It is amazing, and illustrates how little such things as performance and good governance will influence this campaign.
Republican are stupid.
I've got my beefs with Obama. But the next time a Republican takes the presidency, it will put the nation in eminant peril.
Bush out-Reaganed Reagan, and the next one will out-Bush Bush; despite the fact that he is never mentioned by name. The next Republican Administration will be that much worse than Bush than Bush was Reagan.
Can we afford that?
Don't let it happen. Vote. Because if you don't, the consequences would be too...interesting.
The question on the ethics bill is simple: will it die on arrival? Under House rules, there's no way to force the House to take up a bill no matter where it comes from -- the Speaker just tosses it in the trash and that's it.
So: what will Boehner do?
Who are the 3 Senators that voted no?
A hundred megabucks? How scared and hateful! It makes no sense, with the economy recovering and corporate profits reaching record highs, for them to be so opposed to a second Obama term. They will make more money than ever!
Except that, of course, other people will also make some modest gains as well. These GOP billionaires seem to bitterly resent the idea that anyone else can make more money.
Despite the best efforts by Republicans to impose draconian austerity and sabotage the American economy for their own political gain in November, jobs are being created and the recovery continues. Mitt Romney and the other Republicans bashing the President for his jobs policies are going to have to surrender to reality soon enough and change their talking points or risk being laughed off the national stage. Millions of jobs have been created, something every Republican has consistently lied about. Now is not the time to cut off the growth of jobs with a toxic conservative agenda of spending cuts and more government handouts to billionaires. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
I'm delighted to read that so many stood up and spoke up and that Planned Parenthood has raised so much in 3 days.
Many who have supported Komen through Race for the Cure and the Pink Ribbon campaigns have learned so much this week as we saw it and supported it for the 'cause'. The 'reversal' statement -- Thanks but no thanks. That was to stop the bleeding and still remains 'shady'.
Not only did we see the 'skin' peeled back from Komen, but there has been a documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada exposing the 'Pink Ribbon' issue too. The film was first introduced at the Toronto International Film Festival. IMO the 'Pink Ribbon' has been hijacked from the real cause -- for profit.
"This feature documentary visits some of the massive fundraising runs and questions where the money goes and asks 'who really profits from pink ribbon campaigns?'
Link to trailer: (On U-Tube under title Pink Ribbons)
Note and remove the (.) in link as link did not initially post.
http://www(.)youtube(.)com/watch?v=3QPZfcYTUaA
Komen should step down. There is no way I trust her with 3 million dollars after her full spine removal. It was like a Predator stalked her and ripped her spine out.
She totally caved to the right but now we are suppose to trust her with 3 million dollars?
Susan Komen has been dead for more than 30 years. The charity was named for her, that's all. She is not responsible for anything it has done in her name.
The fraud task force is finally beginning to look at the banks. Now I am too skeptical to believe justice will be done, but perhaps it will stop it from happening again. If some guilt is proven, let the punishment take all the illicit profit and then add the fines. Remember the drug companies who made many billions with unsafe products and the fine hardly made a dent in their bottom line.
Schneiderman said by May we should be seeing some concrete results on these investigations and he's promising there will be charges and prosecutions. (Fingers crossed!)
I wish Racheal's research team would do a better job of evaluating these works of fiction called the Job Report. At the very least she should call attention to those who disagree with the report such as this case: Employment Report: Blatant And Outrageous Lies
This is NOT a small matter. It is fine if she wants to be a cheer leader for the administration, but at least recognize the fact that not everyone thinks the report is anything but fiction.