Today's edition of quick hits:
* After a day of awful economic news, are you looking for someone who's found some silver linings? Dan Gross has you covered: "[T]here was plenty of other news to digest. It was all pretty much non-tragic. Some of it was even good."
* Targeting Iran: "From his first months in office, President Obama secretly ordered increasingly sophisticated attacks on the computer systems that run Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities, significantly expanding America's first sustained use of cyberweapons, according to participants in the program."
* Bond revoked: "A Florida judge on Friday revoked the bond of George Zimmerman, who has been charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, after state prosecutors filed a motion contending that Mr. Zimmerman had misled the court about his finances."
* Why are so many still buzzing about last night's gubernatorial debate in Wisconsin? In part because of moments like these.
* The New York Times editorial board tackles the counter-terrorism "kill list" used by the Obama White House: "A unilateral campaign of death is untenable. To provide real assurance, President Obama should publish clear guidelines for targeting to be carried out by nonpoliticians, making assassination truly a last resort, and allow an outside court to review the evidence before placing Americans on a kill list."
* House Republicans may be willing to deal on student loan interest rates after all.
* Why we can't have nice things: "Economic experts agree that spending cuts in a weak economy hurt the creation of jobs and economic growth. Though Republicans in Congress spent much of 2011 demanding spending cuts, the media are amplifying their attacks on President Obama's economic record."
* And CNN no longer wants the "Fox & Friends" producer who created the anti-Obama attack ad, but he'll remain a paid employee at Fox News.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
What is the record for the highest number of campaign aides being given immunity in Wisc? Certainly Gov. Walker must be in the top 2.
Walker may go to prison :
http://gratewire.com/topic/wisconsin-governor-scott-walker-may-go-to-prison-more-gop-filth-indicted
A pattern of systemic corruption within the Wisconsin Republican Party is being established by recent events. What we have here is a pattern of reckless disregard for the law, which I deeply suspect will eventually rear its head in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race as well, though we don’t know exactly how yet. But the Walker administration and the Republicans in the state Senate and House have established a pattern of violating the law, now topped off by allegations against a donor of violations of campaign laws.
That link is to a year old article. The donor already pled guilt and Walker returned all the donations. This does however add information to establish an interesting pattern of unethical behavior in WI politics. Geesh!
Any who have the authority and the means please consider this.......with what is at stake starting with the outcome of this recall election in Wisconsin ..........that Will literally set a precedence, workable tools, insight or any other educational guideline for other states and corrupt Republicans.......it is imperative to consider and take a look at the two issues I believe no one is expecting. PLEASE, PLEASE...
Don't allow yourselves to be sideswiped in this manner....
#1..... Make sure now...no computer voting machine tampering is existing
Note: In 2000, there was talk, however brief, about folks voting for Gore that on the voting
computer programming actually showed that those votes were given to Bush.
#2...... Make sure now.....all voters especially those residing in areas who have made it known they are voting for Barrett on Tuesday .....that the opposition..who are in control of the actual polling places...do not and are not allowed to change those locations at anytime before Tuesday. Voting day.
Note: This could deter voters who may have to locate and get to a different location.
I have one more...
# 3...... Make sure now....there are not any sudden city wide, state wide hindrances such as ...
new...street construction barriers causing confusion in direction to polling sites.
Note: Some may be limited on time on voting day, but no one will want to drive around and around and around to get to that place due to construction barriers ..some may give up and not bother to vote.
Are you suggesting Walker and the Repugs would stoop to hindering We the people from discharging our duty to vote? I mean just because the GOP is actively pursuing a course of voter suppression and just because votes were tossed out in Fla. by a republican and just because the machines in many states were proved faulty and just because the GOP has -state by state - killed voter registration drives and just because....
Hope .... While we can all agree that Walker is a slezebag of the first order, this isn't the kind of stuff politicians go to jail over. Even if he's found guilty, probably nothing more than a small fine.
DISGUSTED ... If the race is close on Tuesday (and I don't expect it to be), everyone had better keep an eye on Wausau County and that county clerk. Let's make sure they don't manufacture a bunch of votes after the polls have closed.
Barrett is toast. Take it to the bank. Not even a Dracula blood transfusion would revive him. Obama figured it out a long time ago. Blondie Debbie, the DNC Chief, gave it lip service. Let the spin begin. Here are some way to do that:
The Koch brothers
Racism and Bigotry
The working man can not compete with corporations.
Outside groups negated the value of Democracy
Voter suppression
The middle class is hurting
the 1 %
The Buffet rule and the most important one
It is GWB fault.
It may be a little closer than not. I would love to see some stats on how many people did NOT sign the recall petitions during the recall drive. If there were say, 3 of every 5 voters approached not signing when asked, that would probably be a good gauge on how the vote would turn out. Obviously I don't think these types of stats are kept but it would be interesting to see if it would be a good "predicter" of the actual vote. I don't know why no one ever brings this up when it comes to gathering signatures for things like this.
This was to have been a "done deal" if you watched the coverage of the union protests and occupation of government buildings.
Charges should be brought against whomever leaked the cyber attack story, and the NYT should be shut down. The reporter should be sent to jail if he doesn't reveal his sources.
I disagree and I suggest that your attitude is why we are so easily led into wars. We are the Government and we should be well informed as to what our elected officials are up to.
Freedom of the press was important to the framers because they wanted the people to know what their government was doing-in their name with their money.
OK! Let's bring cameras into all national security meetings. Let's vote on all combat missions and the strategy. Why didn't we have advance notice of the Osama raid? National security is the responsibility of the fed govt, and some matters are best kept secret to accomplish the mission.
Nah let's just sit back and ley the Bush/Cheneys of the world lead us down the road to oblivion.
Since this is an open thread I'd like to say something about Romney.During his time at Bain Capital his job was to make himself and investors money.So if elected President his job will be to make himself and investors money.I'll call him the President of Wall St.
That's a little oversimplifed. ANYONE that runs for office is usually working in the private sector before that.....making money for themselves. A lot of the members in Congress are lawyers or businessmen so they all were making money for themselves and their firms/clients. That goes for a lot of past Presidents way back before they were Governors or Congressmen (then President). But I do find it interesting on how some members of Congress became millionaires after they were elected - in those cases they apparently were making money for themselves while in office.
Skip:I think you missed the point of my tongue in cheek comment.My point is that just as Romney made money for himself and investors at Bain,his proposed tax cuts for the very wealthy and corporations (his new investors) stand to make a ton of money from their investment in his campaign.
Whomever extracted the clip gets my kudos for starting the clip with Walker answering the question with eyelids closed. I really have to wonder about the truthfulness of someone who answers with eyelids closed and/or fluttering. He does that often. Maybe he's looking at his notes, but still, he flutters eyelids while talking. Bugs.
Fox News: Where Television Journalism Careers Go To Die.
Just of curiosity, which journalists, not pundits, do you consider dying?
RACHEL!! how about mentioning that Bill Clinton was in Milwaukee today speaking on behalf of Barrett!!! pretty significant!
to add: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/joe-walsh-jesse-jackson-african-americans_n_1563099.html.
doubling down on a racist rant? seems to be a trend among tea party congressmen these days - steve king in iowa, joe walsh here, etc.
Hello Ms. Rachel,
Thanks for the poignant linkages concerning Venus and Wisconsin. Well done.
Also, good to see you and Mr. Ed together, and good that his Badger energy is headed up to the Badger State.
The Arapaho thought that the Badger symbolized fierce and determined perseverence. You and Mr. Ed share that in common in some ways.
Also, good linkage to the healing copper energies of Montana.
Venus, Wisconsin and Montana resonate mightily in the sociological and political Spider's Web being woven and wrapped around America and the rest of the World. It's been years in the making, but the Prey is Awakening and wriggling toward the freedoms within a democratic republic, and away from the tyrannies of Corporate Feudalism.
Thank you, and your msnbc companions for your Courageous Truth-Telling and Truth-Saying as you See it, and Awaken others to it.
Wisconsin singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey wrote (and sent) the following letter to Wisconsin's Lieutenant Governor:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8163/7320976180_ebf6e576d5_o.jpg
I can't begin to tell you how important I feel this vote is. it's about middle America taking OUR country back. To h--l with others that shouted that. This country is ours, corporations are NOT people. I don't care what Romney thinks. It isn't the 1% that fought for our freedoms, it's the middle class on down. Our relatives shed blood for America. The wall street barons have no allegiance to this country other than a green back. When they get a better offer, they'll be gone in a heart beat. Please WI, get out in greater numbers than the 1% and their gophers. Vote this bunch out! I believe the nation is watching, and you will set the tone for November. WE are the change we've been waiting for! This is our time!
The election is not about the survival of the middle class. It is about the power of public unions. They want no rein on their power. Just look at the unfunded liabilities of pension and health benefits plans. If anything, taxpayers should be rebelling against them since taxpayers pay for these benefits.
Hey fromnytosc, why not just have an all out war on all working people and condemn them all? Because we just know everyone working in government or private unions are trying to ruin the whole country.
Come on everyone, lets just stand in a circle and start shooting.
fromnytosc, if you want to be mad at somebody, be mad at the representatives for the tax payers who agreed to the contracts for wages, health care and pensions the public workers got. Be mad that the taxpayers did not have better negotiators at the contract talks. Not at the unions for doing what they are supposed to do.
Quick update: so Thadeus McCotter throws in the towel? Awww..
Excellent rpt about his own voter fraud denial/non-denial, Rachel . AP and Politico have the update on McCotter. Politico's update here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/76981.html
Cue the music? Yes, of course: Queen, "Another one bites the dust" http://youtu.be/rNQRfBAzSzo
;-) -bleuz00m and yes, #FF 24/7
The average ceo pay of a major corporation has increased 14% since 2010, to 380x the median employee pay. Blaming unions is in vogue but the ceos do not seem to be hurting. When you add stock options, the salary package for the bosses climb. Some of that money could go to fund pensions for those who did the work to make these companies successful in the first place.