tagged w/ News and Politics
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This week, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. On its own, such a vote would be unremarkable. Republicans control the House, they oppose President Obama’s health reform law, and so they voted to get rid of it.
But here’s the punchline: This was the 33rd time they voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Holding that vote once makes sense. Republicans had promised that much during the 2010 campaign. But 33 times? If doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result makes you insane, what does doing the same thing 33 times and expecting a different result make you?
Well, it makes you the 112th Congress.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/07/13/13-reasons-why-this-is-the-worst-congress-ever/This week, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. On... more
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Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:
"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.
The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.
Congressional Reform Act of 2012
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.
Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about... more
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“Why should people have confidence in American media today? They let people lie in plain sight, with no accountability. We at home, sit here screaming 'THAT'S A LIE", but they just remain silent, smile and let the lie go by.
Trust is earned! So is shame! IMHO, they have earned a lot of shame. Many people still don't realize, they blatantly distort what they report. People should not have confidence in American media. They smile, but smile's don't earn trust, like the truth does.
Honesty should be their first, second and third policy! Keep em honest! Hold them accountable! I would love to be able to trust what they are saying. Today I don't and until they hold people accountable using the truth, I won't!”“Why should people have confidence in American media today? They let people lie... more
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Representative Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) is resigning from his post in Congress.
The Michigan Republican addressed his decision to step down in a statement issued on Friday, referencing a "nightmarish month and a half" that included an embarrassing failure to qualify for the Republican primary ballot in August's contest.
"Today I have resigned from the office of United States Representative for Michigan's 11th Congressional District," he said. "After nearly 26 years in elected office, this past nightmarish month and a half have, for the first time, severed the necessary harmony between the needs of my constituency and of my family. As this harmony is required to serve, its absence requires I leave."
Last month, McCotter announced plans to mount a write-in campaign after his campaign failed to turn in the requisite 1,000 petitions needed to get on the GOP primary ballot. A subsequent review by the Michigan secretary of state's office found that only 200 to 300 of the 2,000 total ballots submitted by the five-term congressman's campaign were valid. A short time later, he said he would not seek reelection at all.
McCotter also organized a short-lived campaign for president last year, but ended the longshot bid after failing to gain momentum in early primary states.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/thaddeus-mccotter-resigns_n_1655189.htmlRepresentative Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) is resigning from his post in Congress.... more
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A great site, funny, informative and they have kittens.
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Another in a long list of skewed June 25th's in history.
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by Matt Standal
Besides this story I found on the web, there is no other story of this Simplot cover-up on the ABC, NBC, ABC affiliates in Idaho.
NWCN.com
Posted on June 15, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Updated today at 1:02 PM
BOISE -- The fallout from a recent Comedy Central television episode criticizing Idaho's historic J.R. Simplot Co. could hurt both the company and the state of Idaho, according to local public relations experts.
Part of that episode, which appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart Thursday, was titled "A Simple Plot." The clip featured a fake news report by comedian Asif Maandvi as he "investigated" alleged environmental damages to Idaho's rivers caused by Simplot and overlooked by the EPA and various Idaho politicians.
The Daily Show is one of Comedy Central's top-rated offerings, reaching millions of viewers across the world. What's more, the particular clip is now widely circulating on social media throughout the Treasure Valley and beyond.
At least one local public relations professional told KTVB that while the Simplot clip might be funny, its message could cause big problems for both Simplot and the state of Idaho.
Leigh Ann Dufurrena is an account manager at Boise-based Red Sky Public Relations. Duferrena said her firm does not represent Simplot, and her opinions don't reflect her company's stance on the issue.
However, she said those in Boise's public relations community are well aware of the clip.
"I hope they have a crisis communication plan in place," Duferrena said, reffering to Simplot. "As a huge corporation, I assume they do."
Dufferena says a crisis communication plan is typically a public relations tactic where a company will use a top official as a mouth-piece to deflect bad publicity.
Dufferena also told KTVB she believes the video clip could damage the reputation of Idaho's natural and political landscape as well, saying that those at the Idaho Governor's office, and EPA should also be aware of the implications.
KTVB reached out to both the J.R. Simplot Co. and the Boise EPA office, whose officials were both panned in the show.
A spokesman at the Simplot Company told KTVB that Simplot declined to comment further on the issue. Officials at the Boise EPA office were not available for comment.by Matt Standal
Besides this story I found on the web, there is no other story of... more
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punman
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added this
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11 months ago
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According to the report, the number of U.S. citizens who died in terrorist attacks increased by two between 2010 and 2011; overall, a comparable number of Americans are crushed to death by their televisions or furniture each year. This is not to diminish the real--albeit shrinking--threat of terrorism, or to minimize the loss and suffering of the 13,000 killed and over 45,000 injured around the world. For Americans, however, it should emphasize that an irrational fear of terrorism is both unwarranted and a poor basis for public policy decisions http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/americans-are-as-likely-to-be-killed-by-their-own-furniture-as-by-terrorism/258156/According to the report, the number of U.S. citizens who died in terrorist attacks... more
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Bernie Sanders is correct , but it should not be 'one man army'. If we would stand up, we could get Citizens United taken down. The Republicans are worried about voter fraud, yet no one can vet the corporations spending so much money to influence an American election. Are they only American's and American corporations?
* In response to the Koch Brothers’ plan to spend $400 million on Republican election campaigns, Sen. Bernie Sanders called out the Kochs and urged America to stand up against Citizens United.
In the response to the Koch plan to spend more money influencing campaigns in key states ($400 million) than John McCain raised in 2008 campaign ($370 million), Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “The Koch brothers’ bid to buy elections in America speaks to the obvious need for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and subsequent rulings. In the short term, Congress must pass legislation to require disclosure of the corporations and wealthy individuals behind the ads by outside groups.”
Sen. Sanders said the Koch spending demonstrates that we are no longer a nation of the people, “When one wealthy family spends more money than was raised altogether by the last Republican presidential candidate, it tells us that we are no longer a country of the people, by the people and for the people. We are becoming a country of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.”
The Koch Brothers may have the dollars, but the people still have the numbers. Now more than ever, it is imperative that the American people stand together to turn back this threat to our democracy. This isn’t just about who wins and loses elections. As ALEC has demonstrated, right wing funded candidates if left unchecked, win elections, and then implement the far right agenda of their billionaire masters. The Koch plan is a perfect example of how our representative democracy is being turned into an oligarchy of the few.Bernie Sanders is correct , but it should not be 'one man army'. If we... more
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Friday, June 01, 2012 by: John McKiernan
(NaturalNews) Hemp seed oil, pressed from the seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant, has been named nature's perfect food due to its balanced concentrations of omega fatty acids. Hemp used to be consumed worldwide, as it was one of the first cultivated and consumed crops. There is a misconception that hemp contains THC, the principal psychoactive constituent of the cannabis plant. Needless to say, this is false. Although relativity new to the Western Hemisphere, hemp seed oil is now widely available in health-food stores.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036039_hemp_seeds_oil_EFAs.html#ixzz1waIsyCJ6Friday, June 01, 2012 by: John McKiernan
(NaturalNews) Hemp seed oil, pressed from... more
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A North Carolina jury found former Sen. John Edwards not guilty today on one of six counts in a campaign-finance trial, and declared itself hopelessly deadlocked on the remaining charges, leading the judge to declare a mistrial on those counts.
Edwards, a two-time presidential candidate, accused of soliciting nearly $1 million from wealthy backers to finance a cover up of his illicit affair and illegitimate child during his 2008 bid for the White House, was found not guilty on Count 3 of the six-part indictment.
That count pertained only to whether Edwards illegally received several hundred thousand dollars in donations from wealthy heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon to cover up the affair in 2008.
After nine days of deliberations, three times as long as the defense took to put on its case, the courtroom here was thrown into confusion when it briefly appeared the jury had reached on a verdict on all counts.
The jury informed the judge it had not reached a verdict and was charged again to go back to deliberating.
The other counts pertained to Mellon's donations in 2007, donations in 2007 and 2008 from another wealthy donor, Fred Baron, and a conspiracy charge.
Less than an hour after the judge sent them back to deliberate, the jury returned and declared itself hung on those five outstanding counts.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/john-edwards-verdict-guilty-hung-jury-counts/story?id=16378643#.T8fbedVYurkA North Carolina jury found former Sen. John Edwards not guilty today on one of six... more
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Cheney's obviously seen the Hunger Games
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http://www.bilderbergmeetings.org/index.php
Brief history
Bilderberg takes its name from the hotel in Holland, where the first meeting took place in May 1954. That pioneering meeting grew out of the concern expressed by leading citizens on both sides of the Atlantic that Western Europe and North America were not working together as closely as they should on common problems of critical importance. It was felt that regular, off-the-record discussions would help create a better understanding of the complex forces and major trends affecting Western nations in the difficult post-war period.
The Cold War has now ended. But in practically all respects there are more, not fewer, common problems - from trade to jobs, from monetary policy to investment, from ecological challenges to the task of promoting international security. It is hard to think of any major issue in either Europe or North America whose unilateral solution would not have repercussions for the other.
Thus the concept of a European-American forum has not been overtaken by time. The dialogue between these two regions is still - even increasingly - critical.
Character of meetings
What is unique about Bilderberg as a forum is
the broad cross-section of leading citizens that are assembled for nearly three days of informal and off-the-record discussion about topics of current concern especially in the fields of foreign affairs and the international economy;
the strong feeling among participants that in view of the differing attitudes and experiences of the Western nations, there remains a clear need to further develop an understanding in which these concerns can be accommodated;
the privacy of the meetings, which has no purpose other than to allow participants to speak their minds openly and freely.
In short, Bilderberg is a small, flexible, informal and off-the-record international forum in which different viewpoints can be expressed and mutual understanding enhanced. Bilderberg's only activity is its annual Conference. At the meetings, no resolutions are proposed, no votes taken, and no policy statements issued. Since 1954, fifty-nine conferences have been held. For each meeting, the names of the participants as well as the agenda are made Public and available to the press.
Participants
Invitations to Bilderberg conferences are extended by the Chairman following consultation with the Steering Committee members. Participants are chosen for their experience, their knowledge, their standing and their contribution to the selected agenda.
There usually are about 120 participants of whom about two-thirds come from Europe and the balance from North America. About one-third is from government and politics, and two-thirds from finance, industry, labour, education and communications. Participants attend Bilderberg in a private and not an official capacity.
Governance and Funding
Bilderberg is governed by a Steering Committee which designates a Chairman; members are elected for a term of four years and can be re-elected. There are no other members of the Bilderberg conference. The Chair's main responsibilities are to chair the Steering Committee and to prepare with the Steering Committee the conference program, the selection of participants. He also makes suggestions to the Steering Committee regarding its composition. The Executive Secretary reports to the Chairman.
The expenses of maintaining the small Secretariat of the Bilderberg meetings are covered wholly by private subscription. The hospitality costs of the annual meeting are the responsibility of the Steering Committee member(s) of the host country.http://www.bilderbergmeetings.org/index.php
Brief history
Bilderberg takes its... more
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Last August, debt ceiling negotiations between House Republicans and Senate Democrats came to an end when President Obama signed into law the Budget Control Act, a not-so-grand bargain that created a legislative super committee tasked with finding spending cuts to offset the debt ceiling increase. If the super committee failed, automatic cuts from the defense budget and discretionary spending levels would offset the cost.
House Republicans have repeatedly threatened to renege on the deal, and this morning, they made it official, adding an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that officially replaced spending cuts from the defense sequestration with cuts from the House reconciliation package.
In less than 10 minutes, the House officially unwound a budget deal that took an entire summer to craft.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/18/486742/house-gop-throws-out-entire-summer-of-debt-ceiling-negotiations-in-less-than-10-minutes/Last August, debt ceiling negotiations between House Republicans and Senate Democrats... more
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Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) signed a bill yesterday that will allow pharmacists in the state to refuse to fill a prescription they think could be used to induce abortion.
But since the “conscience” measure says they cannot be required to provide a drug or devise that they think “may result in the termination of a pregnancy” — but does not define which drug in particular — the law’s opponents say it could allow a pharmacist to interfere with a woman’s health care by refusing to distribute birth control or emergency contraception.
Women who already have difficulty obtaining contraception may face additional hurdles, according to Julie Burkhart, founder of an abortion-rights group in Wichita, Kansas.
What do you think about this story?
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/05/16/485092/kansas-pharmacists-block-birth-control/Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) signed a bill yesterday that will allow pharmacists in... more
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Former President George W. Bush endorsed Mitt Romney on Tuesday, reports ABC News.
"I'm for Mitt Romney," he said to ABC News as an elevator closed on him following a speech in Washington, D.C.
Bush joins his father, mother and brother in endorsing the former Massachusetts governor.
"I haven't met with President George W. Bush. We speak from time to time," said Romney in March when asked about a possible endorsement.
The Associated Press also noted that the 43rd president could end up being a liability:
While largely unspoken, both sides acknowledge that Republicans would be best served by not reminding voters of the Bush legacy of gaping budget deficits, two wars and record low approval ratings. His eight-year presidency has merited no more than a fleeting reference from Romney and his rivals in debates, campaign stops and interviews.
Andrea Mitchell asked Romney adviser Kevin Madden about the endorsement Tuesday on MSNBC. "Sure! We've always said that we were happy to have George W. Bush," he responded.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/george-w-bush-im-for-mitt-romney_n_1518203.htmlFormer President George W. Bush endorsed Mitt Romney on Tuesday, reports ABC News.... more
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Ted's got massive stones!
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