In an America where too many people still worry about losing their homes, an America where one of those people might turn out to be Barack Obama, the current President needs to stop talking about his predecessor now, just because George W. Bush is one more thing the upcoming campaign can’t be about, the way it can’t be about Colombian hookers or dogs.
It can’t be about those things, or class warfare, or a war on women that doesn’t exist, can’t be about Hilary Rosen, whoever the hell she is, yammering on about Ann Romney as if she, Rosen, is somehow better.
And the upcoming campaign, Obama vs. Romney, sure can’t be about the previous administration, because then the whole thing really does start to sound dumber than Rick Perry. Somebody needs to explain that to the current President, and soon.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Mike Lupica: Obama can’t keep kicking Bush
NYPD Divides Federal Hall Steps, Barricading Occupy Wall Street To One Side
NYPD Divides Federal Hall Steps, Barricading Occupy Wall Street To One Side: Gothamist
Since Occupy Wall Street protesters were removed from their sidewalk sleeping space across the street from the NYSE, they have relocated themselves to the steps of Federal Hall several feet away. The situation has devolved into a strained tug-of-war between the demonstrators and the NYPD and the U.S. Parks Police, with each side at odds over the right to protest, the residents nearby, and Federal Hall, which sits on federal property. According to a Parks Police officer standing in front of Federal Hall, the barricades now bisecting the steps belong to the NYPD and were placed there with the permission of the Parks Police.
Obama oil margin plan could increase price swings
President Barack Obama's bid to dampen the influence of oil speculators by having regulators set trading margins could backfire, potentially making prices even more volatile and leaving crude dominated only by those with the deepest pockets.
Hacking scandal: the net tightens on the Murdochs
Hacking scandal: the net tightens on the Murdochs - Crime - UK - The Independent
Rupert Murdoch's grip on his media empire was dramatically challenged yesterday after his company was labelled a "toxic shadow state" which launched a dirty tricks campaign against MPs and now faces a salvo of phone-hacking claims in the United States.
On a tumultuous day for the media mogul, the lawyer who brought the first damages claims against the News of the World in Britain said he had uncovered new allegations of the use of "dark arts" by News Corp in America and was ready to file at least three phone-hacking lawsuits in the company's backyard.
China police 'knew UK man killed'
China police 'knew UK man killed'
Chongqing police knew UK man Neil Heywood had been murdered and a cover-up began immediately, a senior Chinese journalist tells the BBC.
Roger Ailes E-mail: "Maybe God is a Republican"
Watching Fox News can give sentient viewers the impression that the network is run by that nutjob uncle of yours who keeps forwarding chain emails about Obama's time in a madrassa. And it is.
Here are a few emails Fox News chief Roger Ailes forwarded to his underlings, demanding that they turn them into TV news.
New York's Gabriel Sherman reported last year that, even though he travels in New York's rarefied social circles and dines at Le Cirque, Ailes isn't a cynical peddler of right-wing ghost stories. In 2008, Ailes told Obama adviser David Axelrod that Obama intended to create a national police force to do his bidding. "That exchange was the moment [Axelrod] realized Ailes truly believed what he was broadcasting," Sherman wrote.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Robert Reich: What Obama's plan for fixing the economy should be
Come to think about, when is the last time you heard President propose an idea for creating jobs:
President Obama’s electoral strategy can best be summed up as: “We’re on the right track, my economic policies are working, we still have a long way to go but stick with me and you’ll be fine.”Full article
That’s not good enough. This recovery is too anemic, and the chance of an economic stall between now and Election Day far too high.
Even now, Mitt Romney’s empty “I’ll to it better” refrain is attracting as many voters as Obama’s “we’re on the right track.” Each man is gathering 46 percent of voter support, according to the latest New York Times/CBS poll. Only 33 percent of the public thinks the economy is improving while 40 percent say they’re still falling behind financially — an 11 point increase from 2008. Nearly two-thirds are concerned about paying for housing, and one in five with mortgages say they’re underwater.
Are the super rich perverting our constitution in the political process?
The Las Vegas casino Mogul Sheldon Adelson kept the presidential hopes of Newt Gingrich alive since the start of the GOP elections by infusing large sums from his personal wealth to "Winning the Future" — the super Political Action Committee supporting Gingrich in the Republican caucuses and primaries. Similarly, the millionaire Foster Friess of Wyoming is bankrolling the pro-Rick-Santorum group (Red, White and Blue Fund), while several wealthy individuals are behind "Restore our Future" super PAC in support of Mitt Romney's candidacy.
The financial support of Gingrich should trigger a new debate on campaign financing and First Amendment speech rights vested in super PACs by the U.S. Supreme Court decision of 2010. By that five to four decision in favor of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, the high court has allowed unlimited corporate and union spending in elections as a token of free speech.
While the super PACs are confusing the campaign financing process, the recent Montana Supreme Court decision to uphold a century-old ban on corporate campaign spending in the state (Montana's 1912 Corrupt Practices Act), has befuddled the workings of the nation's highest court. Acknowledging the conflict with Citizens United, Montana's Chief Justice Mike McGrath justified the five to two vote since the state was endangered by the "continued efforts of corporate control to the detriment of democracy and the republican form of government."
US jobless data suggests slowdown in job creation
WRAPUP 3-US jobless data suggests slowdown in job creation | Reuters
The number of Americans claiming unemployment benefits for the first time fell only slightly last week, suggesting that job growth in April will not improve much after March's disappointing performance.
Other data on Thursday showed factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region slowed sharply this month and home resales dropped for a second straight month in March.
Economists viewed the string of weak reports as payback after an abnormally warm winter boosted activity and did not believe that the economy would suffer a repeat of 2011, when growth slowed down sharply in the first half of the year.
Striking for Dummies: How to skip work to join Occupy Wall Street’s May 1 General Strike
On May 1 (May Day), or the International Worker’s Day holiday, Occupy Wall Street will stage a general strike. Oddly, though, union workers suffer under the yolk of a piece of 1947 GOP legislation called the Taft-Hartley Act, which requires unions to give 60 days notice for any strike action, and bans a variety of actions like the general strike.
However, as we saw wtih Wisconsin’s Scott Walker protests last year, many schoolteachers took a personal day or called in sick, so there are ways around Taft-Hartley. This, of course, doesn’t cover non-union workers who might be sympathetic to the May 1 General Strike, but are worried that showing solidarity will imperil their job.
China's Ai Weiwei hits Catch 22 in tax lawsuit
Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is learning a frustrating lesson about challenging Chinese authorities - he is welcome to sue the government over a festering tax case, but must first produce a company seal confiscated by police that he has no way of recovering. Ai sued the tax authorities over a 15 million yuan ($2.4 million) tax evasion penalty on the company he works for...
From: http://ping.fm/3bTHs
Syrian troops clash with rebels in eastern city
Syrian troops clashed with army defectors in an eastern city Thursday, leaving at least one person dead, while government forces bombarded rebel-held neighborhoods of the central city of Homs, activists said.
From: http://ping.fm/SiIld
Inside the Racist Mind: Why Most People Have Some Prejudice or Bias
The fact that you may honestly believe you are not biased does not free you from unconscious racism...
From: http://ping.fm/T5klS
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