Year: 2011

Categories
Politics United States Westboro Baptist Church

Freedom Of Speech Gives Rights to Hate Church

It’s a case that started in the lower courts which awarded the plaintiff, Albert Snyder, a substantial award for his pain and suffering. Later, the ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court after it decided that the case of Snyder vs. The Westboro Baptiste Church,  did not break any laws.

Mr. Snyder brought the case against the 50 member ‘church’ because, according to the complainant, the members showed up at the funeral of his son Lance Cpl. Mathew A. Snyder, who was killed in the Iraqi war. Snyder accused the church of  “intentionally inflicting emotional stress,” because, as was the case in several other such funerals,  the church showed up with protest signs that read, “God hate fags” and “America is doomed.” The Supreme Court applied the First Amendment as its reasoning behind  siding with the “church.” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote;

“Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain.”

In addition to free speech, Justice Roberts suggests three more reasons why the church was within its rights to protest.

  1. Their protest was within the public’s interest. The Justice suggests that although the signs may have been inappropriate, “the issues they highlight — the political and moral conduct of the United States and its citizens, the fate of our nation, homosexuality in the military and scandals involving the Catholic clergy — are matters of public import.”
  2. The Justice wrote that the relationship between the church and the plaintiff was not one of a private grudge, and
  3. The church had a right to be where they were and were not breaking any state laws to hold the protest.
The Westboro Church is not new to controversies. They also protested at the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards. Mrs. Edwards died of breast cancer in 2010, and had her funeral protested by Westboro group, who carried signs thanking God for her breast cancer. They also protested when congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in her head in January, where six people, including a nine year old girl was killed. Westboro thanked God for sending the gunman.

Although the ruling by the Supreme Court is understandable, it is groups like the Westboro Baptiste church, in my humble opinion, that makes it necessary to add a clause to the Constitution that would exercise some restraint in the use  of  the amendment when it comes to such cases. For example, so-called church groups that protest the funeral  of a soldier who died in the line of duty while defending their democratic right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, should not be protected under the first amendment.

Categories
Economic growth Politics Republican

Republicans Say “It’s All About Jobs,” So They Will Cut 700,000 More

When John Boehner said, “if we lose 200,000 federal jobs, so be it,” we listened and thought the figures didn’t add up. A little  research into the facts revealed the figure was more like 20,000 to 40,000 jobs lost if Boehner got his way.

Now, after economists studied the Republican budget and the effects of it’s cutting $61 billion dollars from it, the result – as reported by  financial economists – would be a job loss of 700,000 by the end of 2012.

According to reports from The Washington Post;

Zandi, an architect of the 2009 stimulus package who has advised both political parties, predicts that the GOP package would reduce economic growth by 0.5 percentage points this year, and by 0.2 percentage points in 2012, resulting in 700,000 fewer jobs by the end of next year.

His report comes on the heels of a similar analysis last week by the investment bank Goldman Sachs, which predicted that the Republican spending cuts would cause even greater damage to the economy, slowing growth by as much as 2 percentage points in the second and third quarters of this year.

Of course, Republicans stand by their claims that cutting $61 billion will create jobs and put America back on its financially feet. And of course, they’re the only ones believing this claim.

Maybe more appropriate for Boehner would be to claim, “Losing 700,000 jobs because of our budget and 200,000 federal jobs? Whatever!  I must keep a campaign promise, so be it!”

Read the rest of the Washington Post report here.

Categories
Barack Obama Domestic Policies United States White House

President Obama Changes Position on Health Care Mandates

“Instead of refighting the battles of the last two years, let’s fix what needs fixing and let’s move forward.”

Those were the words of President Obama in his State of The Union address at the end of January, and today, the President signaled just how much he was willing to listen, comprimise, or adopt new policies that he hopes will accomplish the “fix.” Today, President Obama spoke with governors at a White House meeting and told them that he was willing to allow states to withdraw from the controversial mandate requirement in 2014 instead of 2017, if they could prove that they can insure the same amount of people the original Health Care Reform did, at the same cost.

“I think that’s a reasonable proposal; I support it, it will give you flexibility more quickly while still guaranteeing the American people reform.”

According to reporting from The New York Times;

The bipartisan amendment that Mr. Obama is now embracing was first proposed in November, eight months after enactment of the Affordable Care Act, by Senators Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, and Scott Brown, Republican of Massachusetts. Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, a Democrat, is now a co-sponsor.

The legislation would allow states to opt out earlier from various requirements if they could demonstrate that other methods would allow them to cover as many people, with insurance that is as comprehensive and affordable, as provided by the new law. The changes also must not increase the federal deficit.

If states can meet those standards, they can ask to circumvent minimum benefit levels, structural requirements for insurance exchanges and the mandates that most individuals obtain coverage and that employers provide it. Washington would then help finance a state’s individualized health care system with federal money that would otherwise be spent there on insurance subsidies and tax credits.

“It seemed to make sense that rather than have states invest in a system that may not be best for them, you change the date to 2014 from 2017 and give them the flexibility to design it,” said one of several administration officials who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly before the president. “But it’s clear that states must do a number of things to qualify for a waiver.”

The Health Care Reform passed by a Democratic controlled congress in 2010 divided the country along party lines, with most Democrats in favor of reform and most Republicans against. The White House and Democrats have admitted fault and have taken responsibility  now for  explaining to Americans the benefits of reform. And with the mis-representation of many parts of the law, many Americans are still advocating a total repeal of the bill, a promise that House Republicans have made and seemed determined to do. In reality however, repeal will not happen because of a Democratic controlled senate, and a promise of a veto if the bill makes it to the President’s desk.

Read the rest of The New York Times report here.

Categories
Citizens United Politics United States Wisconsin Wisconsin Union Bashing

Koch Brothers And American For Prosperity Attacked By Anonymous

The Koch Brothers and Americans For Prosperity have been put on notice… from Anonymous, the internet hacking group that came out in support for Wiki-leaks and other “internet injustices.” The group began their protest by joining the pro-union fight in Wisconsin, and by taking down the website for Americans For Prosperity.

Anonymous then put out a press-release stating their cause;

Dear Citizens of the United States of America,

It has come to our attention that the brothers, David and Charles Koch–the billionaire owners of Koch Industries–have long attempted to usurp American Democracy. Their actions to undermine the legitimate political process in Wisconsin are the final straw. Starting today we fight back.

Koch Industries, and oligarchs like them, have most recently started to manipulate the political agenda in Wisconsin. Governor Walker’s union-busting budget plan contains a clause that went nearly un-noticed. This clause would allow the sale of publicly owned utility plants in Wisconsin to private parties (specifically, Koch Industries) at any price, no matter how low, without a public bidding process. The Koch’s have helped to fuel the unrest in Wisconsin and the drive behind the bill to eliminate the collective bargaining power of unions in a bid to gain a monopoly over the state’s power supplies.

The Koch brothers have made a science of fabricating ‘grassroots’ organizations and advertising campaigns to support them in an attempt to sway voters based on their falsehoods. Americans for Prosperity, Club for Growth and Citizens United are just a few of these organizations. In a world where corporate money has become the lifeblood of political influence, the labor unions are one of the few ways citizens have to fight against corporate greed. Anonymous cannot ignore the plight of the citizen-workers of Wisconsin, or the opportunity to fight for the people in America’s broken political system. For these reasons, we feel that the Koch brothers threaten the United States democratic system and, by extension, all freedom-loving individuals everywhere. As such, we have no choice but to spread the word of the Koch brothers’ political manipulation, their single-minded intent and the insidious truth of their actions in Wisconsin, for all to witness.

Anonymous hears the voice of the downtrodden American people, whose rights and liberties are being systematically removed one by one, even when their own government refuses to listen or worse – is complicit in these attacks. We are actively seeking vulnerabilities, but in the mean time we are calling for all supporters of true Democracy, and Freedom of The People, to boycott all Koch Industries’ paper products. We welcome unions across the globe to join us in this boycott to show that you will not allow big business to dictate your freedom.

Things are starting to get interesting…! 🙂

Categories
Politics

Will We See Fox News’ Roger Aisles On M.S.N.B.C.’s Lockup?

Yes, encouraging someone to lie to the Federal authorities is a crime, punishable with fines and or imprisonment, and that seems to be  exactly what Roger Aisles – the senior executive of News Corp and Chairman of Fox News – did, according to a Ms. Judith Regan.

According to a report from the New York Times, Aisles, the man responsible for the direction of the so-called “news network,” gave the unsolicited advise to Ms. Regan in an effort to protect Rudolph Giuliani, a then 2008 Republican presidential candidate. Regan – the Times reports – had an affair with Bernard Kerik, Giuliani’s New York police commissioner, and the man being considered by the Feds to head up the job of Homeland Security Secretary. Aisles advised Regan to lie or withhold information about the relationship from the feds, and according to Ms. Regan, the conversation was recorded.

The revelation was made in court in another case involving Ms. Regan. Brian C. Kerr, a former lawyer of Ms. Regan describes the evidence he found in an affidavit. The Times Reports;

But Brian C. Kerr, one of Ms. Regan’s former lawyers, describes in an affidavit the physical evidence he reviewed as “including a tape recording of a conversation between her and Roger Ailes, which is alluded to throughout the complaint” that Mr. Kerr and another lawyer, Seth Redniss, drafted for Ms. Regan. That complaint said News Corporation executives “were well aware that Regan had a personal relationship with Kerik.”

“In fact,” the complaint said, “a senior executive in the News Corporation organization told Regan that he believed she had information about Kerik that, if disclosed, would harm Giuliani’s presidential campaign. This executive advised Regan to lie to, and to withhold information from, investigators concerning Kerik.”

Mr. Redniss, in his affidavit, referred to “a recorded telephone call between Roger Ailes, the chairman of Fox News (a News Corp. company) and Regan, in which Mr. Ailes discussed with Regan her responses to questions regarding her personal relationship with Bernard Kerik.”

Would I be wrong to assume that Roger Aisles will deny these claims and the voice on the recording? No, of course not. As a matter of fact, it is expected that Mr. Aisles will deny it all, because after all, he’s the one responsible for the content of Fox News. There will obviously be more to this story in the near future.

Read the New York Times report here.

Categories
Barack Obama Health Michelle Obama Mike Huckabee Politics Republican Sarah Palin United States White House

Mike Huckabee: I Think We Should Thank And Praise Michelle Obama

Sometimes you just don’t know what to expect from  Conservatives. There are days when you turn on the television and Mike Huckabee is on, criticizing Obamacare as a “government take-over” – a claim that has been debunked by the way, since the millions of new policies are provided by private insurance companies. And then there are times when he bucks his party’s talking points and actually defends someone on the other side of the political divide.

This time, Mr. Huckabee is defending Michelle Obama against the onslaught of criticism coming from some in his own camp, namely Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin. On February 23rd, Mike was asked why the First Lady’s anti-obesity drive was viewed with such hostility. Huckabee replied;

Unfortunately I think a lot of it is because she’s the one presenting it, and that’s why I’ve been defensive of her. I still think her approach is the right one. I do not think she’s out there advocating that the government take over our dinner plates, in fact she’s not.

She’s been criticized unfairly by a lot of my fellow conservatives. I think it’s out of a reflex rather than out of a thoughtful expression. And that’s one of the things that bug me most about our political environment today.

We don’t have to believe everything the other side proposes is immediately all together bad. And the reason I’ve been very vocal, even doing an event with her and publicly speaking out for her initiative, is because it is exactly what Republicans say they believe, – that you put a focus on individual responsibility, you encourage people to make good choices and you reward them for doing so. I thought that was exactly what we were about!

At the end of the video shown below, Huckabee says obesity is also a national security problem, and that Michelle Obama bringing this debate to the national level is good for the nation’s security.  He then added;

Rather than us condemning Michelle Obama, I think we ought to be thanking her, and praising her for what she’s done.

Of course, when Huckabee says the First Lady has been “criticized unfairly”  by his fellow conservatives, he’s primarily referring to Rush and Sarah. The two have been a personal vendetta to destroy Mrs. Obama’s anti-obesity drive. But don’t expect the words of the Republican presidential candidate to change any minds, there is money  to be made in disagreeing common sense practices, or disagreeing with the occupants of the White House.

See the rest of the video below.

Categories
Glenn Beck Joe Scarborough MSNBC Republican

Conservatives Denounce Glenn Beck’s Crazy Antics

Say it ain’t so Joe:

In a shocking turn of events, conservative Republican Joe Scarborough of MSNBC has truned against his fellow conservative, ultra-extreme Glenn Beck. He then voiced his displeasure with the Beck-star – one of the appointed leaders of the Teaparty.

“I’ve been telling conservatives for about two years, this guy is bad for the movement, this guy is losing it before our eyes. He’s bad for the conservative movement. He’s bad for the Republican Party. He’s bad for Fox News…even guys over at Fox News have to start thinking, this can’t last. He’s out of control.”

Scarborough then pointed out that he is not the only conservative who’s becomming sick of Beck’s antics. He mentioned a blog post by another conservative, named Peter Wehner. The title of Mr. Wehner’s post is “The Most Distrubing Person on Cable Television.” A portion of the post said;

In the past few weeks Glenn Beck has spoken about the coming caliphate that he believes is about to envelope most of the world. He then dilated on the anti-Christ with a man who says he has “new prophetic understanding into the end times.”

In 2009, this self-proclaimed prophet wrote a column titled “What Obama and the Anti-Christ Have in Common.” Then, on a recent show, the discussion focused on the coming Islamic anti-Christ. And earlier this week, an irate, bellicose Beck spoke about the “perfect storm” America faces. “I can’t honestly believe we’re finally here,” he said in praising his own prescience. In his version of events, Beck is the solitary Voice of Truth willing to expose the New World Order (complete with references to Van Jones and Code Pink).

It’s hard to tell how much of what Beck says is sincere and how much is for show. Whatever the case, and even taking into account the entire MSNBC lineup, Glenn Beck has become the most disturbing personality on cable television. One cannot watch him for any length of time without being struck by his affinity for conspiracies and for portraying himself as the great decoder of events.

Well, it’s never too late. We welcome these conservative who are finally beginning to see the truth about Glenn Beck, and we hope that it’s not too late for the masses who watch Beck religiously, buying into his conspiracy theories and his willful attempt to dumb down Americans.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Categories
Fox News rachel maddow Republican Wisconsin

Shep Smith of Fox News Tells The Truth! When Will He Be Fired?

As I write this post, I’m hearing the song, “Hit the road Jack,” playing in my head, and I can’t help but feel that it’s just a matter of time before Fox News sings that song to Shep Smith. He actually has a mind, and although sometimes he falls in line and echos their extremists talking points, for the most part, Shep Smith goes off on his own and tells it like it really is. So for this reason, he’s not a good fit for the liars at FOX.

Mr. Smith Goes To Wisconsin

His latest stab at the truth came this week when he again, branched off  and defied the talking heads at FOX.  Shep stated that what’s happening in Wisconsin “has nothing to do with the budget,” and he correctly sees  governor Walker’s actions for what they really are… dirty politics.

Video.

Categories
MSNBC Tid Bits twitter

Keith Olbermann Launches His New Website

And so, the return of Keith Olbermann has officially began, with the launch of FOK News Channel. Olbermann previously made the announcement in a tweet, saying “Proud to announce: Coming very very soon – your FOKNewsChannel website… #FOK” – [Friends Of Keith]

As described on the website,

Three-time Murrow-Award Winner Keith Olbermann is the “K” in “Friends Of Keith” and “Friends Of Keith” is the FOK in the not-for-profit FOKNewsChannel.

Next for Mr. Olbermann… his return to television.

Categories
Politics United States Wisconsin Wisconsin Union Bashing

Koch Brothers To Liberals – We Will Not Step Back

Earlier this week, when a blogger called Wisconsin’s governor Scott Walker, pretending to be David Koch and talking to the governor for about 20 minutes, the joke apparently did not go down too well in the Koch compound. In an interview with National Review Online, Mark Holden, the general council for Koch Industries said the call was “fraudulent” ;

“There are serious fiscal issues at play in Wisconsin. Yet our opponents are interjecting us falsely into this story. But our Wisconsin story is about bringing and keeping good manufacturing jobs in the state. It is disturbing that when a blogger calls using the Koch name, it is used as an opportunity to attack the company.”

Mr. Holden wasn’t the only one upset. Richard Fink, the executive vice president of Koch Industries also voiced his displeasure, saying, “We will not step back at all.” He then accused the left of trying to “intimidate” the billionaire brothers empire, saying;

“With the Left trying to intimidate the Koch brothers to back off of their support for freedom and signaling to others that this is what happens if you oppose the administration and its allies, we have no choice but to continue to fight.. We will not step back at all. We firmly believe that economic freedom has benefited the overwhelming majority of society, including workers, who earn higher wages when you have open and free markets. When government grows as it has with the Bush and Obama administrations, that is what destroys prosperity.”

The brothers, whose millions have been used to finance the Teaparty movement –where average Americans are used to protest policies that are in their best interest — feel like their backs are up against the wall and they’re coming out swinging. Mr. Fink states that the attacks on the Koch brothers is not just coming from “left-winged bloggers,” but part of a much bigger scheme constructed by the Obama administration. He continued;

It involves the Obama administration, the Center for American Progress, aligned left-wing groups, and their friends in the media. This is just the latest salvo in their attacks on the Koch brothers and Koch Industries. But it is an escalation — they’re now bringing in some labor groups, which they have not done before. We expect this to be part of an ongoing effort against [Koch Industries] as the 2012 presidential campaign approaches.”

But don’t feel sorry for the multi-billionaire brothers just yet. They are fighters, and if the past is any indication, we can expect to see  hundreds of little old grandmas and grandpas, pushing their walkers and carrying signs along the streets of Wisconsin, demonstrating again for the poor Koch compound.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Categories
Politics Republican Sarah Palin South Carolina United States

Sarah Palin Is Just Folksy Slangs and Bumper-Sticker Generalities

That description is not coming from me, but from her fellow Republicans who question whether she should be nominated for President in 2012, or even if her name should be mentioned as a potential candidate.

Steven Thomma reports;

At a recent gathering in South Carolina, the site of a crucial early presidential primary next year, party activists said the former Alaska governor didn’t have the experience, the knowledge of issues or the ability to get beyond folksy slang and bumper-sticker generalities that they think is needed to win and govern.

Many are shopping for someone else. They’re looking at Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., for example, and seeing what they call a smarter, more experienced candidate who’s equally as conservative.

“Sarah Palin with a brain,” said Gail Moore, a Republican from Columbia.

While national polls show that Palin still would win the support of about one in five Republicans in a national face-off today for the nomination, she no longer can claim the dominant role she enjoyed when she burst out of the 2008 campaign as the undisputed star of the party. She’s also losing ground quickly among independents, who hold the keys to the White House.

“Her major weakness is that she needs to bone up on how the government works,” said Don Long, a retiree from Lake Wylie, S.C. “I don’t know if she’s done as much of that as she needs to.”

Equally funny is their assumption that Michele Bachmann has a brain, or is more electable than Palin is. But these potential nominees exemplifies the Republican conundrum.  When you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, just pray that you’re not claustrophobic!

Read the rest of the report here.

Categories
Barack Obama Featured Soviet Union

Question Asked, “Who Is Going To Shoot Obama?”

According to Republicans, it is now acceptable to bring guns to political events and town halls meetings. And they are even recorded on video saying, “there’s nothing wrong with bringing guns to political events.” So it was just a matter of time before someone stood up and asked, “Who is going to shoot Obama?”

Well that question was asked on Tuesday.

According to the Athens Banner Herald, the question was asked at a town hall meeting held by Republican Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia. The report states;

Broun’s press secretary, Jessica Morris, confirmed that the question was indeed, who is going to shoot Obama? “Obviously, the question was inappropriate, so Congressman Broun moved on,” she said.

But instead of Mr. Broun denouncing the question, he played into it, saying;

“The thing is, I know there’s a lot of frustration with this president. We’re going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we’ll elect somebody that’s going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.”

Broun’s decision not to denounce the question is not a surprise. As reported by Wiki;

On November 10, 2008, one week after the 2008 presidential election, Broun drew national attention when he criticized President-elect Barack Obama’s call for a civilian national service corps, suggesting that Obama might use it to establish a Marxist dictatorship.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Broun said, “That’s exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it’s exactly what the Soviet Union did. When he’s proposing to have a national security force that’s answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he’s showing me signs of being Marxist.” Broun later clarified his statement by saying, “We can’t be lulled into complacency. You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I’m not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I’m saying is there is the potential of going down that road.”

Welcome to civility in America… Republican style.

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