Author: Ezra Grant

I'm just tired of the lies and nonsense coming from the GOP, so this is my little contribution to combat the nonsense!

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Politics Republican Party (United States) United States

Republicans To Americans – E.Coli Is Not Important

House Republicans just voted to defund our only protection against E-Coli – a disease that is contracted by eating contaminated foods like fruits and vegetables. The Microbiological Data Program was responsible for the screening and testing of these food products, but Republicans have voted to shut it down.

The House last month approved a bill that would end funding for the 10-year-old Microbiological Data Program, which tests about 15,000 annual samples of vulnerable produce such as sprouts, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupe and cilantro for pathogens including salmonella and E. coli

Defunding this agency makes it more possible for Corporations to cut corners in the food preparations industries, thus, increasing the likelihood that more contaminated produce will be served on our tables.

At a time when “48 million foodborne illness cases occur in the United States every year,” and  “at least 128,000 Americans are hospitalized, and 3,000 die after eating contaminated food,” the Republican controlled House of Representatives’ decision to defund this important food screening agency is just another example of the Republican  motto:  “Corporations Over The American People”.

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Chuck Schumer Mitch McConnell Politics Republican United States

Republicans – Flushing The Economy Down The Drain For Political Gain

“Do they simply want the economy to go down the drain to further their political gain? They seem to be against anything that may create jobs, because they view a weak economy as key to their political chances in 2012.

“It’s an uncomfortable question, to be sure. Are they trying to undermine the economy on purpose, for political gain? Harry Truman had a do-nothing Congress. The Republicans seem to be trying to make this a do-nothing-on-the-economy Congress.”

Better late than never. Finally, Senator Chuck Schumer and other Congressional Democrats are beginning to believe what the rest of America has known since Rush Limbaugh’s  admission a few weeks after President Obama was sworn in: “I want this president to fail”. And ever since then Congressional Republicans have been on a mission to make sure Rush Limbaugh gets his wish.

The Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell also expressed Limbaugh’s sentiments when in October 2010, he explained what his number one priority was. No, it wasn’t fixing the economy. No, it wasn’t finding ways to put Americans back to work, and if you thought his number one priority was making sure America recovers from this recession, then you’ll be wrong again. McConnell, the Republican’s leader,  said his party’s  number one priority was to make sure President Obama was a one term president. In an interview with the National Journal, this was the exchange with McConnell;

MCCONNELL: We need to be honest with the public. This election is about them, not us. And we need to treat this election as the first step in retaking the government. We need to say to everyone on Election Day, “Those of you who helped make this a good day, you need to go out and help us finish the job.”

NATIONAL JOURNAL: What’s the job?

MCCONNELL: The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.

President Obama was sworn in on January 20th, 2009, and now, a little over 2 years into his presidency, Congressional Democrats are finally seeing the light. Schumer continued;

“If there’s one thing the GOP has stood for throughout their history, it’s free trade. When Senator Baucus unveiled an agreement to proceed, you would have thought Republicans would jump for joy. Instead, Republicans took us down the rabbit hole once again.”

“Are Republicans opposing yet another measure they once supported simply because that measure might be good for the economy?” Schumer asked, also citing GOP opposition to recent measures like a payroll tax cut and to small business development programs.

Pressed by a reporter on whether he really believes the GOP wants to destroy the economy on purpose, Schumer went further than ever before, taking things out of the realm of the hypothetical.

“It’s a thought you don’t want to believe,” Schumer said, “but every day they keep giving us more and more evidence that there’s no choice but to answer Yes.”

With Republicans like this in government, who needs terrorists? We’ve  got our own, and they’re actively working to destroy the very foundation of this country.

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MSNBC Politics

This Dick Calls President Obama A “Dick!”

You have to be of a certain caliber to appear on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and apparently, that caliber just got reduced to an even lower level, when an MSNBC contributor name Mark Halperin thought it would be funny to call the President of the United States a “dick!”

The political talking head appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and when encouraged by host Joe Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski, Halperin “characterize” what he thought of the President’s economic speech the day before.

Mark Halperin: Are we on the seven second delay?

Mika Brzezinski: Lordy.

Halperin: I wanted to characterize how the president behaved.

Scarborough: We have it. We can use it. Go for it. Let’s see what happens.

Brzezinski: We’re behind you, you fall down and we catch you.

Halperin: I thought he was a dick yesterday.

Scarborough: Delay that. delay that. what are you doing? I can’t believe — I was joking. Don’t do that. Did we delay that?

Realizing he just put his di… his foot in his mouth, Halperin immediately apologized for his poor and disgraceful choice of words;

“Joking aside, this is not a pro-forma apology. It’s an absolute apology. Heartfelt to the president and to the viewers. I became part of the joke but that is no excuse, I made a mistake and I am sorry and I shouldn’t have said it. As I said I apologize to the president and to the viewers.”

Kinda reminds me of the Glenn Beck episode, when Beck went on television and accused the President of “having a deep-seated hatred for white people,” then later accused Mr. Obama of being a racist. That moment was looked upon as the pivotal point where the downfall of Glenn Beck started, as advertisers began pulling their products from his show. Fox News never reprimand Beck for those words, but MSNBC immediately issued a statement stating that Halperin was suspended indefinitely.

With his obvious disrespect for the President, I wouldn’t be shocked if Halperin resurfaced on Fox News, carrying on where Glenn Beck left off.

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Politics United States

World Renowned Economists Advise Congress To Raise Debt Ceiling Now

If Republicans won’t listen to their fellow Democratic members of Congress, or even the President himself,  on the importance and necessity of raising the debt ceiling, well maybe – and this is wishful thinking on my part – but maybe, they will listen to, not one, not ten, not fifty or one hundred, but 235 world-renowned economists, including six Nobel Laureates in economics.

The group came together and wrote a letter to Congress, advising them that playing with the debt ceiling for political reason is not looking out for America’s best interests. Below is a letter of recommendation, written and signed by the  economists.

Dear Speaker Boehner, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, and Minority Leader McConnell,

We, the undersigned economists, urge Congress to raise the federal debt limit immediately and without attaching drastic and potentially dangerous reductions in federal spending. Not doing so promptly could have a substantial negative impact on economic growth at a time when the economy looks a bit shaky. In a worst case, it could push the United States back into recession.

The U.S. economy looks fragile at present. Economic growth has been too weak to generate sufficient new job creation. Reaching the limit on total outstanding debt could force a dramatic and sudden cut in federal spending that would destroy jobs and threaten the recovery. To remove spending from the economy at such a pivotal moment would be irresponsible.

Failure to increase the debt limit sufficiently to accommodate existing U.S. laws and obligations also could undermine trust in the full faith and credit of the United States government, with potentially grave long-term consequences. This loss of trust could translate into higher interest rates not only for the federal government, but also for U.S. businesses and consumers, causing all to pay higher prices for credit. Economic growth and jobs would suffer as a result.

The Press Release states, “the signatories of the letter include six Nobel Laureates: George Akerlof, Kenneth Arrow, Robert Engle, Eric Maskin, William Sharpe and Robert Solow.  Alan Blinder, former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve System’s Board of Governors and former member of the Council of Economic Advisors; John Bates Clark Medal recipient and MacArthur Fellow Emmanuel Saez; and Laura Tyson, former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors and former Director of the National Economic Council, also signed the letter, which includes distinguished experts from across the country.”

Additionally, four John Bates Clark winners and five former American Economic Association chairs joined this list of influential economists in recommending swift, decisive action on the debt limit without extraneous and potentially harmful policy riders.

See the full list of signatories here.

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Barack Obama Democratic Politics Republican United States

Presidential Press Conference – Obama’s Speech On The Economy

The President used the bully pulpit today and did what many progressives were asking for –  to stand up and tell the Republicans that although spending cuts will be necessary, revenue must be raised and the rich must pay their fair share. That statement is exactly what made Eric Cantor walk out of negotiations with Vice-President Biden earlier this week, but hearing the president reiterate that very point got rave reviews from Progressives nationwide.

Watch the Presidential Press Conference below.

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Politics Wisconsin

Scott Walker – Cutting From The Poor Makes Them Better

How do you guarantee that public schools in your state provide a better education? Well you cut $800 million in funding, that’s how. That’s what governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin just did.

Of the bill that the Republican governor signed into law on Sunday, Walker says that the cuts would, “allow us to put more resources into training, and it’s going to provide for better education.”

In order to survive these cuts, some of the things the Wisconsin education system must do will be the elimination of thous

Continue reading “Scott Walker – Cutting From The Poor Makes Them Better”
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Anthony Weiner Politics Republican United States

Republican Councilman Texted Underwear Picture Too

A Republican councilman from Kenner New Orléans named Joe Stagni sent an underwear picture of himself using his smartphone. The photo was sent 18 months ago to Annamaria Pizzolato, who was Kenner’s internal auditor at the time.

Following the Anthony Weiner underwear episode earlier this month, Joe Stegni issued the following apology;

“I asked for God’s mercy and forgiveness. I apologized to my wife and family and asked for their forgiveness as well. My actions and bad judgment had nothing to do with my duties and responsibilities as a public official. They were private acts, but I take full responsibility for my irresponsible behavior. This matter has been a painful experience for my family and I pray that everyone will allow our family to continue to heal. I am sorry.”

The photo was found in Kenner computer records, and dated back to Dec. 23, 2009. The text message associated with the photo came from City Councilman Joe Stagni’s phone, and was sent  to internal auditor Annamaria Pizzolato.

According to reports, the text message associated with the picture said, “I’m n trouble – serious conversation wwife.”

Funny way to deal with being in trouble – send an underwear picture of yourself to the other woman, telling her you’re in trouble because your wife may have found out about the affair!

Classic Republican way to handle these issues.

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Barack Obama Politics Republican United States

Republicans Push The Least Among Them For President

Michele Bachmann couldn’t do her job as a legislator, but she wants to preside over  the most powerful nation on the face of the earth.

Politico had this to say about Bachmann’s legislative work since getting the job as Minnesota’s congresswoman

Now in her third House term, Bachmann has;

  • Never had a bill or resolution she’s sponsored signed into law, and she’s
  • Never wielded a committee gavel, either at the full or subcommittee level.
  • Bachmann’s amendments and bills have rarely been considered by any committee, even with the House under GOP control.
  • In a chamber that rewards substantive policy work and insider maneuvering, Bachmann has shunned the inside game, choosing to be more of a bomb thrower than a legislator.

How is it possible that someone who’s  been so inefficient at doing her job be considered as a “front-runner” for the Presidential nomination? The answer is simply, that she’s a Republican and for whatever reason, today’s Republican/Teaparty voter is looking for the least qualified among them to become the most powerful person on earth. And recent history has proven this theory. See Ronald Reagan and George Bush!

I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe The Plumber is their secret weapon for 2012!

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Barack Obama Mitt Romney Politics Republican Sarah Palin United States

Warning! – A President Palin Is Just As Scary As This… Pic

It is definitely a scary thought, to have a President Sarah Palin. Come to think of it, a President Michele Bachmann or President Mitt Romney will not that appetizing either. We can only hope that the person depicted in the photo below stays far… very far… away from Washington DC.

Thanks to the ever so vigilant surfing methods of some of the members of EzKool, this photo was sent in by our own, April Diaz!

Thanks April!


 

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Mitt Romney Politics Republican United States

Why Does Michele Bachmann Lie So Much?

Honestly speaking, we don’t know. What we do know, is that Bachmann will say anything and everything, despite what everyone knows to be the truth, if it means there is a slight chance she may advance herself politically with the extremely far right and Teaparty

We can point back to just about any interview Bachmann has given since jumping into the spotlight, but right now we will focus on a recent one she did  Sunday while the 2012 Republican presidential hopeful made her rounds on the cable news networks. Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to CBS’s Bob Schieffer.

In the interview, Schieffer questions Bachmann about a lie she keeps repeating, that President Obama only issued one offshore oil drilling permit. Of course, the truth is that when Bachmann originally made that statement, the Obama Administration had already issued 270 permits. Here’s Mr. Schieffer;

SCHIEFFER: I want to ask you about something else. A lot of your critics say you have been very fast and loose with the truth. You know, the po– PolitiFact, which is a website that won a Pulitzer, did an analysis of 23 statements that you made recently. Of these 23, only one they said was completely true. Seven they call pants on fire kind of falsehoods. Four were barely true and two were half truths. How do you answer that criticism? Because here’s one of them, you know, you said on the record there had been only one offshore oil drilling permit during the Obama administration and, in fact at that time there had been 270.

How do you explain that?”

Michele Bachmann, who claims she accepted Christ at the age of 16 years old and lives a Christian life, decides to continue lying – right there on cable television, with the cameras recording her every word.

BACHMANN: Well, you know, I think that what is clear more than anything is the fact that President Obama does — has not been issuing the permits, that he should have been issuing on offshore drilling that’s…”

SCHIEFFER: Well, it’s more than three hundred now. At… at that time there had been two hundred and something. And you said there had been only one.

BACHMANN: But as far as drilling goes, we hadn’t been drilling what we need to– that’s why we just this week blah blah blah blah…

BACHMANN: No, I haven’t misled people at all. I think the question would be asked of President Obama. When you told the American people that if we borrow a trillion dollars from other countries and spend it on a stimulus that we won’t have unemployment go above eight percent and today as we are sitting here, it’s 9.1 percent and the economy is tanking. That is what’s serious. That’s a very serious statement that the President made. Did he mislead the American people? Not only did he mislead the American people, he’s caused our economy to go down.

Given the opportunity to set the record straight, Bachmann tried to twist and turn and reroute the misleading claim even more, pointing fingers at President Obama and suggesting that old childish excuse – you know, the “he did it too” routine.

Then, expectantly, to wheedle out of the oil permit lie, Michele lies again! This time, claiming that President Obama promised that the stimulus would keep unemployment below 8%.

The truth of the matter is, and according to Politifact – the very same fact-checking organization Schieffer referenced in pointing out Bachmann’s lie – President Obama never made such a claim. Politifact found the following;

“Obama warned upon taking office that if “dramatic action” were not taken, “the unemployment rate could reach double digits,” with the recession lasting years. But neither we, nor our colleagues at PolitiFact’s Washington, D.C. bureau, could find evidence of anyone in the administration making a public pledge along the lines of “if we pass the stimulus, we promise unemployment will stay below 8 percent.”

Why does Michele Bachmann lie so much? Again – we’re just not sure, but we do see that lying is something that has been perfected by Republicans. Yes, Democrats do it too, but Republicans like Bachmann have mastered the art.

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Chris Wallace Politics

Michele Bachmann, Are You A Flake?

Fox News Chris Wallace lost the debate to Jon Stewart last week, so in his Sunday interview of Republican Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, Wallace asked the question every sane American has asked about Michele:  “Is she for real, or is she “a flake?”

“The rap on you here in Washington is that you have a history of questionable statements, some would say gaffes . . . are you a flake?”

The question caught Mrs. Bachmann off-guard, to which she answered that she was “insulted” that Wallace would ask her such a question. Realizing that this was going to be his second loss in 2 weeks, Wallace issued the following apology.

“A lot of you were more than perturbed, you were upset and felt that I had been rude to her. And since in the end it’s really all about the answers and not about the questions. I messed up, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

Although Wallace buckled under the pressure from his bosses at Fox and apologized, his question was actually a good one. Considering all the numerous incorrect statements the presidential candidate has made in recent weeks, we are all wondering the same thing. Is this Republican presidential candidate for real?

And based on her lack of knowledge where basic American history is concerned, I’ll even venture to say that she’s a flake, who cut classes when the subject was taught.

Categories
Politics Republican

Legal Marijuana Coming To A Store Near You?

If you are like a majority of people who believe that marijuana should be legalized, then you might take pleasure in this bit of news.

Democrat Barney Frank and Republican/Libertarian and candidate for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination Ron Paul, are coming together amd drafting a piece of legislation that will legalize the herb.

Salon writes,

It is being billed as “bipartisan legislation” but obviously Ron Paul is the only Republican co-sponsor. According to the Marijuana Policy Project: “The legislation is the first bill ever introduced in Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition.”

On this, the (disputed) 40th anniversary of the War on Drugs, basically every thinking person agrees that marijuana prohibition is an expensive failure. But this will probably not even get a floor debate in the House of Representatives. Or maybe I’m wrong! We’ll see!

The wisdom of Ron Paul. Running for president in 2012 and supporting this piece of legislation is a sure way to get votes. His joining the effort to legalize marijuana will be all some will need to decide who to vote for.

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