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!

Categories
Politics Wisconsin Union Bashing

Republicans Say Otherwise, But America Is Not Broke!

The protesters  are still gathered, the drums are  still being beaten, and the chantings were still being heard. But today was a bit  different in Wisconsin. Michael Moore, the film maker who brought us classics like Capitalism: A Love Story and Sicko, arrived there on Saturday to deliver a speech. A speech he called, “America Is Not Broke.”

Before his speech, Michael thanked the 14 Democratic Wisconsin senators who have left the state to keep the governor from implementing his total control over the workers in Wisconsin. Moore stated;

Before I read this, I first just wanna thank – you don’t know how impressive it is to the rest of the country to see these 14 Senators, still, still, still refusing to participate in the steal of the century. So if they’re listening, thank you. Thank you Wisconsin 14. Thank you fab 14!

None of us really know what the specific outcome of all this would be. We have a good feeling though. We have a really good feeling about it. But one thing I do know, is that these 14 Senators would go down in the history books of labor history here in America…

This kind of resolve we’re used to seeing on the other side of the fence…. It’s just amazing. They only need one of them to crack. Only one has to come back, and they wont do it! They won’t! They won’t! And they’re Democrats!… I mean that in a positive way!

More spoke to rousing applause as he delivered his speech, saying;

America is not broke, not by a long-shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It’s just that it’s not in your hands. It has been transfered in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers, to the banks and portfolios of the uber rich.

Mr. Moore pointed out in his speech that here in America, just 400 Americans – some of those who received bailout money from the American tax payer – “controlled more wealth than half of all Americans combined!”

Four hundred obscenely wealthy individuals, four hundred little Mubaracks, most of whom benefited in someway from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer bailout of 2008, now have more cash stock and property, than the assets of 155 million Americans combined.

Hearing this fact caused the crowed to yell, “shame, shame, shame.”

Mr. Moore asked the mainstream media to repeat that fact just once… we won’t hold our breath!

 

Categories
Newt Gingrich Politics rachel maddow Republican United States White House

Newt Gingrich Is Faking It, Again!

Newt Gingrich is a scam artist. You know, one of those people who sends you an email telling you of millions of dollars your African uncle left you in Ghana, but in order to claim your new found wealth, you must send $5,000.00 to them. Newt has a new scheme.

A beautiful breakdown of the Scams of Newt Gingrich is narrated below by Rachel Maddow. The scheme entails his plans to run for president… well, not really. Today, the Newt announced a website to “explore” running for president in 2012. And while you’re looking over Newt’s new site, try not to be distracted by the huge “Donate” button.

Maddow continues below.

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

Categories
Barack Obama Birthers Birthers Natural born citizen of the United States Republican United States

Georgia Wants Proof Of Citizenship Mr. President, Or Don’t Land There

It’s the lie that just wont stop. Republicans in Gerogia are pushing a bill that would require all presidential candidates to prove his or her citizenship before landing in the state. The birtherism lie continues.

House Bill 401 would not allow a candidate on the ballot until the Secretary of State receives “adequate evidence of such person’s eligibility for election” to those offices. The bill’s sponsor is Mark Hatfield, R-Waycross, but has huge backing with other GOP members.

“I think the issue with our sitting president has been left unresolved for a significant length of time that people have concerns,” Hatfield said. “But this is not just about our current president. It’s about enforcing the constitutional provisions for anyone who seeks the office of presidency.”

The proposal is a slight change from a similar bill from Hatfield last year. That bill would have required presidential candidates in Georgia to file an affidavit swearing to be a natural-born citizen.

Both measures are inspired by the “birther” movement that believes President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. The claim has been widely disproved when Hawaii released records of Obama’s birth, but it remains a popular sentiment among some factions.

In an effort to help explain the Birther’s issues, please watch this brief video explaining the whole conspiracy that supposedly began over 47 years ago, when Mr. Obama was born.

Read the rest of the report here.

Categories
Politics Wisconsin Union Bashing

We Are One – Americans Vs. The Republican Corporate Governors

We are one!

We are united. We are Unions. We are Americans.

Take away the rights of middle class Americans and all Americans are put at risk, for eventually Republicans will come and take your rights too.

Stand with Unions, stand with Americans.

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.

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