Category: Politics

Categories
Politics

Jon Stewart – “The War on Christmas is Over, War on Carbon Begins”

On Monday’s episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart took on the Foxes in the henhouse, you know, the same folks whose only goal is making money, so they cloaked themselves in the light of a news organization to win the trust of millions.

I’m talking about Fox News. They have made their millions convincing their herds that there was a war on Christmas, now that it’s cold outside they’re cashing in on their war on facts. In this case, Global Warming.

“There you have it: ‘War on Christmas’ is over; ‘war on carbon’ begins,” Stewart said. “Global warming: Just one more liberal conspiracy. Because even though there is a great deal of scientific data establishing climate change trends. Even though many of the models of global warming predict more extremes of weather — not just warming — apparently decades of peer-reviewed scientific study can be, like a ficus plant, destroyed in one cold weekend.”

Stewart got particularly incensed at Fox News host Stuart Varney’s argument that a Russian research ship’s getting trapped in ice in Antartica proved the world was getting colder, which he punctuated with a blithe, “That’s just my opinion.”

“That’s just your opinion — your opinion,” Stewart raged. “It means nothing.”

Instead, Varney’s colleagues were turning to the likes of Donald Trump for “analysis,” much to Stewart’s chagrin.

“So global warming must be a hoax,” Stewart said sarcastically. “Because, I mean, Mr. Trump would never conceal bald-faced truth or go through any effort to hide when something’s clearly receding over the years.”

Categories
News North Korea Politics Sports

Dennis Rodman and Other NBA Stars Land in North Korea

Basketball diplomacy?

Hall of Fame basketball player Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea Monday with a team of former NBA players in tow as part of the next step of his program of so-called “basketball diplomacy.”

Taking his by-now customary route, Rodman arrived in Pyongyang via Beijing Monday with a squad of a dozen former basketball stars, including Vin Baker and Cliff Robinson, despite criticism from U.S. officials.

The U.S. players are to compete in an exhibition game against a North Korean team on Wednesday, the birthday of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un.

“It’s about trying to connect two countries together in the world, to let people know that: Do you know what? Not every country in the world is that bad, especially North Korea,” Rodman told The Associated Press in an interview outside his hotel before heading to the Beijing airport with the team.

“People say so many negative things about North Korea. And I want people in the world to see it’s not that bad.”

When a reporter from Sky News suggested to Rodman that he had a responsibility to raise the issue of human rights as the only American with such access to the  North Korea leader, Rodman responded “That’s not my job. The only thing I am doing right now, I am only doing one thing: this game is for his birthday. It’s for his birthday.

“And I hope that if this opens doors and we can actually talk about certain things, then we can do certain things, but I am not going to sit there and go in and say ‘Hey guy, you’re doing the wrong thing.’

“That’s not the right thing to do. He’s my friend first. He’s my friend. I don’t give a (expletive). I tell the world: he’s my (expletive) friend, I love him.”

Categories
Politics

Judge to Chicago Gun Sellers – You’re Free to Sell More Guns

Chicago already has the reputation of being one of the deadliest cities in the nation. But that fact didn’t stop a District Court Judge today from laying out the welcome mat for more gun sellers.

Gun dealers can set up shop in Chicago, a federal judge has ruled — declaring the city’s ban on firearms sales unconstitutional.

U.S. District Court Judge Edmond E. Chang wrote in a 35-page opinion published Monday that Chicago’s 2010 ordinance banning gun sales within city limits “goes too far in outright banning legal buyers and legal dealers from engaging in lawful acquisitions and lawful sales of firearms.”

Though Chang stayed his ruling to give the city a chance to appeal — and said a less restrictive ordinance than the unconstitutional blanket ban could yet pass muster — lawyers for the Illinois Association of Firearm Retailers were quick to predict that neighborhood gun stores could now open before the end of 2014.

The ruling is the latest in a series of legal blows to the city’s efforts to restrict gun ownership since the Supreme Court in 2010 ruled Chicago’s handgun ban unconstitutional.

City Hall attorneys had argued that the gun sale ban makes it harder for criminals to get their hands on weapons.

Chang agreed the city had a “fundamental duty” to protect its citizens and acknowledged that “the stark reality facing the City each year is thousands of shooting victims and hundreds of murders committed with a gun.”

Categories
Michelle Obama Politics

Michelle Obama is Chilling in Oprah’s Maui Pad

She packed up the president and the kids and shipped them back to the White House following their Hawaii vacation, then the First Lady jumped on a plane and flew over to Oprah’s 12 bedroom Maui escape.

The First Lady — who turns 50 next Friday — stayed behind when her hubby went back to the Oval Office.  She island hopped from Oahu to Maui … and went directly to Oprah’s 12-bedroom spread.

A photog on the island tells TMZ … Michelle will have company, as in Oprah.

Sources tell us security on the island is airtight, with SWAT teams and just about every other resource securing wide perimeters around Michelle. 

It’s truly a lady’s vacation.  Sasha and Malia went back with dad.

Categories
Politics

More #GunSense – While Showing Off His Gun, Man Shoots Himself, Then his Friend

A New York man accidentally shot himself and a friend Saturday when he showed off his gun inside a busy restaurant, Rochester TV station WHAM reported.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said John Cassata, 70, accidentally fired the handgun when he took it out to show friends.

Ellen Smith, who said she was sitting a few tables away from Cassata when the gun went off, told WHAM she ran over to help him. Cassata went into shock after the bullet went through his hand and leg, Smith said, ultimately hitting his friend’s foot.

“I don’t know what people are thinking when they carry a pistol into a family restaurant,” Smith told WHAM. “There was a family right next to him with a small baby, maybe two months old and a toddler.”

No charges have been filed, according to the sheriff’s office.

Categories
democrats Politics

Democrats to Bring Unemployment Bill to Senate – Republicans Still Oposing Benefits

Back in session after holiday break, the Senate will hold a procedural vote Monday evening on whether to reinstate unemployment benefits to more than 1 million Americans, as a compromise deal struggles for the votes it needs for passage.

The extension to unemployment benefits was a casualty of December budget negotiations, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., vowed to resume debate in the New Year, and President Barack Obama has since called on lawmakers to greenlight the “vital economic lifeline.”

Along with calls for raising the minimum wage — which polls show most Americans support — extending unemployment benefits could become a key part of Democratic talking points in advance of the midterm elections set for November.

The payments stopped on Dec. 28 and Democrats, led by Obama, are pushing hard to revive them. The issue is perceived to be vital to many of the party’s core voters, who could be crucial in low-turnout, midterm elections.

And Democrats have left little doubt that they will use any Republican opposition to unemployment benefits as a political cudgel.

As pressure mounts, some are seeking a bipartisan compromise.

According to the Washington Post, Sen. Dean Heller R-Nev., and Sen. Jack Reed D-R.I., are behind the bill senators will consider Monday evening, which provides $6.5 billion to extend unemployment insurance to 1.3 million Americans for another 3 months.

Categories
Politics

Man Who Slapped Baby on Plane Will Be Sentenced on Monday

Remember the dude who slapped a baby on a plane, telling the mother of the child to “shut that nigger baby up?” He is scheduled to receive his sentence on Monday.

Joe Rickey Hundley pleaded guilty in October after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. His sentencing is set for Monday morning. Prosecutors say Hundley used a racial slur to refer to the 19-month-old boy and then hit him under the right eye as the flight from Minneapolis began its descent to the Atlanta airport last February.

The misdemeanor simple assault charge carries a possible prison sentence of up to a year and a fine of up to $100,000. Prosecutors have recommended six months in prison, but Hundley reserved his right to argue for a lower sentence.

Categories
Politics

O.J Simpson Has Brain Cancer – Requesting Clemency from President Obama

The disgraced and  former  football hero who’s serving a 33-year sentence for assault, robbery and kidnapping in a Nevada prison has reportedly asked President Obama to set him free so he can treat his life-threatening brain cancer outside prison.

Yep, you read that correctly. According to a number of news outlets including the Huffington Post, the Telegraph and the National Enquirer, Simpson is taking desperate measures to secure clemency after undergoing tests on a brain tumor.

The Enquirer quotes “a source close to” Simpson who said, “He put off the doctors for weeks after he first started experiencing the symptoms because he was afraid of what they would find.”

According to the Washington Times, Simpson’s health has been deteriorating for years.

“He’s gained weight since his imprisonment, and also suffers from blurred vision, stuttering and failing hearing,” the paper reported.

Of course everyone knows that back in the 90s – Simpson, now 66 – was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Categories
Politics

Liz Cheney To Drop Out of Wyoming Senate Race

WASHINGTON — Liz Cheney intends to withdraw from the Wyoming Republican Senate primary, according to two sources familiar with her plans, bringing an abrupt end to her unsteady challenge to the incumbent, Michael B. Enzi.

Ms. Cheney, 47, the former vice president’s elder daughter, is expected to drop out of the race this week, citing family reasons. She did not respond to emails and phone calls late Sunday.

Since declaring her candidacy in July against Mr. Enzi, a well-liked, three-term Senate veteran, Ms. Cheney not only never found traction but also wound up causing deep rifts among longtime friends and even within her own family.

Her task was always going to be difficult. Unlike some of the other sitting Republican senators who have been challenged in primaries in recent years, Mr. Enzi has a solidly conservative voting record and did not present the sort of vulnerabilities Ms. Cheney could exploit. But Ms. Cheney never was able to focus much on her opponent, spending much of her five-month candidacy fending off distractions to her campaign.

Categories
Mike Huckabee Politics

Huckabee Links Nazi Death Camps and Chinese Abortions to “Brain Dead” Girl in California

Fox News host Mike Huckabee on Saturday warned that a California girl who was declared brain dead after tonsil surgery last month could lead to situations like Nazi death camps and forced abortions in China if the hospital took her off life support.

The former Arkansas governor and ordained pastor began his Fox News show by admitting that he did not have the medical experience necessary to understand 13-year-old Jahi McMath’s condition but he encouraged her family to fight against any attempts to remove her from life support even though doctors said she technically “died several weeks ago.”

“Every life has value and worth,” Huckabee told his viewers on Saturday. “There is no such person who is disposable, one whose life has been deemed by others to be less than others and therefore expendable, I can’t share that.”

He continued: “The road that starts that way in deciding that some lives have less value and are unworthy of protection, that leads to a culture that tolerates the undeserved killing of over 55 million unborn children in this country. It leads to China’s birth policy that limits the number of children for a family and enforces forced abortion if they deviate from the state-determined ideal.”

“It’s also that culture that allowed the Nazis to to hideously justify the savage slaughter of millions of Jews, disabled people, old people and those with mental illness,” Huckabee said. “Let’s hope and pray that the courts continue to do what every court should do, respect parents over government, family over hospitals and, above all, protect Jahi from them all.”

Categories
ObamaCare Politics

Report: 27,000 Will Die This Year Because Republican States are Blocking Obamacare

The 25 GOP-led states that are refusing to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act are not just turning down an estimated $42.6 billion in 2014 alone, they’re also missing a chance to save 27,000 lives — according to a new study from the pro-expansion group Health Care for America Now (HCAN).

HCAN’s projection is based on a Harvard School of Public Health study published in 2012 in the New England Journal of Medicine that compared states that had expanded Medicaid to childless adults to those who hadn’t:

The mortality rate in expansion states was 6.1 percent lower than in the neighboring expansion states. For every 500,000 adults gaining Medicaid benefits, 2,840 deaths would be prevented each year, the researchers found. Put another way, for every 176 people added to the Medicaid rolls, one life would be saved.

An estimated five million residents of states that haven’t expanded the program will find themselves in a “coverage gap,” where they will neither qualify for Medicaid nor be able to afford a policy in the insurance exchanges. Applying that 1-in-176 formula to five million uninsured, HCAN comes up with the 27,000 lives that may be lost.

The report also estimates how many jobs would be created by the expansion, which is entirely funded by the federal government for three years, tapering down to 90 percent by the end of the decade. In Texas, where 1 in 4 residents are uninsured, not only could nearly 6,000 lives be saved by expansion, but 300,000 jobs could be created by adding $67.9 billion a year in economic activity.

Instead of accepting new economic growth, states are putting their most vulnerable hospitals at risk of closing.

Categories
Domestic Policies Healthcare Immigration Immigration Reform News Politics Teaparty

The Final Push

Far be it from me to argue with one of the greatest historical minds of the 20th century, but we essentially have an executive that serves a six year term, even if we get two extra bonus lame duck years for our efforts. So it has been with most other presidents, and so it probably shall be with Barack Obama. This is his sixth year; if it doesn’t happen this year, chances are that none of his high priority agenda items will become law in 2015 or 2016.

That’s why 2014 represents the final push for immigration, tax reform, a higher minimum wage, climate policy and every other item on the left-wing wish list. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. History has taught us that the first push rarely results in success when it comes to big change. Look how long it took to get healthcare reform. Sometimes the push is necessary if for no other reason than to get an idea in the public’s mind and to prepare them, or to follow their lead, when it comes to legislation.

Like marriage equality, which coalesced into a major civil rights issue in a short amount of time, the push for rights for all people goes as far back as Stonewall in 1969 and the Supreme Court’s ruling for and then reversal on, anti-sodomy laws in 1986 and 2003. Progressives have been highlighting income inequality and the rising gap between wealthy and not for decades. Now that cry is becoming a major force in calling for a higher, livable minimum wage that just could pass this year. After all, most people, even Republicans, support it.

The same will most likely be true of climate legislation, immigration, privacy and energy. More and more younger people realize that their world is changing and that the United States either has to catch up to other countries who are already addressing the problems or fall behind to our economic and social detriment. The far right is beginning to lose its grip on the Republican Party, and while I don’t see a more moderate wing surging anytime soon, I do see a less strident GOP in our future. That’s good news.

This year will see one or two major pieces of legislation, with the rest of Obama’s agenda left to the next Democratic president and a more willing population. I think we are moving in the right direction, but like anything done well, this will take time.

For more please go to:
www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and Twitter @rigrundfest  

Exit mobile version