Friday, May 25, 2012
"Obama pressures Romney to explain Bain" (video)
MSNBC-The Last Word, video (14:35).
Howie P.S.: Ari Melber, Martin Bashir, Krystal Ball and E.J. Dionne Jr. chew the fat.
"Community groups say proposed Seattle Police reforms lacking" (with video)
Linda Byron (KING 5 News),with video (03:29):
The fatal police shooting of native woodcarver John T Williams. An undercover officer kicking an African American teen who appears to be surrendering. A veteran gang detective using racially charged language. These and other cases were at the heart of the ACLU's call for a federal investigation into the Seattle Police Department's use of excessive force. "It showed a pretty consistent pattern that people of color were being targeted,” said Jennifer Shaw, Deputy Director, ACLU of Washington. The Department of Justice is pushing for a Consent Decree - a court enforced settlement with the City of Seattle - for major reforms in how police officers do their jobs. Yet the city's proposal - recently delivered to Justice - deals only with curtailing excessive force. It says nothing about ways to ensure minorities aren't treated differently. "And that signals to the communities of color in Seattle that they aren't important enough to be included in these very important documents,” said Shaw. MORE...
Thursday, May 24, 2012
"Democrats About to Give Away the Store on Bush Tax Cuts. Seriously??"
Whenever I do anything my 12-year old daughter finds embarrassing – which is pretty much whenever I do anything—she says, "Really, Dad? Seriously??"
That was pretty much my reaction to House minority leader Rep Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) letter to Rep Boehner yesterday, wherein she mixed a very good idea with a very bad one. Details here.
MORE...
"So Rich, So Poor: Peter Edelman on Ending U.S. Poverty & Why He Left Clinton Admin over Welfare Law" (with video)
"Basically, right now, welfare is gone," Edelman says. "We have six million people in this country whose only income is food stamps. That’s an income at a third of the poverty line. ... Nineteen states serve less than 10 percent of their poor children. It’s a terrible hole in the safety net. Welfare has basically disappeared in large parts of this country." MORE...
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Seattle Times: "Developer interests guide McGinn in proposals to ease some rules"
Mayor Mike McGinn's proposals to create jobs and housing by easing development rules were drafted by a group largely composed of folks in the building industry, with key elements that would save developers money. Seattle neighborhood leaders complain they had no say and contend McGinn has been less than transparent about where the "regulatory reform" proposals originated and whom they might benefit. MORE...
"An Obama Spending Spree? Hardly" (CHART)
Sahil Kapur (TPMDC):
A dominant theme of the national political discourse has been the crushing spending spree the U.S. has ostensibly embarked on during the Obama presidency. That argument, ignited by Republicans and picked up by many elite opinion makers, has infused the national dialogue and shaped the public debate in nearly every major budget battle of the last thee years. But the numbers tell a different story. MORE...
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Glenn Greenwald: "Rep. Smith on his controversial bills"
Glenn Greenwald:
The Washington Democrat discusses his bills to ban domestic indefinite detention but allow domestic "propaganda"---Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) is the co-sponsor of two controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act: one which would ban the use of indefinite detention for any accused Terrorist apprehended on U.S. soil (the House rejected that amendment earlier this week), and the other, as Michael Hastings first reported, which would repeal a long-standing prohibition under the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 on the dissemination inside the U.S. of State Department information campaigns (what the State Department calls “public diplomacy” and what others call “state propaganda”). Rep. Smith was my guest today on Salon Radio to discuss both of his proposed amendments, and the 15-minute interview, which heavily focuses on his Smith-Mundt proposal, can be heard on the player below (the Smith-Mundt discussion begins at 5:15). MORE...
AP: "Romney's playbook on Bain unclear as attacks grow"
The core of his presidential candidacy under attack, Mitt Romney has yet to shape a playbook to defend a quarter-century in the business world that created great riches for him and great hardship, at times, for some American workers. MORE...
(UPDATED) Swiftboating 2012: "Subtler Entry From Masters of Attack Ads" (with video)
UPDATE:
"Steven J. Law of Crossroads GPS said a new ad was aimed at voters who may like President Obama but are disillusioned."
Jeremy W. Peters (NY Times) with video (01:02):
Jeremy W. Peters (NY Times) with video (01:02):
The ad is the work of two of the most fearsome players in Republican politics: Larry McCarthy, the producer behind the infamous Willie Horton commercial in 1988, and Crossroads GPS, the political battle squad founded by Karl Rove. When it makes its debut Wednesday in 10 swing states as the centerpiece of a $25 million campaign, it is expected to become one of the most heavily broadcast political commercials of this phase of the general election. Yet what Mr. McCarthy and Crossroads have produced is not the kind of searing denunciation of President Obama that their track records would suggest. More soft-pedal than Swift Boat, the 60-second advertisement, complete with special effects, is a deeply researched, delicately worded story of a struggling family; its relatively low-key tone is all the more striking, coming at a point in the campaign when each side is accusing the other of excessive negativity. MORE...Howie P.S.: In case you're wondering if the ad fits into the definition of swiftboating:
the term "swiftboating" (or "Swift-boating", or "Swift Boating") commonly refers to a harsh attack by a political opponent that is dishonest, personal and unfair.H/t to Jeff Greenfield. Hint: "The ad still uses traditional accusations, but it veils them in the scripted narrative to blunt the attack. And while not offering any wholly inaccurate facts, the ad oversimplifies the president's positions on issues like raising taxes and spending, making them sound much more absolute than they really are."
AP: "Hints of impropriety in McKenna’s files Election: Documents suggest work on King Council campaigns"
Mike Baker (AP):
Using a fax machine and letterhead from the King County Council in April 2002, the office of then-Councilman Rob McKenna sent off an invitation to the secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. McKenna, listed as the sender on both the fax cover page and underlying note, requested on behalf of the Washington State Republican Party that the Cabinet leader speak at the party’s annual convention. It was a political memo that might have placed McKenna’s office afoul of state or county ethics laws, which bar the use of government facilities for “personal convenience” and political campaigns. MORE...Howie P.S.: How come I'm not surprised about this? The dude's an attorney but I guess he forgot to read the law.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Papantonio: "Booker Has No Courage For A Fight" (with video)
golefttv, with video (11:19):
Mike Papantonio and Ed Schultz discuss how some weak-kneed Democrats, much like Cory Booker, could potentially take down President Obama's 2012 campaign by being unwilling to fight back against the onslaught of Republican attacks.
WA: "Democrats Ate Cory Booker Alive Over the Weekend" (with video)
Paul Constant (SLOG) with video (00:24):
If you don't have video where you are, Booker is saying that Democratic attacks on Bain Capital should be off-limits, and he's defending private equity firms in general. This soundbite is part of a greater argument Booker is making about the political discourse getting out-of-hand. (He says that Reverend Wright attacks from the right are unacceptable, too.) I personally disagree with Booker; I think Romney is running away from his record as governor of Massachusetts and centering Bain Capital as the most relevant part of his resumé—sorry, but organizing a Winter Olympics should not automatically qualify you for Commander-in-Chief—and so Bain attacks are totally acceptable. But Democrats proceeded to tear Booker to bits all day Sunday, and it was a nasty affair. Irrelevant blowhard Keith Olbermann hilariously accused Booker of " believ[ing] in nothing but Cory Booker." Many others accused him of being a stooge for the Republican Party, and others stopped just short of calling for the death of private equity firms everywhere. By yesterday evening, Booker had produced an apologetic video walking back his comments. I've always admired Democrats' refusal to fall, creepily, in line on every single issue the way Republicans do. It's a weakness for the party within the 24-hour-media-cycle, but it's also a strength because it doesn't force us into stupid purity-test-style political traps.Howie P.S.: Personally, I think the only just punishment for Booker would be to require him to make 100 cold calls on behalf of Joe Lieberman, asking for contributions to AIPAC.
Now, the Republicans are featuring Booker in ads and John McCain is publicly thanking him. This is a shrewd political move, because it increases resentment against a man who many—including myself—have said should be a serious Democratic presidential candidate within the next three election cycles. Republicans are playing chess here by trying to take down a major star of the party. And as a bonus, it plays Democrats against each other in a shrill, teabagger-style purity argument that the news networks will love rehashing for the next week or so.
There's a local angle to all this: On Friday, June 1st, Booker is scheduled to deliver a big speech at the Washington State Democratic Convention. When the speech was scheduled, Booker was a hero who saved people from burning buildings; now he's a controversial figure. I hope he goes through with this speech, and I hope that he's treated well, here. If Democrats persist in knocking around one of their stars for expressing an unpopular opinion, we'll be no better than the teabaggers who swallow their own moderates. Arguing that Booker is for the 1% and accusing him of being a sellout (or worse) is just ridiculous.
Greetings from "No NATO" Chicago via Tim Pool (photo)
"Seattle's One Functional Wing of Government"
Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, who oversees all misdemeanor prosecutions and acts as the city's lawyer, has issued his annual report for 2011. It's a good read and a reminder that we have one brave elected official at City Hall who is both capable of pushing the envelope and accomplishing his agenda. (And, yeah, that's a dig at our timid, innovation-is-the-enemy city council and bold-yet-bungling mayor.) Holmes has his ups and down, of course. He's tempered the hogwild police union by bringing police defense work in-house, unsuccessfully sued a cop, negotiated terms with the state to build a $4.2 billion tunnel, wasted a bunch of money trying to stop the public from voting on that tunnel, successfully sued to shut down a strip club, helped hash out rules for medical marijuana dispensaries, and lots more. Grade that report card how you will, but Holmes is uncommonly accomplished.
CYNTHIA BOAZ - "The Arab Spring: Myths, Realities, and Prospects for Nonviolent Change." (with video)
oaksunsym.org with video (01:21:29):
The events of the last year have stimulated renewed interest in nonviolent strategy as a source of political and social change. In this talk, Dr. Boaz provided an introduction to the dynamics of nonviolent struggle, discussed how these strategies have been implemented in the Arab World, and considered the longer-term prospects for democratic change in the region. She addressed several common misconceptions including those related to the efficacy of nonviolent action, the relationship between power and violence, and the role of culture in the Arab uprisings. She concluded by considering how citizens of democratic societies can support people in other parts of the world who are trying to gain rights, freedom or democracy through nonviolent means. Dr. Cynthia Boaz is assistant professor of political science at Sonoma State University, where she specializes in political development, quality of democracy, political communication and media, civil resistance, and nonviolent struggles. She has written extensively on the nonviolent democracy movements in Iran and Burma. She is also an analyst and consultant on nonviolent action, is an academic advisor for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, the Vice President of the Metta Center for Nonviolence, and on the Executive Board of the Media Freedom Foundation. She is also contributing writer with Truthout and the Huffington Post. She is currently writing a book on media framing of civil resistance and nonviolent struggles for University of Queensland Press.
Juan Cole: "Congress Wants the Department of Defense to Propagandize Americans"
Juan Cole (Informed Comment):Two congressmen are attempting to insert a provision in the National Defense Authorization act that would allow the Department of Defense to subject the US domestic public to propaganda. The bipartisan amendment was introduced by Rep. Mac Thornberry from Texas and Rep. Adam Smith from Washington State. Nothing speaks more urgently to the creeping fascism of American politics than the assertion by our representatives, who apparently have never read a book on Germany in the 1930s-1940s or on the Soviet Union in the Stalin period, that forbidding DoD and the State Department from subjecting us to government propaganda “ties the hands of America’s diplomatic officials, military, and others by inhibiting our ability to effectively communicate in a credible way.” And mind you, they want to use our own money to wash our brains! MORE...
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Melissa Harris-Perry: "The Evolution was Televised" (with video)
Melissa Harris-Perry with video (10:17):
Both the First Lady Michelle Obama and presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered college commencement speeches on Saturday, but each speaker set a very different tone in addressing marriage equality. Melissa Harris-Perry and her guests – including University of Pennsylvania professor Anthea Butler, Newsweek/The Daily Beast correspondent Michael Tomasky, and Feministing.com editor Chloe Angyal – break down the narratives behind both messages.
Horsey: "Feeding Time" (cartoon and text)
David Horsey (Los Angeles Times):
If money is the mother’s milk of politics, then America’s big corporations are Big Mama and Big Baby is the Republican Party suckling at the enormous bosom of business. Democrats, meanwhile, are abandoned brats scrounging for nourishment wherever they can find it. (SNIP) Corporate America has always gotten a good return on its investment in politics. Business interests hold inordinate sway over the legislation that affects them (Heck, their lobbyists write most of the bills). Now, though, with the Republican Party as their wholly owned subsidiary, the titans of industry apparently feel no need to hedge their bets by helping out a few Democrats. The corporations no longer pretend they do not have a favorite child. They have picked their favorite and, like a doting mother, they will hold him close, they will baby him, they will keep him fat and happy, and they will ask for only one thing in return: obedience. MORE...H/t to Marcia Kato.
Friday, May 18, 2012
"Proven: Andrew Hughes Can Bicycle and Kayak. But, Can He Beat Jim McDermott?"
Eli Sanders (SLOG):
Hughes, whose fledgeling campaign has knocked on 6,000 doors since April—with 2,000 of those doors knocked on by Hughes himself—admitted: "Mt. McDermott's a big mountain to climb." Which points directly to the question: Is Hughes up for that kind of challenge? MORE...Howie P.S.: Does Hughes have to "win" this time out in order to have achieved "success?"
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Joe Biden Kicks Ass in in Youngstown, Ohio (with video)
"Joe Biden Goes Nuclear On Rich During Speech At Campaign Stop" is the headline the editors gave Noah Rothman's story on MEDIAite where I found this video (01:36).
"Who increased the debt?"
Howie P.S.: I've seen this information before, but some FACTS bear repeating.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Matt Stoller on "internet Democrats" and "institutional DC self-described progressive groups with money and glitz"
Matt Stoller (naked capitalism):
At this point, even Moveon members won’t vote for self-proclaimed progressive candidates. And labor and DC liberals can’t deliver votes, but money can. Those are the lessons that insiders are drawing from two important but little noted Congressional primaries that happened late last month, one in Illinois and one in Maryland. MORE...
"White House Correspondents’ Dinner: Soup to Nuts" (with video)
Hendrik Hertzberg (The New Yorker) with video (23:26):
President Obama acquitted himself handily. Jane has the video. In the bit I liked best, which begins at the fourteen-minute mark, Obama unveils his secret agenda for the second term. (“In my first term, we ended the war in Iraq. In my second term, I will win the war on Christmas.”) Jimmy Kimmel, who followed, did about as well as whatever professional comedian is chosen for the assignment usually does, which is to say that only about half his jokes misfired. But even if they’d all fizzled except one, that one would have redeemed him. It’s his take on Bill O’Reilly’s book about the Lincoln assassination, and it starts at about eight and a half minutes in (above). MORE...
"Frank Rich on the National Circus"
Frank Rich (New York Magazine):
The third-party group Americans Elect announced yesterday that although they had "achieved every stated operational goal," no candidate had gained enough support to actually get nominated at their online convention. Was this idea doomed from the start? This is a fascinating episode that deserves far more scrutiny. In a very short time this “centrist” group spent $35 million on its effort to harm Obama’s reelection campaign by plotting to place a moderate candidate on the ballot as a spoiler in all 50 states. Americans Elect’s most prominent and vocal supporters were Thomas L. Friedman of the Times, the Obama–loathing pollster Douglas Schoen (a nominal Democrat), and Mark McKinnon, the former George W. Bush ad guy who plays a congenial centrist on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. The hope was to get a Michael Bloomberg, Jon Huntsman, or David Petraeus to run; in the end, the leading Americans Elect candidate was the former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer, best known for being too inept to rise to the low single-digits polling level of even Huntsman during the GOP presidential primary contest last fall. My question: Who gave that $35 million and where did it all vanish in a matter of months? Paul Krugman, who has been relishing the demise of Americans Elect and slyly mocking his colleague Friedman for his support of it, should stay on the case. MORE...
"John Nichols: Scott Walker's Divide-and-Conquer Strategy" (with video)
Elizabeth Whitman (The Nation), with video (05:51):
A newly available video of a conversation between a donor and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker confirms Walker's true intentions about labor—his bill was not about balancing the budget, as he claims, but about taking away labor rights and destroying unions one after another. John Nichols appears on the Ed Show to explain the impact and the importance of this new evidence on upcoming recall elections.Howie P.S.: This morning Nichols spoke with ED Schultz about this on the radio. They emphasized the national implications of the recall campaign and pushed hard on the DNC for their reluctance to show Wisconsin "the money."
David Letterman To Brian Williams: ‘What More Do We Want [Obama] To Do For Us, Honest To God?’ (with video)
Noah Rothman (MEDIAite) with video (11:23) from CBS:
NBC News anchor Brian Williams appeared on CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday night. Letterman discussed Williams’s special on Rock Center about the killing of Osama bin Laden and became agitated when describing President Barack Obama’s successes as compared to what he sees as President George W. Bush’s failures in the War on Terror. “What more do we want this man to do for us, honest to god,” asked Letterman. MORE...Howie P.S.: Not to repeat myself or (God forbid say "I told you so"), our best political commentary comes from the comedians.
Howie P.P.S.: Not to flip flop or anything on the above, Ari Melber is pretty good.
Monday, May 14, 2012
"Ask Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn" tackles the DOJ-Seattle Police Dept. issue (audio)
"WEEKDAY" (KUOW-Steve Scher), with audio:The city of Seattle faces a Wednesday deadline to respond a Justice Department plan for reforming the Seattle Police Department. The mayor and SPD, meanwhile, are pursuing their own 20–point, 20–month reform agenda. Mayor Mike McGinn says he's trying to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution. We'll ask him about it. We'll also talk about his call to ease development rules as well as the city's decision to pull the plug on its broadband network. Have a question for the mayor? Call 800.289.5869 or email "Weekday."Howie P.S.: I was interested to learn that Hizzoner heard a lot of community "concerns" regarding public safety and police issues during his campaign for Mayor. It looks like it took the DOJ action to get his attention about really doing something about the issue(s). As is his custom, Scher is a polite interviewer and didn't put his guest on the "hot seat."
Obama campaign ad on Romney and Bain Capital: "Steel" (video)
BarackObamadotcom, video (02:03):
Kansas City's GST Steel had been making steel rods for 105 years when Romney and his partners took control in 1993. They cut corners and extracted profit from the business at every turn, placing it deeply in debt. When the company eventually declared bankruptcy, workers not only lost their jobs but were denied their full pensions and health insurance, and the government was forced to step in and provide a bailout.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
"A Message from Trayvon Martin's Mother Sybrina Fulton" (video)
SecondChanceCampaign, video (01:01):
Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mom, released a video asking parents nationwide to support the Second Chance campaign, a new national campaign working to reform, repeal and prevent passage of new Florida-style "Shoot First" laws around the country. The Second Chance campaign launched after Martin's death with the NAACP, the National Urban League, the National Action Network, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, VoteVets and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to oppose reckless Shoot First laws that are on the books of 26 states and pending in 10 more.
"What Occupiers Learned From Obama - and What He Should Learn From Them"
Sarah Jaffe (Truthout):
Disillusionment with Obama, for many of these activists, led not to a search for another hero - as Micah Sifry noted - but a turn away from the idea of heroes and toward the specific problems that need to be fixed. "The conversations are between people who are looking at the politics of personalities and people who are looking at the politics," Evry noted and Raneem echoed her. Evry continued, "OWS is very issue-oriented. It's not being built around leaders. You start looking at what do you believe in, what do you want to organize around?" MORE...
"Mother's Day History"
Contrary to popular belief, Mother's Day was not conceived and fine-tuned in the boardroom of Hallmark. The earliest tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele. Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honor of Mary, mother of Christ. In England this holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday. In the United States, Mother's Day started nearly 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis , an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it "Mother's Work Day." Fifteen years later, Julia Ward Howe, a Boston poet, pacifist, suffragist, and author of the lyrics to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," organized a day encouraging mothers to rally for peace, since she believed they bore the loss of human life more harshly than anyone else. MORE...
Saturday, May 12, 2012
"Around world, Obama's presidency a disappointment"
Don Melvin, Rod McGuirk (AP):
In a world weary of war and economic crises, and concerned about global climate change, the consensus is that Obama has not lived up to the lofty expectations that surrounded his 2008 election and Nobel Peace Prize a year later. Many in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America were also taken aback by his support for gay marriage, a taboo subject among religious conservatives. But the Democrat still enjoys broad international support. In large part, it's because of unfavorable memories of his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, and many people would still prefer Obama over his presumptive Republican challenger Mitt Romney. MORE...Howie P.S.: I'm not sure the feelings described above don't resemble those of many here in the U.S.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Seattle: "Sources Say"
Brian Brown (The Stranger):
• Jay Inslee, criticized by pundits for running a lackluster campaign, held a rally with DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz before 800 cheering supporters on May 3. You might not have heard about it, because virtually no media bothered to show up. But don't worry, the Times was there: the Seattle Emerald Chinese Times.
• Seven and a half years into her eight-year regime, Governor Chris Gregoire on May 2 finally acknowledged that we need to raise taxes to fund education. A profile in courage!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
"This Afternoon, Seattle Came Out to Thank President Obama for His Support of Marriage Equality"
President Obama's fundraiser today at the Paramount was his first public appearance since he announced his personal support for marriage equality in an interview with ABC News yesterday, and a lot of people came to the speech with a lot of expectations. Would President Obama's speech today reflect yesterday's news? Would he campaign on gay marriage as an issue? Expectations were high: The streets surrounding the Paramount resembled a mini-Pride parade, with Seattleites in rainbow clothes pushed up against barricades holding signs expressing their gratitude ("THANKS FOR EVOLVING") for his statement of support. A few people held up a large, elaborate banner depicting President Obama on one side and Martin Luther King, Jr. on the other as standard-bearers of civil rights. Would he restate his support? Would he encourage Washington voters to stand up for marriage equality in the fall? MORE...
Frank Rich on the National Circus: "He’s Evolved!"
And so, Obama has finally finished evolving on same-sex marriage.
And about time! I, for one, never understood the point of saying you were “evolving” when many of the voters you were pandering to don’t even believe in evolution.
Did Joe Biden push his boss to act by announcing on Meet the Press last Sunday that he was “absolutely comfortable” with gay marriage?
I doubt it. A veep has no such power over any president. Let’s give Obama real credit here. Slow and halting and borderline farcical as his “evolution” was, we have now seen an American president take a historic stand on gay civil rights while in office — and do so despite the opposition of many in the African-American community.
Yet North Carolina banned same-sex marriage and even legal recognition of civil unions yesterday in a landslide, becoming the 31st state to do so. Obama’s stand, however cheering to his base, could hurt him in an election year when he needs to win swing states like North Carolina.MORE...
That’s always been the rationale for Obama’s dawdling. Don’t rock the boat in North Carolina — or Florida or Virginia or Colorado — by speaking out on gay marriage until after November 6 has passed. The counter-argument I’d make is that Obama looked like a phony and a coward each day he fudged this issue, and that his taking a strong and principled stand will have a halo effect on his leadership in general, including among voters who are ambivalent about gay marriage or opposed to it. Just look at Andrew Cuomo, whose approval rating remains high upstate and among Republicans, not just among liberals in New York City and its suburbs.
"Mitt Romney: Backwards on Equality" (video)
BarackObamadotcom, video (01:40):
President Barack Obama affirms his personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, but Romney supports the first constitutional amendment to discriminate and deny rights.
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
BREAKING: "Prez and the Evolution: President Obama Comes Out For Gay Marriage To Robin Roberts" (with video)
Tommy Christopher (MEDIAite) with video (02:15):
On the heels of Vice President Joe Biden‘s alleged rogue-going on gay marriage, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan‘s actual expression of support for marriage equality, President Obama has completed his long-awaited “evolution” on gay marriage by expressing support for marriage equality in an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts. Although the apparent result of intense media pressure, marriage equality advocates likely don’t care how he got here (railway, Trailways, Caravan?), just that he got here. MORE...
"Make A Ruckus": Robert Reich Hails Occupy For Exposing Concentration of Wealth and Power (video)
Democracy Now! with video (08:37):
In his new book, "Beyond Outrage," former Labor Secretary Robert Reich opens with a dedication to the Occupy Wall Street movement. He writes: "To the Occupiers, and all others committed to taking back our economy and our democracy." We speak to Reich about the success of Occupy in reshaping the national dialogue on the economy and why strong grassroots movements are needed to push elected leaders in Washington to enact a progressive agenda. Reich also discusses why austerity is not the answer to the economic crisis at home, or in Europe."
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
"288,000" (video)
WashDems, with video (01:05):
Have a job? Have a question for Rob McKenna? Visit our site - http://www.wa-democrats.org/askrob
"CARVILLE TO DEMS: WAKE UP" (video)
Meenal Vamburkar (MEDIAite) with video (04:16)from CNN:
Hey Democrats, what are you smoking? That’s what James Carville wants to know. In a CNN opinion piece, Carville sends a strong message to his fellows Democrats, warning them not to take a November victory for granted. His message: WTFU (or, wake the fuck up). MORE...
"Former Labor Sec. Robert Reich on Clinton’s Errors of Crippling Welfare to Repealing Glass-Steagall" (video)
Democracy Now! with video:
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich critiques President Obama’s handling of the economic crisis and the Clinton administration’s repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, a key deregulatory move that ended the separation of commercial and investment banking and is widely seen as having helped lead to the financial collapse. The Clinton administration also presided over a drastic transformation of U.S. welfare laws, throwing millions off of welfare rolls. "I went outside of the White House, walked back to my office along Constitution Avenue, expecting I would see signs. ... There are a lot of people who were concerned about that issue. But there was nobody on the streets. It was deafening. The silence was deafening," Reich says of the day Clinton signed the change into law. He notes this is when he realized, "if people who are concerned about the increasing concentration of wealth and power in this country are not mobilized, are not visible, then nothing progressive is going to happen."Howie P.S.: Reich is not just critical of Clinton in this interview.
Dean: Romney's candidacy a "shipwreck" (video)
CBSNews-Face the Nation,with video (04:13):
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Gov. Howard Dean says it's "ridiculous" for Rep. Michele Bachmann to suggest Mitt Romney can win with women in November.
"Liberals Steer Outside Money to Grass-Roots Organizing"
Nicholas Confessore (NY Times):
After months on the sidelines, major liberal donors including the financier George Soros are preparing to inject up to $100 million into independent groups to aid Democrats’ chances this fall. But instead of going head to head with the conservative “super PACs” and outside groups that have flooded the presidential and Congressional campaigns with negative advertising, the donors are focusing on grass-roots organizing, voter registration and Democratic turnout. MORE...H/t to Matt Griffin.
Monday, May 07, 2012
Matt Taibbi on the 2012 Presidential Contest
Matt Taibbi:
Photos: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages
But this campaign, relatively speaking, will not be fierce or hotly contested. Instead it'll be disappointing, embarrassing, and over very quickly, like a hand job in a Bangkok bathhouse. And everybody knows it. It's just impossible to take Mitt Romney seriously as a presidential candidate. Even the news reporters who are paid to drum up dramatic undertones are having a hard time selling Romney as half of a titanic title bout. MORE...
"Obama Camp Struggles To Explain President’s Gay Marriage Position (with video)
TPM with video (05:04):
President Obama’s fancy footwork on a gay marriage stance is becoming harder and harder to sell. Even worse for the Obama campaign, it’s opening up space for Republicans — who are much further to the right on matters of gay rights — to attack Obama on his own turf. The fallout from Vice President Joe Biden’s appearance on “Meet the Press” Sunday, where he expressed public support for gay marriage, has made it much tougher for the Obama campaign to keep up its awkward position that the president is moving toward support for gay marriage but still against it officially. On Monday, Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter struggled to define the difference during an appearance on MSNBC. MORE...
"Chuck Todd: 'Gay Money Has Replaced Wall St. Money' for Obama" (with video)
David, Crooks&Liars with video (04:45):
NBC's Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd on Monday predicted that President Barack Obama would announce his support for marriage equality before the November election because LGBT donors had become more important to his campaign than Wall Street donors.
The MSNBC host said he believes that it's no coincidence that just in the last few days, both Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan have expressed support for same sex marriage.
"They are so sensitive to Biden doing this because, number one, gay money in this election has replaced Wall Street money," Todd explained. "It has been the gay community that has put in money in a way to this President that is a very, very important part of the fundraising operation for President Obama's campaign."
"What I keep being told is [President Barack Obama is] not ever going to announce his change in his position at a press conference. He'll do it a more appropriate venue." MORE...
"Obama fundraiser Thursday in Seattle"
AP:
President Obama returns to Seattle Thursday to raise money for his re-election campaign. Democrats say he’ll appear at a noon luncheon at the Paramount Theater with musical guest Dave Matthews. Obama was last in the Seattle area on Feb. 17 when he visited the Boeing plant at Everett and held private fundraisers in Bellevue and Medina.
Sunday, May 06, 2012
"9 Swing States, Critical to Presidential Race, Are Mixed Lot"
Michael Cooper (New York Times):
Since the housing bubble burst, Nevada has been plagued with record foreclosures, the nation’s steepest drop in home values and its highest unemployment rate. Iowa, on the other hand, may have missed out on some of the boom but was spared the worst of the bust: its housing prices have stayed relatively stable, and it now has the fifth-lowest unemployment rate in the country. Ohio suffered a steeper than average loss of jobs during the recession, but it has since seen its unemployment rate fall below the national average. All three are among the handful of swing states likely to decide who wins the presidential election — states in different stages of a slow economic recovery. MORE...
Campaign 2012: "President Barack Obama's Remarks at the Ready to Go Rally in Columbus, Ohio" (video)
BarackObamadotcom, video (39:05)
This is a turning point for this campaign. Starting today with these rallies, we're entering a new stage -- and we don't intend to slow down until the last voter weighs in on November 6th.
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Sam Seder: "Tens of Thousands Occupy May Day, Reuters Calls It a 'Dud'" (video)
SamSeder, with video (07:31):
By all accounts, Occupy Wall Street's May 1st May Day Actions, which many have called Occupy's 'resurgence,' was a massive success. Tens of thousands of protesters took part all over the country, from New York to Oakland. However, for one Reuters reporter who left the protests early, it was a 'dud'...H/t to Darryl.
Friday, May 04, 2012
"Office Hours: Romney's leadership problem" (with video)
MSNBC-Jamil Smith(ED Show), with video (10:19):
In place of Melissa's regular "Office Hours" column this week, we encourage you to check out her appearance tonight on "The Ed Show" with its guest host, Georgetown professor and radio host Michael Eric Dyson. Their topic? Mitt Romney's leadership crisis. After the jump, her appearance on "Politics Nation with Al Sharpton" today discussing Romney's issues with women voters.
"The Argument Is Over. The Campaign Is Here. Let's Go."
Charles P. Pierce (Esquire):
All the smart people in the room have declared this Saturday to be the official, no-kidding, honest-to-god Opening Day of the president's re-election campaign. He will speak in Virginia and in Ohio. (The new jobs report undoubtedly has at least partly harshed the mellow of the day.) Still, the president will tell us that things are looking up, that we should all stay the course, and that electing the Romneybot 2.0 will send us back to the policies that set the country to reeling in the first place. (He likely will not say that it's "Morning In America" again, if only because the president and I have a firm agreement that he will not go out of his way to make me throw up.) There will be some more talk of the killing of Osama bin Laden, surely, and probably no little vainglory about our strategic partnership with the Afghanistan that exists only in the minds of the president and his advisors. He will point out that he inherited a mess, and that's he's done god's own work cleaning it up. He will point out that the job would have been easier had the Republican party in Congress not given itself over to obstructionists and vandals, most of whom have the essential civic conscience of a 12-year old with a can of spray paint. The president will not necessarily be lying about any of this.Howie P.S.: I'm hoping the author is wrong.
He also will be too late. MORE...
KUOW-Weekday : "Time to talk over the week's news." (audio)
KUOW-audio:
Once again, it is Friday. Time to talk over the week's news. What stories caught your attention? What hasn't been covered enough? What happened this week that made your blood boil? What's your take on the news? Guest(s) Knute Berger is editor–at–large of Seattle Magazine and the Mossback at Crosscut.com. He's also the author of "Pugetopolis." Eli Sanders is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and associate editor at The Stranger. C.R. Douglas is a political analyst for Q13 FOX News. Marcie Sillman is the guest host.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
"Money, Power and Wall Street" (videos)
Watch Money, Power and Wall Street: Part One on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
PBS.org, with videos: "On April 24 and May 1, FRONTLINE tells the inside story of the global financial crisis."
Howie P.S.: This is episode one of the four part series.
"Obama Touts War’s End in Afghanistan, But Critics See Election-Year Guise for Prolonged Occupation" (with video)
Democracy Now! with video:
On a surprise visit to Afghanistan, President Obama marked the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Osama bin Laden and announced the signing of a long-term strategic partnership with the Afghan government. In a speech to the U.S. public, Obama said the agreement heralds "a future in which the war ends, and a new chapter begins." We’re joined by writer Tariq Ali and former U.S. diplomat Ann Wright, who helped reopen the U.S. embassy in Kabul in 2001. [includes rush transcript]
"Pres. Obama Addresses U.S. Troops During Surprise Visit To Afghanistan" (with video)
Meenal Vamburkar (MEDIAite) with video (10:11):
During his surprise visit to Afghanistan on Tuesday, President Obama addressed American troops at Bagram Air Force Base. Ahead of his primetime address, Obama reaffirmed his support for them, telling them, “The reason America is safe is because of you.” Obama spoke briefly, after signing the U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. “When the final chapter of this war is written,” he said, thanking the troops for their sacrifices, “the historians will look back and say not only was this the greatest fighting force in the history of the world, but all of you also represented the values of America in an exemplary way.” “Not only were we able to decimate the ranks of Al Qaeda,” Obama said, “a year ago we were finally able to bring Osama bin Laden to justice.” The president said we didn’t ask for this war, but that 9/11 brought this war to us. “Each and every one of you, without a lot of fanfare and without a lot of fuss, you did your jobs,” he said. But “I know the battle’s not yet over,” Obama said. “Some of your buddies are going to get injured and some of your buddies may get killed and there will be heartbreak and pain and difficulty ahead. But there’s a light on the horizon because of the sacrifices you’ve made. He continued: “And that’s the reason, for Michelle and me, nothing’s more important than looking after your families while you’re here. And I want everyone to know when you get home, we’re going to be here for you when you’re in uniform and we will stay there for you when you’re out of uniform — because you’ve earned it.” Obama concluded, “I could not be prouder to be your commander in chief.”
Robert Reich: "The Tinder-Box Society"
Robert Reich:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 13,338 Tuesday, its highest since December, 2007. The S&P 500 added 16 points. Wall Street will remember May 1 as a great day. But most of these gains are going to the richest 10 percent of Americans who own 90 percent of the shares traded on Wall Street. And the lion’s share of the gains are going to the wealthiest 1 percent. Shares are up because corporate profits are up, and profits are up largely because companies have figured out how to do more with less. Payrolls used to account for almost 70 percent of the typical company’s costs. But one of the most striking legacies of the Great Recession has been the decline of full-time employment – as companies have substituted software or outsourced jobs abroad (courtesy of the Internet, making outsourcing more efficient than ever), or shifted them to contract workers also linked via Internet and software. MORE...
"2012 May Day march in Seattle" (with slideshow)
May 1, 2012 - Occupy West Seattle joins other Occupy chapters in a May Day march through downtown Seattle in defense of equality, workers' rights and immigrants' rights. Although the great majority were peaceful, a few protestors engaged in violence, breaking windows of banks. Occupy West Seattle has made a pledge of non-violence. MORE photos here.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Romney Sh*ts*om: "$3.7 million in ads" (with video)
FirstRead (MSNBC) with video (00:31):
The pro-Mitt Romney Super PAC Restore Our Future is going up with $3.7 million in ads across nine swing states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia, and New Hampshire.
It also bought $143,000 in the Greenville, S.C., market. That's really about North Carolina, given Greenville's proximity to the state.
Notably left out, however -- at least for now -- are Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
There's no word yet on which ad Restore will be running. The buy doesn't begin until Thursday. This one has been prominently featured on its website, but it could unveil another.
"News of the world in photos: May Day protests, parades, pageants" (slideshow)
Seattle PI.com, slideshow.
2012 Election: "Seattle Office Opening with Jay Inslee and Special Guest U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz"
barackobama.com:
Howie P.S.: I'm hoping WA State Chairman Pelz will be there, as well.Time: Thursday, May 3, 2012 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Host: OFA Washington Contact Phone: 206 395 2116 Location: NEW Seattle Campaign Headquarters (Seattle, WA) 901 Rainier Ave S Seattle, WA 98144 Directions: Parking is very limited in our lot, so we encourage you to take public transportation to our office.
"Medical Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health a Cannabis Documentary" (video)
HolisticPlantHealth, with video (47:28):
In this myth shattering, information packed documentary, learn from physicians and leading researchers about medicinal cannabis and its demonstrated effects on human health. This game-changing movie presents the most comprehensive synopsis to date of the real science surrounding the world's most controversial plant. Topics include: * What the consensus is from over 1500 scientific and medical trials * What conditions have been proven to benefit from medical marijuana * Its historical use as medicine dating back over 5300 years * Methods of delivery and their different advantages * Government sponsored studies intended to show Marijuana having negative effects that yielded the exact opposite results * Common myths about negative effects of Marijuana and what the research really says about these topics.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)