DOWNLOADS: (613)

PLAYS: (24189)

Embed

For the first hour of the House of Representatives' day, representatives make floor speeches of anywhere from one to five minutes. The speeches are a way of getting specific objections into the record outside of debate, or memorializing someone (like Geraldine Ferraro this week), or discussing issues. Mostly, they go unnoticed by the public and the press.

It's really too bad they're ignored, because some of the best, most passionate, most fiery moments are made during these speeches, framing arguments and messages for both parties and moving forward agendas.

Today's winner of the best floor speech is Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-OR) for his ridicule of stupid GOP cuts to important and small programs in favor of defense spending and oil and farm subsidies.

DeFazio zooms in on the YouthBuild America program, which takes kids who have problems, have dropped out of high school and trains them to build homes for underprivileged, low-income families. They get counseling, job training, and spend a year honing those skills. Here's an excerpt from their fact sheet:

YouthBuild addresses several core needs of low-income neighborhoods including: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and leadership development. The ultimate goal of the YouthBuild program is to help young Americans transform their own lives and their roles in society by contributing to better outcomes for their communities.

Now, we know why Republicans don't like this program. They don't like it because those now-trained, skilled young people will be able to have productive jobs and even (gasp!) join a trade union as they continue to hone their skills in the workplace. And of course, they really don't like any low-income folks receiving government assistance with housing and the like when it doesn't come as a selective gift from Those Who Have Money To Bestow As They Please.

Remember the Republican maxim. Memorize it: Love the fetus; abandon the child.

Full transcript follows:

Continue reading »

In what could possibly be one of the most interesting races since Al Franken's win in 2008, JoAnne Kloppenburg appears to have ousted David Prosser as Supreme Court Justice in Wisconsin by just over 200 votes.

This race is really a proxy vote on whether Wisconsin voters support Scott Walker's extreme policies, since it's likely that his union-busting initiatives will land in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, along with the method by which they passed them. After trading the lead several different times last night, it's down to one precinct left to report with Kloppenburg ahead by 224 votes.

Of course, this has already sparked charges from the Tea Party of voter fraud, the standard right-wing complaint whenever their guy doesn't win. You can also count on a recount and the attendant spin, which is already beginning.

Because of the closeness of the race, a Milwaukee election commissioner has asked police to guard ballots overnight. Robert Spindell, who sits on the city's Election Commission and is active in Republican politics, wrote in an email that he had made the request "until such time that a more formal procedure can be set in place."

Here's why this race is so important:

But Hagedorn’s e-mail laid it plain to Walker’s supporters: elect Prosser, or the governor’s agenda is in peril. From the e-mail:

“If Justice Prosser loses:

• The Supreme Court will shift from a 4-3 conservative majority to a 4-3 liberal majority.
• Governor Walker’s agenda could be stopped in its tracks by this new activist majority.
• Union bosses and their allies will be emboldened and further push to recall the brave Senators who voted for Governor Walker’s budget repair bill.
• (Chief Justice) Shirley Abrahamson and her allies will continue to drag down the reputation of the Court, with an additional vote to further push through their radical agenda.”

At least they didn't try to pretend they want an independent judiciary, eh?

UPDATE: Walker denies that the election was a referendum on his agenda. Right. Sure. This was just a warmup. The real referendum will be that recall election headed his way.

Update:

Kloppenburg has declared victory.

DOWNLOADS: (171)

PLAYS: (865)

Embed

Watch Stu Varney get all conspiratorial with Megyn Kelly over the early retirement health care reinsurance provisions in the Affordable Care Act and laugh.

In classic Varney-esque fashion, he tries to paint it as some secret government subsidy for unions and other left-wing organizations, completely ignoring the fact that some of his own conservative heroes have availed themselves of it much because -- wait for it -- it's a reinsurance provision, easing some of the burdensome costs for corporations who maintain health insurance on early retirees between age 55 and 65. Here's an easily accessible fact sheet published by the White House which would have helped Stu not to look like a raving idiot on TV yesterday morning.

Even the Republico Politico did a better job of it than Megyn and Stu, and he surely could've put a call into Koch Industries. They were approved for the program last year so they can save a few extra bucks at taxpayer expense, too. Horrors. Obamacare doing something good for Koch Industries. Perish the thought.

The ERRP program has provided more than 1,300 employers with nearly $1.8 billion in reimbursements to help ensure access to health benefits for early retirees, according to the CMS memo.

If Stu can't be bothered to check any facts before he spews, why should we trust anything he reports on business?

DOWNLOADS: (413)

PLAYS: (2174)

Embed

There were so many ugly moments on Fox Monday night I wasn't sure which one to pick as the highlight, or whether to pick one at all. But you know, this is the kind of junk we have to put up with from them, 24/7. No issue can be a serious one, no discussion can be devoid of snark and nastiness. So I've made a collection. Ask Granny next time you see her how she feels about these little moments and whether she really thinks Fox News has any semblance of fairness. Or balance.

We begin with Michael Scheuer, who wins my "Sexist Comment Un-Masked" (SCUM) award. In this segment, they're nattering over Afghanistan, and how the mean Muslims seem to be the only Muslims over there, and how it's the fault of the mean Muslims that Americans died after the scum on this side of the ocean burned the Koran, giving the Taliban an excuse to go on a murderous rampage.

Here's the key line from Scheuer, at about 60 seconds in:

No US Marine should die so Mrs. Mohammed can vote.

You know, there's a lot of arguments for why we shouldn't be in Afghanistan. I can think of many, and if it had been up to me, we wouldn't be in Afghanistan. But Scheuer's remark just leaps right out of the screen and slaps every woman in the face. See, it's all about MISTER Mohammed's right to vote, because we are always pro-democracy as long as it's a male-dominated Christian, shut-the-women-the-hell-up kind of thing. He is deserving of my SCUM award, and now he has it.

Continue reading »

DOWNLOADS: (114)

PLAYS: (672)

Embed

You know, there are just some things that look and sound ridiculous, even if you're obviously opinionated and obviously trying to make a point. This is one of them. John King looks like a fool with his touchy-feely screen while fantasizing about what one billion dollars could do.

His reference to one billion dollars goes to the current meme about what the Obama campaign 2012 might end up spending. Of course, he forgets to note a few things, like the absence of corporate cash funneled through anonymous 501(c)(4) associations, and the DNC's announcement that they won't accept corporate funds for the convention. I also thought it was interesting that King chose red states' deficits as his comparison point for what that billion could do. Poor red states. They won't see much of that money.

But you know, one billion dollars is an insane amount of money to have to raise to keep ahead of the TeaBirchers' funding paths. As I write, I'm busily tracking over $5 million funneled through one public donor-advised fund to right-wing "policy" organizations. So while the Republicos want to make a big stinking deal out of the money spent by Obama's side of things, just remember they'll end up spending more between their secret money tunnels, their anonymous corporate donors' ad buys, and the inevitable stirring-up of the "angry base" by the Tea Party.

Reuters has a more cynical take:

Aides note the huge number of individual donors who gave to Obama’s campaign — a record 4 million. But only 25 percent of the money came from small donors who gave $200 or less, according to the non-partisan Campaign Finance Institute in Washington.

My response: True, but 68% gave $2,300 or less. Not exactly the big money, high-rolling donor base, is it?

Continue reading »

This Thom Hartmann segment about the history of the Boston Tea Party and the spark that lit the movement is extraordinarily enlightening. Multinational corporations were controlling the people, and the government was supporting the corporations. In particular, the East India Company sparked rebellion, since they were given so many exemptions, tax preferences and other breaks by the British government.

Watch the whole thing. It's fascinating.

If you're wealthy and a Republican and you like your donations to be tax-deductible whenever possible, then Donors Trust, Inc. is your kind of "charity". AlterNet touched on the edges of what they do back in October, when they focused on a large donation which funded a weird effort to distribute a DVD entitled "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West", but they primarily focus on the donor¹ and projects around the DVD with Koch Industries as the primary player.

Koch Industries is one player, but they're by no means the only player, nor are they even the only primary player.

What is Donors Trust?

Donors Trust is a tax-deductible slush fund. If a donor or foundation wants to put money toward a project and doesn't want it to be a direct gift reportable to the IRS, all they do is give it to Donors Trust.

Donors Trust has three related project entities, according to their 2009 disclosures:

• Donors Trust, LLC - Created to receive a gift of real property and liquidate it
• Talent Market, LLC - Provides administrative support services
• Center for College Affordability & Productivity, LLC - Research, writing, educational services

There is also Donors Capital Fund, Inc., which is the grantmaking arm and which also receives contributions as a private foundation.

2009 Donors Trust Direct-Funded and Controlled Projects

• The Project on Fair Representation (PFR)

  This would be the union-busting, voter ID, minimum wage, public school attacking project, as described in their required disclosures:

  The project on fair representation works to effect change in law and public policy through a combination of research, litiigation, and public education in the four areas where racial discrimination is the most entrenched: voting, education, public contracting and employment

• The Supply Side Project (SSP)

  This would be the "break the entitlements" project, as they describe this way:

  The Supply Side Project develops and advances fundamental market-based reform proposals for Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Welfare and Health Care.

• Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF)

  The tort reform project:

  Through pro bono representation of consumers, CCAF seeks to increase net awards to members of class action lawsuits through objections to settlements producing excessive attorney fees. An additional goal is a reduction in meritless class action suits as trial attorneys' awareness of CCAF's watchdog role increases.

  Don't be fooled by that claim about increasing net awards to members of class action suits. The real motive is the "additional goal."

• Student Free Press Association (SFPA)

  This could also be called the "Fox News Incubator Project".

  The Student Free Press Association is an organization run by veteran journalists for the benefit of beginning journalists. It identifies and supports college students seeking to improve campus journalism, explore media careers, and commit themselves to the principles of a free society.

• Talent Market™

  The placement service for those whose politics align.

  A free talent recruitment program available to charities whose mission aligns with Donors Trust's charitable mission

• The Hollywood Project

  Terminated in 2009, this was one of the moving parts referenced in Alternet's piece on the Islamic-hysteria video piece timed to push McCain ahead of Obama in 2008. Alternate title: The Propanganda Project.

  The project aimed to advance liberty and virtue in America and globally by touching creative professionals at the fulcrum of world visual media: Hollywood.

Some of Donors' Trust's Non-Profit Donors

Since non-profits are not required to disclose individual or corporate donors, there isn't a lot of information available on them. However, foundations are required to disclose grants to other non-profit entities, and with enough time and patience, some facts emerge. Here's what I've found so far, taken from public filings of these foundations with the Internal Revenue Service. I'm certain the list isn't exhaustive, since finding these is a somewhat intuitive process, but it will give you an idea, at least.

Continue reading »

DOWNLOADS: (223)

PLAYS: (1416)

Embed

As Dave pointed out earlier this week, Hannity has gone full-tilt birther alongside Donald Trump. In Wednesday's show, he uses the controversy as a way to make Tim Pawlenty look reasonable while continuing to hammer on it.

DOWNLOADS: (356)

PLAYS: (1774)

Embed

Michele Bachmann is worried about liberals putting John Boehner in a box and the Tea Party's rigid budget
stance being viewed by "Howard Dean's liberal press buddies" as political? Oh, please spare me.

Continue reading »

DOWNLOADS: (256)

PLAYS: (1692)

Embed

The US Chamber of Commerce strikes again. Ed laid out Caterpillar's extortion of the state of Illinois in this clip. It seems that the CEO of Caterpillar, Inc., Doug Oberhelman, is bothered by the recent personal and corporate sales tax increases the Illinois legislature passed to balance their budget. Oberhelman has recently been courted by Nebraska, Texas, South Dakota and Virginia, all states with very low to no taxes.

So how does the US Chamber factor in? Well, the Group President of Caterpillar, Inc. is Gerald L. Shaheen, past chair of the US Chamber of Commerce and a current director of the National Chamber Foundation. The National Chamber Foundation recently issued a "study" entitled "Enterprising States", citing those states with the perfect environment for job creation. Unsurprisingly, the states mentioned were states with little to no state taxes, or states which recently cut tax rates -- Texas, North Dakota, Indiana, and Nebraska among them.

This isn't the first time Caterpillar has led the corporate charge against any policy which might actually benefit the middle class either. Last year they were at the front of the charge against health care reform, claiming it would cost them $100 million for retiree health care, which they took pains to write down immediately (along with AT&T and a few other Chamber bigwigs) so that they could show the hit on their balance sheets now for a charge that won't take effect until 2014. That move was intended to anger investors and others who might otherwise have remained neutral on the Affordable Care Act.

It's also no coincidence that Mr. Oberhelman sent his letter in just enough time for it to make the news and generate some buzz ahead of Wednesday's US Chamber-sponsored Capital Markets Summit, where I'm sure the main topic of discussion will be which states should be strafed by conservatives next as corporations strive to end the middle class entirely.

Other news bites from Caterpillar in the past week or so include this gem of a press release about how they're "in a hurry to increase production" -- in Asia. No jobs for the United States, nope, no way. But in Asia, they just can't wait to ramp up the production lines. Or this more specific one:

"By 2015, we will have made $5 billion in investments to increase production capacity at existing and new Caterpillar facilities to support customers in every region of the world, including plans to nearly triple machine capacity across our operations in Asia," said Oberhelman. "This is in addition to more than $10 billion in investments announced in 2010 for three significant acquisitions—Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc., Motoren-Werke Mannheim Holding GmbH (MWM) and Bucyrus International, Inc. Together, these moves represent Caterpillar's commitment to leadership in support of our growing base of customers and to expand our products and services," Oberhelman added.

See, here's how they did that. They sat on their cash after getting a bunch of federal stimulus money, then went on an acquisition spree with the billions in the coffers and built some new facilities around the world. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, they're whining about having to pay state income tax in Illinois. Aww. Poor, hungry Caterpillar.

If it isn't obvious to everyone by now that these corporations think they're running the country, it ought to be after this. They poured money into state-level elections in 2010 and now they expect a return on their investment. Isn't it time we started talking about de-funding THEM instead of letting them de-fund everything else?