Grist: Watergate redux: Break-ins reported at another top climate research center
The Nation: Is Erik Prince "graymailing" the US government?
Newsifact: Joe Lieberman: No one will connect the dots about my lucrative post-Senate career
darrel plant: Big Buck Twilight Peacekeeper
Mainstream Baptist: Stonehenge Reloaded
Stinque: Talibunny's parents held captive as props for book tour
John Harwood lets one slip on MSNBC and tells the truth about these people fear mongering over the President speaking to school children next week.
Novotny: John, what about this controversy over opposition to Obama's speech to school children?
Harwood: I've got to tell you Monica, I've been watching politics for a long time and this is, this one is really over the top. What it shows you is there are a lot of cynical people who try to fan controversy and let's face it, in a country of three hundred million people there are a lot of stupid people too, because if you believe that's it's somehow unhealthy for kids for the President to say work hard and stay in school, you're stupid.
Novotny: Ouch.
Harwood: In fact, I'm worried for some of those kids, I'm worried for some of those kids of those parents who are upset. I'm not sure they're smart enough to raise those kids.
See, I would have been a lot happier if Obama's economic recovery plan forgave school loans (or at least a portion of them), instead of throwing money at bankers. But I guess there's a reason why I'm not in charge!
On Tuesday, the AFL-CIO released the results of a disturbing new Peter Hart survey, "Young Workers: A Lost Decade" that found that about a third of workers under 35 live at home with their parents, and they're far less likely to have health care or job security than they were ten years ago. Even then, in a 1999 survey, when they faced economic insecurity, they still had reasons to be hopeful.
Those days are long gone. A quarter of young workers say they don't earn enough to even pay their monthly bills, a 14% rise from the last survey. As Richard Trumka, the presumptive incoming president of the AFL-CIO, said in a press conference today:
We're calling the report "A Lost Decade" because we're seeing 10 years of opportunity lost as young workers across the board are struggling to keep their heads above water and often not succeeding. They've put off adulthood - - put off having kids, put off education - and a full 34 percent of workers under 35 live with their parents for financial reasons.
Thirty-five percent are significantly less likely to have health care than older workers, only 31 percent make enough money to pay their bills while putting anything aside in savings, and almost half are more worried than hopeful about their economic future.
That's one reason that Trumka and other labor leaders announced this week a new outreach campaign to recruit young workers -- and a stepped-up drive for the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform. They're using the upcoming Labor Day, with the expected involvement of 100,000 union members in just the AFL-CIO alone in events and actions, as a launching pad to spur Congressional action.
Young people do need to find their collective voice, the way the AARP speaks for the middle-aged and elderly. Because what's happening to them isn't an accident. It's the result of corporate-centered policies.
"Kill your parents Steve," was one chant that was yelled at Rep. Steve Driehaus as he entered his car. Chris Johnson from Cincinnati took this video at a town hall being held at the First Unitarian Church.
The scene was no different at Monday's local town hall meeting at the First Unitarian Church here in Cincinnati with Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH). As you could see in my initial post on this topic, Driehaus was regularly interrupted by the crowd and at times had difficulty answering the questions as people insisted on shouting over him. "What about the illegals getting covered?" one man shouted, "You're lying!" shouted several others.
Driehaus pleaded for rationality and calm indicating that he wanted to have a good discussion with those who didn't agree with the plan, but couldn't do so if everyone insisted on shouting. A handful of people walked out two-thirds of the way through the forum complaining about socialism and indicating the the health care system did not need reforming. Several people wore tee-shirts with the web address of the Cincinnati Tea Party movement while others had signs objecting to, in their view, a government take-over of the health-care industry.
As the forum drew to a conclusion after a little over an hour, little had been accomplished. This had not been a thoughtful exchange of ideas but was rather a gathering of people who felt that the best way to move America forward was to prevent any rational and thoughtful debate. Participants who used buzz phrases indicating their opposition to "government control" and "socialized medicine" were cheered and when Driehaus even mentioned the words "single payer" or dared to question the deficit under President Reagan, he was called a liar and shouted down.
You will hear several moments where people are shouting "Vote for Chabot" in reference to long-time politician Steve Chabot whom Driehaus defeated in 2008 and will face once again in the next election. As the crowd runs over to Driehaus' car, you will also hear someone shout "Don't kill your parents Steve!" which is a reference to a story that Driehaus told during the forum about his personal struggle in determining end of life care for his now deceased father.
..read on
Beckerwocky (as I'm calling it) is the typical dialogue spoken by most of the teabaggers and the guy that Chris interviewed during the last half of this video is no different. They make up the majority of attendees along with the astroturfing crews. They are global warming deniers that yell "socialism" as much as they can and after a minute or so make no sense at all.
Like Chris, if you have video of a town hall, please email me the footage at crooksandliars@gmail.com and crooksandliarsvideos@gmail.com. Please send to both emails. Please put " Town Hall Video" in your subject line also.
Last night, on Sean Hannity's Fox News Show, Dick Morris carried forward the right-wing "let's scare the elderly" strategy by pushing the "Obamacare will euthanize our seniors" meme:
Morris: The key thing for the Republican Party to project is that this is the end of Medicare. Because if the senior citizens are united in their opposition to this, and they really go crazy on this issue, this is dead.
Hannity: So it's really the senior citizens.
Morris: It's really the senior citizens. They're the ones that are going to suffer. Rationing isn't going to affect you. It isn't even going to affect me. It's going to kill our parents! Literally!
Hannity: Yeah. Yeah.
As Susie says, they really don't come any more despicable than this. Morris increasingly resembles a glowering little gnome who lives in the sewers.
(In all likelihood, the ones in this photo are probably the parents of the ones demonstrating today)
The eerie similarities in news reports from 1978 and this past weekend. In 1978 it was overthrowing the Shah. In 2009 it was reaction to a rigged election. In 1978 the overthrow was hijacked by extremists bent on employing their own forms of repression. In 2009 it's the repressive regime bent on suppressing the majority's desire for reform.
Where this story will end is anyone's guess at this point. But I suspect the ride, as it was in 1978, will be very bumpy.
Our friends at Democracy for America/Netroots Nation want you to know: there are 30 scholarships available for activists to attend Netroots Nation this August in Pittsburgh. (And don't dis Pittsburgh--my artist parents live on the North Side. These days it's as artsy as Austin and until now is an undiscovered gem of a city.)
Details from DFA:
...there's no better place to discuss our priorities and plan how to make them a reality than at Netroots Nation.
To help people get there, we're thrilled to partner with Democracy for America again to offer scholarships to bring activists like you to Pittsburgh to network with fellow leaders from across the country.
This competition is your chance to show off what you've done to move the progressive agenda forward. And it's our chance to ensure that activists of every age, background and economic bracket, representing numerous points of view and all 50 states are able to attend Netroots Nation and make it the richest experience yet.
It's also a great way to help make sure you have the resources to attend. Over the next couple of months, progressives nationwide will have a chance to voice their support for you and help you earn your scholarship.
The award covers the cost of registration and lodging for at least 30 winners— all you have to do is apply.
