It's been over a year since Americans elected Barack Obama, but we're still living in George Bush's world – two wars, a recession, a deficit, and so much more.

President Obama has his hands full cleaning up these messes and establishing a legacy on healthcare and climate change. I get that. But there's one blind spot that he can't afford to ignore any longer.

We're living under the rule of George Bush's judges. He picked over 40% of all current federal judges. We're talking about lifetime appointees, and so few cases ever make it to the Supreme Court that they usually get the last word.

Bush's judicial legacy didn't happen by accident, or overnight. He made it a priority. The numbers are telling: as Obama approaches the end of his first year, he’s picked roughly 30 nominees, 11 of whom have been confirmed. By the end of his first year, Bush had nominated 65, and nearly 30 had been confirmed.

To be sure, Republicans have been obstructing Obama's nominees at every turn – that's why so few have been confirmed. But Obama has played into their hands by not nominating more people, which would throw their obstruction into sharp relief and amp up pressure on the GOP.

I know it might not seem this way – in the midst of the healthcare fight – but Obama's legacy, the future of progressive legislation, and the well-being of our nation depend on the character, and quantity, of the judges he nominates. This issue deserves equal billing with the others at the very top of the administration's agenda.

The good news is that, unlike with many problems we face, Obama can ramp up nominations without sacrificing progress on his other priorities. There is no shortage of highly qualified – and progressive – nominees, and Senate Democrats can crush judicial filibusters when they set their mind to it.

The bottom line is that Obama may never have another opportunity like the present, with 60 Democrats in the Senate, to push through his nominees and return some balance to the judicial branch. And he has only four or so months before the 2010 election season causes the Senate to grind to a halt.

President Obama, your legacy clock is ticking. We need you to act now.

At 2:10: "God forbid, that while talking to sixty-thousand public school students, the President should appear smart."

Open Thread below...

The truth may set you free, but not if you're a Republican and the subject is taxes. After all, 95% of American families as promised received a tax cut from the Obama stimulus package. And while three-quarters of Americans support President Obama's proposal to roll back the Bush tax cuts for those earning over $250,000 to their Clinton-era levels, it turns out that affluent voters, too, chose Barack Obama over John McCain. Making matters worse, a Gallup poll Monday revealed that Americans' "views of income taxes among most positive since 1956."

So as their furious followers head off to their April 15th orgy of tea-bagging, the leadership of the GOP and its amen corner in the right-wing media have instead turned to tall tales on taxes.

Here, then, are 10 Republican Tax Day lies:

1. President Obama will raise taxes on small businesses.
2. The estate tax devastates small businesses and family farms.
3. 40% of Americans pay no taxes.
4. Tax cuts always increase revenue.
5. The GOP is the party of fiscal discipline.
6. Ronald Reagan was the greatest tax cutter of all time.
7. FDR caused the Great Depression, or at least made it worse.
8. Obama's cap-and-trade plan will cost each American family $3,100 a year.
9. Obama's tax proposals will undermine charitable giving.
10. The rich pay too much in taxes already.

For the details behind each of the GOP's Tax Day deceits, continue reading.

Continue reading »

I'm supposed to go to a Santa Monica tea party, but I'm swamped here. Neiwert went to one in Seattle. In Chicago the wackos are out in force.

Wingnut: He's a fascist.

Roesgen: Why do you say he's a fascist? He's the President of the United States. Do you realize how offensive that is?

Wingnut: I think he's a fascist.

Roesgen: Why?

Wingnut: Because he is.

She then questions a man asking him what does any of this have to do with taxes...

Then we have this: Parts of WH in lockdown after tea bags thrown over gate. Protestors yelling death to president. #teaparty



Amanda: MSNBC: White House lawn evacuated bc someone threw a tea bag over the fence.


The crazies are out in force today. be careful.

>

Not the start they were looking for.

There will be no tea-dumping in the Potomac River -- that's illegal -- but organizers of today's national tea party tax protest found out this morning that so is their plan to dump a million tea bags in Lafayette Square to demonstrate displeasure at government spending and tax policies.


Protesters, using a rented truck to haul the million tea bags, began unloading their cargo at the park this morning but were told by officials that they didn't have proper permits and must move the tea. They complied with the order but are still considering what to do with the load.

The tea had been purchased online by people upset over recent government policy, said John Gauger, a spokesman for the grass-roots conservative group Reagan.org.


The protesters got more bad news this morning when security officials also told them that they did not have proper permits for a rally in front of the Treasury building. That noon-time protest had been expected to provide a national stage for speeches by such figures as Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform; former presidential candidate Alan Keyes; and Thomas A. Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste. But after the discussion with security officials, the protesters sent away the advance crew that was to set up risers and equipment for news crews. Now the speeches will be concentrated in Lafayette Square -- just without the tea dumping.

They have had a tough time really framing this issue correctly. I saw Cavuto mumbling and bumbling his pitch this morning on FOX, but Digby has an interesting take if they do ever get their talking points together.

SaveTheRich is an excellent frame to start beating this back. May the best populist win.

Our new C&L pal Jon grabbed this video from CNN and it's pretty awesome. As the panel was discussing Micheal Steele's idiotic critique of President Obama. (You remember how the extreme right wing lunatics like Sean Hannity dishonestly edited Obama's words so they could misquote his speech to Europe?)

Begala: I'll give Michael Steele a pass on this.

Blitzer: But you're not giving Ari Fleischer a pass.

Begala: Ari just helped Ruin The Country, Michael Steel is trying to save a dying party...

Ari had no response to that charge because he's "guilty."

January 26, 2009 MSNBC Keith Olbermann

January 26, 2009 C-SPAN

January 20, 2009 C-SPAN

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From 60 Minutes Dec. 21, 2008. Arnold Schwarzenegger expresses his desire to run for President if the Constitution is ever changed to allow it. Given the current list of contenders I'd say the rest of them would never like to see that happen any time soon.

"Well, you're a man of no small ambition. If the Constitution was changed, you'd like to be president, wouldn't you?" Pelley asked.

"Yeah, absolutely," Schwarzenegger acknowledged. "I think that I am always a person that looks for the next big goal. And I love challenges. I always set goals that are so high, that are almost impossible to achieve. Because then, you're always hungry for climbing and climbing. Because it's always interesting. The climb is always interesting. When you get there you just have to pick another goal."

Full transcript:

Continue reading »

December 07, 2008 C-SPAN
Former President Jimmy Carter and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay presented recommendations for a new United States human rights agenda for the new Obama administration. The agenda was developed with human rights leaders from around the world. See more CSPANJunkie Videos here

November 15, 2008 C-SPAN
Live coverage from the 2008 Miami Book Fair International featured book talks by authors, interviews with authors this segment includes an International Panel: Writers and Artists Against the Surveillance State with Billy Collins, Art Spiegelman, Carl Hiaasen, Francine Prose, and Esmeralda Santiago

October 22, 2008 MSNBC HARDBALL

October 21, 2008 CNN

October 21, 2008 ABC NIGHTLINE
"Nightline's" Cynthia McFadden had exclusive access to the junior senator from New York as she campaigned for re-election through several upstate communities, hoping to lock in an overwhelming victory in November and highlight her popularity with rural voters.