February 2011
149 posts
“We support repeal of laws that impede the ability of any person to find...”
– Libertarian Party on Jobs - Party Platform
How does a minimum wage impede my ability to find work? And even if it did, why would I work for less than the current minimum wage? That’s not work, that’s basically slavery. Oh and way to go on repealing child labor laws. Nice group, those Libertarians.
...
Congress Passes Socialized Medicine and Mandates... →
The ink was barely dry on the PPACA when the first of many lawsuits to block the mandated health insurance provisions of the law was filed in a Florida District Court. The pleadings, in part, read -
The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and legal residents have qualifying health care coverage.
It turns...
White House Sets New Diet Guide
The Obama administration set forth new dietary guidelines Monday that encourage people to consume less and eat better, and especially to lay off salt. The Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services are required by law to update the federal dietary guidelines, and the new recommendations are aimed at fighting the nation’s obesity epidemic. The rules dictate what children eat at...
atonaldissonance:
“New York City Investigates Arizona Gun Show,” from the New York Times (via inothernews)
i was going to just sarcastically write “guns don’t kill people, just like pencils don’t make spelling mistakes.” but then i thought about that phrase and if you change the wording a bit you get “guns kill people, pencils make spelling mistakes.”
...
“Weeks after a shooting left six dead and 13 injured in Tucson, New York City...”
– “New York City Investigates Arizona Gun Show,” from the New York Times (via inothernews)
Social Security is a program that works and is...
leftish:
~ Harry Reid on Meet the Press
After hearing that, the Progressive Change Campaign committee, one of the leading Progressive Groups in the country, let Reid know how much they appreciated his sticking up for Social Security. They delivered 50,000 Thank You notes from people around the country.
Then Harry Reid “doubled down” on his support for the program.
“As long as I am the Majority...
Illinois Signs Civil Unions Law
Get ready for an influx of save-the-dates from Illinois! The state’s governor, Pat Quinn, signed “historic” legislation on Wednesday allowing civil unions for both gay and straight couples. The bill is considered a hard-won victory for gay and lesbian couples, since it will give gay couples many of the same rights as married couples—although it does not establish same-sex marriage. Some of the...
Health reform and the “severability clause”—Will... →
Frequently when Congress passes a major law such as health reform it will include what is called a “Severability Clause” such as: “If any particular provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of the Act and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.”The purpose of the...
Judge says tossing health reform 'a difficult... →
A federal in Florida today ruled that the entire health reform law has to go. Judge Roger Vinson’s opinion is dense and lengthy, at 78 pages (pdf), but it comes down to a finding that the government can’t penalize individuals for not buying health insurance. Sounding regretful, Judge Vinson writes:
Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire...
Hundreds Protest Koch Bros. Retreat
Hundreds of environmentalists, union members, and other liberal activists marched outside a retreat held by Charles and David Koch for politicians, political strategists, and other elite power players. The two brothers, who jointly own Koch Industries, the second-largest privately owned company in the U.S., are known for funding a web of conservative organizations that fight corporate and...
EMILY's List: An open letter to the GOP →
Dear Speaker Boehner, Leader Cantor, and the Republican House Caucus:
What are your priorities? I ask because, while you have talked about an economic mandate from the voters, I see instead a dangerous anti-woman agenda at work. Just look at H.R. 3. This bill includes an attempt to redefine rape, causing unspeakable harm to the one in six among us who are victims of sexual assault.
Last...
January 2011
197 posts
“On March 4 the government-funding resolution expires and it seems that a lot of...”
– Chuck Schumer warned on Sunday that if House Republicans, in an effort to flex their fiscal conservative muscles, held up passage of a budget this coming March, it could send the United States into a deep recession and possibly a depression. (via corruptpolitics)
New Rule: Americans Must Realize What Makes NFL... →
Democrats don’t want to eliminate capitalism or competition, but they’d like it if some kids didn’t have to go to a crummy school in a rotten neighborhood while others get to go to a great school and their Dad gets them into Harvard. Because when that happens “achieving the American dream” is easy for some, and just a fantasy for others.
That’s why the NFL runs itself in a way that would...
The Week in Sharia: Mama Grizzly Edition →
Before it’s too late:
Legislators in Wyoming, South Carolina, and Arkansas introduced proposals to ban Islamic Law from state courts, bringing the total number of states that have moved on the issue to 11. Of note: State rep. Gerald Gay, who introduced the Wyoming measure, ran for office last fall on a platform of shooting abstract theories with high-powered weaponry; the Arkansas bill,...
Blog recommendation: RabbleProChoice →
Fellow passionate pro-choicers! RabbleProChoice is a blog you need to follow. Her most recent FAQ is simply amazing.
States Reconsider Strict Immigration Bills
Even as some lawmakers discuss ending birthright citizenship, tight budgets and concerns over civil liberties are causing some states to reconsider the wisdom of following in Arizona’s footsteps. “Enforcing a restrictive immigration measure is expensive,” said Vivak Malhotra of the ACLU. And then there are the secondary costs: Potentially expensive legal battles with the federal government,...
When Did Conservatives Stop Caring About Spreading... →
The premise of invading Iraq and doing away with Saddam Hussein was to spread democracy. We’re went into Afghanistan for the same reason. So, why doesn’t this apply to Egypt? This is not to say we should overthrow or a regime or firmly take sides against President Mubarek, who has been an ally, but it is to say we can’t look at it in black-and-white terms. We can’t ignore the aspirations of...
The House GOP's Plan to Redefine Rape
corruptpolitics:
Rape is only really rape if it involves force. So says the new House Republican majority as it now moves to change abortion law.
For years, federal laws restricting the use of government funds to pay for abortions have included exemptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. (Another exemption covers pregnancies that could endanger the life of the woman.) But the...
Wyoming Senate Passes Anti-Same-Sex Marriage... →
The Wyoming State Senate passed an Amendment to its constitution that would prohibit recognition of same-sex marriages from outside the state.
The vote was 20-10, the minimum two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments.
As it goes to the House, Senate Joint Resolution 5 also contains language to allow a future Legislature to recognize civil unions.
If the bill passes in the...
House Republicans Consider Privatizing Medicare →
corruptpolitics:
Months after they hammered Democrats for cutting Medicare, House Republicans are debating whether to relaunch their quest to privatize the health program for seniors. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is testing support for his idea to replace Medicare with a fixed payment to buy a private medical plan from a menu of coverage options.
Party leaders will...
Utah GOP Trying To Strip Contracts Between Gay... →
Salt Lake City, Utah – BREAKING: State Representative LaVar Christensen (R, HD48) has reintroduced a bill he tried to run in 2006 which prohibits same sex couples from making contractual arrangements such as wills and financial arrangements. […] LaVar Christensen Email: lavarchristensen@utah.gov Home Phone: 801-571-8603 Work Phone: 801-572-9878 Cell Phone: 801-550-1040
Chick-fil-A Supports Radical Anti-Gay... →
Anonymous asked: What's a libertarian?
Anonymous asked: who would you think President Obama would pick next for the Supreme Court? Scalia and Kennedy are both 74
Anonymous asked: Wow, can I just say that I love your blog?
But I'm actually curious to know more about you, and why you are so passionate about liberal politics.
But I'm actually curious to know more about you, and why you are so passionate about liberal politics.
Anonymous asked: who do think will be the GOP nominee in 2012 and do you think Dems have a good chance to take back the House?
Ask Liberal Lad! →
Anonymous asked: I'm a liberal, but when people say guns kill people it just makes me embarrassed. Do pencils make spelling mistakes?
GOP Wants More Immigrant Raids
Republicans plan to use their new clout in the House of Representatives to call on the Obama administration to return to performing workplace raids to arrest illegal immigrants. Deportations of illegal immigrants are already at historic levels since President Obama took office, according to the Los Angeles Times. The call runs counter to the White House’s push for a more humane immigration...
Jerry Springer: The Liberals Have Won! →
One of the reasons conservatives do well on talk radio and TV is that they are always playing the underdog. Maybe that’s because they are. We are basically a liberal country, as Jerry Springer elucidated on Howard Stern’s radio show (via Mediaite).
“It doesn’t matter who’s president because the Liberals won. In the 1960s, all the protest was on the Left because America was conservative. We...
Rabbis Reject Beck, Fox News
The leaders of all three major branches of Judaism have signed a two-page newspaper ad calling for Rupert Murdoch to put an end to all the Nazi comparisons on Fox News. And they’re using one of Murdoch’s most prized publications—The Wall Street Journal—to get the mogul’s attention. The ad specifically criticizes Glenn Beck and Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, two of the...
“Now, what about marketing to children? Ample science, along with statements by...”
– Why the Happy Meal is a Crime—and Not Just a Culinary One (via azspot)
This very eloquently makes a point I have attempted to make a few times before.
(via savagemike)
12 Politicians and Execs Blocking Progress on... →
headphonesnotrequired:
Rep. Fred Upton (R-Michigan)
Bjørn Lomborg (Author, “Cool It”)
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia)
Ken Cuccinelli (Attorney General, Virginia)
Tim Phillips (President, Americans For Prosperity)
Rex Tillerson (CEO, ExxonMobil)
Tom Donahue (President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
Gregory Boyce (CEO, Peabody Energy)
Sarah Palin...
“But there’s no denying the divergence of views within the Chamber’s ranks on...”
– Mother Jones: The Chamber of Commerce’s Health Reform Heretics
Anderson Cooper Wallops Bachmann For 'Flunking... →
stfuglennbeck:
Thanks
belleinwonderland
Not only is this awesome but the comments are amazing.
“I think the GOP is gonna be on VERY thin ice if they decide that they’re gonna...”
– Rep Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Study: Abortion Doesn't Increase Mental Health... →
Having an abortion does not increase the risk of mental health problems, but having a baby does, one of the largest studies to compare the aftermath of both decisions suggests.
socalfeminist:
Mainstream Media Continues to Ignore the Horrifying Murder of Brisenia Flores
Shawna Forde, the notorious anti-immigration vigilante, is currently on trial in Arizona for the 2009 murder of nine-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father in Arizona, and stands charged with first-degree murder. Her alleged accomplices, Jason Bush and Albert Gaxiola, will face the same charges...
Lancaster, PA Separating Students By Race And... →
The Lancaster, PA school district believes keeping races separate in classrooms is a good idea.
In December, McCaskey East High School placed its junior class in different homerooms based on race and gender. Each class is led by a home room teacher of the same race and gender who serves as a role model.
The idea is based on research that shows students with strong mentors do better in...
Financial Crisis Was Avoidable
The financial crisis was avoidable, according to the final report from the bipartisan panel appointed by President Obama. “The greatest tragedy would be to accept the refrain that no one could have seen this coming and thus nothing could have been done,” it says, laying much of the blame at the feet of SEC and Federal Reserve chairmen Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke (who it also says was crucial...
Mom Jailed For Sending Kids to Better School →
shortformblog:
yahoonews:
Ohio mom Kelley Williams-Bolar is currently sitting in jail, accused of illegally trying to get her daughters into a better school district. More on the heated debate: http://yhoo.it/gV9QGK Do you think she should serve time or were her actions justified?
This lady got convicted of a felony. A FELONY. That alone gives us pause about this decision. And also,...