Political News Bits of the Day

Discussing all things political in NW Arkansas and beyond.
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Dardedar
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Finally getting some action on this:

State Board adopts rule on religion in pre-school

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/ar ... pre-school

Image

Larry W. passed along the highlights:
excerpts:
23.03.2 “ABC instructional materials” means any tangible thing, such as a book,
paper, poster, picture, slide, object, or display; or image or sound that an
ABC provider uses to impart knowledge during an ABC day.

23.04.3 All ABC instruction and instruction materials must be secular and neutral
with respect to religion.

23.04.4 No religious activity may occur during any ABC day and no ABC funds
may be used to support religious services, instruction or programming at
any time.

23.04.5 Each ABC provider must maintain documentation that it has provided
parents and guardians with the following written notice:(STRUCK: that also offers
religious activities must maintain documentation that it has informed
parents and guardians in writing that no religious activity will be paid or
subsidized by public funds or occur in any manner suggesting
governmental endorsement of any religion or religious message.)
“To assure that no religious activity is paid or subsidized by public funds
or occurs in any manner suggesting governmental endorsement of any
religion or message:

(a) ABC funds must be used exclusively to support allowable
ABC program costs incurred to provide non-religious
instruction and activities during the ABC day; and

(b) No religious activity may occur during any ABC day
regardless of the source of funds used to support the
activity.”

23.04.6 Each ABC provider must annually certify compliance with each
ADE 257-26 requirement of this rule and agree to such unannounced public inspection
and investigation as may be necessary to ascertain and monitor the
provider’s compliance.

source: http://posting.arktimes.com/images/blog ... erules.pdf
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by L.Wood »

The Pentagon considers awarding war medals to those who operate America's death-delivering video games"

The effort to depict drone warfare as some sort of courageous and noble act is intensifying:

The Pentagon is considering awarding a Distinguished Warfare Medal to drone pilots who work on military bases often far removed from the battlefield. "

from readersupportednews

-------------------------------------------------------------

"You can't have a war without a hero."
--Stanley in Wag the Dog
"Blessed is the Lord for he avoids Evil just like the Godfather, he delegates."
Betty Bowers
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Obama Campaign Liked Better Than Romney's: Poll

"...46 percent looking favorably on how Obama is running his campaign, compared to 45 percent who felt unfavorably. But Romney fared worse, garnering only 38 percent favorable ratings to 49 percent unfavorable. Nearly a quarter of Republicans also held unfavorable views of his campaign."

"Democrats were more highly positive about their candidate than Republicans were about theirs, supporting Obama's campaign by a 75-18 margin.

Romney, who has been battling perceptions of unenthusiastic support from the Republican establishment, as well as increasing calls from within his own party to release more of his tax returns, scored 66 percent favorable and 24 percent unfavorable among Republicans for his campaign.

Independents slightly preferred Obama's campaign, viewing it positively by a 1-point margin, while 5 percent more disapproved of Romney's than approved."

LINK
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by L.Wood »

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"Blessed is the Lord for he avoids Evil just like the Godfather, he delegates."
Betty Bowers
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

To the supply siders still out there:

"Moon landing was real. Evolution exists. Tax cuts lose revenue. The reasearch has shown this a thousand times. Enough already."

LINK
Question B: A cut in federal income tax rates in the US right now would raise taxable income enough
so that the annual total tax revenue would be higher within five years than without the tax cut.
See how many economists agree here.
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Cherryj »

Darrel wrote:To the supply siders still out there:

"Moon landing was real. Evolution exists. Tax cuts lose revenue. The reasearch has shown this a thousand times. Enough already."

LINK
Question B: A cut in federal income tax rates in the US right now would raise taxable income enough
so that the annual total tax revenue would be higher within five years than without the tax cut.
See how many economists agree here.
What about the Easter Bunny, Dar? You have no proof that he doesn't exist :D
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Cherryj wrote:What about the Easter Bunny, Dar? You have no proof that he doesn't exist :D
Here's what Hitchen's would say to that:

“What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.”
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by David Franks »

Cherryj wrote:What about the Easter Bunny, Dar? You have no proof that he doesn't exist :D
If the Easter Bunny exists, those aren't chocolate eggs he's leaving behind.
"Debating with a conservative is like cleaning up your dog's vomit: It is an inevitable consequence of your association, he isn't much help, and it makes very clear the fact that he will swallow anything."
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Niall Ferguson's Newsweek article gets roasted to a crisp.

A Full Fact-Check of Niall Ferguson's Very Bad Argument Against Obama

"Celebrity historian Niall Ferguson doesn't like President Obama, and doesn't think you should either.

That's perfectly fine. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to disapprove of the president. Here's the big one: 8.3 percent. That's the current unemployment rate, fully three years on from the official end of the Great Recession. But rather than make this straightforward case against the current administration, Ferguson delves into a fantasy world of incorrect and tendentious facts. He simply gets things wrong, again and again and again.

Here's a tour of some of the more factually-challenged sections of Ferguson's piece."

Link

And more roast here: http://theangryliberal.blogspot.com/201 ... story.html
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

More College Graduates, More Democratic Voters?

"...consider the graphs below that show that increasing the number of college graduates might also increase the number of Democratic voters and reduce the number of Republican voters." ...

"For every one percentage point increase in college graduates, the percentage of individuals identifying as Republicans decreases by 0.76 percentage points.

For every one percentage point increase in state-level college graduates, the percentage of liberals also increases by 0.75 percentage points. Impressively, education level explains 66 percent of variation in state-level percentage of liberals.

By contrast, for every one percentage point in college graduates, there is a 0.88 percentage point decline in the share of conservatives, and this by itself explains 58 percent of the state-level variation in the number of conservatives."

LINK

Also:

"In states that voted for Kerry, the average percentage of college graduates is 30.177%.

In states that voted for Bush, the average percentage of college graduates is 24.932%.

Red states had an average of 83.145% High School graduates, compared to the blue states’ 85.903% average graduate rate.

...red states occupy the bottom 10 places in the state ranking, and only 2 of the top 10."

Link
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

The Not-so-Social Gospel

The Not-so-Social Gospel
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012
AUTHOR: JAMES MARTIN, S.J.

The Lazy Paralytic

"1. When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at his home. 2. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5. When Jesus saw this he grew angry, “Why did you wreck my roof? Do you have any idea how much that cost to install? Do you know how many tables and chairs I had to make in my carpentry shop to pay for that roof? The reeds alone cost five talents. I had them carted in from Bethany.” 6. The disciples had never seen Jesus so angry about his possessions. He continued, “This house is my life. And the roof is the best part.” The disciples fell silent. 7. “It’s bad enough that you trash my private property, now you want me to heal you?” said Jesus, “And did you not see the stone walls around this house?” “Yes,” said the man’s friends. “Are these not the stone walls common to the towns and villages of Galilee?" 8. “No,” Jesus answered. “This is a gated community. How did you get in?” The man’s friends grew silent. 9. Then Jesus turned and said to the paralytic, “Besides, can’t you take care of your own health problems? I’m sure that your family can care for you, or maybe the synagogue can help out.” 10. “No, Lord,” answered the man's friends. “There is no one. His injuries are too severe. To whom else can we go?” 11. “Well, not me,” said Jesus. “What would happen if I provided access to free health care for everyone? That would mean that people would not only get lazy and entitled, but they would take advantage of the system. 12. Besides, look at me: I’m healthy. And you know why? Because I worked hard for my money, and took care of myself.” The paralyzed man then grew sad and he addressed Jesus. “But I did work, Lord,” said the paralytic. “Until an accident rendered me paralyzed.” “Yes,” said the man’s friends. “He worked very hard.” 13. “Well,” said Jesus, “That’s just part of life, isn’t it?” “Then what am I to do, Lord?” said the paralytic. “I don’t know. Why don’t you sell your mat?” 14. All in the crowd then grew sad. “Actually, you know what you can do?" said Jesus. "You can reimburse me for my roof. Or I’ll sue you." And all were amazed. 15. “We have never seen anything like this,” said the crowd."

The Very Poorly Prepared Crowd ...

The Rich and Therefore Blessed Young Man ...


The National Catholic Weekly
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Study: Right twists facts

A new scientific paper suggests political conservatives more likely than liberals to bend reality to their beliefs

"Last week, the country convulsed with outrage over Missouri Republican Rep. Todd Akin’s false suggestion that women who are raped have a special bodily defense mechanism against getting pregnant. Akin’s claim stood out due to its highly offensive nature, but it’s reminiscent of any number of other parallel cases in which conservative Christians have cited dubious “facts” to help rationalize their moral convictions. Take the twin assertions that having an abortion causes breast cancer or mental disorders, for instance. Or the denial of human evolution. Or false claims that same-sex parenting hurts kids. Or that you can choose whether to be gay, and undergo therapy to reverse that choice. The ludicrous assertion that women who are raped have a physiological defense mechanism against pregnancy is just part of a long litany of other falsehoods in the Christian right’s moral and emotional war against science.

In fact, even as Akin reaped a whirlwind of disdain and disgust, a new scientific paper has appeared with uncanny timing in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, underscoring what is actually happening when people contort facts to justify their deep-seated beliefs or moral systems. Perhaps most strikingly, one punch line of the new research is that political conservatives, like Akin, appear to do this significantly more than political liberals.

In recent years, the field of moral psychology has been strongly influenced by a theory known as “moral intuitionism,” which has been championed by the University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt. Dealing a blow to the notion of humans as primarily rational actors, Haidt instead postulates that our views of what is right and wrong are rooted in gut emotions, which fire rapidly when we encounter certain moral situations or dilemmas — responding far more quickly than our rational thoughts. Thus, we evaluate facts, arguments and new information in a way that is subconsciously guided, or motivated, by our prior moral emotions. What this means – -in Haidt’s famed formulation — is that when it comes to evaluating facts that are relevant to our deep-seated morals or beliefs, we don’t act like scientists. Rather, we act like lawyers, contorting the evidence to support our moral argument."

The rest... Salon
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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Image

Link

"Rounding out the top 10 on The Forbes 400: Oracle founder Larry Ellison ($33 billion), industrialists Charles and David Koch ($25 billion apiece), Wal-Mart heirs Christy Walton ($24.5 billion), Jim C. Walton ($21.1 billion) and Alice Walton ($20.9 billion), hedge fund investor George Soros ($22 billion), and casino king Sheldon Adelson ($21.5 billion)." Link
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Numbers, Analysis Show 30 Years of Failed US Economic Policy

Census numbers show persistent poverty, falling wages, and rising inequality

"The latest US Census Bureau numbers on poverty, income inequality, and healthcare, coupled with newly released economic analysis of US public policy reveals the reality and the reasons behind the persistent rut of the poverty-stricken, the working-poor, and the middle class in America.

More than three years after the collapse of the housing bubble, the federal government's bailout of Wall Street, and the start of the Great Recession, the US poverty rate remains persistently high with nearly 1 in 5 Americans living at or below the poverty line, according to new figures released on Wednesday by the US Census Bureau."

Quite a collection of very poor statistics.
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Whole butt-load of "Brainwashed Libertarian" posters:

http://www.quickmeme.com/Brainwashed-Li ... /?upcoming
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Just in case you weren't convinced of the complete insanity of the American far right:

10 Fun Facts from the Values Voter Summit

[...]

2. Most of the votes for Democrats in Presidential elections come either from people on welfare, or people committing voter fraud. (Gary Bauer, American Values President)

3. The Obama administration has begun secretly plotting with the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. They have begun to “brainwash” FBI and other security agents to be receptive to the messages of Islam, so that Sharia law speech laws can be enforced unchallenged after Obama’s reelection. (Michelle Bachmann, US Rep-MN)

4. The real Founding Fathers we should be basing our government on are not the revolutionary heroes on the late 18th century, but the pilgrims. (Kirk Cameron, Actor/Producer)

5. Planned Parenthood is an organization created for the purpose of killing off the white race. (Rep. Tim Huelskamp, US Rep-KS)

6. President Obama sided with the terrorists in Libya, cheering them on. (Basically, everybody that got up to talk except Rand Paul)

7. The Obama administration is planning to make illegal all churches and synagogues, and put in jail any Americans that attend them. This will happen this January, “March at the latest.” (Kamal Saleem, Debunked Ex-Terrorist Impersonator)

8. more..."

Ordinary Gentlemen
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

We complain about slave labor in other countries, and then do this?

How US prison labour pads corporate profits at taxpayers' expense

Thanks to rightwing lobbying, companies can use a loophole to exploit a scheme designed to give offenders work experience

The Guardian

And a follow up:

American prison labor means longer unemployment lines

Fox News
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Voter Fraud

Voting Expert to Fox News: Voter Fraud Rare as 'Winning the Lottery'

"A voting expert from a nonpartisan think tank on Thursday deflated the hype that new voter restrictions are necessary when he told Fox News that voter fraud was as rare as "winning the lottery."

Brookings Institution nonresident fellow Michael McDonald explained to Fox News host Shepard Smith that the instances of in-person voter fraud were "very low."

"We've had millions and millions of voters over the last years and the likelihood of vote fraud occurring is on the order of winning the lottery," McDonald said.

"Winning the lottery is like 11 billion [to one]," Smith noted.

"Yes," McDonald agreed. "It's a very rare, infrequent sort of thing. But when it does happen, we are concerned. And election officials do take these allegations seriously, they investigate them fully. Usually what happens is, the allegations come out and then afterwards we find out that maybe someone signed on the wrong line on a poll book or something of that nature, and that's the source of the error. It wasn't really that vote fraud occurred."

LINK
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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Arkansas Republicans' comments on slavery, Muslims stir controversy

LITTLE ROCK, Ark | Sat Oct 6, 2012
(Reuters) - Republicans in Arkansas are struggling to get past the controversy generated by a state lawmaker who wrote
that slavery might have benefited blacks and a candidate who has advocated expelling Muslims from the United States."

LINK
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

An Update on Political Polarization (through 2011) – Part III: The Presidential Square Wave

LINK

"Our findings here echo those discussed in a prior post that Republicans have moved further to the right than Democrats to the left in the contemporary period. Indeed, as seen below, President Obama is the most moderate Democratic president since the end of World War II, while President George W. Bush was the most conservative president in the post-war era."

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