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 »

Penn State, my final loss of faith

By Thomas L. Day

And I have fully lost faith in the leadership of my parents’ generation.

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno arrives home Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, in State College, Pa. (Matt Rourke - AP) I was never harmed by Sandusky, but I could have been. When I was 15, my mother, then looking for a little direction for her teenage son, introduced me to the Second Mile’s Friend Fitness program. It was a program resembling Big Brother, Big Sister with a weekly exercise regimen.

Instead of Sandusky’s care, I was sent to a group of adults, many of whom were in their 20s. They took me from a C-student to the University of Chicago, where I’m a master’s student now. They took the football team’s waterboy and made a 101st Airborne Division soldier.

I was one of the lucky ones. My experience with Second Mile was a good one. I should feel fortunate, blessed even, that I was never harmed. Yet instead this week has left me deeply shaken, wondering what will come of the foundation, the university, and the community that made me into a man.

One thing I know for certain: A leader must emerge from Happy Valley to tie our community together again, and it won’t come from our parents’ generation.

They have failed us, over and over and over again.

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

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Tom Coburn: $30 Billion In Millionaires Aid Is 'Sheer Washington Stupidity'

WASHINGTON -- Millionaires are receiving billions in taxpayer-funded support every year that helps them pay for everything from child care to bad debts to boats and vacation homes, according to a report released Monday by Sen. Tom Coburn.

People who individually earned more than a million dollars in 2009 even managed to collect a total of nearly $21 million in unemployment insurance.

"From tax write-offs for gambling losses, vacation homes, and luxury yachts to subsidies for their ranches and estates, the government is subsidizing the lifestyles of the rich and famous," wrote Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, in an accompanying letter. "Multimillionaires are even receiving government checks for not working. This welfare for the well-off -- costing billions of dollars a year -- is being paid for with the taxes of the less fortunate."

Calling the giveaways "sheer Washington stupidity," Coburn detailed in the study more than $30 billion a year that comes out of the U.S. Treasury to aid people who make more than a million a year.

For Coburn, who describes his survey as the first-ever compilation of federal aid for the richest, such a startling figure makes no sense when most of the country is struggling to get by. He also thinks it reveals some sensible targets for Congress' stymied debt-trimming super committee."

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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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.
FDU PublicMind

Some News Leaves People Knowing Less
According to the latest results from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind Poll,
some news sources make us less likely to know what’s going on in the world. In the
most recent study, the poll asked New Jerseyans about current events at home and
abroad, and from what sources – if any – they get their information. The conclusion:
Sunday morning news shows do the most to help people learn about current events,
while some outlets, especially Fox News, lead people to be even less informed than
those who they don’t watch any news at all.
....
Rest of Public Mind article here
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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Rule of Lord

The Republican plan to nullify the courts and establish Christian theocracy.

"Is the United States sliding toward theocracy? That’s what Republican presidential candidates have told us for more than a year. Radical Islam, they’ve argued, is on the verge of taking over our country through Sharia law. But this weekend, at an Iowa forum sparsely covered by the press, the candidates made clear that they don’t mind theocracy—in fact, they’d like to impose it—as long as it’s Christian.
You can find video of Saturday’s “Thanksgiving Family Forum” on the Web sites of two organizations that sponsored it: CitizenLink and the Family Leader. Here are highlights of the candidates’ remarks."

Examples 1-12

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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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Reason number 942 why I don't watch the republican debates:
Romney Forgets His First Name As Debate Kicks Off
Following CNN host Wolf Blitzer's introduction, "I'm Wolf Blitzer and yes, that is my real name," Mitt Romney tried to play along by declaring that "Mitt" is his "real first name." But it's not.

Romney's first name is Willard. Willard Mitt Romney.

Rick Perry's introduction was equally awkward as he spent his allotted seconds trailing off about his wife, their first date, and then asking for people's votes.
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

Another bit on FOX News watchers knowing less:

Seven Surveys Make A Trend For Fox And Viewers

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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

I'll give you three guesses.

Why is the Tea Party supporting David Duke for president in 2012 ?

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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by MikeFrank »

Darrel/Girolamo
One of you is reading this.
One of you will be too much of a bitch to put up any of my comments.
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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MikeFrank wrote: One of you will be too much of a bitch to put up any of my comments.
Now that you have been proven to be wrong on this prediction, do you have anything intelligent to say? Hurry up. SAV may not be as patient with such vapidity.

None of your comments have been deleted. Some of them have been moved to here.

I don't think your rightwing, conservative, climate change denial friends would consider you a very good representative for your side. Unfortunate.
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by Dardedar »

2011 Quality of Living worldwide city rankings – Mercer survey

United Kingdom
London, 29 November 2011

European cities dominate worldwide quality of living rankings

Vienna ranks highest for quality of living; Baghdad, the lowest

Luxembourg ranks highest for personal safety; Baghdad, the lowest

In UK, Aberdeen and Glasgow rank 44 for personal safety; London ranks 68 out of 221 cities


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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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How the American Media Helped the GOP Become An International Humiliation

When a political party suffers a “political lobotomy” in public during election season, the entire nation’s reputation suffers.

Top international news magazine Spiegel (think Europe’s version of Time or Newsweek) ran an article written by Marc Pitzke calling the Republicans a farce who are ruining our country’s reputation. The article is entitled, ‘The Republicans’ Farcical Candidates
A Club of Liars, Demagogues and Ignoramuses.’ In this article, Mr. Pitzke writes what our press here won’t:
The US Republican race is dominated by ignorance, lies and scandals. The current crop of candidates has shown such a basic lack of knowledge that they make George W. Bush look like Einstein. The Grand Old Party is ruining the entire country’s reputation.
We knew it was true, but it hurts to read it. We won’t often read such stark condemnations in the mainstream press here.

It probably helps that Spiegel has “most likely the world’s largest fact checking operation”. Yes, Virginia, their press actually checks facts unlike ours, who reports what both sides have “said” and the runs away, eagerly clutching their invite to John McCain’s ranch party like an hysterical tween Twilight fan waiting for Edward. This is the same American press that jumped in to defend Fox News from President Obama’s easily and obviously true charge that it was not a news outlet.

The American press has twisted themselves into self-effacing, obsequious contortions of false equivalence in order to appease conservatives until they’ve become an embarrassing parody of a political entourage rather than a functioning fourth estate. Our press are also quite cozy with their corporate bosses who like our news to be so conservatively “balanced” that it tips over with lies and distortions.

Now, thanks to the press, we are “debating” science versus belief as if both are equally factual, which is not the same thing as debating the merits of science versus belief or the necessity of either or the choice, even, of faith over proof. No, we are drowning in an avalanche of deliberately and cynically invoked stupidity that threatens our nation’s standing among other civilized nations; while we are debate if people walked among dinosaurs other nations get on with the business of addressing serious matters."

The rest at...

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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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Image

Gingrich and third wife.

He's 68, she's 45.
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by David Franks »

Darrel wrote:He's 68, she's 45.
She's also a little bug-eyed.
"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 Savonarola »

David Franks wrote:
Darrel wrote:He's 68, she's 45.
She's also a little bug-eyed.
That's Newt posing in person next to a wax figurine of his wife, right? ... Right?
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Frum: Fox News creates an ‘alternative knowledge system’

Post by David Franks »

Frum: Fox News creates an ‘alternative knowledge system’
By David Edwards | Sunday, December 11, 2011

"Conservative columnist David Frum, who was speechwriter for former President George W. Bush, blasted Fox News on Sunday for creating an 'alternative knowledge system.'

"In an article published by New York Magazine in late November, Frum had argued that conservative media like Fox News and talk radio 'immerse their audience in a total environment of pseudo-facts and pretend information.'

"In an appearance on CNN Sunday, Frum cited claims made on Fox News that President Barack Obama was proposing a 'new Christmas tree tax,' something that was found by both The Florida Times-Union and PolitiFact Oregon to be not true.

“'It fed into a story about this Muslim-y kind of president trying to destroy a Christian holiday,' Frum explained to CNN’s Howard Kurtz. 'To make this a ground for a cultural conflict, to create a sense in large numbers of people they are being persecuted and attacked at a time when the country is in so much trouble, that’s how this thing is fed.'

“'The question is what is the impact on the viewer?' he continued. 'And we know, for example, that people that watch a lot of Fox come away knowing a lot less about important world events. That’s a correlation that we know.'”

The rest of the story, and video:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/11/f ... V.facebook
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Re: Frum: Fox News creates an ‘alternative knowledge system’

Post by David Franks »

David Franks wrote:"Conservative columnist David Frum, who was speechwriter for former President George W. Bush, blasted Fox News on Sunday for creating an 'alternative knowledge system.'
Calling it a "system" is a bit of a stretch. Some of the "knowledge" contradicts other parts of the "knowledge".
"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: Frum: Fox News creates an ‘alternative knowledge system’

Post by Savonarola »

David Franks wrote:Calling it a "system" is a bit of a stretch. Some of the "knowledge" contradicts other parts of the "knowledge".
As I see it, that's as good for FOX as a planned tactic: The dupes who watch will better remember the "option" that pisses them off the most while forgetting anything that contradicts it.
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Speaking of Conflicting Conservative Information...

Post by David Franks »

Conservatives can't decide between defending Christmas and hating Obama
Tue Dec 13, 2011 at 06:15 PM PST | by Hunter | for Daily Kos

"It's so predictable it hurts. From conservative pundit Andrew Malcolm:

"
[T]he Obamas have gone all out in decorating their house this year, including a nearly quarter-ton gingerbread White House. [...]

The extravagance of 2011's decorations, however, are striking given the widespread joblessness, pale economic growth, home foreclosures and grim outlook for 2012, not to mention the incumbent president's historically low approval rating heading into his reelection bid.

How simple, politically astute, symbolically helpful and cost-effective it would have been for the Obamas this year to say that in sympathy with so many struggling countrymen, they were curtailing holiday decorations to match the sacrifices of others.
"Yep. You heard the man. Now the problem with Obama is that he's celebrating Christmas too much. So many Christmas trees! A big gingerbread house! Decorations, everywhere!

"Can you imagine? Let's just suppose the First Family said that in the name of government austerity, they were going to cut back on Christmas. The traditional White House Christmas extravaganza would be no more; it would be replaced with perhaps a modest tree, a ribbon around the dog, and, instead of the usual gingerbread mansion, just two little gingerbread men warming themselves around a little gingerbread trash can.

"I am fairly sure that the resulting bursting of Fox News pundit heads could be seen from space. The Obamas, downgrading Christmas? Sure, the White House could announce it was for reasons of fiscal austerity, but it would be all but given that the real reason they had done it was as a plot to diminish Christmas itself. Was it because they were secretly Muslim? Was it a liberal plot to destroy Christmas, one missing bauble at a time? Was it encouraging others to similarly downsize their Christmases, and if so, would it lead to a deepening of the recession because the Obama's were telling people, sinfully, not to buy things? Was it evidence of false piety on the part of the White House, meaning they were secretly Mu—wait, we already covered that one.

"The answers would all be "yes," of course. As president or first lady of the United States, one does not downgrade a Christmas tradition unless one hates Christmas and wishes it dead. Screw austerity, and screw budgets: This is Christmas we're talking about. This is when people of all faiths and backgrounds come together to admit that Christianity is the one true religion and that we're just humoring all the others, that precious season when we all gather 'round to give to the baby Jesus the traditional gifts of gold, frankensteins, and a four hundred pound gingerbread house.

"Yet again, it doesn't matter what Obama does. To conservatives, it will always either prove him to be out of touch, a liberal radical, or (nearly always) both. But have some sympathy for Andrew Malcolm here, for he is just celebrating Christmas in the traditional manner of conservatives everywhere: seeking something to be outraged about, and getting outraged by it. Happy holidays!"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/1 ... via=blog_1
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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

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News Bulletin: Ron Paul Is a Huge Racist

"With Ron Paul ascending in Iowa, winning the hearts of independents, and even the endorsement of Andrew Sullivan, it’s worth pointing something out: Ron Paul is not a kindly old libertarian who just wants everybody to be free. He’s a really creepy bigot.

Around four years ago, James Kirchick reported a lengthy story delving into Paul’s worldview. As Kirchick writes, Paul comes out of an intellectual tradition called “paleolibertarianism,” which is a version of libertarianism heavily tinged with far-right cultural views. The gist is that Paul is tied in deep and extensive ways to neo-Confederates, and somewhat less tightly to the right-wing militia movement. His newsletter, which he wrote and edited for years, was a constant organ of vile racism and homophobia. This is not just picking out a phrase here and there. Fear and hatred of blacks and gays, along with a somewhat less pronounced paranoia about Jewish dual loyalty, are fundamental elements of his thinking. The most comparable figure to Paul is Pat Buchanan, the main differences being that Paul emphasizes economic issues more, and has more dogmatically pro-market views."

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Re: Political News Bits of the Day

Post by L.Wood »

.
Conservatives can't decide between defending Christmas and hating Obama
You know what Faux News would do IF Obama walked across the Potomac:

'President Obama can't swim.'
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