Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Quote Of The Day -- Labor Edition
Jan 5th, 2011
"Now everyone knows that the labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standards of millions, labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production. Those who attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them." -- Martin Luther King Jr.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Crazy Is On The Bus, part 2
Jan 4th, 2011
by F. Grey Parker
Part 1 is available here.
Hey, Washington! Crazy is still on the bus. The Crazy Bus is still on it's way and it is getting awfully gol-darned close. As a matter of fact, it's pulling into town today. This is going to be quite the hoedown.
Never before have I seen so many rabble-rousing yahoos trumpeting their love for the U.S. Constitution while planning a full frontal assault upon it. The good times are rolling in and everyone better hold onto their hats!
by F. Grey Parker
Part 1 is available here.
 |
| Washington, D.C. |
Never before have I seen so many rabble-rousing yahoos trumpeting their love for the U.S. Constitution while planning a full frontal assault upon it. The good times are rolling in and everyone better hold onto their hats!
The Miraculous Comma
Jan 4th, 2011
As a writer, I find myself struggling daily with the appropriate use of the "comma." To be sure, victory in this affair is no mean feat. Alas, and as is often the case, I feel I may be doing this crucial punctuation mark an injustice. Nevertheless, I try.
I would hope that the graphic at least partially conveys its existential importance.
As a writer, I find myself struggling daily with the appropriate use of the "comma." To be sure, victory in this affair is no mean feat. Alas, and as is often the case, I feel I may be doing this crucial punctuation mark an injustice. Nevertheless, I try.
I would hope that the graphic at least partially conveys its existential importance.
Meet The Crazies!
Jan 4th, 2011
Hey kids! Ready to return to the rosy days of "Never Were?" Yeah, well, neither am I. Sleep tight.
Hey kids! Ready to return to the rosy days of "Never Were?" Yeah, well, neither am I. Sleep tight.
Betsy Ross McCaughey Is STILL Lying
Jan 4th, 2011
Betsy Ross McCaughey is a proven liar and extremist who has the dubious distinction of having coined the "death panel" falsehood in order to smear the Health Care Reform Act. The Murdoch Device has dusted her disreputable carcass off and propped her up in their studios over the past few weeks to re-inflate that meme.
Why is it that we don't see her in any reputable forums anymore? Didn't someone utterly destroy her credibility quite publicly? Oh yeah... That's right...
Betsy Ross McCaughey is a proven liar and extremist who has the dubious distinction of having coined the "death panel" falsehood in order to smear the Health Care Reform Act. The Murdoch Device has dusted her disreputable carcass off and propped her up in their studios over the past few weeks to re-inflate that meme.
Why is it that we don't see her in any reputable forums anymore? Didn't someone utterly destroy her credibility quite publicly? Oh yeah... That's right...
The Big Trend
Jan 4th, 2011
After years of slavish devotion to Reaganomic fantasy and the effects of the "W. Tax Cuts," we have a very predictable economy. True, it is an inequitable, unsustainable and shameful sort of reverse Socialism, but it is something we can really count on. Enjoy the 112th Congress. This is what they want to make "permanent."
From the CBPP:
"The average income of the bottom 90 percent of households fell 7 percent from 2007 to 2008, in inflation-adjusted dollars, the largest one-year drop for this group since 1938. The loss in 2008 more than wiped out the increase from 2002 to 2007, leaving the average income for the bottom 90 percent of households at its lowest level since 1996.”
After years of slavish devotion to Reaganomic fantasy and the effects of the "W. Tax Cuts," we have a very predictable economy. True, it is an inequitable, unsustainable and shameful sort of reverse Socialism, but it is something we can really count on. Enjoy the 112th Congress. This is what they want to make "permanent."
From the CBPP:
"The average income of the bottom 90 percent of households fell 7 percent from 2007 to 2008, in inflation-adjusted dollars, the largest one-year drop for this group since 1938. The loss in 2008 more than wiped out the increase from 2002 to 2007, leaving the average income for the bottom 90 percent of households at its lowest level since 1996.”
Quote Of The Day
Jan 4th, 2011
"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is invisible labor." -- Victor Hugo
Monday, January 3, 2011
Peretz Chimes In On The Egyptian Bombings
Jan 3rd, 2011
by F. Grey Parker
Well, it was just a matter of time before Marty Peretz, publisher of The New Republic, came slinking back to the discourse on the Middle East. After his tremendous blunders earlier this year in which he first seemed to argue that American Muslims should be stripped of their 1st Amendment protections and then issued an "apology" that only made matters worse, he was relegated to untouchable status in every forum where he once commanded attention.
He needed just the right moment, maybe even a catastrophe, to get back in the game.
rePUBLICan ENEMY #1, part 4
Jan 3rd, 2011
The saga of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) keeps getting better. He has just announced his list of investigative targets. Topping the list is Fannie Mae.
You see, Issa is one of those Republicans who thinks that we should lay the blame for the real estate meltdown at the feet of lower middle class families. How DARE they not understand the arcane language of elaborate, misleading and sometimes even criminal bank documents?
The thing is, he voted to repeal Glass-Steagall in 1999 paving the way for the mess. Then, in 2007, he voted AGAINST stricter regulation of the sub-prime lending market.
Perhaps he could simply point the finger at himself, apologize and fucking resign.
I encourage you to call this low-life motherfucker and tell him that you are now aware that he is a low-life motherfucker. Really.
 |
| Low-life Motherfucker |
You see, Issa is one of those Republicans who thinks that we should lay the blame for the real estate meltdown at the feet of lower middle class families. How DARE they not understand the arcane language of elaborate, misleading and sometimes even criminal bank documents?
The thing is, he voted to repeal Glass-Steagall in 1999 paving the way for the mess. Then, in 2007, he voted AGAINST stricter regulation of the sub-prime lending market.
Perhaps he could simply point the finger at himself, apologize and fucking resign.
I encourage you to call this low-life motherfucker and tell him that you are now aware that he is a low-life motherfucker. Really.
Rep. Darrell Issa in Washington, D.C.
202-225-3906
Rep. Darrel Issa in Vista, CA.
760-599-5000
Allen West - Standing By His Craziness
Jan 3rd, 2011
Rep. Elect Allen West (R-FL) has said some nutty things in the past. From declaring himself to have a higher security clearance than The President to calling for the censorship of American journalists, he has come across as, well, crazy. Has he tempered his public pronouncements in the wake of the resultant withering criticism?
Nope. He officially doubled down on the crazy during an appearance yesterday on The Murdoch Device:
"Asked by host Chris Wallace if he was willing to stand by his comments that the "liberal, progressive" agenda was "tyrannical, socialist, despicable," West responded... "I think it is."
You'd think that someone who has been described by fellow veterans of the Iraq War as "a verified torturer, war criminal and a liar" might not play so fast and loose with words like "despicable."
The Fine Art Of Propaganda
Jan 3rd, 2011
Peter Maass writes in The New Yorker about one of the great photo-ops during the early days of the Iraq War and it's manipulation by American media outlets:
"The toppling of Saddam’s statue turned out to be emblematic of primarily one thing: the fact that American troops had taken the center of Baghdad. That was significant, but everything else the toppling was said to represent during repeated replays on television—victory for America, the end of the war, joy throughout Iraq—was a disservice to the truth."
"The toppling of Saddam’s statue turned out to be emblematic of primarily one thing: the fact that American troops had taken the center of Baghdad. That was significant, but everything else the toppling was said to represent during repeated replays on television—victory for America, the end of the war, joy throughout Iraq—was a disservice to the truth."
rePUBLICan ENEMY #1, part 3
Jan 3rd, 2011
Rep. Darrell Issa is embroiled in some very recent allegations of financial impropriety out west. Perhaps even bribery...
"Last summer, Issa went on a property-buying spree. In the span of two months, he bought industrial complexes in Oceanside and Carlsbad and a condo overlooking Oceanside Bay. Even his son picked up a home in Vista.
The Carlsbad complex, however, is at the center of a lawsuit playing out in Los Angeles County Superior Court. A bank lender in Ventura County is accusing a bank of selling Issa the building for at least $3 million less than it should have.
The property is a series of five brand-new buildings near McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. Currently, all but one unit is empty, but they can be rented through Greene Properties, a company that employs Issa’s wife and son. The project was dreamed up by Orange County “new urbanism” developer David Dirienzo, who defaulted on a $36-million construction loan in January 2009.
"Last summer, Issa went on a property-buying spree. In the span of two months, he bought industrial complexes in Oceanside and Carlsbad and a condo overlooking Oceanside Bay. Even his son picked up a home in Vista.
The Carlsbad complex, however, is at the center of a lawsuit playing out in Los Angeles County Superior Court. A bank lender in Ventura County is accusing a bank of selling Issa the building for at least $3 million less than it should have.
The property is a series of five brand-new buildings near McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad. Currently, all but one unit is empty, but they can be rented through Greene Properties, a company that employs Issa’s wife and son. The project was dreamed up by Orange County “new urbanism” developer David Dirienzo, who defaulted on a $36-million construction loan in January 2009.
The main lender, East West Bank, put the property up for auction but decided not to sell, instead filing a $12-million “credit bid” to hang onto it. Two weeks later, the bank sold the property to Issa’s company, DEI LLC, for $8.5 million"
Rep. Darrell Issa in Washington, D.C.
202-225-3906
Rep. Darrel Issa in Vista, CA.
760-599-5000
rePUBLICan ENEMY #1, cont...
Jan 3rd, 2011
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)... suspected arsonist. The man arguing that the current administration is one of the "most corrupt" in our history has such a colorful past.
"1982: Issa Suspected, But Never Charged, In Arson Incident At Manufacturing Plant. According to the Los Angeles Times: "A suspected arson fire ripped through [Issa's Ohio] manufacturing plant in 1982. No one was ever charged in the fire, but authorities were troubled by a dramatic escalation in the facility's fire insurance just weeks earlier. Even before the blaze was put out, investigators began peppering Issa and his partner with 'crazy questions' regarding their whereabouts before the fire, Issa recalled." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]"
"Prior To Fire, Issa "Boosted" Fire Insurance And Removed A Computer From The Premises. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Weeks before the fire, Issa and [business partner] Hunsinger boosted their fire insurance from $ 100,000 to $ 462,000 on property stored for other companies...At the same time, a separate company that contracted with Quantum to outfit bug zappers increased its insurance to $ 400,000, and, according to an insurance report, one investigator was 'concerned about the coincidence.' Fire investigators also noted that a computer was taken off the site eight days before the fire, 'allegedly to be reprogrammed' by Issa's lawyer, and that business blueprints were put away in a safe--which was 'not previously done before.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
760-599-5000"
"1982: Issa Suspected, But Never Charged, In Arson Incident At Manufacturing Plant. According to the Los Angeles Times: "A suspected arson fire ripped through [Issa's Ohio] manufacturing plant in 1982. No one was ever charged in the fire, but authorities were troubled by a dramatic escalation in the facility's fire insurance just weeks earlier. Even before the blaze was put out, investigators began peppering Issa and his partner with 'crazy questions' regarding their whereabouts before the fire, Issa recalled." [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis, emphasis added]"
"Prior To Fire, Issa "Boosted" Fire Insurance And Removed A Computer From The Premises. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Weeks before the fire, Issa and [business partner] Hunsinger boosted their fire insurance from $ 100,000 to $ 462,000 on property stored for other companies...At the same time, a separate company that contracted with Quantum to outfit bug zappers increased its insurance to $ 400,000, and, according to an insurance report, one investigator was 'concerned about the coincidence.' Fire investigators also noted that a computer was taken off the site eight days before the fire, 'allegedly to be reprogrammed' by Issa's lawyer, and that business blueprints were put away in a safe--which was 'not previously done before.'" [Los Angeles Times, 5/23/98, via Nexis]
Rep. Darrell Issa in Washington, D.C.
202-225-3906
Rep. Darrel Issa in Vista, CA.
rePUBLICan ENEMY #1
Jan 3rd, 2011
by F. Grey Parker
The most dangerously irresponsible man in the 112th Congress will very likely be Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). As the incoming Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is his plan to use his new found subpoena power to attempt to grind the basic operations of government to a halt.
His extremism is matched by his dishonesty.
Making the rounds on the Sunday talk shows yesterday, he threw as much red meat to the American right as he could while masquerading as a devoted public servant. On CNN, he portrayed President Obama as having used $800 Billion in TARP money as "walking around money."
On The Murdoch Device (FOX), Rep. Issa made sure to appeal to their "demographic" by affirming his intention to investigate Attorney General Eric Holder over his handling of the phony New Black Panther Party controversy and ACORN. It matters not to him that both stories have been consistently debunked. He's going to spend our money to make sure the Tea Party base knows that he's looking out for whitey.
His record as an apologist for some of the most evil actors over the last 10 years deserves more scrutiny before he is allowed to attempt to sabotage and smear the Executive branch of our government on our dime.
Quote Of The Day
Jan 3rd, 2011
"The privatization of public services and functions manifests the steady evolution of corporate power into a political form, into an integral, even dominant partner with the state." -- Sheldon S. Wolin
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Stark County, Ohio's Very Own Abu Ghraib
Jan 2nd, 2011
Torture is torture. It's not something you can spin. Regrettably, we live in a culture that has been doing just that for the past 9 years. That the tactics of brutalization and sexual humiliation we've visited on other countries are now perpetrated in our own communities was merely a matter of time.
Four years ago, a woman in rural Ohio named Hope Steffey was assaulted by a family member. She did what citizens are supposed to do and called the police. She had been knocked unconscious in the initial attack and was disoriented. After some confusion resulting from her state of shock, it was she who was arrested instead of the assailant. The arresting officer injured her back and her face and cracked her teeth. She was later violently stripped naked by both female and male officers. There are many questions surrounding the behavior of all the officials involved. Dash-cam footage does "not exist" prior to Steffey being placed in the cruiser.
We continue to tolerate this at our peril.
Torture is torture. It's not something you can spin. Regrettably, we live in a culture that has been doing just that for the past 9 years. That the tactics of brutalization and sexual humiliation we've visited on other countries are now perpetrated in our own communities was merely a matter of time.
Four years ago, a woman in rural Ohio named Hope Steffey was assaulted by a family member. She did what citizens are supposed to do and called the police. She had been knocked unconscious in the initial attack and was disoriented. After some confusion resulting from her state of shock, it was she who was arrested instead of the assailant. The arresting officer injured her back and her face and cracked her teeth. She was later violently stripped naked by both female and male officers. There are many questions surrounding the behavior of all the officials involved. Dash-cam footage does "not exist" prior to Steffey being placed in the cruiser.
We continue to tolerate this at our peril.
Quote Of The Day
Jan 2nd, 2011
"A liberal knows that the only certainty in life is change but believes the change can be directed toward a constructive end." -- Henry A. Wallace
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Quote Of The Day -- New Year's Day 2011 -- With A Message
Jan 1st, 2011
"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people." -- Howard Zinn
It's your country. What are you prepared to do? We have a scant few days before a deeply fascistic wave in the Republican membership of the 112th Congress is given broader power over our lives.
"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people." -- Howard Zinn
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