Scalia & the Supremes

You may have noticed that the four Supreme Court decisions since 2000 that most directly affect  elections in the United States have been carried by the five Republican appointees. In each case, the impact adversely affects  Democrats.

Scalia, Roberts, Thomas,  Kennedy  and Alito in 2010 in Citizens United and again today in overturning a hundred-year-old law restricting campaign spending in Montana;  Scalia, Thomas, Rehnquist, O'Connor  and Kennedy in 2000 re Bush v. Gore.

Here's the fourth decision which has been generally overlooked and which was designed to weaken the influence of  African Americans who overwhelmingly vote for the Democrat:

"Race Permitted in Redistricting (April 18, 2001): In crucial 5–4 ruling, justices reverse lower court finding that North Carolina legislature had violated the Constitution by using race as a predominant factor in drawing boundaries of congressional district. Because state's black voters vote overwhelmingly Democratic, Court could not determine definitively that redistricting was based on unconstitutional racial considerations rather than permissible political considerations."

Yeh, sure.

This Thursday's decision on the Affordable Care Act  on the face of it may not seem like an election matter.  But if, as is expected, the five on the right vote to overturn or gut it of its principal clause, it will have been as partisan a decision as the others. 

Does anyone doubt that the Republican fever to destroy Obamacare isn't a major campaign issue; its loss can and will be characterized during the campaign this year as another blow against  Obama's "drift toward socialism" and yet another major mistake by those dangerous Democrats.

Art W.

Art:  thanks so much for keeping us on the straight and narrow. - jm

Republican Hypocrisy

Isn't it amazing that the Republicans will tolerate millions of unemployed Americans just so ONE Democrat doesn't get reelected!

A Republican Dilemma

How would a rabid Republican vote on this ballot measure?
A bill where voting 'yes' would combines gay marriage with a tax cut on millionaires.

"'tis a puzzlement"  - the King and I

Krugman hits Republicans on economy.

This is a wonderful column by Paul Krugman from June 5, 2012.
Click on the link below to view it.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/columns/paul-krugman/paul-krugman-the-republican-economy/article_158fec0d-2f5b-5a58-b28f-b1d724026ca9.html

The latest "Must see"

I you missed this one be sure you catch this link!
Republican Women

Voter Fraud and Republican Hyprocrisy

I guess this explains it all. (five string)

The Republicans of the Right (not to be confused with correct) have been running a national legislative campaign to suppress what they call “voter fraud.”  In order to vote, they are demanding all sorts of elaborate identification, even though this same person is clearly registered and may have been voting legally for the past 60 years.  For them, this is a Big Issue, even though the number of people convicted of voter fraud  

The facts paint a quite different picture.  According to a report by the public-integrity section of the Justice Department found that from October 2002 to September 2005, the department charged 95 people with “election fraud”; 55 were convicted.

Reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/us/politics/27fraud.html?pagewanted=all
 {Please note:  The Republicans were in charge of the White House during those years!}

Listening to the GOP candidates, you would think that voter fraud is really a Big Deal. (as opposed to the Republican engineered election fraud that stole the 2000 election from Al Gore) Apparently, voter fraud is a danger to the United States on the same level as flag burning!  Of course, making it very difficult to vote keeps the voter turnout of many of the traditional Democratic and independent voters down.  This includes the elderly, who may not drive or have a birth certificate handy, the poor, who may not have the “proper” i.d. or the time to get it or the disabled, who have mobility and communications problems.

When it comes to purchasing a gun, the Republicans have no problem.  There is no national registry check to insure that the gun buyer is not a criminal, a citizen, a psycho or even blind!  Anyone with the dough can buy firearms through gun shows, dealers or “private sales.”  No i.d. is required in many cases.  In 2009, guns took the lives of 31,347 Americans in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings.

Reference: http://www.lcav.org/statistics-polling/gun_violence_statistics.asp#3

 Apparently, the GOP can live with this, as the most rabid gun owners, who go apeshit at the idea of firearms registration, most are likely to vote Republican.  Anyway, many of the victims of gun deaths are minorities, so it’s no big deal, but, God forbid, just don’t try to vote! 
Ok, Granny, bring your loaded AK-47 to church, but just be sure you have your officially issued new voter i.d. when you go to the same polling place you have gone to for the past 20 years or the righties will get you!



http://progressivenorthwest.blogspot.com

Republican Strategy Explained in one sentence

Please keep this link from Mitch McConnell in mind when you see all of the crap put out there by the Republican disinformation machine.  It explains everything.

Mitch Mcconnel explains their whole mission

They hate Obama more than they love America.

Barry said it!

I usually don't quote Barry Goldwater on this site, but here goes.
http://front.moveon.org/barry-goldwaters-warning-about-our-current-republican-party-in-one-graphic/?rc=fb.rp

Oil Prices: a bit of Logic

A Bit of Logic

By John Mollan

Given:  The real decision making process in the Republican Party is made by a small group of immensely wealthy white men at private clubs and functions.

Given:  The most influential members of this group are the owners of multinational firms including the petrochemical industry, the health insurance oligopolies, investment bankers and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Given:     These people would do absolutely anything to bring President Obama down.

Question:  Do you suppose that the sharp increase in American fuel prices we have witnessed lately is an intentional ploy by the multinational energy corporations to unseat the President?  At the present time, fuel consumption is down, refineries are “closed for maintenance” and the United States is Exporting gasoline.   They certainly have the power to do it!

Girl Scouts accused of ‘sexualizing’

Now we have heard it all!

 Scouting accused of ‘sexualizing’

 from USA Today, March 8, 2012

The Girl Scouts Centenary has not been all cookies and milk. On the eve of the group’s 100th anniversary, the Scouts find themselves in the middle of the culture wars, under attack from some conservatives for alleged associations with Planned Parenthood and for accepting a transgender child into a Colorado troop.

In response, some Roman Catholic churches, most recently in a Virginia diocese, have banned Girl Scouts from meeting in their parish halls. There also is a movement to boycott cookie sales because of the connection.

One Indiana legislator even refused to vote for a resolution honoring the Girl Scouts’ centennial. Rep. Bob Morris, a Republican from Fort Wayne, called the Scouts a “radicalized organization sexualizing young girls through the (Scouts) and quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood.” (Conan O’Brien immediately turned Morris’ comments into a late-night comedy routine, while the Republican head of the Indiana legislature bought Girl Scout cookies for all its members.)

Victor Inzunza, director of corporate communications for Girl Scouts, responded to the concerns in a statement:

“GSUSA does not take a position or develop materials on issues related to human sexuality, and we DO NOT have a national relationship with Planned Parenthood. Regarding (Morris’) comments about our inclusionary approach, we believe the diversity within Girl Scouts is what makes us great.”

--- USA Today, March 8, 2012

Who is the prostitute?

published in the March 5 LA Times online

Women and Republicans

Invasion of Privates?

Do you want the State of Virginia in your "business?"

Virginia Legislature Passes Occupy Vagina Law

This is not a joke, but the most horiffic invasion of women's bodies since the Middle Ages.

New Virginia Law invades women's bodies.

The One Percent Speak

Oil prices explained

Mitt Romney Made his Money the Old-Fashioned way.

Mitt Romney Made his Money the Old-Fashioned way...
He inherited it!

Attempted Coup in Arizona

In an action completely without precedence anywhere in the country, Arizona Republicans have voted to unjustifiably expel the Independent member of the state’s non-partisan redistricting commission, simply because the proposed maps were insufficiently partisan for Republican tastes.

What do we mean by “insufficiently partisan?” The state’s Independent Redistricting Commission drew a map that locks in a 2-to-1 GOP advantage in the congressional delegation and the legislature, but even that wasn’t good enough for Arizona Republicans.

GOP legislators demanded nothing less than an end to all accountability to the voters, but that would never happen through a truly non-partisan redistricting process. So they voted this week to fire the Independent redistricting commissioner on a party-line vote, with almost no notice or debate.

There is only one way to fix this naked, partisan power grab and restore fair redistricting in Arizona: the Independent member of Arizona’s redistricting commission must be reinstated and allowed to finish her job.

This, and only this, will honor the intent of Arizona voters, who spoke loud and clear when they ended politicians’ ability to gerrymander their way to power – or so we all thought.

Sign our petition today demanding that Arizona’s Independent redistricting commissioner be reinstated immediately!

This is the critical moment when we can make sure Arizona Republicans won’t get away with their partisan power grab or repeat it in other states. And you can be a part of it.

Here’s how Newsweek columnist John Avlon described what’s at stake and the difference we can make by speaking out:

One gauge the Arizona politicos will be watching is the level of public outcry. Politicians try this crap because they believe they’ll get away with it. (…) If Brewer gets away with this power grab, it will suddenly appear on the menu of every other governor looking to artificially preserve his or her party’s hold on power, Republican or Democrat. It is nothing less than an attempt to hijack representative democracy. These are the stakes, and that’s why it's time to take a stand in Arizona.

Show Republicans that they won’t get away with this power grab! Help restore non-partisan redistricting in Arizona by signing our petition today!

Mr. Avlon is right - swift and fierce public outcry is the only way we can stop shameless GOP power-grabs like this one from becoming the norm.

Please take a moment and sign the petition today.

Sincerely,

John Winston
National Political Director
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

Evil Politicians of the Last 60 Years

Evil Politicians of the Last 60 Years
(in no particular order)

Joseph McCarthy
Richard Nixon
Newt Gingrich
Karl Rove
Dick Cheney