ALL EYES ON OBAMA

A kinder, gentler @Apple ? Don't bet on it - the dark side of producing Apple's products in China

2012-01-27T10:03:00.001-08:00

It's not the first time the Times and other publications have written about the "punishing" work conditions at Foxconn, the contract manufacturing behemoth that also makes products for loads of other companies, not just Apple.

Foxconn--headquarted in Taiwan, but (according to Reuters) the largest private employer in mainland China--has been frequently in the news for fires and explosions at its factories along with a spate of worker suicides. But coming on the heels of Apple's jaw-dropping earnings and news that it had $98 billion squirreled away in cash, the article seems to have really touched a nerve, the "Occupy Apple" kind.

I don't think anybody's faulting Apple for wanting to make a good profit on its products or trying to keep up with demand. But what seems to be the big friction point is how much profit Apple is making and how it continues to squeeze its suppliers and manufacturing partners to the Nth degree.

The Times article depicts Apple as creating a vicious circle where suppliers and manufacturers desperately long for Apple's business ("Getting a contract from Apple can lift a company's value by millions because of the implied endorsement of manufacturing quality," the article states). But then it puts the big squeeze on everybody, making it exceedingly difficult for anybody but Apple to turn a profit.

You don't make $46.3 billion in a
quarter by being terribly nice.

The reporters, Charles Duhigg and David Barboza, serve up several damaging quotes but here are a few that seem to really hit home for a lot of readers:

"The only way you make money working for Apple is figuring out how to do things more efficiently or cheaper. And then they'll come back the next year, and force a 10 percent price cut."

Dignity Memorial Buries 1,000th Homeless Veteran

2012-01-27T09:56:00.003-08:00

Vietnam War veteran Stevenson L. Roy died broke and homeless, but Wednesday he received a funeral with full military honors in Portland, Ore., for his years of service to the country.

Naval Petty Officer 2nd Class Roy, buried in Willamette National Cemetery, was the 1,000th homeless veteran to be buried by Dignity Memorial. Operating in 35 cities, the organization partners with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, local medical examiners and funeral homes to ensure that veterans without friends or family are treated to the proper funeral service that they earned.

"It doesn't really matter what happened during their life," organization spokeswoman Lisa Marshall told The Huffington Post. "At some point, they were willing to give their life."

The organization, established in 2000, serves a role at a time an estimated 67,500 homeless veterans are at great risk for dying on the streets.

The nonprofit Community Solutions, which launched the 100,000 Homes Campaign, found that 27.3 percent of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, physical illness, and substance abuse at the same time. They are also more than 11 percentage points more likely to develop life-threatening diseases than homeless people who are not veterans, according to the report released in November.

rest at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/dignity-memorial-buries-1_n_1234681.html?utm_campaign=012712&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-impact&utm_content=FullStory

By the Numbers: Life and Death at Foxconn

2012-01-27T09:56:00.001-08:00

An investigative series by the New York Times and a performance piece by Mike Daisey featured on This American Life have put the spotlight on Foxconn, the Taiwanese company whose massive Chinese factories manufacture some of the world's most popular consumer electronics.

As well as working with companies like Dell, Motorola, Nokia and Hewlett-Packard, Foxconn assembles popular Apple products like the iPhone and iPad.

Here's a quick look at what we know about Foxconn. (The company disputes workers' accounts of abusive conditions. In a 2010 company report, Foxconn said it promotes "employee respect, an atmosphere of trust, and personal dignity.")

Working for Foxconn

1.2 million: number of workers employed by Foxconn in China, according to the New York Times.

40: Estimated percent of the world's consumer electronics manufactured by Foxconn.

7: seconds it takes Foxconn's workers to complete a single step of their work, according to a survey cited by the New York Times.

12: Hours in a typical work shift, according to interviews with Foxconn employees.

83.2: Average hours of overtime worked each month, according to a 2010 survey of Foxconn employee.

13: age of a Foxconn employee Mike Daisey interviewed outside the gates of a Foxconn plant in Shenzen.

91: cases of underage labor found by Apple's audits of its suppliers in 2010, the year Daisey visited China.

rest at

http://www.propublica.org/article/by-the-numbers-life-and-death-at-foxconn

Newt Gingrich is Telling the Truth #p2 #tcot

2012-01-27T09:46:00.001-08:00

Newt Gingrich is Telling the Truth

Jan 26, 2012 | By ThinkProgress War Room

Newt Attacks Romney for Profiting Off Florida Foreclosures

This morning, Newt launched a new broadside against Mitt Romney, attacking him for personally profiting, via a Goldman Sachs investment, off mortgage lenders responsible for thousands of foreclosures in Florida.

Watch it:

The charges Newt is leveling against Romney stem from an exclusive item ThinkProgress broke yesterday. ThinkProgress' Josh Israel explains:

A ThinkProgress examination of Mitt Romney's presidential personal financial disclosures from May 2011 reveal that the former Massachusetts governor and his wife own or owned millions of dollars worth of a Goldman Sachs investment fund invested heavily in mortgage-backed obligations. And the current owners of those mortgage debts began foreclosure proceedings against thousands of Floridians.

Along with his investments in Bain Capital funds linked to offshore tax havens, the Romneys have large investments in the Goldman Sachs Strategic Income Fund (institutional class). The firm's March 2011 annual report for the fund notes that about 8 percent of the fund is invested in banks and 24.5 percent is invested in mortgage-backed obligations. Romney's form says he has invested between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000 in the fund and his wife Ann has invested an additional $1 million-plus. Since the 2008 economic meltdown and the enactment of the Troubled Asset Relief Fund, this fund has done quite well, growing 7.88 percent between April 2010 and March 2011.

The mortgage-backed securities in the fund include adjustable rate mortgages from Bear Stearns, Countrywide, IndyMac, and Washington Mutual. A 2009 Center for Public Integrity report identified all four of those companies as among the top-25 subprime lenders in the lead-up to the market's collapse. Countrywide ranked first in that report and Washington Mutual ranked second. While the remnants of those companies have been purchased by major financial institutions, an array of mortgage loan service companies bought up the individual mortgages.

An examination of civil cases filed in Miami-Dade county alone, by just the current owners of the mortgage obligations for now-defunct Washington Mutual and Countrywide, suggests more than 5,000 foreclosure cases were filed in 2010.

And Miami-Dade makes up only about 13 percent of the Florida population, suggesting that these and the other owners mortgage-backed securities included in this fund likely have attempted to foreclose on tens of thousands of Floridians.

A review of Romney's August 2007 financial disclosure for his 2008 campaign reveals no mention of the Goldman Sachs Strategic Income Fund, suggesting the investment was made at some point between the two campaigns.

The funds are identified on the disclosure form as technically being in a "blind trust," but now that he has publicly disclosed these assets, the trust is no longer functionally "blind." The trustee for the trust, R. Bradlford Malt, said this week that he dropped some other Romney investments that conflicted with the Republican Party's values.

In October, Romney suggested that the solution to the foreclosure crisis was "don't try and stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom." While that process is bad for Florida homeowners, these investments show it may have been good for the Romneys.

The Romney campaign responded with a single word: "Wow," and then leveled their now familiar (and tired) charge that this is an attack on the "free enterprise system." Tellingly, the Romney campaign did not deny the substance of the allegations — that Romney personally profited, via a Goldman Sachs investment, in mortgage lenders responsible for thousands of foreclosures in Florida.

As we've said before: we're not attacking the free enterprise system. We're not attacking capitalism. We are attacking a broken economy where the game is rigged in favor of a privileged few at the expense of everyone else.

Instead of an economy where someone can amass a quarter-billion dollar fortune — on which they pay a lower tax rate than middle class workers — by laying off workers, bankrupting companies, and foreclosing on homes, we need an economy that works for everyone.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

Bill Gates isn't afraid to try new things in his education philanthropy.

Undocumented students protest a Mitt Romney event over his pledge to veto the DREAM Act.

And Mitt Romney is burnishing his culture warrior credentials, accusing Obama of "an assault on religion."

Two-thirds of American investors support closing one of Mitt Romney's most egregious tax loopholes. In other Romney tax news, his campaign dismissed as "trivial" his failure to disclose his Swiss bank account and other investments on his legally-required Personal Financial Disclosure form.

Bank of America's offer to homeowners: We'll modify loans if you'll erase all the mean things said about us on Twitter.

Will electronic voting make the Oscars relevant?

President Obama heaps mockery on Romney's "envy" charge: "I promise you. Bill gates does not envy the rich."

Despite campaigning for Latino votes in Florida, most GOP candidates want English to be the official language.

An Islamophobic officer plans to speak at West Point, but some veterans want him out. West Point is defending the invitation, saying cadets deserve to hear a "wide range of views."

THINKPROGRESS | Center for American Progress Action Fund
1333 H Street NW, 10th Floor | Washington, DC 20005

@gop New Hampshire Republicans Propose Bills That Prevent Police From Protecting Domestic Abuse Victims #p2 #tcot

2012-01-26T12:56:00.001-08:00

Since the 1970s, New Hampshire police have operated under a progressive policy for handling domestic violence cases that has saved countless lives. Under current law the presumption is that an arrest will be made when police observe evidence of abuse. They have a large degree of discretion and don't need to witness the assault firsthand or obtain a legal warrant before they can separate the alleged attacker from his victim.

All that will change if Republicans get their way. The state's GOP legislators are pushing two bills that will reverse a half century of progress, the Concord Monitor reports:

Domestic violence is no longer taken lightly legally or by society. That's the way it should be, but two bills under consideration by this most unusual of legislatures, would undo that progress and put lives in danger. Both deserve a speedy defeat.

House Bill 1581 would turn the clock back 40 years to an age when a police officer could not make an arrest in a domestic violence case without first getting a warrant unless he or she actually witnessed the crime. That's an exceedingly dangerous change. Consider the following scenario, one outlined for lawmakers by retired Henniker police chief Tim Russell:

An officer is called to a home where she sees clear evidence that an assault has occurred. The furniture is overturned, the children are sobbing, and the face of the woman of the house is bruised and bleeding. It's obvious who the assailant was, but the officer arrived after the assault occurred. It's a small department, and no one else on the force is available to keep the peace until the officer finds a judge or justice of the peace to issue a warrant. The officer leaves, and the abuser renews his attack with even more ferocity, punishing his victim for having called for help. [...]

It's impossible to say how many lives the policy, in place since the 1970s, has saved or how many injuries it's prevented. If they adopt House Bill 1581, lawmakers might find out, but the price paid could be extraordinarily high.

rest http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/01/26/411865/new-hampshire-republicans-propose-bills-that-prevent-police-from-protecting-domestic-abuse-victims/?mobile=nc

Homeless Female Veterans Double In Population, Call For Employment Assistance

2012-01-26T11:39:00.001-08:00

The fact that many homeless female veterans are middle-aged, divorced, unemployed and single mothers is more than just research on paper for Jennifer John. It's the reality the 42-year-old homeless veteran has struggled with for six years.

John lives in a U.S. Vets-funded women's long-term living center in Long Beach, Calif., where she pays rent that's partially subsidized. She lives with her teenage daughter and has been homeless since 2006.

During that very window of time, the homeless female veteran population has more than doubled, a new study says.

Using "limited VA data," the Government Accountability Office report suggests that the number of homeless veteran women has risen from 1,380 in 2006 to 3,328 in 2010.

The study acknowledges the fact that the number of women veterans has doubled from 4 percent of all veterans in 1990 to 8 percent today.

The report states that the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has committed to ending homelessness among all veterans by 2015 and funds several programs to house homeless veterans, needs to take specific actions to improve housing.

"While the VA is taking steps--such as launching an outreach campaign--to end homelessness among all veterans, it does not have sufficient data about the population and needs of women veterans to plan effectively for increases in their numbers as servicemembers return from Iraq and Afghanistan," the report states.

The GAO suggests the VA collect more detailed data on homeless female veterans, improve transitional housing while they await government homes and tailor safety and security standards for homeless female veterans.

Officials from the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development "generally agreed" with the recommendations from the GAO, according to the report.

Veteran homeless counts, however, have never been an exact science. The Army Times points outthat the data aren't representative because "no government agencies consistently track homelessness among female veterans, which raises questions about the VA's ability to help those women."

John, who is now pursuing a degree in social work, explains that some of the female vet-specific issues that create complications in readjusting back to life include having to leave children upon deploying, dealing with family trauma upon returning and recovering from military sexual abuse.

John says that in her opinion, the top way to fight homelessness among female vets is to provide help in finding a job. She hopes for a tailored program and suggested an increase in recruiters who can help her find long-term employment that best fits her skills.

"Focus on us not as a group but as an individual," John said. "Place us according to what we know -- not just at any old job. And whatever I'm lacking, help me get the training."

rest http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/26/homeless-female-veterans-jobs_n_1234017.html?utm_campaign=012612&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-impact&utm_content=FullStory

Caterpillar Sees Record Profits As It Works To Slash Salaries

2012-01-26T11:36:00.000-08:00

The union representing workers locked out of a Caterpillar locomotive plant in London, Ont., is taking the fight to Caterpillar's customers on the day the company posted record profits and revenue.

The Canadian Auto Workers announced Thursday morning they will be picketing in front of a dozen Caterpillar dealerships and service centres in an effort to raise awareness about the nearly month-long lockout of workers at the Electro-Motive plant in London.

Caterpillar reported a 36 per cent increase in after-tax profit for both the fourth quarter of 2011 and the full year 2011. Revenues for the year increased four per cent to $2.65 billion.

Despite the record profits, the company is pressuring its employees at the London locomotive plant to accept a pay cut from $32 per hour to $16.50. Caterpillar locked out the workers on Jan. 1 after union members rejected the pay cut.

"This is all about greed," says Bob Scott, union plant chair at Electro-Motive. "How are workers supposed to go back to earning wages last paid nearly 25 years ago, while the company is richer than ever?"

The CAW notes that the latest compensation package for Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman was worth $10.5 million, "twice what he received the year before."

The conflict in London is beginning to gain attention, with many observers growing increasingly alarmed about what massive pay cuts at highly profitable companies could mean for the future of the economy.

rest http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/01/26/electro-motive-lockout-caterpillar-record-profits_n_1233421.html?utm_campaign=012612&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-canada-business&utm_content=FullStory

RapidShare Attorney: If We're Shut Down Like Megaupload, Then YouTube, Dropbox, Apple's iCloud Are Next

2012-01-26T10:08:00.001-08:00

There's been near nuclear fallout from federal prosecutors shuttering of Megaupload, the file-sharing service accused of costing the entertainment industry $500 million in lost revenues. It's estimated that shutting down Megaupload's family of websites, which are accused of hosting massive amounts of copyrighted files, affected 1% of all Internet traffic. The feds are seeking the forfeiture of $175 million from Megaupload's flamboyant founder, Kim Dotcom; sympathetic hacker coalition Anonymous has since launched online attacks against the RIAA, MPAA, and Justice Department; and file-sharing and cloud services from FileSonic to Dropbox are wondering what this could mean for the industry.

On Tuesday, we caught up with RapidShare attorney and spokesman Daniel Raimer. RapidShare is one of the world's most popular file-hosting sites, and many have wondered whether the site could be next on the feds' list of targets. In part one of our two-part interview, Raimer explains why if RapidShare is shut down like Megaupload, then Apple's iCloud, Microsoft's SkyDrive, Google's YouTube, and Dropbox deserve the same fate too.

FAST COMPANY: Do you think Megaupload was fairly or unfairly targeted?

DANIEL RAIMER: I guess that's up to a jury to decide. I'm not a judge, and I don't want to make any verdict. I've seen doing Megaupload doing things that we wouldn't do, and that we strongly discourage, such as their heavy rewards program. But I don't want to say that they're guilty. It's not up to us to decide that.

Do you think federal prosecutors will target RapidShare next?

I don't think so.

Why not?

Let me put it like this. The technology behind Megaupload and RapidShare may be similar, but this is also true for the technology of Microsoft's SkyDrive or Apple's iCloud, which is not too different from what RapidShare is. It's uploading a file, and accessing it over the Internet, or even sharing at certain times with friends. The business from an ethical standpoint is really similar. The main difference is, what exactly is your business model? Are you aiding piracy? Is your intent to make money by attracting pirates and getting attention from copyright pirates? Or do you want to have serious customers and long-time relationships with satisfied people from all over the world, who trust you? That's exactly what we do.

rest http://www.fastcompany.com/1810967/rapidshare-lawyer-if-were-shut-down-like-megaupload-then-youtube-dropbox-and-apples-icloud-a

two-thirds of @Apple ’s $97.6 billion cash pile is offshore. That’s a lot of money for an American company to keep outside of America

2012-01-26T08:31:00.001-08:00

It's been a banner week for Apple. With Apple's announcement of Q1 2012 results, the company is now apparently worth more than Greece.

In the same week, the President of the United States invoked the late Steve Jobs and Apple in his Congressionally-mandated State of the Union address.

Just a few hours later, in the GOP response to the President's speech, Governor Mitch Daniels also played the Steve Jobs card, saying "The late Steve Jobs — what a fitting name he had — created more of them than all those stimulus dollars the President borrowed and blew."

Partisanship aside, certainly Apple has created a lot of jobs over the years. But today, most of the jobs created by Apple are not American jobs, they're sweatshop-style jobs for miserable, overworked workers in China.

According to the New York Times, Apple employs 43,000 people in the United States. That's not an inconsiderable number of people. However, Apple no longer builds its own devices. There was a time when Apple computers were actually manufactured in the United States. Today, Apple products are built in China. Foxconn City has 230,000 people working to make iPhones and iPads — and Presidential candidate Rick Santorum claims more than 500,000 people build Apple products in China.

In other words, Apple provides jobs to more than 10 times more employees outside the United States than in the United States.

But Apple is a U.S. company. We know it is because both the President and the loyal opposition just pointed to it (or to the Dearly Departed, in any case) as a model for American business.

Let's look at that model, shall we? According to the Apple earnings call, the company had a whopping $97.6 billion (yes, billion) dollars in cash at the end of December. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of that money, "about $64 billion," was "offshore" at the end of December, according to Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer.

That's a lot of money for an American company to keep outside of America.

In fact, MG Siegler of TechCrunch raises a rather disturbing allegation. He says, "$64 billion of that is offshore, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer stated during the call — meaning, it would cost money (taxes) to bring it back into the U.S."

Despite TechCrunch's reputation for inflammatory posts, Siegler's allegation is troubling. I'm not an international finance expert, but the idea — the mere idea — that a company like Apple would store its big wad of loot offshore to avoid paying its fair share to America makes me ill.

I floated this troubling thought to ZDNet's editors before running this story and to ask for some of their advice about how to approach telling you about it. Ed Bott reminded me that there was a great deal of discussion of the same issue when Microsoft was purchasing Skype. Microsoft has $42 billion overseas.

rest http://www.zdnet.com/blog/government/apple-made-in-china-untaxed-profits-kept-offshore/11126?tag=nl.e539

FIVE Most Shocking Things About Mitt Romney’s Tax Plan #p2 #tcot @gop

2012-01-12T15:33:00.001-08:00

Problems viewing this email? View it in your web browser.

The FIVE Most Shocking Things About Mitt Romney's Tax Plan

Jan 12, 2012 | By ThinkProgress War Room

Romney's Ready to Hand Out Billions More to the 1 Percent

The Center for American Progress Action Fund's Michael Linden, director of tax and budget policy, and Seth Hanlon, director of fiscal reform, took a closer look at Romney's tax plan.

Here's what they found in five quick charts.

IN ONE SENTENCE: Millionaire Mitt Romney's economic agenda is of, by, and for the wealthiest 1 Percent of Americans — period.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

New Hampshire lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill as early as next week that would repeal the state's marriage equality law.

The Palmetto State's reputation for conservatism shouldn't obscure the fact that establishment candidates like Mitt Romney can rely on it.

Rick Santorum reiterated his opposition to the existence of Medicare during a town hall in South Carolina Thursday morning, saying, "we should not have a government-run health care system on Medicare or anything else."

An Arizona school district suspended its Mexican-American history department because of the state's new law banning ethnic studies.

Veterans flood an Iraqi restaurant in Massachusetts to show their support after a rock is thrown through its window.

Ten years later, the No Child Left Behind policy ignores plenty.

Why don't more women run for political office?

Revolving door politics: a top Bush-era financial regulator is now a top financial industry lobbyist.

The creator of 2 Broke Girls doesn't find any of his show's racial and ethnic stereotypes offensive.

THINKPROGRESS | Center for American Progress Action Fund
1333 H Street NW, 10th Floor | Washington, DC 20005

Rep. Lamar Smith seeks mandate to store mass internet user data #p2 #tcot @gop

2012-01-11T13:00:00.001-08:00

from http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/173604/under-the-radar-rep-lamar-smith-seeks-mandate-to-store-mass-internet-user-data/

Radical writer and free thinker Thomas Paine once wrote, "An avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty. It leads men to stretch, to misinterpret, and to misapply even the best of laws. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." Paine crafted these words for the last paragraph of Dissertations on First Principles of Government in 1795.

How true these words have always been, and no more so than now, for the U.S. government is intent on embarking on one of the grossest violations of liberty in some time, though this is hard to believe in this Post-9/11 world which we inhabit.

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are both considering bills that would create massive internet user databases to which the government would have access. This is, in technological corridors, known as "data retention policy" and it has become a cause célèbre from the WikiLeaks #NOLOGS campaign against Twitter data retention to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF) concerns about the same in AOL's instant messaging policy.

The offending pieces of legislation are disguised within the morally impregnable title "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011″—H.R. 1981 in the House and S. 1308 in the Senate. To oppose such legislation, equipped as it is with such pathos, one is rather immediately on the defensive. However, as The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) reports in "Compliance with a Data Retention Mandate – Costs Will Skyrocket with Trends in Internet Addressing," the data retention policy contained in the bills is troubling.

The bill makes plain its pursuit of those engaged in the internet distribution of child pornography, and that user data would be gathered at the ISP level across America; but, its sponsors have not been forthright with the American people by willfully neglecting to state that the legislation, as it currently exists, would create a sweeping dragnet to which all would be subject.

As CDT writes, "The mandates would impact hundreds of millions of individuals who have no connection whatsoever to the sexual exploitation of children or any other criminal activity." This is the very essence of the matter. That there is no dialogue to this effect in the mainstream media, or via politicians to their constituents and the country at large, is vileness of the highest order.

It's also worth noting that imposing expansive data retention mandates on ISPs and mobile carriers is not cost-effective, which has been an obstacle to similar legislation in the past.

As CDT writes, "The high capital and operating costs associated with data retention mandates have long been identified as barriers to legislation. However, changes in technology in recent years will raise these costs to new highs."

It should come as no surprise as well that the bill's House sponsor is Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), who also happens to be the chief sponsor of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which would also violate civil liberties in its misguided attempt to stop online piracy—a fool's errand if there ever was one. Smith, as it seems, is a one-man wrecking crew of internet totalitarianism.

As Paine's words make so abundantly clear, and as I have noted in several articles relating to Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the original intent of a law can be wise but its application over time can be perverted (no pun intended).

douchebag: @CBOE Chairman "Embarrassed" To Live In Illinois After Receiving $6 Million Tax Break Package #p2 #tcot

2012-01-11T12:48:00.001-08:00

from http://chicagoist.com/2012/01/11/cboe_chairman_embarrassed_to_live_i.php

We can't really argue with Civic Committee member and CBOE Holdings CEO Bill Brodsky that Illinois Is Broke but, like Capitol Fax's Rich Miller, we wonder exactly Brodsky believes made the state broke?

In reference to Illinois' recent bond rating downgrade by Moody's Investors Service, Brodsky told reporters at a luncheon that he was "embarrassed to live here."

Moody's lowered Illinois' bond rating to A2, the lowest for any state. Brodsky also said in response to the move, "We need people to come together and recognize the gravity of the situation and work together to a solution."

The statement comes on the heels of the Illinois legislature passing a bill which gives millions in tax credit to CBOE, as well as CME Group, Sears Holdings Corp. and other big businesses.

Later in the luncheon, Brodsky said the state needs to deal with pension reform, and trumpeted both Cook County's and Chicago's efforts to deal with financial problems, saying that the state has "yet to take serious steps" in dealing with its budget crisis.

Yes, Illinois needs to deal with its fiscal crisis, but we echo Miller's statement on Brodsky's words:

If he was so concerned about Illinois' budget problems, then perhaps he shouldn't have threatened to move his company out of state unless he received a big tax cut.

Springfield passed legislation that curbs the amount of trades taxed as Illinois sales because many trades occur over electronic systems by out-of-state parties. Brodsky wouldn't disclose the full amount of CBOE's tax breaks, but analysts estimate they would save the company $6 million annually.

good for him: Gay Soldier Booed By @GOP Gives A Level-Headed Response #p2 #tcot

2012-01-05T11:11:00.001-08:00

here http://front.moveon.org/gay-soldier-booed-by-gop-gives-a-level-headed-response/?rc=fb.fan

@gop insanity: Florida Republican Introduces Bill Criminalizing Abortion – Calling For Life In Prison #p2 #tcot

2012-01-05T11:10:00.001-08:00

here http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/01/05/florida-republican-introduces-bill-criminalizing-abortion-calling-for-life-in-prison/

"Van Zant introduced a bill which would make providing abortions a felony, even in cases of rape and incest. The only exceptions would be when the woman's life is in danger. The Bill, called the Florida for Life Act, says (from Think Progress):

A termination of pregnancy may not be performed unless:
(a) Two physicians certify in writing to the fact that, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, the termination of pregnancy is necessary to prevent the death of the patient;

(b) Two physicians certify in writing to the fact that, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, the termination of pregnancy is necessary because to continue the pregnancy would unreasonably reduce the likelihood of successful treatment of a life-threatening disease of the patient; or

(c) A physician certifies in writing that a medical emergency existed and another physician was not available for consultation prior to the time necessary to perform the termination of pregnancy. The physician's written certification must clearly describe the medical emergency.

The maximum penalty for the doctor would be life in prison.

Let's just hope that pregnant women in Florida don't need medical care. Let's hope that fetuses don't need quality nutrition. Let's hope the babies don't need homes, medical care or food. Let's hope they don't grow up to need jobs. Because even before they exit the womb, Florida's attention has moved on to the next unborn fetus.

Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be doctors."

@RickSantorum you are a douchebag: Santorum Mocks Obama For Extending Health Care Coverage To ‘Everybody’

2012-01-05T11:08:00.001-08:00

here http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/01/05/398330/santorum-mocks-obama-for-extending-health-care-coverage-to-everybody/

these are the douche's that want to run our country: Santorum Mocks Obama For Extending Health Care Coverage To ‘Everybody’ #p2 #tcot @gop

2012-01-05T11:07:00.001-08:00

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/01/05/398330/santorum-mocks-obama-for-extending-health-care-coverage-to-everybody/

Rick Santorum touted his opposition to the Affordable Care Act early this morning during an event in Manchester, New Hampshire and drew a clear distinction between his long-standing opposition to universal health care and the past positions of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. "I've never been for government-run health care, never. Unlike the other two folks who are running here, who have supported individual mandates, who have supported top-down government health care, I never have," he said.

The former Pennsylvania senator also implied that widespread access to health care is "what's destroying most countries in the world" and mocked President Obama for passing reform that offered insurance to "everybody":

SANTORUM: No, we have to have something for everybody! We can't have people having access to better health insurance than other people. No! It all has to be the same! Is that American? Equality of result? Is that what built the greatest country in the history of the world? No. That's what's destroying most of the countries in the world.

Watch it:

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/01/05/398330/santorum-mocks-obama-for-extending-health-care-coverage-to-everybody/

“Job-Killing” EPA Regulations for Chesapeake Bay Will Create 35 Times as Many Jobs as Keystone XL Pipeline

2012-01-04T09:03:00.001-08:00

here http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2012/01/04/397397/job-killing-epa-regulations-chesapeake-bay-create-many-jobs-keystone-xl-pipeline/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climateprogress%2FlCrX+%28Climate+Progress%29

President To Just Go Ahead And Appoint Cordray As Financial Protection Chief

2012-01-04T09:02:00.003-08:00

http://consumerist.com/2012/01/president-to-just-go-ahead-and-appoint-cordray-as-financial-protection-chief.html

Santorum’s Tax Plan Would Likely Add Trillions Of Dollars To The Deficit

2012-01-04T09:02:00.001-08:00

here http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/01/04/397368/santorum-deficit-tax-plan/

Michele Bachmann to suspend presidential campaign

2012-01-04T08:59:00.001-08:00

here http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/04/1051451/-Michele-Bachmann-to-suspend-presidential-campaign?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29

Did Psychopaths Take Over Wall Street Asylum?: William D. Cohan

2012-01-04T08:55:00.001-08:00

It took a relatively obscure former British academic to propagate a theory of the financial crisis that would confirm what many people suspected all along: The "corporate psychopaths" at the helm of our financial institutions are to blame.

Clive R. Boddy, most recently a professor at the Nottingham Business School at Nottingham Trent University, says psychopaths are the 1 percent of "people who, perhaps due to physical factors to do with abnormal brain connectivity and chemistry" lack a "conscience, have few emotions and display an inability to have any feelings, sympathy or empathy for other people."

As a result, Boddy argues in a recent issue of the Journal of Business Ethics, such people are "extraordinarily cold, much more calculating and ruthless towards others than most people are and therefore a menace to the companies they work for and to society."

How do people with such obvious personality flaws make it to the top of seemingly successful corporations? Boddy says psychopaths take advantage of the "relative chaotic nature of the modern corporation," including "rapid change, constant renewal" and high turnover of "key personnel." Such circumstances allow them to ascend through a combination of "charm" and "charisma," which makes "their behaviour invisible" and "makes them appear normal and even to be ideal leaders."

Stable Environment

Until the last third of the 20th century, he writes, companies were mostly stable and slow to change. Lifetime employment was a reasonable expectation and people rose through the ranks.

This stable environment meant corporate psychopaths "would be noticeable and identifiable as undesirable managers because of their selfish egotistical personalities and other ethical defects."

rest http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-03/did-psychopaths-take-over-wall-street-asylum-commentary-by-william-cohan.html

Psychopaths Caused the Financial Crisis … And They Will Do It Again and Again Unless They Are Removed From Power

2012-01-04T08:54:00.001-08:00

here http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/01/psychopaths-caused-the-financial-crisis/

JPMorgan Chase Sued For $95 Million Over Allegedly Misrepresenting Mortgage Loans

2012-01-04T08:50:00.001-08:00

here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/03/jpmorgan-lawsuit_n_1181211.html

Big bucks flood 2012 election — What the courts said and why we should care

2012-01-04T08:49:00.001-08:00

In 2010, the courts reversed decades of legal precedent when they said it was OK for corporations and unions to spend as much as they want to put their favorite candidates in office.

Laws aimed at limiting the corrupting influence of corporate money in elections go back more than a century while restrictions on union spending go back more than 60 years.

So what happened?

The short answer is, the First Amendment happened — or at least a new interpretation of it did.

In a nutshell, corporations and unions now have the same First Amendment right as people do to spend as much money as they want on advertising and other political spending to get candidates elected — as long as they aren't in cahoots with them.

Some history

The government has been consistent, though not always effective, in attempting to insulate elections from the corrupting influence of corporations and labor unions.

Congress first banned corporations from funding federal campaigns in 1907 with theTillman Act. President Theodore Roosevelt, the great reformer of the Gilded Age, said at the time that such a prohibition would be "an effective method of stopping the evils aimed at in corrupt practices acts."

(Ironically, it was Roosevelt himself who benefited from those contributions.) In 1947, the Taft-Hartley Act extended the ban to labor unions. The laws were weak and largely unenforceable.

rest http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/01/03/7782/big-bucks-flood-2012-election-what-courts-said-and-why-we-should-care

FACT CHECK: GOP candidates throw out false facts on Iran #p2 #tcot @gop

2012-01-04T08:48:00.001-08:00

Iran is very much in the news, with President Obama signing legislation that imposes new sanctions against Iran, which has warned it may retaliate by closing a key oil route. But there was more heat than light on the critical issue of Iran from two GOP presidential candidates this weekend:

On CNN's "State of the Union," Rep. Ron Paul falsely claimed the International Atomic Energy Agency "did not find any evidence" that Iran is "on the verge of a [nuclear] weapon." However, the IAEA reported on Nov. 8 that Iran has carried out activities "relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device."
On "Meet the Press," Rick Santorum went too far in claiming Obama "basically" said the 2009 reelection of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was "a legitimate one." Actually, Obama said he could not "state definitively one way or another" whether the election was legitimate, because the U.S. did not have election monitors in Iran.

Several Republican candidates appeared on the Sunday talk shows to talk politics and policy, with the Iowa caucuses two days away. A key topic was Iran.

Paul, Jan. 1: "At least Iran is in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and that's a step and they do have inspections. The AEIE did not find any evidence that they are on the verge of a weapon."
rest at
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/01/03/7777/fact-check-gop-candidates-throw-out-false-facts-iran

Ecuador court upholds $9.5 billion ruling against Chevron for environmental damage

2012-01-04T08:46:00.001-08:00

here http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/03/ecuador-court-upholds-9-5-bn-ruling-against-chevron/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+%28The+Raw+Story%29

@FOXNEWS LIES: You know what's cheesy? Fox News telling viewers there's no caucuses for Democrats tonight.#P2 #TCOT @ANDREWBREITBART

2012-01-03T12:43:00.001-08:00

HERE http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/bill-kristol-lies-fox-news-viewers-about-de

Rick Santorum's own nephew won't vote for him. #P2 #TCOT @GOP

2012-01-03T12:41:00.003-08:00

HERE http://shortformblog.tumblr.com/post/15251441068/rick-santorum-nephew

Mitt Romney layoff victim speaks out #P2 #TCOT @GOP

2012-01-03T12:41:00.001-08:00

FROM http://peoplesworld.org/mitt-romney-layoff-victim-speaks-out/

"I really feel he didn't care about the workers. It was all about profit before people," said Randy Johnson who worked in Marion, Indiana at American Pad and Paper Co. in the 1990's. He was talking about Mitt Romney who was then the CEO of Bain Capital, the outfit that had taken over Johnson's company and proceeded to lay off dozens of workers.

Johnson, who spoke at a rally in Iowa for President Obama this week, said, in a phone interview that Romney's company made tens of millions of dollars in profits from its "investment" in the paper manufacturer. The "investment" involved mass layoffs, liquidation of jobs and bankruptcy for Johnson's company.

Publicity concerning Romney's role as a job killer can potentially destroy what the former governor has used as his main claim to electability - the claim that he has years of experience as a job-creating businessman .

Romney has repeatedly claimed on the campaign trail that during his tenure at Bain he created over 100,000 jobs, claims that, at first, fact checkers, then laid off workers, and now major news outlets are calling false.

The Romney campaign, without addressing the actual charges by Johnson and others, dismissed the worker as a "crony" of Obama, who, the campaign claims, is employing a "kill Romney strategy" because the president is afraid to face the former governor in November.

Johnson noted that he and other workers have to come forward to expose Romney because his Republican opponents, due to their own support for the "1 percent," will not give voice to workers who lost their jobs because of Romney's role at Bain Capital.

Workers at the Marion paper factory actually went out on strike in July, 1994, soon after Ampad bought the facility. They balked at demands for cutbacks in wages, benefits and working conditions. Ampad, itself, had been purchased by Bain.

"Romney was the main man at Bain. Bain owned Ampad and they decided to close the plant," said Johnson who was a union activist then in Marion and who now is on staff with the Steelworkers in Pittsburgh.

The late Sen. Edward Kennedy condemned Romney in the fall of 1994 for his role in the destruction of jobs at the plant. At that time Romney was trying to unseat Kennedy in the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts. "Romney never intended to give the Ampad workers a fair deal," said Joseph Faherty, who was then president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

Romney's only response, at that time, was that he "felt "very sorry for the workers and their families" but that he couldn't, on the advice of lawyers, "get involved."

Johnson worked as a hanging file folder operator at the Indiana paper plant when, in 1994, it was bought by Ampad, which had already been acquired by Bain Capital.

Johnson described what happened after the sale: "They quickly fired every single employee. They walked the fired workers out of the building. Handing them applications as they left, telling the workers if they wanted to work for the new company, they were welcome to apply."

Johnson himself was hired back on night shift. He no longer had a pension, got reduced wages and benefits, had to pay half the health insurance costs as opposed to having to pay none before, and could be forced to work overtime. "Seniority didn't matter," Johnson said. "You could now be forced to go on whatever shift or whatever machine they wanted."

Just before Christmas that year, Romney's company announced that if workers didn't agree to its demands the plant would close. The workers rejected what the company called its last best and final offer by a 156-14 vote and on Feb. 15 the plant was shut down.

Johnson said people cried and that "families were devastated. In some cases, the husband and wife both worked there. They lost all their income. It doesn't get much worse than that."

And now it surfaces that Romney's drive for profits shattered lives in the other regions of the country, including the South and New England.

The Associated Press has reported that more than 20 years ago Romney's business venture arrived in Gaffney, South Carolina, saying it needed skilled workers to produce photo albums.

Four years later, the Holmes Burns Group Inc., the company controlled by Romney's Bain Capital LLC, shuttered the factory and laid off150 workers. Some of the jobs went to New Hampshire where they were lost again. Most were shipped overseas.

AP said their story contrasts sharply with Romney's claims of having been a job creator and that it shows, in fact, that Bain, headed by Romney, "wrung profits out of the company by slashing costs and trimming its workforce."

Apparently the candidate himself is starting to get worried. At last week's Republican debate Romney, speaking of President Obama, said: "He's going to come after me and say, you know, in businesses that you've invested in, they didn't all succeed. Some failed, some laid off people. And he'll be absolutely right. In the real world, some things don't make it."

Photo: Mitt Romney, mindful of how the job-killing former CEO of Hewiett-Pachard, Republican Carly Fiorina, lost her Senate bid in 2010 to Democrat Barbara Boxer, has been telling voters that complaints about his own job-killing past are the work of Obama "cronies." Charles Dharapak/AP

FUCK YES: MSNBC contributor: ‘Rick Santorum is a homophobe and a bigot’ #P2 #TCOT @GOP @ANDREWBREITBART

2012-01-03T12:37:00.001-08:00

FROM http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/03/msnbc-contributor-rick-santorum-is-a-homophobe-and-a-bigot/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+%28The+Raw+Story%29

A regular MSNBC contributor says people should stop beating around the bush and just call Rick Santorum what he is.

In a discussion on Tuesday about who would win the Iowa caucuses, United Republic senior strategist Jimmy Williams lashed out at the Republican presidential candidate for being "a homophobe and a bigot."

"I find it utterly fascinating when white people think they know how black people think," Williams explained, referring to a recent controversy where Santorum said he didn't "want to make black people's lives better by giving them" welfare.

"I find it absolutely fascinating when men think they know how to tell women what to do with their bodies," Williams added. "What in God's name are these people thinking?"

"This is taken completely out of context," conservative political commentator S.E. Cupp objected. "He talks about how conservative social policies are better for white people and for black people."

"I take great offense to that as a gay man making plenty of money," Williams interrupted. "I can't go raise a kid as well as a mom and a dad can?"

"That's not what he — you're taking things out of context," Cupp insisted.

"That's what he says all the time!" Williams shot back. "Rick Santorum is a homophobe and a bigot. Let's call it what it is."

"He absolutely isn't!" Cupp exclaimed. "He talks about the economics of these policies and these social issues that we talk about. It's so theoretical without ties to anything concrete. That's what he does."

MSNBC host Alex Wagner pointed out that in his latest remarks, Santorum was "singling out black folks in particular."

"What it speaks to is a contention and an idea in the back of some people the Republican Party's heads, which is: 'The people taking from the makers are people of color and they don't deserve these handouts anymore,'" she said.

"Well, that is not Rick Santorum's point," Cupp replied. "I know him well. That is not his belief."

Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity Monday night, Santorum said that he condemned "all forms of racism."

"[T]here's nobody who has done more as a Republican in the United States Senate to bring African Americans into the party," he explained. "Go ask J.C. Watts. Ask Michael Steele. I've worked with historically black colleges. I've done a ton of stuff. This is just someone trying to cause trouble."

Watch this video from MSNBC's Now with Alex Wagner, uploaded Jan. 3, 2012.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/03/msnbc-contributor-rick-santorum-is-a-homophobe-and-a-bigot/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+%28The+Raw+Story%29

Breaking: Mike Martz Resigns - "Philosophical Differences" Cited

2012-01-03T11:42:00.001-08:00

here http://www.windycitygridiron.com/2012/1/3/2679639/breaking-martz-resigns-philsophical-differences-cited

terrible: Obama Signs into Law Indefinite Detention of Americans without Trial from Allgov News #p2 #tcot @barackobama

2012-01-03T11:39:00.001-08:00

from http://www.allgov.com//ViewNews/Obama_Signs_into_Law_Indefinite_Detention_of_Americans_without_Trial_120103

He waited until New Year's Eve to do it…but he did it. While expressing "serious reservations" about the bill, President Barack Obama on New Year's Eve signed legislation that cements into law two highly controversial tenets of the war on terror: indefinite detention of terrorism suspects without charge, and the jailing of American citizens without trial. It also takes terrorism-related cases out of the hands of the FBI and the civilian court system and hands them over to the military.

Obama approved the bill (known as the National Defense Authorization Act), but at the same time, in a signing statement, claimed his administration would not allow the military to detain Americans indefinitely.

Civil libertarians were nonetheless outraged by Obama's approval of the legislation. They claim that Obama is taking a "Trust me; I won't do it" position. However, even if he does refrain from abusing the law, there is no guarantee that future presidents won't imprison Americans and others indefinitely without trial or even without charge.

Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), called Obama's action "a blight on his legacy because he will forever be known as the president who signed indefinite detention without charge or trial into law. Any hope that the Obama administration would roll back the constitutional excesses of George Bush in the war on terror was extinguished today."

David Gespass, president of the National Lawyers Guild, called it an "enormous attack on the U.S. and our heritage" and a "significant step" towards fascism.

The use of indefinite detention began shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks when the George W. Bush administration shipped al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects and others to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Federal courts upheld the practice, agreeing with the Bush White House that the Authorization for Use of Military Force bill, passed by Congress only seven days after 9/11, allowed for the detentions to occur.

But Republican and Democratic lawmakers felt it was necessary to codify into federal law the power of the presidency to detain anyone—citizen and non-citizen alike—accused of plotting against the U.S. or providing support to those who have done so.

Obama's supporters, including Republicans who normally oppose almost everything he does, have tried to defend the bill by saying that it doesn't really go as far as its critics claim. However, the wording of the act, although carefully phrased, is nonetheless clear.

For example, Obama apologists say that it does not codify indefinite detention. But section 1021 (c-1) allows "Detention under the law of war without trial until the end of hostilities." A U.S. president can take the position that he is engaged in a war without end. In fact, that is exactly what Presidents Bush and Obama have done. In addition, section (b-2) states that the law applies not just to members of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, but to any person who has "substantially supported" "associated forces." Because these terms are not defined, Obama would appear to be free to interpret them as he chooses…as would be any future president.

Supporters of the president—and the members of Congress of both parties who passed the bill—dismiss the contention that American citizens can be detained indefinitely. Again the wording is clever, but disturbing. Section 1022 (b-1) states that, in regard to U.S. citizens "The requirement to detain a person in military custody under this section does not extend to citizens of the United States." The key word here is "requirement." In other words, the president still has the option to place Americans in indefinite military detention.

Some Americans may say that terrorism suspects should be stopped using any means necessary, and that if a few innocent people are imprisoned without trial by mistake, it's unfortunate, but it's better to be safe than sorry. However, there is now nothing to stop the current president of the United States, or the next one or the one after that, from taking advantage of the wording of the law and the fear of enemies to imprison whomever he chooses.

-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff

Three Myths about the Detention Bill (by Glenn Greenwald, Salon)

President Obama Signs Defense Bill -- With Objections (by Jennifer Epstein, Politico)

Defence Act Affirms Indefinite Detention of U.S. Citizens (by Matthew Cardinale, Inter Press Service)

Why is the Media Lying About New NDAA Power for Indefinite Military Detention of Americans? (by Ralph Lopez, War is a Crime.org)

Statement by the President on H.R. 1540 (White House)

Senate Bill Allows Indefinite Imprisonment of Americans without Trial (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

House Prepares to Give President Authority to Wage Worldwide War Forever (by David Wallechinsky and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Obama Approves Life Imprisonment without Trial for Guantánamo Prisoners (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

Bye, Bye Bill of Rights (by David Wallechinsky, Huffington Post)

Paul Ryan-- A Career Built On A Tissue Of Lies By And For The One Percent #p2 #tcot @gop

2012-01-03T11:37:00.001-08:00

here http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2012/01/paul-ryan-career-built-on-tissue-of.html

this is so messed up! Anger over secret drug trials on Indian children #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T11:32:00.001-08:00

from http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/03/anger-over-secret-drug-trials-on-indian-children/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+%28The+Raw+Story%29

Indian activists have reacted angrily after 12 doctors were fined less than $100 each for conducting secret drug trials on children and patients with learning disabilities.

The Madhya Pradesh state government said the tests had not been cleared by health authorities, and it added that the doctors refused to disclose further details citing patient confidentiality laws.

Anand Rai, a doctor who acted as a whistleblower in the case, told AFP on Tuesday he was angry and frustrated that the scale of the punishment would not deter future illegal trials.+

"The Madhya Pradesh government has now slapped a nominal 5,000-rupee ($94) penalty on the 12 government doctors who were involved in the bizarre case," he said. "The penalty was for their failure to inform about the trials."

"All drug trials were performed on patients who had gone to these government hospitals for routine treatment. It's a criminal offence to put them under drug trials without their consent."

Ajay Singh, the leader of opposition in the Madhya Pradesh assembly, described the fine as "ridiculous".

The doctors, two of whom denied any wrongdoing to AFP, are alleged to have been paid by companies to conduct trials on 233 patients over two years in the city of Indore testing drugs to treat sexual dysfunction and other problems.

Human rights groups have raised concern that India has been turning into a hot spot for drug trials, with hospital patients used as guinea pigs for the world's pharmaceutical companies, often without consent.

Low costs, weak laws and inadequate enforcement and penalties are blamed for making India an attractive destination for conducting the tests.

Rai, who was suspended from his job after publicising the Indore cases, believes it will be many years before the malpractice can be curbed.

"Drug trials are increasing here because they cost just one-sixth of what they do in the West," he said.

"The regulatory system here is comparatively corrupt, and pharmaceutical companies can easily register patients and begin trials.

"In developed countries, it would take six months to register five patients, whereas in India in the same time they can conduct trials on 2,000 people."

Faced with mounting criticism, the Indian Council of Medical Research last month sought proposals from doctors and health activists on new draft guidelines for compensation to be paid to people undertaking drug trials.

The guidelines say research participants who suffer physical injury should be entitled to financial or other assistance "to compensate them equitably for any temporary or permanent disability", the Times of India newspaper reported.

kooks (but with a ring of truth) - 17 Reasons Why A Vote For Mitt Romney Is A Vote For The New World Order

2012-01-03T11:30:00.001-08:00

from http://www.blacklistednews.com/17_Reasons_Why_A_Vote_For_Mitt_Romney_Is_A_Vote_For_The_New_World_Order_/17270/0/0/0/Y/M.html

Source: The American Dream

Once again, the Republican Party is being tempted to vote for "the lesser of two evils". A lot of Republicans are actually considering voting for Mitt Romney because they have bought the lie that he has "the best chance" of defeating Barack Obama in 2012. But just because he is the Republican candidate that is most like Barack Obama does not mean that he has the best chance of defeating him. The truth is that no self-respecting Republican should ever vote for Mitt Romney. A vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for the New World Order. Romney comes from the financial establishment, he is being showered with money from the financial establishment and he supports all of the goals of the financial establishment. This year, millions upon millions of dollars are being funneled into Romney's campaign and into pro-Romney organizations. The New World Order is literally trying to buy the 2012 election for their dream candidate. Romney would be the ultimate Wall Street puppet, and if you cast a vote for Mitt Romney you are playing right into the hands of the financial elite.

If you do not believe that a vote for Mitt Romney is a vote for the New World Order, just consider Mitt Romney's positions on the issues….

#1 The Federal Reserve

To the financial elite, there is no more important financial institution in the United States than the Federal Reserve, and Mitt Romney is a huge supporter of the Federal Reserve.

During one Republican debate, Romney actually tried to explain to all of us why "we need to have a Fed".

Not only that, Mitt Romney has stated that he is not really concerned about what is going on over at the Federal Reserve. Mitt Romney has publicly stated that he is "not going to take my effort and focus on the Federal Reserve".

That kind of talk is music to the ears of the financial elite.

Also, Romney fully supported the reappointment of Ben Bernanke as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve despite his absolutely horrific track record.

#2 Money From The Bankers

Mitt Romney is getting far, far, far more money from Wall Street bankers than any other Republican candidate.

In a recent article entitled "The Big Wall Street Banks Are Already Trying To Buy The 2012 Election", I detailed how numbers compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics show that Mitt Romney is getting more money from the employees of the "too big to fail" Wall Street banks than all of the other Republican candidates combined.

The following is an excerpt from that article that shows how much money employees of those banks (and their spouses) gave to various candidates for president during the first 9 months of 2011….

Mitt Romney: $813,300
Barack Obama: $198,874
Tim Pawlenty: $101,515
Rick Perry: $58,900
Jon Huntsman: $28,250
Ron Paul: $13,104
Herman Cain: $2,715
Michelle Bachmann: $1,500
Newt Gingrich: $1,250

Even though Romney's poll numbers have been in the mid to low 20s most of the time, employees of the big Wall Street banks gave him $813,300 during the first 9 months of 2011 and they only gave $105,719 to the rest of the Republican candidates that were still in the race at the end of the third quarter combined.

#3 The Wall Street Bailouts

During the last financial crisis, Mitt Romney was a very enthusiastic supporterof the Wall Street bailouts.

Back in 2009, Romney delivered a speech in which he made the following statement about bailing out Wall Street….

"I know we didn't all agree on TARP. I believe that it was necessary to prevent a cascade of bank collapses. For free markets to work, there has to be a currency and a functioning financial system."

During the Wall Street bailouts, gigantic mountains of money were transferred from the pockets of U.S. taxpayers into the hands of greedy Wall Street bankers.

Wall Street would definitely like to have someone in the White House who will bail them out once again when the next great financial crisis strikes.

#4 Health Care

Republicans are supposed to be against Obamacare, and yet millions upon millions of them plan to vote for someone that came up with the plan that Obamacare was based upon.

Barack Obama has admitted that much of his health care plan came directly from what Mitt Romney did up in Massachusetts. In fact, a recent MSNBC articlebrought to light some new information about the relationship between Romneycare and Obamacare….

Newly obtained White House records provide fresh details on how senior Obama administration officials used Mitt Romney's landmark health-care law in Massachusetts as a model for the new federal law, including recruiting some of Romney's own health care advisers and experts to help craft the act now derided by Republicans as "Obamacare."

The records, gleaned from White House visitor logs reviewed by NBC News, show that senior White House officials had a dozen meetings in 2009 with three health-care advisers and experts who helped shape the health care reform law signed by Romney in 2006, when the Republican presidential candidate was governor of Massachusetts.

Conservatives all over the country have been loudly denouncing the individual health insurance mandate in Obamacare, but Mitt Romney has had the gall to claim that the individual health insurance mandate that he signed into law as governor of Massachusetts was based on "conservative principles".

So how has Romneycare worked out for residents of Massachusetts?

Well, according to the Daily Caller, health care costs and health insurance premiums have gone up dramatically in Massachusetts….

Since the bill became law, the state's total direct health-care spending has increased by a remarkable 52 percent. Medicaid spending has gone from less than $6 billion a year to more the $9 billion. Many consumers have seen double-digit percentage increases in their premiums.

That doesn't sound good.

Romney now says that he wants to "repeal" Obamacare, but what he means by repeal may not be what you and I mean by repeal.

Someone should ask Romney what he meant when he stated that he wants "to eliminate some of the differences, repeal the bad, and keep the good" in Obamacare.

#5 Free Trade

One of the key goals of the New World Order is to create a one world economic system. That is why so many of our politicians continue to push "free trade" even though tens of thousands of U.S. businesses and millions of U.S. jobs have gone overseas.

Of course Mitt Romney is a huge advocate of the "free trade" agenda.

The following quote comes directly from the Romney campaign website….

Access to foreign markets is crucial to growing our economy. We must reassert American leadership in international negotiations, follow through on commitments we have already made, and push aggressively for advantageous new agreements.

But the results of this "free trade" agenda have been absolutely nightmarish for the United States. According to U.S. Representative Betty Sutton, America has lost an average of 15 manufacturing facilities a day over the last 10 years. During 2010 it got even worse. That year, an average of 23 manufacturing facilities a day shut down in the United States.

In all, more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities in the United States have permanently closed down since 2001.

Globalism is ripping our economy apart a little bit more every day, and if Romney is elected the globalist agenda will only accelerate.

#6 Taxes

The New World Order loves to extract taxes from the American people. It was not a coincidence that the Federal Reserve and the individual income tax came into existence at nearly the exact same time nearly 100 years ago.

During his time as governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney significantly raised taxes. The following is an excerpt from a CBS News article….

Mitt Romney's Harvard MBA and gold-plated resume convinced many business leaders he would follow in the tradition of corporate-friendly Republicans when he was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002.

Within three years, some had a vastly different opinion, after Romney's efforts raised the tax bill on businesses by $300 million

That same article also notes that Romney jacked up "fees and fines" on Massachusetts taxpayers substantially during his tenure as governor….

Romney and lawmakers also approved hundreds of millions in higher fees and fines during his four years in office.

Many in the Massachusetts business community were quite disgusted with Romney by the end of his term. Peter Nicholas, the chairman of Boston Science Corporation, says that "tax rates on many corporations almost doubled because of legislation supported by Romney."

#7 Government Spending

The New World Order loves big government and big government spending.

And let there be no doubt – Mitt Romney is a big spender when it comes to government money.

Government spending in Massachusetts increased significantly under Mitt Romney. This was especially true for the last two budgets passed under Romney. In fiscal year 2006, government spending in Massachusetts increased by 7.6 percent. In fiscal year 2007, government spending in Massachusetts increased by a whopping 10.2 percent.

#8 Global Warming

It turns out that Mitt Romney is a believer in the theory of man-made global warming. In fact, Al Gore recently praised Mitt Romney on his blog. In a post entitled "Good for Mitt Romney — though we've long passed the point where weak lip-service is enough on the Climate Crisis", Al Gore lavished the following praise on the former Massachusetts governor….

"While other Republicans are running from the truth, he is sticking to his guns in the face of the anti-science wing of the Republican Party"

Not only that, it is also very important to remember that while Mitt Romney was governor, Massachusetts became the very first state to pass a law to regulate carbon emissions.

#9 Cap And Trade

If Mitt Romney becomes president, he is going to cram the radical green agenda right down our throats.

While campaigning for president in 2007, Mitt Romney said that he would fully support a global "cap and trade" carbon tax scheme as long as the entire world goes along with it….

"I support Cap-and-Trade on a global basis but not the USA going alone. I want to do it with other nations involved and on a global scale."

#10 Illegal Immigration

Mitt Romney is very, very soft on illegal immigration. Back in 2007, Mitt Romneymade the following statement….

"But my view is that those 12 million who've come here illegally should be given the opportunity to sign up to stay here"

Of course that will only encourage millions more to come here illegally, but Mitt Romney does not seem too concerned about that.

#11 Gun Control

One of the key goals of the New World Order is to disarm the American people, and Mitt Romney has been a huge supporter of gun control laws. When he was running for governor in Massachusetts, he made the following statement….

"We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts- I support them…I believe they help protect us, and provide for our safety."

#12 Abortion

Mitt Romney has a long record of supporting the population control agenda of the global elite.

He claims that he is "pro-life" now, but Mitt Romney also once claimed that he was more "pro-choice" than Ted Kennedy.

Not only that, Romney once forced Christian hospitals and Massachusetts taxpayers to subsidize abortions in the state of Massachusetts. You can see evidence of this right here.

If he becomes president, Romney will be just like George W. Bush – a president that gives lip service to the pro-life crowd but that does next to nothing to actually stop abortion.

#13 The Pharmaceutical Industry

Just like the banking industry, the pharmaceutical industry is almost completely dominated by the New World Order. And the pharmaceutical industry has been absolutely showering money on Mitt Romney.

According to the CDC, the percentage of Americans that say that they have taken a prescription drug within the last 30 days has risen to almost 50 percent.

If Mitt Romney becomes president, it will be a new "golden age" for the pharmaceutical industry and that number will likely go even higher.

#14 The TSA

It recently came out that very elderly women are being strip-searched by TSA agents at U.S. airports, but Mitt Romney continues to fully support the TSA.

So if Romney becomes president we will continue to have to endure incredibly dehumanizing searches before we are allowed on to our flights.

#15 The Homeland Security Apparatus

Mitt Romney has stated repeatedly that he wants to make "homeland security" even stronger.

I have previously written about how Bush and Obama have turned America into a giant prison where virtually everything we do is watched, monitored, listened to, tracked and recorded in order to keep us all "safe".

Well, Romney believes that all of this is necessary as part of the "war on terror", and if Romney becomes president he will almost certainly push the envelope even farther.

#16 Guantanamo Bay

Mitt Romney has publicly stated that he would like to double the number of prisoners in Guantanamo Baby.

Just check out what Romney said during one Republican debate….

Now we're going to — you said the person's going to be in Guantanamo. I'm glad they're at Guantanamo. I don't want them on our soil. I want them on Guantanamo, where they don't get the access to lawyers they get when they're on our soil. I don't want them in our prisons. I want them there.

Some people have said, we ought to close Guantanamo. My view is, we ought to double Guantanamo.

#17 NDAA

Barack Obama just signed a law which allows the U.S. military to arrest American citizens on U.S. soil, detain them indefinitely and ship them off to Guantanamo Bay for endless "interrogation" sessions. Mitt Romney has nottaken a position against this horrible new law.

The truth is that if you look at the history of what he has done (not what he now says), Mitt Romney is virtually a clone of Barack Obama.

If the 2012 election is Romney vs. Obama, it really does not matter which one of them wins. Either one of them would do the bidding of the New World Order.

But millions of Republicans are being fooled. They don't realize that Romney will say just about anything to get elected.

Mitt Romney's wife, Ann Romney, once made the following statement about her husband….

"He can argue any side of a question. And sometimes you think he's really believing his argument, but he's not."

So how do we know if he is telling the truth now?

The following is an epic video which demonstrates very clearly how dramatically Mitt Romney has flip-flopped over the years….

Sadly, most elections in America are not determined by the voters.

Rather, most elections in America are determined by money.

Republican candidates spent more than $10 million on television and radio ads in Iowa in the month of December alone.

Those ads have a huge impact on voters.

So who is spending the most money?

Well, according to a recent article in the Des Moines Register, pro-Romney forces are spending the most money even though Romney is not even really campaigning in Iowa….

Together, Romney and the super PAC going to bat for him had over half the ad buys in Iowa in December among the spending the Register examined.

If you can believe it, one pro-Romney "super PAC" actually spent $2.85 million in Iowa during the month of December.

$2.85 million can buy quite a bit of propaganda.

Sadly, in federal elections the candidate that raises the most money wins about90 percentof the time, and Mitt Romney has raised far, far more money than the other Republican candidates have.

It would be nice to stick it to the establishment for once, but the reality is that it is really hard to go up against a candidate that is backed by millions upon millions upon millions of dollars.

But even if Mitt Romney only wins 30 or 40 percent of the delegates during the nominating process, that is still going to make it nearly impossible for any other candidate to win the nomination before the Republican convention.

In a previous article, I described how the new Republican voting rules are going to make a "brokered convention" much more likely….

The key is that most Republican primaries and caucuses will now allocate delegates using a proportional system rather than a "winner take all" system. Back in 2008, John McCain did very well in early "winner take all" primaries and wrapped up the Republican nomination very, very quickly. Nothing like that will happen in 2012. In fact, if the field remains crowded it is going to be very difficult for any candidate to accumulate more than 50 percent of the delegates by the time the Republican national convention rolls around.

If Mitt Romney wins more than 50 percent of the delegates during the primary season, the Republican establishment will let him have the nomination of course.

But if he is unable to do so, the Republican establishment will move heaven and earth to make sure that a candidate that they do not like does not accumulate more than 50 percent of the delegates.

Either way, the Republican establishment is going to do everything that they can to end up with a candidate of their choosing to go up against Barack Obama.

So can a miracle still happen?

Of course it can.

But just realize that it is going to take an all-out effort to overcome the power of the establishment.

A half-hearted effort simply is not going to get the job done.

Chicago’s 2011 pothole tally hits record – Illinois state roads wear out 33 percent faster than repair rate

2012-01-03T11:29:00.001-08:00

By Jon Hilkevitch
2 January 2012
The tally on Chicago's rutted streets and alleys is in, and it's a record: Crews filled more than 600,000 potholes in 2011, or about 25 percent more than in 2010, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

In a city notorious for aging asphalt and unpredictable winters, 2012 threatens to ring in thousands more pavement craters, despite plans for an aggressive street-resurfacing program aimed at staying on top of the problem.

A total of 568,426 street potholes were filled last year, Transportation Department officials said. It breaks down to an average of 57 pothole repairs for every lane-mile in the city. The department said it filled 141,128 more street potholes in 2011 than in 2010.

Crews also filled 47,452 potholes in alleys, up from 31,130 in 2010, officials said.

rest at
http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2012/01/chicagos-2011-pothole-tally-hits-record.html

As Climate Change Worsens, Scientists Feel Increasing Pressure to Speak Out #p2 #tcot @kochfoundation @andrewbreitbart

2012-01-03T11:23:00.003-08:00

Factors contributing to climate change are moving faster than predicted and pushing us toward planetary conditions unlike any humans have ever known—this was one of the salient themes to emerge from this month's meeting of theAmerican Geophysical Union, the world's largest gathering of earth and space scientists. Some scientists think we've already crossed that boundary and are, as Jonathan Foley, director of the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment, said, "in a very different world than we have ever seen before."

What scientists are now witnessing as the earth responds to increasing levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases presents many of them with a dilemma: How far should they go in expressing their concerns about how government and society are responding to climate change? This question is particularly charged given that efforts to undermine climate science have become part of the political debate on these issues.

Running through the meeting's scientific presentations were formal and informal discussions about the scientist's role in guiding society's response to climate change, including how to effectively communicate the certainties and uncertainties of the science—and how to respond to what Don Wuebbles, University of Illinois professor of atmospheric science and chair of the organization's Global Environmental Change committee, called the "confusionists."

After the meeting, InsideClimate News interviewed several leading climate scientists and a renowned science historian to get a sense of how they are navigating this difficult terrain. All of them have testified before Congress and several were contributing authors on the 2007 report of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), so all understand the challenges of working in the public spotlight.

When it comes to the certainties of climate science, all of them agree that the scientific literature has established definitively that rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have led to global warming and that anthropogenic fossil fuel burning is a major factor in this rise.

"The bottom line is that the climate system is telling us an internally and physically consistent story," said Benjamin Santer, an atmospheric scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who delivered the 2011 AGU Stephen Schneider Memorial lecture. "While there will always be sizable scientific uncertainties, there can be no reasonable debate about whether the planet is warming," or that fossil fuel burning is a prime contributing factor, said Santer, an IPCC report contributor, whose work linking climate change with anthropogenic factors has been attacked by climate change skeptics.

rest at http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20111229/climate-change-worsens-scientists-james-hansen-nasa-advocacy-skeptics-global-warming-ipcc

In unintentionally candid moment, Rick Santorum exposes Republican racism against blacks #p2 #tcot @gop @andrewbreitbart

2012-01-03T11:23:00.001-08:00

Republicans usually use dog whistles to make their racist case to their racist supporters. (You know, like when Newt Gingrich said that poor children have no work ethic and will rob you blind. He may say that he meant all poor children, but of course what he really meant was all black children. But regardless of what he meant, what his words meant to his intended right-wing audience, that is, how they were understood, was all black children. And he's smart enough to know what he was doing.)

But sometimes they unintentionally pick up the wrong whistle and let us all in on their agenda. To wit:

At a campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa on Sunday, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum singled out blacks as being recipients of assistance through federal benefit programs, telling a mostly-white audience he doesn't want to "make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money."

Answering a question about foreign influence on the U.S. economy, the former Pennsylvania senator went on to discuss the American entitlement system - which he argued is being used to politically exploit its beneficiaries.

"It just keeps expanding -- I was in Indianola a few months ago and I was talking to someone who works in the department of public welfare here, and she told me that the state of Iowa is going to get fined if they don't sign up more people under the Medicaid program," Santorum said. "They're just pushing harder and harder to get more and more of you dependent upon them so they can get your vote. That's what the bottom line is."

He added: "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money; I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money."

See? Not just poor people, although Republicans don't much care for any of them, but specifically blacks. Republicans are waging a war on entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and indeed against all redistributive policies and programs generally -- specifically, against any help for those in need at the expense of the wealthy. But they sell it by putting a racist twist on it: it's not just freeloading poor people who are to blame, it's specifically freeloading blacks. That plays well with the white electorate of the Republican base, ever fearful that the black man is coming to get them.

To be fair, Santorum was espousing an ideological point that isn't, on the surface, racist, just cruel and utterly unhelpful. He wants everyone, he said, to have "opportunity." But why single out blacks? (And why come out against "diversity," another code word for non-whites, as the source of "conflict"?)

rest at http://the-reaction.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-unintentionally-candid-moment-rick.html

As America’s Infrastructure Crumbles, GOP Presidential Candidates Refuse To Offer Solutions #p2 #tcot @gop @andrewbreitbart

2012-01-03T11:21:00.001-08:00

Republican presidential candidates have attempted to make their 2012 effort to unseat President Obama about the economy, but time and time again, they have proven unwilling to address the major crises threatening the future of America's economic growth. At multiple debates, the candidates offered little in the way of how they would address the fiscal crisis engulfing Europe and failed to understand the driving factors behind it. They offered no solutions to the American housing crisis, even as millions of homeowners face foreclosure and prices continue to fall. In sum, their policies would warrant a failing grades in an Econ 101 class.

Now, with evidence piling up that America's infrastructure is failing on multiple fronts, the candidates are again offering no long-term plans for the nation's transportation or infrastructure programs, Politico reports:

Though the words "crumbling infrastructure" have become almost cliché in the American lexicon, candidates' websites are barren of transportation plans, save for expansion of domestic energy production. Only Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) delves into infrastructure policy at all in his Web platform, proposing to privatize the FAA, abolish TSA and halve the Department of Transportation's budget. DOT should consider itself lucky it's not one of the five departments Paul would eliminate as president.

POLITICO reached out to all seven of the Republican 2012 campaigns; none chose to flesh out infrastructure positions.

The GOP may choose to ignore the many problems facing America's infrastructure, but those problems aren't going away. Economists estimated in 2011 that the United States would need more than $2 trillion in investments just to bring its infrastructure up to date. Roughly one-quarter of America's bridges are considered "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete," the same rating given to the Minneapolis bridge that collapsed and killed 13 in 2007.

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/01/03/396601/gop-candidates-infrastructure/

Eaters, beware: Walmart is taking over our food system #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T11:20:00.001-08:00

Aubretia Edick has worked at a Walmart store in upstate New York for 11 years, but she won't buy fresh food there. Bagged salads, she claims, are often past their sell-by dates and, in the summer, fruit is sometimes kept on shelves until it rots. "They say, 'We'll take care of it,' but they don't. As a cashier, you hear a lot of people complain," she said.

Edick blames the problems on the store's chronic understaffing and Walmart's lack of respect for the skilled labor needed to handle the nation's food supply. At her store, a former maintenance person was made produce manager. He's often diverted to other tasks. "If the toilets get backed up, they call him," she said.

Tracie McMillan, who did a stint working in the produce section of a Walmart store while researching her forthcoming book, The American Way of Eating, reports much the same. "They put a 20-year-old from electronics in charge of the produce department. He didn't know anything about food," she said. "We had a leak in the cooler that didn't get fixed for a month and all this moldy food was going out on the floor." Walmart doesn't accept the idea that "a supermarket takes any skill to run," she said. "They treated the produce like any other kind of merchandise."

That's plenty to give a shopper pause, but it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reasons to be concerned about Walmart's explosive expansion into the grocery sector.

Growth of a giant

In just a few short years, Walmart has become the most powerful force in our food system, more dominant than Monsanto, Kraft, or Tyson.

It was only 23 years ago that Walmart opened its first supercenter, a store with a full supermarket inside. By 1998, it was still a relatively modest player with 441 supercenters and about 6 percent of U.S. grocery sales. Last year, as its supercenter count climbed above 3,000, Walmart captured 25 percent of the $550 billion Americans spent on groceries.

As astonishing as Walmart's national market share is, in many parts of the country the chain is even more dominant. In 29 metro markets, it accounts for more than 50 percent of grocery sales.

Seeking an even bigger piece of the pie, Walmart is campaigning to blanket New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other big cities with its stores. It has made food the centerpiece of its public relations strategy. In a series of announcements over the last year, Walmart has deftly commandeered high-profile food issues, presenting itself as a solution to food deserts, a force for healthier eating, and a supporter of local farming.

It is a remarkably brazen tactic. On every one of these fronts, Walmart is very much part of the problem. Its expansion is making our food system more concentrated and industrialized than ever before. Its growth in cities will likely exacerbate poverty, the root cause of constrained choices and poor diet. And the more dominant Walmart becomes, the fewer opportunities there will be for farmers markets, food co-ops, neighborhood grocery stores, and a host of other enterprises that are beginning to fashion a better food system -- one organized not to enrich corporate middlemen, but to the benefit of producers and eaters.

rest at http://www.grist.org/food/2011-12-30-eaters-beware-walmart-is-taking-over-our-food-system

Bachmann Refuses To Explain Past Anti-Gay Comments #p2 #tcot @gop

2012-01-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

Sinking GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann tried to deflect a question about her past anti-gay comments during an interview on CNN this morning, refusing to explain her 2004 claim that the gay life is "part of Satan":

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: You have taken a lot of flak for some of your very strong social issues, where you stand on them, and I want to talk about some of them. Your stance on homosexuality — and want to read a little bit of what you said — You said, at the Educators Conference in 2004, 'Gays live a very sad life,' and that 'it's part of Satan' And that's quote. You've taken a lot of flak for that. Do you pull back on any of that?

BACHMANN: It's a bizarre thing to bring up. Today is the election, what people recognize is that the most important issue that people will be looking at is, 'Who is the best person to deal with the economy?' [...]

O'BRIEN: What you're telling me is that you don't want to discuss social issues because you want to discuss the economy. I don't think it's a bizarre question. I think it's a fair question if you're running to be president.

BACHMANN: Well, it's a gotcha question coming way out of the past. I stand very strong for marriage between one man and one woman.
rest at
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/01/03/396653/bachmann-refuses-to-explain-past-anti-gay-comments/

@gop war on women: Santorum: States Should Have The Right To Outlaw Birth Control #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T11:17:00.001-08:00

Rick Santorum reiterated his belief that states should have the right to outlaw contraception during an interview with ABC News yesterday, saying, "The state has a right to do that, I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It is not a constitutional right, the state has the right to pass whatever statues they have." Watch the Jake Tapper interview:

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/01/03/396516/santorum-states-should-have-the-right-to-outlaw-birth-control/

Cantor Spokesman Interrupts ‘60 Minutes’ Interview To Falsely Claim Reagan Never Raised Taxes @gop @andrewbreitbart #p2 #tcot @colbertreport

2012-01-03T11:16:00.003-08:00

During a 60 Minutes interview Sunday night, CBS' Lesley Stahl asked House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) about the GOP's intransigence when it comes to raising any new federal revenue, pointing out that Cantor's hero, Ronald Reagan, raised taxes when the occasion called for it. Before Cantor could even attempt to explain anything, one of his spokesmen, Brad Dayspring,interrupted the interview, taking issue with the notion that Reagan increased taxes:

STAHL: What's the difference between compromise and cooperate?
CANTOR: Well, I would say cooperate is let's look to where we can move things forward where we agree. Comprising principles, you don't want to ask anybody to do that. That's who they are as their core being.
STAHL: But you know, your idol, as I've read anyway, was Ronald Reagan. And he compromised.
CANTOR: He never compromised his principles.
STAHL: Well, he raised taxes and it was one of his principles not to raise taxes.

CANTOR: Well, he– he also cut taxes.
STAHL: But he did compromise–
CANTOR: Well I –
DAYSPRING: That just isn't true. And I don't want to let that stand.

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/01/03/396439/cantor-taxes-spokesman-reagan/

Virginia GOP Will Require Primary Voters To Sign Party Loyalty Oath #p2 #tcot @gop

2012-01-03T11:16:00.001-08:00

Pledges have become something of a fad in the Republican primary this year. Except for Jon Huntsman, the GOP hopefuls have all signed pledges to radical right-wing groups like the FAMiLY Leader promising to ban pornography and only appoint anti-abortion cabinet members and judges, among other things.

As the New York Times editorial board put it, "It used to be that a sworn oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution was the only promise required to become president." But today, "each pledge they sign undermines the basic principle of democratic government built on compromise and negotiation."

Now the Virginia GOP is extending the trend to voters, requiring them to sign a loyalty oath to the party before they are allowed to participate in the primary:

The state Republican Party will require voters to sign a loyalty oath in order to participate in the March 6 presidential primary.
Anyone who wants to vote must sign a form at the polling place pledging to support the eventual Republican nominee for president. Anyone who refuses to sign will be barred from voting in the primary.

During a brief meeting Wednesday at the state Capitol, the State Board of Elections voted 3-0 to approve three forms developed by the election board's staff to implement the loyalty pledge requested by the state GOP.

rest at
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/01/03/396323/virginia-gop-will-require-primary-voters-to-sign-party-loyalty-oath/

chart: What Housing Recovery? #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T11:13:00.003-08:00

here http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/01/what-housing-recovery/

Republicans don't want to talk about transportation and infrastructure #p2 #tcot @gop @speakerboehner

2012-01-03T11:13:00.001-08:00

Transportation funding matters.
(Kevin Rofidal/United States Coast Guard)

Republican presidential candidates face a bit of a conundrum about transportation and infrastructure funding: We need to have ways to get from place to place that don't involve bridges falling out from under us, and making roads and trains and bridges work as they should creates jobs. But—and this is a big but—the governmentfunds transportation and infrastructure, so while that funding might create jobs and build and maintain stuff we all use, it's a bad bad thing. Also, too, Obama wants to fund transportation.

As a result, the Republican candidates may not be quite sure what they're supposed to say. Especially since it it turns out that most of them have skeletons in their closets: Earlier in his time as Texas governor, Rick Perry supported the Trans-Texas Corridor, which was a boogeyman to some under the name "NAFTA Superhighway." As Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney "encouraged building housing around rail stations, a 'smart growth' position typically championed by left-leaning groups, and employed a 'fix-it-first' philosophy toward infrastructure." Michele Bachmann wouldn't shy away from a chance at earmarks for her district (she just wouldn't call them earmarks). Newt Gingrich advocated Chinese-style giant transportation projects. As a senator back when Republicans supported infrastructure funding, Rick Santorum voted repeatedly for transportation bills. Basically, only Ron Paul has been consistent in crazed opposition to the government keeping us from falling into rivers or out of the sky.

rest at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/03/1051071/-Republicans-dont-want-to-talk-about-transportation-and-infrastructure?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dailykos%2Findex+%28Daily+Kos%29

List of SOPA supporters: Apply the pressure #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T11:12:00.001-08:00

from http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/171952/list-of-sopa-supporters-apply-the-pressure/

January is a critical month in the legislative process surrounding the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). It was set to come to a committee and House floor vote in December, but chief sponsor Lamar Smith (R-TX) rescheduled the vote for January. With the new year upon us and little time to spare to stop SOPA, efforts must be redoubled.

What we have here with SOPA is a piece of legislation drafted by politicians, bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists without the input of internet engineers, the very people who created its protocols and maintain its infrastructure. Indeed, it is as if a viewer of "E.R." were given the power to rewrite the rules on surgery.

Below is a list of SOPA supporters. Let them know your displeasure by spreading the word to others, blogging about SOPA (and its supporters), and by contacting supporters via email and phone.

After the list you will find a video of Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) discussing online piracy and SOPA. (Read up on Wyden's alternative bill OPEN Act.) And read the Death and Taxes interview with Firefox add-on DeSopa developer Tamer Rizk on the subject of SOPA.

60 Plus Association
ABC
Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP)
American Bankers Association (ABA)
American Federation of Musicians (AFM)
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
Americans for Tax Reform
Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States
Association of American Publishers (AAP)
Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies
Association of Talent Agents (ATA)
Beachbody, LLC
BMI
BMG Chrysalis
Building and Construction Trades Department
Capitol Records Nashville
CBS
Cengage Learning
Christian Music Trade Association
Church Music Publishers' Association
Coalition Against Online Video Piracy (CAOVP)
Comcast/NBCUniversal
Concerned Women for America (CWA)
Congressional Fire Services Institute
Copyhype
Copyright Alliance
Coty, Inc.
Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)
Council of State Governments
Country Music Association
Country Music Television
Creative America
Deluxe
Directors Guild of America (DGA)
Disney Publishing Worldwide, Inc.
Elsevier
EMI Christian Music Group2
EMI Music Publishing
Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
ESPN
Estée Lauder Companies
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
Gospel Music Association
Graphic Artists Guild
Hachette Book Group
HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, Inc.
Hyperion
Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA)
International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE)
International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
International Trademark Association (INTA)
International Union of Police Associations
L'Oreal
Lost Highway Records
Macmillan
Major County Sheriffs
Major League Baseball
Majority City Chiefs
Marvel Entertainment, LLC
MasterCard Worldwide
MCA Records
McGraw-Hill Education
Mercury Nashville
Minor League Baseball (MiLB)
Minority Media & Telecom Council (MMTC)
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
Moving Picture Technicians
MPA – The Association of Magazine Media
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators
National Association of State Chief Information Officers
National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA)
National Center for Victims of Crime
National Crime Justice Association
National District Attorneys Association
National Domestic Preparedness Coalition
National Football League
National Governors Association, Economic Development and Commerce Committee
National League of Cities
National Narcotics Offers' Associations' Coalition3
National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
National Songwriters Association
National Troopers Coalition
News Corporation
Pearson Education
Penguin Group (USA), Inc.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Pfizer, Inc.
Provident Music Group
Random House
Raulet Property Partners
Republic Nashville
Revlon
Scholastic, Inc.
Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
Showdog Universal Music
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Nashville
State International Development Organization (SIDO)
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO)
The Perseus Books Groups
The United States Conference of Mayors
Tiffany & Co.
Time Warner
True Religion Brand Jeans
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
UMG Publishing Group Nashville
United States Chamber of Commerce
United States Olympic Committee
United States Tennis Association
Universal Music
Universal Music Publishing Group
Viacom
Visa Inc.
W.W. Norton & Company
Wallace Bajjali Development Partners, L.P.
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Nashville
Wolters Kluewer Health
Word Entertainment

As Winter Arrives, Occupy Protesters Shift Movement To Saving The 99 Percent’s Homes #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T11:09:00.001-08:00

Facing both plummeting temperatures and evictions from parks in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, and elsewhere, Occupy protesters are shifting their actions during the winter season. They are refocusing their energy on protest actions against politicians, creative demonstrations, and tackling the nation's foreclosure crisis.

Around the country, Occupy protesters have moved homeless families into vacant homes, disrupted foreclosure auctions, and outright stopped foreclosures of families' homes, forcing banks to renegotiate terms.

One of the most high-profile victories last month was when Occupy Atlanta protesters descended on the home of Iraq war veteran Brigitte Walker. Walker, who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, spent a year and a half trying to make payments to Chase Bank. As the bank moved closer to evicting her from her home, Occupy Atlanta camped out on her property and publicized her case — eventually shaming Chase into working out an agreement to keep Walker in her home. "I know because of them I am still in my home," Walker told the local press of Occupy Atlanta. "They got everyday people like myself involved. Everyday people contacting Chase and advocating for me, peaceful demonstrations, people calling and writing in." CBS Atlanta covered the victory.

rest at http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/01/03/396574/occupy-protesters-shift-movement-homes/

Romney supporters tell Occupy protesters to ‘get a job!’ #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T11:08:00.003-08:00

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney found himself being "mic checked" by Occupy Wall Street protesters Monday night at one of his last campaign rallies ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

While speaking to to about 600 people in Clive, Romney was interrupted by protestersreportedly associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement.

"Mic check!" on protester yelled, followed by something about Romney's corporate ties.

rest at http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/03/romney-supporters-tell-occupy-protesters-to-get-a-job/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+%28The+Raw+Story%29

Facebook Takes Down Abortion Information...Then Says It Was a Mistake #p2 #tcot @facebook

2012-01-03T11:08:00.001-08:00

from http://crooksandliars.com/tina-dupuy/facebook-takes-down-abortion-informatio

enlarge

For those of you not familiar Women on Waves, it's an international organization based in the Netherlands that helps women in countries where abortion is criminalized. They literally have a ship and dock in countries like Chile where women get unsafe abortions and die on a regular basis.

I first interviewed them about a story I was working on last year. They said they have tons of calls from the U.S. for help - notably many from servicewomen serving overseas who cannot access abortion services at military hospitals. And not at all if they're serving in a country where it's illegal. Yes, under the law we will let women take a bullet - arm them - but won't allow them to control their own reproduction while overseas ... even if they're raped.

The other issue I learned from talking to these women's health advocates is that when you Google "RU486" or "abortion pill" you will not get the actual medication. You will pay for fake pills. Sometimes more than $80 or more for pills that are not as advertized. Women on Waves counters this by providing the real information on how to safely end a pregnancy with medication that is widely available for other medical reasons. This is the image (posted above) that was taken down by Facebook.

Women on Waves sent out a press release:

Date: 30-12-2011
For Immediate release:
Facebook censors safe abortion information
Today, Facebook removed the profile picture of Rebecca Gomperts, which was text with information about how women can do abortions safely by themselves. Dr Gomperts is a well-known abortion rights activist and the Director of Women on Waves. Women on Waves is a charitable organization focused on women?s health and human rights. Its mission is to protect maternal health by preventing unsafe abortions. Women on Waves sails a ship to countries where abortion is illegal. On board the ship the medical staff provides sexual education and healthcare services. With the ship, early medical abortions (up to 6 1/2 weeks of pregnancy) can be provided safely, professionally and legally. Applicability of national penal legislation, and thus also of abortion law, extends only to territorial waters; outside that 12-mile radius it is thus Dutch law that applies on board a ship under the Dutch flag, which means that all our activities are legal. Women on Waves? efforts serve to draw much-needed public attention to the consequences of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe, illegal abortion. To date, the ship has sailed to Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Women on Waves also supported the launch of safe abortion hotlines in South America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. (for more information see www.womenonwaves.org). In 2005 it founded Women on Web, a telemedicine abortion service that provides medical abortions to women in countries where there is no access to safe abortion (www.womenonweb.org)

By removing the profile picture, Facebook is in gross violation of Article 19 of the Universal declaration of Human rights. Facebook has a social responsibility to guarantee human rights Dr. Gomperts reposted the screenshot of the Facebook censorship message with the picture. She calls upon all Facebook users that support abortion rights to repost the message on their page.

We contacted Facebook for a response. Andrew Noyes Manager, Public Policy Communications at Facebook got back to us: "You can note that, according to a spokesman, Facebook reached out to Dr. Gomperts to explain that the photo that was removed from the profile was not in violation of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and appears to have been removed in error. We apologize for the removal of this content and the subsequent warning that Dr. Gomperts received."

I emailed with Dr. Gomperts Monday morning. I asked her if the page was back up. She responded, "Yes, after being blocked for two days, I could access my account again today and i received a email from Facebook with their apologies but I believe this is because of the inquiry of journalists and reposting of the image by others during the past days. Thank you very much for your inquiry."

In either case - the press release worked.

Frothy Bigot Santorum Incorrectly Asserts That Most Welfare Recipients Are Black #p2 #tcot @gop @andrewbreitbart @colbertreport

2012-01-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

from http://www.pensitoreview.com/2012/01/03/frothy-bigot-santorum-incorrectly-asserts-that-most-welfare-recipients-are-black/

I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them other people's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn their money and provide for themselves and their families. The best way to do that is to get the manufacturing sector of the economy rolling.

- Republican Party presidential frontrunner and infamous bigot Rick Santorum speaking to a presumably all-white audience in Iowa, ignoring the fact that the percentage of black, white and Hispanic families on welfare is roughly the same: 33.3 percent of the families are black, 31.2 percent are white and 28.8 percent are Hispanic.

TSA Agent Confiscates Cupcake On Grounds That Its Delicious Frosting Could Be Explosive

2012-01-03T10:33:00.001-08:00

here http://consumerist.com/2012/01/tsa-agent-confiscates-cupcake-on-grounds-that-its-frosting-could-be-explosive.html

douche bag: Santorum’s Racist Welfare Rant: ‘I Don’t Want To Make Black People’s Lives Better’ With Taxpayer Money #p2 #tcot

2012-01-03T10:32:00.001-08:00

from http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/01/03/396428/santorums-racist-welfare-rant/

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum has been trying to pull off an upset in the Iowa caucus, but he's drawing criticism ahead of tonight's contest for racially charged remarkshe recently made about welfare recipients:

At a campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa on Sunday, Republican presidential hopeful RickSantorum singled out blacks as being recipients of assistance through federal benefit programs, telling a mostly-white audience he doesn't want to "make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money." [...]

It is unclear why Santorum pinpointed blacks specifically as recipients of federal aid. The original questioner asked "how do we get off this crazy train? We've got so much foreign influence in this country now," adding "where do we go from here?"

Watch it:

Popout

It's hard to say which part of the story is stranger — that Santorum spontaneously derided poor black people in response to a question about foreign money or his explanation of why he did it.

When asked about the comments in a CBS interview, Santorum bizarrely referenced a documentary about the education achievement gap, Waiting for Superman, to explain the context. "Yesterday I talked for example about a movie called, um, what was it? 'Waiting for Superman,' which was about black children and so I don't know whether it was in response and I was talking about that," he said. The movie actually portrays students of several races.

There had originally been some confusion about whether Santorum actually said the word "black," which he appeared to clear up in the CBS interview by acknowledging that was in fact the statement he made. (The candidate seemed to think better of his words mid-sentence, so the line comes across garbled.)

CBS points out that only nine percent of Iowans on food stamps are black — and 84 percent are white. Nationally, 39 percent of welfare recipients are white, 37 percent are black, and 17 percent are Hispanic. So Santorum's decision to single out black welfare recipients plays right into insulting — and inaccurate — stereotypes of the kind of people some voters might expect to want a "handout."

Attacking families who receive government aid has been a theme among many of the Republican candidates. In nearly every speech, Newt Gingrich accuses President Obama of being a "food stamp president" and even said "really poor children" have bad work habits and no knowledge of how to make an income "unless it's illegal." (HT:Raw Story)

Federal Reserve releases secret bailout data

2011-12-23T13:40:00.001-08:00

here http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/171205/federal-reserve-releases-secret-bailout-data/

Gingrich Criticizes Payroll Tax Deal 2 Days After Urging GOP To Sign It #p2 #tcot

2011-12-23T13:31:00.001-08:00

here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/23/newt-gingrich-payroll-tax-deal_n_1167962.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

As Users Rail Against GoDaddy, Unpacking the SOPA Supporter List [VIDEO]

2011-12-23T09:20:00.003-08:00

here http://mashable.com/2011/12/22/godaddy-sopa-supporter-list/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29

SOPA bans Tor, the US Navy's censorship-busting technology

2011-12-23T09:20:00.001-08:00

here http://boingboing.net/2011/12/22/sopa-bans-tor-the-us-navys.html

Boehner’s office cuts off C-SPAN cameras as @GOP takes verbal beating #p2 #tcot @speakerboehner

2011-12-23T09:19:00.003-08:00

here http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/21/boehners-office-cuts-off-c-span-cameras-as-gop-takes-beating/#.TvIqdhsbXZQ.reddit

House Speaker John Boehner orders CSPAN's cameras switched off during contentious House debate @speakerboehner #p2 #tcot

2011-12-23T09:19:00.001-08:00

here http://boingboing.net/2011/12/22/house-speaker-john-boehner-ord.html

GoDaddy supports SOPA, I'm transferring 51 domains & suggesting a move your domain day

2011-12-23T09:17:00.003-08:00

here http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/nmnie/godaddy_supports_sopa_im_transferring_51_domains/

GoDaddy supports SOPA, customers take business elsewhere

2011-12-23T09:17:00.001-08:00

http://boingboing.net/2011/12/22/godaddy-supports-sopa-custome.html

As average Americans struggle, big banks set aside over $150 billion in bonuses

2011-12-20T12:38:00.001-08:00

here http://www.examiner.com/liberal-in-orlando/as-average-americans-struggle-big-banks-set-aside-over-150-billion-bonuses

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly Laughs at #OWS Police Brutality Accountability

2011-12-20T12:35:00.001-08:00

here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l24oDsumcEE&feature=player_embedded

free market will not stop crime in our neighborhoods or put out a fire or teach our kids - Powerful Defense Of Teachers, Paramedics, And Police #p2 #tcot

2011-12-20T12:33:00.001-08:00

here http://front.moveon.org/the-most-powerful-defense-of-teachers-paramedics-and-police-weve-seen-yet/?rc=fb.fan4

House @GOP Walks Away From Bipartisan Compromise on Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefits #p2 #tcot

2011-12-20T12:27:00.001-08:00

here http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/20/393230/breaking-house-walks-away-payroll-compromise/

@gop @barackobama The New Blue Collar: Temporary Work, Lasting Poverty And The American Warehouse #p2 #tcot

2011-12-20T12:07:00.001-08:00

here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/new-blue-collar-temp-warehouses_n_1158490.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=122011&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FeatureTitle&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

AT&T Dropping Its T-Mobile Bid, Owes Billions to Deutsche Telekom

2011-12-20T11:20:00.001-08:00

http://allthingsd.com/20111219/breaking-att-dropping-its-t-mobile-bid/?mod=atdtweet

AT&T said Monday that it is dropping its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA, amid regulatory opposition from both the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice, both of which had made moves to block the deal.

In a statement, AT&T said it had made the move after consulting with T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom, and criticized the actions that forced it to abandon the deal.

"The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage," AT&T said. "In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled."

In addition to federal regulators, Sprint had vehemently opposed the deal, as had other smaller competitors and public interest groups, arguing it would hurt competition.

AT&T will have to pay a giant breakup fee to Deutsche Telekom, as well as enter into an expanded roaming agreement. AT&T said it would take a $4 billion charge in the fourth quarter to account for the cash and spectrum owed to the German telecommunications firm. The charge reflects $3 billion in cash and the $1 billion book value of spectrum owed, though many have placed the value of the spectrum at far more than its book value.

Despite the windfall, the move still leaves Deutsche Telekom without an exit plan for its U.S. holdings, and leaves T-Mobile without a clear path to offer higher-speed LTE service.

AT&T announced its plans to acquire T-Mobile back in March, on the eve of the CTIA trade show in Orlando. It drew almost immediate opposition from Sprint. The headwinds grew stronger as regulators began considering the deal and its potential impact on competition.

The companies had sought to see if there might be a way to offer concessions, but opponents seemed against any combination of the two, dimming the prospects for satisfactory concessions.

AT&T also failed on the political side, in addition to its regulatory chess moves. The company sought to withdraw its FCC application in hope of waiting for a court to rule on the Justice Department's move to block the deal. However, the court in that case decided that with no FCC application pending it had no need to move quickly.

@gop @speakerboehner News Alert: Republicans in House Reject Deal Extending Payroll Tax Cut - thanks plutocrats we know who u work for

2011-12-20T11:01:00.001-08:00

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 -- 1:19 PM EST
-----

Republicans in House Reject Deal Extending Payroll Tax Cut

House Republicans on Tuesday soundly rejected a bill approved by the Senate that would have extended the payroll tax cut for most Americans beyond the end of the year and allowed millions of unemployed people to continue receiving jobless benefits.

The House vote, which passed 229 to 193, also calls for establishing a negotiating committee so the two chambers can resolve their differences. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.

But the Senate has left town for the year, and Democrats say they do not intend to call it back, putting continuation of the tax cut in jeopardy and leaving a shadow over many unemployed Americans as the holidays near.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/us/politics/house-republicans-move-closer-to-rejecting-payroll-tax-cut-deal.html?emc=na

despicable: Ron Paul Supporter Openly Calls For Assassination Of President Obama On Facebook Page #p2 #tcot

2011-12-18T22:01:00.001-08:00

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2011/12/18/ron-paul-supporter-openly-calls-for-assassination-of-president-obama-on-facebook-page-image/

A supporter of Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul openly called for the assassination of President Obama and his family on Sunday.

Libertarian Jules Manson of California wrote a Facebook post complaining about President Obama signing the National Defense Authorization Act and advocated assassinating Obama and his family. He also called for potential jurors to protect the assassins in court by voting 'not guilty.' He then posted the following statement as a comment on the original post:

"Assassinate the f****n n****r and his monkey children"

The Facebook page, Americans Against The Tea Party captured this image of the post:

Facebook users are outraged at this comment which has since been removed. Manson's page has also been taken down because so many people have reported it for abuse. Manson has run for office before, but has failed thus far to win an election. His Facebook post just ended his hopes of ever winning political office. For any person to openly call for the assassination of the President of the United States is outrageous and should be tried for treason. If Republicans do not condemn this unacceptable instance of bigotry and hatred, they are just as guilty as Manson is.

US: Two deaths from brain-eating amoeba linked to sinus remedy for colds

2011-12-18T20:06:00.001-08:00

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/239055-US-Two-deaths-from-brain-eating-amoeba-linked-to-sinus-remedy-for-colds

A sinus-flushing device used to relieve colds and allergies has been linked to a deadly brain-eating amoeba.

Louisiana's state health department issued a warning about neti pots - which look like mini watering cans, that are used by pouring salty water through one nostril.

It follows two recent deaths - a 51-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man from the 'brain-eating amoeba' Naegleria fowleri.

It is thought the amoeba entered their brains when they used the devices.

Both victims are thought to have used tap water, instead of distilled or sterilised water as recommended by the manufacturers.

Dr Raoult Ratard, Louisiana State Epidemiologist, said: 'If you are irrigating, flushing, or rinsing your sinuses, for example, by using a neti pot, use distilled, sterile or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution.

'Tap water is safe for drinking, but not for irrigating your nose.'

He added that it is important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry.

Half of all orange juice served in cafes may contain bacteria such as salmonella, scientists say

The very rare infection typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater lakes and rivers.

In very rare instances, health experts said such infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources, such as from an inadequately chlorinated swimming pool or when people irrigate their sinuses with devices like neti pots.

According to The Department of Health and Hospitals in Louisiana, the amoeba causes the disease primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a brain infection that leads to the destruction of brain tissue.

In its early stages, symptoms may be similar to symptoms of bacterial meningitis and can include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and stiff neck. Later symptoms include confusion, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations.

After the start of symptoms, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within one to 12 days.

A spokesman from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Louisiana cases are still being investigated.

Russia oil spills wreak devastation – ‘Fishing, hunting – it’s all gone’

2011-12-18T20:04:00.001-08:00

http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2011/12/russia-oil-spills-wreak-devastation.html

By Nataliya Vasilyeva, AP Business Writer
17 December 2011

USINSK, Russia – On the bright yellow tundra outside this oil town near the Arctic Circle, a pitch-black pool of crude stretches toward the horizon. The source: a decommissioned well whose rusty screws ooze with oil, viscous like jam.

This is the face of Russia's oil country, a sprawling, inhospitable zone that experts say represents the world's worst ecological oil catastrophe.

Environmentalists estimate at least 1 percent of Russia's annual oil production, or 5 million tons, is spilled every year. That is equivalent to one Deepwater Horizon-scale leak about every two months. Crumbling infrastructure and a harsh climate combine to spell disaster in the world's largest oil producer, responsible for 13 percent of global output.

Oil, stubbornly seeping through rusty pipelines and old wells, contaminates soil, kills all plants that grow on it and destroys habitats for mammals and birds. Half a million tons every year get into rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean, the government says, upsetting the delicate environmental balance in those waters.

It's part of a legacy of environmental tragedy that has plagued Russia and the countries of its former Soviet empire for decades, from the nuclear horrors of Chernobyl in Ukraine to lethal chemical waste in the Russian city of Dzerzhinsk and paper mill pollution seeping into Siberia's Lake Baikal, which holds one-fifth of the world's supply of fresh water.

Oil spills in Russia are less dramatic than disasters in the Gulf of Mexico or the North Sea, more the result of a drip-drip of leaked crude than a sudden explosion. But they're more numerous than in any other oil-producing nation including insurgency-hit Nigeria, and combined they spill far more than anywhere else in the world, scientists say.

"Oil and oil products get spilled literally every day," said Dr. Grigory Barenboim, senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Water Problems.

No hard figures on the scope of oil spills in Russia are available, but Greenpeace estimates that at least 5 million tons leak every year in a country producing about 500 million tons a year.

Dr. Irina Ivshina, of the government-financed Institute of the Environment and Genetics of Microorganisms, supports the 5 million ton estimate, as does the World Wildlife Fund.

The figure is derived from two sources: Russian state-funded research that shows 10-15 percent of Russian oil leakage enters rivers; and a 2010 report commissioned by the Natural Resources Ministry that shows nearly 500,000 tons slips into northern Russian rivers every year and flow into the Arctic.

The estimate is considered conservative: The Russian Economic Development Ministry in a report last year estimated spills at up to 20 million tons per year.

That astonishing number, for which the ministry offered no elaboration, appears to be based partly on the fact most small leaks in Russia go unreported. Under Russian law, leaks of less than 8 tons are classified only as "incidents" and carry no penalties.

Russian oil spills also elude detection because most happen in the vast swaths of unpopulated tundra and conifer forest in the north, caused either by ruptured pipes or leakage from decommissioned wells.

Weather conditions in most oil provinces are brutal, with temperatures routinely dropping below minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) in winter. That makes pipelines brittle and prone to rupture unless they are regularly replaced and their condition monitored.

Asked by The Associated Press to comment, the Natural Resources Ministry and the Energy Ministry said they have no data on oil spills and referred to the other ministry for further inquiries.

Even counting only the 500,000 tons officially reported to be leaking into northern rivers every year, Russia is by far the worst oil polluter in the world.

Nigeria, which produces one-fifth as much oil as Russia, logged 110,000 tons spilled in 2009, much of that due to rebel attacks on pipelines.
The U.S., the world's third-largest oil producer, logged 341 pipeline ruptures in 2010 -- compared to Russia's 18,000 -- with 17,600 tons of oil leaking as a result, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Spills have averaged 14,900 tons a year between 2001 and 2010.
Canada, which produces oil in weather conditions as harsh as Russia's, does not see anything near Russia's scale of disaster. Eleven pipeline accidents were reported to Canada's Transport Safety Board last year, while media reports of leaks, ranging from sizable spills to a tiny leak in a farmer's backyard, come to a total of 7,700 tons a year.
In Norway, Russia's northwestern oil neighbor, spills amounted to some 3,000 tons a year in the past few years, said Hanne Marie Oeren, head of the oil and gas section at Norway's Climate and Pollution Agency.

Now that Russian companies are moving to the Arctic to tap vast but hard-to-get oil and gas riches, scientists voice concerns that Russia's outdated technologies and shoddy safety record make for a potential environmental calamity there. […]

In 1994, the republic of Komi, where Usinsk lies 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, became the scene of Russia's largest oil spill when an estimated 100,000 tons splashed from an aging pipeline.

It killed plants and animals, and polluted up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) of two local rivers, killing thousands of fish. In villages most affected, respiratory diseases rose by some 28 percent in the year following the leak.

Seen from a helicopter, the oil production area is dotted with pitch-black ponds. Fresh leaks are easy to find once you step into the tundra north of Usinsk. To spot a leak, find a dying tree. Fir trees with drooping gray, dry branches look as though scorched by a wildfire. They are growing insoil polluted by oil. […]

Ivan Blokov, campaign director at Greenpeace Russia, who studies oil spills, said the situation in Komi is replicated across Russia's oil-producing regions, which stretch from the Black Sea in the southwest to the Chinese border in Russia's Far East.

"It is happening everywhere," Blokov said. "It's typical of any oil field in Russia. The system is old and it is not being replaced in time by any oil company in the country."

What also worries scientists and environmentalists is that oil spills are not confined to abandoned or aging fields. Alarmingly, accidents happen at brand new pipelines, said Barenboim.

At least 400 tons leaked from a new pipeline in two separate accidents in Russia's Far East last year, according to media reports and oil companies. Transneft's pipeline that brings Russian oil from Eastern Siberia to China was put into operation just months before the two spills happened.

The oil industry in Komi has been sapping nature for decades, killing or forcing out reindeer and fish. Locals like the 63-year-old Bratenkov are afraid that when big oil leaves, there will be only poisoned terrain left in its wake.

"Fishing, hunting -- it's all gone," Bratenkov said.

AP Enterprise: Russia oil spills wreak devastation

30 Companies Paid Lobbyists More Than the IRS #p2 #tcot @andrewbreitbart @barackobama

2011-12-18T20:03:00.001-08:00

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/30_companies_paid_lobbyists_more_than_the_irs_20111218/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Truthdig+Truthdig%3A+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines

An analysis by Public Campaign reveals that between 2008 and 2010, 30 of America's most profitable companies, including Verizon, Wells Fargo, FedEx, GE and Mattel, spent more money buying influence in Washington than they did paying taxes.

The raw data comes from Citizens for Tax Justice and the Center for Responsive Politics. —PZS

Public Campaign:

At Least 50,000 Children Caught Up In Philippines Flooding

2011-12-18T20:02:00.001-08:00

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/239060-At-Least-50-000-Children-Caught-Up-In-Philippines-Flooding

At least 50,000 children have been caught up in flooding in the Philippines, Save the Children estimates, after hundreds of people were swept to their deaths by an enormous cyclone.

Two days after torrential rains triggered some of the worst flooding ever seen in the country, some areas are still cut off by damage and debris, hampering relief efforts and prompting fears for families trapped without enough food and clean water.

Save the Children is particularly concerned that children may have been separated from their families during the floods, leaving them especially vulnerable, Save the Children's Anna Lindenfors in the Philippines said.

"We fear that many children were split up from their parents as this disaster unfolded and our priority is to reach them as soon as possible. We are especially worried about children trapped in areas that we cannot access due to the damage caused by the storm. Children are likely to have borne the brunt of this disaster, because they are less likely to be able to cope with torrents of floodwater." she said.

Hundreds of people are still missing after the storm tore through coastal villages in Mindanao and there are reports that the majority of the bodies recovered so far have been children.

Save the Children teams are on the ground to provide clean water and essential items to families caught up in the disaster. Without their families, children face a range of risks. They are often extremely frightened, unable to find food and clean water and are vulnerable to abuse.

In areas where access is possible, the government has set up evacuation centers for those made homeless by the tropical storm. Save the Children is working with the authorities to ensure that families are getting the help they need.

Notes
The attached pictures were taken at Zone 7, Acacia St. Carmen, Cagayan de Oro, where close to 50 houses were swept away in the early morning of 17 December 2011, rendering about 120 children homeless - this is in one street alone.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong-il Dies

2011-12-18T19:59:00.001-08:00

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/239063-North-Korean-Leader-Kim-Jong-il-Dies

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had suffered from poor health since his stroke in 2008

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has died at the age of 69, state-run television has announced.

Mr Kim, who has led the communist nation since the death of his father in 1994, died on a train while visiting an area outside the capital, the announcement said.

He suffered a stroke in 2008 and was absent from public view for months.

His designated successor is believed to be his third son, Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s.

The BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul says Mr Kim's death will cause huge shock waves across North Korea.

The announcement came in an emotional statement read out on national television.

The announcer, wearing black, said he had died of physical and mental over-work.

South Korea says its military has been put on alert following the announcement and its National Security Council is convening for an emergency meeting, Yonhap news agency reports.

Silicon Valley execs blast SOPA in open letter #p2 #tcot @barackobama

2011-12-15T10:52:00.001-08:00

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57342914-83/silicon-valley-execs-blast-sopa-in-open-letter/?tag=nl.e757

Many of Silicon Valley's most successful entrepreneurs and executives are warning of the dangers of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Actin a new open letter to Washington, D.C.

It's signed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, among others. It will appear as a paid advertisement in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other newspapers.

The letter's timing is no coincidence. Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican who drafted SOPA, has scheduled a committee vote tomorrow on a slightly revised version and still highly controversial version--call it SOPA v2.0.

SOPA will "give the U.S. government the power to censor the Web using techniques similar to those used by China, Malaysia and Iran," the letter says. Chris Dodd, the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, recently invoked China as a model, saying that "when the Chinese told Google that they had to block sites" the company complied, according to a report at Variety.com. Dodd backed away from that comparison in a speech (PDF) yesterday, saying it's unfair to compare shutting down "foreign rogue sites and the policies of repressive governments."

SOPA represents the latest effort from Hollywood, the Recording Industry Association of America, and their allies to counter what they claim to be rampant piracy online, especially from offshore sites such as ThePirateBay.org. It would allow the Justice Department to seek an order making allegedly piratical Web sites virtually vanish from the Internet. (See CNET's FAQ on SOPA.)

In advance of tomorrow's committee vote, opposition is mounting from Internet engineers, Web companies including Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Zynga, and civil liberties and human rights groups. Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe says SOPA violates the First Amendment and "should not be enacted by Congress."

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) told CNET that he's planning to offer amendments to SOPA that would "reduce" the discretion of the U.S. attorney general. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), a Web entrepreneur who like Issa is on the House Judiciary committee, said in an interview with CNETthat he has similar concerns about the Justice Department and is also planning to offer amendments.

Keep reading for the text of the open letter.

An Open Letter to Washington

We've all had the good fortune to found Internet companies and nonprofits in a regulatory climate that promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, the creation of content and free expression online.

However we're worried that the PROTECT IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act--which started out as well-meaning efforts to control piracy online--will undermine that framework.

These two pieces of legislation threaten to:

* Require web services, like the ones we helped found, to monitor what users link to, or upload. This would have a chilling effect on innovation;

* Deny website owners the right to due process of law;
* Give the U.S. Government the power to censor the web using techniques similar to those used by China, Malaysia and Iran; and
* Undermine security online by changing the basic structure of the Internet.

We urge Congress to think hard before changing the regulation that underpins the Internet. Let's not deny the next generation of entrepreneurs and founders the same opportunities that we all had.

Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape and Andreessen Horowitz
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and Square
Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr and Hunch
David Filo, co-founder of Yahoo!
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn
Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post
Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube
Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive and co-founder of Alexa Internet
Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal
Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist
Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay
Biz Stone, co-founder of Obvious and Twitter
Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation
Evan Williams, co-founder of Blogger and Twitter
Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!

Originally posted at Privacy Inc.

“A Third World in our own backyard” US child homelessness soars #p2 #tcot @gop @barackobama

2011-12-15T08:37:00.001-08:00

from http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/dec2011/home-d15.shtml

More than 1.6 million children in the United States, or one in 45, are homeless, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Center on Family Homelessness.

The survey conducted by the Massachusetts-based advocacy group concludes that child homelessness surged 38 percent between 2007 and 2010, with the number of children living on the street, in homeless shelters or motels, or doubled up with other families rising over the period by more than 448,000.

Ellen Bassuk, president and founder of the National Center on Family Homelessness and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, told the World Socialist Web Site that the figures suggest "an emerging Third World in our own backyard."

Among the key findings of the 124-page report, entitled "America's Youngest Outcasts 2010," are the following:

• The figure of 1.6 million children homeless in a year equates to more than 30,000 homeless children each week and over 4,400 each day.

• Children experiencing homelessness suffer from hunger, poor physical and emotional health, and missed educational opportunities.

• A majority of these children have limited proficiency in math and reading.

• Only five states reported a decrease in the number of homeless children between 2007 and 2010. Twenty-five states reported that their numbers doubled.

The report is the latest in a series of studies documenting the social devastation in America resulting from mass unemployment and the pro-corporate policies of the Obama administration and both big business parties. Earlier this month a study published by Rutgers University found that only 22 percent of those who lost their jobs between August 2008 and August 2009 were working full-time as of August 2011. Just 7 percent of those initially contacted in the study had regained their previous income level.

Last month, the Census Bureau released a new measurement of poverty in the US that increased the estimate of the number of poor people to 49 million.

The growth of poverty at one end has been accompanied by an ever greater concentration of wealth by a financial aristocracy at the other. In October, the Congressional Budget Office reported that the richest 1 percent of US households nearly tripled their income between 1979 and 2007 and doubled their share of the national income.

With the 2012 presidential campaign season beginning in earnest, one would hardly guess from the statements of any of the contenders that the country is mired in a depression that is swelling the ranks of the poor and homeless at an accelerating rate.

The authors of the homelessness survey note that the reported number of homeless children is likely an undercount, because data collection procedures were changed in California, reducing that state's total by nearly 163,000 in a single year, from 2009 to 2010. In the three previous years, California had accounted for more than 25 percent of the nation's homeless children.

The report compares the impact of what it calls the "man-made disaster" of the housing and finance collapse of 2007-2008 with the natural disaster of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Following the hurricanes, the number of homeless children surged in 2006 to 1.5 million, or one in 50. In 2007, following the mass migration from the storm-devastated Gulf region and resettlement of more than a million people, the number of homeless children fell by 385,000, or 25 percent. In that year the rate of homelessness among children fell to one in 63.

Since 2007, however, the child homeless population has soared higher, by 60,000, than the level reached after the hurricanes of 2005.

The "America's Youngest Outcasts 2010" study compiles figures on a state-by-state basis, using data gathered by school districts. The states with the highest incidence of child homelessness include the highly populated states of New York and California and the much smaller states of Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Oregon. The states listed as having the highest risk of child homelessness are predominantly in the South and the Southwest, including Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia and Arizona.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Ellen Bassuk, the president of the foundation, said: "What we're seeing is an escalating number of homeless kids, beginning in 2007 all the way to now. It is a disturbing picture, particularly in a country as affluent as ours.

"These are very poor families with little opportunity. The kids are extremely traumatized. Their outcomes are poor. Many of them don't graduate from high school. It's a very sad picture.

"The bulk of these families are headed by women alone. Many of the kids are below the age of six. We're talking about a whole generation of children who do not have appropriate opportunities to thrive and grow."

Describing the impact of homelessness on children, Bassuk said, "It's a very traumatic experience for kids. They lose their friends, their pets, their possessions, their routines. They end up in shelters that tend to be fairly chaotic. Whole families live in one room.

"A lot of kids are hungry in this population. It's hard to go to school and pay attention when that's going on."

Asked about the impact of budget cuts, she noted that the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is "level-funded," meaning its funding has not been increased for the past two years. "Therefore it can't respond to the increase in the number of homeless families," she said. "We also know there are threats to SNAP (the federal food stamp program) and Head Start, which is a critical program for low-income kids."

She continued: "Programs that we know benefit these families should not be cut. I think right now we're treading water around various programs in the hope that some of these critical programs won't be further cut.

"Another example is child care vouchers. There are not adequate child care vouchers to help these families. How can a mother go to work who has a bunch of young kids or go to school and learn the skills she needs to earn a livable wage? They need job opportunities and job training to earn a livable wage.

"Everything right now is on the chopping block. There are going to be big domestic spending cuts. Those of us who work in this area are worried."

Asked if she was disappointed in the policies of the Obama administration, she pointed to the 2009 report "Opening Doors" that was issued by the administration's Interagency Council on Homelessness. The report "made a commitment to end child and family homelessness in ten years and end some of the other types of homelessness within five years. And if anything we're seeing a huge spike in numbers. We had certainly hoped that a lot of this would be going in the other direction. It's been a long, hard four years."

The author also recommends:

Study documents desperate conditions facing the unemployed in America
[5 December 2011]

US Census: One third of US population poor or near-poor
[29 November 2011]

Government report says richest 1 percent doubled their share of US national income
[27 October 2011]