Tag Archives: Sarah Palin

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Think Progress


Some Inconvenient Truths About the National Debt

Jun 1, 2011 | By ThinkProgress War Room

How’d We Get Here?

As we draw closer to August 2, the drop-dead date by which the nation’s debt ceiling must be raised or the U.S. will risk economic calamity by defaulting on its obligations, Republicans continue to play political  games with the economy. Last night, House Republicans staged a political stunt by bringing a $2.4 trillion increase in the nation’s borrowing limit that was not paired with any spending cuts up for a vote.  Republicans designed the measure to fail (as it did, with the Democratic leadership also calling for a ‘no’ vote in protest) to try and gain political leverage over President Obama and the Democrats in the ongoing budget negotiations being led by Vice President Biden. Also tucked into this measure was poison pill language blaming President Obama for the nation’s fiscal woes. Since the GOP continues to have collective amnesia about how we got into this mess in the first place, here’s a handy chart from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP):

As our friends at CBPP note, “without the economic downturn and the fiscal policies of the [Bush] Administration, the budget would be roughly in balance over the next decade.”

Where the GOP Wants to Take Us: More Tax Cuts for the Wealthy & Big Oil, Less Health Care for Grandma

In order to raise the debt ceiling to pay for the debts we’ve already incurred as a result of these Bush-era policies, Republicans are demanding that the president accept elements of their disastrous — and extremely unpopular — budget plan, which includes:
A permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts, which (along with two wars) make up almost half of the debt we’ll owe by 2019 under current policies
A new  tax cut for the wealthy that would lower the top rate by almost one-third
A new tax cut for corporations — including Big Oil
Ending Medicare as we know it and slashing Medicaid
A hidden tax increase on the middle class

Missing from the GOP plan? Any new revenue for the government or any serious deficit reduction over the next decade.

Evening Briefing: Important Stories That You May Have Missed

Voters in several states have buyer’s remorse.

South Africa’s Zuma fails to persuade Qaddafi to step down.

The House GOP prefers to keep campaign finance disclosure opaque.

Texas redistricting is underway and it isn’t pretty.

Forcing “forcible” out of federal rape policy.

Matt Drudge’s disgusting race war awareness campaign.

Supposed-Libertarian Rand Paul (R-KY) wants to imprison people who attend “radical political speeches.”

Which major corporations are making huge profits but pay negative tax rates?

News You Can Use: Get Your Go-Bag Ready — Hurricane Season Starts Today

After a spring filled with record floods and killer tornadoes fueled by an ever-warming planet, today marks the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.  Scientists predict that this season there will be 18 named storms, including 3-6 major hurricanes.   The La Niña effect, which helped steer storms away from the U.S. last year, is expected to ebb by June or July, increasing the likelihood of a major hurricane hitting the U.S during the peak of the season in late August and September.  Meanwhile, the GOP’s proposed budget for next year cuts disaster preparedness funding by $1.5 billion.

Lie of the Day: Palin’s Magical Mystery Tour Marches On–Complete With a $7 TRILLION Lie on Fox News

In between saying how much she “loves the smell of emissions,” playing hide-and-go-seek with the media, and eating dinner with Donald Trump, Sarah Palin sat down with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren.  As is customary for Palin’s appearances on Fox, her interview included a ‘pants on fire’ lie about President Obama.  She claimed that the president has increased the national debt by “more than all other presidents combined.”  As ThinkProgress’ Judd Legum notes: “this is flatly false,” as the debt was $10.6 trillion when Obama came into office and has increased by $3.7 trillion since then — mostly due to Bush-era policies, as noted above.  That leaves Palin’s accounting off by a mere $7 TRILLION. Check out the video:

http://youtu.be/bsSzEtIvEFQ

www.ThinkProgress.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell Congress to Help Create Jobs Not Cut Them


 

Tell Congress to Help Create Jobs Not Cut Them

Tell Congress to vote NO on H.R. 1. Now is not the time to cut investment in business and jobs.

Call (888) 494-8956 and enter your zip code to be connected directly to your Congress member

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Palin steps into Wisconsin


Sarah Palin just endorsed David Prosser, the right-wing candidate in next week’s election for Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Prosser voted with Gov. Scott Walker 95% when they were in the legislature — and if he wins this election, he’ll be the deciding vote on the legality of Gov. Walker’s anti-worker bill that passed in the dark of night after Republicans bent the rules.

Can you join PCCC members across the nation who are calling Wisconsin voters – asking them to defeat the Palin/Walker candidate in Tuesday’s election?

Yes! Show me the shifts to sign up and volunteer from my home!http://act.boldprogressives.org/go/3564?rand_id=70376718&akid=3711.264653.pnUY5f&t=1

No, thanks — but I’ll join thousands of others in donating $3 to support the PCCC’s Wisconsin program.http://act.boldprogressives.org/go/3565?akid=3711.264653.pnUY5f&t=2

In just three days, volunteers made 27,000 calls to Wisconsin voters. We have momentum, and in a low-turnout election our calls can swing this race!

Prosser is running against progressive Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg. If we defeat Palin’s candidate, it will be a big victory for workers and a huge loss for Wisconsin Republicans just as they prepare to play defense in recall elections.

We hope you can spare an hour and volunteer from home for this important cause! Thanks for being a bold progressive.

— Stephanie Taylor, Adam Green, Matt Wall, Amanda Johnson, Michael Snook, Keauna Gregory, and the PCCC team.

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF &some News …


Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the Chanllenger Space Shuttle tradgedy with thoughts of the families of our 7 Astronauts.

It has been a couple of days, The President and his SOTU address is all over the air-waves and as talking heads debate, interpret and beat down the ” WintheFuture. “ plan. It was odd to hear that the President’s “WintheFuture” plan was leaked but can imagine that the numerous right of center reporters were excited and ready to write their articles to disapprove of the President’s plan way before he gave the SOTU address let alone “WintheFuture and while Sarah Palin took a swipe at it she also made herself look less than Presidential material.

The Plan, “WintheFuture” did not stray too far away from his original statements in 2009 in my opinion but it did include an obvious roadmap at what needs to get done and how to get it done. The reports are that polls taken after the SOTU were great with Cnn reports 84% felt the SOTU was positive, 52% were very positive and CBS reported that 91% agreed to and liked the President’s proposals.  We the People need to push shove and the most important would be to call our Congress to move “WintheFuture” through so issues like abortion can be dealt with and the Dream Act, education, energy, and climate change can be more than just possible laws but realities. However, the Republican Tea Party managed to waste time for 2 years and continues to in hope for enough negative outcomes, negative responses by tea partiers, comrades and voters trying to make Obama fail in 2012. 

It is entirely possible that Republicans are not reading or listening to the news and or Polls because they definitely are not giving credit and or respect to the American people’s ability to ferret out the slight of hand these folks are engaging in. It is encouraging to see that more and more Americans like the new Health Care Law though if you spoke to Republicans they seem stuck in their midterm election win and not the change of attitude by even their own constituents. It is obvious the HoneyMoon is over but will the Republican Tea Party is it and accept they have gone to far right of center.

 I still feel the house of Bush and Republicans are completely responsible for the state of our economy. Apparently, people like Glenn beck got it; some Conservatives seem to be avoiding or walking away from Bush, stating that big spending big government happened, but if we get back into office, we will not do it again but the fact is they keep saying they want to go back to 2006 so the lesson was obviously not learned. 

 I have been listening to both sides since the midterm election and have heard nothing-different coming out of the mouths of Republicans, Conservatives and or the tea party movement that sounds anything different from the Bush Administration. We the People need to call our Members of Congress and ask; whose side are you on because 53% voted this President in and knew exactly what we were doing but the Republican Tea Party definitely are not listening because it would interupt their move to PRIVATIZE everything. Americans, over half voted for change we can believe in. I for one would love it if the Republican Tea Party stopped holding up our President’s ability to govern, stop being Obstructionists that have now defined who and what Republicans stand for. 

The Democratic Political Party needs to come together… negotiate, support and pass the issues our President campaigned on. We pay Congress to create, make and pass laws. There were a lot of folks left of center who seemed at odds with President Obama before the midterms and threatened to hold their votes hostage if he did not do as they wanted whiched seemed awfully childish to me and the other push was for President Obama to use his pen of power to get things done. In my opinion the push toward getting the President to use Executive Order to get things done is not in our best interest because it would make the law subject to being repealed way too easily. I also feel that having Congress do what we all pay them for is just plain ole common sense.

my take

Other News …

**Tea Parties first caucus recruits about 4 people …those who called themselves tea party members did not show up …hmmmm interesting for constituents to think about

**25th Anniversary ceremony at Kennedy Space Center

**Egyptians defy police and protest

**Rahm’s Mayorial campaign continues

**GDP growth up 3.2% falls short in 4th qtr tho it still is an indication of economic growth

**Nelson Mandela is released from Hospital

**Funeral for Ugandan gay activist,David Kato was held:and FYI: Uganda’s Rolling Stone is reported as having published names of several people saying they were gay with the headline “Hang them”

** Egypt: Nobel Peace Winner is under house arrest

**Seattle, City Officials have backed off from raising parking rates up to 4dollars an hr due to substantial complaints-though free parking is still after 8pm instead of the old 6pm time

**Arizona: a bid to block citizenship for illegal immigrants “anchor babies” -Lawmakers in AZ and some other States are challenging the 14th Amendment … AGAIN

CSPAN …

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs conducts a daily briefing at the White Houss:  http://c-span.com/Events/White-House-Briefing-with-Press-Secretary-Robert-Gibbs/10737419201/

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Philip Crowley conducts a daily briefing at the State Department. http://c-span.com/Events/State-Department-Press-Briefing/10737419203/

A number of Senators debated Senate Resolution 10, which would change Senate rules on considering legislation. It would change how filibusters are conducted and require a Senator’s name to be made public if they put a hold on a bill. It would also change rules for offering amendments. http://c-span.com/Events/Senate-Floor-Debate-on-Procedural-Changes/10737419227/

Commander Charles Benson, U.S. Marine Corps psychiatrist, deputy surgeon and director of the Concussion Restoration Care Center at Camp Leatherneck conducted a briefing at the Pentagon on combat stress and concussion care of troops in Afghanistan. http://c-span.com/Events/Defense-Department-Briefing-on-Combat-Stress-amp-Concussion-Care/10737419202/

This morning, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) released a report on the causes of the 2008 financial and economic crisis. At the event, the Commission is delivering the results of its inquiry and its conclusions as to the causes of the crisis based on this inquiry. http://c-span.com/Events/FCIC39s-Report-on-Causes-of-2008-Economic-Crisis/10737419171/

CBO:2011-2021 forecast: The agency charged with reviewing congressional budgets unveiled it’s annual economic forecast for the federal government’s 2011 fiscal year. The new estimate predicts the federal deficit will reach almost $1.5 trillion in 2011. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Doug Elmendorf appeared before The Senate Budget Committee today to detail the latest CBO report and participated in a question and answer session with lawmakers.  http://c-span.com/Events/CBO39s-2011-2021-Forecast-Detailed-in-Hearing/10737419170/   

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to investigate how Boeing and EADS received sensitive information about each other through an Air Force clerical error. Both companies are competing for a $50 billion contract to replace the Air Force’s aging refueling airplanes. The error gave both companies access to each other’s intellectual property which could have serious consequences for the bidding competition. A contract announcement could come as early as February. http://c-span.com/Events/Senate-Armed-Services-Cmte-Hearing-on-KC-X-Competition/10737419204/

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended the euro and said France and Germany would never let the currency fail. He also outlined the economic and financial priorities of the G20. France will chair both the G8 and G20 summits this year.  http://c-span.com/Events/French-Pres-Nicolas-Sarkozy-Remarks-at-World-Economic-Forum/10737419205/

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Do you want to know about progressive culture and the arts?


 

 

The creative juices of artists, and the energy of the larger universe of culture offers us some positive messages at a time when many of us feel very frustrated about the state of the world.

As we at AlterNet tell stories of America and the changes we want to make, we invite you to sign up for AlterNet’s new Culture and the Arts newsletter, launching this week.

We all know the power of art. As our Washington editor and jazz singer Adele Stan writes: “In most successful movements for social change, artists are in the vanguard. In many cases it is their soundtrack, their visual sensibilities, their literature that comes to define a particular movement in the popular imagination. Think of the civil rights movement and the role played by music. Recall the anti-war movement of the 1960s, propelled by rock ‘n’ roll and psychedelic art.”

What should you expect in our expanded coverage? As our cultural editor, and savvy music writer and critic Julianne Escobedo Shepherd tells us: “We’ll critique and celebrate the important ways our political views manifest in the larger scheme of film, music, visual art, books, performance, television and beyond.” We know that a well made documentary can capture a powerful reality and be profoundly moving. And even a You Tube clip at the right moment can mobilize tens of thousands to a cause they care about.

Now more than ever we need to direct a laser-sharp focus on the culture and the arts that reflect, define and forge our progressive views into the future. AlterNet has always covered culture, but not with the emphasis it deserves. Now, we are going the extra mile.

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