| In his NYT column, Nobel prize- winning economist, Paul Krugman weighs in on tea parties, Republicans, and Democrats…..And once again, I find myself agreeing with Krugman, the economist whom Republicans have just recently loved to quote, as Krugman has been at odds with the Dem mainstream over the handling of the economy. This time, however, I suspect that the right wingers won't be too happy about what Krugman has to say…..
Today’s G.O.P. is, after all, very much a minority party. It retains some limited ability to obstruct the Democrats, but has no ability to make or even significantly shape policy.
Beyond that, Republicans have become embarrassing to watch. And it doesn’t feel right to make fun of crazy people. Better, perhaps, to focus on the real policy debates, which are all among Democrats.
Krugman goes on to say essentially the same thing that I pointed out in my article last week --- namely that the tea parties are not a matter of public sentiment, are not spontaneous, but rather, organized and paid for by the corporatists, and promoted by Fox News.
Last but not least: it turns out that the tea parties don’t represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They’re AstroTurf (fake grass roots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former House majority leader, and supported by the usual group of right-wing billionaires. And the parties are, of course, being promoted heavily by Fox News.
Liberals invented revolution in this country. Leave it to the Republicans to muck it all up and give it an undeservedly bad rep. Happy teabagging, tools. 
UPDATE:
MSNBC’s David Schuster gives us some background on the teabagging movement. Hilarious and factual.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
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| For 18 years, in a practice begun by George H.W. Bush, the government has banned the media from providing coverage of returning war dead. 
At President Obama’s request, the Pentagon has now lifted the ban, although permission from the service member’s family is required. “The arrival of the remains of Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, a 30-year-old supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, at Dover Air Force Base at 11 p.m. today [ipd note: Sunday, Apr. 5] marked the first time that the transfer of any of the nearly 5,000 U.S. troops who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan was open to the media. The transfer of the flag-draped casket was carried out with great dignity, for the seven family members present.” source
AP/Reuters photo
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Continue reading "IPD Political News Summary: Monday, April 6, 2009" »
Political News Summary Covering Monday, March 30 – Tuesday, March 31, 2009
| 
The results of a new poll show that Americans are not drinking the GOP koolaide when it comes to blaming Obama for the recession.
You may be aware of the ongoing kerfluffle between Cramer and Jon Stewart, If not, I plan to catch you up later.
Suffice it to say that I am thinking that Mr. Cramer is now wishing he had simply ignored Stewart rather than acting like a big d.ick about the whole thing. Joe Scarborough might be wishing the same thing.
The video is an interview Cramer did with TheStreet.com in 2006, and in it, Cramer admits to illegal activity as a hedge fund manager. The video is fascinating but I dug around and found more info. Links below the video. Enjoy.
From HUFFPOST:
In it, the host of Mad Money says he regularly manipulated the market when he ran his hedge fund. He calls it "a fun game, and it's a lucrative game." He suggests all hedge fund managers do the same. "No one else in the world would ever admit that, but I could care. I am not going to say it on TV," he quips in the video.
He also calls Wall Street Journal reporters "bozos" and says behaving illegally is okay because the SEC doesn't understand it anyway.
Here are some gems:
-On manipulating the market: "A lot of times when I was short at my hedge fund, and I was positioned short, meaning I needed it down, I would create a level of activity before hand that could drive the futures,"
Jim Cramer is a Complicated Man
Jim Cramer Uses CNBC to Manipulate Stocks
A Scandal Unfolds, and the Media Mob Scampers
WATCH: In Shocking '06 Interview, Jim Cramer Admits To Market Manipulation, Touts Illegal Activity
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor [1], a rising star in the Republican party, has been a prominent voice demanding accountability in how the government doles out hundreds of billions for bank bailouts.
This Thursday, Cantor cast a high-profile vote opposing release of another $350 billion in bailout funds. Unpublicized until now was a recent development: The Treasury Department used $267 million of taxpayer funds to buy preferred stock in a private banking company that employs Cantor's wife.
The bailout for New York Private Bank and Trust (NYPBT) [2] came earlier this month as part of a Treasury Department program to boost "healthy banks" with extra capital. NYPBT is the holding company for Emigrant Bank [3], a savings bank with 35 branches in and around New York City. Diana Cantor runs the Virginia branch of Emigrant's wealth-management division, called Virginia Private Bank & Trust, which targets an ultra-rich clientele.
Hmm...and where exactly is your accountability re this direct conflict of interest, Mr. Cantor?
Mark Wilson/Getty Images.
My reasons for writing this post are solely to encourage you, and to arm you. I am compelled to do so not only by the events of the past eight years, but by what has been revealed in Keith Olbermann's interview with former National Security Agency analyst, Russell Tice.
My intent is simple: that you and your family, if you have not been focusing your attention on national politics, as indeed, I myself did not until last August, are able to become aware of and absorb the events that occurred in this country under the auspices of the Bush administration.
The events which sent the United States barreling towards becoming a Fascist Republic, and signified the end of our Democratic Republic. Indeed, in the 200+ year history of our nation, such a situation had never been allowed to occur, and yet it did, on our watch. We must guard our freedom well to prevent any possibility of a recurrence, because we love our children and our country. And guarding it requires awareness and action.
But..... it's over, you say. President Bush and Vice President Cheney are no longer in power. In part, certainly. However, in order to safeguard our freedom for future generations, we must all be aware of, and pass on what happened to this country to cause it to conform with the ideals of a fascist republic, and give up our constitutional rights to a group of men who sought power that was not their's under the tenets of our constitution.
This is so important, that this era of our history will forever become a part of all unbiased teachings about our constitution, the history of our republic, and so on. We as a country, came just this close to becoming what the constitution was supposed to have prevented.
It occurred because a group of men, led by President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove, sought an inordinate amount of power in order to personally benefit from the wielding of that power. Their methods included the intent to instill so much fear in the American people that we would willingly accept restrictions upon our liberty, the revocation of the tenets of our constitution, and they were indeed highly successful. They benefited personally on a scale never before seen, and we have been left with the nation's coffers empty, the monies handed over to Halliburton, Blackwater, and others, a resulting economic crisis of a magnitude not yet reached, a global financial crisis that may take years to recover from, two wars, one of them completely unnecessary and immoral, and our reputation in shreds all over the world.
videos after the jump
“DESPITE claims that he's still undecided, Gov. Paterson is "certain" to pick Caroline Kennedy to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton in the US Senate, several unhappy contenders for the job have told friends and associates in recent days.
The contenders based their conclusion on the view that Paterson, after nearly two months of indecision, would "greatly embarrass" and "entirely humiliate" Kennedy, anger her prominent political family and even offend President-elect Barack Obama by picking someone other than President John F. Kennedy's daughter.
As for the governor's claim to be weighing a last-minute finalist, the contenders agree with a close Paterson friend who said, "It's clear David is just trying to play mind games with the press."”
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:: Shoes follow Bush.
There was a protest in Washington today. At the White House. And amazingly enough, no one was even arrested (well, one guy). The guards at the White House allowed protestors and tourists to lob shoes on to the White House lawn. Some of them even encouraged onlookers. Amazing. Only in America.
“President Bush was given an Iraqi-journalist-style sendoff on his last full day in office Monday, as tourists and demonstrators lobbed shoes, pumps, boots, sandals and Crocs from Pennsylvania Avenue onto the White House lawn.
Before launching the operation live, the shoe-chuckers took target practice in Dupont Circle on a 20-foot-tall blow up doll of the outgoing president, decked out in the flight suit he wore aboard the "Mission Accomplished" aircraft carrier.”Source: HUFFPOST
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Continue reading "Political News Summary - Monday, January 19, 2009" »
“Roland Burris will take his seat in the Senate Thursday – a day later than planned so that his family can be on hand for his swearing in, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday.”Source: POLITICO
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:: Pelosi's Cat Cam. 
Continue reading "Political News Summary - Tuesday, January 13, 2009" »
“Fox News published a report Thursday slamming Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison by featuring a discredited “terrorism expert.” Ellison’s hajj pilgrimage to Mecca last month, an important part of his Muslim faith, was paid for by the Muslim America Society of Minnesota, an organization that has earned the respect of the Minnesota Council of Churches, the St. Paul Police Department and former Vice President Walter Mondale, but also has been a target by mainly right-wing blogs and think tanks.
Steven Emerson called the Minnesota nonprofit “the Muslim equivalent of the neo-Nazi party.” Of Ellison he said, “It’s very troubling that he is trying to project an image of moderation, but he is tied to these radical groups.” Fox News did not disclose Emerson’s ample volume of false reports, anti-Muslim diatribes, frivolous lawsuits and discredited statements.”Source: The Minnesota Independent
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:: Obama vows that his administration will not allow torture.
This is great, but I would like to know if he intends to appoint a special investigator.
I am torn as to whether Bush and company should be prosecuted. They certainly deserve to be, but I can not think that it would be good for this country if they are.
“"I was clear throughout this campaign and was clear throughout this transition that under my administration the United States does not torture," Obama said, when asked at the news conference whether he would continue the Bush administration's policy of harsh interrogation. "We will abide by the Geneva Conventions. We will uphold our highest ideals."”Source: MSNBC
Continue reading "Political News Summary: Friday, Jan. 9, 2009" »
Source: HUFFPOST
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:: The White House snubs Obama re Blair House?
Last night we learned the identity of the guest scheduled to stay at Blair House that caused the White House to decline Obama's request to move in earlier than planned so that his daughters could start school. It turned out to be the former Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, scheduled for a one-night stay in January.Now, however, according to Think Progress, if what a Bloomberg reporter said last night on Countdown is true, Obama was actually snubbed. And here I didn't think that George W. Bush could do anything else to further embarrass this country. From Think Progress:
“Last night on MSNBC's "Countdown," Bloomberg journalist Margaret Carlson revealed that when the White House turned down Obama's request in early December, it had not yet even invited Howard to stay at the Blair House:
I reported...on December 11 and 12 that there were no foreign dignitaries booked into Blair House during that period of time. ... I have the feeling they asked him [Howard] to come and stay so that there might be some plausible reason for not letting the Obamas stay there.”
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:: IPD Daily Political Cartoon Find
Cartoon by Gary Varvel for indystar.com
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:: Additional confirmation hearings announced for next week. See schedule below. For info on cabinet nominees, click here.
Hearings held on Tuesday, January 13:
| NOMINEE | COMMITTEE TO HEAR |
| Hillary Clinton | Foreign Relations |
| Peter Orszag | Budget Committee |
| Arne Duncan | HELP panel |
| Steven Chu | Energy and Natural Resources Committee |
| Lisa Jackson | Environment and Public Works Committee |
Hearings on Wednesday, January 14:
| NOMINEE | COMMITTEE TO HEAR |
| Tom Vilsack | Agriculture Committee |
| Eric Shinseki | Veterans Affairs Committee |
| Peter Orszag | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee |
Hearings on Thursday, January 15:
| NOMINEE | COMMITTEE TO HEAR |
| Eric Holder Jr. | Judiciary Committee |
| Ken Salazar | Energy & Natural Resources panel |
| Susan Rice | Foreign Relations |
| Timothy Geithner | Finance Committee |
| Janet Napolitano | Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee |
Source: Tables Copyright © IPD 2009
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Continue reading "Political News Summary - Wednesday, January 7, 2009" »
►Wingnut Alert: A number of lawsuits have been filed, challenging the citizenship of the president-elect. This is, of course, ridiculous, and has been proven to be untrue. Does anything stop the wingnuts? Tomorrow, one of these lawsuits will be discussed by the Supreme Court, who will turn it down.
“The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will tomorrow
discuss whether or not it should take up the case of Leo C. Donofrio, Applicant, v. Nina Mitchell Wells, New Jersey Secretary of State, a case that challenges the citizenship of President-elect Obama.
After the Justices meet -- and assuredly decline to hear the matter -- the anti-Obama activists supporting the case will hold a vigil near the steps of the highest Court in the land.”Jake Tapper - ABC News
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►Doom and gloom economic predictions from Krugman and O'Neill. Former Treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill, on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
“Intelligence officials looked urgently for clues about the identify of the attackers, a crucial unknown as Indian officials charged, without giving details, that "elements in Pakistan" were involved. A tentative rapprochement between the two nuclear-armed rivals could hang in the balance, and a U.S. counterintelligence official cautioned against rushing to judgment on the origins of the militants.”
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►
According to ABC News, George W. Bush hopes to be remembered for "liberating" the Iraqi people, according to an interview conducted by his sister for the oral-history organization StoryCorps for the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Excuse me, but WHAT the frack?? Does he really believe that that is what he did? Oh hell, never mind. This requires an entire separate post over the weekend. But I have to say in response to his statement --- freakin' ludicrous.
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►Senate democrats are preparing health, economic and spending legislation that they hope will land on Obama's desk when he takes office on January 20. Go dems!
“Given the severity of the problems facing the nation, officials on Capitol Hill and in the Obama team say Democrats have put their schedule on fast-forward rather than allowing the usual lull between the start of the new Congress, this time on Jan. 6, and President-elect Barack Obama’s swearing-in two weeks later.
Lawmakers and staff members are already laying the groundwork for a running start, and Congress is scheduled to remain in session once its expanded Democratic majorities are sworn in.”................................................................................................................
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