Naming Corporate Thieves

Bernie Sanders Exposes 18 CEOs who took Trillions in Bailouts, Evaded Taxes and Outsourced Jobs:

...Many of the CEO’s who signed the deficit-reduction letter run corporations that evaded at least $34.5 billion in taxes by setting up more than 600 subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands and other offshore tax havens since 2008. As a result, at least a dozen of the companies avoided paying any federal income taxes in recent years, and even received more than $6.4 billion in tax refunds from the IRS since 2008...

Go to the link for the list.

Another Family Values Oops

Indiana GOP’s House Leader resigns after texting sexually explicit video of himself cheating on wife to everyone on his “Contacts” list - Salon.com:

The controversial House Majority Leader in Indiana — he cosponsored the state’s “religious freedom” law — resigned suddenly on Tuesday after a sexually compromising video was sent to all of the people on his “Contacts” list, the Advocate’s Bil Browning reports...

HP Devestator Was. Uh, Devestating

Carly Fiorina Really Was That Bad - The New York Times:

HER silver tongue honed by decades in corporate marketing, Carly Fiorina has used two debates, and a steely determination on the campaign trail, to climb near the top of the polls for the Republican nomination.

But Americans should pause on her biggest professional credential for our highest office: a short, disastrous stint atop one of America’s iconic technology companies, Hewlett-Packard...

Police Murder In SC

New Lawsuit Paints Troubling Picture Of Police Conduct After Killing Teen:

A federal lawsuit filed Monday claims the last words that 19-year-old Zachary Hammond heard were from a Seneca, South Carolina, police officer shouting, "I'll blow your fucking head off." Seconds later, the officer unloaded two bullets into the unarmed teen, killing him as he sat in his car in the parking lot of a Hardee's on July 26...

A Benghazi Truth

Kevin McCarthy Admits Benghazi Was All About Doing Political Harm To Hillary Clinton | Crooks and Liars:

Kevin McCarthy gleefully admitted to Sean Hannity Tuesday night that the entire purpose of the Benghazi Select Committee was to hurt Hillary Clinton's political chances...

The HP Devestator And The Big Lie

Carly Fiorina lied about Planned Parenthood video: GOP debate fact-checking.:

...The enormity of the fabrication surprised me; the fact that nobody had ever seen this extraordinary smoking gun before stunned me; the fact that not one of the journalists moderating the debate followed up on her claim surprised me. The fact that contemporaneous mainstream media reports of the debate—more theater criticism than journalism—failed to fact-check it surprised me. The people who did fact-check it all immediately agreed that it wasn’t true, and yet Fiorina’s word-picture was touted for days as the emotional zenith of the debate. This all surprised me: the notion that journalism and fact-finding are demonstrably unrelated enterprises...

Rand Flogs Ted

Rand Paul rebukes Ted Cruz as their rift widens - CNNPolitics.com:

The rift between Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, political allies turned rivals, widened on Tuesday when Paul decried his Senate colleague's hardline tactics.

Paul criticized Cruz for breaching Senate decorum, saying the Texan could not accomplish any of his legislative priorities because of how much his GOP colleagues despise him...

Crazy In NC: Wos Fleeing Edition

Federal probe may right DHHS troubles | News & Observer:

...Dr. Aldona Wos’ tenure as secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services had a turbulent start and an oddly quiet finish.

Much of her time at DHHS was marked by computer boondoggles that delayed payments to health care providers, erratic hiring and firing and no-bid consultant contracts with ballooning costs. Then the news slowed. The state’s Medicaid program, which Wos had declared broken, was declared fixed. And the secretary whom it seemed no uproar or embarrassment could dislodge abruptly said last month that she was leaving her job to spend more time with her family in Greensboro...

Deals & Devils & Details

driftglass:How To Fix The House Of Representatives

...-- there are 70 "moderate-conservatives" in the House of Representatives who are horrified by what the "Freedumb Caucus" is up to.

So in the words of The Untouchables' Jim Malone, "What are you prepared to do?" Because the Lord hates coward, boys and girls, and so far your grand strategy of sitting on your asses and doing absolutely nothing about the fascists who are eating your party alive doesn't seem to be yeilding terrific results.

Neither does holding group therapy sessions of your little Reasonable Republican club at which you can bitch safely and quietly about the problem between cocktails.

So if you want to do something to break the back of the beast that is wrecking the place, here is my suggestion: Go across the aisle and cut a deal with Nancy Pelosi...

Rush Limb On Mars

After NASA Announces It Found Water On Mars, Rush Limbaugh Says It's Part Of A Climate Change Conspiracy | Video | Media Matters for America:

...but this news that there is flowing water on Mars is somehow going to find its way into a technique to advance the leftist agenda. I don't know what it is, I would assume it would be something to do with global warming and you can -- maybe there was once an advanced civilization. If they say they found flowing water, next they're going to find a graveyard.

HP Devestator Continues To Lie

Chuck Todd Gives a Masterclass in Beltway Non-Journalism:

FIORINA:

...Yes. And I would challenge Planned Parenthood. Here's the deal. Yesterday, I was protested by Planned Parenthood people who were throwing condoms at me. I don't know what that has to do with this. They're trying to distract the American people from the hideous reality that Planned Parenthood is aborting fetuses alive to harvest their brains and other body parts. That is a fact. Planned Parenthood will not and cannot deny this because it is happening. It is happening in this nation. And taxpayers are paying for it. Planned Parenthood desperately wants everyone to think this isn't going on. Because when Americans realize it is going on, whether they are pro-life or pro-choice, they are horrified. This goes to the character of our nation and it must be stopped.

​Let us count the lies, shall we?

PP is not aborting fetuses alive to harvest their brains and other body parts. This is exactly the same as listening to a candidate argue that aliens from Alpha Centauri are conspiring to fix the Kentucky Derby. And, in any case, Planned Parenthood not only can deny it, but it has denied it, over and over again. And taxpayers are not paying for it because it isn't happening, and because PP doesn't use federal money to pay for any of the three percent of its services that include abortion...

Israel Killed Americans?

(Video) Israel Attacked the USS Liberty with Orders to Kill 294 Americans Evidence Confirms | I Take LIBERTY With My Coffee

JEB! Twisting On His Tongue

Jeb Bush, as dumb as his idiot brother: His latest nonsense should have you running scared - Salon.com: One of the most entertaining spectacles of this election cycle is watching Jeb! Bush try to marry his genial, moderate patrician demeanor to the kind of sneering, condescending Tea Party dialogue that, having incubated for years in right-wing media, has now burst out of the host Republican Party’s abdominal cavity to spray acid in the eyes of anyone who dares get near it. It’s the same awkward fusion Mitt Romney attempted four years ago, though no one really noticed until the general. Jeb has the decency to do it during the primaries so we’ll all have more time to enjoy watching him flail...

CGI Retort To USA Today

Corporations committed to Clinton Global Initiative: Objections:

...However, David Mastio, USA TODAY's deputy editorial page editor, recently claimed corporations were “abandoning” CGI. In fact, corporate support is extremely strong ("Obama admin, big businesses abandon Clinton Global Initiative: Column").

Sponsorship revenue is up, and 16 of the 30 companies in the Dow Jones industrial average are part of CGI. We have 33 new and returning sponsors, including Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Co., Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Cisco, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Gap Inc., NRG Energy, Swiss Reinsurance Co., the Rockefeller Foundation and Western Union. Additionally, first-time CGI members include Apple, Cardinal Health, GlaxoSmith Kline, Xerox and Zurich Insurance.

Far from "abandoning" CGI, the few companies not returning (for company-specific business reasons) continue to fulfill their ongoing CGI commitments.

Bob Harrison, CEO, Clinton Global Initiative; New York

No, that's not me. But the real Bob is glad the other Bob supports Clinton(s).

Fiorina Enters Delusional Zone

Carly Fiorina Doubles Down On Planned Parenthood Lies | Crooks and Liars:

GOP presidential candidate and failed former HP CEO Carly Fiorina doubled down on her lies about Planned Parenthood "harvesting" baby parts during an appearance on NBC this Sunday. Meet the Press host Chuck Todd did actually call Fiorina out over the doctored video tapes, but he let a lot go unchecked as well, like her claim that Planned Parenthood receives federal funding for abortions, which they don't.

Fiorina basically said she didn't care what the tapes showed or didn't show, she somehow knows that this practice is happening, so she's standing by her accusations -- fact checkers be damned...

GOPer On GOPers

What on Earth Is Wrong With the Republican Leadership?�|�Lawrence B. Wilkerson:

...Indeed, as the wolves circle around these candidates, each seems to be rethinking the extremes they have visited to create a following, to excite "the Base," and to raise their and the media's ratings. But none of them seems to have a clue as to what his remarks mean to the men and women in the military. This is particularly unconscionable for Dr. Ben Carson. He might not have been in the combat arms in the Army but he did wear the uniform and should know better.

As a Republican, I am utterly ashamed of my party. As a soldier for 31 years, I am disgusted with these "courageous" candidates, none of whom has served a day in the Infantry in their lives. As a citizen, I am deeply concerned for my country.

I can only take solace from the clear reality that none of them will ever win the White House.

Some Abortion Arguments

Bill Nye blasts anti-abortionists as ignorant | Fusion:

If you watched the recent GOP debates, you know that Republicans have made it their mission to take away reproductive rights from women. In light of this push, Bill Nye—you know, the science guy—decided to address abortion head-on in a new video, telling anti-abortionists “you literally don’t know what you’re talking about...”

The Walker Crash

Walker's campaign manager unloads - POLITICO:

...When Walker and Wiley began building the campaign team in January, they made a bold, and ultimately foolhardy decision: Go big. Walker was the front-runner in Iowa polls through the spring and early summer, and he tried to capitalize on that momentum by hiring former Republican National Committee aides and Washington operatives, plus a Beltway PR firm to target conservative media, a full-time photographer and well-known consultants for outreach to evangelicals.

At the time, Walker could afford it. But as he began to fumble issues, and Donald Trump took over the race, the cash flow began to slow. Then, on the night of Walker’s mediocre performance in the first debate, Grebe warned senior staff that the campaign would need to prepare for a severe fundraising ebb — and the possibility of staff cuts...

Lying Liars Debate Lying

FactChecking the CNN Republican Debate:

The Republican presidential candidates met for their second debate on Sept. 16, this one hosted by CNN at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in California. We found they strayed from the facts on numerous issues, including:...

GOPers Being GOPers

The American Idea and Today’s G.O.P. - The New York Times:

...Instead the pessimism grows from a sour, overgeneralized and intellectually sloppy sense of alienation. It is one thing to think Democratic policies are wrong. It is another to betray the essential American faith and take a reactionary attitude toward life. This is an attitude that sours the tongue, offends the eye and freezes the heart.

Wheelchair Shooting

Man in wheelchair shot dead by police 'after refusing to put hands up' - Mirror Online:

Disturbing footage has emerged of a man in a wheelchair being shot dead by police officers in Delaware after he refused to raise his hands...

The Night They Drove Old Juicy Down

Texas electricity goes negative: Wind power was so plentiful one night that producers paid the state to take it.:

In the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, the mighty state of Texas was asleep. The honky-tonks in Austin were shuttered, the air-conditioned office towers of Houston were powered down, and the wind whistled through the dogwood trees and live oaks on the gracious lawns of Preston Hollow. Out in the desolate flats of West Texas, the same wind was turning hundreds of wind turbines, producing tons of electricity at a time when comparatively little supply was needed...

The Daily Flashback: Stealing Elections Edition

Anonymous, Karl Rove and 2012 Election Fix?:

...As journalist Craig Unger lays bare in his book, Boss Rove, SMARTech was drenched in Republican politics. One of the early founders of the company was Mercer Reynolds who used to the finance chairman of the Republican Party. SMARTech’s top client was none other than the Bush-Cheney campaign itself and SMARTech also did work for Jeb Bush and the Republican National Committee. And it was Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell, who ensured that SMARTech received the contract to count votes on election night should the servers go down, which they did at exactly 11:14pm...

ThinkProgress Goes Union

ThinkProgress Staffers Unionize With Writers Guild:

The editorial staff of the progressive news site ThinkProgress has joined the Writers Guild of America, East, making it the latest in a string of Web-based publications to unionize.

The union said in a statement late Wednesday that management at the site had chosen to voluntarily recognize the employees' decision, allowing them to forgo a secret-ballot election.

“We support and recognize the move by ThinkProgress staffers to join the Writers Guild of America, East," Judd Legum, the site's editor, said in a statement distributed by the union. "Our shared goal is to make ThinkProgress' exceptional team of writers and editors even stronger and continue our cutting-edge work covering the issues that matter most...”

More GOPer Castraters?

Apparently Jodi Ernst is not the only denutter in the GOP.

Rich Lowry Tells Megan Kelly: Carly Fiorina Cut Donald Trump's 'Balls Off Like A Surgeon' | Crooks and Liars:

Just when you thought the GOP presidential primary couldn't get any weirder than it is - we get Rich Lowry. Megan Kelly discussed the recent Trump vs Fiorina duel of recent days since the CNN debate and the National Review's Rich Lowry opened up the discussion by saying Carly castrated Donald Trump in the last debate, only he used much more colorful language...

Why Clinton Instead Of Sanders

Uppity Woman | I'm just one of those Uppity Women. Live with it.:

...What this all has to do with you, is that the only person running for President who would have at least some chance to arrest this frightening trend, is Hillary Clinton. She has already vowed to try to create grassroots strength among Democrats at the state level. She wants to develop a deep bench of state candidates; and she wants to encourage young people to participate in politics, on the Democratic side. In so many words, she wants to rebuild the Democratic Party to where it is a consistent and strong national force. Do you really think that Sanders has any interest in this, or any capacity to do it? He doesn’t even identify as a Democrat. He has never campaigned for any Democrat across the country. He would have no downticket strength whatsoever. Can you not see that even if Sanders were somehow nominated, he could not help the Democratic Party one iota in state races?...

The Outlaw Jersey Whale Slams Pope

Without A Hint Of Irony, Catholic Chris Christie Says 'The Pope Is Wrong' | Crooks and Liars

Last night, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (who is Catholic) said on CNN's State of the Union, that the Pope, who according to Catholic dogma was chosen by God himself, was wrong to help make that deal. Christie thinks the Catholic leader should stay of politics entirely because his infallibility only pertains to religious matters.

However that is contradictory to what Catholic theology says, which means actions and teachings taken by the Pope must not contradict Sacred Scripture. Repairing the relations between two fighting countries certainly doesn't go against any scripture I'm aware of...

Clinton Says No To Keystone

Hillary Clinton breaks silence on Keystone pipeline, opposes it - The Times of India:

Iowa: Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who has long avoided a firm position on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, broke her silence on Tuesday and said she opposed it...

O's Diversity Movement

Obama has vastly changed the face of the federal bureaucracy - The Washington Post:

...And it underscored an often-overlooked feature of the Obama presidency: Obama has presided over the most demographically diverse administration in history, according to a new analysis of his top appointments. The majority of top policy appointments within the executive branch are held by women and minorities for the first time in history...

Russian Propaganda

Putin’s Propaganda TV Lies About Its Popularity - The Daily Beast:

A Kremlin-funded foreign propaganda venture is touted as a big success by backers, but documents provided to The Daily Beast suggest that it is woefully failing in its mission. RT, the 10-year-old network formerly known as Russia Today, appears to be misrepresenting its promulgated success at gaining a broad viewership and promoting the Kremlin’s agenda while spending as much as internationally renowned competitors. The network is also accused of exaggerating its audience and impact with its sole financier—the Russian government—and pretending that it has had a far bigger impact in the Western media sphere than it has, particularly online. Its highest-trafficked videos on YouTube, for instance, apparently pertain to “metrosexuals, bums, etc.” rather than anything political...

Clinton Scores In NH

Hillary Clinton Fires Up The Base In New Hampshire | Crooks and Liars:

This really was a great speech, and it's nice to see Clinton get her groove back. As I was watching, I thought, now, that's the same HRC who won so big here in PA:

Manchester, New Hampshire (CNN)Hillary Clinton fired up the most faithful Granite State Democrats on Saturday, outlining her vision for the future and the rationale behind her run in a well received speech at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's convention here.

"If you want a president who will tell you everything that is wrong with America and who is to blame for it, you've got plenty of other choices. And my goodness, didn't we hear enough of that the other night at the Republican debate," Clinton said to a cheering crowd. "But if you want a president who will listen to you, work her heart out to make your life better, and together to build a stronger, fairer, better country, then you are looking at her..."

Afghan Pedophilia

U.S. Soldiers Told to Ignore Sexual Abuse of Boys by Afghan Allies - The New York Times:

...The American policy of nonintervention is intended to maintain good relations with the Afghan police and militia units the United States has trained to fight the Taliban. It also reflects a reluctance to impose cultural values in a country where pederasty is rife, particularly among powerful men, for whom being surrounded by young teenagers can be a mark of social status.

Some soldiers believed that the policy made sense, even if they were personally distressed at the sexual predation they witnessed or heard about.

“The bigger picture was fighting the Taliban,” a former Marine lance corporal reflected. “It wasn’t to stop molestation.”

Still, the former lance corporal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid offending fellow Marines, recalled feeling sickened the day he entered a room on a base and saw three or four men lying on the floor with children between them. “I’m not a hundred percent sure what was happening under the sheet, but I have a pretty good idea of what was going on,” he said...

The Diapering Of The GOP

The GOP’s infantile delusions are out of control: A ludicrous CNN debate, a preposterous government shutdown & Donald Trump, still leading the pack - Salon.com:

It’s official: the Republican party has truly become the party of infantile children. The second GOP debate was full of blatant lies, petty mockery, and infighting, with attacks especially directed at the new king of the GOP, Donald Trump (faithful “conservatarians” may not like this reality, but their crippling of Congress helped to create this monster)....

tRump's No Defense Defense

Donald Trump: I'm not 'obligated' to defend Obama - CNNPolitics.com:

Donald Trump on Saturday said it is not his job to correct supporters' claims about the President, defending his decision not to take issue with a man who disparaged Muslims and said President Barack Obama is not an American...

KY Drama Queen Still At It

Kentucky Deputy Clerk Claims Kim Davis Violated Judge's Order | Advocate.com:

More drama in Kentucky as the attorney for a deputy clerk has accused Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis of disobeying the order of a federal judge by altering marriage licenses to remove her name and that of the county.

Brian Mason, who has been designated to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, raised concerns with his attorney about the alteration of the license, the Associated Press reports.

Davis, who believes same-sex marriage is a sin, stopped issuing all marriage licenses shortly after the Supreme Court's June 26 marriage equality ruling. After several couples sued her, U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered that she issue licenses without discrimination. For defying his order, she was jailed for contempt of court September 3...

Banning Private Prisons

Bernie Sanders declares war on the prison-industrial complex with major new bill - Salon.com:

Bernie Sanders just made good on an early campaign promise and introduced a bill in the Senate to outlaw what he called the “morally repugnant” practice of incarcerating Americans in private prisons and called for the reduction in the nation’s prison population...

Paul Makes Sense!

Two Cheers for Rand Paul: The Kentucky Senator Brought the Libertarian in Debate - Hit & Run : Reason.com:

...More important, Paul, who early on in his senatorial career talked forthrightly about the need to reduce not just the Pentagon's budget (U.S. defense spending continues to essentially equal that of all other countries), stressed that we need to rethink military interventions in the same way we think about domestic policy:

We have to learn sometimes the interventions backfire. The Iraq War backfired and did not help us. We’re still paying the repercussions of a bad decision....

We have make the decision now in Syria, should we topple Assad? Many up here wanted to topple Assad, and it’s like — I said no, because if you do…ISIS will now be in charge of Syria…

It's a damning insight that after two major wars that have failed either to advance U.S. interests or stabilize the countries in which they were waged that "we have to learn sometimes [that] interventions backfire..."

Anti Vacc Nonsense

The GOP Debate's Vaccine Disaster:

Wednesday night's Republican debate veered into crackpot territory when CNN's Jake Tapper asked Dr. Ben Carson whether Donald Trump should stop falsely linking vaccines to autism.

Not only did Carson not say Trump should stop, he suggested the professional entertainer had a point. And then The Donald himself went on to repeat the widely discredited claim that vaccines cause autism, and nobody called him out.

"CNN was irresponsible to even bring that up," journalist Ana Marie Cox said on HuffPost's "So That Happened" Podcast. "If you even talk about the vaccine debate you give it credence..."

When Ya Got Nuttin'-- Lie

Fiorina Attacks Hillary Clinton's Record By Lying About It | Crooks and Liars:

...Carly Fiorina is boasting about what, exactly? She practically ruined Hewlett-Packard, fired 30,000 employees, and got away with a hefty golden parachute. She bought wealthy 1%ers, HP executives, costly private jets. She was listed as one of the top ten worst CEOs of all time. Is that an accomplishment? They couldn't wait to fire her.

We also can't forget her costly and disastrous bid for the California Senate in 2010, where she was beat handily by Barbara Boxer. If Carly wants to battle Hillary on electability, Hillary won her Senate seat the two times she ran, Carly, not once. Let's be honest. When it boils down to it, reality is Hillary 2, Carly (less than) Zero!

Misremebering The Past And The Present Debate Style

No, Jeb Bush, Your Brother Did Not Keep Us Safe:

...I ran out of patience long ago with The Great Mulligan. C-Plus Augustus ignored the terrorist threat for nine months. He told his Attorney General to shift focus from counterterrorism to weed and porn. He told his National Security Advisor to worry about the Russians. He blew off a Presidential Daily Briefing and a CIA briefer. Then, on September 11, 2001, there were 3000 Americans who were not kept safe on his watch. He then stonewalled any real investigation of his negligence. He then launched a war of choice after allowing the architect of the attacks to go free. There were more than 4000 American soldiers who were not kept safe. And now his blithering brother suggests that time began on September 12, 2001. Scott Walker then chimed in about how it was all Barack Obama's fault. Then there was Mike Huckabee, stressing the importance of "good intelligence" on formulating foreign policy. This would have been a good idea in, say, 2003, when Jeb(!)'s brother was cooking the books to start his pet war. But everybody cheered. Nobody called them on this. Nobody, except Rand Paul, had second thoughts on sending more American troops back into Iraq. But Donald Trump, whose combat experience is limited to punching out a music teacher in prep school, said that he thought the president lacked courage. I wouldn't hire any of these guys as a crossing guard...

The Daily Flashback: Iran-Contra & Raygun's Greatest Hit

Iran-Contra and Arms-for-Hostages Scandals: Eugene Hasenfus:

...Negotiations between Iran and the US for more arms sales hit another snag, with the Iranians merely releasing some American hostages and kidnapping more (see September 19, 1986). CIA Director William Casey decides to reprise the earlier strategy of exhorting Iraq to escalate its air strikes against Iran, thus forcing Iran to turn to the US for more military aid (see July 23, 1986)...

Comment Of The Day: Mudcat Edition

An Evangelical responds to Sanders' speech at Liberty U:

 * [new] And let's not forget the "electoral math" (19 / 0-)

Mudcat Saunders, Democratic electoral consultant, likes to go after votes in traditionally red areas, like the poor parts of the South, where people continue to vote against their own economic (or in this case, spiritual) self-interest.

He calls it Mudcat's Electoral Math. Every Republican voter you can get to vote Democrat is worth two votes: the one they give our side, and the one you take away from theirs!

Of course, when I say things like, Democrats should campaign in red states, or Democrats should go on Fox News and tell their narrative in their own words, or Bernie Sanders should skip Madison, WI, and San Francisco, CA, and speak at Liberty University . . . I get told what a stupid person I am. Hmm.

by gas28man on Wed Sep 16, 2015 at 10:09:15 AM PDT

Preaching to the choir here.

Sanders And The Gospel

An Evangelical responds to Sanders' speech at Liberty U:

...As I heard Bernie Sanders crying out to the religious leaders at Liberty University, in his hoarse voice, with his wild hair – this Jew – and he proclaimed justice over us, he called us to account, for being complicit with those who are wealthy and those who are powerful, and for abandoning the poor, the least of these, who Jesus said he had come to bring good news to. And in that moment something occurred to me. As I saw Bernie Sanders up there, as I watched him, I realized Bernie Sanders for president is good news for the poor. Bernie Sanders for president is Good News for the poor. Bernie Sanders is gospel for the poor. And Jesus said "I have come to bring gospel" – good news – "to the poor..."

Rousey Is Right

Ronda Rousey unloads on NSAC for Nick Diaz suspension: ‘No reason’ to test for marijuana | MMAjunkie:

...Diaz’s punishment prompted numerous fighter to speak out against the commission on the former Strikeforce champion’s behalf. However, no one was more explicit than Rousey.

“I’m sorry; I know no one asked me anything, but I have to say something,” Rousey said. “It’s so not right for (Diaz) to be suspended five years for marijuana. I’m against them testing for any weed at all. It’s not a performance-enhancing drug. It has nothing to do with athletic competition, and it’s only tested for political reasons so they say, ‘Oh, it’s only for your safety so you’re not hurting yourself when you’re out there.’ So why don’t they test for all the other things that could possibly hurt us that we could be under the influence of while we’re out there?

“There’s no reason for them to be testing for weed. In athletics, the beautiful thing about it is it separates everything from politics. It shouldn’t be involved at all.”

Rousey expressed frustration in the fact Diaz’s UFC 183 opponent Silva, who failed multiple drug tests around the event for anabolic steroids, was only handed a one-year suspension for his violation. Diaz’s repeat-offender status played a role in the outcome of his case, but regardless, Rousey said the difference in punishments shows an obvious problem...

Fleecing The Flock

Making Money Off Miracles: The Gospel of Televangelists:

...How do televangelists get away with this? It’s easy. It’s the same method the Church of Scientology employs: getting 501(c)(3) status and declaring your corrupt, poor-robbing business model a “ministry,” which, as John Oliver demonstrated, is a painfully simple process. They then ask for large tax-exempt donations and keep as much of it as possible to buy acres of land, mansions, and jets worth $65 million. Joel Osteen, pastor of megachurch Lakewood Church in Texas, for example, lives in a 17,000 square foot home worth $10.5 million dollars. His entire net worth is estimated to be about $40 million...

Bernie Burns Billy

Watch: Bernie Sanders Shreds Bill O’Reilly’s Smear With A Brilliant Response |:

...At this point, Sanders had had enough and jumped in: “Democratic Socialist!” he corrected O’Reilly. “If Teddy Roosevelt were alive today, a good Republican, he would want to break up these huge financial institutions on Wall Street, and a lot of other industries as well, cause we have a huge concentration of ownership in this country that is very dangerous.”

He continued: “Second point, as a democratic socialist, whose view is very similar to many governments throughout Europe, no, I do NOT believe government should control everything. But I do believe healthcare should be a right of all people, I do believe college should be affordable to all people, and I do believe that the United States Congress should not be owned by a handful of billionaires!”...

tRump Roast

My bold heh-heh-heh.

Everyone Should Treat Thin-Skinned Donald Trump Like He Treats Them:

...This is, of course, absolutely true. Trump is so thin-skinned that, if he swallowed a flashlight, he'd glow like a Japanese lantern. It is past time now for somebody else in the field, or some other influential Republicans who are not running for president, assuming there are any, to begin a campaign of relentless mockery. Laugh at his hair, his serial marriages, his three bankruptcies, the ludicrous tastelessness of his properties, his skeevy remarks about his own daughter, and the subatomic level of seriousness with which he has approached his entire public life, let alone his campaign for president. He should be subjected to every weapon that Doug Piranha brought to bear against poor Luigi Vercotti...

Davis Bombs Bigot Movement

Kim Davis may have hurt anti-gay religious liberty.:

...On Tuesday, an ABC News/Washington Post poll revealed the most significant post-Davis data point yet—and the results don’t look good for Davis and her admirers. An overwhelming 74 percent of respondents believed that when a conflict arises between religious beliefs and equal treatment under the law, equality should win out. Moreover, 63 percent of respondents said that Davis should be required to issue marriage licenses despite her sincerely held religious beliefs. (That tracks an earlier Rasmussen poll, which found that 66 percent of Americans think Davis should follow the law and issue licenses...)

The Daily Flashback: Obama Fault Edition

Chris Wallace: Why Is Obama Such A Divider? | Crooks and Liars:

...Memory, it's a wonderful thing.

So here's the answer Chris Wallace couldn't seem to get from the so-called Democratic person in the discussion: YES. The reason there were no Republican votes was because they chose that as their strategy. Block and obstruct, slow everything down, screw Americans suffering from the economy or from lack of health insurance, because their goal was to make Obama a one-term President. When they failed, they decided to screw us all anyway in order to win back the Senate.

One part obstruction, one part Billionaire Bucks, and one part lying media narratives like this one have us all in a rut.

The only thing that could actually break the stalemate was the choice between war and possible peace. Thank God enough Democrats decided to give peace a chance, even if it causes Chris Wallace to squirm like a whiny little baby over it.

Grifting Fail

Sarah Palin’s Channel Goes Bust - The Daily Beast:

Sarah Palin’s $10-a-month subscription video network is finished. After a year of charging for content that cuts “through the media’s politically correct filter,” SarahPalinChannel.com announced everything would be distributed for free via Facebook and her political action committee’s website. Palin had partnered with media heavyweights Jon Klein, the ex-president of CNN, and Jeff Gaspin, the ex-chairman of NBCUniversal...

The Outlaw Jersey Whale Gets Harpooned

Chris Christie Freaks At Chuck Todd On New Bridgegate Revelations | Crooks and Liars:

Meet The Press' Chuck Todd asked Gov. Chris Christie some tough questions about his governing and economic record in New Jersey, but what got Christie's undies in a bunch was his confrontation with the talk show host on the Bridgegate scandal and the recent resignation of CEO Jeff Smisek because of it...

Comment Of The Day: Secular Religion Edition

WATCH: Bill Maher to Kim Davis: 'You Are Sharia Law' | Advocate.com

Ocean View HighDavid Carltock ·

 Religion,like every other man-made thing, is a tool, with the potential to go good or bad, depending on the person using it. There is a lot of power in Christianity, and, as Spider-Man is insistantly telling us, ' with great power comes great responsibility '.
 
Personally, I'm an atheist, but I don't believe that religion is inherently bad. I have a good example of why I believe this. My ex's mother was diagnosed with cancer, and given a few months to live. She was a very faithful Christian, and she believed that the cancer in her was literally a demon sent from Hell. In her mind, that was how she conceived it. Astounding her doctors, she went into remission, eventually being basically cancer-free.
 
I'm not suggesting that God reached down and preformed a miracle. I'm saying that I believe her ability to put her mind to getting that cancer out of herself was due solely to her incredible faith. We can do really amazing things with this body of ours, but we need tools, we need some
sort of pattern to work with.
 
What I would suggest is that you look at Christianity a little differently. Rather than look at it as a theology, with all the magic and unexplainables, and look at it as a philosophy. When I did this, a lot of the questions I had about the why's and what's of the religion became much more clear to me. Two things surprised me. One is that, looking at it from the outside, Christianity works equally for the genius and the imbecile. C.S. Lewis was a genius, and the greatest Christian apologist of the 20th Century. Kim Davis seems to be a complete moron, yet she too has found a way to make it work for her. The other thing is that the New testament, where all Christianity comes from, does not contradict itself. ' Love your neighbor ' works with ' work out your own salvation ' which works with ' you who are without sin cast the first stone '.
 
I never judge someone based on their religion - the only purpose that serves is to drive a wedge between me and them. I do, however, judge people's actions. The way Jimmy Carter practices Christianity is admirable. The way Kim Davis and Pat Robertson and Ted Cruz and and and... practice their faith, it's a wonder anyone outside of their inner circle is safe from Hell.

Maher Flogs Davis And Huckster

Bill Maher: Kim Davis Is the ‘Rosa Parks of Homophobia’ - The Daily Beast:

“This was the week of Kim Davis,” Real Time host Bill Maher declared Friday, three days after the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples walked out of jail to a cheering crowd of Bible-thumpers who praised her for refusing to follow the law or do her damn job.

She’s Republicans’ new hero, the “Rosa Parks of homophobia,” as Maher dubbed her Friday, matched in bigotry only by her hand-holding partner in hatred, Mike Huckabee, “the white Al Sharpton...”

House Spends More Time On Clinton Investigations Than Anything Else

Hillary: A Bigger Threat To The GOP Than……Say What? | Uppity Woman

Family Values Rat Fornication Backfires

Mich. sex scandal: 1 lawmaker resigns, other is expelled:

...The scandal swirling around Courser and Gamrat had been rumored for months, but burst onto the public scene last month when audio recordings surfaced and revealed that Courser had asked his staff to send an anonymous, "false flag" email that he had written, saying he was addicted to drugs and pornography, and paid for sex with men outside a Lansing bar. His staff refused to participate in the attempt to make it appear that Courser was the victim of a smear campaign and to downplay the affair he was having with Gamrat. But the email still was widely sent around Lansing...

Advice For SOS Clinton

Hillary Clinton Should Fire Her Entire Campaign Staff:

...Stop caring what the kool kidz think and stop hiring people who do. Bring in some bone-nasty Arkansas hillbillies from Bill's early campaigns and let them run amuck for a while. Right now, it looks like you've replaced the execrable Mark Penn by hiring 20 of him. This is no way to run a campaign.

Inuslting Your Way To Victory

Bush on Trump: You can't insult your way to the WH - CNNPolitics.com:

Jeb Bush said Thursday that Donald Trump cannot insult his way to the presidency, a reference to controversial remarks Trump made about Carly Fiorina's looks that were published in a recent magazine story...

But you can insult your way to the nomination.

I'll Believe It When...

...the cell doors start swing shut.

Justice Dept. encourages prosecutions of corporate execs - Chicago Tribune:

The Justice Department issued new guidance to its prosecutors Wednesday, aimed at encouraging more white-collar criminal and civil cases against corporate executives.

The new policies come amid persistent criticism that the Justice Department, even while negotiating multi-billion-dollar settlements with large banks, has not been aggressive enough in prosecuting individuals for financial misconduct — including after the mortgage crisis that devastated the U.S. economy...

LOL: Plan 9 From The Womb

Planned Parenthood Goes on Trial in Kangaroo Court:

...Ever since the deceptively named Center for Medical Progress released Plan 9 From The Womb, their manufactured horror film about fetal chop shops, state after state has launched its own investigation and found that Planned Parenthood's activities in regard to fetal tissue donation conform to all applicable state laws. This was true in Massachusetts and it was true in Indiana. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill yesterday, the Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee issued their own report that found PP innocent of any wrongdoing...

Great News For Education

Washington Court Strikes Down Public Funding for Charter Schools:

One of the more grotesque attacks on the concept of an American political commonwealth has been the steady – and, sadly, bipartisan – assault on the concept of public education. Whether it comes from uber-wealthy, oft-liberal dilettantes like Bill Gates at the elementary and secondary levels, from outright grifters like Michelle Rhee at almost every level, charter-school messianics like Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, slumping goons like Chris Christie, or opportunistic weasels like Scott Walker, the very idea of public education is fighting a war on a hundred fronts against a hundred enemies, many of them camouflaged as "reform." At the end of last week, the Supreme Court of the state of Washington gave every one of these people, and everybody behind them, as resounding a kick in the ass as any court ever has delivered to anyone anywhere...

All Lives Matter

Fox News Hypes Imaginary Boost In Violence Against Police:

...In 2011, the number of police deaths in line of duty caused by gunfire or stabbing totaled 70. That number dropped to 53 in 2012 and 33 in 2013, before rising to 47 in 2014. Thus far in 2015, 24 officers have been killed by gunfire or stabbing, on pace for a lower number than in 2014.

Overall homicide rates have, however, increased this year in a host of major cities, according to The New York Times. Flynn blamed that rise in killings on lax gun laws, saying that too many convicted criminals have access to firearms...

The Left Wing Conspiracy

The vast left wing conspiracy against Hillary Clinton

...There are two factors at play, and you’ll have to decide for yourself whether one or both applies to any given liberal reporter and in whatever proportion. One factor is that these liberal reporters are simply trashing Hillary Clinton for street cred among their left leaning audience. They know Bernie Sanders is trendy right now, and while they’re politically savvy enough to know that Bernie Sanders has no chance of winning this primary, they’re also aware that much of their audience doesn’t know that. So they keep swiping at Hillary, score some cheap points with purist liberals, and they figure no harm done because Hillary is going to win anyway. The other factor is simply that no one watches a blowout, and in order to get their left leaning audience to keep tuning in, they have to paint this race as being much closer than it is. You can decide who’s doing what and way. But some of these otherwise respectable liberal leaning reporters are stomping all over their own credibility in the process.

Everyone Needs A Union

Obama: If Tom Brady needs a union, Americans do too - CBS News:

President Obama invoked New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady in his Labor Day speech Monday to argue that everyone needs unions to protect them in the workplace.

"Even Brady's happy he's got a union! They had his back. So you know if Brady needs a union, we definitely need unions," the president said...

Wallace Missed "Be Kind To Dick" Memo

Chris Wallace Dazes Cheney: Iran's Centrifuges 'Went From 0 To 5,000' While You Were VP | Crooks and Liars:

Fox News host Chris Wallace forced former Vice President Dick Cheney to admit that Iran's centrifuges went from zero to 5,000 under his watch, not President Barack Obama's...

Panic USA!

From ‘welfare queens’ to ‘anchor babies’ — Here are 12 of the most idiotic racist moral panics:

...This phenomenon has reared its ugly head again with the Ferguson Effect, a panic that that Blacks Lives Matter movement and its “heightened rhetoric” are somehow leading to an increase in police murder and crime. This latest wave of baseless innuendo has all the elements of a classic racist moral panic: an uncritical media, old stereotypes and dubious “trends” backed up by little or no evidence. It’s presently being floated by everyone from the Daily Beast to the New York Times to the Telegraph, but has thus far proved to be a total myth. No one, including the Harris County sheriff who recently suggested a link, has shown any proof of a connection between any killings and the Black Lives Matter protests. Executive director Marc Mauer of the Sentencing Project, a criminal justice nonprofit, recently told Think Progress that the Ferguson Effect is a “dangerous concept” that “gets us back to the era of the 1980s when police had crime policy developed by soundbites and anecdotes...”

The Messenger Matters

Republicans Like Obama's Ideas Better When They Think They're Donald Trump's:

...Still, associating a particular politician with a certain position wasn't enough for people to abandon their most deeply held convictions. Protecting Social Security, for instance, is an overwhelmingly popular idea, whether it's being proposed by Clinton or by Trump.

Although most Republicans say they strongly disagree with Democrats on health care, Iran and affirmative action, fewer than a quarter of Republicans strongly disagreed when those positions were presented as Trump's. Democrats, a majority of whom said they strongly agreed with their party on health care, were less supportive when Trump was the one endorsing the policy...

GOP Hypocrisy On Davis

The GOP’s “personal responsibility” lie: How the Kim Davis saga reveals the core of Republican hypocrisy - Salon.com:

...For now, it looks as if Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee and Fox News Channel agree that Davis, an elected government worker, should keep her job despite refusing to perform her professional obligations, and should face no legal repercussions for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after being judicially compelled to do so. But Davis isn’t self-employed. She doesn’t get to revise her own job description on-the-fly. Only her employers retain that discretion, and her employers happen to be the people of Rowan County, Kentucky.

Huckabee and the others believe she shouldn’t be held

personally responsible — accountable for her actions, as President Bush said in 2000 — for her actions in defiance of the Supreme Court; in defiance of her job description; and especially in defiance of a U.S. District Court judge who happened to have been appointed by the Texan in the video above. If the GOP was truly concerned with personal responsibility, they’d support Davis’s posture against same-sex marriage but accept the fact that she’s justifiably being held accountable for her actions. More than that, they’d encourage her to resign her post. Davis’ GOP supporters are doing exactly none of that....

More Stoopid

A Majority Of Republicans Believe Obama Is A Muslim - PPP Focus:

But a Public Policy Polling poll released on Monday found that 40 percent of Republican voters falsely believe Cruz was born in the United States – compared to just 29 percent who believe the same of Hawaiian-born Barack Obama.

A recent Public Policy Poll found that a majority of Republicans think President Obama is a Muslim. Notably, Trump and Carson supporters were also more likely to believe that Obama is a Muslim and that he was born overseas....

Moronic Morons Moroning

Fox News' Erick Erickson Says Kentucky Clerk's Jailing Could Lead To "Another Civil War" | Blog | Media Matters for America:

In response to a judge's decision to jail Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis for contempt of court because she refused to obey a federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Fox News contributor Erick Erickson suggested in an op-ed that a civil war might soon break out in America...

I just can't figure out how some people manage to feed themselves and use the bathroom. On the other hand, maybe they confuse the two.

Time For Ben Ghazi To Retire From GOP?

House Benghazi Committee Member Calls Out Media Myths | Blog | Media Matters for America:

Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democratic member on the House Benghazi Select Committee, strongly criticized the committee's partisan focus and called out media myths about the September 2012 attacks and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In a September 4 New York Times op-ed headlined, "Disband the Benghazi Committee," Schiff discussed the committee's recent focus on Clinton's State Department emails, writing that they "don't substantiate the bogus theory that the State Department ordered the military to 'stand down' or that there was gun running, or that the secretary somehow interfered with the security provided at the diplomatic facility or annex" at Benghazi...

The Week According To Wonkette

Let's All Get Drunk For Three Days, For 'Unions' Or Whatever - Wonkette:

Hoo boy howdy yee haw, what a week, right? RIGHT?! We persecuted some Christians and threw them in jail — well, just the one, for now, but BEWARE CHRISTIANS, WE ARE COMING FOR ALL OF YOU. And we laughed and laughed, oh how we laughed, at Donald Trump spanking Jeb right on his behind again even harder some more, for being a Bush and also a “low-energy” loser weak sissy crybaby Spanisher who talks Mexican instead of American, what a hater. And we pitied poor Rick Perry, for comparing himself to Jesus, and for being so SO SOOOO dumb, and for, uh, we forget the third thing. (Shut up, that is still funny, it will be funny forever.)...

Comment Of The Day: Arby Blue Skin Edition

Arby's Employee Keeps Job After Refusing To Serve Police

Owner-operator at Self-EmployedJohn Locke · 

So let me get this straight, at a drive thru, a police officer had their order taken by someone who didn’t want to serve them because they were police; but they still received their order from the store manager who explained what the problem was and assured the officer that everything was ok. Then after fearing for her safety, she, a police officer, goes inside where the manager provides a refund.

The officer then uses the PR bully pulpit on Facebook and various media outlets to make unsubstantiated claims that their food was tampered with and demands an apology from the CEO of Arbys?

I, in no way condone the actions of the clerk; but has been blown way out of proportion in the public space.

Heck, as "Faux" News says about teachers all the time, "If you're that thin-skinned, don’t be a cop.

The Law Of Intended Consequences

Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Is About to Get Filthy Rich:

...Dear Judge Bunning: Thanks for nothing.

Let me explain to you what happens now. The entire political communications apparatus of the wingnut welfare system goes to DefCon 1. (Judge Bunning's e-mail is going to get very entertainingly unchristian, I suspect.) Kim Davis now becomes the latest ornament on the Hang Yourself Cross of Bible-banging

victimhood. There will be marches and vigils. There will be a six-figure book deal; my money's on John Fund as Davis's ghost. There may even be one of those movies produced by gullibility trawlers like the one helmed by Rick Santorum. Anybody want to bet me that she doesn't speak at next year's Republican National Convention? You have made a star, Judge Bunning, and the rest of us have to live with her...

Lying About Lies

Conservative Heads Explode Over Kentucky's Bigoted County Clerk | Rolling Stone:

...Scott Walker and Ted Cruz are pushing the same line, claiming that there must be a way to allow Davis to have her way and for gay couples to get their licenses. They clearly want you to imagine that anti-gay clerks can simply pass the license over to someone less bigoted – er,

religious – and everyone can go home happy. But that's not what Davis is doing. She is forbidding her office to issue the licenses altogether. As David Ermold and David Moore, who have been turned away four times, and April Miller and Karen Roberts, who have been turned away three times, can tell you, if you live in Rowan County and Davis refuses to give you a marriage license, you don't get one at all. There is no compromise here, and these candidates are being dishonest in implying there is...

AP v. FBI

Associated Press sues FBI over fake news story | Ars Technica:

The Associated Press filed a lawsuit (PDF) this morning, demanding the FBI hand over information about its use of fake news stories. The case stems from a 2007 incident regarding a bomb threat at a school. The FBI created a fake news story with an Associated Press byline, then e-mailed it to a suspect to plant malware on his computer....

Ferguson "Surprise"

'Provocative' Police Tactics Inflamed Ferguson Protests, Experts Find:

"Law enforcement officials responding to demonstrations and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, following the death of Michael Brown last August used a variety of inappropriate tactics and strategies that often exacerbated tensions, according to a report by policing experts that the Justice Department is releasing this week.

The assessment finds that deploying dogs for crowd control was "provocative," positioning snipers on top of armored vehicles during daytime protests "inflamed tensions," tear gas was "deployed inappropriately," and law enforcement used unconstitutional policing strategies that suppressed First Amendment rights. Such strategies "had the unintended consequence of escalating rather than diminishing tension," the report states...."

There's Always Theft

5 Reasons The GOP Is In Worse Shape Now Than It Was In 2012:

...It’s only August, but the Republican right is on the verge of duplicating or tripling down on every mistake its leaders told themselves not to make after they lost last time, while inventing new flubs beyond the imagination of mortal satirists. Sure, the Koch network has doubled its spending commitment from 2012 to close to a billion dollars and it’s difficult for any party to hold the White House for three straight terms. But conservatives are at war with themselves, while their candidates are spouting nonsense and purposely alienating precisely the same voters they need to be winning over...

Emailgate Debunking

Intelligence Experts Debunk Speculation That Hillary Clinton Could Face Criminal Action For Email Use | Blog | Media Matters for America:

There's no evidence Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton or her aides violated any laws with her use of a private email server while secretary of state, according to government secrecy experts cited by the Associated Press.

Conservative media have tried their best to spin Clinton's email use into accusations that she committed a crime by mishandling classified information, even baselessly comparing her to those who did, such as former Gen. David Petraeus and John Deutch, despite the fact that this smear has been debunked.

Yet intelligence and government secrecy law experts refute claims that Clinton could face criminal action for the handling of her emails, according to the Associated Press on August 31. As AP explained, "[T]o prove a crime, the government would have to demonstrate that Clinton or aides knew they were mishandling the information -- not that she should have known," and as one expert noted, "A case would be possible if material emerges that is so sensitive Clinton must have known it was highly classified, whether marked or not," but "no such email has surfaced":...

Hypocrisy And Marriage And Religion

Kim Davis’ four marriages: The ugly self-righteousness of the “saved” that fuels her marriage license refusal - Salon.com:

Kim Davis believes that her three divorces and four marriages are relevant only in that they give her particular insight into the matter currently at hand. She believes that having a track record that enables a US News & World Report writer to note, “She gave birth to twins five months after divorcing her first husband. They were fathered by her third husband but adopted by her second” is not what’s really important here and now. And for a person of her convictions, she’s correct. That’s what makes her so frightening and so sad. There’s no self-righteousness quite like the self-righteousness of someone who believes him or herself saved...

Comment Of The Day: Rove Email Edition

Hillary's Email Server Is a Story Because You Clicked on This Headline  IUPUI Bob Brault ·

" OK, let's go back to Dick Cheney's energy task force and start from there."

Oh,you mean when Shotgun Dick and his pal, Ken Lay decided the energy policy of the United States behind closed doors. And Darth went hunting with a facially unscathed Fat Tony and got all that stuff declared as "priviledged"? And Herr Rove in search of the Thousand Year Reptile Reich during the district attorney scandel randomly deleted 22 million emails on the GWB43 server? Stuff like that?

http://www.pensitoreview.com/.../flashback-rove-erases.../

On The Alleged Biden Bid

Politix Update: The Vir

...The news media and and folks not enamored of Clinton want the vice president to run, and his every hiccup - whether meeting with Elizabeth Warren or inviting political aides to yet another closed-door session has been closely watched as Bidenistas in favor of a run manipulate a willing media. But all indications are that Biden will not run, most likely because wife Jill is against it.

"The more you look at the Biden bandwagon, it looks more like a ghost ship being pulled through the mist by a combination of hungry political reporters, Hillary haters (including most of the conservative media), and Delaware-based Friends of Joe who, of course, would love to see him run," writes Ed Kilgore at Political Animal...

ulent Cancer That's Eating Away At The Body Politic | Crooks and Liars