July 2011
“For me, religion is serious business—a farrago of authoritarian nonsense,...”
– Katha Pollitt - (“Subject To Debate,” The Nation, December 26, 1994)
“A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and...”
– Martin Luther King Jr. , Beyond Vietnam (via lilmaj132)
Watch John McCain Slam Conservatives for Lying to... →
via @politicususat
“The reality is not that I lack respect for the law; it’s that I have greater...”
– Tim DeChristopher (via azspot)
“Today in the Senate, I met with Senators Jon Kyl and Mark Kirk. The meeting is...”
– Russia’s ambassador to NATO is none too pleased with US conservatives. Wait till you see what one of those conservatives said in response. (via adamweinstein)
Why Liberals Should Be Outraged by the Tim... →
Mainstream liberals should take up the cause of Tim DeChristopher. His sentencing was a miscarriage of justice. We should join with those on the Left in condemning it, and reclaim the word “liberty” from the Right.
“A lot of people were alarmed Monday — with good reason — to learn that the House...”
– How Washington’s favorite pundits explain why we’re doomed - Debt ceiling - Salon.com (via ronmarks)
digby: Depraved Indifference →
….Here’s a little factoid to think about:
The average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker was about $1,177 at the beginning of 2011.
The median yearly income for Americans in retirement is about $30,000 per year. I have a sneaking suspicion that these millionaires have no idea what this allegedly “equal” sacrifice means to those people. Here’s a little example from the Rude...
“Every president in recent times has raised the debt ceiling. President Reagan...”
– I can’t rewind on my tv so this quote isn’t 100% accurate, but Obama’s speechwriters are killing it tonight. (via kataroo)
What’s At Stake - Newsroom: U.S. Senator Bernie... →
When Republican leaders talk about $3 trillion or $4 trillion in spending cuts over the next 10 years, with no new taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, please understand what they mean. While no specific proposals have been adopted, here are some of the ideas which have been discussed.
SOCIAL SECURITY: Revising the formula which determines cost-of-living adjustments. The average...
Wisconsin: Gov. Scott Walker cuts DMV in Dem... →
The Wisconsin legislature is finalizing a bill to close ten Department of Motor Vehicle centers located in Democratic districts within the state. The money saved will be used to extend operating hours at DMV centers in Republican districts. These cuts come on the heels of new voter ID laws that require voters to present a state-issued photo identification card at the poll booths.
“I’m a liberal guy, but it annoys me to no end to hear liberal-minded people...”
– erebar, Reddit (via sonofsagan)
Horde of Gay Barbarians Demand to be Disciplined... →
Via @jilevin
Marcus Bachmann Gay: How Rumors Could Affect... →
In modern-day America, chances for actual religious martyrdom are few and far between. For the pious like Bachmann, political martyrdom can be the next best thing.
“Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Thursday making California the first state...”
– New state law requires textbooks to include gays’ achievements (via ryking)
STFU, Conservatives: Please Reblog: What you can... →
fsufeminist:
savepell:
In mere hours, the money that helps nearly 10 million hard-working students afford college could vanish.
President Obama just set a 36-hour deadline to reach a deal on the nation’s debt ceiling with the Republican leadership. That means Congress’ threat to slash…
“I’d like to refocus everyone’s attention away from the Kardashians and onto...”
– Olivia Wilde (via no-diving)
Nearly 96% of Funds Given to the Pentagon for Iraq... →
jonathan-cunningham:
The U.S. Department of Defense was unable to account properly for $8.7 billion of Iraqi oil and gas money meant for humanitarian needs and reconstruction after the 2003 invasion, according to an audit released on Tuesday.
The figure is nearly 96 percent of the $9.1 billion funneled to the Pentagon from the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI), said the audit report from the...
House Committee Wants To Drop Proposal To Expand... →
leftish:
House Republicans want to drop one of the key components of the Interior Department’s overhaul of the troubled agency responsible for oversight of offshore drilling — expanding the enforcement of regulations to contractors.
Though BP and rig owner Transocean have been largely blamed for last year’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, contractor Halliburton has come under scrutiny for its...
“Mattos said she enjoys showing off the manatees to her grandchildren, but she...”
– Tea party members tackle a new issue: manatees - St. Petersburg Times
So, there are Tea Partiers protesting the expansion of a wildlife refuge in Florida. Conspiracy theories abound, but then there is this gem at the end.
(via greaterthanlapsed)
New theory for dinosaur extinction: majority of...
"New York Republican Pete King is calling on the... →
““We think public schools should go away,’’ says Teri Adams, the head of the...”
– Braun: Advocates of privatized education want to end public schools | NJ.com
In case any of you were ever, ever, ever confused. (via tressiemcphd)
Now, I want you to consider this push to end public schools, the ongoing attacks on reproductive choice, the gutting of social safety nets, and the...
“Freedom is the distance between church and state.”
– John Boston (via reneehendricks)
California's prisoners strike →
jonathan-cunningham:
Thousands of prisoners in the US state of California have refused meals for more than a week as part of a hunger strike against the use of “group punishments” and for authorities to follow legal requirements for maintaining their mental and physical health. Prisoners housed in the notorious Security Housing Unit of California’s Pelican Bay State Prison started the strike on...
“Hate brings great misfortune,
hate churns up and harms the mind;
this fearful...”
– Gautama Buddha (via ageofreason)
The conventional wisdom is that the GOP is...
ryking:
…to hurt Obama’s re-election chances in 2012, and Boehner walking out on the latest debt ceiling deal just underscores that. As Matthew Yglesias points out, if the GOP really valued massive cuts in government spending Boehner wouldn’t have walked away from a $4 trillion deal composed mainly of massive cuts in government spending.
