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We're short this month but you can help us make our budget. I really don't want to start the year short. We need about $2000 to come in by the end of the month. That's ten people giving $200, 20 giving $100, 40 giving $50, 80 giving $25 and 200 giving $10. Most of our contributions are between $5 and $100. We can make this budget with your help.
In my interview with Wendell Potter he talks about how at some point, private health insurers will leave the health insurance business. That's right, just leave. Listen to the 78 minute interview podcast. It's loaded with interesting information. There are loads of notes from the interview too. You can use iTunes to download the recording or get at at the website.
Thanks,
Rob Kall, OpEdNews  Latest Headlines
By Jesselyn Radack
WaPo, Politico, Washingtonian: Portrait of an Overzealous Prosecutor
Recent news coverage of prosecutor William Welch's leadership of the Justice Department's war on whistle-blowers reveals that his overzealous and shady tactics weren't restricted to his handling of the botched prosecution of late-Senator Ted Stevens, a case that landed Welch and his team in a pile of still ongoing criminal investigations. By Rob Kall
Wendell Potter; Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans  We discuss how private health insurers mislead, lie, and how the same approaches are used by energy, tobacco, finance industries-- how to fight back, what to expect in Vermont, where single payer is moving, how to get conservatives to buy in to single payer.... By Linh Dinh
We're Number Three!
Kermit Gosnell is a well-known figure in Powelton Village, where his clinic is located, and Mantua, where he has a mansion on a hill, overlooking the Schuylkill River. Before opening his "baby charnel house" abortion mill, Gosnell operated the Mantua Halfway House. Even as he collected millions in government funding to rehab drug addicts, he dealt Methadone. By T. Sheldon
FBI, Memphis SWAT Unit Crash Peace Center Meeting  Memphis peace activists planned an indoor meeting involving folks putting together Freedom of Information Act requests for copies of any FBI reports on their selves. The meeting, organized in solidarity with the January 25th protests around the country protesting the ongoing FBI/Grand Jury witch-hunt on activists, were met with the FBI and a Memphis SWAT unit. 'US military facing leadership failure'  An American political journalist, Alexander Cockburn, says the US military is experiencing "a complete failure of leadership" due to the violent attitude of some commanders. "Throughout 10-15 years you can see many examples of complete failure of leadership" committing atrocities or encouraging atrocities in the case of torture, conniving at torture, commanding torture and then evading responsibilities," he further explained. By Mary Pipher
This family needs to get to work
The issues around the XL Pipeline are not Republican or Democratic issues; they are geographical issues. At legislative hearings in the fall, not one Nebraska citizen spoke in favor of this pipeline. On this issue, country people and city dwellers, business owners and ranchers are all in the same family. We are a family of citizens who want to protect our state's land and water. By Martha Rosenberg
The Drug Store in Your Tap Water  While pharma and water treatment professionals routinely deny the existence of prescription drugs in public waterways and drinking water -- easy to do when they are not tested for anyway! -- Mary Buzby director of environmental technology for pharma giant Merck was a little more candid in 2007. By Chantal Laurent
If Duvalier Can Return to Haiti, Why Can't Dr. Aristide?  A saga of terrorist & priests, Ninjas & zoombies. The terrorist are the "Duvalierist" who want the return of the brutal dictator. The Ninjas are...shhhh! Shut your mouth! Martelly was one--wish one of his victims would come forward. The priest is Aristide; his eminent return. The zoombies are the millions made homeless, slavish and destitute by it all. Of course the pimps(NGOs) and neos (liberal/cons) pull the puppet strings. Reports of "massacre' in Suez as protests in Egypt move into third day  The US doesn't give Egypt some billion plus dollars a year merely so Egypt can defend itself from some imaged foreign attack, no, it gives Egypt so much money so the regime can also defend itself against the forces of democracy, positive change and justice. America's intention is, so to speak, to keep all the peons, serfs and slaves of predatory capitalism, globally, under lock-down, repression and duress on the plantations. By Betsy L. Angert
The Genuine Genius  As educators, parents, and persons who were once young and now thought to be elder, and thus, wiser, and more wondrous, and accomplished, within our own being we might feel we are less than we appear to be. Tis true; our parents, Teachers, Professors, and friends had such high hopes for us. Our own dreams were even more impressive. Most of us envisioned that we would reach the pinnacle as we progressed until we failed an exam House votes to end publicly financed presidential campaigns
The House today approved legislation to end public financing of presidential campaigns by eliminating the option taxpayers have to donate $3 of their tax payments to a presidential campaign fund. The bill, H.R. 359, was approved by party-line 239-160 vote following some very contentious debate. Ten Democrats voted with Republicans: Reps. Jason Altmire (Pa.), Dan Boren (Okla.), Ben Chandler (Ky.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Nick Rahall (W.Va.), Mike Ross (Ark.), Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Heath Shuler (N.C.). By Dimitry Romulus
International Hoodlums in Haiti  Lawless hoodlums with diplomatic immunity. By Joan Brunwasser
Ellen Singer Talks Us Through Living with Cancer  What does it mean to use the survivor term specifically for cancer patients? Do we call long-time MS patients or diabetes patients survivors? For better or worse, a vast array of diseases are out there wreaking havoc on human bodies every day. In my experience, no diseases are welcomed by patients but they call on us to do our very best at living before, during, and after whatever treatments accompany our diagnosis. By eileen fleming
Don't Be A Sellout Macy Gray
The Palestinian aspiration for a viable independent state is also negated by the Wall, for it isolates villages from their mother cities and divides the West Bank into disconnected cantons: which in Afrikaner is spelled Bantustans and universally understood as ghettos! By Don Smith
Are corporations evil?  For many progressives, "corporate" and "corporation" are dirty words. Are corporations evil? By E.David Ferriman
Political Realities that Must be Realized
We can have hope for real change in this country, but to do it we have to show relevance to what we are doing and stick to a strategy that works. Fixing the damage both parties have caused over the last 3 decades will not happen overnight. If the right-wingers in the nation won't work with us, the left needs to work smarter. If the left just pushes the right-wing agenda to keep the peace, there will be no peace. By Allan Goldstein
Everyone is born a Socialist  The conservatives have it wrong. The philosophical roots of the progressive project are born inside us. By Sue Wilson
Filibuster Catch 22  A trio of Democratic Senators are trying to change the rules of the Senate to limit the use of the filibuster. But those rule changes were essentially squashed by threat of - a filibuster. Key constitutional questions are at stake. By Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall
Sustainability: Choosing the Right Crisis  Sustainability activists are finding it easier to organize around resource scarcity than climate change. The concepts are more concrete and relevant to peoples' daily lives - especially as energy and food costs start to skyrocket. Loughner researched lethal injection before Tucson shooting, sources say  Loughner pulled up several Web sites about lethal injections and solitary confinement in prison, said the sources, who asked to be anonymous because the investigation is ongoing. He also viewed Internet sites about political assassins, according to an analysis of Loughner's computer that was completed by investigators last week, the sources said. By Josh Mitteldorf
Is Manning Being Tortured Merely to Set an Example?  US Pvt Bradley Manning is suspected of being the conduit for diplomatic cables delivered to Wikileaks last year. He is being held without charge and without trial in solitary confinement. Now NBC reports that after having devoted vast resources to the investigation, the government has been unable to get enough evidence to indict Manning, let alone to convict him. By Bud Goodall
Game-Changing Narratives, Or: How Social Media is Changing Reality
The convergence of new social media and politics is on the verge of changing how we think about and act on reality. This piece explores that convergence by bringing together some new research on gaming, emotions, social media, and terrorism that should be a wake-up call for all of us. By Eugene Elander
The Republicans and the Representative
U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords has survived her gun-inflicted brain injury thanks to top notch health care -- care which the Republicans now seek to deny to so many others, as they try to return us to the bad old days of total insurance company control of our health system. Latest Articles
Reagan's Ghost  The theme last night was, let's all make nice here in the sand box, after all, we're all Republican's here. It greatly reminded me of a Soviet People's Party Congress. Everyone applauds at the appropriate time, everyone stands and cheers for the new five year plan. Corporate Media: Hang your heads in shame
Under authoritarian regimes, the media is controlled and policed by the state and its security and military arms. In democracies we are supposed to have a free media, truthfully, impartially and responsibly reporting news and events domestically and internationally. Unfortunately we do not; replacing the state by powerful ultra rich media moguls and powerful corporations does not make the media free. Healing Earth Healing Self
This article introduces the reader to the relationship between health and sustainable ways of growing food. It then links sustainable practices to healthy dietary practices and life styles. Article provides some initial advice regarding sustainable ways of purchasing and growing food while also identifying some of the benefits of changing how we purchase and / or grow food. Can St. Louis get its groove back? A new book, The Great Heart of the Republic, yields some lessons from the Civil War.  St. Louis could learn some 21st century lessons from its own 19th Century history, as depicted in a new book, The Great Heart of the Republic, by Adam Arenson. State of the Union 2011: The REAL Story
Writer Eric Malone listened to the President's "State of the Union" address the other night with a translator and comes back with what the President was REALLY saying. The State of the Union: Politics as Usual  A Liberal's look at the State of the Union By Juan Cole
What the Tunisian revolution and Wikileaks tell us about US support for corrupt dictatorships in the Muslim Worldrl
Here's one obvious lesson of the Tunisian Revolution of 2011: paranoia about Muslim fundamentalist movements and terrorism is causing Washington to make bad choices that will ultimately harm American interests and standing abroad. Local Business 2011: How Google Niche Marketing Impacts Local Market Potential
As you begin to develop and/or expand your presence on the Internet for your business consider this: Google, the other major search engines, local and/or other sources can be effective marketing tools, but until you first understand how you can make money through developing successful and profitable niches for your business, neither Google, an SEO firm or anyone else will be able to help you make money on the Internet. America's Dire State of the Union
Obama's address was indifferent to public needs The President Ignored the Elephant in the Room
The President's failure to address the decoupling of American corporate profits from American jobs, and explain specifically what he'll do to get jobs back, not only risks making his grand plans for reviving the nation's "competitiveness" seem somewhat beside the point but also cedes to Republicans the dominant narrative. Obama's SOTU Address: Wake Me When it's Over
My reaction to the SOTU: A waste of airwaves and cablefeed. Help Wanted! A New President; One of Courage, Conviction and A Vision For America  It's time for the American people to conduct an aggressive search for a new president; one like no other we've had in recent times. Somewhere out there in America there is a person, a man or woman, who has the leadership skills and the courage to deal with the deadly effects of our collapsing economy, perpetual, costly wars and a completely corrupted political system. Fatal Detraction? The increasingly volatile pre-trial phase of the Lebanon tribunal
It appears that no acceptable compromise regarding the divergent Lebanese political stances relative to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) will be achieved. Support for this hypothesis can be found in the past 24 hours activities of the would-be mediators. Democratic Talk Radio 2010 Heroes and Villains Awards
This is a press release from Democratic Talk Radio announcing their 2010 Heroes & Villains of the Year Awards. The Making of a Cynic
How did I go from a bright eyed idealist to a cynical old man? What can we do now about the mess we're in? Giant BANANA Protest of Congressman Paul Ryan Repeal Vote Announced in Janesville, WI
Large event planned to drop off petitions in Janesville, WI. Politics of No Labels on Display at State of the Union  The politics of "no labels" was highly evident last night, especially in President Barack Obama's "State of the Union" speech. The president's speech built on a culture he began to shape back when he first erupted on to the political scene at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. His speech built on the idea that politics should not be about labels but people and solutions. Obama's Political Triangulation
Little Different From The Republican Party Agenda; Move To The Canter Reminiscent Of Bill Clinton Will Federal and State Judges Be Exposed in Swiss Banking Scandal?  Will U.S. judges get caught in looming Swiss banking scandal? The Palestine papers and the dead-end of nationalism  Under the mantle of promoting statehood and "democracy," the US and Israel have foisted a police state upon Palestinians on the West Bank, an adjunct of the Israeli occupation that represents no one but the PA officials themselves and a handful of millionaires who have fattened themselves off of CIA stipends and USAID contracts. Manning's Torture Commonplace In U.S. Prisons
Varieties of the isolation torture now being inflicted on Bradley Manning in the Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Va., have long been used in U.S. prisons. By some estimates, 25,000 souls are currently being subjected to this nightmarish suffering, yet the public has done little or nothing to protest. Obama's Corporate State of the Union
Obama's state of the union speech was the culmination of months of right-wing policies that began in earnest after the mid-term election, where his fake liberal garb was completely shed. Now, the naked, corporate President presides unhindered by any pretense to help working people. SOTU2011: The Good, The Bad, the Made-Up
SOTU2011: The Good, The Bad, the Made-Up Russia's Airport Bombing: Where From Here?  The news of a suicide bombing at the Russian airport Domodedovo, reportedly the busiest in the country, has jolted the nerves of millions all over the world, and has placed government authorities in many countries before yet another dilemma: how to proceed from here? Fatah's negotiation positions exposed
Documents leaked to AL Jazeera concerning the Palestinian Authority's negotiations have all the hallmarks of authenticity about them and expose President Mahmoud Abbas as a ruthless and self-serving man. Why We Are Being Killed? A Question From The Whole World  It seems that the world has taken a final decision to kill all of us. Actually rulers are not ready to accept the right of other people to live in peace. The State of the Union: Not a Time for Saccharin and Gimmicks
Obama's State of the Union does not match reality. Rather than offering real solutions to the economic and other crisis facing the nation he offered saccharin and gimmicks. The solutions are in our history if only the corporate duopoly was not set on repeating mistakes rather than learning from history. Thousands Demonstrate in Egypt Calling for President Mubarak to Step Down
Yesterday, 1,000's of Egyptians were in the streets of Cairo (and other cities) chanting and marching against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak calling for his ouster. The people are keenly aware of what has transpired in Tunisia and believe "if it can happen in Tunisia it can happen here." Violent clashes continued into the night w/the foreign ministry saying it will crack down on protestors. Cairo is absolutely quiet. The State of the Union: The Tale of Three Distortions
There is nothing screamingly great about this SOTU speech. There is no a single moment where I felt, yes, hell yes, we have arrived! There wasn't anything here to set your hair on fire about and there was nothing that the "other side" can take a run with without lying, which I will get to in a moment. And maybe that's the brilliance on this particular SOTU speech, maybe. Hogwash, Mr. President  The speech was a distraction from what seriously ails us: an unabated mortgage crisis, stubbornly high unemployment and a debt that spiraled out of control while the government wasted trillions making the bankers whole. Instead the president conveyed the insular optimism of his fat-cat associates: "We are poised for progress. Not Bad, Mr. President! A Vision.
After reviewing President Obama's State of the Union Address, this article describes how America can use its Sense of Vision in many meaningful ways in order to start moving forward once again. Lebanon's Hezbollah-Led Government
Washington and Israel threaten Lebanon's stability. Olbermann's Sacking Shifts US Media Further Right
Corporate media will tolerate little left of center news and information Tuesday's Palestine Papers: Vichy Palestinian Authority Conspired w/Israel to Kill Palestinians  The shocking revelations in the Palestine Papers continue for a third day, as we learn just how far the Palestinian Authority is willing to go in collaborating with the Israelis against their fellow Palestinians. And even Wikileaks gets in on the act with its own cables. The World Is A Business, Mr. Olbermann / You're fired
Make no mistake about it ~ Keith Olbermann's truth telling was rattling the cages of the corpocracy and he either quit or was asked to abruptly leave his popular prime time TV spot .The stage has been set ~ truth and dissent will be slowly marginalized until we accept and realize that the world is a business, its lifeblood is profits and it answers to no one except its stockholders: Allen L Roland Obama Says He Will Veto All Bills Including Earmarks
Tomgram: Juan Cole, American Policy on the Brink  Cole explores the explosion of popular outrage in Tunisia, and smaller-scale versions of it in Algeria and elsewhere in the Greater Middle East -- and how from Tunisia to Central Asia and Afghanistan, the U.S. government ended up on the wrong side, backing crony, nepotistic regimes, deeply unpopular with their people, which nonetheless offered one thing: a willingness to join Washington in its "war on terror." No U-Turns on the Road to Serfdom?
What is needed is a broad coalition of those on the right as well as the left who see the danger and are ready to unite in defense of basic constitutional liberties. Unless and until we build such a movement, the war on the Constitution will end in the unconditional surrender of our liberties by those who had neither the heart nor the nerve to fight. State of the Union: Ignore the Elephant at Your Own Peril
We are soon going to hear about our "State of the Union," but no matter what is said and no matter how good the speech, the current war machine dominating the state of the union will remain difficult to turn around. Change.org + YouTube = Your questions for President Obama  On Thursday, President Obama will give a national interview on YouTube, and instead of letting the White House press corps have all the fun, you can ask your own questions. Concerned about health care? Focused on the environment? How about education, the economy, or foreign policy? This is your chance to spotlight the issue closest to your heart. Upload a video with your question today. The True Meaning of Keith Olbermann  Olbermann started the 2000s not as a liberal but a guy who still wanted to be a sportscaster. Things changed because he registered his disbelief at things so many other regular Americans also could not believe were happening--America preemptively invaded another country on false pretenses, a country founded on civil liberties was now promoting torture and indefinite detention...and on and on. Five Mind Blowers - One Message  In the past weeks, some captivating issues have forced their way into our lives. Whether we will decide to leave them within our circle of concern, or graduate them to our smaller circle of influence probably depends on our personal philosophy. This article reviews: Wikileaks, the Arizona shooting, Ophiuchus, the predicted California storm flood, and the shift from left brain thinking to right brain thinking. Ramblings KIDBITS#1 Guessing Ages
Can there be anything funnier* than KIDS, as they learn to handle conversations without the inhibitions that gradually change a wonderful lack of the same to a carefully- considered caution! How funny, as they simply blurt out exactly what's on their young minds. I'll bet you have copious memories of your own kids' amusing rejoinders. Isn't it sad that we have to lose our natural sense of honesty? *Not always! funny! Tyranny American-Style: Pvt. Bradley Manning is a Hero of Our Age  The government's torture campaign against Pvt. Bradley Manning is taken right out of Stalin's show-trial playbook, but Manning has proven to be a true hero of liberty. He needs our support! Health Care State Waiver Bill Introduced
The Vermont congressional delegation today introduced legislation to let the state implement a single-payer health care system that could become a model for the nation. Washington Post Still Talking Tough on Iran
Washington's pundits and politicians remain wedded to the belief that the United States is all-powerful and that Muslim nations can -- and must -- be bullied into submission. The gap between the world's hard realities and Washington's macho rhetoric is widening into a dangerous chasm -- and the Washington Post's editorial board has chosen the side of illusion. Video: Stephen Colbert Mocks Olbermann, Hilariously, With Lightning Bolts  Comedy TV host Stephen Colbert does a bit on Keith Olbermann leaving MSNBC. Latest Polls
 Best News Links from the Web
Zero Hedge: Rand Paul Reintroduces Audit The Fed Bill, DeMint And Vitter Co-Sponsors
Zero Hedge: If there is one thing that the one-time GAO audit of the Fed disclosed, is how woefully insufficient the extremely superficial data discovery was. Another thing uncovered was just how needed this disclosure was: it provided extended material into how the Fed subsidizes banks (both domestic and international) on an ongoing basis, not to mention substantial number crunching for the blogosphere. Either way, if Bernanke was hoping that the Frank-Dodd bill would take care of the Fed opacity, pardon, transparency issue in perpetuity, he may be disappointed: Ron's son, Rand, has just announced he is introducing legislation to, well, Audit The Fed, precisely along the lines of what his father did previously and generated massive support from everyone in Congress. Utah Remains Most Tolerant State
One more reminder here. Russia refutes anti-Iran nuclear claims  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed baseless US-led allegations that the Islamic Republic is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. "The international community so far has no proof that Iran is building nuclear weapons," he said at the annual World Economic Forum on Wednesday. GOP lawmakers grill Pentagon officials on spending cuts  House Republicans challenged top Pentagon officials Wednesday on the Obama administration's plans to cut projected defense spending by $78 billion over the next five years, complaining that the reductions could jeopardize national security. Egypt forbids Protests a Day after it was Shaken by Thousands of Demonstrators, 3 Killed  Will the army and security forces stand unified behind the Mubarak regime, as they have in the past? In Tunisia, the army refused to fire on demonstrators on behalf of Ben Ali. But Mubarak is a former Air Force general, who came out of the military to rule the country, as part of a military regime established in 1952. A caution: Egypt is not Tunisia. PA's foreknowledge of the Gaza war?  Did the Palestinian Authority (PA)'s leadership have foreknowledge of the Gaza war? That question is raised - though never satisfactorily answered - by several exchanges revealed in The Palestine Papers. In defending their handling of the Gaza war, Mahmoud Abbas, the PA president, has long held that the PA warned Hamas - both in Gaza and through its Syrian-based leadership - that Israel was planning an attack on Gaza. The Palestine Papers: The threat of a one-state solution  The Palestinian Authority (PA) is very well aware that a one-state solution constitutes a threat to Israel, and has used the threat during half a dozen meetings documented in The Palestine Papers. The two-state solution remains the conceptual basis for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. However, as it has failed to accomplish a final agreement, Palestinian interest in a one-state solution has seemingly grown. Coups, Destabilization & Disavow  Millions of confused and systematically programmed Americans subsist, day to day, believing that the country they reside in is the gold standard for truth, justice, and freedom. Nothing could further from the truth! Their insistence upon believing whatever is fed to them from their government, the corporate media, and government sanctioned educational centers keeps a great many Americans as an integral part of the overall problem. Many Americans have grown comfortable living sheltered lives. They find solace in the fictional belief that their nation, and its government, has always stood for freedom, democracy and justice---the "American way'. This kind of limited and myopic nationalistic thinking makes it that much more difficult for America to reach its true potential. Evolution by Mistake
Articles like this always remind me of the words of Richard Dawkins: "If there is a God, it's going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed." I'd call it a "thought for the day," any day. David Corn: Obama's State of the Union: Back to the Future  Prior to the speech, White House aides were saying, with pride, that it would not be a routine laundry list of proposals. But the address did not fully escape that typical State-of-the-Union hazard. But the president did not dwell on health care. There was no reference to "Wall Street"; he barely mentioned financial reform. He said nothing about gun control. His two paragraphs on the Afghanistan war were obligatory. To win the future--and the next election--the president has to hope that he has figured out the right cost/benefit ratio. UN Human Rights Inspector's Job in Jeopardy after Voicing Doubts about 9/11
A UN human rights official has been roundly condemned for suggesting that the US government may have orchestrated the September 11 terrorist attacks. Richard Falk, a retired Princeton professor, wrote on his blog that there had been an "apparent cover up" by American authorities, and that most media were "unwilling to acknowledge the well-evidenced doubts about the official version of the events". Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General, described the comments as "preposterous". Paul Krugman: The Ryan Response  Lots of breast-beating about deficits; you'd never know that no leading Republican, Ryan very much included, has offered a serious proposal to cut the deficit. Some cooked statistics about federal spending. Tens of thousands march in Egypt against Mubarak regime  The US government, which has sought to mask its hostility to the popular movement in Tunisia with empty talk of democratic reform, has responded to the mass protests in Egypt by reiterating its support for Mubarak. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters in Washington: "Our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable and is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people." Director of Policy on Climate Will Leave, Her Goal Unmet  WASHINGTON -- Carol M. Browner, the White House coordinator for energy and climate change policy, will leave the administration shortly, officials confirmed Monday night. Her departure signals at least a temporary slowing of the ambitious environmental goals of President Obama's first two years in the face of new Republican strength in Congress. Dana Milbank - Michele Bachmann's alternate universe  For Republican leaders, it's more than a one-night problem. Bachmann is bidding to become the new voice of the opposition, replacing the titular leaders of the GOP. She hosted Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at a gathering of her Tea Party Caucus, then went for an appearance on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News and a keynote speech to the March for Life's annual dinner. And that was all before her Tea Party response to the State of the Union address. Financial Crisis Was Avoidable, Inquiry Concludes  The 2008 financial crisis was an "avoidable" disaster caused by widespread failures in government regulation, corporate mismanagement and heedless risk-taking by Wall Street, according to the conclusions of a federal inquiry. A G.O.P. Response to Obama's Speech, Then a Tea Party One  The crosscurrents inside the Republican Party were on fresh display Tuesday evening with the unusual sight of two lawmakers delivering responses to the State of the Union address. Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Budget Committee, said the country faced "a crushing burden of debt." Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who founded the Tea Party Caucus last year, gave a response of her own in a message to the Tea Party Express. State of the Union: Fact checking Obama's speech  President Obama focused about 80% of his State of the Union Address on the economy, offering proposals designed to create jobs, make the United States more competitive with other developed nations and reduce future budget deficits. Those goals can conflict, however. Dan Froomkin: Congressman Accuses White House Of Putting Spin Above Science  The report's release on the oil spill in early August won the Obama administration the headlines it sought, as most journalists dutifully reported that most of the oil was gone. By the time independent scientists and skeptical congressmen publicly raised doubts about the report and the way it had been characterized, the public's perception had already been set. Obama may get power to shut down Internet without court oversight  A bill giving the president an Internet "kill switch" during times of emergency that failed to pass Congress last year will return this year, but with a revision that has many civil liberties advocates concerned: It will give the president the ability to shut down parts of the Internet without any court oversight. Rep. Jan Schakowsky: A Frightening "Roadmap" for America in the Republican Rebuttal to the State of the Union  I served with Rep. Ryan on the 18 member Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and learned firsthand from the personally congenial Ryan just how dark his vision of America's future is for all but the super-rich. In his "Roadmap for America's Future," his simple plan for health care reform: destroy Medicare as we know it by giving seniors a fixed dollar voucher and sending them off to find an insurance company that will cover them. That's after raising the age of Medicare eligibility. He also revives the discredited idea of privatizing Social Security and raising the retirement age. Good luck, Grandma! Six Justices to Attend State of the Union  Justice Alito has left town. He is scheduled to give a talk in Hawaii on Wednesday as part of a law school's "jurist in residence" program. His topic: "Top Things You May Not Know About the U.S. Supreme Court." Justice Antonin Scalia, who did not attend last year, told the Federalist Society in November that the address had become a "juvenile spectacle." Bush officials broke electioneering law, federal agency reports
At least seven Cabinet secretaries to President George W. Bush took politically motivated trips at taxpayer expense while aides falsely claimed they were traveling on official business. Some of the estimated 100,000 documents reviewed by the counsel's office described the need for these trips to be reimbursed by political funds, but no evidence could be found that they were. NY Times considers creating an "EZ Pass lane for leakers'  The New York Times is considering options to create an in-house submission system that could make it easier for would-be leakers to provide large files to the paper. Washington Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli, when asked whether his paper would consider a system like Al Jazeera's, told The Cutline that he "wouldn't rule it out." 'Leaked Documents May Toughen Palestinian Stance in Peace Talks'  Palestinian authorities have been deeply embarrassed by leaked confidential documents showing they offered major concessions to Israel in peace talks. Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said "reports" had misrepresented the Palestinians' positions and "statements and facts" had been taken out of context. 'US rights offenses becoming UN concern'  The UN has launched a probe into claims of sexual assaults in the US military and the mistreatment of women in detention. The US has been claiming to be the torch bearer of Human Rights; now reports say discrimination against women in the job market, housing, education and the military is widespread. Bob Herbert -- Raising False Alarms  When you see surveillance videos of some creep mugging an elderly person in an elevator or apartment lobby, the universal reaction is outrage. But when the fat cats and the ideologues want to hack away at the lifeline of Social Security, they are treated somehow as respectable, even enlightened members of the society. Illinois Supreme Court Orders Emanuel's Name Back on Ballot  The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Rahm Emanuel's name back on the ballot, a day after an appellate court ruled him ineligible to run for mayor of Chicago, and told election officials not to print any ballots that exclude Mr. Emanuel's name. Eugene Robinson - In the GOP's budget, a surplus of spite
Despite what you might have heard, the coming battle on Capitol Hill is not really about "government spending" in the abstract. It's about two radically different visions of how money should be spent. According to The Post, affected agencies would suffer a 30 percent cut in funding over the next seven months. Do Americans really want the effectiveness of, say, food safety inspection to be eroded by 30 percent? What about air traffic control? I didn't think so.
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