Scott Walker Recall: Little Progress With Job Creation Could Create Hurdle For Governor

Scott Walker Recall: Little Progress With Job Creation Could Create Hurdle For Governor: "MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has made little progress fulfilling a campaign promise to create 250,000 jobs over four years, making the pledge that was a key to getting him elected last year a potentially significant hurdle as he fights off recall efforts.

Walker hasn't been shy about the promise, even saying shortly before taking office that he wanted it branded on the foreheads of his top Cabinet officials. But the Republican has distanced himself in recent months, talking more about building a better environment to create jobs and how Wisconsin's future is tied to a national economy beyond his control."

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Ron Paul Proposes Interesting Salary For Himself As President

Ron Paul Proposes Interesting Salary For Himself As President: "GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Long before he discovered Friedrich Hayek and other free-market economists, Ron Paul got a lesson in sound money from his oldest brother, Bill.

It was the height of World War II, and the Paul boys were laying aside quarters from their Pittsburgh Press routes and pooling pennies earned from pulling dirty milk bottles off the line at the family dairy to buy war bonds. One day, Ronnie suggested what was, in retrospect, a rather Keynesian solution: "Why doesn't the government just PRINT this money?"

"Well," Bill responded, "then the money wouldn't have any value."

Bill was 10. Ron was about 7.

Washington bureaucrats, Paul says now, "would like it to be complicated, and that we have to accept this complex monetary system of the Federal Reserve. But it's no more complicated than two little kids talking ...""

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Mitt Romney Unleashes Freddie Mac Attack, Newt Gingrich Fires Back

Mitt Romney Unleashes Freddie Mac Attack, Newt Gingrich Fires Back: "Less than three weeks away from the Iowa caucuses, polls show Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney with strong holds on the top two GOP spots. Their Monday war of words reflected that rivalry, with the pair trading barbs over their consulting histories.

On Monday morning, Romney attacked Gingrich's work at Freddie Mac, calling on him to return the millions he made during his time working for the mortgage giant.

"One of the things that I think that people recognize in Washington is that people go there to serve the people and then they stay there to serve themselves," Romney told Fox News."

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Clarence Thomas Assailed For Alleged Ethical Lapses By More House Dems

Clarence Thomas Assailed For Alleged Ethical Lapses By More House Dems: "WASHINGTON -- Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) is turning up the heat on Justice Clarence Thomas based on new information that builds upon previous reports of his alleged ethical lapses.

In late September, Slaughter had sent a letter to the Judicial Conference of the United States to request official action on Thomas' multiyear failure to disclose his wife's income from various conservative think tanks and activist organizations. The Judicial Conference is the principal policy-making and administrative body for the federal court system."

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Gloria Cain not traditional campaign wife – USATODAY.com

Gloria Cain not traditional campaign wife – USATODAY.com: "She has been virtually absent from the campaign trail as her husband, Herman, runs for the Republican presidential nomination. And she's been silent this week as the businessman fights to overcome allegations that he sexually harassed women while he led the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.
"She's doing fine, and she's still 200 percent supportive of me in this whole race, 200 percent supportive of me as her husband, because I haven't done anything," Cain told conservative talk show host Sean Hannity on Thursday. He added: "She is feeling for me more so, because she knows that it's baseless.""

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PRUDEN: The awful sin of Herman Cain - Washington Times

PRUDEN: The awful sin of Herman Cain - Washington Times: "Things have gone from bad to badder for the self-righteous artsy-fartsy elites, who for all their book-learning and self-regard just can’t figure out America.

The Herman Cain phenomenon is the latest puzzlement of those who think only they’re wise enough and entitled enough to tell the rest of us which fork to use. Mr. Cain’s sin is not that he doesn’t have the usual qualifications for president. Barack Obama established the precedent that presidents can attempt to do the job with on-the-job training. Mr. Cain’s sin is that he demonstrates, with considerable eloquence, that the notion that Republicans and other conservatives are mean-spirited bigots is the enormous lie of conventional media wisdom."

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Anti-LGBT Activist Linda Wall Admits To Molesting Girl 40 Years Ago | Lez Get Real

Anti-LGBT Activist Linda Wall Admits To Molesting Girl 40 Years Ago | Lez Get Real: "Perhaps Linda Wall should join the Catholic Church. After all, they love to hide amoral child predators. She would fit right in. Wall has admitted that when she was a junior high teacher some forty years ago, she had an affair with a female student. Now she claims to be a ‘different person.’ That is right, of course, she just profiteers off of federal kidnappers helping them escape from the law because she wants to pretend that she is no longer a child predator."

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Georgia's Camden County Considers Replacing Firefighters With Free Prison Laborers - International Business Times

Georgia's Camden County Considers Replacing Firefighters With Free Prison Laborers - International Business Times: "Officials in Camden County, Georgia are considering implementing a money-saving program that would allow prison inmates to work as firefighters.

The inmates-to-firefighters program is one of several options Camden's Board of County Commissioners has suggested to keep residents' fire insurance costs from doubling, The Florida Times-Union reports. Under new Insurance Services Office standards, insurance premiums will increase substantially if the county does not improve its fire protection services."

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Herman Cain: Is He Racist Against African Americans?

Herman Cain: Is He Racist Against African Americans?: "In a blog entry at Your Black World, Dr. Boyce Watkins writes about Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain's recent statements about African Americans. He says that America lives under the faulty premise that racists cannot be black, which is untrue. He says that racism is more effective when its perpetrator is black.

Herman Cain has become, in many ways, the perfect racist. America lives under the interesting premise that a racist can't be black."

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Tea Party Nation Urges Businesses To Stop Hiring People In Order To Bring Down President Obama | Addicting Info

Tea Party Nation Urges Businesses To Stop Hiring People In Order To Bring Down President Obama | Addicting Info: "Tea Party Nation sent a message to their members today urging businesspeople to stop hiring people in an effort to sabotage the economy and make President Obama fail. The message came from activist (and traitor) Melissa Brookstone, and reads as follows."

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Jon Stewart Exposes Sarah Palin's 'Dishonorable' Campaign Fundraising

Lawrence O'Donnell, Herman Cain Argue About The Civil Rights Movement

State Lawmakers Pump Up Pensions in ways YOU Can't

State Lawmakers Pump Up Pensions in ways YOU Can't: "A pension is calculated by multiplying the salary times the multiplier. That figure is then multiplied by the number of years in office. For a legislator retiring after 20 years with a $30,000 salary in a state with a 2% multiplier, the pension is:

"

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Obama Congressional Black Caucus Speech: Stop Complainin' And Fight

Obama Congressional Black Caucus Speech: Stop Complainin' And Fight: "WASHINGTON — In a fiery summons to an important voting bloc, President Barack Obama told blacks on Saturday to quit crying and complaining and "put on your marching shoes" to follow him into battle for jobs and opportunity.

And though he didn't say it directly, for a second term, too.

Obama's speech to the annual awards dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus was his answer to increasingly vocal griping from black leaders that he's been giving away too much in talks with Republicans -- and not doing enough to fight black unemployment, which is nearly double the national average at 16.7 percent.

"It gets folks discouraged. I know. I listen to some of y'all," Obama told an audience of some 3,000 in a darkened Washington convention center."

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Ohio House Bill 194 and Senate Bill 148: The Republican's Voter Disenfranchisement Plan | Corrente

Ohio House Bill 194 and Senate Bill 148: The Republican's Voter Disenfranchisement Plan | Corrente: "Find your state representative at the Ohio House of Representatives home page.

Find your state Senator at the Ohio Senate home page.

You will need your zip code and the 4 digit extension. When you get the Representative's name, click on it. That will bring you to their address, phone number or to a form to send an email.

Text of the bill is here.

More information from the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is here.

The following notes were sent to me by an activist. Republished in full with a few formatting changes."

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John Boehner Jobs Speech Blasts Obama Plan, Rules Out Tax Increases

John Boehner Jobs Speech Blasts Obama Plan, Rules Out Tax Increases: "WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) threw cold water on the prospect of passing President Obama's jobs bill during a speech on Thursday, casting doubt over the viability of longterm debt talks as well.

Addressing the Economic Club of Washington, Boehner called Obama's plan to create jobs, which includes a mix of tax incentives and state-targeted spending, a "poor substitute" for policies he views as more effective.

“Private-sector job creators of all sizes have been pummeled by decisions made in Washington. They’ve been slammed by uncertainty from the constant threat of new taxes, out-of-control spending, and unnecessary regulation from a government that is always micromanaging, meddling, and manipulating," said Boehner. “They’ve been hurt by a government that offers short-term gimmicks rather than fundamental reforms that will encourage long-term economic growth.""

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Reform underway — but it’s a Va. secret - The Washington Post

Reform underway — but it’s a Va. secret - The Washington Post: "GOV. ROBERT F. McDONNELL’S commission on reforming and restructuring state government in Virginia, billed as a blue-ribbon enterprise to smarten and streamline the way Richmond does business, has yielded some sane ideas, if not exactly earth-shattering ones.

Among its dozens of initiatives are measures to abolish perhaps a sixth of Virginia’s 300-odd boards and commissions; consolidate a half-dozen inspector general offices; centralize payroll and accounting functions; and eliminate some of the state’s toll-free phone numbers."

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Judge scolds Rep. Joe Walsh, orders him to prove he doesn’t owe back child-support - Chicago Sun-Times

Judge scolds Rep. Joe Walsh, orders him to prove he doesn’t owe back child-support - Chicago Sun-Times: "A judge in Chicago issued a preliminary ruling Wednesday against U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) in the Tea Party favorite’s child-support dispute with his ex-wife, ordering Walsh to explain why he appears to be $100,000 behind on his child-support payments.

Cook County Circuit Judge Raul Vega also wanted to know why Walsh wasn’t in court for the hearing — the McHenry Republican’s ex-wife, Laura Walsh was — and said he expects him to show up at the next hearing, in November.

Walsh’s new attorney, Janet Boyle, asked Vega “for what purpose” he wanted the congressman in court.

Vega gave her a puzzled look.

To which Boyle responded: “Mr. Walsh is a U.S. congressman.”"

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Rick Perry's Next Controversial Execution Comes Thursday

Rick Perry's Next Controversial Execution Comes Thursday: "Having devoted significant attention to Rick Perry's role in the execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, let's turn our attention to what could potentially be Rick Perry's next controversial execution -- Duane Edward Buck's, currently scheduled for Thursday. The Buck case, it should be noted, is dissimilar from the Willingham case in many vital ways -- the most important being that prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Buck committed the 1995 double murder with which he was charged. Nevertheless, there are some interesting parallels.

The controversy in Buck's case stems from potential malpractice that occurred during the sentencing stage of his trial. Here, we kick things over to Tim Murphy of Mother Jones, who's been giving this matter considerable attention:"

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Another FAA shutdown? | WJLA.com

Another FAA shutdown? | WJLA.com: "With the airline industry headed for yet another bumpy ride, pilots and flight attendants lined up Wednesday, with harsh words for congress and a plea for action."" It's time to get it done, and we're serious about that, that's why we're coming to you, coming to the American public,” said Capt. Lee Moak, Air Line Pilots Association.

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Serial Killer Anthony Sowell's 'House Of Horrors' Condemned

Serial Killer Anthony Sowell's 'House Of Horrors' Condemned: "CLEVELAND -- The city has condemned the killing ground dubbed the "House of Horrors," a home where 11 women were murdered by a man who dumped their remains around his house and property.

The owner has until Oct. 2 to make repairs or face having the house demolished, mayoral press secretary Andrea Taylor said Friday in an email to The Associated Press.

The three-story frame house in an impoverished Cleveland neighborhood was the home of Anthony Sowell, who was convicted and sentenced to death last month for killing the 11 women, many of whom were living on the street and dealing with addiction problems."

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FACT CHECK: Perry, Romney twist records in debate - Yahoo! News

FACT CHECK: Perry, Romney twist records in debate - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (AP) — When Mitt Romney and Rick Perry thumped their chests over their job-creation records as governor during the Republican presidential debate Wednesday night, they left the bad parts out.
Yes, employment has grown by more than 1 million since Perry took office in Texas. But a lot of those jobs are not well paid.
True, unemployment dropped to 4.7 percent when Romney was Massachusetts governor. But the state's employment growth was among the nation's worst.
A look at some of the claims in the debate, and how they compare with the facts:"

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Obama Jobs Plan: $447 Billion, More Than Half In Tax Cuts, To Be Paid For By Super Committee

Obama Jobs Plan: $447 Billion, More Than Half In Tax Cuts, To Be Paid For By Super Committee: "WASHINGTON -- Hoping to stem the tide of poor economic news and boost his falling poll numbers, President Barack Obama proposed a $447 billion jobs plan to Congress on Thursday evening.

Titled the American Jobs Act, the proposal includes more than $250 billion in tax incentives for small businesses and employers, according to administration estimates. The rest of the money would be devoted to infrastructure spending, state aid, unemployment insurance, and neighborhood rehabilitation. The president will pay for the proposal by asking the congressional super committee tasked with finding $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction to offset the cost of the package in their proposal."

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Regulations, taxes aren't killing small business, owners say | McClatchy

Regulations, taxes aren't killing small business, owners say | McClatchy: "WASHINGTON — Politicians and business groups often blame excessive regulation and fear of higher taxes for tepid hiring in the economy. However, little evidence of that emerged when McClatchy canvassed a random sample of small business owners across the nation.

"Government regulations are not 'choking' our business, the hospitality business," Bernard Wolfson, the president of Hospitality Operations in Miami, told The Miami Herald. "In order to do business in today's environment, government regulations are necessary and we must deal with them. The health and safety of our guests depend on regulations. It is the government regulations that help keep things in order.""

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Rove: Perry Holds 'Toxic' Views on Social Security - Olga Belogolova - NationalJournal.com

Rove: Perry Holds 'Toxic' Views on Social Security - Olga Belogolova - NationalJournal.com: "Karl Rove slammed GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry on ABC’s Good Morning America on Wednesday, calling his views on Social Security “toxic.”
In Perry’s book Fed Up!, which was released less than a year ago, he described Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme” and a “failure” that exists “at the expense of respect for the Constitution and limited government.”"

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Tea party, right blast Teamster president Hoffa’s remarks; Bachmann fundraises | The Ticket - Yahoo! News

Tea party, right blast Teamster president Hoffa’s remarks; Bachmann fundraises | The Ticket - Yahoo! News: "Tea party leaders and conservative critics are calling on the White House to denounce remarks made yesterday by International Brotherhood of Teamsters president James Hoffa. Hoffa's detractors contend that his comments called for violence against tea party members
During Hoffa's introduction Monday of President Obama at a Detroit, Mich., Labor Day rally, Hoffa likened union fights to a "war" and a "battle" between union workers and tea partiers, and described union supporters as Obama's "army."
"Everybody here has got a vote," Hoffa said. "If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize. Let's take these son-of-a-bitches out and give America back to America where we belong.""

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Obama preparing $300 billion jobs package - CNN.com

Obama preparing $300 billion jobs package - CNN.com: "Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama is preparing to roll out a roughly $300 billion plan to strengthen the shaky economy and stimulate new job growth, according to multiple Democratic sources.
The president is expected to unveil his plan -- focused partly on new infrastructure spending and targeted tax cuts -- during an address to a joint session of Congress Thursday evening.
"I'm going to propose ways to put America back to work that both parties can agree to, because I still believe both parties can work together to solve our problems," Obama said in a Labor Day speech in Detroit.
The plan's prospects in a sharply polarized Congress -- particularly with the 2012 presidential primary season looming -- appear murky at best. Some Republicans have already dismissed it, saying any proposal from the president will amount to little more than a continuation of what they characterize as his failed 2009 stimulus plan."

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Ron Paul adviser Jesse Benton baits Rick Perry - Alexander Burns - POLITICO.com

Ron Paul adviser Jesse Benton baits Rick Perry - Alexander Burns - POLITICO.com: "One of the more interesting — and potentially, in debate context, entertaining — rivalries of the 2012 race is the emerging tension between Ron Paul and Rick Perry. The two Texans have sniped at each other a bit in recent days and in a memo this morning, Paul adviser Jesse Benton suggests that the zingers against Perry's conservative bona fides are a preview of more to come:"

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Gaddafi Found Running for Republican Nomination « Borowitz Report

Gaddafi Found Running for Republican Nomination « Borowitz Report: "CONCORD, NH (The Borowitz Report) – The mystery surrounding Col. Muammar Gaddafi’s whereabouts was resolved today as the dictator announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in a town hall meeting in Concord, New Hampshire.

In announcing his candidacy, the Libyan madman joins a Republican field which is believed to number in excess of seven hundred candidates."

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Romney lays out comprehensive jobs, economic program - Politics Wires - MiamiHerald.com

Romney lays out comprehensive jobs, economic program - Politics Wires - MiamiHerald.com: "WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney offered a detailed blueprint Tuesday for boosting the nation's ailing economy, a plan full of familiar Republican ideas such as keeping tax rates low, peeling back federal regulations, spurring domestic energy production and repealing the 2010 health care overhaul.

The former Massachusetts governor was trying to position himself as the moderate-to-conservative alternative to President Barack Obama, but as Republican presidential candidates prepare to debate Wednesday night in Simi Valley, Calif., serious questions remain about whether Romney's effort to portray himself as the field's common-sense business executive will translate into broader support.

He also faces doubts about whether his economic ideas, many of which mirror proposals from the George W. Bush administration, will help create jobs. The nation's unemployment rate remained 9.1 percent last month, and on balance, no new jobs were created."

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New Polls Find All-Time Lows For Obama, Congress

New Polls Find All-Time Lows For Obama, Congress: "WASHINGTON -- Two new polls released on Tuesday confirm that the summer's debt ceiling debate along with the drumbeat of bad economic news have taken a toll, yielding all-time low ratings of both President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress and suggesting real peril for Obama in 2012. Obama's ratings are now lower than those for Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton at the same time in their presidencies."

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Obama Aide Discusses 2012 Campaign Strategy

Obama Aide Discusses 2012 Campaign Strategy: "WASHINGTON -– And so here we go: a gloomy campaign for a gloomy era, a political war framed by the combatants as an Armageddon-style struggle between the Ungodly and the Irrational.

Nearly three years ago, in a brief burst of sunshine on a chilly day, Barack Obama was inaugurated on the strength of his promise not only to represent, but bring about, “change we can believe in.”

But as he and the Republican field launch the active, above-ground phase of the 2012 presidential campaign, Obama’s strategists are planning to focus less on his record –- which is spotty at best -– than on what they regard as the frightening prospect of a Republican Party not only of wrong but medieval thinking."

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Jim DeMint: Sarah Palin 'Doesn't Appear' Likely To Run For President In 2012 (VIDEO)

Jim DeMint: Sarah Palin 'Doesn't Appear' Likely To Run For President In 2012 (VIDEO): "U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is weighing in on speculation swirling around whether Sarah Palin will run for president in the next election cycle.

The South Carolina senator told CBS News that "it doesn't appear" likely that the former Alaska governor is prepared to jump into the race for the Republican presidential nomination. He added, however, "She's done a lot, I think, to engage the American people and stir things up, which we really needed to do, to get American citizens more involved in the process. It made a big difference in the last election. My hope is it'll make an even bigger difference in the next election, as people take back their government.""

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Obama Jobs Speech Thursday Night: President Gives In To Boehner Over Congress Joint Session Address

Obama Jobs Speech Thursday Night: President Gives In To Boehner Over Congress Joint Session Address: "WASHINGTON -- After a vacuous back-and-forth over whether or not the president would be invited to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, Sept. 7, or Thursday, Sept. 8, the White House buckled to GOP demands and chose the latter date.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney emailed a statement to the press Wednesday evening, emphasizing that the administration had consulted GOP leadership before it requested to speak on Wednesday. But, he added, the president was willing to move the date back to accommodate House Speaker John Boehner's concerns. "

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U.S. News: Congress Cuts Data.gov Funding

U.S. News: Bachmann Calls Hurricane Sign from God

Ron Paul Addresses Hurricane Irene, Says 'There's No Magic About' FEMA (VIDEO)

Ron Paul Addresses Hurricane Irene, Says 'There's No Magic About' FEMA (VIDEO): "Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul told NBC News on Friday that "there's no magic about" the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He said that he doesn't see the need for a federal response to Hurricane Irene as the powerful storm makes its way up the east cost.

"We should be like 1900, we should be like 1940, 1950, 1960," said the Texas congressman in weighing in on the matter during a stop in New Hampshire. He regarded FEMA as a "great contribution to deficit financing."

The presidential contender explained that he lives on the Gulf Coast back in the Lone Star State. He said, "We deal with hurricanes all the time. Galveston is in my district.""

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Congress Approval Rating: Poll Shows 87% Disapprove Of Congress

Congress Approval Rating: Poll Shows 87% Disapprove Of Congress: "WASHINGTON — Americans are plenty angry at Congress in the aftermath of the debt crisis and Republicans could pay the greatest price, a new Associated Press-GfK poll suggests.

The poll finds the tea party has lost support, Republican House Speaker John Boehner is increasingly unpopular and people are warming to the idea of not just cutting spending but also raising taxes – anathema to the GOP – just as both parties prepare for another struggle with deficit reduction.

To be sure, there is plenty of discontent to go around. The poll finds more people are down on their own member of Congress, not just the institution, an unusual finding in surveys and one bound to make incumbents particularly nervous. In interviews, some people said the debt standoff itself, which caused a crisis of confidence to ripple through world markets, made them wonder whether lawmakers are able to govern at all."

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Obama Jobs Plan Meets Early Resistance From Republicans

Obama Jobs Plan Meets Early Resistance From Republicans: Following a few dismal weeks on Wall Street and talk of a double-dip recession, President Obama will soon announce a new jobs plan that is expected to include an extension of payroll tax cuts, new revenue for transportation projects and an extension of emergency unemployment benefits for the 9.1 percent of Americans who still can't find a job. Obama's campaign advisor, David Axelrod, said on Sunday that there's nothing in the proposal "that reasonable people shouldn't be able to agree on" -- but many fired-up Republicans are already preparing to reject whatever the President puts on the table.

The Hidden History of ALEC and Prison Labor | The Nation

The Hidden History of ALEC and Prison Labor | The Nation: The breaded chicken patty your child bites into at school may have been made by a worker earning twenty cents an hour, not in a faraway country, but by a member of an invisible American workforce: prisoners. At the Union Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in Florida, inmates from a nearby lower-security prison manufacture tons of processed beef, chicken and pork for Prison Rehabilitative Industries and Diversified Enterprises (PRIDE), a privately held non-profit corporation that operates the state’s forty-one work programs. In addition to processed food, PRIDE’s website reveals an array of products for sale through contracts with private companies, from eyeglasses to office furniture, to be shipped from a distribution center in Florida to businesses across the US. PRIDE boasts that its work programs are “designed to provide vocational training, to improve prison security, to reduce the cost of state government, and to promote the rehabilitation of the state inmates.”

The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup For August 19, 2011

The 2012 Speculatron Weekly Roundup For August 19, 2011: Perry didn’t participate in the Ames Straw Poll, but by Sunday night, it was like that whole big fried-butter build-up had never even happened, because thanks to his flair for retail politics and Michele Bachmann’s decision to cop a ‘tude at an evening event in Waterloo, Perry managed to stride from the scene, leaving behind a cloud of buzz and admiration. Snap polls documented Perry’s surge to the top, and momentarily forgetting the essential Fred Thompson-ness of it all, the 2012 race was declared a three-way between Perry, Mitt Romney, and Michele Bachmann.

President Obama's Unemployment Inaction Puts Approval Among Blacks At Risk (VIDEO)

President Obama's Unemployment Inaction Puts Approval Among Blacks At Risk (VIDEO): Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is the latest African-American politician or public figure to call out President Barack Obama on his lack of attention to the nightmarish unemployment rates in the black community, his most reliable supporters.

Speaking at a jobs forum in Detroit on Tuesday, Waters blasted the president’s bus tour through the country’s heartland, a tour that has so far skipped African-American communities.

"We don't know why on this trip that he's in the United States now, he's not in any black community," she said. "We want to give him every opportunity, but our people are hurting. The unemployment is unconscionable. We don't know what the strategy is," she continued. “We’re supportive of the president, but we getting tired, y’all, getting tired."

Bachmann Charity Work: Christian And Controversial

Bachmann Charity Work: Christian And Controversial: This article is part of a series in which HuffPost is taking a close look at the charitable giving of Republican presidential candidates. How much and to whom did they give? How does their giving compare with their fellow Americans? And what impact did they ultimately have?

Michele Bachmann loves to regale voters with examples of how her Christian faith informs her choices. It has also influenced the groups she has chosen to support over the years, and nearly all of them have shared her evangelical view of the world.

When on the stump she is by turns humble and righteous. She rarely lets more than a few minutes pass without a quote from scripture or a reference to the Divine. But for all her emphasis on Christian virtue, and the Bible's directive to "honor the Lord with your wealth" [Proverbs 3:9], there is scant record of donations Bachmann has made to charity.

Rick Perry King of Porn? Say it aint so!

Rick Perry King of Porn? Say it aint so!: Conservative Texas Governor Rick Perry’s Hypocritically Invested in Nation’s Largest Pornography Distributor.

Austin, TX—Via his campaign’s website, Governor Perry criticizes his
opponent—Carole Strayhorn—claiming she, “is sadly not above exploiting
child tragedies … What a despicable thing to do.” FN1. Despicable
indeed. Yet, as a private citizen, Perry has profited from his
investments in Movie Gallery, Inc—America’s largest pornography
distributor—a company that profits from exploitation and violence
against women. FN2.

Rick Perry’s Hardcore History of Investment in Porn

Rick Perry’s Hardcore History of Investment in Porn: Here’s the story of how Rick Perry’s name became synonymous with “Teens with T*ts” in some circles. I’ve tried to make this safe for work, but if it’s not, blame Rick Perry, for such are the perils of reporting on good “Christians” like Mr James Richard Perry. If your employer has a problem with this, tell them to see Rick Perry; it’s his money trail we’re following.

A tale of two Texans: Perry vs. Bush - CNN.com

A tale of two Texans: Perry vs. Bush - CNN.com: Austin, Texas (CNN) -- If Rick Perry and George W. Bush had been born in the same family, W would have become known to friends as "the smart one."
Perry is not W. That's the simplest statement about the two Texans. But there is subtlety and confusion abounding in the comparison, which is probably best articulated by Dale Berra, former professional baseball player and son of the Yankee great Yogi, who was once asked to compare himself to his famous father. "When it comes to my dad and me," he said, "our similarities are different."

Rick Perry: The Biggest Little Hypocrite in Texas | The Nation

Rick Perry: The Biggest Little Hypocrite in Texas | The Nation: "his story originally appeared at Truthdig. Robert Scheer is the author of The Great American Stickup: How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street (Nation Books).
 
It is unfathomable that yet another Texas blowhard governor has emerged as a front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination. The persistent appeal of the mythology of Texas as a model for the nation defies the lessons of logic and experience, and yet here we are with Rick Perry, a George W. Bush look-alike, as a prime contender to once again run our nation into the ground."

The Obama rope-a-dope? - Achenblog - The Washington Post

The Obama rope-a-dope? - Achenblog - The Washington Post: "The simplest explanation for President Obama’s recent negotiating weakness and rhetorical insipidness is that he’s simply not a very good politician. The solidifying consensus is that he shouldn’t have let the debt ceiling debate get rolling to begin with — that he should have said (as I suggested) that default wasn’t a negotiable issue. His base feels he caves to the GOP. Friendly pundits have soured on him."

Obama attacks GOP field on bus tour - Yahoo! News

Obama attacks GOP field on bus tour - Yahoo! News: "DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — Hitting back against an emboldened GOP, President Barack Obama launched a rare direct attack Monday on the Republican presidential field, criticizing his potential 2012 rivals for their blanket opposition to any deficit-cutting compromise involving new taxes.
'That's just not common sense,' Obama told the crowd at a town hall-style meeting in Cannon Falls, Minn., as he kicked off a three-day bus tour through Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.
'You've got to be willing to compromise to move the country forward,' the president said later in the day as he delivered the same message at a town hall in Decorah, Iowa.
At the same time Obama was forced to defend his own record as Iowa voters asked him about all the compromises he's made with the GOP.
'I make no apologies for being reasonable,' Obama declared as he stood in front of a cheery red barn, surrounded by bales of hay."

He's Barack Obama

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Tim Pawlenty Quits: Former Governor Drops Out Of Presidential Race (VIDEO)

Tim Pawlenty Quits: Former Governor Drops Out Of Presidential Race (VIDEO): "ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination on Sunday, hours after finishing a disappointing third in the Iowa straw poll.

'I wish it would have been different. But obviously the pathway forward for me doesn't really exist so we are going to end the campaign,' Pawlenty said on ABC's 'This Week' from Iowa shortly after disclosing his plans in a private conference call with supporters.

Pawlenty senior adviser Phil Musser told The Huffington Post that the Minnesota Republican 'just wasn't willing to risk debt to soldier on -- part of why he would have been a good president.'

The low-key Midwesterner and two-term governor had struggled to gain traction in a state he had said he must win and never caught fire nationally with a Republican electorate seemingly craving a charismatic, nonestablishment, rabble-rouser to go up against President Barack Obama."

Rick Perry schools Michele Bachmann in Waterloo - Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com

Rick Perry schools Michele Bachmann in Waterloo - Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com: "WATERLOO, Iowa — Rick Perry came to Michele Bachmann’s home town Sunday evening and schooled the newly minted Iowa front-runner in her native state’s demanding retail political culture.

The day after Perry announced his candidacy and Bachmann won the Ames straw poll, the two candidates spoke to the Black Hawk County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day dinner, the sort of endless regional event that is a staple of the long Iowa campaign."

Michele Bachmann Repeatedly Sought Stimulus, EPA, Other Government Funds

Michele Bachmann Repeatedly Sought Stimulus, EPA, Other Government Funds: "WASHINGTON -- Few candidates in the Republican presidential primary field have decried the federal government with as much gusto as Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). The three-term congresswoman has belittled the stimulus package, deemed the Obama administration both corrupt and 'gangster,' and lamented the 'orgy' of spending she sees happening in Washington.

The contempt has served her well, helping her craft the type of fiscally conservative, anti-government message that has catapulted her into frontrunner status for the Iowa Caucus and, more immediately, Saturday's crucial Ames Straw Poll.

But it's simply not supported by the Minnesota Republican's actual record."

Newsvine - Social Security is Not an Entitlement

Newsvine - Social Security is Not an Entitlement: "I am sick and tired of the whiners and liars claiming that Social Security is an entitlement. It is a payroll tax that is paid for by both the employe and the employer. Thus it can be stated that it is part of the earnings of an employee. Yes employers split the cost, but it is part of our wages. Here is a link to who pays for Social Security. http://loopholelewy.com/loopholelewy/10-payroll-taxes/payroll-taxes-02-social-security-medicare-taxes.htm

Those who are trying to call it an entitlement are trying to say that they do not want to have to pay their employees this 12.4% for their old age retirement savings. They are trying to take away what was put in place to keep the corporations and the wealthy from enslaving the American workers for all of their lives. They think people should be forced to live as they want us to, always crawling on our hands and knees to them for the crumbs they make us sweat for."

Webb calls for end to development aid to China | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Webb calls for end to development aid to China | Richmond Times-Dispatch: "Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., along with Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Oka., has called for an end to U.S. development aid to China.

In a letter to the Appropriations Committee, Webb and Inhofe highlight the fact that since 2001, the U.S. has provided more than $275 million to China for various projects, such as expanded Internet service and transportation infrastructure.

In 2009, U.S. agencies provided more than $65 million in grants to China, the world's second-largest economy. China also receives billions of dollars from multilateral institutions such as the United Nations and World Bank, to which the U.S. is among the largest contributors.

'With more than $3 trillion in foreign exchange reserves and a double-digit economic growth rate, China certainly has the financial resources to ... care for its citizens without relying on U.S. assistance,' the senators wrote."

Economic Meltdown Villain George W. Bush’s Staggering Debt Numbers - The Daily Beast

Economic Meltdown Villain George W. Bush’s Staggering Debt Numbers - The Daily Beast: "As we thunder toward a double-dip recession on a possible worldwide scale, let’s step back and remember how all this happened. I’ve been pretty hard on Barack Obama lately (and will be again on Monday, as you’ll see). But Obama is not the villain in this story. Every time I step back and ponder this sordid history, I am amazed that the Republican Party has any credibility and even 100 members of Congress, let alone a sizable House majority and enough juice to be driving the nation’s agenda as it is."

Tea Party’s Next Targets: Blocking Judicial Appointees, Killing Gas Tax - The Daily Beast

Tea Party’s Next Targets: Blocking Judicial Appointees, Killing Gas Tax - The Daily Beast: "As the nation sweated the very real possibility that America would default on its debt, a band of the freshman congressmen blamed for the standoff gathered for a long-promised pot of seafood gumbo at the home of Rep. Steve Southerland (R-FL), just a few blocks from the panicked Capitol.

These 19 Tea Party freshmen, as they’ve become known—derided as “terrorists” by Vice President Joe Biden and “bizarro” by their own Republican Party icons like John McCain—showed no remorse about bringing the nation to the brink of financial Armageddon."

Tea Party To Push Paul Ryan Medicare Plan In Town Halls

Tea Party To Push Paul Ryan Medicare Plan In Town Halls: "WASHINGTON -- With Medicare at the top of lawmakers' fall agenda, Tea Party movement leaders hope to ignite support for Republican plans to transform the popular federal healthcare program for the elderly.

Thousands of Tea Party movement activists are expected to descend this month on town hall meetings across key battleground states as part of an intensifying campaign ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections.

Their priority is a plan to slash Medicare costs proposed by House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, which could gain momentum now that a debt-limit deal between President Barack Obama and Congress has made potential Medicare cuts a centerpiece of the deficit debate.

A new congressional committee charged with finding $1.5 trillion in spending cuts by November 23 is expected to focus on Medicare, and the program would see automatic cuts if the committee failed to reach agreement, or if Congress did not approve its recommendations by December 23. Market values of companies that depend on Medicare spending fell more than 10 percent in a sell-off on Wall Street after the agreement."

Rick Perry's 'Texas Miracle' Includes Crowded Homeless Shelters, Low-Wage Jobs, Worker Deaths

Rick Perry's 'Texas Miracle' Includes Crowded Homeless Shelters, Low-Wage Jobs, Worker Deaths: "AUSTIN, Texas -- It was 105 degrees outside late last week when Vanessa Surita, 24, planted herself on the sidewalk and stretched her legs. Her young daughter sat in a stroller within arms length, outside the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. Her needs were great: housing, a job, a high school diploma. She could mark progress in job applications filled out.

A local pizza chain, a Pizza Hut, a local grocery chain, a Family Dollar -- each the equivalent of a professional lottery ticket.

'I just recently tried to apply at Whataburger,' Surita said. 'It's been like two weeks ... I've been calling them. They still haven't had a chance to look at my application. They still haven't had a chance to look at my application. They're like 2,000 people that apply every month, so I don't know.'"

Buchanan: Didn't intend to slur Obama with quip - Yahoo! News

Buchanan: Didn't intend to slur Obama with quip - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (AP) — Pat Buchanan says he didn't mean to slur President Barack Obama by referring to him as 'your boy' during a discussion with Al Sharpton.
The former GOP presidential candidate and current MSNBC analyst appeared on 'Morning Joe' Wednesday to explain remarks he made on that network's Sharpton show 12 hours earlier. Buchanan was discussing Obama's political strength with Sharpton when he referred to Obama as 'your boy.'
Sharpton responded: 'My what? My president, Barack Obama? What did you say?'
Buchanan said Wednesday that he was using a boxing analogy. 'Some folks took what I said as some kind of a slur,' Buchanan said. 'None was meant, none was intended, none was delivered.'"

New Jersey Democrat resigns after nude photos circulated - Yahoo! News

New Jersey Democrat resigns after nude photos circulated - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - After an online sexting scandal brought down Congressman Anthony Weiner, the last thing a politician would even consider is sending a nude self-portrait over the Internet. Apparently not.
Cumberland County freeholder Louis Magazzu, 53, stepped down on Tuesday after nude photos he sent to a woman with whom he had a long online relationship were posted on the website of conservative blogger Carl Johnson, said Magazzu's lawyer Rocco Cipparone.
'Unfortunately, in my personal life, I did not always demonstrate the wisdom and balance that I expected from myself, and that the people of Cumberland County deserve and have every right to expect,' Magazzu said in a statement.
Magazzu, a Democrat, hired Cipparone to pursue legal action against Johnson, a Republican. He said the images were meant to be seen only by the woman and he was set up."

Steve King: Covering Birth Control Could Make Us A 'Dying Civilization' (VIDEO)

Steve King: Covering Birth Control Could Make Us A 'Dying Civilization' (VIDEO): "WASHINGTON -- The new set of guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services this week that will require health insurers to cover birth control with no co-pays have been controversial for a number of reasons, ranging from cost issues to moral objections.

Some conservative groups, such as Americans United for Life, have condemned the guidelines because they might force insurers to cover the morning after pill, which many anti-abortion advocates equate with abortion. The Catholics for Choice organization opposes the fact that the guidelines exempt certain religious organizations from having to cover birth control. And some businesses worry that the expanded coverage will raise insurance premiums for everyone."

Illinois DREAM Act Signed By Governor Quinn (PHOTOS)

Illinois DREAM Act Signed By Governor Quinn (PHOTOS): "On Monday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a law that makes it easier for the children of immigrants--legal or illegal--to pay for college.

The Illinois DREAM Act, which passed the state Senate by a wide margin in May, creates a nine-person commission and a 'DREAM Fund,' a privately funded account to hold donations for grants and scholarships. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Quinn personally pledged $1,000 to the fund, which will not use any tax dollars.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel also attended the Monday signing.

“Immigrants are a driving force in our city’s cultural and economic life, and opening the way for all Chicago students to earn an excellent higher education will make our city even stronger,' Emanuel said in a statement. “I am proud that families and students across Illinois will now have a better shot at the American Dream — which starts with a great education.”"

Republican bill passes, opening path to debt deal | Reuters

Republican bill passes, opening path to debt deal | Reuters: "With time running short ahead of a Tuesday deadline to raise the debt ceiling, the Republican-controlled House pushed the deficit-cutting plan through by a vote of 218-to-210 after the party's leaders reworked the bill to appease anti-tax conservatives in their ranks.

The legislation, denounced earlier by President Barack Obama who had admonished lawmakers to stop wasting time and find a way 'out of this mess,' was doomed to defeat in the Democratic-led Senate where all of Obama's Democrats have vowed to vote against it later on Friday.

But the House vote broke weeks of political inertia and opened the door to talks on a compromise that could pass Congress before Tuesday. That is the deadline to lift the $14.3 trillion U.S. debt limit or else render the world's largest economy unable to pay all of its bills.

Delays and procedural hurdles will now make it all but impossible for Congress to strike a deal and send it to Obama's desk until the 11th hour, injecting a dangerous level of uncertainty into already rattled global financial markets. A late deal also raises the prospect of the United States losing its top-notch AAA credit rating."

Debt Ceiling Talks Collapse (LATEST UPDATES)

Debt Ceiling Talks Collapse (LATEST UPDATES): "Precariously short of time, congressional leaders struggled in urgent, weekend-long talks to avert an unprecedented government default, desperate to show enough progress to head off a plunge in stock prices when Asian markets open ahead of the U.S. workweek.

President Barack Obama met Saturday with Republican and Democratic leaders — but only briefly— the day after House Speaker John Boehner abruptly broke off his own once-promising compromise talks with the White House.

[Read HuffPost's inside report on the collapse.]

But congressional aides labored to produce at least a framework agreement to raise the nation's debt limit by Monday, congressional officials said. Even that would allow scarcely enough time for the House and Senate to clear legislation in time for Obama's signature by the Aug. 2 deadline, a week from Tuesday.

Check back here for the latest developments."

Tea Party To Republicans: 'Hold The Line' Against Debt Ceiling Deal, Bring Back 'Cut, Cap And Balance' (PHOTOS)

Tea Party To Republicans: 'Hold The Line' Against Debt Ceiling Deal, Bring Back 'Cut, Cap And Balance' (PHOTOS): "WASHINGTON -- In the midst of tense negotiations over the nation's debt ceiling, an all-star cast of Republican lawmakers addressed a Tea Party rally held adjacent to the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon, calling for GOP leaders to 'hold the line' against plans without a balanced budget amendment.

The rally, organized by the Tea Party Express and American Grassroots Coalition and attended by roughly 75 supports and press, featured GOP Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), as well as Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

Their message to the Republican leadership: bring back Cut, Cap and Balance, a House-passed bill to raise the debt ceiling that failed in the Senate earlier this month. As lawmakers struggle to find a deal to increase the debt limit before the Aug. 2 deadline, Tea Partiers have stuck to Cut, Cap and Balance, which has major spending cuts and a balanced budget amendment, as the ideal path forward."

John McCain unloads on the tea party | The Ticket - Yahoo! News

John McCain unloads on the tea party | The Ticket - Yahoo! News: "'The idea seems to be that if the House GOP refuses to raise the debt ceiling, a default crisis or gradual government shutdown will ensue, and the public will turn en masse against . . . . Barack Obama,' McCain said, quoting the Journal article. 'The Republican House that failed to raise the debt ceiling would somehow escape all blame. Then Democrats would have no choice but to pass a balanced-budget amendment and reform entitlements, and the tea-party Hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor.'
'This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into GOP Senate nominees,' McCain added, still reading from the article."

Tea Party Coalition Rejects Boehner's Debt Proposal (UPDATE)

Tea Party Coalition Rejects Boehner's Debt Proposal (UPDATE): "UPDATE: 4:10 p.m. -- A coalition of Tea Party chapters and conservative lawmakers on Monday rejected the debt proposal put forward by Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), despite his efforts to sweeten the deal with provisions favored by his conservative base.

The Cut, Cap, Balance Coalition, which boasts hundreds of Tea Party groups and more than 100 GOP lawmakers in its membership, is citing two provisions in Boehner's proposal that amount to deal-breakers: its call for creating a Congressional Commission and its inclusion of a balanced budget amendment that, according to the group, is only for show.

'A symbolic vote on a balanced budget amendment at some later time minimizes its importance, as it will not be tied to an increase in the debt ceiling,' reads a statement from the coalition. 'A BBA that allows a tax increase with anything less than a 2/3 supermajority is not a serious measure.'"

Rep. David Wu accused of unwanted sexual encounter | The Ticket - Yahoo! News

Rep. David Wu accused of unwanted sexual encounter | The Ticket - Yahoo! News: "A young woman this spring accused Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) of an aggressive and unwanted sexual encounter, the Oregonian reported Friday. House leadership this weekend called for an ethics investigation into the embattled congressman's latest scandal.
The married congressman, who admitted in February to receiving mental health treatment after reports of bizarre behavior, confirmed to staff that he had a sexual encounter with the daughter of a friend who is a longtime donor. Wu insisted, however, that the encounter was consensual."

David Wu Likely To Speak With Congressional Leaders About Sexual Allegation Report

David Wu Likely To Speak With Congressional Leaders About Sexual Allegation Report: "PORTLAND, Ore. — Congressman David Wu, who earlier this year apologized for bizarre behavior during his most recent re-election campaign, was facing calls for his resignation on Saturday over yet another crisis – a young woman's reported accusation that she had an 'unwanted sexual encounter' with the Democrat three weeks after his election victory in November.

Wu's spokesman, Erik Dorey, said the seven-term Democrat had a telephone conversation on Saturday with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi about the allegation, which was first reported by The Oregonian newspaper. Dorey would not comment on the substance of the conversation

An aide to Pelosi declined Saturday to comment on Wu."

Debt Ceiling Crisis Threatens State Budgets, Credit Ratings, Governors Furious

Debt Ceiling Crisis Threatens State Budgets, Credit Ratings, Governors Furious: "ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Virginia's governor is livid that his famously tight-fisted state could face higher borrowing costs to build roads and schools. Maryland has put off a $718 million bond sale for three days because of the current financial uncertainty. And California plans to borrow about $5 billion from private investors next week to ensure it can cover day-to-day operating expenses should the federal government default on its debt.

As President Barack Obama and congressional leaders struggle to reach a debt-limit deal, state government leaders are bracing for the impact on their budgets and economies of a threatened Aug. 2 federal government default"

Herman Cain promotes his business plan

Herman Cain promotes his business plan: "GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain says his tax-cutting, pro-business philosophy will power the U.S. economy and put unemployed people back to work.
Cain's message was greeted with applause by about six dozen people when he appeared at a center on innovative technology in Greenville, S.C., on Wednesday.
The former CEO of the Godfather's Pizza chain says there should be a maximum tax of 25 percent on company profits and personal income. He also repeated his calls for an end to the capital gains tax and for the nation to get its national debt under control.
Cain says his plan will produce a job for every home."

Michele Bachmann stands by slavery comments

Michele Bachmann stands by slavery comments: "Michele Bachmann made her statement and is sticking by it. The candidate for the Republican presidential nomination has said she praises our founding fathers for tirelessly working to end slavery.
ABC's George Stephanopoulos confronted Bachmann -- calling her statement false.
'If you look at one of our founding fathers, John Quincy Adams, that's absolutely true,' Bachmann said."

Sarah Palin Follows Comedy Rules And Quits Bus Tour Halfway Through

Sarah Palin Follows Comedy Rules And Quits Bus Tour Halfway Through: "Probably NO HUMAN ON EARTH SAW THIS COMING but just as God or common sense or Mohammed long ago wrote in stone that which must come to pass, Sarah Palin has decided to quit her dumb summer vacation RV road trip before it was finished. Quick and pointless and halfway through, like all of Sarah Palin’s activities that are not giving birth. Oh well, we sort of forgot it was even happening? Way to go, Lamestream Media, you failed to remind us for an entire week about Palin’s existence. Was that why we were feeling mysteriously better about life? The last post about the tour on the SarahPAC website is from June 8, so it took someone from the media two whole weeks to notice she wasn’t even blogging about her wild adventures talking to old white people anymore.

After hinting early on that she would also travel to Iowa and South Carolina to terrorize motorists along those lucky highways, the Palins headed back to Alaska before getting that far."

Sarah Palin says jury duty comes before bus tour - Yahoo! News

Sarah Palin says jury duty comes before bus tour - Yahoo! News: "ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said on Wednesday she was pausing her 'One Nation' bus tour to answer the call of jury duty and denied media reports her much-hyped multi-state jaunt had been cut short.
'The next leg of the tour continues when the time comes,' she said in a message posted on Facebook. 'In the meantime, no one should jump to conclusions -- certainly not the media with their long track record of getting things wrong or just making things up.'
The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee has hinted she may run for president in 2012, and many have viewed her bus tour as a possible campaign warm-up should Palin ever declare herself a White House candidate."

RealClearPolitics - Palin Bus Tour Takes Extended Pit Stop

RealClearPolitics - Palin Bus Tour Takes Extended Pit Stop: "Less than a month after she appeared poised to shake up the Republican presidential campaign, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has once again receded from the 2012 limelight.

When Palin launched her 'One Nation' bus tour on Memorial Day amid a swirl of media attention and excitement from her fervent fan base, many political observers who had once dismissed her were reminded of the jolt that her candidacy could provide to what has thus far been a relatively sleepy GOP nominating fight.

As Palin toured historical sites along the East Coast, she was clearly reveling in the tangible excitement she'd ginned up: She even eagerly answered questions -- from the denizens of the 'lamestream' media -- ranging from matters of political process to an array of issues facing the nation.

In an apparent repudiation to those who dismissed her trip as a mere publicity stunt, Palin's openness with reporters about her intentions to visit Iowa and South Carolina -- in addition to her highly scrutinized stop in the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire -- lent credence to her repeated assertions that she was indeed seriously considering a White House bid."

Bristol Palin trashes the McCain family in upcoming memoir - Yahoo! News

Bristol Palin trashes the McCain family in upcoming memoir - Yahoo! News: "John McCain and Sarah Palin have long insisted things are all good between them, even after their losing 2008 presidential effort wound up with a nasty bout finger pointing between loyalists to the two former running mates. But the family members of both candidates are not being so publicly amicable.
As ABC News's Sheila Marikar reports, Bristol Palin trashes the McCain clan in her new upcoming memoir, 'Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far.'
It's unclear from Marikar's report whether the 20-year-old Palin daughter e specifically mentions her mother's running mate, her book does slam McCain's wife, Cindy, for acting like 'royalty' and accuses the senator's 26-year-old daughter, Meghan, of being a snobby whiner."

Piling on Against Planned Parenthood | The Nation

Piling on Against Planned Parenthood | The Nation: "The next videogate episode is out! This one features Planned Parenthood worker Amy Woodruff advising a man posing as a sex trafficker on how to get health care for girls as young as 14 who, he implies, work for him as prostitutes. If the gotcha! is reminiscent of the deceptively edited tapes that cost Shirley Sherrod her job at the US Department of Agriculture or the separate fake pimp scandal that brought down the community organization Acorn, that’s probably because it was produced by antichoice activist Lila Rose—the president of an organization, Live Action, who, since 2006 has collaborated with the mastermind of those previous episodes, James O’Keefe."

Republicans Abuse Confirmation Process in an Attempt to Make Policy | The Nation

Republicans Abuse Confirmation Process in an Attempt to Make Policy | The Nation: "The New York Times reports on the vacancy crisis in the executive branch, and the Senate GOP’s culpability due to its categorical rejection of President Obama’s nominees. To its credit, the Times recognizes that this just isn’t a matter of overzealous but reasonable senatorial prerogative; Republican senators have essentially issued a blanket rejection of all executive branch nominees, and have hijacked the confirmation process in an effort to change or overturn administration policies. It’s not that Republicans can’t see Elizabeth Warren’s qualifications for heading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; it’s that the institution exists and Republicans want to destroy it, or at least, weaken it to uselessness."

Barack Obama impersonator hauled offstage at Republican gathering - Telegraph

Barack Obama impersonator hauled offstage at Republican gathering - Telegraph: "The incident is proving an embarrassment for the Republican Party, which faces an uphill battle to attract minority voters in the 2012 election.
The nearly all-white audience at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans laughed raucously when Reggie Brown, a regular Obama impersonator, said that while first lady Michelle Obama celebrated all of the annual Black History Month, Mr Obama, whose father was black and mother was white, celebrated only half.
Forecasting how the Obamas would look later life, he flashed up a photograph of poor and quarrelsome African Americans from the 1970s television show Sanford and Son, an American equivalent of Steptoe and Son."

16-Year-Old Girl Who Challenged Bachmann To Debate Receiving Threats Of Violence, Rape | ThinkProgress

16-Year-Old Girl Who Challenged Bachmann To Debate Receiving Threats Of Violence, Rape | ThinkProgress: "Last week, ThinkProgress reported on high school sophomore Amy Myers, who challenged history-challenged Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) to a public debate on the basic facts of the U.S. Constitution. “Rep. Bachmann, the frequent inability you have shown to accurately and factually present even the most basic information about the United States led me” to the challenge, she wrote in an open letter to the tea party doyenne. Unfortunately, it seems some Bachmann fans haven’t taken Myers’ challenge kindly and are now threatening the teenage girl with violence:"

GOP Tries to Block Black Farmers' Settlement

GOP Tries to Block Black Farmers' Settlement: "The House of Representatives rejected a last-minute Republican-sponsored attempt Thursday to block the federal government from paying a settlement it reached with black farmers who had been discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over several years.

The amendment in the agriculture appropriations bill, introduced late Wednesday by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), apparently caught some members of the Congressional Black Caucus by surprise Thursday when it was included in a series of votes taken before lawmakers departed for the weekend."

Ryan's Shrewd Budget Payday | Story | POWERWALL

Ryan's Shrewd Budget Payday | Story | POWERWALL: "When House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan unveiled the GOP blueprint for cutting government spending, he asked Americans to make sacrifices on everything from Medicare to education, while preserving lucrative tax subsidies for the booming oil, mining and energy industries.

Related story on The Daily Beast: Weiner's fabulous exit package

It turns out a constituency within his own personal investments stood to benefit from those tax breaks, Newsweek and The Daily Beast have learned.

The financial disclosure report Ryan filed with Congress last month and made public this week shows he and his wife, Janna, own stakes in four family companies that lease land in Texas and Oklahoma to the very energy companies that benefit from the tax subsidies in Ryan's budget plan."

Anthony Weiner Can Keep Congressional Perks, Gym, Parking, Pension - The Daily Beast

Anthony Weiner Can Keep Congressional Perks, Gym, Parking, Pension - The Daily Beast: "Rep. Anthony Weiner may be resigning in shame, but he’ll leave Capitol Hill with the same golden parachute afforded to all members of Congress who leave public service.

Having been in Congress since 1999 and a staffer in the '80s, Weiner will be eligible for a congressional pension of up to $46,224 each year, according to the National Taxpayers Union, which calculates all congressional pensions. He’ll eventually be eligible to collect the balance of his Congressional Thrift Savings Plan, which is currently $216,011. And he’ll be able to keep his high-quality health-care package, at his own expense, until November 2012."

GOP blocks Democrats’ jobs outsourcing bill – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

GOP blocks Democrats’ jobs outsourcing bill – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs: "Washington (CNN) – Senate Republicans successfully blocked a bill from coming to the Senate floor Tuesday that Democrats claim would help keep American jobs from going overseas.
Republicans call it nothing more than a pre-election political ploy.
The Democratic bill would have ended certain tax breaks for companies expanding overseas while giving new tax incentives to businesses bringing jobs home.

Democratic sources tell CNN they knew all along this measure would not make it very far. That was beside the point.
The point, Democratic strategists candidly admit, was to use the last few days of the congressional session before the election to try to highlight one of the few jobs-related issues Democrats feel they may be able to use against Republicans: outsourcing."

State-Level Assaults On Abortion Rights (PHOTOS)

State-Level Assaults On Abortion Rights (PHOTOS): "WASHINGTON -- Republicans took charge of 25 state legislatures and 29 governors' offices in the 2010 elections, promising to focus on the sputtering economy and unemployment crisis. In the first legislative session of 2011, however, GOP lawmakers introduced an unprecedented number of bills restricting abortion rights for women.

As The Huffington Post has previously reported, more than 900 bills concerning reproductive health were brought forward before the end of March. By contrast, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America, only 175 anti-choice bills were moving through the states at the same time a year ago.

'We're getting hammered on so many fronts,' said Elizabeth Nash, a policy expert for the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization. 'Every day is another nail in the coffin for Roe [v. Wade].'"

Crackdown on Illegal Labor Intensifies - WSJ.com

Crackdown on Illegal Labor Intensifies - WSJ.com: "The Obama administration intensified a crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants, notifying another 1,000 companies in all 50 states Wednesday the government plans to inspect their hiring records.

Businesses across the U.S. that rely on low-skilled labor are working to stave off Immigration and Customs Enforcement audits, which can lead to the loss of large numbers of employees, reduced productivity and legal expenses.

Wednesday's surge in so-called silent raids drew criticism from both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and immigrant advocates.

It brought to 2,338 the number of companies audited by ICE in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 and topped the prior year's record of 2,196. The audits, affecting such businesses as garment makers, produce growers and fast-food chains, result in the firing of every illegal immigrant found on a company's payroll."

The Five Smartest Congressional Bills You've Never Heard Of | The Nation

The Five Smartest Congressional Bills You've Never Heard Of | The Nation: "During any given Congressional term, literally thousands of proposals never make it past the committee stage of the legislative process. In recent years, less than 5 percent of all bills introduced ultimately became law. The scope of proposals in Congress garnering considerable media attention is similarly narrow. The pieces of legislation that attract the most publicity from the beltway media—like Paul Ryan’s radically unpopular plan to scrap Medicare—tend to drown out more sensible ideas that hardly stand any chance of enactment without public pressure on lawmakers to move the agenda forward."

Most offensive ad yet: Hahn's Homeboyz - David Catanese - POLITICO.com

Most offensive ad yet: Hahn's Homeboyz - David Catanese - POLITICO.com: "Turn Right USA is up with an incredibly incendiary web ad that accuses California congressional candidate Janice Hahn of enabling gang members to get out jail 'so that they can rape and kill again.'

The 99-second above spot speaks for itself, and is not affiliated with Republican Craig Huey's campaign, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already called on the tea partier to condemn it.

'Craig Huey must condemn this offensive and sexist ad and demand that ad makers immediately take it down. This ad does not reflect the values of California's hardworking women and men. Craig Huey's silence should send a chilling message to our mothers, sisters and daughters that this kind of outrageous and sexist material is tolerated,' said Jennifer Crider, deputy executive director of the DCCC."

North Carolina GOP Overrides Veto, Axes Planned Parenthood Funding

North Carolina GOP Overrides Veto, Axes Planned Parenthood Funding: "Republican state representatives in North Carolina voted to override Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue's veto of the state budget Wednesday morning, ensuring that a provision to strip all federal and state money from Planned Parenthood will take effect on July 1. North Carolina is now the third state, after Indiana and Kansas, to defund the family planning provider because it also provides abortions.

Planned Parenthood of North Carolina (PPNC), which has nine clinics across the state, provides affordable birth control, preventative health care and family planning services to over 25,000 men and women. Without the $434,000 a year it usually receives in state and federal funds, Planned Parenthood says it will now have to axe its teen pregnancy prevention and adolescent parenting programs and force its low-income patients to pay out of pocket."

House members to sue Obama administration over Libya mission - CNN.com

House members to sue Obama administration over Libya mission - CNN.com: "Washington (CNN) -- A bipartisan group of House members will file a lawsuit Wednesday challenging U.S. participation in the Libya military mission.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is set to defend U.S. military involvement in Libya to Congress, according to the White House.
Obama to make case for Libya action
The administration will provide a report to address a June 3 House resolution that raised questions about the president's goal in Libya, how he hopes to achieve that goal, why he has not sought congressional authorization for involving U.S. troops abroad and how much the conflict will ultimately cost, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said."

Anthony Weiner Photos Scandal: New Pictures Surface, Congressman Says He Won't Resign (PHOTO) [UPDATED]

Anthony Weiner Photos Scandal: New Pictures Surface, Congressman Says He Won't Resign (PHOTO) [UPDATED]: "UPDATE: A source tells the New York Daily News that Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) is considering resigning his post in congress. Over the past week, the Democratic lawmaker has resisted calls from both sides of the aisle to step down. Below, the original story that appeared in this post.

New photographs of a partially-nude Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) surfaced on Sunday in a report from TMZ.com.

The dispatch of pictures appear to have been taken by Weiner himself in what is said to be the House Members Gym. TMZ.com reports that it has confirmed the location of where the photos were taken by the lawmaker on his Blackberry and says that it has confirmed they were sent to at"

Obama announces plan to cut government waste - Yahoo! News

Obama announces plan to cut government waste - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama announced a new effort Monday to eliminate government waste and named his vice president to lead it.
Obama signed an executive order that creates an oversight board to work with federal departments and agencies to cut waste and improve performance. Vice President Joe Biden will meet regularly with Cabinet secretaries to chart progress.
Monday's announcement comes as the White House grapples for ways to both boost sluggish economic growth and chip away at the deficit.
'As we work to tackle the budget deficit, we need to step up our game,' Obama said in a video announcing the Campaign to Cut Waste. 'No amount of waste is acceptable — not when it's your money, not at a time when so many Americans are already cutting back.'"

Anthony Weiner Seeks Treatment, Requests Leave Of Absence As Top Democrats Call For Resignation

Anthony Weiner Seeks Treatment, Requests Leave Of Absence As Top Democrats Call For Resignation: "WASHINGTON -- House Democratic leadership issued a deafening rebuke of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) midday Saturday, calling on the embattled New York Democrat to resign from his post amid growing controversy over his lewd online activity.

In successive statements, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged Weiner to conduct his rehabilitation outside the confines of public office. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) the ranking member of the Budget Committee and former DCCC head, followed with the same request 45 minutes later."

Friend: Sarah Palin Is Ignoring Elisabeth Hasselbeck | PopEater.com

Friend: Sarah Palin Is Ignoring Elisabeth Hasselbeck | PopEater.com: "Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who once dutifully campaigned alongside Sarah Palin during her run for higher office in 2008, is no longer feeling the love for the likely presidential candidate, in fact, a close friend of the 'View' star reveals the two haven't spoken in months.

'I think Elisabeth is a good friend. She remembers birthdays and even with a busy schedule always takes time to stay in touch with her girlfriends,' a pal tells me. 'But Sarah has let her down. Elisabeth has reached out to her several times but she never responds.'

It's gotten so grating on Elisabeth that, according to my source, 'she has stopped trying all together and doesn't care who knows.'"

Sarah Palin and John McCain's Courtship Detailed In Emails

Sarah Palin and John McCain's Courtship Detailed In Emails: "NEW YORK -- Long before the glory days of the Republican convention, the exultant crowds greeting them in venues across the country, the sniping and backtalk in the heat of the campaign and the post-defeat blame game, Sarah Palin and John McCain were engaged in a subtle courtship dance, much of which is revealed in the email document dump released today by the state of Alaska.

Months before Senator McCain picked her as his running mate, then-Governor Palin was privately expressing interest in the post. In an email sent on June 4, 2008, her aide Ivy Frye noted that McCain was being pushed to choose Palin for the VP slot.

'The second and third articles I've seen on vp buzz just today,' wrote Frye. 'Pretty cool.'"

Appeals court judges skeptical of government's health care case - CNN.com

Appeals court judges skeptical of government's health care case - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- A federal appeals court in Atlanta was openly skeptical Wednesday that the sweeping health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama would survive constitutional scrutiny.
A three-judge panel heard arguments in a massive lawsuit brought by Florida and 25 other states.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals was the latest of three similar federal panels across the country to hear challenges by states and private groups to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Separate rulings from those courts in coming months will form the basis of a certain appeal to the Supreme Court, which could offer the final word on the landmark legislation, perhaps in time for the 2012 election year."

Newt Gingrich 2012 Senior Campaign Aides Resign En Masse

Newt Gingrich 2012 Senior Campaign Aides Resign En Masse: "WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich's campaign manager, senior strategists and key aides in early delegate-selection states all resigned on Thursday, a mass exodus that leaves his hopes of winning the Republican nomination in tatters.

Rick Tyler, Gingrich's spokesman, said he, campaign manager Rob Johnson and senior strategists had resigned, along with aides in the early primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Other officials said Gingrich was informed that his entire high command was quitting in a meeting earlier in the day. They cited differences over the direction of the campaign.

'We had a different vision for victory,' Tyler told The Associated Press. 'And since we couldn't resolve that difference, I didn't feel I could be useful in serving him.'"

Exclusive: Clinton in talks about possible move to World Bank - Yahoo! News

Exclusive: Clinton in talks about possible move to World Bank - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been in discussions with the White House about leaving her job next year to become head of the World Bank, sources familiar with the discussions said on Thursday.
The former first lady and onetime political rival to President Barack Obama quickly became one of the most influential members of his Cabinet after she began her tenure at State in early 2009.
She has said publicly she did not plan to stay on at the State Department for more than four years. Associates say Clinton has expressed interest in having the World Bank job should the bank's current president, Robert Zoellick, leave at the end of his term, in the middle of 2012.
'Hillary Clinton wants the job,' said one source who knows the secretary well."

Federal Judges Raise Questions About ObamaCare Mandate - FoxNews.com

Federal Judges Raise Questions About ObamaCare Mandate - FoxNews.com: "ATLANTA, GA. – The public policy and legal fight over the legitimacy of President Obama’s historic 2010 health care overhaul took sharp focus in an ornate federal courtroom in Atlanta on Wednesday with two-and-a-half hours of arguments that may ultimately serve as a preview of what’s to come at the Supreme Court.

The Obama administration was faced with the difficult task of convincing at least two of the three federal judges hearing an appeal to overturn a January ruling invalidating the entire heath care law.

“Clearly, we believe the most difficult issue in the case is the individual mandate,” Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Joel Dubina announced at the outset. Indeed, most of the argument time focused on whether the law’s requirement for nearly all Americans to purchase health insurance is constitutional."

Alabama Immigration Law Signed By Governor Robert Bentley

Alabama Immigration Law Signed By Governor Robert Bentley: "MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama's governor on Thursday signed a tough new illegal immigration crackdown that contains provisions requiring public schools to determine students' immigration status and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride.

The bill also allows police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if they're stopped for any other reason. Alabama employers also are now required to use a federal system called E-Verify to determine if new workers are in the country legally.

Gov. Robert Bentley said the law is the nation's toughest, and groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Montgomery-based Southern Poverty Law Center agree. The groups say they plan to challenge it."

AP Source: Counterterrorism chief resigns

AP Source: Counterterrorism chief resigns: "WASHINGTON — A U.S. official says the head of the top counterterrorism agency is resigning after nearly five years at his post, now that one of the nation's major counterterror goals has been met with the killing of Osama bin Laden last month.

Michael Leiter presided over a reorganization of how counterterrorism information is shared, after the 2009 attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner was blamed on a failure to share intelligence among government agencies.

The official says with bin Laden dead, Leiter wants to leave on a high note. There's no word yet on a replacement for Leiter at the National Counterterrorism Center. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House has not announced the resignation."

Virginia Thomas On 2012, Herman Cain & Michele Bachmann (VIDEO)

Virginia Thomas On 2012, Herman Cain & Michele Bachmann (VIDEO): "Daily Caller special corresponden Virginia Thomas weighed in on the race shaping up for the Republican presidential nomination during an interview with Newsmax at the Faith and Freedom Conference in the nation's capital last weekend.

The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas addressed how she anticipates the Tea Party will influence the trajectory of the contest in video of her remarks published online on Wednesday.

“I think it’s important that both the Tea Party movement and grassroots activists come together with the establishment and we see as little division as possible,” she explained. 'In order to have the most success, we need to build bridges between the establishment conservative community and the Republican community and the grassroots community. I hope together we can have an effective force in 2012.”"

Rush Limbaugh Goes Off On Caller Who Mentions His Viagra Scandal

Rush Limbaugh Goes Off On Caller Who Mentions His Viagra Scandal: "Rush Limbaugh unleashed his ire when a caller on his Tuesday show asked him about his 2006 Viagra scandal.

In June of that year, Limbaugh was detained in a Florida airport after returning from a trip to the Dominican Republican with Viagra that he did not have a prescription for. On Tuesday, after he had talked about the Anthony Weiner scandal for some time, a caller asked him, 'how is this different from you going to the sexual tourist destination of Dominican Republic with a bottle of Viagra?'

Limbaugh proceeded to tear into the caller for the next few minutes.

'What you describe about me isn't true,' he said. 'You are repeating Internet rumors based in hatred and misinformation.'

He told the caller that he was a 'glittering jewel of colossal ignorance' and that he was trying to excuse 'depravity' and get his 'jolling' by believing 'bs.' He also told the man that it was people like him who were 'responsible for the precarious position this great nation finds itself in.'"

Swipe Fee Reform: Banks Lose, Merchants Prevail In Senate Vote

Swipe Fee Reform: Banks Lose, Merchants Prevail In Senate Vote: "WASHINGTON -- The six-month Senate fight over debit card swipe fees is finally over. The banks lost.

An amendment pushed by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) that would have delayed implementation of a law that caps the fees banks can charge merchants for swiping debit cards picked up 54 votes, with 45 voting against. It fell six short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster. But in the year since the Senate last voted, the banks managed to shave 19 votes off the merchants' total. In May 2010, the Senate approved interchange reform by a 64-33 margin, setting a cap at twelve cents per transaction. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) was the only Senator who did not vote, but in a Tuesday interview with HuffPost, he indicated that he was supporting Tester and the banks."

Fitzgerald embraces idea of running fake Democrats in recall elections - JSOnline

Fitzgerald embraces idea of running fake Democrats in recall elections - JSOnline: "Madison -- Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald fully endorsed the idea Tuesday of fielding fake Democrats in recall elections against Republicans in an effort to delay the general elections.

'It gives us another month to campaign,' said the Republican from Juneau.

Recall elections for six Republican senators are scheduled for July 12. If there are multiple candidates from the same party in any of those elections, the July 12 election becomes a primary election and a general recall election will be scheduled for Aug. 9.

Fitzgerald said Republicans would be recruited to run as Democrats -- likely in all six races -- so that the elections would be pushed back a month. He said he was persuaded by campaign staff that it was a good idea and consulted with state election officials to make sure it was allowed.

Fitzgerald said the idea was developed in response to a fake Republican running last year against Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc. Ziegelbauer was a Democrat who long voted with Republicans; he quit the Democratic Party last year and ran for re-election as an independent."

Signs of desperation among Wisconsin Republicans? - The Plum Line - The Washington Post

Signs of desperation among Wisconsin Republicans? - The Plum Line - The Washington Post: "As you may have heard, Wisconsin Republicans were recently nabbed discussing ways of meddling in Dem primary politics for the explicit purpose of delaying recall elections against vulnerable GOP state senators. The idea was that putting off the elections might give them more time to mobilize and perhaps prevent them from getting booted from office, and the head of Wisconsin state senators has actually embraced the move."

White House Pushes Back Against McKinsey Health Care Report - The Note

White House Pushes Back Against McKinsey Health Care Report - The Note: "ABC News’ Huma Khan reports: The White House is pushing back against a report by consulting firm McKinsey & Company that states 30 percent of employers will “definitely or probably” stop offering health insurance coverage to employees after 2014.

The Obama administration argues that the report is an outlier, and cites studies by the Rand Corporation, The Urban Institute and Mercer that found that businesses would not change their insurance programs substantially as a result of the Affordable Care Act.

“Economists agree that employers offer health insurance to help attract and retain the most talented employees,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Nancy-Ann DeParle wrote in a blog. “Employers will continue to seek out top talent: and the new law makes it easier for them to do so by tackling health costs and supporting small businesses. Additionally, dropping coverage is unlikely to save money for employers.”"