Politics - 02.09.2012

GOP Construction of a Fictional "Obama" Has Taken a Turn to the Absurd

Mitchell Bard | Posted February 9, 2012

Bill Maher, in relaying his last "New Rule" on the Jan. 27 episode of "Real Time," returned to an argument about the GOP presidential race that he has advanced regularly:

"You know, Republicans have created this completely fictional president. His name is Barack X. And he's an Islamo-socialist revolutionary who...

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Call It Hormone Addition Therapy and Make a Deal

Lisa Wexler | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Birth Control, Catholic Church, Politics

I'm not a Catholic but I know a little bit about words. As an attorney, author and talk radio host, words are my currency. The Catholic church does not like the word divorce, but they acknowledge there are situations in which people need to live separately and move on with...

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Mitt Romney Earns More by 6:00 a.m. Than Many Seniors Do in a Year

Barbara J. Easterling | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Alliance For Retired Americans, Social Security, Bain Capital, Mitt Romney Social Security, Romney-Entitlements, Social Conservatives

In 2010 Mitt Romney made $21.7 million, while that same year the average senior citizen received $14,000 in Social Security benefits.

Put another way, Mitt Romney made more by 6:00 a.m. on January 1 than many retirees did the entire year. His daily income was over four times...

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Cats in the Parking Lot (VIDEO)

Craig Crawford | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Current TV, David Shuster

On Current TV, Countdown guest host David Shuster and I discuss Rick Santorum's recent victories and whether Mitt Romney's massive campaign budget is paying off:

"The silver lining for Romney here is, with Santorum doing so well, the conservative vote is still split -- assuming Gingrich can stay...

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The Obama Conundrum -- Is Accepting Super PAC Money a Hypocrisy?

Michael Russnow | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Obama Fundraising, Obama, Obama Campaign Finance, Obama Campaign Money, Obama Super Pac, Super Pac

What's all this nonsense about liberals on the far left accusing President Obama and his team of hypocrisy because they've decided to level the playing field with the mega-rich Republicans by accepting Super PAC money to rev up for this year's presidential campaign?

Not to mention carping by the media,...

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Reaffirming Teamsters for Obama -- The Best Choice Then and Now

Gregory Floyd | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Labor Unions, New York, Pensions, President Obama, Teamsters, Teamsters Endorse Obama

As we enter 2012, it's hard to believe it's time for another presidential election. It seems like only yesterday that President Obama gave his victory speech from Chicago, bringing tears of joy to millions of people around the United States and the world.

A lot has...

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Catholics, Condoms and the Separation of Church and State

Terence Clarke | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Birth Control, Catholic Church, Obama Birth Control, Separation Of Church And State

The Obama administration's recently posted rule requiring the health insurance plans of Catholic universities and charities to offer free birth control information and services to women has raised the hackles of the Catholic Church. It feels that birth control is a sin and that the Church's First Amendment rights to...

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Rickrolled: Romney Will Be "Inevitable" Again When...

William Bradley | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Barack Obama , Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, 2012 Elections, New Hampshire, Republican Party, South Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Newt Gingrich, Rickrolling, Video

So, when will Mitt Romney be "inevitable," again? And why are his weaknesses and failures a constant source of surprise?

Romney will be the inevitable challenger to Barack Obama when and if he walks on stage in Tampa to deliver his acceptance speech. A good start would be winning somewhere...

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Why The AG Settlement Is Good For Communities Of Color

Janet Murguía | Posted February 10, 2012

Read More: Attorneys General, Kamala Harris, National Council Of La Raza, Bank Of America Foreclosures, Blacks, Foreclosure, Latino Prosperity, Latinos, National Urban League, Nclr

This is a joint blog post with Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League

Yesterday, state Attorneys General (AG) announced that they arrived at a $25 billion agreement with mortgage servicers in response to the "robosigning" scandal that broke 18 months ago. When New...

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George Washington and the 2012 Presidential Campaign

Renee Parsons | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Barack Obama , Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, 2012 Campaign, George Washington, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul

As the 2012 presidential election campaign kicks into high gear with a slate of mediocre candidates, it is ironic that 200 years after a population of 3 million produced a collection of Founding Fathers (including at least two polymaths; Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson) with natural leadership abilities to create...

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The Top 10 Questions on the Next Steps in the Prop 8 Trial

Adam Bink | Posted February 9, 2012

After major rulings like Tuesday's Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to strike down Prop 8 as unconstitutional, there are always many questions that surface in the comments here at Prop8TrialTracker.com and elsewhere on what this means and what comes next. The Prop8TrialTracker.com staff took a...

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Producers vs. Moochers, Freeloaders, and Losers: The Cruel, Pro-Rich Propaganda of the Right

Dave Johnson | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Ayn Rand, Conservatives, Libertarianism

"Producers" and "parasites." Cruel language justifying extreme greed seems to be mainstream now. Even presidential candidates feel free to disparage 99 percent of us! In today's right-wing folklore, government by We the People is an evil thing that takes from "producers" and gives to "moochers," "freeloaders," and "losers." Government and...

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On North Carolina's Especially Disturbing "Defense of Marriage" Amendment

Jonathan Weiler | Posted February 9, 2012

On May 8, 2012, North Carolina voters will consider Amendment 1, a ballot proposition that would inscribe a ban on same-sex marriage in the North Carolina Constitution. The key clause of the amendment asserts that marriage "between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall...

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Professor Romer Needs Manufacturing 101

Scott Paul | Posted February 9, 2012

Christina D. Romer, the former chairwoman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, took U.S. manufacturing to task recently in a New York Times op-ed. Headlined "Do Manufacturers Need Special Treatment?" Romer suggests that support for manufacturing needs to "go beyond the feeling that it's better...

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Repairing the Safety Net

Bob Greenstein | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Center On Budget And Policy Priorities, Social Security, Unemployment Benefits, Medicaid, Medicare, Poor, Safety Net, Tanf, Unemployment

Mitt Romney said last week that if the safety net "needs a repair, I'll fix it." It does need some repair, as our recent blog series explained. That is, the safety net works but still has some serious gaps.

The positive news is that the safety net, bolstered...

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For a Few (Bailout) Dollars More

Sunil Adam | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Barack Obama , Mitt Romney, Republicans, Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino, Karl Rove, Political Humor, Super Bowl Ads, Auto Bailout, Bailout, Democrats, Detroit, Elections 2012, Gm, Politics

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Settlement Is First Step Towards Foreclosure Relief

Heather McGhee | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Foreclosure Settlement, Mortgage Crisis, Wall Street, Foreclosure, Occupy Wall Street, President Obama, Robo-Signing

The mortgage servicing deal reached today between a coalition of state attorneys general and five major Wall Street banks is an important stepping stone in the effort to secure justice for homeowners victimized by the fraud and abuse behind the foreclosure crisis.

This settlement is perhaps most valuable...

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Uncovering the American Latino Story

Sec. Ken Salazar | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Cesar Chavez, National Historic Landmark, American Latino Heritage, Hispanic Heritage, National Park Service, U.s. Secretary Of The Interior

Throughout our complex history, one aspect has always remained clear and consistent - there are many faces of America. As a country of immigrants, this diversity has and will continue to lend great strength to our nation. However, we must not forget that a strong America is one that is...

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Why Do We Have Immigration When Unemployment Is High?

Howard Foster | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Immigration And Nationality Act, H-1b, Immigration, Legal Immigrants, President Obama, Unemployment, Work Visas

If there is a justification for immigration during a period of persistently high unemployment, I have not heard it made by any of our politicans. President Obama was asked by the wife of an unemployed engineer why the U.S. allows H-1B visas (for engineers and other high-tech workers) when so...

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The Matrix Revolutions, Starring Ron Paul as Morpheus

Death Race | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Death Race, Matrix Movie, Ron Paul 2012, Election 2012, Ron Paul, Ron Paul Elections, The Matrix

Photo: Reid Cherlin

By Reid Cherlin, GQ

I'd seen Mary Willison in the dusty parking lot outside the Ron Paul event, fishing a homemade END THE FED sign out of the trunk of her red BMW convertible. She was tall and blonde and...

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Haley Barbour's Unintentional Lesson: Keep Religion and Governance Separate

Martin Long | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Haley Barbour, Barbour Pardons, Haley Barbour Clemency, Haley Barbour Pardons, Mississippi Barbour Pardons, Religion Pardons Barbour, Repent Pardons Barbour

Suppose there are two inmates convicted of similar crimes. Both appear to be equally contrite and rehabilitated. One is black, the other white. The white one gets pardoned by the governor, the black one does not. Is this fair? What if one was rich, the other poor? If one had...

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Can Joe Lieberman Block Diplomacy With Iran That Would Prevent War?

Robert Naiman | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Joe Lieberman, Joe Lieberman Iran, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kyl-Lieberman Iran, Diplomacy, Iran Nuclear Program, Lindsay Graham Iran, War With Iran

There's no question that some people in Washington would very much like for the U.S. to have a policy towards Iran whose endgame is war or externally-induced regime change. And they have a long-term strategy to bring this about, which is to block efforts at meaningful diplomacy, so that the...

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The Santorum Strain

Robert Walker | Posted February 9, 2012

The global economy is just a euro-slide away from another recession and we could be just weeks or even days away from a major conflict with Iran, but the emerging frontrunner for the GOP nomination is focusing, laser-like, on the real threat facing America: contraception.

The danger, it appears, is...

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Bureaucracy Bashing, Obama-Style

Rena Steinzor | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Federal Government, Bureaucracy, Federal Agencies, Obama Administration, President Obama, Regulation

Political scientists have coined the term “bureaucracy bashing” to connote the temptation now rife among national politicians to beat up on the civil service for reasons that have nothing to do with reality. Ronald Reagan pioneered this art form of disrespecting bureaucrats in the name of downsizing government, even as...

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Romney's "Poor" Comments Have Bipartisan Support

Byron Williams | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, 2012 Election, Elections 2012, Mitt Romney 2012, Mitt Romney Poor People

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, not content to stick his big toe in the cesspool defined by his political opponents as being out of touch with the electorate, decided to wade the murky waters of the political gaffe, fortifying the stereotype created about him.

Romney, in his infamous CNN...

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Karl Rove v. Dirty Harry

Marvin Meadors | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Clint Eastwood, Clint Eastwood Super Bowl Commercial, Karl Rove, Video

This post is part of a Huffington Post series that showcases commentary from some of our most active and thoughtful users. See Marvin's commentary as HuffPost user Realpolitic here, and read his piece below.

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JFK Mistress

Jeff Danziger | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Clinton, Jfk Mistress, Mimi Alford, Political Cartoons

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After the Prop 8 Victory, What's Next?

Evan Wolfson | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Prop 8, Proposition 8, California Gay Marriage, Freedom To Marry, Freedom To Marry Roadmap To Victory, Gay Marriage, Marriage Equality, Same-Sex Marriage

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that Proposition 8, the anti-gay measure that stripped gay and lesbian couples in California of the freedom to marry, is unconstitutional. Yesterday, Feb. 8, the Washington legislature passed a marriage bill that will go to the...

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Breaking the Cycle of Violence Against Women and Children: The Domestic Violence Judicial Support Act

Rep. Mike Honda | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: 112th Congress, Domestic Abuse, Domestic Violence, Vawa, Violence Against Women

By Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.) and Honorable Patricia Martin

Dr. Amy Castillo's three children could and should be alive today.

Dr. Castillo, a pediatrician, spent the first days of 2008 in Maryland District Court trying to get a protective order against her abusive husband Mark Castillo. Amy...

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Gingrich Sets Aside Common Sense When It Comes to Palestine

Ahmad Tibi | Posted February 9, 2012

Newt Gingrich has said not once, but twice that I'm an "invented" person. In his world, Palestinians are a recent creation and not a people that pre-date modern Israel. Gingrich did not distinguish himself when in a recent Republican debate he said that Palestinians are "technically an invention of the...

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Iran War: What Is AIPAC Planning?

MJ Rosenberg | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: AIPAC Lobby, Israel Iran, Obama AIPAC, Aipac Iran, Iran Israel Relations

These are strange times for those of us who follow the debate about a possible war with Iran. It is clear that the Israeli government and its neoconservative camp followers here in the United States are increasing pressure on President Obama to either attack Iran or let Israel do it...

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The Plot Thickens: Far-Right Group Joins Chorus for Keystone XL

Rose Marie Berger | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Alberta Tar Sands, Civil Rights, Keystone XL Pipeline, Right Wing, Congress, John Birch Society

Last week Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced a bill (S. 2041) that would give Congress the authority to approve the controversial transcontinental Keystone XL pipeline, without the President's approval. Forty-four Republicans and three Democrats signed on as co-sponsors.

According to MapLight, which analyzes industry campaign contributions to...

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Immigration Is Not Just An Election Year Issue, It Is A Reality Millions Of Undocumented People In The U.S Have To Face Every Day

Nancy Meza | Posted February 11, 2012

Read More: DREAM Act, Los Angeles, Deportation, Dreamers, Immigration, Ucla, Undocumented Immigrants

My name is Nancy Meza, a proud graduate of UCLA and one of the millions of undocumented people living in the U.S.

It comes as no surprise that this years election and primaries are focusing on immigration, again. Both parties have used the "immigration issue" as political football.

Republicans...

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Inside the Romney Spin Room

Lanny Davis | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, 2012 Election, 2012 Republican Primary, Colorado Caucuses, Missouri Primary, Elections 2012, Minnesota Caucus, Mitt Romney 2012, Republican Primary

"So now we have a problem, Governor," said Gov. Romney's mythical Spinmeister.

"What problem? We just won the Florida primary and the Nevada caucuses, and we destroyed Gingrich with tens of millions of dollars of ads attacking his character -- so what's the problem?" the governor...

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Contraception Isn't a PR Game; It's a Woman's Right

Rev. Al Sharpton | Posted February 9, 2012

In public relations, 'spin' is the term people use when they would like a topic or story covered in a specific manner, in a certain light. In the realm of politics, unfortunately, some elected officials and their mouthpieces like to apply the same tactics while masking the truth from everyone....

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Book Details President Lincoln Intern Scandal

Gina Barreca | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Book News, Intern Book, Intern Book Satire, Intern Scandal, Jfk Intern Book, Lincoln Intern Book, President Intern Book, President Intern Scandal

It is 147 years since the death of The President who deflowered me on his wife's bed, so I have decided, after a struggle with my conscience and an advance the size of Brazil's GNP, that it is time to unburden myself of the secret I have long hidden from...

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Have Catholic Bishops Turned Their Backs on the Working Class and the Poor?

Fred Rotondaro | Posted February 9, 2012

The current attack campaign of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the
Obama Administration for its mandate that Catholic hospitals must provide contraceptive insurance for its employees is part of a pattern that has seen the Bishops oppose every pro-choice Democratic candidate for president for more than three decades.
...

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Foreclosure Fraud: Scoring the Deal, Continuing the Fight

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Eric Schneiderman, Foreclosure Fraud, Bank Settlement, Foreclosure, Robo-Signing

The Federal government and the Attorneys General from 49 states have signed a deal with five major banks over charges of fraud, including reported acts of widespread perjury and forgery, in the so-called "robo-signing" scandal.

A few days ago we suggested that any deal be scored against five...

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Another Visit to Guantánamo Bay -- But What Can I Tell My Clients?

Cori Crider | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Guantánamo Bay, War On Terror, Counterterrorism, Habeas Corpus

I have just arrived in Guantánamo Bay, on my first attorney-client visit for a year.

On one level it's easier to converse with prisoners these days -- we have held them so long that many speak American English -- but on another, we lawyers have been reduced to little...

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The Dairy Farmer Who Is Taking On Scott Walker

Ruth Conniff | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Kathleen Vinehout, Naral Pro-Choice America, Offthebus, offthebus2012, Scott Walker Recall, Video, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Recall Elections

A new candidate threw her hat in the ring as a candidate for Wisconsin governor this week: Democratic State Senator Kathleen Vinehout, a dairy farmer from Alma, Wisconsin.

Recently, when a handful of possible Democratic candidates for governor addressed a gathering of progressives at the "People's Legislature", Vinehout stole the...

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Federal Investments in Scientific Research Must Remain a Priority

Michael Ham | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Congress, Federal Budget Deficit, Federal Grants, Funding, Ivf, Medicine, Science, Scientific Funding, Scientific Research, Taxes

As America struggles to deal with the federal deficit, it is important to maintain a long-term perspective on spending priorities. Specifically, investments in scientific research.

The history of federally funded scientific research began in the bleak, early days of WWII when America's victory was doubtful. Physicists, mathematicians, engineers, chemists and...

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Long Shots

Colleen Becker | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Campaign Finance, Democratic Party, Jill Stein, Presidential Election, Republican Party, Occupy Movement, Tea Party Movement, Tennessee, Third Party, Underdogs, Western Illinois University

"Broke, sleep deprived, ignored by the press, and in the end snubbed by the voting public...underdog campaigns were typically about as fun as smallpox," is how author Robert Draper described the electoral long shot.

Yet, with every election, individuals with little or no chance of success willingly...

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Hard Habit to Break

Jeff Danziger | Posted February 9, 2012

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Moms & Cops Partner to End Punitive Prohibitionist Drug Policies

Gretchen Burns Bergman | Posted February 9, 2012

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child / It takes a Community to Restore Lives & Liberties that have been Lost to the Failed War on Drugs

There was a time in our history when parents depended on their neighborhood policeman, as well as clergy and teachers, to help...

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Health Care Cost: Small Fixes Won't Cut It

James R. Knickman | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Health Care Costs, New York, Cbo, Disease Management, Health Care, Health Care Reform, Payment Reform

The influential Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently issued a disheartening report showing that 10 Medicare demonstration projects designed to reduce health care costs were largely ineffective. The results were surely discouraging, but perhaps not entirely surprising.

The report looked at six demonstrations focused on disease management and care...

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Riding the Rail with Rick

Cristina Page | Posted February 9, 2012

In 2007, I had an interesting conversation about contraception with now-Presidential contender Rick Santorum. I was on my way down to D.C. for the launch of Birth Control Watch, a blog that monitored anti-birth control campaigns. Just ahead in the crowd piling onto the track was Senator Santorum,...

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$1 Billion Proposal to Create Veterans Job Corps

Stacy Bare | Posted February 9, 2012

National Parks Director Jon Jarvis made the statement last week, "Let's prepare our parks for 1 million returning veterans and their families." Now, President Obama is proposing that we get them ready ourselves through a $1 billion proposal to put up to 20,000 veterans to work over the...

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Are Clergy Public Servants? Gov't Says NO!

Brad Hirschfield | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Federal Government, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Faith, Religion And Politics, Separation Of Church And State, Student Debt, Student Loans

Are clergy and teachers of religious faith/thought public servants? Is their work on par with that of others who work for 501c3 non-for-profit groups and for government agencies? It used to be, but as of Jan. 31 the federal government has changed its mind about that.

Although not known to...

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CPAC: An Inside Look at Why It Is a Fraud

John Ziegler | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Rick Santorum, 2012 Cpac, Conservative Political Action Conference, Conservative Political Action Conference 2012, Cpac, Cpac 2012, Rick Santorum 2012, Santorum

There may no better evidence of how quickly things can change in the political realm than my experience with CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference going on in Washington this week). This familiarity has also revealed to me what a fraud the entire affair is and why it should be...

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Firm at Center of Romney's Stimulus Critique Received Over $10.4 Million From Fed Projects

Darren Hutchinson | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Republicans, Create Jobs, John McCain, Springs Fabrication, Stimulus Package, Colorado, Conservatives, Economic Stimulus, Jobs, Recession, Romney Obama Stimulus, Romney Stimulus

ABC News (and other media) has reported that Mitt Romney recently held a campaign rally at Springs Fabrication, Inc., a manufacturing company located in Colorado. During the rally, Romney assailed the stimulus package that Congress passed in 2009. Conservatives and other opponents of the stimulus have repeatedly argued that...

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Calling Wealthy Democrats

Brent Budowsky | Posted February 9, 2012

Because the Supreme Court majority launched a direct attack on American democracy in the Citizens United decision by allowing unlimited and undisclosed campaign donations, which reversed more than a century of judicial precedent and directly violated the pledge to respect precedent by Chief Justice John Roberts during his confirmation hearings,...

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Clint Whispers, Conservatives Cringe

Stephen Herrington | Posted February 9, 2012

Softly, he speaks softly, Eastwood whispered the thing that is on everyone's mind. We need to pull together, as families, as communities, as states of the union and as a nation. His halftime Super Bowl ad for Chrysler, purposely akin to a coach exhorting his team to victory, channeled a...

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Recovering Democracy After Citizens United

Rep. Chellie Pingree | Posted February 9, 2012

It's crazy that the Constitution has to be amended to clarify what for the majority of Americans is a clear and true statement: corporations are not people. But that's where we find ourselves today.

It's only been two years since the Supreme Court decided Citizens United, but...

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Time to Find Alternatives to Primary Debates

Edward Wasserman | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Candidate Forums, Debates Election 2012, Election 2012, Florida Primary 2012, Media Bias, Primary Debates, Primary Tv Debates, Tv Debates

Televised candidate debates have become the marquee spectacles of presidential campaigns. By the time Republicans voted in the Florida primary, candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination debated 19 times since May. That's 30-some hours of live national TV, plus untold hours of recap, recrimination, chatter and miscellaneous noise churned up...

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Silent State

Peter Van Buren | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Bradley Manning, Bradley Manning Wikileaks, John Kiriakou, John Kiriakou Leaks, Obama Whistleblowers, Whistleblower Protection, Whistleblowers

The Campaign Against Whistleblowers in Washington

Cross-posted with TomDispatch.com

On January 23rd, the Obama administration charged former CIA officer John Kiriakou under the Espionage Act for disclosing classified information to journalists about the waterboarding of al Qaeda suspects. His is just the latest prosecution...

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The Incredible Shrinking Rep. Lamar Smith

Frank Sharry | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Mitt Romney, Kris Kobach, Pete Wilson, Extremism, Immigration, Immigration Reform, Lamar Smith, Latino Voters, Sopa

Does anyone (besides Mitt Romney) listen to the chair of the House Judiciary Committee anymore?

This week, Rep. Lamar Smith is looking especially desperate. He's taken to the pages of Roll Call and National Review Online to try to garner some attention on one of his favorite subjects: immigrant bashing....

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Have We Really Come Down to a Boys Against the Girls Fight?

Hilary Rosen | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Birth Control, Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Komen For The Cure, Planned Parenthood Funding

This public debate on whether or not the Obama administration's sensible policy on covering birth control has turned into a boys against the girls fight. And the boys are out of touch and out of line.

Are Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough, Mike Barnicle, EJ Dionne and George Will etc. going...

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Obamaness

Sam Koppelman | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Barack Obama , 2012: Our Election, Obama Youth, Obama Approval, State Of The Union, Obama, Obama 2008, Obama 2012 Campaign, Obama Reelection, Obama Youth Vote, President Obama

I've unequivocally and publicly supported President Obama since his 2008 primary campaign. And throughout his Presidency, whenever I've been asked why I still support him despite the prolonged economic downturn, I've answered with the facts. Only the facts. That his policies are working. The Affordable Care Act has provided millions...

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The Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Hate the Mortgage Settlement

Yves Smith | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Eric Schneiderman, Foreclosure Fraud, Foreclosure Settlement, Mortgage Crisis, Mortgage Settlement, Subprime Mortgage Crisis, Financial Crisis, Subprime Mortgages

As readers likely know by now, 49 of 50 states have agreed to join the so-called mortgage settlement, with Oklahoma the lone refusenik. Although the fine points are still being hammered out, various news outlets (New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal) have details, with

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The Long War

Mike Lux | Posted February 9, 2012

It will take a long time and a lot of effort to rebuild the American middle class and restore the balance between the 99 percent and the 1 percent. The Wall Street bankers and other big corporate types have been winning so long, have been so entrenched in their power,...

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The Hidden Costs of Star Creep: Generals Making More in Retirement Than in Service

Ben Freeman | Posted February 9, 2012

The cost of our nation's top-heavy military -- which now features a historically large proportion of generals and admirals, a trend called Star Creep -- doesn't end when these top officers retire. Indeed, top generals and admirals can make even more in retirement than they do on active duty, as...

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Don't Look to Canada as a Model of Human Rights

Conrad Black | Posted February 9, 2012

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has come in for some criticism for telling an Egyptian television network that as Egypt devises a new constitution, it should not look to the Constitution of the United States to provide whatever protection for human rights it is seeking. (The existing Egyptian constitution...

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Elections Are for Suckers

Robert Scheer | Posted February 9, 2012

Read More: Barack Obama , Republicans, 2012 Election, Super PACs, Campaign, Corruption, Democracy, Democrats, Election, Elections 2012, Fundraising, Government, Israel, Mccain, Money, Obama, Robert Scheer, Speech, Wall Street Bonuses

Let's just dip our fingers in purple ink and pose for photos now that voting has the same significance for us as it had for those Iraqis who got conned into thinking they were participating in some grand democratic experiment.

Our own elections, the ones our government has modeled...

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