The Republican line is this: Bring back coal, shut down development, subsidies, any encouragement at all, for solar and wind energy.
There is absolutely no logic to this policy, but it is in fact the policy. The reason for it is generally thought to be that the big rich corporations and individuals that control coal and petroleum resources, and that are fully engaged in delivery of those energy sources (and other materials, such as plastic bags made of petroleum) pay off the politicians to support their businesses. And that is true, they do this. But that does not explain why regular…
tea party
I have no idea why so many smart people are saying that anything that happened over the last few days changes this election, or destroys the Republican Party. Pay attention, people. that is not what is happening.
The Republican Party has become the party that harbors racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, hate, politically expedient willful ignorance about all things science, classism, anything anti-PC, and dedicated service to the demands of the wealthiest Americans.
Most of that comes from the Tea Party the rest comes from the elite in the party. In this way, the Republican Party…
... and why we never got the Equal Rights Amendment.
Donald Trump is a very good Republican candidate. In terms of both style and substance, Trump does a good job of representing that part of the Republican Party that has been in charge of that party for several years, the Tea Party. The Republican Party has built itself up to become, effectively, the majority party in the US by pandering to this part of the base, along with gerrymandering and other forms of voter suppression. So, really, there is no reason that Republicans running for office around the country should be upset with the…
The Republican Party and its handlers, including the right wing talk radio jocks such as Rush Limbaugh, and the bought-and-paid-for media such as FOX news, did not create the Tea Party. Michele Bachmann and a few others did that.* But once the Tea Party got going, mainstream conservative Republicans, including and especially leaders in Congress, went right to bed with it. The Tea Party gave Republican strategists an easy way to garner votes and support. This was especially easy to do because America decided to elect an African American president. Make no mistake. The Tea Party is pro-…
"I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice as well. So that’s a balance the government has to decide.”
-- NJ Governor Chris Christie, February 2, 2015
"The state doesn't own the children. Parents own the children, and it is an issue of freedom."
-- Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), February 2, 2015
Longtime readers know that I lived in central New Jersey for eight and a half years before taking an opportunity to return to my hometown just under seven years ago. Having spent the better part of a decade there, I think I understand New Jersey, at last the northern and…
This is Denise Bader, who is running against a very extreme Tea Party candidate:
For various reasons, it has been difficult for the Democrats in Minnesota (called "DFLers") to unseat Republican Congressional Representative Michele Bachmann. This has been partly because the candidates put up were not properly selected (probably) and partly because the people in her district simply liked her. Personally, I think her district started to like her less before the last Congressional election but supported her anyway because of her celebrate. But I have another theory as well, which is that the Tea Party is done. Out of date. No longer relevant. Michele Bachmann's district's…
You heard me. There is a shocking conspiracy, directly from the nefarious leaders of the one world government at the UN and their pawn, Barack Obama to add more public transportation and green space to your neighborhood.
Across the country, activists with ties to the Tea Party are railing against all sorts of local and state efforts to control sprawl and conserve energy. They brand government action for things like expanding public transportation routes and preserving open space as part of a United Nations-led conspiracy to deny property rights and herd citizens toward cities.
...
In Maine…
"Major storms could submerge New York City in next decade" cries a randomly selected mainstream media outlet over a story about a new report warning residents that climate change could make life difficult in the not-too-distant future. The report, from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, is pretty standard stuff for those who have been paying attention to the growing link between global warming and extreme weather. And maybe it will spur New Yorkers to take the subject a bit more seriously.
But there's a certain set who will welcome this 600-page conpendium of…
First, watch this:
Mention of crosshairs at 2:20.
Then, Gabby got her head shot through with a bullet.
Then (blood libel phrase is at ca 3:20) :
Notice how she forgets to use the term "alleged" ... so much for the fifth amendment. Notice the very intense attempt circumscribe responsibility and rip the event from context.
She is obviously FOS when she disavows her own responsibility, but at least she is repeatedly saying that debate should be peaceful. That does in fact knock the legs out of her overall rhetoric and will be used against her in the future by other teabaggers. It may…
A few new bits of information mainly from CNN:
Giffords is able to respond to "simple commands" which causes "cautious optimism" among the Neurosurgeons.
Giffords is the only person remaining of the wounded to remain in critical condition. Three are in serious condition, six fair, one released.
The "Suspected Suspect of Suspicion" ... the second person of interest ... has been identified and ruled out. He was just some guy. Conspiracy theories in three ... two ... one ....
Official charges have been made against Loughner. PDF
Papers or an envelopewith the words "I planned ahead," "My…
I'm not real interested in blogging about politics. It's just not my thing. But the recent increase in absurd and frankly scary rhetoric from the right is giving me the shpilkes. It's not just the tea-baggers (heh heh...I said "tea bagger"), but I might as well say something about their lame-ass tea parties. These tea parties differ, but many of them involve sending tea bags to a representative or to the IRS to protest taxes. These "parties" don't actually protest higher taxes, just the idea of taxes. After all, taxes have always sucked, and no one was having tea parties under Reagan,…