Headlines - Tuesday July 31

Wisco: Global Warming 'Skepticism' or Willful Ignorance?

 

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New Jersey Bed & Breakfast Owner Tells Lesbian Mom: God Invented AIDS So That We Don't Have To Serve Gays

 

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Romney praises socialized medicine in Israel that includes govt mandate

It's socialized medicine that covers everyone in the country. And Romney just praised its amazing ability to keep health care costs down.

"When our health care costs are completely out of control. Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? 8 percent. You spend 8 percent of GDP on health care. And you're a pretty healthy nation," Romney told donors at a fundraiser at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, speaking of a health care system that is compulsory for Israelis and funded by the government. "We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care. 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, let me compare that with the size of our military. Our military budget is 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways, not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to finally manage our health care costs."

Well, Mr. Romney, here's how Israel does it - with nationwide government mandated health care.

From The Jewish Daily Forward:

Health care provision in Israel is made through not-for-profit health maintenance organizations. Six months after the Jewish state was established, in 1948, just 53% of the population had HMO insurance. Israel steadily increased its financial contribution to HMOs, making membership more affordable, and in 1973 it obliged employers to pay contributions toward employees' policies.

But HMOs were still free to turn away people who they regarded as too high-risk, so in 1995, when 4% of the population was uninsured, the government made coverage universal by passing the National Health Insurance Law. It meant that everybody had the right — and obligation — to be covered by one of the country's four not-for-profit HMOs. Residents of the country pay from income-related contributions collected through the tax system, which cover around 40% of HMOs' costs. The state pays the remaining 60%.

People are allowed to choose which HMO to join and are allowed to change once a year, but the differences are mostly superficial: By law they are obliged to provide a standardized "basket" of services and medicines, from emergency to preventative. Except for some consultations and tests for which the patient makes a contribution to the cost — usually less than $10 — HMOs transfer funds to clinics, health centers and hospitals to cover all services. There are only a handful of completely private hospitals.

To some degree he can't help himself. His entire campaign is based on a lie - that he's a Republican, let alone a conservative - so now he keeps speaking the truth, like about health care in Israel, and then finds himself up against his earlier lies.

 

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Things are tough on Romney's worldwide alienation tour, and his press secretary is getting touchy (via):

"Show some respect," he said after being challenged for not taking questions, according to pool reports.

"We haven't had another chance to ask a question," a New York Times reporter said.

"Kiss my ass," Gorka said back. "This is a Holy site for the Polish people. Show some respect."

Just a few moments later, Gorka told a Politico reporter to "shove it," reports CNN.

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The Army does not need massive numbers of tanks. It has thousands of them sitting in mothballs.

But that doesn't stop Congress from designating money for more tanks. And if they aren't buying more tanks, Congress wants to spend money to refurbish tanks the Army isn't using.

Because the company that makes tanks, General Dynamics, has been buying the loyalty of congressman to ensure that they get to make more tanks.

Ike was right. This is all about government welfare for large corporations. If the government was paying a bunch of us to blog about meaningless bullshit, you can bet your ass that the same congressvermin who are in General Dynamic's pocket would be evincing high levels of outrage. And the other congressfools will keep mum because they want the support of General Dynamic's tools when it comes time to protect their local bridges to nowhere.

So General Dynamics will upgrade more tanks, which will then be parked in storage forever. Corporate welfare at its finest.  

 

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Then he insulted the Palestinians. In Rmoney's world view, Israel is superior because they have a stronger economy than the Palestinians, who have been forced into massive refugee camps, barred from working - even getting hold of building materials is an ordeal. But none of that would matter if their culture was superior like Israel's is. Seriously. (You can go ahead and scream now. I'll wait. . .)

 

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At what point does Limbaugh's hate-speech cross the line into criminality? I am of the opinion that anyone who openly advocates misinforming voters about the date/polling places of elections is overt election tampering. On his show on Monday, he suggested that poor people should be misinformed about when and where to vote.

 

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Shortly after Romney said that Israel is less safe with Obama in office, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak praised the president's policies, declaring, "President Obama is doing in regard to our security more than anything that I can remember in the past."

 

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House Republicans have gone to great lengths to block implementation of a new food safety law, while also trying to cut the budgets of agencies that oversee food safety. But new data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows just how foolhardy those moves are, as rates of foodborne illnesses are rising:

The most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the rates of infections linked to four out of five key pathogens it tracks – salmonella, vibrio, campylobacter and listeria – remained relatively steady or increased from 2007 through 2011. The exception is a strain of E. coli, which has been tied to fewer illnesses over the same time period.

Foodborne illnesses sicken 48 million and kill roughly 3,000 Americans each year, and recently, a salmonella outbreak forced the recall of 30,000 pounds of Cargill-produced ground beef. Despite these numbers, the GOP budget made drastic cuts to the Food and Drug Administration in an attempt to prevent the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, a law signed by President Obama last year that marked the first significant update to food safety law in a generation. The House farm bill, meanwhile, contains an amendment proposed by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that would prevent states from regulating agricultural products.

Republicans, however, aren't necessarily alone in their fight. Obama also sought cuts to the Food Safety Inspection Service in his budget plan, and his administration has thus far failed to meet required deadlines to implement new regulations. "Everyone was hoping that this new food safety law would be in place and we'd start seeing improvements by now," Erik Olson, a director at the Pew Health Group, told the Washington Post. "What these CDC numbers show is that unless new protections are put into place, millions of Americans are going to continue to get sick from contaminated food."

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Good news – the Democratic convention platform committee has decided to include pro same-sex marriage, anti-DOMA, and non-discrimination language in the official party platform.

via The Plum Line

The Washington Blade scoops that Democrats have taken a first step towards approving language for a pro-marriage equality plank in the Democratic party platform at the convention this summer. The Blade reports that the language will also condemn the Defense of Marriage Act and will also say positive things about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation by federal contractors.

A Democratic source confirms to me that the information in the Blade story is accurate. This is the first step in the platform process; the platform drafting committee met over the weekend and approved the preliminary language, which will soon go to the convention delegates in Charlotte for final approval.

As you may recall, a couple months ago there was a lot of speculation and rumor-mongering that there was "rift" within the party, with one faction opposing the inclusion of a pro same-sex marriage platform. And this hearsay was primarily spread by the concerned left.

We know how that turned out.

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Romney can't recall whether or not he has paid a tax rate lower than 13 percent in the past. He'll have to go back and check.

JERUSALEM – Mitt Romney could not say today whether he had ever paid a tax rate lower than 13.9 percent, saying he would have to "go back and check." [...]

"I haven't calculated that," said Romney. "I'm happy to go back and look, but my view is I've paid all the taxes required by law."

"From time to time I've been audited as it happens, I think, to other citizens as well, and the accounting firm which prepares my taxes has done a very thorough and complete job pay taxes as legally due," said Romney. "I don't pay more than are legally due."

If you believe him, I have some doomsday insurance to sell you.

And "it was legal." Expect to hear that a lot between now and November.

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Mitt Romney on his friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu:

We can almost speak in shorthand. We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.

Shorthand? Wow, that is beautiful. Tell us more!

Israel's current prime minister is not just a friend, he's an old friend.

Okay, I'm convinced. Let's see how Mitt's amazingly close bond with Bibi would affect his role as President.

I'd get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say, 'Would it help if I said this? What would you like me to do?'

Wonderful. This is surely something which every American dreams of – a president whose loyalty to an old friend has him placing the interests of a foreign nation ahead of those of the U.S. There is no better definition of a friend than this, is there?

And what does Netanyahu have to say in return about his "old friend", Mittens?

I remember him [Romney] for sure, but I don't think we had any particular connections, I knew him and he knew me, I suppose.

I suppose? Too funny. Listen, if Romney is going to go through the trouble of lying, is it too much to ask that he at least put in the effort to make it a lie that is not this easy to refute?

What is wrong with this guy?

Headlines - Monday July 30

Nothing from Cheney is said in a vacuum. There's some reason he's saying this publicly, now. He seems to be trying to shut Palin up, force her out of the picture. It's not entirely clear why, unless the GOP is afraid that she's somehow going to screw up the election, or the selection of the VP. But there's some calculated reason that Cheney is saying this now.

From Jonathan Karl at ABC News:

"That one," Cheney said, "I don't think was well handled."

"The test to get on that small list has to be, 'Is this person capable of being president of the United States?'"

Cheney believes Sarah Palin failed that test....

"I think that was a mistake."

No shit.

 

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Antonin Scalia is doing a publicity tour for his book or his ego or whatever, and stopped by Fox News Sunday to say some really stupid and dangerous things about how the Second Amendment might limit "frighting"—carrying a huge axe just to scare the shit out of people—but may not limit anything that can be held in your hand—like a rocket launcher.

Yes, that's right—a fucking rocket launcher:

WALLACE: What about… a weapon that can fire a hundred shots in a minute?

SCALIA: We'll see. Obviously the Amendment does not apply to arms that cannot be hand-carried — it's to keep and "bear," so it doesn't apply to cannons — but I suppose here are hand-held rocket launchers that can bring down airplanes, that will have to be decided.

WALLACE: How do you decide that if you're a textualist?

SCALIA: Very carefully.

*blink*

First of all, what the hell is Scalia doing making the Sunday show circuit? Second of all, what the hell is Scalia doing making the Sunday show circuit. I understand that he's got a book to sell. But does he understand that he's a Supreme Court justice, not Sarah Palin?

And finally, really? The Second Amendment limits the right to bear whatever arms you can hold? If that is the case, then why stop at rocket launchers? Why not just proclaim that citizens have the right to bear suitcase nukes?

A strict textualist interpretation of the Second Amendment leads to ridiculous results. Results that the vaunted Founding Fathers could not possibly have intended, as the 15 preeminent university professors of American history pointed out in the amicus brief they submitted to the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller (the 2008 case in which Scalia, writing for the majority, held that "The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia.")

Historians are often asked what the Founders would think about various aspects of contemporary life. Such questions can be tricky to answer. But as historians of the Revolutionary era we are confident at least of this: that the authors of the Second Amendment would be flabbergasted to learn that in endorsing the republican principle of a well-regulated militia, they were also precluding restrictions on such potentially dangerous property as firearms, which governments had always regulated when there was "real danger of public injury from individuals."

You're goddamn right the Founders would be flabbergasted. This is madness.

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The Most Honest 3 1/2 Minutes of Television

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Rmoney may as well have gotten off the plane an Israel and asked where can a fellow get a good Ham-n-Swiss on rye in this town? As if the London fiasco wasn't embarrassing enough for Mittens, he went on to Israel where he planned a high-dollar fundraising dinner with right-wing Israeli war hawks who want a Romney presidency so the US will back them in a nuclear strike against Iran. There was a little problem with scheduling, though. The member of the Cult of Mormon claims that they checked a Hebrew calendar, and went ahead and scheduled his $50,000-per-plate fundraiser on Tisha B'Av, anyway. For those who don't know much about Hebrew holy days, Tisha B'Av is a Jewish holy day of mourning for the victims of the Holocaust and the destruction of first and second Temples of Jerusalem. It isn't baptizing-our-dead-relatives-into-the-Mormon-cult offensive to us, but it's still pretty fucking tone-deaf, clueless and offensive just the same.

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Uh. Happy Sunday, everybody? Good news? Ronald William Brown, a very nice man who loved to hang out with children from his Florida trailer park, and buy them pizza, and watch over them at Sunday school, and be the puppeteer on a Christian Television Network show (above!), was not able to realize his fantasy of abducting one of said children, strangling him, and frying him up in a pan for eating. Hooray! READ MORE »

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Partisan hack and spawn of shooter disagrees with daddy dearest:

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The Romney campaign unilaterally endorsed a preemptive attack on Iran yesterday during the first day of Mitt Romney's trip to Israel. But that's not at all.

Senior adivser Dan Senor also lowered the bar for what a Romney administration would consider to be justification for a preemptive strike.

"If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing that capability, the governor would respect that decision," Mr. Senor said.

Previewing Mr. Romney's remarks, Mr. Senor explained: "It is not enough just to stop Iran from developing a nuclear program. The capability, even if that capability is short of weaponization, is a pathway to weaponization, and the capability gives Iran the power it needs to wreak havoc in the region and around the world."

"The capability, even if that capability is short of weaponization."

Meaning a Romney administration would consider even a nuclear energy program to be justification for a preemptive attack. Ignoring the fact that Iran's civilian nuclear program is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Because it's a "pathway to weaponization."

There should be no doubt that the foreign policy of a Romney administration would strongly resemble and possibly even surpass the awfulness of the Bush administration.

Romney won't even release his tax returns. Does anyone really believe his administration wouldn't set a new precedent for secrecy and subterfuge? And Romney's spokespersons would say "it was legal" with all due contempt.

 

 

Fwd: Headlines - Saturday July 28

 

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I love how NOW he's undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, after buying two dozen firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. This is disgusting. If we permit our fellow citizens, including the worst among us, to arm themselves to the hilt, then shouldn't be surprised what happens next. It's time to stop pretending that we - and especially the NRA and its pet known as the Republican party (with some help from Democrats who are afraid of their own shadow - maybe they should arm themselves) didn't bring this upon ourselves.

NBC Washington reports that Prescott made more than one call to a co-worker to issue his threats, one of which was recounted to the local affiliate of being to the effect of: "You don't know who the real joker is; I am the real joker." The reference to the "joker" comes one week after suspected Colorado gunman James Holmes reportedly delivered a similar message to police after being arrested.

Police found the 28-year-old Prescott in his Crofton home Thursday wearing a shirt that read "Guns don't kill people, I do." He had thousands of rounds of ammunition and 25-odd firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and handguns, according to ABC News. Police said they believe Prescott was prepared to carry out his threatened attack and say they likely prevented a massacre.

Prescott is currently undergoing a psychological evaluation in Annapolis.

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Writing a few days ago in the Washington Post and Kaplan, inc. Loss Leader, Jennifer Rubin:

The Obama campaign can't bear the thought that the well-traveled Mitt Romney will make a nice impression on his overseas tour.

Maybe Rubin's editor's will let her #retroactively make that column about pink Himalayan salt.

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House Republicans next week intend to vote on a plan that would both extend all of the Bush tax cuts — including those on income in excess of $250,000 — and fast-track "tax reform." If the House GOP bill were adopted, tax reform legislation would "have special protections in the U.S. Senate, limiting the opportunities for lawmakers to use blocking tactics."

But the GOP bill only calls for a certain kind of tax reform — specifically that which would benefit the rich and corporations. Under the GOP's fast-track approach, a tax reform bill would have to consist of:

(1) a consolidation of the current 6 individual income tax brackets into not more than two brackets of 10 and not more than 25 percent;

(2) a reduction in the corporate tax rate to not greater than 25 percent;

(3) a repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax;

(4) a broadening of the tax base to maintain revenue between 18 and 19 percent of the economy; and

(5) a change from a ''worldwide'' to a ''territorial'' system of taxation.

As Citizens for Tax Justice noted, these changes would massively benefit the wealthy and corporations, shifting the tax burden down the income scale. In fact, consolidation of the tax code in the way the GOP envisions would give millionaires a $187,000 annual tax cut, while likely increasing taxes on the middle-class and working families, due to the elimination of deductions upon which they depend.

Changing to a "territorial" system of corporate taxation, meanwhile, would boost the incentive to invest overseas and push jobs offshore. These are the sort of changes which Republicans want to protect from procedural shenanigans, even as they drive the use of the filibuster to unprecedented heights, including on legislation that could boost the sluggish economic recovery.

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Former Florida Republican Party Chair Says Republicans Actively Suppressed The Black Vote | In a 630-page deposition, released to the press yesterday, former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer described a systemic effort by Republicans to suppress the black vote. Referring to a 2009 meeting with party officials, Greer said "I was upset because the political consultants and staff were talking about voter suppression and keeping blacks from voting." He also said party officials discussed how "minority outreach programs were not fit for the Republican Party." Florida is currently embroiled in a controversy surrounding Gov. Rick Scott's (R) voter purge program, which disproportionately affects voters of color. Fifty-eight percent of Scott's original list of voters who were supposedly ineligible to voter were Hispanic while Hispanics make up only 13 percent of Florida's eligible voters. Greer and the GOP cut ties in 2010, and he is currently facing felony corruption charges. (HT: Salon)

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You don't hear about it as often anymore, but the House Republicans are still attempting to implement austerity measures on weekly basis. Each measure easily passes through its relevant committee, but is then shelved or watered-down before being inserted into a larger omnibus bill to avoid conflicts with the Senate.

Their latest bright idea that will never (probably) see the light of day is to obliterate the funding for Social Security programs aimed at reducing waste and abuse, and according to Social Security's chief actuary, the resulting increase in waste would cost five to six times more than the current budget for the programs.

An appropriations bill that last week cleared a GOP-led subcommittee slashes 2013 funding for disability reviews and eligibility redeterminations, which seek to ensure that seniors and other eligible beneficiaries don't receive more funds than they are entitled to. The proposed cuts would shave this specific budget item from the $1.024 billion agreed upon in the debt limit law last year to $272 million, saving nearly $800 million.

In a Thursday letter responding to inquiring House Democrats, Social Security's chief actuary Stephen C. Goss concludes that cuts will cost taxpayers "between $5 billion and $6 billion more over the lifetime of those who would not be reassessed due to the reduced funding."

We'll cut 80 percent of the $1 billion budget for reducing waste, and the resulting increase in waste will cost 5 to 6 billion! That's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?

This is the legislative equivalent of trolling. For the lulz.

 

Fwd: Headlines - Friday July 27

 

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The DNC has put together a video summarizing the US and British coverage of Rmoney's gaffes. 

 

I wonder if he'll tell a pollock joke on his next stop. There are certain to be several other non-existent Nations that he'll mention. A few more days like today and he'll make Sarah Palin and Herman Cain seem like Foreign Policy experts.

 

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Willard Rmoney confounds Jesus' teaching, rides camel through eye of needle...

 

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Jill: Getting ready for the "family values" party

 

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Mitt Romney believes the way to reduce gun-related violence in this country is to change people's hearts. And the best way to do this is to cut taxes, reduce government regulations, and put more Mormon missionaries on the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Charles Pierce - The Drought Goes On

Scott Olson/Getty Images

The ongoing drought in the United States is one of the most consequential — and underreported — stories of the past five years. It affects almost every aspect of human life, from food and water to public safety, as cash-strapped states and cities and towns try to deal with massive wildfires, and the conditions are almost assuredly a result of, and exacerbated by, the global climate crisis the existence of which one entire half of our political spectrum is dedicated to denying. And there are new stories every day, and every one of them is worse than the one before.

Today, for example, we find that the percentage of the country suffering under the worst drought conditions rose seven percent just in the past week. And it's not just farm country that's being slowly desiccated:

States posting dramatic increases in just the last week included Illinois, which went from 8 percent in extreme/exceptional drought to 70 percent, and Nebraska, which went from 5 percent to 64 percent. In Illinois, the drought is impacting water supplies in towns like Pontiac. "The Vermillion River does not have enough flow for us to use it as our primary source of water," one field observer reported Wednesday to the Drought Mitigation Center. "We have had to switch to a secondary source of water, located in a reservoir a few miles outside of town ... A 'dirt' like smell and taste is being noted ... We NEED rain, very soon."

In Oklahoma, farmers are trying to keep alive herds of cattle that they can't sell. A third of Arkansas is under what is called "extraordinary drought" conditions. A friend down there reports:

The drought here is far worse than last year. We had some rain two weeks ago. The pastures got green again for a week. Now they're dying again. Oak trees are dying up on the ridge. It's very depressing. Really takes the pleasure out of country living, to be honest. Old timers say they've never seen anything this bad. Oddly, it's not costing me much, as the money I'm spending on hay I'm not spending on mowing.

This is a slow-motion meteorlogical catastrophe, the functional equivalent of a series of simultaneous tornadoes or hurricanes, but heat and drought are so general that they don't register as disasters the way other weather events do. Its ecological effects are more lasting, however, and its financial impact ripples through the entire American economy. Meanwhile, as the land gasps from thirst, the national infrastructure of our public water supply has been deteriorating for years, and people have been warning about what a wreck it is for going on a decade now.

And what is the public response? The Washington Post decides to slap the greedy farmers around. And, on the other hand, the Congress, which is chockful of climate-change denialists and people who thump their tubs for "small government" until the wildfires start surrounding their vacation homes, is using the drought to play shenanigans with a farm bill that it can't seem to pass. Whatever they're doing, they're not listening to the administration, that's for sure. Which isn't entirely a bad thing, because the administration doesn't seem to know what in the hell is going on, either.

STOLBERG: Could you talk a little bit about the drought itself? Is it very unusual? Did anyone see it coming? Is it from climate change? Is there anything you can do to prepare?

VILSACK: I'm not a scientist so I'm not going to opine as to the cause of this. All we know is that right now there are a lot of farmers and ranchers who are struggling. And it's important and necessary for them to know, rather than trying to focus on what's causing this, what can we do to help them.

My God, what in the hell does that mean? Am I just a slow person, or doesn't knowing what causes something actually help you prevent that thing's happening again, or at least, doesn't it help you prepare yourself better for when it does? I begin to wonder if climate change is going to be one of those issues like gun-control where well-financed paranoia and heavily subsidized ignorance wear the political process down to the point at which people simply give up trying to fight them.

And then we all die of thirst.

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The non-apology of the day – Hey guys, remember the other day when right-wing Xristian Xrazy concern troll Jerry Newcombe declared that only the good Xristians amongst the victims of the Aurora Colorado mass killings will make it to Heaven? Me Neither!, but anyway he apologizes:

I would like to offer an apology to anyone who was offended by the way certain media outlets portrayed my comments over the last few days.

Keep f***in' that chicken, Jerry.

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Mitt Romney Blames Great Recession On Losers Like You Who 'Attacked Success' (Video)

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As you may recall Mitt Romney wasn't very well received when he spoke to the NAACP, soliciting boos several times. After the event Romney blew his dog-whistle while accusing the NAACP crowd of wanting "more free stuff."

That was then. Now the Romney campaign has cut an official campaign video rewriting campaign history while portraying astroturf as the real deal.

(h/t ThinkProgress)

In fact, an NAACP official told MSNBC that the Romney campaign brought their own African American supporters to fill in the July 11 event. Romney himself admitted that he expected to be booed.

Remember — Mitt Romney knows what's best for you even if you won't admit it. And if you won't admit it, he'll selectively-edit you to make it appear that you do.

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Several Denver area hospitals are today's Best Persons for limiting or eliminating the medical bills of victims of last week's theater shooting.

DENVER (AP) — Some of the victims fighting for their lives after being wounded in the movie-theater shooting rampage may face another challenge when they get out of the hospital: enormous medical bills without the benefit of health insurance.

Members of the public, along with Warner Bros., the studio that released the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," have contributed nearly $2 million to help victims, though it's not clear how much of that will cover medical expenses. One family is raising money on its own online.

And three of the five hospitals treating victims said Wednesday they will limit or completely wipe out medical bills.

Of course this shouldn't be necessary.

If the U.S. were like every other industrialized nation, no one would have to worry about the bill after being shot by a madman.

 

Headlines - Saturday July 28

 

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I love how NOW he's undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, after buying two dozen firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. This is disgusting. If we permit our fellow citizens, including the worst among us, to arm themselves to the hilt, then shouldn't be surprised what happens next. It's time to stop pretending that we - and especially the NRA and its pet known as the Republican party (with some help from Democrats who are afraid of their own shadow - maybe they should arm themselves) didn't bring this upon ourselves.

NBC Washington reports that Prescott made more than one call to a co-worker to issue his threats, one of which was recounted to the local affiliate of being to the effect of: "You don't know who the real joker is; I am the real joker." The reference to the "joker" comes one week after suspected Colorado gunman James Holmes reportedly delivered a similar message to police after being arrested.

Police found the 28-year-old Prescott in his Crofton home Thursday wearing a shirt that read "Guns don't kill people, I do." He had thousands of rounds of ammunition and 25-odd firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and handguns, according to ABC News. Police said they believe Prescott was prepared to carry out his threatened attack and say they likely prevented a massacre.

Prescott is currently undergoing a psychological evaluation in Annapolis.

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Writing a few days ago in the Washington Post and Kaplan, inc. Loss Leader, Jennifer Rubin:

The Obama campaign can't bear the thought that the well-traveled Mitt Romney will make a nice impression on his overseas tour.

Maybe Rubin's editor's will let her #retroactively make that column about pink Himalayan salt.

###

House Republicans next week intend to vote on a plan that would both extend all of the Bush tax cuts — including those on income in excess of $250,000 — and fast-track "tax reform." If the House GOP bill were adopted, tax reform legislation would "have special protections in the U.S. Senate, limiting the opportunities for lawmakers to use blocking tactics."

But the GOP bill only calls for a certain kind of tax reform — specifically that which would benefit the rich and corporations. Under the GOP's fast-track approach, a tax reform bill would have to consist of:

(1) a consolidation of the current 6 individual income tax brackets into not more than two brackets of 10 and not more than 25 percent;

(2) a reduction in the corporate tax rate to not greater than 25 percent;

(3) a repeal of the Alternative Minimum Tax;

(4) a broadening of the tax base to maintain revenue between 18 and 19 percent of the economy; and

(5) a change from a ''worldwide'' to a ''territorial'' system of taxation.

As Citizens for Tax Justice noted, these changes would massively benefit the wealthy and corporations, shifting the tax burden down the income scale. In fact, consolidation of the tax code in the way the GOP envisions would give millionaires a $187,000 annual tax cut, while likely increasing taxes on the middle-class and working families, due to the elimination of deductions upon which they depend.

Changing to a "territorial" system of corporate taxation, meanwhile, would boost the incentive to invest overseas and push jobs offshore. These are the sort of changes which Republicans want to protect from procedural shenanigans, even as they drive the use of the filibuster to unprecedented heights, including on legislation that could boost the sluggish economic recovery.

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Former Florida Republican Party Chair Says Republicans Actively Suppressed The Black Vote | In a 630-page deposition, released to the press yesterday, former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer described a systemic effort by Republicans to suppress the black vote. Referring to a 2009 meeting with party officials, Greer said "I was upset because the political consultants and staff were talking about voter suppression and keeping blacks from voting." He also said party officials discussed how "minority outreach programs were not fit for the Republican Party." Florida is currently embroiled in a controversy surrounding Gov. Rick Scott's (R) voter purge program, which disproportionately affects voters of color. Fifty-eight percent of Scott's original list of voters who were supposedly ineligible to voter were Hispanic while Hispanics make up only 13 percent of Florida's eligible voters. Greer and the GOP cut ties in 2010, and he is currently facing felony corruption charges. (HT: Salon)

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You don't hear about it as often anymore, but the House Republicans are still attempting to implement austerity measures on weekly basis. Each measure easily passes through its relevant committee, but is then shelved or watered-down before being inserted into a larger omnibus bill to avoid conflicts with the Senate.

Their latest bright idea that will never (probably) see the light of day is to obliterate the funding for Social Security programs aimed at reducing waste and abuse, and according to Social Security's chief actuary, the resulting increase in waste would cost five to six times more than the current budget for the programs.

An appropriations bill that last week cleared a GOP-led subcommittee slashes 2013 funding for disability reviews and eligibility redeterminations, which seek to ensure that seniors and other eligible beneficiaries don't receive more funds than they are entitled to. The proposed cuts would shave this specific budget item from the $1.024 billion agreed upon in the debt limit law last year to $272 million, saving nearly $800 million.

In a Thursday letter responding to inquiring House Democrats, Social Security's chief actuary Stephen C. Goss concludes that cuts will cost taxpayers "between $5 billion and $6 billion more over the lifetime of those who would not be reassessed due to the reduced funding."

We'll cut 80 percent of the $1 billion budget for reducing waste, and the resulting increase in waste will cost 5 to 6 billion! That's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?

This is the legislative equivalent of trolling. For the lulz.

 

Headlines - Friday July 27

 

###

 

The DNC has put together a video summarizing the US and British coverage of Rmoney's gaffes. 

 

I wonder if he'll tell a pollock joke on his next stop. There are certain to be several other non-existent Nations that he'll mention. A few more days like today and he'll make Sarah Palin and Herman Cain seem like Foreign Policy experts.

 

###

 

 

Willard Rmoney confounds Jesus' teaching, rides camel through eye of needle...

 

###

 

 

###

 

Jill: Getting ready for the "family values" party

 

###

 

 

Mitt Romney believes the way to reduce gun-related violence in this country is to change people's hearts. And the best way to do this is to cut taxes, reduce government regulations, and put more Mormon missionaries on the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

###

 

###

 

Charles Pierce - The Drought Goes On

Scott Olson/Getty Images

The ongoing drought in the United States is one of the most consequential — and underreported — stories of the past five years. It affects almost every aspect of human life, from food and water to public safety, as cash-strapped states and cities and towns try to deal with massive wildfires, and the conditions are almost assuredly a result of, and exacerbated by, the global climate crisis the existence of which one entire half of our political spectrum is dedicated to denying. And there are new stories every day, and every one of them is worse than the one before.

Today, for example, we find that the percentage of the country suffering under the worst drought conditions rose seven percent just in the past week. And it's not just farm country that's being slowly desiccated:

States posting dramatic increases in just the last week included Illinois, which went from 8 percent in extreme/exceptional drought to 70 percent, and Nebraska, which went from 5 percent to 64 percent. In Illinois, the drought is impacting water supplies in towns like Pontiac. "The Vermillion River does not have enough flow for us to use it as our primary source of water," one field observer reported Wednesday to the Drought Mitigation Center. "We have had to switch to a secondary source of water, located in a reservoir a few miles outside of town ... A 'dirt' like smell and taste is being noted ... We NEED rain, very soon."

In Oklahoma, farmers are trying to keep alive herds of cattle that they can't sell. A third of Arkansas is under what is called "extraordinary drought" conditions. A friend down there reports:

The drought here is far worse than last year. We had some rain two weeks ago. The pastures got green again for a week. Now they're dying again. Oak trees are dying up on the ridge. It's very depressing. Really takes the pleasure out of country living, to be honest. Old timers say they've never seen anything this bad. Oddly, it's not costing me much, as the money I'm spending on hay I'm not spending on mowing.

This is a slow-motion meteorlogical catastrophe, the functional equivalent of a series of simultaneous tornadoes or hurricanes, but heat and drought are so general that they don't register as disasters the way other weather events do. Its ecological effects are more lasting, however, and its financial impact ripples through the entire American economy. Meanwhile, as the land gasps from thirst, the national infrastructure of our public water supply has been deteriorating for years, and people have been warning about what a wreck it is for going on a decade now.

And what is the public response? The Washington Post decides to slap the greedy farmers around. And, on the other hand, the Congress, which is chockful of climate-change denialists and people who thump their tubs for "small government" until the wildfires start surrounding their vacation homes, is using the drought to play shenanigans with a farm bill that it can't seem to pass. Whatever they're doing, they're not listening to the administration, that's for sure. Which isn't entirely a bad thing, because the administration doesn't seem to know what in the hell is going on, either.

STOLBERG: Could you talk a little bit about the drought itself? Is it very unusual? Did anyone see it coming? Is it from climate change? Is there anything you can do to prepare?

VILSACK: I'm not a scientist so I'm not going to opine as to the cause of this. All we know is that right now there are a lot of farmers and ranchers who are struggling. And it's important and necessary for them to know, rather than trying to focus on what's causing this, what can we do to help them.

My God, what in the hell does that mean? Am I just a slow person, or doesn't knowing what causes something actually help you prevent that thing's happening again, or at least, doesn't it help you prepare yourself better for when it does? I begin to wonder if climate change is going to be one of those issues like gun-control where well-financed paranoia and heavily subsidized ignorance wear the political process down to the point at which people simply give up trying to fight them.

And then we all die of thirst.

####

 

 

###

 

The non-apology of the day – Hey guys, remember the other day when right-wing Xristian Xrazy concern troll Jerry Newcombe declared that only the good Xristians amongst the victims of the Aurora Colorado mass killings will make it to Heaven? Me Neither!, but anyway he apologizes:

I would like to offer an apology to anyone who was offended by the way certain media outlets portrayed my comments over the last few days.

Keep f***in' that chicken, Jerry.

###

Mitt Romney Blames Great Recession On Losers Like You Who 'Attacked Success' (Video)

###

As you may recall Mitt Romney wasn't very well received when he spoke to the NAACP, soliciting boos several times. After the event Romney blew his dog-whistle while accusing the NAACP crowd of wanting "more free stuff."

That was then. Now the Romney campaign has cut an official campaign video rewriting campaign history while portraying astroturf as the real deal.

(h/t ThinkProgress)

In fact, an NAACP official told MSNBC that the Romney campaign brought their own African American supporters to fill in the July 11 event. Romney himself admitted that he expected to be booed.

Remember — Mitt Romney knows what's best for you even if you won't admit it. And if you won't admit it, he'll selectively-edit you to make it appear that you do.

###

Several Denver area hospitals are today's Best Persons for limiting or eliminating the medical bills of victims of last week's theater shooting.

DENVER (AP) — Some of the victims fighting for their lives after being wounded in the movie-theater shooting rampage may face another challenge when they get out of the hospital: enormous medical bills without the benefit of health insurance.

Members of the public, along with Warner Bros., the studio that released the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," have contributed nearly $2 million to help victims, though it's not clear how much of that will cover medical expenses. One family is raising money on its own online.

And three of the five hospitals treating victims said Wednesday they will limit or completely wipe out medical bills.

Of course this shouldn't be necessary.

If the U.S. were like every other industrialized nation, no one would have to worry about the bill after being shot by a madman.

 

Headlines - Friday July 27

 

###

 

The DNC has put together a video summarizing the US and British coverage of Rmoney's gaffes. 

 

I wonder if he'll tell a pollock joke on his next stop. There are certain to be several other non-existent Nations that he'll mention. A few more days like today and he'll make Sarah Palin and Herman Cain seem like Foreign Policy experts.

 

###

 

 

Willard Rmoney confounds Jesus' teaching, rides camel through eye of needle...

 

###

 

 

###

 

Jill: Getting ready for the "family values" party

 

###

 

 

Mitt Romney believes the way to reduce gun-related violence in this country is to change people's hearts. And the best way to do this is to cut taxes, reduce government regulations, and put more Mormon missionaries on the streets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

###

 

###

 

Charles Pierce - The Drought Goes On

Scott Olson/Getty Images

The ongoing drought in the United States is one of the most consequential — and underreported — stories of the past five years. It affects almost every aspect of human life, from food and water to public safety, as cash-strapped states and cities and towns try to deal with massive wildfires, and the conditions are almost assuredly a result of, and exacerbated by, the global climate crisis the existence of which one entire half of our political spectrum is dedicated to denying. And there are new stories every day, and every one of them is worse than the one before.

Today, for example, we find that the percentage of the country suffering under the worst drought conditions rose seven percent just in the past week. And it's not just farm country that's being slowly desiccated:

States posting dramatic increases in just the last week included Illinois, which went from 8 percent in extreme/exceptional drought to 70 percent, and Nebraska, which went from 5 percent to 64 percent. In Illinois, the drought is impacting water supplies in towns like Pontiac. "The Vermillion River does not have enough flow for us to use it as our primary source of water," one field observer reported Wednesday to the Drought Mitigation Center. "We have had to switch to a secondary source of water, located in a reservoir a few miles outside of town ... A 'dirt' like smell and taste is being noted ... We NEED rain, very soon."

In Oklahoma, farmers are trying to keep alive herds of cattle that they can't sell. A third of Arkansas is under what is called "extraordinary drought" conditions. A friend down there reports:

The drought here is far worse than last year. We had some rain two weeks ago. The pastures got green again for a week. Now they're dying again. Oak trees are dying up on the ridge. It's very depressing. Really takes the pleasure out of country living, to be honest. Old timers say they've never seen anything this bad. Oddly, it's not costing me much, as the money I'm spending on hay I'm not spending on mowing.

This is a slow-motion meteorlogical catastrophe, the functional equivalent of a series of simultaneous tornadoes or hurricanes, but heat and drought are so general that they don't register as disasters the way other weather events do. Its ecological effects are more lasting, however, and its financial impact ripples through the entire American economy. Meanwhile, as the land gasps from thirst, the national infrastructure of our public water supply has been deteriorating for years, and people have been warning about what a wreck it is for going on a decade now.

And what is the public response? The Washington Post decides to slap the greedy farmers around. And, on the other hand, the Congress, which is chockful of climate-change denialists and people who thump their tubs for "small government" until the wildfires start surrounding their vacation homes, is using the drought to play shenanigans with a farm bill that it can't seem to pass. Whatever they're doing, they're not listening to the administration, that's for sure. Which isn't entirely a bad thing, because the administration doesn't seem to know what in the hell is going on, either.

STOLBERG: Could you talk a little bit about the drought itself? Is it very unusual? Did anyone see it coming? Is it from climate change? Is there anything you can do to prepare?

VILSACK: I'm not a scientist so I'm not going to opine as to the cause of this. All we know is that right now there are a lot of farmers and ranchers who are struggling. And it's important and necessary for them to know, rather than trying to focus on what's causing this, what can we do to help them.

My God, what in the hell does that mean? Am I just a slow person, or doesn't knowing what causes something actually help you prevent that thing's happening again, or at least, doesn't it help you prepare yourself better for when it does? I begin to wonder if climate change is going to be one of those issues like gun-control where well-financed paranoia and heavily subsidized ignorance wear the political process down to the point at which people simply give up trying to fight them.

And then we all die of thirst.

####

 

 

###

 

The non-apology of the day – Hey guys, remember the other day when right-wing Xristian Xrazy concern troll Jerry Newcombe declared that only the good Xristians amongst the victims of the Aurora Colorado mass killings will make it to Heaven? Me Neither!, but anyway he apologizes:

I would like to offer an apology to anyone who was offended by the way certain media outlets portrayed my comments over the last few days.

Keep f***in' that chicken, Jerry.

###

Mitt Romney Blames Great Recession On Losers Like You Who 'Attacked Success' (Video)

###

As you may recall Mitt Romney wasn't very well received when he spoke to the NAACP, soliciting boos several times. After the event Romney blew his dog-whistle while accusing the NAACP crowd of wanting "more free stuff."

That was then. Now the Romney campaign has cut an official campaign video rewriting campaign history while portraying astroturf as the real deal.

(h/t ThinkProgress)

In fact, an NAACP official told MSNBC that the Romney campaign brought their own African American supporters to fill in the July 11 event. Romney himself admitted that he expected to be booed.

Remember — Mitt Romney knows what's best for you even if you won't admit it. And if you won't admit it, he'll selectively-edit you to make it appear that you do.

###

Several Denver area hospitals are today's Best Persons for limiting or eliminating the medical bills of victims of last week's theater shooting.

DENVER (AP) — Some of the victims fighting for their lives after being wounded in the movie-theater shooting rampage may face another challenge when they get out of the hospital: enormous medical bills without the benefit of health insurance.

Members of the public, along with Warner Bros., the studio that released the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises," have contributed nearly $2 million to help victims, though it's not clear how much of that will cover medical expenses. One family is raising money on its own online.

And three of the five hospitals treating victims said Wednesday they will limit or completely wipe out medical bills.

Of course this shouldn't be necessary.

If the U.S. were like every other industrialized nation, no one would have to worry about the bill after being shot by a madman.