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CAIRO (Reuters) - The United States gave its strongest endorsement yet to Egypt's new army-installed government, saying the military had been restoring democracy when it drove Islamist President Mohamed... 
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5 minutes | I don’t know what to find more horrifying — the idea that people still habitually abuse helpless animals, or that this is how parts of our country want to treat the people who try to... Via Monica S Mcfeeters
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From
www
Liz Cheney's decision to move to deep red Wyoming and launch what promises to be an expensive primary challenge against GOP Sen. Mike Enzi continues to baffle.
And it's not just pollsters — whose early surveys show her trailing the popular Enzi badly in a state where an overwhelming majority of voters say they don't view her as a "Wyomingite" — who are scratching their heads.
It's also members of her own party who, even knowing the downside of criticizing the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney (Wyoming's retired GOP Sen. Alan Simpson clammed up after publicly characterizing her run as "a disaster"), have begun openly questioning the motives of the 46-year-old lawyer and frequent Fox News commentator.
MORE: http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/07/30/207042126/gop-puzzles-over-cheney-senate-run
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New York Daily News Limbaugh rushing out of Cumulus Media to WOR, Sean Hannity in tow New York Daily News Rush Limbaugh's contentious and seemingly inevitable divorce from Cumulus Media and WABC has moved another step closer to reality, according...
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Updated 11:30 a.m. ET, 7/24 (CNN) – It didn't take long for the calls to come in for Anthony Weiner to withdraw from the New York City mayoral contest following his shocking admission Tuesday that he sent lusty messages more than a year after...
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by JOHN CASHON
Sean Hannity will do whatever it takes to advance his specific point of view and agenda. On his radio show that aired on July 19th, he enlightened his audience as to the real nature of the President.
“Now the president’s saying Trayvon could’ve been me 35 years ago,” Hannity declared, “This is a particularly helpful comment. Is that the president admitting that I guess because what, he was part of the Choom Gang and he smoked pot and he did a little blow. I’m not sure how to interpret because we know that Trayvon had been smoking pot that night.”
Hannity’s comments show one area where the problem with race relations in our country rests, in the news organizations, where responsibility is not a requirement and where ‘yellow journalism‘ is alive and well.....
MORE at: http://johncashon.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/sean-hannity-is-yellow-journalism-personified/
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Selfishness is the root of big government.
To wit: when we strive solely on behalf of our own interests, we create a social vacuum into which government is drawn as light into a black hole. For this reason, those who would demand less government must thus first make it unnecessary.
A tiny hint to the Koch brothers, Rupert Murdoch, and other American plutocrats. Take a hint from Bill Gates and put your money to work solving the problems that afflict our nation and our planet, rather than pouring it down the sewer of political patronage. Not only will you whittle away at the need for government to take action, you will also leave a legacy of more streamlined government for future generations.
All it takes is wise vision, rather than the myopia of ideology.
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When Rachel Jeantel explained the difference between n*gga and n*gger on CNN last night, she wasn't just talking to Piers Morgan, she was also speaking directly to Rush Limbaugh.
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Florida goes limp in this amusing political cartoon showing Florida's electile dysfunction. Page 151.
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Explore the high-caliber K Street lobbyists and Washington staffers on OpenSecrets.org. Via Monica S Mcfeeters
Joseph Pomponio's comment,
July 8, 2013 8:17 PM
Very useful tool. Can we get one for state governments?
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by ED PAYNE (CNN)
Less than a week after a one-woman filibuster and a raucous crowd stymied new abortion legislation that would have been among the most restrictive in the nation, Texas lawmakers will return Monday for a second special session.
The legislature reconvenes at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET), but not before thousands of opponents rally at the Texas Capitol.
"Now we must stand together again to demand justice for all women in Texas," proclaims the event's Facebook page, which shows more than 6,000 people committed to attending.
Headlining the rally is state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth -- leader of last week's filibuster and newly minted heroine for abortion rights advocates....
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Michael Charney's insight:
When political satire is right on, it's right on.... Kudos to our northern neighbors....
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It’s an honor that Tony Soprano could only have dreamed of. And one he probably would have run by his therapist.
Fox reports that after an order from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the Garden State is flying its flags at half-staff for the late actor James Gandolfini. The order stipulates that all flags in government buildings, offices and other properties be lowered in honor of the actor’s accomplishments.
Michael Charney's insight:
Really, Gov. Christie? Is this really what half-mast is supposed to be about? Seems like you're trivializing it a bit....
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Unfortunately, the fall of Rome is a pattern repeated by empires throughout history ... including ours?
A group of libertarians gathered in Las Vegas recently for an event called "FreedomFest." We debated whether America will soon fall, as Rome did. Historian Carl Richard said that today's America resembles Rome. The Roman Republic had a constitution, but Roman leaders often ignored it. "Marius was elected consul six years in a row, even though under the constitution (he) was term-limited to one year."
Sounds like New York City's Mayor Bloomberg....
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PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — A 9-year-old boy digging for worms in northern Arizona found a gun buried near his home.
Police in Prescott (PREHS'-kiht) say the stainless-steel .38-caliber revolver was in plastic bag along with one bullet just under the ground's surface. Police say it appears the gun was only covered up to hide it until someone came back to get it.
They say they don't know who owns the gun or how it ended up buried near the home of the boy who found it Monday. Police didn't identify the boy. Authorities say the gun's serial number has been checked and it's not reported missing.
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Spending more on health care does not always result in better health outcomes.
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Young Americans may have been among the biggest supporters of Obamacare, but they may also be the least likely to comply with the law.
The architects of health reform say the law will make insurance more affordable and widely available. But in 2014, benefits experts say, the cheapest option for 20-somethings will be to pay the penalty for not buying health insurance, rather than paying for any health insurance at all—that is, provided they don’t get sick.
And as more young people do the math, more seem to be deciding the Affordable Care Act isn’t such a good deal for them: Support for a national health-care plan dropped nearly 11% among American college freshmen between 2008 to 2012, with under 63% in favor of it today, down from 70%, according to UCLA’s annual student survey.
Next year, uninsured Americans must pay a penalty of $95, or 1% of their annual salary if they make more than $9,500 for the year. A person earning $50,000, for example, would pay a $500 penalty if they chose not to enroll in a health insurance plan....
READ MORE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/young-americans-may-dodge-health-law-2013-06-26?siteid=YAHOOB
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From
www
[T]hese days, many people have tough questions for our leaders in Washington, or one in particular, and that is, why can't the two political parties in Washington work together? Why can't they get anything done?
Well, some members of Congress say they are also frustrated. More than 70 members of Congress from both parties have joined a group called No Labels. That's a coalition of officeholders from every level of government who are trying to develop legislation they think both parties can get behind. We wanted to know more about that, so we're joined now by Congressman Reid Ribble. He's a Republican. He represents Wisconsin's 8th district, which includes Green Bay and Appleton. Also with us, Congressman Jim Cooper. He is a Democrat. He represents Tennessee's 5th district, which includes Nashville. They were both kind enough to join us in our Washington, D.C. studios. Thank you both so much for joining us.
CONGRESSMAN REID RIBBLE: Happy to be here.
CONGRESSMAN JIM COOPER: Thank you. Thank you, Michel.
Read/Listen at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=204550145
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Video on msnbc.com: Marc Caputo, political writer for the Miami Herald, talks with Rachel Maddow about the political strength of the NRA in Florida, the political forces that brought "Stand your ground" into being, and the chances for success by...
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From
theweek
The Week Magazine
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But it's f*cked up! Now you can help to unf*ck it up by supporting the American Anti-Corruption Act! <read more>
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The Middle Ground
welcomes back co-host Michael Charney for a discussion on
Democracy Inaction
and, no, that’s not a typo…
Both Michael and Eric have been wondering lately about what’s happened to our democracy. It seems that some wish to use it as bludgeon in order to force their beliefs on others. In North Carolina, for example, the state legislature has taken a stance that can only be thought of as oppressive. Meanwhile, across the globe, Americans respond with fitful stares as democracy suffers birth pains and false starts in place long unused to voting booths and freedoms. Those responses aren’t always without agenda, either, as too many choose to redefine democracy to mean just what they want it to mean…
Michael’s written on the topic here and, as you can see, is both puzzled and anguished at what he sees.
Tonight, on the Middle Ground, we invite you to Call In and tell us what you think. Is Democracy working? If so, where? And does it even mean what we want it to mean anymore?
Join co-hosts Eric Byler and Michael Charney for an hour of civil conversation on the topic: How do we go from Democracy Inaction to Democracy, In Action?
THE MIDDLE GROUND
Sharon Covington's comment,
July 14, 2013 2:29 PM
As much as I think the discussion is useful here and interesting to listen to... keep in mind how the images you use affects your credibility. Let me put on my twentysomething pedantic hat here. That image of 'hypocrisy'? That's from a game series called Ace Attorney, and the character's name is Miles Edgeworth. Throughout the game series, the first game in particular, he grows in character our of his hypocritical habits to instead become a prosecutor who is focused solely on finding out the truth - even if this means 'throwing a case' when he is expected to always get a guilty verdict. (The games are a sly critique of Japan's justice system in this way - especially the overwhelming amount of guilty verdicts handed down and prosecutors obsessed with 'perfect records'.) Miles Edgeworth isn't an especially good example of a hypocrite once you learn his story throughout the entirety of the first game. (Which is quite good, by the way, and can be found now on iOS - ipods/ipads - as well as on its native device, the Nintendo DS.) The games themselves, however, aren't exactly serious business. They're no LA Noire; much of the dialog is goofy and nearly every witness in a case ends up having a very punny name. (Mr. Redd White of Bluecorp, for instance.) That doesn't negate the fact that the core story is a damn good one, and worth analysis. After all, video games are a new storytelling platform, and in the words of CS Lewis, a children's book that can only be enjoyed by children isn't good in the slightest. But it may not be the most appropriate picture for this discussion. Surely we can find a better representative of the idea of hypocracy than a video game character who, as it turns out, isn't much of a hypocrite at all, but instead a person with misguided good intentions arising from a complex past. Because isn't that what the Coffee Party is ultimately about - seeing people as people instead of being quick to label them as mere hypocrites and refusing to work with them?
Michael Charney's comment,
July 14, 2013 3:00 PM
Interesting points, Sharon. It also shows that being middle-aged (as I am) has caused me to lose touch with a whole generation's worth of iconic imagery....
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(Reuters) - France's external intelligence agency spies on the French public's phone calls, emails and social media activity in Franceand abroad, the daily Le Monde said on Thursday.
It said the DGSE intercepted signals from computers and telephones in France, and between France and other countries, although not the content of phone calls, to create a map of "who is talking to whom". It said the activity was illegal.
Michael Charney's insight:
We now know for sure what everybody already basically knew for sure: that we're all spying on everyone, everywhere, whenever we can... And we're surprised because WHY, exactly? MC
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TULSA, Okla. -- Republican Senator James Inhofe spoke out today against the scientific theory of gravity and what he called “secular extremists taking God out physics,” calling for an investigation into the infiltration of “pagan gravitationists”...
Michael Charney's insight:
The scary thing about this one is that I had to look twice to make sure it was a parody. That alone says more about the state of American politics than anything.... MC
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Apparently, Mayor Gary Hart doesn't think very highly of women being on the city council and it's clear he doesn't have much respect for women in general.
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Great... The U.S. government has just redefined "military coup" as "restoring democracy." Hippocracy at its worst....