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Scoop.it!
This powerful new TV Ad campaign is waging the fight to defeat Barack Obama's leftist agenda! 
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Late last year, the National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm published a Nixonian enemies list naming organizations and individuals that “lent monetary, grassroots or some other type of direct support to anti-gun organizations” or have otherwise... Via Greg Russak
Greg Russak's curator insight,
February 2, 2013 10:20 AM
Serious question: Assuming the NRA falls into the "conservative" category, does anyone know of a "liberal" organization who publishes a similar list?
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by MICHAEL CHARNEY
The entire project is baked in irony. Glenn Beck, the exemplar of pure libertarian principle, has designed a place in which free-market capitalism is not allowed, which has a gated entrance to restrict the flow of people in and out, and which will operate as a planned community with rigid rules and regulations. Independence will be a place that inherently insists on a certain foundational allegiance to designated principles, ones that Beck decides on and promotes. It strikes me as an eerie combination of 1960s communal experimentation, Skinnerian utopianism, right-wing paranoia, and a Randian wet dream, all rolled up into a package designed by someone who reminds me more of Curly than an intellectual leader whose world-view might actually entice others.
And let’s not forgot the indoctrination that comes with admission. Beck suggests that
[b]efore you send your kids to college, you come to us. And you spend a week with us. We’re gonna tell them exactly, we will show them the truth, we will tell them what they’re going to try to do, and we will deprogram them every summer, if you care.
Wow. I wonder if they’ll have uniforms. And if they’ll march.... MORE
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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich s campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination owed $4.7 million at the end of the year, including almost $650,000 to himself, Federal Election Commission filings show.Gingrich raised $24.8 million...
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by MIKE MCINTIRE (NY Times)
Threatened by long-term declining participation in shooting sports, the firearms industry has poured millions of dollars into a broad campaign to ensure its future by getting guns into the hands of more, and younger, children.
The industry’s strategies include giving firearms, ammunition and cash to youth groups; weakening state restrictions on hunting by young children; marketing an affordable military-style rifle for “junior shooters” and sponsoring semiautomatic-handgun competitions for youths; and developing a target-shooting video game that promotes brand-name weapons, with links to the Web sites of their makers.
The pages of Junior Shooters, an industry-supported magazine that seeks to get children involved in the recreational use of firearms, once featured a smiling 15-year-old girl clutching a semiautomatic rifle. At the end of an accompanying article that extolled target shooting with a Bushmaster AR-15 — an advertisement elsewhere in the magazine directed readers to a coupon for buying one — the author encouraged youngsters to share the article with a parent.
“Who knows?” it said. “Maybe you’ll find a Bushmaster AR-15 under your tree some frosty Christmas morning!"
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Life begins at conception, says the Catholic Church, but in a wrongful death suit in Colorado, a Catholic healthcare argued the opposite.
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It's going to take a while before the Defense Department truly integrates women into the hundreds of thousands of combat positions that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta opened to them Wednesday. Each service and combatant command will have the opportunity to assess the social and financial costs of the policy change, and it's safe to say that a number of jobs will remain closed to women in the United States. But given that the change was endorsed uniformly by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the same body (with different chiefs) that had trouble staying on the same page on the lifting of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell, ban, the reaction from some has been, to borrow a sexist phrase, hysterical. 1. Tucker Carlson tweeted: "The latest feminist victory: The right to get your limbs blown off in war." Note to Tucker: 130 American women have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. And of the several hundred who are injured, one now serves quite ably in Congress. (Rep. Tammy Duckworth flew helicopters.) I suspect that many feminists might well agree with Carlson: Women ought to have the right to get their limbs blown off if they're as qualified as men are. Duckworth, whose limbs were, well, blown off, was as good a pilot as the many more men who were injured by IEDs too. This is quaint and false chivalry.
2. It will be hard to integrate women in the special forces. I heard this argument on the radio, and it can be dismissed. There are many women who serve with distinction in the Special Operations Command. The Army Compartmented Element fields highly trained female interrogators and intelligence collectors who are forward-deployed with the Army's special forces and national missions forces. (Some actually helped with the Sensitive Site Exploitation analysis for the pocket litter collected by the SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden.) Similarly, the CIA's Global Response Staff, which provides security and does counter-intelligence for case officers, and many case officers from the agency's Special Activities Division are women. They serve side-by-side with their male colleagues, scouring Libya for militias who have stolen MANPADs, among other tasks. Most SF and SOF and NSW direct action combat roles will not be integrated, by the way.
3. It's an "untested social experiment." As opposed to what? Actually, it's been tested in plenty of countries and worked in most cases, particularly when the integration, the training, the housing, benefit schedules and other factors are duly considered. Women don't want the jobs or the risk, according to the "Center for Military Readiness," which does not speak for women. Then the argument goes: There is too much sexual assault in the military already, too much sexual misconduct; more women will only increase these pathologies. That's not necessarily so, especially if one of the causes of such misconduct is a lack of strong female role models in general/flag or command officer/NCO positions. Also, I have a feeling that most of the women who will volunteer for infantry units are going to be badass. In a good way.
4. Women are biologically different than men in significant ways, and so absolute equality of outcome is neither realistic nor desirable. This is Heather MacDonald's argument. As a statement, it is true, but it has no bearing on the decision made yesterday, which will take into account those differences and still restrict women from a range of roles that require the average upper body strength of a man. That such standards could have been influenced by social conditions rather than be a brute reflection of biological essentials is not part of MacDonald's equation. The worry that standards will be relaxed for women is more appropriately expressed as a desire to make sure that the standards for the job are exacting and right; that means that some may be relaxed, and some may be tightened. Equality of condition in the military for men and women is not a goal of this policy. An end to discriminatory policies that have no rational basis while preserving military readiness — a readiness that still does incorporate a recognition of gender differences — is.
5. This is just like wanting gender-integrated football teams! Or: Obama wants to take guns away from women to help them protect their homes but he wants to give them guns to use on the battlefield! He wants to get them killed. These are analogies in search of a common bridge. War is different than football. (And women in the military are already issued weapons.)
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Gov. Phil Bryant (R-MS)In an interview with Kaiser Health News on Wednesday, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) explained he remains a staunch opponent of Obamacare because health care reform is unnecessary. Via Monica S Mcfeeters
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Data now exists that begins to make the “one dollar one vote” theory somewhat suspect; namely the spending patterns of this past Presidential Election. Via Party Recon
Party Recon's curator insight,
January 23, 2013 3:51 AM
The only thing we have to fear is the indiffernce of good men and women. Will you be led to slaughter, or will you stand up to tyranny? This is the question that will define our generation. What say you? 
Portland Coffee Party's curator insight,
January 23, 2013 3:53 AM
The only thing we have to fear is the indiffernce of good men and women. Will you be led to slaughter, or will you stand up to tyranny? This is the question that will define our generation. What say you?
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This is a really good example of why we should never govern by polls or even, often, by what consitutents want. Balancing the budget at this point in time would be an economic disaster, plunging us (in all likelihood) into a Greater-than-Great Depression. M. Charney
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On her show Wednesday night, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said the National Rifle Association was simply “trolling” with its latest ads, a tactic employed throughout the conservative sphere.
“Trolling is a key part of the conservative-entertainment/media business model,” she said. “These guys say stuff all the time that they do not intend to be persuasive. They’re not trying to explain something, or bring people along to their way of thinking, they’re just doing something to attract attention, and hopefully condemnation and outrage from the mainstream, and particularly from liberals. They want to offend you. They seek to offend you. That is the point.”
Maddow said that “trolling” was a “tried and true schtick” for conservatives. Not just for media figures, but for politicians as well. She described Rep. Steve King (R-IA) as a “permanent troll.”
Michael Charney's insight:
...and yet calling someone a "permanent troll" is apparently okay...
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Satanists are planning to rally in support of Gov. Rick Scott at the steps of his office in Tallahassee later this month.
Greaves said the rally is to show support for Scott's signing of Senate Bill 98, authorizing "district school boards to adopt resolutions that allow prayers" by students at school events.
Neil Bricke, founder of The Satanic Temple, will speak at the rally, Greaves said.
"It's really difficult to say" how many Satanists will attend the rally, Greaves said.
"We've gotten such a response, it's just impossible for me to know what that translates into," Greaves said.
The Satanic Temple, which formed in 2012, is "more or less an online community," Greaves said, although there are plans to form a base of operations somewhere in New York.
Greaves said members of The Satanic Temple "have a sense of civic responsibility" and would like to share their beliefs about "this side of theology" in the same way as Christians and Jews.
"We feel it's time for Satanists to come out and say exactly who we are," Greaves said. Read more: http://www.wpbf.com/news/politics/Satanists-to-rally-in-support-of-Gov-Rick-Scott/-/8788770/18123142/-/li2157z/-/index.html#ixzz2I9XTJFlY
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Everybody who's written or blogged about climate change on a prominent website (or, even worse, spoken about it on YouTube) knows the drill. Shortly after you post, the menagerie of trolls arrives. They're predominantly climate deniers, and they start in immediately arguing over the content and attacking the science—sometimes by slinging insults and even occasional obscenities. To cite a recent example:
It was reasonably obvious already that these folks were doing nothing good for the public's understanding of the science of climate change (to say nothing of their own comprehension). But now there's actual evidence to back this idea up.
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Fox News host Chris Wallace tore into National Rifle Association’s contention that President Obama and other elites are hypocritical for employing security guards to protect their children, while downplaying the importance of armed protection in... Via Greg Russak
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The biggest donors in the Republican Party are financing a new group to recruit seasoned candidates and protect Senate incumbents from challenges by far-right conservatives and Tea Party enthusiasts who Republican leaders worry could complicate...
Michael Charney's insight:
This is a fascinating shift: a Rove-back org looking to weed out the too-extreme, those who (like O'Donnell) simply can't win....
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These organizations have lent monetary, grassroots or other support to anti-gun organizations. Via Greg Russak
Greg Russak's curator insight,
January 30, 2013 10:15 AM
Maybe you won't be surprised to see the ACLU, The Christian Science Monitor, and Corporation for Public Broadcasting on the list, but it's probably not a good idea to "target" the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, the NEA, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National PTA if your stated goal is more guns in more hands in more schools.
A few other notables (IMHO)
Looks like a list that would win approval from a militant atheist.
And what did AARP, B'nai B'rith, National Parks and Conservation Association, The Temptations, Mel Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, and Ben & Jerry's do to upset the NRA?
NRA = Not Right for America
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Broadcast journalist Geraldo Rivera said on his radio program Thursday that he's been in touch 'with some people in the Republican Party in New Jersey' about a run in 2014. But it won't be easy.
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Conservative groups financed by anonymous donors are running ads against Chuck Hagel, the nominee for secretary of defense, reflecting the continuing effects of the Citizens United decision.
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A new report from the Huffington Post spells out something Washington insiders have known for decades–members of Congress spend just four hours a day doing the work their constituents elected them to do. The rest of their 10 hour work days are spent on the phone or shaking hands with the well-heeled donors who command an outsized influence in the corridors of the Capitol Building.
“The daily schedule prescribed by the Democratic leadership contemplates a nine or 10-hour day while in Washington,” the Huffington Post reported based on a leaked PowerPoint presentation prepared by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for new members. “Of that, four hours are to be spent in ‘call time’ and another hour is blocked off for ‘strategic outreach,’ which includes fundraisers and press work. An hour is walled off to ‘recharge,’ and three to four hours are designated for the actual work of being a member of Congress–hearings, votes, and meetings with constituents. If the constituents are donors, all the better.”
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It will be a terrible shame if the best day of Elizabeth Parsons’ fledgling teaching career also turns out to have been her last. But barring some divine intervention from the powers that be, that’s where it stands.
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Glenn Beck is “an idiot,” “crazy,” and “racist” according to Google Instant Search. Google Instant Search is a fun innovation that we’ve actually gotten quite a bit of traction out of over the years.
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"Initial reports suggested the shooting may have escalated after a heated argument between them."
Sorry, but guns DO kill people. If there hadn't been guns, they would have black eyes and brused knuckles. Instead: "both victims have multiple gun shot wounds and are in serious condition." (M. Charney)
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Although she does not appear in any of the class photos, the media claims that 6-year-old Emilie Parker on the right was shot in the Sandy Hook massacre. Her...
Michael Charney's insight:
If you believe this new "truther" crap you a) are unbelievably ill and b) unbelievably heartless. - MC
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Gun control is completely consistent with the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Via Greg Russak
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The state Senate took the historic step Monday to set a $100 cap on lobbyists’ gifts to its members. With enough loopholes, however, the new rule still allows many of the same free steak dinners and sports outings senators have enjoyed for years.
House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, derided the Senate rule as a gimmick. He promised a tough ethics bill in his own chamber within the next two weeks.
The one-upmanship defined a testy beginning to the new 40-day legislative session. It also set the stage for a kind of duel, in which each chamber tries to best define ethics reform under a Gold Dome beset by lobbyists and special interests.
“Today is the day we begin to keep faith with people in Georgia,” said state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, who has led a push for ethics reform since taking office in 2011.
Georgia is one of only three states in the nation that do not restrict lobbyists’ gifts to legislators. Lobbyists under current state law can make unlimited gifts to elected officials but must disclose all spending. Lobbyists spend about $1.6 million a year, mostly on food, trips and event tickets for lawmakers.
Michael Charney's insight:
Really? A law that says people can't complain? How can that possibly be okay?
Shelby Daugherty's curator insight,
March 18, 2021 2:19 PM
I think that all lawmakers should have to disclose spending costs. I still do not agree that we spend millions of dollars on stadiums to be built and millions of dollars to pay these athletes.. |
You have GOT to be kidding me! I guess there are still people who believe this garbarge. Like him or not, Obama is NOT radical. Not at all...