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If what you say is true, then they should all have their licenses pulled. The media certainly is entitled to an opinion if it is in fact reported as an opinion. What they are not entitled to is to created and report their own facts. Should they do so, they should lose their licenses to function as a news organization. A perfect example would be reports by news organizations saying Obama will not be reelected if unemployment does not get below 8% or Obama is criticized for not creating more jobs. I could write a book on why both of these examples are ridiculous. To be brief, Obama did not create the unemployment. Republicans and corporate America did. Obama did not shut down 50,000 manufacturing operations and export 5 million jobs. Corporate America and the REpublicans did. If anyone should know where the jobs are, it is the Republicans. They helped export the jobs with tax subsidies to companies exporting jobs. Obama did not allow Wall Stret and banks to self regulate, The Republicans did. We almost got a Second Great Depression as a result with many losing jobs, homes, etc. Everytime a REpublican asks where are the jobs on television, the reported should ask about the 50,000 manufacturing operations closed and exporting of 5 million jobs. If you are unwilling to fairly report the news, find another profession. When a Republicans lips move you will know they are lying.
The state of Texas with Perry's blessing fired 16,000 teachers, Perry is an ASS HOLE.
Perry is a perfect self righteous phony GOP Tea Bagger who uses religeon to get votes .Bachman Pery Mitt are Anti US worker & womens rights Anti education Anti SS /Medicare - Anti jobs as long as Obama is Pres. Anti disabled, old, sick , mentally ill anti EPA clean air /water, anti FDA safe RX drugs- but ALL for More Corp tax cuts- loopholes/ OIL subsides at our expense. Like the Robber Barons of the 1900 's era ' Gilded Age ' when super wealthy reigned supreme. Know your history or you are bound to repeat it.
I agree with you. Every time I think, "It will be a cake walk to beat someone so warpped and scary, I remember Bush and the puppetmaster, Cheny, and I tink we better have the "best" Republican we can get because there are a lot of warpped and scary people who ocassionally beat the radical middle who yawn and stay home on election day."
The Apathy Party is the fastest growing one, if they would raise there hands so we could count them.
Countering and clarifying what Perry says is a good thing, but I wouldn't waste much time on this lover of killing, Rick Perry. His big mouth will gather many feet. He will do himself in.
I've been nervous about this guy since he began saying he might run. He's down-homey, smooth, and has that Elmer Gantry thing about him. He's got what it takes to sway a lot of people; and he has more charisma than Romney. I don't know any other Republican out there running that seems as dangerous to me as Perry. He is also like watching a composite of Bush2 and Reagan. Texas has tarantulas, but this guy is the biggest. Keep up the good work, Thom. We do not want this guy to make it.
Romney is bad enough, saying publicly that "corporations are people." That's believing in funny stuff, like Beck believing in Mormon prophecies. Here's what we need to demand now: A constitutional amendment to end money in politics.
Yes, it looks bad to conduct yourself in this manner. Perry started out as a Democrat and was decent. Now, his rhetoric is offensive and is going to hurt him in the campaign. I believe he is overcompsentating to come across as a macho man because he is afraid to reveal his sexual orientation. Just a guess.
Perry claims to be Christian, but if he is a true Christian, then I'm the Man in the Moon.
He makes a show of his religion.
Why is everybody still Ignoring Ron Paul ! Jon Stewart Wants to know! http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2011/08/jon-stewart-ron-paul/41311/ Perhaps Rick Pery is trying to be like Ron Paul which will never be! Its A Wolf in Sheep clothing!
Perry professes to be a Christian, but if he is a true Christian, then I'm the man in the moon.
In the first place, I believe it is in the Constitution that the President can request that the Treasury mint coins. Don't recall the one yet, but I have it written down somewhere. I'm pretty sure Thom Hartmann had it on his show during the debt ceiling debates when it was brought up that the President could request that 3 platinum coins valued at $1T ea be minted and problem solved. I believe that other metals, such as gold or silver can only be certain denominations. Maybe Rick Perry should read the constitution if he wants to seriously run for the office of President of the U.S.
another person that uses religion to try to hide his hatreds. I hope more and more people learn who he really is.
Cameron Todd Willingham case: Expert says fire for which father was executed was not arson
CHICAGO TRIBUNE August 25, 2009|By Steve Mills, Tribune Newspapers
In a withering critique, a nationally known fire scientist has told a state commission on forensics that Texas fire investigators had no basis to rule a deadly house fire was an arson -- a finding that led to the murder conviction and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham.
The finding comes in the first state-sanctioned review of an execution in Texas, home to the country's busiest death chamber. If the commission reaches the same conclusion, it could lead to the first-ever declaration by an official state body that an inmate was wrongly execute
Days before Cameron Todd Willingham went to his death proclaiming innocence, fire scientist cast doubt on his guilt
CHICAGO TRIBUNE June 25, 2011|By Steve Mills, Tribune reporter
In the days before Willingham was put to death, his lawyer filed with the courts a report from Gerald Hurst, one of the nation's most renowned fire scientists. His four-page report asserted for the first time in the case that the indicators of arson the investigators cited had been debunked by the scientific advances.
The fire, Hurst concluded, might well have been an accident.
"In death penalty cases, there's always paperwork filed at the last minute," Hurst said in a recent interview at his home in Austin. "Along comes a piece of work from an expert; they probably think experts are for sale. I expected to lose."
Perry reviewed the report and determined it did not present new information, although in fact it did. He also decided it did not merit a stay of execution, according to Lucy Nashed, a Perry spokeswoman.
Perry has declined to release a memo from state lawyers advising him on the evidence in the case. Willingham went to his death proclaiming his innocence.
The Tribune investigated the case in December 2004. As part of that investigation, the newspaper had experts review the evidence. Those experts agreed with Hurst, saying the arson finding was inappropriate. A short time later, the Texas Forensic Science Commission was formed to examine the use of forensic evidence and selected the Willingham case as its first investigation.
The candidate for the Presidency is a RECKLESS EXECUTIONER. The so called fire science used was the equivalent of actually using automobile advice for a 1967 Chevy Camaro on your 2010 Camaro.
Riding the Tiger?.........
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Perry's rhetoric was not an explicit threat; nonetheless, the implied threat is not simply a disagreement over how to accomplish the goal of reducing the debt, increasing revenue, and revitalizing the economy - it is but one more example of the bully mentality, and implied threats, that the GOP has chased after and nurtured in an attempt to use the extreme right as a shortcut to re-energize itself.
As John. F. Kennedy had said, however, "...those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside."
Throughout history, there have been those whose hubris gave them the self-delusion that they, unlike their predecessors, possessed the unique ability to tame that tiger, and sought power by riding the frenzied anger of discontented mobs. Their rides have been universally short-lived; and yet, there is no shortage of those who believe themselves superior to all who attempted it in the past.
The current Republican so-called "leadership" is no different. After declaring in public, even on national television, that "moderates were not welcome in the new Republican party", and giving their blessing to a "RINO hunt", they went on to adopt the idea that "the enemy of their enemy was their friend", and as a result, embraced, and even made excuses for, the worst behaviors and the most vile rhetoric of anyone who opposed, or even hated, President Obama.
If the GOP was the only segment of the population reaping what they have sewn, it would be politically interesting; the problem, however, is that they are directly responsible for enabling those who have not only brought governance to a halt (having evidently taken their Oath of Office with their fingers crossed behind their backs), but worse, who seem to not know anything about their own job description, and seem to have not read the Constitution, aside from the First, Second, and Tenth Amendments (even though they also descry the Amendments as being "not part of the Constitution 'as written'", despite the explicitness of Article V).
Much of what we hear now is not merely rhetoric, but veritable word-salad - words strung together, spoken with great conviction, yet having no real meaning or logic. The Right has been misusing, and recklessly throwing-around, so many words, including "treason" and "socialism", that the words no longer have any meaning beyond eliciting a reflexive knee-jerk anger. For Perry, who has often spoken of secession to, in so many words, 'get the Federal government off the back of Texas' (and yet snapped up Federal stimulus dollars like a hungry bass hitting a baitfish, and then begged for even more Federal money after a lot of land and a few homes were burned by wildfires) to imply that Bernanke is "guilty of treason" is a very, very bad joke. And yet, the most pathetic aspect of his statement is that a large number of Americans will swallow Perry's irresponsible faux outrage hook, line, and sinker.
It's been reported that Karl Rove "slammed" Parry for his "treason" comments - but I don't think that Rove has any right whatsoever to complain - it was his party's "strategy" to try to grab the "tea party" tiger by the tail and ride it to power, and it's only his own hubris that blinds him from seeing what that self-same hubris has, in large part, wrought...
“almost treasonous" would have to include G.H. Walker & Co., Blackstone, Bechtel, Halliburton and the legion of war profiteers who make billions of defense dollars and federal securities disappear, unaccountable to the Treasury. That's why they have to keep printing more money. Let's give credit where credit is due.
What are the figures for the spending on this election? I listened to this broadcast and his comments suggested that a significant part, if not most, of the $ was from conservative special interest groups. The total purse for this was 35M-40M. Reuters and Mother Jones did not give actual data, but they said that it was about even, with most of it going towards Democrats.
However, the general right-wing chorus is really off on this one. James T. Harris of WI, the "honey badger," has his own show, and he, like many of the other Tea Partiers, said that the Unions outspent R's 3:1, which would be an incredible 30M.
I think Mr. Buffet wants to shame the unwilling and Washington politicians into joining his patriotic call. Yes, he can go ahead and give but there is currently no way to force the others into paying their fair share. He's asking for LAWS and tax code to make certain all are contributing their fair share. If there is an incentive to gaining wealth at all costs because current tax laws reward that behavior, then there will be even more scabs trying to get rich off hard-working folks--think hedge-fund managers and Bernie Madoff types.
Amen to living off the grid and on the land.
Beware - Remember, there are powerful people who love and profit from:
War
Depression
Unemployment
Illegal immigration
Free trade
Election tampering
I hope his first act as President is excuting himself for his treasonous talk of Texas succeeding from the United States.
On Texas;
Our province of Alberta is like your Texas. Oil and Gas revenues have allowed balanced budgets and a rainy-day fund, along with low taxes. This province can afford to attract business that doesn't come naturally from the concentration of energy companies.
When unemployment rises across the country, Alberta is always in better shape. That doesn't mean that things have been easy for all. The long-term conservative government has lowered taxes but imposes user fees on many services. They have the money to do things right but take the right wing corporate stance in environmental and social areas.
The point is, the success of Alberta or Texas is not due to the wizardry of their chief executives. These guys can screw up royally and still come out smelling like a rose in many ways. They are bragging about good management when really it is mainly fortunate geography and geology.
Sadly, our present Prime Minister is from Alberta. Otherwise, it is a great province.
Cheers,
Rick
I have to force myself to remember that Thom has people like Peter Ferrara on the show to demonstrate how to interact with them. Mr. Ferrara continually makes claims that are preposterous, then blows his stack when Thom doesn't simply concede. Last week it was a claim that Keynesian stimulus has never worked to address economic downturns, and only cutting taxes has. He has it, of course, exactly backwards, but thinks screaming will convince you to accept his rediculous claims.
This week it was taxes on capital, where he makes another laughable claim that capital is overtaxed because it's subject to tax, he claims, 4 times. This is a favorite theme of right-wingers. Of course, all income of all kinds is taxed multiple times: State and Federal income taxes, payroll tax, property tax, sales tax, excise tax, gas tax, to name several, but not all. Most capital subject to estate taxes have never been taxed, but that's too much detail for Ferrara. He refused to answer the question, instead falling back to the idea that capital and rich-peoples' passive income just shouldn't be taxed because it's bad for the economy! Only wage income of the unwashed middle and lower classes should be taxed, because the wages in passive income of rich people is different, special, better. And that's his argument today, reduced to its essence. It's absurd, but he's so blinded that he can't see logic or fact, or even answer a question.
Ferrara can't win on facts, so he blows his stack.
Perry and his ilk proclaim "love" for America and hate for Americans. They're dirt. Scum. Human trash.
Good lord, Peter Ferrara is losing his temper quicker and quicker on this show. Over a yes or no question at that. You have to wonder how much he understands he's spinning BS when he refuses to answer a yes or no question and then blow's his top when called out on it. I don't think he believes a word he's saying, why else would he get so defensive and angry when he could just simply reply "Yes" or "No"?
If Thom keeps having Mr. Ferrara on, he may end up having a heart attack or stroke on the air, obviously his blood pressure is spiking quicker and quicker when he's talking to Thom.
By the way did anyone understand what he was trying to say as a substitute answer to Thom's question... I didn't.
N
Corporate Media Admit They Censor Candidates Who Challenge the Status Quo
Preface: Liberals shouldn't ignore the media's censoring of Ron Paul's popularity in straw polls because he's "on the right". Many progressive candidates have been shut out of political races by the big corporate media.
Corporate Media Admit They Censor Ron Paul
CNN and Politico admit that the mainstream media is in the business of picking candidates...
http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/
All right, Thom, you brought up Federalist #78. Here's a long quote that goes against your argument on Marbury v. Madison (bold emphases mine):
"The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential in a limited Constitution. By a limited Constitution, I understand one which contains certain specified exceptions to the legislative authority; such, for instance, as that it shall pass no bills of attainder, no ex-post-facto laws, and the like. Limitations of this kind can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing.
"Some perplexity respecting the rights of the courts to pronounce legislative acts void, because [they are] contrary to the Constitution, has arisen from an imagination that the doctrine would imply a superiority of the judiciary to the legislative power. It is urged [by opponents of ratifying the Constitution] that the authority which can declare the acts of another void, must necessarily be superior to the one whose acts may be declared void. As this doctrine is of great importance in all the American constitutions, a brief discussion of the ground on which it rests cannot be unacceptable.
"There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, [that is] contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, [that is] contrary to the Constitution, can be valid. To deny this, would be to affirm, that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above his master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people themselves; that men acting by virtue of powers, may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.
"If it be said that the legislative body are themselves the constitutional judges of their own powers, and that the construction they put upon them is conclusive upon the other departments, [then] it may be answered, that this cannot be the natural presumption, where [i.e. "because"] it is not to be collected from any particular provisions in the Constitution. It is not otherwise to be supposed, that the Constitution could intend to enable the representatives of the people to substitute their WILL to that of their constituents. It is far more rational to suppose, that the courts were designed to be an intermediate body between the people and the legislature, in order, among other things, to keep the latter within the limits assigned to their authority. The interpretation of the laws is the proper and peculiar province of the courts. A constitution is, in fact, and must be regarded by the judges, as a fundamental law. It therefore belongs to them to ascertain its meaning, as well as the meaning of any particular act proceeding from the legislative body. If there should happen to be an irreconcilable variance between the two, that which has the superior obligation and validity ought, of course, to be preferred; or, in other words, the Constitution ought to be preferred to the statute, the intention of the people to the intention of their agents."