The President does have a substantial hand to use to counter GOP instransigance in the debt ceiling negotiations - thanks to George W. Bush

Bush's National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive - also known as Directive 51 includes emergency powers for the executive in the case of a number of vaguely defined emergencies - including economic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_and_Homeland_Security_Pre...

Claims power to execute procedures for continuity of the federal government in the event of a "catastrophic emergency". Such an emergency is construed as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

Civil Liberties and the Bill of Rights

Taught By Professor John E. Finn, Ph.D., Princeton University,
Wesleyan Universityhttp://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=8530"What impressed me most about this excellent course was Finn's demonstration of the intellectual bankruptcy -- not to say incoherence -- of much of the Supreme Court's constitutional jurisprudence, especially regarding privacy and equal protection. It's hard to disagree with his not-so-implicit suggestion throughout these lectures that the Court, all too often, simply makes up standards, rules, and tests to justify its rulings, without reference to the text of the Constitution, its original meaning, or the intent of its framers and ratifiers."--- Leonidas

Citizens United was the end of democracy. I appreciate Thom's willingness to speak out. Here is the point I have been trying to make and wake people up to:

Wealthy elites first wielded their influence as part of the John Birch Society, that formulated many of their current objectives and ideals. The Birch Society however lost influence, primarily due to their supremist views, and as a result these elites found solace in our tax code that encourages charitable organizations, who could be financed with tax deductible contributions, to help them re-formulate their ancestral ideals into more palatable political positions.

These plans started back in the 1970s when Koch and Scaife and others started new think, that replaced the John Birch Society's failures to accomplish its objectives, and devised and revised game plans for expanding their influence and control over our democracy.

Their think tanks, subsidized by taxpayers, could afford the best minds, to help them gain political acceptance of their ancestral ideals. Koch, Rove, Scaife and others have amped up the rhetoric, funding the Tea Party, and with Citizens United now own and influence Congress and Regulatory agencies. They use the power of distraction and influence, by espousing falsehoods, whether on Fox news, or the Senate floor, or in a right/left debate on CNN, when we must ask, why does truth have to share the same forum and debate falsehoods? However, where there is smoke there is fire, and notwithstanding the false truths and lies of a Limbaugh or Fox, there is a following of believers, as with any cult, and those in the middle then become more confused, which was the objective in the first place.

Thom speaks about how CEOs are stealing America's wealth and the money needed to create jobs. However, they are also with Citizens United diverting their corporate money control Congressional opposition. Some of these wealthy elites may really want a collapse of the US Economy, to gain a political win for a Republican administration who will PRIVATIZE prized government agencies, that they will capitalize, profit from and administer like the insurance companies administer health care.

There is and has been a frontal assault on democracy, that came to a head with Bush granting these same interests Regulatory control over their industries, Citizens United that gave them unlimited financial opportunities to own Congress, ALEC to lobby and generate legislation (in a nonprofit), and since Reagan, the vetting and placement of federal judges to promote (Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Roberts) who now make a majority on our Supreme Court that expands their corporate control over our system.

RANK AND FILE AMERICANS, are being devastated by these political plans and manipulations of our democracy, judiciary, Congress and state legislatures. As other nations compete with America, we risk becoming a feudal 3rd world society and economy.

Farid Zacharia in his recent book speaks of how economic growth has historically occurred, typically through education, immigration and an infrastructure that promotes new ideas and competition. The power elites that now control our nation are denying any chance that RANK AND FILE AMERICANS can succeed now or in the future.

I was reading an article on The Nation.com website when this program started. It was about the current situation in Greece. Prior to reading that article I read an article about Greece on The LA Times.com website. What the LA Times story did not cover is the rise of fascist sympathies among the people of Greece. The Nation article reminded me of the historic rise of fascism in Spain and Italy during the 1920's and 30's, and I'm wondering if this is what ultimately is going to happen there. I'm also wondering if that has been the plan all along or just a satisfactory side-effect of pressing the people into a desperate situation. We're fast approaching the first 100 year mark, in which fascism as we know it began, will that scourge upon civilization be revisited upon us by the 2020's?

N

If someone is legally insane when they commit a crime, how is it reasonable to consider after the fact if the person is then medicated to a state considered sane, that they would then be responsible for their actions committed while insane?

I can understand holding someone responsible for there actions while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, for they made the decision to consume said substance. But how can you hold someone responsible for a condition in which is not chosen?

Of course the whole issue of state sponsored execution is abhorrent anyway. The life imprisonment in a jail, or mental care institution is appropriate. The other question is where the responsibility for those who allowed a man who showed erratic behavior to be left both alone and untreated.

N

If nuclear power is so safe, why does the government need to guarantee the loans. Other countries are deciding that nuclear power is not safe. The US needs to do likewise. A combination of renewable power sources along with increased efficiancy and energy conservation will be a much better, and earth safe solution.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/07/27/american_people_obsolete?source=newsletter&utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Salon_Daily%20Newsletter%20%28Not%20Premium%29_7_30_110

Sad but very true!!!

May working and ordinary Americans rest in peace!!!!!

As my health deteriorates, I will go to my grave as an obsolete American.

@2950-10K, Einstein died, I believe in 1955, and he still has left us his brilliant mind. Regulated Capitalism or Responsible Capitalism is nessary but I still believe that Socialism is the answer for America and the world.

My wife was listening to the radio as she was shopping and she mentioned that well over 50% of the children who are born are non-white. She thought she heard the figure 90% but I believe that figure must be wrong. To play it safe I put the percentage at over 50%. That is one reason why whitey will do what they can to keep non-whites from voting. WHITEY WILL NEVER EVER RELINQUISH POWER. WHITEY WILL COMMENCE A NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST BEFORE THEY RELINQUISH POWER TO NON-WHITES.

You ask what it will take for the US to get out of nuclear power?

A President with the BALLS to stand up to the energy industry and tell them to PAY THEIR OWN WAY!

Why are we taxpayers funding these unmanageable-waste creating death bombs? We should take the money we send them and use it to put solar panels on any business or home that gets sun on it. Germany did this and it was cheaper than the Nuke plant they were going to build, and is generating more energy than the power plant would have!

If you can't clean up your mess, don't create it and then ask US to bail you out..

My family immigrated to the Omaha area before the turn of the last century from Northern Europe. From these four hard working immigrants we now number more than 3,000 with many of us still nearby the flooding nuclear power plant.

Each of these grand and greats in the family came to the USA to escape military conscription and church/state monarchies with unbearble taxes, continuous war and imprisonment of those who sought access to knowledge, civil rights and human freedoms.

2/3 of this 3,000 now claim "conservative values" that embrace the very issues that our grandparents sought to escape and they did. They were neither conservative or liberal. They were hard working, progressive, honest people who bonded their production to build granite capital buildings,highways, postal systems, hospitals and public schools and universities that a minimum wage laborer of my generation could afford to attend.

Most of us will now trade all of our safety and liberties to have the power. Very few would sacrifice the high standard of living for safety or by controlling the root cause which is our unbelievable population growth. It does not make any difference if it is nuclear power east of town or septic feed lots and mega farming west of town. Family reunions are now dominated by the religious and govenmental practices that stole from the common man and gave it to rich government, religious or business corporations. When you communicate directly with God and Newt it will all be OK and there is no rebuttal.

Nuclear power woes are a god-sent sign that we have to get serious about waste. Repugs will say "govt can't do it", but we dems have no solution, either. So we caucus with the repugs, and come up with a solution. Or not.

We're running out of planet to solve this.

Send the waste to the moon?

It would be unkind to the moon.