The Koch Brothers And The Battle Over Integration In Wake County's Schools

The stakes in the battle over the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina couldn’t be higher.

On one side are the billionaire brothers, Charles and David Koch, and the Tea Party and libertarian groups they fund. On the other, parents, students and community leaders who are bent on stopping measures passed by the conservative-led school board that they argue would re-segregate the county’s public schools, which had been a national model for diversity and integration.

Defense Industry Faces Profit Losses As Golden Decade Ends

NEW YORK (AP) -- The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down, Osama bin Laden is dead, and the federal government is deeply in debt. This spells the end of what was a golden decade for the defense industry.

New Jersey Bill Ensuring Rape Victims Do Not Get Billed For Rape Kits Still Awaiting Christie’s Signature

New Jersey state lawmakers are seeking to address a serious lapse in the criminal justice process that unduly burdens victims of sexual assault. Under current federal law, health care providers must be reimbursed for collecting forensic evidence from a sexual assault victim. While all invoices for these services are supposed to go to the appropriate government agencies for review and payment, victims“frequently receive such invoices due to administrative errors or attempts to get payment from a victim’s insurance company.”

90 DAYS PAST DUE DATE, OHIO SENATE CANDIDATE FAILS TO FILE PERSONAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM

Ohio’s current Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) is challenging Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) for his seat in 2012. Running on the “tested and trusted” tagline, Mandel is failing the basic test of transparency. On April 6, Mandel filed paperwork for his Senate campaign with the Federal Elections Commission. According to federal law, a candidate’s personal financial disclosure must be filed within 30 days of declaring or after raising $5,000. But 90 days later, after both declaring his candidacy andraising $2.3 million for his race, Mandel has still failed to disclose. Indeed, the Secretary of the Senate’s office confirmed to ThinkProgress that no forms have been filed. By law, he is subject to a $200 fine. Mandel also faces a FEC investigation for violating another federal election law by using resources from the Treasurer’s office to support his candidacy.

Deadbeat Dad Joe Walsh: Children Should Be Raised In A Household With A Father And A Mother

Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) — who has been embroiled in a personal scandal surrounding late child support payments — suggested that gay people don’t make for good parents during a recent town hall in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The Tea Party congressman said he believes in “traditional marriage” and that children do best when raised in a home with a mother and a father:

OBAMA EMBRACES ‘OBAMACARE’

 In a sign that he may now be more willing to defend his signature domestic policy accomplishment in the run-up to the election, President Obama embraced “Obamacare” during a stop on his bus tour through the Midwest. “I have no problem with folks saying ‘Obama Cares.’ I do care. If the other side wants to be the folks who don’t care, that’s fine with me,” he said in Cannon Falls, Minnesota this afternoon. Watch it:

Sunday August 14th 2011 Talking Heads

FOX NEWS SUNDAY

So, in case you haven't heard already, Michele Bachmann won the Ames Straw Poll, squeaking it out over Ron Paul, whose vote total was a personal best. Tim Pawlenty finished third, and everyone says he's finished. Why? He did better than expected! Well, the problem is, people aren't sure they want to give money to him. TPaw was followed by Rick Santorum, who also did better than expected, and Herman Cain -- whose moment, I think, has peaked.

Our Climate Of Extremes

In a speech this month at the Aspen Institute, Vice President Al Gore passionately excoriated the anti-science propaganda of the climate pollution industry. He denounced the decades-long effort by top carbon dioxide polluters to pollute the public’s knowledge of the growing threat of climate change. “There’s no longer a shared reality on an issue like climate even though the very existence of our civilization is threatened,” Gore concluded, after rejecting the denier memes as “the same crap over and over and over again.” As the planet’s climate grows increasingly disastrous, the world’s polluters are digging in. Top multi-national corporations, from Johnson & Johnson to Walmart, fund the American Legislative Exchange Council, a lobbying front group that touts the “benefits of carbon dioxide.” The Republican candidates for president are either long-time deniers of climate science — like Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) — or have cast aside their previous support for carbon cap-and-trade systems, like former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA), former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R), former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R), and Tim Pawlenty.

VIDEO: Do Iowans Agree With Mitt Romney That Corporations Are People?

At the Iowa State Fair Wednesday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) took to the presidential soapbox and told Iowa voters that “corporations are people.” The next day, Romney doubled-down on his gaffe at a campaign stop in New Hampshire. Other prominent Republicans also professed their agreement that corporations are people, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).

Top 5 Examples of Perry’s Anti-Gay Agenda

As the hours tick down until Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) announces his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination, many outlets are speculating as to whether or not he will win the vote of the religious right with his vocal social conservatism. Just last month, he stirred up controversy with various Christian groups by flip-flopping on whether or not gay marriage should be legal. But Perry’s anti-gay record should speak for itself:

G.O.P. on Defensive as Analysts Question Party’s Fiscal Policy

WASHINGTON — The boasts of Congressional Republicans about their cost-cutting victories are ringing hollow to some well-known economists, financial analysts and corporate leaders, including some Republicans, who are expressing increasing alarm over Washington’s new austerity and antitax orthodoxy.

Why Minorities Reach for Bottled Water Over Tap & How Marketers Persuade Them

Research has shown that minorities consume bottled water more often than white Americans, and spend a greater proportion of their income (about 1%, compared to the 0.4% white Americans dole out) on this superfluous commodity every year. A recent study in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine confirmed this trend – finding that Latino and black parents were three times more likely to sate their children’s thirst with bottled water, compared with white parents. What sets this study apart from previous ones, is that it pinpoints the reasons why minority parents perceive bottled water to be superior, and thus a necessary expense. They genuinely believe it to be cleaner, safer, healthier, and more convenient than the stuff that pours out of the spigot (virtually) gratis. Health experts and tap water advocates heartily disagree and will produce reams of data revealing tap water to be pure, healthful, and entirely sanitary. In fact, authors of the recent study note that the reliance on bottled water may contribute to dental issues in minority children who don’t benefit from the fluoride purposefully added to tap water to maintain the nation’s oral health. What’s more, a National Resources Defense Council investigation discovered the 17% of bottled waters contained unsafe levels of bacterial loads, and 22% were contaminated with chemicals, including arsenic.

Bronx teen arrested in death of college student shot over 50 cents

A Bronx teen was charged Thursday with killing a college student who was trying to protect his little brother from a group of goons who were sticking him up over 50 cents.

It Gets Worse! Postal Service Considers Cutting 120,000 Jobs

WASHINGTON – The financially strapped U.S. Postal Service is considering cutting as many as 120,000 jobs.

After 75 Years, America’s Last Public Hanging Haunts Kentucky

OWENSBORO, Kentuck — Bob Howe points to an overgrown, muddy patch of land in a cemetery in Owensboro, gesturing to where the grave of the last man publicly executed in the United States may be.

“I think it was over there,” said Howe, an 81-year-old lifelong Owensboro resident and retired county coroner. “I used to pass it on the way to school. That’s what I was told. It was over there somewhere.”

SETI's Search For Aliens In The Universe Boosted By Donations

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- An array of 42 radio telescopes seeking signs of intelligent life in the universe will continue that work after private donors raised enough money to keep them going.

Tavis Smiley: 'I Don't Get Intimidated By Haters'

There's been a lot of controversy over the last few weeks surrounding the Poverty Tour organized by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. The pair has used the nine-state, 18-city event to both highlight the struggle of the nation's poor as well as to criticize President Obama for what they say is a laissez-faire attitude toward economically marginalized Americans.

San Francisco Transit Blocks Cellphones To Hinder Protest

SAN FRANCISCO -- Transit officials blocked cellphone reception in San Francisco train stations for three hours to disrupt planned demonstrations over a police shooting.

The American People Lose Faith In The American System, But Still Insist It’s The Best In The World

According to a new Washington Post poll just 21 percent of Americans are satisfied “with the way this country’s political system is working.” 45 percent are very dissatisfied, 33 percent are mostly dissatisfied. 71 percent say Washington is focused on the wrong things. Only 10 percent say congressional Republicans “have made progress toward solving” the nations problems, and only 19 percent say Obama’s made progress. Only 26 percent of Americans have confidence “that the problem actually will be solved” when the government decides to solve a problem. 71 percent say that S&P’s assessment that the US has become “less stable, less effective and less predictable” is fair.

Super-Male Committee: Only 1 Of 12 Members Is A Woman

Today, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced her nominations to complete the deficit super committee: Reps. James Clyburn (D-SC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Xavier Becerra (D-CA). A quick roll call of the members reveals a notable absence of an important demographic: Women. Out of the 12 principal players who will attempt to achieve an deficit agreement on spending cuts, only one is a woman: Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA).

After Supporting Tea Party Protests, Fox News Accuses Iowans From ‘Liberal Think Tank’ Of ‘Ambushing’ Romney

Earlier today, former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) faced angry questions from Iowans over his proposed cuts to entitlement programs. In an attempt to dismiss the legitimate concerns of the questioners, Fox News declared them to be liberal plants. During the segment, the conservative news outlet displayed a chyron on-screen that read, “Liberal Activists Ambush Mitt Romney At Iowa Event.”

Chase Forecloses On Home Even After Woman Scrounges To Make Up Nearly $50,000 In Mortgage Payments

To keep her home, Mardee Jerde scrambled to meet her bank’s demand that she pay almost $50,000 in overdue mortgage payments immediately. After a car accident kept her from working for 11 months, she was forced to mail in to the bank the entire settlement that she won from a lawsuit over the crash, leaving the Minnesota resident with practically nothing to live on.

Makers Of Military Drone Aircraft Gearing Up For Major Public Relations Offensive, Including Outreach To Kids

Today, National Defense Magazine notes that the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the major trade group for a whole host of robotics equipment and the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), will be hosting a major trade show in Washington, DC next week.

VIDEO: The ‘Mitt-Churian’ Candidate?

Mitt Romney is not the first of his family to contend for the GOP’s nomination to the presidency. In 1967, George W. Romney, Mitt Romney’s father, was actually leading Richard Nixon in the race for the GOP nomination. His lead quickly evaporated after an infamous verbal faux pas. During an interview, then-Gov. Romney explained that his inconsistency on the Vietnam War was the result of “the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get.”

Rand Paul Rushes To Romney’s Defense: ‘All Of Us Are Corporations’

During a campaign stop at the Iowa State Fair yesterday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) vociferously defended tax breaks for corporations by declaring that “corporations are people.” Though Romney’s assertion was widely mocked – corporations cannot vote, cannot be sent to prison, and clearly lack all human anatomy – the former Massachusetts governor has not backed down in the face of withering criticism.

Rick Perry Says Social Security And Medicare Are Unconstitutional

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has, to say the least, a very odd understanding of the Constitution. He thinks Texas should be able to opt out of Social Security, and he believes that everything from federal public school programs to clean air laws are unconstitutional. Yet in an interview with the Daily Beast’s Andrew Romano, Perry makes his most outlandish claim to date — Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional:

Bachmann Claims ‘S&P Essentially Proved Me Right’ — S&P Really Disagrees

Last night, during both the GOP presidential primary debateand a post-debate interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) claimed that S&P’s downgrade of the United States creditworthiness vindicated her position that the debt ceiling should not have been raised. “Standard & Poor’s essentially proved me right,” she told Hannity, after telling the debate audience that the S&P downgrade came about because the agency said “we don’t have an ability to repay our debt”:

ALABAMA CONGRESSMAN DEFENDS BIG OIL TAX BREAKS TO ANGRY CONSTITUENTS

Freshman Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) defended tax breaks for extremely profitable oil companies at a town hall meeting Thursday night as his constituents questioned how to reduce the nation’s deficit. According to the Florence Times-Daily, “Brooks said ending the breaks [...] or increasing taxes on the companies would result in higher consumer prices because the additional costs would be passed on.” He maintained that new taxes would be bad for the economy even as his constituents correctly challengedhim on the false idea that taking away the oil companies’ tax breaks would hurt consumers.

VIDEO: Sarah Palin Tells ThinkProgress ‘Mitt Romney Was Right’ That Corporations Are People

Yesterday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) made a major gaffe on the campaign trail when he told a crowd of Iowans that “corporations are people.” Romney’s statement was particularly tone deaf because average citizens’ incomes havestagnated for more than a decade while corporations are currently enjoying record profits.

POLL: ONLY 34 PERCENT OF AMERICANS COULD FIND $1,000 IN THEIR SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

When asked where they would turn if they needed $1,000 in cash fast, only34 percent of Americans would look to their savings accounts for the money, according to a recent online poll by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. The other 64 percent would be forced to go elsewhere, from taking out a loan to borrowing from a family member. In a study released in June, Bankrate reported that only 24 percent of the nation has access to six-months of emergency savings, the majority of whom come from high-income households. In contrast, corporations today are sitting on close to $1.12 trillion in cash, a 59 percent increase from 2008.

The Eleventh Circuit’s Affordable Care Act Decision Cannot Be Squared With The Constitution

The key passage in today’s opinion striking down part of the Affordable Care Act appears on page 113, where the two judge majority explains how they will determine whether this law is constitutional:

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ BLASTS ROMNEY’S ASSERTION THAT CORPORATIONS ARE PEOPLE: ‘IS EXXON MOBIL A PERSON?’

After former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) told an Iowa crowd yesterday that he believes “corporations are people,” DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) spoke on the same stage today and mocked the presidential candidate’s assertion. Wasserman Schultz asked the cheering crowd, “Is Exxon Mobil a person? General Electric, do they have human-like qualities?” Watch it:

Perry Doesn’t ‘Buy Into The Premise’ That Rescuing America’s Auto Companies Saved Jobs

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) is set to jump into the presidential race today, bringing with him his beliefs that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are unconstitutional “Ponzi schemes.” While Perry likes to brag about Texas’ economic strength, his story is largely a mirage.

Grassley Calls S&P Downgrade A ‘Wake-Up Call’ To ‘Reduce Deficit Spending,’ Then Admits He Hasn’t Read The Report

After one of the three credit ratings agencies, S&P, downgraded the United States’ creditworthiness from AAA to AA+ in large part because of extreme GOP intransigence on raising revenue, Republicans were quick to try to deflect blame onto the Democrats. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney singled out the White House, saying“Standard & Poor’s rating downgrade is a deeply troubling indicator of our country’s decline under President Obama.”

POLL: 63 PERCENT WANT SUPER COMMITTEE TO RAISE TAXES ON WEALTHY

A new CNN poll finds that 63 percent of Americans want the fiscal super committee to raise the taxes on wealthy individuals and business “so the government can use the money for programs to help lower-income Americans.” According to the poll research, “that sentiment has changed little since the 1990s.” Nearly two-thirds of those polled want no major changes to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, and “nearly nine in ten don’t want any increase in taxes on middle class and lower income Americans.” Republican lawmakers, however, are taking the opposite approach by continuing theirrefusal to raise taxes on the wealthy and by insisting on cuts to entitlement programs instead.

How Wisconsin Election Law Saved The GOP, And Why That Changes In 2012

From the moment he took office, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) seized every opportunity to reshape his state’s law to improve the GOP’s chances on election day. Walker stripped state workers of their right to organize in order to weaken a traditionally progressive constituency. He gutted the state’s public financing system, which allows candidates to run effective campaigns without pleading for money from big dollar donors, and used this money to pay for a voter ID law that that disenfranchises numerous elderly voters, young voters, students, minorities and low-income voters.

Boehner Claims S&P Downgrade Happened Because Democrats Blocked The GOP’s Attempt To Eliminate Medicare

Ever since the credit rating agency S&P downgraded U.S. credit to AA+ on Friday night, Republicans have desperately trying to pin the blame on President Obama, even though, as National Journal put it, “it’s hard to read the S&P analysis as anything other than a blast at Republicans.” S&P called out the GOP for using the debt ceiling as a political football and for its flat refusal to consider new revenue as part of any plan to reduce long-term deficits.

EVEN MR. SECESSION FAILS TEA PARTY PURITY TEST

Tea Party heartthrob and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) believes Medicaid, federal public school programs, and clean air regulation are unconstitutional “nonsense.” He even once claimed that Texas might secede from the unionunless the federal government does exactly what he wants it to do. Yet he’s now facing a lawsuit because he might have signed a — gasp! — income tax into law.

Kentucky Gives Creationist Theme Park 75 Percent Tax Discount For The Next 30 Years

In May, ThinkProgress reported that Kentucky approved a $43 million tax break for Ark Encounter, a Bible-themed amusement park that religious organizations are building outside Williamstown. Now the state is giving the creationist project another kickback in the form of a 75 percent property tax discount over the next 30 years:

Bank Of America Has Activist Arrested For Delivering Complaint On Code Violations At Vacant Properties

Two weeks ago, the Chicago city council passed a new statute that “will make lenders liable for the upkeep of vacant homes even when the borrower still holds the title.” The law was passed unanimously and will take effect in September. The importance of this new law came into focus last week when two firefighters wereinjured battling a fire that sprung up in a vacant home in the Englewood neighborhood on the south side of Chicago.

Frustrated Constituents Jeer Sen. McCain For Supporting Huge Corporate Tax Breaks

An overflowing town hall in Tuscon, Arizona quickly turned hostile yesterday when constituents confronted Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on a range of issues from the debt ceiling deal to the war in Afghanistan. The event got off to a rocky start when many residents were turned away at the door because the room was not large enough. As McCain entered, he was greeted by sustained chanting of “Where are the jobs?”

White House Struggles To Fill Key Watchdog Position To Oversee Afghanistan Reconstruction

WASHINGTON -- As the Obama administration begins to draw down U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the war effort undergoes significant transition, the office in charge of ferreting out waste, fraud and abuse in reconstruction projects remains without a permanent head.

American Bar Association Takes Aim At Lobbying Law Loopholes

Under current law, lobbyists seeking consideration for their clients can sweeten the pot by throwing massive fundraisers for the members of Congress that they're lobbying.

Former senior members of Congress who are being paid a small fortune to design and coordinate major lobbying efforts don't have to register as lobbyists themselves -- or meet any disclosure requirements -- as long as they mostly supervise and don't make too many calls themselves.

McConnell, Boehner Make Deficit Committee Appointments

WASHINGTON -- Republican leaders of the House and Senate announced their picks Wednesday for the "super Congress" deficit committee slated with finding about $1.5 trillion in savings. Their announcement comes a day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed three Democrats to the 12-member commission.

Looking For 'Pocket Change': One Man's Search For Work

At 6:45 a.m., Michael Pierce takes a place in line.

Pierce is hoping that today -- unlike yesterday -- there will be work at the Brooklyn temporary staffing agency where he starts most mornings. Usually, there are a few positions in area warehouses for stacking, packing or counting supplies. Sometimes a week-long assignment cleaning up a construction site or delivering or installing store fixtures will come in. Last year, there were even a few jobs that stretched for months.

Moody's Warns Student Loans May Be The Next Financial Bubble To Burst

WASHINGTON -- Record borrowing by college students who are graduating without jobs may lead to the next financial crisis, according to a recent report by Moody's Analytics.

Michael Moore: Matt Damon For President

In "The Adjustment Bureau," Matt Damon was a Democratic candidate for Senate. Michael Moore wants him to take it to the next level -- in the real world.

Damon has a long history of speaking out on various political causes; once a major supporter of then-candidate Barack Obama, has been critical of the President on a number of fronts, including relations with Wall Street and, most recently, education.

GOP REP: OBAMA IMPEACHMENT ‘NEEDS TO HAPPEN

At a town hall meeting yesterday, a Tea Party member urged Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) to bring impeachment proceedings against President Obama in the House. Burgess replied, “It needs to happen, and I agree with you it would tie things up…No question about that.” When asked to clarify, Burgess said he wasn’t sure what the proper charges to bring against Obama would be, but reiterated his support for such a move. “We need to tie things up,” he said. “The longer we allow the damage to continue unchecked, the worse things are going to be for us.” Burgess joins numerous House Republicans in their impeachment-saber rattling.

Bachmann’s ‘Must-Read’ List Included A Book That Claims Blacks Were ‘Better Off In Nearly Every Way’ Under Slavery

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) has already made one slavery-related gaffe during her presidential campaign, signing a pledge produced by the Iowa FAMiLY LEADER that included language suggesting black children were better off under slavery than they are now. Bachmann offered half-hearted apology at the time, saying she had only signed the “candidate vow,” not the part that included slavery, and compared it to “economic enslavement” brought on by taxes.

CHART: WOMEN HAVE TO HAVE A PH.D. TO MAKE AS MUCH AS MEN WITH A B.A.

Kay Steiger pulls out this chart from Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, which notes that, when it comes to lifetime earnings, women with a Ph.D. make as much as men with a B.A., while men with some college but no degree make about as much as women who have completed college:

NEBRASKA GOP SEN CANDIDATE COMPARES WELFARE RECIPIENTS TO SCAVENGING RACCOONS

In a speech this week, Nebraska AG Jon Bruning (R) compared welfare recipients to scavenging animals, suggesting the state is making it too “easy” for them. “The raccoons — they’re not stupid, they’re gonna do the easy way if we make it easy for them. Just like welfare recipients all across America,” said Bruning, who is running for Sen. Ben Nelson’s (D-NE) seat. “If we don’t send them to work, they’re gonna take the easy route.” Watch a video captured by American Bridge:

Fox News’ Megyn Kelly Gets It Right: ‘The United States Is In The Dark Ages When It Comes To Maternity Leave’

Fox News’ Megyn Kelly returned to work yesterday after three months of maternity leave, and during her first show, she pummeled shock radio host Mike Gallagher, who back in May called Kelly’s maternity leave “a racket” that was “unbelievable.” Kelly not only took Gallagher to task for poo-pooing the notion that women should be able to stay home with their newborns, but she also pointed out that the U.S. is in “the dark ages when it comes to maternity leave,” as it is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t require employers to give new mothers paid time off:

National Review: Obama Secretly Supports Violent London Rioters

Violent riots have swept London all week. The Washington Post reports that last night, “Rampant looting and raging fires engulfed swaths of London on Monday as the wave of civil unrest that has gripped this sprawling capital escalated sharply.” Tonight, 16,000 police officers will take the streets to try to control the situation.

Facing Islamophobic Backlash, Whole Foods Instructs Stores Not To ‘Promote’ Ramadan This Year

In the current era of Islamophobia, anything remotely “Muslim-ish” touches off paranoid delusions of impending jihad, particularly when it involves American emblems — like Whole Foods. Last week, the suburban staple decided to tout “Saffron Road,” a new line of Halal-certified frozen food, to coincide with the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Halal foods are items permitted under Islamic dietary guidelines. In a post on the company’s website entitled “What’s this halal about,” Whole Foods offered a chance to win free samples because “whether you eat halal because of your religious dietary guidelines or you simply prefer to choose food that’s made with high-quality, responsibly farmed ingredients, then Saffron Road has some tasty offerings for you.”

RNC Chair: GOP’s Historic Unpopularity Shows Americans Are Upset With Obama

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll released today finds Republicans’ popularity badly bruised by the bitter debt ceiling debate, with the GOP’s unfavorable ratings climbing to an all-time high of 59 percent. The party’s favorable ratings, meanwhile, dropped eight points over the past month to just 33 percent. “The Democratic party, which had a favorable rating just a couple of points higher than the GOP in July, now has a 14-point advantage over the Republican party,” said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ‘RUNNING ON EMPTY’ RALLIES ARE, WELL, RUNNING ON EMPTY

Americans For Prosperity, the Tea Party astroturf group “founded and funded by infamous GOP rainmakers Charles and David Koch, rolled into Jacksonville Tuesday, and only roughly 15 people showed up” to their “Running on Empty” tour. Florida director Slade O’Brien told Politijax the turnout was “shocking.” AFP’s tour is trying to convince Floridians to support increased offshore drilling in the wake of the BP disaster.

DEMOCRATIC SENS. MURRAY, BAUCUS, KERRY NAMED TO DEBT SUPER COMMITTEE

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has reportedly tapped Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), John Kerry (D-MA), and Max Baucus (D-MT) to join the super committee created by the deal that raised the federal debt ceiling. The super committee is charged with crafting a deficit reduction package by Thanksgiving; seven of the 12 members have to approve the plan to send it to the full Congress.

GOV. CHRISTIE: ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED LIKE ANTI-CATHOLIC DISCRIMINATION JFK FACED

Last week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) unleashed on his fellow conservatives over their anti-Islam, Sharia law fear mongering regarding a Muslim judge he appointed, Sohail Mohammed. “Disgusted” by the “ignorance,” Christie declared “this Sharia Law business is crap,” and “I’m tired of dealing with crazies.” Christie further explained his frustration today with the “ridiculous and disgusting situation” to the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, stating, “I think it is terrible to try to exclude someone from office based only on his religion, and that’s what was happening here.” Looking back in history, Christie said the attacks on Mohammed reflected the discrimination President Kennedy faced for being Catholic during his 1960 campaign. “President Kennedy had to stand up in Houston and say his own personal faith wouldn’t intersect with his public life. Since then I thought we wouldn’t have an more of this ridiculousness,” he said. “People would laugh today at the idea that a Catholic running for president would have a hotline to the pope.”

SEN. JOHN KERRY: THIS IS THE ‘TEA PARTY DOWNGRADE’

Appearing on Meet the Press today, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) slammed Republicans’ and the Tea Party’s intransigence and hostage taking on negotiating over the debt, calling S&P’s downgrade of U.S. debt the “Tea Party downgrade”:

Paul Ryan Signals Willingness To Raise Revenues, Shifting Positions Following Downgrade

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) said he is open to revenue increases as part of a deal to reduce the deficit today, seemingly shifting positions from the hardline opposition his party has maintained against revenue growth. Ryan said on Fox News Sunday that he would be open to a deal that containes $3 or $4 in spending cuts for every $1 in revenue increases if it came through a major reform of the tax code and was large enough. Host Chris Wallace asked if Ryan would be open such hypothetical deal if he were sitting on the joint super committee created by the deal to raise the debt ceiling. Ryan responded, “yes”:

Eating Healthy Is A Privilege Of The Rich

SEATTLE— A healthy diet is expensive and could make it difficult for Americans to meet new U.S. nutritional guidelines, according to a study published Thursday that says the government should do more to help consumers eat healthier.

White People Rapidly Moving In To “Do The Right Thing” Hood

Mark Dunlea and his wife, Judith A. Enck, moved to Brooklyn from upstate New York two years ago. Last March, they breached the blurry Clinton Hill border to buy an apartment in a four-story condominium that had replaced an abandoned warehouse in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Dr. Boyce: Black Unemployment Dips, Black Wealth Remains Destroyed

The recent release of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that Black unemployment declined during the month of July. It had reached 16.2 percent and dropped over the course of the month to 15.9 percent. While the number is an improvement, it is still nearly double that of white Americans.

Medicaid Denies Coverage For Breast Cancer Patient Because He’s A Man

26-year-old Raymond Johnson was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

The racial politics behind 'Planet of the Apes'

Black people have had a contentious relationship with film since the advent of the medium. One of the earliest feature length productions, D.W. Griffith's 1915 film Birth of a Nation is notable for its depiction of the Klu Klux Klan as heroes of the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and black men (or rather white men in blackface) as unintelligent and sexually violent toward white women.

Throughout Hollywood's golden years, black people were relegated to mostly background and service roles, the most famous of which is Hattie McDaniel's Oscar-winning turn as a Mammy in 1939's Gone with the Wind.As W.E.B. DuBois said in his "Criteria of Negro Art" speech: "We can go on the stage; we can be just as funny as white Americans wish us to be; we can play all the sordid parts that America likes to assign to Negroes; but for any thing else there is still small place for us."

The struggle for accurate portrayal of African-American life is one that continues today. The ways in which we are portrayed in film is often used as a barometer for the status of race relations in this country. Even when it's not necessarily images of actual black people.

Take for instance the jive-talking, singing, dancing, lazy, shiftless black crows in the 1941 animated Disney film Dumbo. At times, animals have been used as stand ins for black people and have exhibited all the racial stereotypes and fantasies that are regularly circulated. This is not an uncommon cinematic tool.

The original Planet of the Apes, starring screen legend Charlton Heston, released in 1968, served as sort of a cinematic version of John Howard Griffin's 1961 book Black Like Me, where Griffin experienced life as a black man by darkening his skin and reported back on his findings. It's a "what if the shoe was on the other foot?" type scenario where white men experience the type of discrimination usually reserved for black people.

Apes imagined a fictional world 2,000 years in the future where monkeys, gorillas, and other primates take on human features including the sort of racism that the Civil Rights Movement was addressing at the time, only directed at human beings. It's about how power corrupts and can be used unjustly but one isn't always aware of the injustice until they experience it for themselves.

Though it was intended to be show support for black people's fight for human rights, it relies on the racist notion of black people being not being fully human, choosing monkeys of all animals as stand ins for black people. It also played into the issues of skin-color hierarchy, making lighter apes more intelligent than their darker, more uncivilized counterparts.

A "re-imagining" of this film was produced in 2001, directed by Tim Burton and starring Mark Wahlberg, and it ran into some of the same issues. An orangutan, played by Paul Giamatti, actually says "can't we all just get along?" in an obvious and not easily digested nod to Rodney King and the phrase he made popular during the 1992 L.A. riots, which were a response the acquittal of the officers responsible for his vicious beating. Once again, issues of race and racism were introduced via monkeys.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes, starring James Franco and Freida Pinto, is the latest addition to this franchise, but serves more as a reboot than a remake or prequel. The focus of this film is the origin story. Franco plays a scientist working on a cure for Alzheimer's disease whose first test subject, a chimpanzee named Caesar, experiences unintended and unanticipated side-effects, acquiring human-like intelligence and feelings.

It's as de-racialized as it can be, choosing to focus more on the scientific aspects of the story, though it is still very much a story of revolution. In a way, it's the "post-racial" version of Planet of the Apes in the same way America has experienced this idea of post-racialism. The issues of race are ever present but largely ignored or discussed in "colorblind" terms.

In the aforementioned speech, DuBois also said "all Art is propaganda and ever must be." The question becomes, what message is that propaganda spreading? What does it mean when we've taken something as racially encoded as the Planet of the Apes films and tried to strip the issue of race from them? It could be read as progress, if you don't care to see black people compared to monkeys any longer, or perhaps disingenuous, if you would rather the film honor the original intent.

Either way, the issue of race on film is just as contentious as ever, and the debate will not relent any time soon, monkeys or not.

Source

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An Interracial Fix for Black Marriage (Translated Close Your Eyes To Those Who Are Compatible And Give Others The Easy Way In, As You So Often Do Ladies)

"At this point in my life," says Audrey, age 39, "I thought I'd be married with children." A native of southeast Washington, D.C., and the child of parents who are approaching their 50th wedding anniversary, Audrey seems like the proverbial "good catch"—smart, funny, well-educated, attractive.

Why Is The Media Scared Of Rev. Al Sharpton?

A NEWSONE EDITORIAL

The Rev. Al Sharpton and MSNBC are being attacked by critics for the network’s recent hiring of Sharpton to replace weekday host Cenk Uygur.

Bill Maher Suggests A Liberal Tea Party: The Donner Party (VIDEO)

Everyone knows you can't fight fire with water, you fight it with more fire. That explains why liberals are losing the war of crazy ideas. The Tea Party is the right's loud-mouthed, our-way-or-no-way party within a party; what does the left have? A bunch of disorganized fair trade coffee drinkers with Twitter accounts? That's simply not good enough.

Sunday August 7th 2011 Talking Heads

FOX NEWS SUNDAY

Hooray! Paul Ryan is here today, with his famous haircut. If you're just now joining us, in America, Paul Ryan is the Wisconsin Representative whose plan to reduce taxes is to raise them on nearly everybody, whose plan to balance the budget is to not balance the budget, and whose plan to "save Medicare" is to stop paying for it, with vouchers that diminish in value over time, relative to rising costs. Only in Washington could someone with the ambition to work little and accomplish less find a field of endeavor suited to those limitations. Naturally, he is a superstar.

No Jobs For You! (Says The GOP)

How Many American Jobs Can The GOP Kill? (Hint: A Lot) 


According to figures released this morning, the nation’s unemployment rate remains at a grim 9.1 percent. While the economy managed to add 117,000 net jobs in July (154,000 jobs were added in the private sector while another 37,000 government jobs were lost), Matt Yglesias correctly notes “that means we’re basically treading water” and “things are neither getting better nor worse.”

NATIONAL JOURNAL: ‘IT’S HARD TO READ THE S&P ANALYSIS AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN A BLAST AT REPUBLICANS’

 The National Journal takes a close look at the S&P decision to downgrade U.S. credit. The conclusion: “It based it on the political game of chicken over the debt ceiling, a game that Republicans initiated and pushed to the limit, and on a growing gloom about the partisan deadlock. Part of S&P’s gloom, moreover, stemmed explicitly from what a new assessment of the GOP’s ability to block any and all tax increases.” Read the full analysis here.

30 Americans Killed In NATO Helicopter Crash In Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite unit as the Navy SEALs who killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, as well as seven Afghan commandos, U.S. officials said Saturday. It what was the deadliest single loss for American forces in the decade-old war against the Taliban.

Verizon Workers On Strike Over Contract

NEW YORK -- Tens of thousands of unionized Verizon Communications Inc. workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., went on strike early Sunday after they failed to agree on a new labor contract with the telecommunications company.

Ghetto Cracker: The Hip Hop 'Sell Out'

by Anthony B. Bradley

What does it mean for a black person to “sell out”? Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Tiger Woods and many more, are often branded as “sell outs” or accused of “acting white” because they speak understandable English, pursue learning and have racially integrated lives. What is overlooked, however, is that much of the hip-hop and rap world represents a different form of “acting white” and “selling out.” That is, hip hop culture can be traced to the urbanization of the southern “redneck,” or to use the more socially offensive term, “cracker” culture of the past.

Hannity Blasts Insurance Coverage For Birth Control, Defends Viagra: ‘That Is A Medical Problem!’

Piling on to the conservative apoplexia over the Obama administration’s recent ruling that insurance companies should cover birth control without co-pays, Fox News host Sean Hannity slammed the policy last night for encouraging “screwing around,” but defended coverage of Viagra. Taking a bold stance again reason, Hannity said, “I don’t care about the scientists” who recommended the move and insisted that the birth control is “not a women’s health issue.” Asked how he felt about insurance companies covering male enhancement medication, Hannity strongly defended the practice, saying, “That is a medical problem!” Watch excerpts from the segment:

Cantor Opposes Extending Unemployment Benefits: We Need To Stop ‘Pumping Up’ Jobless Americans

The unemployment rate inched downwards to 9.1 percent today, with private sector jobs increasing by 154,000. While a slight improvement, these better-than-expected figures provide little comfort to the 14 million Americans who are unemployed. 44.4 percent of the unemployed have been out of work for six months or more.

FOX NATION REPORTS ON OBAMA’S BIRTHDAY: ‘OBAMA’S HIP-HOP BBQ DIDN’T CREATE JOBS’

Yesterday, President Obama celebrated his 50th birthday. Politico reported that the president marked the milestone by holding a private barbecue attended by a flock of celebrities, including Stevie Wonder, Chris Rock, Charles Barkeley, Jay-Z, Tom Hanks, and Rita Wilson. Fox’s website Fox Nation offered their own take on the Politico’s report on the barbecue: “Obama’s Hip-Hop BBQ Didn’t Create Jobs”

EXPOSED: The Corporations Funding The Annual Meeting Of The Powerful Right-Wing Front Group ALEC

This week, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is holding its annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. ALEC is a powerful corporate front group that allows big corporations to help write legislation that it then delivers to state legislators across the country. The organization is so influential that as many as a third of all state legislators nationwide, mostly Republicans, aremembers of its legislative outreach network. Much of the nation’s most dangerous right wing legislation, like laws decimating collective bargaining and promoting climate denial, have come from ALEC.

With Economy Stalling, Republicans To Spend August Recess Promoting Ridiculous Constitutional Amendment

Between yesterday’s stock market nose dive and today’s jobs report that shows the labor market is barely treading water, its undeniable that the economy is in a precarious position. A report earlier this week by analysts at JP Morgan showed that federal fiscal policy is actually going to retard growth through the next year, and the Federal Reserve seems unwilling to approve any additional measures to boost job creation.

BLACK MINISTERS URGE RICK PERRY TO DENOUNCE DIVISIVE RHETORIC AT PRAYER EVENT

Tomorrow in Houston, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) will hold his much-anticipated prayer event known as “The Response.” The event has been mired in controversy for weeks as Perry has faced criticism over its exclusion of non-Christians, the hateful rhetoric and beliefs of pastors who are participating, and questions about whether he is violating the separation of church and state. Now a group of African-American ministers is urging Perry to publicly denounce the divisive rhetoric of the event’s sponsor, the American Family Association (AFA). The AFA has a long history of “making derogatory remarks about gays and lesbians, progressives, Native Americans, African Americans and non-Christians.” Leslie Watson Malachi, director of African American Ministers in Action, a nationwide network of African American clergy, expressed his disappointment that Perry “has chosen to ally himself not with voices of unity and hope but with forces of division and intolerance.” His group is asking Perry to use the rally to unite communities with prayer and “pray for a better future for all Americans.”

JULY HEAT RECORDS DEFINE THE UNITED STATES

July was so hot “that just by plotting the location of each daily heat record that was broken, a nearly complete image of the contiguous United States is visible,” reports NOAA. “Almost 9,000 daily records were broken or tied last month, including 2,755 highest maximum temperatures and 6,171 highest minimum temperatures (i.e., nighttime records).” “Some cities reached daily high temperatures 19 out of the 31 days in the month.” The data is incomplete, as they include “only include weather stations with real-time electronic reporting, which accounts for about two-thirds of the locations.”

GOP Chairman Mica Forces Furlough Of Thousands Of Workers, Then Plays Victim: ‘I’ve Had A Brutal Week’

The 13-day shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration finally came to an end today, which will allow thousands of furloughed federal employees and tens of thousands of construction workers to get back on the job on Monday. House Republicans refused to reauthorize the FAA without including an anti-union provision that would make it harder for workers at airlines and railroads to unionize (a measure sought desperately by, among others, Delta Airlines). Airline inspectors were forced to work without pay during the shutdown.

Rick Perry Pushes ALEC-Backed Education Policies To Turn Texas Universities Into Businesses

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), a potential presidential candidate, has been quietly pushing initiatives that would transform the state’s public university system into a business-style model driven by “efficiency and profitability,” The Washington Post reported today. The reforms Perry is seeking to implement are favored by one of his top campaign donors and the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), anaffiliate of the American Legislative Exchange Council.

S & P Downgrades U.S. Credit For First Time In History, Repeatedly Cites GOP Intransigence On Taxes

Reuters reports: “The United States lost its top-notch AAA credit rating from Standard & Poor’s on Friday, in a dramatic reversal of fortune for the world’s largest economy.” The new rating is AA+.

Facing Backlash For Disenfranchising Voters, Gov. Walker Reverses Course On Plan To Close Several DMV Offices

In a sharp reversal, the state of Wisconsin announced yesterday it will expand Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) services to accommodate the increased demand for photo identification in the wake of a controversial new Voter ID law. As ThinkProgress reported last week, after signing a Voter ID law earlier this year that disenfranchises tens of thousands of Wisconsin voters, Gov. Scott Walker (R) then called for closing as many as 16 DMV offices across the state, making it even more difficult for residents to obtain the ID they needed to regain their electoral voice.

30 Years After Reagan Busted The Air Traffic Controllers Union, GOP Holds FAA Hostage Over Anti-Union Demands

Thirty years ago today, President Ronald Reagan threatened to fire almost 13,000 air traffic controllers unless they called off their strike and returned to work. He then followed through on his threat, firing most of the workers — represented by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (Patco) — and banning them from the federal workforce for life. Today’s GOP is celebrating by holding another group of airline industry workers hostage over the party’s radical anti-union stance.

A ‘Wigger’ Homecoming: Officials At Predominantly White High School Defend Theme Mocking Black People

For homecoming in 2009, the student council at Red Wing High School in Red Wing, Minnesota decided to go with a “tropical theme” for the dance. Instead, 60 students at the “predominantly white school” attended homecoming dressed for “Wigger Wednesday,” wearing costumes that “from their perspective” looked “black.” These included “oversized sports Jerseys, low-slung pants, baseball hats cocked to the side, and ‘doo rags’ on their heads.” The term “Wigger” is a pejorative slang term for a white person who mimics mannerisms, language, fashions, and stereotypes associated with black culture. It is “a portmanteau of either wannabee or white and nigger” and, here, is demeaning of African-Americans by mocking what the students interpreted to be their culture.

SENATORS LEAVE FOR A FIVE WEEK VACATION, DESPITE 20 JUDICIAL NOMINEES AWAITING CONFIRMATION

The Senate adjourned for its August recess yesterday, despite the fact that 20 judicial nominees were waiting for confirmation votes. Worse, 16 of these 20 nominees were approved unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Eric Cantor Defends Airlines Pocketing Taxes During FAA Shutdown: ‘That’s What Business Does’

The FAA shut down over House Republicans’ insistence on including anti-union provisions in the agency’s re-authorization bill and the airlines arepoised to collect $1.3 billion or more of extra profits in forgone taxes. With the FAA unable to collect the $28.6 million a day in aviation taxes it usually takes in, some of the nation’s largest airlines, including United and Delta, are pocketing the windfall, instead of passing their savings onto customers.

O’Reilly Blames Women’s Health Care ‘Breast Feeding Stuff’ For High Unemployment

Fox host Bill O’Reilly has worked himself into a lather over the Obama administration’s recent decision to require new health insurance plans to cover birth control without co-pays. Last week he declared that women don’t deserve government subsidized birth control because they’re too “blasted out of their minds” during sex to use it. Yesterday during an interview with Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), O’Reilly went a step further in his tirade against women’s health care and said it was the reason businesses aren’t hiring:

Iowa’s GOP Governor Vetoes Tax Break For The Poor Because It Didn’t Lower Corporate Taxes

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) has a curious justification for vetoing a tax break last week for 240,000 Iowa families making $45,000 or less a year: the plan didn’t also include a tax break for corporations. Members of both parties in the Iowa House and Senate agreed to increase the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which reduces the amount of income taxes lower-income families owe:

Gallup Poll: Republican Base More Dissatisfied With Debt Ceiling Deal Than Democratic Base

WASHINGTON -- A new USA Today/Gallup pollconducted Tuesday night finds that more Americans oppose (46 percent) than favor (39 percent) the debt ceiling agreement passed by Congress this week, largely confirming the results of a CNN/ORC surveyconducted the day before. While both show a lack of enthusiasm about the deal across political lines, Republicans and conservatives express far more disapproval than do Democrats.

National Rifle Association To File Lawsuit Over Bulk Gun Sales Rule

WASHINGTON -- The gun industry plans to file lawsuits on Wednesday challenging requirements that weapons dealers along the U.S. border with Mexico report multiple sales of semi-automatic rifles, escalating the fight with the Obama administration.

REP. LAMBORN SENDS OBAMA AN APOLOGY LETTER FOR EQUATING HIM WITH A ‘TAR BABY’

GOP Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) is suffering serious blowback after he equated working with President Obama with “touching a tar baby.” Lamborn’s office issued an apology for “any misunderstanding” taken from his racially-charged word choice, adding “he simply meant to refer to a sticky situation or quagmire.” In a news release yesterday, Lamborn’s office also announced that Lamborn “sent a personal letter to President Barack Obama apologizing for using a term some find insensitive” and that Lamborn “is confident that the President will accept his heartfelt apology.”

Will The Federal Gasoline Tax Be Grover Norquist’s Next Hostage?

With the debt ceiling controversy all but resolved, and hostage-taking once again proven to be an effective strategy for achieving conservative policy goals, Washington is wondering what the next fight will be. Byron Tau and Ben Smith in Politico plausibly speculate that thescheduled September 30 sunset of the federal gasoline tax may be the culprit. The gas tax, in addition to serving important environmental goals, is the means by which the federal government finances investments in transportation infrastructure. Traditionally, reauthorizing the tax for that purpose has been uncontroversial (though the idea of raising it to finance needed infrastructure upgrades hasn’t been) but in this day and age everything could be on the table and Tau & Smith report that Grover Norquist seems to be at least considering the idea:

REPUBLICAN ECONOMIST: ABOLISH THE DEBT LIMIT

Former Reagan and Bush economist Bruce Bartlett called for the abolition of the debt ceiling in a blog post at the New York Times Monday, saying its use as a political tool only increases the potential for economic disaster. Bartlett: “It is nothing but grandstanding for members of both parties to vote routinely for legislation they know create deficits and then profess shock and horror that the debt limit must be increased as a consequence.” Bartlett writes that there is “not one iota of evidence” to show the limit acts as a constraint on government debt, concluding that abolition of the limit, while unlikely, is necessary. “The only way to avoid disaster in this sort of game,” Bartlett writes, “is not to play.”

REPORT: Debt Ceiling Deal Will Cost 1.8 Million Jobs In 2012

The Economic Policy Institute, a top nonpartisan think tank, estimates that the deal struck this weekend to raise the nation’s debt limit will end up costing the economy 1.8 million jobs by 2012. Today the Senate isexpected to approve the package passed yesterday by the House and send it to President Obama. But while the unemployment rate remains above 9 percent, the deal does nothing to address chronic joblessness.

138 Supporters Of Repealing IPAB Voted For IPAB-On-Steroids In Debt Ceiling Deal

Two more Democrats, Reps. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) and Tim Bishop (D-NY) have signed on to Rep. Phil Roe’s (R-TN) bill to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) — a 15-member cost-cutting commission established by the Affordable Care Act. The Board is tasked with making binding recommendations to Congress for lowering health care spending if costs increase beyond a certain point.

Fox ‘Expert’ Blasts Expanding Access To Birth Control: ‘Are We Going To Do Pedicures And Manicures As Well?’

This week, the Obama administration announced that all health insurers will be required to cover birth control and other women’s health services without charging co-pays. This historic move has sent the burgeoning right-wing campaign against birth control into an apoplectic fit. Today, Fox News’ America’s Newsroom decided to feature one such activist in a “fair and balanced debate” on whether ensuring a woman’s access to birth control is a good idea.

Joe Lieberman Says U.S. Should Cut Social Security To Pay For Fighting ‘The Islamist Extremists’

This past April, right-wing war hawk John Bolton suggested during an interview on Fox News that the United States should cut Social Security and Medicare to finance the defense budget.

GOP Sen. Hutchison Slams Own Party Over FAA Shutdown: ‘It’s Not Honorable’

Last night, the House went off for summer recesswithout reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has been shut down for days now due to lack of funding. The House’s action means that the FAA will remain shut down for at least another month, leaving 4,000 federal employees furloughed, tens of thousands of workers stuck on stalled construction projects, and hundreds of millions of dollars in federal airline taxes uncollected. Airport inspectors are currently working without pay.

Ohio GOP Forgets Its Zero Tolerance Pledge After Three Members Get In Trouble With The Law

Ohio’s Republican Party, led by one of the most unpopular governors in the nation, has had plenty of struggles on the policy front in 2011. Gov. John Kasich’s (R) budget is immensely unpopular, and the two other landmark pieces of legislation passed by the GOP and signed by Kasich are subject to referendum campaigns.

VIDEO: GOP Presidential Campaign Town Halls Become Lobbyist Theater As Oil Industry Front Group Plants Questions

ThinkProgress and the Des Moines Register have reported on the Iowa Energy Forum, a new oil industry front group designed to manipulate the GOP presidential primary. The group, financed by some of the world’s largest oil companies, sends activists to GOP primary events in Iowa to ask candidates about oil industry priorities, like building the Keystone XL pipeline, opening new land to drilling/fracking, and protecting subsidies to big oil.

Pimco CEO El-Erian: Debt Ceiling Deal Will Lead To More Unemployment, Less Growth, More Inequality

The White House and congressional leaders last nightstruck a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling, agreeing to cut $1 trillion in spending over the next 10 years, create a special committee to find another $1.5 trillion in cuts, and instituting “triggers” that will lead to automatic cuts if the committee can’t come to an agreement. “Now, this process has been messy; it’s taken far too long. I’ve been concerned about theimpact that it has had on business confidence and consumer confidence and the economy as a whole over the last month,” said President Obama during a brief address last night. “Nevertheless, ultimately, the leaders of both parties have found their way toward compromise.”

Pam Geller Justifies Breivik’s Terror: Youth Camp Had More ‘Middle Eastern or Mixed’ Races Than ‘Pure Norwegian’

Popular hate blogger Pam Geller has received scrutiny in recent days as the public became aware that the right-wing terrorist in Norway, Anders Behring Breivik, had praised her blog and thoroughly cited her writing in his political manifesto. After a number of blogs made the connection, as well as the New York Times, the Atlantic, and other major outlets, Geller became incensed and began lashing out at her critics.

Administration Requires Insurers To Offer Contraception Without Cost Sharing, Exempts Religious Institutions

The Department of Health and Human Services has announced that health insurers will be required to cover contraception and other reproductive health care services without additional cost sharing, accepting most of the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations. The administration did add an additional caveat that would allow “religious institutions that offer insurance to their employees the choice of whether or not to cover contraception services.” “This regulation is modeled on the most common accommodation for churches available in the majority of the 28 states that already require insurance companies to cover contraception,” the agency notes. The services will include:

The Invisible Unemployed: Major Media Ignore Jobless Americans And Obsess Over U.S. Debt

As ThinkProgress’s Lee Fang has reported, a handful of right-wing front groups and billionaires have engineered a political consensus that trumpets reducing U.S. debt rather than tackling unemployment. But unfortunately, these front groups have had some assistance from the mainstream media outlets who seem obsessed with covering deficit reduction and debt debates in Washington, while ignoring the other problems plaguing the economy as it recovers from the Great Recession.

GOP REP. LAMBORN: ASSOCIATING WITH OBAMA IS LIKE ‘TOUCHING A TAR BABY’

Appearing on the Caplis and Silverman radio show last Friday, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) said, “Now I don’t even want to have to be associated with [Obama], it’s like touching a tar baby and you’re stuck, you’re part of the problem now. You can’t get away.” The term “tar baby” is often considered a slur towards African Americans. Indeed, the term has such a derogatory history that the Oxford American dictionary revamped its definition to reflect the word’s racial undertones. If Lamborn wishes to cross-check, he should ask both then-Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — both of whom caught controversy for uttering the distasteful phrase. Listen here:

DAVID KOCH’S AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY PLAYS DIRTY TRICK IN WI: MAILS ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO DEMS WITH WRONG ELECTION DATE

David Koch’s right-wing front group Americans for Prosperity has been particularly active in Wisconsin, where AFP has run hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ads boosting Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), mobilized GOTV efforts for Republican voters, and helped large employers conduct captive meetings to coerce workers into supporting conservative politicians. Now, Politico is reporting that AFP has mailed absentee ballots to Democrats in at least two Wisconsin state Senate recall districts with instructions to return the paperwork after the election date. The mailers, obtained by reporter David Catanese, instruct reliable Democratic voters to return ballots for the Aug. 9 election to the city clerk “before Aug. 11.” “These are people who are our 1′s in the voterfile who we already knew. They ain’t AFP members, that’s for damn sure,” a Democratic campaign worker told Politico.

What Gets Cut If The Debt Commission Doesn’t Agree?

A majority of the deficit reduction in the plan being proposed to resolve the debt ceiling crisis is supposed to come from the recommendations of a special commission. And to create an incentive for the commission to write a proposal that passes congress, there’s a “trigger” mechanism leading to automatic spending cuts if the commission proposal isn’t adopted. Half of those cuts come from defense, and half come from the non-defense side. But the sequestration mechanism “would exempt Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement. Likewise, any cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side.”

So what’s left? Here are Matt Cameron’s calculations:

Study: Deunionization A Leading Factor Behind Increasing Income Inequality

Deunionization is worsening the income inequality gap, accounting for nearly a third and a fifth of wage inequality among men and women, respectively. According to a study by Bruce Western of Harvard University, data proves “the role of unions as an equalizing force in the labor market“:

House To Recess After Debt Vote, Even Though FAA Shutdown Is Forcing Inspectors To Work Without Pay

With all eyes in Washington focused on the debt ceiling debate, little has been made of another costly impasse. Republicans have refused to re-authorize the Federal Aviation Administration without including an anti-union measure in the deal, leaving the FAA in the midst of a costly 10-day shutdown that has forced it to furlough more than 4,000 workers nationwide.

Biden Reportedly Told House Dems That Obama Was Prepared To Invoke Fourteenth Amendment

The Huffington Post’s Jennifer Bendery reports that Vice President Biden told House Democrats that President Obama would have used the Fourteenth Amendment to prevent a catastrophic default if Congress failed to reach a debt ceiling deal:

Debt Ceiling Deal Paves Way For Potentially Historic Lobbying Campaign

WASHINGTON -- The super committee established under the still-to-be-passed debt ceiling deal has been granted immense powers to make its recommendations law. But that doesn't mean grand bargain of sorts is summarily off the table, even if the 12 committee members get stuck or Congress ends up rejecting their suggestions.