Trying To Lose

post from jobsanger on 06 August 2012 01:03:00 AM. © jobsanger

Political Cartoon is by Rick McKee in The Augusta Chronicle.

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Roseanne Still Running For President

post from jobsanger on 06 August 2012 01:02:00 AM. © jobsanger

Most of us who follow progressive politics in this country thought the presidential bid of comedian Roseanne Barr was over -- at least for this year. She had campaigned for the presidential nomination of the Green Party, but lost to progressive activist and physician Jill Stein on the first ballot when the party held its convention a few weeks ago in Baltimore. But like a bad penny, Roseanne just keeps turning up in the presidential race.

CNN is reporting that Roseanne was named the presidential candidate of the Peace and Freedom Party on Saturday in Los Angeles. Cindy Sheehan was named as her vice-presidential running mate. Roseanne said:
"Cindy and I are the ?Throw the Bums Out? ticket and the ?Ballot Access? ticket. The American people are sick and tired of this ?lesser evil? garbage they get fed every election year. Both the Democrats and the Republicans do the same evils once they?re in office."

The Peace and Freedom Party is a tiny left-wing party that is not even on the ballot in most states. In fact, it virtually doesn't exist outside the state of California. Even if the party's candidates were to win in every state where they are on the ballot (an impossibility), they wouldn't have anywhere near enough electoral college votes to win the presidency.

Frankly, I find this rather pathetic -- both for Roseanne and for the Peace and Freedom Party. I know the party is trying to use Roseanne's notoriety to try and increase the size and public awareness of the party. But the fact is that progressives and other leftists already have a viable alternative with many, if not all, of the same political positions -- the Green Party. The only thing this ridiculous nomination can do is further fractionalize an already struggling left wing in American politics.

I like both Roseanne and Cindy, and I respect what the Peace and Freedom Party wants to accomplish. But I urge all my fellow progressives to vote for Dr. Stein and the Green Party if you cannot stomach voting for the Democrats (who I'll admit are far from true progressive values). The left should not be splitting itself into many tiny groups. It should be working to make one viable and effective party promoting leftist values.

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g-for-president.html

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Nothing To Hide

post from jobsanger on 06 August 2012 01:01:00 AM. © jobsanger

Political Cartoon is by Jim Morin in The Miami Herald.

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If It’s Monday, It’s Mars

post from TaylorMarsh.com on 06 August 2012 01:00:54 AM. © TaylorMarsh.com

IT’S BEING hailed as a “life-changing landing on Mars” and today is the day.

From PBS:

For the past eight years, I’ve been the Deputy Project Scientist on the Mars Science Laboratory mission, with its rover, Curiosity. It’s the most ambitious robotic mission ever undertaken by NASA, with scientific goals to match. We’re doing no less than delivering a state-of-the-art analytical chemistry laboratory to the surface of Mars, driving it up a three-mile-high stack of layered sediments, and attempting to determine whether our neighbor planet ever offered conditions suitable for life.
[...] As we said at the launch, and will say one more time on Sunday: Go MSL, and Go Curiosity!

The “Curiosity Cam” is streaming live online. The countdown to 1:30 a.m. August 6th has commenced. More at NOVA.

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http://taylormarsh.com/blog/2012/08/if-its-monday-its-mars/

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Late, Late Night FDL: Live Your Life

post from Firedoglake on 06 August 2012 01:00:23 AM. © Firedoglake

Yuna - Live Your Life This lovely, Malaysian Lassie had just performed earlier today at Lollapalooza 2012 in Chicago. Next year's Lollapalooza will be in Tel Aviv, Israel...![...]

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A Simple Chart

post from jobsanger on 06 August 2012 01:00:00 AM. © jobsanger

The teabaggers seem incapable of understanding that Romney wants to raise their taxes, while giving the rich another tax cut. Maybe this chart is simple enough for them to comprehend.

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Do conventions still matter

post from DemConWatch on 06 August 2012 12:28:07 AM. © DemConWatch

Politico takes a long look:

It’s become a quadrennial dilemma for Democrats and Republicans alike: How do you make a national political convention meaningful when all the events are pre-programmed; the presidential nominee has already been chosen; and most of the proceedings aren’t even broadcast on television?
...
Perhaps, but Democrats have recognized since they began planning the convention that there’s something dated about the format. These events may help the parties define themselves in the eyes of the public, but the days when Democrats or Republicans would brawl on the convention floor over what the party believes in, officially, are mostly over.
...
“The fact that it’s a three-day convention instead of a four-day convention is a harbinger of things to come,” said Deb Kozikowski, a national committeewoman from Massachusetts.

But that's all they wrote about the future. We'll have conventions as long as there is no incumbent running, as the convention decisions are made long before the primaries. But the next time a President runs for re-election, could be the first time in close to 200 years (if its the DNC) that a major party does not have a full convention.

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http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com/diary/5425/do-conventions-still-matter

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King Of Animal Cruelty

I don't have a dog, which makes me sad. I grew up with dogs, first Princess and then Autumn Haze. Now I travel too much to have one. But I love dogs and every morning I go for a hike and bring a pocketful of the best quality pure dried duck breast strips to give to Gabby, Murphy, Osa, Licorice, Louie and a few who's names I don't know but who live on my route. I usually stop and exchange some good vibes with them. My pals!

There are a lot of reasons to detest Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and there always have been. He's behind almost every rotten thing the GOP has been up to, especially the most mean-spirited stuff, like demanding women who are raped bear the child of the rapist and insisting that if someone can't read English they shouldn't be entitled to vote. Needless to say he's one of the most virulently antigay Members of Congress, absolutely fanatical about it. Most of his colleagues-- not including Michele Bachmann-- consider him a crackpot and an embarrassment. He's so horrible in fact, that we're actually asking people to contribute to Christie Vilsack, his opponent and a moderate Democrat and member of the New Dems-- the only one of that breed we're actually trying to help get elected. As I mentioned yesterday, King is the leader of the pro-cruelty to animals caucus. His record is astoundingly anti-animal, more so than anyone else in Congress. And his latest stunt is to try to legalize dog fighting.

Tuesday is primary day in Washington state and I got an e-mail from the Humane Society urging me to support Darcy Burner. Darcy is a dear friend and someone who has been endorsed by Blue America for many reasons. The Humane Society just gave us another one. Executive Director Sara Amundson: "We are grateful for Darcy?s support of humane issues and for her work to create a more humane society." Steve King was graded a ZERO by the Humane Society. Here's the Washington's House delegation's scores. Opposing cruelty to animals is bipartisan. As you can see, Republican Dave Reichert has a 100% rating, just like 3 of the Democrats, Norman Dicks, Jay Inslee and Jim McDermott. The only Democrat with a really bad and failing rating is New Dem corporate hack Rick Larsen (38%), who is campaigning for Darcy's New Dem opponent, shady multimillionaire Suzan DelBene, who was pointedly not endorsed by the Humane Society.

Here are the 2011 ratings by the Humane Society for the incumbents that the Blue America challengers are running against. If you want to help protect dogs and cats from cruelty, you might want to replace these heartless lugs with candidates who feel the same way you do about it. I asked Rob Zerban, the guy taking on Paul Ryan, what he thinks about Ryan's atrocious record on animalsafety. "My wife and I joke that we treat our two dogs like they're our children. They mean the world to us, and for Congressman Ryan to have such an abysmal record in protecting animals like them is simply unconscionable. Ryan has only a 13% score when it comes to stopping animal cruelty. This F rating is disturbing, and I believe treating animals with compassion is one of many issues that reflects upon someone's character. We can see Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney display selfish tendencies and his lack of compassion explains his cuts to the budget when it comes to the seniors, students, women, and middle class families in his district." These are Rob's 2 pooches, Barley and Hops:

Buck McKeon (CA-0%)- Lee Rogers
Ed Royce (CA-13%)- Jay Chen
Mike Coffman (CO-38%)- Joe Miklosi
Sandy Adams (FL-13%) and John Mica (FL-25%)- Nick Ruiz
Justin Amash (MI-13%)- Trevor Thomas
Charlie Bass (NH-63%)- Ann Kuster
Frank Guinta (NH-13%)- Carol Shea-Porter
Tom Reed (NY-0%)- Nate Shinagawa
Patrick McHenry (NC-25%)- Patsy Keever
Joe Pitts (PA-13%)- Aryanna Strader
Eric Cantor (VA-13%)- Wayne Powell
David McKinely (WV-13%)- Sue Thorn
Paul Ryan (WI-13%)- Rob Zerban

I'll leave you with a one-liner from Lizz Winstead from Hardball on Steve King: "Steve King must look at those SPCA 'dogs-in-crates' ads as porn for him." And here he is (the ugly one on the left):

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http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2012/08/king-of-animal-cruelty.html

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A Nomination for Florida's Commissioner

Reblogged from Diane Ravitch's blog:

A reader has a suggestion for the next Comissioner of Education in Florida. I am mentioning this because he made me laugh out loud. More than once.

I actually think that Bill Gates might like this job. He could try his bracelets on the kids, and use Florida as a kind of laboratory for reform. Florida always scores near the bottom with testing anyway, so what the hell.

LeftWord

Trying To Lose

Roseanne Still Running For President

Nothing To Hide

If It’s Monday, It’s Mars

Late, Late Night FDL: Live Your Life

A Simple Chart

Do conventions still matter

King Of Animal Cruelty

A Nomination for Florida's Commissioner

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