Open Thread

post from Crooks and Liars on 09 September 2012 11:30:53 PM. © Crooks and Liars

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Open thread for night owls: Putting a House
majority in our sights

post from Daily Kos on 09 September 2012 11:30:04 PM. © Daily Kos

Open Thread for Night Owls Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America?s Future and a founder of Health Care for America Now!, writes Obama, Yes. And Win The House Too:

With large leads among women and people of color, and the stark contrast on economic issues building movement toward Obama even among white males in key states, the prospects for Obama winning a second term are starting to look pretty good.
But what about the House? Prospects for Dems keeping the Senate are looking better, but if the House of Representatives stays in Republican hands, even if President Obama is re-elected his second term will be crippled. Obama can still name good Supreme Court justices, and he can veto terrible legislation - both good reasons to vote for him - but, in the face of Republican obstructionism, he will be virtually powerless to pass economic recovery laws aimed at creating jobs and getting the economy growing and not shrinking.
Obama has repeatedly told voters they have the opportunity to "break the current stalemate in Washington between two fundamentally different ideas on how to create strong, sustained economic growth," - as he said in Cleveland on June 14. A few days later he told a campaign crowd "What's holding us back is a stalemate in Washington between two fundamentally different visions on which direction we should go, and this election is your chance to break that stalemate.".
Obama is right, of course, but only if the voters reelect him AND sweep into office at least 25 Democrats to seats now held by Republicans. You didn't hear much about taking back the House as a goal of Democrats at the Charlotte convention - an indication that they don't want to look like failures if they fall short. But for the same reasons Obama now looks like a winner, Democrats and independent activists now have the possibility of "nationalizing" contests for the House and turning this election into an historic wave election that can truly "break the stalemate" and put the nation on a course of decisive change. How do we do that?

Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2009:

On Wednesday afternoon, Olympia Snowe told MSNBC's David Shuster and Tamron Hall that she has personally asked President Obama to remove any mentions of the public option from his speech to Congress.
Snowe said she wanted the president to take the public option "off the table" because doing so "would allay the concerns of so many of whether or not there's a government takeover." Snowe added, "The point is, I don't support a public option, and none of my Republican colleagues do."
So here's the question: how in the world can Olympia Snowe be negotiating in good faith if she is demanding that the public option be taken off the table while simultaneously peddling false taking points about a government takeover of health care?
Snowe claims that she supports a "trigger," but when she says that she is absolutely against the public option, why in the world should we believe that she would ever agree to a trigger that could actually lead to a public option?

Tweet of the Day:

Romney flips on healthcare. That's a flip-flop-flip into a flip-flop-flip-flop, for those keeping score at home: http://t.co/... #p2
? @Jason_Reads via web

Tune in Monday to Friday from 9-11 AM ET for Daily Kos Radio, hosted by David Waldman a/k/a KagroX. You can listen here.

High Impact Posts. Top Comments.

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-owls-Putting-a-House-majority-in-our-sights

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Sunday Late Night: Conservatism Is Being Failed

post from Firedoglake on 09 September 2012 11:01:46 PM. © Firedoglake

As Digby says, conservatism cannot fail. It can only be failed.So now that we have one of the most conservative major parties ever to present a presidential nominee, running on one of the most conservative platforms ever presented by a national party,[...]

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A Note on Methodology

post from Talking Points Memo on 09 September 2012 11:00:57 PM. © Talking Points Memo

A few of you have asked how it could be that President Obama appears to be surging into a small lead and yet the PollTracker Average just moved Mitt Romney slightly ahead. Very good question. So let me explain a bit about our methodology. (More in our[...]

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ve.php

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Video: Americans overwhelmingly want to see
Romney's tax documents

post from US Politics | AMERICAblog News on 09 September 2012 11:00:40 PM. © US Politics | AMERICAblog News

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economyThe issue of Mitt Romney's taxes has gone away for the moment, but refuses to go away. If Romney has any hope of winning, he has to follow his father's example and release the documents. It's the American way.

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C&L's Late Night Music Club with Paolo Nutini

post from Crooks and Liars on 09 September 2012 11:00:00 PM. © Crooks and Liars

Genre: Dixieland Title: Pencil Full of LeadArtist: Paolo Nutini

It's a night for counting your blessings and sharing what you're listening to...

So whatcha listening to? And whatcha grateful for?

We're very grateful to all the C&L'ers who've donated so far to our fundraiser. Please do so if you haven't already; every bit counts:

Sunny Side Up

Price: $9.99 (As of 09/09/12 03:27 pm details)

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Sunday Stuff

post from The Liberal Doomsayer on 09 September 2012 10:15:00 PM. © The Liberal Doomsayer

To me, this was easily the highlight of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte last week ? a highly unoriginal observation, I realize...here is all of former President Clinton?s speech...

...and Slash and Myles Kennedy keep cranking out rockin? little numbers like these.

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Polls and Occupy

In the course of our vivid exchanges in the Book Salon yesterday, I mentioned recent polls on public opinion toward Occupy in polls over the summer. Below are the specifics. But first, let me address the objection that these assessments don't accord[...]

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The NY Archdiocese kicks off the fall season of
illegal church electioneering

by Ken

Yes, ladies and germs, it's that time in the election cycle when the right-wing cahootsniks of the various law-snubbing faiths of American Religion Inc. do their darnedest to flaunt and flout every law and regulation on the books governing church participation in politics, one of the basic facts of the separation of church and state we theoretically insist on, in part as part of the exchange by which religious institutions enjoy their tax-free status.
Each time out we hear the most egregious of the horror stories, and vows to take it up with the IRS, which has jurisdiction over those tax exemptions. But nothing happens, because, after all, who is there in authority who's going to tell any church of any size, "Hey, you guys can't do that"?

With Cardinal Dolan having demonstrated his sway over both organized Republicans and Democrats at the recent nominating conventions, it seems fitting that the opening salvo of the 2012 religious-election-abuse season should be fired within the cardinal's very own archdiocese. Credit Americans United for Separation of Church and State with at least making an issue of it.

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United, is one of the good guys in American religion, a minister (United Church of Christ) who actually believes in the practice of religion consistent with basic American values -- as set out, you know, in the Constitution. His organization has put out the following press release.

Americans United Asks IRS To Investigate NYC Church That Endorsed Romney In Its Bulletin
Church-State Watchdog Group Says Church of Saint Catherine Of Siena May Have Violated Federal Law With Election Intervention

Sep 7, 2012

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a New York City church that endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in its church bulletin.

The Church of Saint Catherine of Siena?s Sept. 2 bulletin contains a column by the Rev. John Farren, a member of the congregation?s pastoral staff. Titled ?From Father Farren, O.P.,? the essay reprints an appeal by several former U.S. ambassadors to the Vatican calling on Catholics to vote for Romney.

The appeal, which Farren reproduced in full, criticizes the Obama administration and concludes, ?We urge our fellow Catholics, and indeed all people of good will, to join with us in this full-hearted effort to elect Governor Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States.?

In a complaint to the IRS sent today, the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, requested an investigation. Lynn noted that federal law forbids non-profit churches from intervening in elections. He also pointed out that IRS rules specifically state that tax-exempt entities may not reprint endorsements made by other groups and people.

?This is an audacious attempt by a tax-exempt church to intervene in the presidential election,? Lynn said. ?This is a church, not a political action committee. It should play by the reasonable rules that other tax-exempt organizations follow.?

Americans United?s Project Fair Play encourages religious organizations to learn about the provisions of federal tax law. When churches or other religious groups flagrantly violate the law, AU files complaints with the IRS.

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

HERE'S THE TEXT OF THE LETTER
AMERICANS UNITED SENT THE IRS

Sept. 7, 2012

Lois G. Lerner, Director
Exempt Organizations Division
Internal Revenue Service 1111 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20224

Dear Ms. Lerner,

I believe the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena in New York City may have violated federal tax law by intervening in the presidential campaign. I?m writing today to urge you to investigate this matter.

A church bulletin dated Sept. 2, 2012, contains a column authored by the Rev. John Farren titled ?From Father Farren, O.P.? The column, which appears on page three of the bulletin, reprints a letter that was issued by several former U.S. ambassadors to the Vatican calling on Catholics to vote for Mitt Romney for president.

The letter that Farren reproduces in whole contains a lengthy attack on the Obama administration and concludes, ?We urge our fellow Catholics, and indeed all people of good will, to join with us in this full-hearted effort to elect Governor Mitt Romney as the next President of the United States.?

I have enclosed a copy of the entire bulletin. The letter reproduced within it contains a clear, unambiguous endorsement of Romney. A tax-exempt organization may not reproduce a letter like this, which is obviously designed to intervene in the presidential election.

Farren?s claim that the letter deals with issue of religious freedom is no defense. The central thrust of the letter is to endorse Romney.

Nor is the fact that the letter was produced by others a defense. The IRS publication ?Election Year Activities and the Prohibition on Political Campaign Intervention for Section 501(c)(3) Organizations? (FS-2006-17, February 2006) is clear on this matter. It states, ?Distributing statements prepared by others that favor or oppose any candidate for public office will also violate the prohibition.?

I believe use of the church bulletin in this manner by the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena may amount to a violation of federal law. I urge you to promptly investigate this incident. The Church of Saint Catherine of Siena?s address is: 411 E. 68th Street, New York, NY 10065-6305. Telephone: (212) 988-8300.

Sincerely,

Barry W. Lynn
Executive Director

My guess is that the NY Archdiocese will promote a bit more discretion among its people. There are ways of getting the message across, after all, without being quite so flagrant. Meanwhile, a tip: Don't hold your breath waiting for the IRS to spring into action.
#

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Florida Republican "Picks Up" The President,
Literally.

enlarge Credit: Zainyk / Tumblr

Too funny: via Associated Press

If President Barack Obama was looking for a lift in Florida, he got one from Scott Van Duzer.

The 46-year-old, six-foot-three Republican gave Obama a bear hug, raising him off the ground as Obama marveled at the man's strength ? and enthusiasm.

Of his embrace, Van Duzer said: "I was overwhelmed when I saw him."

He said Obama had his vote.