GAO Report Shows Multiple Conflict of Interest
Cases at Fed Regional Banks

post from Firedoglake on 19 October 2011 05:45:19 PM. © Firedoglake

A stunning new GAO report prompted by Bernie Sanders shows there's not much distance between the big financial institutions on Wall Street and the Federal Reserve system, particularly when it comes to the directors of the regional banks GAO found[...]

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Republicans Fighting Hard Against School Funding
in Colorado

post from DemConWatch on 19 October 2011 05:16:40 PM. © DemConWatch

Colorado Republicans are fighting a proposed tax increase that is meant to fill the gap for the cuts in education. If you live in Colorado or know somebody that does please vote for Proposition 103.

God forbid kids get a decent education without huge class sizes.

Proposition 103 would restore state income, corporate and sales taxes to their 1999 levels for the benefit of education:

Corporate income tax and personal income tax rates would increase from 4.63% to 5%.
The state sales tax rate would increase from 2.9% to 3%.
The initiative would raise an anticipated $532 million per year.
The new funds must go toward preventing further cuts to education — preschool through higher education – and, depending on the economy and recovery, could begin restoring funding for some of the devastating cuts of the past three years.
The new rates would be in effect temporarily for five years, beginning in January 2012.

You can get more info on Prop 103 here.

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http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com/diary/4848/republicans-fighting-hard-aga
inst-school-funding-in-colorado

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Herman Cain Knows Marketing

post from Firedoglake on 19 October 2011 05:15:27 PM. © Firedoglake

Herman Cain may have very limited political experience and lack policy depth, but so far, he's proven to be a master at branding himself. When asked to use one word to describe the candidate, voters' top answer for Herman Cain is 9-9-9. This is an[...]

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Obama lays blame on potential job losses exactly
where it belongs: On the GOP

post from Daily Kos on 19 October 2011 05:11:43 PM. © Daily Kos

Obama in North Carolina President Barack Obama talks with a patron during a lunch stop in Reidsville, N.C., Oct. 18, 2011.
(Pete Souza/White House)Nice.

President Obama wrapped up his three-day bus trip through North Carolina and Virginia today by telling a group of firefighters that public safety jobs across the country basically depend on congressional Republicans.
"We'll see if they'll fight just as hard for your jobs as they fight for their jobs," Obama told members of Fire Station 9 in North Chesterfield, Va.

In other words, if those firefighters lose their jobs, it's the GOP's fault.

Americans are livid with government for paralysis in the face of economic calamity. It's important people know exactly who is to blame if additional drastic cuts slash into the ability of government to serve and protect us.

With Occupy Wall Street setting the terms of the economic debate with a message that resonates with Americans, and Obama (finally!) on the offensive on jobs, you can sense Republican nervousness. It leads to insipid sounds bites like this one:

"Let's park the campaign bus, put away the talking points, and do something to address this jobs crisis," McConnell said. "The American people want action. The election's 13 months away. Let's do what we were elected to do."

Obama has only been on that "campaign bus" for three days, yet they desperately want him off it, don't they? But what have McConnell and the GOP been doing the rest of the last three years?

Obama is right?there's one party (for the most part) in DC that wants to save jobs and create new ones, and there's a party that is terrified at the prospect of job growth. There's one party that wants to see America working, and another one that is undermining our country for partisan gain.

There is nothing the GOP fears more than a job created, and they'll do everything in their power to prevent that from happening. It's now up to Obama and the Democrats (including the worthless Blue Dogs, if they want to survive 2012) to aggressively point that out.

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otential-job-losses-exactly-where-it-belongs:-On-theGOP

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TPM Status Blog

post from Talking Points Memo on 19 October 2011 05:00:40 PM. © Talking Points Memo

Core to our redesign, which we're in the midst of rolling out through October, is a renewed and fanatical devotion to user experience. In other words, not just the pure words on the virtual page but how the site works, how it looks, how good a job the[...]

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Reid Tees Up the Ball

post from Talking Points Memo on 19 October 2011 05:00:40 PM. © Talking Points Memo

Reid tees up test vote on teachers and firefighters portion of jobs bill. [...]

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New Lineup

post from Talking Points Memo on 19 October 2011 05:00:40 PM. © Talking Points Memo

MSNBC shuffles its primetime schedule. [...]

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Legislative Republicans say they'll protect PERS
and the 13th check; don't be fooled

post from Cottonmouth on 19 October 2011 05:00:31 PM. © Cottonmouth

The PERS support group Honor Your Promise released an email today in response to the Republican statement yesterday that they'll protect the 13th check. In short, the Republicans pledge that they won't make any changes to the yearly PERS cost of living adjustment, commonly referred to as "the 13th check." Well, here's the problem. A bunch of those same Republicans have already voted against protecting PERS.

I'm sure that these Republicans will go against the recommendations of Governor Barbour's Study Commission. I'm absolutely positive. After all, they never do what Gov. Barbour tells them to do, ever. Enough sarcasm. Here's the Honor Your Promise email with the names of the Republicans who voted against protecting PERS once already:

Yesterday several state legislators issued a joint press release pledging not to eliminate the 13th check. However, nineteen of the lawmakers taking the ?pledge? actually voted against the PERS system in 2009. A Constitutional Amendment to protect PERS from political influence (HR 31) passed the House of Representatives despite opposition from these lawmakers. The following legislators should explain their flip flop to retirees and PERS members and their families.

House Republican Leader Rep. Mark Baker (R-Brandon)
Republican Conference Chair Rep. Philip Gunn (R-Clinton)
Republican Floor Leader Rep. Bill Denny (R-Jackson)
Rep. Sid Bondurant (R-Grenada)
Rep. Gary Chism (R-Columbus)
Rep. Ted Mayhall (R-Southaven)
Rep. Scott Bounds (R-Philadelphia)
Rep. Bobby Howell (R-Kilmichael)
Rep. Alex Monsour (R-Vicksburg)
Rep. Rita Martinson (R-Madison)
Rep. Jim Ellington (R-Raymond)
Rep. Greg Snowden (R-Meridian)
Rep. Bobby Shows (R-Ellisville)
Rep. Becky Currie (R-Brookhaven)
Rep. Sam Mims (R-McComb)
Rep. Harvey Fillingane (R-Sumrall)
Rep. Larry Byrd (R-Petal)
Rep. Herb Frierson (R-Poplarville)
Rep. Frank Hamilton (R-Hurley)

You want to know what's worse? Rep. Mark Baker, Rep. Philip Gunn, and Rep. Sid Bondurant all have aspirations (Gunn may even have a PAC, more on that to come) to become Speaker of the House should Republicans gain the majority of seats in the House next month. A House Speaker that's already voted against protecting PERS? That's not a scare tactic...that's just plain scary.

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ns-say-theyll.html

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What was up with Michele Bachmanns jacket at the
GOP debate

As Joe My God reports, Twitter was abuzz with folks trying to get a handle on Michele Bachmann's weird white paramilitary jacket at last night's GOP debate. WafflesAtNoon has assembled some of the best tweets about it, here are a few:

JeffLassiter
Michele Bachmann looks like she?s running for President of the Love Boat in that jacket

TheDCVince
Ok, I admit it. Bachmann definitely borrowed Gaddafi?s winter jacketfor tonight?s debate.

JoeMyGod
I can?t hear Bachmann over the loud jacket from JCPenny?s Lady Dictator line.

3x1minus1
I just really wish @andersoncooper would ask Bachmann ?WHAT is UP with that JACKET??

KYColChad
Nice jacket, Bachmann, but you left your twirling baton and the rest of the band back at the hotel.

MikeDrucker
Michele Bachmann looks like she?s running for Space Emperor.

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Brad Avakian For Congress (OR-1)

Primary voters in Oregon start filling in their ballots this Friday in the special election to fill David Wu's seat in the northwest corner of Oregon. The first congressional district is dependably Democratic. Obama took it with 61%-- and in 2000 and 2004 Bush only managed 44%. The district includes western Portland and the city's western suburbs including "Silicon Forest," plus Oregon's wine country and a bunch of Scandinavian socialist dairy farmers up north. It's a great place to live. And there are three big-time candidates in the primary, Brad Avakian, Suzanne Bonamici and Brad Witt.

Suzanne Bonamici is another business-friendly corporate shill being shoved down Democrats' throats by EMILYS List, the kind of politician who is a walking discouragement to Democratic base voters from voting. She started her career as a lawyer in the Reagan administration. In the last debate Avakian was clear that he won't support any free trade agreement that costs jobs and, essentially Witt had the good sense to say "me too." By contrast, Bonamici, a millionaire, did a song and dance about having an open mind and wanting to stay neutral to use her leverage to make these trade deals better. Perhaps she doesn't know that trade deals are negotiated under fast track authority, so members of Congress-- especially junior ones-- have nothing to say about it.

I was less sure about picking between Avakian and Witt, but Witt hasn't shaped up as a serious contender and when it came to ending the occupation of Afghanistan. Avakian made it clear that he wants the troops to come home from Afghanistan immediately. "Now means now," he said. But Witt said we can't leave until we've trained the Afghan military. That means not in our lifetimes.

Avakian has the clearest record as a straight forward progressive leader. He'll make the best Member of Congress. This morning, Greg Sargent at the Washington Post put it like this: "Progressive Oregon labor commissioner Brad Avakian is running in a special election to replace Rep. David Wu, and if you want to see what it looks like when a Dem candidate for Congress is not afraid to fully embrace Occupy Wall Street, then watch this video":

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http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2011/10/brad-avakian-for-congress-or-1.html