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Race in America, and Arguments

post from Everyday Citizen on 26 September 2009 07:04:12 PM. © Everyday Citizen

In view of the current "conversation" regarding race and racism in the United States, I found[...]

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http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2009/09/race_in_america.html

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Forty-Nine Out Of Fifty Governors Managed To Take
The Call

post from Daily Kos on 26 September 2009 07:02:04 PM. © Daily Kos

Apparently Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was too busy signing another giant, fake cardboard check:

Yesterday, the White House held a conference call between Vice President Biden and governors of U.S. states and territories. The purpose of the call, according to the White House pool report, was to "exhort the states to collect and submit quarterly numbers of jobs created and saved by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act by the deadline of Oct. 10." Forty-nine state governors or their representatives joined the call. The one person who skipped it? Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R).

Jindal has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Recovery Act — at the same time he goes around the state and takes credit for the federal dollars he was handing out. In July, Jindal declared the legislation a "stimulus that has not stimulated." Yet he had no problems with handing out giant checks with his name on them...that contained millions of dollars of Recovery Act funds for job training programs, housing assistance programs, homelessness prevention programs, police training, criminal justice technology upgrades, and community development block grants.

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http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/4Ymv4MMub-k/-Forty-Nine-Out-Of-Fif
ty-Governors-Managed-To-Take-The-Call

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Law & Order v. John Yoo

post from Firedoglake on 26 September 2009 07:00:11 PM. © Firedoglake

As we've been discussing the threads, Law and Order last night took on torture and, specifically, the role of John Yoo and others in justifying torture. I'm particularly interested in the way they left the episode unresolved--just as we are now on[...]

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http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/09/26/law-and-order-versus-john-yoo/

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Good-paying Jobs and the Availability of Healthy
Food

post from Everyday Citizen on 26 September 2009 06:28:24 PM. © Everyday Citizen

(Here's my monthly column reprinted from the Dallas Morning News) A new study out of Washington[...]

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http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2009/09/goodpaying_jobs_and_the_availa.html

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Poised For Progress At The U.N. Climate Summit In
Copenhagen

post from Think Progress on 26 September 2009 06:06:00 PM. © Think Progress

AP090709019310-1 While Mother Jones? David Corn is an excellent reporter, he is a lousy tealeaf reader. Mr. Corn misread a recent article by Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Nobel Peace Prize winner, and myself in advance of the G20 summit, incorrectly concluding our purpose was to downplay expectations on behalf of the Administration. Mr. Corn?s interpretation of our piece is inaccurate. Dr. Pachauri, one of the world’s foremost advocates for strong global action on climate change, and I both recognize that significant challenges remain in advance of the U.N. summit in December. But we are confident that the international community is poised to make substantial progress on climate change in Copenhagen, and that the U.S. is now in a position to exercise renewed leadership in pursuit of a best-case climate scenario.

The purpose of our September 23 piece was to emphasize the importance of climate change in advance of the G20 meetings and encourage the world?s top emitters to seize an important opportunity to take concrete steps to move forward in advance of December?s summit. It is not news that the divide between the unwieldy groups of developed and developing countries have stalled climate talks in the past and that they are drifting again. It is, however, noteworthy that major emitters have recently utilized new channels — the Administration?s Major Economies Forum, for example, as well as the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue — to lay the groundwork for a new climate agreement in Copenhagen. We think this is an important development and should be pursued whenever opportunities, like this week’s summit, arise. Our piece urged leaders at the G20 to pursue concrete actions prior to Copenhagen on issues such as financing arrangements, technology cooperation, and deforestation prevention to increase the chances of success in December.

Even in the midst of global economic crisis, climate change has remained at the top of the agenda both in the United States and in key countries around the world. There is broad consensus that the effects of climate change are not only real, but will be devastating to developed and developing countries alike if the international community fails to agree on a global emissions reduction strategy soon. The road ahead is not without obstacles, which our piece pointed out. But the fate of Copenhagen is far from sealed — and it is my strong belief that the Obama Administration is committed to doing all it can to lead the world into a low-carbon, clean energy future.

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http://thinkprogress.org/2009/09/26/corn-kyoto/

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CNBC declares "Mission Accomplished" for EU
economy

post from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth on 26 September 2009 06:03:00 PM. © AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth

Uh huh. Next to Larry Kudlow, Kudlow's Mini-Me is my favorite wingnut over at CNBC. He's such an avid follower of all things Europe which is why he's now declaring EU victory over the US. See, the stimulus was a complete waste of money according to Mini-Me. Despite new polling in the US that suggests Americans are finally seeing the benefit, it didn't help at all according to CNBC. Somehow an even higher unemployment rate would have been better for Mini-Me and we all know how little the unemployment rate impacts the rest of the economy.

Turning to Europe, yes, France *technically* moved out of recession. As someone who is maybe just a little more familiar with the business world in Europe than Mini-Me, it will be a shock if the growth trend advantage continues over here. All signs on the ground point towards increasing unemployment and a very shaky 2010. Considering how many people are concerned about a double dip recession, it's strange to read about the big victory. Before anyone declares "Mission Accomplished" maybe they should pause for a moment and watch the rest of the program.

Putting aside any technical definitions this recession and its near term problems has yet to fully play out. (One could also argue that the technical terms are meaningless anyway. Americans felt the recession well before the recession technically arrived.) Mini-Me and the Republicans always love waving the banner too soon. The system over here moves much slower both going into recession and coming out of recession. It remains possible that Europe will emerge first and stronger from this recession but somehow it doesn't look likely from what I see and hear. Forget about any short term spikes and let's see how it all plays out over the next 12-36 months. If anyone wants to declare victory at that point, fine, but before then it's all a bit silly.

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/3eBsifP0o9o/cnbc-declares-mission-a
ccomplished-for.html

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Hey GOP -- Time to Get-a-Clue-is-stan!

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 26 September 2009 05:51:37 PM. © Docudharma - Front Page

KNOCK, KNOCK!Who's There?Chuck.Chuck WHO?Chuck Doesnt-have-any-Guts Grassley!Grassley: "go work for the federal government" for affordable insurancehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v...Great Advice Mr. Grassley! ... Yes, ALL of America -- Should go work for[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Docudharma/~3/4KjZZ8-wE1w/hey-gop-time-to-getaclue
isstan

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Does Hip Hop Mike Really Care

post from field negro on 26 September 2009 05:41:00 PM. © field negro

Hip Hop Mike is a trip. Divide and conquer, that's his thing these days. Since when did Michael Steele care about the welfare of black governors, or black anything for that matter? I think I will answer that one: never!
Yet there is the report from The Hill that according to the NY Times, Hip Hop Mike is surprised and "stunned" that his O ness didn't want David Paterson to run again to be the governor of the great state of New York.
?I found that to be stunning, that the White House would send word to one of only two black governors in the country not to run for reelection,?

Yeah right, like you care. Since when did you become concerned about the fate of black folks? Oh, wait, I know; since it become politically expedient to do so. I think this is just Hip Hop Mike trying to manipulate the political dialogue in a negative way for the dems. Anything to score cheap political points huh Mike? This is taking it a step further than just the usual disputatious back and forth between political foes.

?It raises a curious point for me. I think Gov. Paterson?s numbers are about the same as Gov. Corzine?s. The president is with Gov. Corzine,? Steele said. The RNC chairman was referring to Gov. Jon Corzine, the Democratic New Jersey governor who is facing a tough reelection bid this year.

Hmmm, he might have a point there...but let me leave that one alone. Because honestly, I think I could make the case that Paterson is much worse at being governor that Corzine. Bad numbers or not.

If you can't make that case, well then O man we might just have a problem.

I just wish that someone other than Hip Hop Mike had said it.

Read The Full Article:
http://field-negro.blogspot.com/2009/09/does-hip-hop-mike-realy-care.html

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'To Serve And Protect' - Who Pittsburgh Police
Use Tear Gas and Sonic Cannons on Protesters

video details and more

Perfect timing for CNN. Hugo Chavez gets cut off as he berates the U.S. for the genocide of our indigenous Americans, and CNN switches to live coverage of the G20 protests. The anchors are too dumb to realize the police are using sonic cannons, instead referring to it as "an annoying siren."

Our America grows more authoritarian by the day, and the election hasn't changed that. Citizens are seen as the enemy, corporate interests are sacred and the police are the ultimate authority, answering to no one. They deploy weapons developed for war zones against civilian populations - and nothing happens. The media? Don't make me laugh.

PITTSBURGH ? Hours after the Group of 20 meeting ended, the protests did not.
The police here arrested 110 people on Friday night, according to the mayor?s office. They dispersed hundreds of students milling near the University of Pittsburgh with pepper spray and smoke canisters in a scene reminiscent of the previous night?s disturbances on the first day of the economic summit.
The group, estimated at close to 500 people, gathered near Schenley Plaza around 10 p.m., with students saying they were drawn because they were angry over how the riot police treated students at Thursday?s gathering. Some students said their curiosity was piqued by a university message warning them to stay off the streets.
The police used a loudspeaker to announce that the plaza assembly was unlawful and ordered the crowd to disperse about 11 p.m. Soon afterward, plumes of white smoke could be seen rising near Bigelow Boulevard and officers beating cadence on plastic shields with long batons marched down Forbes Avenue, driving back students, onlookers and journalists. A block north, as people scattered, officers fired projectiles at a young man riding a scooter down Fifth Avenue, knocking him to the ground and arresting him.
It was the second consecutive night of turbulence in the bustling streets surrounding the university, where crowds of bar-hoppers were largely displaced by fleets of police vans, armored vehicles and phalanxes of officers wearing helmets, padded vests and shiny plastic shin guards.
On Friday morning a flier had circulated instructing people to gather again at the university to protest Thursday night?s events. The police then had rushed towards students in a dormitory courtyard and squirted pepper spray after black clad protesters dashed though nearby streets, smashing the windows of a University of Pittsburgh police sub station and several restaurants. Those protesters had also ignited a dumpster, which they rolled into the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Oakland Avenue before fleeing into the university campus.
Dillon Snyder, 18, a freshman at the university, said he was retreating from clouds of white smoke on Thursday, when he was struck above his right elbow with a kind of projectile fired by police.
On Saturday, he said his elbow was still sore, as he reflected on the events on his campus over the past two nights.
?There was really no reason for such extreme action,? he said. ?The guns, the rubber bullets and the dogs probably did more to incite people.?

Oh, and watch Sean Hannity berate these protesters, who turn the table on him:

video details and more

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/serve-and-protect-who-pittsburgh-poli

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Glenn Beck, high as a kite

From Alexander Zaitchik's three part (1, 2, and 3) mini-biography of Glenn Beck on Salon.com comes this nugget:

Beck was known at B104 as a pro's pro in the studio but was becoming increasingly unraveled when not working. "Beck used to get hammered after every show at this little bar-café down the street," remembers a music programmer who worked with Beck. "At first we thought he was going to get lunch." The extent to which Beck was struggling to keep it together is highlighted by Beck's arrest one afternoon just outside Baltimore. He was speeding in his DeLorean with one of the car's gull-wing doors wide open when the cops pulled him over. According to a former colleague, Beck was "completely out of it" when a B104 manager went down to the station to bail him out. In his 2003 book, "Real America," Beck refers to himself as a borderline schizophrenic. Whether that statement is matter-of-fact or intended for effect, he has spoken more than once about taking drugs for ADHD, and when he was at B104, Beck's coworkers believed him to be taking prescription medication for some kind of mental or psychological ills. "He used to complain that his medication made him feel like he was 'under wet blankets,'" remembers the former music programmer.

Today, when Beck wants to illustrate the jerk he used to be, he tells the story of the time he fired an employee for bringing him the wrong pen during a promotional event. According to former colleagues in Baltimore, Beck didn't just fire people in fits of rage -- he fired them slowly and publicly. "He used to take people to a bar and sit them down and just humiliate them in public. He was a sadist, the kind of guy who rips wings off of flies," remembers a colleague.

According to Zaitchik's article, Beck claims to have gotten high every single day from ages 16 through 31, using marijuana, cocaine, and booze. He hopped from job-to-job for years, earning a reputation as a major-league anti-social misfit. He considered suicide in the mid-1990s, but thanks to having lucked into a job at a Clear Channel-owned station in 1992 (before the company exploded into a broadcasting behemoth), Beck in the late 90s managed to get the break that would set his career on fire, landing a talk show in Tampa, Florida.

Zaitchik's article isn't a hatchet job, but his portrait of Beck as a shock jock isn't exactly flattering. It's worth a read.