Stephen King wrecks right wing tax bullshit

Stephen King: Tax Me, for F@%&’s Sake! – The Daily Beast
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/30/stephen-king-tax-me-for-f-s-sake.html

What charitable 1 percenters can’t do is assume responsibility—America’s national responsibilities: the care of its sick and its poor, the education of its young, the repair of its failing infrastructure, the repayment of its staggering war debts.

Pretty awesome essay that destroys the right wing taking points on higher taxes.  The sad part?…the idiots that believe them can’t read a whole essay, and will miss how Stephen King destroys each of their talking points even as they repeat them. 

Check the comments on the article for this modern absurdity of ignorance to commence in full.

Romney campaign takes credit for Auto Bailout Romney opposed

One of Mitt Romney’s top advisers said Saturday that President Obama’s decision to bailout Chrysler and General Motors was actually Romney’s idea.

“[Romney’s] position on the bailout was exactly what President Obama followed. I know it infuriates them to hear that,” Eric Fehrnstrom, senior adviser to the Romney campaign, said.

“The only economic success that President Obama has had is because he followed Mitt Romney’s advice.”

The claim appears to be a shift from Mitt Romney’s November 2008 op-ed in The New York Times, headlined, “Let Detroit go bankrupt.”

Expect a lot of this.  Romney’s core supporters are two groups that will believe anything: people who hate Obama and Mormons.  Hence the Romney campaign is under the impression they can say pretty much anything and expect a good portion of their supporters to believe it wholeheartedly.

As to the general election, the hope is to sling so much mud the cynics stay home and the low-information folks get fooled in sizable numbers.

“Romneality” is what I call the strategy, although I don’t think it will work…blatant b.s. like in this story only fools a small portion the populace.  Combing John Kerry’s charisma with George W. Bush’s policies doesn’t seem like a winning combination in any sense.


Romney campaign aide claims auto bailout was Romney’s idea – The Hill’s Ballot Box
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/224371-romney-campaign-claims-auto-bailout-was-his-idea?utm_campaign=briefingroom

The Secrets to Capitalism by Mitt Romney

“We’ve always encouraged young people: Take a shot, go for it. Take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents, start a business,” said Romney, whose wealth is estimated upwards of $250 million.

He has been battling the perception he’s out of touch with regular Americans.

“This is kind of an American experience,” Romney said of Jimmy John’s.

“And if you can’t do that, just take some money out of your trust fund to live your dream.”

And people thought Biden was a gaffe machine.

Mitt Romney to students who want to start their own business: Borrow money from your parents  – NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election-2012/mitt-romney-students-start-business-borrow-money-parents-article-1.1069096?localLinksEnabled=false

Republicans take student loans hostage to try and limit student access to “greatest healthcare system in the world”

(CBS News) The Obama administration has issued a veto threat of the House version of a bill to extend low interest rates on student loans because the Republican version of the legislation would repeal part of President Obama’s health care overhaul.

“This is a politically-motivated proposal and not the serious response that the problem facing America’s college students deserves,” the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said in a statement. “If the President is presented with H.R. 4628, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.”

After finding such success with the hostage taking tactic, its not surprising to see them doing it again and again.

http://m.cbsnews.com/storysynopsis.rbml?pageType=politics&catid=57422964&feed_id=3&videofeed=39
http://m.cbsnews.com/storysynopsis.rbml?pageType=politics&catid=57422964&feed_id=3&videofeed=39

Logic beats Superstition

Scientists have revealed one of the reasons why some folks are less religious than others: They think more analytically, rather than going with their gut. And thinking analytically can cause religious belief to wane — for skeptics and true believers alike.

The study, published in Friday’s edition of the journal Science, indicates that belief may be a more malleable feature of the human psyche than those of strong faith may think.

The cognitive origins of belief — and disbelief —traditionally haven’t been explored with academic rigor, said lead author Will Gervais, a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

“There’s been a long-standing intellectual tradition of treating science as one thing and religion as separate, and never the twain shall meet,” he said. But in recent years, he added, there has been a push “to understand religion and why our species has the capacity for religion.”

The curious thing…for a good long while religions *had* the better explanations. Now, of course, they do not and rely largely on leveraging ignorance to remain relevant. 

Thinking can undermine religious faith, study finds – wsbt.com
http://www.wsbt.com/health/la-sci-religion-analytical-thinking-20120427,0,4925692.story

Actually Mitt, I pay a higher tax rate than you do, so STFU

Eager to turn the political page to the general election, Romney accused President Barack Obama of “false promises and weak leadership.” He declared, “Everywhere I go, Americans are tired of being tired, and many of those who are fortunate enough to have a job are working harder for less.”

Somebody has to pay for your tax cuts, asshat.

Does anyone who doesn’t share in fantasies with this guy actually like him?


Norwich Bulletin : Romney sweeps Northeast primaries, promises better America
http://m.norwichbulletin.com/norwich/pm_29425/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=xpAkX0MF

State Board of Education Candidate: Pilgrims Were Communists, and Died for it

Allow us to introduce Gail Spurlock, a Republican from Richardson seeking her party’s nom for the State Board of Education seat. She has some interesting things to say about history in this interview with the North Texas Council, a group “concerned with the direction our country is taking with regards to fiscal responsibility and the lack of constitutionality of our government laws.” For example, the war raging in the BOE isn’t one of culture. It’s about “restoring history.” Spurlock is shocked, just shocked, about everything she didn’t learn in grade-school U.S. history, like how all the pilgrims were total commies.

via State Board of Education Candidate: Pilgrims Were Communists, And That’s Why They Died – Dallas News – Unfair Park.

Yes…there is a video.  Just remember the name “Gail Spurlock” and know not to vote for her, please.

Thanks.

Oh, you liberal media you (brought to you by Exxon, Boeing and Lockheed Martin)

Sunday political shows’ guests: 70% Republican, 86% male, 92% white

Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting monitored the guests on Sunday political shows from June 2011 to February 2012. They found that the guests for one-on-one interviews were 70% Republican, 86% male and 92% white. US government sources accounted for 47% of appearances, and journalists accounted for 43%.

I’d love to see the same numbers for comparison by talk radio, that bastion of progressive thinking.

Signal Wire: Sunday political shows’ guests: 70% Republican, 86% male, 92% white
http://www.thesignalwire.com/2012/04/sunday-political-shows-guests-70.html?m=1

Ron Paul to Mitt Romney…lie about your plans…it worked for W

Asked what advice he would give to whomever the Republican Party ultimately chooses to take on President Obama in November, Paul said that the candidate needs to advocate a “humble” foreign policy of limited military intervention overseas – a message that he argued swept the GOP into the White House in 2000.

“They need to take a page from George [W.] Bush on how to win the election. Of course, we didn’t get a humble foreign policy. But I think you lose ground by not distinguishing yourself on foreign policy.”

If anyone had serious questions about why this guy didn’t win a single state and only seems to have strong support among conspiracists, cynics, and blatantly racist assholes…can we all considered those questions answered?

Ron Paul calls political differences with Romney ‘pretty significant’ | Politics | providencejournal.com | The Providence Journal
http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/04/ron-paul-calls-political-differences-with-romney-pretty-significant.html

Paul Ryan claims Catholic bishops are liars after they judge his budget to be immoral

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) dismissed the concerns of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, after the powerful advocacy group criticized his budget for “failing to meet [the] moral criteria,” of protecting human dignity, prioritizing the needs of the hungry and homeless and promoting the common good. He also suggested that the criticism itself might not represent the Bishops’ consensus view — an insinuation the group directly rejects.

“These are not all the Catholic bishops, and we respectfully disagree,” Ryan said.

USCCB spokesman Don Clemmer cleared the air in an email to TPM. “Bishops who chair USCCB committees are elected by their fellow bishops to represent all of the U.S. bishops on key issues at the national level,” he said. “The letters on the federal budget were written by bishops serving in this capacity.”

I can’t imagine any who understands what the Ryan Plan does and how it does it would support it.  Certainly no one with morals or a basic understanding of economics, or really just base human decency would do so.

Paul Ryan tends to lie about everyone who calls his plan ridiculous…that should tell you something about the plan, and the man
__
Top Republican Says Catholic Bishops May Not Actually Morally Oppose His Budget | TPMDC
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/04/paul-ryan-questions-catholic-bishop-opposition-to-his-budget.php?m=1

What Mitt Romney *used to* think about working moms

“Even if you have a child two years of age you need to go to work.,” Romney said in a campaign stop in Manchester, N.H. in January. “And people said, ‘Well that’s heartless.’ And I said, ‘No, no, I’m willing to spend more giving day care to allow those parents to go back to work. It’ll cost the state more providing that daycare, but I want the individuals to have the dignity of work.'”

The clip, aired Sunday morning on MSNBC’s “Up With Chris Hayes,” shows a candidate with less leniency toward mothers than one would think, given the outpouring of praise given to mothers of all kinds after Rosen’s comments.

Romney’s remarks were in reference to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which was created in 1996 as a part of welfare reform. Providing block grants to states, which are then intended to be directed to families in need, the number of families assisted by TANF has decreased from 68 for every 100 in poverty in 1996 to 27 for every 100 in 2010, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities study.

Couple things to note…he only thinks, apparently, poor mothers need paying jobs. Just being a mom doesn’t count for them and also…how can such a massive decrease in the ratio of people getting help be considered a march to socialism?  

Romney’s past views on working women, stay-at-home moms unearthed – latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-romneys-past-views-unearthed-on-working-women-stayathome-moms-20120415,0,611519.story

Aah, the old ‘my ignorance is worth as much as your expertise’ argument

“When you have an area of the science where there is a consensus like in climate change, where the problem is real and the scientific implications are on a collision course with vested interests like the fossil fuel industry, you often see this,” said Michael Mann, a well-known climate scientist and Penn State professor.

NASA has been clear that it firmly accepts the reality of the science behind climate change, including the work of renowned climate scientist James Hansen,so complaints from a few dozen retired NASA administrators and a handful of astronauts and engineers calling on NASA to stop saying that anthropogenic carbon dioxide causes climate change can hardly be taken seriously.

A full 98 percent of all working climate scientists affirm anthropogenic climate change, according to a paper published in 2010 in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences,and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found the evidence that the world is warming to be “unequivocal.”

Sad but unsurprising how effective this has been. Big tobacco was able to hold off science for a generation using the same tactics, and media consolidation has made it even easier to mislead the ignorant. I’m not sure what it will take now…but the changes are getting more obvious faster now, which will add more pressure to deniers faster, always a good thing.

NASA Climate Change Letter Belongs To Long Tradition Of Fake Expertise – The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/04/13/nasa-climate-change-denier-stunts_n_1424492.html