EASTER EGGS

A deal, finally, on immigration?

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/immigration-deal-reached-89489.html
Senate negotiators cleared the last major hurdle to reaching a bipartisan immigration reform deal Saturday as labor and business groups signed off on a visa program for future low-skilled workers, according to sources familiar with the talks.

The agreement marks a major breakthrough and significantly improves the odds of passing a larger immigration bill because it brings two powerful Washington interests on board on an issue that contributed to the defeat of past reform efforts. . . . 

More: http://www.rollcall.com/news/breakthrough_reached_on_guest_worker_program-223516-1.html 

Sunday think piece: how capitalism works

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/03/rules-game

Despite all their failures, the Republicans think they can retake the Senate in 2014. (They might be right)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mcconnell-republicans-gear-up-for-2014-with-hopes-of-taking-control-of-the-senate/2013/03/29/7276abd6-97be-11e2-97cd-3d8c1afe4f0f_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/03/29/so-hows-the-senate-map-shaping-up-not-great-for-dems/

Analyzing the right-wing Twitterverse: creepy

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/high-online-engagement-level-between-mainst
 
Dumbing America down

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/dana-loesch-shouts-piers-morgan-spoon-can-be
Dana Loesch: Spoon 'Can Be Qualified as an Assault Weapon' 

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/foxs-kelly-and-stirewalt-desperately-attac
Fox's Kelly and Stirewalt Desperately Attack New Gun Safety Ad

The Sunday talk show line-ups

http://firedoglake.com/2013/03/31/sunday-talking-heads-march-31-2013/
ABC’S THIS WEEK:  Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Roundtable: Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D-NJ),Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Matthew Dowd, Jeff Zeleny, Katrina vanden Heuvel. Religious Roundtable: Writer and religious scholar Reza Aslan; Rev. Calvin Butts, Pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York; author and atheist Susan Jacoby; Dr. Richard Land, of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; and Sojourners president Rev. Jim Wallis, author of “On God’s Side.”

CBS’ FACE THE NATION:  Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan.  Plus, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of  Episcopal Diocese of Washington DC, Imam Suhaib Webb, Rabbi David Wolpe, Pentecostal Bishop Harry Jackson.

CNN’S STATE OF THE UNION:   Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).  Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).  Then, David Boies and Ted Olson.  Roundtable: Donna Brazile, Kevin Madden, Jessica Yellin. Finally, Senate Chaplain Barry Black and House Chaplain Patrick Conroy.

CNN Fareed Zakaria GPS: King Abdullah II of Jordan; CEO of Reliance Industries Limited Mukesh Ambani; Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev; Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

MOYERS & COMPANY:   And Justice for Some.  Fifty years after a landmark decision to give the poor their day in court, Bill explores why they still can’t afford justice — with insight from Bryan Stevenson, Martin Clancy and Tim O’Brien.

NBC’S MEET THE PRESS:  Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ).  Roundtable: David Axelrod; Former Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA); Eugene Robinson; Peggy Noonan.

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

GRATUITOUS

So much fun watching the lurching attempts by the GOP to improve its "minority outreach"

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/gop-minority-outreach-setbacks.php
Earlier this month, the Republican National Committee released its 2012 election post-mortem, conceding that the GOP must do more to reach out to minority communities. The RNC even pledged $10 million to the effort. 

Asked at a press conference how the GOP can bring gays and women into the GOP fold, RNC Chair Reince Priebus said the key is to treat people with respect. “I think it’s about dignity and respect, that nobody deserves to have their dignity diminished, or people don’t deserve to be disrespected,” Priebus said on March 18, the day the RNC released its report.

But less than two weeks since then, it has become clear that not everyone in the party is on board with the GOP’s new message of inclusivity. Here’s a rundown of the speed bumps the GOP has encountered this week on its way toward a more tolerant party. . . . [read on]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/29/1197677/-GOP-wrestles-with-own-lily-whiteness-as-America-laughs-hysterically
GOP wrestles with own lily-whiteness as America laughs hysterically
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/03/29/don-young-and-the-gops-archie-bunker-problem
Don Young and the GOP’s Archie Bunker problem

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/29/1197898/-Republicans-pretend-to-be-outraged-at-Don-Young
Republicans pretend to be outraged at Don Young

More! http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_03/what_latino_outreach043889.php
North Carolina’s Latino advocates are voicing alarm following the governor’s decision to eliminate the state’s office for Latino affairs. The closing of the Office of Hispanic/Latino affairs was sudden and caught many by surprise. The move appears to have exacerbated the already tense relationship between Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and the Latino community . . . [read on] 

Ben Carson, new darling of the right, offers a gratuitous slur against gays, comparing them with bestiality and child molestation, and when called on it uses the age-old excuse that he was "taken out of context" 

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/ben-carson-claims-his-attack-gay-marriage
Ben Carson Claims His Attack on Gay Marriage Was 'Taken Out of Context'

What context? http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/29/1197899/-New-conservative-hero-Ben-Carson-screws-things-up
"Well, my thoughts are that marriage is between a man and a woman. It's a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality. It doesn't matter what they are. They don't get to change the definition. So he, it's not something that is against gays, it's against anybody who wants to come along and change the fundamental definitions of pillars of society. It has significant ramifications."

And now this: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/ben-carson-says-hes-ready-to-step-down 
Carson Says He’s Ready To Step Down As Commencement Speaker At Johns Hopkins

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/29/17519497-carson-to-bow-out-of-johns-hopkins-event-after-anti-gay-comments
 

John Boehner quotes Lincoln (selectively)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/29/1197670/-Even-Abraham-Lincoln-isn-t-safe-from-John-Boehner-s-dishonesty

Sarah! struggles to remain relevant

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/27/1197408/-Sarah-Palin-is-a-totally-relevant-political-superstar-kingmaker-says-Sarah-Palin
Sarah Palin is a totally relevant political superstar kingmaker, says Sarah Palin

http://prospect.org/article/sarah-palin-soldiers
Sarah Palin Soldiers On

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/29/palin-s-sarahpac-embarrassment-consultants-are-cashing-in.html
Seen through the lens of the invaluable Center for Responsive Politics, Palin’s PAC spent $5.1 million in the last election cycle (more than it raised in that time period, raising some questions about Palin’s claims of fiscal responsibility).

But the real news comes when you look at how donors’ money was actually doled out: just $298,500 to candidates. The bulk of the rest of it, more than $4.8 million, went to—you guessed it—consultants. . . .


Liz Cheney seems to fancy herself as the thinking-person's Sarah Palin

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/29/17520139-cheney-slips-further-down-the-rabbit-hole 
Cheney slips further down the rabbit hole

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/03/liz-cheney-even-more-bonkers-than-we-suspected.html
 
The kind of people they are

http://crooksandliars.com/blue-texan/stupid-right-wing-tweets-neal-boortz--2
[Neal Boortz] Why are Democrats so determined to take our guns? Because when someone uses a gun in self defense it's usually a Democrat that gets shot. [read on]

Bonus item: In Fox World, Jim Carrey has to explain when a goofy bit of satire is just that

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/your-cold-dead-hands.html
 

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

ARE WE LEARNING YET?

Apparently not

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rep-don-young-r-ak-reminisces-about-hiring
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) Reminisces About Hiring ‘Wetbacks’ 

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/29/17515566-gop-congressman-uses-anti-latino-racial-slur
 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/28/republicans-call-for-resignation-of-rnc-official-who-posted-article-on-filthy-gay-lifestyle/
RNC official not backing down from posting on ‘filthy’ gay lifestyle

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/michigan-republican-faces-calls-for-resignation-after-anti
Michigan Republican Faces Calls For Resignation After Anti-Gay Post

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/28/17505674-hannity-does-no-favors-for-new-far-right-darling
CARSON: Well, my thoughts are that marriage is between a man and a woman. It's a well-established, fundamental pillar of society and no group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality. It doesn't matter what they are. They don't get to change the definition. . .

More: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/03/outreach_3.php

Republicans love immigration. But immigrants? Not so much
  
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/poll-republicans-immigration-reform.php
 

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/28/17502010-immigration-fight-coming-to-a-head

Lily white

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/a-very-white-republican-leadership-plans-minority-outreach
There is not a single racial minority among the 20 most senior officials who run the Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, and National Republican Senatorial Committee — the three wings of the GOP apparatus charged with promoting candidates and winning elections. And a range of former Republican staffers told BuzzFeed that this lack of diversity has paralyzed the party's ability to connect with minority communities.  . . . [read on]

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/28/17503244-what-the-rnc-and-the-driven-snow-have-in-common

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/jon-stewart-takes-apart-gop-autopsy-and-ou

 

You knew the gun control opponents would stall and stall, trying to get legislation slowed down until the outrage over Newtown died down. Have they succeeded?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/obama-mothers-gun-control.php
[Obama] “Don’t get squishy because time has passed and maybe it’s not on the news every single day,” Obama said, calling on them to “follow through on commitments” made at the time.

“We need everybody to remember how we felt 100 days ago and make sure that what we said at that time wasn’t just a bunch of platitudes,” he said, referring to the Newtown, Conn. elementary school shooting that galvanized gun control efforts. “That we meant it.” [read on]

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/president-obama-confronts-nra-head-calls-ac
"Let me tell you, the people here, they don't forget. Grace's dad is not forgetting. Hadiya's mom hasn't forgotten. . . . And I want to make sure every American is listening today. Less than 100 days ago that happened, and the entire country was shocked. And the entire country pledged we would do something about it and that this time would be different. Shame on us if we've forgotten. I haven't forgotten those kids. Shame on us if we've forgotten."

Young guns: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/28/marco-rubio-joins-threatened-filibuster-of-gun-legislation
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is joining with three other Senate Republicans in threatening to filibuster the Senate Democrats’ gun violence legislation slated for consideration next month.

Rubio’s office announced Thursday that he’s joining with three other Senate conservatives — Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) – in opposing any legislation that might infringe on the Second Amendment. . .

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/28/1197651/-Rubio-and-Inhofe-join-gun-legislation-filibuster 

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/28/17504062-gop-senators-fear-a-debate-on-gun-legislation
  
You've heard me ask before about how the GOP will reconcile the libertarian, live-and-let-live branch of their party (keep the government out of my life choices) and the theocratic, use-the-government-to-enforce-conservative-moral-values branch. Grover Norquist has an idea

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_03/the_enclave_option_for_the_chr043857.php
  
Mitch McConnell (R-KY), arguably the most powerful Republican in Washington, is in trouble with his re-election campaign. How's that going, Mitch?

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_03/will_mitch_suffer_or_skate043847.php

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/03/28/mcconnell_plans_scorched_earth_campaign.html 

In Fox World the new outrage is. . . food stamps!

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/just-couple-of-white-jerks-agitating-to.html
 
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_03/snap_demagoguery043863.php
 

Bonus item: Rush says it's over, "We've lost the fight over gay marriage"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/28/rush-limbaugh-gay-marriage-inevitable-conservatives-lost

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

DOMA IS DOOMED

Supreme Court appears to be poised to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/supreme-court-doma.php

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/03/doma-appears-doomed-according-to-predictions.html

http://www.scotusblog.com/2013/03/evening-round-up-doma-argument/

Full transcript: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/27/gay-marriage-and-the-supreme-court-doma-oral-arguments-full-audio/

Highlights: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/highlights-from-supreme-court-hearing-on-doma/2013/03/27/d9b25930-9719-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html
   
http://www.rollcall.com/news/14_most_telling_doma_moments_at_the_supreme_court-223475-1.html

Chief Justice John Roberts says he doesn't think DOMA was about anti-gay bigotry -- then Justice Elena Kagan hands him his head on a plate
  
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/03/john-roberts-DOMA-animus-bias-gay-marriage.html 
Chief Justice John Roberts Oddly Skeptical That Congress Passed DOMA Because of Anti-Gay Bias

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/27/17489253-roberts-recollection-of-1996
[Roberts] "So that was the view of the 84 senators who voted in favor of it and the president who signed it? They were motivated by animus?. . . So 84 senators -­ it's the same question I asked before -- 84 senators based their vote on moral disapproval of gay people?"[read on]
  
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/27/1197402/-Elena-Kagan-proves-that-DOMA-s-original-intent-was-bigotry-not-tradition
A short time later, Kagan read aloud from the House Judiciary Committee report on DOMA. “Congress decided to reflect and honor of collective moral judgment and to express moral disapproval of homosexuality,” she said, quoting the report. . . [read on]

This is AWESOME

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/bill-oreilly-gay-rights-advocates-have-compelling-argument
"The compelling argument is on the side of homosexuals," O'Reilly said during a segment with Fox colleague Megyn Kelly on the Supreme Court hearings. "That's where the compelling argument is. We're Americans, we just want to be treated like everyone else. That's a compelling argument. And to deny that, you've got to have a compelling argument on the other side. And the other side hasn't been able to do anything but thump the bible."

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/bill-oreilly-gay-marriage-thump-bible_n_2962110.html

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/rush-limbaugh-bill-oreilly-fox-gay-marriage-89415.html
Rush Limbaugh said Wednesday that Bill O’Reilly “marginalized” Fox News viewers by claiming that those who opposed same-sex marriage haven’t been able to do anything but “thump a Bible.”

“So how many of you who watch Fox are Bible thumpers? Do you think there are any Bible thumpers that watch Fox? Because last night you were sort of marginalized on ‘The Factor’ as not having a compelling argument and just being a bunch of Bible thumpers,” the conservative radio host said on his program . . . [read on] 

Secretly, even as they fund the lawyers defending it, the GOP leadership is thrilled to see the Supreme Court take DOMA off the agenda. They DO NOT want to be running future national campaigns on the gay marriage issue. Meanwhile . . .

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/mike-huckabee-threatens-gop-christians-
Mike Huckabee Threatens GOP That Christians Will Leave Them If They Support Gay Marriage

More: http://prospect.org/article/ringside-seat-huckabee-puts-his-dick-morris-hat 

The GOPers didn't worry about sequestration.  . .  until it started hitting their districts

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/local-airport-closures-cause-gopers-sequestration-anxiety.php

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/27/1197287/-House-Republicans-complain-about-sequester-airport-closures-while-voting-for-even-deeper-cuts

In Fox World

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/fox-news-revives-old-ammo-rumors-keep-fear-
[Media Matters] Fox News is reviving conspiratorial questions about federal ammunition purchases that the network previously debunked as the ravings of "those people who are watching us now from a cave in the Rockies where they are provisioned for a year or two.

"Fringe media figures have long speculated that large ammunition purchases by the Department of Homeland Security is evidence of a government plot to kill American citizens.

On March 26, Fox & Friends' Brian Kilmeade highlighted a recent purchase of rounds by the Department of Homeland Security, which Kilmeade suggested raises questions from Congress about "why they need all those bullets. Can someone answer please? Hello?" [read on]

Bonus item: Did you know that the ethics investigation into Michele Bachmann's campaign hijinks is actually. . . . part of the Muslim conspiracy against her?

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45755884/#51355099

More: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/glenn-beck-bachmann-ethics-investigation-m

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/27/1197401/-Glenn-Beck-says-congressional-ethics-investigation-into-Bachmann-s-campaign-is-Muslim-retribution

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

To get PBD by email: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/todays-news

I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

AGAINST THE TIDE

America's conservatives and theocrats are being dragged kicking and screaming into the new world. All they can do now is stall the inevitable

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2013/03/26/marriage-equality-is-inevitable/

Marriage Equality is Inevitable 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/03/26/among-republicans-a-generational-divide-on-gay-marriage/
Among Republicans, a generational divide on gay marriage

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/26/17475093-alitos-provocative-question
[Justice Samuel Alito] "But you want us to step in and render a decision based on an assessment of the effects of this institution, which is newer than cell phones or the Internet? I mean we -- we are not -- we do not have the ability to see the future. On a question like that, of such fundamental importance, why should it not be left for the people, either acting through initiatives and referendums or through their elected public officials?"

Prop 8 hearings: transcript and video

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/26/full-audio-of-supreme-court-oral-arguments-on-california-prop-8-gay-marriage-case/

Highlights: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/26/highlights-from-supreme-court-arguments-on-prop-8-gay-marriage-case/ 

http://www.rollcall.com/news/12_best_gay_marriage_moments_at_the_supreme_court-223456-1.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/26/these-are-the-exchanges-you-need-to-read-from-todays-supreme-court-arguments/

Looks like the justices might punt on a decision

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/supreme-court-prop-8-arguments.php

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/26/1197167/-Supreme-Court-wrestles-with-whether-they-even-want-to-wade-into-the-whole-marriage-equality-thing

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/03/prop-8-case-may-be-tossed-out-technicality
 
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_03/supreme_evasions_serious_conse043808.php
Supreme Evasions, Serious Consequences
 
SCOTUSblog: http://www.scotusblog.com/2013/03/the-proposition-8-oral-argument/
Much will be written about the Proposition 8 oral argument.  The bottom line, in my opinion, is that the Court probably will not have the five votes necessary to get to any result at all, and almost certainly will not have five votes to decide the merits of whether Proposition 8 is constitutional.

Several Justices seriously doubt whether the petitioners defending Proposition 8 have “standing” to appeal the district court ruling invalidating the measure.  . . .

Lots more commentary, analysis: http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/03/26/the-prop-8-oral-arguments-before-the-supreme-court/

Next up: DOMA

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/supreme-court-turns-to-the-defense-of-marriage-act.php

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/27/17484965-supreme-court-turns-its-attention-to-doma

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/03/27/justices_hear_second_gay_marriage_case.html

The state of gay marriage

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/03/where_things_stand_today.php

Antonin Scalia, always classy

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/antonin-scalia-same-sex-parents-harmful-children.php 

Scalia Wonders If Same-Sex Parents ‘Harmful’ To Children

 

More: http://firedoglake.com/2013/03/27/robed-troll/

 

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/audio-scalia-cites-strom-thurmond-infertility-at-prop

Then there's Rush

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/limbaugh-marriage-equality-whos-say-you-cann

Limbaugh on Marriage Equality: 'Who's to Say You Cannot Have Sex With a Child?' 

More: http://mediamatters.org/video/2013/03/25/limbaugh-complains-that-rove-republican-establi/193246

Limbaugh Complains That Rove, "Republican Establishment" Are Tilting Toward Support Of Marriage Equality

Steele cage death match

 

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/qotd-michael-steele.html

[Michael Steele] “The bottom line — Reince Priebus was my right hand. I mean, what annoys the heck out of me is that for two years Reince Priebus was in every room I was in, a part of every major decision I made for how much money we would spend, what we would spend that money on, what the priorities of the RNC would be.

“And for him to stand up there and pretend that he wasn’t in the room, that he had no say in the decision making process, and that the so-called debt that he inherited was the one that — as a member of the RNC, he voted for, number one. Number two, he recommended to me to go into debt. And for him to sit there and act like he had nothing to do with it and that somehow he inherited this mess that he helped create, to me is just pure B.S.

“And I kept my mouth shut for two years because, hey, I’m a party guy. But you know what, at the end of the day, you say to yourself, they’re dumping on you, they’re crapping on your legacy, they’re giving you crap for stuff that they didn’t want to do in the first place: coalitions, expanding media, social media networks. They virtually ran my guy out of town. They didn’t want to support him. The coalitions department — I had to fight every year for the measly $900,000 that we put into building 185,000 volunteers around the country, as part of our coalition network.

“Now they want to spend $10 million. So let me get this straight: you spend $10 million dollars to find out that we have a problem? Hello? You know? Don’t get me started.” . . .

 

In North Dakota

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/north-dakota-abortion-ban.php

North Dakota Governor Approves Abortion Ban

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/26/1197089/-North-Dakota-s-outrageous-personhood-and-heartbeat-bills-aren-t-what-will-end-abortions-in-the-state

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/27/wonkbook-the-very-different-fortunes-of-abortion-and-gay-marriage/ 

The very different fortunes of abortion and gay marriage

Do Dem retirements put the Senate in play for the GOP?

http://www.rollcall.com/news/johnson_retirement_gives_senate_gop_another_opportunity-223459-1.html

 

In Fox World, Jim Carrey is a menace to humanity

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/fox-freaks-jim-carrey-has-killed-more-peopl

More: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/jim-carrey-ruffles-gun-nuts-feathers-funny-

Bonus item: The Gay Agenda

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A MATTER OF PERCEPTION

Is the Supreme Court conservative?

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/pew-republicans-dont-think-supreme-court-is-conservative
Republicans Don’t Think Supreme Court Is Conservative

Yes it is: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/06/the-supreme-courts-lurch-to-the-right-charts.php 

The sea change in public attitudes on gay marriage

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/03/25/why-the-political-fight-on-gay-marriage-is-over-in-3-charts

Meanwhile, conservatives keep denying polls they don't like

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/25/1196868/-Bauer-on-surveys-showing-support-for-marriage-equality-The-polls-are-skewed

Bauer on surveys showing support for marriage equality: 'The polls are skewed'

More: http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/25/17455029-the-return-of-skewed-polls-marriage-equality-edition

An outrage

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/nra-robocalls-newtown-_n_2934948.html
NRA Robocalls In Newtown Spark Outrage From Local Gun Control Group

Listen: http://soundcloud.com/the-huffington-post/nra-robocall-to-connecticut
 
The latest: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/blumenthal-murphy-nra-robocalls.php 
Connecticut’s two senators wrote a letter on Monday to the National Rifle Association demanding that the group “immediately stop” robo-calling families and friends of the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting victims to promote its agenda. . . . [read on]

Public attitudes on gun control

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_03/shifting_techtonics_on_guns043776.php
  
More: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51325530/
[NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg] “If 90 percent of the public wants something and their representatives vote against that, common sense says they are going to have a price to pay for that”
 

Ethics investigation for Michele Bachmann

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/25/1196863/-House-Ethics-Committee-now-investigating-possible-Bachmann-campaign-finance-violations
  
More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/03/25/michelle-bachmann-faces-congressional-ethics-probe/

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/03/michele-bachmann-facing-ethics-investigation.html

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL: http://pbd.blogspot.com

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I don’t get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don’t run ads, etc.). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a “mission,” it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***