WHATEVER

HHS Sect'y Kathleen Sebelius withstands hours of questioning and some really bad Wizard of Oz jokes in her congressional testimony. Occasionally her exasperation shows through

http://tinyurl.com/lfsr7ao
Sebelius apologizes for Healthcare.gov failings 

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/30/sebelius-in-the-hot-seat.html
Facing down questions with an icy calm, the health secretary admitted that the Obamacare rollout has been a disaster. But her critics didn’t get any of the answers they wanted.  . . .

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/wizard-of-oz-sebelius-congress-obamacare-video.html 
The Wizard of Oz is a story about a woman from Kansas who is forced to interact with a bunch of weirdos for a few hours before she's allowed to go home.  . . . [read on!]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sebelius-on-open-mic-in-obamacare-grilling-don-t-do-this-to-me-video
Sebelius On Open Mic In Obamacare Grilling: 'Don't Do This To Me'

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/kathleen-sebelius-whatever-video-congress-harper.html
Kathleen Sebelius Responds to Congressman’s Tiresome Line of Questioning: ‘Whatever’

Yes, you have to deal with the Repubs like petulant teenagers

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/30/dem_reps_advice_to_gop_at_obamacare_hearing_get_over_it/

[Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Democrat from Illinois] “You know, I want to say to my colleagues,” Schakowsky said, “after a three and a half year campaign to repeal, to discredit, to even shut down the government over Obamacare, I want to say, get over it!”

Crocodile tears

http://www.noodls.com/view/6B2F1BF413834A3D9F6065A4C76F4CC851EFAC1E
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the failure of Obamacare and the problems it's causing for millions of Americans:  "Each of us was sent here to serve and protect our constituents.  "That's why Republicans voted unanimously against Obamacare in 2009.  . . . I wish the President and Washington Democrats had listened then.  "And honestly, I wish we'd been wrong about Obamacare too. I really do . . ."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/republicans-would-rather-talk-about-obama-gaffe-than-healthcare-gov 
Republicans Stop Pretending They Want To Fix HealthCare.gov

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/30/1251839/-Gee-you-mean-Republicans-don-t-want-to-fix-nbsp-Obamcare 
Gee, you mean Republicans don't want to fix Obamacare?

Big new NSA revelation

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-infiltrates-links-to-yahoo-google-data-centers-worldwide-snowden-documents-say/2013/10/30/e51d661e-4166-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html
The National Security Agency has secretly broken into the main communications links that connect Yahoo and Google data centers around the world, according to documents obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and interviews with knowledgeable officials.  By tapping those links, the agency has positioned itself to collect at will from hundreds of millions of user accounts, many of them belonging to Americans.  . . .

More: http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/10/30/nsa-returns-to-stealing-from-yahoo-and-google

http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/10/30/why-swim-upstream-overseas/

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/will-silicon-valley-get-mad-about-muscular.html 

You won't hear this on the evening news

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/30/congratulations-america-your-deficit-fell-37-percent-in-2013/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein&clsrd
Congratulations, America! Your deficit fell 37 percent in 2013.

More on theocratic libertarianism

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2013_10/theocratic_libertarianism047571.php

CNN: dumbing us down

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/jon-stewart-hits-cnn-dumbing-down-news

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the failure of Obamacare and the problems it's causing for millions of Americans:
"Each of us was sent here to serve and protect our constituents.
"That's why Republicans voted unanimously against Obamacare in 2009. Because we believed it was our job to stand up for the middle-class families we were sent here to represent. Because we - and not just us, but countless health care professionals, policy experts, and citizens across the country - saw this trainwreck coming years ago, knew the pain it would cause, and warned against it.
"I wish the President and Washington Democrats had listened then.
"And honestly, I wish we'd been wrong about Obamacare too. I really do.
- See more at: http://www.noodls.com/view/6B2F1BF413834A3D9F6065A4C76F4CC851EFAC1E#sthash.aOJ2i33n.dpuf

Bonus item: How NOT to defend yourself against plagiarism

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/paul-confused-about-wikipedia-plagarism-charge.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

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.***

DOUBLE CROSS?

Did Obama break his promise that, "You'll be able to keep your health plan if you want"? Well, yes and no. Okay, yes

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/video-obama-keep-your-plan-compilation.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/you-like-your-plan-you-can-keep-it-sort-of.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/29/this-is-why-obamacare-is-cancelling-some-peoples-insurance-plans/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein&clsrd

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-doozie

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/29/1251483/-Obamacare-scandal-No-Just-Republican-talking-nbsp-points

Fun in the US Congress

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/29/dem_congressman_to_goper_at_obamacare_hearing_are_you_really_serious/
[New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell] “What did we do [after Medicare Part D passed]? We went back to our districts, and we told our seniors that although we voted no, we personally believe, and will work with the Bush administration, to make it work. That’s what we did!”

Pascrell then stood up and yelled at the Republican members of Congress attending the hearing, “And how many of you stood up to do that? None! Zero! Zero!”

Later in Pascrell’s harangue, the New Jersy congressman asked Republicans what they would say to those with preexisting conditions in the event that Obamacare was repealed. “What are you going to do about the approximately 17 million children with preexisting conditions who can no longer be denied health insurance coverage?” Pascrell said. “We want to go back and want to say you are no longer covered any longer — are you going to tell the parents of those kids?”

When Republican Tim Griffin tried to respond by pointing to Republican alternatives to Obamacare, however, Pascrell really lost it. “Are you serious, what you just said!?” he yelled. “Are you really serious!? After what we’ve gone through and what we’ve gone through in the last three and a half years? Have you — you can sit there and say, that you had a legitimate alternative after these years? We’ve gone through 44 votes, 48 votes now, of you trying to dismantle the legislation. You call that cooperation? I don’t!” 

Did Obama know about NSA snooping on allies?

http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/10/29/conflicting-reports-on-who-knew-about-nsa-spying-program/

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/how-much-did-obama-know-about-nsa-spying-foreign-leaders

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-what-did-president-obama-know-and-when-did-he-know-it/2013/10/28/584702d0-4013-11e3-a751-f032898f2dbc_story.html

NSA reform coming

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/29/nsa_reform_bill_gathers_steam/

Can Obama get his judges confirmed?

http://blogs.rollcall.com/hawkings/judicial-wars-senate-is-ready-for-next-main-event/

McConnellism

#1: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/29/1251512/-Senate-Dems-propose-making-McConnell-debt-limit-plan-permanent-so-of-course-McConnell-says-no

Senate Dems propose making McConnell debt limit plan permanent, so of course McConnell says 'no'

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/dems-debt-limit-mcconnell-plan

#2: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/27-gop-senators-disapprove-of-their-own-vote-on-the-debt-ceiling

27 GOP Senators 'Disapprove' Of Their Own Vote To Raise Debt Ceiling

Rand Paul, plagiarist

http://www.samefacts.com/2013/10/watching-conservatives/rand-paul-plagiarist-2/

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/29/rand_paul_lifted_his_antiabortion_speech_from_the_wikipedia_page_for_a_science_fiction_movie/

The coming GOP catastrophe in Virginia: what does it tell us nationally?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/10/29/the-implosion-of-the-gop-brand-in-one-more-chart/

Progress?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/death-penalty-poll_n_4175297.html
Support For Death Penalty Falls To 40-Year Low

Theocracy watch

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/29/1251341/-American-Family-Association-guy-warns-U-S-Army-may-be-coming-for-them
Bryan Fischer says U.S. Army is training to kill Christians and tea partyers

Who the Wall Street Journal considers an "Expert" on health care

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/29/1251558/-The-stupid-It-gets-even-stupider

Bonus item:  'Oh, God, You Didn't Just Say That'

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/10/29/oh_god_you_didnt_just_say_that.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

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.***

NO!

Lindsey Graham's hissy fit

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/28/1251281/-Lindsey-Graham-announces-upcoming-hissy-fits-over-Benghazi?detail=hide
"So I am calling for a joint select committee. [...] And where are the survivors? 14 months later, Steve, the survivors, the people who survived the attack in Benghazi, have not been made available to the U.S. congress for oversight purposes. I’m going to block every appointment in the United States Senate until the survivors are being made available to the Congress. I’m tired of hearing from people on TV and reading about stuff in books."

More: http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/graham-threatens-nominations-logjam-over-benghazi/

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/10/28/2843591/graham-block-benghazi/

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/lindsey-graham-promises-block-all-senate-n

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/sigh-benghazi-again

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/28/state-department-reject-s-graham-s-demand-for-benghazi-witnesses.html

The strategists of the Republican Party have apparently decided that infuriating Latinos by renegging AGAIN on an immigration deal is less dangerous for them during the midterm elections than infuriating the nativists and racists of the far right. Now even Marco Rubio is backing off HIS OWN proposal

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/marco-rubio-immigration-reform
Marco Rubio: Time To Scale Back Immigration Reform

More: http://www.salon.com/2013/10/28/marco_rubio%E2%80%99s_dumb_2016_gambit_still_wont_please_ted_cruz_or_tea_party/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/28/1251222/-Marco-Rubio-wants-to-ditch-his-own-immigration-bill

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/362305/rubio-vs-comprehensive-immigration-reform-rich-lowry

Take a nap!

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/house-republicans-exhausted-failure
House Republicans exhausted by failure

A budget deal?

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/softening-sequester.html
At the end of a long White House meeting between Senate Republicans and President Barack Obama during the government shutdown, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) threw out a question: Would the president insist on raising tax revenue as part of a deal to soften the sequester? 

Obama’s surprise answer: No . .  [read on]

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/yes-theres-a-budget-deal-in-the-works.html
Yes, There’s a Budget Deal in the Works. Here’s What It Will Look Like

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/28/would-the-white-house-accept-a-budget-deal-without-taxes-maybe/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein&clsrd

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/your-daily-entitlement-death-vigil.html

Wow - really?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/feinstein-i-am-totally-opposed-to-surveilling-foreign-leaders
Senate Intelligence Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said Monday that she is "totally opposed" to surveilling allied leaders, amid reports that the National Security Agency has been monitoring German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other U.S. allies. . . 

Feinstein added that it was "a big problem" that President Obama was not aware of the surveillance. The administration has assured Feinstein that the surveillance would not continue, she said: “The White House has informed me that collection on our allies will not continue, which I support." . . .

Wendy Davis's fight moves to the courts

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/karoli/federal-judge-overturns-texas-abortion-rest
Federal Judge Overturns Some Texas Abortion Restrictions

More: http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/the-wendy-davis-argument-wins-58123331526

Bonus item: Doomsday Preppers, Inc.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/self-helping-the-armageddon
Here's a fascinating conglomeration of hucksterism, right-wing paranoia, secular eschatology all from one pasty dude selling something called the "Patriot Survival Plan." It's like the ur-document that brings together so much of today's neo-gold-buggism, Prepperism, paranoia about Obama's impending martial law, gun hoarding, the coming descent into urban warfare, food shortages and crazed mobs of dark people. How you can survive and thrive after total societal collapse. It's all in a video, which is epically crazy and yet hard to stop watching. Just watch and let me know what you think. Seriously, you've got to see this. . . . 

***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

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.***

APPLES AND ORANGES

Strange comparisons

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/10/28/is-ted-cruz-more-michele-bachmann-or-mike-huckabee/?wprss=rss_politics&clsrd
Is Ted Cruz more Michele Bachmann or Mike Huckabee?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/27/1246175/-Harvard-or-not-Chris-Christie-is-much-smarter-than-Ted-Cruz-Do-Republicans-nbsp-care
Harvard or not, Chris Christie is much smarter than Ted Cruz. Do Republicans care?

The Republicans persist in thinking their brand problem is just a marketing problem -- and not a product problem. Let's hope they keep believing that

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/27/1249877/-Republican-outreach-efforts-doomed
Republican 'outreach efforts' doomed

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/27/1250427/-The-final-blow-Americans-think-Republicans-don-t-care-about-them
Americans think Republicans don't care about them

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/28/the-gop-s-racial-handicap.html
The GOP’s Racial Handicap

Loyal Americans

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/obama-blasts-rooting-failure 
Obama blasts ‘rooting for failure’

Wow. Big story

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304470504579162110180138036?mod=djemalertNEWS
Obama Unaware as U.S. Spied on World Leaders

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/obama-unaware-that-us-spied-on-world-leaders.html

http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/10/27/an-internal-and-an-external-review/ 

In case you missed the Sunday talk shows 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/27/sunday-morning-liveblog_n_4167586.html?utm_hp_ref=media

Dick Cheney trashes Mike Enzi (R-WY), whom his daughter is trying to unseat

http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/cheney-stumps-daughter-liz-trashing-m

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/cheneys-fish-fight-in-the-wyoming-senate-race.html 
 

Bonus item: Remember when Dick Cheney shot his friend. In the face?

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/26/21175199-republican-senator-ted-cruz-on-cheney-shooting-incident-look-it-happens?lite
Republican Senator Ted Cruz on Cheney shooting incident: 'Look, it happens'

***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

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.***

PLEASE, OH PLEASE

There was a moment when Ted Cruz looked like a strong prospect for president. But I don't know why anyone takes him seriously any more. He has completely embraced the ruinous shutdown strategy, which is popular only with a very small minority OF REPUBLICANS. Moreover, he is hated -- absolutely hated -- by his fellow GOPers, whom he keeps attacking. I hope he soaks up as much national attention as possible between now and the election

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cruz-hits-senate-republicans-for-obamacare-defeat
Cruz Hits Senate Republicans For Obamacare Defeat

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/26/ted-cruz-breaks-reagan-s-rule-in-iowa.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/26/1250544/-Here-s-why-one-top-Iowa-Republican-thinks-Ted-Cruz-is-ready-for-2016
 
http://www.msnbc.com/disrupt/watch/has-ted-cruz-set-his-sights-on-2016-57211459693

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/ted-cruz-thinks-GOP-is-too-moderate
GOP is too moderate for Ted Cruz  

Here's an issue that hasn't been on my radar, but should be: the growing divide between the Tea Party branch and the evangelical branch of the GOP

http://www.salon.com/2013/10/26/gop_civil_war_poll_shows_tea_party_disdains_religious_right/

I think this is a special problem for Rand Paul: How does a libertarian, Ayn Randian present himself as a theocrat?

http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/rand-paul-obama-complicit-in-christian-deaths/

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2013/10/14/rand-paul-and-the-war-on-christians-islamism-religious-persecution/

What Ayn Rand said: http://www.noblesoul.com/orc/texts/jesus.html

The Sunday talk show line-ups

http://my.firedoglake.com/elliott/2013/10/26/sunday-talking-heads-october-27-2013/
ABC’S THIS WEEK:  Dick Cheney on NSA surveillance (and his book).  Then, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).  Roundtable: Donna Brazile,  S.E. Cupp, Howard Dean, Bill Kristol. Then anchor Jorge Ramos on the joint ABC News-Univision cable venture Fusion and his new program.  And a very Sunday Spotlight:  Joshua Debois discusses his new book “The President’s Devotional”.

CBS ‘FACE THE NATION: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) on his investigation on Healthcare.gov. Plus, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) leader of the Democratic effort for an extension of the enrollment period. Then a discussion of the JFK assassination 50 years on with Phil Shenon, author of “A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy assassination.” The FBI and CIA were not real helpful in the investigation.

CNN’S STATE OF THE UNION:  House Intelligence Chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI). Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and Rep. John Fleming, MD (R-LA).  Roundtable:  Ross Doutha, Cornell Belcher, A.B. Stoddard.

MOYERS & COMPANY:  Progressives Pick Up the Pieces. Historian Peter Dreier talks about outraged citizens fighting corruption and financial columnist Gretchen Morgenson on why JPMorgan Chase may be getting off easily.

NBC’S MEET THE PRESS: Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) and Gov. Steve Beshear (D-KY). Then, Andrea Mitchell and Rep. Peter King (R-NY). Roundtable: Rick Santorum, Jennifer Granholm, Neera Tanden, Alex Castellanos.

Bonus item: There are mistakes you make in life that you live with for a long, long, time. Making this self-promoting airheaded jerk a national figure is one of them. Now we can't get rid of her

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/25/1250545/-Sarah-Palin-returning-to-once-again-burn-herself-into-your-unwilling-nbsp-retinas

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/ick.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

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.***

STRUGGLING FOR ATTENTION

Ted Cruz has made himself by far the most visible of the GOP Young Turks. Now Rand Paul tries to grab the limelight

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/25/1250529/-Rand-Paul-will-put-hold-on-Janet-Yellen-nomination-until-he-gets-a-vote-on-his-audit-the-Fed-bill
Rand Paul will put hold on Janet Yellen nomination until he gets a vote on his audit-the-Fed bill

More: http://tinyurl.com/myqbt38

Tom DeLay wants to be relevant again

http://crooksandliars.com/juanita-jean/bunkers


I have no doubt that there is waste and fraud in social welfare programs . . . as there is in EVERY government program. But if you were going to start dealing with it, why start with FOOD STAMPS? 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/26/the-republicans-food-stamp-fraud-it-s-not-about-austerity.html

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/we-just-dont-have-enough-food-for.html

Grab the popcorn!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/25/1250291/-Establishment-GOP-gets-ready-to-battle-tea-party-It-s-going-to-be-like-divorce-nbsp-court
Establishment Republicans get ready to battle tea party: 'It's going to be like divorce court'

The GOP-controlled House says it's in no hurry to deal with immigration: a lot of Republican constituents beg to differ

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/10/26/immigration_exposes_another_rift_in_gop.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/10/25/immigration-reform-is-dead-or-maybe-it-isnt/

Why do Repubs seem to have so much trouble avoiding racist comments ? (Hmmm . . .. maybe because . . .?)

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/nc-goper-who-resigned-over-racist-remark-says-party-is-gutless-audio
NC GOPer Who Resigned Over Racist Remark Says Party Is 'Gutless'

http://www.thewrap.com/republican-dropped-daily-show-comments-says-hes-scapegoated-uses-n-word/
Republican Dropped Over ‘Daily Show’ Comments Uses N-Word Again

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/joe-the-plumber-says-democrats-have-a-history-of-lynching-black-americans
'Joe The Plumber' Says Democrats 'Have A History Of Lynching Black Americans'

The plan to fix HealthCare.gov

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/25/heres-the-obama-administrations-plan-to-fix-healthcare-gov/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein&clsrd

Unfortunately: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/25/obamacares-problems-go-much-deeper-than-the-web-site/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein&clsrd
Obamacare’s problems go much deeper than the Web site

In Fox World

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/22/fox-news-anti-bullying-policies-limit-conservat/196531
Anti-Bullying Policies Limit Conservatives' Free Speech

Bonus item: Another overblown (and ultimately discredited) right wing anti-Obama conspiracy theory. Yes, it's all about HATS

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/25/1250494/-Girly-hat-gate-ends-with-a-whimper

***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.***

MONKEY COURT

Why do they call them "hearings," when nobody is listening?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/24/1250280/-Four-hours-of-hearings-later-Republicans-still-don-t-care-about-people-getting-nbsp-insurance
Four hours of hearings later, Republicans still don't care about people getting insurance

More: http://www.salon.com/2013/10/25/more_gop_obamacare_lies_republicans_cant_get_facts_straight_friday_edition/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/24/this-tweet-perfectly-summarizes-todays-obamacare-hearing/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein&clsrd

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/24/1249669/-Obamacare-oversight-Monkey-court-says-one-frustrated-nbsp-Democrat
[Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)] Pallone: I started out in my opening statement saying there was no legitimacy to this hearing and the last line of the questioning certainly confirms is that. HIPAA only applies when there's health information being provided. That's not in play here today. No health information is required in the application process. And why is that? Because pre-existing conditions don't matter! So once again, here we have my Republican colleagues trying to scare everybody — 

Barton, interrupting: If the gentleman will yield?  

Pallone: No, I will not yield to this monkey court or whatever —  

Barton: This is not a monkey court! 

By the way, what did these SAME Republicans (including Barton) say about the Bush admin's sloppy rollout of their Medicare Part D program in 2006?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/gop-medicare-part-d-obamacare 
"This is a huge undertaking and there are going to be glitches," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) on Feb. 15, 2006. "My goal is the same as yours: Get rid of the glitches."

"Rather than trying to scare and confuse seniors, I would hope that we can work together as we go through the implementation phase to find out what is wrong with the program and if we can make some changes to fix it, let us do it and let us do it on a bipartisan basis," Barton pleaded during an Energy & Commerce Committee hearing on March 6, 2006. "We owe that to all of the millions of Medicare beneficiaries."

Republican Rep. Nathan Deal, now the governor of Georgia, cautioned critics that "most significant programs" have problems early on, and that's no reason to give up on them.

"Like most significant programs, the new benefit has not gone without a few isolated glitches and unexpected problems," he said at the same hearing. "But I believe that if there is anything wrong with the plan, most of it has been fixed and that that hasn't can be fixed over time."

"Any time something is new, there is going to be some glitches," Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) said on April 6, 2006. "No matter what one does in life, when it is something new in learning the ropes of it, it is going to take a little adjustment."

There is plenty of blame for the Obama admin on the weak health care rollout and web site. But it is certainly true that the GOP has done everything possible to make it harder to implement the program and fix it where necessary

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/howard-dean-you-gotta-blame-the-republicans-for-some-of-obamacare-s-problems

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/24/1250329/-Congratuations-Republicans-Your-Obamacare-sabotage-has-screwed-over-nbsp-millions

Don't get your hopes up

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2013/10/25/house_plans_no_immigration_vote_this_year.html
House Plans No Immigration Vote This Year

Mystery solved: which GOPer said to Obama, "I can't stand to look at you"?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/harry-reid-pete-sessions_n_4156453.html?1382626266

Eavesdropping on our European allies: not such a good idea

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/24/world/europe/europe-summit-nsa-surveillance/
Germany's Angela Merkel: Relations with U.S. 'severely shaken' over spying claims

More: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/10/president-obamas-schmoozing-problem-goes-global

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/france-germany-snowden-spying.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/obama-not-spying-on-merkel-at-this-exact-moment.html

http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/10/24/did-obama-lie-to-merkel-in-berlin/
Did Obama Lie to Merkel in Berlin? 

Once again, a Republican gets canned for saying out loud what a lot of them think

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/nc-goper-fired-for-making-racist-comments-on-daily-show-video
In an interview centered on North Carolina's voter ID law conducted by the Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi, Yelton criticized "lazy black people that wants the government to give them everything."

"The bottom line is the law is not racist," Yelton said.

"Of course the law isn't racist, and you're not racist," Mandvi responded.

"Well," Yelton paused. "I've been called a bigot before. Let me tell you something, you don't look like me but I think I've treated you the same as anybody else. As a matter of fact, one of my best friends is black. One of my best friends."
 

Bonus item: Men's Rights!

http://prospect.org/article/good-men%E2%80%99s-rights-movement-hard-find

More: http://mediamatters.org/video/2013/10/24/rush-nfl-wearing-pink-for-breast-cancer-proves/196580
Rush: NFL Wearing Pink For Breast Cancer Proves There's A National Assault On Masculinity 

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