SLOUCHING TOWARD BETHLEHEM

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity"

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/henry-waxman-giving-up-on-congress.html
No One Wants to Be in Congress Anymore

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/30/1273735/-Waxman-retirement-reflects-end-of-era-of-effective-Congress
Waxman retirement reflects end of era of effective Congress

More: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/henry-waxman-legacy

It's an election year, so the GOP wants to look like they're serious about immigration reform (but they're not)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/30/1273741/-It-s-immigration-day-in-the-GOP-and-it-s-outright-civil-war

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/republican-house-leaders-unveil-immigration-plan.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/31/the-coming-gop-immigration-war.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/30/at-retreat-republican-alternatives-are-just-repeats.html

Uh-huh

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/mitch-mcconnell-thinks-you-re-stupid
Mitch McConnell Thinks You’re Stupid 

Transparency for thee, but not for me

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/provision-requiring-lawmakers-disclose

The wingnuts are calling Obama a tyrant and worse for his "excessive" use of Executive orders. Here are the facts

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/oh-tyranny-by-davidoatkins.html

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2014_01/obama_a_pretty_lazy_tyrant048857.php

It's bad news when your biggest supporter thinks it's 50/50 that you're lying

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/giuliani-fifty-fifty-closures
Giuliani Says 'Fifty-Fifty' Chance Christie Knew About Bridge Lane Closures

More: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/giuliani-fifty-fifty-christie-bridgegate.html

DR gives his ideas on how to reform health care (part two, cont’d) 

A permanent solution to this problem comes in two parts.

To begin with however, we need to understand that employee-sponsored health insurance was a very ill-conceived and bad idea. The history of employee-sponsored health insurance is available here: 

http://people.umass.edu/econ340/nejm-ebhi.pdf 

The first step in eliminating abortion from the healthcare debate is relatively simple: we need to prohibit employer-sponsored health insurance. This removes an unnecessary layer of ‘middle-men’ in the system, it reduces labor costs, it evens the playing field between small businesses and large businesses resulting in better competition, and importantly it eliminates lobbying by socially conservative employers against a mandate to include abortion coverage in their sponsored healthcare plans.

The second step is to show that religious conservatives opposed to abortion are precisely identical to religious pacifists opposed to killings by the US military, and to death-penalty opponents. Pacifists are compelled to help pay for military killings, because a democratic majority of citizens of the United States approves of such killing. Death-penalty opponents are compelled to help pay for executions because a democratic majority of citizens approve of the practice (where they still do). Similarly, abortion opponents must be compelled to help pay for abortions if a democratic majority of fellow citizens approve of abortion. Religious concerns are secondary. In all three of these cases, strong religious concerns are raised by substantial numbers of people. But as citizens of a democratic republic, we forfeit the primacy of our religious concerns in exchange for citizenship. Minorities do not forfeit the right to advocate for change, but they do forfeit the right to functionally thwart the democratic will of the majority.

Many Republicans seem to require some basic remedial education in both citizenship, and truth-telling. And until a strong democratic majority insists upon a clarification of citizenship and upon a truthful economic revelation of the inefficient, crypto-socialist nature of our present healthcare system, we will remain hostage to a fundamentally unrealistic minority, and meaningful progress forward will be impossible. 

Bonus item: Well, at least they haven't lost their sense of humor

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/former-lawyer-christie-takes-helm-ethics 
Former lawyer for Christie takes helm of ethics watchdog agency

***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.***

HITTING THE CEILING

GOP flinches, once again, backing off their own ill-considered debt ceiling threats

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-preps-debt-ceiling-surrender

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/debt-ceiling-republicans-102759.html#.UujrjGjVDkk.twitter 

Why GOP "rebranding" isn't working

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/30/10-gop-rebranding-roadblocks.html
 
Obama announces new retirement plan for low-income workers. Nice idea

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/parsing-obamas-retirement-savings-proposal.html

But: http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2014/01/29/what-is-the-real-point-of-myra/

Hilarious: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/retirement_plan_baffles_fox_news_focus_group
Fox News Focus Group Baffled By Retirement Plan For Poor People

I do think Obama likes making the GOP uncomfortable

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/29/1273402/-Here-s-what-Obama-said-that-made-Republicans-sit-on-their-hands
To recap, when President Obama said these things...

• That it's a good thing that after 12 long years the war in Afghanistan is finally coming to an end
• That Congress shouldn't shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States
• That Congress should pass legislation to put more Americans to work in the tech manufacturing sector
• That he'll protect natural lands with his executive power
• That Congress should repeal tax breaks for Big Oil
• That Congress should restore unemployment insurance that it let expire at the end of the year
• That women deserve equal pay for equal work
• That nobody who works full time should have to raise a family in poverty, so Congress should raise the minimum wage to $10.10
• That Congress shouldn't have another 40+ votes to repeal Obamacare
• That votes, not money, should drive democracy
• That he'll work to prevent more tragedies like Sandy Hook

...Republicans couldn't bring themselves to applaud. 

Well, we finally see the only kind of bill that can make it through this Congress

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/29/1273375/-House-passes-food-stamp-slashing-farm-nbsp-bill
House passes food stamp-slashing farm bill

Chris Christie's troubles worsen

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/nyregion/for-christie-politics-team-kept-a-focus-on-two-bids.html?_r=0
His campaign called them “the Top 100,” the swing towns that Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey wanted to win as he prepared for a re-election campaign. Capturing these towns, sometimes referred to as mini-Ohios or mini-Floridas, would validate the governor’s argument that he would be the most broadly appealing Republican choice for president in 2016.  

Staff members in the governor’s office created tabbed and color-coded dossiers on the mayors of each town — who their friends and enemies were, the policies and projects that were dear to them . . . 

More: http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/christies-brother-profited-sale-harrison
Christie's brother profited from sale of Harrison homes near Port Authority project, report says

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/01/no-smoking-guns-yet-noose-tightening-around-chris-christie
No Smoking Guns Yet, But the Noose is Tightening

The Republican establishment really doesn't want Rand Paul to get any traction for 2016

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/house-gop-leadership-rand-paul-state-of-the-union
GOP Leadership Rips Paul's SOTU Speech As 'Blatant' Self-Promotion

More: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/im-not-sure-im-saying
[Paul] ‘I’m not sure I’m saying that’

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/rand-paul-doesnt-know-when-quit-stepping
Rand Paul Doesn't Know How To Stop Digging The Hole He's In

Literally?

http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/graham-says-world-literally-about-to-blow-up/
[Lindsey] Graham Says World ‘Literally About to Blow Up’

In Fox World

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/foxs-maccallum-no-need-equal-pay-women
Women already get 'exactly what they're worth'

DR offers his views on health coverage (part one) 

The new Republican healthcare proposal fails in exactly the same way that all Republican plans fail: it does not recognize that certain people genuinely need help, not through their own failings, but through acts of the ostensibly Republican god.

The basic question we need to ask is this: Do sick people receive treatment or not?

 

If the answer is unequivocally “yes,” then we have a socialist healthcare system, with everyone bearing the costs in some way. This is, essentially, what we have today in the United States, except that we won’t admit it, and therefore we cannot optimize it, make it efficient, and make it work. Our present crypto-socialist healthcare system is failing because we are paying a high price to disguise it as a private, market-based system.

On the other hand, if the answer to our basic question is “no, not all sick citizens are eligible to receive treatment,” then we have some other type of system. The proper term for that system is uncertain. Various terms are evoked: rationing, death panels, privilege of class, suffering, desperation, unlicensed healthcare, crime, legal prosecutions, prison healthcare.

In fact Republican proposals are completely deceptive and false. They are the party of death panels and rationing. They are the party of higher costs. Every citizen in the United States pays a higher price for healthcare because of the Republican’s unwillingness to confess the essential socialist nature of our present healthcare system. We pay twice the healthcare costs than other developed nations to maintain the politically exploitable falsehood of free-market healthcare.

There are of course other fundamental issues and questions, such as how to actually define healthcare. There are uncertain tradeoffs between cost and outcome, quality-of-life versus quantity-of-life, etc. We all accept the reality of these uncertainties, but we do not seem to share an understanding that providing general healthcare to every citizen should not depend on a prior resolution of these uncertainties.

Of course, the biggest unresolved concerns are end-of-life issues and abortion.

End-of-life issues, including doctor-assisted suicide and rationing of very-high-cost, very-low-efficacy treatments, are not easily resolved. But I believe resolution here is possible, if we are willing to engage in honest dialog. By establishing some very clearly stated rights and policies, these end-of-life issues can be resolved.

Other ancillary issues exist, such as treatment for non-citizens who are sick in our country, stem-cell research and therapy, genetic research and therapy, etc. These issues do not constitute a primary, impenetrable barrier to a rational healthcare system.

The single issue that, I believe, is the crucial barrier to a more efficient healthcare system in the United States is, unshockingly, abortion. The reason is simple: Republicans do not want to help pay for abortions, because they believe that they are complicit in a mortal sin if they do so. If abortion coverage were completely removed from Obama’s ACA then almost all Republican opposition would dissipate. 

A permanent solution to this problem comes in two parts. (cont'd tomorrow)

Bonus item: "Mitt"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/01/29/what-mitt-taught-me-about-mitt/?wprss=rss_politics&clsrd

Mitt Romney was never really sure he could win the presidency. Or that he really wanted to.  

That fact became apparent as I watched "Mitt," a friendly documentary of the former Massachusetts governor's two bids for the nation's top office, produced by Greg Whiteley. Time and again during the film, Romney and his family show an ambivalence about what he/they are doing that is striking, given that he devoted the better part of eight years to trying to become president. . . .

***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.***

"A YEAR OF ACTION"?

THE STATE OF THE UNION

 

Five best moments: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/28/5-best-moments-from-obama-s-state-of-the-union-speech.html

Other highlights: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/2014-state-of-the-union-best-worst.html

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/29/reaction_to_the_state_of_the_union.html

Analyses: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/what-obama-is-really-trying-to-do-in-the-sotu.html
What Obama Is Really Trying to Do in the State of the Union Address

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/28/here-are-7-things-obama-just-promised-hed-do-without-congress/
Here are 7 policies Obama just said he’d pursue without Congress

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/01/barack_obama_state_of_the_union_proposals_the_president_s_ideas_feel_too.html
For all of his talk of action, President Obama offered nothing but modest proposals.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/29/obamas_last_option.html
 "This wasn't the presidency Barack Obama had in mind after winning his historic election five years ago. But it is the one he believes he has left," the Washington Post reports. . . .

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/01/sotu-2014-relaxed-good-natured-and-pretty-effective
Relaxed, Good-Natured, and Pretty Effective

Full text and video: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/us/politics/state-of-the-union-address-text.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

The best five SOTUs: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/01/28/the-best-state-of-the-union-of-all-time/?wprss=rss_politics&clsrd

Top five

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/28/1273261/-Top-five-things-Republicans-hated-in-the-State-of-the-Union-speech
Top five things Republicans hated in the State of the Union speech

"The hardest day of the year"

http://blogs.rollcall.com/218/boehner-sotu-hardest-day-of-the-year/
Maintaining his composure during the State of the Union — while sitting on camera and directly behind the president as Obama delivers his remarks — makes for the “hardest day of the year,” Boehner said. . . .

All the Republican responses

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/when-one-response-becomes-five

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/29/it-s-not-the-president-s-speech-that-makes-news-but-the-reactions-to-it.html

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2014_01/republican_responses048828.php

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/28/1273229/-Republican-Response-s-1

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/28/1273230/-Republican-Response-s-2

Including this response

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/01/28/gop-congressman-calls-obama-a-socialist-dictator/?wprss=rss_politics&clsrd
GOP congressman calls Obama a ‘Socialist dictator’

Boehner warns Obama

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/28/boehner_warns_obama_not_to_go_around_congress.html

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2014_01/boehners_brick_wall048815.php

What the Republicans want to do

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/28/1273177/-House-Republicans-vote-to-ban-abortion-coverage-that-s-not-in-Obamacare
House Republicans vote to ban abortion coverage that's not in Obamacare

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/27/republicans-have-an-obamacare-replacement-economists-will-love-it-real-people-wont/
Republicans have an Obamacare replacement. Economists will love it, real people won’t.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/28/1273144/-Republican-incoherence-on-immigration-nicely-summarized
Republican incoherence on immigration, nicely summarized

More: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/28/1273128/-Republicans-still-being-dicks-on-immigration
Republicans still being dicks

The kind of people they are

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/gop-congressman-threatens-reporter-live
Well here's something you don't see every day. A New York congressman threatening a reporter live on air.  . . .

It's the old drip drip drip for Chris Christie

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/did-christie-trade-18m-sandy-funds-mayors
Did Christie Trade $18M In Sandy Funds For Mayor's Endorsement?

The Ducks are in da house!

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/stupid-right-wing-media-tweets-sotu

http://americablog.com/2014/01/lindsey-graham-celebrates-duck-dynastys-flag-desecration-state-union.html

A gay couple on the Disney Channel. Now you KNOW things have changed

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/28/disney-channel-aired-its-first-gay-couple-it-was-fine.html

RIP, Pete Seeger

http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/pete-seeger-singer-and-activist-dies-at-94.html

Enjoy: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/where-have-all-flowers-gone.html

Bonus item: Best SOTU jokes

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/ranking-of-presidential-sotu-jokes.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.***

UNILATERAL ACTION

Things Obama will do without the Republicans

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/28/obama-minimum-wage_n_4677355.html
Obama To Raise Minimum Wage For Federal Contract Workers By Executive Order 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/27/1272843/-Obama-aims-to-show-he-can-get-things-done-despite-obstructionist-Congress
Obama aims to show he can get things done despite obstructionist Congress 

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/01/obama-hire-the-long-term-unemployed.html

Obama’s Plan to End Discrimination Against the Long-term Unemployed

What people really think about the Republicans

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/01/27/far-more-americans-see-gop-as-extreme-and-uncompromising/
Far more Americans see GOP as extreme and uncompromising

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2014_01/public_aware_of_asymmetric_pol048798.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/27/what-voters-actually-care-about-in-one-chart/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein&clsrd

Killing themselves

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/28/can-the-gop-get-out-of-its-own-way-recent-comments-make-you-wonder.html
Another day, another idiotic comment by a Republican . . .

Koch Bros. Inc.

http://americablog.com/2014/01/kochs-engineering-merger-acquisition-republican-party.html
Koch Bros. are engineering a `merger & acquisition` of the Republican party

Finally, a GOP alternative on health care?

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/gop-aca-replacement-plan-repeal-raise

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2014/01/27/gop-senators-release-more-serious-obamacare-alternatives/

The cocaine congressman quits

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/trey-radel-resignation-102642.html?hp=t1

Looking ahead to 2016

http://theweek.com/article/index/255627/two-attacks-on-hillary-clinton-that-wont-work
Two attacks on Hillary Clinton that won't work

Mitt, really, stop it. Just stop it

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/01/27/romney-knocks-cnns-crowley-over-debate-flap/?wprss=rss_politics&clsrd
Mitt Romney said Monday that CNN's Candy Crowley overstepped her bounds by playing fact-checker during a debate between Romney and President Obama in 2012. . . .

In Fox World, four white men agree that there isn't any GOP war on women

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/fox-news-war-women-one-photo 

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/27/dear-gop-stop-talking-about-women-s-bodies.html
Dear GOP, Stop Talking About Women’s Bodies
  
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/27/1272882/-94-of-the-330-state-legislators-who-introduced-abortion-restricting-bills-in-2013-are-Republicans
All told, about 1 in 20 of the nation's male state legislators introduced a bill including one more abortion restrictions. About 1 in 25 female legislators did so. Of the total, 310 legislators who introduced abortion-restricting bills were Republicans, 20 of them Democrats.  . .

"Duck Dynasty" fights back

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/hating-on-duck-people.html

Bonus item: Why bother?

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/bernie-sanders-beats-head-against-wall
Bernie Sanders Attempts to Debate Michele Bachmann

***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.***

A PARTY AT WAR WITH ITSELF

Republicans trashing Republicans

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/bizarro-world-arizona-gop-censures-mccain
Arizona GOP Censures McCain For Being Too "Liberal"

More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/26/bush-era-republicans-letter-to-the-rnc.html
Bush Era Republicans Letter Denouncing RNC's NSA Criticism

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/26/divided_gop_preaches_unity.html
Divided GOP Preaches Unity

Moment of truth

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/mcconnells-slogan-win-undecided-voters-we
McConnell's slogan to win undecided voters: 'We are the party of the private sector'

Obama tells the GOP: I can work with you, or without you

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/us/politics/aides-say-obama-willing-to-work-with-or-without-congress-to-meet-goals.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

More: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/26/obama_will_distance_himself_from_congress.html

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/27/obama_to_assert_unilateral_agenda.html

Rand Paul has a remarkable knack for saying dumb things -- and some think he is the current Republican frontrunner for President

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/rand-paul-women-won-war-and-are-conquering
Rand Paul: Women 'won' the war and are 'conquering the world,' stealing men's jobs

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/01/26/paul_says_hillary_clinton_should_be_judged_on_lewinsky.html
Paul Says Hillary Clinton Should Be Judged on Lewinsky

Theocracy watch

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/01/creationism_in_public_schools_mapped_where_tax_money_supports_alternatives.html
Publically Funded Schools That Teach Creationism

Bonus item: Chuckles the Clown

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/cbs-host-laughs-ted-cruzs-face-repeatedly
CBS host laughs in Ted Cruz's face for repeatedly denying he shut down government

***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.***

HEAD SPINNING

Wow. Just wow. The Republicans, who granted almost unlimited powers for George Bush to create a surveillance system to keep us "safe" from the terrorists, now hate exactly the same system because it is overseen by . . . Barack Obama

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/01/remarkable-turnaround-republicans-officially-denounce-nsa-phone-surveillance 

Can Congress be fixed?

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2014_01/congress_is_worthless048778.php
Congress is Worthless

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/26/rep-david-price-remembers-when-a-less-partisan-congress-actually-worked.html
The hyper-partisanship that’s earned Congress abysmal approval ratings could be fixed by restoring committee powers, says veteran legislator David Price.

It has never made sense to me why conservatives automatically reject environmental and clean energy positions. Why isn't it "conservative" to want to protect the natural environment, maintain wilderness areas, conserve resources, etc?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/us/politics/fissures-in-gop-as-some-conservatives-embrace-renewable-energy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Is the GOP becoming Koch Bros Inc?

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-kochs-engineer-merger-and.html

Hey!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/24/dont-look-now-but-obamacare-might-just-hit-a-sign-up-projection/
Don’t look now, but Obamacare might just hit a sign-up projection

I have never understood how gay members could embrace the Republican party. Now some are reconsidering

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/22/1271733/-GOProud-co-founder-gives-up-leaves-Republican-Party

Theocracy watch

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/26/the-louisiana-public-school-cramming-christianity-down-students-throats.html
Congratulations, you are the parent of a public school student! And welcome to Sabine Parish, Louisiana. We are so happy to have your child learning with us and we are so grateful that your tax dollars have permitted us to establish the educational programs and academic atmosphere we’ve developed over the years here. Let us provide you with a brief guide about what your child’s life will be like while he or she is at school with us each day.*  

Let’s start with what your child will see when she enters or departs our school. “Paintings of Jesus Christ, Bible verses, and Christian devotional phrases adorn the walls of many classrooms and hallways, including the main hallway leading out to the bus pick-up area. A lighted, electronic marquee placed just outside the building scrolls Bible verses every day. . . [read on]

Fox World interviewer Megyn Kelly gives Fox World opinionator Mike Huckabee a chance to explain his "ladies' libido" comments. And even then he gets himself in more trouble

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/look-at-mike-huckabee-dance.html

More: http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/huckabee-whines-his-libidos-comments-were

More phony poll questions from Fox World

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/25/1272263/-Fox-News-polling-questions-are-nbsp-hilarious 

The Sunday talk show line-ups

http://crooksandliars.com/2014/01/sunday-morning-bobblehead-thread-2
 ABC's "This Week" - Jay Carney, White House press secretary; Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. Panel: ABC News’ Cokie Roberts, Yahoo News national political columnist Matt Bai, CNN “Crossfire” co-host Van Jones, Patriot Voices chair and former Sen. Rick Santorum, and Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren. Filmmaker Greg Whiteley.      

NBC's "Meet the Press" - Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff'; Edward Snowden's legal advisor, Jesselyn Radack; Billie Jean King. Roundtable: Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA); former FCC Chairman, now President and CEO of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Michael Powell; Republican Strategist Mike Murphy; New York Times Washington Bureau Chief Carolyn Ryan; and NBC's Chuck Todd. 

CBS' "Face the Nation" - Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas; Billie Jean King and Brian Boitano, U.S. Olympic delegates. Panel: Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal, Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard and President Obama's former Chief of Staff and CBS News Contributor Bill Daley.  

MSNBC's "UP with Steve Kornacki" - David Mello, city council member, Hoboken, public school teacher; Elizabeth Mason, city council member, Hoboken; Andrea Bernstein, Metro Editor, WNYC News radio; Brian Murphy, Baruch College; Jim McQueeny, fmr. Chief of Staff/spokesman for Sen. Frank Lautenberg, fmr. Comm. Dir., for NJ General Assembly; Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ); Brian Wice, criminal defense attorney; Paul Butler, fmr. Federal prosecutor, professor, Georgetown University; Amanda Terkel, Huffington Post; Katrina Vanden-Heuvel, The Nation; Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times.  

MSNBC's " - Melissa Harris-Perry" - Laura Flanders, Author of “Blue Grit”; Jonathan Capehart, The Washington Post; Kelly Ditmar, Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers; Beth Fouhy, Senior Editor at MSNBC.com; Jelani Cobb, Associate Professor at UConn; John McWhorter, Professor at Columbia University / Columnist for The New Republic; Kevin Walsh, Associate Director of Fair Share Housing Center; Frank Argote-Freyre, Latino Action Network; James Perry, Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center; Carlos Sandoval, Co-Producer and Co-Director of “The State of Arizona”; Catherine Tambini, Co-Producer and Co-Director of “The State of Arizona”.  

MSNBC's "Disrupt with Karen Finney" - Jamelle Bouie, The Daily Beast; Maria Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino; Krystal Ball, Co-host of MSNBC’s “The Cycle”; Fmr. Rep. Marjorie Margolies (D-PA); Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD); Reid Wilson, Washington Post; Perry Bacon, TheGrio.com.  

CNN's "State of the Union" - Dan Pfeiffer, White House senior adviser; Paul; Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Reps. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Tom Cole, R-Okla.

CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Egypt's interim prime minister, Hazem El Beblawi.

MOYERS & COMPANY: Part Three: Neil deGrasse Tyson on Science Literacy. Bill talks with the astrophysicist about why science literacy is critical to the future of our democracy, economy and standing in the world.  

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