WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

[NB: I’ve been doing some international traveling over the past couple of weeks, so the output of PBD has been a bit sporadic. My next posting will be back on its usual schedule on June 17th]

The destruction of the torture tapes – how it happened

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/14/briefing-congress-and-destroying-torture-tapes/

Not good

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/14/arar
[Glenn Greenwald] The Supreme Court today denied a petition of review from Maher Arar, the Canadian and Syrian citizen who was abducted by the U.S. Government at a stopover at JFK Airport when returning to Canada in 2002, held incommunicado for two weeks, and then rendered to Syria, where he spent the next 10 months being tortured, even though -- as everyone acknowledges -- he was guilty of absolutely nothing. . . [read on]

One step ahead of the law. . . .

http://www.thenation.com/blog/blackwaters-erik-prince-moving-united-arab-emirates
Sources close to Blackwater and its secretive owner Erik Prince claim that the embattled head of the world's most infamous mercenary firm is planning to move to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Middle Eastern nation, a major hub for the US war industry, has no extradition treaty with the United States. . . . [read on]

This is the supposedly “mainstream” Senate candidate in Nevada

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/apres_moi_le_semi-automatic.php
“If this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying my goodness what can we do to turn this country around? I'll tell you the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out. . .” [read on]

More: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/sharron-angle-and-the-independent-american-party.php

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/sharon-angle-goes-to-dc-to-share-her.html

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024258.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024266.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/14/dnc-hammers-angle-for-mis_n_611560.html

Mark Kirk (R-IL), still shooting himself in the foot

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ju2VUx2YjhbyG5Obd_oP9PGUME-AD9GBMBTO0
The Pentagon said Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk has been cautioned twice for improperly mingling politics with his military service, but Kirk's campaign denied any improper conduct Tuesday. . .

Nine lies: http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/gop-il-senate-candidate-up-to-9-lies.html

Short answer: yes

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/republicans-get-real-about-their-prospects-for-recapturing-the-senate-in-2010.php
Have Republicans Already Blown Their Chance to Recapture The Senate?

Racism hurting GOP candidate in South Carolina – but not in the way you might think

http://firedoglake.com/2010/06/15/nikki-haley-insufficiently-white-or-christian-for-many-south-carolina-republicans/

The kind of people they are

http://washingtonindependent.com/87028/rep-king-spot-illegal-immigrants-by-their-shoes-grooming-accent-or-a-sixth-sense
Rep. King: Spot Illegal Immigrants by Their ‘Shoes,’ ‘Grooming,’ ‘Accent’ or ‘a Sixth Sense’

More indications that the GOP is behind some “Democratic” candidates in the South

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/clyburn_goes_further_all_three_sc_dem_candidates_h.php

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/no_plot_here_gop_operative_i_worked_for_dem_candid.php

The hate him, but they keep ripping off his campaign speeches

http://mydd.com/2010/6/14/another-republican-plagiarizes-obama

Heh

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024227.php
[Kevin Drum] "Who could have predicted that a cranky, leaderless movement with no real goals and driven mostly by an inchoate sense of persecution, aggrievement, and Sarah Palin hero worship would eventually turn in on itself and splinter into a thousand embittered little pieces?" . . . [read on]

The media we have

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/15/henry

Bonus item: The best/worst open-mike gaffes

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1728/1/

***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.***

ENTANGLED

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next several days, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

Awww, it’s just like homecoming

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/report_56_financial_lobbyists_once_worked_for_lawm.php
56 Financial Lobbyists Once Worked For Lawmakers Now Negotiating Financial Reform

Liberal silence on Afghanistan?

http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2010/06/11/some-reasons-for-liberal-silence-on-afghanistan/

More: http://mydd.com/2010/6/13/afghanistan-3
How's the "war" going? . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/opinion/12herbert.html
[Bob Herbert] There is no good news coming out of the depressing and endless war in Afghanistan. . . .

More: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/12/mccain

There is no limit to their hateful paranoia

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/whew.php
Oklahoma state senator proposes ballot measure to prohibit "liberal judges" from imposing sharia law in America. . . .

http://www.samefacts.com/2010/06/uncategorized/huckabee-no-truce-in-the-culture-wars/
Mike Huckabee thinks that what the country needs is more social division and anger over sexual morality. . . .

Getting to know Rand Paul (R-KY)

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/rand-paul-mountaintop-removal-i-don
Rand Paul on mountaintop removal: "I don’t think anyone’s going to be missing a hill or two here and there" . . .

http://mydd.com/2010/6/11/ky-sen-rand-paul-breaks-primary-promise
Rand Paul To Break Primary Promise

MORE: http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/06/11/republicans-trying-win-without-talking-strategy-for-most-divisive-candidates/

Dog bites man

http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/boehner-lies-about-bush-tax-cuts-and-deficits
Boehner Lies About Bush Tax Cuts and Deficits

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2010/06/boehners-tax-madness/
Boehner’s Tax Madness

Carly Fiorina – yet another Republican cowed by the mighty power of Fox News

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/carly-fiorina-goes-hannitys-show-gro

When will we stop blaming Bush? Asked and answered

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/node/37675
Pelosi: We'll stop blaming Bush when his problems go away

No, you can’t prevent it – but you can condemn it

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/06/you_too_can_pretend_to_crush_o.html

The beginning of the end for the tea bagger movement?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061105726.html
The Weekly Standard is here to help. The mag is selling an "Obama stress head" doll that lets you take out your rage at the President by crushing his head in your hand. . . . [read on]

“I’m a Republican and shamed of the GOP.” More like this, please

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/06/12/anti-establishment-candidates-take-power-in-gop-senate-primaries/

Sunday talk show line-ups

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/the-sunday-show-line-ups-53.php
• ABC, This Week: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (R-MD), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL), Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), Gov. Bob Riley (R-AL).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Gov. Bob Riley (R-AL).

• NBC, Meet The Press: White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod.

Bonus item: Theocracy warning (not just a theocracy "watch" this time)




***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.***

CLEAN IT UP

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next several days, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

So John Boehner (R-OH) tried to run the standard GOP line to protect private industry at the public's expense, and got slapped down hard. Now he’s reversed himself 180 degrees

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/boehner-says-bp-on-hook-for-all-oil-spill-costs.php
Boehner Says BP On Hook For All Oil Spill Costs

More: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/pelosi-whacks-boehner-over-oil-spill-damages-controversy.php

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/boehner-backs-off-comments-only-logical.html

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024209.php

But it’s always good for the Republicans

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/11/875162/-GOP-celebrates-Gulf-disaster

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/back-to-the-future-boehners-recipe-for-recovery-same-as-bushs.php
Back To The Future: Boehner's Recipe For Recovery Same As Bush's

More: http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/boehner-now-claims-bushs-trillion.html

The GOP Brain Trust -- such as it is

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024207.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024204.php

The mess in Afghanistan

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/10/874633/-Is-Karzai-punking-Obama,-yet-again

The person we could have had heading up the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/10/AR2010061004117_pf.html

More: http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/11/dawn-johnsen-finish-the-job-of-fixing-office-of-legal-counsel/

Michele Bachmann (R-MN) thinks we should impeach Obama

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/11/michele_bachmann_dangerous

http://washingtonindependent.com/86808/bachmann-no-question-obama-is-worst-president-in-history

Our silly, silly, political process

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/elaine-marshalls-eight-second-gaffe-video.php
In NC SEN, Eight Seconds Of Silence Speak Volumes

Sharron Angle (R-NV) is going to be providing a lot of amusement between now and the fall

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/11/quote_of_the_day.html

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/10/874896/-NV-Sen:-GOP-is-choking-on-some-bitter-tea

Bonus item: Eewwww! Now I have to flush out my brain. I made the mistake of reading Glenn Beck’s “hot” passages from his new novel

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/dont-tease-panther-glenn-becks-sizzling.html
He bent to her, closed his eyes, and her lips touched his, gently, and again more urgently as he responded. He felt her arms around him, her body yearning against his in the embrace, a knot like hunger inside, heart quickening, cool hands at his back under the warmth of his jacket, searching, pressing him closer still. . . .

***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.***

OILY

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next week, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

100,000 barrels a day?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7146713.ece

More: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/bp_flacks_guide_do_not_promise_property_ecology_or.php
Here's a sobering tidbit from BP's guide for company spokespeople dealing with oil spills: "No statement shall be made containing ... Promises that property, ecology, or anything else will be restored to normal." . . .

John Boehner, House Minority Leader, really steps in it

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/boehner-government--ie-taxpayers--should-help-pay-for-oil-spill.php
Boehner: Government--i.e. Taxpayers--Should Help Pay For Oil Spill

What I really meant was. . . http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/boehner-spox-walks-back-bp-spill-comments.php

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/let_the_bamboozling_began_1.php

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/still_bamboozling.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024192.php

BP tries to shackle the press coverage

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/us/10access.html

I don’t think the Dems are worried about the Republican threat to run the fall campaign on repealing health care reform

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/dems-go-all-in-on-health-care-with-new-ad-slamming-gops-repeal-promise.php

What is it with South Carolina?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/no-name-no-campaign-candidate-takes-dem-nom-in-sc-sen-race.php
No-Name, No-Campaign Candidate Takes Dem Nom In SC-Sen Race

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/south-carolina-dems-call-on-greene-to-drop-out-of-senate-race.php
South Carolina Dems Call On Greene To Drop Out Of Senate Race

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/greene-we-need-to-be-pro-south-carolina-not-anti-greene.php
Responding to the call by the South Carolina Democratic Party for him to step aside, newly-minted Dem Senate nominee Alvin Greene tells the AP: "The people have spoken. We need to be pro-South Carolina, not anti-Greene."

Greene spoke to the wire service outside his home in Manning, South Carolina, where he lives with his parents. He also said: "The Democratic Party has chosen their nominee, and we have to stand behind their choice."

He declined to comment on the revelation that he is facing a felony charge for allegedly showing obscene photos to a university student.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/clyburn-calls-alvin-greene-a-plant-hopes-for-investigation.php
Clyburn Says Alvin Greene Is A 'Plant,' Calls For Investigation

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/10/alvin_greene_interviews
Mystery Senate candidate Alvin Greene still can't explain why he ran

More: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/10/demint_denies_hes_behind_greene_candidacy.html

Harry Reid: fortunate in the GOP's choice for his opponent

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/10/angle_oath_keepers
Sharron Angle's world of paranoia

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/09/sharron_angle_cavity_creep
Sharron Angle is scared of fluoride

More: http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/harry-reids-gop-opponent-fan-extremi

http://firedoglake.com/2010/06/10/after-winning-gop-senatorial-nomination-in-nevada-sharron-angle-scrubs-the-crazy-from-her-website/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/09/sharron-angle-nevada-cand_n_605754.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/09/AR2010060905298.html

http://firedoglake.com/2010/06/10/early-morning-swim-rachel-maddow-shines-a-light-on-sharron-angle-gop-senatorial-candidate-in-nevada/

Love those open mikes!

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/ahhh_ye_olde_open_mic_problem.php
Carly Fiorina forgets she's on an open mic and spends some time making fun of Barbara Boxer's hair, ragging on Sean Hannity and waxing nostalgic about cheeseburgers. According to Fiorina, Boxer's hair is "soooo yesterday." . . .

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/thanks-carly-for-perpetuating.html
[Digby] Thanks Carly, for perpetuating the stereotype. Women everywhere are so happy to see a US Semnate race referred to as a "cat fight." Thanks again. [read on]

More: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/fiorina-open-mic-gaffe-on-boxers-hairstyle-so-yesterday.php

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/10/fiorina_stands_by_comments_on_boxers_hair.html
[W]hile she apologized to Sean Hannity for a dig at him she passed on a chance to apologize about mocking Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) hair. . . .

Chris Wallace, Fox News, who once had a smidgen of journalistic integrity, sells it out too

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024190.php

Glenn Beck writes fiction! (That’s not news, but now it’s labeled as such)

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-becks-overton-window-ad-try-no

Bonus item: BP spills some coffee

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/painfully_funny.php

***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.***

WINNERS AND LOSERS

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next week, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

The New Rules

http://washingtonindependent.com/86481/pentagon-creates-office-to-bolster-international-legitimacy
For the first time, the Department of Defense has established an office to guide policy on emerging non-traditional military activities . . .

More: http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/06/rosa-brooks-to-head-new-office-for-rule-of-law-and-international-humanitarian-policy.php

Such a disappointment (thanks to Elaine N. for the link)

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/06/08/blaming_obama_for_not_being_a_god_105877.html
Blaming Obama for Not Being a God

Looks as if the Gulf oil spill is even worse than we’ve heard (thanks to DR for the links)

http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/senator-confirms-reports-that-wellbore-is-pierced-oil-seeping-from-seabed-in-multiple-places
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL): Andrea we’re looking into something new right now, that there’s reports of oil that’s seeping up from the seabed… which would indicate, if that’s true, that the well casing itself is actually pierced… underneath the seabed. So, you know, the problems could be just enormous . . .

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/06/another_gulf_oil_spill_well_ne.html
The Deepwater Horizon is not the only well leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for the last month. . .

More: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/top-kill-bottom-kill

GOP generic ballot lead disappears

http://mydd.com/2010/6/8/gops-non-existant-generic

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/8/873950/-ABC-WaPo-poll:-Half-with-unfavorable-impression-of-tea-party,-6-in-10-disapprove-of-GOP-policy

Now people just hate ALL incumbents: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/08/support_for_incumbents_hits_all_time_low.html

Primary results from yesterday

Good news for Harry Reid (D-NV): http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/reid-opponent-embraces-patriot-group-that-warns-of-giant-concentration-camps.php

Good news for Barbara Boxer (D-CA): http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/fiorinas_journey_back.php

Good news for Blanche Lincoln (D-AR): http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/lincoln-fends-off-primary-challenge-heads-to-tough-reelection-fight.php

Bad news for Bill Halter (D-AR): http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/8/874250/-AR-Sen:-In-Pyrrhic-victory,-White-House-attacks-labor

http://firedoglake.com/2010/06/09/heckuva-anonymous-quote-rahm/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/9/874268/-AR-Sen:-postscript

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/06/09/lincoln-defeats-halter/

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/the-meaning-of-arkansas-regardless-of-the-winner/57875/

Here comes Lucy (again)

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2010/06/this-has-been-strategy-all-along.html
[Atrios] Not sure why anyone is surprised that the Republicans keep trotting out a designated football holder for every bill to water it down and delay and then ultimately withdraw support. . . . [read on]

More: http://washingtonindependent.com/86548/graham-will-vote-against-climate-bill-and-energy-only-bill

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/08/lindsey_graham_hates_polar_bears

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/06/rip-climate-legislation
[Kevin Drum] Today probably marks the official death of climate legislation in the United States. . . .

Joe Lieberman, Man of Integrity

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/lieberman-on-mcmahon-im-not-gonna-hold-her-accountable-for-pro-wrestling-content-video.php
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who is known for his campaigns against indecency in the media, says that Republican Senate candidate Linda McMahon's background as a pro-wrestling executive isn't a problem, if he were to possibly support her. . . .

More: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/08/joe_lieberman_linda_mcmahon

Haley Barbour (R-MS) long ago perfected the skill of uttering howling lies with a straight face

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/barbour-mississippi-coast-beautiful-come-d
Barbour: 'The Mississippi Coast is Beautiful' 'Come on Down!'

The weirdness of South Carolina

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/vote-today-and-where-does-south.html

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/marcahant_polygraph_test_inconclusive_on_haley_cla.php

This is what happens when you get your information from Fox News

http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/new-lies-from-gop-senate-candidate-mark.html
When [Mark Kirk, R-IL] last ran for re-election to his congressional seat, he got into trouble for saying China was drilling for oil off the coast of Cuba, which was not true, he acknowledged . . .

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024158.php

Of course, there’s NO connection with the hate rhetoric of the right wingers

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/08/stupak_threats
Father and son threaten to kill Bart Stupak

What Ann Coulter gets away with

http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/coulter-vs-thomas-was-then-now
Jews are "imperfect Christians." . . . [read on]

What Glenn Beck gets away with

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-beck-crosses-far-right-rubicon
Glenn Beck crosses the far-right Rubicon, defends his promotion of Nazi sympathizer

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/beck-no-apologies-for-promoting-anti.html
[Dave Neiwert] It's really very simple: If Fox News continues to employ Glenn Beck after this, it will forever after be known as a TV network that employs an apologist and advocate for Nazism.

If so, it will have irrevocably proven itself to be not a news organization, but a propaganda organ for the worst kind of racial and ethnic hatred known to man. It's pretty close to that judgment now. [read on]

Bonus item: Fred Barnes, ultra-hack

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024154.php
In Washington these days, President Obama is rumored to be hoping Republicans capture the House of Representatives in the midterm election in November. There's no evidence for this speculation, so far as I know, but it's hardly far-fetched. . . [read on]

***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.***

SPRING CLEANING

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next ten days, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

Uh huh

http://services.newsweek.com/id/238610
[Jonathan Alter] The BP oil spill is the perfect metaphor for Barack Obama's presidency so far. His first 500 days in office have been—with the significant exception of health-care reform—consumed in cleaning up the messes left by his predecessors . . . [read on]

Remember when Nancy Pelosi was savaged for saying she and other Congressional leaders had received deceptive CIA briefings on torture? Well, guess what?

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/07/jose-rodriguez-briefed-pelosi-and-goss-in-deceptive-abu-zubaydah-briefing/

Ugh

http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/afghanistan-reaches-new-milestone-now
Afghanistan Reaches New Milestone: Now The Longest Military Action In US History

Re-employment patterns

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/employers-push-contract-employment-sa
[CNN] Jobs may be coming back, but they aren't the same ones workers were used to.

Many of the jobs employers are adding are temporary or contract positions, rather than traditional full-time jobs with benefits. With unemployment remaining near 10%, employers have their pick of workers willing to accept less secure positions.

In 2005, the government estimated that 31% of U.S. workers were already so-called contingent workers. Experts say that number could increase to 40% or more in the next 10 years. . . .

No, don’t show us, we don’t want to know

http://washingtonindependent.com/86454/soldier-arrested-for-leaking-2007-video-showing-civilian-deaths
Don’t miss Wired’s amazing story about an Iraq-stationed Army specialist, Bradley Manning, who was arrested two weeks ago for leaking Wikileaks a gruesome video from 2007 showing U.S. soldiers in Baghdad appearing to open fire on unarmed civilians. . . .

http://gizmodo.com/5553765/are-cameras-the-new-guns
In response to a flood of Facebook and YouTube videos that depict police abuse, a new trend in law enforcement is gaining popularity. In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.

Even if the encounter involves you and may be necessary to your defense, and even if the recording is on a public street where no expectation of privacy exists. . . .

Tuesday primaries to watch

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/tuesdays-primaries-4-races-to-watch/57786/

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/06/07/senate-at-stake-the-three-big-primaries-tomorrow

More: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/a-primary-primer-a-guide-to-tuesdays-big-races.php

http://www.slate.com/id/2256190

Repubs starting to lose Independents (again)

http://mydd.com/2010/6/7/republican-edge-with-independents-shrinking

Rand Paul, philosopher

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/setting_the_record_straight.php
Rand Paul on Fox explaining that his critics are preventing a thoughtful discussion of civil rights.

More: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/07/rand_paul_dorm

http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/rand-paul-like-mlk-but-different.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/07/rand-paul-ban-federal-con_n_603178.html

Heh

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/stop-the-music-artists-demand-gopers-quit-playing-their-hits.php
Stop The Music! Artists Demand GOPers Quit Playing Their Hits

Gag me: Glenn Beck lectures us all about “respect”

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/fox-news-power-players-includes-segme

OK, Helen Thomas had to go. Now what about Glenn Beck and Pat Buchanan?

http://www.samefacts.com/2010/06/uncategorized/concerning-helen-thomas/

http://firedoglake.com/2010/06/08/what-constitutes-journalism/

http://mediamatters.org/research/201006070053
Glenn Beck promotes book rife with anti-Semitism and racism

More: http://www.salon.com/news/glenn_beck/index.html?story=/opinion/conason/2010/06/07/dilling

Our empty political discourse

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/07/slate-writes-help-readers_n_602788.html

Bonus item: Squirt guns?!!???

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/07/washington

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/06/joe-bidens-beach-party.php

***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.***

THOSE PEOPLE

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next ten days, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

Monsters

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/07/cia_report_detainees_experiments
Bush-era CIA medical personnel conducted experiments on detainees in CIA custody to provide legal cover for torture as well as to justify and shape future torture techniques, a just-released report from the Physicians for Human Rights alleges.

"The CIA appears to have broken all accepted legal and ethical standards put in place since the Second World War to protect prisoners from being the subjects of experimentation," said Frank Donaghue, the CEO of PHR, a nonprofit organization of health professionals. . . .

More: http://firedoglake.com/2010/06/06/phr-report-bush-administration-engaged-in-illegal-human-experimentation-on-torture/

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/07/allowing-human-experimentation-under-the-war-crimes-act/

Obama and the Experts: two views

http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/some-excellent-advice-for-president-and.html
It would be great if the White House staff would read Frank Rich's column today and take heed. . . .

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/confusing-expertise-with-authority-by.html
Frank Rich makes a fundamental error today. It's also a common error . . .

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/opinion/06rich.html

Those family values Republicans

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/06/marriage
Conservative radio man Rush Limbaugh is taking a fourth stab at marriage . . . [read on]

Haley Barbour (R-MS), still trying to downplay the Gulf oil spill

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/node/37555
Barbour: Media doing more damage than oil spill

More: http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/mississippi-gov-keeps-downplaying-oil-spill.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/06/haley-barbour-oil-what-oi_n_602088.html

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024127.php

Preview of tomorrow’s primaries: Chicken Lady Sue Lowden (R-NV) is in trouble; Hot Pants Haley (R-SC) isn’t

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/6/873445/-Primary-Night-Preview:-The-Guide-to-the-Tuesday-Night-Fights

You can say a lot of things about David Brooks, but amongst the gaggle of conservative yakkers, he does occasionally say something clear, true, and outside the party line. Therefore he must be attacked by Fox News

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/following-limbaughs-lead-fox-news-watch-pa

Who has time to blog?

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/06/the-time-to-blog.php

Bonus item: A modest proposal

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/06/quote-day-fact-checking
[Marcy Wheeler] I propose a new reality show twist to Sunday shows. Fact-checking all around. 3 major errors and you get voted off all Sunday shows. . . .

Let’s start with Liz Cheney: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024126.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/arianna-battles-liz-chene_b_602133.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.***

CAUSE FOR ANGER

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next ten days, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

Outrage

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/03/bushs-glib-waterboarding_n_599893.html
Bush's Glib Waterboarding Admission Sparks Outrage

More: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/former-interrogator-all-george-bush-did-gi

Is the US using the broad mandate against “terrorism” to go after other groups as well?

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/05/the-illegal-war-on-latin-american-terrorism/

More: http://www.thenation.com/blog/obamas-expanding-covert-wars

Obama gets angry. Good to see

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iR2u7XhbCuEUcJvZiPBPetOzSlDAD9G4OE480
Dogged for being too calm in crisis, President Barack Obama unleashed frustration for all to see Friday, warning BP it had better do right by the people whose lives it has wrecked. . . .

Video: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/5/873058/-Obama-vows-justice-in-address-from-the-Gulf

Haley Barbour. Former RNC head. Ultra partisan. Governor of Mississippi. Complete asshole

http://carloz.newsvine.com/_news/2010/06/05/4468659-haley-barbour-gop-governor-of-mississippi-skips-second-meeting-with-obama-on-oil-spill
Yesterday, President Obama met with the governors of Louisiana, Florida, and Alabama in Kenner, LA, to discuss the oil spill clean-up effort. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) — who has repeatedly tried to downplay the disaster — was the only no show

Oil: it’s natural, see?

http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/gop-congressman-on-gulf-oil-leak-not.html
Don't worry about the oil spilling into the Gulf, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) says, because the worst spill in U.S. history is "not an environmental disaster," just nature taking its course. . . . [read on]

Theocracy watch

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/blood-in-water-barack-antichrist-brings.html
[Newsweek] A growing conversation among Christian fundamentalists asks the question that may have been inevitable: is the oil spill in the gulf a sign of the coming apocalypse? . . .

You might have thought that Linda McMahon (R-CT), WWF Queen, would know enough to keep her involvement with pro wrestling out of her Senate campaign. But she couldn’t do it

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/linda-mcmahon-risks-of-long-term-steroid-use-are-unknown.php

Lesson to Mark Kirk (R-IL): this is NOT the way to put an issue behind you

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/05/kirk_misremembers_again_and_again.html

http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/06/05/il-sen-more-kirk-lies-emerge-on-foreign-policy/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/5/873159/-Mark-Kirk:-Not-just-a-poseur,-but-ignorant-to-boot

Sarah Palin: what game is she playing?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/eye-on-2012/the-rhyme-and-reason-of-sarah.html
The rhyme and reason of Sarah Palin's endorsements

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024119.php

Looks like Carly Fiorina is the odds-on favorite to take the GOP Senate nomination opposite Barbara Boxer (D-CA). We’ll have lots more on this, but who IS Carly Fiorina?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/4/872888/-CA-Sen:-Carly-Fiorinas-self-serving-ambition

Glenn Beck likes to equate Obama and the Dems with the Nazis, which you might think is a little over the top. But guess who really DOES have a connection?

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/now-glenn-beck-loves-american-nazis

Sunday talk show line-ups

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/the-sunday-show-line-ups-52.php
• ABC, This Week: Adm. Thad Allen, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

• CBS, Face The Nation: Adm. Thad Allen, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), Sen. David Vitter (R-LA).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Will not air, due to coverage of the French Open.

Bonus item: “The Art of Fake Apology”

http://www.slate.com/id/2256130/

***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.***

LEADING INDICATORS

[NB: I’ll be doing some international traveling over the next ten days, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

Paradox: big job numbers, but bad news

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/06/new-jobs-numbers-private-sector-weak-public-sector-shrinking-census-to-the-rescu.php

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/4/872824/-Big-numbers,-but-anemic-job-report

http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/unemployment-drops-to-97.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/believe-the-gop-spin-on-job-numbers/57689/




Great, just great

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/what-could-make-the-gulf-oil-spill-worse-how-about.php
What Could Make The Gulf Oil Spill Worse? How About a Hurricane

Shhh! Don’t jinx it

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/04/democrats_secret_plan_to_hold_congress.html
Newsweek says Democrats are actively downplaying expectations for their chances in November because of an important rule in politics: "Political results are only as useful as they are unexpected."

"Dig a little deeper at the DNC, DSCC, and DCCC, and you'll find that the Democrats in charge are actually rather confident about getting their fellow Dems elected this year. The reason? They have a plan -- a plan that they believe will produce much better results on Election Day than anyone expects." . . .

How they do things in South Carolina

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/so_carolina_totally_loses_its_mind.php
We noted last night that a top supporter of South Carolina Gov. candidate Andre Bauer called frontrunner Nikki Haley (who is the child of Sikh immigrants from the Punjab) a "raghead". But now the audio has surfaced. . . . Not only did state Sen. Jake Knotts refer to Haley as a "f#!king raghead" he also went on a tear about her being a crypto-Sikh pretending to be Christian and part of some wild conspiracy theory about Haley being a stalking horse for turban-wearing foreigners trying to undermine South Carolina's God-fearing culture. . . .

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/04/knotts_raghead_racism
Jake Knotts, "raghead" and the nature of GOP racism

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/haley_i_will_resign_if_affair_claims_are_validated.php
During a radio interview Thursday afternoon Nikki Haley said she will resign if she is elected governor and the claims that she had extramarital affairs are proven to be true. . . .

More: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/04/haley_resign_promise

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/sc-gov-candidate-mcmaster-this-race-is-embarrassing.php

[NB: She keeps doing everything she can to push off this controversy until after the election: “Elect me first, then we’ll sort out this scandal.” Will they fall for that one?]

Fred Malek and the Republican id

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024090.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024110.php

Bushisms

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/4/872913/-IL-Sen:-I-simply-misremembered-it-wrong,-says-Mark-Kirk
IL-Sen: "I simply misremembered it wrong," says Mark Kirk

More: http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/06/mark-kirk-misremembers-it-wrong

Whitewash

http://wonkette.com/415809/arizona-school-demands-black-latino-students-faces-on-mural-be-changed-to-white
Arizona School Demands Black & Latino Students’ Faces On Mural Be Changed To White

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/4/872980/-No-one-will-be-asking-this-mural-for-proof-of-citizenship-
"We asked them to fix the shading on the children's faces," [the principal] said. "We were looking at it from an artistic view. Nothing at all to do with race."

More: http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/prescott-arizona-mural-altered-lighten-chil

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/04/arizona-elementary-school-mural_n_601436.html

Listening to Glenn Beck lowers your IQ

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/beck-says-progressives-co-opted-civi
Beck says progressives 'co-opted' the Civil Rights Movement

More lies: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/04/daily_show_beck_flotilla

***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.***

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

[NB: I’ll be doing a lot of international traveling over the next couple of weeks, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

Taking charge

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/02/goodbye_redneck_riviera
[Robert Reich] The President is proposing to roll back billions of dollars in tax breaks for the oil companies. He's appointed a commission to find out why BP's well blew.

But unless or until he takes charge - putting BP's U.S. subsidiary under temporary receivership, forcing BP to use all its available resources and submit itself to full federal oversight and control - his own presidency is in danger of being tarred by the same thick gunk that's about to wash up on the Redneck Riviera. . .

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/skocpol_responds_to_reich.php
[Theda Skocpol] I like Bob Reich and consider him a friend, but he is nuts. [see article Skocpol is responding to here] There is a reason why the right, including Sarah Palin, is calling for Obama to "take charge" of the BP disaster, including fixing the leaking pipe. This is a problem that cannot be solved, and probably will not be for many months.

They want Obama to directly own it so they can reinforce their message that government does not work. Why should liberals, stupidly, be pushing for this? I cannot figure out what the left and many liberal pundits think they are doing in all this.

When a huge private corporation makes a mess and cannot fix it, it is sheer lunacy to take direct charge of that mess unless you can fix it right away.

Obama and the government can (a) hold BP accountable in criminal and financial terms; and (b) orchestrate the mitigation, restitution, and financial help for the regions affected. They are doing this and should be as visible as possible about steps in both areas. The last thing they should do is take charge of fixing the leak itself when they cannot.

More: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/3/871896/-David-Brooks-dire-warning

More like this, please

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/06/quote-day-obama-republicans
[Obama] It’s a belief that government has little or no role to play in helping this nation meet our collective challenges. It’s an agenda that basically offers two answers to every problem we face: more tax breaks for the wealthy and fewer rules for corporations.

....As November approaches, leaders in the other party will campaign furiously on the same economic arguments they’ve been making for decades. Fortunately, we don't have to look back too many years to see how their agenda turns out. For much of the last 10 years we've tried it their way. They gave us tax cuts that weren’t paid for to millionaires who didn’t need them. They gutted regulations and put industry insiders in charge of industry oversight. They shortchanged investments in clean energy and education, in research and technology. And despite all their current moralizing about the need to curb spending, this is the same crowd who took the record $237 billion surplus that President Clinton left them and turned it into a record $1.3 trillion deficit.

The Villagers are never wrong. Never. So even when their cooked-up “scandal” about Obama offering jobs to local pols turns out to be garbage, they turn it into a meta-scandal: why did Obama handle the controversy so badly?

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/bad-at-politics-rationale-for.html

This might make us question the power of prayer

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/03/quote_of_the_day.html
"I prayed a lot. I really did. I prayed before every major speech. I prayed before debates. It was a very important experience. I don't see how you can be president and not believe in a higher power."
-- Former President George W. Bush

http://crooksandliars.com/jon-perr/bush-follows-cheney-admitting-war-crimes
[Bush] "Yeah, we waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed," the former president said . . ."I'd do it again to save lives," he added.

More: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/03/bush_torture

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/03/if-ever-you-doubted-water-boarding-ksm-was-a-bad-decision/

Well, duh

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/haley_butts_heads_with_bauer_at_debate_over_latest.php
Haley's Damage Control Strategy: Blame Her Enemies

The kind of people they are

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/staying_classy.php
[Josh Marshall] On a talk show tonight in South Carolina, State Senator Jake Knotts told listeners "we already have one raghead in the White House, we don't need a raghead in the governor's mansion." Obama is ... well, Obama and "raghead" number two is gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley, who is the child of Sikh immigrants from the Punjab. Knotts later released a statement saying that his comment had clearly been meant in "jest," which I guess counts as exculpatory in those parts. . . .

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/salt-of-bare-unmarbled-earth-dispatch.html

Mark Kirk (R-IL) just can’t stop fibbing about his military service – even after being caught at it

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/03/kirk_caught_misstating_his_military_record_again.html

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/5/28/870892/-Mark-Kirk-exaggerated-Desert-Storm-service-in-constituent-letter

The Blagojevich circus begins

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/blago_trial_begins.php

Bonus item: Glenn Beck, the man behind the scenes

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/glenn-beck-has-mean-streak-no.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.***

BY THE NUMBERS

[NB: I’ll be doing a lot of international traveling over the next couple of weeks, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

Wanna bet the media downplays this story?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/2/872189/-Blowout-employment-report-expected
The latest monthly job report from the Department of Labor comes out Friday. Given the heavy Census hiring, the report will probably be best we've seen in more than 10 years, maybe more than 20, recording as many 600,000 new jobs created. . . .

Don’t you hate it when the numbers don’t fit your ideology?

http://washingtonindependent.com/86213/whos-responsible-for-the-national-debt
Who’s Responsible for the National Debt?
1) Ronald Reagan (1981-1989): Inherited roughly $908 billion in debt, and took it up to $2.6 trillion. Change: +186%.
2) George H.W. Bush (1989-1993): Took Reagan’s $2.6 trillion up to $4.2 trillion. Change: +62%.
3) Bill Clinton (1993-2001): Took Bush’s $4.2 trillion up to $5.7 trillion. Change: +36%.
4) George W. Bush (2001-2009): Took Clinton’s $5.7 trillion up above $10.6 trillion. Change: +86%.
5) Barack Obama (2009-2010): So far, has taken Bush’s $10.6 trillion up to $13 trillion. Change: +23%.

I love it when GOPers try to raise money for “legal funds” to pay for their own misconduct

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/ensign_establishes_fund_to_help_with_his_legal_bil.php

Or, they raise money for this. . .

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/report_pacs_raise_money_--_but_much_of_it_goes_to.php
Fancy meals. Trips to luxury resorts. These are among the purchases -- classified as "necessary to raise money" -- that House Minority Leader John Boehner's PAC has spent the bulk of its money on in this election cycle . . .

Coulda told you that

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/not_a_good_year_for_party-switchers.php
Not a Good Year For Party-Switchers

More: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/06/02/parker_griffith_arlen_specter_establishment_defeats

No, they don’t like each other. Not. At. All.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/02/palin_backs_challenge_to_murkowski.html
Palin Backs Challenge to Murkowski

More: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/sarah_palin/index.html?story=/news/feature/2010/06/02/palin_murkowski

http://washingtonindependent.com/86178/who-is-sarah-palins-pick-for-alaskas-contested-senate-seat

Lie, baby, lie

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024080.php

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/shes-into-nuance-sarah-palin-explains.html

Grow up!

http://www.samefacts.com/2010/06/watching-conservatives/teabaggerism-an-infantile-disorder/
Teabaggerism: an infantile disorder

Who is the Club for Growth?

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/06/the-club-making-gop-establishment-vehicles-insecure-since-1999/57603/

Hot pants!

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/06/02/another_man_claims_sexual_relationship_with_haley.html
Another man has come forward to say he had "an inappropriate sexual encounter" with South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley (R) . . .

***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.***

LONG DISTANCE

[NB: I’ll be doing a lot of international traveling over the next couple of weeks, so the output of PBD will be a bit sporadic, especially in terms of when it gets posted each day. Please bear with me until things get back to normal after June 16th]

“Homegrown terrorism”

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/obama_admin_worried_about_homegrown_terrorism.php

The GOP doesn’t know when to let a bad idea lay

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/house-gop-serves-up-reheated-health-care-proposal-to-repeal-and-replace-new-law.php
House GOP Serves Up Reheated Proposal To 'Repeal And Replace' New Health Care Law

Bring it on: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/1/871901/-GOP-epic-fail-on-health-reform-repeal

Pretty hard to stomach when Repubs who were all for taking off the regulatory shackles to allow unbridled oil development now blame OBAMA for the Gulf oil spill

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/bachmann-criticizes-obama-admin-for-being-too-hands-off-on-oil-spill-video.php
Bachmann Criticizes Obama Admin For Being Too 'Hands Off' On Oil Spill (VIDEO)

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024066.php

Remember? http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/04/08/4133017-palin-bachmann-almost-nsfw
[April] "She is so much one of us," Bachmann said of Palin. . . Palin responded in kind, recalling a meeting in Alaska: "I knew that we'd be buddies when I met her when she said, 'Drill here, drill now.' And then I replied, 'Drill, baby, drill' and then we both said, 'You betcha!'"

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/06/palin_told_you_so_about_drilling.php
Sarah Palin says Deepwater Horizon catastrophe proves she was right about 'Drill, Baby, Drill' since she only meant drilling on land -- even though she also meant drilling at sea.

The Dems finally figure it out

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/dems-thwart-gop-plan-to-kill-science-jobs-bill-with-porn.php

Post-primary political wrap

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/2/872155/-Polling-and-political-wrap:-6-2-10

Those Republicans. “Shameless” isn’t strong enough

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/new_haley_ad_ive_seen_the_dark_side_of_politics_--.php
New Haley Ad: 'I've Seen The Dark Side' Of Politics -- And By The Way, Meet My Husband

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/gov_sanford_sides_against_own_ex-staffer_on_haley.php
Mark Sanford, who has survived a historically brazen sex scandal to remain in office as governor of South Carolina, today came out in defense of gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley . . .

No surprise here: Orrin Hatch (R-UT) says Mark Kirk’s (R-IL) lies about his military service aren’t covered by Hatch’s new proposed law. TOTALLY different situation, you see

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/1/871982/-IL-Sen:-When-is-a-military-service-lie-not-a-lie

Lies upon lies upon lies: http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/navy-tipped-off-kirk-about-military.html

Fair and balanced: http://mediamatters.org/research/201006010041
CNN ran 11 segments on Blumenthal's service claims, none about Kirk's

Closing the circle

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/01/bp-adopts-the-public-face-of-dick-cheney/
BP has hired a former top aide for Vice President Dick Cheney to be their new spokeswoman. . . . [read on]

More: http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/02/dick-cheneys-wyomings-face-at-mms/

Bonus item: How Congress “works”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/01/how-congress-works-render_n_596723.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.***

LEARNING FROM THE PAST

Ixtoc

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/05/weve_been_here_before.php
Back in 1979, in a different part of the Gulf of Mexico, a similar oil rig (Ixtoc I) blew up more or less like the Deepwater Horizon one did. And a similar amount of oil gushed out. Even more worrisome, Pemex (the Mexican state oil company) tried pretty much all the different approaches to capping the thing that BP is trying now (containment dome, top kill, junk shot, etc.). And they all failed. Eventually it took ten months to shut the thing down and the only thing that eventually got it under control was relief wells -- which BP is working on now too but aren't supposed to be ready until August. . . .

More: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/ixtoc_oil_spill.php

One of the worst aspects of US governing is when conference committees pack in new legislative elements to bills that weren’t part of the House or Senate versions, with no public debate, in the dark, at the eleventh hour. It's tailor-made for abuses like this

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/wall-street-courts-top-financial-reform-negotiators-on-the-hill.php
A small Wall Street securities firm has teamed up with a lobbyist for the financial services industry to host an all-day event on June 15 -- right in the middle of the conference committee negotiations over the financial reform bill -- that will feature "the KEY House and Senate Conferees and majority and minority Committee staff, as well as leading financial lobbyists covering interchange, banks and major non-banks affected by so-called Wall Street Reform bill" . . . [read on]

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/k-street-project-still-in-business.html

Gah!

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/report_obama_admin_shifted_commission_rules_to_pro.php
The Obama Administration delayed and ultimately changed the language in its revision of the military commissions manual because Bush-era language left open the interpretation that CIA drone operators would be considered war criminals. . .

Time for more stimulus?

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/05/shaking-federal-money-tree

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/opinion/31krugman.html

Right-wing vigilantes: from fringe to mainstream

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/right-slowly-making-casual-talk-abou

Primary overviews

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/voters-headed-to-polls-tuesday-in-three-state-primaries.php

http://washingtonindependent.com/86016/a-guide-to-the-summers-senate-primaries

Lowering expectations

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36605.html
[April 30] How many seats are in play for the Republican Party to pick up in November?

John Boehner says at least 100. You read that right: 100 seats — or 23 percent of the entire House — could be gobbled up by Republicans on Boehner’s dream election day scenario. . . .

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/5/31/871635/-The-GOP:-Rethinking-the-expectations-game
[Steve Singiser] Frankly, the audacious projections of Republicans and their political allies during this campaign cycle has always seemed ill-advised.

In addition to potentially creating a climate of complacency, it also makes a fairly robust gain of 20-30 seats into...of all things...a disappointment. And it would have make a modest gain of 10-20 seats into an absolute disaster. . . . [read on]

I’ve never taken Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) seriously as a Presidential prospect. But, just in case, let’s remember what a tool he is

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_05/024039.php

Can the Dems manage a gift-wrapped wedge issue?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/its-recess----do-you-know-where-your-wedge-issue-is.php
"They are voting against jobs" . . .

If Orrin Hatch (R-UT) is really going to criminalize pols exaggerating their military service, he’s going to have a long line of cases to work through

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/top-moments-in-politicians-lying-about-military-service.php

Our lazy national press

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/catnip-how-beltway-reporters-excuse.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.***