In a stunning new interview set to air on a local PBS affiliate in Colorado tonight, former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke, for the first time, levels explosive allegations against three former top CIA officials - George Tenet, Cofer Black and Richard Blee - accusing them of knowingly withholding intelligence from the Bush and Clinton White House, the FBI, Immigration and the State and Defense Departments about two of the 9/11 hijackers who had entered the United States more than a year before the attacks."
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GOP Debate Watch
The Republican presidential candidates are debating in Iowa tonight, and we're keeping score. Keep track with our new scoreboard and you'll be able to see where they double down, where they backtrack, and what they fail to account for at all.
Each of the eight candidates at tonight's debate has three past statements up on the board. When someone reiterates a promise about bringing down Obamacare or taking away the minimum wage, we'll show it on the board with a checkmark. When a candidate runs away from their record, it'll show up as an X.
You can help get the word out about the candidates' reinforcements and reversals by using the scoreboard to share your favorite moments from tonight's debate on Facebook or Twitter.
Folks will also be tweeting at #GOPDebate and #Scoreboard. Don't forget the popcorn.
How Right-Wing Extremist Rick Perry Passes Himself Off As A Regular Guy--And How That Could Win Him The GOP Nomination
While Rick Perry's fringe positions give him status with the far right, his ability to seem like a guy you'd like to have a beer with could win him an election.
Read More..........
How Right-Wing Extremist Rick Perry Passes Himself Off As A Regular Guy--And How That Could Win Him The GOP Nomination
Mitt Romney Behind S&P downgrade scandal
Standard and Poor's is owned by McGraw-Hill. Harold McGraw III, the current CEO, worked for H.W. Bush, Dole, W. Bush, Cheney, Giuliani and is currently working for Romney 2012. So the person who has downgraded the nation's credit, "works for Mitt Romney." And Romney released a prepared statement only minutes following news of the downgrade. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.
Gov. Perry wants presidency, says Bush prodded him to run - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
Gov. Perry wants presidency, says Bush prodded him to run
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) talked to former President George W. Bush last month about possibly running for president.
In an interview with Time magazine, Perry, who's set to make an announcement about entering the race this weekend in South Carolina, said he has decided he wants to be president. And he said his predecessor in Texas governor prodded him toward running.
" 'You’ll do what’s right,' " Perry said Bush had told him when Perry called the former president on his birthday. "He said you don’t want to wake up when you’re 70 and go, 'I wish I had tried that. I wish I had done that.' "
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Pelosi picks Clyburn, Van Hollen, Becerra for supercommittee - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has selected Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) for the so-called "supercommittee" on Thursday.
Progressives Say American Dream Movement Rivals Tea Party | Truthout
Mike Ludwig, Truthout: "As Americans face the economic fallout of the recent debt deal in Washington, members of the burgeoning American Dream Movement on Tuesday announced the Contract for the American Dream, a new agenda for economic recovery supported by a grassroots movement that progressive leaders say will rival the Tea Party in size and impact."
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Progressives Say American Dream Movement Rivals Tea Party
Fox Nation Blows The Racial Dog Whistle Once Again
News Hounds has documented over and over again how Fox News uses its Fox Nation web site to blow the racial dog whistle. Then, just as day follows night, the comment section fills with some of the most hateful and racist rhetoricimaginable. It has happened so many times, that it’s not even in dispute anymore. And, while it usually uses President Obama to blow the racial dog whistle, that’s not always the case. Occasionally it’s the use of Muslims or Hispanics to get the citizens of Fox Nation to demonstrate their racism in the comment section. It’s such a predictable pattern, and News Hounds has called them out for it so many times, that it would be a total surprise if that the mold was ever broken. And yet, today the mold WAS broken. First here’s the dog whistle:
Help Get Out the Vote in Wisconsin from Home!
The eyes of the nation are on Wisconsin, where the elections to recall right-wing Republican state senators for waging war on working families are taking place THIS TUESDAY.
You can volunteer and make a difference in the recall effort from home or wherever you are.
Our friends at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America have a great tool for activists across the country to help with progressive GOTV (get out the vote) efforts.
Simply sign up at CallOutTheVote.com for shifts from tomorrow through Tuesday and you'll get set up with an orientation, a script and everything you need to call important voters in Wisconsin to make sure they turn out.
If you live in a bordering state -- or even if you don't -- and can actually make it to Wisconsin this weekend or early next week, we need your help. Canvasses and other volunteer opportunities will be going on through Election Day. You can sign up to volunteer in person on We Are Wisconsin's web site here.
Sign up to volunteer in person OR call voters from your home ... Help defeat extremist Wisconsin Republicans ... Elect Democrats who will stand up to the corporatist right-wing agenda ... And stop the war on working families.
You can volunteer and make a difference in the recall effort from home or wherever you are.
Our friends at the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America have a great tool for activists across the country to help with progressive GOTV (get out the vote) efforts.
Simply sign up at CallOutTheVote.com for shifts from tomorrow through Tuesday and you'll get set up with an orientation, a script and everything you need to call important voters in Wisconsin to make sure they turn out.
If you live in a bordering state -- or even if you don't -- and can actually make it to Wisconsin this weekend or early next week, we need your help. Canvasses and other volunteer opportunities will be going on through Election Day. You can sign up to volunteer in person on We Are Wisconsin's web site here.
Sign up to volunteer in person OR call voters from your home ... Help defeat extremist Wisconsin Republicans ... Elect Democrats who will stand up to the corporatist right-wing agenda ... And stop the war on working families.
President Obama has announced that bipartisan leaders have come to an agreement that will cut the deficit and avert default.
· President Obama has announced that bipartisan leaders have come to an agreement that will cut the deficit and avert default – a default that would have had catastrophic consequences for the American economy.
· That agreement is a victory for American families because:
o It extends the debt limit to the year 2013, getting rid of the cloud of uncertainty looming over the American economy and guaranteeing that no one can use the possibility of default right now or in the coming months for political gain.
o It will boost global confidence in the American economy by establishing a framework for balanced fiscal discipline in the long term.
o It guarantees that America can meet all its obligations – including Americans’ monthly Social Security payments, veterans’ benefits, and the contracts our government has signed with thousands of businesses across the country.
· Details of the Debt Agreement. President Obama said from the start that any solution to avert default and achieve significant deficit reduction had to have the support of Democrats and Republicans. After working toward an agreement for months, bipartisan members of the House and Senate have come to an agreement that includes:
o A down payment on deficit reduction that includes historic long-term spending reductions, including almost $1 trillion in spending cuts. Those cuts are set out in a way that avoids damaging our economic recovery. They are balanced between domestic and defense spending, and they protect essential initiatives like aid for college students.
o An expedited process to achieve balanced deficit reduction. The agreement establishes a longer term process to achieve another $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction with a committee structure that is going to put everything on the table, including reforms to taxes and entitlements. To stop either side from utilizing procedural tricks that would stop Congress from acting, the recommendations of the committee will get fast track authority, meaning they can’t be filibustered or amended.
o Setting the stage for a balanced agreement that includes revenues. American families and an increasing number of Republicans are united in agreement that any deficit reduction deal has to be balanced and must include revenue.
§ Even the Speaker of the House was willing to consider an agreement with $800 billion in revenues, and almost 20 Republican Senators lent their support to the Gang of Six framework, which included more than $2 trillion worth of revenue.
§ If the Committee is not able to achieve meaningful balanced deficit reduction that includes revenue-increasing tax reform for the wealthiest Americans by the end of 2012, President Obama can put his veto pen to work to raise nearly $1 trillion from the wealthiest Americans by vetoing any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the most well-off individuals.
o A demonstrated enforcement method. The enforcement mechanism in the agreement will force cuts that are painful enough to both sides that Congress will have to act. By their nature, enforcement mechanisms should include aspects that neither side supports in order to guarantee action is taken.
§ The enforcement mechanism in this agreement does just that. If Congress doesn’t act, then beginning in 2013 there are going to be $1.2 trillion in spending cuts through 2021 – 50 percent from domestic spending and 50 percent from defense spending.
§ Low income programs such as Medicaid and Social Security and Medicare benefits would be exempt. Cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side.
§ The last time such an enforcement method was put to use – with 50 percent domestic and 50 percent defense reductions – the threat of defense reductions helped spur the bipartisan budget agreement of 1990 under President George H. W. Bush, an agreement that included revenues as well as spending cuts.
o An agreement in keeping with President Obama’s commitment to shared sacrifice. This agreement does not accept entitlement reform without giving equal consideration to revenue-increasing tax reform, and it guarantees that low-income and middle class families won’t be forced to carry the burden of deficit reduction alone.
· We haven’t put this challenge behind us yet. Leaders of both parties are now taking the framework agreement to their caucuses, and bipartisan members of Congress have to vote on this agreement in the next two days.
· If Congress doesn’t act, America could default on its obligations for the first time in our history, not because we aren’t able to pay our nation’s bills, but because we don’t have a Triple A political system to match our bond rating.
· Those who say the tough choices included in the framework agreement aren’t good enough should know that a default on America’s debt would have catastrophic economic consequences and would lead to real hardship for Americans across the country – with a tax increase in the form of higher interest rates on Americans’ mortgages, car loans, and credit cards as well as delays in payments to America’s seniors, the disabled, veterans, and small companies that do business with our federal government.
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