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The Central Economic Fights of our Time, Part 1

Added 04/30/13
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The Central Economic Fights of our Time, Part 1

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 18:00:00 04/30/13
The inside-the-beltway world of Washington, DC rarely deals with truly foundational economic issues. When they do, it is only because they are being forced to by crisis or a political movement forcing something onto center stage. The big fundamental issues make the powers that be uncomfortable simply because they may cause big changes that do damage to the wealthy economic incumbents who don’t want their privileged status upended. This is why DC seems so disconnected to people in the real world: while Congress is goofing around with stupid stuff like sequesters, the things that really matter to people go unaddressed. Occasionally, though, the real issues are forced onto the DC scene by some combination of smart, gutsy politicians and political movements whose time has come. It’s too early to tell, but on what I believe are the two most central economic issues of the next generation, I’m hoping DC is finally going to be forced to pay attention. The first of these issues is the steady destruction of the American middle class by the massive expansion of the low-wage worker economy. There is a movement on this issue that is coming together to take this issue on, and we are seeing the early signs of it in the New York and Chicago fast food strikes, and the huge nationwide day of action at Wal-Marts around the country last year. There will be more to write about this in the coming weeks, so that will be Part 2 of this story, but you heard it here first: this will be a big deal. Part 1, though, is to discuss the on-going battle to break up the economic concentration of power in this society, starting with the most important of all industries to break up, the banking industry. The first step in that fight legislatively is the introduction of Sherrod Brown and David Vitter’s bill taking on the Too Big To Fail banks. Brown and Vitter, who to my great delight call their bill the Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness (TBTF) Act, put serious pressure on TBTF banks in a variety of ways, and those banks are doing some serious squealing as a result. The banks are saying that if you make them be safer, if you lessen their risk of failure, that it will hurt economic growth. Seriously, guys- you can't come up with something better than that? I guess I missed all the great things these banks’ speculative unregulated trading did for the economy in that last few years. Perhaps a few waiters' jobs at high end Manhattan restaurants? Brown and Vitter's bill is a little complicated, which worries me, as I tend to think that given the power of the industry, any complicated banking bill will inevitably end up being sprinkled with loopholes through the legislative process and weakened further in the regulatory process. But there is no doubt that as written, it would be a big blow to the power and profits of the TBTF banks. They would hate this bill, which makes it all good in my eyes. It would force the TBTF banks to stop playing some of their most egregious accounting games, and in a genius political move that splits the smaller community banks from the big boys, makes the TBTFers keep almost twice the percentage of capital reserves. Sherrod Brown has been working incredibly hard on both the substance and politics of all this, and he has done masterful work. Getting a tea party ally like Vitter on board forces the big banks to take this seriously, and getting the endorsement of the politically powerful Independent Community Bankers of America is a very big deal, accomplishing what too many reform efforts in the past have failed to do: splitting the powerful and well-respected community bankers from the big boys. This is the kind of bill that has the potential to pick up a dozen or more votes from Republican Senators, and give wavering Democrats cover from local bankers back home to do the right thing. It is a real and substantial shot across the bow of the big banks who so dominate our economy and our politics. It opens up another major front against the Wall Street behemoths . But the progressive movement is going to have rally around this in a very big way. The big banks have such extraordinary power in the nation's capital that any bill that takes them on will have a rough time without massive grassroots support. They have scores of eager lapdogs eager to do their bidding in every branch of government, in think tanks all across town, and in the media- and they are easily the wealthiest special interest there is. The people are going to have to rally before this bill has a chance. You can start by signing this petition , and in the days to come you will be hearing more from me and many other groups about how to build this movement. Taking on the big banks is not just another issue. These TBTF banks have the capacity to crash our economy any time they get greedy and make a bad decision, and they suck trillions of dollars out of productive investment in Main Street businesses so that they can speculate and gamble with our future. This truly is one of the central foundational issues that our generation has to face. Help us build this movement.

The Central Economic Fights of our Time, Part 1

Added 04/30/13
0 Views

The Central Economic Fights of our Time, Part 1

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 18:00:00 04/30/13
The inside-the-beltway world of Washington, DC rarely deals with truly foundational economic issues. When they do, it is only because they are being forced to by crisis or a political movement forcing something onto center stage. The big fundamental issues make the powers that be uncomfortable simply because they may cause big changes that do damage to the wealthy economic incumbents who don’t want their privileged status upended. This is why DC seems so disconnected to people in the real world: while Congress is goofing around with stupid stuff like sequesters, the things that really matter to people go unaddressed. Occasionally, though, the real issues are forced onto the DC scene by some combination of smart, gutsy politicians and political movements whose time has come. It’s too early to tell, but on what I believe are the two most central economic issues of the next generation, I’m hoping DC is finally going to be forced to pay attention. The first of these issues is the steady destruction of the American middle class by the massive expansion of the low-wage worker economy. There is a movement on this issue that is coming together to take this issue on, and we are seeing the early signs of it in the New York and Chicago fast food strikes, and the huge nationwide day of action at Wal-Marts around the country last year. There will be more to write about this in the coming weeks, so that will be Part 2 of this story, but you heard it here first: this will be a big deal. Part 1, though, is to discuss the on-going battle to break up the economic concentration of power in this society, starting with the most important of all industries to break up, the banking industry. The first step in that fight legislatively is the introduction of Sherrod Brown and David Vitter’s bill taking on the Too Big To Fail banks. Brown and Vitter, who to my great delight call their bill the Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness (TBTF) Act, put serious pressure on TBTF banks in a variety of ways, and those banks are doing some serious squealing as a result. The banks are saying that if you make them be safer, if you lessen their risk of failure, that it will hurt economic growth. Seriously, guys- you can't come up with something better than that? I guess I missed all the great things these banks’ speculative unregulated trading did for the economy in that last few years. Perhaps a few waiters' jobs at high end Manhattan restaurants? Brown and Vitter's bill is a little complicated, which worries me, as I tend to think that given the power of the industry, any complicated banking bill will inevitably end up being sprinkled with loopholes through the legislative process and weakened further in the regulatory process. But there is no doubt that as written, it would be a big blow to the power and profits of the TBTF banks. They would hate this bill, which makes it all good in my eyes. It would force the TBTF banks to stop playing some of their most egregious accounting games, and in a genius political move that splits the smaller community banks from the big boys, makes the TBTFers keep almost twice the percentage of capital reserves. Sherrod Brown has been working incredibly hard on both the substance and politics of all this, and he has done masterful work. Getting a tea party ally like Vitter on board forces the big banks to take this seriously, and getting the endorsement of the politically powerful Independent Community Bankers of America is a very big deal, accomplishing what too many reform efforts in the past have failed to do: splitting the powerful and well-respected community bankers from the big boys. This is the kind of bill that has the potential to pick up a dozen or more votes from Republican Senators, and give wavering Democrats cover from local bankers back home to do the right thing. It is a real and substantial shot across the bow of the big banks who so dominate our economy and our politics. It opens up another major front against the Wall Street behemoths . But the progressive movement is going to have rally around this in a very big way. The big banks have such extraordinary power in the nation's capital that any bill that takes them on will have a rough time without massive grassroots support. They have scores of eager lapdogs eager to do their bidding in every branch of government, in think tanks all across town, and in the media- and they are easily the wealthiest special interest there is. The people are going to have to rally before this bill has a chance. You can start by signing this petition , and in the days to come you will be hearing more from me and many other groups about how to build this movement. Taking on the big banks is not just another issue. These TBTF banks have the capacity to crash our economy any time they get greedy and make a bad decision, and they suck trillions of dollars out of productive investment in Main Street businesses so that they can speculate and gamble with our future. This truly is one of the central foundational issues that our generation has to face. Help us build this movement.

Dancer Who Lost Foot In Boston Bombing Vows To Dance Again

Added 04/25/13
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Dancer Who Lost Foot In Boston Bombing Vows To Dance Again

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 16:00:00 04/25/13
As the mom of a dancer, I know how much dancing means to them, which is why this story made me happy and sad all at the same time. Adrianne Haslett lost her foot in last week's bombing. But she's undaunted, and she's also really angry. ABC : > The blast had torn off the dancer’s left foot – a devastating loss for the ballroom dance instructor at Boston’s Arthur Murray Studios. The bombings killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injured at least 200 people. Haslet, who appeared on the cover of the Boston Herald this morning, said she had not lost her spirit. “I absolutely want to dance again,” she said. Dr. Linda Arslanian, a physical therapist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said Haslett likely would dance again thanks to the advancement of prosthetic technology. “If they were walking before they had their amputation, we can have them walk again,” she said. “Much depends on the level of their amputation and all of it depends on what their goals and objectives are.” Her husband had just returned from Afghanistan, and was also seriously injured in the blast. A healthy dose of anger is driving her resolve. Jezebel : > She still hasn't come to terms with it completely (no duh), and her honest and candid answers are downright inspiring : > “I’ve been better, but I’m doing OK.” When asked about the dark moments, she bellowed, “Hell, yeah, I’ve had plenty. I’ve thrown my walker across the room and haven’t used it yet. But I realized you have to be selfish about the things that matter the most. My husband. The job I love. Dancing is my life. Yeah, having my foot blown off, that really sucks. But I can’t wallow in woe is me. "I can’t let some (expletive) come along and steal my whole life. So, I’ll dance again. And next year, though I’ve never been a runner, yes, I plan to run the marathon.” Resounding applause. Now, if we can just keep the politicians from turning what looks to be an evil act of violence with no organized political motivation into a terrible terrorist plot, we might actually see good come from an evil act.

Steubenville Rape Trial Verdict To Be Announced Today - Updated

Added 03/17/13
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Steubenville Rape Trial Verdict To Be Announced Today - Updated

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 14:00:05 03/17/13
Update: Both defendants were found 'delinquent', the equivalent of a guilty verdict. Saturday evening both sides rested in the trial that sparked a firestorm of controversy over football, town loyalty and rape. The judge will announce a verdict from the bench at 10 AM this morning. Testimony has been graphic and difficult to hear. Whatever the judge rules, the conduct of the teenagers was out of control and points to some larger issues with regard to how parents talk to their teenage boys and girls about sexual contact, rape, and consent. In Saturday's testimony, the victim took the stand and testified that she didn't know what had even happened to her until friends (and I use the term loosely) told her what happened the next day. Some of the teens had posted photos and taken videos of some of the sexual activity, but deleted them later . > Anthony Craig took a photograph of the naked victim, and sent it to numerous people. When Cole received the image, he sent a text to Mays: “No, like serious Trent, you can’t be doing that,” Cole texted. “And is that your [expletive] [semen] on her stomach?” “Ha, ha, ha,” Mays texted back. “Yeah.” CNN: > Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, are accused of raping the girl during a series of end-of-summer parties in August 2012. One of the witnesses, a 17-year-old, told Judge Thomas Lipps that he used his cell phone to record Mays putting his fingers inside the girl's vagina during a drive from one party to another. The boy said he deleted the video the next morning when he realized it was wrong. [...] A third witness, 18-year-old Anthony Craig, testified he saw Richmond digitally penetrate the girl in the basement. "She wasn't moving. She wasn't talking. She wasn't participating," he told the court. Craig was identified in as a Steubenville High School wrestler and friend of Mays and Richmond. The teen, who testified the alleged victim was also a friend, admitted to taking a cell phone picture of the girl when she was naked in the basement and then showing it later to friends. Asked why, he responded: "It was stupid." Over the course of the trial, prosecutors revealed text messages that were flying around, including a series where one of the alleged perpetrators pressured the victim to keep silent, saying that his "life would be ruined over nothing." If you'd like to get a sense of what "nothing" is, FreakoutNation has a video of one of the boys "confessing." Be forewarned: The content of the video is graphic and could trigger any victim of sexual assault. If this case demonstrates anything, it demonstrates why the nonsense spewed into our political discussions about rape is so harmful. I'm certain Steubenville is a place with many, many good people. But what we're looking at right here is the product of a culture that has overlooked common sense and empathy. In the closing arguments made by the defense, Ma'lik's lawyer stood before the judge and argued that even though his client's conduct - whether it rose to the level of rape or not - was unacceptable, in all other aspects he was extraordinary. He is extraordinary, and therefore the judge should overlook conduct which included this episode on the evening of August 11th, which was not disputed or impeached by the defense? > The problem for the defense is this: The moment they could argue that the girl perhaps wasn't as completely trashed as the picture suggests, more ugliness emerged. She might not have been dragged to the car by her alleged attackers, but she didn't just jump up and innocently walk out, either. Mays scooped her up, carried her over one shoulder and took her through the door. Besides, it was just minutes later that she lay in the street in front of the house, puking on the pavement with her shirt off, wearing only a bra, as a group of boys watched. That included Patrick Pizzoferrato, who isn't facing charges, yet acknowledged on the stand Wednesday that he pulled $3 from his pocket and offered it to anyone who would urinate on the girl. One of the kids who, at least vocally, claimed to be considering the offer was Ma'lik Richmond. "He was asking if he should piss on her," said witness Jake Howarth. Yes. Extraordinary, indeed. Who does something like that? The defense attorney was making the case that even though these things happened, Richmond was extraordinary . How can the word extraordinary be interpreted any other way than as a reference to his football prowess? It's certainly possible that he's a good student too, but my gut tells me that's less important than his extraordinary-ness on the football field. The trial was broadcast live on the Internet and also on broadcast television, with power to cut off the feed at any time in the hands of the judge. After the victim's full name was mentioned several times, the judge did cut it off, only to come back and revive it for the closing arguments where both sides used her full name at least three separate times. As a parent, this is unacceptable to me, whether a parent of the defendant or the victim, but my sympathies are mostly with the victim. It feels like subtle intimidation, a way to say that even when all of this is over, it won't be over, but instead will haunt her and hunt her down. It almost felt defiant, communicating a subtle statement that if someone is going to have the nerve to prosecute these boys, they damn well better be ready to own it and the consequences. So Jane Doe will, but she has an ally in adult film star Traci Lords , who came out this week with her own story of rape in Steubenville -- hers and her mother's. It's our sisters, it's our mothers, it's our daughters. I'm so happy that we're having this conversation. - Traci Lords Well, at least some of us are .

CJE Friday News Briefs

Added 03/01/13
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CJE Friday News Briefs

[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 15:33:04 03/01/13
House Renews Violence Against Women Measure WS – The politics of beating women. How fu$king shameful… 138 “grown ups” actually voted against this. They all should be “Bitch Slapped”! The House on Thursday gave final approval to a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, sending a bipartisan Senate measure to President Obama after a House plan endorsed by conservatives was defeated. The legislation passed on a vote of 286 to 138, with 199 Democrats joining 87 Republicans in support of the reauthorization of the landmark 1994 law, which assists victims of domestic and sexual violence. It amounted to a significant victory for the president and Congressional Democrats, who have assailed Republicans for months for stalling the legislation. More… > Today is “Peanut Butter Lover’s Day” – Got milk? Man Who Got Smallpox Vaccine Passes Milder Infection to Sex Partner: CDC WS – The operant words are; U.S. Defense Department program. (HealthDay News) — A man recently vaccinated for smallpox under a U.S. Defense Department program passed a milder, related form of the disease on to a man he had sex with, and that man then passed it on to yet another man, federal health officials reported Thursday. The virus, called the vaccinia virus, is the virus used in the smallpox vaccine. It is related to smallpox and helps the body develop immunity to smallpox. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the smallpox vaccine does not contain the actual smallpox virus and cannot cause smallpox. “The smallpox vaccine is a live-virus vaccine, and it’s not news that it can infect people, but it cannot convert to smallpox,” said Dr. Marc Siegel, a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. “It’s a different virus; it’s a kissing cousin of smallpox,” he said. “It can be transmitted if you are not careful.” Smallpox has been eradicated across the world, Siegel said, so most people are no longer vaccinated against it. The only reason someone is vaccinated today is because of fear of bioterriosm, he said. More… Public defender protests police officer’s tactics WS – Stories like this put a knot in the stomach. Stories like this give me flashbacks. No much changed in the land of the corrupt in the past 40 years. Coconut Creek Officer James Yacobellis is a violent offender true, but state attorney Stafanie Newman, should be put into a bathroom, made to stand in a tub and well… lets’ just say, given a “Learning” moment. The young man at the center of a legal battle between Broward’s public defender and the county’s state attorney is speaking up regarding a disturbing encounter with a Coconut Creek police officer. Broward’s Chief Public Defender, Howard Finklestein, is outraged the state attorney has decided not to charge Coconut Creek Officer James Yacobellis with a crime. Finkelstein said, “I believe that a crime was committed. I believe the officer should be charged with a crime.” WSVN-TV – In August of 2011, Yacobellis was investigating the theft of jewelry from a home. The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Blake Robinson. According to the state attorney’s memo, the officer took Robinson into a bathroom and made him stand in the tub. He then turned the water in the sink on to drown out their conversation. He then pointed his Taser, as he questioned Robinson about the theft. After a court appearance where charges were dropped against Robinson, he recounted the ordeal. “He pointed the Taser at me, and I’m asking him, ‘Why am I getting into the tub?’ and he said, ‘It will clean the blood off easier, and it will be less of a mess.’ I was scared for my life. “He took his Taser out and said, ‘I’ve never gotten to use it and would love to use it,’” Robinson continued. “He’s pointing the Taser at me, and I see all the lights all over me, and he hit me on the shoulder. I collapsed and hit the drain, and he told me if he shot me on my kidney I would collapse and hit my head.” Read more… Click Image to Inlarge TEPCO fails to submit dose data on 21,000 Fukushima plant workers WS – Feeling baffled by bullshit? If you really want to be baffled; Ask the US government for some data. Or a restaurant about where their tuna comes from. Tokyo Electric Power Co. failed to submit radiation dose data to an industry database, compromising the health of 21,000 people who worked at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant after the March 2011 disaster. The development shows that Tokyo Electric Power Co. remains lax about protecting the safety of workers, many of whom are employed by subcontractors. It also underscores flaws in the private records system to prevent nuclear plant workers from being exposed to dangerous accumulated doses. A big problem is that many nuclear plant workers often switch companies—including unscrupulous ones–and they can be exposed to more radiation than legally allowed unless the dose data are kept at a centralized database. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has repeatedly told TEPCO to submit the dose data of the 21,000 people to the Central Registration Center of Radiation Workers, operated by the Radiation Effects Association, a public-interest corporation that manages dose data of nuclear plant workers in an integrated manner. More… “Thats right punk” you feeling lucky? Clint Eastwood to Supreme Court: Drop California’s ban on same-sex marriage Clint Eastwood has joined about 130 self-described moderate and conservative Republicans in signing a brief to the Supreme Court arguing against California’s Proposition 8, which bans marriage for same-sex couples. Former Bush administration officials, including Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of Defense, and Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania governor and Secretary of Homeland Security, also were among those who signed the brief, which argued that the Constitution prohibits denying same-sex couples access to the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage, according to a copy of the brief released Thursday by the American Foundation for Equal Rights. Breitbart.com, which first reported that Eastwood had signed the brief, said he was a “long-time Republican with strong libertarian leanings,” who had “become increasingly vocal politically.” Eastwood’s conversation with an empty chair representing President Barack Obama on the final day of the Republican convention briefly became a major topic on the campaign last fall. More… Supermassive breakthrough: Scientists now know how fast a black hole spins WS – Almost as fast as a Fox news story. Or a presidential speech. Thats fast! For the first time ever, scientists have been able to measure the precise spin rate of a ‘supermassive black hole’. The findings will provide some clue as to how some of the most mysterious objects in our universe began to form. The black hole is located in the NGC 1365 galaxy, located 56 million light years away from us, and two million times the mass of the Sun. By its very nature, a black hole is an object so dense that its gravity is strong enough to absorb the space around it. But in the process, as the incoming objects create friction and heat up, it emits x-rays. It is these x-rays that astronomers measured, using the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), launched by NASA last year, and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton. “We can trace matter as it swirls into a black hole using X-rays emitted from regions very close to the black hole,” said the co-author of the new study just published in Nature magazine, Fiona Harrison of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. “The radiation we see is warped and distorted by the motions of particles and the black hole’s incredibly strong gravity.” It turns out the supermassive black hole is rotating at approximately 84 percent of the speed allowed by the Theory of Relativity – close to the speed of light. More… This scum-bag would and is doing anything to feed his ambition to rule the country. NRA chief: Cuomo ‘sacrificing’ Constitution WS – I am all for gun control but, NRA President David Keene is spot on with his complaint. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is part of the “old boy” political machine. If you want any justice brought back into the system. If you want any democracy brought back into the system. And if you ever want a government that works, even at the lowest level. Predators like Andrew Cuomo and Hillary Cinton need to be locked up for their crimes against our constitution and our election laws. At the very least they should be branded on the forehead with the word LIER and made to do public service, sweeping streets of Washington. – But I’m not bitter. ALBANY, N.Y., March 1 (UPI) — The National Rifle Association chief told a gun-rights rally New York’s governor was willing to “sacrifice” the Constitution “on the altar of his own ambition.” “New York has proven once again that it can top Washington in terms of the high-handedness of some of the people that hold its highest offices,” NRA President David Keene told more than 5,000 opponents of the state’s new gun-control law. The law was pushed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and enacted Jan. 15, a month and a day after Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that killed 20 children and six adult staff members and wounded two others. “I’m here to join you in protesting the fact that your governor is willing to sacrifice the Constitution, your rights as citizens and the prerogatives of his Legislature on the altar of his own ambition and on the ego of Michael Bloomberg of New York City,” Keene said outside the state Capitol in Albany. More…

Call The Waaambulance! Sen. Warren Hurt Bankers' Feelings

Added 02/15/13
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Call The Waaambulance! Sen. Warren Hurt Bankers' Feelings

[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 23:00:16 02/15/13
Poor, poor, powerless little Wall Street is having itself a tantrum today over mean old Lizzie Warren, who took her (rhetorical) ax and gave the banker boys 40 whacks: > Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) meeting with bank regulators Thursday left bankers reeling, after the politician questioned why regulators had not prosecuted a bank since the financial crisis. At one point, Warren asked why big banks' book value was lower, when most corporations trade above book value, saying there could be only two reasons for it. "One would be because nobody believes that the banks' books are honest. Second, would be that nobody believes that the banks are really manageable. That is, if they are too complex either for their own institutions to manage them or for the regulators to manage them," she said. That set off angry responses to Politico's Morning Money . "While Senator Warren had every right to ask pointed questions at today's Senate Banking Committee hearing, her claim that 'nobody believes' that bank books are honest is just plain wrong," emailed a "top executive" to the financial newsletter. " Perhaps someone ought to remind the Senator that the campaign is over and she should act accordingly if she wants to be taken seriously." Oh noes! The Very Serious People are warning her that she won't be taken Seriously! > The anonymous emailer said Warren was being as "extreme" as fellow freshmen Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who asserted Tuesday without evidence that secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel may have received money from "extreme or radical" groups. Let's see: One of them spouts the right wing's bullshit talking points, and the other one tells The Truth. Yeah, I can see why you might get confused. > In an email, a GOP bank lobbyist said, "Republicans also would like to know why the Democratic donor base has avoided trial. Maybe she should subpoena the DSCC and Obama's super PAC to answer her question." Consumer Bankers Association CEO Richard Hunt was slightly more diplomatic . "We have been through more tests and thorough exams than any college student over the past four years, including many conducted by the CFPB. The results of the Hamilton Partners Financial Index and the testimony of OCC Comptroller [Thomas] Curry were very clear: the United States banking system is safe and sound, supported by historic and permanent capital ratios. We are working every day to fulfill the financial needs of the American consumer and small business and will continue to work with any and all lawmakers who seek to assist in this extremely important process." Hmm. Let's ask Matt Taibbi, shall we? Matt? > Bankers and other financial interests have opposed Warren as she rose from being a Harvard University law school professor to a Massachusetts senator. They opposed her permanent nomination to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which she created. After Senate Republicans said that they would filibuster her nomination, she ran for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. Wall Street donated heavily to her opponent, former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), but she won the seat. Warren became a member of the Senate Banking Committee, despite further heavy opposition from banking lobbyists. No matter what they throw at her, she comes right back! She's the Thing That Wouldn't Die! Seriously: At some point, we might have to take up a collection to buy her a private plane. You know how these stories usually end.

Call The Waaambulance! Sen. Warren Hurt Bankers' Feelings

Added 02/15/13
0 Views

Call The Waaambulance! Sen. Warren Hurt Bankers' Feelings

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:00:16 02/15/13
Poor, poor, powerless little Wall Street is having itself a tantrum today over mean old Lizzie Warren, who took her (rhetorical) ax and gave the banker boys 40 whacks: > Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) meeting with bank regulators Thursday left bankers reeling, after the politician questioned why regulators had not prosecuted a bank since the financial crisis. At one point, Warren asked why big banks' book value was lower, when most corporations trade above book value, saying there could be only two reasons for it. "One would be because nobody believes that the banks' books are honest. Second, would be that nobody believes that the banks are really manageable. That is, if they are too complex either for their own institutions to manage them or for the regulators to manage them," she said. That set off angry responses to Politico's Morning Money . "While Senator Warren had every right to ask pointed questions at today's Senate Banking Committee hearing, her claim that 'nobody believes' that bank books are honest is just plain wrong," emailed a "top executive" to the financial newsletter. " Perhaps someone ought to remind the Senator that the campaign is over and she should act accordingly if she wants to be taken seriously." Oh noes! The Very Serious People are warning her that she won't be taken Seriously! > The anonymous emailer said Warren was being as "extreme" as fellow freshmen Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who asserted Tuesday without evidence that secretary of defense nominee Chuck Hagel may have received money from "extreme or radical" groups. Let's see: One of them spouts the right wing's bullshit talking points, and the other one tells The Truth. Yeah, I can see why you might get confused. > In an email, a GOP bank lobbyist said, "Republicans also would like to know why the Democratic donor base has avoided trial. Maybe she should subpoena the DSCC and Obama's super PAC to answer her question." Consumer Bankers Association CEO Richard Hunt was slightly more diplomatic . "We have been through more tests and thorough exams than any college student over the past four years, including many conducted by the CFPB. The results of the Hamilton Partners Financial Index and the testimony of OCC Comptroller [Thomas] Curry were very clear: the United States banking system is safe and sound, supported by historic and permanent capital ratios. We are working every day to fulfill the financial needs of the American consumer and small business and will continue to work with any and all lawmakers who seek to assist in this extremely important process." Hmm. Let's ask Matt Taibbi, shall we? Matt? > Bankers and other financial interests have opposed Warren as she rose from being a Harvard University law school professor to a Massachusetts senator. They opposed her permanent nomination to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which she created. After Senate Republicans said that they would filibuster her nomination, she ran for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. Wall Street donated heavily to her opponent, former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), but she won the seat. Warren became a member of the Senate Banking Committee, despite further heavy opposition from banking lobbyists. No matter what they throw at her, she comes right back! She's the Thing That Wouldn't Die! Seriously: At some point, we might have to take up a collection to buy her a private plane. You know how these stories usually end.

As If Teachers Don't Have It Hard Enough, They Deal With Guns,...

Added 02/14/13
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As If Teachers Don't Have It Hard Enough, They Deal With Guns, Too

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 00:00:51 02/14/13
In case you just thought teachers were under fire from those who want to break their unions and kill their jobs by handing them to charter schools, guess again. Every day, teachers get to walk into their classrooms and wonder whether or not one of their students is angry enough to do something like this : > A Poway student sent a threatening email over the weekend to a Twin Peaks Middle School administrator stating he planned to shoot a teacher and 23 fellow students at the school on Monday morning. Detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department investigated the alleged shooting threat Saturday and found numerous rifles and handguns in the 12-year-old student's home. According to officials, the email threat -- which was sent to a school administrator Friday night -- made reference to 3,000 rounds of ammunition as well as numerous firearms in the planned shooting at the Poway middle school located at 14640 Tierra Bonita Rd. NBC 7 spoke exclusively with the teacher referenced in the email. She wishes to remain anonymous to protect her safety. "I kept asking myself, `Why me?' Literally wracking my brain trying to figure out who it is," she said. Twin Peaks Middle School has been in the news recently for bullying incidents. It's not clear there's any relationship, but it sounds like there are some unresolved and long-standing bullying issues going on at the school. 10News reported this last Friday: > Cell phone video obtained by 10News shows a fight between two eighth graders from a Poway middle school. Family members of one of the boys said their son was being bullied and criticized Twin Peaks Middle School of not doing enough. They claimed that their son's classmate beat and threatened him. The video shows one boy trying to fend another, and he was on the receiving end of a flurry of punches and kicks. The fight happened last October and off-campus. A third boy captured the incident on his cell phone and posted it on Facebook. The father of the victim told 10News that his son's life was threatened. “Starin' him down; told him he's gonna kill him; kill our whole family," Jerrod Christian told 10News what happened to his son. He said he reported the incident to the San Diego Sheriff's Department and school officials, but little was done. That's the environment teachers are expected to enter on a daily basis to make sure these kids achieve whatever success they're expected to achieve on standardized tests. As for the claim that the guns in the home of that middle schooler were locked up and there was no access to the key, we know how easily that changes, don't we?

After Attack By Bully, 11-Year-Old in Coma

Added 02/09/13
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'Behemoth' Storm Leaves 650K Without Power In New England

Added 02/09/13
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'Behemoth' Storm Leaves 650K Without Power In New England

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 15:00:19 02/09/13
Boy, Philadelphia really dodged the Nemo bullet. We got maybe one or two inches of snow, while New England was hammered. Hope you all made it through okay and still have heat -- more than a half-million New Englanders are without power this morning: > BOSTON - A behemoth storm packing hurricane-force wind gusts and blizzard conditions swept through the Northeast overnight, where more than 650,000 homes and businesses in the densely populated region lost power and New Englanders awoke Saturday to more than 2 feet of snow. More than 34 inches of snow fell in Hamden in central Connecticut, and an 82-mph wind gust was recorded down the coastline in Westport. Areas of southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire notched at least 2 feet , with more falling. Airlines scratched more than 5,300 flights through Saturday, and the three major airports serving New York City as well as Boston's Logan Airport closed. Flooding was also a concern along the coast, and the possibility led to the evacuation of two neighborhoods in Quincy, Mass., said Fire Deputy Gary Smith. All roads were ordered closed Saturday in Connecticut, where the storm made travel nearly impossible even for emergency responders who found themselves stuck on highways. In Maine, officials said numerous vehicles, including several state police cars, were also stuck in deep snow and warned stranded drivers to expect long waits for tow trucks or other assistance. Even the U.S. Postal Service closed post offices and suspended mail delivery Saturday in New England. The wind-whipped snowstorm mercifully arrived at the start of a weekend, which meant fewer cars on the road and extra time for sanitation crews to clear the mess before commuters in the New York-to-Boston region of roughly 25 million people have to go back to work. But halfway through what had been a mild winter across the Northeast, it also could mean a weekend cooped up indoors. A little more than 11 inches fell in New York City, where carpenter Kevin Byrne was using a scraper to dig out his car Saturday and was relieved the storm hadn't hit the city more strongly. He said he'd taken his shovel out of his car and left it at home. "I wasn't prepared. ... But was anybody prepared? The last two winters have been so mild," he said. "I've been meaning to buy a salt spreader all winter long, but I just kept putting it off." Nearly 22 inches of snow fell in Boston and up to 3 feet was expected, the National Weather Service said, threatening the city's 2003 record of 27.6 inches. In the heavily Catholic city, the archdiocese urged parishioners to be prudent and reminded them that, under church law, the requirement to attend Sunday Mass "does not apply when there is grave difficulty in fulfilling this obligation."

NM Boy, 15, Kills His Family With 'Multiple' Weapons

Added 01/21/13
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NM Boy, 15, Kills His Family With 'Multiple' Weapons

[LESS INFO] 144 VIEWS | ADDED 15:00:55 01/21/13
Among the dead are the shooter's father, who was a volunteer chaplain at a local jail, his wife, and three of the shooter's siblings. But do the details even matter? The fact is, no matter what this kid's beef with his father, imagined or real, if he didn't have access to guns, this family would probably be alive right now. If only rational people could do something about that : > Five people killed in a weekend shooting at an Albuquerque home included a volunteer fire chaplain and three "very young children," officials said Sunday. A 15-year-old family member was arrested and charged with the slayings. "Multiple weapons were apparently used, including one assault rifle," Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston told reporters in a televised news conference. Deputies responded to the house on Saturday night. The victims -- which included two girls and a boy -- were each apparently shot multiple times. In a statement late Sunday, the sheriff's office identified the victims as Greg Griego, his wife Sara, and the children: Zephania, 9; Jael, 5; and Angelina, 2, the Associated Press reported. Sheriff's spokesman Aaron Williamson confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the suspect is 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego, who has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death. One of those killed was Greg Griego, who was identified as Nehemiah's father in a biography that has since been removed from the website of the Albuquerque Calvary Church. A church leader told KOB-TV that Griego, a pastor, had taken a leave of absence from the church last year. According to the biography, Greg Griego and his wife had 10 children. Neighbor Peter Gomez told the Albuquerque Journal he often saw the family on walks through the neighborhood, adding that Nehemiah Griego “wore nothing but camouflage stuff." Steve Stucker, a weatherman with KOB-TV in Albuquerque, identified himself as a friend of Greg Griego's in Facebook posts on Sunday and wrote that Griego's wife and three of their children were also killed in the Saturday slayings. "Greg was an ex con and former Gangbanger who Completely turned his life around through his Faith in Jesus," Stucker wrote. "Greg, with the full support & blessing of his wife and family, spent the rest of his life visiting Jails & Prisons, sharing his story and changing Lives through the Love of Christ." According to Griego's online biography, he began his religious service at the Calvary Chapel Montebello in California. He volunteered as a jail chaplain for years and was a volunteer chaplain with the Albuquerque Fire Department, which mourned him Sunday.

It's Put Up Or Shut Up Time On Filibuster Reform, Sen. Reid

Added 11/18/12
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It's Put Up Or Shut Up Time On Filibuster Reform, Sen. Reid

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 17:00:00 11/18/12
So the Dems sound serious about filibuster reform this time -- but then, they always sound serious about it, until they fold as usual . which means the Republicans will have to publicly oppose legislation the voters back home would like -- and give Democrats lots of footage to use in campaign ads: > The most persistent advice that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he gets from liberals he meets across the country is as simple as it is frustrating: "Make them actually filibuster!" The advice grew loud enough in 2009 that Reid's office leaked a memo to HuffPost explaining why exactly Senate Democratic leaders can't force Republicans to talk out their filibuster, Mr. Smith-style. In 2011, Reid flirted with filibuster reform, but backed off at the last minute, striking a handshake deal with Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) instead. That agreement -- that the two would cooperate to make sure the chamber ran smoothly -- lasted as long as one might expect. Now, Reid is ready to pull the trigger on a change. "I was wrong," Reid said recently about his unwillingness to back a handful of junior senators who were pushing for reform. With Reid's backing, the reform caucus stands a good chance of enacting rules changes. The plan they're putting forward is still taking shape as the reformers work to gather support, but its central tenets were laid out by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in an interview with The Huffington Post. Merkley said that he first pitched filibuster reform to Reid in the summer of 2007, while he was being recruited as a candidate. The plan he put forward in 2011, he said, has been significantly revised. The critical component, though, is a mechanism that would force senators to physically take the floor and speak in order to maintain opposition to legislation. The effort to end a filibuster is called a cloture motion. Under the proposed rules, if a cloture vote failed to win a simple majority, the bill would be killed and the Senate would move to new business. But if it won a majority -- though less than a supermajority of 60 -- the bill would remain on the floor for any senator who wished to opine on it. If at some point no senator rose to speak, after given several chances to do so, a new vote would be called -- and only a simple majority would be needed to pass it. "You have to present your case," said Merkley. "If you think there should be more debate, then you've got to debate. You've got to present your case before your colleagues, before the American public. If you haven't got the guts to do that, then you shouldn't stand in the way of the majority vote." The thinking behind the proposed rule is that it will highlight opposition that is unpopular, but will still allow a determined minority to block legislation. Liberal supporters of the filibuster argue that eliminating it would lead to restrictions on reproductive rights, drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge or other rollbacks of major gains. But, as long as a handful of senators are willing to take turns holding the floor, then the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge is safe, Merkley said. Well boys, put up or shut up. What's it gonna be?

It's Put Up Or Shut Up Time On Filibuster Reform, Sen. Reid

Added 11/18/12
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It's Put Up Or Shut Up Time On Filibuster Reform, Sen. Reid

[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 17:00:00 11/18/12
So the Dems sound serious about filibuster reform this time -- but then, they always sound serious about it, until they fold as usual . which means the Republicans will have to publicly oppose legislation the voters back home would like -- and give Democrats lots of footage to use in campaign ads: > The most persistent advice that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he gets from liberals he meets across the country is as simple as it is frustrating: "Make them actually filibuster!" The advice grew loud enough in 2009 that Reid's office leaked a memo to HuffPost explaining why exactly Senate Democratic leaders can't force Republicans to talk out their filibuster, Mr. Smith-style. In 2011, Reid flirted with filibuster reform, but backed off at the last minute, striking a handshake deal with Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) instead. That agreement -- that the two would cooperate to make sure the chamber ran smoothly -- lasted as long as one might expect. Now, Reid is ready to pull the trigger on a change. "I was wrong," Reid said recently about his unwillingness to back a handful of junior senators who were pushing for reform. With Reid's backing, the reform caucus stands a good chance of enacting rules changes. The plan they're putting forward is still taking shape as the reformers work to gather support, but its central tenets were laid out by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in an interview with The Huffington Post. Merkley said that he first pitched filibuster reform to Reid in the summer of 2007, while he was being recruited as a candidate. The plan he put forward in 2011, he said, has been significantly revised. The critical component, though, is a mechanism that would force senators to physically take the floor and speak in order to maintain opposition to legislation. The effort to end a filibuster is called a cloture motion. Under the proposed rules, if a cloture vote failed to win a simple majority, the bill would be killed and the Senate would move to new business. But if it won a majority -- though less than a supermajority of 60 -- the bill would remain on the floor for any senator who wished to opine on it. If at some point no senator rose to speak, after given several chances to do so, a new vote would be called -- and only a simple majority would be needed to pass it. "You have to present your case," said Merkley. "If you think there should be more debate, then you've got to debate. You've got to present your case before your colleagues, before the American public. If you haven't got the guts to do that, then you shouldn't stand in the way of the majority vote." The thinking behind the proposed rule is that it will highlight opposition that is unpopular, but will still allow a determined minority to block legislation. Liberal supporters of the filibuster argue that eliminating it would lead to restrictions on reproductive rights, drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge or other rollbacks of major gains. But, as long as a handful of senators are willing to take turns holding the floor, then the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge is safe, Merkley said. Well boys, put up or shut up. What's it gonna be?