NSA Leaker Edward Snowden is a Hero for our Democracy

by: Zappatero

Mon Jun 10, 2013 at 06:34:39 AM MST

Edward Snowden, 29, who says he worked as a contractor at the National Security Agency and the CIA, allowed The Guardian and The Washington Post newspapers to reveal his identity Sunday.

Both papers have published a series of top-secret documents outlining two NSA surveillance programs. One gathers hundreds of millions of U.S. phone records while searching for possible links to known terrorist targets abroad, and the second allows the government to tap into nine U.S. Internet companies to gather all Internet usage to detect suspicious behavior that begins overseas.

The revelations have reopened the post-Sept. 11 debate about individual privacy concerns versus heightened measures to protect the U.S. against terrorist attacks. The NSA has asked the Justice Department to conduct a criminal investigation into the leaks.

President Barack Obama said the programs are authorized by Congress and subject to strict supervision of a secret court, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper says they do not target U.S. citizens.

But Snowden claims the programs are open to abuse. In a video on the Guardian's website, Snowden said:

"Any analyst at any time can target anyone. Any selector. Anywhere. I, sitting at my desk, had the authority to wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant to a federal judge to even the president if I had a personal email."

Some lawmakers (even our own overly timid Mark Udall -z) have expressed similar concerns about the wide reach of the surveillance.

Most of us thought Barack Obama would uphold his promises and turn back the blatantly illeggal activities initiated by George Bush and Dick Cheney after they failed to protect us on 9/11/2001.

I expect more from our government, and Democrats in particular. And I expect more from our technological experts and the tools at their disposal.

In my opinion, Boston looks like it could've been prevented, but the programs in place didn't prevent it. That proves their value is questionable and the illegal spying programs that failed us should be scaled back, if not completely eliminated. Maybe they foiled a plot or two, but who's to say other legal methods would have done the same?

Our leaders have failed us, and American Democracy, in untold ways.

Now You Have Another Reason Not to Hit a Pregnant Women, but Personhood USA Sees Hidden Agenda

by: Jason Salzman

Wed Jun 05, 2013 at 19:32:06 PM MST

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains issued a statement praising the bill's sponsors, Reps. Mike Foote and Claire Levy, and Sen. Pat Steadman, and stating that the new law "empowers district attorneys and other members of law enforcement to hold criminals accountable for crimes against a pregnant woman which result in the loss of her pregnancy.

"The bill was thoughtfully crafted to protect pregnant women without impeding upon a woman's right to access reproductive health care," according to Planned Parenthood. "We thank our state lawmakers for focusing their time and energy on a bill that positively supports women."

Some Republicans, as well as Personhood USA, opposed the bill, which GOP Sen. Scott Renfroe, referred to as the "Let's-Go-on-Killing-Babies" bill, because it didn't give legal rights to zygotes (fertilized eggs) or other forms of human development. The law  specifically does not "confer the status of 'person' on any human embryo, fetus, or unborn child at any state of development prior to live birth."

Personhood activists, who aim to ban all abortion and some common forms of birth control, are gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that would give legal rights to all "unborn human beings." The fact that this phrase is not defined in the text of the ballot question makes abortion-rights activists worry that courts could interpret it to mean that all forms of human development, starting with zygotes, should receive legal protection, thus banning all abortion and some common forms of birth control.

Personhood USA spokesperson Jennifer Mason commented via email on the new Violence Against Pregnant Women law:

Mason: Heather Surovik, whose nearly full-term son was killed when she was struck by a drunk driver near her due date, has opposed the Violence Against Pregnant Women act, calling it "possibly the most deceptive bill ever to be signed into law in Colorado." Like Heather, Personhood USA recognizes that Planned Parenthood and its supporters carefully worded this bill to repeal criminal abortion laws and protect abortion providers even in cases of gross negligence, all under the guise of decrying violence. This bill specifically denies rights and recognition to babies like Brady Surovik, which is why Personhood USA will continue to support Heather Surovik's petition drive for true justice for pregnant victims, without the hidden agenda of Colorado's pro-choice political activists.

Good bye, Boyles

by: Jason Salzman

Tue Jun 04, 2013 at 10:49:14 AM MST

He could talk in depth on most any topic, so you never knew for sure what might come out of his mouth (at least when he wasn't talking about birth certificates, Jon Benet, or "illegals").

He was irreverent, blasting anyone and anything, including his own newsroom, his corporate higher-ups (who apparently fired him), or any elected official of either party. Everyone was a target, and sometimes this was a good thing.

He talked a lot about history, and he even read books!

But in the end, how could you like the guy? He stood for nothing beyond weird nihilism and his Arbitron rating.

Why would such an intelligent person spend so much time fomenting anger and hatred toward undocumented immigrants, who are actually one group of people who might, through Boyles' audience, feel the effects of  his venom.

His repeated attacks on Muslims were equally gross.

And why did he spend so much time trashing journalism? You sort of admire Denver Post publisher Dean Singleton for spending hours on Boyle's show, even though one of Boyle's absolute favorite things to do was to bash The Post (and the Rocky before it closed) in the most sweeping and stupid ways.

You got a sense of what Boyles could have been when defended gays. But soon enough, he'd been talking birth certificates and social security numbers again.

What happened to the man who long ago did such an honorable and intelligent job hosting Channel 12's Colorado Inside Out?

I never gave up hope that Boyles would start caring again. But it never happened.

Black Tea Paty leader in CO feels ignored by Republican Establishment

by: Jason Salzman

Fri May 31, 2013 at 10:36:56 AM MST

"Black" because one of the show's hosts is the African-American founder of Rocky Mountain Black Tea Party, which has the tough job making the conservatism more appealing to African-Americans.

"White" because one of the co-hosts is a white guy, Robert Blaha, who challenged Rep. Doug Lamborn in last year's congressional primary in Colorado Springs.

"Right" because both of the show's hosts are righties. (Note that the show was not called, "Black, White, and Correct.")

Each week, the hosts name someone as "almost human," kind of like Westword's "Schmuck of the Week" or Colorado Inside Out's "Disgrace of the Week."

This past Saturday on "Black, White, and Right," Blaha's "Almost Human" was a woman in Florida who's under federal indictment after using embezzled money to throw a birthday party for her boss.

But the African-American host, Derrick Wilburn, surprised me by picking "The Republicans" generally, and State Republican Chairman Ryan Call in particular, for "Almost Human" honors.

Wilburn feels unloved and unappreciated by Call, as you'll see below, but as a connoisseur of conservative talk radio, I have to say that his attack on Call was so authentic and raw that I recommend it to all of you.

Read it below if you want, but listening here is better.

Bipartisanship gone Bad: McConnell likens Obama to Nixon

by: Zappatero

Fri May 31, 2013 at 09:13:35 AM MST

That's what they do to us......

Republican Senators forced to expand Obstructive Techniques and Abuse of the Infamous Filibuster

by: Zappatero

Wed May 29, 2013 at 06:51:02 AM MST

Because Rule of Law, right?

Of course not.

Republicans automatically hate anything Obama does, even if it upholds the rule of law, and their plans to filibuster each single nominee will have to be adjusted to the predident's nefarious, Pro-Muslim, Anti-Colonialist ways:

President Barack Obama plans to nominate three judges to a critical federal court in a move that The New York Times says "will effectively be daring Republicans to find specific ground to filibuster all the nominees."

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is considered nearly as powerful as the Supreme Court and is known as a proving ground for potential high-court nominees.

The three vacancies are part of a staffing crisis that has plagued the judiciary, as Obama's nominees have been bottled up in the Senate by GOP obstruction.

And while he has had to wait longer than past presidents to have judges approved, he has also nominated them at a slower pace.

A Senate Democratic aide said that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has been pressing the president to make such a move to raise the pressure on Republicans. "That is what Reid has been pressing for and why we cleared Sri last week," the aide said, referring Sri Srinivasan, who was recently approved for the Court, reducing the gap from four to three.

He was approved 97-0 once Republicans dropped procedural objections.

So unless Republicans can execute no-profile, "unanimous consent", procedural obstruction, they approve Obama's nominees overwhelmingly.

Does anyone else see what's wrong with this picture?

A Trillion here, a Trillion there....

by: Zappatero

Tue May 28, 2013 at 17:08:07 PM MST

Can you look into the eyes of the veterans of past wars who are disabled and homeless and tell them they just need to wait longer to get the help they need because we need those billions of dollars to fight yet another war? And how can we claim to support the troops when we send them to war and forget when they get home, voting to cut benefits for people who risked everything to serve our country?

Has Lindsey Graham thought about how $1.4 trillion in war spending could have been used to improve people's lives?

We could have increased funding for the National Institutes of Health by 600% every year for the last 10 years, speeding the development of treatments and cures for cancer, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, MS, and countless other diseases that destroy more lives every year than any Islamic terrorist could dream of.

We could have provided low-income healthcare to 70 million people for 10 years, or hired an additional 2 million public elementary school teachers for 10 years.

We could have provided 17 million military veterans VA medical care for 10 years, or provided 4-year university scholarships to 40 million students.

The debate over our economic priorities has been hijacked and held hostage by Republicans for many years now. They get away with it because Democrats are too cowardly to make their case, and the trillions wasted, and lives lost, are just some of the costs that seem to have bipartisan support in Wasthington, DC.

OK Oklahoma: Senator Tom Coburn should ID the Federal cuts to Oklahomans to offset Torando Damages

by: Zappatero

Sun May 26, 2013 at 13:01:39 PM MST

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) reiterated on Sunday that he won't support additional disaster relief funding without spending cuts elsewhere -- even after tornadoes ripped apart his own state last week.

"We've created kind of a predicate, that you don't have to be responsible for what goes on in your state," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation" while discussing the success Oklahoma has had in using state and private funds after the tornadoes.

Coburn said he doesn't oppose any federal money going toward the state, however.

"Big storms like [Hurricane] Sandy, or like this tornado -- there's certain things that we can't do that we need the federal government to do," he said.

The Oklahoma senator has been consistently opposed to disaster funding without offsets, but some expected that to change in the wake of the devastation to his state. But Coburn's office quickly confirmed after the tornado that he would not be supporting disaster aid without offsetting the spending.

Maybe we can cut teachers who saved those kids' lives.

Maybe we can cut first responders who rushed toward the tragedy with their unique skills, bravery, and selflessness.

If he's so principled, he can identify the programs and personnel that should be cut in his home state to offset aid to his fellow citizens.

Some call it "principle". I call it a betrayal of the founding principles of this nation and the Christianity they claim to believe in.

It's not a principle, it's a sickness.

If you want to help go to the Red Cross site.

Oklahomans shouldn't rely on their sociopathic "leaders" at this time of need.

Peter Boyles throttles Producer, leaves "Birther" marks?

by: Zappatero

Fri May 24, 2013 at 18:21:26 PM MST

Peter Boyles, a well-known and sometimes purposefully-controversial radio host in Denver for 630 KHOW, will be off the air Friday after a heated physical exchange with one of his producers, multiple sources connected to the station confirm to 9NEWS.

Employees observed red marks on producer Greg Hollenback's neck within the minutes of the argument, which happened during Thursday morning's broadcast of the Peter Boyles Show.

The sources wished to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.

(Too bad Peter was involved, cuz who else has the grit and determination and grip to find out if Peter Boyles gave birther marks to his producer? -z)

"Everyone here is disappointed and devastated," one employee told 9NEWS.

That's about all that's been said publicly about yesterday's incident. We don't know what Boyles and his producer were arguing about, or how it apparently escalated to Boyles attacking the man-described by other sources as a "throttling."

What we do know is these two men have worked together for some 20 years, and that the incident happened just after Tancredo's gubernatorial campaign announcement yesterday. 9NEWS was reportedly still at the station to cover that announcement when this happened.

Peter Boyles throttles producer. We're giong to need more than just a piece of paper to believe that.

Bridges?!? We don't need no stinkin' bridges!!!!

by: Zappatero

Fri May 24, 2013 at 09:51:11 AM MST

I-5 runs from San Diego to northernmost Washington state.

This is the world Republicans are more than happy to represent: no taxes, no infrastructure investment, no disaster relief, you're all on your own, no nothing for nothing, let the Big Boys call all the shots and make all the money and have their own private bridges be the only ones that can hold the weight of a car.

thereisnospoon:

More than a quarter of Washington's 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

Shoring up all these bridges would be a major investment of mostly blue collar manpower. And as it turns out, the country has a desperate need for jobs, especially ones that don't require a college degree.

It would take a perverse, malevolent government not to take the opportunity to fit those two puzzle pieces together. Wouldn't it?

Sounds like American Exceptionalism at its Republican-pleasing Best, most dysfunctional state.

Jose Silva again in the News

by: wDenverRepresent

Tue Oct 12, 2010 at 11:07:18 AM MST

How dare this man, with his own childish issues, threaten to cost Denver hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, in a recall of a democratically elected official who well represents her constituents!

Loyal readers, educate thyself.

GOGCC serving the Oil and Gas Industry on our dime!

by: Just Anita

Wed May 22, 2013 at 13:35:04 PM MST

When we have a Governor who openly admits to congress that he drank fracking fluid, actively engages in defeating solid public safety, health, and environment laws to mitigate damage from the industry, and threatens to file suit against any county/municipality banning fracking, the public is not being served.

Colorado has a split estate permit process for a reason. The state also has an honored and judicially tested history of supporting local controls over high impact industry regardless of state or national interest in those industries.

Colorado is not frack nation. Our citizens have a right to clean air, clean water, public safety, and a healthy environment without an industry dictating the terms of our public policy. This appeared in my email this morning.

PUBLIC NOTICE:

THE FORMATION OF A FEDERAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COLORADO OIL & GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION (COGCC) IS NOW BEING DISCUSSED AMONG IMPACTED CITIZENS IN GARFIELD, LARIMER & BOULDER COUNTIES, (AND OTHER COLORADANS SIMILARLY SITUATED).  YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD THIS PUBLIC NOTICE, AND YOU ARE INVITED TO CONSIDER BECOMING A "REPRESENTATIVE PLAINTIFF" IN THIS PROPOSED FEDERAL CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COGCC.

My name is Carl L. McWilliams, I am an American Citizen in good standing, a registered voter and a resident of Garfield County, Colorado.

It is my layman's opinion the legislative statutes that created the COLORADO OIL & GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION are unconstitutional and will never stand constitutional muster, (Judicial Review) in federal district court.

Here is the COGCC statute that I hold is unconstitutional: C.R.S. 34-60-105; "Powers of COGCC Commission"
"(1) The commission has jurisdiction over all persons and property, public and private, necessary to enforce the provisions of this article, and has the power to make and enforce rules, regulations, and orders pursuant to this article, and to do whatever may reasonably be necessary to carry out the provisions of this article. Any delegation of authority to any other state officer, board, or commission to administer any other laws of this state relating to the conservation of oil or gas, or either of them, is hereby rescinded and withdrawn and such authority is unqualifiedly conferred upon the commission, as provided in this section. Any person, or the attorney general on behalf of the state, may apply for any hearing before the commission, or the commission may initiate proceedings upon any question relating to the administration of this article, and jurisdiction is conferred upon the commission to hear and determine the same and enter its rule, regulation, or order with respect thereto."

As you know: Within the preamble of the July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence, the legal doctrine of "Consent of the Governed" is established. Therefore, as you read (above) the unfettered legal and political powers "the commission has jurisdiction over all persons and property, public and private to enforce the provisions of this article'" granted by an act of the state legislature to the COGCC, without a vote of the people of Colorado (Consent of the Governed) it becomes quite apparent where the unconstitutionality of the COGCC is found.  The fundamental and inalienable right of "Consent of the Governed" is found within the Ninth Amendment and because we the people of Colorado were never given the opportunity to vote, yes or no, on giving those legal and political powers to the COGCC, the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has also been denied to we the people of Colorado.

Furthermore, Colorado case law states:
"Due process takes precedence over legislation.  The requirements of due process of law under both the United States and Colorado Constitutions take precedence over statutory enactments of the general assembly."  [White v. Davis, 163 Colo. 122,428, P.2d 909 (1967)] and;

"The hand of the general assembly is restrained by the due process clause of the state constitution from overturning established principals of private rights and distributive justice." [ People ex rel, Juhan v. District Court, 165, Colo. 253, 439 P.2d 741 (1968)], and;

"The general assembly may not constitutionally authorize the deprivation of a property interest, once conferred, without appropriate safeguards. [Weston v. Cassata, 37 P.3d 469 (Colo. App. 2001]
Additionally, as has been experienced in Longmont, Colorado; the Equal Protection Clause (also under the Fourteenth Amendment) has been denied to we the people of Colorado by the COGCC statutes which remove the legal powers of local government zoning and use ordinance issues for oil & gas exploration (fracking).

As Colorado case law states: "Denial of "due process" includes denial of "equal protection of the law". The contention that a statute abridge the privileges and immunities of citizens and denies equal protection of the law is included within the objection that it denies "due process". They stand or fall together. People v. Max, 70 Colo. 100, 198 P. 150 (1921)."

Certainly, this legal action must start with competent counsel: I suggest the legal strategy will be structured as a "Constitutional Controversy-Class Action" seeking temporary injunctions, declaratory relief and injunctive relief, halting all existing and future COGCC permitted drilling activities. Frame the lawsuit from the US Constitution using ARTICLE III, Section 2, The Ninth Amendment (Consent of the Governed), the Fourteenth Amendment, (Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause)  and federal class actions (FRCP #23 (b) (2)) and 28 USC, Sec. 1331(a). [NOTE: It is extremely important to choose legal counsel who is an expert in federal rules of civil procedure, (FRCP) and that the original complaint is "well-pleaded". Compliance with 28 USC, Sec. 1331 (a) and the  "class certification" is absolutely dependent on a "well-pleaded-complaint", where the constitutional rights that were violated by the Colorado Legislature in adopting the COGCC statutes, are well defined and clearly asserted]

Moreover, I hold the controlling precedent that will prevail in a federal constitutional challenge to the COGCC statutes is the most famous case in US Supreme Court history: MARBURY V. MADISON (1803) Chief Justice John Marshall: "An act of the legislature that is repugnant to the constitution is void".***

*** MARBURY V. MADISON: In the framing of the class action/constitutional controversy "well pleaded complaint" against the COGCC, it is essential that John Marshall's most eloquent decision be paraphrased to mirror the constitutional controversy at bar: "Supposed to be long and well established"..........."The powers of the legislature are defined and limited; and that those limits may not be mistaken, or forgotten, the constitution is written."...................."Those, then, who controvert the principle that the constitution is to be considered, in court, as the paramount law, are reduced to the necessity of maintaining that courts must close their eyes to the constitution and see only the law."................"This doctrine would subvert the very foundation of all written constitutions."....................."It would be giving to the legislature a practical and real omnipotence"............"The constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the legislature".
Furthermore, the Preamble of the 1876 Colorado Constitution states:
"We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice; insure tranquility; provide for the common defense; promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the 'State of Colorado'". And;

Article II, Sec. 1 of the Colorado Constitution under Bill of Rights "VESTMENT OF LEGAL POWERS".
"In order to assert our rights, acknowledge our duties, and proclaim the principles upon which our government is founded, we declare: All political power is vested in and derived from the people; all government, of right, originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole." And:
In a 1938 Colorado "well settled" case law: "All governmental departments must answer to the people. It is well that all departments give pause that they may not offend. All must answer to the people, in and from whom, as specifically set forth in this section, all political power is invested and derived. Hudson v. Annear, 101 Colo. 551, 75 P.2d 587 (1938)."

Carl L. McWilliams -
AMERICAN CITIZEN IN GOOD STANDING
Silt, Colorado  EMAIL:  cogcc.class.action@gmail.com

Earth to Obama: When Repubs hate your guts, you betray your Base and run Roughshod over the Law...

by: Zappatero

Wed May 22, 2013 at 09:18:17 AM MST

The Justice Department's investigation and surveillance of the Associated Press and Fox News have led to perhaps the most sustained wave of criticism for the Obama administration's media policies since the president took office.

On Wednesday, the New York Times became one of the more influential voices to say what many others have been saying: that the administration's methods are an attack on press freedom.

In a scathing editorial, the Times wrote that, "With the decision to label a Fox News television reporter a possible 'co-conspirator' in a criminal investigation of a news leak, the Obama administration has moved beyond protecting government secrets to threatening fundamental freedoms of the press to gather news."

Something I thought I'd never read: the NY Times sticking up for Fox News.

Something I thought I'd never say: President Obama seems to be on course to surpass the corporatist incompetence, the willful violence and the anti-democratic fervor of its immediate predecssors.

Please, Mr. President, don't make me agree with Cranks on the Right over the trajectory of your presidency......that would be the worst outcome of all.

Death Row in Colorado: Prejudice, Contradictions and Lies

by: Zappatero

Tue May 21, 2013 at 15:46:34 PM MST

In 2012, at least 682 executions were known to have been carried out worldwide, two more than in 2011. At least 1,722 newly imposed death sentences in 58 countries could be confirmed, compared to 1,923 in 63 countries the year before.

But Amnesty stressed that its figures do not include the thousands of executions that it believes were carried out in China, where details are shrouded in secrecy.

"The regression we saw in some countries this year was disappointing, but it does not reverse the worldwide trend against using the death penalty. In many parts of the world, executions are becoming a thing of the past," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"Only one in 10 countries in the world carries out executions. Their leaders should ask themselves why they are still applying a cruel and inhumane punishment that the rest of the world is leaving behind."

John Hickenlooper, ever reluctant to do what's right, is being urged to rectify some issues with Colorado's death row inhabitants:

In March, Colorado came close to becoming the 19th state to abolish the death penalty, but the bill failed after Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) voiced opposition and suggested a possible veto. A few months later, Colorado's death penalty is still firmly in place, and the state is poised to complete what would be only the second execution in 45 years (the last was in 1997). Few dispute that Nathan Dunlap committed a horrific crime and murdered several people at a Chuck E. Cheese. But judges, university professors, and other prominent state leaders are urging Gov. Hickenlooper to commute Dunlap's sentence, both because crucial errors that defined his trial may have led him to get a harsher sentence than others, and because killing anyone under the perverted state system would be a miscarriage of justice. According to letters filed with Hickenlooper's office:

• All three people on death row are black men. In a state that is only 4.3% African American, Colorado's death row is 100% African American.
• All three men on death are from the same one county, out of Colorado's 64.
• All three men committed their crime when they were under the age of 21.

Two law professors who studied Colorado's application of the death penalty concluded it was unconstitutional, after finding that prosecutors pursue the death penalty in less than one percent of the cases where it is an option, and that the state failed to set "clear statutory standards for distinguishing between the few who are executed and the many who commit murder."

"It appears that race, geography and youth largely determines who gets the death penalty in Colorado," wrote a group of NAACP leaders in a letter urging Gov. Hickenlooper to grant clemency. They note that not a single black juror served on the panel that sentenced Dunlap to death.

In addition to the injustices that define the Colorado system, a group of former Colorado judges also point out that Dunlap's bipolar disorder and psychotic tendencies were not even mentioned at trial. In fact, according to their letter, Dunlap's lawyer told the jury that there was no explanation for his violence.

Stupidest Republican of the Day: Oklahoma Senator and Climate Change Denier James Inhofe

by: Zappatero

Tue May 21, 2013 at 14:09:47 PM MST

Inhofe, of course, believes his state deserves those resources, even though he voted down aid to Hurricane Sandy victims. On MSNBC, Chris Jansing confronted Inhofe about his calling the Sandy aid bill a "slush fund," and the brazen right-winger insisted the two issues shouldn't be linked.

"Let's look at that, that was totally different," Inhofe told Jansing. "They were getting things-for instance that was supposed to be in New Jersey, they had things in the Virgin Islands, they were fixing roads there, they were putting roofs on houses in Washington D.C., everyone was getting in and exploiting the tragedy taking place. That won't happen in Oklahoma."

Inhofe's answer is too dishonest to fully parse. First of all, there was Sandy damage way beyond New Jersey, including in the Caribbean and Washington D.C. too.

Hurricane Sandy's effects were felt in 24 states and the roof in question was at the Smithsonian Institute, which is in DC.

This ignorant senator is one of the most aggressive deniers of climage change and the massive tornado that just hit his home state will probably change nothing for him:

In a radio interview with Voice of Christian Youth America, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) argued that his belief that global warming is a hoax is biblically inspired. Promoting his book The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future, Inhofe told interviewer Vic Eliason on Wednesday that only God can change the climate, and the idea that manmade pollution could affect the seasons is "arrogance":

   Well actually the Genesis 8:22 that I use in there is that "as long as the earth remains there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night." My point is, God's still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous.

He's not only stupid, but dangerous, and his views are deadly for the citizens he claims to support. Hey, maybe God, by His actions Oklahoma, is telling Oklahomans to stop voting for stupid Republicans like James Inhofe and Tom Coburn to represent them in Washington, DC.

For talk-radio host, IRS troubles lead to Obama not being a "friend of Christianity."

by: Jason Salzman

Tue May 21, 2013 at 08:58:23 AM MST

I offer Crank's comments below, from Saturday's show, to illustrate how the troubles at the IRS give echoers like Crank the perfect springboard to reach for their deepest anti-government rhetoric, while demonizing Obama at the same time in the most extreme and shadowy ways.

Crank: "This is the moment to stand up and say we need to rip the IRS out by its roots! Grab it and throw it away and eliminate it! Get RID of the IRS! Throw it out the window! Let it be-throw it on the ash heap of history! Make it be the Soviet Union! Something that we remember in the disant past! No federal agency should be feared like this - and bureaucrats should never ever have this kind of power. It's sickening! It's absolutely sickening to see this kind of thing."

Caller (Mrs. Youngblood): "The reason I thought why the IRS is attacking most of the religious organizations was that to silence them because he [Obama] is wanting to establish a One World Religion...which would be Muslim. These religious organizations just didn't meet his standards. [he's trying to] Keep them from growing. I know he's Muslim."

Crank:  "...Some people will argue, 'Oh, he's not Muslim.' Whatever, I'll tell you this -- He's no friend of Christianity. When you're attacking churches left and right and their tax status... there's not one mosque that's come forward and said, 'You know what? The IRS is really attacking us' Did you notice that, Mrs. Youngblood?"

Hey Democrats: how's all that Bipartisanship Stuff working out for you?

by: Zappatero

Fri May 17, 2013 at 12:27:11 PM MST

Jim DeMint wanted to break Obama when he was a senator. He couldn't. Then he retired from the senate and is trying to break Obama, and Democrats, and any possibility of passing any legislation, from his chair at The Heritage Foundation.

I must say that's very White of him....

Republicans are on a full-scale, no-holds-barred, frontal assault on the president and are loudly whispering the "I" word: impeachment.

So every capitulation and every attempt at bipartisanship is taken as a sign of weakness by Republicans. Every act of "good faith", trying to be the "adult in the room" and "going more than halfway" was met with contempt and an aggressive pursuit of even more policy perogatives by Republicans.

Dems in DC need to give up on bipartisanship for a while...a least until today's Rabid Republicans can start acting like good citizens that the losers of the last election should.

Stupidest Republican Mouthpiece of the Day: Jon Karl of ABC News punk'd by R's with Benghazi Lies

by: Zappatero

Fri May 17, 2013 at 07:46:34 AM MST

People still like him and support him.

So when Benghazi, Libya, consulate was attacked and several of our foreign service officers killed, Republicans wound up the scandal machine, had some lies placed with a key news reporter, and went to work at what they do best, Lie to the American People:

From a logical standpoint, it was pretty obvious that Republicans were the source of the inaccurate Benghazi talking point emails reported last Friday by ABC News White House correspondent Jon Karl, but when the actual emails surfaced, Karl did not acknowledge who his sources were.

Now, thanks to Major Garrett of CBS News, we have explicit confirmation that Republicans were behind the false leaks. Garrett reports (my emphasis):

Republicans have charged that the State Department under Hillary Clinton was trying to protect itself from criticism. The White House released the real emails late Wednesday. Here's what we found when we compared them to the quotes that had been provided by Republicans.

Darrell Issa, Chair of the House Committee and Criminal Convict, tried to fire up the base over this. Dick Cheney came in and lied that this was one of the worst things he could remember, somehow forgetting he was George Bush's Counterterrorism Czar when 3,000 Americans died on 9/11 in New York.

Then Republicans found a chump reporter whom they could lie to with impunity to try to make Benghazi a bigger scandal.

They lied, they failed, and Jon Karl is the most stupid reporter around because he listened to Republicans....

Krieble now wants work permits given without requiring immigrants to leave America first

by: Jason Salzman

Thu May 16, 2013 at 11:40:01 AM MST

Krieble's plan has been getting renewed attention lately by Republicans (Dick Wadhams helps promote it.), as an alternative to comprehensive immigration reform, which includes a path to citizenship. And so Krieble has been fielding a lot of questions, like this one on May 14 from KNRV's Raaki Garcia:

GARCIA: Helen, my question is, would they need to go out of the country to participate in the Red Card.

HELEN KRIEBLE: It is simply a question of whether a bill can get passed or not. The "law and order" people, who are a very strong part of this debate, say you must go outside of the borders of the country to enter legally according to our laws. And that doesn't mean go home to the Philippines if you're a Phillippino, but go outside. It would only take a week from anywhere in the United States with a forty-eight hour process to do this, so you're out of the shadows in a week. But I think times have changed. And if it's possible to pass a law by letting people get their work permits inside the country, I would love to see that happen.

Garcia should have asked Krieble why her Red-Card-Solution website states that a great march out of the United States is still part of her thinking.  What's up?