Thom Hartmann vs Matthew Vadum – Is Registering the Poor to Vote Un-American?
September 11, 2011 No CommentFrom this Thursday’s Thom Hartmann show , Hartmann debates Matthew Vandum who apparently thinks the only people who should be allowed to vote to promote their own interests are the rich. Here’s more on Vandum from TPM: Columnist: Registering Poor To Vote ‘Like Handing Out Burglary Tools To Criminals’ : Conservative columnist Matthew Vadum is just going to come right out and say it : registering the poor to vote is un-American and “like handing out burglary tools to criminals.” “It is profoundly antisocial and un-American to empower the nonproductive segments of the population to destroy the country — which is precisely why Barack Obama zealously supports registering welfare recipients to vote,” Vadum, the author of a book published by World Net Daily that attacks the now-defunct community organizing group ACORN, writes in a column for the American Thinker. “Encouraging those who burden society to participate in elections isn’t about helping the poor,” Vadum writes. “It’s about helping the poor to help themselves to others’ money. It’s about raw so-called social justice. It’s about moving America ever farther away from the small-government ideals of the Founding Fathers.” Most conservative criticism of voter registration drives aimed at poor and minority communities has been under the guise of worries about voter fraud. Vadum’s column is notable because he isn’t just pretending to be worried about the nearly non-existent threat of in-person voter fraud — he just doesn’t think poor people should be voting. And for a little blast from the past, here’s more from The Daily Show when John Oliver interviewed this same guy back in 2008 below the fold.
Continue reading …Thom Hartmann vs Matthew Vadum – Is Registering the Poor to Vote Un-American?
September 11, 2011 No CommentFrom this Thursday’s Thom Hartmann show , Hartmann debates Matthew Vandum who apparently thinks the only people who should be allowed to vote to promote their own interests are the rich. Here’s more on Vandum from TPM: Columnist: Registering Poor To Vote ‘Like Handing Out Burglary Tools To Criminals’ : Conservative columnist Matthew Vadum is just going to come right out and say it : registering the poor to vote is un-American and “like handing out burglary tools to criminals.” “It is profoundly antisocial and un-American to empower the nonproductive segments of the population to destroy the country — which is precisely why Barack Obama zealously supports registering welfare recipients to vote,” Vadum, the author of a book published by World Net Daily that attacks the now-defunct community organizing group ACORN, writes in a column for the American Thinker. “Encouraging those who burden society to participate in elections isn’t about helping the poor,” Vadum writes. “It’s about helping the poor to help themselves to others’ money. It’s about raw so-called social justice. It’s about moving America ever farther away from the small-government ideals of the Founding Fathers.” Most conservative criticism of voter registration drives aimed at poor and minority communities has been under the guise of worries about voter fraud. Vadum’s column is notable because he isn’t just pretending to be worried about the nearly non-existent threat of in-person voter fraud — he just doesn’t think poor people should be voting. And for a little blast from the past, here’s more from The Daily Show when John Oliver interviewed this same guy back in 2008 below the fold.
Continue reading …
enlarge I read a lot of editorials, but rarely does one send my outrage meter into the red zone the way this one does. For a person who rarely goes into “hair on fire” mode, it’s ugly when I do. Consider this my rant directed to the Washington Post’s Charles Lane , who snarks his way through a series of inane arguments for why the provisions to assist the long-term unemployed are somehow wrong-headed and stupid. Snarky Stupid Argument #1: The long-term unemployed have simply “taken some time off” Obama’s idea – already distilled into legislation by Connecticut Democrats Rosa DeLauro in the House and Richard Blumenthal in the Senate – certainly has intuitive appeal. How indecent of some companies to hang out a “No Jobless Need Apply” sign at a time of record unemployment. And how contrary to their own self-interest: surely there are future employees of the month out there in the great pool of jobless Americans. “That makes absolutely no sense,” the president told a radio talk show audience the other day. Actually, I can think of a couple of reasons why it would make sense. Companies may want people familiar with the latest trends and conditions in their industry, so that they don’t have to spend money training them up. Is it irrational for a hospital to prefer a nurse from their crosstown rival over a nurse who took five years off and is trying to get back into the field? Some firms may find that narrowing the field of potential hires in advance makes the hiring process more efficient. Oh, hell yes. In a situation where some people were laid off in 2007 and 2008 and haven’t found their way back to a job, it’s really simply a matter of them taking a few years off? Because they were tired of working and didn’t need that paycheck or those benefits. And the nurse example is absurd, since I’m pretty sure nurses have accreditation standards to meet and continuing education to keep their nursing certificate current. How about that bank teller that was laid off when everything went kerfluey the first time? Or the over-50-but-perfectly-competent customer service representative? Did they just “take a few years off”? Snarky Stupid Argument #2: Markets determine hiring decisions This may or may not be a sensible calculation for any particular business. But I’m not prepared to second-guess them or assign malicious intent without a lot more specific information. In any case, if a firm that refuses to consider the unemployed is wrong about the costs and benefits of doing so, they’ll lose business to competitors that recruit differently. The market will punish them swiftly and effectively. Oh, please. All hail the magic markets. You know, those markets that got us into this ridiculous situation to begin with? Those markets. But I digress. What is it he is saying here? Is he just so caught within his own little Beltway Bubble that he doesn’t quite understand that millions of jobs just evaporated and will never come back? Never. Let’s talk about costs and benefits. In this job market, experience counts for less than nothing. Employers do indeed consider costs and benefits, and anyone over the age of 50 will come up short, despite having many more years of experience and knowledge of the tasks at hand. Health care costs too much for them when compared to the incredibly low costs of insuring younger people. Forget his magic markets. There is no market. And when there’s even a glint of an opportunity, it’s pretty disgusting to be discarded without even so much as a nod at the resume because there’s a glut on that “market”, so to speak. Snarky Stupid Argument #3: It’s really not that big of a deal Be that as it may, the no-jobless-need-apply problem is probably not nearly as widespread, or as harmful to the unemployed, as Obama and other advocates of legislation suggest. The National Employment Law Project, which has made “unemployment discrimination” a cause celebre, found a total of 150 exclusionary ads in a four-week survey of four job-search sites — Monster.com, Craigslist.com, CareerBuilder.com and Indeed.com. That’s 150 — out of more than a million postings on the Web at any given time. Anecdotally, I call BS on that. It happens every single damn day. Don’t assume that every employer who discriminates puts a sign on their door confirming it. Want a job on the Internet? Got skills? Well, guess what? You don’t get considered for that job, or even get your resume in front of someone if you haven’t been employed in the past year. They don’t have to say it to do it. Snarky Stupid Argument #4: It’s a burden on business Subjecting companies to the risk of job-discrimination litigation is justifiable in the case of pervasive, historically rooted evils such as race or gender bias. But burdening the private sector for this dubious new purpose, in these difficult times, would be a big mistake. Seems simple enough for business to avoid it. All they have to do is not discriminate, right? Now with all of the snarky stupid arguments out of the way, I will say that I don’t believe legislation will be all that effective, but it will ensure that some out-of-work fresh-faced law school graduates get work. It’s almost impossible to prove this kind of discrimination because it’s never blatant, and it involves following hiring patterns over a time horizon with follow-through on those not hired. Employers can always give a reason for not hiring someone, even one as simple as their gut check that one employee will be a better fit than another. I know because I’ve been the one who hired people. Ultimately the decision comes down to how that applicant will fit inside the larger organization, and there is no way to prove otherwise. The best that legislation will do is put their foot in the door or their resume in front of a reviewer. They won’t be able to go much farther than that. But don’t insult my intelligence with ridiculous arguments that marginalize people who are already suffering far worse effects from this recession than many.
Continue reading …
• Click on auto-refresh for all the latest action • Send your emails to Jacob Steinberg here • Follow Jacob on Twitter • Follow today’s other latest scores 26 min: Gary Neville is having a wee chuckle about little brother Phil being left on the bench by Everton yesterday. Ah, brotherly love. 24 min: The lively Goodwillie scoots into the Fulham area but is unable to outwit the hulking Senderos. 21 min: A moment of high farce to enliven proceedings in the Blackburn defence. There was absolutely no danger at all as Dann went across to the left to cover an aimless pass down the line. Facing his own goal he decided to knock the ball back to Robinson. But he failed to notice Zamora there – even though he had a little look – and played the ball straight into the path of the Fulham striker. He was through on goal but was too eager to get the ball on to his left foot which allowed Samba to block his path. Salgado then raced back and muscled Zamora to the floor. Fulham cried for a penalty but Webb waved play on, before awarding a free-kick to Blackburn when Zamora, on the floor, grabbed the ball with his hands. Well done everyone, that was very entertaining. 20 min: Blackburn don’t look like a side with zero points from three games but Fulham’s early intent has rather disappeared. There’s a disturbing lethargy about their play, passes going astray with too much regularity. 19 min: Blackburn are enjoying a decent spell, with Hoillet particularly menacing on the left. Fulham have now been forced into an early change, Aaron Hughes limping off to be replaced by Stephen Kelly. 16 min: “Must say its a poor start from Neville,” says Rob Smith. “He’s offered tactical insight, hasnt slated the ref and worst of all he hasnt referenced the best eague in the world yet, and 14 whole minutes have gone. As much chance as lasting as an MOTD pundit who doesnt play golf.” He’s also spoken a lot about the refusal of both midfields to close opponents down. He’s aping Alan Hansen, that crafty Neville. Anything to get one over on Liverpool. 15 min: Well, Goodwillie is supposedly suffering with a hamstring injury, but there’s little evidence of that here as he launches into a stunning overhead kick from around 12 yards out which flies not too far past the corner of the post and bar. Samba, as ever, had caused the initial nuisance in Fulham’s area after a cross from the left from Hoillet. 13 min: Ruiz has spent more time on the floor than on his feet. This has been a rude awakening for him. 11 min: Rochina misses a glorious chance to give Blackburn the lead. Hoillett, quiet so far, suddenly bursts into life, skipping in from the right and slipping a pass through the middle for Rochina, whose canny run had gone unnnoticed from the Fulham midfield. He was through on goal but rather than take the shot first time, he got the ball stuck under his feet, seemingly desperate to score the perfect goal. That allowed Hangeland and Senderos to recover and close down the route to goal and when Rochina finally decided to go for goal, he could only curl a tame low shot at Schwarzer. 10 min: Ruiz, perhaps understandably, hasn’t got into the flow of the game yet. The pace in England is rather more frenetic than in Holland and at the moment he wants a little too much time on the ball. 8 min: Duff v Givet is not a contest at all. Once again the Irishman beats the creaking Frenchman to a loose ball on the right and scampers away down the right. He marauds with intent towards the area and then plays an intelligent pass back to Sidwell, arriving from deep. The pass was just behind him though, his momentum taking him too far forward, and from around 12 yards out he cracked a firm effort well wide of the left post. Fulham may well feel they should lead. 7 min: Now Blackburn are playing it around at the back, keeping it on the floor, without really going anywhere. Eventually Samba gets bored and knocks it down the right channel for Goodwillie. Throw to Fulham. 5 min: A free-kick to Blackburn in their own half. They take it short, working pretty patterns and triangles in midfield Everyone ambles up into Fulham’s area, Robinson launches it forward and Schwarzer catches it easily. Goalkeeper to goalkeeper: efficient. 3 min: And here’s the first evidence to support that. With Givet caught out of position, Duff is released down the right flank by a firm pass from Murphy. He hares away with barely a Blackburn defender in sight but his low centre towards Zamora in the middle is crucially cut out by Samba. 2 min: For all of Blackburn’s troubles, it must be said that a centre-back pairing of Samba and Dann will be very difficult for a lot of sides in this league to break down. So there’s some encouragement for a side that will take anything it can get at the moment. 1 min: And off we go, Blackburn, wearing their yellow away kit, kicking off and attacking from right to left. They keep the ball for all of three seconds from the kick-off. Start as you mean to go on chaps. A minute’s silence before we start for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. Impeccably observed. Gary Neville’s the co-commentator on Sky. This is his first one, isn’t it? This should be interesting. I’ve been very impressed with his start to life in the meedja. If Blackburn lose today, it will be the first time they’ve lost their first four games. Ever! They did it once during World War One, but that doesn’t officially count. In Blackburn’s favour, though, the food in and around Ewood Park is exceptional, which is really how they should judge these things. Hello. It’s a bit early for talk of six-pointers, but what the hell, let’s talk of six-pointers. These two have made terrible starts to the season, Fulham in 19th with one point and Blackburn last with none, a state of affairs which does little to justify the sacking of Sam Allardyce last December and the subsequent appointment of deep thinker Steve Kean. But hey, maybe Venky’s know best. They have heard of Raul, Ronaldinho and David Beckham after all and you can’t buy football knowledge like that. Suffice to say, despite all the talk of bringing in big names, Kean has had to rely on some big bones instead, bringing in Yakubu from Everton on deadline day, a signing that should, how shall we put it … beef up their attack. With two goals scored in their first three games, Blackburn will need the Nigerian to hit the ground running. That’s a figure of speech by the way; no one expects Yakubu to do any actual running. Even so, delving further into more punditese, he knows where the goal is, whereas Jason Roberts is more likely to point at that rectangular thing at the end of the pitch, a confused look on his face, and ask ‘What’s that then?’. Goalscoring has been a problem for Fulham as well, their record even worse than Blackburn’s. They’ve managed only one so far, Climnt Dempsey’s consolation strike in the defeat to Newcastle two weeks ago. But whereas Blackburn are in genuine trouble, the suspicion remains that this is merely a slow start for Fulham, perhaps a consequence of playing two away games shortly after Europa League ties. Their away form is as dismal as ever, which will heighten the tension at Craven Cottage, though they will be confident of getting their first win against a side who don’t fare too well on their travels either. Martin Jol isn’t under too much pressure yet – he’s only just started in the job after all – but after the fine work achieved at Fulham by Roy Hodgson and Mark Hughes, the comparisons with those two are likely to be unfavourable until he gets those first three points. He can’t complain about not being backed either, spending £10.6m on the exciting Costa Rican Bryan Ruiz from FC Twente. Though there is a dangerous precedent for Fulham and costly signings: who remembers the club-footed Steve Marlet? Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Hughes, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise; Duff, Sidwell, Murphy, Dempsey; Ruiz, Zamora. Subs: Etheridge, Kelly, Johnson, Kasami, Gecov, Grygera, Dembele. Blackburn (4-5-1): Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Dann, Givet; Hoilett, Dunn, Formica, Nzonzi, Rochina; Goodwillie. Subs: Bunn, Olsson, Petrovic, Yakubu, Vukcevic, Roberts, Lowe. A special treat: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire) Premier League Fulham Blackburn Rovers Premier League 2011-12 Jacob Steinberg guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Foriegn Office confirms British couple were attacked in luxury resort on border with Somalia A British man has been murdered and his wife kidnapped after armed men attacked the luxury Kenyan beach resort where they were on holiday. The Foreign Office said the two Britons were targeted on Sunday at a resort north of Lamu, near the border between Kenya and Somalia . “One was killed and another kidnapped,” said an FCO spokeswoman, adding that consular assistance was being provided. Kenyan police declined to give details but said they had launched a search-and-rescue operation to find the missing woman. Although the FCO would not name the resort, reports suggest it is the Kiwayu Safari Village , which consists of 18 luxury cottages spread along a private beach some 30 miles from Lamu. No one from the resort answered phone calls on Sunday afternoon and its website seemed to be having techinical difficulties. On its website, the resort says it takes guests’ safety very seriously. “We have a number of systems and measures in place which are designed to give you maximum security and safety without detracting from the special ambiance [sic] of this site or the area,” it says. “We have our own organic security protocols as well as a professional security structure which provides us with overarching security and safety 24 hours a day … We regularly review our security and safety to ensure it is both comprehensive and current.” Attacks on tourists are unusual in Kenya, which is popular for its safaris and pristine beaches. It is unclear if the attackers came from neighbouring Somalia – where pirates often prey on foreigners – or if they were Kenyans. Advice posted on the FCO website advises travellers against going within 30 miles of the Kenya-Somalia border. It says: “There have been previous attacks by Somali militia into Kenya. “Three aid workers were kidnapped in July 2009, and two western nuns in November 2008.” In 2008, British missionary Brian Thorp , 77, was murdered during a robbery on the island of Lamu. Originally from Derbyshire, he had worked extensively across Africa as a Mill Hill missionary and may have been targeted as he was carrying cash due to be paid to labourers renovating a church. Kiwayu is a favourite of celebrities and backpackers. Artist Tracey Emin has visited the resort and talked of her love of the area, telling the Times in 2008: “There’s a tiny little spot in Kenya called Kiwayu, near the Somalian border, which has to be one of my favourite places on earth. “It’s so tranquil. You just lie on the beach and thousands of pink crabs cover the whole shoreline – you have the combination of the aquamarine sea and the pink crest of the crabs.” The actor Imelda Staunton wrote in the Daily Telegraph two years ago : “It was very nice lying there on the beach, but it all seemed a bit tame – and then suddenly about 50 monkeys came over the dunes, and wandered over to have a look at us, before heading down to the sea to get crabs for their tea.” Sir Mick Jagger is also reported to have stayed at the lodge, which was opened in 1973 by an Italian couple. The resort website says: “There are few places in the world which can boast such seclusion. “We are visited only by fishermen, the dhows that still come to collect water and the occasional sports fisherman in search of the magnificent marlin, which are then tagged and released back into the sea.” It currently charges $445 (around £278) per adult per night to stay in its beach bungalows. Kenya Africa guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …So says Alex Pareene at Salon.com . I don’t know but I’ll take his word for it. I wasn’t able to bring myself to watch more than the first 30 seconds. And yes, that is Herman Cain (the amateur gospel singer) singing. Reports are he did it in one take , almost as if this garbage was something to be proud of.. So, Joe Scarborough only produced the second-grossest 9/11 “tribute” video I’ve seen this week. Herman Cain’s presidential campaign produced this monstrosity, in which Cain croons “God Bless America” over footage of the 2001 attacks and their aftermath. Just a warning: If you don’t want to see graphic images of the events of 9/11, including multiple shots of the second plane hitting and the towers collapsing, don’t watch this video. (Also, don’t turn on your TV this entire weekend.) I don’t even know what to say. I guess Cain can now brag that he’s a former pizza magnate and crass exploiter of tragedies for political gain.
Continue reading …
Four people arrested in Bedfordshire under suspicion of forcing 24 men to work in ‘filthy and cramped’ conditions Twenty-four men believed to have been held against their will and forced to work have been freed from a caravan site in Bedfordshire. Four people on the site, in Leighton Buzzard, have been arrested under suspicion of keeping 24 men from England, Romania and Poland as slaves in “filthy and cramped” conditions, police said. Three men and a woman were arrested after a long-running investigation by Bedfordshire police. Officers believe a number of people were being held against their will – some for as long as 15 years – and being forced to live in squalid conditions and work for no pay at the Greenacre caravan site. More than 200 officers raided the site at 5.30am on Sunday, releasing the 24 men, who were taken to a medical centre. Dog-handling officers, helicopter and firearms support units were on hand to execute search warrants. The four arrests were made under the Slavery and Servitude Act 2010, and the suspects held at police stations across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. Weapons, drugs and money were also found at the site, police said. Detective Chief Inspector Sean O’Neil, of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said: “The men we found at the site were in a poor state of physical health and the conditions they were living in were shockingly filthy and cramped. “We believe that some of them had been living and working there in a state of virtual slavery, some for just a few weeks and others for up to 15 years.” Police, who were assisted during the by officers from the UK Human Trafficking Centre – also apologised to residents of the site who were not believed to be involved in the crime. “Because of the number of victims and suspects and the size of the site, we needed the assistance of many officers from specialist units today,” O’Neil said. “We are aware the operation has caused a lot of disruption to the other residents of the site and we thank them for their co-operation and understanding. “A small number of officers are remaining at the site to complete searches and to liaise with the residents. The offences that are being investigated are extremely serious.” Crime Police Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Gales, combined with heavy rain, could cause significant disruption in Ireland, England and Scotland A severe weather warning covering northern Ireland, England and Scotland has been issued by the Met Office , with forecasts saying Britain will be lashed by the tail of Hurricane Katia, causing gale-force winds of up to 80mph late on Sunday and Monday. The gales, combined with heavy rain, could cause “significant disruption” for Monday morning commuters and, where high winds coincide with high tides along western coasts, there could be flooding. Although the winds will not be hurricane force by the time Katia – rated a category four hurricane at its peak – reaches the UK, the Met Office chief forecaster, Eddie Carroll, urged people to keep up to date with forecast warnings. He added: “There’s still a fair amount of uncertainty about the track and strength of the winds.” Weather Maev Kennedy guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Click on auto-refresh for all the latest action • Ping your emails to rob.bagchi@guardian.co.uk • Peruse our stats centre Singing birds: “The Canaries haven’t been as good since they had Robins and Ekoku up front,” writes Gary Naylor, popping over from the over-by-over. “They were really flying then.” They were, Gary. And what a team they had then. I saw Jeremy Goss score a beaut at Elland Road in that nasty kit. I also had a soft spot for Ian Crook, lovely passer. As for the Baggies, it’s a big call to drop Chris Brunt. Roy Hodgson loves 4-4-2 but he can’t expect Graham Dorrans to bomb up the right, though he’ll make space for Steven Reid, I suppose. Afternoon all: I’ve been handed the honour of guiding you through the meeting of the songbirds this afternoon, Canaries v Throstles. Bet the Baggies are pleased the Victorian gentlemen of the Hawthorns opted for that nickname for the song thrush, rather than the mavis, though “C’mon you Mavises” has a certain ring to it. I’m looking forward to having a good look at two players I saw twice each in the Championship last season, Shane Long and Steve Morison. Both are hugely industrious forwards, though my colleague, David Pleat, was not too taken with the latter’s performance for Wales last week, citing a lack of pace to cause England’s centre-halves many problems at the spearhead of a 4-5-1. It transpires that he’s on the bench, alongside Wes Hoolahan. The curse of the pre-written preamble strikes Chris Martin is up front and has the goal machine Grant Holt alongside him today, though, who’s no Usain Bolt himself but has that happy knack of excellent positioning for knockdowns and dink throughs. He’s given away 13 free-kicks this season so far, however, and needs to be a bit more savvy. Having said that he’s been fouled himself 16 times which shows how often the ball’s been funnelled up to him. Norwich have two points from three games, West Brom none, though both have performed pretty well from what I’ve seen on TV. The last three top-flight meetings between the two at Carrow Road have all been won by the home side, the last in 2005, a 3-2 home victory when they came back from 3-2 down and Damien Francis scored the winner. That was during the Albion season when they stayed up on the last day and Nigel “Barney” Worthington’s Norwich went down. Team news will be with you as soon as I have it. With John Rudd suspended and no senior deputy to hand, Norwich will be banking on the 20-year-old Declan Rudd today. “”I’ve got no fear about him playing,” his manager, Paul Lambert told the Norwich Evening News. “He’s never let me down, never let himself down, so I don’t have any problem.” Sounds like a fair endorsement, given that Lambert is usually rather unforthcoming Here are your teams: Norwich: Rudd, Naughton, Barnett, De Laet, Tierney, Bennett, Crofts, Bradley Johnson, Surman, Holt, Chris Martin. Subs: Russell Martin, Morison, Vaughan, Jackson, Hoolahan, Fox, Wilbraham. West Brom: Foster, Reid, Olsson, Tamas, Shorey, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Scharner, Thomas, Long, Odemwingie. Subs: Fulop, Tchoyi, Morrison, Brunt, Dawson, Jones, Cox. Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire) Premier League Norwich City West Brom Premier League 2011-12 Rob Bagchi guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …