Click here to view this media Civility is dead. It was diagnosed as terminal on January 20, 2009, and by July 14, 2009 — the day the House of Representatives reported out the first version of the Affordable Care Act — it was dead, cold, and buried fifty feet under in a concrete box lined with lead to counter the radioactivity of the atmosphere above. The killers weren’t liberals or progressives, though it’s true that they laughed and ridiculed pretty strongly on the Tea Party’s birthday on April 15, 2009. The killers were the talkers like Rush and Beck and their many clones on the AM radio dial who had no problem saying the most outrageous things. The more outrageous they were, the better it was for the hate talkers. Which is why it makes me laugh in a cynical, annoyed sort of way when I see the right wing go all whiny about how mean President Obama is to them . To which I say, more meanness please. Bipartisanship is dead. Civility is dead. Meanness is what’s called for. Paul Krugman : Which brings me to those calls for a bipartisan solution. Sorry to be cynical, but right now “bipartisan” is usually code for assembling some conservative Democrats and ultraconservative Republicans — all of them with close ties to the wealthy, and many who are wealthy themselves — and having them proclaim that low taxes on high incomes and drastic cuts in social insurance are the only possible solution. This would be a corrupt, undemocratic way to make decisions about the shape of our society even if those involved really were wise men with a deep grasp of the issues. It’s much worse when many of those at the table are the sort of people who solicit and believe the kind of policy analyses that the Heritage Foundation supplies. So let’s not be civil. Instead, let’s have a frank discussion of our differences. In particular, if Democrats believe that Republicans are talking cruel nonsense, they should say so — and take their case to the voters. Exactly. I’m not calling for us to start photoshopping Allen West into overtly racist pictures here, but enough with the pretense of civil discourse. When Andrew Breitbart tells liberals to STFU in public with 5,000 of them just on the other side of a barrier, civility just isn’t a worthwhile goal. Conservatives’ vision for this country is dark, dystopian, and deeply pessimistic. It’s also hypocritical and serves only the goals of their Fortune 500 masters. It does not have to be this way. The president’s microphone wasn’t “accidentally” left on last week . That’s what people do when they want to say it without it being “official”. That message was intentional and conservatives can’t deny the truth of what he said , no matter how hard they try. Unless we let them. David Brooks can wish on every shooting star in the sky, but there isn’t going to be a beer summit and congenial lunch with Paul Ryan and the president anytime soon. Those days are past. The Party of Loons and Pessimists wants to put Mom in the hands of insurance companies, corporate providers and ration her health care while cutting her Social Security benefits to shreds. This does not call for civility. It calls for open, loud, hostile calls for attention.
Continue reading …Howard Kurtz wonders why holding Sen. Jon Kyl accountable for his ‘not meant to be factual’ statement falls to late-night comics
April 18, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Howard Kurtz asked his panel on Reliable Sources this weekend whether most of the media gave Jon Kyl a pass for his statement that abortion is “well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does” and his later walk back that it “was not intended to be a factual statement” and then him throwing his press person under the bus for the statement after Stephen Colbert decided to turn Kyl into a national punchline . After pointing out that there were some on MSNBC who covered the issue, Kurtz asked: “Why is holding a senator accountable left to the late-night comics?” Yes, why is that exactly? KURTZ: Lynn Sweet, other than a few liberal pundits at MSNBC that beat up on Kyl, it hasn’t gotten that much attention in the press. Why is holding a senator accountable left to the late-night comics? If a Democrat in Congress had so egregiously misstated facts about anything the right cares about or feigns caring about, it would be headline news for weeks. Drudge’s flashing lights would have sent Limbaugh and Fox News into an immediate tizzy. Then that politician would be tarred with it for their entire career in politics by the right-wing media and it would become conventional wisdom in the Beltway media after that. But not for Kyl. He’ll still be called on for TV and treated like a royal member from the House of Lords. Lie? What lie? On the flip side, Howard should know that Colbert and Stewart do a better job of holding our politicians accountable than his network does on pretty much a nightly basis when they’re on the air. Why is that exactly? And it appears that the folks over at some of the other highly trafficked blog sites are all up in arms over this segment because CNN didn’t bleep Mark McKinnon saying the word bulls**t, as if that’s the most important part of it to highlight. I think somehow the viewers at CNN managed to get through it without having to be awoken from their fainting couches after watching this, if they even noticed McKinnon’s use of the BS-word at all. Full transcript via CNN with the bleeped expletive added back in there below the fold. KURTZ: Jon Kyl went on the floor of the Senate and said, “If you want an abortion, you go to Planned Parenthood, and that’s over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.” Well, the actual figure, three percent. Kyl’s office putting out a statement saying, well, that was not intended to be a factual statement. That set the stage for Stephen Colbert. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) STEPHEN COLBERT: I decided to celebrate Jon Kyl’s groundbreaking excuse-planation last night by tweeting ’round-the-clock non-facts about him such as, for the past 10 years, Jon Kyl has been two children in a very convincing Jon Kyl suit. (APPLAUSE) COLBERT: And Jon Kyl calls all Asians “Neil” no matter what their name is. (END VIDEO CLIP) KURTZ: Lynn Sweet, other than a few liberal pundits at MSNBC that beat up on Kyl, it hasn’t gotten that much attention in the press. Why is holding a senator accountable left to the late-night comics? SWEET: I agree with you. I would think that the other point that has kind of escaped, and just looking around to see who’s been writing about it, do you know that he actually excised that “90 percent” from the congressional record? And that is — I think maybe there’s just a lot of news and not enough people to write about everything. But when you take something out of the congressional record that he actually said, and it’s on video, you get into kind of a serious question where you do push a story out, and I think maybe people just sometimes have to catch up in this world where there is a torrent of news. But when you make something — what’s that word, excuse- planation? That was a great phrase. I think the mainstream press is a little behind on this KURTZ: Let me let Mark McKinnon jump in as well. I wonder if it has to do with the fact that Jon Kyl is not exactly a household name. If Michele Bachmann had said this, I bet you everyone would have cove covered it. MCKINNON: I think that’s true, but it’s a testament to what’s happening now in our politics, that politicians, or somebody who’s been around as long as Jon Kyl, could think he could go out and say something that’s not intended to be a factual statement and get away with it. And if you turn that around and think about what he was saying, is that it’s not intended to be a factual statement, then it was intended to be a misleading statement. I mean, he’s acknowledging that it was completely bulls**t. KURTZ: No other explanation. Craig Crawford, days later, Kyl finally admitted he misspoke and — you’ll love this — blamed it on his press person. CRAWFORD: Yes. And I think that press person needs to go back to press school, coming up with a statement like it wasn’t intended to be factual. Why not just say you misspoke or something and let it go away? KURTZ: Why not say you misspoke? If only politicians and others could learn that lesson, they could save themselves a week of ridicule. Craig Crawford, Mark McKinnon in Austin, Lynn Sweet in Chicago, thanks for joining us. It is pretty humorous though that CNN decided to just edit what McKinnon said in their transcript and had McKinnon saying “I mean, he’s acknowledging that it was completely bull” instead. If they thought that was going to make their slip with not bleeping it go away, apparently they’re sadly mistaken.
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Click here to view this media Civility is dead. It was diagnosed as terminal on January 20, 2009, and by July 14, 2009 — the day the House of Representatives reported out the first version of the Affordable Care Act — it was dead, cold, and buried fifty feet under in a concrete box lined with lead to counter the radioactivity of the atmosphere above. The killers weren’t liberals or progressives, though it’s true that they laughed and ridiculed pretty strongly on the Tea Party’s birthday on April 15, 2009. The killers were the talkers like Rush and Beck and their many clones on the AM radio dial who had no problem saying the most outrageous things. The more outrageous they were, the better it was for the hate talkers. Which is why it makes me laugh in a cynical, annoyed sort of way when I see the right wing go all whiny about how mean President Obama is to them . To which I say, more meanness please. Bipartisanship is dead. Civility is dead. Meanness is what’s called for. Paul Krugman : Which brings me to those calls for a bipartisan solution. Sorry to be cynical, but right now “bipartisan” is usually code for assembling some conservative Democrats and ultraconservative Republicans — all of them with close ties to the wealthy, and many who are wealthy themselves — and having them proclaim that low taxes on high incomes and drastic cuts in social insurance are the only possible solution. This would be a corrupt, undemocratic way to make decisions about the shape of our society even if those involved really were wise men with a deep grasp of the issues. It’s much worse when many of those at the table are the sort of people who solicit and believe the kind of policy analyses that the Heritage Foundation supplies. So let’s not be civil. Instead, let’s have a frank discussion of our differences. In particular, if Democrats believe that Republicans are talking cruel nonsense, they should say so — and take their case to the voters. Exactly. I’m not calling for us to start photoshopping Allen West into overtly racist pictures here, but enough with the pretense of civil discourse. When Andrew Breitbart tells liberals to STFU in public with 5,000 of them just on the other side of a barrier, civility just isn’t a worthwhile goal. Conservatives’ vision for this country is dark, dystopian, and deeply pessimistic. It’s also hypocritical and serves only the goals of their Fortune 500 masters. It does not have to be this way. The president’s microphone wasn’t “accidentally” left on last week . That’s what people do when they want to say it without it being “official”. That message was intentional and conservatives can’t deny the truth of what he said , no matter how hard they try. Unless we let them. David Brooks can wish on every shooting star in the sky, but there isn’t going to be a beer summit and congenial lunch with Paul Ryan and the president anytime soon. Those days are past. The Party of Loons and Pessimists wants to put Mom in the hands of insurance companies, corporate providers and ration her health care while cutting her Social Security benefits to shreds. This does not call for civility. It calls for open, loud, hostile calls for attention.
Continue reading …Pietro Ferrero, 47, was on Cape Town holiday with his father Michele, who invented Nutella and Kinder Pietro Ferrero, the heir to the chocolate-making business empire built up by one of Italy’s richest families, has died in a cycling accident in South Africa. He was joint chief executive of the Ferrero Group that produces Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tacs and other confectionery products and he stood to inherit the fortune along with his brother, Giovanni. Ferrero, a cycling enthusiast, was riding a bike during a training run in Cape Town while on a business trip to South Africa when he fell off, according to the firm. The 47-year-old was accompanied on the trip by his father, Michele Ferrero, who transformed the firm from a local to an international sweets producer and invented successes including Nutella and Kinder in the 1960s. Ferrero’s grandfather, who was also Pietro, started the company in 1942, supplying products for a pastry shop run by his wife, Piera, in Alba, in the region of Piedmont. Because it was hard to obtain ingredients for sweets during the Second World War, the elder Pietro Ferrero decided to exploit something Piedmont had in abundance – hazelnuts – and invented a confection using a sweet paste made from the nut. The grandson began working in Ferrero Germany in 1985 after getting a degree in biology, and then moved to company headquarters in Alba, working on technical and production matters. In 1992, he took on the responsibility of managing operations in the European division of the Ferrero group. At the time of his death he was chief executive of Ferrero International S.A., the Luxembourg-based holding group of Ferrero Group, and chairman of Ferrero, S.p.A., the Italian branch of the group. Italy’s Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, described Ferrero as a “businessman of exceptional talent, gifted with strategic vision and deep sensibility” for Italy’s overall interests. He said Ferrero “knew how to embody the best qualities of our industrial history the continued search for excellence, creativity, the determination to compete even in difficult moments to strengthen one’s brand to the point that it becomes a symbol.” Italy South Africa Food & drink industry Ben Quinn guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Pietro Ferrero, 47, was on Cape Town holiday with his father Michele, who invented Nutella and Kinder Pietro Ferrero, the heir to the chocolate-making business empire built up by one of Italy’s richest families, has died in a cycling accident in South Africa. He was joint chief executive of the Ferrero Group that produces Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tacs and other confectionery products and he stood to inherit the fortune along with his brother, Giovanni. Ferrero, a cycling enthusiast, was riding a bike during a training run in Cape Town while on a business trip to South Africa when he fell off, according to the firm. The 47-year-old was accompanied on the trip by his father, Michele Ferrero, who transformed the firm from a local to an international sweets producer and invented successes including Nutella and Kinder in the 1960s. Ferrero’s grandfather, who was also Pietro, started the company in 1942, supplying products for a pastry shop run by his wife, Piera, in Alba, in the region of Piedmont. Because it was hard to obtain ingredients for sweets during the Second World War, the elder Pietro Ferrero decided to exploit something Piedmont had in abundance – hazelnuts – and invented a confection using a sweet paste made from the nut. The grandson began working in Ferrero Germany in 1985 after getting a degree in biology, and then moved to company headquarters in Alba, working on technical and production matters. In 1992, he took on the responsibility of managing operations in the European division of the Ferrero group. At the time of his death he was chief executive of Ferrero International S.A., the Luxembourg-based holding group of Ferrero Group, and chairman of Ferrero, S.p.A., the Italian branch of the group. Italy’s Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, described Ferrero as a “businessman of exceptional talent, gifted with strategic vision and deep sensibility” for Italy’s overall interests. He said Ferrero “knew how to embody the best qualities of our industrial history the continued search for excellence, creativity, the determination to compete even in difficult moments to strengthen one’s brand to the point that it becomes a symbol.” Italy South Africa Food & drink industry Ben Quinn guardian.co.uk
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Prime minister’s house and ruling party’s headquarters burnt down by student protesters The prime minister’s house and the ruling party’s headquarters were burnt down by student protesters yesterday, as a mutiny by elements of Burkina Faso’s military spread across the country. Unrest began in late February when students protested over a young man’s death in custody. At least six people were killed and buildings were torched in Koudougou, the town where the unrest erupted again yesterday. The military mutiny, meanwhile, began on Thursday night in the presidential compound in Ouagadougou, the capital, when members of the presidential guard began firing into the air, demanding unpaid housing allowances. By yesterday, soldiers in several cities had joined in. Calm returned to the capital after soldiers there were paid their wages. President Blaise Compaoré, who took power in a violent coup 24 years ago, said on Friday that he was dissolving his government and naming a new army chief. But the steps have failed to stem discontent in this impoverished nation in west Africa. “There’s pent-up concern and hostility that’s been simmering for a long time,” said David Shinn, a former US ambassador to the country. He said it was likely the protests by students were inspired by developments in Tunisia and other north African countries that have seen regime change. The escalating cost of living is at the root of the current unrest, said Cema Blegne, who works for the National Syndicate of African Teachers of Burkina Faso. Government leaders are often accused of using state money to fund their lifestyles. Tassere Koanda, who lives in Tenkodogo, east of the capital, said soldiers stole mobile phones and demanded free drinks in bars. They fired weapons into the air for hours before returning to their barracks. There was no indication the student unrest and the mutiny by soldiers was being coordinated, but together they pose the most vocal challenge to Compaoré’s rule in more than a decade. Burkina Faso is near the bottom of the United Nations’ Human Development Index, which measures general well-being. It has high rates of unemployment and illiteracy. Most people get by on subsistence agriculture. Compaoré, a former army captain, came to power in a 1987 coup in which Burkina Faso’s first president, Thomas Sankara, was killed. Since the coup, Compaoré has won several elections that lacked transparency. He was re-elected again in November. The opposition said the vote was rigged.Shinn and others say it is unclear whether the unrest will bring down Compaore. Shinn said he might be simply buying time with his government reshuffle and other moves, and that the soldiers who are mutinying have narrower, more personal concerns than who is in power. “I doubt the soldiers are concerned about who are running certain ministries,” he said. “Generally speaking, soldiers are interested in more mundane things such as pay and living circumstances.” Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Protest guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Prime minister’s house and ruling party’s headquarters burnt down by student protesters The prime minister’s house and the ruling party’s headquarters were burnt down by student protesters yesterday, as a mutiny by elements of Burkina Faso’s military spread across the country. Unrest began in late February when students protested over a young man’s death in custody. At least six people were killed and buildings were torched in Koudougou, the town where the unrest erupted again yesterday. The military mutiny, meanwhile, began on Thursday night in the presidential compound in Ouagadougou, the capital, when members of the presidential guard began firing into the air, demanding unpaid housing allowances. By yesterday, soldiers in several cities had joined in. Calm returned to the capital after soldiers there were paid their wages. President Blaise Compaoré, who took power in a violent coup 24 years ago, said on Friday that he was dissolving his government and naming a new army chief. But the steps have failed to stem discontent in this impoverished nation in west Africa. “There’s pent-up concern and hostility that’s been simmering for a long time,” said David Shinn, a former US ambassador to the country. He said it was likely the protests by students were inspired by developments in Tunisia and other north African countries that have seen regime change. The escalating cost of living is at the root of the current unrest, said Cema Blegne, who works for the National Syndicate of African Teachers of Burkina Faso. Government leaders are often accused of using state money to fund their lifestyles. Tassere Koanda, who lives in Tenkodogo, east of the capital, said soldiers stole mobile phones and demanded free drinks in bars. They fired weapons into the air for hours before returning to their barracks. There was no indication the student unrest and the mutiny by soldiers was being coordinated, but together they pose the most vocal challenge to Compaoré’s rule in more than a decade. Burkina Faso is near the bottom of the United Nations’ Human Development Index, which measures general well-being. It has high rates of unemployment and illiteracy. Most people get by on subsistence agriculture. Compaoré, a former army captain, came to power in a 1987 coup in which Burkina Faso’s first president, Thomas Sankara, was killed. Since the coup, Compaoré has won several elections that lacked transparency. He was re-elected again in November. The opposition said the vote was rigged.Shinn and others say it is unclear whether the unrest will bring down Compaore. Shinn said he might be simply buying time with his government reshuffle and other moves, and that the soldiers who are mutinying have narrower, more personal concerns than who is in power. “I doubt the soldiers are concerned about who are running certain ministries,” he said. “Generally speaking, soldiers are interested in more mundane things such as pay and living circumstances.” Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Protest guardian.co.uk
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Click here to view this media Spiegel International interviewed Michele Bachmann because she’s possibly running for President and they were interested enough to ask for an interview. After seeing her SOTU response in the above video she has become something of a novelty act I’d say to the foreign press. Spiegel asked Michele what sets her apart from all the other Republicans running in the 2012 election. SPIEGEL: You are seen as a possible Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential election. What sets you apart from the other potential Republican candidates? Bachmann: Number one, no one is an announced candidate yet. But I think what sets me apart from the others who are being mentioned as possibilities as candidates is the fact that I have a proven record for four years in Congress of being a fighter. I’ve been a fighter and an advocate for the principles back home that people sent me here to represent. SPIEGEL: Don’t politicians have to be able to compromise? Bachmann: I have a very strong, very proven record that I am not a compromiser. I came here as an outsider to fight the current political climate in Washington, D.C., and I have stayed true to that. I have a spine made out of titanium . I’m sold! It’s all in the titanium that makes her a different kind of Republican. Trump is made out of wacky weed . Romney is made out of cardboard and Pawlenty relies heavily on corn silk. Newt, well he’s made out of Castor oil. I used to have a Sony Vaio laptop that was composed of titanium because it made it very light and supposedly much stronger as laptops go. A not so funny thing happened to it at the Koch Brothers protest rally in Palm Springs. It fell and broke into pieces. One tough bounce was all that it took to crack wide open, Michele—revealing that underneath—it looked just like any other laptop.
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Click here to view this media Spiegel International interviewed Michele Bachmann because she’s possibly running for President and they were interested enough to ask for an interview. After seeing her SOTU response in the above video she has become something of a novelty act I’d say to the foreign press. Spiegel asked Michele what sets her apart from all the other Republicans running in the 2012 election. SPIEGEL: You are seen as a possible Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential election. What sets you apart from the other potential Republican candidates? Bachmann: Number one, no one is an announced candidate yet. But I think what sets me apart from the others who are being mentioned as possibilities as candidates is the fact that I have a proven record for four years in Congress of being a fighter. I’ve been a fighter and an advocate for the principles back home that people sent me here to represent. SPIEGEL: Don’t politicians have to be able to compromise? Bachmann: I have a very strong, very proven record that I am not a compromiser. I came here as an outsider to fight the current political climate in Washington, D.C., and I have stayed true to that. I have a spine made out of titanium . I’m sold! It’s all in the titanium that makes her a different kind of Republican. Trump is made out of wacky weed . Romney is made out of cardboard and Pawlenty relies heavily on corn silk. Newt, well he’s made out of Castor oil. I used to have a Sony Vaio laptop that was composed of titanium because it made it very light and supposedly much stronger as laptops go. A not so funny thing happened to it at the Koch Brothers protest rally in Palm Springs. It fell and broke into pieces. One tough bounce was all that it took to crack wide open, Michele—revealing that underneath—it looked just like any other laptop.
Continue reading …Senator Dick Durbin has been a pretty good voter overall for the Left, but to see these reports start to come out is very sad and inexcusable. Two months ago, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a member of the bipartisan “Gang of Six” deficit-reduction talks, said the group was ” getting close ” to striking a deal. Two weeks ago, however, the negotiations ” nearly collapsed ,” and the whole initiative was on the verge of being scrapped. As of yesterday, members of the gang signaled that the talks are not only back on track, but are also ” very close ” to a compromise. And given what participants are saying about the plan’s substance , Democrats will soon wish the talks had collapsed. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Gang of Six budget negotiators, said Sunday on “Face the Nation” that tackling Social Security’s solvency remains on the table for the group. The Gang of Six is attempting to put the December recommendations of the bipartisan fiscal commission into law. Social Security does not contribute to deficit spending since it draws benefits from a separate trust fund, but the fiscal commission sought to ward off a solvency crisis for Social Security after 2037 by raising the retirement age while reducing benefits. Including Social Security in the Gang of Six package appears to be a concession by Democrats made in exchange for agreement to raise some revenue by Republicans. In addition to needlessly going after Social Security, the gang also reportedly intends to eliminate the home mortgage tax deduction. As Warner put it, “We are going to make everybody mad with our approach.” To make a deal that makes everybody mad is not something to be proud of. The Beltway media won’t be “mad,” because they are rooting for American workers to “share” all of the sacrifice while the rich go untouched, so they’ll be celebrating it. Congress should do nothing rather than cave in to Republicans who refuse to raise revenues with any form of taxation and to cut our benefits, just to appease Republican ideological ideals; that is not “honorable.” Why Mark Warner thinks that the Holy Grail is cutting Social Security benefits — which has nothing to do with the deficit — is fair game season while leaving taxes where they are is beyond me. The bipartisan “gang of six” may recommend changes to Social Security as part of its deficit-reduction plan, even though some Democrats have insisted such a proposal would be a non-starter. “You know, part of this is just math — 16 workers for everyone retiree 50 years ago, three workers for every retiree now,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), a member of the group, told CBS “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer on Sunday. SCHIEFFER: So that’s where you would get the additional revenues, by eliminating deductions, not necessarily by raising taxes? WARNER: We’re not talking about raising taxes. Being a Conservative Democrat is no excuse for Warner to praise Paul Ryan’s fraudulent budget and then attaching Social Security to any deal the Gang of Six come up with. Here’s the transcript from Face The Nation. Durbin should hear from the base and hear loudly so contact his office civilly, but often. Washington, DC 20510 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phone: (202)224-2152 Fax: (202)228-0400 CHICAGO Office 230 South Dearborn Street Suite 3892 Chicago, IL 60604 Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone:(312) 353-4952 Fax: (312) 353-0150 SPRINGFIELD Office 525 South 8th Street Springfield, IL 62703 Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: (217)492-4062 Fax: (217)492-4382
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