The Hollywood Liberal

The GOP: Reaping What It Sows

Republicans Catch Democrats in Generic Ballot
A new NPR poll finds Republicans catching Democrats in a generic congressional ballot test.

“Asked whether they would support a Democrat or a Republican for Congress in 2010 if the election were held today, 42% said they would choose a Democrat and 43% a Republican, a difference well within the poll’s margin of error (plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for each number in each question).”

For several years, Democrats have held wide leads on such questions.

A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds Republicans with a three point lead over Democrats.

Dodd, Conrad Under Ethics Investigation
The Senate Ethics Committee “is aggressively investigating whether Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) received preferential mortgage treatment through Countrywide Financial, with sources saying the inquiry could come to a conclusion in the near future,” Roll Call reports.

“The source familiar with the investigation confirmed that the committee staff has deposed numerous witnesses with knowledge of the mortgage deals and has called some to testify before Senators who sit on the committee. They have also asked Conrad and Dodd to submit to written questions, which both men said they have done.”

The official who handled the mortgages for the senators said they knew they were receiving preferential treatment.

Daily Pulse on Health Care Politics
The Hill reports that a House fight among Democrats working on health care reform “has spread to the Senate, where centrists and liberals are clashing over the direction the legislation should take.”

“Trouble is brewing now that a bipartisan group of senators — led by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) — has signaled it will exclude a government-run insurance option from the committee’s draft legislation that could be marked up next week.”

Roll Call describes the fight over the public option as more like a war.

Meanwhile, CNN reports a House Republican leadership aide “is forwarding a memo written and distributed by a GOP House staffer, saying he has been informed by the House Democratic leadership they plan to leave for the August recess Friday without bringing health care reform to the floor, but Democratic leaders vehemently deny that decision has been made.”

In fact, CQ Poltiics says House leaders have not yet determined “when the House will begin its August recess, which is scheduled to start at the end of this week.”

The Joy of Sex Toys: How Vibrators Stopped Being ‘Shameful’ Secrets

Once considered shameful, the vibrator has become a common part of most people's sex lives. Turns out we like sexual pleasure.

How Corporate Media, Sellouts in Congress and Industry Bigs Have Hijacked the Health Care Debate

If we let these powerful interests get their way, we'll see more outlandish increases in premiums, and millions more people being denied care.

The Dominance of Rich, White Men Is Eroding — It’s Time to Truly Fight for Diversity

We need both women and men, and folks from a range of ethnic and class backgrounds, informing the creation of business "not as usual."

How Corporate Media, Sellouts in Congress and Industry Bigs Have Hijacked the Health Care Debate

If we let these powerful interests get their way, we'll see more outlandish increases in premiums, and millions more people being denied care.

The Future of Universal Health Care, as of Now
Every day that goes by without a vote in the House or Senate on universal health care makes it less likely that major reform will occur, because (1) opponents have more time to stir up public anxieties about it; (2)…


Sponsored Topics: Universal health care - House - United States - Congressional Budget Office - Insurance

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Jon Stewart Gets Kristol To Concede Government Can Provide ?First-Class Health Care?
Last night on The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart peppered right-wing pundit Bill Kristol with questions about why he is opposed to health care reform that includes a public health insurance option. Why is government-run health care “good enough for the military,” but “not good enough for the people of America?” Stewart asked. Kristol — who […]

Last night on The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart peppered right-wing pundit Bill Kristol with questions about why he is opposed to health care reform that includes a public health insurance option. Why is government-run health care “good enough for the military,” but “not good enough for the people of America?” Stewart asked.

Kristol — who has urged conservative activists and Republicans to “resist the temptation” to work with Democrats in crafting health reform and instead “go for the kill” — responded that the military “deserves it,” but the American people do not:

STEWART: Are you saying the American public shouldn’t have access to the same quality health care that we give to our better citizens?

KRISTOL: To our soldiers? Absolutely. [Crowd boos]

Kristol explained that soldiers get paid less, but “one way we make it up to” them is by giving them “first-class health care.” “I feel like you’ve trapped me somehow,” Kristol observed. Indeed, Stewart explained the flaw in Kristol’s logic:

STEWART: I just want to get this on record — Bill Kristol just said that the government can run a first-class health care system.

KRISTOL: Sure it can. [Crowd applauds]

STEWART: And a government-run system is better than a private health care system.

Kristol tried to backtrack, saying he wasn’t sure the military system is “better,” and later argued that other government-run systems aren’t providing the best health care.

Stewart wrapped up Kristol’s argument by stating, “So what you are suggesting is that the government could run the best health care system for Americans, but it’s a little too costly, so we should have the shitty insurance company health care.” Watch it:

Hawaii health director insists Obama natural-born.
Last October, Hawaii’s state health director, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, had tried to dispel false rumors emanating from so-called “birthers” that Barack Obama was not born in the United States. But now that right-wing (and some mainstream) media and GOP members of Congress have been advancing the conspiracy theory over the last several months, Fukino issued […]

Last October, Hawaii’s state health director, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, had tried to dispel false rumors emanating from so-called “birthers” that Barack Obama was not born in the United States. But now that right-wing (and some mainstream) media and GOP members of Congress have been advancing the conspiracy theory over the last several months, Fukino issued another statement yesterday insisting that Obama was born in Hawaii:

“I, Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the Hawai’i State Department of Health, have seen the original vital records maintained on file by the Hawai’i State Department of Health verifying Barrack Hussein Obama was born in Hawai’i and is a natural-born American citizen. I have nothing further to add to this statement or my original statement issued in October 2008 over eight months ago….”

CNN’s Lou Dobbs, the most prominent mainstream media figure advancing the myth, has said that Hawaii officials “had destroyed Obama’s original 1961 birth certificate without citing a source.”

Let Federal Courts Deal With Gitmo Detainees

A Post-Racial President?
Thomas Sowell, RealClearPolitics

Gates Arrest a Reminder to Blacks, America
Leonard Pitts, Baltimore Sun

Don’t Tase Me, Bro

Many a protester—and the occasional speeding grannie—has faced off against Taser-wielding law enforcement officers. The Man now has a new rapid-fire stun gun that multiplies all of the ethical problems of gaining “voluntary compliance.” Below, a video of Taser employees zapping each other.

(via Engadget)

Link to Taser’s press release.

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Michelle Schweiger Schecter: The Spurn Of The Native
Did you catch Liz Cheney on Larry live?/Allowing the birthers’ claims to thrive/Carville, quite exasperated on Mr. King/Telling us this is, indeed, a very “nutty thing”.

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If Obama, Gates and Crowley ever get together for that beer, it will be a good photo and probably an interesting discussion, but it will not change how African Americans are treated by police.

Ben Cohen: My Argument with the 9/11 Truth Movement
After publishing a piece on the idiocy of the Birther movement, I’ve been inundated with hundreds of emails decrying my comparison of the Birthers to the 9/11 Truthers.