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VideoToday’s Twitter Break: State of The Union Edition
by Julianne Hing on January 28 2010, 11:28AM
Well folks. Obama gave a typically stirring speech last night. There was plenty of substantive meat to dig into but since the end of speech, our friends in the Twittersphere have had plenty to say about the sideshows: MSNBC host…
Topics: Politics
State of the Union Places Entitlement Above Equity
by Michelle Chen on January 27 2010, 7:59PM
Wrapped up in tonight’s stream of glossy oratory was a familiar sense of entitlement. The State of the Union address emphasized rebuilding the middle class, supporting small businesses, boosting financial markets—in other words, soothing the anxieties of people who…
Topics: Economy, News Items, Politics
The State of Immigration Reform: Going Rogue and the Cost of Doing Nothing
by Michelle Chen on January 27 2010, 4:48PM
On the eve of the State of the Union Address, protesters rallied in the nation’s capital to pressure the federal government to act on immigration reform. It was clear that immigrant advocacy groups fall into a long queue of communities…
Topics: Immigration, Politics
ACORN Saga Continues in “Louisiana Watergate”
by Michelle Chen on January 26 2010, 5:23PM
How you like me now? You knew it wouldn’t be long before we heard again from the ACORN scandal-mongers. This time, rather than demonizing an activist group, the goons are reportedly going straight for the jugular by invading a…
Topics: Politics
Perversion of Justice: Citizens United, Corporate Power and Black Disenfranchisement
by Michelle Chen on January 25 2010, 5:56AM
Corporations are people, too. That was the logic behind the Supreme Court’s latest assault on the electoral process. Divined from a wildly creative reading of the law, the concept has been manipulated over the years to grant extraordinary powers…
Topics: Politics
Democracy Begins at Home: Public Housing Tenants Without a Voice
by Michelle Chen on January 23 2010, 9:03AM
Walk through a typical New York City public housing complex, and you’re not likely to see many signs of civic life among drab high-rises and asphalt lots. But once upon a time, public housing was seen as a foundation…
Topics: Politics
Loss for Words: Reid, Obama and Semantic Silliness on Race
by Michelle Chen on January 11 2010, 10:08PM
The 24-hour news cycle is still ravishing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s fumbling words on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, skin tone, and lack of “Negro dialect.” And as usual, all this analysis just leaves us more confused about what…
Topics: Politics
Schwarzenegger Calls For…What Was that? More Education Spending!
by Julianne Hing on January 6 2010, 6:11PM
Okay, so California’s action hero governor also called for an overhaul of the tax and pension systems and demanded more privately run prisons in his state of the state address today. These moves toward privatization will surely not be good…
Topics: Politics, Schools & Youth
Divorced from Reality, Bushies Debate Racial Profiling
by Michelle Chen on January 4 2010, 6:54PM
Think Progress reports: In the wake of the underpants terror plot that caught everyone off guard, former Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff says profiling is “arguably dangerous” on Meet the Press:…when David Gregory asked former Bush CIA director Michael…
Topics: Criminal Justice, National Security, Politics
Holiday Vindication Ends Nutty Year for ACORN
by Michelle Chen on December 24 2009, 10:06AM
It’s been a trough year for ACORN, fraught with YouTube scandals and right-wing radio gotchas. But the organization—a powerful anti-poverty advocacy group and favorite whipping post of GOP conspiranoiacs—got a little holiday cheer recently with two reports that essentially…
Topics: Politics
In Health Debate, GOP Plays the Slavery Card—and Loses
by Michelle Chen on December 8 2009, 8:18AM
Conservatives on the Hill were shocked—shocked!—when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid compared conservatives’ obstructionism on health care reform to resistance, in an earlier era, to the abolition of that “peculiar institution.” “Outrageous!” cried Rush Limbaugh, following up with a…
Sarah Palin’s Delusional “Real America”
by Terry Keleher on November 18 2009, 2:33PM
Former Alaska Governor and Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is embarking on a national tour touting her new book “Going Rogue.” What’s curious, however, is that her book tour will skip a lot of the big cities—and major book sale markets—like…
Topics: Politics
Congressional Coffee-and-Collating CAIR Conspiracy Clearly a Crock
by Channing Kennedy on October 22 2009, 10:43AM
In case you forgot to look out for the well-being of your country last week, four brave Congressional Republicans have uncovered a conspiracy at the highest levels of American government: an established lobbying group is working to get unpaid…
Topics: Politics
A NY Politician Speaks Subtly About Interracial Marriage
by Michelle Chen on October 21 2009, 9:08PM
Having won the Democratic primary, New York City Councilmember Bill de Blasio’s quest to become the city’s next public advocate is now all but certain to lead to victory. But his campaign—which has run “eye-catching” ads featuring his wife…
Topics: Politics
by Leticia Miranda on October 20 2009, 9:00AM
Ah, Modesto –- the proud producers of the nation’s milk, almonds, chickens, cattle, and walnuts. This agro-business-rich city touted $2.5 billion in agricultural production two years ago. But in classic San Joaquin Valley agro-business style, it doesn’t look like…
Topics: Politics
Another Take on Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize
by Terry Keleher on October 9 2009, 1:32PM
Sometimes, I can be of two minds on the same subject, such as President Obama’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. On one hand, I can identify with the criticism and cynicism that the so-called leader of the free world…
Topics: Politics
FBI to Muslim Man: Spy for Us or We’ll Deport You
by Leticia Miranda on October 7 2009, 1:00PM
Foad Farahi is just one of many people caught between the political crosscurrents of nationhood, xenophobia and the Bush-led “war on terror.” He came here on a student visa and when it expired, he sought political asylum from persecution…
Topics: Immigration, National Security, Politics
Congresswoman Hits Back with New ACORN Bill
by Guest Columnist on October 6 2009, 12:46PM
By Paul Blumenthal This post originally appeared on OpenCongress. A few weeks ago Congress passed the Defund ACORN Act (it was attached to another bill during a motion to recommit), a bill designed at defunding the beleaguered community organization. While…
Topics: Politics
Die Quickly, You Tired, Poor, and Huddled Masses
by Tracy Kronzak on October 2 2009, 6:00AM
Congressman Alan Grayson rocked my little world this week. When I talked about fighting fire with fire last week, this is exactly what I meant. The Republicans want you to die quickly. Insurance companies want you to die quickly….
ACORN is the New Dirty Word: Rinku Sen at New America Media
by Channing Kennedy on October 1 2009, 11:47AM
Check out ColorLines publisher Rinku Sen’s new op-ed at New America Media, in which she takes on the dangerous double standard behind the attacks on ACORN, and the consequences of not fighting back: The attack on ACORN isn’t about fighting…
Topics: Politics
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