Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
December 4, 2012
When not threatening their constituents with the doom and gloom of the impending fiscal cliff, Senate Republicans quietly and petulantly blocked a United Nations treaty that would help provide the world’s disabled citizens with the protections the United States initiated.
The treaty, called the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is based on our country’s very own 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, has been ratified by 120 countries worldwide, and was signed by the US in 2009.
However, a wide range of right-wing attacks has prevented the initiative from getting the necessary 67 votes needed to ratify a treaty. Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) brought his disabled daughter, Bella to the floor of the Senate to make the claim that the treaty would tell him how to parent. Many on the right, such as Utah’s Mike Lee, were afraid the treaty would interfere with American sovereignty.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-12-04/republican-opposition-downs-un-disability-treaty
Nothing could be further from the truth. Since the treaty is based on existing U.S. law, its ratification would require absolutely no changes within our borders. However, as Senator John Kerry (D-MA) pointed out,
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/12/04/conservative-media-baselessly-attack-un-disabil/191667
“(I)ts main purpose is to encourage other countries to implement the same rights for the disabled already ensured in the United States. He says the treaty requires no changes in U.S. law and that the U.N. committee created by the treaty only has the power to recommend, and cannot force individual nations to change their laws.
What the treaty does, Kerry said at the July committee vote, “is provide a critical tool as we work to ensure that American citizens, including our men and women in uniform and our disabled veterans, are free to travel, work and live abroad.”
Even former Senate GOP Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ), both disabled war veterans, tried to sway their party to ratify the treaty, but to no avail. America once lead the world on civil rights and other progressive issues. Now, Republican paranoia and obstructionism have turned the United States into a cautionary tale.
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/12/04/breaking-senate-republicans-reportedly-block-ratification-of-worldwide-rights-for-disabled/
BREAKING: Senate Republicans Reportedly BLOCK Ratification Of Worldwide Rights For DISABLED
When not threatening their constituents with the doom and gloom of the impending fiscal cliff, Senate Republicans quietly and petulantly blocked a United Nations treaty that would help provide the world’s disabled citizens with the protections the United States initiated.
The treaty, called the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is based on our country’s very own 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, has been ratified by 120 countries worldwide, and was signed by the US in 2009.
CONVENTION on the RIGHTS of PERSONS with DISABILITIES
http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990
http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990
However, a wide range of right-wing attacks has prevented the initiative from getting the necessary 67 votes needed to ratify a treaty. Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) brought his disabled daughter, Bella to the floor of the Senate to make the claim that the treaty would tell him how to parent. Many on the right, such as Utah’s Mike Lee, were afraid the treaty would interfere with American sovereignty.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-12-04/republican-opposition-downs-un-disability-treaty
Nothing could be further from the truth. Since the treaty is based on existing U.S. law, its ratification would require absolutely no changes within our borders. However, as Senator John Kerry (D-MA) pointed out,
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/12/04/conservative-media-baselessly-attack-un-disabil/191667
“(I)ts main purpose is to encourage other countries to implement the same rights for the disabled already ensured in the United States. He says the treaty requires no changes in U.S. law and that the U.N. committee created by the treaty only has the power to recommend, and cannot force individual nations to change their laws.
What the treaty does, Kerry said at the July committee vote, “is provide a critical tool as we work to ensure that American citizens, including our men and women in uniform and our disabled veterans, are free to travel, work and live abroad.”
Even former Senate GOP Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ), both disabled war veterans, tried to sway their party to ratify the treaty, but to no avail. America once lead the world on civil rights and other progressive issues. Now, Republican paranoia and obstructionism have turned the United States into a cautionary tale.
cont'
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/12/04/breaking-senate-republicans-reportedly-block-ratification-of-worldwide-rights-for-disabled/
December 4, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/house-budget-committee_n_2237347.html#slide=1373560
What Paul Ryan DOESN'T Want You To Know About HIS BUDGET
Wealthy Benefit Most From Tax Cuts
Paul Ryan's most recent budget proposal would save those making between $20,000 and $30,000 just $246 in taxes, compared to savings of $265,011 for those who make over $1 million, according to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2012/04/02/gIQAjn0grS_graphic.html
Paul Ryan's most recent budget proposal would save those making between $20,000 and $30,000 just $246 in taxes, compared to savings of $265,011 for those who make over $1 million, according to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2012/04/02/gIQAjn0grS_graphic.html
Health Care Cuts
The "Path to Prosperity" would cut $2.4 trillion from Medicaid and other health care programs for people with low or moderate incomes, according to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2012/04/02/gIQAjn0grS_graphic.html
The "Path to Prosperity" would cut $2.4 trillion from Medicaid and other health care programs for people with low or moderate incomes, according to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2012/04/02/gIQAjn0grS_graphic.html
Fewer People Covered By Medicaid
Under Ryan's "Path to Prosperity" as many as 44 million fewer people would be covered under Medicaid, according to CBS News.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7417870n
Under Ryan's "Path to Prosperity" as many as 44 million fewer people would be covered under Medicaid, according to CBS News.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7417870n
Reduced Health Care For Retirees
Ryan would raise the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67. If the Affordable Care Act was repealed, something Romney has pledged, that means many 65- and 66-year-olds would be left uninsured, the CBPP reports.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/08/11/seven-things-the-media-needs-to-know-about-paul/189277
Ryan would raise the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67. If the Affordable Care Act was repealed, something Romney has pledged, that means many 65- and 66-year-olds would be left uninsured, the CBPP reports.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/08/11/seven-things-the-media-needs-to-know-about-paul/189277
Seniors Would Pay More For Health Coverage
Under Ryan's "Path to Prosperity," senior citizens would have to pay as much as 68 percent of their health care coverage, up from 25 percent today, CBS News reports.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7417870n
Under Ryan's "Path to Prosperity," senior citizens would have to pay as much as 68 percent of their health care coverage, up from 25 percent today, CBS News reports.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7417870n
Cuts To Food Stamp Programs
Ryan's proposed "Path to Prosperity" includes $134 billion in cuts to SNAP, according to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2012/04/02/gIQAjn0grS_graphic.html
Ryan's proposed "Path to Prosperity" includes $134 billion in cuts to SNAP, according to analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/2012/04/02/gIQAjn0grS_graphic.html
Lower Tax Credit For Single Moms
A single mother of two working full time at the minimum wage would have her Child Tax Credit cut by more than $1,500, assuming she made $14,500 a year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/08/11/seven-things-the-media-needs-to-know-about-paul/189277
A single mother of two working full time at the minimum wage would have her Child Tax Credit cut by more than $1,500, assuming she made $14,500 a year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/08/11/seven-things-the-media-needs-to-know-about-paul/189277
Less Money For Education
Compared to the most recent White House budget proposal, Ryan's budget spends 33 percent less on education, training, employment and social services, the Washington Post reports.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/12/what-paul-ryans-budget-actually-cuts-and-by-how-much/
Compared to the most recent White House budget proposal, Ryan's budget spends 33 percent less on education, training, employment and social services, the Washington Post reports.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/12/what-paul-ryans-budget-actually-cuts-and-by-how-much/
Poor Weather Forecasts
Ryan's proposed cuts to environment and natural resource programs could result in weather forecasts being only half as accurate, according to Third Way's budget expert, David Kendall. "For many people planning a weekend outdoors, they may have to wait until Thursday for a forecast as accurate as one they now get on Monday," he's quoted as saying in the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/12/what-paul-ryans-budget-actually-cuts-and-by-how-much/
Ryan's proposed cuts to environment and natural resource programs could result in weather forecasts being only half as accurate, according to Third Way's budget expert, David Kendall. "For many people planning a weekend outdoors, they may have to wait until Thursday for a forecast as accurate as one they now get on Monday," he's quoted as saying in the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/12/what-paul-ryans-budget-actually-cuts-and-by-how-much/
No Raises For Government Workers
The current government worker pay freeze would be extended under the "Path to Prosperity," meaning public-sector employees wouldn't get a raise until at least 2015, the Washington Post reports.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/paul-ryans-budget-plan-hits-federal-workers/2012/08/11/8953b832-e3a3-11e1-98e7-89d659f9c106_blog.html
The current government worker pay freeze would be extended under the "Path to Prosperity," meaning public-sector employees wouldn't get a raise until at least 2015, the Washington Post reports.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/paul-ryans-budget-plan-hits-federal-workers/2012/08/11/8953b832-e3a3-11e1-98e7-89d659f9c106_blog.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/house-budget-committee_n_2237347.html#slide=1373560
December 4, 2012
I haven't done one of these since Friday, 12 state certifications ago. California is down to just 175,000 uncounted ballots. Almost everyone else is all in. The only big cache left of votes is in New York, where 800,000 to 1 million votes, most in New York City, remain to be counted.
The current tally is Barack Obama 50.94, Mitt Romney 47.32. Those NYC ballots will almost assuredly push Obama past the 51 percent mark -- the first president to manage that feat twice since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Obama's popular vote margin is 4.6 million. Hopefully NYC pushes it past five million, just because it's always fun to have yet one more reason to celebrate.
Remember this?
Ahh, good times.
Turnout is down from 2008, but not by much -- 131.3 million to 128.3, or 2.3 percent. That margin will shrink further when NYC reports, but regardless, turnout will lag by a sliver, and even more so if you account for population growth. Romney has almost 800,000 more votes than John McCain got in 2008, while Obama is lagging his 2008 self by about 4 million votes.
cont'
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/04/1167037/-Barack-Obama-51-percent-watch-Waiting-on-NYC-to-put-him-over-the-top?showAll=yes
.
Barack Obama '51 Percent WATCH': Waiting on NYC To Put Him OVER THE TOP
I haven't done one of these since Friday, 12 state certifications ago. California is down to just 175,000 uncounted ballots. Almost everyone else is all in. The only big cache left of votes is in New York, where 800,000 to 1 million votes, most in New York City, remain to be counted.
The current tally is Barack Obama 50.94, Mitt Romney 47.32. Those NYC ballots will almost assuredly push Obama past the 51 percent mark -- the first president to manage that feat twice since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Obama's popular vote margin is 4.6 million. Hopefully NYC pushes it past five million, just because it's always fun to have yet one more reason to celebrate.
Remember this?
Ahh, good times.
Turnout is down from 2008, but not by much -- 131.3 million to 128.3, or 2.3 percent. That margin will shrink further when NYC reports, but regardless, turnout will lag by a sliver, and even more so if you account for population growth. Romney has almost 800,000 more votes than John McCain got in 2008, while Obama is lagging his 2008 self by about 4 million votes.
cont'
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/04/1167037/-Barack-Obama-51-percent-watch-Waiting-on-NYC-to-put-him-over-the-top?showAll=yes
.
December 4, 2012
“She has eighty names, thirty addresses,” Reagan warned during his 1976 run for President about a nameless, Cadillac-driving woman who’s conning the social safety net. He added: “She’s got Medicaid, getting food stamps, and she is collecting welfare under each of her names.” In total, Reagan said, “Her tax-free cash income is over $150,000.” For more than thirty years, Republicans have used the existence of this “Welfare Queen” to justify their attacks on public spending and prove that the “welfare state” has run amok. Yet, her identity has never been revealed. After decades of searching, the best and brightest minds in the field of journalism were never able to discover who’s behind the wheel of the “Welfare Queen’s” Cadillac, or if she even existed.
That is until now.
We now realize our mistake. In our search for this “Welfare Queen,” we were looking for actual people when we should have been looking for corporate people. We should have been looking at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer and brought in more revenue in 2011 than any other company in the nation. Wal-Mart pocketed a not-too-shabby $16.4 billion in profits that same year and the six Wal-Mart heirs, the Walton family, own roughly $100 billion in wealth, which is more than 40% of Americans combined. But, despite making all of this money, Wal-Mart’s business model hinges on mooching from the government. It hinges on being the biggest “Welfare Queen” in the United States.
Because of the “everyday low wages” that the retail giant pays its employees, our government has to step in and provide public assistance to Wal-Mart workers just so they can survive…which is why the Wal-Mart workforce represents the largest recipient of federal aid in the nation. A Wal-Mart worker makes on average 31% less than a worker for any other large retailer, and requires 39% more in public assistance. A recent study by UC Berkeley found that Wal-Mart’s low wages are costing the state of California alone $86 million a year to provide public assistance like food stamps and healthcare to the retailer’s 44,000 low-wage employees in the state. The state spends nearly $2,000 every single year on each Wal-Mart employee who can’t afford basic essentials like housing, food, and healthcare with their Wal-Mart paycheck.
In total, it’s estimated that Walmart stores loot more than $2.6 billion every single year from the federal government in the form of tax-payer funded public assistance to their employees. That includes more than one billion in healthcare costs associated with Medicaid, and $225 million in free or reduced-price lunches for school children of Wal-Mart employees. And now, as reported by the Huffington Post, Wal-Mart is planning to loot even more from us taxpayers, as the giant corporation adopts a new healthcare policy that will deny insurance for any employees working fewer than 30 hours a week. Wal-Mart routinely forces their workers into part-time schedules, working fewer than 30 hours a week, so many will lose their health insurance under this new policy. When asked for comment by the Huffington Post on how many workers will be affected, Wal-Mart declined to answer.
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13127-reagans-welfare-queen-found
Reagan's "Welfare Queen" FOUND!
Good news everyone, after more than thirty years of searching by the news media, Ronald Reagan’s infamous “Welfare Queen” has finally been found. She lives in Bentonville, Arkansas.
“She has eighty names, thirty addresses,” Reagan warned during his 1976 run for President about a nameless, Cadillac-driving woman who’s conning the social safety net. He added: “She’s got Medicaid, getting food stamps, and she is collecting welfare under each of her names.” In total, Reagan said, “Her tax-free cash income is over $150,000.” For more than thirty years, Republicans have used the existence of this “Welfare Queen” to justify their attacks on public spending and prove that the “welfare state” has run amok. Yet, her identity has never been revealed. After decades of searching, the best and brightest minds in the field of journalism were never able to discover who’s behind the wheel of the “Welfare Queen’s” Cadillac, or if she even existed.
That is until now.
We now realize our mistake. In our search for this “Welfare Queen,” we were looking for actual people when we should have been looking for corporate people. We should have been looking at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer and brought in more revenue in 2011 than any other company in the nation. Wal-Mart pocketed a not-too-shabby $16.4 billion in profits that same year and the six Wal-Mart heirs, the Walton family, own roughly $100 billion in wealth, which is more than 40% of Americans combined. But, despite making all of this money, Wal-Mart’s business model hinges on mooching from the government. It hinges on being the biggest “Welfare Queen” in the United States.
Because of the “everyday low wages” that the retail giant pays its employees, our government has to step in and provide public assistance to Wal-Mart workers just so they can survive…which is why the Wal-Mart workforce represents the largest recipient of federal aid in the nation. A Wal-Mart worker makes on average 31% less than a worker for any other large retailer, and requires 39% more in public assistance. A recent study by UC Berkeley found that Wal-Mart’s low wages are costing the state of California alone $86 million a year to provide public assistance like food stamps and healthcare to the retailer’s 44,000 low-wage employees in the state. The state spends nearly $2,000 every single year on each Wal-Mart employee who can’t afford basic essentials like housing, food, and healthcare with their Wal-Mart paycheck.
In total, it’s estimated that Walmart stores loot more than $2.6 billion every single year from the federal government in the form of tax-payer funded public assistance to their employees. That includes more than one billion in healthcare costs associated with Medicaid, and $225 million in free or reduced-price lunches for school children of Wal-Mart employees. And now, as reported by the Huffington Post, Wal-Mart is planning to loot even more from us taxpayers, as the giant corporation adopts a new healthcare policy that will deny insurance for any employees working fewer than 30 hours a week. Wal-Mart routinely forces their workers into part-time schedules, working fewer than 30 hours a week, so many will lose their health insurance under this new policy. When asked for comment by the Huffington Post on how many workers will be affected, Wal-Mart declined to answer.
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13127-reagans-welfare-queen-found
December 4, 2012
More from PEW on the public’s attitudes towards the fiscal cliff:
Even worse for the Republicans, they lose the poll in every demographic except “Republicans.” Independents, men, even southerners all blame the Republicans if the fiscal cliff talks fail:
Keep in mind, the public hated the Republicans after the 2008 elections too. And in the first few years of the Obama administration, a number of us were concerned that the President didn’t take full advantage of such sentiment to brand the GOP as extremists, and more generally use public ire to push the Republicans into more compromise. Hopefully, as we wrote about this morning, that has now changed.
http://americablog.com/2012/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-fail-public-blames-republicans-gop.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/12/04/National-Politics/Polling/release_181.xml
.
Public Will Blame Congressional REPUBLICANS For ‘Fiscal Cliff’ FAILURES
For the uninitiated, here’s what the fiscal cliff is:
On August 2, 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act of 2011 as part of an agreement to resolve the debt-ceiling crisis. The Act provided for aJoint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the “super committee”) to produce legislation by late November that would decrease the deficit by $1.2 trillion over ten years. If the committee failed to do so, as it in fact had failed to do, another part of the Act directs automatic across-the-board cuts (known as “sequestrations”), split evenly between defense and domestic spending, beginning January 2, 2013.
More from PEW on the public’s attitudes towards the fiscal cliff:
As the president and congressional leaders begin negotiations to avoid the “fiscal cliff” deadline at the end of the year, there is widespread public concern about the possible financial consequences. More say the automatic spending cuts and tax increases scheduled to take effect in January would have a major effect on the U.S. economy than on their own finances. But nearly identical majorities say the effect of the changes would be mostly negative for the economy (62%) and their personal financial situation (60%).
The public is skeptical that President Obama and congressional Republicans will reach an agreement by the end of the year to avoid the fiscal cliff. About half (51%) say the two sides will not reach an agreement, while just 38% say they will. If no deal is reached, more say that congressional Republicans would be more to blame than President Obama (53% vs. 29%).
The public is skeptical that President Obama and congressional Republicans will reach an agreement by the end of the year to avoid the fiscal cliff. About half (51%) say the two sides will not reach an agreement, while just 38% say they will. If no deal is reached, more say that congressional Republicans would be more to blame than President Obama (53% vs. 29%).
Even worse for the Republicans, they lose the poll in every demographic except “Republicans.” Independents, men, even southerners all blame the Republicans if the fiscal cliff talks fail:
Keep in mind, the public hated the Republicans after the 2008 elections too. And in the first few years of the Obama administration, a number of us were concerned that the President didn’t take full advantage of such sentiment to brand the GOP as extremists, and more generally use public ire to push the Republicans into more compromise. Hopefully, as we wrote about this morning, that has now changed.
http://americablog.com/2012/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-fail-public-blames-republicans-gop.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/12/04/National-Politics/Polling/release_181.xml
.
December 4, 2012
.
UNDERSTANDING THE FISCAL CLIFF (in 2m 30s)
Acclaimed author, Berkeley professor, and Clinton-era Secretary of Labor Robert Reich lays out the what, why and how of the Fiscal "Cliff", the showdown in Congress that Republicans created to demand painful cuts in vital domestic programs in exchange for raising taxes on the top 2%. Learn the facts, and the best way out of this forced showdown.
.
December 3, 2012
Medical marijuana is gaining acceptance, but could it even help kids? Dr. William Courtney has seen it happen, and on Friday, told HuffPost Live host Alyona Minkovski about it. Saying he was "quite a skeptic 5 or 6 years ago", Dr. Courtney continued that "my youngest patient is 8 months old, and had a very massive centrally located inoperable brain tumor." The child's father pushed for non-traditional treatment utilizing cannabis.
The tumor was remarkably reduced after eight months of treatment. Dr. Courtney pointed out that the success of the cannabis approach means that "this child, because of that, is not going to have the long-term side effects that would come from a very high dose of chemotherapy or radiation... currently the child's being called a miracle baby, and I would have to agree that this is the perfect response that we should be insisting is frontline therapy for all children before they launch off on all medications that have horrific long term side effects."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/01/cannabis-for-infants-brai_n_2224898.html
Medical Pot For KIDS
Medical marijuana is gaining acceptance, but could it even help kids? Dr. William Courtney has seen it happen, and on Friday, told HuffPost Live host Alyona Minkovski about it. Saying he was "quite a skeptic 5 or 6 years ago", Dr. Courtney continued that "my youngest patient is 8 months old, and had a very massive centrally located inoperable brain tumor." The child's father pushed for non-traditional treatment utilizing cannabis.
"They were putting cannabinoid oil on the baby's pacifier twice a day, increasing the dose... And within two months there was a dramatic reduction, enough that the pediatric oncologist allowed them to go ahead with not pursuing traditional therapy."
The tumor was remarkably reduced after eight months of treatment. Dr. Courtney pointed out that the success of the cannabis approach means that "this child, because of that, is not going to have the long-term side effects that would come from a very high dose of chemotherapy or radiation... currently the child's being called a miracle baby, and I would have to agree that this is the perfect response that we should be insisting is frontline therapy for all children before they launch off on all medications that have horrific long term side effects."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/01/cannabis-for-infants-brai_n_2224898.html
December 3, 2012
A false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive is a lie, and there are various ways a person can lie, but the simple fact is a lie is a lie. During the campaign for the presidency that just culminated in Willard Romney’s defeat, Americans witnessed mendacity of epic proportions unseen in recent memory, and questions abounded as to why Romney felt more comfortable lying than breathing. The frequency of his lies gave the impression that his problem was pathological because his falsehoods appeared to be second nature leading some to wonder if it was the result of a lifetime of his religion’s encouragement that “lying for the lord” was both good and acceptable. Besides lying for religious reasons, there is a form of lying in criminal law known as perjury, or forswearing, that is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. Perjury is considered a serious offense as it can be used to usurp the power of the courts resulting in miscarriages of justice, and after investigating Willard Romney’s record while head of Bain Capital, it appears that committing perjury was standard procedure for him and his surrogates.
Now that the election is over and no-one can assert that demanding justice for Romney is politically motivated, it is time for the Department of Justice to thoroughly investigate him, his companies, and his surrogates for committing acts of perjury to usurp the power of the courts and subvert justice. There is a legal term, mens rea, that alludes to a person’s awareness of the fact that their conduct is criminal, and without question, lying under oath, swearing a false oath or affirming to tell the truth in writing is criminal, and in Romney and Bain capital’s surrogate’s case, it was for material gain. This column cited several instances of perjury to confound the courts and benefit Willard Romney’s private equity firm, Bain Capital, and they were ignored as being politically motivated. Early in the election it was revealed that Romney perjured himself regarding when he left as head of Bain Capital on SEC and FEC forms that prompted MoveOn.org to file a complaint with the Department of Justice over his disclosure claiming he was 100% stock holder and paid Bain Capital executive in 2002 despite his contention left active management in 1999. In 2001, Romney was “sole shareholder, director, and President of Sankaty Ltd. and thus is the controlling person of Sankaty, Ltd,” and Sankaty applied for payment of administrative expenses from Stage Stores, a company in which Romney was controlling shareholder, and by not disclosing conflict of interest, he committed perjury according to USCS § 152 (3) that says, “A person who knowingly and fraudulently makes a false declaration, certificate, verification, or statement under penalty of perjury as permitted under section 1s746 of title 28, in or in relation to any case under title 11 shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”
Romney’s surrogates working in several bankruptcy cases also made false declarations and committed perjury to be creditors and debtors’ counsel in eToys bankruptcy. A bankruptcy court golden rule that “mandates all disclosures of conflict of interest” was deliberately unheeded by Bain Capital’s secret law firm and Paul Traub who committed several acts of perjury by failing to disclose conflict of interest that will be addressed in a hearing that was set to take place December 4, but has been rescheduled to March 2013. Bain’s secret law firm convinced the Delaware bankruptcy court that on Tuesday, instead of addressing the acts of fraud and corruption in eToys bankruptcy, they will have a Status Conference to discuss the hearing in March. It is still a prime opportunity for eToys shareholders who were bilked out of their investments to address the court with their concerns regarding perjury that allowed Bain Capital to get eToys for free.
The Department of Justice cannot allow the miscarriage of justice by any American under any circumstance, and because Romney is no longer running for public office, he is no longer above the law. It was understandable, but egregiously wrong, for the DOJ to ignore Romney’s perjury in filling out disclosures and filings with the FEC and SEC during the campaign for the presidency, but as a loser and regular citizen, he must be investigated and held accountable as any other American. It is true that an investigation into him and his son’s connection to an $8.5 billion Ponzi scheme, and concealing over $15 million from the auto-bailout are being pursued, but the Justice Department must conduct a thorough investigation into all of the accusations of racketeering and criminal malfeasance that will inevitably lead to serious charges and if there is justice, a far-reaching RICO investigation. To expedite an investigation by the Department of Justice, a petition on We the People-WhiteHouse.gov website petitioning President Obama to instruct the DOJ to investigate “fraud & confessed, deliberate acts of perjury” may help bring Willard Romney and Bain Capital to justice, and now that he is no longer a candidate for public office, there is no reasonable excuse to allow this liar to escape justice any longer.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/doj-investigate-mitt-romneys-serial-fraud-perjury.html
Tell The DOJ to INVESTIGATE Mitt Romney’s Serial FRAUD & PERJURY
A false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive is a lie, and there are various ways a person can lie, but the simple fact is a lie is a lie. During the campaign for the presidency that just culminated in Willard Romney’s defeat, Americans witnessed mendacity of epic proportions unseen in recent memory, and questions abounded as to why Romney felt more comfortable lying than breathing. The frequency of his lies gave the impression that his problem was pathological because his falsehoods appeared to be second nature leading some to wonder if it was the result of a lifetime of his religion’s encouragement that “lying for the lord” was both good and acceptable. Besides lying for religious reasons, there is a form of lying in criminal law known as perjury, or forswearing, that is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. Perjury is considered a serious offense as it can be used to usurp the power of the courts resulting in miscarriages of justice, and after investigating Willard Romney’s record while head of Bain Capital, it appears that committing perjury was standard procedure for him and his surrogates.
Now that the election is over and no-one can assert that demanding justice for Romney is politically motivated, it is time for the Department of Justice to thoroughly investigate him, his companies, and his surrogates for committing acts of perjury to usurp the power of the courts and subvert justice. There is a legal term, mens rea, that alludes to a person’s awareness of the fact that their conduct is criminal, and without question, lying under oath, swearing a false oath or affirming to tell the truth in writing is criminal, and in Romney and Bain capital’s surrogate’s case, it was for material gain. This column cited several instances of perjury to confound the courts and benefit Willard Romney’s private equity firm, Bain Capital, and they were ignored as being politically motivated. Early in the election it was revealed that Romney perjured himself regarding when he left as head of Bain Capital on SEC and FEC forms that prompted MoveOn.org to file a complaint with the Department of Justice over his disclosure claiming he was 100% stock holder and paid Bain Capital executive in 2002 despite his contention left active management in 1999. In 2001, Romney was “sole shareholder, director, and President of Sankaty Ltd. and thus is the controlling person of Sankaty, Ltd,” and Sankaty applied for payment of administrative expenses from Stage Stores, a company in which Romney was controlling shareholder, and by not disclosing conflict of interest, he committed perjury according to USCS § 152 (3) that says, “A person who knowingly and fraudulently makes a false declaration, certificate, verification, or statement under penalty of perjury as permitted under section 1s746 of title 28, in or in relation to any case under title 11 shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”
Romney’s surrogates working in several bankruptcy cases also made false declarations and committed perjury to be creditors and debtors’ counsel in eToys bankruptcy. A bankruptcy court golden rule that “mandates all disclosures of conflict of interest” was deliberately unheeded by Bain Capital’s secret law firm and Paul Traub who committed several acts of perjury by failing to disclose conflict of interest that will be addressed in a hearing that was set to take place December 4, but has been rescheduled to March 2013. Bain’s secret law firm convinced the Delaware bankruptcy court that on Tuesday, instead of addressing the acts of fraud and corruption in eToys bankruptcy, they will have a Status Conference to discuss the hearing in March. It is still a prime opportunity for eToys shareholders who were bilked out of their investments to address the court with their concerns regarding perjury that allowed Bain Capital to get eToys for free.
The Department of Justice cannot allow the miscarriage of justice by any American under any circumstance, and because Romney is no longer running for public office, he is no longer above the law. It was understandable, but egregiously wrong, for the DOJ to ignore Romney’s perjury in filling out disclosures and filings with the FEC and SEC during the campaign for the presidency, but as a loser and regular citizen, he must be investigated and held accountable as any other American. It is true that an investigation into him and his son’s connection to an $8.5 billion Ponzi scheme, and concealing over $15 million from the auto-bailout are being pursued, but the Justice Department must conduct a thorough investigation into all of the accusations of racketeering and criminal malfeasance that will inevitably lead to serious charges and if there is justice, a far-reaching RICO investigation. To expedite an investigation by the Department of Justice, a petition on We the People-WhiteHouse.gov website petitioning President Obama to instruct the DOJ to investigate “fraud & confessed, deliberate acts of perjury” may help bring Willard Romney and Bain Capital to justice, and now that he is no longer a candidate for public office, there is no reasonable excuse to allow this liar to escape justice any longer.
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/doj-investigate-mitt-romneys-serial-fraud-perjury.html
December 3, 2012
A former Microsoft executive and Washington state resident is planning to enter the upscale marijuana business, in the hopes that it will help bring some respectability to the industry, reported KiroTV.
Jamen Shively plans to name his business after his grandfather, who supplied hemp rope to the Spanish Armada at the time of the Spanish-American War.
On Dec. 6, marijuana will become legal to possess for those 21 and over.
“What Kentucky became for bourbon, the state of Washington is becoming for marijuana,” he said.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/02/former-microsoft-exec-plans-high-end-marijuana-business/
Former Microsoft Exec Plans HIGH-END MARIJUANA Business
A former Microsoft executive and Washington state resident is planning to enter the upscale marijuana business, in the hopes that it will help bring some respectability to the industry, reported KiroTV.
Jamen Shively plans to name his business after his grandfather, who supplied hemp rope to the Spanish Armada at the time of the Spanish-American War.
“By creating the category of premium marijuana, we want to position it similar to a fine cognac, a fine brandy, a fine cigar,” Shively told KiroTV.
On Dec. 6, marijuana will become legal to possess for those 21 and over.
“What Kentucky became for bourbon, the state of Washington is becoming for marijuana,” he said.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/02/former-microsoft-exec-plans-high-end-marijuana-business/
December 1, 2012
Call these 'MOOCHING, Government Welfare Queens' OUT!!...
Even though House Republicans are going to be in session for only 126 days in 2013, they are still demanding their full $174,000 salary.
Despite this being an off off year election, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has announced that the House will only be in session for 126 days in 2013. The schedule is continuation of the two weeks off one week on schedule that the Republicans implemented when they gained the majority after the 2010 election. The Senate works the opposite schedule. The Senate schedule traditionally has been three weeks on and one week off per month. When the two schedules are examined side by side, it is easy to see why it takes so long to get anything done in Washington. The House has turned their schedule into an obstruction tactic. It is hard to make legislative progress when one body is MIA for two thirds of the year.
http://majorityleader.gov/calendar/
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/2013_schedule.htm
During the fight over the fiscal cliff House Republicans will talk how it is imperative that the nation slashes spending without raising tax, but the one thing they won’t mention is how they are adding to deficit by insisting on being paid when they aren’t working. Members of the House are set to be paid $1,380.95 for each day when they are in session in 2013. If they were serious about reducing the deficit, one of the first things that they should do is prorate their pay so that their yearly compensation is based on only the days that they spent in session.
The House salary prorated over 365 days is $476.71. If we pay House members for only the days that they will be in full legislative session in 2013 ($476.71 X 126), their annual salary would drop to $60,065.46. This would net an average savings to the taxpayers of $113,954.13 per member. The total savings on House salaries per year would be over $49.5 million a year. Do this for ten years, and you will shave nearly half a billion dollars off the deficit.
Majority Leader Eric Cantor came prepared with an excuse for why Republicans have decided to pay themselves so much for so few days work. Cantor said, “Time spent in the district between Monday and Friday is essential for meeting with small businesses, employees, seniors, veterans and other local communities during working hours. We will continue to accommodate Members with longer distances to travel home and provide at least one constituent work week each month, with the exception of June.”
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/house-gop-expects-full-174000-salary-working-126-days-2013.html
Make House Republicans Middle Class By Paying Them ONLY FOR DAYS ACTUALLY WORKED!
Call these 'MOOCHING, Government Welfare Queens' OUT!!...
Even though House Republicans are going to be in session for only 126 days in 2013, they are still demanding their full $174,000 salary.
Despite this being an off off year election, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has announced that the House will only be in session for 126 days in 2013. The schedule is continuation of the two weeks off one week on schedule that the Republicans implemented when they gained the majority after the 2010 election. The Senate works the opposite schedule. The Senate schedule traditionally has been three weeks on and one week off per month. When the two schedules are examined side by side, it is easy to see why it takes so long to get anything done in Washington. The House has turned their schedule into an obstruction tactic. It is hard to make legislative progress when one body is MIA for two thirds of the year.
http://majorityleader.gov/calendar/
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/2013_schedule.htm
During the fight over the fiscal cliff House Republicans will talk how it is imperative that the nation slashes spending without raising tax, but the one thing they won’t mention is how they are adding to deficit by insisting on being paid when they aren’t working. Members of the House are set to be paid $1,380.95 for each day when they are in session in 2013. If they were serious about reducing the deficit, one of the first things that they should do is prorate their pay so that their yearly compensation is based on only the days that they spent in session.
The House salary prorated over 365 days is $476.71. If we pay House members for only the days that they will be in full legislative session in 2013 ($476.71 X 126), their annual salary would drop to $60,065.46. This would net an average savings to the taxpayers of $113,954.13 per member. The total savings on House salaries per year would be over $49.5 million a year. Do this for ten years, and you will shave nearly half a billion dollars off the deficit.
Majority Leader Eric Cantor came prepared with an excuse for why Republicans have decided to pay themselves so much for so few days work. Cantor said, “Time spent in the district between Monday and Friday is essential for meeting with small businesses, employees, seniors, veterans and other local communities during working hours. We will continue to accommodate Members with longer distances to travel home and provide at least one constituent work week each month, with the exception of June.”
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/house-gop-expects-full-174000-salary-working-126-days-2013.html
Profile Information
Member since: Tue May 13, 2008, 03:07 AMNumber of posts: 14,923
