President Obama's Press Conference Today About the Debt Limit

President Obama: We Are Running Out of Time for a Debt Limit Deal

Election Results from Last Night - Good Night for Democrats in California and Wisconsin

There were elections in California and Wisconsin last night. Good news from both states for Democrats.

From Wisconsin:

Real Dems Beat Fake ‘Dems’ In Wisconsin Recall Primaries

Wisconsin Democrats have easily fended off a Republican ploy in the state Senate recalls, with the official Dem candidates in each of six races easily defeating Republican activists who also filed in the Democratic primaries. But Republicans have not failed to reap some advantages from the situation.

With the vast majority of the precincts now in, all six official Democrats have been projected as the winners by the Associated Press. Only one primary, for the 10th District (GOP Sen. Sheila Harsdorf), has turned out to be tight or seriously contested, with official Dem candidate Shelly Moore winning by a margin of 54%-46%.

The other Dem primaries are nowhere near that close: Nancy Nusbaum is winning the primary for the 2nd District (Sen. Robert Cowles) by 65%-35%; Sandy Pasch is winning the 8th District (Sen. Alberta Darling) by 67%-33%; Fred Clark is winning the 14th District (Sen. Luther Olsen) by 67%-33%; Jessica King is winning the 18th District (Sen. Randy Hopper) by 68%-32%; and Jennifer Shilling is winning the 32nd District (Sen. Dan Kapanke) by 70%-30%.

Soon after the recall elections were triggered, Republicans declared a strategy to plant fake candidates in the Democratic primaries -- which they have called "protest candidates" -- in order to delay the general elections from July to August, while the GOP incumbents ran unopposed. The candidates included a GOP activist in his 20s, and an octogenarian former GOP state representative, among others. As it turned out, the scheme would cost local governments throughout the state over $400,000.

Predictably, this led to some low-level dirty tricks and mischief-making, with conservatives being urged to vote in the Democratic primaries for the fake Dems. Despite the possibility of countering this, Democrats specifically rejected entreaties by labor to respond in kind and run fake Republicans, in order to keep Republican voters in their own primaries.

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Breakdown of Obama's strategy w/debt ceiling

Step-by-step, Lawrence explains President Obama's approach to the debt negotiations and why he's masterfully winning the fight.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sarah Palin and her fake campaign

We try not to post much on Caribou Barbie, but Lawrence O'Donnell was absolutely terrific as he mocked her and Newsweek mercilessly.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The White House Launches The Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative

From The White House Blog:

Announcing Strong Cities, Strong Communities
Posted by Melody Barnes
on July 11, 2011 at 12:28 PM EDT

President Obama knows that the hard work of strengthening American communities and revitalizing the American economy happens at the local level – in neighborhood schools and community colleges, at town meetings and neighborhood associations, through new start-ups and small businesses. That’s why the White House is excited today to announce the launch of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative.

Strong Cities, Strong Communities is a new interagency pilot initiative that aims to strengthen neighborhoods, towns, cities and regions around the country by strengthening the capacity of local governments to develop and execute their economic vision and strategies. Strong Cities, Strong Communities bolsters local governments by providing necessary technical assistance and access to federal agency expertise, and creating new public and private sector partnerships. By leveraging existing assets, providing new resources, and fostering new connections at the local and national level, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support towns and cities as they develop comprehensive plans for their communities and invest in economic growth and job creation.

For more information about this innovative new initiative and its goals, check out the launch video:

As I mentioned in the video, Strong Cities, Strong Communities pilots a new approach to federal-local collaboration that allows the federal government to support efforts from the ground up in four key ways:

Community Solutions Teams will leverage expertise in areas like health, education and transportation to support the six pilot cities as they capitalize on opportunities and tackle challenges
A fellowship program that will place mid-career professionals in city agencies in the same six cities to work closely with the Community Solutions Teams, increasing the capacity of mayors and their staffs on key priorities
A new Economic Planning Challenge grant that, through a national competition, will help additional communities – those without an economic blueprint – design a comprehensive strategy
And the National Resource Network that, pending funding, will serve as a one-stop-shop for local governments to receive technical assistance from national experts with wide-ranging skills critical for promoting economic growth and resiliency.

This morning, Strong Cities, Strong Communities was announced across the country in the six pilot locations:

In Chester, PA, the Community Solutions Team will help Mayor Butler diversify the local economy, support small business development and revitalize the downtown.
In Cleveland, OH, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will support Mayor Jackson in his efforts to coordinate workforce and economic development and to maximize the economic potential of the Cleveland Port.
In Detroit, MI, the Community Solutions Team will partner with Mayor Bing and Governor Snyder to increase coordination and alignment on workforce and economic development issues, and to leverage U.S. DOT's investments in High Speed Rail and the Woodward Avenue light rail project to spur economic revitalization in the downtown corridor.
In Fresno, CA, Mayor Swearengin and the Community Solutions Team will work to capitalize on the coming high-speed rail station to improve the downtown area, and will also build on a successful neighborhood development program.
In Memphis, TN, Strong Cities, Strong Communities will partner with Mayor Wharton and his team to pursue his vision to strengthen the education system and attract new industries.
And in New Orleans, LA, Mayor Landrieu and the Communities Solutions Team will work to integrate existing federal resources to improve the delivery of health services, manage public safety and rebuild public infrastructure.

Over the coming months, with the support of Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiatives, these cities and others across the country will pursue their plans for growth and development, helping to create jobs and improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Americans. We are looking forward to working with you, in your community, to win the future by building stronger and more resilient communities and laying the foundation for economic growth.

Voter Suppression 2012-the latest from OHIO

EVERYTIME

EVERYTIME....

I think these MOFOS have scraped the bottom of the barrel...

they find a new bottom.

..............................

hat tip-ProfGeo

This can be filed under VOTER SUPPRESSION 2012 News.

From ThinkProgress:

Ohio GOP Weakens Election Law By Allowing Poll Workers To Refuse To Inform Voters Where They Can Vote

By Tanya Somanader on Jul 5, 2011 at 4:20 PM

Last week, the GOP-led House passed an election law overhaul without the highly restrictive voter ID provision. However, the House tweaked the bill to weaken a law mandating poll workers to direct voters in the wrong precinct to their correct voting location. Under the new language, a poll worker need not direct a voter to where they are eligible, adding that “it is the duty of the individual casting the ballot to ensure that the individual is casting that ballot in the correct precinct.”

Allowing poll workers to refuse to help those who are legitimately confused about where they should vote opens the door for increased voter suppression.

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HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY FROM ALL OF US HERE AT MOA!!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY FROM ALL OF US HERE AT MOA!!

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DON’T GET MAD! GET EVEN: DEFEAT WINGNUTS EVERYWHERE (Pt. 1)

From zizi2, reprinted with permission:


DON’T GET MAD! GET EVEN: DEFEAT WINGNUTS EVERYWHERE (Pt. 1)

*ACTION DIARY*

Listen folks! If Halperin’s juvenile antics this past week confirmed anything at all, it is the fact that we should expect even more of this venal behavior from these mediocre silver-spooned DC gate-keepers who will continue to spew right wing ideological gunk cooked up in the dens of America’s corporate powerbrokers, from their gilded beltway media perches. The incorporation of celebrity “journalists” (that label is pointless!!) and their entire media retinue into the plutocratic corps has been the single most damaging blow to our democracy. They render the “public” in Public Square moot. All we have is simulacra.

Beware, Halperin’s job is to distract us, to shift our focus from the Repug economic and Social Safety net destruction agenda. They will do a whole lot more distracting until the election. WE. CANNOT. LOSE. FOCUS!!! We are in an existential war. Our adversaries are a dimwitted but dangerous cabal of right wing media lackeys, corporate boardroom retrogrades, and their puppets in political office. They don’t want the Republic itself to survive with us the 98% who are not super-wealthy thriving in it. When you are dealing with a faction that has told us who make up America, loud and clear that they will detonate Weapons of Mass Destruction unless we surrender everything including our lives to them, you better believe them. They are not bluffing. They mean it. This is no hyperbole.


And when you have a corporate media that tells us to “cave” to our destruction (as Jessica Yellin did on CNN), this is no longer an eye-roll moment. It is an asymmetrical war. We have to work harder, smarter, stealthier, and twice as long to BUILD the tiniest of advances, while they can flunk and grift their way to political power just do DESTROY. Yeah the fact that a sizeable portion of this country gives a platform to the Palins, Bachmans, McCains, Rick Scotts, Scott Walkers, Snyders et. al. should tell us all we need to know about how steep our climb ALWAYS is.

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Happy 13th Birthday, Malia Obama!

First Daughter Malia Ann Obama turns 13 today. She's an All-American Girl.



U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and daughter Malia listen to their guide during a safari in Madikwe Game Reserve June 25, 2011. ----REUTERS/Charles Dharapak/Pool

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