Jane Hamsher: Schneiderman Victims, Share Your Thoughts on the Settlement

Jane-zilla ..

As former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Kouril said on FDL this morning, “The court system will be permanently corrupted by forged and perjurious documents…This settlement is an incredible breach of the social contract between the government and the governed.” We are especially disappointed in the “Justice Democrats” — particularly Attorney Generals Eric Schneiderman and Kamala Harris — whose complicity proves that any faith in their moral fiber or independence was misplaced. When Timothy Geither and the Obama White House pressed them to fold, they did so. At a time when America needs leaders to fight for justice and accountability, they chose to advance their own careers by protecting the corporations and bankers of the oligarch class — hoping that a few press releases filled with platitudes echoed through an expensive propaganda machine will fool a credulous public. It won’t.

.. read more
Posted by Mike Blaxill, Thursday, February 9, 2012

NYT Op-Eds (3)

"We need a national conversation about the dimensions of poverty or a chunk of working-class America could be calcified into an underclass" (Kristof); "The issue of covering contraceptives in health care plans has Catholic bishops in an uproar. Let’s try to talk through this in a calm, measured manner" (Collins); "Haiti’s culture of impunity must end with the prosecution of Jean-Claude Duvalier" (Guest Op-Ed)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, February 9, 2012

NYT (5): National News

Finally, a "bailout" for homeowners; Washington effectively becomes 7th state to legalize same-sex marriage; House passes insider trading bill, despite G.O.P. excising of important provision; G.O.P. sees birth control as new "cultural wars" wedge issue; As youth watch less TV (but more media in general), older people watch more.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, February 9, 2012

NYT (4): Foreign Affairs

Egypt's PM defiant re prosecuting Americans; Greek austerity deal reached; Chaos grows in Libya as interim gov't tries to curb militias; Israel's main labor union starts general strike.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, February 9, 2012

Obama’s Guiding Principle: Leave No One Accountable

Scarecrow at Firedoglake on the bank settlement ..

The Obama Administration has followed a predictable pattern we now recognize. It has consistently functioned like criminal defense counsel, whose mission is to get their criminal clients, the major corporations and executives who fund their elections, off with no admission of guilt, no forced resignations, and as little harm to their reputation, or that of the counsel, as possible. To do this, they neutralize anyone with an ounce of public purpose in their veins. Its role is then to convince the public that whatever you thought or feared was going on in America, and whoever you believed had caused the collapse of America’s economy, caused millions to lose their jobs, their homes and their retirements and continued to loot the country, it’s time to look forward. Because everyone who matters — and that’s not you — now agrees, they say, to function in the public interest, even though it’s a bald face lie, since nothing has changed and the looters and their complicit overseers are still in charge

plus Marcy Wheeler is calling today "Bank Bailout Day" - mab .. read more
Posted by Mike Blaxill, Thursday, February 9, 2012

NYT Editorial & Op-Eds (4)

"A federal appeals court struck down California’s ban on same-sex marriage, bringing this nation a step closer to full equality and fairness" (Editorial); "On popular Web sites, misinformation about antipiracy legislation amounted to an abuse of trust and a misuse of power" (Guest Op-Ed); "Observing democratic awakenings in places like Egypt, Syria and Russia puts a glow in your heart and a pit in your stomach" (Friedman); "Ending Iran’s influence in Syria would transform the Middle East" (Guest Op-Ed)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, February 8, 2012

NYT (6): National News

Prop 8 is struck down by fed appeals court; Study finds U.S. Muslims no threat re terrorism; PA sets local taxes on fracking; Santorum up, Gingrich down, Romney stable; Manhattan D.A. drops rape charges against Commish Kelly's son; 30-year NYC battle over loitering (homeless) arrests ends.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Truthdig – The Cancer in Occupy – Chris Hedges

Here lies a great danger with violence entering the Occupy movement. Violence will hurt us all in the end run. mb
Posted by Michael Butler, Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Congressional earmarks sometimes used to fund projects near lawmakers’ properties – The Washington Post

Posted by Michael Butler, Wednesday, February 8, 2012

FOCUS | Facebook Is Using You

Posted by Michael Butler, Monday, February 6, 2012

NYT Op-Eds (3)

"The unemployment report was genuinely good, but there’s a downside: the calls to stop focusing on job creation" (Krugman); "The partisans of an unfettered Internet won the last skirmish in Washington. So is any attempt to police online piracy doomed?" (Keller); "One form of wickedness Charles Dickens decried still haunts us, proud and unrepentant: the lawyer" (Guest Op-Ed)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Monday, February 6, 2012

NYT (5): National News

Ron Paul sets off firestorm with religious requirement for caucus; Colorado moves to undermine fed law on environment; School-based congregations bemoan new NYC law; NYC defends "scary" health ads; Giants win the Superbowl.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Monday, February 6, 2012

NYT (6): Foreign Affairs

U.S. closes embassy in Syria; Obama/Clinton fail to get Egypt to rescind legal action against Americans; U.S. drones out of control in Pakistan?; European activists fight their own "SOPA"; Failing French economy leads to gains for far right; Wicked cold snap kills hundreds in Europe.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Monday, February 6, 2012

Colbert v. The Supreme Court

Posted by Michael Butler, Sunday, February 5, 2012

Smirking Chimp (4)

Is America a police state?; Is Obama a failed president?; "Progressive Democrats"; A drumbeat toward war with Iran?
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, February 5, 2012

NYT Editorial & Op-Eds (10)

"Three major legal cases may influence the 2012 election, but the cases also illustrate how politics shape the Supreme Court" (Editorial); "Whether Barack Obama wins or loses in November, the Democratic Party’s attention will immediately turn to 2016" (Guest Op-Ed); "Whether you can obtain a job, credit or insurance can be based on your digital doppelgänger — and you may never know why you’ve been turned down" (Guest Op-Ed); "Anyone entertaining such dreams of the Internet as a refuge for the bohemian, the hedonistic and the idiosyncratic probably didn’t know the reasons behind the disappearance of the original flâneur" (Guest Op-Ed); "How do the laws and mores of different nations manage, if at all, the multinational companies that now govern our digital lives?" (Guest Op-Ed); "Romney’s Mormon faith is too central to his biography and identity to be swept to the side" (Bruni); "Web tools can turn the world upside down. Change.org has empowered ordinary people to close down homophobic 'clinics' in Ecuador, shine a light on sex trafficking, and force banks to drop fees" (Kristof); "Vladimir Putin has been unable to make the political, economic and educational changes needed to make Russia a modern European state. Will he step up?" (Friedman); "Can Callista transform Newt so that he can transform her into the First Third Lady?" (Dowd); "Half of the country wants to restrict or end abortion, but you wouldn’t know that from the coverage of the Planned Parenthood-Komen controversy" (Douthat)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, February 5, 2012

NYT (3): National News

Can we afford to ignore the economic doomsayers a second time?; It's IL vs. Army Corps of Engineers re safety of levees; NYPD shooting of unarmed boy leads to questionable detention of sole witness: his grandmother.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, February 5, 2012

NYT (3): Foreign Affairs

As post-soccer violence continues into fourth day, Egypt will try 19 Americans, possibly leading to loss of U.S. aid; Russians endure bitter cold to protest Putin.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Health Care Racket – Ralph Nader

Posted by Michael Butler, Saturday, February 4, 2012

NYT (4): National News

Fall in jobless rate plays into Obama's hands; Increasingly paranoid Tea Party finds new bogeyman: U.N. "green" plan; NYPD Commish Kelly in hottest water yet; Amid growing opposition, Florida scraps casino bill.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, February 4, 2012

NYT (6): Int’l Affairs

Post-soccer violence continues in Egypt for third day; Russia and China veto U.N. bill re Syria, right after attack that kills 200; Hacker group "Anonymous" hacks an FBI-Scotland Yard phone call about... "Anonymous"; E.U. looks to create roadblock re Google's new privacy rule; Putin aide says roots of protests are "foreign"; U.N. says Somali famine is over, though violence continues.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, February 4, 2012

Truthdig – The Democrats Who Unleashed Wall Street and Got Away With It

Posted by Michael Butler, Friday, February 3, 2012

NYT (3): National News

In wake of growing outrage, Komen Foundation reverses itself, restores funding to Planned Parenthood; Why is SEC still giving banks a pass?; Senate overwhelmingly passes ethics bill re insider trading.
Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, February 3, 2012

Pentagon Unable to Account for Missing Iraqi Millions

Posted by Michael Butler, Thursday, February 2, 2012

NYT Editorial & Op-Eds (5)

"The Supreme Court of the United States should broadcast its hearings live. Adding video would enhance public understanding of the court" (Editorial); "Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a bill making Indiana another 'right to work' state" (Rosenthal); "This primary season, pro-choice Republican women don’t have good options" (Guest Op-Ed); "The Republican Party used to be known for its moderate pragmatists. Then the party forced moderates like Mitt Romney to feign extremism just to compete" (Kristof); "Did you hear? Mitt Romney said he doesn’t care about poor people. Really, he did. Let’s break this down" (Collins)
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, February 2, 2012