Year: 2012
Ad Wars: Obama 2012 Takes on Big Oil
The Obama-Biden campaign’s first semi-official ad for 2012, rebuts ads funded by Big Oil that falsely criticize the administration’s energy policy.
California GOP Power Couple Quits Party
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Democrats hold every statewide office and, thanks to a new redistricting system once favored by the California GOP — despite its near-bankruptcy, the party funded not one but two rounds of ballot initiatives to get it passed but is now underwriting lawsuits to have the redistricting plan overturned — the party is on a glide path to devastating losses in U.S. House and state Legislature races in November.
The latest casualty in the party’s death spiral is the defection of one its few — maybe even its only — young power couples. Assmb. Nathan Fletcher, a candidate for mayor of San Diego, and his wife, the former Mindy Tucker, who served in high profile positions in the George W. Bush administration, the Republican National Committee and the Schwarzenegger administration, announced last week that they had abandoned the Republican Party for good and registered as independents.
Pres. Obama Determined to Depress Support Among Youth Vote, Liberal Base in California
The Obama Justice Department’s escalation of its assault on medical marijuana services in California are politically foolish and reckless:
Federal agents struck at the heart of California’s medical marijuana movement, raiding the nation’s first pot trade school and a popular dispensary, both run by one of the state’s most prominent and provocative activists, Richard Lee.
The raids in Oakland by the Internal Revenue Service and Drug Enforcement Administration sent a shudder through the medical cannabis trade and angered the plant’s devotees, who believe the federal government is trampling on California law and the wishes of voters who approved medical marijuana use nearly 16 years ago.
Now they are wondering what message the federal government is trying to send. President Obama promised during his 2008 campaign not to prosecute medical marijuana users who comply with state law, and Deputy Atty. Gen. David Ogden reiterated that position in a 2009 memo that many credit with helping spark the medical pot boom.
Santorum Lies about Higher Education – Again
SANTORUM: I was just reading something last night from the state of California. And that the California universities – I think it’s seven or eight of the California system of universities don’t even teach an American history course. It’s not even available to be taught.
Meanwhile in Realityville:
Berkeley, Irvine, Davis, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz all offer numerous American history courses. All require students to take U.S. history before they can graduate.
In the past few months Santorum has “called colleges ‘indoctrination mills’ that make students liberal and Godless, and labeled President Obama a ‘snob’ for wanting kids to get educated. ‘Oh, I understand why he wants you to go to college. He wants to remake you in his image,’ Santorum said.”
Asked If Mitt Is ‘Stiff,’ Ann Romney Says, ‘I guess We Better Unzip Him and Let the Real Mitt Romney Out Because He Is Not!’
Mitt Romney has proved to be such an awful, gaffe-prone candidate that his campaign has increasingly come to rely on Ann, who seems more genuine and, you know, human. But now it’s Mrs. Romney who has made a cringe-worthy slip-up:
Ann Romney’s remarks came during an interview with Baltimore radio station WBAL, during which the host asked her, “And one of the things, Ann Romney, that folks talk about with your husband, Mitt Romney, and I’ve seen him in casual conversation-He comes off very smooth and okay. But sometimes he comes off stiff. Do you have to fight back some criticism, like ‘My husband isn’t stiff, OK?’”
Laughing, Ann Romney responded, “Well, you know, I guess we better unzip him and let the real Mitt Romney out because he is not!”
On the other hand, let’s don’t.
Stimulus Efforts Continue to Seem Worth It
$25 billion
Profit to the government from sales of mortgage-backed securities bought by the U.S. Treasury Dept. during the 2008 and 2009 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
Vote on Ending Big Oil’s Government Handout Came Down to the Math
- Since Obama became president, my dog’s hip dysplasia has gotten worse.
- Since Obama became president, my car’s value has decreased.
- Since Obama became president, violence in Syria has skyrocketed.
- Since Obama became president, all kinds of sh*t has happened.
How about it? What else has changed over three years that we can blame on Obama? Anybody?
Back here in Realityland, we are amazed at the low-information people who eat up this post hoc mess, produced by the American Energy Alliance. The AEA is a lobbying group opposed to Obama’s plan to discontinue government subsidies for the richest industry in the world, which quit needing government subsidies in the days before Jed Clampett became a millionaire.
California Assembly Democrats Vote to Overturn Citizens United
The measure passed on party line vote, with nearly every Republican supporting personhood rights for corporationsCalifornia lawmakers waded into the ongoing battle over corporate money in politics Thursday with a resolution that supports overturning the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case, which has led to a flood of money from deep-pocketed donors in this year’s presidential race.
“People are tired of getting beat up by a few corporations that sometimes have a fringe point of view,” said Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, who introduced the resolution with Assemblymen Michael Allen, D- Santa Rosa.
The Assembly passed the resolution on a 48-22 vote. It rejects the notion of corporate personhood and calls on Congress to pursue a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the 2010 decision saying corporations can spend unlimited sums to influence elections.
Democrats said the resolution is an important first step toward overturning the ruling that granted “personhood” rights to corporations, which they say has made it harder for ordinary citizens to have a voice in the political process.
The New Mexico and Hawaii legislatures have passed similar resolutions with the support of the groups Public Citizen and Common Cause.
Several Republican lawmakers spoke against the resolution, saying corporations have a right to influence elections because they are subject to government regulations. They echoed the Supreme Court’s ruling that political contributions are a form of speech.
The Assembly has 52 Democratic members, 27 Republicans and one independent. The measure will now go to the Democratic-controlled state Senate.
Meanwhile, a citizens group is attempting to put an initiative on the ballot, titled the “Corporations Are Not People Act,” which would have a similar effect.
