When Roger West first launched the progressive political blog "News From The Other Side" in May 2010, he could hardly have predicted the impact that his venture would have on the media and political debate. As the New Media emerged as a counterbalance to established media sources, Roger wrote his copious blogs about national politics, the tea party movement, mid-term elections, and the failings of the radical right to the vanguard of the New Media movement. Roger West's efforts as a leading blogger have tremendous reach. NFTOS has led the effort to bring accountability to mainstream media sources such as FOX NEWS, Breitbart's "Big Journalism.
Roger's breadth of experience, engaging style, and cultivation of loyal readership - over 92 million visitors - give him unique insight into the past, present, and future of the New Media and political rhetoric that exists in our society today.
What we are against:
Radical Right Wing Agendas
Incompetent Establishment
Donald J. Trump
Corporate Malfeasence
We are for:
Global and Econmoic Security
Social and Economic Justice
Media Accountability
THE RESISTANCE
Hannity proving at an early age that his life long dream and abition is to be a troll
Sean Hannity, yes the same idiot who claimed that every single one of the millions of WMD that Saddam Hussein allegedly had was "smuggled" out of the country and into Syria "completely undetected by the CIA, NSA or the U.S. military - and that's why there were none found after we invaded Iraq.
And research shows that this was:
After Hans Blix and the UN weapons inspectors said there were no WMDs in Iraq, and
Before the White House itself admitted there were no WMDs in Iraq in 2006
So as not to outdo himself, Hannity takes stupid to another level, and Ed Shultz of MSNBC fame is there to point out the insanity of it all.
Typical Hannity, his is not just a liar, he's pathological. Sean is a national pariah when it comes to this type of hype and deceit, (Something Roger Ailes of Faux News encourages) and its obvious that Sean is in way over his head here. This goes well beyond his normal level of anti-Obama derangement.
Sean Hannity's motto:
"Never let facts stand in the way of a good partisan screed."
Koch Industries Slashed WI Jobs, Helped Elect Scott Walker, Now Orchestrating Pro-Walker Protest.
Wisconsin’s newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker is facing a growing backlash over his attempt to cut pay and eliminate collective bargaining rights for public employees in his state. Although Walker is claiming his power grab is an attempt to close a budget gap, the budget “crisis” was engineered by Walker as soon as he got into office. As Brian Beutler reported, half of the budget shortfall comes from Walker’s own tax cuts for businesses and other business giveaways enacted in January.
A number of the big business interests standing with Walker are beneficiaries of his administration’s tax giveaways. But the greatest ally to Walker is the dirty energy company Koch Industries. In response to the growing protests in Madison, Koch fronts are busing in Tea Party protesters to support Walker and his union-busting campaign. Last night, MSNBC’s Ed Schultz reported on the involvement of Club for Growth and the Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity in the pro-Walker protest scheduled tomorrow. Watch it:
Koch Industries is a major player in Wisconsin: Koch owns a coal company subsidiary with facilities in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Ashland and Sheboygan; six timber plants throughout the state; and a large network of pipelines in Wisconsin. While Koch controls much of the infrastructure in the state, they have laid off workers to boost profits. At a time when Koch Industries owners David and Charles Koch awarded themselves an extra $11 billion of income from the company, Koch slashed jobs at their Green Bay plant:
Officials at Georgia-Pacific said the company is laying off 158 workers at its Day Street plant because out-of-date equipment at the facility is being replaced with newer, more-efficient equipment. The company said much of the new, papermaking equipment will be automated. [...] Malach tells FOX 11 that the layoffs are not because of a drop in demand. In fact, Malach said demand is high for the bath tissue and napkins manufactured at the plant.
Koch Industries was one of the biggest contributors to Walker’s gubernatorial campaign, funneling$43,000 over the course of last year. In return, Koch front groups are closely guiding the Walker agenda. The American Legislative Exchange Council, another Koch-funded group, advised Walker and the GOP legislature on its anti-labor legislation and its first corporate tax cuts.
According to the EPA, Koch businesses are huge polluters,emitting thousands of pounds of toxic pollutants. As soon as he got into office Walker started cutting environmental regulations and appointed a Republican known for her disregard for environmental regulations to lead the Department of Natural Resources. In addition, Walker has stated his opposition to clean energy jobs policies that might draw workers away from Koch-owned interests.
Moreover, other organizers for the pro-Walker protest are from groups associated with corporate and Koch interests. American Majority, a Virginia-based front group founded by organizers funded by millionaire investor Howie Rich, is on the ground contacting Wisconsin Tea Parties to support Walker in Madison. Austin James, an American Majority official who wascaught teaching Tea Party members to spam Amazon.com profiles of liberal books with negative comments, is the contact for the Facebook page organizing the pro-Walker protest. Eric O’Keefe, a longtime conservative operative who helps lead American Majority, attends Koch strategy meetings.
Update: Koch's Americans for Prosperity group has launched a new website and petition called www.standwithwalker.com. The new site attacks all collective bargaining, not just for public sector unions. Koch's front group also declares: "In fact, every state should adopt Governor Scott Walker's common sense reforms."
"Wisconsin Gov. Walker Has Ginned Up Budget Shortfall To Undercut Worker Rights"
It's important that our readers understand this: This is a fight Gov. Walker picked for the specific purpose of breaking the unions. Wisconsin had a surplus, and as soon as he was sworn in, Walker gave it away to special interests in order to put the state into deficit. Is it a coincidence that every Republican governor is suddenly going after the unions and the pensions? Is it simply bubbling up from the ground for no special reason? Hell, no.
"This republican governor deliberately spent Wisconsin surplus to pick a fight with unions."
Wisconsin's new Republican governor has framed his assault on public worker's collective bargaining rights as a needed measure of fiscal austerity during tough times.
The reality is radically different. Unlike true austerity measures -- service rollbacks, furloughs, and other temporary measures that cause pain but save money -- rolling back worker's bargaining rights by itself saves almost nothing on its own. But Walker's doing it anyhow, to knock down a barrier and allow him to cut state employee benefits immediately.
As NFTOS stated yesterday, this broadside comes less than a month after the state's fiscal bureau -- the Wisconsin equivalent of the Congressional Budget Office -- concluded that Wisconsin isn't even in need of austerity measures, and could conclude the fiscal year with a surplus. In fact, they say that the current budget shortfall is a direct result of tax cut policies Walker enacted in his first days in office.
"Walker was not forced into a budget repair bill by circumstances beyond his control," says Jack Norman, research director at the Institute for Wisconsin Future -- a public interest think tank. "He wanted a budget repair bill and forced it by pushing through tax cuts... so he could rush through these other changes."
"The state of Wisconsin has not reached the point at which austerity measures are needed," Norman adds.
In a Wednesday op-ed, the Capitol Times of Madison picked up on this theme, which was first disclosed by Ed Shultz.
In its Jan. 31 memo to legislators on the condition of the state's budget, the Fiscal Bureau determined that the state will end the year with a balance of $121.4 million.
To the extent that there is an imbalance -- Walker claims there is a $137 million deficit -- it is not because of a drop in revenues or increases in the cost of state employee contracts, benefits or pensions. It is because Walker and his allies pushed through $140 million in new spending for special-interest groups in January.
You can read the fiscal bureaus report here (PDF). It holds that "more than half" of the new shortfall comes from three of Walker's initiatives:
$25 million for an economic development fund for job creation, which still holds $73 million because of anemic job growth.
$48 million for private health savings accounts -- a perennial Republican favorite.
$67 million for a tax incentive plan that benefits employers, but at levels too low to spur hiring.
In essence, public workers are being asked to pick up the tab for this agenda. "The provisions in his bill do two things simultaneously," Norman says. "They remove bargaining rights, and having accomplished that, make changes in the benefit packages." That's how Walker's plan saves money. And when it's all said and done, these workers will have lost their bargaining rights going forward in perpetuity.
"This hostile takeover of the middle class worker is the aftermath of the Petri dish experiment founded by the radical tea bags. This choke and puke politics is the new republican order. The republican party and the tea bags are like two viruses in the same Petri dish; one is virulent and the other attenuated, but they both are still viruses. To me, there is no difference between the republican party and the tea bag party. As the French would say - "they are the tobacco of the same pipe" and as the Luba of Congo say, “Languages differ but coughs are the same."
Message to radical teas
West goes on to say:
"This blatant attack to destroy the common working mans spinal column is viral. It makes little sense for Gov. Walker to emaciate the unions. Therefore, NFTOS strongly encourages Walker to drop his proposal to strip collective bargaining rights from the unions. If he were to do so, he might find that the opposition to his budget fix evaporates almost as suddenly as it appeared on the steps of the capital building."
"This tea bag Petri dish has runneth over, and this excessive engorgement of political power has run well past the state of reality. Extreme "dictatorship" or "governorship" will not be tolerated anywhere, especially here in the United States. Whether its Egypt or Wisconsin, leaders need to understand that radical leadership leads to "revolting" in the streets."
Unless you have been hiding under a bed of late you have to be cognizant of Wisconsin's Governor (R) Scott Walker and his attempt to "trim' the states deficit.
State workers in Wisconsin are protesting a statement by Republican Governor Scott Walker that, union reps say, amounts to a threat to use the National Guard to help break the public union.
Citing a $137 million budget deficit, Walker announced a plan last week which would essentially take away the public union's collective bargaining rights and slash benefits for state employees. Meanwhile, the share of corporate tax revenue funding the state government has fallen by half since 1981 and, according to Wisconsin Department of Revenue, two-thirds of corporations pay no taxes.
The only thing readers is that if you view the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau numbers cited Jan 31, 2010, two months prior to walker taking over - says "that our analysis indicates a general fund gross of $121.4 million and a net balance of 56.4 million exists" in the Wisconsin 'till". Not a 137.0 million short fall as regurgitated by Scotty.
What has happened is that "Scotty" invoked the number one republican rule, which is to slash taxes on the rich, which in Scotty's short term (two months) as Governor will reduce Wisconsin's general fund tax collections by 55.2 million in 2011-2012 and 62.0 million 2012-2013.
"concludes that the adoption of combined reporting would increase corporate income tax receipts on the order of 10 to 25 percent." This "write off" to the corporations would cost Wisconsin 187 million dollars over two years.
Walkers "Cuts" to the unions would cost the state 9,000 jobs and 111.0 million dollars in lost revenue.
Is this really how we want "red states" and republican governors running our states?
These "enemies of the state" are on one mission, and that mission is too bust every union that is under republican governorship rule. This choreographed attack is also taking roost in New Jersey, Alabama, Arizona and the list goes on. Some thirty states are now governed by radical tea bags, to include my own of Virginia.
This scene may become a familiar one to other states that are considering similar measures:
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is supporting a bill that will potentially eliminate collective bargaining for all state workers. Governor Kasich has said he may propose additional measures such as eliminating automatic pay increases and banning public-employee strikes, both to help cut down the state’s $8 billion budget gap. On Tuesday, hundreds of people jammed into the state capitol to protest the measures.
A bill moving through the Tennessee state legislature will, if passed, eliminate collective bargaining rights for unionized state teachers and make achieving tenure more difficult.
A bill moving through the Tennessee state legislature will, if passed, eliminate collective bargaining rights for unionized state teachers and make achieving tenure more difficult.
In Michigan, a state commerce committee introduced legislation in January that would dismantle the power unions have in negotiating state-worker contracts.
On Wednesday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) signed a bill that limits certain state workers’ rights to join a collective bargaining unit.
This republican mentality of "letting the tail wag the dog" has established itself well within the rank and file of teas.
Last November our President lost his testicular fortitude in the "shellacking" during the mid-term voting.
While progressives anxiously await for Barack's testis to descend, Democrats are left to defend the rights of unions by themselves. Until the President can stand up with his pair firmly entrenched where they need to be, middle class America will continue to suffer at the hands of republican leaders.
The biggest irritant for the Obama administration so far this calendar year has not come from Senate Republicans eager to filibuster, nor from recalcitrant House Republican leaders threatening a government shutdown.
Rather, the most effective stymieing of the White House has come from a relatively new batch of governors buoyed by the national political climate and eager to showcase their conservative bona fides in opposition to the administration.
Regardless of what's compelled Republican governors to rebel, the political ramifications remain both unknown and potentially drastic.
In modern history our governors have been, of necessity, both pragmatic and moderate. Today, there are a more than few of these Republicans, like in Florida and Wisconsin, who just seem to be so radical, extreme and ideological.
Clearly the numbers above show that the "unions" are not the down fall for the "cheeseheads" woes.
This "subliminal" message, or the hidden agenda of the radical right is to push the envelope when it comes to governing states. Unions are not the fault of huge deficits that reside within states.
If Faux News and radical republicans thought the "Egyptian Revolution" was bad, should righties continue down this ugly road, then republican governors can only expect that the "Madison Revolt" will cascade and escalate to a national voice of displeasure for right wing ideology.
Karl Rove explained it best on Faux news, stating that busting up the unions is just and right for they are the formidable opponent to the next tea bag to run for office. A great strategy from camp tea bag, but I am not sure the "majority' of Americans are on the same page as the delusional tea partier.
Unions are verybeneficial to workers here in the United States. For if not there would not be:
Vacations, minimum wage wouldn't exist (meaning your current salary would be less than this current rate), collective bargaining would not be available. All unequivocally are the staples to the working folk in the USA.
So Mr. and Ms. republican, keep encouraging "union busters", for soon all Americans can say that have been treated like the 8 year old Nike worker in Singapore.
Yesterday Seventy-four House Democrats asked Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from any health care reform cases, citing reports that his wife financially benefited from efforts to repeal the legislation.
The members, led by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), ask that he “maintain the integrity of this court.”
There are several lawsuits challenging the health care reform law’s so-called individual mandate. Three cases are already docketed for oral arguments at the appellate court level. The Supreme Court is widely expected to take up the issue.
The signers of the letter include: Reps. Al Green, EB Johnson, Wm. Lacy Clay, Carnahan, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Karen Bass, Neal, Welch, Chu, Yarmuth, Sutton, Perlmutter, Connolly, Kucinich, Meeks, Schwartz, Doggett, Moore, Polis, Waters, Payne, Rush, Cohen, Crowley, Engel, Cicilline, Susan Davis, Sires, Doyle, Slaughter, McDermott, Velazquez, Garamendi, Carson, Capuano, Berkley, Wasserman Schultz, Tim Bishop, Barbara Lee, Courtney, DeLauro, Conyers, John Larson, George Miller, Boswell, Edwards, Capps, Becerra, Deutch, Israel, Owens, Richardson, Clarke, Hirono, Ackerman, Ellison, Grijalva, Chris Murphy, Woolsey, DeFazio, Jesse Jackson Jr, Reyes, Maloney, Andrews, Pascrell, Filner, Tonko, Fudge, Hinchey, Honda, Eshoo, Pallone, Stark
The move comes after Republicans have floated similar concerns about the impartiality of Justice Elena Kagan, who was solicitor general during the health debate.
Democrats cite that Thomas did not disclose his wife’s receipt of $686,589 from the Heritage Foundation between 2003 and 2006.
In response to Ginni Thomas’ involvement with groups trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, 74 Members of Congress signed a letter to Ginni’s husband — Justice Clarence Thomas — pointing out that his wife’s new job could haveethical consequences for him:
As an Associate Justice, you are entrusted with the responsibility to exercise the highest degree of discretion and impartiality when deciding a case. As Members of Congress, we were surprised by recent revelations of your financial ties to leading organizations dedicated to lobbying against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We write today to respectfully ask that you maintain the integrity of this court and recuse yourself from any deliberations on the constitutionality of this act.
(a) Any justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.
(b) He shall also disqualify himself in the following circumstances: …
(5) He or his spouse, or a person within the third degree of relationship to either of them, or the spouse of such a person: . . .
(iii) Is known by the judge to have an interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding;
It’s worth noting that conservatives have already interpreted this ethics law in a way that requires Justice Thomas to recuse himself from the health care litigation. After progressive Judge Stephen Reinhardt was assigned to the appellate panel that was to hear a challenge to anti-gay Proposition 8, supporters of the anti-gay law called for Reinhardt to recuse because his wife’s organizationadvocates against Prop 8.
The Honorable Justice Clarence Thomas United States Supreme Court Building 1 First Street Northeast Washington D.C., DC 20543 Dear Justice Thomas:
As an Associate Justice, you are entrusted with the responsibility to exercise the highest degree of discretion and impartiality when deciding a case. As Members of Congress, we were surprised by recent revelations of your financial ties to leading organizations dedicated to lobbying against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We write today to respectfully ask that you maintain the integrity of this court and recuse yourself from any deliberations on the constitutionality of this act.
The appearance of a conflict of interest merits recusal under federal law. From what we have already seen, the line between your impartiality and you and your wife's financial stake in the overturn of healthcare reform is blurred. Your spouse is advertising herself as a lobbyist who has “experience and connections” and appeals to clients who want a particular decision - they want to overturn health care reform. Moreover, your failure to disclose Ginny Thomas’s receipt of $686,589 from the Heritage Foundation, a prominent opponent of healthcare reform, between 2003 and 2007 has raised great concern.
This is not the first case where your impartiality was in question. As Common Cause points out, you “participated in secretive political strategy sessions, perhaps while the case was pending, with corporate leaders whose political aims were advanced by the [5-4] decision” on the Citizens United case. Your spouse also received an undisclosed salary paid for by undisclosed donors as CEO of Liberty Central, a 501(c)(4) organization that stood to benefit from the decision and played an active role in the 2010 elections.
Given these facts, there is a strong conflict between the Thomas household’s financial gain through your spouse’s activities and your role as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. We urge you to recuse yourself from this case. If the US Supreme Court's decision is to be viewed as legitimate by the American people, this is the only correct path. We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
ANTHONY D. WEINER Member of Congress
We bid you a fine adieu Clarence on your opportunity to make your voice heard from your seat as a Associate Supreme Court Justice on this issue, and please feel free to take the radical tea bag wife with you, and always remember, "don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you"!
How many hypocritical republicans complain and bitch about unions but are associated with unions? Having several pals whom wear badges (fire and cops) and who just happen to be staunch radical, Civil War Era, extreme republicans are a plethora! But yet in the same breath, they and their party will scream bloody murder that the unions are demoralizing and demolishing our work infrastructure.
Should we be shocked? NO! This is the pattern for tea bag central. This, like those whom are against "Obama Care"but yet use the program, (AKA congressmen and women) seem to want to have their cake and be able to eat it too.
At the end of the day, on a daily basis, republicans seemingly become the "masters" of the "idiots society club".
The hypocrisy out of camp "lunatic fringe"currently has the meter pegged. The smell of republican hypocrisy is rancid at best.
While the republicans are known for their blatant hypocrisy, these latest escapades take it to a new level.
Whether the meter is pegged or the smell or rancid, we need to be done with the wishy washy republican ideology.
Ed Shultz is on his game of late. The below video provides numbers on President Obama and taxes, and its both heavy and arduous. Taxes are the lowest they have been is sixty years. Huh!? Are you sure NFTOS?
Taxes too high? Actually, as a share of the nation's economy, Uncle Sam's take this year will be the lowest since 1950, when the Korean War was just getting underway.
And for the third straight year, American families and businesses will pay less in federal taxes than they did under former President George W. Bush, thanks to a growing number of tax breaks for the wealthy and poor alike.
Income-tax payments this year will be nearly 13 percent lower than they were in 2008, the last full year of the Bush presidency.
Corporate taxes will be lower by a third, according to projections by the nonpartisanCongressional Budget Office.
The poor economy plays a role in the blame game, with corporate profits down and unemployment up. But so is a tax code that grows each year with new deductions, credits and exemptions
In the next few years, many can expect to pay more in taxes. Some increases were enacted as part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. And many states have raised taxes because — unlike the federal government — they have to balance their budgets each year. State tax receipts are projected to increase in all but seven states this year, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.
But in the third year of Obama's presidency, federal taxes are at historic lows. In the current budget year, federal tax receipts will be equal to 14.8 percent of gross domestic product, the lowest level since Harry Truman was president.
Why the tax bite has eased:
Stimulus law.One-third of last year's $862 billion economic stimulus went for tax cuts. Biggest reduction: The Making Work Pay tax credit reduced income taxes $800 for married couples earning up to $150,000.
Progressive tax rates.Presidents Clinton pushed through a series of tax changes — credits, lower rates, higher exemptions — that slashed income taxes for poor and middle-class families. A drop in income now can trigger big tax breaks and sharply lower rates, sometimes falling to zero. Sales tax. Consumers cut spending sharply in this downturn, thereby paying less in sales taxes. A Gallup Poll last month found that 48% thought taxes were "too high" and 45% thought they were "about right." Those saying taxes are "too high" remain near a 50-year low. The lower tax burden should last at least through mid 2011, says Roberton Williams of theTax Policy Center, a think tank in Washington, D.C. "Virtually all the stimulus tax cuts expire at the end of the year," he says. "So the key decision is whether to extend them into 2011."
No matter how you "slice" it, it's obvious no one is going to modify the radical rightie social engineering tax, budget, warfare crap.
Republicans have added another layer of stupidly and absurdity to the "Obama raises taxes" ideology, although at some point and time to balance the budget taxes should and will have to increase.
The question isn't whether tax cuts or tax increases are always the right answer. The question is at what level of taxes do we stimulate the economy, collect enough revenue to run a functioning government and let people keep as much of their income as we can. No one wants to pay more in taxes personally. We just need to find the right balance so that everyone wins.
