Strangely Honest Morning Joe talks MA Senate Race

He's speaking all kinds of sense... and then talks glowingly about Elizabeth Warren in a way I NEVER would have expected. I'm frankly gobsmacked.

Playing the Victim

The idea that Liberals are perpetual victims crops up all the time in conservative talking points. It's a means of derailing conversation without appealing to substance, and demeaning/undermining legitimate historical/institutional injustices to a sneaky/dishonest tactic (see image at left).

So I find myself coming back to this clip from Jon Stewart over and over, because really, he nails it. Worth your time. You can also find it at this link (July 2011, "GOP - Special Victims Unit)

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Vast Wasteland.

see Newton Minow, in 2011, talk
about the "Vast Wasteland" speech.
Read brief overview, here

we have the Echochamber of Fox News, but let's be real... the news media as a whole is Not Helping, if your goal is real information, insight, analysis based on facts.

I'll be throwing relevant links of interest about The Media in this thread as I find ones that interest me. For now, here's a good place to start:

• Per a study on "job killer" claims, as discussed in dailyKos: Liars "can count on media quoting w/o pushback, and ultimately treating lies as reality"
• Daily Kos: "Republicans say 'job killer.' Traditional media fails to challenge or fact-check. Then repeats it." http://goo.gl/36nxM (6/14/2012)
• Slide to 10:50 or so for Colbert's laser-focused take-down of the media, which is as relevant today as 2006

 For more recent description of our newsmedia and how it's hurting democracy--see this Bill Moyers interview with Marty Kaplan:
 

KUDOS: MEDIA FIGURES DOING IT RIGHT

• O'Brien holds him to the facts about Medicare: Pawlenty suggests that Soledad O’Brien doesn’t understand English | The Raw Story (8/15/2012) - http://bit.ly/PkIkKj
• O'Brien pins Sununu down on Medicare facts:  Romney surrogate to CNN host: ‘Put an Obama bumper sticker on your forehead’ | The Raw Story (8/14/2012) http://bit.ly/Re0FfK
• Chuck Todd calls out a Romney surrogate liar on his lie | Eclectablog (8/15/2012) - http://bit.ly/RSV63Q

EXAMPLES OF STUNNING MEDIA FAILURES ON FACTS

• "We Haven't Run The Numbers:" A Startling Ryan Admission That's Getting Little Attention | Blog | Media Matters for America (8/15/2012) http://bit.ly/RWIlH1

MEDIA CONGLOMERATION

• The National Entertainment State, 2006 | The Nation - http://bit.ly/NqrDPD
• Where do Americans get their news and who controls what they consume? Ten years ago, when The Nation first charted a map of the National Entertainment State, four colossal conglomerates spread across the media landscape. Today, that map has significantly changed, because of the rise of new media and a vigorous reform movement, but the old corporate giants still hold most of the cards. Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft are quickly rising, but are not included in this chart because they do not own--not yet, anyway--the major television networks, which remain Americans' #1 source of news.

We the Needham People said NO to 'Citizens United'!

Last night Town Meeting finally took the vote on the anti Citizens United resolution, Article 23. (read the Patch's write up here)

Presenters were well-prepared and compelling, and over the course of the 3 speakers, presented a solid and convincing narrative.

The first speaker from the floor, however, was in opposition, with a prepared text. The main arguments (in brief/my words, obviously):

1. Don't take away corporations' right to speak because YOU can be a corporation too (If Sierra Club and Churches can't speak for us, who will?) and 
2. "Beware of unintended consequences of passing this--McCain Feingold was supposed to fix things and look what happened," and 
3. "We don't even know what we're voting for/we don't have the text of the amendment" and 
4. Voting on this will open the floodgates to further frivolous votes on national issues which have no place in town meeting 

Another opponent also had prepared remarks and covered much the same.

Bob Smart and Karen Price made the presentation for the petitioners; Jerry Wasserman presented the case from the Board of Selectman, which had voted to support. Among other great input from the floor, TMM Lois Sockol gave a fantastic, passionate speech in support; I would love to get video of that!

State Rep. Denise Garlick made a statement declaring that this discussion was instructive to her and her vote on s772 (the state bill to overturn citizens united).

During pro speakers, many people around me, at least, were nodding in agreement and whispering in disagreement during the opposition.

The question was called, ending debate, and we voted with a strong majority on a voice vote. Some are saying 2/3; I thought 60/40. The moderator called it and Town Meeting, breaking decorum, burst into a spontaneous round of applause!

It was extremely satisfying to do something that feels so important and central to our democratic principles. Thank you to every person who supported this truly grassroots effort!!

There is more work to do, of course. Ours is but one voice in a growing chorus, and it is but one avenue for seeking the change we want. Other efforts need organizing and support--for instance, a ballot measure for November's election, where voters can weigh in on the issue. Signatures need to be collected, more conversations with neighbors and friends need to be had. 

So don't delete those "Citizens United" files in your head! This is a long fight, and we must work over the long haul!!

President Obama Comes Out: He Supports Gay Marriage

For the first time ever, the American President affirms the rights of same-sex partners to marry.

Thank you Mr. President! (What took you so long?)


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• Obama’s gay marriage support brings change in attitudes among African-Americans | TPM2012 http://bit.ly/LNwLfx:  
• "An endorsement of same-sex marriage was long considered risky for President Obama because of the expected backlash from the African-American community. Few seemed to consider the alternative, which polling suggests is playing out instead: Rather than changing their minds about the president, some black voters are reconsidering gay marriage. "

{see above!!} There is much being said about the endemic homophobia in the black community, and how this may or may not cost Obama votes in the fall. How about some uplift?:

‏

Needham takes on 'Citizens United': TONIGHT

UPDATE: Vote postponed til Monday--see WethePeopleNeedham.wordpress.com for uptodate info.
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I'm sick of the highest bidder controlling our political process. 'Citizens United' is the 2010 Supreme Court decision that said we can't control corporate spending on elections (as we had done w/ McCain-Feingold), paving the way for the Age of SuperPACs, with their unregulated, massive "dark money" flooding the airwaves and muddling the issues. (I have collections of resources on money in politics, here and here)

If money is speech, then I don't have free speech, at least not as much as Coca-Cola or Exxon.