BREAKING: Three Bush-Appointed Judges Give Thumbs Up To Voter Disenfranchisement In Ohio

BREAKING: Three Bush-Appointed Judges Give Thumbs Up To Voter Disenfranchisement In Ohio:Late last week, a federal district court ordered Ohio to stop disenfranchising voters who are directed to vote at the wrong polling place due to poll worker error. Earlier today, a severely conservative panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit stayed this order, ruling that Ohio may disenfranchise these voters [...]/p

Why Arizona's "Secret" $11 Million Donor Opposing 2 Crucial Ballot Measures in California Is Really No Secret | Alternet

Why Arizona's "Secret" $11 Million Donor Opposing 2 Crucial Ballot Measures in California Is Really No Secret | Alternet
"Is there really any doubt who’s behind $11 million donation to an Arizona non-profit that’s taking an active role in opposing Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative, Proposition 30, and also backing another measure that would complicate how California unions collect dues from members for political purposes, Propositon 32?"

What Does Romney's Campaign of Lies Say About Our Country?

What Does Romney's Campaign of Lies Say About Our Country?
"Last week Mitt Romney delivered possibly the most dishonest presidential campaign speech in American history. It contains lie after lie, distortion after distortion, and trick after trick. "

Major Retailer Urges Workers To Take 'Civics Course' With Anti-Obama Content | Alternet

Major Retailer Urges Workers To Take 'Civics Course' With Anti-Obama Content | Alternet
"If you live in the Midwest and you're working on a home-improvement project, you're as likely to do your shopping at a Menards store as at a Lowe's or Home Depot. With 270 stores and 40,000 employees , Menards is the third-largest home-improvement chain in the U.S., and one of the largest privately held corporations in the country. But Menards stores sell more than just lumber and building supplies; their employees are sold a bill of goods in the form of right-wing ideology."

Romney Ball Caps Made in China, Obama's Made in USA

Romney Ball Caps Made in China, Obama's Made in USA
"Kind of tells you everything you need to know about who's more likely to stand up for American workers, doesn't it?"

What Spain Should Be Teaching U.S. Conservatives About Austerity

What Spain Should Be Teaching U.S. Conservatives About Austerity: According to the latest data from its government, Spain’s economy contracted for the fifth straight quarter during the three months ending in September. Despite this, Spain seems intent on doubling down on austerity measures, as Reuters reported: Gross domestic product shrank for the fifth straight quarter between July and September, dropping 0.3 percent, while consumer [...]/p

Chrysler CEO smacks down Romney's Jeep-to-China lies

Chrysler CEO smacks down Romney's Jeep-to-China lies
""U.S. production of our Jeep models has nearly tripled" since 2009."

Someone Spread False Info on Hurricane Sandy Last Night. Guess Who?

Someone Spread False Info on Hurricane Sandy Last Night. Guess Who?
"So who is this guy? Turns out, he's a GOP consultant, hedge fund analyst and a big Romney supporter:"

The Corporatocracy vs. Workplace Democracy

The Corporatocracy vs. Workplace Democracy
"The corporate state today is stronger than it's ever been.

Thanks to the Supreme Court, our elections are up for sale to the highest bidder - be it a billionaire casino mogul like Sheldon Adelson or a massive transnational corporation like Koch Industries."

Documents Found in Meth House Show the Inner Workings of a Dark Money Group Linked to 23 Conservative Candidates | Alternet

Documents Found in Meth House Show the Inner Workings of a Dark Money Group Linked to 23 Conservative Candidates | Alternet
"Found in a meth house in Colorado, they were somewhat of a mystery, holding files on 23 conservative candidates in state races in Montana. They were filled with candidate surveys and mailers that said they were paid for by campaigns, and fliers and bank records from outside spending groups. One folder was labeled "Montana $ Bomb."

The documents pointed to one outside group pulling the candidates' strings: a social welfare nonprofit called Western Tradition Partnership, or WTP."

Where Did Paul Ryan Find Inspiration for 'Reforming' Social Security? A Brutal Military Dictatorship, Naturally | Alternet

Where Did Paul Ryan Find Inspiration for 'Reforming' Social Security? A Brutal Military Dictatorship, Naturally | Alternet
"While the Republican Party and its wealthy plutocrat backers have been accused of waging an elitist virtual war against the American majority, both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have financial and ideological ties to rich Latin American elites who have waged real wars against average citizens in their countries."

Romney’s Misleading Ad Causes Auto Workers To Think They’re Losing Their Jobs

Romney’s Misleading Ad Causes Auto Workers To Think They’re Losing Their Jobs: Mitt Romney’s misleading new advertisement is causing auto workers to fear they’re losing their jobs. The ad falsely claims car company Chrysler is moving its Jeep production to China, when in fact the company is opening up additional production there, not shifting American jobs overseas. But some auto workers have been calling their union, worried [...]/p

How Mitt Romney Wants to Make America Like China | Alternet

How Mitt Romney Wants to Make America Like China | Alternet
"China’s a semi-communist authoritarian gerontocracy with a horrendous human rights record, but man, look at those low wages and lack of regulation!"

U.S. Set To Sponsor National Health Insurance Plans Under Obamacare

U.S. Set To Sponsor National Health Insurance Plans Under Obamacare: The Obama Administration is preparing for the federal government’s impending role as the primary sponsor of two new multistate health insurance plans that will be available for individuals and small businesses to purchase under Obamacare’s statewide insurance exchanges in 2014. Although they are not exactly the same, the nationwide plans do somewhat resemble the government-run [...]/p

Romney's willingness to say anything makes integrity an issue

PERRspectives: After Bashing Auto Workers, Romney Asks for Their Votes

PERRspectives: After Bashing Auto Workers, Romney Asks for Their Votes
"In an effort to win over auto workers in Ohio and across the Midwest, Team Romney this week unveiled a jaw-droppingly fraudulent ad rewriting Mitt's opposition to the federal bailout that saved the entire industry. But largely overlooked in the shocked response to his bogus claims about Jeep shipping U.S. jobs to China has been the union-bashing that was at the center of Romney's primary campaign to win the Republican nomination for president. As a quick glance reveals, Mitt Romney may profess "I love American cars," but not the Americans who make them."

Romney Returns to His 'Obama Made the Economy Worse' Lie

Romney Returns to His 'Obama Made the Economy Worse' Lie
"That simply isn't true. And neither is Mitt Romney's two year-old slander that President Obama "made the economy worse." Romney's closing argument to voters, like his opening statement, is a Big Lie. And his ceaseless repetition hasn't made it any made it any truer."

Congresswoman Accuses Obama Of ‘Harming’ Auto Company That Went Defunct In 1988

Congresswoman Accuses Obama Of ‘Harming’ Auto Company That Went Defunct In 1988: Since the auto rescue, GM, Ford, and Chrysler are experiencing increases in sales of 10, 13, and 14 percent, respectively. Obama’s approach, which Romney vehemently opposed, helped save as many as 1.3 million jobs and the administration’s new fuel efficiency standards and incentives included in the 2009 stimulus are driving American-made cars to be become more competitive in an international market.

Mitt Romney's Terrifying Plans for FEMA and Disaster Relief | Alternet

Mitt Romney's Terrifying Plans for FEMA and Disaster Relief | Alternet
"But this system of federal involvement to mitigate the damage from natural disasters would be threatened under a Mitt Romney presidency. Romney and his vice-presidential running mate, Paul Ryan, have promised to fundamentally transform how federal disaster aid would work. If Hurricane Sandy was bearing down under a Romney-Ryan presidency, the scale of federal help would be radically different."

Romney-Ryan and the Slashing of Medicaid | Common Dreams

Romney-Ryan and the Slashing of Medicaid | Common Dreams
"If he wins, Medicaid — which now covers more than 50 million Americans, and which President Obama would expand further as part of his health reform — will face savage cuts. Estimates suggest that a Romney victory would deny health insurance to about 45 million people who would have coverage if he lost, with two-thirds of that difference due to the assault on Medicaid."

Portland, Oregon Prepares for Pre-Election Anti-Austerity Protest

Portland, Oregon Prepares for Pre-Election Anti-Austerity Protest
"On November 3rd Portland community and labor groups will declare "enough is enough" by organizing a first for the U.S. - a large demonstration against government austerity cuts."

Why 'Voting Your Conscience' in Deep Blue or Red States Is a Terrible Idea For Those Who Don't Want a Romney Presidency | Alternet

Why 'Voting Your Conscience' in Deep Blue or Red States Is a Terrible Idea For Those Who Don't Want a Romney Presidency | Alternet
"This post is addressed to disgruntled progressives who are urging like-minded people to vote “strategically” by casting their vote for Obama if they live in a contested state, and voting for a third-party candidate if they live in a solidly blue or red state."

Chomsky: America Acts Like It Owns the World, While Endangering the Planet from Nuclear War and Climate Change | Alternet

Chomsky: America Acts Like It Owns the World, While Endangering the Planet from Nuclear War and Climate Change | Alternet
"In a recent speech, Professor Chomsky examined topics largely ignored or glossed over during the campaign, from China to the Arab Spring, to global warming and the nuclear threat posed by Israel versus Iran. He spoke last month at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst at any event sponsored by the Center for Popular Economics. His talk was entitled "Who Owns the World?" Democracy Now! transcribed Chomsky's talk."

PERRspectives: Romney 's Closing Argument is "Obama Made Economy Worse" Lie

PERRspectives: Romney 's Closing Argument is "Obama Made Economy Worse" Lie
"Unfortunately for Romney, the facts and the overwhelming consensus of economists - including the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and John McCain's 2008 brain trust - flatly contradict Mitt's closing argument. Instead, the numbers show and the experts confirm that President Obama saved the American free-enterprise system from the abyss and averted Great Depression 2.0."

Outcome of presidential election will impact judicial review of vital federal regulations | Economic Policy Institute

Outcome of presidential election will impact judicial review of vital federal regulations | Economic Policy Institute
"Republican judges on the other hand, will be more likely to rule in favor of polluters, banks, and corporations. The presidential election will determine whose interests the federal government’s executive and judicial branches ultimately protect."

Romney’s 9-Point Plan to Annihilate Unions - In These Times

Romney’s 9-Point Plan to Annihilate Unions - In These Times
"But the totality of what the party and its current standard bearer now call for is breathtaking. Step one would be to restore Bush-era standards"

The Man Who Quit Goldman Sachs and Wrote a Tell-All Book Gets Trashed by Corporate Media | Alternet

The Man Who Quit Goldman Sachs and Wrote a Tell-All Book Gets Trashed by Corporate Media | Alternet
"But the absolute trashing and personal attacks on Greg Smith in the past week that were orchestrated by Goldman and supported, heavily, by the US financial networks got my attention. Generally ad hominem attacks are used by those who consider the facts of the case to be dangerous ground, and wish to do anything that they can to avoid discussing them."

Democratic Rep. Explains Why Now Is The ‘Absolute Right Time’ To Invest In Crumbling Infrastructure

Democratic Rep. Explains Why Now Is The ‘Absolute Right Time’ To Invest In Crumbling Infrastructure: LOUISVILLE — There is no better time than now to invest in America’s crumbling infrastructure, Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth (D) told ThinkProgress in an interview this week. With the nation facing high unemployment and in need of a massive upgrade to its roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects, the government should take advantage of historically [...]/p

Bain Capital wants to silence 'Bainport'

Will Voter Suppression Tactics Threaten Free and Fair Elections?

Will Voter Suppression Tactics Threaten Free and Fair Elections?
"The wave of new voter restrictions and scare tactics being implemented for the 2012 elections -- such as voter ID laws, early voting restrictions, threatening billboards, misleading mailers and vigilante poll watchers -- could intimidate countless numbers of Americans from exercising their right to vote."

The Billionaire Takeover Of The GOP

Mitt Romney stays silent on Sensata as he lies about Jeep jobs going to China

Mitt Romney stays silent on Sensata as he lies about Jeep jobs going to China
"Let's untangle the levels of nerve here. Romney is claiming that the way to keep Chrysler from moving Jeep production to China is to elect Mitt Romney. In fact, not only is Chrysler not moving Jeep production to China, it's expanding Jeep production in Michigan and Ohio. But don't worry, if you vote for Romney, he'll fight for every one of those jobs to be kept right here in America."

"Buying Influence," a Special Report Released; ALEC Corporate Slush Fund Pays for State Lawmakers' Junkets

"Buying Influence," a Special Report Released; ALEC Corporate Slush Fund Pays for State Lawmakers' Junkets
"Corporate backers of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have funneled more than an estimated $4 million in gifts to state legislators for travel, hotel rooms, and meals at posh resorts since 2006, according to estimates based on internal ALEC records. The corporate lobby front group is already facing an Internal Revenue Service review of claims that it violated federal law by posing as a charity."

Romney Unaware Who Creates Wealth

Romney Unaware Who Creates Wealth
"The Republican presidential nominee apparently has no idea that "apart from nature," it is workers who are the creators of all wealth."

Weather Channel: We've Never Seen Anything Like This Before

Weather Channel: We've Never Seen Anything Like This Before
If you live in one of the states that might be affected, and can vote early, get out there vote now.

Hey GOP...We Already have a Bill of Rights!!

Besides trying to elect one of their own - Mitt Romney - to the White House, the oligarchs have another trick up their sleeve this election. And that's to make sure their state taxes never go up again. Their plan is carried out in the form of ballot measures - often under the name of Taxpayer Bill of Rights laws - that will appear in a handful of states on Election Day that are aimed at making it very difficult to raise taxes. Such measures are on the ballot in states like Florida, Michigan, and Washington. So imagine a law - or, even more bizarre, an amendment to a state's constitution, that says, "You may not take away any tax breaks that billionaires or large corporations have without it getting at least a 2/3rds vote in the legislature, but you may lay off teachers, state troopers, repeal Meals on Wheels programs, and cut off financial aid to colleges and college students with a simple majority." And then imagine that the law went a step further and said that you can't raise taxes on billionaires or corporations, and you can't close any of the tax loopholes they use every day, but you can easily raise fees on everyday working people, so they're paying more to register their cars or park on city streets or have their garbage collected.

Six Important Things To Know Before Romney’s ‘Closing Argument’ On The Economy

Six Important Things To Know Before Romney’s ‘Closing Argument’ On The Economy: Mitt Romney will deliver what’s being billed as his “closing argument” in Ames, Iowa today, focusing his speech on the economy. Here are six important things to know before Romney takes the stage. 1) ROMNEY’S BOGUS 12 MILLION JOBS: Romney consistently promises that his policies will create 12 million jobs over his first term. But [...]/p

Romney Makes Closing Argument At Firm That Benefited From Stimulus Funds

Romney Makes Closing Argument At Firm That Benefited From Stimulus Funds: On Friday, Mitt Romney will make his closing argument on the economy in what his campaign is touting as a major address. The site Romney has chosen, however, exposes the hypocrisy and fallaciousness of one of Romney’s central economic arguments: the notion that government has no role in growing the private economy and helping businesses [...]/p

10 Filthy-Rich, Tax-Dodging Hypocrites Pushing Disastrous Austerity on America | Alternet

10 Filthy-Rich, Tax-Dodging Hypocrites Pushing Disastrous Austerity on America | Alternet
"Brace yourself for one of the most aggressive corporate lobbying campaigns of all time. And one of the most hypocritical."

Lies of Plutocracy: Exploding Five Myths that Dehumanize the Poor

Lies of Plutocracy: Exploding Five Myths that Dehumanize the Poor
"If you believe that poverty is the domain of the comfortably poor, black, unemployed, unmotivated and uneducated among us, you have been sadly misled. Prepare to be astonished by numbers that tell a very different story."

Chevron Donates $2.5 Million To GOP Super PAC In Single Largest Corporate Donation Post-Citizens United

Chevron Donates $2.5 Million To GOP Super PAC In Single Largest Corporate Donation Post-Citizens United: Chevron, the second-largest oil company in the U.S. and eighth-largest in the world, contributed $2.5 million in October to the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC to elect House Republicans. That makes Chevron’s super PAC donation the single largest from a corporation. The donation comes after House Republicans voted 109 times this Congress to enrich [...]/p

How the Wealthy Have Turned State Elections All Over America Into Their Own Personal Playgrounds | Alternet

How the Wealthy Have Turned State Elections All Over America Into Their Own Personal Playgrounds | Alternet
"The 2012 election has become a political extreme sport for wealthy individuals and corporate America, as they have blown off whatever’s left in campaign finance laws and have strutted on the electoral field as the rest of us watch like spectators from the cheap seats. But what’s not fully appreciated is how the plutocrats’ stampede doesn’t stop with the presidency, but is playing an outsized role in many down-ballot and state races."

Where Did the Debt Come From?

Very unwise for employers to tell employees how to vote | Economic Policy Institute

Very unwise for employers to tell employees how to vote | Economic Policy Institute
"Recent weeks have brought a rash of reports of something that used to be unthinkable in America: employers telling their workers who to vote for."

How Romney’s Tax Plan Denies $5 Billion In Credits To The Poorest Families

How Romney’s Tax Plan Denies $5 Billion In Credits To The Poorest Families: Mitt Romney’s tax plan would provide millionaires with a tax cut of $87,000, even under the very generous assumption that the plan will be paid for (which would require raising taxes on middle class families). At the same time, Romney calls for rolling back expansions of two important tax credits aimed at helping middle-class and [...]/p

CEO who took millions in stimulus tells workers to vote against Obama because big government

CEO who took millions in stimulus tells workers to vote against Obama because big government
"Another boss weighs in telling his workers to vote for Mitt Romney, and if this one takes it easier on the intimidation than many of his plutocratic brethren, he makes up for it with an extra helping of hypocrisy."

Chamber Of Commerce Is Spending Millions Supporting Candidates It Pledged To Defeat

Chamber Of Commerce Is Spending Millions Supporting Candidates It Pledged To Defeat: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce — which spent nearly $33 million in 2010 to elect a Republican Congress — strongly backed the 2011 Budget Control Act which averted a national debt default and instituted automatic cuts that will go into effect unless Congress reduces federal spending. But while the Chamber’s CEO Tom Donohue reportedly warned [...]/p

Romney’s Frontrunner For Treasury Secretary: ‘The Rich Are Taxed Enough’

Romney’s Frontrunner For Treasury Secretary: ‘The Rich Are Taxed Enough’: Glenn Hubbard, Mitt Romney’s “go to” economist and potential Treasury Secretary, said during a debate in New York on Wednesday that “the rich are taxed enough” and argued that asking the super wealthy to pay more “is both counter-productive and unnecessary to fund the government we want”: While steering clear of specifics, Hubbard told the [...]/p

What’s At Stake When Billionaires Try to Buy Our Democracy | Common Dreams

What’s At Stake When Billionaires Try to Buy Our Democracy | Common Dreams
"The shameless spectacle of billionaires drowning the airwaves should not numb us to the consequences of what is at stake if the super rich succeed in buying our elections."

US to Sue Bank of America for $1bn Over 'Brazen' Mortgage Fraud | Common Dreams

US to Sue Bank of America for $1bn Over 'Brazen' Mortgage Fraud | Common Dreams
"Federal prosecutors are suing Bank of America for $1 billion over mortgage fraud."

Republicans Desperate to Spin Romney as the Front-Runner Are Becoming 'Nate Silver Truthers' | Alternet

Republicans Desperate to Spin Romney as the Front-Runner Are Becoming 'Nate Silver Truthers' | Alternet
"But in recent days, the Romney-Ryan campaign has claimed that it's moving ahead. As Jonathan Chaitnoted, “This is a bluff. Romney is carefully attempting to project an atmosphere of momentum, in the hopes of winning positive media coverage and, thus, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Despite zero evidence that Romney has made any gains since receiving a healthy bounce from the first debate, reporters appear to be buying it, with a raft of lazy stories about Mitt Romney's supposed “momentum"."

How A Proposed Pennsylvania Law Would Make Workers Pay Taxes To Their Boss

How A Proposed Pennsylvania Law Would Make Workers Pay Taxes To Their Boss: According to Good Jobs First, an organization that promotes accountability in economic development, several states allow corporations to literally pocket their employees’ tax payments. Rather than having those taxes go towards public services, the companies withhold money from their workers’ paychecks and just keep it, never remitting it to the state, under the guise of [...]/p

5 Voter Misinformation Campaigns To Watch Out For

5 Voter Misinformation Campaigns To Watch Out For: Though most voter ID laws and voter purges have been thrown out or delayed by judges, voter suppression efforts are still alive and well. With two weeks to Election Day, voters in critical swing states are being inundated with false information and intimidating messages meant to discourage them from voting. While shenanigans have been reported [...]/p

GOP-Controlled Election Board in Ohio Mails Out Wrong Date

GOP-Controlled Election Board in Ohio Mails Out Wrong Date
"It's really not hard to imagine human error in a case like this. It's just that there's a pattern. It's almost always Republican election officials making these critical mistakes, and they always seem to happen in strategically important states and counties."

Plutocrats Want to Own Your Vote

Plutocrats Want to Own Your Vote
"The new Gilded Age is roaring down on us – an uncaged tiger on a rampage."

The Billionaires' Pity Party: Richest People in History Can't Stop Whining About Oppression | Alternet

The Billionaires' Pity Party: Richest People in History Can't Stop Whining About Oppression | Alternet
"America's billionaires are up in arms! Sure, they've made out like bandits, while tens of millions of Americans are still suffering - out of work, in bankruptcy, or owing more on their mortgages than their houses are worth. Along with the rest of the 1 per cent, they've captured  93 per cent of income gains  in the US in the first year of lopsided economic recovery. But that's not the point! The point is: They're the most oppressed people in the history of the world!"

America's Media Just Made Vote-Rigging Easier

America's Media Just Made Vote-Rigging Easier
"The news that America's mainstream media has cancelled exit polling in 19 states, means that insider election theft this November is now even harder to track, and therefore easier to get away with - something that scarcely seemed possible."

Inside Bain's Chinese Sensata Factories, Where Workers Put in 12-Hour Days for $.99-$1.35 an Hour | Alternet

Inside Bain's Chinese Sensata Factories, Where Workers Put in 12-Hour Days for $.99-$1.35 an Hour | Alternet
"Sensata enjoyed record revenues last year – this isn't about making the “hard choices” necessary to save a failing enterprise. The workers in Freeport have been working 24 hours a day, in three shifts. They make $14-17 per hour, with benefits."

6 Things We Need To Do To Repair America's Crumbling Democracy | Alternet

6 Things We Need To Do To Repair America's Crumbling Democracy | Alternet
"As the 2012 election crests with all its chaos— billionaire-driven TV ad wars, legal fights over voter suppression tactics, endless fundraising e-mails and worries about stealing the vote —progressives need to remember what’s been destroying our democracy and what solutions are needed to restore the balance of power in America."

Lyin' Ryan Has No Plan to Cut the Deficit - and if He Did, Romney Would Oppose It | Alternet

Lyin' Ryan Has No Plan to Cut the Deficit - and if He Did, Romney Would Oppose It | Alternet
"GOP candidates can't get their stories straight on the deficit. Maybe because they're both full of baloney."

Privatization Madness » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Privatization Madness » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"So what’s ahead? Republican legislatures are mandating privatized tax collection for local taxing authorities. We already have privatized prisons, privatized schools, privatized highways, privatized police. Will things move upwards now to the state and federal level? How long before the Berkheimer-type companies are collecting our state taxes? And with some Republicans pushing for an end to the IRS, how long before some Berkheimer clone gets the gig for collecting our federal taxes?"

The Romneys Don't Make Money; Their Money Makes Money

The Romneys Don't Make Money; Their Money Makes Money
"Entrepreneurs do create new value in the world and keep some portion of that value as a reward for their originality, risk-taking and hard work. But the Romneys are not entrepreneurs: They are rentiers - people "who siphon off wealth created elsewhere in the economy"."

Employees of Romney Family's Secret Bank Tied to Fraud, Money Laundering and Drug Cartels

Employees of Romney Family's Secret Bank Tied to Fraud, Money Laundering and Drug Cartels
"As previously reported in by the Columbus Free Press, the Romney family, namely Mitt, Ann, G Scott and Tagg Romney, along with Mitt's "6th son" and campaign finance chair have a secretive private equity firm called Solamere Capital Partners. This firms ties to Romney's campaign and bundlers is already well documented, along with its connection to the manufacture and distribution of voting machines. What is not as well documented is a subsidiary of that private equity firm hiring employees of a failed firm tied to a Ponzi scheme that has a long history of money laundering for Latin American drug cartels and to the Iran-Contra scandal."

Romney Urged CEOs To Tell Employees How to Vote

With millions of dollars of corporate cash corrupting our democracy - and politicians in Washington only looking to pad their wallets - whats the little guy to do

Top Romney Surrogate Says Pay Equity Legislation Is ‘Nothing But An Effort To Help Trial Lawyers’

Top Romney Surrogate Says Pay Equity Legislation Is ‘Nothing But An Effort To Help Trial Lawyers’: Mitt Romney’s campaign won’t say if the GOP presidential candidate would have signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law, but on Sunday Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) — a top campaign surrogate — disparaged the measure as a giveaway to trail lawyers. “I think that anyone who’s working out there and making a living, [...]/p

GOP Voter Registration Scandal Widens, Prosecutors File Criminal Charges | Alternet

GOP Voter Registration Scandal Widens, Prosecutors File Criminal Charges | Alternet
"A Virginia official is busted for tossing voter forms. Turns out he works for the national party, too."

Ellsberg: Let's Not Have Illusions About Which of the Two Major Candidates Would Better | Alternet

Ellsberg: Let's Not Have Illusions About Which of the Two Major Candidates Would Better | Alternet
"It is urgently important to prevent a Republican administration under Romney/Ryan from taking office in January 2013."

This week in the War on Workers: NYU okay with union-buster sending thugs to threaten students

This week in the War on Workers: NYU okay with union-buster sending thugs to threaten students
"Hiring thugs to insult, intimidate, and threaten college students rallying outside an event at their own school is about what you'd expect of Straus, whose nursing home chains have been hit with repeated National Labor Relations Board charges due to a pattern of illegal behavior against workers. But you'd think NYU might care that its students were being threatened by people hired by one of its law school's trustees. Not really, though."

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your e-Vote?

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your e-Vote?
"They are especially crucial in Ohio, without which no Republican candidate has ever won the White House. In 2004, in the dead of election night, an electronic swing of more than 300,000 votes switched Ohio from the John Kerry column to George W. Bush, giving him a second term. A virtual statistical impossibility, the 6-plus% shift occurred between 12:20 and 2am election night as votes were being tallied by a GOP-controlled information technology firm on servers in a basement in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In defiance of a federal injunction, 56 of Ohio's 88 counties destroyed all election records, making a recount impossible. Ohio's governor and secretary of state in 2004 were both Republicans, as are the governors and secretaries of state in nine key swing states this year."

When Police Spy on Free Speech, Democracy Suffers | Common Dreams

When Police Spy on Free Speech, Democracy Suffers | Common Dreams
Psst! Check out this super-secret Boston Police "intelligence report"

Add the auto bailout to the list of things Romney opposed but profited from

Add the auto bailout to the list of things Romney opposed but profited from
"Apparently there's nothing that Romney opposes so much he won't try to make a profit off of it. Which, actually, we already knew, thanks to his role in Bain investments in a medical-waste firm that disposed of aborted fetuses. And don't forget how Romney invested in a company founded to make profits on the aftermath of 9/11. Never mind all that profit from exactly the kind of Chinese trade practices he's campaigning against."

How The Model Tax Plan Romney Cited Could Raise One Middle-Class Woman’s Taxes By $6,000

How The Model Tax Plan Romney Cited Could Raise One Middle-Class Woman’s Taxes By $6,000:  Throughout the campaign, Mitt Romney has refused to give details when asked how he plans to pay for his nearly $4.8 trillion in tax cuts. In Tuesday night’s debate, audience member Mary Follano asked Romney how his [...]/p

Citizens United vs workers

Corporations forcing their employees to vote republican

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your e-Vote?

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your e-Vote?
"Will you cast your vote this fall on a faulty electronic machine that's partly owned by the Romney Family? Will that machine decide whether Romney will then inherit the White House?"

All in the family - Romney legacy of tax payer rip-offs

Meet Romney’s Economic Hit Man | Common Dreams

Meet Romney’s Economic Hit Man | Common Dreams
"Hubbard is the ideological hit man instrumental in justifying the mortgage derivatives bubble that caused the Great Recession during the George W. Bush years. He now serves as Romney’s key economic adviser and is the front-runner to be the next Treasury secretary should the Republican win."

Mitt Romney's Bailout Bonanza | The Nation

Mitt Romney's Bailout Bonanza | The Nation
"Mitt Romney may indeed have wanted to let Detroit die. But if the auto industry was going to be bailed out after all, the Romneys apparently couldn’t resist getting in on a piece of 
the action."

Virginia GOP Caught Throwing Away Voter Registrations

Virginia GOP Caught Throwing Away Voter Registrations
"You know how every time they're in control, Republicans grow the government and run into the ground to prove that government is inefficient and bloated? Well, I think it's time to realize that the GOP is now determined to prove that their cries of voter fraud are true...because they're the ones committing it."

In Conference Call, Romney Urged Businesses To Tell Their Employees How to Vote | Common Dreams

In Conference Call, Romney Urged Businesses To Tell Their Employees How to Vote | Common Dreams
"In a June 6, 2012 conference call posted on the anti-union National Federation of Independent Business’s website, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney instructed employers to tell their employees how to vote in the upcoming election."

New Jersey Becomes Ninth State to Back Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United | Common Dreams

New Jersey Becomes Ninth State to Back Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United | Common Dreams
"New Jersey became the ninth state to back a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United on Thursday."

Employees Protest Bain, Romney As Their Jobs Are Outsourced To China

Employees Protest Bain, Romney As Their Jobs Are Outsourced To China: Sensata Technologies, an Attleboro, Massachusetts-based sensor manufacturer, is mostly owned by Bain Capital. As the company prepares to replace workers at an Illinois plant by offshoring jobs to China, soon-to-be laid off workers have been protesting both Bain Capital and the corporate values instilled by the company’s former CEO, Mitt Romney. Several protesters descended on [...]/p

Myth Master Mitt Romney

Arizona GOP Senate Candidate Openly Hostile To Free School Lunch Program He Relied On As A Child

Arizona GOP Senate Candidate Openly Hostile To Free School Lunch Program He Relied On As A Child: A new Esquire profile of Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) details the Senate candidate’s hard-scrabble childhood on an Arizona cattle ranch — where he was sustained by federal school lunch programs he has repeatedly tried to hobble as a Congressman. Flake’s elder brother, Scott, explained to Esquire how they benefited from entitlement programs meant to provide [...]/p

Romney Economic Policy Director Was Lobbying For Wall Street Three Months Ago

Romney Economic Policy Director Was Lobbying For Wall Street Three Months Ago: A recently hired economic policy director for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign was a top lobbyist for JP Morgan Chase, Wall Street’s biggest bank, and federal documents show that he lobbied Congress and federal regulators this year on issues ranging from the implementation of new financial regulations to corporate tax reform. Pierce Scranton, who became Romney’s [...]/p

Leaked Audio Captures Romney Asking Employers To Tell Their Employees How To Vote

Leaked Audio Captures Romney Asking Employers To Tell Their Employees How To Vote: Newly-discovered audio from a conference call in June captures Mitt Romney asking business owners to urge their employees to vote for him. Romney, speaking on a call to the very conservative National Federation of Independent Business, tells a group of business owners that they should “make it very clear” how they feel about the candidates. [...]/p

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your E-Vote?

Does the Romney Family Now Own Your E-Vote?
"But these Hart machines are deeply flawed and widely know to be open to a troubling variety of attacks and breakdowns ( http://www.bradblog.com/... ).  There is no legal or other means to definitively monitor and re-check a tally compiled on Hart or other electronic voting machines.  Ohio's current governor and secretary of state are both Republicans."

Despite Court Order, Ohio’s GOP Election Chief Is Still Cutting Back Early Voting

Despite Court Order, Ohio’s GOP Election Chief Is Still Cutting Back Early Voting: Two federal courts said that the Ohio Republican Party’s effort to reduce opportunities to vote early must not go into effect. And the Supreme Court rejected an attempt by Ohio Republican officials to reinstate a GOP-backed law taking away three days of early voting just this week. Yet despite multiple court defeats, Ohio’s Republican Secretary [...]/p

Blue States Are From Scandinavia, Red States Are From Guatemala | The New Republic

Blue States Are From Scandinavia, Red States Are From Guatemala | The New Republic
"Advocates for the red-state approach to government invoke lofty principles: By resisting federal programs and defying federal laws, they say, they are standing up for liberty. These were the same arguments that the original red-staters made in the 1800s, before the Civil War, and in the 1900s, before the Civil Rights movement. Now, as then, the liberty the red states seek is the liberty to let a whole class of citizens suffer. That’s not something the rest of us should tolerate. This country has room for different approaches to policy. It doesn’t have room for different standards of human decency."

PERRspectives: Democratic Presidents Outperform GOP on Manufacturing Jobs

PERRspectives: Democratic Presidents Outperform GOP on Manufacturing Jobs
"The new study jointly performed by Pennsylvania's Keystone Research Center (KRC) and the Iowa Policy Project (IPP) found that "Democratic administrations have added an average of between 160,000 and 250,000 manufacturing jobs each year, while Republican ones have lost manufacturing jobs at about the same rate"."

Pennsylvania Utility Company Admits Newsletter Contains Wrong Voter ID Information, Keeps Sending It Anyway

Pennsylvania Utility Company Admits Newsletter Contains Wrong Voter ID Information, Keeps Sending It Anyway: Pennsylvania’s biggest utility company, PECO, has admitted to sending incorrect voter ID information to 1.3 million customers in 7 Pennsylvania counties. Despite the recent suspension of the state’s strict voter ID law, PECO’s newsletter warned voters that they must present a valid photo ID in order to vote on Election Day. When customers complained about [...]/p

Tax Idea Romney Pitched During Debate Doesn’t Make His Plan Add Up

Tax Idea Romney Pitched During Debate Doesn’t Make His Plan Add Up: Mitt Romney and his campaign have consistently refused to divulge the loopholes and deductions that Romney would supposedly eliminate in order to cover the cost of his massive tax cuts for the rich and corporations. One adviser even responded “energy independence” when asked for a specific tax loophole. During Tuesday night’s debate, Romney continued his [...]/p

Mitt Romney: What Is This Man Planning for America? | Common Dreams

Mitt Romney: What Is This Man Planning for America? | Common Dreams
"Romney’s remedy for getting America back on top is a large, expensive buildup of our military might coupled with lavish tax cuts for the rich. This spells disaster for the commons across the board as everything from the National Park Service to unemployment benefits to early childhood education is slashed."

How The U.S. Squanders As Much As $430 Billion In Corporate Tax Revenues Each Year

How The U.S. Squanders As Much As $430 Billion In Corporate Tax Revenues Each Year: Each year, multinational corporations based in the United States shelter $1.5 trillion in profits in other countries, and because the U.S. doesn’t tax offshore profits, that money is not subject to the corporate income tax. Corporate profits kept offshore don’t face American taxation until they are repatriated — that is, brought back to the United [...]/p

Romney: Forget equal pay, ladies. How about more time to cook dinner?

Romney: Forget equal pay, ladies. How about more time to cook dinner?
"So after all this time, after repeatedly being asked to say, once and for all, whether Romney supports equal pay and what he'd do to ensure equal pay for women, Romney still can't answer that question. And it's a very important question, one women have the right to know the answer to when they're deciding the next president. You know, when they're not busy filling binders and cooking dinner."

When the President Comes to Town

When the President Comes to Town
"If you're dealing with a guy who says government doesn't create jobs right after he claims he will personally create 12 million jobs if given the top gig in government, it shouldn't be all that surprising when that guy becomes subsumed by his own demonstrable contradictions."

Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes During Last Night's Debate | Alternet

Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes During Last Night's Debate | Alternet
"During the first presidential debate in Denver, Colorado Romney managed to tell  27 myths in his 38 minutes  of speaking time. But at his second encounter with Obama in New York, the GOP presidential candidate — who has run  a post-truth campaign  from day one — outdid himself and crammed 31 myths in 41 minutes:"

Romney's Bain Capital Is Sending a Bunch of High-Tech Jobs to China on the Day Before the Election | Alternet

Romney's Bain Capital Is Sending a Bunch of High-Tech Jobs to China on the Day Before the Election | Alternet
"On the day before an election that's supposed to hinge on jobs, taxes and the middle class, Bain Capital, the company Mitt Romney founded, will close the doors of a factory in Freeport, Illinois, and ship 170 good, high-tech jobs to China."

Romney Decries Student Debt, But His Plans Would Make The Problem Far Worse

Romney Decries Student Debt, But His Plans Would Make The Problem Far Worse: During the second presidential debate Tuesday night, Mitt Romney was asked by a college student for assurance that he’ll be able to find a job when he graduates. Romney took the opportunity to not only discuss unemployment but the rising amount of debt held by America’s students: With half of college kids graduating this year [...]/p

Will Bain-Linked E-Voting Machines Give Romney the White House?

Will Bain-Linked E-Voting Machines Give Romney the White House?
"Electronic voting machines owned by Mitt Romney's business buddies and set to count the votes in Cincinnati could decide the 2012 election."

Romney Adviser Scoffs At Notion Of Capping Bank Size

Romney Adviser Scoffs At Notion Of Capping Bank Size: Federal Reserve Board governor Daniel Tarullo last week suggested placing limits on the size of the nation’s biggest banks, making him one of the highest-ranking American economic policy officials to endorse such a step. But the Romney campaign will not be jumping on board with the idea any time soon, according to Glenn Hubbard, one [...]/p

BBC Profile: Big Tobacco Lawyers Target Big Food | Common Dreams

BBC Profile: Big Tobacco Lawyers Target Big Food | Common Dreams
"More than a dozen lawyers who took on big tobacco in the 1990's have turned their attention to the food industry and the criminal mislabeling of food products. BBC Newsnight spokewith Don Barrett, one of the attorney's who's career capstone was the decade-long battle that forced tobacco companies to admit they knew cigarettes were addictive."

Mary Jo Lost Her Job Because of Bain Capital. She's Got a Few Words for Mitt Romney.

Sensata worker Mary Jo lost her job due to Bain's outsourcing to China. She's got a question for Mitt Romney.

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney is "Sticking It to Seniors"

PERRspectives: Mitt Romney is "Sticking It to Seniors"
"As it turns out, what we know for sure about Mitt Romney's assault on senior citizens may pale compared to what we don't. Romney, after all, has promised to magically offset $5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in new defense spending over the next decade by closing as yet unnamed tax credits, deductions and deductions. But among Uncle Sam's $1.1 trillion in annual tax expenditures are a host of tax breaks for the elderly. That figure is forecast to hit almost $1.4 trillion by 2015. While the home mortgage and health expense deductions top that list, untaxed Social Security benefits will reach $44 billion annually in three years. And that's just one example. Mitt Romney has called for raising the retirement age to 67 for those now 55 and under. (In his 2008 campaign, Romney supported President Bush's proposal to privatize the retiree pension system.)"

Papantonio: Corporate Fraud Costs Taxpayers Billions

Mike Papantonio talks with attorney James Kauffman about the systemic fraud taking place in corporate America - fraud that the American taxpayers end up paying for.

How Paul Ryan Pretended To Volunteer At A Soup Kitchen

How Paul Ryan Pretended To Volunteer At A Soup Kitchen: Between Mitt Romney’s claim that 47 percent of the country “believe they are entitled to” government assistance to afford food and Paul Ryan’s assertion that people on food stamps are “takers, the entire Romney campaign has cemented the impression that they are “not concerned about the very poor.” Ryan might have topped any previous callousness [...]/p

Three Ways The Roberts Court Could Usher In Even More Big Money & Voter Suppression For The 2014 Election

Three Ways The Roberts Court Could Usher In Even More Big Money & Voter Suppression For The 2014 Election: Yesterday, the Supreme Court agreed to review a lower court decision striking down an Arizona law making it more difficult to register to vote, an announcement that was someone surprising because the justices recently denied an attempt to stay the decision blocking the Arizona law. This decision, however, is only the first of at least [...]/p

Press Barred from Paul Ryan Event with Wingnut Birther Donald Trump | Alternet

Press Barred from Paul Ryan Event with Wingnut Birther Donald Trump | Alternet
"Good news, bad news, everyone. Good news is, Donald Trump is doing a Mitt Romney campaign event  tonight in New York,  at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, with Romney running mate Rep. Paul Ryan. Bad news is, it is completely closed to the press. The fact that it is closed to the press seems to indicate that the Romney campaign doesn’t want to draw attention to the fact that a beloved and renowned businessman like Donald Trump is endorsing their campaign, for some strange reason."

Can Democratic Education Survive in a Neoliberal Society?

Can Democratic Education Survive in a Neoliberal Society?
"Public education is under assault by a host of religious, economic, ideological and political fundamentalists. The most serious attack is being waged by advocates of neoliberalism, whose reform efforts focus narrowly on high-stakes testing, traditional texts and memorization drills. At the heart of this approach is an aggressive attempt to disinvest in public schools, replace them with charter schools, and remove state and federal governments completely from public education in order to allow education to be organized and administered by market-driven forces."

Koch Social Media Policy May Be Unlawful | Common Dreams

Koch Social Media Policy May Be Unlawful | Common Dreams
"The Koch Industries policy limiting employee speech on social media may be unlawful in light of recent decisions by the National Labor Relations Board, but employers still have broad leeway to impose their political views on workers and punish those who disagree."

Citigroup CEO Walks Off With $260 Million After His Bank Loses 88 Percent Of Its Value

Citigroup CEO Walks Off With $260 Million After His Bank Loses 88 Percent Of Its Value: Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit abruptly resigned today, leaving the helm of the bank that he guided through the financial crisis of 2008. For his five years of leading Citi, Pandit will receive compensation in the neighborhood of $260 million: If no alterations are made to Pandit’s compensation package, Citigroup will have paid him about $261 [...]/p

Reagan Advisor: History Shows Romney’s Tax Plan Won’t Boost Job Growth

Reagan Advisor: History Shows Romney’s Tax Plan Won’t Boost Job Growth: Both Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his running-mate Paul Ryan claim that their campaign’s jobs plan is essentially its tax plan. In an ad, Romney states that “my tax reform plan to lower rates for the middle class and for small business creates seven million [jobs]” out of the twelve million total he says his [...]/p

5 Facts You Should Commit To Memory Before Watching Tonight’s Debate

5 Facts You Should Commit To Memory Before Watching Tonight’s Debate: Debates move quickly. The candidates toss out facts at breakneck speeds, trying to get across their entire plans in just 90 minutes. Tonight, Obama and Romney will square off in a debate that’s been billed as high-stakes — Obama will seek to regain the momentum, while Romney hopes to sustain his. So as the candidates [...]/p

A Big Loophole Lets Wall Street Banks Write Off Government Fines On Their Taxes

A Big Loophole Lets Wall Street Banks Write Off Government Fines On Their Taxes: Following their roles in the housing collapse and financial crisis, some of Wall Street’s biggest banks faced fines from federal regulators reaching into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, a loophole in corporate tax law is allowing them — and other corporations that get penalized by Uncle Sam — to write off those fines [...]/p

Increasing the Number of Republicans in Congress Means Billions More for the 1 Percent, Study Shows | Alternet

Increasing the Number of Republicans in Congress Means Billions More for the 1 Percent, Study Shows | Alternet
"There's a direct correlation between the composition of Congress and the richest Americans' share of pre-tax income."

5 Ways America Is Being Hollowed Out by Unfettered Corporate Greed | Alternet

5 Ways America Is Being Hollowed Out by Unfettered Corporate Greed | Alternet
"Conservatives believe that enriching individuals will eventually enrich society, and that government should not get in the way of the process. This is what happens as a result"

5 Ways the Koch Brothers' Money Has a Grip on Mitt Romney | Alternet

5 Ways the Koch Brothers' Money Has a Grip on Mitt Romney | Alternet
"It was hardly love at first sight. But once the Koch brothers threw in behind Mitt Romney, they brought the full force of their political machine."

Debt Collector Allegedly Tells Disabled Vet ‘You Should Have Died’ After Illegally Seizing Savings

Debt Collector Allegedly Tells Disabled Vet ‘You Should Have Died’ After Illegally Seizing Savings: A disabled veteran is suing Gurstel Chargo, a debt collection agency that allegedly illegally seized his savings to pay off a $6,000 defaulted student loan. According to his complaint, Michael Collier was rendered 100 percent disabled from spine and head injuries received during his time in the Army, a condition that exempts him from debt [...]/p

GOP Priorities: Raising Taxes On 13 Million Low-Income Households, Cutting Them For 7,000 Wealthy Estates

GOP Priorities: Raising Taxes On 13 Million Low-Income Households, Cutting Them For 7,000 Wealthy Estates: A mere 7,450 of the wealthiest estates in the country could receive an average tax break of $1.1 million in 2013, while over 13 million low-income families could see their tax burden increase by $1,000 or more, if proposals by the GOP were to go into effect, according to the Center On Budget and Policy [...]/p

Reagan Budget Director Challenges Romney’s Claim Of Being A Job-Creator

Reagan Budget Director Challenges Romney’s Claim Of Being A Job-Creator: David Stockman, who was director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Reagan and largely crafted Reagan’s fiscal policy, published a column in the Daily Beast excoriating Mitt Romney’s claim that being a private equity executive makes one a job creator and, thus, qualified to be president. Stockman wrote: Mitt Romney was not [...]/p

Join the Blockade of the Keystone Pipeline | Common Dreams

Join the Blockade of the Keystone Pipeline | Common Dreams
"The next great battle of the Occupy movement may not take place in city parks and plazas, where the security and surveillance state is blocking protesters from setting up urban encampments. Instead it could arise in the nation’s heartland, where some ranchers, farmers and enraged citizens, often after seeing their land seized by eminent domain and their water supplies placed under mortal threat, have united with Occupiers and activists to oppose the building of the Keystone XL tar sand pipeline."