The relative popularity of various political, ethnic and religious factions are featured in recent polls by the New York Times and CBS.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/opinion/crashing-the-tea-party.html?_r=3

I never thought of expediting executions as a very good way to cut Government spending. Whatever floats your boat, I guess. Texas loves its death penalty.

It was eery. I had just finished reading John Grisham's last novel about how the State beaurocracy, negligence, political expediency and arrogance results in the execution of an innocent man, even in the face of an iron-clad confession of the actual murderer. For some reason, Grisham chose Texas as the venue for his novel.

It was just at this time, I heard about the execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, who Perry executed even in the face of strong evidence that the fire that killed his children could not have been caused by arson. Perry even fired the investigators who were raising the issue. Oh well.

Funny you can say that. I hear them say a lot of stuff that I want to use in these threads. I never use them as a source, but I don't have to. Their material is always sourced in the legitimate press. Can't say that about the Faux News twaddle.

I don't know if Perry really believes the religious stuff he says, but he sure has a reputation for being an opportunist. A Tea Party/Dominionist/Perry coalition could be a very powerful force in Texas. I doubt it would get him very far up north. Even Karl Rove isn't so in love with Perry. Tensions between Bush/Rove and Terry go way back

It's uncanny how the mere criticism of a Republican politician automatically provokes a discussion of President Obama.

OK, I considered it. I didn't find it very meaningful. I'm more interested in the potential Perry/Dominionist/Tea Party coalition.

I'm just now reading an article about how Perry has overseen more executions than any other Governor in modern history. I'm especially interested in the story of Cameron Todd Willingham's execution.

Nobody cares about what happened to Air America. The programming is still going great, stronger than ever. Just like before.

Guess who Quadaffi seems to have the hots for.



http://www.businessinsider.com/rebels-find-an-entire-album-of-condoleeza-rice-photos-in-qaddafis-palace-2011-8

Amazing! It's hard to know what to say.

Newscorp (part of the Rupert Murdoch empire) will be producing an hour long video teaching us what a valiant leader George W. Bush was during 9/11. It will tell us how Bush pledged a relentless search to bring the criminal Bi Laden to justice. ("I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned." - Bush in October 2004).

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/08/25/303774/newscorp-911-bush-promo/

You don't have to believe ThinkProgress. Just wait until just before the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

As some of you may know, I have spent the summer working for a company that manages certain campgrounds in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Several times, we have been treated to the sound of gunfire close to the campgrounds late at night (drinking time). Several families with children have packed up and left. The company sought out the Forest Service policy on firearms and campgrounds. The rules are surprisingly lenient.

Of course, anybody can have and carry a firearm anywhere at any time,In fact, a number of horse people carry them for bears and cougars and in case their horse breaks a leg on a trail ride. As to where and when they can open fire is an open question. Forest Service policy says only that a firearm can only be fired into some kind of a backstop, like a dirt bank. No rules about proximity to a populated campground.

I'm just wondering it anyone has opinions about this.

Thank you for posting this thread. It was a hair-raising interview.

Nobody really knows what Perry really believes (he supported Al Gore in 1988). The Dominionist agenda has been well known by people whole follow it for years. We are all learning about the Tea Party agenda. The three of them form a perfect coalition, You get Perry, you get the whole bunch of them.



No, the election will not be about religion. If Perry were to win the election, the aftermath would be all about religion. Religion in the schools. religion in Government, Religion running business, religion running everything. Read up on apostolic reformation. The agenda is all there.

Today's Gallup poll shows Perry out in front in the polls.

No it isn't It's strong evidence that luxury taxes are a stupid idea
Also why we should withdraw from all free trade agreements and go back to having tariffs

Interesting. Doesn't have much to do with what we're discussing, but interesting. Luxury taxes were a stupid idea.

I have no doubt that such a windfall would go toward deficit reduction, which would be devastating to the Tea Party.

So, you believe that income tax distribution has nothing to do with how well an economy works? You believe that, even if the wealthy are allowed to have the lion's share of the wealth and send it overseas, that this would have no impact on how well an economy works at "home"? It's a novel theory. Prove it.

Jeannie, this nis an NPR interview you are going to want to listen to. http://www.npr.org/2011/08/24/139781021/the-evangelicals-engaged-in-spiritual-warfare

It tells us what we can expect if the Tea Party/Dominionist/Rick Perry coalition comes to signicicant power in America. I think it's scarey as hell.

Well, these facts are true, and it is good that you acknowledge that you are basing everything on only federal income taxes paid. Unfortunately, you don't acknowledge what that means and what the broader reality is.

Once again, I offer this excellent article by Ezra Klein. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/do_the_poor_really_pay_no_taxe.html
The graph at the bottom shows the obvious slightly progressive bias in taxes paid as it shows the proportion of income paid by all the income brackets. If you click on the "report", you see where the figures come from for that graph. http://www.ctj.org/pdf/taxday2009.pdfThe first note under the table explains the very important fact that these numbers come from tota taxes paid to Government by the various income groupings.

It is a mistake to believe that the rich people are keeping America afloat. Many of us on the left believe that the progressivity curve shouod be much, much steeper, like it was in the 50s and 60s, when America had a very healthy economy.

Over the last years, Conservatives have made much mischief with their misuse of ballot inititiatives and done considerable harm to the general population in favor of the well financed wealthy elite.

I am intrigued by the formation of a new group called BISC, Ballot Initiative Strategy center.

Paricualarly given that the radical right has been able to enjoy the delusion that their views reflect those of "the American people" (how many times have we heard that from Mitch McConnell?) Ballot initiatives over progressive issues will let us all see what the real American people really want and what the 33 percenters are really all about.

http://www.ballot.org/pages/about

I just don't see a problem with this. The Government would have the resources to do the people's business, just like is in the Constitution, and the people would have the opportunity to vote on how best the money should be spent. The idea is that a small percentage of disgruntled and unhappy people would not have the ability to sabotage this kind of democracy.

The plea from these noble french people is not unlike what Warren Buffet has been saying in recent times. (Google brings up lots of references to his recent op-ed in the NY Times). The call by these french people is a direct result of Buffet's plea.

Of course I would, and they would agree. AFN news offers the 3 corporate "news lite" networks plus Fox news http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Forces_NetworkOther than the half hour evening news, where do you think they get their news? If they get it from Fox News, then the military personnel you know are not well informed. Nobody has made any judgments about their intelligence.

I'll amend my "we all know" remark. Make that "66% knows. The other 33% will never get it".

Uncanny how that 33% number keeps coming up in all these political discussions.