Month: February 2014

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Conservative economics is taking the ass-whooping it so richly deserves today. First Paul Krugman, now E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post weighs in. An economic school has led to gridlock in Washington:

One of my favorite moments during the 2012 Republican presidential contest came when Ron Paul, fresh from his strong showing in Iowa, triumphantly told his supporters: “We’re all Austrians now!”

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Of course those in the know, particularly Ron Paul’s enthusiasts, understood the libertarian presidential candidate’s reference: that Americans were rejecting the economic ideas of John Maynard Keynes that encouraged government intervention and provided intellectual ballast for the New Deal. Instead, they were coming around to the principles of the anti-government economics of Austrians Friedrich A. Hayek and Ludwig von Mises.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Paul Krugman of the New York Times gets right to the heart of the matter today, Writing Off the Unemployed:

[I]t’s difficult to find a better example of the hardhearted, softheaded nature of today’s G.O.P. than what happened last week, as Senate Republicans once again used the filibuster to block aid to the long-term unemployed.

What do we know about long-term unemployment in America?

First, it’s still at near-record levels. Historically, the long-term unemployed — those out of work for 27 weeks or more — have usually been between 10 and 20 percent of total unemployment. Today the number is 35.8 percent. Yet extended unemployment benefits, which went into effect in 2008, have now been allowed to lapse. As a result, few of the long-term unemployed are receiving any kind of support.

Posted by AzblueMeanie:

The "meth lab of democracy," the far-right Tea-Publican controlled Arizona legislature, feels free to engage in their batshit crazy legislation because: (1) the Arizona political media does not shine a bright light on the crazy shit they are doing and call them out for it, and (2) there is no organized public opposition to publicly shame them for doing it.

The citizens of Arizona have been beaten down for so long by the far-right that many citizens are apothetic and have abandoned hope. Which is exactly what the forces of evil want. As Edmund Burke warned, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

So where are the religious and civic leaders of Arizona willing to stand up to the intellectually bankrupt and morally depraved "meth lab of democracy" far-right Tea-Publican controlled Arizona legislature? I have explained why Arizona needs a 'Moral Mondays' movement. This requires the moral suasion of religious leaders and civic leaders. Why do you continue to sit on the sidelines in comfortable complacency and surrender to your apathy? Stand up and fight for justice and what is morally right!

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The job of the Attorney General of the state is to conduct investigations and to prosecute trials. Arizona's Attorney General Tom "banned for life by the SEC" Horne must have misunderstood the job description, because since he has been in office he has been under investigation and is being prosecuted at trial. The man is a disgrace and embarassment to lawyers and law enforcement. If he had any sense of morality and decency, he would have resigned his office long ago — and saved the taxpayers of Arizona the expense of investigating and prosecuting him.

Howard Fischer reports, AG Horne's campaign finance case heads to trial today:

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne heads to court Monday. But this time the state's top law enforcement officer isn't the prosecutor.

Instead, Horne and one of his aides are facing civil charges of violating the state's campaign finance laws when he ran for re-election four years ago.

Horne and aide Kathleen Winn deny the allegations that they illegally coordinated spending in his 2010 election while she ran an independent committee called Business Leaders for Arizona.

The charges were brought by Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk in October. A three-day hearing is scheduled before an Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings judge starting Monday.