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Arizona Supreme Court puts the ‘Top Two Primary’ initiative on the ballot – now defeat this terrible idea
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
After a series of court cases in which the "Open Government/Open Elections'' initiative was off the ballot, then on the ballot, then off again, the Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the "Top Two Primary" initiative back on the ballot in November. 'Top 2' primary can be on ballot, state's high court rules:
The Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a hotly contested proposition to create a so-called top-two primary system can remain on the Nov. 6 ballot. The ruling came just one day before the hard deadline for printing the ballot, which will have nine propositions.
The Open Elections/Open Government initiative, or Proposition 121, would change the current system — in which candidates are winnowed down through party primaries — to one in which all candidates for a given office appear on a single primary-election ballot. Party labels would be optional. The top-two finishers would then advance to the general election. The system would apply to all local, county, state and federal offices, except for presidential elections.
Supporters say the top-two system would lead to more centrist policies by attracting more voters, particularly independents, who typically do not vote in primaries.
There is no empirical evidence to support these claims made by the proponents of this initiative. They are perpetrating a fraud on the voters.
But rather than fight this civil war within the GOP, the Chamber of Commerce establishment Republicans want to rewrite the rules for everyone. We are all to be punished for their failures as establishment Republicans. How is this fair or just?
Backers have a simplistic belief that this "top two primary" will magically allow more "moderate" Chamber of Commerce establishment Republicans to get elected — with the added bonus of denying voters any real choices in November by eliminating minor political parties from the general election ballot (Green, Libertarian, Americans Elect), and even Democratic candidates in many Republican voter registration heavy districts, perhaps even statewide races. This initiave will thus disenfranchise voters.
You’re damn right children are a special interest!
September 7, 2012
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by David Safier A Capitol Times article (subscription only) about Prop 204, the renewal of the one cent sales tax, most of which will go for education, talks about the strategies the anti-204, moneyed interests are planning to take to try and defeat the initiative. They're going to say it was "written by special interest … Read more
Fact Checking the mendacity of ‘Mittens’
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Time once again for Steve Benen's weekly fact check of the shameless shapeshifter and pathological liar, Willard "Mittens" Romney. Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity, Vol. XXXIII: First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a beautiful speech at the Democratic National Convention this week, which was very well received. There were a few phrases in particular, though, … Read more
August jobs report is disappointing thanks to Tea-Publicans
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
On September 8, 2011 — exactly one year ago tomorrow — President Obama delivered an important speech to a joint session of Congress. In it, the president unveiled a proposal he called the American Jobs Act. You know, President Obama's jobs bill that the "Galt – Gekko 2012" campaign pretends does not exist. Steve Benen writes, The American Jobs Act — One Year Later:
Obama sought to shift the national conversation away from austerity and towards job creation, and presented a sensible plan, filled with ideas that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.
Independent analysis projected the American Jobs Act, which was fully paid for, could create as many as 2 million jobs in 2012.
I mention this now because what happened a year ago is incredibly relevant to what's happening now. This morning's jobs report was disappointing, and we know exactly how the political world will digest the news — if the job market is underperforming, it's Obama who'll get the blame.
Yes, because that is what lazy media villagers do, they parrot the lazy GOPropaganda media narratives.
It is the Tea-Publican insurrectionists in the Congress who are to blame for not passing the American Jobs Act and not creating an additional 2 million jobs over the past year. These Tea-Publican insurrectionists are quite open about sabotaging the U.S. economy for ideological reasons and partisan political advantage: their cynical theory is that if they sabotage the U.S. economy, low information voters will blame the president for the sluggish recovery and reward the very insurrectionists who have sabotaged the U.S. economy this November. There hopefully is a special place in hell for these unpatriotic and un-American insurrectionists who are sabotaging the U.S. economy.
There are also the Tea-Publican insurrectionists at the state and local level who have imposed disproved and discredited GOP "austerity" economic policies, laying off public sector workers at the very time when they should be doing everything in their power to retain and to even expand the number of public sector workers, as we have done in every economic downturn since the Great Depression. These Tea-Publican insurrectionsits are sabotaging the U.S. economy by firing public sector workers and making unemployment worse — they are to blame. It is time for the American people to rise up as one and throw these unpatriotic, un-American Tea-Publican insurrectionists who are sabotaging the U.S. economy out of office this November en masse.
President Barack Obama: We don’t turn back – We leave no one behind
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
President Barack Obama delivered an inspirational speech designed to inspire and turn out the coalition of voters who turned out to support him four years ago. This is a choice election: to go forward, or to go backward to "Bushonomics" and the failed faith based supply-side "trickle down" GOP economics that nearly destroyed our economy and left economic devastation in its wake. The choice is clear. Transcript: President Obama's Convention Speech:
This is the choice we now face. This is what the election comes down to. Over and over, we've been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way, that since government can't do everything, it should do almost nothing. If you can't afford health insurance, hope that you don't get sick. (Murmurs of disapproval.) If a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well, that's the price of progress. If you can't afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent's advice and borrow money from your parents. (Laughter, mixed cheers and boos, applause.)
You know what, that's not who we are. That's not what this country is about. As Americans, we believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, rights that no man or government can take away. We insist on personal responsibility, and we celebrate individual initiative. We're not entitled to success. We have to earn it. We honor the strivers, the dreamers, the risk- takers, the entrepreneurs who have always been the driving force behind our free enterprise system, the greatest engine of growth and prosperity that the world's ever known.
But we also believe in something called citizenship — (cheers, applause) — citizenship, a word at the very heart of our founding, a word at the very essence of our democracy, the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.
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Vice President Joe Biden: It’s never been a good bet to bet against the American people
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Vice President Joe Biden delivered a hearfelt, sometimes emotional speech that choked him up and brought tears to his eyes when he spoke about those who have given their lives in service to their country in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The media villagers love to fault Joe Biden for his occasional gaffes, but the man is genuine and wears his heart on his sleeve. I would bet that most, if not all, of the media villagers who like to torment Joe Biden have never experienced the tragedies in their lives that Joe Biden has suffered and survived. It is why he is so empathetic to the families of wounded warriors and fallen service men and women. Military families appreciate Joe Biden and his wife Jill, who works with wounded warriors and veterans. The overpaid malicious media villagers, most of whom have no military service, can go f#%k themselves.
Here is a short snippet from Joe Biden's speech to the convention. Transcript: Vice President Biden's Convention Speech:
You know, I told you the outset the choice is stark, two different visions, two different value sets. But at its core, the difference is able to reduced (sic) to be a fundamental difference. You see, you, we, most Americans have incredible faith in the decency and hard work of the American people. And we know what has made this country. It's the American people. (Cheers, applause.)
As I mentioned at the outset, four years ago we were hit hard. You saw — you saw your retirement accounts drain, the equity in your homes vanish, jobs lost around the line. But what did you do as Americans? What you've always done. You didn't lose faith. You fought back. You didn't give up; you got up. (Cheers, applause.) You're the ones, the American people, you're the ones. You're the reason why we are still better-positioned than any country in the world to lead the 21st century. (Cheers, applause.) You never quit on America. And you deserve a president who will never quit on you. (Cheers, applause.)
Jennifer Granholm: Romney’s cars get the elevator, and the workers get the shaft
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, "where the trees are just the right height," went old school and delivered a barn burner of a speech on President Obama's rescue of the auto industry that had the convention hall rocking before the main speakers of the night. I've never seen her so fired up, she was really feeling it from the delegates.
"Now sure, sure, Mitt Romney loves our lakes and our trees. He loves our cars so much they even have their own elevator. But the people who design and build and sell those cars? Well, in Romney's world the cars get the elevator and the workers get the shaft! You know what I'm saying" (wink).
Granholm brilliantly led a recitation of auto jobs saved in each of the 'battleground" states that brought the convention hall to its feet to a chant of "USA! USA! USA!"
"In your car and on your ballot the 'D' is for drive forward, the 'R' is for reverse. In this election we are driving forward, not back."
Video below the fold.
Rep. John Lewis: People died for the right to vote, we have come too far together to ever turn back
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Civil Rights Movement hero Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) addressed the convention on voting rights. "My dear friends, your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union." Lewis went on to describe the literacy tests and poll taxes that are now unconstitutional.
"Today it is unbelievable that there are Republican officials who are trying to stop some people from voting. They are changing the rules, cutting polling hours and imposing requirements intended to suppress the vote . . . that's not right, that's not fair, and that is not just."
"I've seen this before. I've lived this before. Too many people struggled, suffered and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote. We have come too far together to ever turn back. So Democrats we must not be silent. We must stand up, speak up and speak out. We must march to the polls like never ever before. We must come together and exercise our sacred right."
Video below the fold.
