Fact checking the mendacity of ‘Mittens’

March 11, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Steve Benen started his "Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity" posts back in January when he was blogging at the Political Animal blog. He has since moved to the Rachel Maddow blog. I had intended to follow his posts as a regular weekly feature, but it kind of got lost in Steve's move. In any event,

(Update) Advertisers are ‘Rush-ing’ for the exits from Limbaugh

March 10, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Clear Channel's Premiere Networks, the purveyors of right-wing hate radio, has a problem with advertisers in the wake of Rush Limbaugh's misogynistic attacks on Sandra Fluke last week, and the resulting firestorm. Advertisers are "Rush-ing" for the exits not just from Limbaugh, but from all of Premiere Networks' stable of fire-breathing haters.  

As John Avlon of The Daily Beast says, "Rush Limbaugh made the right-wing talk-radio industry, and he just might break it." Rush Limbaugh Scandal Proves Contagious for Talk-Radio Advertisers – The Daily Beast:

[T]he fallout from the “slut” slurs against Sandra Fluke is extending to the entire political shock-jock genre.

Premiere Networks, which distributes Limbaugh as well as a host of other right-wing talkers, sent an email out to its affiliates early Friday listing 98 large corporations that have requested their ads appear only on “programs free of content that you know are deemed to be offensive or controversial (for example, Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Leykis, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity).”

This is big. According to the radio-industry website Radio-Info.com, which first posted excerpts of the Premiere memo, among the 98 companies that have decided to no longer sponsor these programs are “carmakers (Ford, GM, Toyota), insurance companies (Allstate, Geico, Prudential, State Farm), and restaurants (McDonald’s, Subway).” Together, these talk-radio advertising staples represent millions of dollars in revenue.

Valerie Geller, an industry insider and author of Beyond Powerful Radio, confirmed the trend. “I have talked with several reps who report that they're having conversations with their clients, who are asking not to be associated with specifically polarizing controversial hosts, particularly if those hosts are ‘mean-spirited.’ While most products and services offered on these shows have strong competitors, and enjoy purchasing the exposure that many of these shows and hosts can offer, they do not wish to be ‘tarred’ with the brush of anger, or endure customer anger, or, worse, product boycotts.”

Wisconsin Update: Recalls and Walkergate, a Perfect Storm

March 10, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Let's get ready to rummmbllle! Wisconsin Election Officials Recommend Recall Date: June 12:

In memos posted online Friday, the staff at the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections in the state, indicated that the recalls will likely be triggered — with the next issue being exactly when to hold them.

In four key cases targeting Republican state senators — Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, plus Sens. Pam Galloway, Terry Moulton and Van Wanggaard — the staff recommends officially determining that the signatures thresholds to trigger recalls have been met. (The staff did accept some of the challenges that the incumbents had made against signatures — by excluding some signatures from the fully-verified column — but not enough to prevent a recall from proceeding.)

The next issue, however, has to do with the big main events — the statewide recalls targeting Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch — and how to finalize the review of those petitions. And after that, the board must work out the precise issue of timing.

* * *

[T]he GAB’s stated goal is to avoid conflicting too much with the various preparations and post-election activities that the local clerks are already required to do, for both the local elections and Republican primary in the spring, and the party primaries for Congress and state legislature in August. In addition, they want to avoid having the election right up against Memorial Day weekend, with which the current extension saddles them. And they also want to consolidate all the state Senate races with the statewide recalls, in order to significantly reduce the costs of the Senate races.

Optimally, they find this works out to asking for a further two-week extension — for primaries on May 15, and the general election on June 12.

A hearing is scheduled on Monday.

Reminder: Morris & Stewart Udall Dinner – Get your tickets now!

March 10, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Announcement from the Pima County Democratic Party: The Pima County Democratic Party is proud to welcome US Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) to Tucson for the First Annual Morris and Stewart Udall Dinner! Sunday, March 18th Desert Diamond Casino 7350 S. Nogales Highway Former Democratic National Committeeman and Board of Regents President Fred

‘Bad boys, bad boys, watcha gonna do? Watcha gonna do when they come for you?’

March 10, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Political news today is like reading the police reports or watching an episode of "Cops."

Last week's domestic dispute between Rep. Daniel Patterson (D-Tucson) and his estranged girlfriend led to assault charges being filed this week. Assault charge lodged vs. Patterson:

Democratic state Rep. Daniel Patterson of Tucson has been charged with four misdemeanor counts of domestic violence in relation to disputes with his girlfriend.

Patterson could not be reached for comment Thursday but his attorney, Joe St. Louis, says Patterson is innocent and plans to claim legislative immunity.

Patterson plead not guilty. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Patterson on March 15.

Say it ain't so, Joe. You know the assertion of legislative immunity is bullshit. As Phoenix attorney Dan Barr explained to the Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) Patterson charged with 4 counts of domestic violence – Arizona Capitol Times:

Phoenix attorney Dan Barr says St. Louis’ interpretation of the immunity clause is incorrect.

“He’s wrong,” Barr said.

The immunity clause has its roots in similar language in the U.S. Constitution, which in turn borrowed language from English law that was enacted in 1770. The U.S. Supreme Court has twice ruled – once in 1908 and again in 1934 – that the federal legislative immunity applies only to an arrest in a civil suit.

“A member of the Legislature doesn’t have immunity from committing crimes during the legislative session. That’s crazy,” Barr said.

Bloomberg Poll: Americans reject assault on public sector workers

March 9, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Not that the anti-union Arizona Republic or our Tea-Publican legislature beholden to the Goldwater Institute much cares, but "A new Bloomberg News national poll finds that Americans believe, by a wide margin, that public sector workers should have the right to collectively bargain. 64 percent of respondents, including a plurality of Republicans, believe

Obama for America: ‘The Road We’ve Traveled’ documentary

March 9, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Obama for America campaign has released the trailer to a new documentary-style extended campaign ad by Oscar-winning producer Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") and narrated by Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, entitled "The Road We've Traveled," which will debut March 15.

The ad asks voters to look at the last four years in their entirety, and not just at any given day's headlines. Tom Hanks narrates, "How do we understand this president and his time in office? Do we look at the day's headlines? Or do we remember what we, as a country, have been through?"

The documentary includes appearances by Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Elizabeth Warren and others.

The film will premiere in state offices across the country and will be exclusively streamed online. You can sign up to see the film here: http://www.barackobama.com/RoadTraveled

UPDATE: Locally in Tucson:

Trailer below the fold.

Gun bills advance in the legislature

March 9, 2012

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Last week the Arizona Board of Regents presented our Tea-Publican legislature with a cost estimate for its "guns on campus" bill. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reported Universities: Guns-on-campus measure would have multimillion-dollar impact – Arizona Capitol Times:

Universities are offering one more reason to oppose a measure to allow guns on campuses — it would cost millions of dollars to implement.

A study by the state’s three universities shows that the legislation would cost the system $13.3 million in one-time capital expenditures, plus $3.1 million annually in operations.

That's a lot of money just to satisfy the irrational fears of those with "scared of their own shadow" phobias, or those with a superman complex ("only one man can save the world, me"), or those with a gun fetish (get a room if the two of you want to be alone together).

The fiscal analysis does not put a cost on a scenario in which the universities take a hands-off approach to the legislation and just let these kinds of people carry concealed weapons on campus.

Instead, the study estimates the costs of buying gun lockers, building gun-locker bays, purchasing and posting signs and paying for extra security – all of which are permissible under the bill to ensure universities have some level of control over firearms on campuses.

Of course the bill’s unhinged sponsor, Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, who is running for Congress in CD 4, rejected the universities’ estimates — and wandered off on a tangent ranting about unisex bathrooms on campus. Yeah, he tends to wander off like that.

"Mr. Cut Guvmint Regulations" sings a different tune when it comes to guns. Gould is all for unfunded "guvmint" mandates to let the NRA get its way.