Posted by AzBlueMeanie: This is where the real damage to our economy has occurred: the casino capitalism of derivatives trading that is simply gambling on outcomes to make a profit. No capital investment, no business or job creation. No actual value — its only worth is what people are willing to wager. In an economic panic … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: You knew this was bound to happen eventually. Nationwide Title goes on attack against vocal critics – St. Petersburg Times: Nationwide Title Clearing, a Palm Harbor company at the center of the nation's robo-signing controversy, is going on the offensive against its critics. On Wednesday, the company sued a St. Petersburg foreclosure defense … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Sasha Chavkin at ProPublica reports on the latest aspect of the Foreclosuregate scandal. False Attorney Signatures Cast New Doubts on Foreclosures: Many foreclosures have been thrown into question because of flawed documentation such as inaccurate affidavits describing a mortgage's history. But three recent court cases point to another type of flaw in foreclosure … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: On  Monday, a coalition of like-minded largely progressive organizations announced that they would be launching a long-term-focused effort called Fix the Senate Now to build support for Senate rules reform. Filibuster Reform Coalition Launches To Put Pressure On Senate: The announcement, obtained in advance by The Huffington Post, includes eight distinct principles for … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Two-thirds of Americans want the Bush tax cuts for the nation's wealthiest to expire at the end of the year, according to one recent poll. But in another poll, two-thirds of Americans want to extend all of the Bush tax cuts — including those for the country's top earners. How can that … Read more

by Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings Last week, the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments finalized the short list of applicants for the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC).  The leadership of the Arizona Legislature have 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans to choose from, and their four eventual picks have five Independent candidates to choose … Read more

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: This story is the intersection between Republican presidents having stacked the federal judiciary with conservative activist judges (like John Roberts) over the years with billionaire-funded conservative think tanks that provide full employment for Federalist Society lawyers to bring "junk lawsuits" on frivolous constitutional grounds to advance conservative causes. Working together in tandem they are "reinterpreting" the … Read more