Unable to attend President’s speech, Obama fans fill the streets of Charlotte (videos)
September 9, 2012
by Pamela Powers Hannley
Thousands of people crowded the sidewalks of Charlotte on the last night of the Democratic National Convention. Originally scheduled for the Bank of America Stadium, which holds 73,000 people, President Barack Obama's speech was moved indoors to the Time Warner Arena, a much smaller venue. The official reason for moving the venue was projected rainy weather, which had plagued the convention off and on all week.
Pundits are reporting that the venue was changed because Democrats could not fill the stadium, but hundreds– if not thousands– of people milled about on Charlotte's sidewalks or watched speeches at the outdoor MSNBC stage or inside bars, restaurants, and the convention center.
The street scene was carnival-like with dozens of vendors selling t-shirts, buttons, American flags, programs, and other Obama memorabilia. Although thousands of disappointed but amicable Obama fans, plus police, pedicabs, and a handful of protesters filled the area outside of the arena, the aura was peaceful and friendly, as it had been all week.
Watch videos of the street scenes in Charlotte, after the jump.
Phoenix Tea Party Patriots’ BirtherFest event cancelled due to lack of interest
September 8, 2012
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by David Safier The cancelled Phoenix Tea Party Patriots' September 22 event wasn't actually called BirtherFest. It was a "Cold Case Posse Event" billed as "an exciting time as the Greater Phoenix Tea Party and Surprise Tea Party present an event to support Sheriff Joe and his investigation into the fraudulent Obama documents." Sharing star … Read more
The Rs’ LD13 primary mess: Unleash the lawyers!
September 8, 2012
By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings On Tuesday, the Arizona Capitol Times broke the story that Darin Mitchell, one of the winners of the LD13 Republican primary for a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives, apparently doesn't live in that district. Note: the link is to my post about the story; the Cap … Read more
Ann Kirkpatrick airs her first TV ad: ‘Right Way’
September 7, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Ann Kirkpatrick (CD 1) airs her first TV ad, "Right Way." From the YouTube description:
Ann Kirkpatrick has lived her entire life in this district and raised her family here. She learned the value of a dollar from her dad, who ran the general store, and by owning her own business. Ann has Arizona values running through her veins. She knows we can protect Medicare, strengthen our schools and balance the budget — the right way.
Video below the fold.
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.
