Pic of the moment

The Left Column

Occupy

‘Wild Old Women’ Close San Francisco Bank Of America Branch

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – It was a slow-moving Occupy Wall Street protest, but it was an effective one. A dozen senior citizens calling themselves “the wild old women” succeeded in closing a Bank of America branch in Bernal Heights Thursday.

The women, aged 69 to 82, who live at the senior home up Mission street from the Bernal Heights Bank of America branch, decided to hold their own protest by doing what they called a “run on the bank.”

12 | ‘Wild Old Women’ Close San Francisco Bank Of America Branch

A taste of santorum

Santorum Feeling The Heat In New Hampshire

The Atlantic Wire - A crowd of mostly college-aged students at a New Hampshire town hall booed Rick Santorum when he compared gay marriage to polygamy. Santorum spoke at the College Convention 2012, a forum organized by New England College, which apparently drew a politically diverse crowd.

43 | Santorum Booed in New Hampshire While Discussing Gay Marriage

Supply-Side Stupidity

Romney Tax Plan: Tax Cuts for the Rich, Tax Increases for Low-Income Families

The Tax Policy Center released an analysis today showing that, contrary to Romney’s rhetoric, the overwhelming majority of the benefits under the plan would go to the wealthy. In fact, compared to the policy in place today, Romney’s plan would give millionaires a $150,000 tax cut, while raising taxes on many low-income families.

41 | Romney’s Tax Plan Gives Millionaires A $150K Tax Cut, Raises Taxes On Low-Income Families

Commander-in-Chief

Obama Unveils Plan for Leaner, Cheaper Military

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama traveled to the Pentagon Thursday to unveil his plan for a leaner, cheaper military that will retain the ability to fight terrorism and confront new threats from countries like China and Iran.

"We are determined to maintain a ready and capable force, even as we reduce our overall capacity," the administration said in a summary of its defense priorities released as the president began to speak. "Our global responsibilities are significant; we cannot afford to fail."

56 | Obama unveils plans for pared down military

Congress

Joe Kennedy III will run for Barney Frank's congressional seat

Joseph P. Kennedy III (D) "is taking the final steps to launch a run for Congress this year, hoping to succeed Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) who chose to retire rather than run in his reconfigured district," the Boston Globe reports.

36 | Joe Kennedy III will run for Barney Frank's congressional seat

Recess Appointments

Obama Makes Three More Recess Appointments

Obama is set to appoint Sharon Block, Terence Flynn, and Richard Grifin to the board — something unions have made a big priority for them in the new year. Senate Republicans have opposed the recess appointments to the NLRB on constitutional grounds, but unions charge that Republicans are only interested in rendering the agency inoperative.

82 | Breaking: Obama also set to make recess appointments to the NLRB

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Santorum’s nephew endorses Ron Paul

Des Moines Register: The Ron Paul campaign announced this afternoon that a nephew of Rick Santorum is supporting Paul’s presidential bid.

6 | Hilarious!!: Rick Santorum’s nephew endorses Ron Paul

GOP Math

Romney Camp Admits That Its Bain Job Creation Number Is Bogus

From Think Progress: (Romney spokesman Eric) Fehrnstrom says the 100,000 figure stems from the growth in jobs from three companies that Romney helped to start or grow while at Bain Capital: Staples (a gain of 89,000 jobs), The Sports Authority (15,000 jobs), and Domino’s (7,900 jobs). This tally obviously does not include job losses from other companies with which Bain Capital was involved — and are based on current employment figures, not the period when Romney worked at Bain.

6 | Romney Camp Admits That Its Bain Job Creation Number Is Bogus

From the History Professor

Gingrich: Founding Fathers Would Beat Up Pot Growers

Via Wonkette:

Said Newt: “I think Jefferson or George Washington would have rather strongly discouraged you from growing marijuana, and their techniques of dealing with it would have been more violent.”

Both Washington and Jefferson tried growing hemp on their Virginia farms, with mixed success.

36 | Gingrich Lies About Dope-Growing Founding Fathers to New Hampshire Pothead

Kooks

"This Is Not A Birther Issue"

A group of New Hampshire lawmakers asked the state attorney general's office Tuesday to investigate whether President Barack Obama meets the eligibility requirements to appear on the state's ballot, after their previous attempt to remove his name from the ballot was rejected in November.

Republican state Reps. Laurence Rappaport and Carol and Lucien Vita, say that Obama is not a natural-born citizen because his father was Kenyan. "This is not a birther issue, not a consideration of where Mr. Obama was born," Rappaport said, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. "Our concern is only if he is a natural-born citizen."

25 | New Hampshire Lawmakers Call For Investigation Into Obama's Ballot Eligibility, Citizenship