London police searching houses over riots

Fine, round up the thugs but why don't we ever see such determined action when it's Wall Street? The last time I checked, they caused a lot more damage and the costs aren't even close. The bankers have looted the global economy and smashed the middle class and poor to pieces but that is OK apparently. Somehow it's only OK to crack down on crime when it's not white collar crime. Of course, inaction against the corrupt elite is why there are protests around the world but that point hasn't quite made it through the thick heads of the ruling class.

Police in London raided houses to round up more rioting suspects Thursday as Britain's big cities remained largely quiet after four days of rioting and looting that drew thousands of police officers onto the streets.

Prime Minister David Cameron issued a stern warning that order would be restored by whatever means necessary.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said the raids to round up suspects began overnight, and more than 100 warrants would be executed. Police have already arrested almost 900 people in London since trouble began on Saturday, and 371 have been charged.

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GOP blocking larger percentage of Obama judicial nominees than any president in history

And it's not just judges. The GOP is filibustering left and right on administration appointees across the baord. But again, the Democrats and the White House should be railing about this. We shouldn't have to rely on Ari Melber and MSNBC. All these issues are related. If we kept talking about the GOP filibuster of appointees we'd also have more fodder to go after the GOP filibuster of the debt ceiling increase, of health care reform, of DADT (that we finally surmounted after losing two initial votes). Everything is related to everything else. If you let the GOP slide on one thing, it helps them get you on dozens of other issues.

More from Ari Melber:



And here's the transcript:

ARI MELBER: Most of you know Congress just left for vacation. Normally when Congress is on recess, the president can make recess appointments to advance nominees that have been obstructed, but it turns out Congress is not really on recess. Republicans are holding symbolic sessions during their entire vacation in order to prevent recess appointments. This is just the latest ploy in a long obstruction campaign by the GOP.
Since Obama came into office, Republicans have blocked an unprecedented number of nominees from ever getting a vote. Take judicial nominees. Republicans have blocked almost half of the nominees for judicial nominations, the worst obstruction rate in U.S. history. And the targets aren't random, either. GOP obstruction has hindered female and minority nominees the most.

Here's a disturbing statistic from the People for the American Way, and I'm quoting now: "Every district court nominee with unanimous opposition from the Senate Judiciary committee Republicans has been a woman or a person of color." You know, people forget that Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan was first nominated to an appeals court back in the day by President Clinton, but Republicans wouldn't allow her a vote on that nomination. Then, when President Obama nominated her to be the third woman to ever serve on our high court, the same Republicans complained she didn't have the experience as a judge -- even though they were the ones who kept her off the bench.

And meanwhile, nominees for jobs shaping economic policy - obviously the No. 1 issue in this country - have been totally shut down. Obama nominated Nobel economist Peter Diamond to the Federal Reserve Board over a year ago. Republicans filibustered, he was renominated two more times, and he ultimately withdrew in disgust.

The top spot at the famous Consumer Protection Bureau remains empty. Republicans even brazenly blocked votes on nominees for the Board of Protection commissioner at the Homeland Security department and the head of Industry and Security at the Commerce department. Both of those posts were finally filled through recess appointments last year, but it's only gotten worse.

This week, White House officials openly said they need Tim Geithner to extend his term as Treasury Secretary, in part because Republicans would filibuster a vote on his replacement.

Look, you don't fight unemployment by trying to shut down one of the most important jobs on the president's economic team. The solution is pretty simple -- Senator Reid and President Obama should call the Senate back in session now, in this hot August summer. They should refuse to adjourn until there are votes on all these nominees. They can use quorum calls, break the silent filibuster that most Americans don't even know is happening, and they can keep every member working seven days a week and refuse to adjourn unless it's for a real old-school recess - you know, when recess appointments are on the table.

Just imagine the president speaking to the nation about making government work again instead of just pleading for compromise with his tormentors. Imagine him seizing the initiative on a concrete action plan, and imagine him making a case for an American government based on the people who want to serve our government, to run our schools, protect our borders and put our people back to work. It says a lot about this Congress that they found a way to hinder government and recovery even while they're on vacation. Well look, let's bring these guys back to Washington.

MATT MILLER: Ari Melber, great point. And also, what it does is echo the fact for those who say there's an equivalence between Republican and Democratic responsibility aren't looking hard enough at what the GOP is doing to block progress in a number of these areas. We'll have to pick that conversation up another time. Ari, terrific rant.

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If Matt Damon were to primary Barack Obama, would you vote for him?

It seems that Michael Moore, at an FDL online event, threw Matt Damon's name out there as someone he would support as a third party candidate for President:

I think that [Matt Damon] has been very courageous in not caring about who he offends by saying the things that need to be said here, and if you want to win, the Republicans have certainly shown the way — that when you run someone who is popular, you win. Sometimes even when you run an actor, you win. And I guess I only throw his name out there because I’d like us to start thinking that way.

Interesting. Matt Damon is this guy:

I think [Obama]'s rolled over to Wall Street completely. The economy has huge problems. We still have all these banks that are too big to fail. They're bigger and making more money than ever. Unemployment at 10 per cent? It's terrible.

And this articulate son of a teacher:



So my question: Would you vote for Matt Damon if he decided to primary Barack Obama? (Note: I said "primary" him, not "3rd party" him.)

Your turn: weigh in if you wish.

GP

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Dylan Ratigan’s righteous rant—10s of trillions of dollars being extracted from country; we have a "bought Congress"

This rant is getting a lot of play, and it deserves to. This is the long version. Note that the Dem and Repub spokes-folks both illustrate his point that the party focus muddies the waters — by muddying the waters.

By the way, Dylan Ratigan has a background as a business-press reporter and analyst for Bloomberg News and CNBC. This stuff, he knows cold.



Whatever else you think of the non-partisan Ratigan and the rest of his ideas, there are three important take-ways here, three themes and phrases to hold firmly in memory:

■ "Extraction" — "Tens of trillions of dollars are being extracted from the U.S.A." Memorize that word; it's excellent framing. "Extraction" = looting. And it nicely mirrors what oil and gas companies do; they're properly described as the "extractive energy" industry.

■ "Bought Congress" — That should be the branding, first, last, and always. "Bought Congress" is exactly right, and again, it's perfect framing.

■ Mindless party focus as distraction — Ratigan says Republicans want to "burn the place to the ground" to get power, and Obama / Dems want to kick the can down the road to protect their 2012 power-maintenance opportunity. In other words, both parties are corrupted by power; neither wants to solve the nation's problems. And the inter-party fight obscures the problem — in my view, on purpose.

Think about it. If we the peasants are made to care if the 2nd son of the duke, or the 4th son, is the one to inherit the reins of our servitude, and we get hooked into rooting for one against the other — what are we not noticing? (Hint: Our servitude.)

This doesn't mean that party activity is meaningless; but it's best to understand what we're dealing with. Obama's not about Hope; Republicans aren't about Freedom; and the Tea Party is just populist enough to make them tempting coalition partners, in my opinion. (For what its worth, my own thoughts on political parties in America are summarized here. )

Whatever your thoughts, it's great to see this stuff. Ratigan here is not much different from Ed Schultz, as Schultz calls out Barack Obama for lack of involvement in the war raging in the states, Wisconsin and Ohio in particular.

It's the start of the next phase, I think, as thinking people react to their losses in the last one.

GP Read the rest of this post...

Michele Bachman is worried that the Renaissance really screwed things up

From the LA Times:

It's the Renaissance, stupid.

The economy is not what ails us today. No, what ails Americans is what Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and their artistic spawn have wrought in the culture, starting 500 years ago. The Renaissance has dragged us all down.

Tea party queen and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is convinced that America is sinking into tyranny. Why? In a remarkable profile of the candidate appearing in the Aug. 15 issue of the New Yorker magazine, the artistic flowering of the Italian Renaissance takes a beating for having done away with the god-fearing Dark Ages.

Yes, America was a happier place in the Middle Ages. Read the rest of this post...

Ed Schultz calls out Obama about engagement in Wisconsin

This is a terrific piece from Ed Schultz on Obama's non-involvement in the Wisconsin recall elections. Ignore for a second the "bad advice" framing that gives Obama a public pass (my notes on that are below).

The rest is pure calling-out. Watch and learn (and enjoy John Nichols at the end; always a treat):



Dead right. Do you think Obama could have delivered 5000 votes in the Darling recall election? Why, do you think, he didn't?

My thoughts are pretty predictable, of course. I think Obama's a winner; he gets most of what he wants; and he doesn't want to mix it up in actual populist causes.

His cause is the battle between banking-billionaires and oil-and-gas–billionaires, and he wants his billionaires to come out ahead. This populist stuff? Rubes. What baron backs the Peasants' Revolt?

So, watch Schultz and his future. He sounds like he means this. I give him a pass on his "Obama getting bad advice" framing — that little bow is how you keep your seat at the Big Media table (unless you have bigger sponsors than he currently has). Everything Schultz says outside that frame is right on; he gets it. And he's throwing "change" in face of Mr. Change.

Which means, I think Schultz is on a collision course with the Obama administration. He's dangerously close to being way off the reservation. Will he pull back as 2012 approaches? Will he grow a powerful enough protector to stay on the air (Maddow perhaps)?

Or will he just outright cave? Stay tuned.

GP Read the rest of this post...

Romney tells angry questioners in Iowa: Corporations are people!

Oh wait, that's not it. Try this one.

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UK PM considering banning use of Twitter, Facebook and Blackberrys during future violence

How very third world of him.

[UK Prime Minister David] Cameron made the announcement in his opening statement during a House of Commons debate Thursday.

"When people are using social media for violence, we need to stop them. So we are working with the police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality," the prime minister said.

Cameron clarified that he would "review" potential bans to see whether such policies would be possible.

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Memo to White House: Yes, you won in 2008 against great odds. It’s 2011. New mindset, please.

The Washington Post has clued into the fact that many Democrats are not happy with the President. Karen Tumulty and Peter Wallstein talked to a number of the usual DC insiders about the problem. And, you can tell the situation is dire because a number of them were willing to go on the record. Most criticism of the White House has been done via anonymous sources and on background (except for us -- we're never shy about offering our critique).

The reporters also talked to people at the White House. And, there's one line in the article that is particularly jarring:

If there is a hallmark of Obama’s campaign and governing style, however, it is an aversion to second-guessing, making it unlikely that the White House will respond to the unrest with any major overhaul. His aides note that his unconventional 2008 presidential campaign also faced plenty of naysaying but ultimately proved successful.

I heard that line myself back in 2009. And back then, it made sense. Not anymore. But, it's still being used by senior aides to Obama. They really need to get past that talking point. Way past it. That line should never be uttered in public again -- even off-the-record. Even on background.

Yes, Obama won in 2008. We all know the story. We lived it, too. And, many of us also worked very hard to make sure it happened. But, this is isn't the summer of 2007 when no one knew him. It's 2011. He's the President and his approval rating is hovering around 40%. Unemployment is at 9.1%. And, the stock market is tanking.

I think we're supposed to be assuaged by this development:

The White House is showing a willingness to take outside advice, something aides concede did not happen enough before the midterm elections. Obama’s campaign flew a number of Democratic political consultants to Chicago on Monday for a day-long roundtable session with campaign manager Jim Messina and political strategist David Axelrod.

Again, not so much. Messina and Axelrod helped craft the strategy that got us all into this mess.

Something has to change at the White House -- and soon. Ending the reliance on the "But we won in 2008 when no one thought we could" line would be a good place to start. Read the rest of this post...

GOP House committee chair very upset about Bin Laden movie coming out right before the election

He wants to know if the filmmakers are being leaked vewy vewy important classified information in order to make the film.  Why?  Because Maureen Dowd said the administration was cooperating with the filmmakers.  That's a far cry from leaking classified information.  Cooperating.  Of course, to a Republican, especially one who shares a disturbing resemblance to Heat Miser, the very notion of "cooperation" is seditious. Read the rest of this post...

Texas GOP House member agrees with Teabaggers about need to impeach Obama

From Texas, now there's a surprise. I'm sorry, but why do these people always come from the south?

When one attendee suggested that the House push for impeachment proceedings against President Obama to obstruct the president from pushing his agenda, Burgess was receptive.

"It needs to happen, and I agree with you it would tie things up," Burgess said. "No question about that."

When asked about the comment later, Burgess said he wasn't sure whether the proper charges to bring up articles of impeachment against Obama were there, but he didn't rule out pursuing such a course.

"We need to tie things up," Burgess said. "The longer we allow the damage to continue unchecked, the worse things are going to be for us."

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How to think about the Wisconsin recall elections so far

This is a very nice analysis of the Wisconsin recall effort so far (it's not over; two Dems are being recalled next week, and Scott Walker may be recalled in the summer or later).

The interviewee is Josh Orton, very knowledgeable about Wisconsin politics, with Sam Seder, talking on Seder's Majority Report podcast. A great discussion; very helpful.



Quoth the Master, "Now ain't the time for your tears." If you're optimistic and action-oriented, this is a decent time to press on.

GP Read the rest of this post...

Twitter/Facebook used to create flashmob of volunteers to clean up UK after riots

A very cool story from the BBC.  The video apparently can't be embedded (bad BBC), so go watch it on their site. Read the rest of this post...

Legally married gay couple could be split apart by deportation because of DOMA

We've been writing about the impending deportation of Anthony Makk at AMERICAblog Gay. He's an Australian who is legally married to Bradford Wells. The Obama administration cites DOMA as the reason Makk must leave the country. But, Obama thinks DOMA is unconstitutional. This case is generating a lot of interest -- and frustration. Of course the administration has the authority to stop the deportation. They better.

CNN covered the story today, too:
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