GOP prez hopeful Barbour freeloads on Mississippi taxpayer dollar, again

How does this guy sleep at night knowing that he's asking the people from one of the poorest states in the union to fund his jet-setting lifestyle and political campaign? As Ben Smith notes, there are surely real cases of state business, but this looks excessive. Mississippi certainly needs federal dollars since it receives much more than it pays in federal tax dollars, but that's another issue related to GOP hypocrisy. Once a lobbyist, always a lobbyist.

The potential presidential contender may have another problem: Mississippi taxpayers paid the tab for Barbour's first-class travel. State documents obtained by TIME show that Mississippi shelled out $7,020 to shuttle Barbour and his entourage to and from D.C. on its Cessna Citation, a cost that Barbour says is justified by state work he did in D.C. over the same weekend. "The trip requests make clear the Governor was on official business including meetings with members of Congress about issues ranging from economic development to energy policy and health care reform - all important to the people of Mississippi," says his spokeswoman Laura Hipp. According to the documents, Barbour's reason for using the state plane was a "meeting with Congressional leaders"; his office declined to make public his full schedule for the two day visit. (See "Twelve for '12: A Dozen Republicans Who Could Be the Next President.")

Taking the state's jet for a mix of personal and state business is nothing new for Barbour, who says he will make a final decision on a presidential bid in April. He racked up more than $300,000 in taxpayer-funded travel bills in 2010, spending all or part of at least 175 days outside the state, according to the Clarion-Ledger newspaper in Jackson, Miss. On trips with less overlap with state business, Barbour has made a habit of hiring his own private plane, his aides say. (Politico's Ben Smith has more detail on Barbour's flying schedule here.)

Read the rest of this post...

High school kid videos tornado (sort of) yesterday near Pittsburgh

I googled around and there was a tornado yesterday near Pittsburgh, where this kid says the video was shot. And you do see what appears to be a funnel cloud forming, though I still have to say, this comes across as though it could be fake. Apparently, some on YouTube have criticized the kid for freaking out. I suspect they're people who aren't from tornado country, or are simply kinda stupid.

I grew up with tornadoes in the Chicago area, and had a deadly one strike a mile and a half from my house in the south suburbs of Chicago in 1967 when I was four years old. All I really remember was being in the basement with my family. The tornado took out the local high school, and a lot more (killed 16 people waiting in their cars for a stop light to turn green) as it moved across the burbs through the south side of Chicago and into Lake Michigan. By the time it hit our town it was a block wide, moving 60mph. It was since determined to be an F4 tornado, defined as 207-260 mph winds.

The moral of the story: Don't laugh at the kid in the video. Read the rest of this post...

Lawrence O'Donnell: Catholics actually support LGBT equality, including same-sex marriage

I posted this clip earlier today at AMERICAblog Gay. It's worth watching. That loudmouth homophobe Bill Donohue doesn't speak for most American Catholics. Nor do the Bishops. Catholics are NOT more conservative than the general population. In fact, they're very support of gay rights, including same-sex marriage.


This latest poll from the Public Religion Research Institute, to which O'Donnell refers, can be found here. Read the rest of this post...

Donald Trump: No photos exist of Obama before the age of 13 (lie) and no one has seen Obama's birth certificate (lie)

Donald Trump on the View:

"Show me a picture [of Obama]," he says. "I've seen 14-year-old, I've seen 13-year-old. I haven't seen early pictures."

Perhaps because you're an idiot?

Here's an obscure photo, never seen before today, that Dave Weigel somehow dug up from an old shoe box:



Trump:

"I want him to show his birth certificate. There's something on that birth certificate that he doesn't like."

Uh, Obama "showed" it over two years ago. Here it is, via Snopes.



Dave has the video of Trump saying all of this garbage.

Look, Trump doesn't believe a word he's saying. What's sad about this Academy Award winning performance by Trump on the View is that Trump thinks he has to become a neanderthal in order to win the GOP presidential nomination. And sadly, he's right. Look at the field. Try to find anyone presenting themselves as a moderate. Even Giuliani, who used to dress in drag no less, had to present himself as some born-again Rambo last time around (who can forget: A noun, a verb and 9/11?) just to get noticed.

But think about it. The issue isn't even that the GOP candidates need to move to the right for the primary. That's often expected in either party. What's troubling is that you have to move into crazyland in order to even consider becoming the GOP candidate. Thus Trump's newfound embrace of birtherism, full of new detailed lies such as the "fact" that no one has ever seen a photo of Obama before the age of 13, and no one has seen his birth certificate, even though both are on this page right now.

And for anyone still not sure about the birth certificate issue, go to Snopes, "the" number one site on the Web for debunking and/or confirming urban myths and read what they found out about Obama's birth certificate. Read the rest of this post...

Christine Romer criticizes Obama's lack of jobs focus as 'shameful'

From Ben Smith at Politico:

President Obama’s former top economic advisor sharply criticized the federal government for failing to take more aggressive action against unemployment.

“I frankly don’t understand why policy makers aren’t more worried about the suffering of real families,” former Council of Economic Advisors Chair Christina Romer, who left the Administration last fall, said during a discussion at Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tuesday. “I think there are tools we have tools we have that we can use, and I think it’s shameful that we’re not using them.”

Romer had been a voice inside the Obama Administration pressing for a larger ec[o]nomic stimulus and more aggressive government action from the early days of the Administration, and she’s continued to make that case from the outside in a New York Times column.

Romer blames the Fed, meaning Tim Geithner, an ex-Federal Reserve official and the lead administration economy-hawk:

“We need to realize that there is still a lot of devastation out there,” Romer said, calling the 8.9% unemployment rate "an absolute crisis." ... [W]e’re not doing enough," she said. "That goes all the way up to the Federal Reserve, [which] could be taking more aggressive action.

So two comments. First, Geithner again. That's twice in two days. Last we heard, Geithner was fingered as part of the sabotage of Elizabeth Warren. Is he acting alone, or carrying water? Who knows, but I wouldn't take bets he's a soloist.

Second, on Romer. As Matt Taibbi said at the time of Romer's resignation:

In economics as in all other things, it all depends on how you look at things – and if everyone in the Obama White House is looking at things from the same vantage point, that sucks and is dangerous. Not that Christina Romer was a savior by any stretch of the imagination (one source of mine called her “totally mediocre”), but she was at least not completely a Wall Street pod job – she was pretty much the last inner-circle adviser who wasn’t, and now she’s gone, for whatever that’s worth.

Not a Wall Street pod job. High praise, and given her environment, I mean that.

I have a feeling that 2012 is not going to be a slam dunk.

GP

NOTE FROM Chris:

If only Washington understood what "shameful" means. I can't help but think the economy is going to become a lot more painful in the coming months and year or two. Think about how many states (Texas comes to mind immediately) fudged their real budget numbers with stimulus money, and now that's gone. Because the GOP has this obsession with not raising taxes no matter what, something will have to give. Stagnation seems to be a best case scenario. Of course, the bankers have bounced back nicely, so that will no doubt trickle down about as well as trickle-down economics has worked since the Reagan days. Read the rest of this post...

NPR's 'Morning Edition' host hits back at O'Keefe's lies

Steve Inskeep, co-host of Morning Edition:

A video editor created a faux organization, set up a meeting, and secretly recorded the bone-headed remarks of an NPR executive. The editor, activist James O'Keefe, spliced together clips to suggest that NPR was prepared to take money from an Islamist group allegedly founded by members of the "Muslim Brotherhood in America."

Emails show that NPR refused the money, and the conservative website The Blaze discovered that the executive's remarks were repeatedly lifted out of context. Nevertheless, the executive and his CEO were dismissed.

I congratulate Mr. O'Keefe for upholding his values: faith in the power of video to mislead. As columnist Michael Gerson noted in the Washington Post, by selectively misquoting the executive's words, rearranging events, and other devices, Mr. O'Keefe made him sound sympathetic to Islamic radicals and unfairly tarnished NPR with "an elaborate, alluring lie."

It's nice to see someone at NPR finally defending themselves and calling a liar a liar. Republicans want to destroy NPR, period. They didn't need O'Keefe's lies the last time they tried to defund NPR, during the 90s, and they don't need them today. O'k\Keefe's video is simply a convenient pretext for what the GOP wanted to do all along. And if the lie helps move the agenda forward, all the better.

The only way NPR is going to win this battle is by fighting back and calling a liar a liar. If Republicans want to kill Big Bird, NPR should make sure everyone in the country knows that simple fact. Read the rest of this post...

In Maine, a teabagging Governor who doesn't respect workers and doesn't know how to govern

The story of how Maine's teabagging Governor, Paul LePage, is removing pro-labor murals from the Maine Department of Labor made the rounds over the past few days. Even Rachel did a piece on it. The guy is trying to destroy the state's image -- and doing a good job of it.

There's one writer who always captures what is going on in the state: Bill Nemitz from the Portland Press Herald. His latest column on the latest LePage controversy over the labor murals is just brilliant:

We won't waste valuable space this morning trying to discern what was going on in LePage's head when he ordered the removal of a mural and the names of meeting rooms -- all commemorating Maine's deep and rich labor history -- from the headquarters of the Maine Department of Labor.

Searching for rational thought inside this guy's noggin, after all, is like wandering through an abandoned coal mine without a headlamp.

Besides, it's the things LePage clearly didn't think about that make this latest assault on Maine's sensibilities so stunning.

The column includes photos of the murals. One of the panels being removed honors Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet secretary whose parents were born in Maine -- and a major figure in the effort to protect workers:

In fact, coming just a few days before Friday's 100th anniversary of The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City -- 146 young women perished that day in what Frances Perkins later called "the birth of the New Deal" -- it's an insult to those who over the last century fought, and sometimes died, for the workplace rights we all take for granted today.

LePage probably doesn't even know who Perkins is.

With LePage, the situation in Maine is only going to get worse, probably a lot worse.

Hat tip, Betsy Parsons. Read the rest of this post...

GOP pushing dozens of jobs anti-abortion bills in statehouses

We call this bait-and-switch. They told you they were the new GOP: More jobs, less hate. They lied. Read the rest of this post...

Clarence Thomas's wife Ginni joins Daily Caller as 'special correspondent'

You knew she'd land somewhere; it was just a matter of time. TPM:

Ginni Thomas, the tea party leader, health care reform foe, and controversial wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will join The Daily Caller as a reporter.

From Business Wire: "As The Daily Caller's special correspondent, Thomas will interview key political and community leaders -- from high-profile politicians to grassroots activists -- with a focus on listening to those outside the Beltway."

Thomas is no stranger to the spotlight. She worked in 2010 to defeat Democrats, and her role as a de facto tea party, anti-health care reform lobbyist have led critics to demand that her husband recuse himself when the health care law appears before the Supreme Court.

She's no stranger to the Caller either -- it's where she took refuge when her most recent scandal aired out in the press. In 2010, it was revealed that she'd telephoned Anita Hill -- the woman who accused her husband of sexual harassment during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing back in 1991 -- to ask for an apology. Shortly after that episode was publicized, she stepped down from her job as head of the organization Liberty Central, which boasts of assisting grassroots clients with governmental affairs, but isn't a registered lobbying firm.

There was a lot of coverage of Ginni Thomas at the time of her phone call to Anita HIll. My favorite is the smart comment by Hendrik Hertzberg. Our reflection on his good piece is here.

Their hubris is our friend, folks. We should be encouraging it. At some point, she may succeed in sinking him beneath her waves.

GP Read the rest of this post...

Study: Sex can kill you if you don't exercise

Fortunately Rush doesn't have to worry as actually having sex is a prerequisite. LA Times:

Dr. Issa Dahabreh, whose study appears in the March 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Assn., explained that people are 3.5 times more likely to get a heart attack when they are exercising compared to when they are at rest. Likewise people are 2.7 times more likely to have a heart attack when they are having sex (or immediately afterward) than when they are not having sex.

The problem, they found, is lack of regular exercise. Read the rest of this post...

Bachmann is going for it, 'will form a presidential exploratory committee'

The guys at AMERICAblog Elections have more, but wanted to post the BIG news. Looks like one of the biggest wing nuts in the GOP is running for President. Yes, Michele Bachmann is making the move:

CNN has exclusively learned that Rep. Michele Bachmann will form a presidential exploratory committee. The Minnesota Republican plans to file papers for the committee in early June, with an announcement likely around that same time.

But a source close to the congresswoman said that Bachmann could form the exploratory committee even earlier than June so that she could participate in early Republican presidential debates.

"She's been telling everyone early summer," the source told CNN regarding Bachmann's planned June filing and announcement. But the source said that nothing is static.

It's going to be quite a contest to see which of the GOP contenders can be the most extreme. I think Bachmann will give Santorum a run for that title.

Matt Browner Hamlin explains the timing will be determined by the debate schedule, noting "It would be a crying shame if Bachmann misses out of any of the Republican debates." Exactly. Michele deserves face time. Read the rest of this post...

Radiation traces measured in US

It's to be expected after such a catastrophe. Over here, the media is reporting that the cloud with trace amounts of radiation was passing through last night and today. On Sunday while walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg everyone looked up to see a weather bureau zeppelin passing over. We later heard that they were testing air samples for radiation.

Besides insisting on higher standards moving forward, what is any individual really supposed to do when such radiation clouds pass over? CNN:

Colorado and Oregon have joined several other Western states in reporting trace amounts of radioactive particles that have likely drifted about 5,000 miles from a quake and tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant in Japan, officials say.

But, on a portion of its website dedicated to tracking such radiation, the Environmental Protection Agency noted Wednesday that these and other readings "show typical fluctuation in background radiation levels" and -- thus far -- "are far below levels of concern."

Sampling from a monitor in Colorado -- part of a national network of stations on the lookout for radioactivity -- detected miniscule amounts of iodine-131, a radioactive form of iodine, the state's public health and environmental department said Wednesday in a press release.

Read the rest of this post...

'Kill team' trial opens with guilty plea

The guilty plea was expected as it was in return for testifying against the co-defendants. Seymour Hersh, who has been writing about similar war crimes since My Lai, had an interesting article this week about the trend of committing such acts and photographing them.

This surely won't be the last 'kill team' by the US or any other country.

Morlock told the judge, Lieutenant Colonel Kwasi Hawks, that he and the other soldiers began plotting to murder unarmed Afghans in late 2009. To make the killings appear justified, the soldiers planned to plant weapons near the victims' bodies, Morlock said.

Asked by the judge what his intent was, Morlock replied, "The plan was to kill people."

"Did everybody know, `We're killing people who are completely innocent'?" the judge asked.

"Generally, yes, sir, everyone knew," Morlock replied.

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Death count in Syria increases to at least 15, possibly dozens

Each side is ratcheting up and neither side is likely to back down at the moment. The protesters can see what is happening in neighboring countries and Assad has surely learned a few lessons from what occurred in Libya. Al Jazeera:

Human rights activists say at least 15 people have been killed in the Syrian town of Daraa, the focal
point of almost a week of anti-government protests.

Activists and residents said security forces opened fire on protesters outside the Omari mosque early on Wednesday, after hundreds of people had gathered overnight to prevent police from storming it, and that shooting had continued sporadically over the course of the day.

A rights activist also told AFP news agency that security forces had opened fire on mourners attending the funeral of those killed in Daraa.

Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus, said that fighting broke out when residents from other towns clashed with security forces as they tried to enter Daraa to help residents there.

Read the rest of this post...

Portugal PM resigns following austerity vote loss

Somewhat surprisingly, the euro has been holding fairly strong against the dollar during this brewing crisis. Maybe it has something to do with the increased price of oil and the latest war which the US can't afford. What happens next in Portugal is anyone's guess but the choices are limited. The PM had proposed a mix of austerity cuts and increased taxes though it was rejected.

The longer the economic crisis drags out (and it's hard to see it ending any time soon) the more angry many are with their respective governments for giving such easy rides to those responsible for the crisis. It won't come as a surprise if the US dips again thanks to the irresponsible Republicans who refuse to increase taxes due to some strange connection to Reagan that doesn't actually exist. When the economy does dip again, will voters finally demand responsibility? One can hope. The Guardian:

Sócrates is said he tendered his resignation to President Aníbal Cavaco Silva tonight, leaving the country in a political limbo that would place further pressure on Portugal's record-level bond yields.

Sócrates had said before the vote that he would resign if the measures to cut spending and increase taxes – designed to see off a bailout similar to those taken by Greece and Ireland – were rejected.

The measures had aroused the fury of trade unions, and railway engineers walked off the job in the morning, causing widespread travel disruption.

Read the rest of this post...