Papantonio: The Fracking Industry's Dirty Secrets

The fracking industry is one of the most secretive and deceptive industries in the country. They've managed to operate with little to no oversight from the federal government, and they've kept their secret fracking formulas from being revealed to the public, even though the chemicals they're using are leaching into groundwater supplies and poisoning men, women, and children. Mike Papantonio talks about how the fracking industry is accomplishing all of this with Mike Ludwig, a reporter for TruthOut.org.

Bloviating idiot George Will contributes to climate change, spewing hot air out oversized pie hole

TYT: Climate Change or Just Hot Weather?

Overheard At Romney Fundraiser

"Who is your car elevator decorator?"

"Do those off-shore banks reward you with a free toaster upon opening a new account?"

"the waiter brushed against my arm. i hope the poverty isnt contagious."

"Um, excuse me, why is that dog inside the car? That's not how we roll here!"

"The panda is delicious!"

"They actually asked for a 401k last year. Come on, all they do is change my parent's diapers!"

"Of course I'm not racist, all my factories are in Asia, for Pete's sake!"

"This old thing? It's just my Rolls Royce. Well, my SUMMER Rolls Royce. Er, Summer-weekend Rolls Royce."

"just because i gave him a million dollars doesn't mean i need to sit through his whole boring speech"

"sure, i inherited my fortune + doubled it in the market, why cant they just pull themselves up by bootstraps?"

"And now my employees expect healthcare?! The nerve! -Darling, please pass the Russian Beluga Sturgeon Caviar."

"How do you say 'once you get your arm extricated from that machine, you're fired" in Spanish?"

"Did you hear? Chip had to cut back due to the recession and was forced to fly using a Gulfstream G5, not G6!"

"What? This prosciutto is from Iowa? Not Parma? I know Mitt needs Iowa but come on..."


going around on twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23OverheardAtRomneyFundraiser


#OverheardAtRomneyFundraiser

TPP Stop the Trap Petition Delivered with Over 90,000 Signatures to the USTR

JULY 6, 2012 | BY MAIRA SUTTON

Today, two representatives of Public Citizen delivered the Stop the Trap petition—which has received over 90,000 signatures—to United States Trade Representative (USTR) officer Barbara Weisel. The petition is aimed at key government leaders and trade representatives of countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, and it calls on them to drop all provisions in the agreement that would place heavy restrictions on the Internet and digital freedoms. We have endorsed this petition along with OpenMedia.Ca, Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, ONG Derechos Digitales, Free Press, Internet NZ, and others.



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CWA: One-Third of Congress Demands Transparency and Accountability in TPP Negotiations

Jun 27, 2012

Washington, D.C. – Today, 132 Members of Congress delivered a letter to United States Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk pressing him to support transparency and openness in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. The Members called for stronger congressional consultations and access to documents, and greater public transparency on the proposals.
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In their letter to Ambassador Kirk, Congressional leaders noted that “under the current U.S. trade advisory system, hundreds of business representatives have cleared access to both USTR negotiators and the negotiating text. However, American small business, civil society, and other interests who have a direct and long-term interest in the outcome of these negotiations have little meaningful input…If Congress and the public are not informed of the exact terms of the agreement until the conclusion of the process, then any opportunity for meaningful input is lost. A trade agreement that cannot stand up to public scrutiny should not be negotiated in the name of U.S. citizens.” The letter signing was organized by House Democratic Leaders Rosa DeLauro (CT) and George Miller (CA),

This lack of transparency, accountability and public access has already raised serious concerns from labor, environmental groups and consumer organizations.

"The 1% has total access to all negotiating documents, while the 99% is shut out. This is not what democracy looks like," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "The 1% will lower labor standards and eliminate environmental safeguards, further chaining our economy to that of Vietnam which has one of the worst labor rights records in the world. It's important to negotiate a trade agreement that protects U.S. workers and our environment."
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We learned very different lessons from the 2000 election I guess.

Instead of bashing Nader or his voters we should focus on reforming the election system so that people can vote Green or whatever without fear of spoiling the election. Democratic party loyalists never even mention that. I guess it's more fun to bash the base? Or maybe they like being able to hold people hostage and forcing them to vote for Dems so they don't spoil it and throw it to Republicans? They use the threat of the GOP to force left-wingers to vote Dem. Some people don't appreciate being blackmailed like that. Reform the system so it is no longer an issue.

Or Democrats could mitigate the threat of a challenge from the left by taking on some of the Green/Left agenda, which is also a very popular platform with the American people, and it would help to win. That's the point of the OP after all.

If President Obama will say on TV we should repeal the Taft-Hartley Act, stop fracking for natural gas until it is proven safe, and stop TPP negotiations, then I will promise to vote for Dems for the rest of my life.

If you want to talk about who gets money from right-wing interests, don't worry Democrats take plenty of money from big banks, oil companies, mining companies, bomb builders, gun makers, and the like. And it influences their policies.

I asked my sister why she is voting for Jill Stein. She said "I support the Green Party because they support me".

Wrong answer, but I understand where it comes from. Abandon the left wing and some will split. They have no other way of expressing themselves in the political system because the Democratic Party excludes them. I would like to see that change.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Global Attack by the One Percent

by MARK VORPAHL
During the week of July 1st – 7th an international cabal of corporate lobbyists has been meeting behind closed doors in San Diego. Their aim is moving the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) towards completion. For over two years TPP negotiations have been in process, yet the proposals and agreements made so far have been carefully kept from public view, until recently.

A leaked TPP document, published at Public Citizen, has revealed what the 600 corporate advisers involved in the negotiations, including representatives from Verizon, FedEx, and Walmart, have been up to. Considering the contents of this document, it is no wonder why the public and even elected representatives have been kept in the dark.

Publicly the TPP is being described as a Free Trade Act (FTA). This understates its scope. While the FTAs already in existence have raked in giant profits for the corporate elite, for workers internationally they have resulted in lay offs and a race to the bottom in terms of living conditions and rights. The big business tops have been working hard to enhance the power of their moneymaking weapons of mass destruction. If NAFTA was a hand grenade, the TPP is a bunker buster.

What is perhaps most astonishing about the TPP is its architects’ disregard for the consequences of its destructive potential. Their greed has blinded them to the political instability and popular revolt the consequences of the TPP will create. The corporate elite imagines their rule to be absolute and eternal. Sheltered by these illusions and goaded on by the need to increase their riches regardless of social costs, they are creating a bomb that could blow them up as well.
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Anybody should be allowed to run. The point is he would not have had any support.

Without support from Greens/Left-wing voters, he would have no impact. Many people don't want to vote for a party than excludes their issues on trade/labor/environment/human rights/etc.

It does make a difference what positions the Democrats take, for people in this voting group. My sister is a good example. She is working her butt off for Green Party candidate Jill Stein in Ohio and keeps blabbering on about how we need a "Green New Deal" or some nonsense. I think if the Dems would have just paid a little more attention and taken on some of that Green/Left Agenda, we could have kept my sister's vote. She was an Obama supporter in '08.

Do you want only Democrats and Republicans to be allowed on the ballot?

I'm sorry some people think the lesson from 2000 is that Greens and left-wingers need to be insulted until they shut up.
The correct lesson is find a way to be successful with a challenge from the left. Either by run-off voting or adopting some key pieces of the Green/Left agenda. Because I guarantee you people are not going to shut up and watch the Democratic party get dragged further to right every election and just go along quietly.

PS. Nader uses left-wing talking points, not right-wing talking points, so what you mean?

If Dems are so afraid of challenges from the left...

Why not remove the threat by

1) Supporting election reforms like run-off voting or ranked choice that would allow people to express their opinions without fear of "spoiling" the election or throwing it to the gop...

2) Adopting some of the Green/Left agenda on the key issues where they express the most concern. Those include for example some environment and trade issues.

?.

These would be adult responses to a political challenge from the left, as opposed to calling names like a bunch of fricken babies. Grow up whiners. Find a way to incorporate the Green/left agenda into the political debate in a constructive way.

Storms of June 29, 2012 (warning pics)

June 29, 2012, Severe Summer Storms
Update: 5:00 PM, 7/1/2012
GAHANNA, Ohio – AEP Ohio has restored power to more than 221,000 of the 660,000 customers affected by the catastrophic storms that moved through the state June 29. Approximately 436,000 customers remain without power at 4 p.m. today. At the peak of the storm on June 29, approximately 45 percent of AEP Ohio customers were without power.


AEP Ohio has more than 4,000 internal and external resources committed to restoring power to the customers who remain without service from the storm.


AEP Ohio is working around the clock to restore service to customers as safely and quickly as possible. Personnel dedicated to system repairs work 16 hours a day. Support resources work through the night to reconcile restoration completed during the day to prepare work packages, maps and instructions for the crews to use the following morning.

As the storm moved across Ohio, thunder, lightning and high winds of more than 80 mile per hour, knocked down transmission structures, poles, power lines and trees across AEP Ohio’s service territory. The central Ohio counties of Franklin, Delaware and Licking were the hardest hit, with approximately 345,000 customers affected.
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