This past weekend French voters denied their incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy reelection in a resounding rejection of austerity policies which have kept European economic recovery out of reach. In arrant disavowal of this message and mounting real world evidence to the contrary, Republicans in the U.S. continue their own pursuit of spending cuts policy. read more »
May 7, 2012
French Reject Austerity; Are US Republicans Listening?
May 6, 2012
The Daily Scoop: The Group Attempting to Swift-Boat Obama
Two articles about an attempt to “Swift-boat” the President for the bin Laden mission. The first is about one group, entitled “Veterans For A Strong America”, staffed by one person, supported by such individuals as the Koch brothers and Karl Rove is seeking to use military personnel to criticize Obama’s claim to this accomplishment. The second is an editorial that goes into some more detail and includes comments from both sides. As one commentor to the Think Progress piece suggested, perhaps a group of pro-Obama veterens should be formed calling itself “Veterans For Reality” read more »
May 5, 2012
The Daily Scoop: Romney’s economics vs Swing State Governors
As Mitt Romney struggles to maintain his “Obama has Failed” message, swing state governors tout their states’ growing employment opportunities. Romney’s campaign stops in Ohio and Virginia this week took place amidst such positive economic news as Ohio’s unemployment decreases from 8.8% to 7.5% and Virginia’s unemployment figures showing a slight decrease in March to 5.6%. One must wonder what alternative strategies the Republican candidate’s campaign staff has waiting in the wings should the economy continue to improve throughout the summer months. read more »
May 4, 2012
Jobs Reports & Forgetting the Bigger Picture
Headlines reporting “Jobs Report: More of the Same” rang out this morning from numerous media outlets but does two months of lackluster numbers actually reflect the trend these banners imply? Or does it illustrate a forgetfulness which blurs all things beyond the haze of the previous 2 months?
Yes, the jobs reports for both March and April were below expectations, this is true. In of itself, taken out of context, these numbers are not impressive fostering concern about our economic stability. In recoveries such as this, it’s not the short-term fluctuations that tell all, it’s the broader trends that matter. A disservice is paid to everyone if these figures are not placed upon the backdrop of the larger economy. read more »
May 3, 2012
Daily Scoop Xtra: Is Climate Change Hitting Home?
After a year of freakish and destructive weather, Americans are finally waking up to the dangers of climate change
The Williams River was so languid and lovely last Saturday morning that it was almost impossible to imagine the violence with which it must have been running on August 28, 2011. And yet the evidence was all around: sand piled high on its banks, trees still scattered as if by a giant’s fist, and most obvious of all, a utilitarian temporary bridge where for 140 years a graceful covered bridge had spanned the water.
The YouTube video of that bridge crashing into the raging river was Vermont’s iconic image from its worst disaster in memory, the record flooding that followed Hurricane Irene’s rampage through the state in August 2011. It claimed dozens of lives, as it cut more than a billion-dollar swath of destruction across the eastern United States.
New data released last month by researchers at Yale and George Mason universities show that a lot of Americans are growing far more concerned about climate change, precisely because they’re drawing the links between freaky weather, a climate kicked off-kilter by a fossil-fuel guzzling civilization and their own lives. read more »
May 3, 2012
The Daily Scoop: Study; Fracking Waste May Migrate to Aquifers Faster than Predicted
A new study has raised fresh concerns about the safety of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, concluding that fracking chemicals injected into the ground could migrate toward drinking water supplies far more quickly than experts have previously predicted. read more »
May 2, 2012
Is Obama Spiking the bin Laden Football?
Over the last week a President Obama campaign ad questioning Mitt Romney’s decisiveness, his ability to make the difficult decisions, created a stir of criticism from the Romney campaign, the Republican Party and conservative media. These sources felt the politicization of an event meant to unify was in poor taste and inappropriate for a sitting president to use in such a manner. But this assessment appears to employ a fair amount of selective memory…
Part 1
May 1, 2012
Is it Time to Fire Obama’s Top Lawyer?
Given Donald Verrilli Jr.’s poor showing in two consecutive, landmark cases is it time for Obama to let him go?
For the second time in two months Donald Verrilli Jr. delivered a dismal performance in front of the Supreme Court. One would think after ineffective defense of the Affordable Care Act the President would reconsider allowing him back onto the front lines. Are some things simply too important to leave up to second chances? read more »
May 1, 2012
GOP Campaign Distaste over bin Laden Mission Success
All this criticism from the Republican Party around the “politicization” of the bin Laden mission is rather interesting. It sounds like Romney, and the Republican Party in general, do not want to be reminded of their long-term inability to attend to the terrorist leader. With Obama touting the successful mission, it places their inadequacies upon the public stage for all to see. read more »
May 1, 2012
The Daily Scoop: UK MP’s – Murdoch ‘not a fit person’ to lead News Corp
Will the US be next to take on Rupert Murdoch’s media empire?
Rupert Murdoch “is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company”, MPs have said.
The culture committee questioned journalists and bosses at the now-closed News of the World, as well as police and lawyers for hacking victims.
Its report has concluded that Mr Murdoch exhibited “wilful blindness” to what was going on in News Corporation.
But the committee was split six to four with Tory members refusing to endorse the report and branding it “partisan”. read more »
