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Romney Etch-A-Sketch Moment: Romney-Ryan Administration Wouldn’t Oppose Abortion in Instances of Rape

August 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
7761056528 afd176cfd5 m Romney Etch A Sketch Moment: Romney Ryan Administration Wouldnt Oppose Abortion in Instances of Rape

Romney Etch-A-Sketch Moment: Romney-Ryan Administration Wouldn’t Oppose Abortion in Instances of Rape (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

Another Romney Etch-A-Sketch moment:  Romney campaign throws Rep. Todd Akin off the GOP yacht to swim with the sharks saying the Romney-Ryan administration wouldn’t oppose abortion in instances of rape, but didn’t Paul Ryan hold another position two weeks ago? He believes that abortion should be illegal even in the case of rape and incest. We all know how they flip-flop and backtrack.

CNN – A spokeswoman for Mitt Romney wrote late Sunday that the presumptive GOP presidential nominee and his running mate, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, did not share Rep. Todd Akin’s sentiments on rape.

“Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement, and a Romney Etch-A-Sketch Moment: Romney-Ryan Administration Wouldn’t Oppose Abortion in Instances of Rape Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape,” Romney campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg wrote.

Mother Jones has a great article about Paul Ryan and Todd Akin redefining rape:

Last year, Akin, vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and most of the House GOP co-sponsored a bill that would have narrowed the already-narrow exceptions to the laws banning federal funding for abortion—from all cases of rape to cases of “forcible rape.”

With the Sea of Galilee story and Rep. Todd Akin’s comments, the Republicans, Mitt Romney and his sidekick, the ‘bold’ vice presidential pick, Paul Ryan, have a tough week ahead of them. The problem isn’t really Mitt Romney, who has consistently said abortions should be allowed in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Um, that’s if that’s still his position. He changes so many times, we’re not sure where he stands on the issue. The problem is his side-kick, Paul Ryan, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out tomorrow.

In 2011, Ryan co-sponsored a bill with Representative Akin called the “Sanctity of Human Life Act” that declares: “The life of each human being begins with fertilization, cloning, or its functional equivalent, irrespective of sex, health, function or disability, defect, stage of biological development, or condition of dependency, at which time every human being shall have all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood.” To ensure that citizens comport with that definition, the act would empower states to criminalize all abortion and some forms of birth control.

“I’m as pro-life as a person gets,” Ryan told The Weekly Standard in 2010. “You’re not going to have a truce.” Source: New York Magazine

Here’s an interesting tweet from Morning Joe’s co-host Joe Scarborough:

Romney Etch A Sketch Moment: Romney Ryan Administration Wouldnt Oppose Abortion in Instances of Rape
Filed Under: Mitt Romney, U.S. Politics, Women's Rights Tagged With: , , , , , ,

FBI Probed Late-Night Swim in Sea of Galilee by GOP Freshmen Lawmakers, Including Rep. Kevin Yoder

August 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

GOP scolded after late night drinking and nude swimming in Sea of Galilee, Rep. Kevin Yoder reportedly took clothes off and jumped in ocean. Other lawmakers who went for late-night swim include Rep. Ben Quayle (son of former VP Dan Quayle), Rep. Steve Southerland, Rep. Tom Reed and Rep. Jeff Denham.

300px Kevin Yoder%2C Official Portrait%2C 112th Congress FBI Probed Late Night Swim in Sea of Galilee by GOP Freshmen Lawmakers, Including Rep. Kevin Yoder

FBI Probes Late-Night Swim in Sea of Galilee by GOP Freshmen Lawmakers, Including Rep. Kevin Yoder  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Politico:  ”The FBI probed a late-night swim in the Sea of Galilee that involved drinking, numerous GOP freshmen lawmakers, top leadership staff – and one nude member of Congress, according to more than a dozen sources, including eyewitnesses.

“During a fact-finding congressional trip to the Holy Land last summer, Rep. Kevin Yoder (Kansas) took off his clothes and jumped into the sea, joining a number of members, their families and GOP staff after a night of drinking in Israel, the sources told POLITICO. Other participants, including the daughter of another congressman, swam fully clothed while some lawmakers partially disrobed. In a Sunday night statement to POLITICO, Yoder admitted he went skinny-dipping and apologized for any “embarrassment” he’s caused for his colleagues and constituents.”

These GOP sources confirmed the following freshmen lawmakers also went swimming that night: Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) and his daughter; Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) and his wife; Reps. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.). Many of the lawmakers who ventured into the ocean said they did so because of the religious significance of the waters. Others said they were simply cooling off after a long day. Several privately admitted that alcohol may have played a role in why some of those present decided to jump in.

All I can say is had these been Democratic lawmakers, the Republicans would blame Obama. This is a disgrace and an insult to Israel. I didn’t realize the FBI was investigating lawmakers, but that’s for another blog post.

Here are some interesting tweets on the Sea of Galilee scandal:

FBI Probed Late Night Swim in Sea of Galilee by GOP Freshmen Lawmakers, Including Rep. Kevin Yoder
Filed Under: U.S. Politics Tagged With: , , ,

MO Republican Senate Nominee Todd Akin: Victims Of ‘Legitimate Rape’ Don’t Get Pregnant

August 19, 2012 by 1 Comment
300px Todd Akin%2C official 109th Congress photo MO Republican Senate Nominee Todd Akin: Victims Of ‘Legitimate Rape’ Dont Get Pregnant

MO Republican Senate Nominee Todd Akin: Victims Of ‘Legitimate Rape’ Don’t Get Pregnant  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Further proof of the dumbing-down of American, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), who is also the state’s Republican senatorial nominee, shared some interesting information for women everywhere:

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,” Akin told KTVI-TV in an interview posted Sunday. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Akin said that even in the worst-case scenario — when the supposed natural protections against unwanted pregnancy fail — abortion should still not be a legal option for the rape victim.

“Let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work, or something,” Akin said. “I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”

This is the same candidate who says it’s time to take “a second look” at the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He went to college to spew this venom? What a dumbass. I wonder what Mitt Romney’s ‘bold’ veep pick Paul Ryan has to say about Todd Akin’s comments? Sounds as crazy as Ron Paul’s ‘honest rape‘ comment.

Surprise, surprise, Paul Ryan praised Akin’s leadership during Missouri primary:

“Todd Akin has been a great asset to the House Budget Committee,” Ryan said in a joint press release last November with fellow House leaders, including NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions, and Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan. “His principled approach to fiscal responsibility is exactly the kind of leadership America needs and I appreciate his hard work.”Source

More information on Todd Akin’s blunder: http://fox2now.com/2012/08/19/the-jaco-report-august-19-2012/

Here’s a tweet from his opponent Sen. Claire McCaskill:

Watch video of Rep. Todd Akin insulting women everywhere:

Todd Akin issued an apology for his statement, saying he misspoke:

“As a member of Congress, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault. In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it’s clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve.

“I recognize that abortion, and particularly in the case of rape, is a very emotionally charged issue. But I believe deeply in the protection of all life and I do not believe that harming another innocent victim is the right course of action. I also recognize that there are those who, like my opponent, support abortion and I understand I may not have their support in this election.

“But I also believe that this election is about a wide range of very important issues, starting with the economy and the type of country we will be leaving our children and grandchildren. We’ve had 42 straight months of unacceptably high unemployment, trillion-dollar deficits, and Democratic leaders in Washington who are focused on growing government, instead of jobs. That is my primary focus in this campaign and while there are those who want to distract from that, knowing they cannot defend the Democrats’ failed economic record of the last four years, that will continue to be my focus in the months ahead.” Source

Here’s Rep. Todd Akin saying it’s time to look at the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts:

MO Republican Senate Nominee Todd Akin: Victims Of ‘Legitimate Rape’ Dont Get Pregnant
Filed Under: U.S. Politics, Women's Rights Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Rudy Giuliani No Longer Thinks Biden is ‘Nuts’ for ‘Chains’ Comment, Just Not Balanced to be President

August 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
300px Rudy Giuliani Rudy Giuliani No Longer Thinks Biden is Nuts for Chains Comment, Just Not Balanced to be President

Rudy Giuliani No Longer Thinks Biden is ‘Nuts’ for ‘Chains’ Comment, Just Not Balanced to be President (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

America’s mayor Rudy Guiliani doesn’t think Vice President Joe Biden is “nuts.” That’s after a week of questioning his ‘mental capacity’ for his “put y’all in chains” remark in front of an audience made up of many blacks.  He issued another assessment his brainpower on CBS’s Face the Nation. “Oh, no, I don’t think he’s nuts. I’m just saying I wonder if he’s got the kind of balance — probably what I should have said is the balance to be president of the United States.” He also said that he thinks the media is soft on Biden’s tendency toward gaffes, adding that the press “would be going crazy” if say, Sarah Palin had made the vice-president’s now sort of infamous “chains” remark. If I recall correctly, Sarah Palin was criticized for saying she could see Russia from Alaska. Sorry, but all I can picture when the name Rudy Giuliani comes up is a guy in a dress on SNL, who was married to his cousin.

Rudy Giuliani No Longer Thinks Biden is Nuts for Chains Comment, Just Not Balanced to be President
Filed Under: Joe Biden Tagged With: , , , ,

UPDATED: Former Georgia State University Soccer Player Ayokunle Lumpkin Killed in SE Atlanta

August 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Ayokunle Lumpkin killed 227x300 UPDATED: Former Georgia State University Soccer Player Ayokunle Lumpkin Killed in SE Atlanta

Former Georgia State University Soccer Player Ayokunle Lumpkin Killed in SE Atlanta (WSB-TV)

Ayokunle Lumpkin killed:  Former Georgia State University soccer player Ayokunle Lumpkin, 23, of Kennesaw, was fatally shot on Milton Avenue after he followed a vehicle that had struck his girlfriend’s car during a party in the Chosewood Park area, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. Police are searching for a green vehicle that sped off from the scene.

Lumpkin, a graduate of Sprayberry High School, was taken to Grady Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the police said. He finished his soccer career at GSU with 10 goals and three assists for 23 career points, after playing 70 games, the AJC reports.

If you have any information, please contact the Atlanta police. Witnesses reported provided a vehicle description, license plate number and physical description of the suspected shooter. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Ayokunle Lumpkin.

UPDATE#1 (08/23/12):  A murder warrant has been issued for 30-year-old Emery Parrish, a convicted felon, in the murder of Ayokunle Lumpkin last weekend.  

Filed Under: Crime News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Niall Ferguson: Hit Road Barack, Romney-Ryan Ticket Only Path to Prosperity in America

August 19, 2012 by 5 Comments

Newsweek magazine is ‘shaking’ things up again with their latest cover — Niall Ferguson telling President Obama to hit the road and our only path to prosperity is the Romney-Ryan ticket. Um, I wonder what Ferguson said about the Bush-Cheney ticket? It seems we were literally ran off the road to prosperity and most Americans, the middle class that is, fell off a steep precipice. Um, seems to me that the austerity policy in Britain is working so well, is that what Ferguson wants to see in this country? You realize I am being sarcastic. The fact is, the Obama Administration inherited a boatload of trouble and four years can’t guarantee one can dig out of the muck. France ousted right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy and now they are still facing trouble with new president, Socialist Francois Hollande.

niall ferguson newsweek magazine cover hit the road barack 221x300 Niall Ferguson: Hit Road Barack, Romney Ryan Ticket Only Path to Prosperity in America

Niall Ferguson: Hit Road Barack, Romney-Ryan Ticket Only Path to Prosperity in America (Newsweek)

Yeah, hit the road Barack, in exchange for the wealthy getting more tax cuts from the Romney-Ryan ticket at the expense of the poor and middle class. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to be upset with the Democrats and President Obama about, but what about the Republicans’ taking their share of the blame for the economic mess? After all, isn’t Paul Ryan a member of a hugely unpopular Congress, with the House of Representatives having a 15% favorability rating.

Paul Krugman slams Niall Ferguson’s column as chock-full of untruths, which I doubt Newsweek will correct:

Niall Ferguson claims: The president pledged that health-care reform would not add a cent to the deficit. But the CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation now estimate that the insurance-coverage provisions of the ACA will have a net cost of close to $1.2 trillion over the 2012–22 period.

Paul Krugman’s response: Readers are no doubt meant to interpret this as saying that CBO found that the Act will increase the deficit. But anyone who actually read, or even skimmed, the CBO report (pdf) knows that it found that the ACA would reduce, not increase, the deficit — because the insurance subsidies were fully paid for.

Now, people on the right like to argue that the CBO was wrong. But that’s not the argument Ferguson is making — he is deliberately misleading readers, conveying the impression that the CBO had actually rejected Obama’s claim that health reform is deficit-neutral, when in fact the opposite is true.

Of course, the truth means nothing to the right wing, just as long as they are the ones spewing the lies and half-truths. Just saying….

Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Teacher Exodus at PS 90 Where Principal Greta Hawkins Banned Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”

August 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
greta hawkins Teacher Exodus at PS 90 Where Principal Greta Hawkins Banned Lee Greenwoods God Bless the USA

Teacher Exodus at Coney Island NY School Where Principal Banned “God Bless the USA” But Allowed Justin Beiber Song

Greta Hawkins, principal at The Edna Cohen School (P.S. 90) in Coney Island, has another problem on her hands, after she banned “God Bless the USA” at a recent graduation ceremony — teacher exodus. Hawkins had forbidden kindergartners from singing Lee Greenwood’s patriotic song but was okay with them singing a Justin Beiber tune, which she later nixed.

Well,  the New York Post reports that fully forty percent of her staff, or 25 employees, have left the school over the past year. The mass exodus includes 11 of 28 classroom teachers, aides, secretaries and custodians, some retired, others fled trying to escape a “toxic building,” the newspaper reports. Either way, no one is happier than Ms. Hawkins’ critics. I guess Greta Hawkins is like the Annie Palmer of P.S. 90.

 

Filed Under: Education News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dept. of Labor Study Finds Just 59 Percent of American Workers Get Paid Time Off

August 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A new study from the Department of Labor finds that just 59 percent of American workers get paid time off. That’s fewer than one in five Americans, who receive paid leave from their employers. The study found that workers with higher incomes and more education are more likely to receive paid time off than other workers. The study found only 35 percent of workers with a high school diploma get paid time off. That number rises to 72 percent for workers with a bachelor’s degree. The study found 83 percent of workers who earn more than $1,230 a week receive paid time off compared with just 50 percent of those who make less than $540.

 

Filed Under: Latest News Tagged With: , , , ,

Ohio Republican Doug Preisse: “Our Voting Process Shouldn’t Accommodate Black Voters”

August 19, 2012 by 3 Comments
doug preisse Ohio Republican Doug Preisse: Our Voting Process Shouldnt Accommodate Black Voters

Ohio Republican Doug Preisse: “Our Voting Process Shouldn’t Accommodate Black Voters” (Photo Credit: Think Progress)

You can run but you can’t hide, the truth always comes to light. Franklin County, OH, Republican Doug Preisse voted to block Democratic efforts to expand voting hours. In an email to the Columbus Dispatch he wrote, “I guess I really actually feel we shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine.”  He reacted to Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern calling this unfair as “bullshit.”

Buzzfeed:  “I said I believe that there’s a line of how far that taxpayers should have to go to match a specific political operation, and that’s what I mean.” 

Filed Under: Black Politics, Presidential Election Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Action Thriller ‘Expendables 2′ Trounces Weekend Box Office to Take No. 1 Spot, Whitney Houston ‘Sparkle’ in Fifth Place

August 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
whitney houston jordin sparks in sparkle 300x200 Action Thriller Expendables 2 Trounces Weekend Box Office to Take No. 1 Spot, Whitney Houston Sparkle in Fifth Place

Action Thriller ‘Expendables 2′ Trounces Weekend Box Office to Take No. 1 Spot, Whitney Houston ‘Sparkle’ in Fifth Place (TriStar Pictures_

Lionsgate action thriller ‘Expendables 2‘, starring Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme, trounced the weekend box office to take the no. 1 spot with $28.8 million, knocking last weekend’s winner, spy thriller, The Bourne Legacy to the No. 2 spot with $17 million, with a total haul of $70 million. Family flick Focus Pictures’ ParaNorman takes third place with $14 million, Warner Bros’ political comedy The Campaign took the fourth place with $13.4 million, Whitney Houston’s last movie Sparkle took fifth place with $12 million.

Expendables 2, also starring Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Liam Hemsworth and Terry Crews, easily topped the box office with $28.8 million, but came in $6 million behind The Expendables, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, debuted to $34.8 million on the same weekend in 2010.

Disney drama, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, starring Jennifer Garner, was the box office surprise, meeting its mark in posting a five-day debut of $15.2 million, largely on the strength of females — younger and older.

Whitney Houston’s last movie, TriStar’s musical drama Sparkle, came in at the low end of expectations, but it cost a modest $14 million to produce, so it should recoup its expenses and show a profit. The remake of the 1976 film, which stars American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, Mike Epps, Cee Lo Green, Cameron Ejogo and Tika Sumpter, is about three sisters who form a singing group in Detroit during the Motown era. Whitney Houston plays their mother. The film was aimed at women and audiences who would connect with themes from the film such as faith, music and fashion, a Sony spokesman said. The movie received glowing reviews and I suspect, Whitney Houston would be proud.

Weekend Box Office results:

1. The Expendables 2 $29 million.
2. The Bourne Legacy $17.02 million
3. ParaNorman $14.01 million
4. The Campaign $13.4 million with total haul of $52 million
5. Sparkle (2012) $12 million
6. The Dark Knight Rises $11.1 million with total haul of $410 million
7. The Odd Life of Timothy Green $11 million
8. Hope Springs $9.1 million and a total haul of $35.1 million
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days $4 million with a total haul of $39 million
10. Total Recall (2012) $3.5 million with a total haul of $52 million

pixel Action Thriller Expendables 2 Trounces Weekend Box Office to Take No. 1 Spot, Whitney Houston Sparkle in Fifth Place
Filed Under: Latest Movie News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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