Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

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Solid Waste from Iowa

On Saturday, the best and brightest of the Republican Party met in Iowa to plumb the depths of their descent into madness*.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) invited the 2016 GOP presidential hopefuls to strut their stuff (sorry for the visual!) at the Iowa Freedom Summit. King is most recently “famous” for calling young Latino college students, who were sitting with the First Lady at the State of Union, “deportables”.

The Iowa Freedom Summit was a Very Important Event: one can tell because it has “freedom” in it and it is a “summit”. And IOWA!! The place of the first nominating contest because nothing says Bellwether like a state that is 98% white and which selected Mike Huckabee in 2008 and Rick Santorum in 2012 as the Republican standard bearers. Finger on the pulse of America, Iowa, finger on the pulse.


Eric Wolfson @EricWolfson

If ignorance is bliss, #IAFreedomSummit must be the happiest place on earth.

Watching the assault on our democracy, and on our common sense, unfold would be more entertaining if it were not for this sobering observation:


BWD @theonlyadult  

One of these people might be the next president. Nothing funny about this #IAFreedomSummit

PLEASE don’t let that happen.


LOLGOP @LOLGOP

The one thing every Republican candidate seems to have in common with normal people is they don’t think Jeb Bush or Mitt can beat Hillary.

And with that, let’s follow the summit of freedumbs on Twitter …

The White House 2013 Year in Review

As 2013 draws to a close, I am reminded of how much I dislike end of year retrospectives. Charlie Pierce calls them “lazy journalism” … I call them boooooring. I saw all that 2013 stuff and I am ready to look Forward to 2014 which I think will be a very good year for Democrats.

But I will not begrudge the White House pointing to the accomplishments of the Obama Administration in 2013 and, being an O-Bot, I will willingly link to their website.



White House Year in Review

In 2013, our economy grew, and our deficit shrunk. For the first time in almost two decades, we said that we’re producing more oil at home than we buy from the rest of the world. We honored our heroes. We bounced back from national tragedies and natural disasters. We strengthened our relationships with allies around the world and took action to promote the American dream at home. Take a look at our 2013 year in review.

But what is more exciting to me, a Twitter-aholic, is the White House list of Top @WhiteHouse Tweets of 2013. Because history, 140 characters at a time, is worth preserving.

News and Views: Found on the Internets – Friday, 08/30



A series of tubes filled with enormous amounts of material

How We Got Here: A Timeline Of The Syria Chemical Weapons Saga

While the White House insists in public that no decisions have yet been made, it seems increasingly likely that the U.S. will join in with several of its allies in launching limited punitive strikes against Syria for the use of chemical weapons against civilians. While the wisdom of setting so clear a trigger for action has been questioned since Obama first set chemical weapons use as a so-called “red-line,” the international norm against their use has been growing since the horrors of mustard gas were first observed in World War I.

Read More: From NPR: Striking Syria Still Seems A Question Of When, Not Whether

Read More: British Parliament Closes Door On Syria Intervention

Read More: White House Briefs Congressional Leaders On Syria

Read More: Wesley Clark: Syria vs. Kosovo

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Merrill Lynch Set To Pay Largest Racial Discrimination Settlement Ever

Eight years after a group of black financial advisers filed a lawsuit alleging their bosses systematically steered the most profitable business to white employees, Merrill Lynch is preparing to pay the largest racial discrimination settlement ever. […]

Merrill’s specific history aside, the financial world as a whole is an inhospitable place for women and minorities. Both groups remain hugely underrepresented in management positions within the industry, with minorities holding just one in ten management positions. The 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform law included new requirements for both racial and gender diversity at private financial firms and government regulatory offices.

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President To Issue New Executive Orders On Guns

The White House says President Obama will issue two new executive orders on guns – one to curb the import of military surplus weapons and another that closes a loophole allowing some felons to get around background checks.[…]

According to the statement, “felons, domestic abusers, and others prohibited from having guns” can skirt background checks by registering the weapon as a trust or corporation.

“The proposed rule requires individuals associated with trusts or corporations that acquire these types of weapons to undergo background checks, just as these individuals would if the weapons were registered to them individually,” the statement says.

Read More: Biden Hints At 2014 Push To Elect Gun Control Advocates To Congress

Read More: Why It’s Easier To Buy An Assault Weapon Than To Vote, In One Graphic

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Republicans in the news …

Maine Town Official Visited By Secret Service For Racially Charged Obama Post

David Marsters, a retired Massachusetts police officer and a candidate for selectman in Sabattus, Maine, posted a photo of Obama along with a link to a story about a Republican push to impeach the president at 8:17 p.m. Friday, writing “Shoot the N***er” above it, according to the newspaper.

He said he told the Secret Service agents who questioned him that he didn’t intend to threaten the president.

Marsters told the Press Herald in a telephone interview that his post was taken out of context.

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How The Uber-Conservative John Cornyn Ticked Off The Tea Party

On paper, the Republican minority whip is an unusual target for Tea Party guns. Cornyn has been one of the most conservative members of the Senate since he was first elected to the chamber in 2002. National Journal ranks Cornyn the second most conservative member of the Senate. He has an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association, has won multiple awards from the anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform, has a 0 percent rating from the pro-choice NARAL and a 100 percent rating from the National Right To Life Committee.

That’s not good enough for some Tea Partiers now.

Tea Party groups’ ire centers on Cornyn’s decision in late July to remove his signature from a letter by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) expressing strong support to defund Obamacare in any debt limit or government funding bill. Cornyn was one of a number of senators who had originally signed the letter a few days before he changed his mind and removed his signature.

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Heritage’s Fun With ‘Defund Obamacare’ Polling Numbers

The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank that has been a leader in the Defund Obamacare movement, appeared to go through a small crisis in the last 24 hours over just what percentage of Americans support their cause.

Wednesday morning, Heritage debuted a poster asking if “you” were a part of the 57 percent of Americans who support defunding Obamacare. That same morning, the Kaiser Family Foundation, one of the most respected health policy think tanks, released a monthly tracking poll that found the exact opposite: 57 percent of Americans opposed defunding the health care reform law.

Facts, Schmacts! We don’t need no stinkin’ facts!!!

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More Lousy Poll Numbers For Pennsylvania Gov. Corbett

Only 20 percent said Corbett deserves re-election, down from 25 percent in the May poll. The latest poll showed 69 percent of Pennsylvania voters believe it’s time for a change.

In fact, Corbett is struggling to win support from his own party, with only 38 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans saying he deserves a second term. Only 30 percent of in-state Republicans rate his performance as “excellent” or “good.”

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Quick Takes …

OOPS: Senator Who Advocates Arming Teachers Accidentally Shoots Teacher With Rubber Bullet

The experience gave [Arkansas Sen. Jeremy] Hutchinson “some pause” but failed to shake his confidence in the plan.

NFL, Retirees Reach $765M Settlement On Concussions Suits

The NFL and more than 4,500 retired players have reached an agreement calling for the league to contribute $765 million to a fund that will pay “medical and other benefits, as well as compensation” to those who suffered concussions and related injuries during their careers.

Justice Department Won’t Challenge State Marijuana Laws, Major Shift In Law Enforcement Policy

U.S. Government Will Recognize Same-Sex Couples For Tax Purposes

Judge Apologizes For Saying 14-Year-Old Rape Victim Was Just As In Control As Rapist Teacher

Study Finds Obamacare Won’t Hike Workers’ Premiums: ‘The Rate-Shock Concerns Were Overblown’

Poll: McAuliffe Leads Unpopular Cuccinelli By 7

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News and Views: All the News Fit to Share – 08/18

Found on the Internets …

The 7 Types Of Republicans And How To Debate Them

If you’ve ever spent time trying to discuss politics with a Republican you’ve probably noticed that there are several different types of Republicans, all with their own unique debating style. In this article I’m going to attempt to break down the seven types of Republicans, what’s wrong with their views, and how you should debate them. I’ll start with the most intelligent, and work my way down.

The Educated Republicans:

These are the rarest of all Republicans. Occasionally you will run into one in public or in a public forum online. These Republicans can be the most difficult to deal with. They have learned everything there is to know about their position… from a Republican perspective. They’ve educated themselves on all the reasons why their position is correct, and are not concerned with anything that contradicts their beliefs.

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Thirty-three of the arrested Solidarity Singers request jury trials

The protesters have gathered almost every day for the last two years to sing against Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Police began arresting them last month after a federal judge ruled that officers can require groups of more than 20 to get a permit to gather in the building.

The protesters refuse to apply for permits, saying they shouldn’t need the government’s permission to protest the government. They say the First Amendment protects their rights to free speech and assembly, and they also say that because they’re not an organized group no one can assume responsibility for any damages to the building, as a permit would require.

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Are College Costs Reaching a Breaking Point?

Next week President Obama will swing through four college towns on a bus tour, promoting ways to reduce higher education costs. The growing attention to universities’ soaring prices is pushing some private colleges to a tuition tipping point, according to Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. In a new report, S&P said costs have risen so much, “many of their customers can’t afford tuition without significant financial aid.” If some schools don’t keep their tuition under control, they’ll shoot themselves in the foot and face the need for more drastic cost-cutting, such as layoffs, and potential mergers or closures, S&P says.

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Republicans in Disarray …

Can the GOP Fix Its Woman Problem in Time to Fight Clinton?

“In the last election, Governor Romney won among married women by 11 percentage points, but he lost among single women by a whopping 36 points. With single women making up 40 percent of the voters, well, you can do the math. And the president won women by 11 points,” said RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day in her remarks at the panel. “The bottom line is we’ve got to make the case for more women leaders in this party.”

Read More: Amid Struggle For ‘Soul’ Of GOP, Libertarians Take Limelight

Read More: 10 Ways Republicans Have Blown Their Own Minority Outreach Strategy

Read More: Conservatives Revolt As GOP Tries To Calm Obamacare Shutdown Mania

Read More: Scott Brown Heading To Iowa To Gauge Interest In His ‘Brand Of Leadership’

Read More: RNC Unanimously Passes Resolution, No Debates For NBC Or CNN

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Quick Takes …

Tennessee Republican tells girl her father has to be deported as tea party crowd cheers

Sorry, Oklahoma – Federal Court Says State Cannot Write Anti-Islamic Bigotry Into Its Constitution

In Rural N.C., New Voter ID Law Awakens Some Old Fears

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News and Views: Found on the Internets – DayOfWeek, mm/dd



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Republicans in Disarray …

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An Iranian Dawn – Open Thread

It is Sunday morning in Iran now.  Dawn has crept across the land and is chasing away the shadows that hide the truth.

Here’s hoping that our friends in Iran made it through the night OK and that the day brings them peace and freedom.

Iranian Internet Connectivity: The Gift You Can't Give Back (and Open Thread)

In 1989 the Chinese government had enough of the protesters occupying a huge square in the middle of its national capital, so they kicked out the foreign press, shut down communications and rolled in the tanks.

Well, they almost shut down communications…

In 2009 the Iranian government tried the same thing.  It didn’t work any better.

Arbor Networks provides a good view on Iran’s connection to the Internet via the Internet Observatory.  The fat healthy traffic to the left of the dropoff is what Iranian Internet traffic looks like at normal times, the cliff denotes the election and to the right of that you see traffic increasingly “leaking” past the imposed restrictions.