The Young Turks: 'Al Gore, Breathable Booze & Shade Balls'

Source:The Young Turks- TCM film historian and sometimes TYT political analyst Ben Mankiewicz. A much better film historian than political analyst, but he's also an excellent political satirist.

Source:The Daily Review

"A portion of our Young Turks Main Show from August 14, 2015. For more go to:The Young Turks. 

Cenk, Ben, Iadarola, and Richard Eskow hosting today. The outside possibility of Al Gore jumping into the presidential race is being leaked, despite the fact that his spokesperson denied it. Cenk doesn’t believe that it’s completely out of the question. Discussion of who would be hurt the most by Gore entering the race.

A breathable bar in London allows patrons to take in their alcohol via the mist in the air filling the bar. The humidity is set at 140% and a moody pop electro soundtrack playing. The LA Reservoir will use 96 million reflective balls to sit on top of the water there to prevent much of the water from evaporating. Ball jokes throughout." 

From The Young Turks

Al Gore for president? Why, would be my question about that. A simple one word question about that. "Vote for Al Gore for president, again and I"ll do..." What, exactly?

Al Gore, the man who lost the presidency to a college frat brat, who thought he was still at Yale and perhaps failed his freshmen year 22 years in a row and suddenly wakes up at the age of 40 and realizes he now has kids, is married and needs a full-time job that will support his family. Who gets into politics, because his father is George H.W. Bush. And I'm speaking about George W. Bush of course.

Al Gore, is not Dick Nixon, or even Bill Clinton. He's someone whose more than capable of being happy in the private sector and making a lot of money and speaking about issues that he cares about and writing about them.

Gore wanted to be president in the 1980s and 1990s, which is why he runs in 2000 and as Vice President to a very popular President Clinton and with almost no opposition in the party to him, he had the perfect opportunity to be President of the United States, but he blew it. It took him about six months to figure out what type of presidential campaign he was going to run in 2000.

If Al Gore, wants to be Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Interior, Secretary of State, National Security Director, by all means he's qualified for any of those positions and would serve the next Democratic president very well.

But run again for president when the avenue to get there is not clear unlike in 2000 when you were a heavy favorite to beat Joe Average who lives on Main street in Smithville, whose a swell kind of guy and everything and everyone's favorite drinking partner at the local tavern and hardest worker at the factory (when he's sober) and I'm thinking of George W. Bush obviously as far as what G.W. brought to that campaign as far as qualifications: doesn't make sense to me. 

The Young Turks: Ana Kasparian & Cenk Uygur: Jerry Seinfeld Caught By The Sensitivity Police

Source:The Young Turks talking about comedian Jerry Seinfeld: "What's the deal with the Political Correctness Police? I thought this was America." Not sure if Jerry Seinfeld actually said that, or not.

Source:The New Democrat

Damn! I actually agree with both Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur on the same show, about the same topic. They both just scored a touchdown and converted a two-point conversion in the liberal column for me. Maybe they aren’t as radical and socialist as I give them credit, or blame for. Depending on your perspective. It would be one thing if Jerry Seinfeld was just talking to comedians of one race, in this case Caucasian, because that is the only people he wants to talk to. But that is not what this is about. He interviews people he thinks are funny. And in this case the recent comedians he spoke to, all happened to be Caucasian.

It would be one thing if Jerry said and I can call him Jerry since I’m his German nephew whose not a Nazi, it would be one thing if Jerry said, “those African-Americans, always bitching about how life is tough in America. They can’t take a joke. I’ve seen Marxist dictators with bigger sense of humors. I know this since I interviewed them. If they think they got it so bad in America, why don’t they go back to Africa.” But he didn’t say anything like that and is not talking to people based on race, or ethnicity. He simply wants to talk to people who make him laugh. This current group he found just happen to all be from the same race.

And oh by the way, if lets say Chris Rock was doing a show and he only interviewed African-American male comedians, no one would be making an issue of this. Well maybe Breitbart, or Fox News. This same argument could be made against affirmative action. Why not just go where the talent is and just judge people as individuals and let the most qualified people regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender, get the best jobs. And leave whatever is left for the wannabes of all races, ethnicities, male, female, who gives a damn! There times when one group of people, fill in the blank which group that is, looks a little better than other groups as far as having their members being part of what’s happening in America. That is the way freedom and private enterprise works.

Cenk Uygur made another great point and its the boy who cried wolf analogy. That real racism, is racism. When people are being denied access in life and given harsher treatment simply because of their race, that’s racism. But when you try to apply that label to anything you can think of to try to make people especially who aren’t minorities in this country, look like bigots and have no real evidence of the charge that you’re making, you become the boy, or girl who cries wolf. You end up looking worst than real bigots and sure as hell than the person that you want to look like a bigot. Its like swinging for the fences, to use a baseball analogy, when you’re a 150 pound shortstop who has never a hit a home run in your life, even in Little League. And every part of the outfield is at least 400 feet away. It doesn’t work.

The Young Turks: What Will Happen After Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid Retires?

Source:The New Democrat

It must be a slow news day if I’m blogging about the retirement of a U.S. Senator. Even Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, the most powerful Democrat in Congress and most powerful Democrat in Congress since 2005. Leader Harry Reid was President Bush’s biggest headache in Congress in President Bush’s second term. Both as Minority Leader and then as Leader of the Senate in President Bush’s last two years. A bigger headache to President Bush than his Vice President Dick Cheney and his Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. House Republicans must be throwing a big bash right now, even though a lot of them probably don’t drink, because it violates their religious beliefs. Because Leader Reid was their biggest headache the last ten years or so, not including President Obama. Because Leader Reid cold single-handily kill their agenda and their bills.

As far as who replaces Harry Reid either as Senate Minority Leader or Senate Leader in the next Congress, probably 50-50 odds right now as far as which position the next Democratic Leader will have. My choice would be the current Assistant Minority Leader Dick Durbin, whose been Leader Reid’s top deputy since Harry Reid became Senate Democratic Leader back in 2005. A strong Liberal Democrat pro-personal freedom and civil liberties leader. As well as being in favor of economic opportunity and freedom for struggling Americans. But I’m afraid the panel is right and that Chucky Wall Street will probably be the next Senate Democratic Leader. Because of all the money he raises for Democrats, because of his connections with Wall Street.

Sam Harris: Interview With Cenk Uygur

Source:The New Democrat 

What I respect about Sam Harris's Atheism is that he's the real thing. He doesn't say Christianity is horrible and should be put down, especially when radical fundamentalists are in the news doing horrible things. But then defends the right of fundamentalists Muslims when they do and say horrible things about people they do not like and defend their right to free speech and Freedom of Religion. Even when these leftist political correctness radicals probably are against Freedom of Religion.

My example of that would be Salon and their coverage of now famous Real Time With Bill Maher show  that Sam Harris and Ben Affleck were on. When Ben Affleck was defending political correctness when it comes to criticism of Muslims, but have no problem attacking Christians when they do and say things that probably most Americans not just disagree with, but even find disgusting. Salon is garbage by the way. (And that is putting it nicely ) They are not much more than a propaganda operation for the far-left in America.

If you a real Liberal and even a real Atheist, you are not going to defend the right of free speech for people you agree with as a Liberal, while trying to shut up the opposition. As we see with leftist fascists on campus that try to block right-wingers from speaking at their schools. And if you are a real Atheist, you are not going to bash one religion and say that it is evil or whatever, while you are saying another religion is perfectly normal and legitimate. One of the points of being an Atheist is that you don't believe in religion and are against religion period. Which I believe is two of the points that Sam Harris is making.

Ana Kasparian: Robert Reich- 'Reigniting the Economy'

Source:Ana Kasparian- left-wing political economist Robert Reich, talking about the American economy.

"Currently, the president is asking for Republicans to help him in finding more spending cuts and revenues. But actually, he should be focussed on jobs and growth. Robert Reich (Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, and former Labor Secretary) explains why we shouldn't fixate on the deficit, but instead on reigniting the economy -- getting jobs back, improving wages, and restoring growth. How does deficit reduction and laying more taxes on the middle class move us in the opposite direction? Robert Reich explains." 

From Ana Kasparian 

What Robert Reich seems to be arguing is that if America (meaning the national government) just spent a lot more taxpayers money and we nationalized the health care system (at least the health insurance system) that we could get the American economy moving again. And that of course deficits don't seem matter and yet keeps arguing that we need to tax the rich more. But if deficits and debt aren't big issues in America, why does Uncle Sam need more of our revenue? If deficits and debt don't matter in the American economy, wouldn't Uncle Sam just have unlimited borrowing authority to pay for all of its government spending? Of course not, but that's what the Far-Left in America always argues. 

The Young Turks: Rick Strom & Brett Erlich: Top Five Lakers of All-Time

Source:The New Democrat

You could make a very good case that both Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earvin Johnson are among the best basketball players of all time.  Kareem played most of his career for the Lakers and Magic, his whole career.  That, alone, puts them in a tie for greatest Los Angeles Laker of all time.  Then, for 3, 4 and five there are plenty of other great Lakers to choose from.

For the rest of the list, I would start with Big Game James Worthy who was a franchise caliber player in the prime of his career.  He would have been the best player on almost every other team in the NBA.  He played with the Lakers for nine seasons with Magic and seven seasons with Kareem.  He almost won games 6 and 7 against the Detroit Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals on his own and was the MVP of that Finals.

So I would go with Kareem and Magic at one without being sure who's one and who's two and then I go to Big Game James at three. Then I'm looking at Jerry West at four and then Kobe Bryant, Jerry West or Elgin Baylor at five. Shaquille O'Neal is not on my list because after he played half of his career with the Lakers, it went  almost completely downhill.  He wasn't even the best Laker of his era.  He dominated, the 2000s, a very weak era for NBA big men.  Shaq has some big strikes against him.

Jerry West and Kobe Bryant finish off my list.  Jerry's not only in the top five or ten players of all time but perhaps the best NBA general manager of all time.   He built the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s. So I would put him at four and then go to Kobe Bryant, the best all around NBA player post Michael Jordan.  He was the best player since Michael retired up until Lebron James arrived in Miami to play for the Heat. Oh, by the way, Kobe's won five NBA Finals as well and, without the injuries late in his career, he's perhaps still the best player in the NBA right now.

The Young Turks: Facial Hair Transplants: The Latest Hipster Rage

Source:The New Democrat  

People who claim to not care about what others think of them and how they look are sure as hell spending a lot of money to look a certain way. And of course they have the right to do that and I don't believe anyone is saying they don't, because it is their money and they can do whatever the hell they want to themselves as long as they are held responsible for their own decisions. But it's definitely a big contradiction, the smoking gun if you will, that hipsters are just as superficial about how they look as what I call valley people, who follow valley culture and live its lifestyle.

The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur- 'President Obama Sets Bear Trap, Republicans Walk Right Into It'

Source:The Young Turks- perhaps someone who actually watches Fox News (who isn't currently high or drunk) could tell you who these three people are.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Following President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday, where he called on Congress to end discriminatory workplace practices that "belong in a Mad Men episode" Fox News host Martha MacCallum proclaimed on the program American's Newsroom that women did not want special laws ensuring equal for equal work because they already were compensated "exactly what they're worth." On the Fox program, two men, liberal radio host Alan Colmes and Fox News host Tucker Carlson, debated equal pay for women. Carlson assertedthat women actually made more than men if the time they "voluntarily" took off work to raise children was factored in. "The numbers don't lie," he insisted...".* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down." 

From The Young Turks

The current Republican governing policy is, “if Democrats are for it, we are against it, even if we are for it, or were once in favor of it”. And even offered it in health care reform a perfect example of that where the Affordable Care Act actually has a lot of good conservative ideas like the health care mandate and the health care market place in it. Which is the main reason why there hasn’t been much compromise in Congress between the House and Senate because when Democrats say okay we’ll agree to that, the House GOP just moves the ball further to get more compromises. 

Then instead of Republicans saying okay let’s do that, Republicans just move the ball and say well, “if Democrats are willing to give us this, we can get them to give us this as well and hold off on a deal”. The deficit reduction negotiations are a perfect example of this where Democrats have put entitlement reform on the table and what Republicans is do is to say well, “if they will do that, then they’ll take exactly what type of entitlement reform we are interested in”. Like cutting Social Security benefits to future retirees or cutting benefits to current beneficiaries. 

The only goal Republicans have right now is absolute power. And to accomplish this, they need to hold onto the House and 2014 and retake the Senate in 2014. To give them a united Republican Congress and to win back the White House in 2016 as well. While hanging onto Congress and the hard right partisan Republicans in the House and Senate have one clear strategy. “If Democrats are for it, it must be a bad idea even if it is our idea. So we are only going to put policies that are as far to the right as possible to get our partisan right-wing base behind us to avoid primary challenges”.

Which leaves us with gridlock when you have the Republican Leadership saying no to anything that the Democratic Leadership especially in the Senate and White House say yes to. Because now Democrats are in a position where they are only negotiating with themselves. Trying to find more moderate members in Congress to go along with some of these more conservative ideas in broader packages, while not losing any of their more, well lets say progressive members. Instead of negotiating with their own caucus’ in the House and Senate, along with Congressional Republicans. 

The Young Turks: John Iadarola: Brian Schweitzer 2016? Will Hillary Clinton Move to The Left?

Source:The New Democrat

Brian Schweitzer is the perfect liberal alternative to Hillary Clinton because he’s an actual Liberal. And he would prevent her from running to the middle from day one and trying to convince voters to vote for her simply because she’s a women. And this would be a chance to vote for the first female president etc. And prevent her from running for president without an agenda and vision and simply trying to make the case that Democrats should simply vote for the first female president and that she’s also the most electable as well.

Brian Schweitzer would be a very strong presidential candidate because he’s a real Liberal both as it relates to personal and economic freedom. And someone with a strong record as it relates to fiscal responsibility. Eliminating the possible tax and spend label and someone who could win well in Montana for one, but outside of the Northeast and Northwest. And would put states like Indiana and North Carolina in play as well. With his ability to communicate to working class voters.

The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur: The Only Group Opposing Racial Equality

Source:The New Democrat  

Not sure if America is a center-right or center-left country and not sure how Cenk Uygur gets that. But we certainly aren’t a country that goes very far right or left even though we certainly have a Far-Right and Far-Left in this country. That at times I believe has too much power, but that is really a different discussion. But we certainly are a county that believes in a high degree of both economic and personal freedom. And a big reason why I believe Jack Kennedy, Ron Reagan and Bill Clinton were so successful as presidents politically as well, because they all believed in both of those things and connected very well with average voters.

Where I agree with Cenk Uygur is that Americans believe in things like equality of opportunity. And of course some Americans will always start off life better than others because of how they were raised. But equality of opportunity and not results which is different and a topic for another blog, is about all Americans having the opportunity to be successful in America. And that starts with education growing up that all Americans have the opportunity to go to good schools. Regardless of their parents incomes and even the ability to go to college as well. And that our low-skilled workforce has the opportunity to be successful as well with educational and job training opportunities to move up and do well in life.

So maybe Cenk is right in the sense that America is a Center-Left country. But Center-Left not being as far to the left as he would like it, but more about expanding freedom to more Americans. And having more Americans with real economic power in this country so they do not need public assistance to pay their bills. But not a country that expects government to provide a lot if not most of the services that we need to do well. Just there to see that we all have those opportunities for success in life on our own.

The Young Turks: 'Martin Luther King Was a Republican?'

Source:The Young Turks- Also in the news: Reverend's Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, have come out in favor of same-sex marriage. And have admitted to being in love with each other years. LOL

Source:The FreeState MD

"Many people talk about the "fact" that King was a Republican. It is asserted incessantly by conservatives on Twitter andelsewhere on the internet, especially in the lead up to today's 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. The claim is most prominently advanced by King's niece, Republican activist Alveda King. Over the years, conservative groups havepurchased billboards making the claim. Second, Martin Luther King Jr. was not a Republican. Or a Democrat. King was not a partisan and never endorsed any political candidate...".* Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, John Iadarola (host of TYT University and Common Room), and Dave Rubin (host of The Rubin Report) break it down on The Young Turks."

Source:The FreeState MD- Pre-1980s or so, this was correct.

From The Young Turks

Pre-1964 or so I could see why Martin King was a Republican. Lets face it, the GOP was home to an overwhelming amount of African-Americans. Because of the Civil War, the freeing of the African slaves, Abraham Lincoln, etc. And then go up to the 1950s and 60s, which party is the civil rights party? The Republican Party and their Northern Progressives, especially in Congress. Who without the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1968 Fair Housing Law doesn’t pass. Those laws would’ve not of passed in the House and Senate without Northern and Midwestern Progressive and Conservative Republicans. Like Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen.

Ideologically except for civil rights, its hard to imagine how MLK would’ve fit into the Republican Party. They did have a progressive faction, but that was about civil rights, infrastructure, environmental protection and to a certain extent the safety net for people who truly needed it. But MLK was much more social democratic in nature, especially economically and when it came to civil rights and racial equality in general. And he was a dove and non-interventionist when it came to foreign policy and national security. And consistently spoke out against the size of the American defense budget and our involvement oversees. But without putting down American serviceman and women. Unlike the New Left of the late 1960s.

I can’t imagine Dr. King as a Republican or Democrat back then and perhaps not today. Today I could see him putting down Democrats as giving up on the poor and less-fortunate over things like Welfare to Work. And not doing enough to address the income gap and eliminate what he and others see as the Military Industrial Complex and Prison Industrial Complex. If Dr. King were a Democrat today, he would’ve been a member of the Progressive Caucus and perhaps one of the leaders of Occupy Wall Street, or creating his own social democratic movement. Or perhaps not a Democrat at all and a member of the Green Party or Democratic Socialists USA. He was very Left on economic policy and when it came to national security as well, for a lot of center-left Democrats.

The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur- Bill O’Reilly: ‘The Truth About Martin Luther King Jr.’

Source:The Young Turks talking about Bill giving Dr. Martin L. King the O'Reilly Finger.

Source:FreeState MD

“Bill O’Reilly used the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have A Dream speech to attack African Americans and claim that MLK was pro-right wing. The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.”

From The Young Turks

So I guess you couldn’t have your own cable talk show, if you weren’t also a psychic and mindreader. Because apparently Bill O’Reilly has some super ability to go into dead people’s minds and read what they would think 45 years after their death. Which is apparently that Bill O’Reilly was doing about Dr. Martin Luther King. A man by the way, that Mr. O’Reilly never even met, let was able to ever talk too.

I don’t know where Bill O’Reilly gets the 75% of African-American babies being born out-of-wedlock. But he does have a point about the state of the current African-American community. And would have problems with it and disagreements with the community. And would want to see more done so this community doesn’t have more poverty, less education, fewer fathers in the households, more crime and murders and people in prison than the rest of the country as a whole.

But I guess it wouldn’t be The O’Reilly Finger, I mean Factor, if Billy wasn’t just stating the obvious and emphasizing the negative. Fifty-years after the I Have a Dream speech, fewer African-Americans now live in poverty, more go to school and finish school, graduate from college, live in the middle class. African-Americans. Still not doing as well as Caucasians, as well as Asians, regardless of ethnicity, and perhaps Latinos, again regardless of race or ethnicity. And that is still the challenge for this community to come to par with the rest of the country and not have negative statistics that are twice the average of the entire country.

To accomplish this, more African-Americans and Americans in general in poverty, need to go to good schools, finish school, further their education, not have kids until they’re personally and financially ready to take care of them and then actually raise their kids. And this get to men in the community that are man enough to create babies and life, but not man enough to raise their own kids. And leave that to the mother who isn’t doing very well herself, yet ready to raise kids all by herself.

The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur & John Iadarola: ‘Internet Porn Blocked All Over Britain’

Source:The Young Turks going off on the British ban on porn. (Pun intended)

Source:FreeState MD

“British Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday that if you want those naked moving images, you’ve got to say it. In what is being called “most dramatic step by the government to crack down on the ‘corroding’ influence of pornography on childhood,” Britain plans to make it so that every person must tell their internet provider whether or not they want to have access to pornography on their computers and smartphones.”

From The Young Turks

Just when you think government is already too big in Britain right now, now Brits can be arrested for what they do in their private time as well as being taxed up to their, let’s say shoulders (to keep this post clean) but big government statists in America must be loving this right now.

Here’s a country where big government statists on the Left and Right could live happily together, or at least find things they like about Britain. A country where people don’t have much individual freedom in their economic or personal lives.

Can’t really talk about the First Amendment, free speech and free assembly arguments about this decision in Britain. For one, I’m not a lawyer and try my damndest to not play one on TV or even online, or when I blog. Second of all, not familiar with the British free speech rights and I don’t even believe they have one. The United Kingdom is not a constitutional republic or democracy. They are a constitutional monarchy and don’t even operate under a constitutional form of government.

For all you so-called Progressives in America who in Britain would be called Social Democrats, who want us to be like them: imagine if we had their form of government, but in our country with our population. And if that is not a big enough nightmare for you, I’ll make it worst and perhaps deny you months worth of needed sleep. Imagine someone from the Christian-Right coming to power as President of the United States. Now they would be able to do this unilaterally and not even not have to consult Congress about it, but not have to worry about a constitutional court challenge.

Big government is exactly that: government that is too big. Otherwise it wouldn’t be called big government whether it comes from the Right or Left. It is government trying to micro-manage the life of their people, because they think the people are too stupid to perhaps even cross a busy street on their own and now we need federal street crossers to decide who can cross the street and when. That would be a nanny state at its extreme, but what they are doing with porn in Britain is not that far off.

The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur: 'Harry Reid Full Of Cat Shit On Filibuster Nuclear Option'

Source:The Young Turks- seriously: is this the best we can do in the U.S. Senate?

Source:FreeState MD

“… Reid said he is prepared to use the “nuclear option” should Republicans not agree to approve the seven nominees. Current rules require 67 votes to change Senate rules, but the Nevada senator’s move would allow for the change in Senate filibuster procedure with a simple majority of 51 votes.

‘I’m going to go to the floor on Tuesday and do what I need to do so this doesn’t happen anymore,’ Reid said about the potential blocking of nominees.”*

Cenk Uygur breaks it down.” 

From The Young Turks

I was watching a little of C-SPAN today before I went bike riding and went out and did what I needed to do. Why, because I’m a political junky who is interested in other things than the George Zimmerman case. And actually interested in important news that affects the country and that makes me un-American, then so be it.

C-SPAN was showing a debate in the U.S. Senate and for all of you Zimmerman trial junkies who are perhaps reading this blog by accident, thinking this was also about George Zimmerman, one turn off your TV. 

But C-SPAN is the network that covers the United States Congress and other current affairs events that are going on the country. And C-SPAN was showing an old Senate debate from 2005 when the then Senate Republican majority and the last one that they’ve had wanted to eliminate the filibuster on executive appointments. I was watching this old Senate debate and couldn’t, but help notice the hypocrisy on both sides.

If I had to guess there was more hypocrisy coming from the Republican side led by then Senate Assistant Leader Mitch McConnell. Who is now of course the Minority Leader a job he’s had since 2007 when Democrats took control of Congress. And if I had to bet there’s probably more hypocrisy coming from Senate Republicans than Democrats. But if this were some crazy contest it would be a nail biter. I mean it would be like trying to decide which is redder: or the red apple or tomato? How would you and besides why would you care?

Neither side has been very responsible here. But guess what, this is Congress and why would the Senate be responsible anyway, they don’t work for a living. Neither does the House of Representatives in too many cases as well. But the same people led by Mitch McConnell today Senator Orin Hatch and Senator Jeff Sessions all members of the Judiciary Committee and then Senate Leader Bill Frist who first proposed the so-called nuclear-option, are now saying this is a power grab by Senate Democrats and they’re the ones being unfair.

“Sure, if we do this, we’re acting in the best interest of our party, I mean country. But when the other side does it, it is a complete abuse of power and unconstitutional”. I mean seriously anyone who is actually familiar with Congress, still wondering why they have a ten-percent approval rating? And who are these ten-percent anyway? Any of them not living in mental hospitals and not in comas. Perhaps whoever does these polls, counts dead people. You know, the way they vote in Illinois, Louisiana and New Jersey.

Where do Congress people come up with these labels? “We’re saying the Democratic obstructionism is out of control. And we need to do away with the filibuster? Are now saying that: “The filibuster is a check on absolute power in America”. On the Democratic side back in 2005 led by then Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid who is now of course the Leader to go along with Senator Chuck Schumer who is also on the Judiciary Committee to go along with Senator Jack Reid, Senator Evan Bayh and others, those Democrats were saying eliminating the Senate filibuster would be a power grab.

“We’re saying that eliminating the filibuster would be an abuse of power and go against two-hundred years of Senate tradition and so-forth”. Wait, aren’t these Democrats supposed to be the Liberals, what do they care about tradition?

But now Senate Democrats are saying that: “The filibuster now represents ruling by minority. With one minority party in this case the Senate Republican Conference led by Mitch McConnell now running and having veto say on how the executive and judicial branches can now operate. When instead they are just supposed to be one voice and a minority voice at that”.

The point being that there’s enough hypocrisy and hypocritical people (to be nice) bullshit artists (to be accurate) here to form their own national club of bullshit artists. “We’re a club that creates and promotes bullshit across the country”. Apparently the agriculture sector is really struggling and then they need to create this national club, because they aren’t producing enough bullshit. Apparently Winnie the Bull is sick or something.

This club wouldn’t need any other members because all the available spaces would be filled by the United States Senate and an example of why ninety-percent of Americans dislike Congress. Because we have a lot of Senators like this. This whole Senate filibuster debate is all about “do what I say not what I do. Forget about my past record because this is what is important now and what I believe in”. They sound like your parents, right.

Which of course is the easiest near advantage that they can use against the other side and hit them as hard as they can with it until they lose power. Apparently unaware that will be used against them once they are out of power. Rather than doing what is best for the Senate and respecting the true role of the Senate as the upper chamber in Congress and its role in the Federal Government.

The Young Turks: 'Soda Ban - Kills Minority Businesses?'

Source:The Young Turks with a look at soba prohibition in Michael Bloomberg's Nanny City.

"New York City's attempt to keep people from fattening up on sugary soft drinks, by banning some of them, would disproportionately hurt small, minority-owned businesses, according to the NAACP and the Hispanic Federation.

The two groups have filed a joint brief supporting a lawsuit by the American Beverage Association in which they say New York's unelected Board of Health overstepped its power in approving the ban the sale of sugary drinks bigger than 16 ounces in certain city venues."*

The NYC soda ban was designed to improve public health, but now minority business groups say they'll be the ones losing on the plan. John Iadarola (TYT University), Desi Doyen (The Green News Report) and Lissette Padilla (TheLip.TV) discuss. " 

From The Young Turks

Imagine if soda bans, junk food bans, and somehow the radical hippie-left in America, literally took over America as part of some type of Communist revolution or something (I'm having fun with this) and big government banned meat as well. Think about all the people who would be in jail, for drinking a soda, eating a bag of potato chips, (but hopefully not the bag as well) or a cheeseburger, fried chicken, whatever it might be, could you imagine how much fun political cartoonists would have with that? 

I could see the videos and cartoons with captions now of law enforcement officers telling soda, junk food, and meat suspects with their guns pointed at them: "Put the soda down now! Don't take another sip. I'm warning you, buddy. Don't eat another chip or take another bite, or we'll stuff vegetables and pour water down your throat." 

If this would ever become national policy, (and Seattle ever ran out of coffee on the same day) we would create millions of prions inmates, out of soda drinkers and junk food eaters.

The Young Turks: Conservatism & The Republican Party: Granddaughter of Icon Barry Goldwater'

Source:The Young Turks Michael Shore talking to Barry Goldwater's daughter CC.

"Michael Shure of The Young Turks interviews CC Goldwater about her grandfather, Senator Barry Goldwater, Republican Presidential nominee in 1964.  CC Goldwater had the honor of announcing the voting results of Arizona's delegation at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC.  How would Senator Goldwater fit in to the current day's Republican Party?" 

From The Young Turks 

To answer Michael Shore's question to CC Goldwater about what's changed with the Republican Party, since her grandfather was alive and serving in the Republican Party: the Dixiecrats who were in Congress with Senator Goldwater in the 1950s and 60s, are now Republicans today. 

40-50 years ago, Dixiecrats, who were Southern, right-wing, Neo-Confederate Democrats, in the House and Senate. Those folks are Republicans today, thanks to the civil rights movement, as well as women's and gay liberation, which pushed the right-wing out of the Democratic Party and into the Republican Party, where they've been ever since.

The Young Turks: Ana Kasparian & Cenk Uygur: 'Liberal Bias? CNN Anchor Soledad O'Brien Accused by Right-Wing'

Source:The Young Turks- Soledad O'Brien & John Sununu. 

Source:The Daily Journal

“CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien struck back at critics who objected to her reading from a document printed from what they called a liberal website — yet not citing her source — while interviewing an operative for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on the topic of Medicare. O’Brien was substitute-hosting on Anderson Cooper 360 on Monday when she was seen flipping through a story from the website Talking Points Memo during a segment with Romney campaign adviser Barbara Comstock. Conservative media, most notably Rush Limbaugh, mocked the news anchor for what they perceived to be a journalistic transgression… 

From The Young Turks 

If you’ve followed the career of CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien who’s also worked at NBC News and I’m sure other places and you don’t look at it from left, or right, but you judge her career instead, especially if you look at her documentaries and panel discussions, its, pretty clear she comes at her job from a political viewpoint.

The whole series Black and Brown in America is a good example of that. I’m not saying she’s not qualified, or doesn’t do a good job, but she approaches issues from the left and would probably be better suited for being on MSNBC than CNN.

Soledad, could be the Bill O’Reilly of NBC News, who takes on people in power from both sides, but also has an ideological viewpoint. That she’s not afraid to make public, but goes after people on both sides.

To give you an example of Bill O’Reilly: back in the summer of 2003, when it was discovered that there wasn’t any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and we went to war there, based on bogus evidence (to put it nicely) O’Reilly announced he was done with President Bush. O’Reilly announced he was done with President Bush and was no longer going to carry his water for him. He goes after people on both sides, but is definitely a right-winger himself, but not a puppet.

Well, Soledad O’Brien could be that watchdog for the left and even take on leftists. When she feels she should, which I’m sure he has in the past. She could be Mike Wallace, or Ted Koppel of CNN. Someone who goes after people in power. Not to bring people down, but to hold them accountable and make them back up their argument and policies, or pay a price for it.

As far as Soledad O’Brien’s interview with John Sununu Sr..: )President H.W. Bush’s Chief of Staff, as well as former Governor of New Hampshire) I think she did a good job. Politicians don’t like to be asked anything that could put them on the defensive and get them off of their talking points. When they do interviews like this, they see their role as speaking up for the candidates they support and speaking out against the candidates they oppose. And anything that’s a tough question which is what anchors get paid to do if they are news anchors which is what Soledad is.

Good anchors put politicians on the defensive when they feel they need to, so what they do instead of answering the questions, is to respond by taking it out on the anchor. For example: “how can you ask me that question, when we should be talking about Joe Jones horrible foreign policy and my candidate’s great record at creating jobs and balancing budgets?” Or whatever.’ Soledad was quoting off of Mitt Romney’s website and wanted a response from Governor Sununu about it.

Is there a leftist bias in the media whether it’s liberal or leftist, of course there is. Just like there’s a rightist bias in the media as well coming from the Tea Party, which is why people who are interested in the news, shouldn’t put all of their eggs in one basket (so to speak) when it comes to gathering their news. And if you are a regular viewer of MSNBC or FNC, I suggest you checkout other news networks, so you can get all the truth, instead of part of it.

The Young Turks: Ana Kasparian & Cenk Uygur: Freakin Ridiculous Fine For Swearing

Source:The Young Turks- TYT Baby Girl, Ana Kasparian: freakin ticked off about the Middleborough fine for swearing. LOL

Source:The Daily Journal

"If you swear in public in Middleborough Massachusetts you can expect to be fined. Is cussing protected under free speech? Should the ACLU get involved? Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss this bullshit on The Young Turks." 

From The Young Turks 

Warning! To all of you sensitive viewers who are offended by cussing, you may want to close your eyes as you attempt to read this post. Because it may have language inappropriate for your sensitive eyes and brain.

If fining people for what they say in public (and I’m talking about what people say to each other, we obviously don’t have a constitutional right to threaten people, but that’s not what this is about) that’s not threatening especially when they are angry and have a right to be or are inpatient, if fining people for blowing off steam (to put it mildly) is not a violation of the First Amendment, the constitutional right to free speech, then the First Amendment is useless. And should be thrown out and we no longer live in a liberal democracy, but a police state.

A police state seems to be what some Americans (Left & Right) would like us to be so we can become what we say we are against and get on other countries for being. Fines for foul language, perhaps they make sense on TV, especially for kids who don’t understand that language yet. And we don’t want them cussing out their parents and teachers and that sort of thing and hopefully vice-versa, all right, I can go along with that. But fining people for what they say on the streets, even when they aren’t cussing at anyone in particular, is fucking bullshit. (And I already put out the warning so don’t get on me for that now)

For someone in my age range and generation, I don’t cuss very often. People now judge other people for how much they cuss. You’ll have a hard time finding a comedian under fifty today who doesn’t fucking cuss their ass off when performing and in general. They do it to sound cool and to be funny. For a lot of people cussing is a way of communication, that’s how they talk, you won’t find a hit fictional show on cable (and not just HBO) that doesn’t have a tone of cussing. A shit load even, (if you prefer) because they want their shows to sound cool.

Cussing is how you communicate to young people today. For me cussing is a form of expression, I cuss to express anger, or amazement. Like: “holy shit that building is huge!” Or: "Holy shit! That guy is fat!" (to use as examples) But I’m not one whose blown away by things like that very often and a pretty even-tempered guy and will say what the hell, or get the hell out of here, that sort of thing, instead of what the fuck. So when I do drop F or S Bombs, you know I meant it and not just trying to sound cool.

But just because I don’t fucking cuss my ass off on a regular basis, doesn’t mean I believe others should be fined when they do. Because that’s just plain, God Damn, fucking stupid! (Hopefully that's as repetitive as I can get) 

Is your life so fucking boring that you have to regulate what comes out of other people’s mouths, when they aren’t threatening, or libeling people, or yelling fire in a crowded place? 

Is your thumb so far of your fucking ass, you don’t have anything better to do with your time? 

That pretty much sums up how I feel about this Massachusetts so-called public decency law. 

The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur: 'DEA Head's Absurd Marijuana Testimony'

Source:The Young Turks- U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Director Michelle Leonhart, was apparently high herself when she was at this U.S. House committee hearing.

"Michele Leonhart, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, ducked a tough line of questioning from Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) on Wednesday, refusing to answer a number of questions about the comparative health impacts of marijuana and other, harder drugs.

Leonard was testifying before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Polis, a top congressional advocate for marijuana law reform, took the opportunity to grill the DEA administrator on some specifics about marijuana, which has been decriminalized in some parts of his state and legalized for medical purposes in the rest...".* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down." 

From The Young Turks

I think you are mote likely to see the Cleveland Indians win the World Series, the Detroit Lions to play in a Super Bowl, for Miami, Florida to get two weeks straight of snow in August, then you are to see or hear me agree with Cenk Uygur on anything. If he told me it was hot and sunny in Phoenix today, I check the weather report in Phoenix, Arizona, before I took his word on that. So whatever you do when you see a blue moon, the sun come out in Seattle, or an ocean that's just run out of water, because Cenk is damn right about this. 

I think Cenk's best point here is that when he said: "I don't know why Barack Obama does anything" Just for the record: I'm not a mindreader either, but I think I know why President Obama is a pro-drug warrior. He's a politician who still believes he needs the pro-War On Drugs vote (as small as it might be today) to get reelected President of the United States. You take a risk anytime you elect a career politician to do anything and one of those risks is that he'll believe his political career is more important than the right policy. But again, I'm not a mindreader either.

The Young Turks: Cenk Uygur: 'Defense Industry Wants Higher Taxes To Avoid Cut'

Source:The Young Turks- come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away. (To paraphrase The Chairman of The Board Frank Sinatra) How about we fly away from Washington and move to the real world instead.

"The very real possibility that defense programs will suffer deep, across the board spending cuts early next year has major defense contractors and their allies making an unusual plea to members of Congress: Put everything on the table to avoid the so-called sequester — including higher taxes.

That might not sound like an extraordinary ask. But it's typical for incumbent interests to leave all questions of ways and means to Congress. And given the defense industry's enormous power and historic alignment with the GOP, it could have enough force to finally break the GOP of its anti-tax absolutism...".* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down." 

From The Young Turks

This doesn't surprise me. There are plenty of Neoconservatives, who used to be center-right Democrats in the 1970s and 80s, who are now center-right Republicans, who've always put national security over tax policy, including lower taxes on everyone, to make sure that the defense budget is always as high as they want it to be. Higher taxes are never their preferred option, but they would take that, if it's the only way they can preserve their giant sized, American defense budget. If Cenk Uygur knew anything about Neoconservatives and neoconservatism, perhaps he wouldn't be flipping out so much over this.