Nebraska is special

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Olbermann: Fox ’slime machine’ promotes Nebraska base closing rumor

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Olbermann: Sarah Palin rhetoric putting nation at risk

Before watching the video please read Sarah Palin’s “Statement on the Current Health Care Debate” posted on Facebook, 7 August 2009.

 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Paul Krassner: "Who's to say what's obscene?"

Paul Krassner: Who's To Say What's Obscene? from DANGEROUS MINDS on Vimeo.
Via Boing Boing

Ridiculous

Dear MoveOn member,

This is ridiculous. The media has been obsessing about President Obama's plan to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans—from 35% to 39.6%—even asking if that makes him a socialist.¹

But do you know what tax rate the wealthiest Americans paid on the top portion of their earnings at the end of Ronald Reagan's first term? 50%.

Under Richard Nixon? 70%. Under Dwight Eisenhower? 91%!

Shocking, right?

And for all the whining about rolling back Bush's irresponsible tax cuts, the truth is that Obama's plan cuts taxes for 95% of working Americans. Further, it closes huge tax loopholes for oil companies, hedge funds and corporations that ship jobs overseas so that we can invest in the priorities that will get our economy back on track.²

We saw a great chart in The Washington Monthly³ that shows just how absurd Republican complaints about Obama's budget are. Check it out and pass it on:

Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Eli, Laura, Matt and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "A socialist? Obama calls back to insist no," The International Herald Tribune, March 8, 2009
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/08/america/barack.php

2. "Tax Cuts," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-tax.html

3. "Soaking the Rich (Redux)," The Washington Monthly, March 8, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51234&id=15734-5548613-gzmXQjx&t=2

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

---

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to Michael Sauers on March 13, 2009.

Keen meets Godwin

Andrew Keene is the author of The Cult of the Amateur and someone who is convinced that Web 2.0 is leading to the end of civilization as we know it.

(Mike) Godwin's Law: "As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

Keene's recent article in The Daily Beast:

Imagine if today’s radically unregulated Internet, with its absence of fact checkers and editorial gatekeepers, had existed back then. Imagine that universal broadband had been available to enable the unemployed to read the latest conspiracy theories about the Great Crash on the blogosphere. Imagine the FDR-baiting, Hitler-loving Father Charles Coughlin, equipped with his “personalized” YouTube channel, able, at a click of a button, to distribute his racist message to the suffering masses. Or imagine a marketing genius like the Nazi chief propagandist Josef Goebbels managing a viral social network of anti-Semites which could coordinate local meet-ups to assault Jews and Communists.

Mr. Keen, please, please go away your arguments have officially lost any merit due to Reductio ad Hitlerum.

Prop 8: The Musical

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Keith Olberman on Prop 8

Obama wins one electoral vote in Nebraska

Nebraska politics.. In the words of Hunter S. Thompson: when the going gets weird, the weird go pro.

Did you know that Nebraska has a unicameral legislature? In other words, there’s just the Senate, no house. (To me it makes sense (I almost wrote a paper on it in college) but that’s a completely different post.) Also, we’re one of just two states that splits it’s electoral votes. (The other one is Maine.) Thing is, it’s never happened before in the history of the state! This evening it was announced that John McCain got four, and Barack Obama got one.

How does it work? Let me see if I can explain it.

Step one: The winner of the popular vote for the state gets two electoral votes.

Step two: The winner in each of our three congressional districts gets one electoral vote for each district they won.

In the past, the man who won the whole state did so by winning all three congressional districts. This time John McCain won just two of the three districts. So, he got four, and Obama got the other one.

My only disappointment is that I live in one of the other two congressional districts.

Palin Punk'd by Fake French President Sarkozy

Dance off!

Robots Attack!

Obama campaign goes viral

Actually, in this case they used a video that previously went viral online and adapted it to their needs. I’ve got to say, it’s but amusing and creative.

Sarah Palin, Guardian of the Northern Frontier

A Keith Olberman Special Comment

From last night:

Maybe in Ohio, but not in America!

Don’t Vote!

The "Defending Marriage" Song, By Roy Zimmerman

JFK on the separation of Church and State

Play:

Download the MP3

Lessig on McCain's Technology Plan

Barack's VP: Be the First to Know

Dear Michael --

Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign -- choosing a running mate.

You have helped build this movement from the bottom up, and Barack wants you to be the first to know his choice.

Sign up today to be the first to know:

http://my.barackobama.com/vp

You will receive an email the moment Barack makes his decision, or you can text VP to 62262 to receive a text message on your mobile phone.

Once you've signed up, please forward this email to your friends, family, and coworkers to let them know about this special opportunity.

No other campaign has done this before. You can be part of this important moment.

Be the first to know who Barack selects as his running mate.

Thanks,
David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Paid for by Obama for America

FCC votes to punish Comcast for violating Net Neutrality

A reposted e-mail:

Dear Michael,

The FCC just voted to punish Comcast for violating Net Neutrality

Join the Open Internet Movement

Your hard work is paying off! Just one hour ago, the Federal Communications Commission voted to punish Comcast for violating Net Neutrality and blocking your right to do what you want on the Internet.

This win is yours. Defying every ounce of conventional wisdom in Washington, activists, bloggers, consumer advocates and everyday people have taken on a major corporation and won.

Today's vote at the FCC is also a precedent-setting victory that sends a powerful message to phone and cable companies that blocking access to the Internet will not be tolerated from this time forward.

News of this win is now being covered by every major news outlet as a turning point for Net Neutrality. Many more people are discovering our people-powered movement for a free and open Internet.

We need to capitalize on this momentum to grow the movement and ensure that Net Neutrality is protected on all 21st-century networks. Help us send a message to this Congress -- and the next one:

Join the Internet Freedom Movement: Stand Up and Be Counted

In the past two years, more than 1.6 million of you have already contacted Congress and the FCC. But that's not all. You have sacrificed time and energy speaking out at town meetings, collecting signatures on street corners and on campuses, and spreading the word via blogs, Facebook and house parties.

With your help today, signing this letter and forwarding it to friends, we can increase our ranks to more than 2 million.

Today's FCC victory is a milestone, but our work is far from done. Companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon are continuing to fight Net Neutrality using lobbyists, lawyers and campaign contributions. These special interests should not be allowed to set Internet policy for the nation.

Tell Congress: Keep the Internet Open for Everyone

The Internet's true greatness lies in those of us who use its level playing field to challenge the status quo, create and share new ideas, take part in our democracy and connect with others around the world -- without permission from any gatekeepers.

With your help and commitment, today's win will be just the first of many to protect innovation, free speech and democracy on the Internet.

Thank you!

Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
www.savetheinternet.com

P.S. Help us spread the word about this important victory for Net Neutrality. Tell your friends and join SavetheInternet on Facebook and MySpace.

P.P.S. Want to learn more about this historic ruling by the FCC? Check out these great articles:

1. Historic Victory for Net Neutrality, at SavetheInternet.com

2. Comcast Unleashes the Lap Dogs, at Huffington Post

3. Kevin Martin’s Open Network Manifesto, at the New York Times

4. Adelstein and Copps: Voices at the FCC for a Free and Open Internet, at the Huffington Post

---

Take action on this important campaign at: http://free.convio.net/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=277

Tell your friends about this campaign at: http://free.convio.net/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1161

 

Guess who

Q: But do you go on line for yourself?

A: They go on for me. I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don't expect to be a great communicator, I don't expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need - including going to my daughter's blog first, before anything else.

Read The Huffington Post for the answer.

"Librarians are trained democracy superheroes"

Update: MSNBC's Countdown has picked up the librarian ejected from McCain event story.

John McCain kicks librarian out of town hall event

Thanks dad.

Obama’s FISA opportunity

Here's Keith Olbermann's special comment from last night:

Barack Obama on Religion and Scripture

Clinton, you invoked a nightmare

Keith Olberman's latest special comment

Tonight's Keith Olberman Special Comment

Read the transcript at MSNBC.com.

Moyers on Wright

Bill Moyers reflects on his interview with Reverend Jeremiah Wright. (Sorry, the video isn't readily embeddable.)

Obama on Countrywide Financial

Lessig @ UPenn 4 Barack

Clinton pwned by girl in 3AM ad

Lawrence Lessig launches "Change Congress" and makes another announcement

You'll have to watch the video to find out.

Keith Olbermann Special Comment ‘We will NOT fear George W. Bush!’

via RawReplay

My Congressman doesn't accept e-mail any more

I was on a Web site which allowed me to send what was basically a form-letter in opposition to a bill to my Congressman. I added a few lines of my own, put in my name and address and clicked send. Very simple, very easy. Well, here's the response I got:

Dear Friend,
Thank you for contacting me!  It is important to hear from you about the issues facing the First District of Nebraska. 
In order to better serve you, I am redirecting all e-mail correspondence to my official website at http://fortenberry.house.gov.  This is an unattended e-mail box.  On my website you will find information regarding Constituent Services such as assistance with federal agencies, Washington D.C. tours, and flag requests.   
You will also be able to access links directly to all of the legislation that I have sponsored and cosponsored while I have been in office, as well as to my voting record as your Representative.  Additionally, my website provides resources on issues important to the First District of Nebraska such as strengthening national security, creating small business and rural economic opportunity, and promoting family life and culture.
Should you still wish to email me, please use the webform located on my website.  I sincerely appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the United States House of Representatives and my goal is to individually respond to each email (or letter or fax) in a timely manner.  Due to the often complex nature of the issues and the volume of mail and e-mail I receive, please allow 4-5 weeks to receive a written response to your inquiry.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me again using the above link if you have additional concerns regarding a federal matter. 
Sincerely,
Jeff Fortenberry
Member of Congress

Well, isn't that special?

So basically, in order to "better serve" me, I'm forced to go to a particular Web site in order to voice my opinion and not be able to participate in e-mail campaigns without having to take several extra steps. Thanks Jeff.

Keith Olbermann is my hero!

Nixon reincarnated

He's sounding more like Richard Nixon ever day. Now Bush is claiming executive privilege on documents.

Apple 1984 commercial remix

I'm not getting into politics here. I'm not supporting a particular candidate at the moment. However, I have to share this video supporting Obama (though the Obama campaign denies they had anything to do with it,) just due to its creativity for those that remember the classic Apple commercial.

RIP Pandora

Pandora is dead due the the recently new (retroactive no less) Internet radio royalty rates. As Doc Searls put it:

"In a move that recalls the Vogons' decision to destroy Earth to clear the way for a highway bypass through space (a thankfully fictional premise of Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), the judges comprising the Copyright Royalty Board have decided to destroy the Internet radio industry so the Recording Industry won't be inconvenienced by something it doesn't know, like or understand."

Why Mommy is a Democrat

I worry when the principles of any political party can be reduced to the level of a 4 year-old.

Porn at my hometown library

Yes, folks, it's happening again. Another local TV station has done an "undercover investigation" (video available through the link) to catch people looking at porn in the library. (I grew up in a Rochester suburb and used the library in question regularly so that's why I'm posting this story.) What makes this story extra interesting is that County Executive Maggie Brooks is now threatening to cut $7.5M in funding unless the library changes its policy. The policy is the one that was upheld by the Supreme Court under CIPA in which filters are installed but are turned off for anyone 17 and older without being asked why. (It is not clear whether the library is required to follow CIPA or is just doing it anyway.) Because of this the ACLU has criticized Ms. Brooks stating “What real significant difference is there between denying an adult patron access to these sites and denying patrons access to Catcher in the Rye?” The most interesting part of all this, which isn't mentioned in any of the articles: Ms. Brooks used to be a reporter (even an anchor if I recall correctly) for the TV station that started all this. I smell a setup.

Al Franken's running for a US Senate seat

Here's the story of why, from Al himselk.