Monday Mash Up

We won't have Mitt Romney to kick around anymore.  And I, for one, am freakin' grateful. 

I think everyone knows what happened last night.

And Punxatawney Phil sees his shadow, forecasting 6 more weeks of winter.   As one who lives in the Northeast which is, again, getting pounded by snow, I say "No shit, Sherlock."

Be Still "i Heart"

As a former radio sales person, manager and broadcast devotee for 28 years, Clear Channel Radio is, to me, a dirty word name.  The original "one size fits all" radio station conglomerate led the way in the destruction of original radio programming, unique on air voices, the promotion of new artists while defining radio formats as narrowly as possible and depriving listeners and advertisers of diversity.  Additionally, their hate mongering syndicated radio voices,  Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity have been a consistent source of revenue...until recently.

iHeart Radio or iHateRadio? Fans ‘Rush Out’ After Seeing Limbaugh Ad In Their FB Newsfeed  Liberals Unite   8/22/14

Clear Channel Radio was one of the first conglomerates to gobble up huge market shares of radio stations in major and middle size markets across the U.S, thanks to the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  Clear Channel squeezed the life out of live broadcasting by reducing the 24/7 live radio broadcast to a handful of pre-recorded dee-jay voiceovers that simulated a live broadcast.   Program Directors, once the heartbeat of  most radio stations began to go the way of the dinosaur.  They were primarily responsible for the sound, the look, the style and unique individuality of a station through their choices in music, on air personalities and promotional approaches.  Corporate cost-cutting relegated PDs to regional jobs or market jobs (1 guy for multiple stations) and disc jockeys to .  Do you ever wonder why no matter where you travel in the U.S. all  formatted stations sound the same?   Do you miss the great jazz stations, classical stations, news stations?  They weren't profitable enough.  They had to go.

It should be noted since 2006, Clear Channel has been co-owned by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital Partners & thomas H. Lee Partners.  Remember, "corporations are people, my friend."

The company, which has laid off thousands of employees in recent years, announced that it would move to more centralized programming and lay off 1,500 employees, or approximately 7% of its workforce, on January 20, 2009. The reasoning was bleak economic conditions and debt from its transition to a private company.^[37] Later on January 20, the company said that the total count of employees to be terminated would be 1,850, or 9%.
Between January and May 2009 Clear Channel eliminated 2,440 positions.^[38] On May 20, 2009, Clear Channel announced an initiative to help its radio station listeners who are seeking employment to market their skills and unique features on the air to attract the attention of employers with available positions.^{[39]   Wikipedia}

Clear Channel has been steadily losing ad revenue and market share in their brick and mortar stations thanks to contracts with the above-mentioned broadcasters, particularly since Rush Limbaugh's  malicious attack on Georgetown student Sandra Fluke in 2012 resulted in a "Boycott Rush" campaign. 

Apparently, people are continuing to boycott, complain and condemn the man for his wretched tactics and Clear Channel Media lost $309.2 million in 4th Q 2013.

With a song in my heart, that makes me feel good.

Tuesday Funnies

I admit, I am sick of politics right now.  But here's a nod to the issues at hand. 

 Grover Norquist is a bug I'd like to squash

 OMG will these 3 STFU?  Kelly Ayotte is a complete moron and she's
OUR moron in N.H.  The only elected Republican in an all female field of Dems.

We all wonder if it went down like this.

I'm Baaaaccckkk!

And I can't resist...

Call from the Voting Booth

 My younger son just called to ask for help deciding how to vote on three amendments to the state constitution.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"In the voting booth", he replied, rather nonchalantly.

"I don't think you're allowed to do this!"  I suddenly felt uneasy.

His response, "I don't care."

He proceeded to read each amendment to me twice. Why?  Because these friggin amendments, propositions etc are written and meant to be hard to understand.  I realized, while straining as he read sotto voce, how ridiculous it is to deal with this crap.  For years, voters have struggled to understand the purposely convoluted amendments and propositions that are barely understandable, let alone clearly defined.  Hell, I voted on them 3 weeks ago and did not recognize two out of the three.  

My sons drove their 85 year old grandma to the polls so she could vote.  They voted.  They took an interest, albeit at their father's and my strong influence.  But, so what?  My manicurist is in her mid thirties and she says she never votes because it "won't make any difference" and neither party cares about her.  How sad is that?

Former Governor Howard Dean is on MSNBC talking about voter harassment and suppression at certain polls in PA.  His cousin was pressured to show his I.D. to people acting as part of the polling process who had been previously legally enjoined by the court from doing this very thing.   I can't imagine what I'd say or do if someone were to confront me about my identification.

Then there's the 6,000,000 electronic voting machines in use around the country, some of which are owned by Tagg Romney.  No conflict of interest there!

Scary stuff.

I'm starting to think "We're gonna win" ...

 

AND...

Who Calls the Shots on a Woman's Right to Choose?

While I realize abortion is not THE primary concern nationally, it is important to women, myself included and it is important in the battleground aka "swing" states.  

On October 22, Gallup reported, "Abortion was the top issue named by women voters in 12 key swing states as 'the most important issue.p for women in this election,' according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. By contrast, 1% of women and less than 1% of men, nationally, consider it the most important problem facing the nation."

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matt-hadro/2012/10/23/new-gallup-poll-shreds-cnns-speculation-women-abortion-and-gop#ixzz2AEKFzeFJ

Abortion rights, a woman's right to choose, the Roe v Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court don't seem to matter to the men running for office.  Paul Ryan is pro-Life, conceding only to Mitt Romney's less radical position because Romney, not Ryan, is the Presidential candidate. If Ryan becomes president, all bets are off.  After the Biden/Ryan debate, the Washington Post had this to say: 

But the position Ryan articulated Thursday — “the policy of a Romney administration will be to oppose abortions with the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother” — is different from Ryan’s earlier position of no abortions, except possibly in cases where mother’s life was endangered.

Todd Akin...hoo boy, we know his story. He's reduced his lead in the state of Missouri to a virtual tie with incumbent Claire McCaskill.

And then there's THIS guy.    

Candidate Romney was for him before he was against him.  Sound familiar?

"All Over the Map"...and the Internet

THIS makes me uncomfortable.

Romney Family Investment Ties To Voting Machine Company That Could Decide The Election Causing Concern

And THIS makes me laugh.

http://www.romneytaxplan.com/


And, after last night's debate, you're gonna see plenty of THIS

Romney had best get out the "horses and bayonets" because with a Defense Spending Plan like his, THIS is all we'll be able to afford.

Debate Highlight Moment

Romney showed his willingness to say anything to win including lying to the American people about his position on the issues and his sudden departure from his previously hawkish positions on foreign policy and military intervention. President Obama gave him his comeuppance in one entertaining moment. Rachel Maddow called Romney a "shameless shape shifter". It might be funny if it weren't so damn scary.

Binders Full of Broads? Please proceed...

Yeah.  I was offended.  But Romney's debate response to helping women succeed in the work place illustrates his total lack of interest in what was, by that time, no longer a movement.  Women were breaking glass ceilings, albeit slowly.  Somehow, as Governor, he missed that.   

Oh, and, by the way, he LIED about seeking out those women.

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Democalypse 2012 - The Second Debate*: Now Including the President - Binders of Women
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As much as this debate tied my stomach in knots with its lack of decorum, rude gestures, lack of respect towards the Office of the President if not the man.  I longed for it to be over.

Then came the great faux pas.

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10/17/12 in :60 Seconds
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Some things just get better with repetition.

Big Bird & the Political Theatre of Presidential Politics

While I was disappointed in the President's debate performance last night, I was also surprised by the over-the-top reaction of the "talking heads" on both sides of the political spectrum.  I actually thought the Democratic leaning press were more critical than the Republican leaning press who seemed elated and relieved.

Before I fell into a stupor, I perked up when Romney said the following:

He said to moderator Jim Lehrer, who works for PBS: “I’m sorry, Jim. I’m going to the stop the subsidy to PBS. I’m going to stop other things. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you, too. But I’m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it.”  Washington Post  10-4-12

I was surprised he said this.  I was surprised because it was coyly defiant; a slap in the face, really to the moderator and, possibly, many undecideds who grew up on or raised their children on Sesame Street.

While criticisms of Obama's such as "listless" and "he looked as though he didn't want to be there" are accurate, they don't address the substance of the debates.  I heard a politico on NHPR this morning say he thought Romney looked "amped".  A Massachusetts caller who teaches public speaking and body language, thought Romney showed "agitation" while the President appeared "calm".  In the end, it was theatre.

... it seems to me Romney thrived in large part because he abandoned the pretense of honesty. And as it turns out, winning a debate is surprisingly easy when a candidate decides he can say anything and expect to get away with it.

Romney told viewers his proposed $5 trillion tax cut isn't really his proposed $5 trillion tax cut. He suggested he could eliminate a $1 trillion deficit by going after Big Bird. He said his non-existent health care plan protects those with pre-existing conditions when in reality the exact opposite is true. He cited trumped up "studies" from far-right ideologues as if they're legitimate, assuming the public won't know the difference. He said a deficit that's shrunk has actually "doubled."   The Maddow Blog 10-4-12

All in all, it may be best summed up with the following cartoon seen on the internet today.

GOP National brand "a mess"...

If the latest swing state polls are to be believed, President. Barack Obama has New Hampshire sewn up.

He is also significantly ahead nationally.

This morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe,  Chuck Todd asserted  the GOP brand is "a mess" and Romney's campaign is scrambling to spin the increasing loss of support.   Eugene Robinson's op-ed today in the Washington Post addresses the President's ever widening lead in the pending election:

Conservative activist circles are abuzz with a new conspiracy theory: Polls showing President Obama with a growing lead over Mitt Romney are deliberately being skewed 

Romney's campaign is the screwiest I've ever seen.  I think I preferred McCain/Palin's.  At least that was entertaining.  This is just sad.

And to think I voted for Ross Perot in 1992!

Team Coco vs Team Ryan

My husband asked the same question as Conan O'Brien at the end of this video.

The Emperor Has No Clothes

I keep thinking it can't get any worse in the Romney campaign...and then it does.

The Great White Hope

Wow. There just are no words for the display of hubris.

FOX NEWS Rejects Christie Speech

This is interesting. FOX NEWS commentator Chris Wallace criticizes RNC keynote speaker, NJ Gov. Chris Christie's self -involved address to the RNC.   Having watched it, I agree.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/29/chris-christie-fox-news_n_1839972.html

Republicans Ignore Women's Issues at Their Peril

Women on the airwaves are PISSED!  They are all over the moronic comments of Rep. Todd Akin (R: MO) yesterday regarding abortion for "legitimate rape" victims.

The good side of this?  Claire McCaskill, whom most pundits   said was in the "fight of her political career" now has a great chance to win re-election.                                                                                                      **********

Next we have Republican members of the House of Representatives carousing in the Sea of Galilee involving drinking and nudity:

A group of House Republicans were reprimanded last August for taking a late-night swim in Israel's Sea of Galilee that reportedly involved drinking and nudity. As Politico reported Sunday night, a number of Republican lawmakers on a fact-finding trip to Israel were involved in the incident, including Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), Steve Southerland (R-Fla.), Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), Tom Reed (R-N.Y.), Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.). Some spouses, family members, and staffers were also present. According to the report, Yoder took off his clothes before entering the reservoir, which the Bible cites as the place where Jesus walked on water.  Huffington Post 08-20-12

Gotta love those awesome junkets abroad.                                                                                         ********* The Donald weighs in on women in general "not getting what's going on" when it comes to President Obama. In his usual subtle delivery, he states his case:

Can you imagine being married to this guy?  Or working for him?  Every time I hear him speak and look at his hair, all I can think is "What a douchebag."  It's ever so much more descriptive than "asshole".

President Obama is currently giving an impromptu press conference as I type this.  His comment when asked his thoughts on Akin's "legitimate rape" response.

Obama: "We shouldn't have a bunch of politicians - a bunch of whom are men - making health-care decisions for women"  MSNBC  08/20/12

Yeah.  Tell that to Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and the GOP in general.  

JUST RELEASED:  NBC/WSJ POLL:   Obama 56% vs Romney 39%  with WOMEN

Romney Ryan...nuff said

It’s here — in Ryan’s views and policy judgments — we find the true ideologue. More than any other politician today, Paul Ryan exemplifies the social Darwinism at the core of today’s Republican Party: Reward the rich, penalize the poor, let everyone else fend for themselves. Dog eat dog.  
Robert Reich "The Ryan Choice"





For more on Paul Ryan's budget:  http://www.barackobama.com/romney/ryan/

Mitt & the Courage of his Convictions

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Principaled Elizabeth Warren Not Afraid to Take A Stand

“It’s clear where President Obama stands and it’s just as clear where Mitt Romney stands,” a steely Warren told the crowd.

“No, Mitt, corporations are not people,” she deadpanned, referencing Romney’s comment from the Iowa State Fairgrounds last summer, when he explained “corporations are people, too.”

“People have hearts. They have kids. They get jobs. They get sick. They love and they cry and they dance. They live and they die,” she said. “Learn the difference.”