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From the blogs

The Lesson in the Heath-Care Vote

Why changing the media narratives and forcing Democrats to use liberal rhetoric and reject right wing framing is as important to the process as anything else

Neo-Nazis Protest Immigration in Phoenix, Get Out-shouted by Reasonable People Who Came to Protest Them

by Byard Duncan, AlterNet

A legion of "counter-protesters" overwhelmed the Nazis.

Lieberman Pledges To Filibuster Healthcare Bill, Says Public Option Is "Unnecessary"

by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress

Lieberman calls it a "matter of conscience."

Going Extreme: Demint Says Recruiting Electable Moderates "Doesn't Make Any Sense"

by Jed Lewison, Daily Kos

You thought only the left formed up into circular firing squads.

House of Representatives Passes Health-Care Reform Bill in Historic Vote

by Adele Stan, AlterNet

With the vote of a single Republican, Democrats passed the Affordable Health Care Act for America.

Anti-Woman Amendment to Health Care Passes House

by Adele Stan

The Stupak amendment -- an anti-choice measure that could virtually eliminate insurance coverage for abortion -- will be attached to the health-care reform bill.

House Takes Up-or-Down Vote on Stupak Amendment, Threatening Women's Rights

by RH Reality Check, RH Reality Check

The House leadership bows to anti-choice congressmen, allowing them a vote on an anti-choice amendment to the health-care bill.

Video: Tancredo Storms Off MSNBC Set, "Insulted" by Markos Moulitsas

by Adele Stan, AlterNet

The former Colorado congressman demanded an apology from Moulitsas for reference to his Vietnam War deferment.

The Ugly Politics of Mass Killings

by Steve M., No More Mister Nice Blog

Where's the liberal cover-up?

Palin Getting Paranoid? Alaska Quit-Bull Bans Laptops, Cell-Phones During Speech

by Staff, AlterNet

A national candidate?

10 of the Nuttiest Statements Elected Officials Have Made in the Health Care Battle

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. November 7, 2009.
Wild, over-the-top rhetoric and bizarre conspiracy theories about health reform aren't just coming from the right-wing blogs and talk-radio loudmouths.

Obama's First Year: It Ain't No Crystal Staircase

Robert L. Borosage, Campaign for America's Future. November 7, 2009.
Obama will increasingly have to choose -- whether to hold to his vision and raise the stakes, or compromise his vision to cut the deal.

What Michelle and Barack's Marriage Has in Common with 56 Million Other Ones

Annabelle Gurwitch, AlterNet. November 7, 2009.
The first couple has tried to preserve their "date night tradition." So have my husband and I.

Falwell Power Play: Jerry's Liberty University Students Grease the Partisan Political Machine in Virginia

Joseph L. Conn, Church and State. November 6, 2009.
Falwell spent months developing the students at his university into a Republican voting bloc. But was what he did legal?

Why Congress' Health Care Bills Are Better Than You Think

Maggie Mahar, Health Beat. November 6, 2009.
The health care bills wending through Congress are getting a bad rap. And the major culprit is the Congressional Budget Office, and its chief, Doug Elmendorf.

Thousands of Right-Wingers Rally at Capitol to Hear Lies About Health Care Reform, Courtesy of Bachmann and GOP Leaders

Adele Stan, AlterNet. November 6, 2009.
Days before a health bill is expected to pass the House, Republicans rallied their flock with the help of Fox News, Michele Bachmann and leading conservative groups.

Former Worker's Confession: "I Was Hired to Stand in the Way of Health Care Reform"

Robert Greenwald, Sick for Profit. November 5, 2009.
Hi, I'm Andy Cobb and I did all the damage I could being a spokesjerk for Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Republicans and Democrats Come Together to Launch Unprecedented Attack on International Law

Stephen Zunes, AlterNet. November 5, 2009.
This is George W. Bush's foreign policy legacy, which — through this resolution — the Democrats, no less than their Republican counterparts, have now eagerly embraced.

30 Hours Clashing with Corporate Lobbyists on a White House Committee Showed Me How Hard "Change" Really Is

Sarah Anderson, Foreign Policy in Focus. November 5, 2009.
The "cow-boy" model of capitalism has failed dramatically, but corporate America still wants to roam the planet free of regulation.

Why Unemployment Is More Important Than Health-Care Reform

Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Blog. November 5, 2009.
Has Obama spent too much political capital on health-care reform, and not enough on keeping families afloat in a flailing economy?

Is the Right-Wing Tea Party Kettle Starting to Losing Its Steam?

Stephanie Mencimer, Mother Jones. November 5, 2009.
What if they gave a Tea Party and nobody came? Michele Bachmann and company promised a barrage of protest calls to the Capitol but, so far, things are kind of quiet.

Want to Save Our Economy from Almighty Greed? Here Are 10 Crucial Fights and Key Fighters to Watch

Zach Carter, AlterNet. November 5, 2009.
If the economic crisis taught us anything, it's that bringing to heel the whiz kids of finance is a top priority.

"Pro-Israel" Group's Money Trail Veers Hard Right

Eli Clifton, IPS News. November 4, 2009.
StandWithUs, a pro-Israel group known for challenging the credentials of more moderate Israel lobbyists, has accepted contributions from a slew of hard-right beneficiaries.

The Execution of a Potentially Innocent Man Less Scandalous Than an Affair?

Michelle Goldberg, The American Prospect. November 4, 2009.
There's something really rotten in the state of Texas.

U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Are Burning Copies of the Koran? Are We Really That Stupid?

Abdullah Obaidi, Asia Times. November 4, 2009.
According to villagers, several U.S. soldiers burned Korans when they couldn't locate insurgents they believed had blown up part of their convoy.

A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Johnny Cash's Political Roots

Sarah Jaffe, Global Comment. November 3, 2009.
Antonino D'Ambrosio, the author of "A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of "Bitter Tears," " talks about the intersections of politics and pop.

5 Key Fights We Face Against the Insurance Industry in the Push for Better Health Care

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. November 3, 2009.
There's momentum to repair our fractured health care system -- but activism is desperately needed to keep the process honest.

Our Produce-or-Die Culture Is Killing Us -- And We're Idiotically Grinning and Bearing It

Joe Bageant, JoeBageant.com. November 3, 2009.
We've been reduced to "human assets" in a relentless economic machine. And we can't even complain: appearing cheerful is vital when all of life is monitored by an employer.

We Need Smart Solutions to Our Long Jobs Crisis

Dean Baker, AlterNet. November 2, 2009.
All the projections show that the unemployment rate is likely to continue to rising for the immediate future and remain high for years to come.

Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Movement Are at War With the GOP

Adele M. Stan, AlterNet. November 2, 2009.
Just as the GOP candidate has for more than 100 years, Dede Scozzafava was supposed to win the congressional seat in New York's 23rd district. Then Palin stepped in.

The Obstacles to Real Health-Care Reform

Mark Schmitt, The American Prospect. October 31, 2009.
How a series of roadblocks and compromises shaped the health-care debate -- and why the battle doesn't end when Obama signs a bill.

Glenn Beck Peddles Populism for Rich Guys

Brad Reed, Commonweal Institute. October 31, 2009.
The Fox News shock jock weaves a tale of wealthy elites who are victims of tyrannical government hell-bent on taking their hard-earned money.

The Right Isn't Only Trying to Take Down ACORN, It's Got a 25-Year Project to 'Defund' the Left

Muriel Kane, Raw Story. October 31, 2009.
GOP Rep. Michele Bachman may have revealed more than she intended when she recently crowed that the attacks on ACORN were just the start of a campaign to "defund the left."

Senator Sanders Unfiltered: Environment + Economy = Harmony

Sen. Bernie Sanders. October 30, 2009.
At http://sandersunfiltered.com you can get Senator Sanders weekly 5 minute show free in your inbox

Top 10 Reasons Why Republicans Should Support the House Health Bill

Igor Volsky, The Wonk Room. October 30, 2009.
The House health-care bill does much of what Republicans said they wanted. So they've launched a disinformation campaign. Rep. Mike Pence was first out of the gate.

Pelosi Unveils a Ground-Breaking Health Care Plan -- Will Senate Dems Follow Her Lead?

Adele Stan, AlterNet. October 30, 2009.
Majority Leader Harry Reid has said the Senate bill will have a public option, but now it's time to walk the walk.

Right-Wingers in Congress Love Their Own Govt.-Run Health Care, But They Hate Sharing It

Jim Hightower, Creators Syndicate. October 29, 2009.
Members of Congress and their families are blessed with their very own gold-plated, taxpayer-financed, Washington-run health care system.

Elie Wiesel's Shocking Stage Appearance With Mad Preacher and Anti-Semite John Hagee

Max Blumenthal, AlterNet. October 29, 2009.
The controversial Christian right figure baselessly trashed Obama, and Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Wiesel calls him "dear pastor." What gives?

FOX's Political Witch Hunt Against ACORN Exposed

Robert Greenwald, DeFox America. October 28, 2009.
Video: Laying bare Fox News' agenda, clearly aimed at destroying the Obama administration and the progressive movement.

Why Won't Obama Send Condolence Letters to the Parents of Soldiers Who Have Committed Suicide?

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. October 28, 2009.
The bereaved parents of Chancellor Keesling, a US soldier who took his own life in Iraq, wonder why the death of their son is treated differently than other mortalities.

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