Conservatives

Can’t We Have An Honest Conversation About Unemployment? (Accountability)

November 18, 2011 by Kenneth

The answer seems to be “no.” Widespread reporting was issued today on the fact that Florida’s unemployment rate fell from 10.6 percent to 10.3 percent, the lowest number in 28 months. We knew the governor, the Chamber and other conservatives would spin this as an amazing feat of conservative policies and treat it like it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.

It isn’t. A closer look at the details show this isn’t good at all, particularly in context, and that the glowing media coverage of the number shows a basic misunderstanding of the numbers in question. Four key articles on the story are:

The Alan Grayson Moneybomb

November 7, 2011 by Kenneth

If you are reading this, there is a real good chance you’re on Alan Grayson‘s e-mail list. If so, you’ve been inundated in the last day or so with e-mails from all kinds of people asking you to give Grayson money as part of his moneybomb. I don’t if they send all of these e-mails to all of their list, since I might be getting more e-mails than others (I often end up on press lists), but I got e-mails from: Grayson himself (twice), Bill Maher, DFA’s Charles Chamberlain, Ralph Nader, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Rep. Raul Grijalva (twice), actor Esai Morales, and probably a few others that I’ve missed.

I’ve never quite seen an e-mail blitz like this one and hopefully it works and not only gets a big fund-raising bump for the moneybomb, but doesn’t tax the list and cause too many potential contributors to unsubscribe. I say this because I think Grayson’s race is not only one of the most important in the state this cycle, it’s one of the most important in the country. (So far, they’ve rasied $150k, when their goal was $100k, so it’s working so far, since it’s only 10 a.m.).

Right-Wingers Say Non-Existent ACORN is Running Occupy Orlando and Trying to Destroy America

November 3, 2011 by Kenneth

Originally posted at Crooks and Liars

The video above is being touted by right-wing bloggers as “proof” that ACORN, SEIU and other groups are a shadowy socialist conspiracy behind the Occupy Wall Street movement. They do this by putting unsourced statements in between clips of Laura Flanders talking to a Occupy organizer and by making conclusions that would get you a failing grade in even a basic class on logic.

The same right-wing bloggers behind the video are also spreading the nonsensical idea that ACORN is running Occupy Orlando. Forget for the moment that ACORN no longer exists and take a look at the horrible, horrible logic used by these conspiracy theorists: