50-State Blog Network

Rick Perry: Eliminating One Government Agency Too Many

November 9, 2011 by Left in Alabama

Is it possible that Rick Perry is even dumber than W?

"It's three agencies of government when I get there that are gone.  Commerce, education, and ... the uh, what's the third one there?  Let's see ...  The third agency of government I would do away with, the education, uh the uh ... let's see.  I can't.  The third one I can't.  Sorry.  Oops."

      

The Perry campaign has sent me 8 emails since 5 pm -- 6 of them attacking Mitt Romney.  A flurry like that is a sure sign something has gone to hell.  

God, Republicans are scraping the bottom of the barrel these days.  At least Ronald Reagan memorized his lines.

Ending Secure Communities and 287(g) in an Already Anti-Migrant State

November 9, 2011 by Vivirlatino

Yesterday, almost civil and human rights organizations from across the United States, and a few international organizations, sent a letter to the Secretary of Honeland Security, urging her to stop deportation programs like 287(g) and Secure Communities in Alabama. Many of the signatories, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), had already been calling for [...]

How the Climate Change Deniers Fudge the Numbers

November 9, 2011 by Left in Alabama

  The animation in the graph tells the whole story. I found this over at planetsave's website. (the best climate site on the web) Zachary Shahan describes it as "One of the best graphics I've seen. (ever.. on any topic)

VA Tech becomes even more nuclear with new advanced nuclear programs

November 9, 2011 by ArticleXI

Does Virginia Tech's Board of Governors know something the rest of Virginia doesn't about the potential for uranium mining in VA's southern region?

On Monday, VA Tech's Board of Governors gave the go-ahead to a proposed master's and doctoral degree program in nuclear engineering, paving the way for more trained workers in the nuclear industry in Virginia.

According to VA Tech, the proposed graduate and doctoral degree programs could start as early as 2013 if they are also okayed by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Of course, maybe these new programs are simply the result of existing market forces which will need a newer generation of trained nuclear engineers as the older generation heads into retirement.

However, the programs proposal comes at a moment in Virginia's political timeline when the issue of uranium mining in southern VA is to be decided next year.

Given this pending decision and Virginia Tech's ties to Virginia Uranium Inc.

How Mississippi Beat the Personhood Amendment

November 9, 2011 by Left in Alabama

Irin Carmon's How Mississippi beat Personhood is required reading for Alabama progressives ... and moderates ... and women of whatever political leaning. 

... doctors, clergy and average Mississippians started voicing their opposition and even forming their own opposition groups. There were plenty of out-of-state organizers and professional strategists on board, especially in the last few weeks, but no one could call the conservative Mississippi State Medical Association, the Episcopal and Catholic bishops, and a Southern Baptist minister in the Delta tools of Planned Parenthood. The two most visible activists against 26 were rape survivor and mother of three Cristen Hemmins, who put her name to the original ACLU lawsuit and starred in commercials raising concerns about the lack of rape exceptions; and Atlee Breland, who started Parents Against 26 to focus on concerns about Personhood’s effective banning of in vitro fertilization. Women like them made their own signs and YouTube videos, wrote lucid FAQs and argued with their Facebook friends who called them baby killers, in addition to canvassing and phone banking.

Immigration Law Backfire

November 9, 2011 by Left in Alabama

Russell Pearce (R) who sponsored Arizona's immigration law lost his Senate seat last night in a recall election.  It wasn't even close.

The Senate President of Arizona and author of the state’s hard-line laws against illegal immigration lost a recall election seen as a bellwether on “extreme” politics.

...

“There is a deep dissatisfaction in Arizona for what is viewed as politics in the extreme,” said Earl de Berge of the Phoenix-based Behavior Research Center, a nonpartisan polling company. Pearce “symbolizes a very hard-nosed view on conservative policies.”

Earlier this year Alabama Republicans chose to follow Pearce's extreme course on immigration, passing a law even harsher than Arizona's. 

Election Night Open Thread - A Little Good News

November 8, 2011 by Left in Alabama

Actually, a lot of good news. 

Issue 2 went down big time in Ohio in spite of robocalls telling people to vote tomorrow.  This repeals John Kasich's (R) SB5 which eliminated collective bargaining rights for 350,000 public employees.

Charlotte, NC elected their first openly gay city commissioner.

Voters in Maine said 'yes' to Question 1, reversing a Republican law that ended same-day voter registration.

Virginians elected that state's first openly gay state senator.

A gay candidate defeated an anti-gay incumbent for a seat on the Largo, FL City Council.

The Legacy of HB56 - Racial Profiling of Schoolchildren

November 8, 2011 by Left in Alabama

Racial profiling of American citizens -- it is happening in Alabama schools as well as on our streets.

GONZALES: I asked her why they give this paper to my daughter. What was the reason they give this paper to my daughter, and her answer was that they give this paper to all the children that appear like they are not from here. [...]

Far as I can see and far as I can feel, my daughter is being singled out and racial profiled and discriminated because of her color and race and origin from where they think she is from.

This is not an unintended consequence of the Beason-Hammon law.  Racial profiling was predictable, it was predicted, the Republican Legislature voted for this abomination anyway and Governor Bentley signed it.  Nothing unintended about this. 

Oklahoma Earthquakes and Fracking?

November 8, 2011 by Blue Oklahoma

Is fracking related to the recent earthquakes in Oklahoma?

Well, it's worth an extended discussion, but don't count on the conservative corporate media here to go out of its way to cover the story just like it declines to discuss at any length whether climate change is responsible for the recent drought. In Oklahoma, as we all know, energy companies can do no wrong and there's no such thing as global warming.

Last Saturday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 literally rocked Oklahoma and even surrounding states. Located near Sparks, in central Oklahoma, it was the biggest earthquake ever recorded in the state. This was followed by approximately 22 aftershocks. On Monday evening, the earth moved again, this time with a magnitude of 4.6.  Homes shook, people tried to find their footing and there was damage.