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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Broun (GA - Nutcase) Wants A Promotion




Broun appears likely to become the first Republican to enter the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss

Hope Georgia says - Hell No!
Oh, myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Last week, Congressman Paul Broun (R-Lunatic, GA) pronounced evolution, embryology, and the Big Bang theory, “lies straight from the pit of hell”.


In his speech, Broun claimed that as a legislator he takes direction from the Bible:

And what I’ve come to learn is that it’s the manufacturer’s handbook, is what I call it. It teaches us how to run our lives individually, how to run our families, how to run our churches. But it teaches us how to run all of public policy and everything in society. And that’s the reason as your congressman I hold the Holy Bible as being the major directions to me of how I vote in Washington, D.C., and I’ll continue to do that.


"I don't know whatConstitution that other members of Congress uphold, but it's not this one," Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) said on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jim Galloway. "I think the only Constitution that Barack Obama upholds is the Soviet constitution, not this one. He has no concept of this one, though he claimed to be a constitutional lawyer.


"We can't be lulled intocomplacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."


BROUN: I tell ya, we’ve got somenew problems in Washington. Big problems. Just today, Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta said people in America are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. They want to give all the power to the federal government to force you to eat more fruits and vegetables. This is what the federal, CDC, they gonna be calling you to make sure you eat fruits and vegetables, every day. This is socialism of the highest order!

 BROUN: Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson started this process of socializing America, and they did it with the, Woodrow Wilson, particularly, pushes the 16th amendment that taxes income directly, and the 17th amendment that allows the direct elect of US senators, because the US senators intially were supposed to represent the states. [...] I’d like to see the 16th amendment and the 17th amendment to be repealed finally, and that’s going to be a long process.
16th - Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes
17th - The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people  (He wants them appointed by corporate controlled legislatures)


BROUN: We have created this hugedebt. […] We’ve got to stop the outrageous spending that’s going on. We hear the CBO says well if we don’t raise the debt limit, it’s going to put so many people out of work, I don’t remember then number, I think it’s 250,000 or something, are gonna be put out of work. Well those are gonna be government employees that are put out of work. There are a lot of government employees that need to go find a real job!


HOST: Defunding Planned Parenthood and defunding NPR and PBS, some might say the Republicans are doing the same thing, telling people what to do with their lives.

BROUN: No, ma’am, absolutely not. In fact, the thing is, we don’t have constitutional authority under the original intent of the Constitution to fund Planned Parenthood or NPR.

“I am an avid hunter and outdoorsman,” Broun says, “and I strongly support the Constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms and will defend the rights of law abiding citizens to purchase, use, and keep firearms.


I vigorously oppose all attemptsto restrict the Second Amendment [and] believe that any law – whether at the local, state, or federal level – which restricts or infringes upon law abiding citizens’ ability to own a firearm is unconstitutional and should be repealed,” Broun said.


Broun said his cause is farbigger, and tied the conversation to President Barack Obama’s inauguration Monday.

“I think my role is to uphold support and defend our Constitution,” he said. “… The Constitution I uphold and defend is the one I carry in my pocket all the time, the U.S. Constitution. I don’t know what Constitution that other members of Congress uphold, but it’s not this one. I think the only Constitution that Barack Obama upholds is the Soviet constitution, not this one. He has no concept of this one, though he claimed to be a constitutional lawyer.”


But, as CBS asked, does he really mean to say that the President of the United States doesn’t believe in the Constitution?

“Well he doesn’t,” said Broun. “When I was sworn into the Marine Corps in 1967, when I was sworn into Congress, I swore to uphold the Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic.

“We have a lot of domestic enemies of the Constitution. Those who want to pervert it, those who want to change it. There’s some that are in black robes and sitting on federal benches all across this country. There are Democrats and Republicans, liberals and even conservatives that pervert the Constitution according to the original intent of our Founding Fathers.”

Minnesota US House Races - May Get Some PAC Help

Minnesota - lookie - lookie
Hopefully Jim Graves will run again and they send some love his way.
Hopefully we can get that loonie in the 6th District to go home and cuddle up to Marcus - permanently.

Gotta find someone in the second that the PAC can put their money behind.



House Majority PAC, the super PAC formed in the 2012 cycle to support Democratic House candidates, has rolled out its first round of Republican incumbent targets for the 2014 cycle.

They are:

        Rep. Michele Bachmann – Minnesota’s 6th
        Rep. Mike Coffman – Colorado’s 6th
        Rep. Gary G. Miller – California’s 31st
        Rep. Rodney Davis – Illinois’ 13th
        Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick – Pennsylvania’s 8th
        Rep. Michael G. Grimm – New York’s 11th
        Rep. Joe Heck – Nevada’s 3rd
        Rep. David Joyce – Ohio’s 14th
        Rep. John Kline – Minnesota’s 2nd
        Rep. Steve Southerland II – Florida’s 2nd

“In 2012, House Majority PAC built a strong record of success, and in 2013 we are ready to hit the ground running to hold these Republicans accountable and communicate with swing voters about their extreme records and backward priorities,” House Majority PAC Executive Director Alixandria Lapp said.

The group spent heavily in the fall of 2012, making major ad buys in markets.

ALEC - Yes Massah, yes massah



Folks – if you don’t read this one closely – you’re gonna miss the nasty bits by the American Legislation Exchange Council.
.
I’m not going to bold it to make it easy for you.
It’s a game of “Find the ALEC Nasty Bits"

Yep folks – this is from the November 2011  ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Meeting in Snottsdale AZ.

NOTE 2011

AT  December 11th at
3:25 p.m.         MODEL LEGISLATION: Amendments to the Product Liability Act      Victor Schwartz, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon; Civil Justice Task Force Co-Chair

Original
Product Liability Act
Summary: The Model Product Liability Act (“Model PLA”) provides legislators with core product liability provisions reflecting the best practices of the states. Approximately twenty states have codified their product liability laws; several did so based on the original ALEC model Product Liability Act adopted in 1995 (“the 1995 Act”).

Section 11. {Concert of action.}
In any product liability action, a manufacturer or product seller shall not be liable to the claimant on any theory of express or implied agreement among sellers, parallel behavior, or independent adherence to industry-wide standards unless the claimant proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the seller engaged in concert of action. “Concert of action” means the conscious and deliberate agreement to, acknowledgment of, and collaborative participation in wrongful conduct by two or more persons who do not have the relationship of master and servant, principal and agent, parent and subsidiary, affiliates, or employer and employee.

But they amended it – correct?

Amended
Section 19. {Expert opinion11. {Concert of action.}
In any product liability action, a manufacturer or product seller shall not be liable to the claimant on any theory of express or implied agreement among sellers, parallel behavior, or independent adherence to industry-wide industry-wide standards unless the claimant proves, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the seller engaged in "“concert of action." "” “Concert of action"” means the conscious and deliberate agreement to, acknowledgment of, and collaborative participation in wrongful conduct by two or more persons who do not have the relationship of master and servant, principal and agent, parent and subsidiary, affiliates, or employer and employee.

Yep – they amended this and all they ended up doing was adding more $hit so this became Section 19 instead of section 11

VIRAL PLS - Petition for FCC Chair Appointnment

UPDATE:
It is so disappointing to me - when people shoot themselves in the foot
and
that is exactly what the readers of this entry are doing.
You are going to end up with some DAMN old fart from the Telecom industry running the FCC - because you are choosing not to take this blog entry viral - Shame on you.  Don't you dare complain about Comcast. CenturyLink, AT&T screwing you - here you have the chance to make a major contribution to something  really important and it is evident 5 days later you are choosing to do nothing.  I can't express how f#cking disappointed I am.



Sunday Feb 10
Susan Crawford will be on Moyers & Company this Sunday Susan  Crawford, author of Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly Power in the New Gilded Age will be interviewed on this week’s edition of Moyers & Company on PBS. Most stations - Sunday Feb 10.
.   >>>HERE<<<<



I received an email through a listserve I belong to tonight that brought something to my attention that I want to bring to your attention.

We really need this to go viral.  REALLY!!!!

Most of the time it is important for the people to speak.
Most of the time we don’t get a chance.

Here is our chance and we must take it.
We need to tell the White House what we want.

The FCC – your phones, your TV, your radio, your internet, community broadband.
This is BIG stuff kids and you can make a difference by signing a petition.

Most times the voice of the public is ignored in the areas of the FCC - we don't have lobbyists – where the voices of the billionaire telecoms are heard and they get their way.  Much of that problem stems from who is running the FCC.

A new appointment to chair the FCC is coming up and we need to let the White House know we want someone who is concerned about the public and not just in the pockets of big telecoms.  

Do you really want an old white guy who doesn't understand technology appointed to this position?
NO you don't.
Do you really want an telecom exec appointed to this position? 
NO you don't.
Do you want an executive from the telecoms making believe they are a public servant?
NO you don't.



the rumored other contenders for FCC chair are problematic. Tom Wheeler, a total industry guy (he was President and CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association) and  Jason Furman, Walmart apologist and National Economic Council member, who doesn't have communications industry experience at all.

Crawford would be a much better choice.




Katrina vanden Heuvel Editorial
So here’s a modest proposal: Make Susan Crawford the next FCC chair.

She is ideally qualified. In addition to her deep knowledge and expertise in this issue, she understands the landscape, players, and technology well, without being entrenched in the culture of big business. She knows that democratic freedom of information is at stake — and she knows that the FCC has the power to fix it.

She offers a new vision for the future of broadband. Crawford would preempt the unfair and uncompetitive state laws that infringe on the rights of local communities to expand broadband access. To support local efforts to build out fiber-optic networks, she proposes creating an infrastructure bank that would provide long-term, low-interest financing. And to ensure that every American has access to high-quality Internet, she advocates subsidies to increase competitive offerings.

Given telecom’s powerful lobby, this is not a task for the faint of heart — but Crawford has the requisite political chops.

 
It is in YOUR best interests to sign this petition.

I would not lie to you!!!!!

Petition Text:

America is ranked #16 in the world for broadband penetration, speed and price. Where high-speed service is available, it is often expensive and unreliable — and frequently there is only one monopoly service provider.

The United States needs new leadership at the Federal Communications Commission to help establish a competitive regulatory climate and to encourage new entrants into the market. Susan Crawford has spent her career studying the global telecommunications industry and has a keen sense of the history that brought us to this point.

Ms. Crawford would facilitate changes at the Federal level which could help America become the leader in global telecommunications innovation again. President Obama, please appoint her as FCC Chairman in 2013.


Read this article about Susan Crawford’s philosophy on broadband:
Should broadband Internet servicebe treated as a basic utility in the United States, like electricity, water, and traditional telephone service? That’s the question at the heart of an important and provocative new book by Susan Crawford, a tech policy expert and professor at Cardozo Law School. In Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly in the New Guilded Age, released Tuesday by Yale University Press, Crawford argues that the Internet has replaced traditional phone service as the most essential communications utility in the country, and is now as important as electricity was 100 years ago.

“Truly high-speed wired Internet access is as basic to innovation, economic growth, social communication, and the country’s competitiveness as electricity was a century ago,” Crawford writes, “but a limited number of Americans have access to it, many can’t afford it, and the country has handed control of it over to Comcast and a few other companies.”

SNIP

By taking on one of the most powerful industries in the United States, Crawford knows that she will not endear herself to the CEOs of Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T and Verizon. “I’m not going to be on their Christmas card lists this year,” she quips. And given the entrenched influence of these companies in Washington, D.C., many — if not most — of her policy prescriptions seem a tad far-fetched. Is the U.S. government about to mandate low-cost broadband Internet access for all Americans? It’s not likely any time soon. But her book does provide a vivid and eye-opening description of what ails America’s cable and telecom market, and for that reason, it should be required reading for anyone interested in tech policy. Crawford’s book also lays out a road-map for solutions, quixotic as they may be. But, as Crawford says: “There is always hope.”
  
Most time we don’t get a say – have your voice heard today.


What is our FCC Chair doing about this problem? He helped Comcast to grow even bigger, with more market power to crush those rivals that he is calling on to build gigabit test beds.

Chairman G wants to spur hundreds of David's while refusing to curb Goliath's power. Bad news, Mr. Chairman, Goliath actually wins most of the time. Rather than doing his job, Genachowski is begging others to do it for him.

More and more, he sounds more like a cable lobbyist than a public servant. This is actually a pattern: the head cable lobbyist in DC is a former FCC Chief himself and a recent FCC Commissioner left for a job at Comcast just months after pushing for the Comcast/NBC merger.

The revolving door helps to explain why the FCC has refused to take meaningful action that might threaten the cozy relationship between supposed competitors that have divided the market to their benefit.

SNIP

We need an FCC Chair that will wrestle with the real problem: far too much of our essential telecommunications infrastructure is controlled by de facto monopolies unaccountable to the communities that depend upon them.

Having Susan Crawford as the Chair of the next FCC would do wonders to making the FCC responsive to the needs of all America, not just the cable and telephone companies.

THIS is in YOUR best interests!!!

 Most time we don’t get a say – have your voice heard today.



"The television is just another appliance -- it's a toaster with pictures." That statement was made by Mark Fowler, Ronald Reagan's FCC Chairman who spearheaded a deregulatory trend that has continued for over three decades.     Fowler and the FCC have one thing right: with markets like these, consumer choice is toast.

It's as if we've allowed General Electric to have a monopoly on selling electricity to your home and then allowed them to leverage this advantage into the market for their toasters. Imagine the spiel: "If you buy our GE toaster, you get higher-speed electricity that will cook your bagels faster. But only our bagels fit in the GE toaster." Today, rather than tangling with your tastebuds, Comcast is making decisions that affect what your ears hear, what your eyes see, and what your keyboard can reach. Comcast can give its own video on demand service an advantage via its Internet connections by removing it from the constraints of a monthly data cap. But unaffiliated content like Netflix - that'll cost you extra. It's the price you'll pay because you like a different brand of bread.

We are stuck in this primitive state with company lobbyists who are buttering up policymakers just to jam consumers.


THIS is in YOUR best interests!!!

 Most time we don’t get a say – have your voice heard today.

More on Susan Crawford.
Andrew Rasiej sez, "If you're disappointed in the speed, quality, and cost of broadband service in the US you should learn about Susan Crawford who is the greatest US expert on the state of broadband and how the Federal Communications Commission has failed to properly regulate and spur competition or innovation in the marketplace

Read her article here:
By Susan Crawford    03.22.12     3:56 PM
Susan Crawford

Susan Crawford is the (Visiting) Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard's Kennedy School and a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School. She was a board member of The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) from 2005-2008, and served as Special Assistant to the President for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy in 2009.

Surely we shouldn’t slip farther behind as a country to serve the interests of a few large companies.

In 1901, Republican Theodore Roosevelt took on another utility industry that had consolidated and was gouging Americans. “The railway,” he said, “is a public servant. Its rates should be just to and open to all shippers alike. The government should see to it that within its jurisdiction this is so and should provide a speedy, inexpensive, and effective remedy to that end.”

Leadership within the FCC and oversight by Congress will provide those remedies. Strangling the FCC’s ability to regulate will drive us backwards.

AND She has experience
Susan Crawford, Kevin Werbach Named Obama's FCC Review Team Leads
Nov 14, 2008 7:01 PM PST

We'd like to congratulate our long time CircleID participants, Susan Crawford and Kevin Werbach for being named today as Obama-Biden FCC Transition Team Leads.

Susan Crawford, is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School who recently ended her term as a member of the Board of Directors of ICANN and is the founder of OneWebDay. Kevin Werbach, is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also the founder of the Supernova Group and the organizer of Supernova, a leading executive technology conference.

Most time we don’t get a say – have your voice heard today.
Sign the White House petition.
And you need to read this – here’s a snip from the NY Times– please read the whole thing.
Op-Ed Contributor
By SUSAN CRAWFORD
Published: April 10, 2010
But if the F.C.C.’s labeling of high-speed Internet access providers undermines its ability to tell them what to do, how can it ensure that consumers get the information they need about real speeds and prices? How can it ensure that basic communications services — which, these days, means Internet access — are widely available?

The F.C.C. has the legal authority to change the label, as long as it can provide a good reason. And that reason is obvious: Americans buy an Internet access service based on its speed and price — and not on whether an e-mail address is included as part of a bundle. The commission should state its case, relabel high-speed Internet access as a “telecommunications service,” and take back the power to protect American consumers.



100,000 signatures.

PLEASE MAKE THIS GO VIRAL

Sign the White House Petition




It is in YOUR best interests to sign this petition.

I would not lie to you!!!