Think Progress

By Zaid Jilani on Oct 22nd, 2009 at 1:43 pm

One of the right’s loudest crusades has been their effort to undermine the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN). Following the release of a series of videos showing a handful of ACORN employees behaving inappropriately, conservatives in Congress have done everything they can to single out ACORN for being stripped of all federal funding (while engaging in apparent opposition to defunding companies that cover up rape). Many legal experts have warned that these measures may be unconstitutional because lawmakers cannot punish a group or individual without a trial.

Yesterday, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) challenged the constitutionality of one of these anti-ACORN measures being supported by Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) during a hearing of the Science and Technology committee. Grayson repeatedly questioned Broun about the constitutionality of “bills of attainder” — which are punishments that single out a group or individual without a court trial. The Georgia Republican was unable to offer a coherent rebuttal:   Source

The Huffington Post | Elyse Siegel
First Posted: 10- 8-09 11:05 AM | Updated: 10- 8-09 03:28 PM

A new Oklahoma law requires physicians to disclose detailed information on women’s abortions to the State’s Department Of Health, which will then post the collected data on a public website. The controversial measure comes into effect on November 1 and will cost $281,285 to implement, $256,285 each subsequent year to maintain.

Oklahoma women undergoing abortion procedures will be legally forced to reveal:

1) Date of abortion
2) County in which abortion is performed
3) Age of mother
4) Marital status of mother
5) Race of mother
6) Years of education of mother
7) State or foreign country of residence of mother
Total number of previous pregnancies of the mother

Source

Huffington Post
First Posted: 09-22-09 10:10 AM | Updated: 09-22-09 05:14 PM

Modern-day home mortgages have been so sliced and diced by rapacious financiers that some homeowners are successfully delaying — or even blocking — foreclosures through the simple tactic of demanding that banks produce the original mortgage note, which amazingly enough is often not so easy for them to do.

As the foreclosure rate continues to set new highs, a little-noticed legal provision that requires bankers, if challenged, to prove they hold the original mortgage documents before getting possession has spawned a minor homeowner rebellion, alternately called “produce the note” or “show me the note“. For homeowners trying desperately to keep their homes, the tactic is one way to buy some time — and maybe even get the upper hand on the lender. Source

TPM Muckraker

Zachary Roth | September 14, 2009, 6:21PM

Rep. Joe (“You Lie!”) Wilson’s now-legendary exclamation during President Obama’s speech to Congress last week was itself essentially untrue, as we’ve documented.

But in trying to deflect charges of xenophobia in the wake of the outburst, it looks like the South Carolina congressman again played fast and loose with the facts.

At a Thursday press conference, Wilson was at pains to present himself as a friend of immigrants, declaring:

We need to be discussing issues specifically to help the American people. And that would not include illegal aliens, these are people– I’m for immigration, legal immigration, I’ve been an immigration attorney. But people who have come to our country and violated laws, we should not be providing full health care services.

Source

Think Progress

By Matt Corley on Sep 1st, 2009 at 3:26 pm

Over the August recess, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), one of the three Republicans engaged in the “Gang of Six” health care negotiations, has repeatedly made public statements that have created deep doubts about his commitment to reaching a bipartisan deal on health care reform. Just yesterday, the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein reported that Grassley sent out a fundraising letter requesting help in his effort to “defeat ‘Obama-care.’”

Now, Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports that on a conference call with Iowa radio reporters today, Grassley suggested that the only way to reach a bipartisan compromise would be to first defeat the current Democratic health care proposals:  Source

Eric Holder’s decision to investigate the CIA for abuse of torture may put the Bush administration under the spotlight next

Michael Tomasky

guardian.co.uk, Monday 24 August 2009 22.13 BST

The release of the 2004 CIA inspector general’s report, and the announcement by US attorney general Eric Holder Monday afternoon that he will appoint a special prosecutor to look into CIA abuses, is a fascinating high-wire chess match.

First, over the weekend, leaks of the IG report’s contents began to appear, notably in Newsweek and the New York Times, which made the leak the lead story in its Sunday editions. This is where the information about mock executions appeared.  Source

The Huffington Post |  Rachel Weiner
First Posted: 08-10-09 12:40 PM   |   Updated: 08-10-09 02:26 PM

Town hall disruptions around the country have led to some outbreaks of violence. Unions participating in town halls have received death threats. At an event held by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) last week, the threat of violence led her aides to call the police after one attendee dropped a gun.

“Yelling and screaming is counterproductive,” she told the Sierra Vista Herald at a Congress on Your Corner event last week. There, one visitor dropped a gun at the meet n’ greet held in a Douglas Safeway, her staff says. Source

Think Progress

By Pat Garofalo on Jul 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm

Today, the Workforce Fairness Institute (WFI) — which is a corporate front group, “founded by several longtime Republican operatives,” that is lobbying against the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) — tweeted approvingly about an editorial in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that unequivocally equates EFCA with Nazism.  Source

July 23, 2009

From CNN Political Producer Rebecca Sinderbrand

(CNN) – Health Care for America Now and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, who favor President Obama’s plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system, are switching their focus from potential congressional swing votes to staunch opponents, announcing a half-million dollar ad buy Thursday that targets some key GOP critics of the legislation.

“Republicans intent on killing reform for political gain need to be held accountable for their actions,” said Richard Kirsch, Health Care for America Now’s national campaign director. Source

Huffington Post

Source