Author: HL

The Media and Extremists Are Fanning the Flames of Hatred — Why Is the US Becoming So Uncivil?
Our lack of civility in public discourse can be traced directly back to a lack of empathy. The only way to move forward is to actually listen to what the other side is saying.

Our lack of civility in public discourse can be traced directly back to a lack of empathy. The only way to move forward is to actually listen to what the other side is saying.

Toxic Nail Salons: Why Your Nail Polish Color Could be the Next Agent Orange
Nail salon workers, and potentially their customers, may be at risk from a toxic cocktail of chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and skin rashes.

Nail salon workers, and potentially their customers, may be at risk from a toxic cocktail of chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects and skin rashes.

Study Settles It: Shocking Black & Latino Imprisonment Rates the Result of Racist, Punitive Impulse
How racist attitudes barely hide beneath the surface of ‘tough on crime’ policies.

How racist attitudes barely hide beneath the surface of 'tough on crime' policies.

Senate Budget Chairman Conrad goes further than Obama in plan to reduce deficits
A spending plan drafted by the Senate Budget Committee chairman would reduce deficits by slashing spending on programs unrelated to national security and forcing lawmakers to pay for popular tax policies, including provisions that protect middle-class families from the bite of the alternative…

Gates calls for overhaul of export licensing controls
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Tuesday that the government’s Cold War-era system of licensing the export of weapons and other high-tech goods was actually harming national security by blocking arms sales to allies and giving an advantage to foreign manufacturers.

As focus turns to economy, health care appears to be on White House back burner
Three months ago, at a private meeting of nervous House Democratic lawmakers, President Obama promised to put the full weight of his office behind the marketing of the health-care bill once it became law.

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Using the Oklahoma City Bombing
Deb Saunders, San Francisco Chronicle
Monday was the anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that left 149 men and women — most of them federal workers — and 19 children dead. As is his habit, former President Bill Clinton used the occasion to bash his critics.In a New York Times opinion piece, “What We Learned in Oklahoma City,” Clinton placed the blame on Americans who have advocated smaller government. The terrorists — bomber Timothy McVeigh and his accomplices — who targeted the Murrah Federal Building, he wrote, “took to the ultimate extreme an idea advocated in the months and years before the…

Senators Propose Bill to Smooth Out Presidential Transitions

The Case for Breaking Up the Big Banks
Jonathan Macey, RealClearPolitics
Chris Dodd and the other politicians working on financial reform claim that their proposed legislation will end the long-standing U.S. policy which posits that the biggest financial institutions are “too big to fail” and therefore must be bailed out every time they find themselves in financial distress. At the core of the “Dodd bill” is the premise that regulators need yet more discretion, more power, and more regulatory tools if they are to succeed at last in exorcizing long-entrenched too big to fail strategies from the heart of our regulatory canon. The Dodd bill is…

Islamic Site Threatens ‘South Park’ Creators
A radical Islamic Web site suggested that violence will befall the creators of South Park after an episode last week included an image of the Prophet Mohammed disguised in a bear suit. “We have to warn Matt [Stone] and Trey [Parker] that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show,” Abu Talhah al Amrikee writes on RevolutionMuslim.Com, referring to a Dutch filmmaker killed in 2004 by an Islamic extremist. “This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”

Tancredo: Send Obama Back to Kenya
At a Tea Party rally in Greenville, S.C., this weekend, former Republican Congressman and presidential candidate Tom Tancredo said of President Obama, “If his wife says Kenya is his homeland, why don’t we just send him back?”

Early Morning Swim: Keith Olbermann and Markos Moulitsas Dismantle Sarah Palin’s Revisionist History
The Quitter’s makin’ stuff up again.

The Quitter’s makin’ stuff up again.

Is America a Christian nation?

Sarah Palin said on Friday that it’s “mind-boggling” to suggest otherwise.

But two groups dedicated to the separation of church and state are now speaking out against her, arguing that she is misreading the founders’ intent.

“It’s incredibly hypocritical that Sarah Palin, who disapproves of government involvement in just about anything, now suddenly wants the government to help people be religious,” Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told ABC News. “It is wildly inconsistent with her views on limited government to get the government involved in matters of faith.”

[…]

“While the founders’ views on religion varied from person to person, there is no doubt that they believed strongly that religion had no place in government,” said Paul Fidalgo, the communications manager for the Secular Coalition for America. “John Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli which stated in no uncertain terms that ‘the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.’

“Our Constitution established a secular government and has no mention of Jesus, Christianity, or a god of any kind, despite the false message spread by figures such as Sarah Palin who claim that America was founded as a Christian nation,” Fidalgo continued.

I’m guessing the Quitter thinks John Adams is just a fancy elitist northeastern beer.

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Late Late Night FDL: Big Dharma
Featuring marijuana related videos by Kevin O’Grady and Toby Keith.

Featuring marijuana related videos by Kevin O’Grady and Toby Keith.

Wikipedia on Dharma: According to the various Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, beings that live in accordance with Dharma proceed more quickly toward dharma yukam, moksha or nirvana (personal liberation). [My bold added.]

What’s on your mind tonight?

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The Eradication of Trust
American public opinion seems to have become an unguided Weapon of Mass Suspicion, and it’s not hard to understand why. By Eugene Robinson

American public opinion seems to have become an unguided Weapon of Mass Suspicion, and it’s not hard to understand why.

Related Entries

• April 19, 2010 Obama Flies In to Give Sen. Boxer a Boost
• April 19, 2010 The Eradication of Trust

Obama Says Boxer Could Lose If Democrats Don’t Work
LOS ANGELES — President Barack Obama delivered Democrat-friendly California a stark message Monday: Liberal Sen. Barbara Boxer might lose her re-election race if her supporters…

Title IX Strengthened: Bush Policy Reversed By Department Of Education
The U.S. Department of Education is repealing a Bush-era policy that some critics argue was a way to avoid complying with federal law in providing…

Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert Locked Up By Comedy Central Through 2012 Election
A nation of weary Americans who look to Comedy Central to provide them with incisive political commentary and rare instances of actual accountability on teevee…

Right-wing media continue to distort Obama’s comments on remaining “a dominant military superpower”

Right-wing media figures, led by Sarah Palin, have continued to distort President Obama’s comments that “whether we like it or not,” the United States “remain[s] a dominant military superpower,” in order to suggest that Obama is opposed to the U.S. holding this position.

Right-wing media suggest Obama thinks “a strong America” is “a problem”

Palin: “Mr. President, is a strong America a problem?” In an April 16 Facebook post, Palin, who is a Fox News contributor, responded to Obama’s comments that “whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower,” by saying, “Whether we like it or not? Most Americans do like it. America’s military may be one of the greatest forces for good the world has ever seen, liberating countless millions from tyranny, slavery, and oppression over the last 234 years.” She concluded: “The truth is this: by his actions we see a president who seems to be much more comfortable with an American military that isn’t quite so dominant and who feels the need to apologize for America when he travels overseas. Could it be a lack of faith in American exceptionalism? The fact is that America and our allies are safer when we are a dominant military superpower – whether President Obama likes it or not.”

Hoft: Obama “really believes America is the problem not the solution.” In an April 18 post on his Gateway Pundit blog, Jim Hoft linked to Palin’s Facebook post and wrote: “And, he’s supposed to be the leader?… He really believes America is the problem not the solution… Whether he liked it or not, this provoked Sarah Palin to pen her latest blog post on his radicalism. The former Alaskan governor nailed President Obama on his open regret for American exceptionalism.”

Fox Nation: “Palin Asks: Mr. President, Is a Strong America a Problem?” On April 16, The Fox Nation also linked to Palin’s Facebook post, under the headline, “Palin Asks: Mr. President, Is a Strong America a Problem?” From The Fox Nation:

In fact, Obama’s remarks show he was referring to cost of getting “pulled into” violent international conflicts

Obama discussed “cost” of getting “pulled into” violent conflicts abroad. Obama’s remarks came in response to the question: “Given the progress you have cited in recent days on your foreign policy agenda, to what extent do you feel like you have gained political capital with which to take further to the international stage for the rest of this year, to perhaps rejuvenate some initiatives in trouble spots such as the Middle East and elsewhere?” In his answer, Obama stated that “[i]t is a vital national security interest of the United States to reduce these conflicts because whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them.  And that ends up costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure.”

Allahpundit: “Obama’s getting a bad rap on the ’superpower’ comment.” In an April 16 HotAir.com post, titled, “Obama’s getting a bad rap on the ’superpower’ comment,” conservative blogger Allahpundit wrote: “This has been bugging me all week…I don’t respect attempts to bowdlerize” Obama’s “superpower” remarks. From his HotAir.com blog post:

“When conflicts break out, one way or another, we get pulled into them.” True enough, and I don’t always “like” that we’re pulled into them. For example, I don’t “like” the fact that we have 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as cannon fodder in case the lunatic to the north ever attacks Seoul. But I accept it because I understand it’s an effective deterrent that saves millions of lives. I don’t “like” the fact that we’re forced to take the lead on Iran even though their military capabilities are more of an immediate threat to Europe and the Sunnis, but I accept it because the stick we wield is so much bigger than everyone else’s that we’re most likely to bring them to heel. I don’t “like” the fact that American troops have spent the past seven years dodging – and, sometimes, not dodging – IEDs in Iraq, but I accept it because I think having a democracy in the region will eventually put pressure on local autocrats to liberalize and held deflate jihadism. Disagree with my position on any or all of those if you like, but I don’t see how it’s controversial or demeaning to suggest that the world’s policeman, like any policeman, doesn’t always enjoy his job. In fact, less than six months ago, Pew found for the first time in 45 years that those who believe the U.S. should mind its own business abroad outnumber those who don’t. I think that isolationist impulse is nutty and a de facto invitation to malign powers to expand their influence, but then so does The One – which, I take it, is why he ordered the surge in Afghanistan, is going slow on withdrawal from Iraq, is stepping up drone attacks in Pakistan, and is keeping the troops in Korea and elsewhere in place. If we insist on playing “gotcha” with short soundbites that supposedly provide some insight into his thinking but aren’t even reflected in half of his policies, can we at least provide the full soundbite for context? Geez.

Massa Aide Got $40K Days Before Boss Resigned
Eric Massa used a campaign account to pay $40,000 to his then-chief-of-staff just days before resigning from Congress according to campaign finance records, Politico reports.

SEC Slaps Goldman With Civil Fraud Complaint
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Goldman Sachs with defrauding investors by allegedly “misstating and omitting key facts” in the marketing of a financial product linked to the performance of subprime mortgages right as the housing crisis was beginning to unfold.

Lanny Davis Launches New Lobby Shop: ‘The Best Solution Is A … Bipartisan Solution’
Lanny Davis announced this week that he’ll launch his own law and lobbying shop, declaring: “In today’s Washington, there is usually no ‘Red’ solution or ‘Blue’ solution but almost always the best solution is a ‘purple’ or bipartisan solution.”

Open letter from soldiers regarding Apache gun cam video
Excerpt: Two soldiers that were deployed with the Army unit involved in an incident recorded by an Apache gun cam have issued an open letter of apology to the families of Iraqis that were killed. Earlier this month Wikileaks, a whistleblower web site, released an unedited video taken by an Apache helicopter gunship operating over Baghdad, Iraq. The […]

Banking Reform Sells Better as “Wall Street” Reform
A new Gallup poll finds Americans are evenly divided on the merits of giving the federal government new powers to regulate large banks and major financial institutions.

However, they offer greater support when the issue is more specifically framed as regulating “Wall Street banks.”

How the Sleazy Used-Car Salesmen at Goldman Sachs Tricked Investors into Buying Their Busted Clunkers
Goldman Sachs is being sued by the government for allegedly defrauding its investors. Confused? Here’s some plain talk about a mega rip-off.

Goldman Sachs is being sued by the government for allegedly defrauding its investors. Confused? Here's some plain talk about a mega rip-off.

Run on and see where it ends: Fighting to make health equality a reality

By Nisha Agarwal, Director of the Health Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Race-Talk contributor Saturday morning, April 17th, the auditorium of Junior High School 22 in the Bronx was crowded with community residents who had gathered for a town hall meeting.  Health care reform had passed, but […]

My Middle-Class Existence Hangs by the Thread of Subsidized Childcare
‘If I lost my daycare subsidy I would have to turn to food stamps, Medicaid, temporary assistance for needy families, Section 8 and every other social service out there.’

'If I lost my daycare subsidy I would have to turn to food stamps, Medicaid, temporary assistance for needy families, Section 8 and every other social service out there.'

Four of the Most Dangerous Fraudulent Scientific Theories That Must Be Confronted
Climate-induced earthquakes, bottomless pits of oil, pet dinosaurs and a miraculous energy source: For the sake of public policy, it’s important to debunk the lies.

Climate-induced earthquakes, bottomless pits of oil, pet dinosaurs and a miraculous energy source: For the sake of public policy, it's important to debunk the lies.

Goldman Sachs Fraud
Finally the chickens are coming home to roost on the greatest short scam of the last decade. Goldman Sachs is being charged by the SEC with fraud. As I pointed out months ago, this was a scam of epic proportions….


Goldman Sachs – John Paulson – Business – Fraud – Hedge fund

No One Knows Whether They Would Rescue A Stranger
I am always intrigued by Elie Wiesel who seems to believe that, as a victim of the Holocaust, he is, by definition, a righteous man. But he’s not. Status as a victim does not confer righteousness. All Wiesel knows is…



Elie Wiesel – Holocaust – History – Twentieth Century – Judaism

The Far-Right Foreign Policy Ideas That Wouldn’t Die
In the comments thread of my recent post on the nuclear policy / foreign policy silly season, there was a debate over whether neocon ideas even deserve much attention and response. Maybe at this point, the only thing that matters…


Foreign Policy – United States – Politics – Conservatism – Warfare and Conflict

Romney Says He Wouldn’t Repeal The Individual Mandate That He Believes Is ‘Unconstitutional’ (Updated)
On April 8th, Mitt Romney told a New Hampshire newspaper that the individual mandate was “unconstitutional” and reiterated his pledge to repeal ObamaCare. “I think it’s unconstitutional on the 10th Amendment front,” he said. This week, however, Romney told Kavon Nikrad, a conservative blogger, that he does not support repealing the “unconstitutional” individual mandate or […]

On April 8th, Mitt Romney told a New Hampshire newspaper that the individual mandate was “unconstitutional” and reiterated his pledge to repeal ObamaCare. “I think it’s unconstitutional on the 10th Amendment front,” he said.

This week, however, Romney told Kavon Nikrad, a conservative blogger, that he does not support repealing the “unconstitutional” individual mandate or the provision that prohibits insurers from banning coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions. The RightOSphere blog caught up with Romeny and reported the following exchange:

“You have stated your intention to spearhead the effort to repeal the ‘worst aspects’ of Obamacare, does this include the repeal of the individual mandate and pre-existing exclusion?”

The Governor’s answer:

“No.”

Gov. Romney went on to explain that he does not wish to repeal these aspects because of the deleterious effect it would have on those with pre-existing conditions in obtaining health insurance.

Indeed, Romney is doing some awkward kabuki to position himself both as a can-do reformer and as a conservative tea partier. Having signed an individual mandate into law on the state level, he understands the insanity of repealing it. Romney has repeatedly defended the individual mandate as a “conservative” policy and has argued that it’s essential for covering every American.

“Everybody in America today has health care,” he said during a recent interview on Fox Business. “If they get sick, even without insurance, they get free care, paid for by government. We said no more of that. No more free riders. We want people taking personal responsibility for getting health insurance if they can afford it.” And, he’s right. The individual mandate creates incentives for otherwise healthy Americans to purchase insurance and may be the the only way to achieve affordable universal coverage. Without a mandate, only the sick who need health care would be motivated to purchase it. The pool of insured would be weighted with sick individuals, forcing the costs of the premium to escalate.

Recently, Romney hinted that he may change his position on ObamaCare if he wins the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012 and take credit for some aspects of the national reform law.

Cross-posted on The Wonk Room.

Senate GOP leaders to meet with Obama on Supreme Court nominee process
Senate Republicans will have a chance this week to directly confront President Obama on his vision for reshaping the nation’s courts.

Two senators subpoena Obama administration for information on Fort Hood shootings
Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) issued the first congressional subpoenas of the Obama administration Monday after accusing the White House of stonewalling their requests for information about the Fort Hood shootings.

Bill would help smooth presidential transitions
At least four senators are thinking about 2012 — not so much the elections themselves, but the practical logistics of the transfer of power that is always a possibility in presidential elections.

Emanuel pitches regulatory reform at private meeting with top N.Y. investors
As President Obama prepares to deliver a speech in New York later this week that will attempt to align his administration squarely on the side of American taxpayers furious with Wall Street, his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, met privately on Sunday night with some of the city’s top investors.

McCartney: Tea Partiers Are Not Extremists
Robert McCartney: I went to the “tea party” rally at the Washington Monument on Thursday to check out just how reactionary and potentially violent the movement truly was. Answer: Not very. … [O]n the whole, they struck me as passionate conservatives dedicated to working within the system rather than dangerous militia types or a revival of the Ku Klux Klan.

Can’t Have a Decent Apocalypse Without a Full Cast
Satire by Andy Borowitz According to a source close to Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, they have already drawn up a list of possible candidates for the additional two horsemen, a list which includes Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter and the entire Cheney family. Satire by Andy Borowitz By Andy Borowitz

According to a source close to Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, they have already drawn up a list of possible candidates for the additional two horsemen, a list which includes Limbaugh, Beck, Coulter and the entire Cheney family.

Related Entries

• April 19, 2010 Noam Chomsky Has ‘Never Seen Anything Like This’
• April 19, 2010 The Populism of the Privileged

Ken Adelman: Bard Blog on Money & Lobbyists
While Shakespeare wrote about “the milk of human kindness,” California’s Jesse (”Big Daddy”) Unruh quipped, “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” Zounds, is…

Simon Johnson: Goldman Sachs: Too Big To Obey The Law
On a short-term tactical basis, Goldman Sachs clearly has little to fear. It has relatively deep pockets and will fight the securities “Fab” allegations tooth…

Harmon Leon: Tea Partiers Take San Francisco
What let me down was that these shenanigans took place in our own backyard. There was barely a counter-protester to be found when we needed representation to point out the absurdities of this scenario.

Restore The Constitution Rally: Open-Carry Gun Advocates To Protest Obama, Health Care, Gun Rights
Daniel Almond, a three-tour veteran of Iraq, is ready to “muster outside D.C.” on Monday with several dozen other self-proclaimed patriots, all of them armed….

Trust In Government? Poll Find Nearly 80% Of Americans Don’t
WASHINGTON — America’s “Great Compromiser” Henry Clay called government “the great trust,” but most Americans today have little faith in Washington’s ability to deal with…

In wake of Hannity’s tea party scandal, Fox’s Kristol hypes tea party’s Contract from America

Just days after Fox News canceled Sean Hannity’s plan to host his show from a tea party event with an admission fee, Fox News contributor Bill Kristol repeatedly promoted the Contract from America, a series of agenda items whose writing was organized by a major tea party organization. Kristol’s endorsement is consistent with Fox’s heavy promotion of the tea party movement, in spite of News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch’s statement that he didn’t think the network “should be supporting the Tea Party.”

Bill Kristol: “Go online and look at” the tea party movement’s “totally mainstream” Contract from America

Kristol: Tea party movement “has a Contract from America.” On the April 18 edition of Fox News Sunday, Kristol defended the tea party movement, accusing progressives of “[an] attempt to demonize and discredit the movement and not engage it on its ideas. It has a Contract from America.”

Kristol: “Half a million people chose these items,” Contract is “totally mainstream.” Later, during the same broadcast of Fox News Sunday, Kristol stated: “And look at the Contract from America. Just go online and look at it. This is their — half a million people chose these items, totally mainstream, sensible, reformist, limited government — limited government agenda.”

Kristol: Contract from America is “a very good contract. People should look at it.” Later in the program, Kristol stated, “I think one of the items in the Contract from America, if I can come back to the tea parties one last time — it’s a very good contract. People should look at it — is tax reform.” Asked about the need for “spending cuts,” Kristol later added, “That’s also in the Contract from America.”

Days before, Hannity pulled from tea party event after ethical questions raised

Event caused Fox execs “consternation” due to network’s “perceived closeness to… the Tea Party Movement.” Hannity was scheduled to tape his April 15 Fox News show at the Cincinnati Tea Party’s (CTP) 2010 Tax Day Tea Party, which required paid admission, with higher prices charged for better viewing of the program and “all proceeds” benefiting CTP. But after journalism veterans heavily promoted and advocated for the April 15, 2009 tea parties, which it characterized as a response to Obama administration policies. Fox News frequently aired segments — from both opinion and news personalities — publicizing the protests and encouraged viewers to get involved with them. In many instances, Fox News provided attendance and organizing information, such as dates, locations and website URLs. In early April, Fox News announced that four hosts from the network — Glenn Beck, Neil Cavuto, Greta Van Susteren, and Hannity — would appear live at four tea party sites and would broadcast the protests live throughout the day. At one point, Fox News even referred to the tea parties as “FNC Tax Day Tea Parties,” and The Fox Nation also hosted its own “virtual tea party.”

Fox News aired over 100 commercial promotions and over 20 segments in less than two weeks. From April 6 to April 13, 2009, Fox News featured at least 20 segments on the protests, and from April 6 to April 15, Fox News aired at least 107 commercial promotions for its coverage of the protests. On the April 15 edition of CNN Newsroom, media critic and Reliable Sources host Howard Kurtz said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a news network throw its weight behind a protest like we are seeing in the past few weeks with Fox and these tea parties.”

Fox News’ coverage boosted protests, pushed other outlets to cover. On the April 18, 2009 edition of Fox News Watch, host Jon Scott asked: “Did the FOX coverage and promotion of the coverage, did it force the other networks to pay attention to it?” Then-Fox News contributor Jane Hall replied: “I think it did because the other TV networks ended up leading with it.” Dozens of national and local news reports credited Fox News for publicizing and boosting the protests. Indeed, the Odessa (Texas) American reported of a rally outside Odessa City Hall: “Statements like ‘I saw it on Fox’ were heard around the crowd.”

Fox News heavily promoted Tea Party Express. Leading up to the August 28, 2009, kickoff of the Tea Party Express — a bus tour organized by a Republican PAC and dedicated to opposing President Obama and the Democrats — Fox News, Fox Business, The Fox Nation, and FoxNews.com repeatedly promoted the tour, informing viewers of the tea party dates and locations to “they can be a part” of events. Fox News sent two reporters to the Tea Party Express kickoff event in Sacramento, and embedded correspondent Griff Jenkins on the tour, who went so far as to cheerlead for the protests.

Fox News hosts and contributors were scheduled to participate in 2010 Tax Day Tea Party events. Fox News hosts and contributors were slated to participate in more than a dozen tea party events surrounding Tax Day 2010. Host and Fox Business Vice President Neil Cavuto broadcast his April 15 Fox News and Fox Business shows from the Atlanta Tea Party. Hannity was scheduled to tape his April 15 show at a Cincinnati event which would have funneled proceeds to the CTP, but his appearance was canceled amid a firestorm of criticism.

Murdoch: Fox News shouldn’t be “supporting the Tea Party”

At an April 7 event at the National Press Club, responding to a question from Media Matters for America’s Ari Rabin-Havt regarding Fox News’ coverage of the tea party movement, Murdoch stated that he didn’t think Fox News “should be supporting the Tea Party or any party” but would like to “investigate” “before condemning anyone.”

Contract from America’s “Founding Partners” include major right-wing organizations

Officials with Armey’s FreedomWorks, Gingrich’s American Solutions “instrumental” in writing of Contract. Kristol suggested that the Contract from America was entirety a creation of grassroots tea party activists. But while the Contract is described on its website as a “grassroots-generated, crowd-sourced, bottom-up” and “decentralized” document whose creation was organized by the organization Tea Party Patriots, many of the Contract’s “Founding Partners” are major right-wing organizations, including former House Speaker and current Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich’s American Solutions for Winning the Future, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks, the National Taxpayer’s Union, Americans for Tax Reform, and The Heartland Institute. Indeed, according to the Contract’s website:

Adam Brandon, Max Pappas, and Tabitha Hale of FreedomWorks have been instrumental in helping organize and unite a broad-based coalition of grassroots organizations, new media outlets, and public policy experts behind the Contract from America, as have Adam Radman with Americans for Tax Reform, Andrew Moylan with National Taxpayers’ Union, Ginni Thomas with Liberty Central, Adam Waldeck with American Solutions, and Lori Roman with Regular Folks United.

Beating Reid Has Long Been Top Priority For Tea Party Express, Memo Shows
The defeat of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was from the outset perhaps the top priority of the Tea Party Express, according to an internal memo. The group’s focus on unseating the Democratic Senate leader appears to bolster the charge that its priorities dovetail more closely with those of the Republican party than with the more independent Tea Party movement.

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