Following the lead of an ESPNOutdoors.com opinion writer, who provided no evidence for his claim that a federal strategy "could prohibit U.S.

Those are radically different numbers, in three governors races that haven't been extensively polled.

John Roberts has a very thin skin. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is peeved that the President criticized the Supreme Court's campaign finance decision during the State of the Union:

Country united in not wanting right wing hatemonger; OAS sends out advisory calling for similar action

As the outlook on passage of health reform improves, Republicans have shifted to a new obstructionist strategy: attacking the process of reconciliation. Republicans claim that reconciliation was only intended to be used for bills dealing closely with the budget.

It's pretty clear Marco Rubio is going to be the Republican candidate for US Senate in Florida.

Ask a kid who just took civics how a bill becomes a law and she'll explain that Congress takes a vote and, if a majority supports the bill, the bill goes to the president. That's what we teach in textbooks, but it's not what we practice in Washington.

Now that signs are starting to appear on utility polls summoning the Tea Party to its annual IRS protest, I find myself mulling creation myths like those surrounding the Boston Tea Party and the settling of the West.

On Meet the Press, E.J. Dionne and Orrin Hatch continue their argument that started on the op-ed pages of the Washington Post. More on that from Steve Benen:

Friday's unemployment numbers were nothing to write to mom about, but they will create fear in the hearts of Republicans who hope America fails because they desperately want President Obama to fail.

The Roman Catholic bishops signaled Thursday that if agreement is reached with House leaders on anti-abortion language, the church would work to get the votes needed to protect the provisions in the Senate — and thereby advance the shared goal with Democrats of health care refo …

Recent media coverage of climate change scepticism and so called controversy within the scientific community is carefully crafted political opportunism. And it has been effective at altering public perceptions about climate change.

The New York Times published an op-ed by former Air Force Chief of Staff Merrill McPeak falsely claiming that "proponents of allowing gays to serve openly have largely avoided discussion of unit cohesion." In fact, numerous studies have considered and debunked the unit cohesion m …

The filibuster has long been part of our political fabric. Early on, both senators and House members had the ability to filibuster, but the word itself didn't get popular until the mid 1850s.

The Senate GOP is blocking the confirmation of even those Obama judicial nominations that Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee supported unanimously.

Last night, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced legislation preventing Democrats from using reconciliation to change Medicare spending.

The market concentration for health insurance is so monopolized in some areas that insurance companies are willing to raise prices and lose customers in an effort to improve their bottom line, a leading insurance broker told Wall Street analysts on Wednesday

SACRAMENTO (The Borowitz Report) – Anti-gay California State Sen. Roy Ashburn today demanded a sweeping recall of the vehicle that drove him to a gay nightclub this week.

Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak (D) threatened Thursday to block health care reform (again) because it might allow federal money to subsidize abortion.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an umbrella lobbying organization for international corporations and big business, is one of the driving forces fighting to kill health reform.

Mississippi is the state with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. It has rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis among youth practically twice that of the national average.

Yesterday, the ever sanctimonious Republican Senator from Utah, Orrin Hatch, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post trashing the use of reconciliation. But, as is typical with most GOPers, Hatch left out some key facts, including how often the Republicans used reconciliation.

Last September, President Obama appeared on five Sunday morning talk shows in one day to promote health care reform, but did not sit down with Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace — a snub that was considered "the first real shot from the White House" in its clash with Fox Ne …

In recent months the race card has been getting plenty of play. It should be of no surprise that it's not Blacks, Asians, Hispanics or Eastern Indians for that matter, who are using it to their advantage.

I realize Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is a sitting U.S. senator, but I'm hard pressed to imagine why the Washington Post agreed to publish such intellectually dishonest nonsense.

You have to watch this video of the recent KKK rally in Nahunta, Georgia. They pretty much hate everyone, except themselves. You'll actually see a rally participant praise Hilter because "he had it going on" for trying to annihilate the Jewish people.

The Danville Register Bee in Virginia reported on Sunday that local power company Appalachian Power (APCo) has been overcharging customers based on estimated usage, rather than actual meter readings — a practice the APCo blamed on harsh weather conditions. Gov.

It's funny, but one of the things that fascinates me about the modern Republican Party is that they actually do very little pandering to anyone but their base. They don't care how they are perceived by intellectuals or scientists or foreign countries or young people.

Megyn Kelly wanted to talk about Fox News' latest Opinion Dynamics poll, which asked people about their attitudes on government spending and the reach and power of the federal government, with a set of questions clearly geared toward Tea Party movement sentiments, as well as a re …

WHEN THEN-U.S. Attorney Richard Cullen, a Republican, gave vigorous support in 1993 to Virginia limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month, some people questioned the propriety of a federal prosecutor getting involved in a state legislative matter. But Mr.

A a 2004 mockumentary directed by Kevin Willmott. It is a fictional tongue in cheek account of an alternate history in which the Confederates won the American Civil War and established control over all of the United States.

And a clear majority of 121 weathercasters polled — 62 percent — said they thought climate models were unreliable for predicting temperatures and sea levels to come. It is important to know that meteorologists are not climatologists.

Last month, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer of South Carolina said that when the government helps the poor, it's like people feeding stray animals that continually "breed."

Health care is one of the biggest costs to plan for in retirement, even with the federal Medicare program providing basic coverage to Americans age 65 and over. That's because Medicare beneficiaries can face substantial out-of-pocket costs, and the program doesn't cover  …

We the people. Those are, of course, the first words of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. "We the people of the United States ... " It doesn't say anything about corporations

Over at Salon John Sides has posted a graph illustrating an important point about what someone has dubbed the "conflicted conservatives," people who say they believe in cutting go government spending but who can't name a program they would cut.

A comprehensive new study on foreign militaries that have made transitions to allowing openly gay service members concludes that a speedy implementation of the change is not disruptive.

I missed this the other night but Phoenix Woman over at FDL didn't. Isn't this special? Governor Gutshot to Impoverished ER Patients: Get the Hell out!:

I can't say it's a surprise that congressional Republicans think it would be great to start over with health care, or that they're in favor of "incremental" changes. (I'd love to see them get "incremental" health surgery.)

In the midst of the worst economy in decades, Republican U.S.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) didn't have a whole lot to say at the health care summit yesterday, but when the topic at hand was mandates in the system, the GOP leader took his turn at the mic.

The President has been charitable thus far in claiming that there are "philosophical" differences between the parties. From out here, it looks more like a visceral hatred for government on the part of Republicans rather than a real intellectual argument.

One of the key takeaways of the health care summit thus far is a point that's been obvious for 11 months: Republicans aren't willing to negotiate in good faith, and have literally no interest in working towards a compromise on reform.

While most of the day was dominated by Republican grandstanding and obstinate talking point sticking-to, there were some real highlights among Democratic participants.

Today at the White House bipartisan health care summit, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) tried to argue against the Democratic majority using reconciliation to pass health care reform.

n an effort to drive his point home, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) brought along about a thousand printouts to represent the proposed health-care bill. Let's just say Obama was not amused.

This week will determine the shape of American politics for the next three years.

Global warming is occurring. It is caused by human activities. Both the theoretical basis (fundamental laws of physics) and observational evidence for warming are incontrovertible.

The Worst Governor in America added to his saga the other night, further embarrassing his state.

One of the more disturbing -- and little noted -- aspects of the Supreme Court's execrable ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is the way it legitimized, if inadvertently, the far-right operatives at Citizens United.

This is fascinating. A Republican using the birthers, who are in bed with the Teabagger movement, to tar his opponent. Remember, the birther conspiracy theory

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor talks to Lloyd Grove about the game plan for tomorrow's health-care summit, Democratic charges of stimulus hypocrisy, and the GOP's prospects this fall

There are many reasons not to like Michael Steele, but you have to admit, he keeps the comedy coming. When the GOP is finally done with him, he should get his own HBO special.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like in an alternative universe where people lived their lives in the shadow of paranoid fantasies and incompatible superstitions, and acted accordingly?

Minority Leader John Boehner took his best shot, telling his conference today that he has decided to attend in order to "crash the party:"

The Daily Show tears into the latest from Fox's resident conspiracy theorist

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said Tuesday that Republicans should "stop crying over reconciliation"

Democrats blame the GOP for their failure to pass health care. But what if obstruction is doing "the people's business?" Tunku Varadarajan on the benefits of partisanship.

Though often overlooked in the immigration debate, there are roughly 5.5 million children in the U.S. with at least one parent who is an immigrant in the country illegally.

The GOP can stir up tea partiers by voting no on Obama's agenda. Keeping them happy down the line could be harder

Adding clarity to the depth of GOP hypocrisy, Bloomberg News has obtained 300 pages of letters from anti-stimulus lawmakers requesting highway stimulus funds.

The dangers of "death panels" were explained to Americans on Sarah Palin's Facebook page. Oh, sweet Lord, she must not sleep at night...her grandson could be the next victim of "socialized medicine".

It took only the single tap of a computer key, and just like that I'd exited the Republican Party after 30 years of active membership. The context might sound impulsive, but I'd been thinking of becoming an independent for a long time.

More than a hundred Republicans bash stimulus, then seek money By John Byrne Monday, February 22nd, 2010 -- 8:58 am Share on Facebook Stumble This!

Facing a primary challenge from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been "moving starkly — and often awkwardly — to the right," even abandoning some his past positions like support for cap-and-trade.

It's easy to miss the threat of someone who's misinformed, paranoid and more than a little crazy.

American democracy is a better mousetrap. Unfortunately, it was born in the Age of the Rat

Conservative leaders' pompous and self-congratulatory "Mount Vernon Statement" twice refers to the line "self-evident truths" from the Declaration of Independence.

More problems for Sheriff Joe: A former undocumented worker is accusing the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office of negligence and mistreatment in a federal suit.

Today on Face the Nation, former Secretary of Sate Colin Powell dismissed former Vice President Cheney's claim that President Obama has made the nation less safe.

The Senate's top Republican promised Sunday morning that he and his members will attend President Obama's health care summit on Thursday "ready to participate" but said the Democrats are being "arrogant" by refusing to scrap their legislation and start over.

Many CPAC attendees are college students looking for jobs or romance. But from gay rights to Iraq and Afghanistan, can all the young conservatives get along?

One of the major problems facing the nation's economy is the budget crises being experienced by states all over the country.

No children.

This fast recap of Fox News' Obama coverage is actually rather effective. Media Matters runs through one quote a day from the first 100 days

...And why would a Coakley loss put Wall Street in such a bubbly-popping mood? Well, could be because Coakley's loss will deprive Senate Democrats of the 60 votes they need to get anything done in the face of dedicated Republican obstructionism.

In Haiti, tens of thousands of earthquake victims are dead, with at least one official estimating the number could reach half a million when the full, horrifying effects of Tuesday night's earthquake in the island nation are finally known.

How well do you know your right-wing idiots? Test your knowledge with this fun quiz featuring stupid quotes by famous conservatives.

This morning I awoke with a heart full of thankfulness and a mind in deep reflection. It is the national holiday marking the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's an eerie time to be celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

We already know Scott Brown's vision of taxes and public service.

In his book, Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by Yale historian David W.

Last week, I wrote a diary, "Rick Warren and the martyr mythology of the religious right" about the popular conservative fantasy that Christian martyrdom today is a widespread phenomenon.

Imagine secret jails. People crowded together with no place to sit. Denied showers for weeks. Forced to sleep on the floor. No water.

However, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) seems to think that not only were undocumented Haitians undeserving of TPS status then, undocumented Haitians living in the U.S. should now be deported back to their country to specifically serve as much-needed relief workers. ABCNews reports:

Haiti was a nation of farmers, but thanks to the strings attached to U.S. aid, government policies made profitable farming unprofitable. So the farmers were pushed to the cities to provide a cheap manufacturing labor force.

This is how the tea party chooses what they protest.

Somebody please tell Harry Reid there are no Negroes in America.

Fox seems to have an endearing heart when it comes to Haiti. Here is one of their favorite pundits with his view.

Today, the United States began surveying the damage inflicted by a devastating earthquake in Haiti this week. In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S.

For much of the last decade, the Republican line about liberals has been that whenever we downplayed the urgency of the so-called terrorist threat (or dared to criticize then-President Bush for that matter) we were somehow emboldening the terrorists.

A question worries Europe: is Islam inherently expansionist and out to conquer the world? Yes, say those Swiss who voted against the construction of minarets.

I swear, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a story about the travails of RNC Chairman Michael Steele these days. But this one comes with a new twist:

Quite a spel for Rush. Particularly his comments he made that Haiti was made to order for President Obama. Did anyone else feel a chill?

The upcoming National Tea Party Convention featuring the likes of Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Joseph Farah, Rick Scarborough, Roy Moore, and others seems to be causing a bit of rancor among Tea Party activists:

Today, the Wake Forest University Divinity School's Center for Religion and Public Affairs released a document entitled "Religious Expression in American Public Life: A Joint Statement of Current Law."

Washington DC - Long accused of being morally corrupt by most of their critics, the GOP today filed papers in Federal court declaring moral bankruptcy to the nth degree.

I wish the media would quit saying "populist anger" is fueling the Tea Bagger movement. It's giving the real Populists a bad name. The Tea Baggers are on the side of millionaires. The Populists of the 1890s weren't.

Recognizing the emerging popularity of the so-called tea parties, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele sought to embrace the fringe movement.

Eight years after it opened, 574 prisoners have been released from Guantánamo, 42 under Obama. Six have died. 198 remain.