Once, everyone believed they could succeed by hard work and gumption. Republicans no longer pretend to believe the myth
Mitt Romney's historic gaffe caught on video – published, with great timing, by the left-leaning Mother Jones magazine – in which he said that his campaign was writing off 47% of American voters since they "depended on government" handouts, was committed in an equally significant manner, as he delivered the remarks to a closed group of potential major donors in Florida. GOP stalwart and Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan is calling for an intervention in the campaign, and even some fellow Republicans are scampering to distance themselves from the inflammatory remarks.
But I find the remarks fascinating and important to deconstruct because they affirm – as insider discourse captured for the public often can – the fact that a new kind of narrative for America has taken over from one of our oldest and most cherished national myths. What
... Read more »
Veteran newsman Ted Koppel appeared as a special contributor to NBC’s “Rock Center” on Thursday to launch an apparent war on what he believes is “partisan ranting” masquerading as news coverage at Fox News, MSNBC and other partisan media. But, first he sat down for an interview Bill O’Reilly and told him to his face that he’s hurting the country.
His conclusions: Fox News and MSNBC seem to only market “fear”; the partisan divide has actually become impossible to bridge; and it’s now up to the American people to reject it or suffer the consequences.
But just before the “Rock Center” special report aired, Koppel sat down with Fox News’ own Bill O’Reilly, and the two immediately squared off over whose brand of journalism is more righteous.
Sarah Silverman, your self-described "Jewish friend," has a hilarious video out about new voter ID laws that supposedly meant to crack down on voter fraud (hardly a rampant problem), but actually help disenfranchise certain demographics that traditionally vote Democratic. Or, as Silverman puts it, "Hey black people, old people, poor people and students, guess what you all have in common? Lawmakers are trying to fuck you in your assholes!"
Made as part of the Let My People Vote campaign, the comedian goes on to note that many states now require voters to have a state issued picture ID, like a driver's license, and will not accept social security cards, veteran photo ID cards or, in some states, student IDs. Firearm permits, however, are totally acceptable. "It makes perfect sense," Silverman exclaims. "Get these kids gun permits! Ugh, I feel safer from voter fraud already."
Paul Ryan’s speech to AARP’s national conference in New Orleans did not go over too well with the audience.
The Republican vice presidential nominee, who has led his party in proposing a privatization plan for Medicare, drew repeated jeers and catcalls as he made the case for Mitt Romney’s platform on entitlements.
Easily the worst moments came as Ryan discussed repealing the Affordable Care Act, which increased prescription drug and preventive service benefits for seniors.
“The first step to a stronger Medicare is to repeal ‘Obamacare,’” Ryan said, prompting a chorus of boos. After the outcry, he said: “I had a feeling there would be mixed reaction, so let me get into it.”
The perennial runner-up network bests Fox News Channel in its primetime ratings with adults 25-54 two nights in a row.
As the election nears, there's some interesting movement in primetime cable news ratings -- with the scales, at least on Tuesday night, tipping in Rachel Maddow's favor.
MSNBC, which regularly finishes in a distant second to the dominant Fox News Channel, actually bested the network in the coveted adults 25-54 demographic for two nights in a row.
(Reuters) - An EU-IMF report into whether Greece's debt is manageable looks set to be delayed until after November 6 because policymakers want to avoid any shock to the global economy before the U.S. election, EU officials and diplomats say.
The report by the 'troika' of Greece's foreign lenders -- the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund -- was expected during October, possibly before a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on October 8.
This week, a French research team published a paper in a peer-reviewed US journal showing that rats exposed to low doses of both genetically modified corn and the widely used herbicide Roundup had negative health effects. The results, already generating plenty of debate, are not as clear-cut as they seem at first glance. But they do shine a harsh light on the ag-biotech industry's mantra that GMOs have indisputably proven safe to eat—and establish an urgent need for more long-term research.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) lost a court ruling against Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) in Germany regarding claims the South Korean company’s Galaxy devices infringed patents on the iPhone maker’s touch-screen technology.
The Mannheim Regional Court ruled that Samsung didn’t violate Apple’s patents on features related to touch-screen technology, Jason Kim, a Seoul-based spokesman for the Suwon, South Korea-based company said in an e-mailed statement today. Joachim Bock, a court spokesman, confirmed the ruling.
Main 
