Blackout On Utility Shut-offs Shows The Media Is Not “Liberal”

By Jacqueline S. Homan

Author: Classism For Dimwits
Nothing You Can Possess
Divine Right: The Truth is a Lie
Eyes of a Monster

There is a media blackout on the unaffordable utilities crisis precipitated by conservative social and economic policy. This crisis was 30 years in the making and much of today’s economic pain is the result of deregulation of Big Business — including utility companies. Under the watch of former President George W. Bush, utilities across the US were deregulated resulting in the removal of many public protections at the state level, such as rate caps to curb price-gouging, …

Rand Paul May Face Challenge From Libertarian Candidate

Libertarian Party Vice Chair Joshua Koch says Rand Paul has betrayed the party’s values, and the party may field a candidate to challenge him for the U. S. Senate from Kentucky. Kentucky Party Chair Ken Moellman says Koch isn’t speaking for the party but didn’t rule out a challenge to Paul.

Koch said Paul’s views on a variety of subjects differ from the Libertarian Party, including his promised support for any measures to ban abortion and his opposition to same-sex marriage.

“Trying to impose a national standard for that would throw the whole system out of balance, and that’s …

American Citizen Detained As Illegal Immigrant

Eduardo Caraballo faced deportation and spent a weekend in jail because authorities refused to believe he was actually born in Puerto Rico.

…his self-described nightmare began last week when he was arrested in connection with a stolen car case. He maintains his innocence and says the car case is still being investigated, but says the real problems began when his mother posted his bail Friday.

Instead of being released, he was told by authorities that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was detaining him because he was an illegal immigrant.

Officers tried to ask him questions about the Caribbean island, but he …

On Wednesday’s Radio Show…

• Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) tells Alan how a Hispanic US citizen was detained as an illegal immigrant, even after producing his birth certificate.

• A mosque near Ground Zero? Manhattan Community Board 1 member Rob Townley explains why his panel voted in favor of the plan.

• Red Eye host Greg Gutfeld shares sharp-tongued insights from his new book, The Bible of Unspeakable Truths.…

Illegal Immigration: The Crisis That Isn’t

By James Frye

Where would the Republicans be without their scary wedge issues?  We’ve been talking about Arizona’s “show me zee papers” anti-illegal immigrant law as the reason why illegal immigration is an issue now, but it would have been one anyway.  It’s the Republicans’ thing – crank up the scares every two years so they don’t have to talk about what they are really up to, like their push to protect oil companies so we can have even more Alaskan and Gulf oil spill disasters and they can be off the hook for them.  It’s like their “pro-life” stance that …

James O’Keefe Pleads Guilty To Breaking Into Senator Mary Landrieu’s Office

Four conservative activists pleaded guilty to entering federal property under false pretenses.  They were accused of tampering with the phones in Senator Mary Landrieu’s office.

[O'Keefe] was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine.

The FBI has said O’Keefe used his cell phone to try to capture video of two others who posed as telephone repairmen and asked to see the phones at Landrieu’s office. The fourth allegedly waited outside in a car with a listening device

O’Keefe has said the group was trying to investigate complaints that constituents calling Landrieu’s office couldn’t …

Republicans Who Hate Big Government Want Big Government Reponse To Oil Spill

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (pictured), a constant critic of big government, is nevertheless blasting the White House for not doing enough to stem the oil flow in the Gulf.

“BP is the responsible party, but we need the federal government to make sure they are held accountable and that they are indeed responsible. Our way of life depends on it,” Jindal said.

This is the same guy, Oliver Willis points out, who decried the government doing volcano monitoring.  It seems obvious that what’s really going on here is political calculation.

Jindal’s ambitions have always extended beyond the bayou: He wasn’t …

Don’t Expect Tea Party “Libertarians” To Care When Real Liberties Are At Stake

By William K. Wolfrum

I’ve never been a fan of pointing to a singular event and trying to show how it can lead to a national nightmare. The U.S. is a pretty big country, after all. But over the last few days, there have been several stories of Americans having their liberties infringed upon. They include:

Walter Williams: “I Believe In Keeping Wives Under Control”

Filling in for Rush Limbaugh, conservative economist Walter Williams told a caller he was proud of him when the caller said his wife was doing more chores around the house. Williams applauded him for “keeping [his] wife under control.”

…

Alabama Congressional Candidate: “Obama Is Ashamed” Of America

Les Phillip, an African-American Republican who is looking to unseat Democrat-turned-Republican Congressman Parker Griffith in Alabama, has an ad that is intended to contrast Phillip with the president, claiming Obama…

“fell in with left-wing radicals,” “played with terrorists,” and “allowed his America-hating pastor to baptize his children.”

It includes a shot of Mr. Obama smoking a cigarette – an image, as the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel notes, that is a forgery.

Philip says in the spot that while he loves America, “President Obama is ashamed of it.” He says he wants to stop Mr. Obama from “destroying our nation.”

…

On Tuesday’s Radio Show…

• Did the White House improperly interfere with the Pennsylvania Senate race? Alan discusses the allegations with the candidate who defeated Arlen Specter, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA).

• Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawrence Korb, who served under President Reagan, tells Alan why it’s time to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

• Alan responds to the announcement that President Obama will deploy up to 1,200 National Guard troops to the US-Mexico border.…