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September 16, 2010 3:24 pm | By Miranda Blue
The Citizens United Fallout Reaches Ohio
Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC, state-level laws regulating corporate election spending have been crumbling. Today, yet another bit the dust:An agreement between Ohio elections officials and an anti-abortion group voids a state ban that kept…
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September 16, 2010 1:48 pm | By Miranda Blue
Is “Eagerness to Obstruct” a Requirement for New GOP Senators?
Yesterday, former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte narrowly defeated Tea Party insurgent Ovide Lamontagne in the state’s Republican senate primary.Ayotte is hardly a political moderate—Sarah Palin has anointed her a “Mama Grizzly”—but that didn’t keep her from being attacked…
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September 15, 2010 9:46 pm | By Miranda Blue
Yesterday’s Big Wins for Young Progressive Candidates
Gustavo Rivera, a young progressive candidate endorsed by the PFAW Action Fund, won a big victory yesterday in a New York state senate district in the Bronx, ousting the current Senate Majority Leader in the Democratic primary. Rivera won a…
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September 15, 2010 5:52 pm | By Jen Herrick
Important votes next week on DADT, DREAM, and secret holds
It could be a big week next week for the Senate. When Majority Leader Reid brings the FY 2011 Defense authorization bill to the floor, we are likely to see consideration of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the DREAM Act, and…
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September 15, 2010 5:29 pm | By Miranda Blue
How Much Extremism Can the “Mainstream” GOP Handle?
For several years now, our RightWingWatch blog has been reporting on the bigoted shenanigans of one Bryan Fischer. Fischer, a leader of the American Family Association and host of a weekly show on the AFA’s radio station, is one of…
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September 13, 2010 3:57 pm | By Miranda Blue
The DISCLOSE Act’s Second Chance
As Congress returns to work this month, the Senate will likely have another chance to vote on the DISCLOSE Act, legislation meant to mitigate the damage of Citizens United by requiring full disclosure of corporate spending in elections. The House…
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September 10, 2010 8:13 pm | By Miranda Blue
President Obama: “We Are Not At War with Islam”
At his news conference today, President Obama was asked “to weigh in on the wisdom of building a mosque a couple of blocks from Ground Zero.” His answer was straightforward and reasoned…and it’s how every political leader should be responding…
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September 10, 2010 2:01 pm | By Paul Gordon
“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Is Held Unconstitutional
Yesterday in a California courtroom, the already decaying edifice of anti-LGBT discrimination crumbled just a little bit more: U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled that Don't Ask Don't Tell violates the United States Constitution. Specifically, she held that DADT violates…
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September 9, 2010 6:10 pm | By Miranda Blue
Appeals Court Strikes Down Hazleton, PA Immigration Law
Hazleton, Pennsylvania in many ways pioneered the trend of sweeping, discriminatory, and impractical state and local immigration enforcement laws. And, like the recent Arizona law that followed in its ideological footsteps, Hazleton’s law requiring businesses and landlords to act as…
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September 9, 2010 3:59 pm | By Miranda Blue
Alabama County Brings the Voting Rights Act to Court
An 87% white county in Alabama is arguing that some of the anti-discrimination protections in the Voting Rights Act are no longer necessary…and its case might end up in the Supreme Court.Shelby County is protesting Section 5 of the Voting…
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September 8, 2010 8:01 pm | By Miranda Blue
Beck and Palin’s 9-11 Gravy Train
Glenn Beck was none too happy when President Obama designated Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service. But while volunteerism might be a 9/11 no-no, it turns out that exploiting the occasion for personal profit is just fine. Media…
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September 7, 2010 4:30 pm | By Miranda Blue
Sign the Pledge: Stand for Religious Freedom and Against Intolerance
The past month’s attacks on Muslim Americans have marked a disturbing break from the core American values of religious freedom and tolerance. The National Security Network, a leading foreign policy organization, is calling on Americans to affirm those values by…
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September 7, 2010 4:12 pm | By Miranda Blue
Today’s GOP “More Extreme” than Bush?
Remember when GOP candidates were doing everything they could to distance themselves from President George W. Bush? Well, the GOP is still moving away from Bush…moving to his right. The Huffington Post’s Sam Stein talked with David Axelrod, President Obama’s…
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September 3, 2010 5:44 pm | By Brian
Focus on the Family Brings Sex-Ed Fight to China
While consistently pushing to marginalize and prohibit comprehensive sex-education in schools throughout the United States, Focus on the Family is now hoping to introduce flawed abstinence-only programs in China. William Wan writes in the Washington Post that Focus on the…
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September 2, 2010 7:05 pm | By Brian
Corporate Groups take aim at Hodes in New Hampshire
What happens when a principal leader in the fight for greater corporate accountability runs for higher office? He becomes the target of a tremendous and misleading assault by new corporate-backed groups that have gained new prominence in the wake of…
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September 1, 2010 10:19 pm | By Ben Betz
More GOP Islamophobia… and its ugly consequences
From OpenLeft: In his post, "A clash of civilizations revealed in Newsweek poll," Paul Rosenberg notes: The notion that Obama "favors the interests of Muslim Americans" is frankly ludicrous. But, then, so was the notion that blacks had too much…
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August 31, 2010 11:43 pm | By Ben Betz
Tom Toles is Right On
Check out this excellent Tom Toles cartoon from the Washington Post, which captures perfectly points made in PFAW President Michael B. Keegan's recent Huffington Post op-ed.
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August 31, 2010 6:16 pm | By Brian
The Tea Party and the Religious Right at “Restoring Honor”
Many political commentators suggested that the emergence of the Tea Party would diminish the foothold and clout of the Religious Right in American politics, especially within the Republican Party. Politico’s Ben Smith said that social conservative leaders mistrust and fear…
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August 31, 2010 5:30 pm | By Ben Betz
Newsweek Poll: Republicans Think Obama ‘Probably’ Wants To Impose Islamic Law
According to a new poll, a majority of Republicans thinks President Obama favors the interests of Muslim Americans over other Americans and that he wants to impost Islamic Sharia law throughout the world. From Talking Points Memo (emphasis mine): The…
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August 31, 2010 5:26 pm | By Ben Betz
FL-22: House Candidate Allen West Speaks the Tea Party’s Language
Allen West is a potential long-term concern. A possible star in the GOP... he’s ultra-conservative, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, charismatic and speaks directly to the passions of the Tea Party. On top of that, he’s African American. We know…