MICHAEL MOORE: During an economic depression or a time of war, fascists are extremely skilled at whipping up fear and hate and getting the working class to blame “the other” for their troubles. Lincoln’s enemies told poor Southern whites that he was “a Catholic.” FDR’s opponents said he was Jewish and called him “Jewsevelt.” One in five Americans now believe Obama is a Muslim and 41% of Republicans don’t believe he was born here. MORE

[Artwork by DAN BURKE] Bill Clinton will be stumping for Dem gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato (who is running against PA attorney general Tom ‘I sued to stop Health Care Reform’ Corbett) tomorrow at 11:30 AM at the corner of 52nd and Chestnut.

SALON: Thanks, News Corp., for not allowing good taste to stand in the way of your obsessive crusade against the construction of an Islamic community center in lower Manhattan near the site of the World Trade Center. Today’s Post features a beautiful two-page spread arguing that Ground Zero includes basically everything south of Canal and east of Broadway. They illustrate the argument with a grotesque map of the locations of every place in the area where firefighters found human remains following the attack of 9/11. MORE REUTERS: The imam behind a proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque near the World […]

INQUIRER: A video showing baton-wielding police officers repeatedly striking a man in West Philadelphia has prompted an Internal Affairs investigation, police said. The 21/2-minute video, posted on YouTube, captures the violent arrest of Askia Sabur, 29, outside a takeout restaurant at Lansdowne Avenue and Allison Streets around 8:30 p.m. Friday. Five men, including Sabur and a cousin, were standing outside the Lucky Garden Chinese restaurant when two officers asked them to clear the corner. Sabur refused, telling the officers he was waiting for his food. In interviews, police, Sabur, his lawyer, and several witnesses agreed on that much. What happened […]

BY DAVE ALLEN At a Philadelphia Music Project panel last year featuring David Lang, Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon – the three composers who banded together to form the new-music collective Bang on a Can – a phrase completely removed from the world of contemporary music entered my mind: “If you can’t find a partner, use a wooden chair.” I know it comes from Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock,” and I have no idea why it popped into my head just then, but looking back, I think it captures the DIY aesthetic that the group seized on from the start, as […]

WASHINGTON POST: For those who have long argued that smoking marijuana should not be a crime, a potentially historic turning point is just weeks away. Voters in California will decide Nov. 2 whether to make their state the first to legalize the growing, selling and recreational use of marijuana. And polls here – the nation’s most populous state – suggest that residents are about evenly split on the issue. Proposition 19, as it is known, would take away criminal penalties for people 21 and older for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. MORE WASHINGTON POST: As the Obama […]

Lenoxville, PA, 5:03 PM by JEFF FUSCO

CLARION LEDGER: Judith Lewis has resigned as executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting. In a statement released by Mississippi Authority for Educational Television, Chairman Bob Sawyer said the board is disappointed and wishes Lewis the best, saying the board will now thoroughly review candidates to fill the position. Lewis could not be reached for comment. Lewis had not been seen at MPB offices in recent weeks. When asked about her absence, MPB officials denied she was on administrative leave. Her decision on July 8 to pull the popular national Fresh Air radio program drew criticism and national attention. It sparked […]

BY MAVIS LINNEMANN There are meals you can make from just what’s in your pantry, and there are meals you have to stock your pantry to make. Unless you frequently make authentic Mexican dinners, this meal is one you’ll have to plan for. But I solemnly swear this Mexican fiesta is worth the ingredient hunt. In fact, instead of “tacos al pastor,” I think this recipe should be called “the best ever grilled pork tacos.” While finding some of the ingredients in this dish might be a pain, actually putting it all together is fairly easy. Chunks of marbled pork […]

HUFFPO: Introducing DNC Chairman Tim Kaine at the University of Pennsylvania, the retiring Pennsylvania Democrat, known for his oratorical flair, warned about the government being taken over by “whackos.” He called some of the more colorful characters in the Republican Party “fruit loops.” He derided House Minority Leader John Boehner as “the tan guy,” and said that some of the GOP’s positions are “flat out crazy.” “I’m telling you,” Rendell said. “If I’m an independent voter in [Rep.] Patrick Murphy’s district, sure I’m worried about the deficit but I sure as heck am worried about people who want to do […]