EDITOR’S NOTE: OK, admittedly it’s not a very original title, but it IS accurate. William C. Henry is better known to me as ‘Uncle Bill.’ He’s always been a man of strong opinions and a persuasive argument-maker, but I was a little surprised to learn — after re-connecting with him after a prolonged period of radio silence — that his current perspective so closely mirrors that of Phawker. Which is refreshing, to say the least, since most (white) people seem to turn into Fox News zombies when they get to be his age (early 70s, FYI). Not Uncle Bill. It […]
Q&A: With Hampton Sides Author Of Hellhound On His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the International Hunt for His Assassin
Hampton Sides is an acclaimed bestselling author and a National Magazine Award nominated journalist. He won the PEN USA Award for nonfiction and the 2002 Discover Award from Barnes and Noble for Ghost Soldiers, a historical narrative following the rescue of WWII Bataan Death March survivors that was later adapted into the Miramax feature film The Great Raid. His next book, Blood and Thunder, was adapted into an episode of the Public Broadcasting Service’s American Experience series. Hellhound On His Trail, is a taut and thrilling account of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the 65-day manhunt for […]
Study Finds Pennsylvania Has The Highest Percentage Of Structurally Deficient Bridges In The Nation
A just-released study by Transportation for America says 26.5% percent of Pennsylvania’s bridges – or roughly 6,000 – have critical structural problems, earning the Keystone State the distinction of being The Most Dangerous State In The Union To Drive Across A Bridge. Don’t expect that to change any time soon. “Are we trying to … find the funds for it? Yes. But I will go back, and you’ve heard me say it repeatedly: we inherited a $4.3 billion deficit that we have to resolve,” Governor Tom Corbett told Newswork’s Scott Detrow. In the meantime, we might want to start equipping […]
FUNDRAISING: Help Fund A Koch Brothers Expose And Get A Badass Shep Fairey ‘Kochtopus’ T-Shirt
BRAVE NEW FILMS: With a net worth of 43 Billion the Kochs have already spent decades of their lives and over 324 Million of their wealth exerting their influence. The Kochs accomplish their goals by funding a massive array of right wing front groups, think tanks and tea party efforts. They largely operate outside of the public eye, and target their funding to infiltrate public opinion, the media, judicial decisions and legislation. Over three dozen organizations are funded by the brothers, and they spend additional money lobbying and backing conservative candidates. Everything the Kochs do is to fight for a […]
NPR FOR THE TONE DEAF: National Public Radio CEO Steps Down In The Wake Of O’Keefe Sting Video
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: NPR chief executive officer Vivian Schiller resigned Wednesday in the wake of a sting video that showed fundraiser Ron Schiller (no relation) criticizing Jews and disparaging conservatives, the tea party movement, and former NPR political analyst Juan Williams, whose firing in October may have set into motion one of the most tumultuous eras in NPR’s 41-year history. James O’Keefe, the controversial conservative sting artist behind the ACORN “pimp videos,” said Mr. Williams’s firing in October sparked the latest sting operation, in which two actors posing as representatives of a Muslim Brotherhood front group met with Mr. Schiller, […]
WORTH REPEATING: The Kochtopus Sure Eats An Awful Lot Of Big Government Money For A Libertarian
THINK PROGRESS: Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch fired back at his critics, who have grown more vocal as it has become clear that Koch groups are providing the political muscle for Gov. Scott Walker’s (R-WI) union-busting power grab. In his piece, Charles portrays himself as simply an ideological advocate, and says his money to political groups is only meant to “enhance true economic freedom.” He chides special interests that have “successfully lobbied for special favors,” claiming “crony capitalism is much easier than competing in an open market.” But in reality, the focus of the Koch political machine is geared towards […]
WARNING: Kochtopus Spotted In Downtown Madison
THE CAP TIMES: The billionaire brothers whose political action committee gave Gov. Scott Walker $43,000 and helped fund a multi-million dollar attack ad campaign against his opponent during the 2010 gubernatorial election have quietly opened a lobbying office in Madison just off the Capitol Square. Charles and David Koch, who co-own Koch Industries Inc. and whose combined worth is estimated at $43 billion, have been recently tied with Walker’s push to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public workers. The two have long backed conservative causes and groups including Americans for Prosperity, which organized the Tea Party rally Saturday in support […]
HOT DOC: Teabaggers Plotting To Infiltrate Pro-Union Wisconsin Rallies, Sow Chaos And Hijack Photo Ops
[Illustration by ALEX FINE] Tea Party Express organizer/talk radio host/frequent CNN guest Mark Williams is encouraging Tea Partiers to go to the SEIU home page and sign up for upcoming pro-union rallies at the Wisconsin capitol building, masquerade as a union sympathizer and then behave in a way that would paint protesters as greedy, lazy thugs in the eyes of the media and the general public (SEE BELOW). Last summer Williams was universally reviled (even by the Tea Party) for penning a blatantly racist “open letter” to Abe Lincoln from the “colored people” which chided blacks for “striving for welfare,” […]
EXIT THE PHAROAH: Mubarak Resignation FAIL
[Artwork by DonkeyHotey] NEW YORK TIMES: President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt prepared to address the nation Thursday, with government officials indicating that they expected him to step aside, and Egypt’s military announcing that it is intervening in state affairs in an attempt to stop a three-week old uprising. The military declared on state television that it would take measures “to maintain the homeland and the achievements and the aspirations of the great people of Egypt” and meet the demands of the protesters who have insisted on ending Mr. Mubarak’s 30-year rule. Several government officials said Mr. Mubarak is expected to […]
Obama Broke Pledge To Help Struggling Homeowners
PROPUBLICA: Before he took office, President Obama repeatedly promised voters and Democrats in Congress that he’d fight for changes to bankruptcy laws to help homeowners—a tough approach that would force banks to modify mortgages. “I will change our bankruptcy laws to make it easier for families to stay in their homes,” Obama told supporters at a Colorado rally on September 16, 2008, the same day as the bailout of AIG. Bankruptcy judges have long been barred from lowering mortgage payments on primary residences, though they could do it with nearly all other types of debt, even mortgages on vacation homes. […]
SCRAPPLE TV NEWS: With Your Host AP Ticker
This week, AP discusses explains how West Philly High School student Brandon Ford got invited to sit with the First Lady for the State of The Union address, the Gosnell abortion horror show, and the Onion coming to town. Also, he explains why the U.S. will not be able to indict or extradite Wikileaks’ Julian Assange and pays tribute to his old pal Don Kirshner of Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert fame.
Glenn Beck Declares ‘Philadelphia Sucks’; Says He Is Afraid To Walk Around Independence Mall After 6 PM
ATTYTOOD: “Philadelphia sucks,” Beck declares at the end of today’s rant, which is focused on his notion — and feel free to debate this, as I know you will — that it’s not safe to walk around the City of Brotherly Love at 6 p.m. (6 p.m.?) without getting robbed or shot. MORE PREVIOUSLY: Beck and his fellow right-wing gabber Sean Hannity got dumped today by the city’s top-ranked talk-radio outlet, WPHT 1210-The Big Talker, in a major shakeup aimed at keepin’ it local. While Hannity and Beck — nationally the No. 2 and No. 3 most-listened-to talk hosts behind […]
THIS JUST IN: Tom Delay Sentenced To 3 Years In Jail
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Tom DeLay, the once powerful Texas Republican congressman found guilty of money laundering and conspiracy, was sentenced Monday to three years in prison. The former Republican House majority leader, dubbed “The Hammer” for his take-no-prisoners style, was convicted in November of conspiring to illegally funnel $190,000 in corporate campaign donations to Republican candidates for the Texas Legislature. The prison sentence applies to the conspiracy count. DeLay did not receive prison time for the money laundering count. He was given 10 years probation, and faces […]