Thom's blog
To Glenn Beck....Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is reporting, according to FBI statistics that there's been a spike in anti-Latino hate crimes. This trend seems to be picking up steam side by side with the national debate over immigration reform. The report also takes a direct aim at politicians’ anti-immigrant rhetoric. For example, Texas Republican Reps.
Libertarian Paradise of Somalia
In some big triumphs this year, the tea party movement has had successful wins against long-time Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT), Tea Partier Trey Gowdy won over “reasonable Republican” Rep. Bob Inglis (SC), and now it looks like Senate candidate Joe Miller (R-AK) will beat current Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in one of the biggest political upsets of the year.
Shoot to Kill...Americans?
Frontline, The New Orleans Times-Picayune and ProPublica are reporting that in the jumbled days after Hurricane Katrina an order circulated allowing the New Orleans police to shoot looters, according to present and former members of the department. Some officers who were aware of the order say they refused to carry it out.
Leave no Billionaire Behind...
Giant U.S. companies and their multi-millionaire CEOs have stepped up their lobbying to block Democrats' plans to let the Bush tax cuts on wealthier Americans expire at year's end.
Is there room in Guantanamo for Faux News?
According to a report from Yahoo!News, the second largest shareholder, the parent company of Fox News, Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal in News Corp, has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to projects by Feisal Abdul Rauf's, who is planning to build a Muslim community center and mosque near Ground Zero in Manhattan.
Iceland is Exporting the Truth
After Iceland's near-economic collapse exposed deep-rooted corruption, the country is looking to become a safe haven for journalists and whistleblowers from all around the world. Their Parliament in June unanimously voted for an Icelandic "Modern Media Initiative" protecting journalists. The project is taking off with the help of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Sarah Palin Killed Granny...
In a study by the New England Journal of Medicine that exposes the effects of end-of-life care, doctors have discovered that patients with terminal lung cancer who began receiving palliative care quickly after diagnosis were not only happier, were more mobile and had less pain as the end neared — but they also lived nearly three months longer. Dr. Diane E.
Don't Take Away Social Security - Double it Instead!
A New America Foundation study is not calling for Social Security to be cut back but to double it. With the crash of private pensions, homeownership and personal savings in the footsteps of this Republican Great Recession, Social Security becomes central to the historic "three-legged stool" of American retirement security. Yet Social Security now only brings in only a about a third of the money needed for retirement.
Should Violent War Game Videos Be Regulated Just Like Hard Core Pornography?
A new video game set in modern-day Afghanistan coming out in October simulates war. The game's multi-player format allows some gamers to be in the role of the Taliban, while others play the part of the coalition forces. Karen Meredith, whose son died in Afghanistan, told Fox News, "My son didn't get to start over when he was killed.
President Obama Caves In...
At an annual dinner in the White House State Dining Room celebrating the holy month of Ramadan, President Obama said, "As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," weighing in for the first time on a the Cordoba House controversy in New York City.