Thom's blog
The Greek people are once again getting a raw deal
Despite promising to renegotiate the bailout deal, to soften austerity measures coming down the pike, the new Conservative coalition government in Greece is moving forward with harsh new spending cuts. Even though the New Democracy party supported the bailout and austerity program during the campaign, the Party did promise to soften the austerity blow and have the spending cuts spread out over two years rather than inflicted immediately.
Roll back the Reagan tax cuts, like they just did in France
With the Socialists now in control of France – the wealthy are again - after a long pause of tax cuts for the rich under Sarkozy - being asked to sacrifice their fair share. President Francois Hollande introduced a new budget on Wednesday – restoring pre-Sarkozy tax rates on the rich.
Pharmaceutical giant fraudulently puts Profits Over People
One giant pharmaceutical company just got busted for putting profits ahead of peoples’ lives. In the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history, British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline was slapped with $3 billion in fines after pleading guilty to a number of criminal and civil violations related to 10 drugs the company produces that are taken by millions of Americans.
This is what Climate Change looks like
Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power around the nation’s capital – and left to deal with a record breaking heat wave alone. Fueled by all-time temperature highs on Friday, a massive freak storm ripped across the Mid-Atlantic Friday night – killing at least 15 people and knocking out power to more than three million.
The absurd Republican reaction to Obamacare being upheld
The Supreme Court’s health care ruling on Thursday protected hundreds of millions of Americans from being denied health insurance for pre-existing conditions, kept millions of young people insured under their parents healthcare plans, and will eventually lead to coverage of more than 30 million Americans who previously did not have access to health insurance.
Time to push for Medicare part E – Medicare for All!
Despite what you might have seen on cable news networks Fox News and CNN, the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare today – ruling that Congress does have the power to penalize Americans who don’t buy health insurance – which was how the individual mandate works. Chief Justice John Roberts was the swing vote – siding with the four justices on the left to uphold the law.
The US Chamber of Commerce is under investigation
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is taking a close look at the Chamber of Commerce’s political activities.On Tuesday – Schneiderman issued a subpoena to executives with organizations that have funneled millions of dollars into the Chamber of Commerce under the disguise of charitable contributions, to determine whether or not that money was actually used for political purposes – like running ads against Democrats and
Is the GOP threatening to impeach Obama?
One day after the Supreme Court struck down nearly the entirety of Arizona's controversial anti-immigration law SB-1070 – prompting a blatant political attack against the President by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia – one of the top ranking Republicans in the Senate – Jon Kyl – is suggesting President Obama could be impeached over his handling of immigration enforcement.
The Supreme Court Doubles Down on Citizens United!
The Supreme Court had a chance to correct its mistake with Citizens United today – but chose not to. In another 5-to-4 ruling, the Conservative justices struck down a Montana law that banned corporate spending in state elections – and ruled that it’s 2010 Citizens United decision applies not just to federal elections – but state elections as well.
The Oligarchs are Plotting the Weekend...
The oligarchs are meeting this weekend to plot how they’re going to buy the elections this year. First, Mitt Romney will be hosting a three-day retreat in Utah over the weekend with about 600 hundreds of his biggest fundraisers. Romney is coming off a good fundraising month in May where his camp outraised the Obama camp $78 million to $60 million. But the real plans to buy the election are being made in California –