Message left for Nelson Mandela on the wall outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria where he has been hospitalized since June 8:
“I hope you feel better. I love you so much. And I know you love me too.”
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Today:
11:0: VP Biden Speaks on the Fair Labor Standards Act
1:55: The President delivers remarks on Climate Change at Georgetown University
(listed in some places as 1:35)
3:35: The President and Vice President meet with members of the Congressional Leadership, Oval Office
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President Obama talks with Rob Nabors, Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy, center, and Miguel Rodriguez, Director of Legislative Affairs, in the Oval Office, June 24 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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CBS: With little to no hope on Capitol Hill for action on climate change, President Obama on Tuesday plans to bypass Congress and move forward with executive actions designed to reduce carbon emissions.
In a speech at Georgetown University, the president will lay out what the administration is billing as a comprehensive plan built on three pillars: cutting the nation’s carbon pollution, leading global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and preparing the United States for the impacts of climate change. As part of that effort, Mr. Obama on Tuesday will sign a presidential memorandum directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to start engaging with states, the private sector and other stakeholders to set carbon pollution standards for both new and existing carbon power plants.
The president, a senior administration official said, has “made it very clear his preference would be for Congress to act.” At this point, however, he is ready to rely on the existing authorities in the executive branch.
More here
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Keeping our eyes on the ball http://t.co/CkR5IbKet1
— Smartypants (@Smartypants32) June 25, 2013
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USA Today: President Obama tries to conduct some summertime legislative business Tuesday in a meeting with congressional leaders from both parties. Among the likely topics: An immigration bill and the debate to extend a low interest student loan program set to expire on Monday.
The guest list features Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell …. Republican House Speaker John Boehner is also scheduled to attend the presidential meeting, as is House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
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The #scotus liveblog is up and running. Love to see you. http://t.co/cvRf0nHM0T.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 25, 2013
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Jon Favreau: When Journalists Attack
If you saw the news at any point in the last month, chances are that you heard Barack Obama compared in some way to Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. A quick and admittedly unscientific Google search on the comparisons turns up 1.7 million hits, and they are not limited to right-wing media or Republican politicians. Partisan and nonpartisan journalists across the political spectrum casually and frequently linked Obama to Nixon over and over again, this publication included.
…. the facts that have emerged over the last month, through more solid reporting and independent investigation, are proving once again that the political media’s addiction to sensationalism and snap-judgment hyperbole has contributed to a lack of serious, informed debate about issues that badly deserve it.
Full post here
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The virtual absence of MSM coverage on the #reprorights goings-on in Texas is SHAMEFUL. #texlege #SB5 #HB60 #HB16 #fem2
— Imani ABL (@AngryBlackLady) June 24, 2013
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ThinkProgress: …. Nancy Pelosi blasted the GOP’s continued assault on reproductive rights in an exclusive interview with ThinkProgress. She noted the 20-week abortion ban was just the latest example of House Republicans’ priorities, which have included attempts to kill the Violence Against Women Act and to defund Planned Parenthood.
Though House Speaker John Boehner’s Congress has gone down in history as the least productive Congress since World War II, House Republicans have aggressively pursued anti-choice legislation in recent years. In response, Americans increasingly brand the GOP as a party of anti-woman extremists, which sunk the 2012 campaigns of several Republican candidates who were too blunt about their desires to restrict women’s access to health services. Women – even Republican lawmakers-— have fled the party.
Since Republicans took the House in 2010, Pelosi explained, Americans are beginning to understand just how far beyond abortion the GOP’s war on women reaches:
“…..They don’t believe in government…except when it comes to the bedroom.”
Full post here
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IMPORTANT: You don’t have to be a Texan to stop the destructive #SB5 anti-women bill. Want to help? Use this: http://t.co/ZtDo5SUW8O
— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 25, 2013
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I’m so inspired by women in Texas right now. #FeministArmy #GirlPower #TXlege pic.twitter.com/8gjPBy6WSn
— The Queen Regnant™ ⛵ (@TheQueenRegnant) June 24, 2013
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RH Reality Check: An Open Letter to Anyone Ready to Write Off Texas: Don’t, Because it’s *Your* Future at Stake
Read here
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News Observer: More than 2500 people rally outside the North Carolina State Legislative Building on Halifax Mall Monday, June 24, 2013, prior to an act of civil disobedience opposing the Republican legislature’s agenda. About 120 activists were arrested by General Assembly and Raleigh police. About 600 have been arrested over the course of 8 “Moral Monday” demonstrations.
More here
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How will we find the time to read all the mea culpas from Very Serious People who went all-in on IRS story?
— Jamison Foser (@jamisonfoser) June 24, 2013
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AP: The Internal Revenue Service’s screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed … Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, top Democrat on the Ways and Means panel, said he was writing a letter to J. Russell George, the Treasury Department inspector general whose audit in May detailed IRS targeting of conservatives, asking why his report did not mention other groups that were targeted.
“The audit served as the basis and impetus for a wide range of congressional investigations and this new information shows that the foundation of those investigations is flawed in a fundamental way,” Levin said.
…. Democratic staff on Ways and Means said that they had verified that of the 298 groups seeking tax-exempt status that George’s audit had examined, some were liberal organizations – something George’s report did not mention.
More here
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Daily Banter Staff: As the IRS Scandal Goes Down in Flames, An Important Lesson for the NSA Story http://t.co/GMCzAqSsxD
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) June 25, 2013
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Steve Benen: Stick a fork in the IRS controversy; it’s done
The good news for conservatives is that new information about the IRS controversy came to light late yesterday, which renewed coverage of the story Republicans are heavily in. The bad news for conservatives it that the revelations were the opposite of what they wanted to hear.
More here
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Start proceedings to charge Darrell Issa with ethics violations, and remove him from Congress. http://t.co/h769o9h0pw #lastword
— RB Blair (@TuxcedoCat) June 25, 2013
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Dana Milbank: The most remarkable thing about the Supreme Court’s opinions announced Monday was not what the justices wrote or said. It was what Samuel Alito did …. when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg read her dissent from the bench, Alito visibly mocked his colleague.
Ginsburg was making her argument about how the majority opinion made it easier for sexual harassment to occur in the workplace when Alito, seated immediately to Ginsburg’s left, shook his head from side to side in disagreement, rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling.
His treatment of the 80-year-old Ginsburg, 17 years his elder and with 13 years more seniority, was a curious display of judicial intemperance….
Days earlier, I watched as he demonstrated his disdain for Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor….
More here
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Charles Pierce: We shouldn’t leave today’s action at the Supreme Court without taking note of the tantrum thrown by Justice Clarence Thomas in the opinion he wrote in Fisher, the Texas affirmative-action case. It’s not often that you see anyone take this much utter self-loathing out for a walk without it ending up in gunplay or a dive off a bridge.
….This guy is sitting in what used to be Thurgood Marshall’s seat on the court. He’s lucky the chair itself didn’t burst into flame today.
Full post here
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Former official: “They think he copied so much stuff – that almost everything [the NSA] does, he has” http://t.co/Zj0HUmVyp7
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 25, 2013
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Bloomberg: U.S. intelligence agencies are investigating whether Edward Snowden’s leaks may be a Chinese intelligence operation or whether China might have used his concerns about U.S. surveillance practices to exploit him, according to four American officials.
The officials emphasized there’s no hard evidence yet that Snowden was a Chinese agent …. rather, they are duty-bound to probe such a worst-case scenario for the U.S.….
…. their suspicions about Snowden began to take root when he fled to Hong Kong, which has a 1997 extradition treaty with the U.S. but is under the political control of China. They grew deeper still when Snowden spoke publicly only about American cyber-attacks on China and Hong Kong even though he had access to information on espionage against other nations. In newly disclosed comments, Snowden, who previously worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, also said he sought out his most recent job with government contractor Booz Allen in order to get more access to secrets.
… Suspicions were compounded by the timing of Snowden’s initial revelations on the eve of a summit in California between Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping….
More here
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Me 17d ago “With today’s reveal of US cybertargeting rt before summit w/ China, is too much to ask if he is a dupe in a complex operation?”
— Wieland (@lawscribe) June 25, 2013
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Party that let Osama bin Laden run loose for 10 years is now calling Obama WH “incompetent” for not apprehending Snowden in a matter of days
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) June 25, 2013
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The open rooting I see for Putin in my #infosec timeline shows that for some, it’s not about human rights at all. #Snowden #Wikileaks
— Tom Watson (@tomwatson) June 25, 2013
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Boston Globe: Critics who complain that President Obama’s decision to provide small arms to select elements of the Syrian resistance does not go far enough and others who fret that he could be leading this country toward yet one more disastrous war in a Muslim land share a common assumption: They view his approach to the Syrian conflagration not as the deliberate pursuit of a strategy in the national interest but as a refusal to make hard choices. Administration officials reinforce this impression when they warn, with equal doses of anxiety, about the danger of leaping into the Syrian maelstrom and about the risk of allowing the war to continue unabated.
But there is another reading of Obama’s apparent passivity that ought to be considered. If one assumes that Obama knows what he is doing and that he is following a course based on US national security interests, then Obama’s statecraft in Syria may look less like indecisiveness and more like a Machiavellian strategy that cannot be described in the usual idealistic vocabulary presidents employ to describe their actions on the world stage.
More here
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Love this:
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Steve Benen: Immigration reform clears key hurdle, on track for big win
After last night’s vote, the question isn’t whether comprehensive immigration reform will pass the Senate, but by what margin. A couple of weeks ago, there was still some chatter about whether the bipartisan bill could overcome a Republican filibuster, but that talk has since ended.
More here
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Polls are now open in Massachusetts! Find your polling location & please RT to remind friends to #VoteMarkey! http://t.co/p1pjk9b1sS #masen
— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) June 25, 2013
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Steve Benen: The ongoing scandal surrounding Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) continues to get progressively more serious, with the Washington Post reporting yesterday that federal investigators are asking the governor’s associates “about previously undisclosed gifts given by a campaign donor to McDonnell’s wife that total tens of thousands of dollars and include money and expensive designer clothing.”
Today, the Richmond Times Dispatch fleshes this story out with details the McDonnells may find embarrassing….
More here
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On this day:
June 25, 2009: President Obama and his daughter Sasha join a luau for members of Congress and their families at the White House
June 25, 2009: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama backstage before an event for the “United We Serve” service project at Fort McNair (Photo: Pete Souza)
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O……………kay:
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MoooooOOOOOooooorning!
The Obama Diary 
Morning Chips! Nice to see you up and about so bright and…er…ahm… Nice to see you!
Happy Tuesday, you all! I suppose you are all repacking your luggage for the upcoming trip. Don’t forget the sunscreen. 😆
No wonder it took CC so long to ‘rise’ – she was staring at the moon for too long! 😀
Good morning VC! Congrats and have a wonderful day!
Morning, SW! 😆 Sending warmest of wishes your way too (unless, of course, it’s extra hot in your corner and you’d prefer cool air)!
Thanks VC. If it gets too hot, I’ll be sure to find some air conditioned space. 😀
Mooooooorning VC, morning everyone
Goood MoooorNing to yoouuu, Ms Chips!
It feels like it’s going to be a fantabulous day!
There’s music in the air, and happy fairies everywhere!
At least, that’s how it feels to me so I hope I’m not ‘off’ in my prognostication.
This is sooo slow!
Okay, okay, off to read all that CC has gathered together. Thank you kindly, Ms Chips. 😀
Good Tuesday Morning Chipsticks, TODers…Everyone!!!
Our President has soooo much to deal with. And he continues to be bombarded with demands (sometimes unreasonable) and high (sometimes unprecedented) expectations… including those coming from some who call themselves his base. Prayers for his continued inner- strength, health, wisdom, and safety as he deals with the issues that face him as well as the obstacles that are put in his path. May those that try to discredit him continue to fail. May his faith continue to be reinforced by those who work directly with him to help him achieve his goals as well as the those who trust him and support his efforts. And may President Obama continue to be encouraged as the country moves forward and people start to acknowledge the accomplishments he has made and comprehend the resulting benefits.
Everyone have a positive and productive day. Believe that what you do makes a difference; because it does.
Amen. Both PBO and FLOTUS say that the world-wide prayer warriors help in keeping them uplifted!
This is so true; sending prayers, positive energy, and action in support.
I just repeated your prayer aloud, SW, starting with
‘Prayers for [Pres O’s] continued inner-strength’ and saying “amen” after ‘people start to acknowledge the accomplishments he has made and comprehend the resulting benefits’.
I do believe there is something to be said for unity in prayer of a positive nature, so I’m joining virtual hands and heart with you.
Wishing for Peace. Protection. Power. on the eve of PBO and family travels.
With hands joined we are one in hearts and minds…..Amen
Amen. Lovely prayer, swbluega
Amen!
hi lovely day
hello
Good morning. In tears here, just turned on tv – msnbc was on, was about to change channel when chucky-poo announced “breaking news from SA — Pres Mandela’s daughter released statement that she told her Dad that PBO is coming. Pres Mandela opened his eyes and smiled.”
That brings smiles and tears everywhere – two amazing wonderful leaders.
Aaaw, very moving! I sure hope against all hope that these two men get this chance. I envision this as a poignant send-off and a beautiful passing of the torch, so to speak.
(I hesitate to say things like this, because it might seem like I’m focused on the outward appearance, but I cannot help unconsciously seeing this as potentially a beautiful, beautiful ‘bon voyage’ coupled with ‘the race goes on’.)
Women – even Republican lawmakers-— have fled the party.
I’ll believe it when I see some red states start turning
purpleat least orange.So many goodies! Thanks Chiparoo.
UPDATE for Texans and Ohioans. Ohio, you need to begin taking action before it is too late.
GM TODvillians from damp but delerious Chicago, the home of the Blackhawks, winner of the most coveted trophy in sports, the Stanley Cup. Can’t wait to see PBO greet the team in the Rose Garden. Like to think his tweet out to them at the beginning of the Finals is what led them to victory.
Congratulations Japa!!
I skated hard.
Yeah, well, the damn firecrackers going off all night sent my little yorkie, Pearl, into a complete tailspin. She’s terrified of thunder and firecrackers, and the thundershirt and Rescue Remedy barely kept her sane.
Wish this country showed the same level of enthusiasm for voting as they do for sports.
Just sayin’.
Chiparoo, I’m stuck in moderation. Help!
Also, Massahcusetts get on it and go vote!
She is trying to stop the #SB5 anti-women bill so send your stories to her and help her.
Ha, found ya and freed ya Chelsea Girl!
G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and congratulations vc on #1 🙂
What a fantastic roundup – excellent job Chips!!! 🙂
Moooooooorning Hopefruit, thank youuuuuu!
Indeed japa. The SCOTUS just struck down the voting rights act as unconstitutional. NSA/IRS/Benghazi are not America’s biggest problem….
The comments section of the excellent Jon Favreau piece is completely dominated by PBO bashers. The RNC , the Heritage Foundation, or other right wing organizations must have a concentrated effort to dominate the internet. Thank goodness for the excellent work Chips does banning the trolls or TOD would be overrun with them.
I agree about the Internet. Even google searches are jacked up and produce “results” that are a little too positive/neutral towards the GOP and negative towards the Dems (PBO in particular).
President Obama will lay out his plan on climate change today. Don’t miss it!
Good morning everyone.
Another exciting, world changing day: immigration reform is well on its way, climate control front and center with PBO’s speech later today, Texas women and the men who support them are in the trenches, Ohio has been served notice, important election in Mass., our Fiedl trip to the continent of Africa begins tomorrow and so much more. Woo Hoo! It is good to be an American of the U. S. variety.
Should be “field trip.” I am so excited!
The Conservative wing of the SCOTUS has just ruled Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act as unconstitutional. The conservatives struck it down. Liberals dissented. Justice Roberts wrote the majority opinion. Holy shit!!!!!!!!!
yes ut, holy shit- am following the blog and have a real feeling of doom.
Not gonna feel a feeling of doom….the Justice Dept still has the right to use pre-clearance…and now it can be applied to not just the states of the old confederacy…but to all states…including PA…Interesting to see what the Justice Dept thinks…
great point and thanks for sharing. no doom, they may have just done what’s needed to get folks to the polls, regardless of restriction the states may try to place on us, 2012 proved that.
GM TODers.
AP
Consumer Confidence Index is up in June ate 81.4 from 74.3. Best numbers in 5yrs.
He is waiting for that visit…..What a Precious Man, Madiba is. Thanks for sharing.
Oh dear God, they gutted the Voting Rights Acts.
Voting Rights is in the Constitution. It now incumbent of Dems and Liberals of all stripes to stop with the nonsense and demand Uniformity in Voting for Federal office. For this will Never stop….the suppression of Votes and voters until Dems make it a Front and Center Issue.
I bet it was another 5-4 ruling.
Every ruling lately is 5:4 – critical to not let another GOP President stack the court as has happened.
I haven’t posted much lately – so much is happening that is so unbelievable – PBO winning 2 terms has turned a minority of the United States into people who hate – they hate minorities, women, young folks, poor folks, just about anyone except themselves. They praise traitors and media persons who support and use such traitors.
If 2014 doesn’t overturn these GOP majorities it is hard to see a good future for the majority. The role of the US in the world is being damaged by Snowden and an honest hardworking reliable intelligent President has his hands overflowing – both inside & outside the Country. I have trouble understanding why this is happening.
“…has turned a minority of the US into people who hate…” I profess this minority of people always did hate only it just was not as apparent and framed by the GOP that it is justified and admirable to do so.
It does seem like they have shared that opinion with people who encourage and act upon it. I am having something of a sad. I think I will look at your name – and spend a few days being exclusively a grandmama – grandbabes always have a positive viewpoint of life 🙂 They are born loving everyone & spend quite some years doing just that.
This opinion by the majority is such BS.
Getting rid of the specific states of the old Confederacy stated in Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act…while still keeping pre-cleaance…clears the way for pre-clearance to be applied to all 50 states….waiting on a interpretation by PBO and the Justice Dept…
She’s freaking right.
This man is beyond evil.
https://twitter.com/NerdyWonka/status/349531432743485441
Welcome to the paula deen world of justice.
Alec MacGillis @AlecMacGillis 9m
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The 2008 House vote to renew the Voting Rights Act was 390-33. #SCOTUS vote to eviscerate it is 5-4.
Retweeted by LOLGOP
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Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (R-AL) is a happy man today.
Howdy O’s!!! It’s a great getting up day again on the TOD stoop!!!!
So the most important civil rights act that was ever passed has been struck down. Ruth Ginsberg reads her dissent from the bench, a rare occurrence and is reserved for justices who have strong opinions as to the ruling. Robert’s court leaves it to Congress to right the wrongs of voting rights. Stay tuned for an awakening of the sleeping giant. They just don’t know how to leave stuff alone. Folks waited for hours and hours to vote last election. Do they really think our votes will be suppressed?
Women, Latinos, AA’s, and the poor will mobilize and be the undoing of the Stupid Party.
Exactly, the 2014 midterms must nationalized.
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Women, Latinos, AA’s, and the poor will mobilize and be the undoing of the Stupid Party.
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And apparently Alito rolled his eyes at her while she was reading the dissent. Arrogant jerk.
They basically give the Republicans a win, who the hell are they kidding the Republicans are not going to do a damn thing to update section 4 of the VRA. This is what they wanted I tell you there is an urgent need to get more moderate judges on the Supreme Court, too bad its a life long position
So VRA is stuck down by evil supremes. Can congress pass the act again? They did so before, right ?
Would Boner ever bring a voting rights bill to the floor for a vote? Unlikely.
THIS.
Exactly.
so melissa, be sure to sew dissent and distrust of president obama as much as you can since you’re part of the self-perceived purity police. now that’ll really help, and surely will stop the republican/libertarian dismantling of the last 100 years of progress, which is currently in overdrive.
i will not tolerate these supposedly liberal people dividing and conquering president obama’s and the democrats’ supporters anymore. this current supreme court makes the choice perfectly clear, and if someone can’t see that, throw them to the curb.
Great comment. To prove your point Chris Hayes is coming on MSNBC this hour to discuss the decision.
This is not good.
LOLGOP @LOLGOP 6m
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To understand how the Supreme Court just destroyed the greatest voting rights victory in American history, read this:
http://www.thenation.com/article/174684/john-lewiss-long-fight-voting-rights …
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LOLGOP @LOLGOP 9m
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30 years of conservative rule and you get corporations as people, monster inequality and Supreme Court that’s done with civil rights.
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This shit has gone global now.
US Supreme Court strikes down Voting Rights Act clause
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23051808
The court did not strike down Section 5, which allows the federal government to require preapproval. But without Section 4, which determines which states would need to receive clearance, Section 5 is largely without significance — unless Congress chooses to pass a new bill for determining which states would
require preclearance….
http://thedailybanter.com/2013/06/breaking-news-supreme-court-strikes-down-voting-rights-act-clause/
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The article concludes that section 4 is more important than section 5…and striking it down guts the Voting Rights Act…i disagree…Pre-clearance is still very much alive and instead of just the states of the old confederacy requiring pre-clearance…all 50 states can fall under this pre-clearance…
Will be interesting to see how the Justice Dept moves from here….
Congress passed the Voting Rights laws and reauthorized the laws and SCOTUS is saying 5-4 No? Then asks Congress to do what? reauthorize the laws again?
It would have made sense if the Objection was lack of Uniformity.
Dems and Liberals need to start asking, demanding and calling for the Uniformity of Election laws where Federal Office seats are concerned.
That’s just fantastic
No one should be surprised by the Supreme Court ruling re: the Voting Right’s Act. Afterall, the Supremes just ruled on this very question just 6 years ago, but Judge Alito’s appointment assured they would be successful at overturning it this time. Though deeply disappointed, we’ve got to mobilize and be ready for the sh*t that will surely come our way. We know Congress will do nothing but rejoice.
I’m numb. THIS is what SCOTUS has just continued to enable!! THIS is what happens when people sit out elections for their selfish, purist reasons and think that their vote doesn’t matter or that this can’t be done! THIS is what activist judges look like! People resting on their laurels and not engaging themselves with their voices…gets you THIS POS ruling! What the fucking hell!
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-gop-war-on-voting-20110830
ThinkProgress @thinkprogress
BREAKING: Putin says Edward Snowden is in transit zone of Moscow airport and Russia will not extradite him. (via @ap)
6 minutes ago
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/06/25/a-dagger-in-the-heart/