06.Nov.2012 - ELECTION DAY, Part 2! Special Election-Only Issue - Pre-Count @dustcircleNews

The class issues in the 2012 elections

The Socialist Equality Party calls on all its supporters in the US to cast a vote for SEP candidates Jerry White for president and Phyllis Scherrer for vice president in today’s election. A vote for the SEP is a class-conscious statement of support for the socialist, working-class alternative to the two parties of big business, the Democrats and Republicans.

http://wsws.org/articles/2012/nov2012/pers-n06.shtml

20 Things You Didn’t Know About The White House

The 2012 election has been one of the most hyped in history. We’ve been hearing about both these candidate for years now, so at this point you probably know everything there is to know about them. But what do you know about the house they are battling to inhabit: the White House? Probably less than you think. 

http://coedmagazine.com/2012/11/06/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-white-house/#photo=1

The Next President Is Lucky

Whoever wins the election will get to preside over a growing economy and look like a genius.

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2012/11/romney_obama_and_economics_the_economy_s_already_recovering_so_whoever_wins.html

Obummer vs. Mittens

The most popular nasty nicknames for the candidates—a Slate infographic.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/11/nobama_mittens_obummer_what_are_the_most_popular_nasty_nicknames_for_the.html

The Battle For Congress: Senate And House Races To Watch

For Republicans itching to regain control of the Senate, Tuesday's election presents a rare opportunity. Only 10 GOP incumbents are on the ballot, compared with nearly two dozen Democrats and independents who caucus with them.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/11/05/164368740/the-battle-for-congress-senate-and-house-races-to-watch?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20121106

Voting Queue Etiquette: Hey, Buddy, That's Out Of Line!
For most of us, Election Day marks a welcome end to months of relentless political ads and partisan bickering. You show up at your polling place, run the gantlet of sign-wielding campaign volunteers, and join your fellow Americans in long lines that inch toward the voting booth.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/11/06/164353389/voting-queue-etiquette-hey-buddy-that-s-out-of-line?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20121106

Guide For The Day: An Election Day Timeline
The finish line is in sight as voters make their final decisions on Election Day. Here's a guide to key times of the day across the nation. Stay with NPR throughout the day as we follow the presidential race and key battles that will determine control of the House and Senate.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/11/06/164344457/guide-for-the-day-an-election-day-timeline?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20121106

Voters To Settle Tight And Turbulent Presidential Battle
As Americans go to the polls, one of the closest presidential races in years may be determined by a state in the Midwest and a hurricane named Sandy.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/11/06/164377435/voters-to-settle-tight-and-turbulent-presidential-battle?ft=3&f=1001&sc=nl&cc=nh-20121106

Let’s Kill the Electoral College So We Never Have to Pay Attention to Ohio and Florida Again

Why is a ballot in Ohio worth more than other parts of the country? It's time we lay the electoral college to rest.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/lets-kill-electoral-college-so-we-never-have-pay-attention-ohio-and-florida-again

10 Senate Races Too Close to Call Before Election Day

The majority control of the Senate hangs in the balance.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/10-senate-races-too-close-call-election-day

Millennial Voters Refuse To Be Left Out of this Election

Now a full quarter of the voting public, Millenials are a diverse and increasingly powerful voting block. What will motivate them on Election Day?

http://www.alternet.org/millennial-voters-refuse-be-left-out-election

Supporters of Mitt Romney Are Pushing Ultra-Conservative Christian Agendas in Africa That Criminalize Gays and Threaten Women's Health

Jay and Jordan Sekulow are only the most recent Christian Right figures who manage to maintain credible reputations in the United States while taking actions overseas that would not be acceptable at home.

http://www.alternet.org/belief/supporters-mitt-romney-are-pushing-ultra-conservative-christian-agendas-africa-criminalize

WHY BETTING MARKETS AND POLLS DON'T AGREE

According to election polls, the presidential race is neck and neck. According to election polls, our country is split right down the middle. According to election polls, it's anyone's guess who will be the next president of the United States.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/betting-markets-election-polls-121106.html#mkcpgn=emnws1

Voters increasingly post their ballot outcomes on social media

Americans going to the polls increasingly let others know the outcome of their vote by announcing it through social media, the Pew Research Center finds.

http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/voters-increasingly-post-their-ballot-outcomes-social-media/2012-11-06

Whatever It Takes, Get Out and Vote!

 week has passed since Hurricane Sandy struck, and the short subway ride uptown this morning almost seemed normal, except for the bigger crowds getting on at Penn Station and Times Square - commuters from outside Manhattan where wind and storm surge water damage were so much worse and all too often deadly. Overheard conversations were filled with stories of how people had coped.

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/14387-whatever-it-takes-get-out-and-vote

How Did You Vote? and Election Day Open Thread
It's the big day. It'll be interesting to see how you voted-- how Opednews readers voted. We don't tie votes to individuals, so your vote in this poll is confidential. It's an Opednews reader exit poll.
Please add your comments
http://www.opednews.com/Poll/How-Did-You-Vote-by-Rob-Kall-121106-258.html

We the People, and the New American Civil WarThe vitriol is worse is worse than I ever recall. Worse than the Palin-induced smarmy 2008. Worse than the swift-boat lies of 2004. Worse, even, than the anything-goes craziness of 2000 and its ensuing bitterness.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/We-the-People-and-the-New-by-Robert-Reich-121105-158.html

Displaced New Yorkers can vote
Governor Cuomo is signing an Executive Order which provides that a voter who is a resident in the federally-declared disaster counties of Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester and of New York City who have been displaced by Hurricane Sandy can vote an affadavit ballot at any poll site in New York State.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Displaced-New-Yorkers-can-by-Allegra-Dengler-121105-964.html

What Would Jesus Do? Sex, Hell and Christianity in the Noose of the Presidential Election
According to ABC News, Paul Ryan offered a voting advisory during a conference call with evangelical voters on Sunday evening, Nov. 4, issuing "a warning about a second Obama term saying the president is putting the country on a "dangerous path' that compromises 'Judeo-Christian, western civilization values.'"
http://www.opednews.com/articles/What-Would-Jesus-Do-Sex--by-Meryl-Ann-Butler-121105-67.html

Obama and Romney differ on energy policy, but less than you might think
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's endorsement of President Obama for his stance on climate change has brought the candidate's energy policy back into focus.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-and-Romney-differ-on-by-Richard-Schiffman-121105-261.html

Lies, Damned Lies and Paul Ryan Lies
In a campaign where the standard for what constitutes the "big lie" keeps getting adjusted upward, Ryan is trumping even Mitt Romney by attacking President Obama and Vice President Biden for backing policies that Ryan backed.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Lies-Damned-Lies-and-Paul-by-John-Nichols-121105-585.html

7 Reasons to Vote for Obama over Romney

Obama vs. Romney on Civil Liberties

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/activismadvocacy/tp/Reasons-to-Vote-for-Obama-vs-Romney-Civil-Liberties.htm

The Religious Right

The movement generally referred to in the United States as the Religious Right came of age in the late 1970s. While the Religious Right is extremely diverse and shouldn't be characterized in simple terms, the movement as we have come to know it is an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolution and other events that are seen, by Religious Right proponents, as being connected to the sexual revolution--and an attempt to effect this religious response as public policy.

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/religiousliberty/p/religious_right.htm?nl=1

The Dogs of War Are Barking, Mitt Romney’s Team Wants to Let ‘Em Loose in Iran

It’s the consensus among the pundits: foreign policy doesn’t matter in this presidential election. They point to the ways Republican candidate Mitt Romney has more or less parroted President Barack Obama on just about everything other than military spending and tough talk about another “American century.” The consensus is wrong. There is an issue that matters: Iran.

http://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/the-dogs-of-war-are-barking-mitt-romneys-team-wants-to-let-em-loose-in-iran/

Why Do Both Major Parties Suck So Badly On Civil Liberties?

Over the weekend, I saw an article on Salon about how shameful it is that supporters of President Obama, who were loud in their condemnation of attacks on civil liberties by George W. Bush, seemed to ignore that President Obama has been worse in many ways (despite many public promises to the contrary). We've already noted that the Democratic Party -- which had fixing civil liberties abuses in its 2008 platform -- has removed all traces of that from the new platform. You would think that, for those who believe strongly in civil liberties, this would be a major concern. Rather than fix them, President Obama continued or expanded many of the very questionable policies of his predecessor, and then added a number of terrifying new ones. 

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121105/07570620933/why-do-both-major-parties-suck-so-badly-civil-liberties.shtml

The US 2012 Election and China: why a real dialogue about human rights will never happen

Despite a prominent presence in the campaign, US policy towards China is very unlikely to change - especially on the hyper-sensitive topic of human rights.

http://www.opendemocracy.net/antony-ou/us-2012-election-and-china-why-real-dialogue-about-human-rights-will-never-happen

The Best (And Worst) Of The 2012 CampaignElection Day is finally here and after a year and a half of non-stop campaigning it can’t come fast enough. But before today’s race becomes yesterday’s news and we move on to the transition or the fiscal cliff or (God forbid) the recount, we at TPM wanted to take one last look back at just how far we’ve come.
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/best-worst-2012-election.php

Election Day Live: Voter Intimidation; Obama Office Burglarized; Right-Wing Paranoia Blossoms

Today's the day. Follow AlterNet for election coverage.

http://www.alternet.org/election-day-live-voter-intimidation-obama-office-burglarized-right-wing-paranoia-blossoms

What's Going on at the Polls? A Round-Up of Voting Problems

Long lines, hours-long waits, poll worker confusion, unregistered voters and more.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/whats-going-polls-round-voting-problems

Which Prez candidate should a single-issue, federal-sentencing-reform voter support?

I ask this question with a serious interest in encouraging a serious (and respectful) discussion of whether folks think either of the two fellows seeking to be the US President over the next four years is likely to get behind and seek to move forward with federal sentencing reforms. If time permits late tonight, I will update this post to explain why I truly am not sure if there is an obvious answer to which candidate is more likely over the next four years to be interested and able to engender serious federal sentencing reform.  In the meantime, let me hear readers thoughts only hours before the final day for voting begins.

http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2012/11/which-prez-candidate-should-a-single-issue-federal-sentencing-reform-voter-support.html

Swing States that Will Decide the Presidential Election
If you haven't seen any political ads for President Obama or Mitt Romney, then you're probably (a) somewhat thankful and (b) not living in a "swing state," which will most likely help "swing" the election. Here is a quick analysis of the swing states and how Obama and Romney look so far, from the NY Daily News and the New York Times' polling predictor Nate Silver.
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/2012-election/swing-states-will-decide-presidential-election

Most Mormon Men are Also the Mormon Priests and BishopsIn the Mormon church, all power flows through the all-male priesthood which consists of all Mormon men above a certain age. Priests hold all of the religious authority for sealing, binding, and loosing — the central sacred acts of the Mormon Church which serve to determine every Mormon's eternal destiny. These priests hold all of the keys to eternal life and are themselves the key to the claim of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that it is the only legitimate Christian church on earth.

http://atheism.about.com/od/mormomism/a/Mormon-Priesthood-Believers.htm?nl=1

Hurricane Sandy May Affect Election Outcome

The superstorm could boost President Obama's numbers in this year's election

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hurricane-sandy-election&WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20121106

How to Rig an election - The GOP aims to paint the country red

The Electoral College: Why not all votes count

Hilarious GOP Ad: He Has College Degrees & Has Left South Dakota

How The Associated Press Counts Votes on Election Night

Indecision Delegates: The Youth Vote

24.Oct.2012-Wed: Debate Performance, Military Spending, Jumbotron Election, Climate Change Not Mentioned, National Security Whistleblowers, Jill Stein Criticizes U.S. Slave Mentality, Israel to Expand Settlements, Tax Exemption Laws, U.S. Dream, Pesticide Corporations & Proposition 37, Wage Slavery, Trade & Human Rights, Copyright Alert System, DOMA & Immigration Extremists, New Hipster Megachurch Tells Women to Submit, JP Morgan & Wells Fargo Screwed?

This month, we are giving away a FREE copy of The End of Faith by Sam Harris. Simply go to our Facebook page, and start sharing our posts. The person or organization that shares the most DH posts by Halloween wins the book!  

 

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The 5 Goofiest Right-Wing Defenses of Romney's Terrible Debate Performance

Sometimes partisan politics are just so pathetic.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/5-goofiest-right-wing-defenses-romneys-terrible-debate-performance

How a Mitt-Style Increase in Military Spending Might Cost You Your Job

The link between bloated military budgets and unemployment is clear and scary.

http://www.alternet.org/economy/how-mitt-style-increase-military-spending-might-cost-you-your-job

How Corporations Know Who You Will Likely Vote For

Across the country, companies are using cookies to tailor the political ads you see online.

http://www.alternet.org/how-corporations-know-who-you-will-likely-vote

The Jumbotron Election: How Our Bloated Political Theater Is Bad for Democracy

This election started earlier and lasted longer than any election in our history, and every number associated with it is supposed to be bigger than the last.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2012/jumbotron-election-how-our-bloated-political-theater-bad-democracy

Climate Change Not Mentioned In Presidential Debates For First Time In A Generation

History was made at the third and final presidential debate at Lynn University on Monday night. President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, sparred over American policy in Libya and Iran. They traded generalities on trade with China and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and made brief mentions of renewable technology and "energy independence."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/climate-change-presidential-debate_n_2004067.html

A Mixed Message for National Security Whistleblowers

The White House recently released a presidentialdirective extending legal protections to intelligence community employees who expose government fraud, waste, or abuse. Advocates for greater transparency and accountability in government applauded the move. But some observers noted a seeming discrepancy between the directive and the administration's aggressive record of prosecuting leaks within the intelligence community. Has the Obama administration turned over a new leaf when it comes to national security whistleblowers?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-goitein/obama-whistleblowers_b_1989629.html

Remember when Obama was antiwar?

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney held the last of their candidates' debates Monday night, and the foreign policy focus provided an opportunity for what the New York Times called a "role reversal." Romney did his best to act like the moderate and responsible world leader, while Obama came off sounding "like a Republican hard-liner," the Timesreported. This from the man whose first steps toward the White House in the 2008 election came as the most prominent Democratic contender to oppose George W. Bush's Iraq War.

http://socialistworker.org/2012/10/23/when-obama-was-antiwar

Jill Stein criticizes U.S. ‘slave-like mentality toward Israel

Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein blasted both major-party candidates for having a “slave-like” mentality toward Israel during an alternative debate between herself and Justice Party candidate Rocky Anderson on Monday.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/10/23/jill-stein-criticizes-u-s-slave-like-mentality-toward-israel

PM: Israel to Expand Settlements in East Jerusalem ‘Without Limits’
Occupied Area 'Is Our Capital,' Netanyahu Insists

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/10/21/pm-israel-to-expand-settlements-in-east-jerusalem-without-limits

Backlash Against Tax Exemption Laws
Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection

http://atheism.about.com/od/churchestaxexemptions/a/politicalchurch.htm?nl=1

Time is tight to produce a worthy US dream It's tight. It's awfully tight. But way beyond demented pollmania permeating every nook and cranny of the multi-billionaire election circus -- coupled with the torrential vomiting of the Spin Machine scary monsters and super freaks -- these are the stark facts.  http://www.opednews.com/articles/Time-is-tight-to-produce-a-by-Pepe-Escobar-121023-382.html Six largest pesticide corporations funding effort to try to defeat GMO labeling Proposition 37 In what should probably surprise no one who has been following the Proposition 37 issue, a California proposal that would require the ingredients in all GM foods to be labeled, the so-called "Big 6" pesticide corporations have become the movement's main opponents.  http://www.opednews.com/articles/Six-largest-pesticide-corp-by-Natural-News-121022-439.html Wage Slavery Is On The March Attention all Americans who believe we had abolished slavery in the 19th century.   A form of slavery as old as society itself is surfacing right here in what is supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. It appears to be neither. With the Walker win in Wisconsin and the Kasich win in Ohio, let it be known that the 1 percent has now taken firm control of the 99 percent. Workers in those two states have just sold themselves and others into "wage slavery." They have gone down on their knees to beg the 1 percent for permission to further enrich the already obscenely rich. http://www.opednews.com/articles/Wage-Slavery-Is-On-The-Mar-by-Hal-O-Leary-121022-446.html

Israeli Commandos Electro-Torture Ship to Gaza Activists On October 20, masked Israeli commandos lawlessly interdicted Ship to Gaza Estelle in international waters. It was over 30 nautical miles from Gaza's coast when intercepted. Netanyahu praised their criminality. He accused on board activists of trying to "delegitimize Israel." He also claimed "there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza."  http://www.opednews.com/articles/Israeli-Commandos-Electro-by-Stephen-Lendman-121023-95.html A Real Foreign Policy Debate Should Talk Trade and Human Rights The absence of Green Party nominee Jill Stein and Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, both of whom have met the reasonable threshold of gaining enough state ballot lines to be elected president, will reduce the likelihood of a serious discussion on fundamental issues. But it should not take a third-party candidate to raise concerns about how failed international trade policies have led to the offshoring of millions of U.S. jobs. The issue is ripe at the moment, as Romney's old firm is preparing to shutter a high-tech auto sensor plant in Freeport, Illinois, in order to ship the plant's equipment and equipment to China. http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Real-Foreign-Policy-Deba-by-John-Nichols-121022-961.html

Downloaders Beware: Copyright Alert System Arises as Torrent Sites Enter the Cloud

And the war over copyright infringement on the Internet wages on, with the last couple of days revealing tactical moves from both sides of the battlefield. As SPIN reported yesterday, torrent site Pirate Bay ditched its evidence-accruing servers in favor of a cloud-based data storage system. Now, according to Wired, beleaguered torrent site MegaUpload, shut down by feds in January, is also headed for the cloud with their new venture, Mega.

http://www.spin.com/articles/mega-pirate-bay-copyright-alert-isp

US Presidential debate: America’s national insecurity
What would a real national security look like? This debate on foreign policy never really took place last night. For starters, we would protect human rights and civil liberties, here and abroad. The gradual evisceration of our civil liberties makes America less safe, not more secure, says Ruth Rosen
http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/ruth-rosen/us-presidential-debate-america%E2%80%99s-national-insecurity

Why Is it So Hard for Police to Admit They've Messed Up?

Psychologists explore why it's hard for law enforcement to admit their mistakes.

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/why-it-so-hard-police-admit-theyve-messed

Debates, DOMA and Immigration Extremists

Last week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: Jim Morrison of Here TV and Truthdig’s Bill Boyarsky discuss debates, alternative candidates and Daniel Ellsberg’s mandate to vote for Obama. Also: How immigration extremists stand in the way of economic recovery.

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/debates_doma_and_immigration_extremists_20121022/

Why Are There So Few Female Plutocrats?

When it comes to the richest of the rich, men still dominate while their well-educated wives happily redecorate their homes.

http://www.alternet.org/gender/why-are-there-so-few-female-plutocrats

Oral Sex, Yoga, and God's Eternal Wrath: Inside the New Hipster Megachurch That Tells Modern Women to Submit

Mars Hill tries to pull a young hipster crowd to Christianity. One of their biggest draws is separate spheres for women and men.

http://www.alternet.org/belief/oral-sex-yoga-and-gods-eternal-wrath-inside-new-hipster-megachurch-tells-modern-women-submit

How Screwed Are JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo?

uarterly bank earnings season is upon us. And with it, the life-negating sight of hundreds of business journalists all parsing the same labyrinthine financial disclosures for signs of a bank's financial health or illness. This is the quarterly peek we get at the greasy innards of our nation's financial system - who's making money, who's losing it, who's cutting jobs, who's growing like kudzu.

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/304-justice/14127-how-screwed-are-jpmorgan-chase-and-wells-fargo

History you've never heard

Smile or Die: The Perils of Positive Thinking

A talk by Barbara Ehrenreich

National Day Of Protest

Israeli Navy Seizes Gaza-Bound Activist Ship; Noam Chomsky Speaks Out from Gaza in 1st Visit

AP Fact Check: the Final Presidential Debate

The Debate In 100 Seconds: The Third Presidential Debate

Exclusive: As Obama and Romney Agree on Afghan War, Israel and Syria, Third Parties Give Alternative

DOWNLOAD:  VIDEOAUDIOGET CD/DVDMORE FORMATS

23.Sept.2012: NATO Strike, Banning Fracking, Label GMO Foods, Mormon Extremist Beliefs, 5 American Education Myths, Future Hunger Wars, Two-Party Plutocracy, CIA Torture Convictions, South African Apartheid, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, Nation Without Morality, America's Economic Slavery, 10 Deadly Foods, U.S. Palestinian Massacre, Secular Government, Materialistic Society, #OWS and #S17, Email Warrants, Christian Nation, Kent State 1970, Kock Brothers Wealth, American War Machine, Obama Impeachment Warning, Drone Secrecy, Abolish the Death Penalty, Partisan Ranting,

Is America The Most Materialistic Society In The History Of The World?

When it comes to materialism, has any nation ever surpassed what we are seeing in the United States right now?  We define our lives by how much stuff we have, to a large degree our personal and business relationships are defined by how much money we make, and even most of the important dates on our calendar are all about materialism.  Just think about it.  We throw outrageous birthday parties for our kids and we shower them with gifts.  Most of our "holidays" have become highly materialistic, and the biggest holiday of all in our society, Christmas, is an absolute orgy of materialism.  We make lists of the "wealthiest Americans" and we glorify their achievements.  We spend most of our time either making money or spending it.  Even the phrase "the American Dream" reveals how materialistic we are.  

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32519.htm

After NATO Strike Kills 8 Afghan Women, Pundits Still Wonder: Why Do They Hate Us?

The protests and violence in Egypt, Libya and Yemen have caused a notable uptick in media discussions about, as Newsweek's cover puts it, "Muslim Rage."

http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/09/17/after-nato-strike-kills-8-afghan-women-pundits-still-wonder-why-do-they-hate-us/

Coordinated Actions Worldwide this Weekend Call for Banning Fracking

Concerned people from the U.S. and numerous other countries will join in a global campaign event Saturday to call for a ban of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking." More than 150 events, on five continents, are planned for this weekend’s “Global Frackdown” -- a day of action against fracking -- coupled with the promotion of the expansion of clean, sustainable energy options. 

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/09/21-7

American Trust in News Coverage Falls to All-Time Low

Gallup poll finds that US news consumers are tuning out and losing faith with each passing cycle

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/09/21-6

GOP 'Cranks and Crazies' in US Biggest Threat to World Economy: Australian Official

Providing an outside perspective on American politics today, the Australian Treasurer, Wayne Swan, said "cranks and crazies" had taken over the GOP.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/09/21-4

Natural Gas Fracking Fires Protest over Pollution Fears

The toxic chemicals used in shale gas extraction are the industry's dirty secret. But Americans won't stand for it

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/09/21-0

Who’s Deceiving Whom? Push to Label GMO Foods Frightens Big Ag Interests

Monsanto, DuPont, Dow, Pepsi and Coke are scared. They’re afraid that California’s proposition 37 to make labeling of genetically engineered foods mandatory will end their unchecked, unquestioned power to hide GE ingredients in the majority processed foods without their customers’ knowledge. 

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/09/21-5

DC Circuit hears arguments on ACLU request for information on drone strikes 

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit [official website] heard arguments Thursday on whether to grant a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [5 USC § 552] request by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] to obtain information from the CIA [official website] on its use of unmanned Predator drones[JURIST news archive].  

http://jurist.org/paperchase/2012/09/dc-circuit-hears-arguments-on-aclu-request-for-information-on-drone-strikes.php

Mitt Romney's Role as Mormon Bishop Shows His Extremist Religious Beliefs

Romney has consistently avoided having his Mormon beliefs put under scrutiny. There are some good reasons for that.

http://www.alternet.org/belief/mitt-romneys-role-mormon-bishop-shows-his-extremist-religious-beliefs

Right-Wing Religions of the World Unite to Oppress Women and Gays More Ruthlessly

Religions that were once infamous for their mutual hatred are joining forces in a bid to preserve their shrinking spheres of privilege.

http://www.alternet.org/belief/right-wing-religions-world-unite-oppress-women-and-gays-more-ruthlessly

Shocking Report Explodes 5 Myths About American Education

We're number one? Hardly. The entire idea of American exceptionalism should be called into question.

http://www.alternet.org/education/shocking-report-explodes-5-myths-about-american-education

The Federal Reserve, a Privately Owned Banking Cartel, Has Been Given Police Powers, with Glock 22s and Patrol Cars

Shocking signs of business control of government

http://www.alternet.org/economy/federal-reserve-privately-owned-banking-cartel-has-been-given-police-powers-glock-22s-and

Getting Rid of the College Loan Repo Man

Our current system for collecting student loans makes no distinction between deadbeats who cheat and the much greater numbers of people who just don’t have the money to repay. As predatory debt collection agencies ruin the lives of more and more Americans, we are ignoring an easy and fair solution.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/septemberoctober_2012/features/getting_rid_of_the_college_loa039354.php

Overpopulation: Food Crisis And Future Hunger Wars

http://www.countercurrents.org/montpellier210912.htm

Wake Up: Reject The Two-Party Plutocracy

Millions of Americans will soon vote for either the Republican or Democratic presidential candidate not because they deeply believe that he is absolutely the best possible president the country needs and can have. No, they will know that they are compromising and choosing the lesser of two evils, mainly because most people know that both major parties and their candidates stink. The lesser evil is still a loser.

http://www.countercurrents.org/joel210912.htm

Obama vs Romney Debate Schedule: As Oct 3 Looms, Candidates Must Stop With PR and Refocus

Mitt Romney’s push for the presidency has not been without numerous gaffes, obstacles and overall PR nightmares. But the PR question which both Romney and Obama now face has less to do with leaked footage and more to do with authorized footage: the upcoming televised presidential debates.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/15144/obama-vs-romney-debate-schedule-as-oct-3-looms-candidates-must-stop-with-pr-and-refocus

Simply Irresistible: Scientists Trace Gluttony's Path in the Brain

How much is too much chocolate? Desperately devouring 5 percent of one's body weight might sound extreme, but scientists tinkering with the brain chemistry of rodents have found it's certainly possible.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=simply-irresistible-overeating&WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20120921

Unions Boost Economic Mobility in U.S. States

Democrats and Republicans alike believe that mobility is a critical part of the American Dream. President Barack Obama says the “very heart of America” is that we tell our children “that in this country, even if you’re born with nothing, work hard and you can get into the middle class.” Similarly, Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN) echoes the views of conservatives when he points out that “upward mobility from the bottom is the crux of the American promise.”

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/09/20/38795/unions-boost-economic-mobility-in-u-s-states/

Russian FM: USAID Trying to ‘Influence’ Elections

Shedding more light on the Russian government’s order that USAID end all operations in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statementconfirming speculation that indeed the move was related to concerns of election tampering.

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/09/19/russian-fm-usaid-trying-to-influence-elections/

Are religious people really suffering workplace discrimination?

A lot of people have issues with working on a Sunday. For many, shift-work is the only work they can get. A lot of them would prefer to have a job which doesn’t make them work at weekends. But, alas, when you accept a job you accept the terms. At least, most people do. 

http://flipchartfairytales.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/are-religious-people-really-suffering-discrimination/

Italy Court Upholds Convictions on CIA Agents for Torture and Rendition Program

The 23 Americans sentenced were not extradited, but were found guilty of kidnapping an Egyptian cleric in Milan

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/09/19/italy-court-upholds-convictions-on-cia-agents-for-torture-and-rendition-program/

OCCUPY Anniversary: The REAL Story- Sunday: The Celebration!

Now that the dust has settled, the cops have all gone home, the reporters and protesters have been released from jail, and the "journalists," of mainstream media, are safely back in their cubicles, it is now time to tell the true story of the first anniversary celebration and protests of Occupy Wall Street, OWS, in New York City. 

http://www.opednews.com/articles/OCCUPY-Anniversary-The-RE-by-Brett-Redmayne-Tit-120920-424.html

Apartheid Never Died In South Africa. It Inspired a World Order Upheld by Force and Illusion

The murder of 34 miners by the South African police, most of them shot in the back, puts paid to the illusion of post-apartheid democracy and illuminates the new worldwide apartheid of which South Africa is both an historic and contemporary model.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Apartheid-Never-Died-In-So-by-John-Pilger-120920-267.html

Open the Debates: Demand inclusion of Jill Stein and Gary Johnson!

It's time for Americans of all political persuasions to unite and demand real presidential debates, with the participation of Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Open-the-Debates-Demand-i-by-Scott-McLarty-120921-595.html

Torture, Executions, Drone Killings, Indefinite Detention -- a Nation Without Morality

There was a time when law professors taught that indefinite detention was a violation of the U.S. Constitution.   Now justices are openly allowing the President of the United States to indefinitely detain American citizens.   This is a violation of the oath taken by any judge or justice so ruling and a violation by the President of high crimes and misdemeanors, an impeachable offense.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Torture-Executions-Drone-by-Ruth-Hull-120921-102.html

Israel's Future if it Continues on its Present Course: a Worldwide Boycott, Isolation and Castigation

There is no way of knowing just how extensive this movement to censure Israel is but with each passing day there are more nations and entities within these nations that are making it known that they are in total disagreement with Israel's hubristic agenda. The government of Israel has shown that it is out of touch with the world and is totally unable to carry on normal relations with nations and people of different ideologies and beliefs.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Israel-s-Future-if-it-Cont-by-michael-payne-120920-713.html

Disdain for Workers

y now everyone knows how Mitt Romney, speaking to donors in Boca Raton, washed his hands of almost half the country - the 47 percent who don't pay income taxes - declaring, "My job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives." By now, also, many people are aware that the great bulk of the 47 percent are hardly moochers; most are working families who pay payroll taxes, and elderly or disabled Americans make up a majority of the rest.

http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/63-63/13580-disdain-for-workers

Romney Is a Corporation Masquerading As an Individual for President

here was something missing from the release of a tape showing Mitt Romney pandering to fat cats in Boca Raton, Florida with these very inflammatory words: "There are 47 percent who are with him, (Obama) who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. These are people who pay no income tax."Romney said his job "is not to worry about those people.”

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/274-41/13578-romney-is-a-corporation-masquerading-as-an-individual-for-president

America’s Path To Economic Slavery Under The Republicans

As Republican rhetoric leading into the elections becomes increasingly bizarre (Mitt Romney’s infamous “47%” remark being the latest example), I have scratched my head about what the Party is really trying to accomplish.  But then it finally dawned on me. What the Republicans are pushing for, and what their mega-rich financial donors want, is to tie the chains of economic slavery around America, and more specifically, the working class.

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/20/economic-slavery/

The 10 Most Deadly Foods on the Planet

Sometimes the food you eat is trying to kill you. Not in the traditional sense, with saturated fat, refined sugars and cholesterol. There are a few foods out there that can literally end your life if improperly prepared, or at the very least make you terribly sick. While you probably won’t encounter most of the items on this list during the normal course of your life, a few of them are surprisingly common.

http://thefw.com/deadly-foods/

Hunger and the 2012 Presidential Election

As the 2012 election heats up, it is important to remember the role our elected officials can play in helping us achieve our vision of a hunger-free America. More importantly, we as their constituents can do a lot to urge them to act. Everyone can play a role, and because of the scope and reach of programs like SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) — which put food on the table for hungry Americans — our federal government plays a particularly important role.
http://www.care2.com/causes/hunger-and-the-2012-presidential-election.html

Declassified Files Link U.S. to Palestinian Massacre

The outburst of anti-Americanism sweeping much of the Arab world was ignited by an off-the-wall film insulting Muhammad, but the underlying outrage is fed by decades of resentment against the U.S. and its ally, Israel.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/declassified_files_link_us_to_palestinian_massacre_20120919/

Beyond God and Guns: Why the GOP May Lose the White Working Class

A new study busts harmful myths about white working class men and women.

http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/beyond-god-and-guns-why-gop-may-lose-white-working-class

4 Ways Christianity Sneaks Into Our Secular Government -- And Why it Matters

What often gets called "ceremonial deism" is all over our government.

http://www.alternet.org/belief/4-ways-christianity-sneaks-our-secular-government-and-why-it-matters

U.S. Economic Freedom Plummets to 18th Place Globally

The study, conducted by the respected Canada-based Fraser Institute, measures more than 40 different variables related to economic freedom. Those are divided into five broad categories: size of government, legal system and security of property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally, and regulation of credit, labor, and business.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32520.htm

How the Mitt Romney Video Killed the American Dream

itt Romney's historic gaffe caught on video - published, with great timing, by the left-leaning Mother Jones magazine - in which he said that his campaign was writing off 47% of American voters since they "depended on government" handouts, was committed in an equally significant manner, as he delivered the remarks to a closed group of potential major donors in Florida. GOP stalwart and Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan is calling for an intervention in the campaign, and even some fellow Republicans arescampering to distance themselves from the inflammatory remarks.

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/13598-focus-how-the-mitt-romney-video-killed-the-american-dream

What Mitt Romney Really Represents

It's not just his giant income or the low tax rates he pays on it. And it's not just the videotape of him berating almost half of America, or his endless gaffes, or his regressive budget policies.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/What-Mitt-Romney-Really-Re-by-Robert-Reich-120921-470.html

OWS/S17 -- The Untold Success Story

Obviously you won't hear this from any mainstream media, (that goes without saying) and chances are that you haven't heard it from alternative sources either. Unless you happen to be one of the handfuls that were present, it remains unknown. The OWS birthday was filled with so many amazing stories and experiences, and most have been posted in blogs and YouTube videos. But, there is one I can report with certainty that escaped notice. In the hopes that these people's victory will not remain in obscurity, I am obligated to share it with you now.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/OWS-S17--The-Untold-til-by-Michael-Stedman-120921-111.html

EU Officials Propose Internet Cops On Patrol, No Anonymity & No Obscure Languages

Back in February we wrote about the ominously-named "Clean IT" project in Europe, designed to combat the use of the Internet by terrorists. At that time, we suspected that this would produce some seriously bad ideas, but a leaked document obtained by EDRI shows that these are actually much worse than feared (pdf), amounting to a system of continuous surveillance, extrajudicial removal of content and some new proposals that can only be described as deranged.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120921/03581820457/eu-officials-propose-internet-cops-patrol-no-anonymity-no-obscure-languages-because-terrorism.shtml

Law Enforcement Officials Freak Out About Possibility Of Having To Get Warrants To Read Your Email

The ECPA reform would update a decades-old law that law enforcement has interpreted to more or less mean they don't need a warrant to read your online email. Leahy's update would require a warrant. This is a good and important reform that should be supported. But, of course, law enforcement freaked out and it appears that Leahy has backed down, delaying hearings on the bill for now (funny how he really wanted to push through PIPA despite massive public protests, but a few law enforcement people get upset about respecting the 4th Amendment and things get delayed).

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120921/00444620455/law-enforcement-officials-freak-out-about-possibility-having-to-get-warrants-to-read-your-email.shtml

New UK studies trash ‘Christian nation’ claims

FAR from being the Christian nation that so many politicians insist it is, Britain is fast distancing itself from Christianity, according to two significant polls recently published. The National Secular Society points out that the two large-scale polls indicate that our country is not, by any stretch of the imagination, religious.
http://freethinker.co.uk/2012/09/21/new-uk-studies-trash-christian-nation-claims/

Kent State - 1970

"Mystery" solved

"What made the Americans come over here and attack us?"

Jill Biden Delights Audience With An Impressively Long Double Entendre 

Occupy Wall Street Special (Arun Gupta + Marina Sitrin Interview):

As American Income Decreased, Billionaires' Brothers' Wealth Skyrocketed

Italy Sentences 23 CIA Agents in Rendition Case: Obama Refuses to Prosecute Anyone for TorturePart 1

Part 2

The American War Machine

An Impeachment Warning to Obama

Drone secrecy put to test in court

Big Media Bury Occupy, Phony Terror Plot, Afghan Airstrikes

OWS Is a ‘Tactic’ That Is ‘Far From Over’

Troy Davis One Year Later: Execution Fuels National Movement to Abolish Death Penalty

Ted Koppel takes down Bill O’Reilly and launches war on ‘partisan ranting’

This video is from “The O’Reilly Factor,” broadcast Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012.

This video is from “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” broadcast Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012.

Steve Dustcircle can be found at:

http://www.twitter.com/dustcircle