Dream Defenders Freedom Rides

The Dream Defenders are attempting to repeal Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law. The Dream Defenders have staged a sit-in in front of Gov. Rick Scott's office. Scott has spoken to the Dream Defenders. Mostly, Scott has avoided the capital.

The Dream Defenders are staging freedom rides acrosd the country to bring more protesters to Tallahassee.

FREEDOM RIDES WILL BE DEPARTING FROM MIAMI, ORLANDO, JACKSONVILLE, TAMPA, ATLANTA, WASHINGTON D.C., RALIEGH, NEW YORK CITY, AND PHILADELPHIA. IF YOU ARE IN OR AROUND THOSE CITIES WE HAVE MADE IT EASY FOR YOU TO BE A PART OF THE MOVEMENT MOMENT OF OUR LIFETIME.

You can join the freedom rides by filling out the online form.

Jawbreaker - Equalized

Very early Jawbreaker. I believe Equalized originally came out as a 7 inch vinyl.

The Huffington Post's Horrible Reporting on Ginger Lee

Candace Raines (aka Ginger Lee) is the victim of a lazy piece of journalism by Huffingington Post pop culture blogger David Moye. The article gave the impression that Ginger Lee was going to appear in a Anthony Weiner porn parody movie produced by Mike Kulich. The charming Mr. Kulich's Twitter posts (NSFW) are filled with nude images and links relating to his Weiner porn movie. Kulich told Moye that Ginger Lee would be in his Weiner porn movie.

Sex scandals like Weiner’s make it easier for my business,” Kulich told The Huffington Post. “Everyone wants to think politicians are so clean, but they sext and watch porn just like normal people.” The DVD, scheduled for a Sept. 1 release, is in the early stages of production, but Kulich promises at least one scene will feature Ginger Lee, one of Weiner’s sexting partners. Kulich promises to donate 15 percent of sales to Weiner’s campaign.

One interesting problem. I asked Ginger Lee on Twitter if Moye interviewed her to find out if Kulich's claim was true.

@pushingrope Nope. He didn't.

— Ginger (@gingerlee) July 30, 2013

My next question was if she had ever met Kulich. She has no memory of ever meeting Kulich

@pushingrope Nope 2.0. A pair of nopes, even.

— Ginger (@gingerlee) July 30, 2013

I tweeted Kulich. Unlike Moye, he did answer my questions. He claimed he met Ginger Lee in 2006.

@pushingrope Yes. On the set of 1 Lucky Fuck #3 back in 06.

— Mike Kulich (@xxxmonarchy) July 30, 2013

According to Kulich, there will be an old Ginger Lee scenes. Raines has been out of the porn movie industry for five years.

@pushingrope stated that the Ginger Lee scenes appearing in the movie were old and would be bonus scenes for the DVD.

— Mike Kulich (@xxxmonarchy) July 30, 2013

Kulich even sent out a press release stating the there would be no new Ginger Lee scenes. There press release describes Ginger Lee as "a adult porn star."

The movie features seven scenes including Haley Sweet, Asa Akira, Brooklyn Lee, Lexi Love, Pressley Carter and appropriately, two older bonus scenes of the infamous Ginger Lee, the former adult star who gained notoriety in Weiner's first sex scandal, which forced him to resign from the United States Congress.

The problem was Moye's article made it appear that Candace Raines was coming back to the porn industry. Due to pressure I can't take credit for, The Huffington Post was forced to post a correction.

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly implied that Ginger Lee is filming a new scene for the DVD. The DVD is a compilation of existing scenes, except for one new scene.

I give credit for Kulich giving me a quick and honest response. It is interesting that I could get a straight answer from a porn producer but not a Huffington Post reporter. Moye never bothered to respond to me.

Raines/Lee will receive no profits from any old scenes that might appear in Kulich's movie. Porn performers to not profit sharing with producers or receive residuals from previous work. The porn industry does not have their version of the Screen Actors Guild union. Moye's sloppy reporting gave people the impression that Ginger Lee was returning to porn. Moye owes Candace Raines an apology.

David Moye responds to me via Twitter.

@QuiVideoTrusit @pushingrope @gingerlee The original story mentioned that the Don't Pull Out video was a compilation video of old scenes.

— david moye (@dmoyeweirdnews) July 30, 2013

@QuiVideoTrusit @pushingrope @gingerlee This was edited out of my story and I didn't notice it. My bad.

— david moye (@dmoyeweirdnews) July 30, 2013

It is amazing how everyone wants to clear the record when you are writing a blog post. I do appreciate Kulich and Moye responding. Unfortunately, Raines was damaged by needless gossip.

Quote of the Day

""The policies he promoted as Treasury Secretary and in his subsequent writings led to the economic disaster that we now face." Dean Baker, economist, on Lawrence Summers.

Baker correctly predicted there there was a housing bubble in 2002. Banks continued to create risky mortgage-backed securities.

Summers pushed for the repeal of Glass-Steagall Act. This allowed investment banks to merge with commercial banks. The result was banks making bad investments with people's life savings. This nearly caused the banking system to crash.

I think we can safely say that Baker is a smarter economist than Summers.

Cumulus Media Dropping Limbaugh and Hannity

Politico reports that Cumulus Media is planning to drop Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity from their stations by the end of the year. According to Politico, the reason is that Cumulus wants Limbaugh and Hannity to take a pay cut.

Cumulus declined to comment for this story: "Cumulus is not in a position to comment about negotiations with talent under contract, no matter what the rumor of the day might be," a spokesperson told POLITICO.

But in recent weeks, Cumulus has been quietly reaching out to radio talent agents and political insiders about new local and regional station hosts to fill some of the airtime that will be left vacant by Limbaugh and Hannity, industry sources said. Cumulus is also expected to move some of its existing talent -- which includes Mike Huckabee, Mark Levin, and Michael Savage -- into one of the slots.

The way radio ratings is being calculated is changing. Advertisers now realize that there isn't a big market for AM talk radio. The Daily Beast broke down the numbers and it isn't pretty.

A look at radio’s PPM ratings for the largest talk radio market in the nation bears this out. An apples-to-apples comparison of ratings between November ’09 and November ’10 in the New York area shows that Rush Limbaugh’s ratings on WABC declined from 5.4 to 5.0—despite the crescendo of a GOP election year landslide. Likewise, year-end to year-end comparisons of the crucial 24 to 55 demographic show that Rush declined from 3.7 to 2.6—while his packaged follow-up acts Sean Hannity and Mark Levin narrowly declined and flat-lined, respectively. And Hannity was dropped from his Philadelphia radio station along with Beck last month after being dropped from his syndicator in Salt Lake City (!) last year before finding a new home in the area.

I say good riddance.

The Wire: The Video Game

The Wire would never work as a video game. McNulty and Omar ended up losing during the last season. Marlo got a slap on the wrist, after killing dozens of people in Baltimore. In the video game parody, the heroes don't win.

Friday Cat Blogging Bonus

Only in New York City can you see a guy walking his hairless, sunglasses wearing cat.

Friday Cat Blogging

Khaleesi is the new Bobcat kitten at Big Cat Rescue. She will be released back into the wild in the spring of 2014.

Hillsborough Meet and Greet for Darden Rice

St. Petersburg City Council candidate Darden Rice is coming to the Hillsborough side of the bay for the meet and greet.

Come meet and hear Darden Rice speak about the importance of working together as a region and her plan, St. Pete Strong for St. Petersburg. Food and refreshments will be provided. The event is going to be a great networking opportunity and a chance for anyone to support Darden!

Please RSVP to Mark: mark@puskarich.us

4201 Bayshore BLVD. Fri 7/26 630pm-830pm

Quote form Mark & jt

"Our Bay Area has further opportunity to advance the cause and reputation of our region as we are presented with another progressive candidate, Darden Rice.We hope you will join us on July 26th at our place to support her candidacy for St. Pete City Council."

Best Campaign Mailer Photo Ever

Peter Schorsch made his own comments about St. Petersburg City Council candidate Darden Rice's campaign mailer. I will keep my comments more pro-feminist and PC. I think that is the best set of photos of a candidate in ages. Here is the rest of the flyer.

Rice's tea party opponent David McKalip had to respond to Schorsch posting the flyer on his blog.

My cards have MEAT. I will cut taxes, she will raise them. I signed the petition to stop the lens, she played politics and hid.

REAL Solutions from a candidate you can TRUST – -that is what my cards say.

"My cards have meat"? That is McKalip's attack line to use against Rice? That is hysterical. McKalip appears in a hospital coat at tea party rallies. McKalip should look at that flyer and realize voters are more likely to vote for the candidate that looks like a movie star. Although, I'm sure the Rice campaign trembles at McKalip handing out his meat cards to voters.

Update: Schorsch has his polling numbers. Short answer: Rice is handing McKalip his ass.

The truth is Rice is running away with the race, at least in the primary. According to a survey conducted by St. Pete Polls and commissioned by this blog, Rice has a wide lead over her next closest rival, Dr. McKalip. Among likely voters, Rice receives 32% support, McKalip is at 17%, Carolyn Fries is at 11% and Richard Eldridge is at 4%. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they were undecided.

Group of Senate Democrats Against Larry Summers at the Federal Reserve

Talking Points Memo report that Senate Democrats have sent a letter to President Barack Obama. These mostly undisclosed Democrats are against Lawrence Summers being appointed as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

"There's a lot of concern among a lot of Democrats about an appointment of Larry Summers to that long-term position as Fed chairman," Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who signed the letter, told the Journal. "He was one of the architects of getting rid of Glass-Steagall, of getting rid of other regulations. There's real concern about his economic views not really being in line with Obama's views."

Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Angus King (I-ME) are also confirmed to have signed the letter.

These groups of Democrats want Obama to appoint Janet Yellen as chair of the Federal Reserve. Sheila Bair, former chair of the FDIC, makes the case to appoint Yellen. Bair notes Yellen's resume and knocks Summers role in deregulation.

That could change if the heir apparent to succeed Ben Bernanke as Chair of the Federal Reserve Board, Janet Yellen, is nominated for the job by President Obama. Certainly, there is no better qualified candidate to fill Bernanke's shoes when he steps down in January. A noted economist, Yellen headed the Council of Economic Advisors for two years; led the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank for six years; and has served ably as Bernanke's Vice Chairman since 2010. Unlike Larry Summers, Tim Geithner, and Bob Rubin -- minions frequently mentioned in the financial press as potential Bernanke successors -- she was not part of the deregulatory cabal that got us into the 2008 financial crisis. In fact, she had a solid record as a bank regulator at the San Francisco Fed and was one of the few in the Fed system to sound the alarm on the risks of subprime mortgages in 2007.

Bair and Ezra Klein report there currently a whisper campaign against Yellen's nomination. The question is who is behind the whisper campaign?

More Do Nothing Congress

Sen. Harry Reid calls out House Republicans for being a do nothing Congress. Reid notes that House Republicans failed at their goals of passing repeals to laws they hate.

“House Republicans are failing even by their own metric. They’ve replaced virtually nothing. So by the speaker’s own admission, they’re not getting anything passed and by his own analysis, they’re getting nothing repealed,” Reid said. “So they’re doing nothing.”

Speaker Boehner has scheduled the hard-working House of Representatives to work nine days in September. What a joke.

More On the Dream Defenders

Here is a video profile of the Dream Defenders protest. The Dream Defenders have vowed to occupy the capital until "Trayvon’s Law" is passed and signed by Gov. Rick Scott. "Trayvon’s Law" would repeal Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.

The Dream Defenders mission statement.

On Thursday, July 18th, the Governor finally met with us, but provided no real leadership. Rather than calling for a special session, he is calling for a statewide day of prayer to end racial profiling. But faith without works isn’t justice.

We are taking a stand not only in Trayvon’s memory, but for our worth as people and citizens of Florida. We can not allow Gov. Scott to neglect his responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of all Floridians.

We are here until our struggle for justice is won. And if we are to keep moving forward, we need your support. Governor Scott told us that we need to increase our support. We know that the people of Florida and the nation are behind us but we need to show it. Can you demonstrate you support by signing our petition?

Quote of the Day: Rep Steve King Edition

"It turns out to be the best vote that I cast, was my 'no' vote to the $51.5 billion to Hurricane Katrina. That probably was my best vote."

Rep. Steve King, in 2009

The thing King is most proud of during his 10 years in trying is attempting to deny federal aid to New Orleans residents literally underwater. Many of whom happened to be black. If you don't think King is a racist than you are in denial.

President Obama Economic Speech At JAXPORT Tomorrow

Mark Knoller of CBS News tweets that President Barack Obama will deliver an economic speech tomorrow at the Jacksonville Port Authority.

Actually, Pres Obama delivers his next economy speech tomorrow afternoon at the Jacksonville Port (JAXPORT), FL.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) July 24, 2013

Obama will propose raising the more infrastructure spending to create jobs and raising the minimum. These are policies I supported. It appears that Obama has finally given up on the fantasy of a grand bargain and is taking his message to the people.

“Over the last six months, this gridlock has gotten worse,” said Obama. "I am laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot. Now it’s time for you to lay out yours.”

I'm glad that Obama is using the bully pulpit.

Wingnut of the Day: Rep. Steve King

Republican Rep. Steve King can't help but say racist things about Hispanics. King told Newsmax that the children of illegal immigrant are actually drug mules.

He cites those illegals who were brought to the United States by their parents as young children, for instance.

"Some of them are valedictorians — and their parents brought them in. It wasn't their fault. It's true in some cases, but they aren't all valedictorians. They weren't all brought in by their parents.

"For everyone who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds — and they’ve got hands the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert,” King tells Newsmax. “Those people would be legalized with the same act."

How does King know that these children have "hands the size of cantaloupes"? Has King personally examined children of illegal immigrants. King says these crazy things without any facts. King doubled down and told Breitbart News that what he said was the gospel truth.

In an interview with Breitbart News on Wednesday, King pushed back against the Republican backlash by calling on people to review his remarks. He said, “they will understand that what I said is objective, it’s true and it cannot be logically challenged.”

Even fellow Republicans aren't buying it and are distancing themselves from King.

House Speaker John Boehner

“There can be honest disagreements about policy without using hateful language,” Boehner said in his statement. “Everyone needs to remember that.”

"Hateful language" is a polite way of Boehner admitting that King sounds like a racist.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor

”I strongly disagree with his characterization of the children of immigrants and find the comments inexcusable.”

Let's make things clear. Steve King is never going to march in a civil rights rally. King's has shown public disdain for gays and lesbians. King is against ENDA and made these bizarre remarks to Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

KING: And he said, “let me ask you a question.” “Am I heterosexual or am I homosexual?” And they looked him up and down, actually they should have known, but they said, “We don’t know.” And he said, “Exactly, my point. If you don’t project it, if you don’t advertise it, how would anyone know to discriminate against you?” And that’s at the basis of this. So if people wear their sexuality on their sleeve and then they want to bring litigation against someone that they would point their finger at and say, “You discriminate.” …This is the homosexual lobby taking it out on the rest of society and they are demanding affirmation for their lifestyle, that’s at the bottom of this.

King went as far as to accuse Attorney Eric Holder and President Barack Obama of racism. I love how racists project their faults on others.

When you look at this administration, I'm offended by Eric Holder and the President also, their posture. It looks like Eric Holder said that white people in America are cowards when it comes to race. And I don't know what the basis of that is but I'm not a coward when it comes to that and I'm happy to talk about these things and I think we should. But the President has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race - on the side that favors the black person.

I hope the people in King's district are proud of their elected representative.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Goddamn Lonely Love

Man, is Jason Isbell a fucking great singer. Isbell performs a song that he wrote when he was in Drive-By-Truckers. The song is about former Truckers bassist and ex-wife Shonna Tucker.

Wendy Davis Twitter Town Hall Meeeting

Texas lawmaker and pro-choice activist Wendy Davis will hold a Twitter town hall meeting this Thursday. This is your chance to interact and show your support for State Sen. Davis.

Quote of the Day

Huma: “My husband did horrible things, but I’m addicted to danger … [sound of maracas, trumpet] CARLOS DANGER!”

— David Roberts (@drgrist) July 23, 2013

Huma Abedin would likely be the White House Chief of Staff, if Hillary Clinton wins the 2016 presidency. Why in God's name is she with Anthony "Carlos Danger" Weiner.

Deputy Brings Skittles & Arizona Ice Tea to Work

Corporal Chris Wood's story makes no sense. Why did he feel the need to bring Arizona ice tea and Skittles to the Brevard County Jail.

He told supervisors he was trying to send a message about professionalism, but the message was lost in translation.

That is an understatement. Wood is facing a written reprimand and will have to undergo sensitivity training. I somehow feel there is more to this story.

Chris Hayes Interview of Phillip Agnew of Dream Defenders

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

MSNBC host Chris Hayes interviewed Phillip Agnew, Executive Director of Dream Defenders.

Agnew on the Dream Defenders meeting with Gov. Rick Scott.

Thank you for having me again, and i think it was symbolic. I think it was an opportunity, of course, to open up a dialogue, but the governor the benefit of Monday or Tuesday and Wednesday of last week to hear on a number of outlets what our demands were, and so a meeting to further discuss our demands and then to tell us, no, must be symbolic and indicative of what he has determined to be his plan of action moving forward. So, yeah, i do, I think it's a way forward, a beginning of a way forward, but as I said last week, our people and people from around the country have encouraged us to stay. We're determined to stay because we believe that we have a plan to win.

Agnew tells Hayes that the Dream Defenders will stay in the capital until Scott calls a a special session to repeal the "Stand Your Ground" law.

PBS Fake Reality Show Trailers

PBS is running hysterical fake reality show trailers to raise funds. I almost wish these shows exists.

Clam Kings

Long Island Landscapers

Meet the Tanners

Quote of the Day

"Now the president's saying Trayvon could've been me 35 years ago. This is a particularly helpful comment. Is that the president admitting that I guess because what, he was part of the Choom Gang and he smoked pot and he did a little blow —I'm not sure how to interpret because we know that Trayvon had been smoking pot that night."

Sean Hannity, on his radio show.

It is nice to see Hannity keep things classy by implying that President Barack Obama is a chronic pot smoker and a gang member.

Bruce Springsteen - American Skin (41 Shots)

Bruce Springsteen dedicated his performance of American Skin (41 Shots) to the late Trayvon Martin. Springsteen wrote American Skin about immigrant Amadou Diallo being shot at 41 times by the NYPD. 19 rounds hit Diallo. An investigation revealed later that Diallo was unarmed.

Springsteen made very clear during this Limerick, Ireland performance that he wanted justice for Trayvon Martin.

During the sign collecting Bruce had noticed another sign on the side of the stage and asked for it to be passed up to him, then displayed it for the crowd. It was “American Skin (41 Shots).” An immediate hush settled as we all recognized the significance of this request on the heels of the Travyon Martin trial verdict just days before. “We’ll send this as a letter back home for justice for Trayvon Martin,” Bruce said before launching into what was surely the emotional centerpiece of the show. The audience and the band both appeared to be choked with tears at points in the song; rarely had the lyric “You can get killed just for living in your American skin” sounded more tragic or true. As it wound to its end and Bruce stood alone at the mike staring straight ahead with as much tension and anger as I’ve ever seen him display during a song, just chanting “you can get killed just for living in…” over and over, it was a moment never to be forgotten and a beautiful tribute to a young life sadly wasted for no good reason.

Justice For Travon Rally Photos

Stogie has pictures of the Justice For Trayvon Martin rally at the Sam Gibbons Federal Court House in Tampa.

Write A Caption: Geraldo Rivera

Geraldo Rivera decided to unleash this selfie on the masses. Words fail me.

The Dream Defenders

Kathleen McGrory has a good article on the history of the Dream Defenders. The organization was started by Phillip Agnew after the death of 14 year-old Martin Anderson in a Florida juvenile boot camp.

Agnew has experience with civil disobedience —and prolonged stays at the Florida Capitol.

He was the student body vice president at Florida A&M University when 14-year-old Martin Lee Anderson was beaten to death at a Florida boot camp in 2006. At the time, Agnew was more interested in parties than protests. But when he realized that Martin Lee Anderson was the same age as his own little brother, Agnew joined student-led efforts to demonstrate at the capitol.

That’s when he got to know Gabriel Pendas and Ahmad Abuznaid, like-minded student leaders at Florida State University.

Agnew, Pendas and Abuznaid graduated from college and went their separate ways. They joined together again to stage a protest March after the George Zimmerman killing of Trayvon Martin made the news. Dream Defenders was created after that. Agnew makes a meager living running Dream Defenders full-time. All other staff works for free.

The Dream Defenders are in for the long haul.

The group leaders say they won’t leave until Scott has convened a special session to consider a Trayvon Martin Civil Rights Act, which would repeal the Stand Your Ground law, and end the school-to-prison pipeline that has led to a high percentage of young black men being incarcerated at an early age.

Update: the Dream Defenders spend fifth day outside Scott's office.

Justice For Trayvon Rally in Tampa

There will be a Justice For Trayvon rally on July 20th. Here is the information.

WHERE:Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse

WHEN: 12:00 PM

Contact: PUSH – Persists Until Something Happens 813-325-7715 Jebony21@gmail.com

Check this link to find a rally in your part of the country.

Oh Snap!

Arianna Huffington takes President Barack Obama to task for the hypocrisy of his anti-drug policies.

Obama: Trayvon "could have been me." True, and so could many still behind bars for drug possession.

It is no secret that Obama experimented with drugs during his college days. Obama has even admitted this.That is why people were so angry for Obama allowing the Justice Department to go after medical marijuana facilities.

An analysisfrom pro-medical marijuana group Americans For Safe Access found that President Barack Obama's administration has spent nearly $300 million on combatting medical marijuana instates that have legalized the drug.

Your tax dollars at work.

Quote of the Day

"For those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these stand your ground laws, I just ask people to consider if trayvon martin was of able and armed could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened. And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws."

President Barack Obama, in the White House briefing room.

Friday Cat Blogging

In the event you need some emergency kitten cuteness.

Quote of the Day

"From those incredible blood lines of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and John Smith. And all these great Americans, Martin Luther King. These great Americans who built this country. You came from them. And the unique thing about being from that part of the world, when you learn about breeding, you learn that you cannot breed Secretariat to a donkey and expect to win the Kentucky Derby. You guys have incredible DNA and don’t forget it."

Ken Crow, of Tea Party Community, speaking at an anti-immigration rally at Upper Senate Park.

Crow worked in a Martin Luther King reference to not sound racist. I don't know how comparing the DNA of Hispanics to that of a donkey cannot be interpreted as being racist.

Rick Scott Makes CREW Most Corrupt List

Gov. Rick Scott has the dubious distinction of making the Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington list for most corrupt governors. Congratulation, Governor Scott..

Elizabeth Warren Destroys CNBC

CNBC loves backing Wall Street and the big banks. People are becoming aware of this and CNBC's ratings are tanking.

The Squawk Box attempted to tear Elizabeth Warren for proposing to bring back the Glass-Steagall Act. That would mean the commercial and investment banks would be separated. Obviously, the Street does not like this and CNBC was going to defend the status quo. The Squawk Box was at a loss when Warren pointed out there was no major financial the crash when the Glass-Steagall Act was in place. Charles P. Pierce of Esquire summed it up best.

My god, this is a kicking of the ass. Sooner or later, they're going to realize that you really do have to bring the A-game on this stuff to the Senior Senator, or she is going to smile her Okie smile and the hook is going to come off the jab and, as the great Jimmy Breslin once put it, you will leave the ring in a blanket. She does mean business. Someone should start to believe that.

Sit-In At Gov. Rick Scott's Office

State Rep. Alan Williams, black community leaders, students and Dream Defenders are involved in a sit-in staged at Gov. Rick Scott's office. The reason for the protest is Florida's Stand Your Ground law.

Dream Defenders have posted photos of the sit-in on their Facebook page. Unsurprisingly, Gov. Rick Scott has been MIA since the sit-in has started.

Scott’s absence also is drawing heat.

“Come home, Governor,” Williams said Thursday at a news conference at a church just a few blocks from the Capitol. “Come home to speak to these citizens.”

The Stand Your Ground issue is not going to away for Scott. Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith and Florida House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston have launched a social media campaign to open debate on Stand Your Ground.

“Why do they fear this debate?” Smith asked. “We have a clear case that shows Stand Your Ground has very troubling problems, and those problems are central to the well being of Floridians. These changes do not affect a person’s right to self defense. But they stop the ability to hide behind self defense when you bring yourself to a fight.”

The answer is the Republican Party is terrified of the NRA. How scared? People can bring concealed weapons into the capital. Security is not allowed to ask a person if he is carrying a concealed weapon. Longtime NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer successfully pushed that bill. Republicans fear the NRA so much that they are willing to endanger themselves.

Dumbass Thinks He Can Shoot Down Drones With Shotgun

I had to fact-check this Daily Caller article. Two reasons: the Daily Caller is a fact-challenged website and the article is so stupid that it reads like The Onion. Dylan Stableford of Yahoo! News and 7NEWS in Denver also reports that Deer Trail, Colorado is considering an ordinance to pay bounty hunters to shoot down drones.

Deer Trail resident Phillip Steel isn't not the sharpest knife in the drawer. His ordinance would allow bounty hunters to shoot down drones with shotguns. Mind you, it is virtually impossibe for shotguns to shoot down drones flying at those attitudes. It is also illegal to destroy government property.

Even though it's against the law to destroy federal property, Steel's proposed ordinance outlines weapons, ammunition, rules of engagement, techniques, and bounties for drone hunting.

The ordinates states, "The Town of Deer Trail shall issue a reward of $100 to any shooter who presents a valid hunting license and the following identifiable parts of an unmanned aerial vehicle whose markings and configuration are consistent with those used on any similar craft known to be owned or operated by the United States federal government."

7NEWS Reporter Amanda Kost asked Steel, "Have you ever seen a drone flying over your town?"

"No," Steel responded. "This is a very symbolic ordinance. Basically, I do not believe in the idea of a surveillance society, and I believe we are heading that way."

I am no fan of drones, but this is stupid beyond words. The 7NEWS video below.

Tom Waits - Goin' Out West

Tom Waits graces a live audience with his smooth vocal stylings. I so wants Waits to make a guest musical appearance one of of those annoying music vocal talent shows.

112th Congress Is the Laziest Ever

The Republican controlled 112 House of Representatives passed only 561 bills. Chris Cillizza notes hat is the lowest amount of bills passed by a Congress between the 80th Congress and the 112th Congress. Keep in mind, the House of Representatives has no filibuster. If the majority party wants to get legislation passed in the House it will. Nancy Pelosi got a health care reform bill with the public option passed.

Republicans came into the midterms elections talking about the jobs. Republicans won the 2010 elections and did nothing for job creation and went about doing anti-abortion bills and 37 attempts to repeal Obamacare. House Republicans biggest legislative interests would never get a vote in the Senate.

An interest side note: the second least productive Congress was the 104th Congress. This was the Congress that Republicans won with their "Contract With America" pledge. Republicans campaigned on pledges in 1994 and 2010 and then had little interest in governing. The problem with Republicans from 1994 onward was the rightward shift that pushed out policy wonks. Former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough came in 1994 and presented his bold idea of eliminating the Department of Education. Every Republican in Congress talks about eliminating the Department of Education. There are no original ideas to be found in the current GOP.

Quote of the Day

"Kickstarter for $1 million prize for Home Run Derby hitter who hits one into Chris Berman's mouth."

Pourmecoffee, on Twitter

Robert Zimmerman Jr. Promotes Racism on CNN

“We have to grow from this. I want to know what makes people angry enough to attack someone the way that Trayvon Martin did. I want to know, if it is true, and I don’t know that it was true, that Trayvon Martin was looking to procure firearms, was growing marijuana plants, or was making lean, or whatever he was doing. I want to know that every minor, high schooler, that would be reaching out in some way for help—and they may feel it’s by procuring firearms or whatever they may be doing—that they have some kind of help."

Robert Zimmerman Jr., on CNN

Robert Zimmerman Jr. was asked on CNN how he could help heal the racial rift in America. Zimmerman responded by accusing Trayvon Martin of attempting to acquire a gun and grow marijuana. Zimmerman racially played-up Trayvon Martin as an angry thug. Zimmerman has no interest in racially healing America. Zimmerman used an opportunity to racial understanding to racially stereotype Trayvon Martin.

Drudge Promotes Fearmongering Post Zimmerman Trial

Leave it to Matt Drudge to falsely claim that race riots are breaking out across America. The image above was taken from the homepage of The Drudge Report by Dave Weigel. Weigel checked the links posted by Drudge and found out that we are not experiencing racial violence in America.

Instead, there are links to a white guy in Portland saying that "every cop is a target," another link to the Oakland protests from Saturday, and a headline from the Daily Mail that doesn't really jibe with the story:

Like Glenn Reynolds of InstaPundit, Drudge plays up to xenophobia. These guys are without shame.

Quote of the Day

"If your state is shit, you must acquit."

Gina Vivinetto, on Facebook.

The joys of living in Florida, or say they say on Fark "Floriduh."

Glenn Greenwald Said What?

I have defended Glenn Greenwald in the past. However, this quotes from Greenwald comes off as a threat to the United States.

"Snowden has enough information to cause harm to the U.S. government in a single minute than any other person has ever had," Greenwald said in an interview in Rio de Janeiro with the Argentinean daily La Nacion.

"The U.S. government should be on its knees every day begging that nothing happen to Snowden, because if something does happen to him, all the information will be revealed and it could be its worst nightmare."

Greenwald's work getting Snowden to reveal the level of wiretapping is important journalism. Greenwald damages himself when he airs thinny-veiled threats at the U.S. government. It comes off as bullying and may make the public less sympathetic to Snowden's legal status.

Leadbelly - In the Pines

Leadbelly's classic song of jealousy and revenge. This folk classic was famously covered by Nirvana and Mark Lanegan.

Broward County Sheriff's Office PSA

The Broward County Sheriff's Office released this public service in anticipation of the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial. The Sheriff's office is pleading with citizens to behave peacefully. This blog asks that you do the same.

Glenn Reynolds Promotes Trayvon Martin Conspiracy Theory

I saw Chad Johnson, Esprit Capital Advisors, left a long conspiracy on a Facebook friend's comments section. Apparently, President Barack Obama and the Justice Department astroturfed the protests in Sanford after Trayvon Martin's death.

Eric Holder and BHO send down Justice Operatives to Sanford to organize protest rallies and pay for the costs, perhaps even pay agitators to keep up political pressure to persecute Z. The Feds chose a side and sought to impale Z with the full weight of the Federal government to create a race issue!

Under intense political pressure, the Fl. Governor appointed a Special Prosecutor to conduct a new investigation (Persecute Z on TV to satisfy the demands of the now agitated Black Community now seeking vengeance disguised as justice). The Prosecutor charged Z on the same insufficient evidence already discounted. (At that time the Prosecutor was running for re election and also wanted a “Hang’em high” case and “wind under her wings” that such a case a Z provided).

BHO stands for Barack Hussein Obama and Z stands for George Zimmerman. I find it fascinating that conservatives write in their own bizarre alternative language. This has much to do with they really don't think their argument out. If Obama was behind a conspiracy to help get George Zimmerman charged and convicted then why was Zimmerman found not guilty? The wonderful thing about being a conspiracy theorist is never having to explain how you came to your conclusions.

I wondered where the conspiracy theory that Obama hired "agitators" came from. Glenn Reynolds of InstaPundit has been promoting this nonsense. Reynolds linked to a Townhall op-ed by John Ransom. From the Ransom piece.

I grew up in a country where the rule of law was supreme. Or at least it seemed that way.

But somewhere along the line the varnish of polite society has been worn off so that the brass now shows through.

That’s why today nobody is really surprised that the DOJ has sent rapid response teams to Florida to organize African-Americans to protest against the government.

Nowhere in Ransom's op-ed does he ever provide any proof that Obama was behind the Sanford protests. This is an example of why what is printed on the Townhall website should never be considered journalism.

Reynolds is known for linking to racially insensitive articles and web sites and then claiming the defense that he doesn't stand by these views. This is laughable coming from a man that proposed committing genocide on Muslims and praised white supremacist Thomas Woods. Reynolds supported a Rush Limbaugh photoshop image of Obama shining Sarah Palin's shoes. I have said this before and I will say it again.

Reynolds could care less about real racism. He wants to use any means he can to attack Democrats. Reynolds furthers racism by falsely accusing others and defending those that perpetuate it.

You wonder where a lot of conspiracy theories on the Right come from. Look no farther than Glenn Reynolds.

Shocking News: Jamie Dimon's Compensation Not On Line If Another Crash Happens

Last year, Rep. Barney Frank asked JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon if his compensation would be on the line if his bank suffered huge financial loses. Dimon ran away from that question as fast as he could. Dimon told Frank that he has no control of how much his board pays him. Keep in mind, that Dimon handpicks his board and is one of the most power men of Wall Street. Nope, no control whatsoever.

Edward Snowden Statement

In Russia, Edward Snowden held a press conference, in the company of Sarah Harrison of Wikileaks. Snowden made this statement to the media.

Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in great comfort. I also had the capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications. Anyone’s communications at any time. That is the power to change people’s fates.

It is also a serious violation of the law. The 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution of my country, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and numerous statutes and treaties forbid such systems of massive, pervasive surveillance. While the US Constitution marks these programs as illegal, my government argues that secret court rulings, which the world is not permitted to see, somehow legitimize an illegal affair. These rulings simply corrupt the most basic notion of justice – that it must be seen to be done. The immoral cannot be made moral through the use of secret law.

I believe in the principle declared at Nuremberg in 1945: "Individuals have international duties which transcend the national obligations of obedience. Therefore individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring."

Accordingly, I did what I believed right and began a campaign to correct this wrongdoing. I did not seek to enrich myself. I did not seek to sell US secrets. I did not partner with any foreign government to guarantee my safety. Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light of day, and I asked the world for justice.

That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets.

Wikileaks reports that the US Ambassador to Russia told Human Rights Watch that the United States government does not consider Snowden a whistleblower. The Ambassador asked Human Rights Watch to relay this message to Snowden.The United States government considers Snowden a fugitive.

Quote of the Day

"I'm really sorry, Milissa Harris Perry, that I forced you to talk about Snowden & barred you from discussing our multiple NSA revelations."

Glenn Greenwald, on Melissa Harris Perry's shoot the messenger coverage of Edward Snowden.

Texas Legislature Hates Tampons

This is the bizarre security state we live in. The Texas Department of Public Safety is confiscating tampons from women wanting to enter the gallery of the Texas legislature. A copy of the TDPS press release.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today received information that individuals planned to use a variety of items or props to disrupt legislative proceedings at the Texas Capitol.

Therefore for safety purposes, DPS recommended to the State Preservation Board that all bags be inspected prior to allowing individuals to enter the Senate gallery, which the State Preservation Board authorized.

During these inspections, DPS officers have thus far discovered one jar suspected to contain urine, 18 jars suspected to contain feces, and three bottles suspected to contain paint. All of these items – as well as significant quantities of feminine hygiene products, glitter and confetti possessed by individuals – were required to be discarded; otherwise those individuals were denied entry into the gallery.

In the interest of the safety and security of Texas legislators and the general public, these inspections will continue until the conclusion of Senate business.

Andrea Grimes reports Texas state troopers spent 1 1/2 hours confiscating tampons and other female hygiene products. GCitizens were allowed to bring guns in the gallery. How else would conservatives be able to protect themselves in the event of a tampon attack.

The Republican majority in the Texas legislature can't even pretend they're not sexist.

Once Again, Florida Didn't Ban Computers & Cell Phones

Here is a surprise. I'm actually going to defend Gov. Rick Scott. The media coverage on the internet cafe gambling ban signed into law by Scott has been terrible. As I have written before, the law does not ban personal computers and mobile phones. The law only bans computers rigged for gambling. The text of the legislation.

(1) As used in this chapter, the term "slot machine or device" means any machine or device or system or network of devices that is adapted for use in such a way that, upon activation, which may be achieved by, but is not limited to, the insertion of any piece of money, coin, account number, code, or other object or information, such device or system is directly or indirectly caused to operate or may be operated and if the user, whether by application of skill or by reason of any element of chance or any other outcome unpredictable by the user, may:

(a) Receive or become entitled to receive any piece of money, credit, allowance, or thing of value, or any check, slug, token, or memorandum, whether of value or otherwise, which may be exchanged for any money, credit, allowance, or thing of value or which may be given in trade; or

(b) Secure additional chances or rights to use such machine, apparatus, or device, even though the device or system may be available for free play or, in addition to any element of chance or unpredictable outcome of such operation, may also sell, deliver, or present some merchandise, indication of weight, entertainment, or other thing of value. The term "slot machine or device" includes, but is not limited to, devices regulated as slot machines pursuant t o chapter 551.

Unless your computer is rigged to make a profit from other people using it to play online poker then you have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, Scott is unable to communicate the obvious. Scott instead draws attention to his former LT. Governor's work with Allied Vetgor

“The law I signed was to get rid of the Internet gaming that is tied to Allied Veterans, that criminal conspiracy,” Scott said during a morning appearance from Okeechobee on WPEC TV in West Palm Beach. “The law the legislature passed, the goal of that law was to get rid of the Internet gaming that Allied Veterans was doing,” Scott added. “As you know, there was a criminal conspiracy that they were involved in. That is the intent of the bill.”

For once Scott has the facts on his side. Scott still manages to screw up the messaging. What a horrible politician.

Friday Cat Blogging

It is hysterical how this big labrador retriever is terrified of this young cat.

Republican Lynne Osterman Regrets Her Vote For DOMA

Former Republican Minnesota state legislator member Lynne Osterman admitted she voted for the Defense of Marriage Act for "politically expedient" reasons. Osterman tearfully told Minnesota legislators that she regrets her vote. Osterman asked that Minnesota elected officials voted to make gay marriage legal.

I served as a Republican because of my interest in smaller government. And it was incredibly counter-intuitive to me to then upon my arrival, tell citizens how the government wanted them to live their lives. I didn’t’ come to St. Paul to single out same-sex couples and their families. But in my only term as a member…..[long pause, tearing up] I cast a politically expedient vote in favor of DOMA and I have regretted that ever since…

Nothing in my life says it’s OK to treat people differently than how I would want to be treated— fairly, respectfully, equally. And that’s really what this conversation is about. Whether you believe in big government or small, do you believe in fair, respectful, equal? Is it ever OK to say “well, except for those people”? …

I blew my vote. And I’m imploring you, please get this right. Minnesota citizens just want you to lead.

Gay marriage became legal in Minnesota in May. I had a Twitter discussion with Litbrit about President George W. Bush's evolving position on gay marriage. Litbrit feels Bush doesn't deserve a pass. I'm not interested in pardoning Bush. However, I never believed Bush and Karl Rove cared about the Christian Right. In fact, there is evidence they looked at Christian conservatives with disdain. Bush and Rove were cynically willing to use gay marriage as a wedge issue. Lynne Osterman is guilty of the same thing.

We need elected Republicans to support gay marriage and abortion rights. The truth is the majority of so-called religious leaders that pressure Republicans on social issues have nearly nonexistent followings. Locas Christian Right activists, such as Terry Kemple and David Caton, literally run one man operations. These people aren't that powerful. Republicans have pandered to Christian Right activists because the GOP can't run on income inequality. Mitt Romney is proof of that.

Quote of the Day

"The first pro-choicer, frankly, from a spiritual perspective was Satan himself."

Matt Barber, President of the Americans for the Truth About Homosexuality.

Apparently, Barber took pro-choicers seriously when they yelled "Hail Satan" to the camera.

Male Republican Hypocrisy

Via Ginger Lee: male Republicans taking a courageous stand on on having the right to choose whether or not they want to personally pleasure themselves. This is the kind of less government that would make the Founding Fathers proud.

Captain Beefheart & Ry Cooder - Hard Working Man

Listen to the music and ignore the annoying video game graphics. The song is from the soundtrack of the underrated movie Blue Collar. The movie contains Richard Pryor's best dramatic performance and a killer collaboration between music legends Captain Beefheart and Ry Cooder.

Photo of the Day: Feminist Edition

Anyone that blames a woman for her being raped and makes excuses for the rapist is an idiot.

Hat tip to the Tumblr Rabble Pro-choice.

Stand With Women Rally

Here is a shot of the crowd today at the Stand With Women rally in Fort Worth, Texas.

CBS News interview with Wendy Davis on the filibuster.

MadTV: Michael Jackson Sketch

This is one of my all-time favorite MadTv sketches. Phil LaMarr's Michael Jackson impression is spot-on. The weirdness of the sketch is also great.

Republican Party of Florida Edits Out Bondi Being Against Medicaid Expansion

Retired blogger Benjamin Kirby has called Pam Bondi of being a robot.

I. Robot. Bondi. Prosecute. Prosecute. Prosecute. Robbers. Crooks. Scam Artists. Federal. Government. Health. Care. Takeover. Destroy. Destory. Destroy. End transmission.

Bondi is a talking points machine. I can never recall hearing an insightful word from Bondi that made me rethink my position on an issue. It is not surprising that Bondi went on the comedy show known as Fox and Friends and said she was against a Medicaid expansion for Florida.

"I felt very strongly that we should not participate in the Medicaid expansion, and the House of Representatives agreed," she said. "So, therefore, Florida is not participating in the expansion of Medicaid, and I'm very proud of our state."

Unfortunately for Bondi, she is not an astute politician. The Florida House not expanding Medicaid is unpopular. So unpopular that political reporter Matt Dixon noted that the Republican Party of Florida cut out Robot Bondi's Medicaid talking points from their Youtube clip. Bondi rants on about fraud and limited government. Hitting the usual talking points.

The Fox News website has the full video with Bondi stating she is Medicaid expansion.

Another fun Bondi moment was her saying that the Supreme Court didn't believe that the health insurance mandate penalty was a tax and predicted a repeal.

“They do not believe this is a tax,” Bondi said of the justices.

The mandate will be debated more tomorrow.

“I felt very confident,” Bondi said as she was surrounded by other attorneys general challenging the law.

Bondi's prediction was the absolute opposite of how the Roberts majority ruled.

By a 5-4 vote, the court held the law's mandate requiring Americans to carry health insurance or pay a penalty valid under Congress's constitutional authority to levy taxes. The financial penalty for failing to carry insurance possesses "the essential feature of any tax," producing revenue for the government, Chief Justice Roberts wrote.

Pam Bondi: legal scholar.

Darden Rice Beating David McKalip in Fundraising

More evidence that Democrat Darden Rice is going to beat tea partier David McKalip in the St. Petersburg City Council District 4 race. Rice is nearly doubling McKalip in fundraising.

Darden Rice, 43, a community organizer, has raised just over $31,000 between April and the end of June, putting her total at $56,225. She's spent a lot of it – about $20,000 since March.

David McKalip, 47, a neurosurgeon, posted a fundraising haul today of $21,750, bringing his total to $30,543. Most of that is already gone. Since March, McKalip has spent $26,297.

Rice is one of the few Democratic candidates loved by the progressive base and the establishment. McKalip is best known for sending out a racist email portraying President Obama as a witch doctor. McKalip is also known for reciting bizarre conspiracy theories at tea party meetings. Occasional PR contributor Alex Pickett said this about McKalip.

Good post. For those of us who attend St. Pete City Council meetings, this wingnut McKalip is the bane of our existence. Almost as annoying as that environmental wacko guy. His name escapes me (thank god).

The District 4 race is a rising Democratic star vs a doctor that repulses people. Darden Rice couldn't have picked a better Republican opponent.

Side note: I'm disappointed that McKalip isn't campaigning in his doctor's coat. McKalip was using that shtick when Congress was writing the Affordable Care Act.

Superchunk - Me & You & Jackie Mittoo (New Single)

Via Filter Magazine: Superchunk has released the first single to their album "I Hate Music." Tour dates for Superchunk. It appears they are skipping Tampa again.

August

22 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West ^

23 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle ^

24 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle ^

September

02 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot

03 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *

04 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre

06 - Portland, OR - MusicFestNW - Crystal Ballroom

07 - Chicago, IL - A.V. Fest and Hideout Block Party

21 - Byers, CO - Riot Fest & Sideshow

22 - Byers, CO - Riot Fest & Sideshow

23 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater #

24 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer #

26 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club #

27 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #

28 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #

29 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

Shocking News: Elizabeth Hasselbeck Joins Fox and Friends

Fox News continues its tradition of getting former reality show stars (see: Palin, Sarah) on their network. Former Survivor contestant Elizabeth Hasselbeck will be joining Fox and Friend.

“For a decade, Elisabeth Hasselbeck has brought her passion and strong beliefs to ‘The View,’” ABC said in a statement. “We watched her journey from newlywed to motherhood, an Emmy Award-winning talk show host, author, entrepreneur and activist. She stood behind her political views even if they were not the most popular opinions at the table never shying away from voicing a difficult question. We thank Elisabeth and wish her luck as she begins this new chapter of her career.”

I had to check the part about Hasselbeck winning an Emmy. Hasselbeck and her The View co-hosts won a Daytime Emmy for outstanding talk show. Anyone want to bet on how many Emmys Hasselbeck will win on Fox and Friends?

Amazing First Pitch At South Korean Baseball Game

South Korean gymnast Shin Soo-ji threw out this mind-boggling first pitch at the Doosan Bears and Samsung Lions game. I would not even try this.

Quote of the Day II: Sexist Preacher Edition

"It is wrong for a wife to refuse sex to her husband."

Steven Anderson, pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona

Anderson also wants the death penalty for homosexuals. What a nice guy.

Anderson said these bizarre things on Irish program.

17:50: Anderson talks about the social order in his household.

39:05: Someone asks what the pastor would do if he came home, wanted sex, and his wife said no.

51:00: The host asks Anderson what he thinks about homosexuality.

1:04:16: After the host blasts Anderson for taking the Bible too literally.

Anderson needs to actually read the Bible. The Bible has no mention of dinosaurs. If humans actually existed the same time humans wouldn't be around for very wrong. Apparently, Anderson watched too many episodes of Land of the Lost when he was a kid.

Anderson recites the Creationists talking point that carbon dating isn't real science because it is done with a geiger counter. Actually, a geiger counter is used to detecting radiation. A Accelerator mass spectrometry is used for carbon dating C-14 radioactive decay in carbon samples. Carbon dating isn't the same as using a geiger counter to look for jewelry on the beach.

Update: During the interview, Anderson tells a caller that her daughter is dressing like a whore because she is wearing a miniskirt. Did guy is extremely sexist.

Update: Ron Ferry posted this comment on Sulia about Pastor Steven Anderson.

Roy Ferry: Since I live near Tempe where this cretin has his church, I'm familiar with him. Among other things, he believes that women should not vote, that married women should not work outside the home, that women should be totally subservient to their husbands, that all contraceptives should be banned and that there is no such thing as mental illness. By the way, his "church" is located within a somewhat run down strip mall; and he works installing fire alarms to support his wife and seven children. Apparently, his ministry, or whatever you want to call it, isn't racking in the money and that's a good thing.

It is amazing that Christian leaders that preach intoleratnce, such as Tampa's Terry Kemple and David Caton, and the Westboro Baptist Church, have virtually no following. Yet these xenophobic fundamentalists get so much publicity. The media has failed badly in covering religion in America.

Pro-Choice Activist @VictoriaPrude Removed From Texas Legislature Hearing

Pro-choice activist @VictoriaPrude ripped into the Texas legislature. She was removed by Texas state troopers before she finished speaking. She was interviewed later by Daily Kos. @VictoriaPrude told Horace Boothroyd III that she was never given a reason as to why she was removed from the hearing.

There was no explanation. Senator Jane Nelson tried to say I was being disrespectful but how would she know? I barely got to give the complete performance review of every member on the committee. Pointing out that Sen. Donna Campbell is an ophthalmologist is not disrespectful when she asserts in a state hearing that she should be THE expert on reproductive health. What was disrespectful was the parade of anti-choice zealots and misogynists who got up for 13 hours and called women murderers, killers, promiscuous, thoughtless, and selfish. Not a peep from committee chair Nelson on those.

@VictoriaPrude was escorted off the capital. Her behavior may have been rude. I have seen tea party protesters go near riot mode against elected Democratic officials and not be removed from town hall meetings.

The first reaction was a true shock. And that was the hundreds of people who applauded me as I was escorted out of Capitol and who stayed with me so police couldn't isolate me. You can see some of it here. Parade as girl is escorted out of testimony Next, I came home to hundreds of new followers on social media. And finally, the texts, tweets, emails, and phone calls haven't stopped from friends and family alike. Texans are as angry as I sounded. We don't benefit at all from the polite oppression of Texas legislature "decorum". Dissent and rebellion continue to drive this fight.

This is true rudeness. This is the behavior of tea partiers at a Kathy Castor town hall meeting. These people thinks the Constitution gives them permission to act like obnoxious assholes and be respected for such behavior.

CNBC Sucks So Bad Ratings Are Falling

It is good to see that the daily disaster known as CNBC is experiencing its worst rating since 2005.

CNBC‘s total number of quarterly viewers fell to their lowest level since the second quarter of 2005, and in the all-important age group of 25-54, CNBC witnessed its lowest level quarter since 1994, reports Vikas Shukla of ValueWalk.com

Apparently, people are tuning away from the bogus supply side economics of Larry Kudlow.

Larry Kudlow still talks about the importance of gold. Gold would be important if we still lived in the 19th century economy. Kudlow takes to Twitter to spout inaccurate science.

Crooks and Liars posted this chart to point out how disconnected Kudlow was from the scientific reality of global warming.

Kudlow and his panel accused Occupy Wall Street of being dangerous people prone to violence. One of those people is publicly disgraced journalist Armstrong Williams. If you recall, Williams was paid $240,000 by the Bush administration to say nice things about No Child Left Behind.

The Government Accountability Office ruled that the Williams' contract was illegal "covert propaganda." Williams repaid $34,000 in a settlement with the Justice Department.

Jim Cramer's show is also dropping in the ratings. Perhaps it is because he plays with toys on-the-air and is prone to panic attacks.

CNBC could go off the air tomorrow and the only people that would care is Wall Street firms that get free propaganda.

The Southerland & Graham Race

Alex Leary reports that the Florida 2nd congressional race between Gwen Graham (D) (daughter of Bob Graham) and Republican incumbent Steve Southerland is going to be competitive financially.

Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Panama City, raised $461,000 in the second quarter, an official tells the Buzz, his best quarter ever.

But Democrat Gwen Graham came out strong, too, pulling in $375,000 in her first quarter since becoming a candidate for the 2nd Congressional district.

Graham's campaign said she has about $300,000 cash on hand. Southerland's numbers were not yet available.

Southerland is getting well-deserved grief for his amendment to the farm bill. Southerland's amendment would require food stamp recipients would be required to work. The amendment and the farm bill had no funding to help people on the SNAP program find jobs. The true goal of the amendment was to deny poor people food. The amendment was cruel and Democrats voting against the farm bill. House Speaker John Boehner couldn't even deliver his own caucus because the farm bill wasn't draconian enough. Southerland is definitely vulnerable. However, Gwen Graham is going to have to campaign on more than "Congress is a dysfunctional mess."

Quote of the Day

"Lawrence O'Donnell is the guy who makes Piers Morgan look like I.F. Stone."

Jason Linkins

I will explain in a longer post why I think O'Donnell is a partisan hack. For now, you should learn more about the brilliant investigative journalist I.F. Stone.

Wild Flag - Romance

Wild Flag performing live on Letterman.

Quote of the Day

"Oh my God, yeah! It's constant! It's how you're treated, it's how you're looked at, how you're expected to look in a photoshoot, it's how you're expected to shut up and not have an opinion, it's how you... If you're a girl and you don't fit the very specific vision of what a girl should be, which is always from a man's perspective, then you're a little bit at a loss."

Actress Ellen Page, on facing sexism in the movie industry.

Miami-Dade County Gun Buy Back on July 27

Miami-Dade commissioners Sally A. Heyman and Dennis C. Moss are hosting gun buy back events on July 27. People that drop off guns will not be asked questions about where they got their weapons. Citizens that drop off guns will be given $200.00 gift cards good at their local retailers.

Heyman gun buy back event.

The North Miami will be hosted by Commissioner Sally Heyman at Biscayne Landings sales office at 15045 Biscayne Blvd., in partnership with Miami-Dade, North Miami and Biscayne Park police.

Moss gun buy back event.

The South Dade regional Gun Buy Back is at 11350 SW 216 St. and will be hosted by Commissioner Dennis C. Moss.

Both events will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Florida Did Not Ban Computers & Mobile Phones

Progressive are having fun linking to a Huffington Post article about Florida accidentally banning all computers and mobile phone devices. The truth is the HB 155 was written for internet cafe computers "adapted" to be gambling games.

(1) As used in this chapter, the term "slot machine or device" means any machine or device or system or network of devices that is adapted for use in such a way that, upon activation, which may be achieved by, but is not limited to, the insertion of any piece of money, coin, account number, code, or other object or information, such device or system is directly or indirectly caused to operate or may be operated and if the user, whether by application of skill or by reason of any element of chance or any other outcome unpredictable by the user, may:

(a) Receive or become entitled to receive any piece of money, credit, allowance, or thing of value, or any check, slug, token, or memorandum, whether of value or otherwise, which may be exchanged for any money, credit, allowance, or thing of value or which may be given in trade; or

(b) Secure additional chances or rights to use such machine, apparatus, or device, even though the device or system may be available for free play or, in addition to any element of chance or unpredictable outcome of such operation, may also sell, deliver, or present some merchandise, indication of weight, entertainment, or other thing of value. The term "slot machine or device" includes, but is not limited to, devices regulated as slot machines pursuant to chapter 551.

Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida legislature didn't ban computers and mobile phones. If you plan on rigging your phone or computer into a gambling machine then you would be breaking the law. I don't imahine anyone plans to turn their iPhone into a slot machine.

Consuelo Zapata, owner of Incredible Investments, LLC, claimed in a lawsuit against the State Attorney's office of Miami-Dade County that HB 155 has banned all computers and mobile phones. Zapata claims that his internet cafe is just providing a public service of help people get on the web. Zapata's attorney stated in the complaint that the plaintiff's internet cafe runs game promotions. The game promotions is what cafe owners that have conducted gambling used to legally allow them to have online gambling. That changed after HB 155 became law. If people are paying to gamble on Zapata's computers then it is illegal under Florida law.

George Zimmerman Happy in Court

George Zimmerman winks at his defense attorney Don West. Apparently, they feel confident that the case by the state is falling apart. It is hard for me to tell how the trial is going because the media coverage has been horrible and I am not an attorney.

Everything Is A Secret to Rick Scott

Gov. Rick Scott has handled the search for a new lieutenant governor with his usual sense of paranoia. On June 12, 2013, Scott's communication director Melissa Sellers told the Orlando Sentinel that they haven't started a search for Lt. governor candidates. Scott told political reporter Steve Bousquet that the process was "internal."

"The process is an internal process," Scott said. "It won't be done externally."

Translation: Scott isn't going to tell the media anything about the selection process. I find the secrecy more interesting than who will be the next Lt. governor. Scott isn't going to let the future Lt. governor do anything from a policy standpoint. I noted high light former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll's schedule was. Scott is very secretive about a position he places little value in. Imagine the lack of transparency if Scott was President. Scott would make Nixon look like an open government advocate.