April 26, 2013

Poll: Majority Of Pennsylvania Voters Are ‘Angry’ Or ‘Dissatisfied’ Over Background Check Vote

A Quinnipiac University poll finds a large majority of Pennsylvania voters supported the Manchin-Toomey background check bill that was “defeated” in the Senate last week. Sixty-nine percent of PA voters said they “strongly support” expanded background checks. The background check bill did not make it to the artificial 60-vote threshold needed to pass. In the Senate, barring political nonsense, it only requires a simply majority to pass a bill. But those days are long gone. The failure of expanded background checks to pass the Senate has 34 percent of PA voters “angry,” and 36 percent “dissatisfied.”

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April 26, 2013

Long-Term Unemployment Proves Economic Austerity Folly

The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed little change in long-term unemployment in March, with 4.6 million Americans being tossed away like garbage. These are people who want a job but cannot find one, and their elected representatives are doing nothing about it. Republicans, particularly congressional Republicans, have shown very little concern for the unemployed. They reject any attempts to stimulate the economy, and when the long-term unemployed try to get by on unemployment benefits, Republicans try to snatch that from them as well.

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April 24, 2013

Due Process: What’s The Purpose Of The Public Defender?

For those among us who believe we should try and convict suspects in the media and without trial, I ask, what is the purpose of the public defender? If there’s no due process, then we have no need for public defenders. If there’s no presumption of innocence, then why not just skip the trial altogether and throw people in jail or strap them to the electric chair.

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April 22, 2013

Boston Marathon Bombing: Terror And Fear In America

Fear - photo by dryheadWith some reflection on the tragedy a week ago at the Boston Marathon, it’s clear America is still deeply scarred by the events of 9/11 over a decade ago. Why is it so clearly obvious to so many Americans that we should label last week’s bombing as a terrorist act, but not the Newtown school shooting? What is our definition of terrorism? Was Newtown not sufficiently terrifying? On the contrary, while many more people were wounded from last week’s bombing, last December’s school shooting saw many more fatalities. On that measure, we should consider the Newtown shooting to be at least on the same level as the Boston Marathon bombing, yet we do not, at least not from a perspective of public safety.

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April 15, 2013

U.S. Navy Recovers Portion Of North Korean Rocket

The Daily Beast reports the U.S. Navy recovered the front section of a North Korean rocket used to launch a satellite back in December. Having direct access to North Korean rocket technology gives us a clearer picture of the regime’s ability to launch a missile equipped with a nuclear payload.

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April 14, 2013

Obama’s Proposed Social Security Cuts Are Wrong

Last week, The White House released a summary of President Obama’s budget. The proposal aims for a 3 to 1 spending cuts to tax increase ratio to reduce the deficit over the next 10 years. But the biggest headline from Obama’s budget plan is the $230 billion he wants to cut from Social Security.

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April 11, 2013

FCC To Consider Relaxing ‘Indecency’ Standards

FCC - Federal Censorship Commission - image by Andrew M CaseThe Federal Communications Commission issued a public notice on Monday, April 1st, asking for public feedback on a proposal to relax so-called indecency standards. Family groups like the Christian conservative group, American Family Association (AFA), have stretched the facts in response. According to the AFA, “if enacted, the new FCC policy would allow network television and local radio stations to air the f-word, the s-word, and to allow programs to show frontal female nudity, even during hours when they know children will be watching and listening.”

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