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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (141069)	8/17/2012 9:35:40 AM
From: tonto	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224749

Just another publicity stunt...

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (141069)	8/17/2012 9:56:40 AM
From: TideGlider	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224749

Gas Prices Will Continue to Rise Until U.S. Builds More Refineries: GasBuddy AnalystBy Bernice Napach \| Daily Ticker – 33 minutes ago Follow The Daily Ticker on Facebook! After falling steadily in May and June, gasoline prices have risen 25 cents per gallon in the past month, putting renewed pressure on consumers' budgets. Prices nationwide are now averaging $3.68 a gallon and have topped $4 in California and Illinois. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, an online site for gasoline consumers, says unexpected shutdowns at two U.S. refineries are largely responsible for the recent jump in gasoline prices. But those shutdowns aren't the only reasons gasoline prices are spiking. The price of crude oil, from which gasoline is made, is rising following production outages in South Sudan and the North Sea. Declining output from Iran as a result of an oil embargo by many Western nations has also caused a jump in prices at the pump. And the price of ethanol, a required additive for gasoline sold throughout the U.S., has spiked because of the drought in the Midwest--the worst in more than 50 years. That drought has hammered the corn crop used in ethanol production, pushing up corn prices almost 60 percent in the past two months. "Ethanol prices may continue rising for at least another month or two and that will continue to put upward pressure on gas prices" says DeHaan. While not much can be done about the drought, something can be done about U.S. refineries. "We should look at the oversight of these facilities," says DeHaan. "They constantly seem to be breaking down." He also favors less red tape so companies can more easily expand existing refineries or build new ones. DeHaan expects gasoline prices will start to fall after Labor Day and bottom out between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Beyond then, he expects prices will rise again. "The refining situation leads to massive increases in prices virtually every spring…that will continue until we tackle this refining issue," he notes.

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (141069)	8/17/2012 10:25:21 AM
From: lorne	2 Recommendations Respond to of 224749

kenny...I see where resident hussein obama is offering Gov. Romney a deal....if he shows his taxes for last 10 years they will shut up about it..... It is unbelievable that democrats can be so very stupid.. Cant hardly wait for Mitt to say to mister hussein...show all your records, lift executive ban on hussein obama's records and he will show his tax records...now there is a deal! Bet that would also shut them up right kenny? Will hussein show his records as Mr. Romney has??

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (141069)	8/17/2012 10:34:18 AM
From: TideGlider	Respond to of 224749

Russian court sentences 3 Pussy Riot rockers to 2 years in prison [iframe height=379 border=0 src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39788177?launch=48700389&BTS=MSVNMB&height=369&width=500" frameBorder=0 width=500 scrolling=no videoId="" thumbnail="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/120817/tdy_1_mk_russia_120817.thumb.jpg"][/iframe] Three members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot remain in jail after a performance in protest of Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports. By Reuters Updated at 10:03 a.m. ET: MOSCOW -- A Russian judge on Friday found three members of a feminist punk band guilty of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" and sentenced them each to two years in prison after they staged an anti-Kremlin protest in a church. Supporters of the members of the band Pussy Riot, who stormed the altar of Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in February wearing bright ski masks, tights and short skirts to hold a "punk prayer" for Russia to get rid of President Vladimir Putin, have portrayed the case as a test of the tolerance of dissent in today’s Russia. Judge Marina Syrova read the women's sentence late Friday afternoon. Putin's opponents portray the trial as part of a wider crackdown by the former KGB spy to crush their protest movement. Pop stars led by Madonna -- who performed in Moscow with "PUSSY RIOT" painted on her back -- have campaigned for the women's release. Washington says the case is politically motivated. Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images Members of the punk band Pussy Riot -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, center, Maria Alyokhina, right, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, left -- are escorted Friday by policewomen inside a Moscow court building. "Our imprisonment is a clear and distinct sign that the whole country's freedom is being taken away," Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, said in a letter written in jail and posted on the Internet by defense lawyer Mark Feigin. [iframe style="WIDTH: 292px; HEIGHT: 70px; OVERFLOW: hidden" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FNBCNews-World-News%2F219012311450917&width=292&height=62&colorscheme=light&show_faces=false&border_color&stream=false&header=false" frameBorder=0 allowTransparency scrolling=no]&ltbr&gt[/iframe] Follow @NBCNewsWorld In a sign of the tension over the trial in a small Moscow courtroom, Judge Syrova was assigned bodyguards on Thursday following what authorities said were threats. The trial has divided Russia's Orthodox Christians, with many backing the authorities' demands for severe punishment, but others saying the women should be granted clemency. Putin, who returned to the presidency this year, has said the women's punishment should not be too harsh. Police blocked off the street outside the brick courthouse with metal barriers and at least seven police buses stood by. Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, say their protest on Feb. 21 was intended to highlight the close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and state, and not to offend believers. Pussy Riot supporters protest at Russian cathedral as global campaign heats up Their feminist punk collective has about 10 members who appear in public in ski masks for anonymous impromptu performances they describe as a form of protest art. The three members have been held in jail since shortly after the appearance in the cathedral, awaiting the trial, which saw a parade of state witnesses say they were traumatized by the church performance, which prosecutors called an abuse of God. Members of Pussy Riot were found guilty Friday after staging this protest on Feb. 21, 2012, inside Christ The Savior Cathedral in Moscow. Their lawyers say the outcome will be dictated by the Kremlin. Putin's supporters deny this and portray the women as blasphemers and self-publicists who should be punished for committing a premeditated outrage against the Church. "It was a conscious deed. They understood quite clearly where they were going and why," said Vladimir Burmatov, who represents Putin's United Russia party in parliament. Russia's Pussy Riot: Unmasked and on trial Radical protest Pussy Riot was formed last year in anger at Putin's decision to return to the presidency in an election after four years as premier. The band's public performances were popular on the Internet, but it is the trial that has brought them global fame. The charges against them raised concern abroad about freedom of speech in Russia two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Protests in support of the group were planned on Friday in cities from Sydney to Paris, and New York to London. A long list of international celebrities have backed their cause. [iframe height=379 border=0 src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39788177?launch=48571243&BTS=MSVNMB&height=369&width=500" frameBorder=0 width=500 scrolling=no videoId="" thumbnail="http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Video/__NEW/x_lon_nn_pussyriot.120808.jpg"][/iframe] Pop star Madonna has joined the chorus of criticism over the trial of a Russian women's punk band accused of religious hatred. The three women face years in jail after mounting a protest against Vladimir Putin on the altar of the country's main cathedral. It's part of a widening government crackdown on dissent. ITV's Paul Davies reports. The opposition says Putin saw the trial initially as a chance to strengthen his relationship with the influential Russian Orthodox Church -- about 70 percent of Russians say they follow the faith -- but his plans backfired. More Russia coverage from NBCNews.com Although believers were united in outrage that the band thrashed out a "punk prayer" deriding Putin in a place they consider sacrosanct, many were upset by the Church hierarchy's lack of forgiveness and calls for "divine retribution." Many Russians, including some of the Orthodox faithful, are concerned about ties between church and state under Patriarch Kirill, who has praised Putin's rule as a "miracle of God." Aware that a long sentence could reinforce the picture Pussy Riot have painted of him as intolerant and repressive, Putin told reporters this month that although the women had done "nothing good," they should not be judged too harshly. From March 2012: Anti-Putin activists pay high price, but refuse to back down But the damage to Putin's image abroad has already been done, and divisions between his supporters and opponents have widened, risking polarizing society even more than when protests took off against his 12-year-rule during the winter. Many Russians say the Pussy Riot three have served enough time in jail awaiting their sentence, and should be released immediately. However, Sergei Markov, a pro-Putin political analyst, said that would upset nationalists. Complete World news coverage on NBCNews.com "If Pussy Riot are set free without punishment and without showing sincere repentance in public, it is highly likely that after their release and the radicalization of Russian nationalist groups, the people who took part in the 'punk prayer' will be lynched," he wrote in the Vedomosti newspaper. Even if the judge shows leniency, protest leaders say Putin will not relax pressure on opponents in his new six-year term. In moves seen by the opposition as a crackdown, parliament has rushed through laws increasing fines for protesters, tightening controls on the Internet -- which is used to arrange protests -- and imposing stricter rules on defamation.

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (141069)	8/17/2012 10:37:59 AM
From: chartseer	1 Recommendation Respond to of 224749

Dear Jim, How and when did barry soetoro muslim indonesian citizen become barrack hussein obama? Why are both Barry's and Barrack's records all sealed?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (141069)	8/17/2012 11:22:45 AM
From: longnshort	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224749

Too good to check: Hillary turned down VP slot … two weeks ago posted at 9:21 am on August 17, 2012 by Ed Morrissey Did Hillary Clinton turn down the opportunity to replace Joe Biden as soon as two weeks ago in a White House lunch with Valerie Jarrett? Ed Klein, author of “The Amateur,” says his sources in the Hillary camp say it’s true in an appearance last night on CNBC with Larry Kudlow. Not only did she turn Obama down, but according to Klein, Obama’s “socialistic policies” are part of the reason the presumed 2016 frontrunner wants to maintain her distance from the campaign: “Up until just a couple of weeks ago the White House was putting out feelers to see if Hillary would accept the vice-presidential nod and replace Joe Biden,” Klein said. “Bill Clinton was, I’m told, urging his wife to accept the number two slot. He saw this as a great launching pad for her for running in 2016.” “But then Hillary had lunch in the White House a couple of weeks ago with Valerie Jarrett — Michelle [Obama]’s best friend, senior adviser to both the first lady and the president … and she told Valerie that she would not accept the vice president’s spot. The lunch was ostensibly about other matters, but it came up. … Hillary felt burned out after four years as Secretary of State. But I’m told there were more important reasons for her not accepting.” Those reasons, Klein explained, involve the former first lady being put in positions that would make her vulnerable if she should decide to run for president four years from now. “She felt that if she were on the ticket with Obama and he lost, she would be tarred as a loser when she tried to run in 2016,” Klein said. “On the other hand, if she was on the ticket and he won, and he continued his far left-wing socialistic policies, she’d have to defend those policies when she ran in 2016.” Valerie Jarrett was supposedly the intermediary, because according to Klein, Obama doesn’t trust Bill Clinton. Had Obama himself extended the offer, Klein’s sources say that Obama believes his Democratic predecessor would have leaked it to make him look desperate. Aren’t four references to Seamus The Roof Riding Dog enough to leave that impression as it is? Besides, someone’s leaking it if Klein’s sources are accurate. Speaking of desperate, guess who’s getting his second vacation this month? Vice President Joe Biden is going home to Delaware. The updated White House calendar for Aug. 17 reports that “in the morning, the Vice President will meet with senior advisers. Later, the Vice President will be in Wilmington, Delaware.” “There are no public events scheduled,” said the 5:36 p.m. White House announcement, titled “Daily Guidance for the Vice President.” … A review of Biden’s schedule for the last several weeks shows that he’s been kept on a very short chain, and has spent many days in Delaware, rather than on the campaign trail or even at the Vice-President’s mansion in D.C. On the week starting Monday Aug 6, he had no campaign events scheduled. In the prior week, he was scheduled to attend only three campaign events. In the prior week, starting Monday July 23, he attend a firefighters’ convention in Palm Beach, Fla., a police convention in Philadelphia, and an one additional “campaign event” in Washington D.C. Kudlow asks Klein the rhetorical question that’s been on everyone’s mind since last week: Can you imagine the Ryan-Biden debate coming up? Unfortunately for the White House, everyone can imagine what the outcome will be, at least. Sending Sheriff Joe into the Obama hoosegow for a week won’t change that, although it will finally give the media an opportunity to start talking about Paul Ryan. Timothy Dalrymple thinks it’s already too late to win the “heartbeat away” contest after Biden’s last week on the campaign trail: Anyone else wondering why so many Romney surrogates and conservative pundits are jumping into the attack against Biden? Sarah Palin, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, all suggesting that Obama should abandon Biden. They don’t actually want him to replace Biden with Hillary, of course; that would make for a much stronger Dem ticket. But, knowing that Obama won’t abandon Biden, they argue that he should, in order to make the point that Biden is unfit to be Vice President. … I’m not knocking it. It’s all justified. Ryan is a fantastic choice for VP, and the thought of President Biden is truly frightening. But these criticisms of Biden seem coordinated and intended to place the emphasis on Obama’s dubious choice for Vice President, intended to make the argument that you should be much more afraid of a President Biden than a President Ryan. The choice of the VP candidate is important in part because it speaks to the ability of the candidate for the Presidency to make sound decisions. Before the Dems even got a chance to attack Ryan, Republicans were able to turn the current Vice President into Exhibit A in the argument against Obama’s sound judgment. In other words, just when the Dems wanted to make the argument, “Do you really want Rep. Ryan a heartbeat away from the Presidency?” Republicans were able to make an even stronger argument, “Do you really want Joe Biden a heartbeat away from the Presidency?” Brilliant. Brilliant, or just incredibly fortunate? Perhaps a little of both.