The American two-party system is fracturing, as both sides are struggling with immense war debt, a crippled manufacturing base, and a Federal Reserve that is devaluating the currency in order to prop up financial institutions that gambled trillions and lost; their bets became our losses as they were “covered by the house”. Progressives have been decrying the centrist wishy-washiness of so many Democrats for years, and there was an outspoken expectation that once the Democrats were in power, new, more liberal parties could emerge to challenge the old-guard Democrats to veer left or be shown the door. The surprise is that the right beat them to it (and here's why that's fine...)

I'd like to collect all of Glenn Beck's crazy conspiracy theories on one page. Please post them in the comments below - and provide a good link (to Beck or someone writing about Beck) whenever you can. Thanks!

9/5/09 If we understand BO by who he surrounds himself with as HE told us, what does VJ911 [Van Jones] truther stuff tell us about BO's middle east policy?

I want my signature OFF Boycott FOX News Advertisers. It has been 2 yrs. and the petition is STILL ongoing that is a long time for any petition. FOX News has changed a lot of their past views. Please REMOVE my signature.

Torture is what distinguishes civilization from barbarism. It is a moral issue that allows no compromise. Who supports torture, or refuses to oppose it?

Institutions 

Wall Street Journal (1/6/09)
Washington Post (1/7/09,1/10/09)  

"Pundits" and "Experts"

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports,

Accused cop-killer Richard Poplawski spent hours posting racist messages on an extremist right-wing Web site, decrying blacks and Latinos and warning of forthcoming economic collapse fueled by the "Zionist occupation" of America, an expert in political extremism has determined. Earlier, he had praised the "AK" rifle as his ideal weapon.

It was an AK-47 that police say Mr. Poplawski used to gun down three Pittsburgh police officers who arrived at his house Saturday morning in the midst of a domestic dispute.

Larry Kudlow's relentless demands for Wall Street bailouts are a major reason why working Americans are being forced to give trillions to the rich. Today he's demanding an end to mark-to-market pricing of toxic assets (h/t Josh Marshall) and a return to "mark-to-model" Enron Accounting. (He calls it "discounted cash flow model," which lets banks assume the mortgages underlying their toxic assets will be repaid at significantly higher rates than markets currently expect.)

Jim Cramer is just another rightwing coward. As long as he controls the microphone, he's the smartest guy in the world, the one guy who can solve all our economic problems. But if someone else - like Jon Stewart - controls the mic, he's reduced to a simpering, babbling moron. And Stewart definitely owned Cramer:

Stewart laid out a devastating indictment of the industry and CNBC's facilitating, coverup role. As Cramer fumbled to defend himself and CNBC, Stewart showed clip after clip of Cramer describing stock price manipulation, insider scams, and how cool and easy it is to fool federal and state regulators.

Like all rightwingers, Jim Crymore can dish it out - but he sure can't take it. By being such a jerk, he's just making it easier for Jon Stewart to make mincemeat out of him. Quit crying, Crymore!

Eric Boehlert is laughing at the headline from CNBC's "incessant Street cheerleader, Larry Kudlow"

"Recovery Indicators Are Being Ignored"

What are Kudlow's recovery indicators?

Consumer incomes, after tax and adjusted for inflation, have increased for five straight months, which is largely from the tax-cut effect of plunging energy prices.

I originally posted this at another venue when the topic of "Merry
Christmas vs. "Happy Holidays" came up. A little raw, but effective, I
think...

That whole 'War on Christmas' thing is really obnoxious and totally
fueled by rightwing mindfuKKKing pus-pockets like Bill ('get a load of
my falafel...er...loofah baby!') Oh Really? to work as a media
distraction and to amplify or outright create divisiveness. Hell, he and his cohorts have made it a flipping holiday tradition!!