For some people, the development of the new Coffee Party USA organization seemed like a godsend in response to the more extreme elements in the Tea Party movement. At first I thought that this could be the grassroots movement I’d been waiting for – one that actually included moderates independents, and actively worked across ideological [...]

It seems to be a question that’s popping up a lot lately, and the simple answer is: they don’t know how to stop it. Of course they have the authority. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 gives Obama all the authority he needs to take over the spill if need be. But the government just [...]

Previous worst case scenarios estimated the spill to be pumping 2M gallons of oil a day into the gulf, but new numbers paint a much darker picture. Here’s how the two leaks shake out… Leak A: 70,000 barrels a day + Leak B: 25,000 barrels a day = 95,000 barrels a day One barrel of [...]

First it was the wishy-washiness of the civil rights act repeal and now it’s criticism of the administration being tough on BP? Watch the video… Here’s the thing…yes, accidents happen on offshore oil rigs. However, most damage is mitigated by appropriate safety measures being put in place to keep spills to a minimum. However, recent [...]

Ironically, the star of Waterworld (which I like…by the way) might be just the guy to help save the water in the Gulf of Mexico. Check out the nifty gadget he and his brother has been funding the development of (to the tune of $15M) for the past 15 years. Apparently, it can remove between [...]

A lot happened last night. So if you weren’t keeping score…here are the highlights… Moderate Arlen Specter lost to liberal Joe Sestak in PA… Conservative/Libertarian Rand Paul captured the Republican nomination in Kentucky from the establishment’s candidate… Dem Blanche Lincoln didn’t get enough votes to prevent a runoff in Arkansas… However, in the special election [...]

Today is primary day in some key states for independent voters: Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas. Lots of media including this one from Liz Halloran at NPR talking about the anti-incumbent mood. Pennsylvania primaries (thanks to FairVote for these definitions) are closed (winners in 2008 2343 Clinton, McCain in the primary; November: Obama), meaning that only [...]

It happened to Bob Bennett in Utah and it could certainly happen to the multi-term, just turned Dem Senator from Pennsylvania. Because, apparently, the White House is backing away from Arlen… If this is true, it’s significant: CBS chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is now saying that he has it on good authority that the [...]

First up: Fred Newman, US radical independent political strategist and consultant to Mike Bloomberg’s three (3) successful NYC Independence Party campaigns, as quoted by Michael Barbaro at the New York Times reports tonight about the recent NYC Charter Revision Commission mandate for nonpartisan elections. And now, here’s what’s been shaking over the past couple of [...]

Really Arizona legislature? Really Governor Jan Brewer? This is the time when you decide to make this switch? And, from Politico, the text of the bill reads like some of the craziest satire… “Public school pupils should be taught to treat and value each other as individuals and not be taught to resent or hate [...]

A couple of fun videos outlining what happened in Southern Europe. Part One Part Two I’ll share Part Three when it’s available…but we all know that the EU opened up the cash drawer and created a TARP fund of their very own to make sure that these countries remain solvent…at least for now. More as [...]

The good news is that we added 90,000 jobs more than expected, and this job growth is the most in four years. Still, the unemployment rate went up and could stay there for a while. Because if our economy keeps growing and we continue to add more than a quarter million jobs per month, but [...]

Human error? Computer error? Greece? Spain? China? WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?!?! Wall Street Journal tries to sort out the mess… A bad day in the financial markets was made worse by an apparent trading glitch, leaving traders and investors nervous and scratching their heads over how a mistake could send the Dow [...]

The following video is heartbreaking, especially since it happened in my state. Still, this is happening every day in every other state over completely victimless crimes. Here’s a quick explanation if you can’t watch the video (via Radley Balko)… SWAT team breaks into home, fires seven rounds at family’s pit bull and corgi (?!) as [...]

And he says that he acted alone. We shall see… From Reuter: “He’s admitted to buying the truck, putting the devices together, putting them in the truck, leaving the truck there and leaving the scene,” the law enforcement source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “He’s claimed to have acted alone. He did admit [...]

By now you know that he was nabbed last night at JFK International Airport, but do you know how it happened? From Politico: The number from a disposable cellphone led FBI agents to the suspect arrested Monday night for allegedly driving a car bomb into Times Square on Saturday evening, according to a senior official. [...]

Independents Fight for Political Reform! Who are the “real independents”? Randy Miller is one of them, and you can meet plenty more grassroots activists who are working overtime (for no pay) fighting for political reforms like open primaries and nonpartisan elections all over the country! Let’s hope that Charlie Crist seeks some of us out [...]

Looks like their may be a Pakistani connection after all, but it still doesn’t appear that those who initially claimed responsibility are tied to this. From ABC News: The Washington Post, quoting Obama Administration sources, said the attempted bombing “increasingly appears to have been coordinated by several people in a plot with international links.” Other [...]