We’re running a new round of Facebook and Google ads about the coming benefit cuts from the Super Congress. Click here to see some of the ads and consider chipping in $15 or more to help us get them online, in front of as many voters as possible. Donate to Run Ads to Stop the [...]

The Republican congressional leadership have made their six selections for who will serve on the new Super Committee, according the National Journal. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) chose Senators Jon Kyl (AZ), Pat Toomey (PA) and Rob Portman (OH). From the House side Speaker John Boehner (OH) selected Jeb Hensarling (TX), Dave Camp (MI) [...]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is the first congressional leader to pick his three members for Catfood Commission II. From Politico: In the first of what will be a closely watched selection process for a powerful new deficit panel, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he will appoint Democratic Sens. Patty Murray (Wash.), Max Baucus [...]

Seriously, David Axelrod? You ride to the White House on a campaign to rise above intolerance, negativity and partisanship, and without a moment of self-reflection, announce a campaign based on … intolerance, negativity and partisanship? Rather than fix the economy by having the political courage to do what you said needed to be done when you were stoking people’s hope in 2008, you now plan to impose the austerity measures they overwhelmingly oppose and raise hundreds of millions of dollars to tell people your “weird” opponent in his “skinny jeans” is not “principled and consistent”? You want to fan the same bigotry and cultural biases the President promised to rise above, hoping win reelection by virtue suppressing turnout?

Earlier in the year the state of Vermont passed a truly progressive health care reform law that puts the state on a path to eventually creating a single payer like universal health care system. The new health care law currently enjoys plurality support in the state according to a new PPP poll. Do you support [...]

At yesterday’s FDL Member town hall webinar, I asked Michael Moore who he thought would make a good third party presidential candidate. His answer — Matt Damon:

Yesterday Michael Moore said he wanted to communicate with the people who watch The Bachelorette. I think he got his wish.

The United Kingdom and Ireland, both countries which have what could only be considered socialize medicine programs, also have the two most cost effective health care systems in the developed world according a study in the Journal of Royal Society of Medicine. From the study: The biggest ratios, indicating the greatest cost-effectiveness, were in Ireland, [...]

Tim F. wanted to know if they thought Elizabeth Warren would make a good third party candidate. Ellsberg said that Warren or Russ Feingold would probably not risk the wrath of the Democratic Party by running. He liked the idea of former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson, but conceded that few knew who he was.

Michael Moore had two words: “Matt Damon.”

Which immediately drew a chorus of “here here’s” from the participants in chat. Moore said that it’s time we learned something from the GOP who understood there was value in running actors for office, and that if we were interested in winning rather than just making a statement, it was something we should consider.

In closing, Moore said that this was an important conversation to start having, and he thanked Dan and the FDL community for initiating it.

Anybody who is using these events to take partisan pot shots at Democrats or Republicans or liberals or the Tea Party is missing the forrest here. The Masters of the Universe are calling the shots. They stand above the law, and have no fear of it. They are politically and morally inert, and will happily work through any party and manipulate the sacred cows of any ideology in order to achieve their objectives. They are hoping that you get so wound up in tribal identification and waste your energies in an unrelenting fight against the “other” that you won’t notice the role they are playing, that of deus above the machina.

In truth neither side has any “power” but what they are temporarily granted by the Masters of the Universe in order to achieve the objective of the moment. Geithner thought it was his turn to be “it.” Too bad for Tim, it wasn’t.