December 11, 2011

State Sen.Lieu: Lowe's 'bigoted' for pulling 'All-American Muslim' ads

A California state senator called on home improvement chain Lowe's to apologize for pulling advertising from a TV show featuring the lives of Muslim families.

Lowe's pulled advertising from Discovery Channel/TLC's "All-American Muslim" after the Florida Family Assn. complained about the show, which it called "propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.”

State Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) wrote a letter Saturday to Lowe's Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Niblock in which he called the decision to pull advertising from the show "bigoted, shameful, and un-American" and "profoundly ignorant." He demanded that the company rescind its action and apologize or face boycotts and legislative action.

"Lowe’s religious discrimination is the equivalent of a company asserting that it is pulling advertising from the Christian Broadcast Network’s 700 Club because the program somehow 'riskily hides' the agenda of Christian radicalized groups such as Aryan Nation," Lieu wrote. "That assertion would, of course, be utter nonsense and religious bigotry."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/lawmaker-calls-lowes-bigoted-for-pulling-all-american-muslim-ads.html

February 14, 2021

I'm not fond of the name calling in general here. It's childish and we can do better. n/t

February 14, 2021

Not a fan of Rahm, but he's correct.

Trump is about revenge, so his first prediction is obvious. I also believe that his ego won't allow him to put himself in a position to lose again, so I also agree that he won't run. (And I credit Mary Trump for that insight.)

December 11, 2011

US drones helping local police agencies

Predator drones are being used in domestic law enforcement cases, raising concerns that the aircraft are being deployed beyond the missions that Congress originally authorized them for, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

The Times said a North Dakota county sheriff asked federal authorities to employ a drone for surveillance in a standoff with three men on a large farm on June 23, resulting in the first known arrests of U.S. citizens involving the spy planes in domestic cases.

Since then, the Times said, two unarmed Predators based at Grand Forks Air Force Base have flown at least two dozen surveillance flights for local police. The Times reported that the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration have also used Predator drones in domestic investigations.

"We don't use (drones) on every call out," Bill Macki, head of the police SWAT team in Grand Forks told the Times.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/11/9360170-report-us-drones-helping-local-police-agencies

December 11, 2011

Chuck Schumer Calls for Passenger Advocate at Airports

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and New York State Senator Michael Ginaris are calling on the Transportation Security Administration to provide passenger adovates at airports throughout the country.

The two lawmakers are seeking to create this position after numerous complaints from passengers about security screenings. One of the most recent claims came from an elderly woman who was strip searched by officials at Kennedy Airport. The TSA is denying the claim, saying they do not conduct strip searches. In response to the criticism, the TSA is planning a toll-free hotline that passengers may call for assistance during a screening.

Both Schumer and Ginaris feel the hotline is inadequate and more action needs to be taken. The positions they hope to establish would allow passengers to summons an advocate if they feel they were inappropriately searched.

http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/-1289351--.html

NY Lawmakers Make Push For "Passenger Advocates" At Airports
http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/political_news/152339/ny-lawmakers-make-push-for--passenger-advocates--at-airports

February 19, 2012

Cantor Can’t Explain Why Americans Oppose GOP Agenda

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/02/19/428655/cantor-gop-agenda-fox/

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday this morning, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) couldn’t explain why the public rejects large parts of the Republican legislative agenda and instead blamed Democrats for opposing it.

Asked why a recent New York Times/CBS News poll showed that 67 percent of Americans favor raising taxes on millionaires to reduce the deficit, and that 80 percent oppose cutting Medicare, Cantor could only say, “It is unfair that these individuals who want a better life and want more jobs and higher pay are not getting it.”

“What is not fair is that we are holding back the economy to grow because you are having Barack Obama working with the Democrats in the Senate, Reid and others, who are saying no to every time we want to grow the economy,” he added, without ever actually addressing the question.

Watch it: