Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R), who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, had harsh words for his party in an interview published Sunday in Britain's Daily Telegraph.

"The party right now is a holding company that's devoid of a soul and it will be filled up with ideas over time and leaders will take their proper place," he said.

"We can't be known as a party that's fear-based and doesn't believe in math," he added. "In the end it will come down to a party that believes in opportunity for all our people, economic competitiveness and a strong dose of libertarianism."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/jon-huntsman-gop_n_2387879.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Fiscal Cliff Talks Go Through Night With Deal Still Uncertain

Discussions faltered over the weekend after Republicans sought to include some cuts to Social Security through a changed measure of inflation. They withdrew that demand under Democratic pressure, and the focus shifted back to tax rates.

Republicans on Sunday said they were looking for a deal that preserved tax cuts for incomes below $400,000 to $500,000, as well as keeping estate taxes at Bush-era levels.

Reports emerged Monday morning that Democrats might be willing to embrace a freeze of rates below $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for couples.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/fiscal-cliff-mcconnell-biden_n_2387924.html

The proposal by Levin and Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), doesn't propose a new rule requiring a talking filibuster, but a document they distributed explaining their proposal said the leaders of the two parties would require it.

"If a senator wants to block legislation, he or she should go to the floor of the Senate, and be there for that objection," said McCain.

"You must talk," said Levin, adding that no new rule is needed because the talking requirement has never actually been dropped. It's only been waived by senators as a courtesy, McCain and Levin said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/weakened-filibuster-reform-mccain_n_2377516.html


This plan will not fix anything.

it’s just a coincidence, now that the 2012 election is over – and Benghazi-gate was useless in defeating President Obama – Fox News is suddenly making it all about Hillary Clinton, a potential 2016 nominee. Last week, the Communications Arm of the GOP was sneering that Clinton’s concussion, which caused her to cancel testifying in Congress about Benghazi, was faked. Today, Fox helped hype a Republican effort to embarrass Clinton by blocking John Kerry’s confirmation as her replacement as Secretary of State until she testifies.

http://crooksandliars.com/news-hound-ellen/gop-threatens-block-kerry-confirm


GOP plan to tarnish Clinton's reputation before 2016?

When’s the last time you met a gay-hating, Obama-hating (they think he’s literally the anti-Christ), Muslim-hating, Catholic-hating (conservative Baptists think Catholics worship Satan) evangelical Baptist church that was full of Democrats? Oh yeah, they also really really don’t like Jews. Well, if you believe Fox News (your first mistake), Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church is really a bunch of liberals. Albeit, liberals who hate gays, Obama, Muslims, Jews and have the same view of Catholics as the Republican-loving religious right.

Other than that, very liberal.

This story is a perfect example of why Fox News is not a “news” network, but rather, is little more than a propaganda arm of the Republican party. And the far right wing of the GOP, at that.

http://americablog.com/2012/12/fox-news-fred-phelps-is-left-wing.html

The real story.......

The day after Labor Day, just as campaign season was entering its final frenzy, FreedomWorks, the Washington-based tea party organization, went into free fall.

Richard K. Armey, the group’s chairman and a former House majority leader, walked into the group’s Capitol Hill offices with his wife, Susan, and an aide holstering a handgun at his waist. The aim was to seize control of the group and expel Armey’s enemies: The gun-wielding assistant escorted FreedomWorks’ top two employees off the premises, while Armey suspended several others who broke down in sobs at the news.

The coup lasted all of six days. By Sept. 10, Armey was gone — with a promise of $8 million — and the five ousted employees were back. The force behind their return was Richard J. Stephenson, a reclusive Illinois millionaire who has exerted increasing control over one of Washington’s most influential conservative grass-roots organizations.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/freedomworks-tea-party-group-nearly-falls-apart-in-fight-between-old-and-new-guard/2012/12/25/dd095b68-4545-11e2-8061-253bccfc7532_story.html

This is vintage video, from 2005, with Sam Seder debating one of the scions of bigotry from the religious right about the supposed “war on Christmas.”

Sam does a wonderful job. He’s funny as hell, and also gets some hard-hitting serious points across as well. My favorite part is when he’s discussing the operational ties between Santa and Al Qaeda.




http://americablog.com/2012/12/sam-seder-on-the-war-on-christmas-vintage-video-funny-as-hell.html

Shoot-'Em-Up Charlie:

Hello, America! It's me, Shoot-'Em-Up Charlie, with my pals Wayne and Dave, here to introduce our new line of bumper stickers! [blam-blam]

You may have seen our recent press conference about gun violence-- well now we're turning those words into bumper-sticker action! [blam!]

First up, "Guns Don't Kill People, Gun-Free Schools Kill People!" (And if more guns were allowed in schools, they'd be much smarter and less likely to fall in with crazy people!)



http://www.markfiore.com/political-cartoons/watch-violence-sandy-hook-newtown-nra-assault-weapons-gun-control-wayne-lapierre-press-conference-animated-vi#comment-10807

Nearly three-quarters of Republicans are fearful about their own lives in 2013 - a huge jump of over 50 percent since 2006, according to a poll released Monday.

By contrast, three-quarters of Democrats are hopeful about their own lives in the coming year, as are half of independents, according to an ABC/Washington Post poll.

A whopping 72 percent of Republicans are fearful about their own lives, and 79 percent are fearful for the world, the poll found. Only 20 percent of Republicans were fearful in 2006, a gigantic 52-point leap. In 2008, those numbers were already rising as President Barack Obama was elected. Then, 54 percent were fearful.

Overall, 53 percent of Americans are hopeful for themselves in 2013, and 44 percent are fearful. A majority of Americans — 56 percent — are fearful for the world in general.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/poll-republicans-fearful-of-2013-85454.html#ixzz2G4YkIhXx

When the news broke in early December that former GOP Rep. Dick Armey had abruptly resigned as chairman of FreedomWorks, a powerhouse of the conservative movement and an instrumental force within the tea party, Armey maintained that the nasty split was due to differences he had with the top management of FreedomWorks about the group's operations and future. Immediately, media reports disclosed that Armey had been concerned that Matt Kibbe, the group's president, had used FreedomWorks resources to promote a book he had written (which was released in June) and that Armey himself had received an $8 million payout from a FreedomWorks board member to ease his departure. But internal documents obtained by Mother Jones show that the bitter war inside FreedomWorks has also resulted in allegations of staff wrongdoing (prompting an investigation by lawyers) and counter-allegations that Armey and his allies tried to turn FreedomWorks into a partisan outfit backing establishment Republicans over tea party insurgents.


http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/dick-armey-freedomworks-hostile-takeover-memo