Thanks, NRA

The relentless marketing of fear has deadly consequences.

"Like a Normal Person Would"

"So now we can add an ailing veteran and musician to the NRA butcher's bill. What a nation of pants-pissing cowards we're becoming. It's shameful."

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2013/12/04/like-a-normal-person-would/

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Third Way: A Shill Organization For the GOP, Lobbyists, and Bankers (But I Repeat Myself)

There are few organizations in American politics that are more contemptible, more despicable, or more nauseating than the concern-trolling snake-oil salesmen known as Third Way.

Third Way, a centrist think tank that portrays itself as a Democratic group, has some advice for the party: avoid economic populism at all costs. In a column for the Wall Street Journal today, the group argues that the party should steer clear of creating a strong safety net, and criticizes Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's call for universal pre-K funded through an upper-income tax increase as a foolhardy idea for national Democrats. 

As many have noted today, in reaction to the column, Third Way's attacks on Social Security and Medicare fail on the merits. It's bad policy, and it's equally bad politics. 

But for Third Way, a group founded in 2005 that is highly active on Capitol Hill, the think tank is merely defending the special interest groups that allow it to exist. 

Buried inside the annual report for Third Way is a revelation that the group relies on a peculiar D.C. consulting firm to raise half a million a year: Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart. Peck Madigan is no ordinary non-profit buckraiser. The group is in fact a corporate lobbying firm that represents Deutsche Bank, Intel, the Business Roundtable, Amgen, AT&T, the International Swaps & Derivatives Association, MasterCard, New York Life Insurance, PhRMA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, among others.

The two organizations complement each other well. Peck Madigan signs as a lobbyist for the government of New Zealand on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal; Third Way aggressively promotes the deal. Peck Madigan clients push for entitlement cuts, and so does Third Way. 

A bunch of grifting scumbags.

Third Way: Republican Shills Masquerading As Democrats

The worst kind of democrats.  Anyone who listens to these Grima Wormtongue caricatures deserves to lose.  And lose they will, because these guys advice is designed to explode in the face of Democrats who fall for it.

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Jon Cowan and Jim Kessler: Economic Populism Is a Dead End for Democrats - WSJ.com

http://t.co/QvDQDCNSTh

Minting The Coin

It was and should be an option.  I understand that many Very Serious People don't want it to be, and so it was ridiculed.  But it's legal and it would have worked.

So Silly

Not very serious at all. WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration was serious enough about manufacturing a high-value platinum coin to avert a congressional fight over the debt ceiling that it had its …

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2013/12/so-silly.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FbRuz+%28Eschaton%29

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Google Funded Rightwing Lunatic Outfit HeritageAction?

So much for "don't be evil".

Google Gave Money to Group That Helped Force Government Shutdown

"Citing a new report by PR Watch, the Post says Google "gave money in the past year to Heritage Action, the upstart conservative advocacy group that helped set in motion this fall's government shutdown." Indeed, the Tea Party-friendly group is cited on Google's transparency page as having received "substantial" contributions from Google's U.S. Federal Public Policy and Government Affairs team—though "substantial" is left undefined."

http://valleywag.gawker.com/google-gave-money-to-group-that-helped-force-government-1475115598/@maxread?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gawker%2Ffull+%28Gawker%29

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Whisky Advent Calendar

Genius.

Now That We're Adults, We Get A Whisky Advent Calendar

Over the weekend Patton Oswalt tweeted about getting a 17 year-old DoubleWood Balvenie from his Whisky Advent Calendar. We assumed this calendar was something someone made for him or something only ce…

http://gothamist.com/2013/12/02/now_that_were_adults_we_get_a_whisk.php

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Economics Coloring Book

Perfect for the NYT columnist or editorial board member on your list.  Not for the average tea partier though, unless you're willing to supervise their crayon use.  Gift responsibly.

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MMT for Toddlers | New Economic Perspectives

http://neweconomicperspectives.org/2013/11/mmt-toddlers.html