AlterNet.org: Politics

5 Right-Wing Governors Gutting Schools to Fund Prisons, Tax Breaks for the Rich...And a Bible Theme Park

Sarah Jaffe, AlterNet — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:00:01 PST

When state after state slashes education dollars, we see what matters to them--and where they spend while cutting schools tells us even more.

Obamaâ€™s Unprecedented War on Whistleblowers

Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:01 PST

From Manning to Kiriakou, critics are aggressively targeted as the White House turns a blind eye to abuses.

Will Obama's New "Made In America" Ideas Be Enough To Bring Our Jobs Back?

Scott Paul, AlterNet — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:01 PST

Obama's latest ideas for kick-starting American manufacturing are a good start, but there's plenty more we can be doing.

David Koch's Non-Profit Flouts Law And Spends $700,000 Against Wisconsin Recall

Brendan Fischer, PR Watch — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:01 PST

The non-profit founded by the oil billionaire injects $700,000 to retain the embattled Wisconsin governor, possibly violating various laws on political activities.

Proposed Legal Settlement With Mortgage Lenders May Repeat Tobacco Settlement Mistakes

Stanton Glantz, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:01 PST

Effort to push through a 'global settlement' to end state litigation against the banks ignores the lessons of tobacco history.

Romney's Anti-Immigrant Stance Could Destroy the Nation's Economy

George Bauer, AlterNet — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:01 PST

Romney's call for harsh 'self-deportation' policies like Alabama enacted in 2010 are an economic prescription for disaster.

How Rick Santorum Stokes Race and Class Anxieties to Win Unlikely Primary Victories

Sarah Jaffe, AlterNet — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:01 PST

Santorum's success in the Midwest has come through a combination of race and class-based grievances as well as his appeal to social conservatives.

How Zealous Clergy and Their Media Enablers Are Manufacturing a Controversy Over Birth Control Coverage

Sarah Seltzer, AlterNet — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:00:01 PST

The real opposition here isn't about conscience, it's about women and sex.

Obama Campaign Copies Gingrich -- Decries Then Embraces Super-PACs

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:01 PST

The 2012 money race is on, with both sides looking to secretive groups to fuel their ad wars.

One of Congress's Most Damaging (and Racist) Budget Cuts That Flew Under the Radar

Peter Montague, Maria B. Pellerano, AlterNet — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:00:01 PST

The fund for lead-poisoning prevention was almost entirely eliminated. And here's why this is such a big deal.

Knocked Up: Republican Presidential Candidates' Plan for American Women

Adele M. Stan, AlterNet — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:01 PST

Birth control is under attack by all of the candidates competing for the Republican presidential nomination.

Dennis Kucinich v. Marcy Kaptur: How GOP Redistricting Will Force Out a Top Progressive Congressmember

Sarah Jaffe, AlterNet — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:01 PST

Two progressive champions are facing off for one seat in Congress. What's a voter to do?

Why the Right Wing Is Petrified of Letting Voters, Instead of the Electoral College, Pick Presidents

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:01 PST

A movement to reform the Electoral College and elect the president based on the national popular vote has half the states it needs.

Busting Through the Media Firestorm: 6 Essential Facts About the Komen Controversy

Sarah Seltzer, AlterNet — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:01 PST

How many of the rumors are inflated, and how many get at the real heart of why people responded to this decision with so much outrage?

The New Culture War: How Right-Wing Politicos Scare Their Constituents to Death

Ira Chernus, AlterNet — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:01 PST

The old culture wars are quieter these days, but the right still conjures up an endless array of enemies.

Meet Gov. Scott Walkerâ€™s New Political Hit Women

Brendan Fischer, AlterNet — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:00:01 PST

The embattled Wisconsin governor hires two young Republicans who are veterans of no-holds-barred campaigns and propaganda efforts.

6 Things You Should Know About Arizona's Worse-Than-Wisconsin's Attack on Public Workers

Sarah Jaffe, AlterNet — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:00:01 PST

Jan Brewer has decided to get in on the union-busting action, introducing a bill that makes Ohio's and Wisconsin's attacks on public workers look mild.

Elect Romney, Get War in Iran?

Max Blumenthal, al-akhbar — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:00:01 PST

Should Mitt Romney make it to the White House, his Middle East policy and plan for Iran may be as hawkish as that of Bush Junior, thanks to Eliot Cohen.

US Empire Is Changing its Stripes: Drones, Special Operations Forces and the US Navy Are Changing the Way We Do War

Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:00:01 PST

Make no mistake: weâ€™re entering a new world of military planning. It won't make the Pentagon smaller, but it will change the nature of empire.

Why the "Liberal" Media Leaves Hawkish Foreign Policy Unchallenged

Gregory Harms, TruthOut.org — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:00:01 PST

The New York Times' foreign affairs coverage belies its "liberal" reputation--but reinforces the class biases of its readers.