Archive
The Lineup: Week of Sept. 12-18, 2011
Donald Kaul parses one of Rick Perry’s controversial assertions about Social Security.
The Iraq War Isn’t Over
No U.S. troops were killed in Iraq last month. So why aren’t we celebrating? Because the war isn’t over yet and it costs way too much — in Iraqi lives and our money.
Rick Perry, a Lousy Amigo
Texas Governor Rick Perry had a busy summer. In July, he told reporters he felt “called” to run for president. In August, he hosted “The Response,” a prayer rally that drew thousands of people to a Houston stadium. By September, he had thrown his Stetson hat in the ring and was leading the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Right-Wing Politicians Expose Themselves on the Radio
If you really want to understand conservatives these days, you should check out some talk radio shows.
Fired for Organizing a Union
Last month Target fired Tashawna Green — but not for being bad at her job. They fired her, she says, for trying to make her job better. Green, a 21-year-old single mom, was the most public supporter of a campaign to unionize the workers at her Long Island, New York store. Before an unsuccessful union vote there, she told The New York Times and other media outlets about the challenge of supporting her daughter on $8 an hour and insufficient hours. Her photo appeared in several newspapers.
So You Think You Can be President?
In a country with a functional political system Rick Perry’s presidential candidacy would be laughed out of the room.
DuPont’s Herbicide Goes Rogue
In the corporate world’s tortured language, workers are no longer fired. They just experience an “employment adjustment.” But the most twisted euphemism I’ved heard in a long time comes from DuPont: “We are investigating the reports of these unfavorable tree symptoms,” the pesticide maker recently stated.
Don’t Tread on My Guns
Do you remember when Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) returned to Congress just in time to cast a vote for raising the debt ceiling and slashing the safety net? I wish that she had instead returned to the Capitol to cast a decisive and historic vote for gun control.
Enough War Already
The Lineup: Week of Sept. 5-11, 2011
John Feffer says al-Qaeda was already losing its primary battle by September 2011.
