The Presidential Campaign Returns to #1 Spot on the Talkers TenTM. The race for president in the 2012 election was the most-talked-about topic on news/talk radio during the week of July 30 – August 3. Coming in at #2 this week was the Chick-fil-A controversy. At #3 was a tie between the rising jobless claims and the Fed’s announcement it will take no immediate action to spur the economy. Following at #4 was the Texas Republican primary victory for the U.S. Senate seat by Tea Party-supported candidate Ted Cruz. The Talkers TenTM is a chart of the top stories and people discussed on news/talk radio in America according to ongoing research from Talkers. It is published every Friday at Talkers.com. View this week’s entire chart here.
Regular Stephanie Miller radio show cast member – and one third of Miller’s “Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour” – John Fugelsang will have his own Current TV program beginning in the fall. Talk radio host Stephanie Miller’s show is simulcast on the Al Gore-founded cable TV network in which Fugelsang gets some face time, but now he’ll have a solo gig there. In a statement, Al Gore says, “We at Current are eager to bring John’s unique perspective on politics and the world around him to primetime. He’s been a part of the Current family for a while now and we see just how much his voice resonates with our audience. His new show will nicely complement our growing lineup.” Fugelsang has guest-hosted prime time shows on the network including Eliot Spitzer’s and Jennifer Granholm’s programs. The network has not announced what time the show will air.
Pennsylvania's tough new voter ID law spent several days under court scrutiny this week and last. The judge in the case says he will issue his ruling on Aug. 13 or later.
The law is being challenged by the Advancement Project and the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union on the grounds that it adversely and disproportionately affects people of color, young voters, older voters and those with low incomes. Among those testifying was Kurt Myers, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
[He] testified that he has known all along that many people can’t get photo ID, because applicants are frequently turned away for not having the underlying documentation. He also said PennDOT has no process to issue anywhere close to 750,000 photo ID cards to cover voters who need one—or close to even 10,000 cards. Myers also acknowledged that the Department is not hiring any additional staff, nor extending any hours, despite more than one million voters who lack ID.
During testimony, Pennsylvania’s secretary of the commonwealth, Carol Aichele, responded to a question about the photo ID law with “I don’t know what the law says.”
At Politics PA, Managing Editor Keegan gives us a comprehensive district-by-district rundown of where in Pennsylvania the lack of acceptable voter IDs could have the most and least impact. An AFL-CIO data team did much of the work using information from the state department of transportation and the department of state. Bottom Line: Nineteen of the 20 districts—congressional, state senate, state house—with the highest percentage of voters without PennDOT photo IDs are Democratic, most of them heavily so.
Democratic candidates are heavily favored to win these districts and some of them are guaranteed to do so regardless of how many voters are turned away for lack of acceptable ID because they are running unopposed. But the impact of having as much as 60 percent of voters without the right ID might change the results of statewide elections and Pennsylvania's margin in the presidential race.
As has been noted previously, large numbers of voters don't know that their IDs may have expired. Voters carrying an ID past its date of renewal will not be allowed to cast a regular ballot. This map shows the most heavily affected districts.
Beginning today, up to 47 million women may be eligible to get free access to preventive health care services as that provision of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act goes into effect.
Ladies, we have health care. We have basic, preventive, life-saving, life-changing health care:
- Well-woman visits
- Gestational diabetes screening
- HPV DNA testing
- STI counseling
- HIV screening and counseling
- Contraception and contraceptive counseling
- Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling
- Interpersonal and domestic violence screening and counseling
It's not everything. It's not perfect. It doesn't help every single American woman who currently doesn't have affordable access to health care. But those of us who are fortunate enough to have health insurance are now guaranteed access to and coverage of these very basic, very good-for-us-ladies care, including, yup, those sweet, sweet slut pills (aka, contraception) that we all like, most of us use at some point in our lives, and can make all the difference in the world for us to control our own bodies, our own reproduction, and our own lives. It's better for us, and it's better for our families. In fact, it's better for everyone.
As our vice president would say, it's a big f*****g deal.
Such a big deal, according to Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Of course), it's like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor:
"I know in your mind you can think of times when America was attacked. One is December 7th, that's Pearl Harbor day. The other is September 11th, and that's the day of the terrorist attack," Kelly said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. "I want you to remember August the 1st, 2012, the attack on our religious freedom. That is a day that will live in infamy, along with those other dates."
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Freedom died on Aug. 1 because women with health insurance now get diabetes screening. Oh, the humanity!
This is an Open Thread.
Nice article.
Posted by: Freedomisntfreeorisit | August 04, 2012 at 12:18 PM
Folks, we are trying to provide an Open Thread once a week so you have a place to talk about things unrelated to the posted topic on other threads. We appreciate those of you who recognize the difference.
Posted by: The BW Crew | August 04, 2012 at 04:22 PM
John Fugelsang is a smart addition to the Current lineup.
Posted by: DJ Allyn | August 04, 2012 at 07:40 PM
Republican: Wow, it was really irresponsible of Harry Reid to say someone told him Mitt Romney had paid no taxes of the past decade.
Democrat: How so?
Republican: Well, Reid doesn't have any proof. He's just got speculation.
Democrat: And you think if he's going to make a claim about what's in Mitt Romney's tax returns, then he should offer proof?
Republican: Exactly.
Democrat: Fair enough. But by that standard shouldn't Romney prove that he's telling the truth about his returns?
Republican: This isn't about Mitt Romney. It's about Harry Reid.
Posted by: Walt | August 04, 2012 at 09:01 PM
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, but modify that part to get the government out of that. However, that won't be the case even if Republicans control. I know that will fly in the face of leftist talking points, but I would bet a good deal that would be the case. This is a boogeyman that has been and will be employed again by the liberal progs who would use this as one of their scare tactics - except it will not pan out. It's just like the right using the boogeyman of the Fairness Doctrine, except the roles are reversed - as Bla'M used to post periodically.
I am open minded enough to support the intention of this, but at the same time realize that it can be done in a more efficient way. First off, the Government stay out of this and should not pay for abortions no way no how.
Posted by: KS | August 04, 2012 at 09:06 PM
The women's health platform can and should be adopted with bipartisan consent of Congress, just like a woman's right to vote was. The only difference is that the free market will enact health care with those regs and not the government.
re: Walt - Harry Reid is a proven liar - he lied about
Republicans wanting dirty air, water, etc and on countless other occasions. If Romney has to prove he paid his taxes (which he will and it will be a slam dunk), then Reid should also come clean with his criminal record and prove he is not a pedophile. Doesn't matter if Reid is running for POTUS or not - he is the one who started this and he can finish it...
FYI- The rumor about Reid was started by someone who called into a talk show, about as reliable of a source as Harry Reid. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Posted by: KS | August 04, 2012 at 09:23 PM
He beat Sharon Angle, nuff said'
Posted by: Preston | August 05, 2012 at 09:55 AM
Harry Reid should have announced this like Hannity.
"Some people say that Mitt Romney hasn't paid taxes in 10 years". Would have been just fine then.
Posted by: ExPattBrit | August 05, 2012 at 04:14 PM
just saw Obamas lame new tv ad, showing a hard working amurrican and then a pic of the evil rich white boy Romney, standing next to Trump's private airliner.. The ad then claims the Amurrican probably pays less taxes than "evil boy". hhahahso what if Romney might be clever enough to pay only 14% in taxes. Would you rather have a guy who pays the high tax bracket and cannot and will not ever fix the economy because he is not equipped to do so, or a guy who pays small taxes but will fix things from day one on the job , just as he's done whatever job he takes on? 2012 is about who can fix the economy and pretty much nothing else. Obama can't do it. He's hopelessly "at sea". Romney can do it. i'm voting for the rich white boy.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 05, 2012 at 08:42 PM
sorry the ad claimed the hard working joe or jane shmoe probaly paid MORE taxes than Romney's 14% last year,not less.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 05, 2012 at 08:56 PM
When a person becomes successfully wealthy I for one admire that. When that wealth is used to evade taxes legally, I admire that also. But I’d never vote for such an unscrupulous person.
Posted by: Gentlemen Rouge | August 06, 2012 at 12:55 PM
And do you admire our Congress who gives all those "legal" loopholes to our corporate welfare queens?
Posted by: T-S | August 06, 2012 at 02:44 PM
You know, I could find many reasons to support my view on this issue as it regards’ Rmoney vs. the congress. But your point is well taken, T-S.
Posted by: Gentlemen Rouge | August 06, 2012 at 03:05 PM
Veterans: Romney Lying About Obama Suit’s Effect On Military Voters
Poor Mittens, caught lying again.
Posted by: BlackRhino | August 06, 2012 at 09:55 PM
Romneyhood, the next best thing to Bushism
Timeline: Mitt Romney’s Worst Month Ever
Posted by: BlackRhino | August 06, 2012 at 10:09 PM
Romney has become a charicature of himself. I don't even read the columns or headlines about him anymore. I listened to the second half of the KPTK panel (Rhodes, Seder, Hartmann . . . ) tonight and all seemed to think it was a done deal that Obama would be reelected. They cited the electoral college and the fact that he is ahead in all the swing states that count. Each happily discounted the south. We don't need them!
Hartmann was the only one to suggest it would be close. He's worried about the massive media spending that will occur just prior to the election. We'll see how well political ads really work, won't we?
I wish KPTK would hire someone who really knows how to wire a stage for sound. That was the worst sound system I've ever heard in my entire life. Or maybe Postman needs to learn how to talk into a mike!
Randi still an apologist for Obama. Even given a lousy Congress with which to deal, he let a lot of chances slip by.
Posted by: T-S | August 06, 2012 at 10:27 PM
'done deal"? "swing states"?............anyone who would say at this point that the election is a done deal for either side is clearly delusional... polls show the two candidates aer absolutely even right now..even a this time of the election year means the challenger is ahead...the incumbent is expected to be ahead this far out from election day and befor ehte challenger gets a national tv public stage at his or her convention....anyone who would BELIEVE some wack libber talkjock panelists who said that is clearly a fool....... those polls that libbers were touting last week showing the supposed big leads for BO in swing states were exposed as to have oversampled Dems to a degree which made the polls bogus.....hahahah ...keep drinkng the Koolaid.....Rush was right when he said Dem and libber sre deluding themselves over the popularity of Obama......"done deal" my ass...bwhahahahahhahhaaa. i got ya "done deal" right heah.....
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 06, 2012 at 11:13 PM
just tokk another look at the polls...they show the electorate divided along severely delineated racial and gender lines. Obama is playing up the race card and class warfare/envy card to the hilt, so it's not that surprising. A low black turnout, and/or a shift in the lockstep black vote for Obama among those who do show up, coupled with some defection to Romney in the women's vote, is all that Romney needs to win. A Condi Veep pick mihgt accomplish both of those issues. Also, the article said that This dead heat tie has been going on since hte end of April. Not good news for Obama, not at all, witht all the advantages the incumbent has.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 06, 2012 at 11:30 PM
A "defection to Romney in the women's vote"?
"a shift in the lockstep black vote"
Any wonder why some constituencies unite with Democrats?
Posted by: nameless | August 07, 2012 at 06:40 AM
Yes it is a wonder, nameless. Constituencies that use critical thinking skills are shifting away from the Democrats. They seriously need to clean up their act. Their best skill is demonizing the right - they can't do anything else constructive - they govern like s**t and are spending us into Greece.
The Democratic Party is not the same Democratic Party that your parents knew.
Adios..
Posted by: KS | August 07, 2012 at 05:29 PM
Condi? the same Condi who sat around on info until 3000 died?
Posted by: Preston | August 07, 2012 at 07:21 PM
Yes, "Mushroom cloud" Condi. That's the one.
Randi gave a tutorial on Harry tonight. He has a pretty interesting history. Dirt poor - dad mined for gold and committed suicide at 58. Mom did laundry. He hitched rides to finish his education and go to college. Was a boxer in college. Got beat up by his wife's father father for being a mormon who wanted to marry his Jewish daughter. He's an elder in the Mormon Church. Romney's a bishop. Whatever those things mean. I guess Harry speaks softly but carries a big stick! Quite a contrast to privileged Romney.
Randi also said that besides Pelosi and Reid there is a CNN personality who also claims that Romney paid no taxes for ten years. I'm seeing Reid through new eyes and I like what I see. Feisty little guy, huh?
Posted by: T-S | August 07, 2012 at 07:40 PM
"Priviledged Romney"... you're conveniently forgetting that .Mr. Priviledge gave away his entire inheritance form his father to charity? Would you do the same T-S, assuming you inherited a million dollars or so? I think not. I would not do it. And neither would you T-S.....this hatred of Romney combined with mindless adoration of Obama (who also would never give away a huge inheritance to charity) is really quite something
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 08:10 PM
that's what you guys'es problem is T-S you and Team Fauxbama thought you would be able to write this simplistic narrative about Romney( evil, priviledged, greedy white guy, destoying lives thrrough the evil Bain, and enjoying it....etc....and the bumpkins and rubes outh there in voterland would just eat it right up...dthe problem is, the facts (Romney's inheritance vgiveaway is just one of the facts) just don't really support your bogus comic book storyline. That's why all the money Obama spent on the Evil Bain Man ads earlier this summer was completely wasted. The public didn't fall for it, and the ads only pushed Obama's negatives up in the polls. The American public can smell a rat, or a group of rats such as the ones who produced this smear campaign. hahaT-S
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 08:30 PM
His inheritance? Or his trust fund? Or both?
Posted by: T-S | August 07, 2012 at 08:40 PM
And how far did Mittens have to hitch hike to get to school?
Posted by: T-S | August 07, 2012 at 08:41 PM
T-S are you saying that having poverty and hardship as a child equals virtue and righteousness and that having wealth as a child equals evil? Are all the Kennedys wgo have ruan for and won political offices over the years evil and unworthy of being elected? Ted Kennedy kept his inheritance. you see how silly you look to everyone here, T-S. hhhahaahahahahahaha hha T-S haha T-S ......this latest ad depicting Romney as a passive uncaring indirect murderer, by referring to a layoff of a woman that happened when Romney was no longer running Bain shows the desperation and absolutely silly jackass nature of your crowd. hahahhaahah
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 09:37 PM
I'm not making any conjecture. I'm simply telling the facts. Has it been so long for you that you don't recognize facts anymore?
Posted by: T-S | August 07, 2012 at 09:45 PM
"His inheritance? Or his trust fund? Or both?" i see we'er back to "silly time" wiht you again T-S . Romney gave away whatever he inherited from his father. Period. There was no trust fund, or if there was, all the income from it was signed away to charity. Mr. Romney could not stand up last Spring at one of the Repub primary debates and proudly proclaim that he was a "selfmade man" , without fear of the Team Obama version of a little T-S running to the fact checker and proving him wrong if there had been a trust fund and/or an inheritance he kept. You are simply embarrassing yourself here. KS and I feel badly for you.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 09:49 PM
your problem T-S is that you simply cannot admit that there are some Americans like Mitt Romney, who dont have a D for Dem after their name who are simply bigger, more altruistic and more selfless as people than you are. I've already admitted that he is a bigger and better person than myself, since i would have kept the big inheritance, and would not have have given it away to charity. The problem is you know that you would have done the same as myself and you just cannot admit that Mitt did not. hhahaaha T-S....
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 10:22 PM
Rmoney,”( evil, priviledged, greedy white guy, destoying lives thrrough the evil Bain, and enjoying it....etc
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 08:30 PM
Learn how to spel butty.
Posted by: Todd | August 07, 2012 at 10:24 PM
Hahaha. I just had vision: Romney staking out Reid in the corridor of Congress and striking with a pair of gleaming steel recently-sharpened scissors with which to teach that boy a lesson.
Hahahaha. He'd never do something like that, now would he. Would he?
You remind me of that commercial where one guy says 99.9% sure and the other guy says, then you don't know.
So funny. You don't really know how much he had or where it came from or what he did with it all, do you Hal?
I can always nail your lack of facts but I never presume to tell you what you'd do. You can be insufferable sometimes. Did you know that?
Posted by: T-S | August 07, 2012 at 10:30 PM
T-S ive observed you over the years here enough tto know exactly what you wouldnt do, and that is give away all of your huge inheritance ot charity. Simply too meanspirited, and too petty. sorry, we know more about you than you think T-S. Heard from several different sources, reinforced by kS'es recent post about the inheritance giveaway. You tried to come back with a silly attempt at pettifoggery and obfuscation with the "trust fund" nonsense. The main fact i need to know, and i do know it for sure, is that there was never any refutation made by any of the little scurrying factchecker pissants at TeamObama of Romneys public statement that i watched on national tv in the debate last spring that he was a "selfmade man". Not a single peep. That is the only real fact i need to know T-S. Game,set and match. KS and I feel badly for you.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 10:45 PM
Hal, do you think your creditability is hurt at all by your substance? For example; Mittens of Rmoneyham lies like your ability to convey your ideas, think this rings a bell? No, I didn’t think so.
Posted by: Gentlemen Rouge | August 07, 2012 at 10:55 PM
haha that all you got , Rougey? weak and lame.BWAHAHAHAAH
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 10:59 PM
I think Hal is stuck. Calling him out on his redirect landed him on a dire footing.
Posted by: Finis Hominis | August 07, 2012 at 11:09 PM
KS- may i say, as the old song from the dancehall days of America's Gilded Age goes- "She is more to be pitied than censured, She is more to be helped than despised She is only a lassie who ventured On life's stormy path, ill-advised Do not scorn her with words fierce and bitter Do not laugh at her shame and downfall For a moment just stop and consider That a man{Obama} was the cause of it all..............
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 07, 2012 at 11:19 PM
It’s a sad day when you guys look to KS for your touch stone.
Posted by: Finis Hominis | August 07, 2012 at 11:24 PM
You wrote the book on Sad, dude...
Posted by: KS | August 07, 2012 at 11:30 PM
Mitt Romney’s campaign is giving conservatives quite a scare this week
and
Add Rush Limbaugh to the growing list of conservatives who are completely shocked by Team Romney
Posted by: BlackRhino | August 08, 2012 at 05:36 PM
Even sane liberal progressives can agree with David Burge below that echoes the bilge that the networks and misinformation media has thrown out, which is over the top; David Burge says:
"OK, Romney is a murdering tax cheat bully wimp weird Mormon billionaire who straps dogs to the top of his car. He's still an improvement."
One
Big
Ass
Mistake for
America
Posted by: KS | August 08, 2012 at 05:54 PM
Awww, calling us insane. What’s wrong KS? Is that all you got?
Posted by: BlackRhino | August 08, 2012 at 06:33 PM
Ha, ha, I’m sure the Mitt the twit campaign won’t be calling for KS for strategic assistance; they have a wealth of incompetence, see Andrea Saul.
Posted by: Gentlemen Rouge | August 08, 2012 at 06:39 PM
So you are going to vote for that despicable coward.
BR - you choose to step in that. Good luck with that reverse lobotomy.
BTW, Stephanie Cutter is a bigger loser..
Posted by: KS | August 08, 2012 at 06:54 PM
Oops, Lobotomies are not reversable. Oh well, you and the other Obamazombies here are S.O.L.
Posted by: KS | August 08, 2012 at 07:00 PM
Ohhh, KS… even Rush sees the problem. You disagree with Rush or Romney? Romney is proud of Romneycare, and so am I. He’d, in all likelihood, pay for my lobotomization.
Posted by: BlackRhino | August 08, 2012 at 07:17 PM
BlackRhino, as a fellow lobotomized human, I salute you! KS, the poop you’ve stepped in is neck deep. If you make it out you may reek of Mittens poo.
Posted by: Gentlemen Rouge | August 08, 2012 at 07:43 PM
Did anyone hear Ann Coulter go balistic over what Saul said??? wowza! She was EXTRA nasaly.
Posted by: Walt | August 08, 2012 at 07:48 PM
Heard it, funny as watching rat, eat it’s own. Did you see it KS?
Posted by: BlackRhino "Lobotomized" | August 08, 2012 at 08:17 PM
I seen it also, but I was watching the Adams apple. It’s sooo compelling.
Posted by: Finis Hominis | August 08, 2012 at 08:30 PM