In Romney = Bush (Part I), I suggested that this equation be used as a "determining slogan" for this campaign

Like it or not, the key to elections today is to reach low information voter with simple, accessible slogans that resonate with the little knowledge that they have.  Polls show that people still dislike Bush and blame him for the bad economy.  It's critical to relate the (relatively) unknown Romney to the known and discredited Bush.

There is very little daylight between Romney's proposals and Bush's actions, and people should know that if they don't already:

Romney and Bush: Lower taxes on the wealthy.

Romney and Bush: Privatize Social Security and Medicare

Romney and Bush: Pursue a reckless foreign policy (but neither interested in catching OBL)

Romney and bush: Do nothing about college costs.

As I wrote in Romney = Bush, Part I:

Time for the Obama campaign to print out millions of Romney = Bush T-Shirts, bumper stickers, posters, trading cards, ties, scarves, hats and anything else with the above.  Blog it, Tweet it, Email it, Text it, Facebook it, Link it in!

Greeks voted yesterday for a new government for the second time in a month. Attendance at the polls was only moderate, and the anti-austerity vote came in second to the party that wants Greece to remain in the European Union. It was, in part, a referendum on the global austerity drive forced on us by the international financial oligarchy. jpmassar posted a diary that blogged election results.

Around the world, financial markets and financial oligarchs are watching the Greek election closely. The election was a litmus test for voter's tolerance for un-shared sacrifice and their anger with the pro-austerity factions. Results reflected either their desire or despair concerning their European Union membership. The lives of the those who are suffering from an austerity forced on them by the poorly regulated recklessness of international financial markets hung in the balance.

More below the Itzl.

Every oligarch is sacred. Every oligarch is great. If a tax break is wasted, Koch gets quite irate.

Obama began his announcement in the Rose Garden, talking about DREAMers.  “They are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper.”  He talked about how they’ve been here most of their lives, done everything right, even graduated at the top of their class, to be deported to a country whose language they may not even speak.  He talked about how Republicans blocked the DREAM Act which he wanted to sign and how it didn’t make sense to deport talented young people who weren’t responsible for their immigration status.  “Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security is moving to lift this shadow from their lives” Obama said, explaining how he would authorize them to work without worrying about deportation.

This executive order will grant working papers to undocumented immigrants who qualify, as well as offering them deferred action.  Along with the working papers come a social security number and driver’s licenses.  These will all make huge differences in the lives of those affected; it will allow them to take part in the US economy, which they are often pushed to the margins to.

Obama’s executive order is exactly what the Republican party didn’t need right now.  Obama’s Latino numbers are as high as they’ve ever been, currently placed at at 68% vs. 24% according to recent Latino Decision poll.  This number is set to jump at the news, while SB 1070’s Supreme Court decision is set to fall like a hammer on conservatives.  This pre-empts Rubio’s bill, which, other than perhaps SB 1070, was the biggest news looming in the immigration community.

Marco Rubio is still scrambling to get enough support in the house to pass his bill, which is an uphill battle all the way.  Rubio is the fastest-rising Hispanic star in the Republican party, and he just got his momentum swept out from under him.  For Rubio to avoid having his “Act” murdered in committee, he would have to make deals like E-Verify or increased, military-style policing at the borders to placate strategic politicians like Lamar Smith, neither of which the Latino community want.  Obama’s executive order wouldn’t offer everything that Rubio’s bill would, such as being able to visit their families back in their countries of origin, however, it would let them work and live without the constant threat of deportation without any right-wing offsets.

Latinos have been overwhelmingly leaning towards Obama, but not particularly hard.  This was largely a product of a Republican primary where Mitt was forced to the right on immigration again and again: on SB 1070, the notorious racial profiling law, he called it “a model for the nation;” he promised he would veto the DREAM Act, a law which enjoys a 91% approval rating and is very well known in the Latino community; his alternative to the DREAM Act is “Self-Deportation,” where he seizes control of local laws to deny undocumented immigrants as many government services as possible.  These are all terrible stances, but Obama had been deporting record numbers of immigrants, not exactly pushing Latino communities into his arms.  This could be one of the reasons why, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll, only 68% of Latinos were enthusiastic about voting, as compared to 81% of the general public.  This executive order is a game changer.

While this may not make a large difference in the Obama vs. Romney numbers overall, this will highly energize the Latino base.  With articles like “Yo Decido” demonstrating the power of the Latino vote on the cover, it’s hard to to see the downside of this move for either Obama or the Latino rights movement.  The right wing of the immigration debate has yet to react to this, but Obama knows that he wasn’t going to win anti-immigrant organizations like FAIR anyway.

This is a really well written description of the cynical crap the republicans are pulling, it's so well written, it's really hard to edit out a succulent morsel to draw you folks in. I'll do my best:

Let's be blunt. Leaders of the Republican Party -- including their presidential candidate Mitt Romney -- have moved from "rooting against" our economy to actively attempting to sabotage the economy of the United States.

They believe that their chances of defeating President Obama, taking control of the Senate and maintaining control of the House of Representatives materially improve if the economic recovery stalls. And they aren't just standing around hoping that a European financial collapse or higher oil prices will send the economy into a second recession -- they are actively trying to make it happen.

It is astonishing, but today the surest way to make certain that a piece of legislation is deep-sixed by the Republicans in Congress is to demonstrate that it will help create jobs in the American economy.

Read the whole thing click this link!
Robert Creamer Huffington Post:  

 bullet points to remember:
• No transportation bill = 1.9 million constructions workers lose jobs before the election (independent analysis)

• No passage of American Jobs Act = no gain of 1.3 million jobs, no prevention of loss of 1.8 million more (independent analysis)

• Passage of Republican House "Jobs bill" = loss of 500,000 jobs (independent analysis)
Thanks guys!
good luck

With the msm talking of that rmoney momentum, this from the midwest, a poll from. Colorado.  Follow below the fold as I type this all in via my iPhone.

I have been volunteering for the Obama Campaign for over four months and am a Team Leader.  I've been to Pennsylvania five times doing voter registration, signing up new volunteers and now voter persuassion.  It's a two and one half hour trip from my home in the Hudson Valley to Scranton and yes I'd rather be relaxing by the pool, riding my bicycle, having Mimosa's with friends or just doing mundane chores around the house.  My wife is supportive and is a very strong supporter of the president but she cherishes her free time.  Can't blame her she works very hard as a doctor all week.  I on the other hand have retired but have been exhibiting my photography at local galleries and writing a book.  Still because of my volunteer work the lawn isn't getting mowed on time, house projects go on longer than they should and everyday life in general is on a sort of hold.

Crack open your s'mores, for The Campfire! with Steve and Fripp on NetrootsRadio.com is lit. It's a fresh conversation about the Michigan Legislature's hatred of the ladyparts, dancing horses, crimes of the GOP and more. We'll have the occasional music break, the occasional rant and will take your calls tonight on NetRootsRadio.com.

And since this is your Progressive Radio of by and for the Kos Community, you're invited to call us at: 417-717-1272 or on Skype to: " ptr.radio " to get in on the conversation. Join in the Chat over on Our Radio Blog.

"This is Democrats' best opportunity to pick up a seat in the entire Mountain West."  - The Cook Political Report  

Both Cook and Rothenberg Political Reports believe Joe Miklosi has a good chance of beating incumbent Mike Coffman in CD6. In today's Cook Report, it states Colorado Democrats "scored a huge coup" from the state judge who redrew Congressional boundaries, and acknowledges that Coffman and Tipton's continuous controversies are making those districts increasingly winnable for Democrats. The article also reminds readers that under the new lines drawn for CD6, Obama won by fify-four percent in 2008.

The Cook article continues on to review Coffman's unpatriotic comment about the President at the Elbert County fundraiser, and his embarrassing string of foot-in-mouth moments trying to do damage control. In their words, Coffman "demonstrated that he hasn't adjusted to life as a swing district candidate".

The Cook Article goes on to say this:

Through mid-June, however, Miklosi has raised $641,000 and should be able to stockpile all of it for November since he's facing only token opposition in the primary. This is Democrats' best opportunity to pick up a seat in the entire Mountain West.

Why do these reports matter? Both the Cook Report and the Rothenberg Political Report influence potential donors who hope to score political points by donating to the candidate with the best chance of winning. Until 2012, that man was always Mike Coffman in CD6. Look for Miklosi's fundraising -- and odds -- to improve as big donors balance their bets on both candidates.

First, Romney gets lambasted as a lackluster, wishy-washy candidate

Second, the Far Right and Religious Right blame his loss on a Romney's lack of ideological purity.  (NOTE TO SELF --- Romney steered hard right through the primaries and pre-primaries)

Third, The RNC looks for some silver lining (you know, Obama is a lame duck)

Fourth, the think tanks will begin the process of introspection.

In 1989, I worked on Capitol Hill and we held a series of brown bag lunches to discuss how we had had our asses kicked for the third time in a row and the Democrats had won only 1 of 6 elections for the White House since 1968.

I don't remember who, but a congressional staffer offered us some interesting thoughts.

It seems to me, as I read conservative website after conservative website, that conservatives are dedicated to their agenda with the fervor of the most religious of zealots. Really, the mullahs in Iran would love this level of dedication from Iranians.

In the past three years, I’ve seen them go from right-wing to wild-eyed, far-right extremists in the blink of an eye, egged on by media like Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin and Beck to distrust everyone not like them with fervor approaching apocalyptic levels as we close on November.

Their evolution shares frightening similarities with the rise of Germany's Nazi Party:

Growing control of the media and continual assertions that only their claims can be believed.

Demonization of political opponents as disloyal to the country.

Characterizations of progressives, artists and the arts, and homosexuals as degenerates causing moral decay in our society.

Characterizations of unionists as thugs.

Appealing to religious/nationalistic belief to exclude others’ moral, civil, and legal rights.

Characterizations of small religious and racial minorities as evil that need to be restrained, expelled, and/or eliminated.

Anger at the country’s loss of prestige and promises to restore it via the military.

I believe many of them have been sufficiently primed to pick up a gun if things don’t go their way come November. I believe some percentage of them are dedicated enough to emulate Islamist extremists and lob grenades and strap bombs to themselves. We're seeing the beginning already with arrest after arrest of extremists targeting law enforcement, clinic bombings, and police ambushes. It's only going to get worse.

And almost half of Americans identify themselves as conservative.

Conservative and religious zealots are telling us gays should be rounded up in concentration camps. They're telling us non-Christians don’t deserve constitutional protections. They're telling us America should be an explicitly Christian nation. Telling us that women should no longer be allowed to vote. Telling us science should be corrupted by religious myth in our schools.

None of which is new; they've always been around. What IS new is that mainstream conservatives are no longer disavowing any of the extremists, no longer criticizing them as the extremists they are.

The question I think we need to begin thinking about now is how far are we willing to go to defend our beliefs, our version of America? Because if you’re not as dedicated as conservatives are, you’re going to be big time losers.

Liberals have already pretty much lost the fight over unions (check out the past 3 decades if you don’t believe me), education, abortion (let's face it, it's just about a lost cause too), and limiting big corporations.

The country's moved to the right; you can argue with me till you’re blue in the face but the reality begs to differ with commentary I see coming from liberals.

Conservatives will be willing to go to extremes to defend their beliefs. I guarantee you if Obama wins they’ll start the bombing and shooting. And I guarantee you the Limbaugh's and Hannity's and Malkin's of the world won't have any problem being their apologists. And I also guarantee you there will be many other conservatives cheering them on. It will be the American equivalent of a new IRA.

If Republicans win, and continue to win, I see concentration camps in America’s future. I see thousands of political prisoners.

Hyperbole? Overreaction? Hysteria? Read history. This is exactly what happens every time zealots gain power. Without exception. I’m writing a novel about it right now.

It's going to happen. They're dedicated to their cause. How dedicated are you to yours?

Barack Obama needs to win for good of the country. Nothing he has done, in Washington and on the campaign trail, has worked. There is no magic wand available to him. So he should bet on winning debates. But, he should get out of his comfort zone and be aggressive and hard hitting during the debates. All his effort should be to convince Independents that Romney and proposed policies are injurious to the health and future of America.

File this under

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

From ThinkProgress:

Ray Walser is a Co-Chairman for the Romney Campaign for issues pertaining to Latino voters.  In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, he said:

“My anticipation is that he would probably rescind this directive were he to be elected in November.”

Mr Walser, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation and veteran US diplomat, said such a decision would be in line with the “very tough” stance taken on illegal migration by Mr Romney so far.

A facebook friend of mine, who happens to also be a Latino activist, posted the following great analysis of recent political attempts to win him over:

It's fascinating how white Republicans seem to think Latinos are monolithic. Marco Rubio is Cuban and most Latinos simply don't identify with him. He isn't some sort of magical key to the Latino vote. Cubans are a slim minority of all Latinos in the United States. Most of us are Mexican. Many of us are also Salvadoran, Colombian, Peruvian, Chilean, Panamanian, Argentinian, etc. Not only is it geography, it is culture, food, language (the Spanish language is a far more diverse than English). We are straight, gay, European, Native American, African, Asian. Latinos make for a fascinating tapestry. It might do Republicans some good to recognize this reality.

Already this summer, I’m observing cheesy, schmaltzy, one-size-fits-all attempts to court women voters.  Many campaigns seem to reach from the same old tired bag of tricks every time they want to reach out to women:

•    Make the website page look soft and feminine.
•    Have a “Women For… (Insert candidate’s name here)” group.
•    Talk about abortion to the exclusion of almost anything else.
•    Show the candidate’s wife as often as possible.
•    Hire perky, pretty college girls to sign up supporters using clipboards.
•    Shoot photos around the dinner table (as if that’s the only place women hang out).

Snore.  Flinch. Recoil. Why are they doing this?

Women make up 51% of the population of the United States. Women and Latino voters are the key demographics in the November general election, from the County Coroner to the President of the United States. As the lead organizer in Denver for Colorado’s grassroots “We Are Women” March and Rally on April 28th of this year (there were lead organizers in other cities and towns around the state, too), I’ve received a number of phone calls from candidates asking for my help in “getting women on board with our campaign”. Our two-thousand person Rally and March in CO was unique in that it was not sponsored by a non-profit or corporation, but entirely grassroots, was replicated at the same time on the same day in all fifty states around the nation, and entirely funded by the activists who participated. Campaigns have been chomping at the bit to get a piece of it, wanting to know if they can have my activist list, Google docs, and “secret words” (secret handshake?).

Here’s the secret. Start respecting women.  And while you’re at it, start respecting everyone else, too.

At the federal level, any incumbent who voted against the Violence Against Women Act, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, or pissed off the Children’s Defense Fund, should hang up their campaign right now. Don’t even bother reading to the end of this page.

At the State level, any incumbent who voted in favor of limiting a woman’s right to make decisions about her own health care, or who voted to decrease school funding, or to limit resources to the poor, the elderly, children, and anyone else who is vulnerable, take a hike.  Take it now.

What about targeted state level and higher candidates who are running for election for the first time?  Here’s how voters should decide. (Listen up, women activist friends – I’m about to tell you.)

Go to the candidate’s website. If equality for all persons regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religion, citizenship, health, original language, and country of birth (otherwise known as civil rights) are not clearly one of the top three marquis issues, close the website and walk away.  Send your money and spend your volunteer time working for another candidate. If it’s up there, go to the next step.

The U.S. Federal Court in a case known as the “Super PAC” suit on June 18th, 2012 extended for 60 days the discovery hearing.  To date, no attorneys for the Defendants have filed notice of appearance to defend as Class counsels.  Attorneys wishing to represent the various Classes must file their notice of appearances and meet with the Plaintiff to prepare and submit documents before August 21, 2012.

Background:  This action seeks to charges individuals and persons that have made, received, or benefited from excessive or prohibited individual campaign contributions in Federal elections.  

It is a legal impossibility, under common law, for contributions limits to exist that effect the outcome of Federal elections, and at the same time permit “unlimited” contributions to third parties that has the same outcome.

Detail:  Details of the case can be found on the Notice of the case found at this link.  Please note the corrected dates above for the new hearing date and deadline to provide documents to the Court.  The consequence of failing to defend against this action may include default judgment against you and/or a binding settlement agreement.

Defendants:  Initially, the Plaintiff did not name the Defendants and described them as members of various Classes.  Since anyone checking FEC filings can also identify these same individuals, essentially, the Defendants were named.  No Defendants to date have taken sufficient notice of the action to understand that they are party to a lawsuit for their actions.  Therefore, in the interest of clarity and to give Defendants the chance to mount an effective and strong defense against the charges against them as a Class, the Plaintiff has decided to announce the names of some of the members of the main Classes.  

Please note that the appearance of your name in the lists below does not constitute a guilty verdict against you, however, it does inform you there is an action currently pending against you.  Further the list is only a sample of names, and final definition of the various Classes as not been approved by the Court and subject to change.  

Class I Defendants:
Political action committees or other organizations that retained excessive or prohibited individual campaign contributions within the past 5 years that were intended to support or contest against candidates and political parties for Federal office.  To be in this Class a group needs to have had the appearance of retaining at least $30,400 from a member of Class II Defendants.  

Class I Defendants are being requested as part of this action to comply with FEC directives 11 CFR 103.3(a) or (b).  This action disputes the legality of funds from Class II Defendants and reminds Class I Defendants that according to the FEC “If a  committee finds that a contribution is prohibited based on evidence not available when the contribution was deposited, the committee must refund the contribution within 30 days of discovery. 11 CFR 103.3(b)(2)”.  Treasurers of Class I Defendants are advised to build reserve funds to refund Class II Defendants should the Court rule in favor of the Plaintiff.  Proposed defendants include:

American Crossroads
Citizens for a Working America
Club for Growth Action
EMILY's List
Endorse Liberty
Freedom Works for America
House Majority PAC
Liberty for All Super PAC
Make Us Great Again
Majority PAC
National Organization for Marriage
Our Destiny PAC
Priorities USA Action
Red White and Blue Fund
Restore our Future
Revolution PAC
Santa Rita Super PAC
Strong America Now
Texas Conservative Fund
Winning our Future
Women Vote!

Class II(a) Defendants: Individuals who, within the past 5 years of this filing, made contributions that were prohibited or exceeded the annual or biennial limits, as set by the FEC, by $75,000 or more.  The list is subject to change based upon new contributions made and a more detailed examination of prior contributions.  See Notice is you are the partner of an individual that made a contribution and did not intend to make the contribution yourself.  If you obtain a refund of an excessive contribution as recommended by the FEC notify the Plaintiff and be certain that the refund is reported to the FEC.  Members of this Class included at time of filing the following:

ADELSON, MIRIAM DR LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
ADELSON, SHELDON LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
AINSLIE, LEE NEW YORK, NY 10153
ANWAR, S JAVAID MIDLAND, TX 79701
ARNOTT, ROBERT NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92660
BACON, LOUIS MOORE NEW YORK, NY 10020
BARNES, DEBORAH DOVER, MA 02030
BARNES, STEVEN DOVER, DE 02030
BEEUWKES,  NANCY CONCORD, MA
BEEUWKES, REINIER III CONCORD, MA
BERTHIAUME, DOUGLAS ANDOVER, MA 01810
BING, STEPHEN L ENCINO, CA 91436
BLOOM, BRADLEY WELLESLEY, MA 02481
BONDERMAN, DAVID FORT WORTH, TX
BOYCE, RICHARD PORTOLA VALLEY, CA 94028
BULLOCK, DAVID HIGHLAND, UT 84003
BUZBEE, TONY MR HOUSTON, TX 77002
CARSEY, MARCIA L. LOS ANGELES, CA
CARTER, DONALD MR ADDISON, TX 75001
CAVENEY, MARGARET C NORTH PALM BEACH, FL 33408
CHAZEN, STEPHEN I MR PACIFIC PALISADES, CA 90272
CHILDS,  MARLENE I. VERO BEACH, FL
CHILDS, JOHN VERO BEACH, FL 32963
CLOOBECK, STEPHEN J LAS VEGAS, NV 89135
COLLIER, MILES C. NAPLES, FL
COLLIER, PARKER J. NAPLES, FL
CONARD, EDWARD NEW YORK, NY 10028
CONNAUGHTON, JOHN WEST NEWTON, MA 02465
COX, HOWARD E JR PALM BEACH, FL 33480
COX, HOWARD STATESBORO, GA 30458
CRAFT, JOSEPH W TULSA, OK 74119
CROW, HARLAN R DALLAS, TX 75219
CUSHMAN, JOHN C III LOS ANGELES, CA 90017
DALTON, MARK GARDEN CITY, NY 11530
DAVIS, JAMES S BOSTON, MA 02135
DEASON, DARWIN A DALLAS, TX 75204
DEBONIS, LAURA BOSTON, MA
DODGE, STEVEN MANCHESTER, MA 01944
DONAVAN, JAMES UPPERVILLE, VA 20184
DORE, WILLIAM J LAKE CHARLES, LA 70605
DUCHOSSOIS, JANET J OAK BROOK, IL 60523
DUNN, TIM MIDLAND, TX 79710
EARHART, ANNE G. CORONA DEL MAR, CA
EDGERLY, PAUL BROOKLINE, MA 02445
EDGERLY, SANDRA BROOKLINE, MA 02445
EGERMAN,  JOANNE H. WESTON, MA
EGERMAN, PAUL  WESTON, MA
ESHELMAN, FRED WILMINGTON, NC
EYCHANER, FRED CHICAGO, IL
EYCHANER, FRED CHICAGO, IL 60614
FAULKNER, GORDON T.  MADISON, WI
FAULKNER, JUDITH R. MADISON, WI
FERNANDEZ, MIGUEL MIAMI, FL 33134
FERRANTE, DOMENIC NAPLES, FL 34108
FINDLATER, CHRISTOPHER MIAMI BEACH, FL
FIREMAN, PAUL BOSTON, MA 02110
FISCHER, DAVID TROY, MI 48084
FLAUM, DAVID ROCHESTER, NY 14610
FLEISCHMAN, WILLIAM O LOS ANGELES, CA 90067
FORST, EDWARD C BRONXVILLE, NY 10708
FOSTER, PAUL L MR EL PASO, TX 79901
FOX, JEFFREY ST. LOUIS, MO 63105
FOX, SAM ST. LOUIS, MO 63105
FRANTZ, L SCOTT RIVERSIDE, CT 06878
FRIESS, FOSTER JACKSON, WY 83002
GEIER, PHILIP H NEW YORK, NY 10022
GILLIAM, LESLIE F. KESWICK, VA
GILLIAM, RICHARD BAXTER KESWICK, VA 22947
GORDY,  GLENDA J. HOUSTON, TX
GORDY, RUSSELL D. HOUSTON, TX
GRIFFIN,  ANNE D. CHICAGO, IL
GRIFFIN, JOHN A TARRYTOWN, FL 10591
GRIFFIN, KENNETH C CHICAGO, IL 60611
GROFF, HOWARD NORTHRIDGE, CA 91324
GROFF, SUSAN NORTHRIDGE, CA 91324
GUNDLACH, GUY D LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
HARRIS, JOHN A. IV BERWYN, PA
HAUG, DAVID L MR HOUSTON, TX 77056
HAYDEN,  MARILYN J. BARRINGTON, IL
HAYDEN, JERRY L.  BARRINGTON, IL
HERRO, DAVID G. CHICAGO, IL
HERTEL, KRISTEN H WINNETKA, IL 60093
HILES, MARCUS D MR GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75050
HUBBARD, RANDALL D MR RUIDOSO, NM 88345
HUGHES, B. WAYNE SR. LEXINGTON, KY
HUNTER,  RACHEL HOUSTON, TX
HUNTER, MICHAEL  HOUSTON, TX
HUNTING, JOHN R. GRAND RAPIDS, MI
HUNTSMAN, JON M SR SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84108
JACOBS,  JOAN K. LA JOLLA, CA
JACOBS, IRWIN M.  LA JOLLA, CA
JAMES, VIRGINIA LAMBERTVILLE, NJ
JOHNSON, FRANKLIN P. JR. PALO ALTO, CA
JONES, PAUL TUDOR II GREENWICH, CT 06830
KAPLAN, THOMAS NEW YORK, NY 10022
KATZENBERG, JEFFREY UNIVERSAL CITY, CA 91608
KELLETT, SAMUEL PINETTA, FL 32350
KENNEDY, JOHN KENTWOOD, MI 49512
KOCH, WILLIAM WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33401
KOVNER, BRUCE NEW YORK, NY 10022
KROUSE, RODGER BOCA RATON, FL 33496
LAVERACK, WILLIAM, NEW YORK
LEACH, HOWARD SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
LEDER, MARC BOCA RATON, FL 33496
LEMELSON, ERIC SHERWOOD, OR
LINBECK, LEO III HOUSTON, TX 77227
LISONBEE, DAVID SANDY, UT 85070
LITTLE, WILLIAM E JR NEW YORK, NY 10128
LUKATZ, OREN LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
LUKATZ, YASMIN LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
MAFFEI, GREGORY CHERRY HILLS VILLA, CO 80113
MARCUS,  JUDITH PALO ALTO, CA
MARCUS, GEORGE M. PALO ALTO, CA
MARKSTEINER, GUNTER PALM CITY, FL 34990
MARRIOTT, JW JR BETHESDA, MD 20817
MARRIOTT, RICHARD POTOMAC, MD 20854
MARTINO, MICHAEL E NEW CANAAN, CT 06840
MATTHEWS, JJ ABILENE, TX 79604
MCBARRY, RAY MCDONOUGH, GA 30253
MCCORMACK, WIN PORTLAND, OR 97219
MCKNIGHT, ROSS MR THROCKMORTON, TX 76483
MCLANE, P ANDREWS WESTON, MA 02493
MCLANE, ROBERT DRAYTON MR JR TEMPLE, TX 76504
MCNAIR, ROBERT C MR HOUSTON, TX 77054
MELWANI, PRAKASH NEW YORK, NY 10154
MERCER, DIANA EAST SETAUKET, NY
MERCER, ROBERT EAST SETAUKET, NY 11733
MICHAELS, LAURIE F. FORT WORTH, TX
MORSE, H. GARY THE VILLAGES, FL 32162
MORSE, RENEE B THE VILLAGES, FL 32162
MUGAR, DAVID BOSTON, MA 02116
MUMFORD, JOHN MR PORTOLA VALLEY, CA 94028
NATHAN, SCOTT A.  BOSTON, MA
NAU, JOHN L III HOUSTON, TX 77219
NAVAB, ALEXANDER NEW YORK, NY 10022
O'KEEFE, ERIC SPRING GREEN, WI 53588
OCHSHORN, SIVAN LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
OETERS, DONALD CINCINNATI, OH 45249
OSKOUI, STEPHEN AUSTIN, TX 78701
PALMER, GEOFF LOS ANGELES, CA 90049
PAULSON, JOHN NEW YORK, NY 10020
PEARSON, THOMAS L. BIXBY, OK
PENCE, ROBERT WASHINGTON, DC 20007
PERENCHIO, A. JERROLD  LOS ANGELES, CA
PERENCHIO, A. MARGARET LOS ANGELES, CA
PERRY, DOYLENE HOUSTON, TX
PERRY, ROBERT J. HOUSTON, TX
PETERSON, JOEL SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84121
PLUMERI, JOSEPH SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY 12866
PROPST, WS HUNSTVILLE, AL 35801
PUZDER, ANDREW CARPINTERIA, CA 93013
REES-JONES, JAN DALLAS, TX
REES-JONES, TREVOR , TX
REYNOLDS, ROBERT CONCORD, MA 01742
RICKETTS, J JOE DENVER, CO 80223
RICKETTS, JOHN J.  OMAHA, NE
RICKETTS, MARLENE M. OMAHA, NE
ROBERTSON, JULIAN LOCUST VALLEY, NY 11560
ROLLINS, KEVIN DOVER, MA 02030
ROSS, STEPHEN NEW YORK, NY 10023
ROTH, STEVEN NEW YORK, NY 10106
ROWLING, ROBERT B IRVING, TX 75039
ROWLING, TERRY H. DALLAS, TX
RYAN, BRINT MR DALLAS, TX 75240
RYAN, VINCENT J. BOSTON, MA
SATTER, MUNEER CHICAGO, IL 60606
SCHORR, PAUL C IV NEW YORK, NY 10022
SCHWARTZ, BERNARD L NEW YORK, NY 10021
SEIU COPE WASHINGTON, DC 20036
SHUMWAY, CHRIS W GREENWICH, CT 06830
SIEBEL, STACEY PALO ALTO, CA
SIEBEL, THOMAS  PALO ALTO, CA
SILBERSTEIN, STEPHEN M. BELVEDERE, CA
SIMMONS, HAROLD C DALLAS, TX 75240
SIMONS, JAMES H NEW YORK, NY 10022
SINGER, PAUL NEW YORK, NY 10019
SMITH, EDWARD D LAS VEGAS, NV 89145
SMITH, STUART H. MIAMI, FL
SOROS, GEORGE NEW YORK, NY 10106
SPRECHER, JEFFREY ATLANTA, GA 30328
STEPHENS, JACKSON T JR LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201
STRYKER, PATRICIA FORT COLLINS, CO
SUDLER, PETER TEQUESTA, FL 33469
SUSSMAN, S. DONALD GREENWICH, CT
TEECE, DAVID J. EMERYVILLE, CA
TEECE, LEIGH G. EMERYVILLE, CA
TEMPLETON, ANN J SARASOTA, FL 34236
TEMPLETON, JOHN M DR JR BRYN MAWR, PA 19010
TEPPER, DAVID LIVINGSTON, NJ 07078
THIEL, PETER SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94129
TOOMEY, MIKE MR AUSTIN, TX 78701
TROUTT, KENNY A DALLAS, TX 75225
UIHLEIN, LYNDE B. MILWAUKEE, WI
UIHLEIN, RICHARD PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WI 53142
VARVEL, ERIC GREENWICH, CT 06831
WALTON, ALICE BENTONVILLE, AR 72712
WALTON, JIM BENTONVILLE, AR 72712
WARREN, KELCY L DALLAS, TX 75219
WEBSTER, STEVEN HOUSTON, TX 77002
WETENHALL, ROBERT C NEW YORK, NY 10022
WHALING, R GRAHAM HOUSTON, TX 77019
WHITMAN, MEG ATHERTON, CA 94027
WILSON, DAVID LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651
ZELL, SAMUEL CHICAGO, IL 60606
ZIDE, STEPHEN OLD GREENWICH, CT 06870

Class II(c) Defendants: Individuals who, within the past 5 years of this filing, made contributions that were prohibited or exceeded the annual or biennial limits, as set by the FEC, by $10,000 or less.

Class II(d) Defendants: Non-individuals such as corporations, LLCs, foundations, or similar entity that were utilized by an individual(s) as an intermediary, within the past 5 years of this filing, to make contributions to a campaign for Federal Office that exceeded a category limit or the biennial limit for an individual(s), as set by the FEC, by $25,000 or more.  Individuals who have the power to direct funds spent by non-individual entities are cautioned that they may be found guilty of two infractions of law.  Firstly the contribution may be ascribed as being an excessive individual contribution, and secondly it may be ascribed to having been made in the name of another.  Defendants in this class include:

2GIG TECHNOLOGIES LEHI, UT 84043
ALLIANCE MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS TULSA, OK 74121
ALPHA NATURAL RESOURCES LLC ABINGDON, VA 24212
BLUE RIDGE CAPITAL LLC NEW YORK, NY 10065
CONSOL ENERGY, INC CANONSBURG, PA 15317
CONTRAN CORPORATION DALLAS, TX 75240
CROW HOLDINGS LLC - DISTRIBUTIO DALLAS, TX 75219
ELAINE MCKAY FAMILY INV LP LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651
ELI PUBLISHING INC PROVO, UT 84601
F8 LLC PROVO, UT 84601
FORESIGHT MANAGEMENT LLC BECKLEY, WV 25801
G H PALMER ASSOCIATES LOS ANGELES, CA 90049
GLENBROOK LLC REDWOOD CITY, CA 94065
HERITAGE BAG COMPANY CARROLLTON, TX 75006
HUBBARD BROADCASTING INC ST. PAUL, MN 55114
JERRY PERENCHIO LIVING TRUST LOS ANGELES, CA 90067
JET SET SPORTS HOLDINGS, LP FAR HILLS, NJ 07931
JHJM NEVADA I, LLC LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
KIMBER MANUFACTURING INC YONKERS, NY 10705
LARRY H MILLER GROUP OF COMPANIES SANDY, UT 84070
MBF FAMILY INVESTMENTS MIAMI, FL 33134
OXBOW CARBON, LLC WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33401
PAUMANOK PARTNERS LLC NEW CANAAN, CT 06840
ROONEY HOLDINGS, INC TULSA, OK 74146
RTTTA, LLC PROVO, UT 84604
SCHWERTNER FARMS, INC SCHWERTNER, TX 76573
SCI EXECUTIVE SERVICES, INC HOUSTON, TX 77019
SELECT MANAGEMENT RESOURCES, LLC ALPHARETTA, GA 30005
SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UN WASHINGTON, DC 20036
SLOCUM AND ASSOCIATES SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111
THE VILLAGES OF LAKE SUMTER, INC THE VILLAGES, FL 32162
TROTT AND TROTT PC FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334
W/F INVESTMENT CORP LOS ANGELES, CA 90067
WEAVER POPCORN COMPANY INC INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46256
WHITECO INDUSTRIES INC MERRILLVILLE, IN 46410

Final Class definition is subject to approval of the Court.

Class III(a) Defendants: Individuals or organizations that conspired with Class II Defendants to disguise contributions, and/or frustrate the intent of FECA to either limit or disclose funds used in Federal elections.  This class specifically includes any attorneys who assisted their client to commit actions that are illegal according to FECL.  This class was prompted in part from Court documents that were revealed in another case.  That case demonstrated some organizations anticipate legal fees as the cost of doing business and violating the law and that the purpose of the funds were to help donors evade the law.

Class III(b) Defendants: Individuals or organizations that received payments in excess of $50,000 in a single year that originated from campaign contributions that were excessive or prohibited for salaries, bonus, rewards, kickbacks, consulting fees, or commissions etc.  The intention of the limit is to exclude the majority of workers for organizations that may have had no idea the funds they were receiving were illegal.  Further, this excludes individuals that may have earned more from organizations where the bulk of their monies received are not from illegal funds.

Class III(c) Defendants: Individuals or organizations that received payments in excess of $250,000 in a single year that originated from campaign contributions that were excessive or prohibited in exchange for services rendered such as consulting, advertising, telephone campaigns, and voter mailings.  Since the Plaintiff doesn't know without discovery requests the exact amounts that Class III(c) Defendants have received the appearance of an organizations name below means only that it is suspected to have received more than $250,000 in total payments.  Further this list is not comprehensive and only a sample:

Amazon.com
Apple
Begala, Paul
Blakemore & Assoc
Burkett, Rebecca
Cablevision Systems
CBS
CC Media Holdings
Clark Hill PLC
Comcast
Crossroads Media
DISH Network
Gannett Company, Inc
General Electric
Google
GSG Communications
Hubbard Communications (Also appears as Class II defendant)
Journal Communications
Lee Enterprises
Liberty Media Revenue
MSN
Mundy Katowitz Media
National Public Radio
News Corp.
Nmb Research
Perry, Bob
Podium Capital Group
Target Point Consulting
The Denver Post
The E.W. Scripps Company
The McClatchy Company
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
The New York Times Company
The Washington Post
Time Warner Cable
Viacom
Virgin Media
Walt Disney
Yahoo

Defendants are encouraged to work together to mount a strong defense against the action and identify qualified attorneys to represent them in their defense.  

Contact information for the Plaintiff can be found in the Notice.

Philip B. Maise
Plaintiff and citizen attorney general of the United States acting on the behalf of the U.S. Federal Election Commission

(Put this up a few minutes ago, then heard a glitch in the audio track. I think I've smoothed it out.)

Back to a more traditional style this week.

Beltway wisdom says voters are about to shut off their brains for the summer, so its time to do the last round of "define him before he defines himself" adverts.

But rather than take the heavy-handed approach, I thought it better to simply ask the question itching in the back of all of our minds. All of us. Even conservatives.

"Everybody line up," yelled the sergeant. "We've got some mail here to deliver to some of you." He went down the row and handed a large envelope to several of the privates. When he got to Gordon, he told him it was probably his absentee ballot papers. "Do you know who you are going to vote for? It better not be that son-of-a-bitch FDR! That's all I got to say."

Gordon had grown up in a small town in western Illinois. After high school graduation, he worked for a while at a job. Then, he realized he would probably get called into the Army. So, he decided to enlist. Maybe he would have some better options if he enlisted. He wasn't particularly good at athletics or technical stuff. He was kind of clumsy. But, he knew how to write. Perhaps he could use his skill there.

It was 1944 when the sergeant handed him his papers so he could complete his absentee ballot. He was a young man and voting for the first time. But one thing was certain in Gordon's mind, he did intend to vote for FDR regardless of what he was told.

Come below the fold for more about Gordon and his story.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammad Mursi has won Egypt's presidential election with 51.73% of the vote. His opponent, Ahmed Shafiq, got 48.27%, according to the election commission: 13.230 million to 12.347 million votes. That's a 51.6% turnout of the 50.3 million eligible voters. 843,000 votes were declared invalid (partly from a protest campaign) and 37,000 votes were cancelled, following 466 appeals to the electoral commission by both parties.

Mohamed Mursi belongs to the "Freedom and Justice Party" (FJP), which is affiliated with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. (Mursi replaced Khairat al-Shater for the FJP when the latter was disqualified.) In the revolution against Mubarak and the year following, the FJP had repeatedly denied it would field a Presidential candidate. This changed only three months ago, on March 31, but its first candidate was disqualified on the technicality that he had been convicted under Mubarak and his pardon was by the military council and not by the criminal court. Mursi was nominated in his place. Mursi formally resigned from the MB and FJP shortly after being elected.

Ahmed Shafiq was Mubarak's senior commander of the Air Force and Mubarak appointed him as Prime Minister for 33 days from January 31 to March 3, 2011. In effect, he represents the Mubarak regime and the military's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

The Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC), consisting of judges appointed by Mubarak, oversaw the election.

Prior to the first presidential round of voting May 23-24, 2012, SPEC disqualified several leading candidates. Mursi won a plurality of 24.8%, Shafiq won 23.7%, and Sabahi (a Nasserite) won 20.7%, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh (an Islamist) won 17.5%, Amr Mousa (Arab League) won 11.13%, with the remaining 2% divided by eight minor candidates. Turnout was a low 43.4%.

BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
Al Jazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/ (it will dominate their front page for the next 2+ days)

[The transliteration of Mursi's name in English can vary: Mursi, Mursy, Morsi, Morsy. In Arabic it is  مرسى .  BCC chooses Mursi, which to my ear is closer phonetically: 'mour' + the "i" is shortened, not a long "ee" sound.]

This is a remarkable outcome, following a remarkable process. Egypt has been a dynasty, caliphate, colony, monarchy, military authoritarian regime, and now for the first time a (very-fragile) democracy headed by a civilian, after decades of rule by a military junta and dictator.

Brief history:
* King Farouk was overthrown by a military coup and revolution in 1952.
* The first Prime Minister and President was Muhammad Naguib, who lasted only 18 months before Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser (who'd organized the coup) accused him of supporting the recently-outlawed Moslem Brotherhood and pushed him aside.
* Nasser ruled for 14 years, 1956-1970 (including during Israel's surprise attack in the 1967 Six Day War); he died of a heart attack.
* Vice President Anwar Sadat replaced him, 1970-1981, and surprised observers by purging Nasserites and encouraging an Islamist movement. Sadat launched the failed October 1973 (Yom Kippur) surprise attack against Israeli forces occupying the Egyptian Sinai Penninsula and Syria's Golan Heights. He appointed Mubarak as Vice President in 1975. He later supported and signed the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, led by US President Jimmy Carter. His friend, the Shah of Iran, was granted exile in Egypt, died there, received a state funeral, and is interred at the Al-Rifa'i Mosque in Cairo.
* Sadat was assassinated October 1981 by members of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (later led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, current head of Al Qaeda), with approval of Omar Abdel-Rahman, a cleric later convicted in the US for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
* Vice President Hosni Mubarak, who was lightly wounded, became President. Mubarak ruled for 30 years, from 1981-2011, when he was overthrown in the January-February 2011 revolution.
* Mohammed Mursi is an engineer, with a BS and MS from Cairo University in 1975 and 1978, and a PhD in engineering from the University of Southern California in 1982. He was an Assistant Professor at California State University, Northridge from 1982 to 1985. In 1985, he returned to Egypt to teach. Two of his five children were born in California and are U.S. citizens. He has long been active in the Muslim Brotherhead and its FJP.

This is a hugely important election, for the entire Middle East (not just Egypt), given Egypt's size and cultural influence in the region.

However, things are very far from being settled. Just weeks ago, with support from sudden SPEC rulings, the military's SCAF declared the Parliamentary elections last year to be invalid, closed Parliament, declared the re-written Constitution and the assembly who wrote it to be invalid, and announced its own assembly to write a new Constitution. As the New York Times puts it:

With just two weeks to go until their promised exit from power by June 30, the generals instead shut down the democratically elected and Islamist-led Parliament; took over its powers to make laws and set budgets; decreed an interim constitution stripping the new president of most of his power; and re-imposed martial law by authorizing soldiers to arrest civilians. And the general[s] gave themselves an effective veto over provisions of a planned permanent constitution as well.

ABC's Shushannah Walshe's reportage from Mitt and Karl's Park City Prom Night emphasizes the accolades slathered on one particular speaker.