The mass movement is working on a number of fronts – in the courts, in the streets, and with the ballot petitions. This is a state-based progressive movement that has had no need for national Democrats or their poll-watching, continuously compromised manner. They are using principle rather than an individual politician as a rallying cry, and they believe they can build the movement into a political force. And they have buy-in from the state Democratic Party, with a unanimity between the politicians and the grassroots.

If you listen to Republicans (and some Democrats) these days, we’re facing two big problems in this country. One, working people just have it too easy. And two, the wealthy and the powerful are in desperate need of more government assistance.

As of Thursday night Japan time, it appears that delivery of water from helicopters has been ineffective, radiation rates are still high around the reactor buildings, installation of an electric supply to run coolant pumps is delayed until Friday at the earliest, the US is organizing evacuation flights and China is calling for more information from the Japanese government.

Former Senator Russ Feingold, now the head of Progressives United, a new organization dedicated to fighting the corporate takeover of government, will make his first appearance at a Netroots Nation conference, delivering the opening keynote on Thursday, June 16 in Minneapolis.

Raymond Davis has been released after the families of his victims were paid blood money per Sharia law. We’ve really gotten to bizarro-land when a possible Blackwater contractor has been saved by Sharia law.

After high level meetings with US defense officials, a brutal crackdown begins.

The focus on events at Fukushima Daiichi belie the apparently woeful response to the crisis created by the companion natural disasters that have killed at least 10,000 and left up to a half a million homeless.

The Obama administration has apparently decided to support a “No-Fly Zone” in Libya – but then went even further. So, does anyone out there have a clue what’s going on here?

Brava, Jane. So much for that innocent until proven guilty stuff.

Even by recent standards there is a disturbingly high quotient of desperation and farce at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant right now.