I’m not going to act like an economist and claim to be “surprised” that folks are spinning various education pieces today. No, I am not at all surprised that it is happening, but I am a little frustrated when I see something like this from today’s (Sunday May 22) NY Times where the headline uses “grassroots” and “Bill Gates” together. The idea of anything funded from the coffers of a billionaire being considered “grass roots” is beyond ludicrous.

The one thing every interviewer should know about Kentucky’s Republican Senator Mitch McConnell is that he never answers any question he’d rather duck. But today he revealed he’s willing to risk a US credit default to force hundreds of billions in slashed Medicare benefits.

If the situation in Yemen weren’t serious, it would almost be comical. The trajectory of events is familiar. The Gulf Cooperation Council, an entity dominated by Saudi Arabia, comes up with a deal for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to leave power after 30 days, with elections soon after, in exchange for legal immunity from prosecution for Saleh and perhaps members of his family. Saleh agrees to it in principle. The opposition agrees. Then Saleh raises some objection and refuses to sign the agreement. I think this has happened three times now. In the latest display, the opposition actually signed the document, going further than any previous deal. Saleh initially said he would sign it despite denouncing it as a “coup.” That should have been a sign.

President Obama told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) today that his misinterpreted comment about a peace deal in the Middle East using the 1967 borders as a starting point, with mutually agreed swaps, was an utterly uncontroversial statement reflecting longstanding US policy.

Have you joined FDL? It’s easy and costs less than–depending on the membership level you choose–a pint of ice cream a month. I joined. And I love ice cream. My now-leaner thighs thank Firedoglake.com.

Diane Wilson is truly an eco-outlaw. And yes, in case you are wondering, I consider that to be a huge compliment. The courage and perseverance she displays in the stories shared in this volume should be an inspiration for anyone concerned about the role of corporations in society or what those corporations are doing to the planet.

Regardless of how you feel about the quality of Massachusetts health care reform, then-Gov. Mitt Romney’s role in its passage was a perfect example of the bipartisan compromise ideal that President Obama claims to love so strongly. Yet Obama is now actively trying to punish Romney for taking part in the bipartisanship Obama thinks is lacking.

Florida’s legislature just passed a budget that will privatize the correctional services of 18 counties, basically 20% of its prison population. Though the decision has been criticized by both side of the aisle (the quote I used for the title comes from a Republican legislator, Mike Fasano), and despite the fact that private prisons in Florida, as elsewhere, have a long history of abuse and failure to perform up to contract, the deal went through.

It will be a shame if she doesn’t run for President, because no one tosses a word salad like The Quitter.

If we work together as a community, maybe we can get some criminal prosecutions for the crimes that caused the Great Crash. It doesn’t happen by accident.