Across the board the American people overwhelming think too much power in this country is concentrated in the hands of a few very rich people and very large corporations. A full 77 percent of the country shares this opinion including even a majority, 53%, of Republicans.

A variety of links to articles/interviews on current topics that may, or may not, be of interest.

As he is wont to do, future Iowa Caucus second-place at best finisher, Newt Gingrich has a tendency to say rather stupid things in an extra dickish manner — how dare a day go without him dropping a verbal deuce.

Cheech and Chong – Santa Claus and His Old Lady.

Mitt Romney probably loves Tim Tebow until Tim plays against the Patriots on Sunday at which time he’ll hate hate him, but then Mitt will probably love Tebow again on Monday depending on what his pollsters tell him and then there there’s the data collected from the focus group sooooo … let’s just put Mitt down for “no comment” on Monday and he’ll get back to us late Tuesdayish…

For the past months, the Working Group has been relentlessly campaigning for the city to grant permits for at least two marches and rallies during the meetings. The city has denied the permits. Now, in “emergency fashion,” Emanuel would like the City Council to pass an ordinance that gives Emanuel blanket power to suppress freedom of assembly and speech during the meetings as well as the authority to spend Chicago taxpayers’ money as he pleases on the meetings that he hopes will bring the city of Chicago great prestige.

What’s this, another Republican debate?

Quite the banner day for Democrats…

As an active participant in my small, local Occupy, I would like to opine on some of the trials and tribulations experienced in trying to get an actual Occupy off the ground, and, also highlight the amazing efforts being exerted by even such a small entity, both on the national level and at the local level.

The markup in the House Judiciary Committee of the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, has begun. Observers expect at least two days of markups, and the bill wouldn’t see the House floor until sometime thereafter, probably next year. There are over 60 amendments on the bill, and opponents on the committee are dragging out the proceedings. Rep. Zoe Lofgren refused to waive the reading of the bill, so Judiciary staffers needed to spend an hour doing that.

Understand that this bill is getting a hearing, and a markup, because very wealthy interests want it to pass. It so happens that very wealthy interests want it to fail, but that puts it on the agenda as well, because both sides can go to their funders and raise money off the threat of the bill passing or failing. This becomes a bonanza for K Street lobbyists. There are over 1,000 of them working on SOPA.