Mel Watt, from NC's 12th district, is leading the charge this time. Coincidentally, I'm sure, Bank of America headquarters is also in his district.

If you disagree with this, I suggest you let Mr. Watt, and anyone who has not cosponsored this bill know.

Bloomberg:

Representative Ron Paul, the Texas Republican who has called for an end to the Federal Reserve, said legislation he introduced to audit monetary policy has been “gutted” while moving toward a possible vote in the Democratic-controlled House.

No Associated Press content was harmed in the writing of this post

I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.
- Will Rogers

Frustration with Democratic leadership seemed to boil over in the last week or so. It began (as far as I can tell) with John Aravosis' withering criticism of the president over his speech last weekend at a Human Rights Campaign event. He wrote of "concerns about President Obama's inaction, and backtracking" on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy towards gays. The criticism led to backlash (here is a good example) and tensions have been high all around since. In a way Obama is not the right target, and some have acknowledged that even as they urge him to act. Vermont Law School Associate Professor of Law Jackie Gardina advocates his taking action on DADT, but acknowledges all he can change is the implementation. Overturning it can only be done by Congress. The same is true for DOMA. While it may be more appealing to focus all criticism on a single target, the fact is that these changes will only be durable when the legislature acts. The president is obviously not a passive figure in all this - he can urge Congress to act, give moral support to the effort through his rhetoric (something that has curiously been treated as largely irrelevant on this issue) and otherwise encourage action on these issues, but in the end the action is at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.

McClatchy:

The committee also heard from women such as Peggy Robertson of Colorado, who read a letter from her insurance company. Robertson testified that because she'd already given birth via cesarean, when she tried to get an individual policy in Colorado, her insurance company considered it a pre-existing condition and wouldn't insure her unless she could prove she'd been sterilized.

That "put me on the edge of my chair," said the chairwoman of the committee, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., calling it "offensive and morally repugnant."

"No one in the United States of America, in order to get health insurance, should ever be coerced into getting sterilized," Mikulski said.

Most of the time I would confine DC posts to my personal blog; but I think that what is happening to public schools in DC has national significance. It is true disaster capitalism, union busting, playing out in the nation's capitol.

Remember that kid in class who continually acted out and made it impossible for anyone else to learn? Well imagine that kid took over your school system and you understand Michelle Rhee. Ever since she took over she has closed schools and fired experienced teachers and replaced them with Teach for American zombies.

Locals launch single-payer healthcare effort

The local group’s most visible event was a Sept. 24 public meeting held in the State College Borough Council Chambers that drew more than 100 people and is being rebroadcast on C-NET this month. The moderator of the event was Chris Calkins, director of Outreach Health Initiatives at Penn State and the panel included Ron Fisher, a practicing psychiatrist from Huntingdon, Chuck Pennacchio, the leader of the statewide Healthcare for All Pa., Sajay Samuel, a Penn State economist and Jon Eich chair of the Centre County Board of Commissioners who all took questions from the audience, which appeared overwhelmingly lopsided in support of reform.

From the Chicago Tribune (with pictures of the chilldren who died in the fire, the house and stills from the investigation video, as well as of Willingham): As far back as 2004, Rick Perry -- who's now become the target of ABC News and maybe CNN's Anderson Cooper too -- refused to consider the possibility, despite scientific evidence, that he'd ordered an execution for an innocent man to go forward. Two days before a state panel on forensic science was to hear further information -- and start work on a report the final version of which would've come out just about in time to torpedo Goodhair's primary campaign against KBH -- the Governor replaced three members of that panel, including the chair, with political cronies. Guess what?

IIRC, there were two or three commissions before the Pecora Commission. Looks like it could take us two or three rounds to get it right this time, too. New Deal 2.0 quotes the opening remarks of chair Phil Angelides:

Let me conclude with this thought: There is much anger, and justifiably so, about what has transpired. The public’s trust in our financial system has been badly shaken. Many Americans who abided by the rules now find themselves out of work, devastated by foreclosures, uncertain of their future prospects. [While many who didn't are collecting huge bonuses.] There is a hunger to see those who profited from irresponsibility take responsibility, for wrongdoers to be held accountable. Yet the most important task in front of us is shed light, not heat. For us to take stock of what has happened and give a true accounting so the important work of restoring faith in our economic system can begin.

Hmm.... Now who does that remind me of?