R-E-S-P-E-C-T, this is what it means to Romney

The Mitt Romney International Tour of Shame and Embarrassment™ is beginning to take its toll on his campaign staff as it enters the third leg in Poland. Earlier today, his traveling press secretary Rick Gorka told reporters to “kiss my ass, show some respect” as they tried for the skabillionth time to get Romney to answer questions.

Video and transcript after the jump.

Keep the change I’m grateful that I have health insurance because when I saw my check from Humana, I nearly went into shock. Like most Americans, I expect to pay and pay my private insurers as I strive to never use the services for fear I’ll be branded with a preexisting condition. But suddenly, here’s Humana paying me back $61.70. […]

“Being a teacher is not what I do, it’s who I am.” – Dr. Jill Biden

This past weekend, the American Federation of Teachers held what can only be described as an energizing, empowering and successful national convention in the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. During the four-day event which concludes today featured such luminaries as Sandra Fluke (women’s reproductive rights activist) and Walmart plaintiff Betty Dukes (both of whom received AFT Women’s Rights awards), Diane Ravitch (education historian, writer), David Hecker (AFT Michigan), Charles Blow (New York Times op-ed columnist), Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony (Detroit NAACP), Bob King (UAW), Karla Swift (Michigan AFL-CIO), Chris Michalakis (Metro Detroit AFL-CIO), U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee, Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Joe Biden.

One of the highlights of the week was the keynote speech by AFT president Randi Weingarten who unveiled a new approach for AFT she dubbed “solution-driven unionism”. During her speech, Weingarten talked about the “new normal” facing Americans today in face of severe budget cuts jeopardizing public education, healthcare and other critical services; families losing more than 30 percent of their wealth during the economic crisis; and more than 100 bills introduced in state legislatures to demonize and attack public employees and undermine public services

Much more with lots of photos and quotes after the jump.

Romney: the Anti-Statesman

Well, this is sure to help Israeli/Palestinian negotiations. Mitt Romney basically came out and said Palestinians are culturally inferior to Israelis.

“Culture makes all the difference,” Mr. Romney said. “And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things.”

“As you come here and you see the G.D.P. per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000, and compare that with the G.D.P. per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality,” he said.

This is offensive at a truly basic level and on several levels. Without even getting into the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Mitt is clearly suggesting that being culturally superior makes you more successful. Or, perhaps worse, that being less wealthy means you are culturally inferior to others.

Success doesn’t happen by accident

I’m getting ready to head to Detroit to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) national conference at the Cobo Center where Anne and I will get to meet Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden this afternoon. It’s a significant day because we are now officially 100 days away from the general election where America will repudiate the Republican party and its ties to wealth & corporate power and give our vote to the team that works for average Americans — Biden & Obama.

What will YOU do with the 100 days you have left?

After the jump is a new video by the Obama campaign, showing the last 100 days before the election through the eyes of an OFA volunteer. It’s worth a look.

If you have to stop people from voting to win, your ideas suck. Two startling admissions by Republican officials in the past few months have been noted and then allowed to fade into the torrent of information fed at us each and every day. We cannot let this undeniable proof that our democracy is being subverted be allowed to slip […]

Keep going, Mitt! You’re doing GREAT!

The Mitt Romney International Tour of Shame and Embarrassment™ continues to provide “interesting” insight into his foreign affairs skills (or utter lackthereof.) The tabloid Daily Mail reports that a Romney campaign official called London mayor Boris Johnson “eccentric, odd”.

The official also said that Romney wasn’t well prepared for a trip of this magnitude. Apparently Mitt Romney needs to be briefed on how not to act like an embarrassing buffoon with the social graces of prep school bully when he’s abroad. His campaign staff need similar briefings, too, it appears.

Here’s to a little sunshine shining in

Starting today, supposedly nonpartisan groups like Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS are going to have to change their ways or reveal who their donors are. And revealing who their donors are is something that they simply will not do.

Last March, I wrote about a lawsuit filed against the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) by Rep. Chris Van Hollen. The resulting case, Van Hollen v. FEC. I wrote about it because U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson had thrown out a 2007 FEC ruling that allowed some funders of political ads to remain anonymous.

Today, new rules go into effect and they are a BFD.

Wait. WORSE than Sarah Palin???

Mitt Romney is in England this week, presumably to watch his wife’s dancing horse compete to prove his foreign policy bona fides by showing his fluency in Wealthsh.

It’s not going so good.

If fact, it’s going so bad that got an entire hashtag devoted to his his Europefail: #RomneyShambles.

Endless peels of laughter at Mitt’s expense after the jump.

Apparently unethical behavior is A-OKAY for Michigan Republicans

I recently asked Eclectablog readers in Michigan to contact their Republican Representatives and ask them to demand the resignation of Jase Bolger from his position as Speaker of the House. After seeing responses from a number of Michigan Republican lawmakers, it’s clear that they are circling the wagons to protect Speaker Bolger. It’s also clear, based on some repeated boilerplate language, that they have been instructed in how this effort. And, interestingly, my own Representative, Mark Ouimet, used his House email account to disparage his Democratic “opponent”, Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell, in clear violation of Michigan election law.

What, you didn’t think we’d notice?

I received emails and phone calls this afternoon from Representatives Lisa Brown and Barb Byrum letting me know that Senate Republicans snuck in a last-minute notice that they will take up the anti-Choice H.B. 5711 tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. The hearing will take place at 10:00am in Room 110, Farnum Building, 125 W. Allegan, Lansing.

Details after the jump.