Lunch With Bernie (Sanders, That Is)

So we attended a campaign event today. And we met someone who may run for President in 2016. And yes, he talked about that.

US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) was invited by the Culinary Union to speak at its get out the vote rally at the Culinary Academy in North Las Vegas. At today's event, Senator Sanders touched on the major issues in this election. He addressed the the one issue that's come to define political landscape in recent cycles.





He also touched on why so many Americans are so disgusted with our government. (Hint: Follow the money.)



And yes, Senator Sanders addressed the matter of the Kochs. He explained how all the Koch money being dumped into campaigns across the nation (including here in Nevada) prevents us from having nice things. And when we say nice things, we mean policies like a livable minimum wage, extended unemployment insurance, strong action on climate change, and relief for students who are drowning in student loan debt.



Earlier this week, Nevada's top media pundits and "bid'ness establishment" elite were fluttering around a certain visit by another rumored 2016 Presidential Candidate. Yet while they were debating the "optics" of the event, they completely overlooked the policy questions that should have been examined when she arrived. Why didn't any one at Bellagio want to talk about the actual issues that the fundraiser should have been all about?

Perhaps because Senator Sanders' visit to the Culinary Academy didn't attract the kind of media attention and "controversy" that the Bellagio UNLV Foundation fundraiser did, the conversation didn't devolve into a shouting match over "optics". And perhaps that's a good thing. After all, we can now present you with this very real discussion over truly important issues.

And frankly, this is the kind of "candidate sighting" we actually enjoy.

Fringe Is Still Their "Mainstream"

(It's amazing to think that just 6 months ago, a whole bunch of Nevada Republicans, along with G-O-TEA "opinion makers" from across the nation, were actually encouraging armed insurrection against our federal government. But yes, it happened. And no matter how much Adam Laxalt, Michele Fiore, Cresent Hardy, and Nevada Republican Party media spinners want to forget their #BundyRanch debacle, we remember.

So as we commemorate the 6 month anniversary of the start of Cliven Bundy's "Range War" against the rule of law, let's dig into the Nevada Progressive archives and travel back to April 2014 so we can uncover the truth behind all the Nevada G-O-TEA denials we see today.)

Once upon a time, this was merely an oddball case out in a rural corner of Southern Nevada. Not all that long ago, hardly anyone outside the Virgin Valley knew who Cliven Bundy was. He was just the local outlaw rancher who was running his cattle onto federal property (and far beyond designated grazing territory) without paying his fees.

Once upon a time, this was merely a local embarrassment. But now, the Nevada Republican Party has taken up Cliven Bundy's (illegal) cause. And the Koch-topus has taken up this cause and broadcasted it on G-O-TEA media networks nationwide. And the entire world is looking at our state and wondering what the hell we're smoking.

Welcome to Nevada. In our state's Republican Party, fringe is the new mainstream. In this party, Sue Wagner is ostracized to the point of severing ties altogether while Cliven Bundy is celebrated to the point of being declared some sort of outlaw "folk hero".



However, it's no longer just the Nevada Republican Party. It's nationwide. #BundyRanch has been trending nationwide for nearly three weeks. And it's become the latest & greatest cause celebre for G-O-TEA politicians nationwide.

Just a decade ago, the Bush Administration would have used the "domestic terrorist" label to describe the Bundy Gang. But now that Senator Harry Reid (D) is employing the same definition of "domestic terrorism" that Former President George W. Bush used while he was in The White House, G-O-TEA media personalities are feigning "OUTRAGE!!!" while they spread more (already debunked) conspiracy theories about his alleged role in #BundyRanch.

Welcome to the Republican Party of 2014. There, fringe is the new mainstream. Since Sean Hannity has officially declared his undying love & admiration for Cliven Bundy and his merry gang of (fellow) outlaws, G-O-TEA politicians must follow his lead. And more importantly, since the Koch Empire is all in for #BundyRanch, G-O-TEA politicians from across the nation have been endorsing the Bundy Gang's calls for anarchy at gunpoint.

Once upon a time, the Republican Party was known as the "law & order party". Now, it's become the "outlaw & chaos party". Fringe is the new mainstream. And the crazier one sounds, the better chance one has of winning a G-O-TEA primary.

Back to the (DC) Beltway He Goes

Last week, they debated on Vegas PBS. They finally faced each other after weeks of attack ads and press release missives. But of course, all Adam Laxalt (R) had to offer were even more sorry "political issues".



During the Vegas PBS debate, Laxalt threw another temper tantrum over the atrocious evaluation he received from his own law firm. He even tried (again) to turn it into an attack on the character of Ross Miller (D), his opponent for Attorney General. Never mind that Laxalt himself has been loading up on Koch dark money, he's still trying to make this and "Gift-gate" trending topics.

Oh, and since he isn't satisfied by just the Koch funded ads, Laxalt's own campaign has been taking to the airwaves to lie about that "train wreck" evaluation.



He just doesn't know when to quit. Where's Kenny Rogers when we need him?

Look, we get it. Adam Laxalt doesn't want to explain why he still wants to fight against marriage equality and other LGBTQ civil rights. He doesn't want to revisit his "most flawed" take on the Affordable Care Act. He doesn't want to admit to not knowing where Yucca Mountain is. And still doesn't want to say how much (or little) he really knows about open meetings laws.

But ultimately, this is what we expect of someone aspiring to be our state's top law enforcement officer. He needs to answer critical policy questions. He needs to know the actual legal issues our state is facing. He can't just blithely dismiss everything he doesn't want to talk about as "political issues" beneath him.

Perhaps Laxalt should return to the cozy confines of Planet Neocon in the DC Beltway. He may have a "famous Nevada last name", but he clearly has no clue how to do the job for our state.

Another Foolish Project (Brought to Us by the Kochs)

We do our best to stay on top of everything. But jeez, how on earth did we miss this? Jon Ralston just took a trip to our archives!

So what did he find? Just this gem from October 2012 on the Koch backed AFP jumping into certain Nevada Legislature races.

Perhaps the SD 4 incident was just a "test run" meant to prepare AFP for what they're doing now. The doorhanger we found earlier this month attacked President Obama and Shelley Berkley on one side, then attacked John Oceguera and Joyce Woodhouse (the Democratic nominee for SD 5) on the other side. And now, AFP mailers are being caught attacking Justin Jones (the Democratic nominee in SD 9) and Sheila Leslie (the Democratic nominee in SD 15). It just looks too funny that, all of a sudden, AFP is playing in the very State Senate seats that Republicans must win in order to take control of the Nevada Senate. And we're still supposed to believe that AFP is some sort of "nonpartisan, educational, charitable foundation"? Yeah, right.

It's now looking quite clear as to what AFP Nevada is aiming to do. And no, it doesn't involve "charity" or "education". Rather, AFP is trying to tip several competitive federal and state level races into Republican hands. Yet in failing to file the appropriate paperwork as a political action committee (PAC) and disclose its donors, AFP may actually be violating state election law while trying to elect lawmakers! Surely, we can't be the only ones seeing the irony here?

In July 2012, AFP waded into a Democratic State Senate primary in North Las Vegas. For some reason, AFP attacked Kelvin Atkinson in a district where Republicans weren't even targeting. That really had us scratching our heads.

But when AFP sent a tour bus to Shelley Berkley's Congressional office, their actions started to make more sense (even if they still looked quite silly). It then tried to top that grandiose gesture with cheap gas. And for the grand finale of its 2012 campaign, it staged a "freedom concert" and dropped the wrong campaign literature in the wrong areas.

Oh, and did we mention AFP considers itself an "educational charity"? How on earth is any of this "educational" or "charitable"?

So why are we now talking about AFP? Take a look at how AFP operatives are boasting about themselves to Beltway media. They're essentially declaring their plan to defeat Senator Harry Reid (D) in 2016.

There's just a little problem with AFP's latest grandiose plan: It looks more like a delusion of grandeur. Ralston just aired out all of AFP Nevada's dirty laundry. And even though AFP just moved its Nevada headquarters to a new location, it took all its old dirty laundry with it. And to make matters even worse for the Koch-topus' loudest and longest reaching tentacle, AFP's chief just left the building.

Of course, AFP is still overflowing in Koch money. It just came off an outrageous Cliven Bundy love-fest. And it's preparing to make waves again in 2016.

But just because one makes waves doesn't mean those waves are beneficial. Just because one is loud and gregarious doesn't mean one is making friends and allies. Just because AFP has a ton of money to spend doesn't mean AFP is spending that money well. And just because AFP plans to carpet-bomb this state again to attack Senator Reid doesn't mean AFP won't undercut itself again in 2016 (like it did in 2010 and 2012).

The Heat Is On

It's been awfully hot outside lately. In fact, records were broken yesterday. Fallon, Yerington, & Lovelock all broke their previous respective record highs when they all hit 105 yesterday. And Reno hit a new record high of 103 yesterday.



Hmmm... Why does this seem so familiar? Perhaps this is because Nevada has been stuck in a perpetual heatwave and drought for over a decade? What might possibly be causing this extended hot & dry spell? (Hint: Think climate change.)

Last week, the Koch funded Heartland Institute hosted a climate denial "climate optimists'" convention at Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip. There, they dismissed their own record of climate denial talk of "denial" and "disaster" so they could instead turn up the happy talk on how "there's no way we could do that much damage to this great planet with our puny little carbon emissions". And of course, they reaffirmed their belief that we're better off "staying the course" with dirty fossil fuels than accelerating the switch to renewable energy.

Hmmm... Why does this sound so familiar? Might it be due to the fact that the Heartland Institute is part of the Koch-topus that's out to kill clean energy? And might it be due to the fact that the Heartland Institute also received plenty of funding from the (rest of the) fossil fuel industry?



Even a number of conservatives have come around to accept both the science of climate change and the need for climate action. Despite their "libertarian populist" rhetoric, the Heartland Institute and its "TEA" powered ideological soulmates are increasingly isolated in their hardened opposition to any & all climate action. Most Americans support President Obama's climate action plan. And the more evidence we see of climate change, the more reasons we have to act.

Lake Mead is about to hit a record low water level. Reno just hit a new record high temperature. And wildfire season began awfully early this year. Shouldn't we take notice?

We recognize Nevada tends to be quite hot during summer... But we're not used to this much heat. And we're certainly not used to this much drought. We simply can't afford to deny the reality outside, the reality that may just parch us and scorch us to death if we don't take further action.

Sandbox

Last month, we examined how national "TEA" flavored astroturf outfits were jumping into the #BundyRanch fiasco. In particular, Koch funded AFP rather quickly jumped in with inflammatory tweets and effusive praise for Cliven Bundy. AFP didn't let up in its #BundyRanch campaign...

Until it suddenly became politically inconvenient. Yet even when Cliven Bundy made interesting comments on "race relations" and Senator Dean Heller (R) started walking back his endorsement of the #BundyRanch "Range War", AFP never actually rebuked the Bundy Gang. It just scrubbed its web site and pretended that #BundyRanch was never its "Range War".



As we've been documenting here lately, Cliven Bundy and his gang of "outlaw cowboys" have been wreaking havoc upon the Virgin Valley. And yes, even after G-O-TEA politicians and media pundits dropped #BundyRanch as their outrage du jour, they continued to cause problems for Mesquite and Bunkerville residents. This is why Rep. Steven Horsford (D-North Las Vegas) and other local leaders have been calling for an end to the armed madness.

But again, all we're hearing from AFP is radio silence. After all its rabble rousing over #BundyRanch last month, it has nothing to say now? Is that because it's now too busy hating on the Columbus Zoo? Or is that because the Kochs have been too busy trying to buy more North Carolina judges?



The Kochs jumped into #BundyRanch when it was politically convenient. But when Cliven Bundy and his gang of "outlaw cowboys" suddenly put the Koch-topus into political trouble, they left the "Range War"... Yet they also left the militia gangs behind to fight each other and cause mayhem in the Virgin Valley. They were more than happy to turn this corner of Southern Nevada into their own personal political sandbox, then they just left that sandbox for us to clean up when their "playmates" became too hot to handle.

The Kochs spent $412 million during the 2012 election cycle. And as a result, we're now dealing with the worst Congress (their) money can buy.

They're at it again. They're already on another political spending spree. And this time, they're even setting their sights on local issues throughout the nation.

What will be the result of all this Koch flavored meddling? What happens when we let our public sphere become a sandbox for a few incredibly wealthy individuals who will leave no stone unturned to further their ideological goals? Are we about to see more political sandboxes turning out of control?

Out of Excuses

So we're not the only ones who recognize the incredibly f**ked up state of the Republican Party today. None other than House Speaker John Boehner (R-Where's He Been?) is chiding his own party for failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). No really, he went there.



Apparently, he doesn't remember that he's Speaker of the House. He's supposed to set the floor agenda. And he can bring HR 15 to the House floor whenever he wants.

So why hasn't he? Speaker Boehner clearly sounds upset over his Congressional G-O-TEA colleagues constantly scuttling reform. So why not just bypass them? If all the "pro-reform Republicans" actually vote for reform, then HR 15 will pass and CIR will be ready for President Obama to sign into law.

What's so complicated about this? Oh, wait. That's right. The 21st Century Know Nothings. House Republican "leaders" just won't stop pandering to them.

But they don't have to. Again, Speaker Boehner is supposed to be in charge. If he truly wants to pass CIR, he can bring HR 15 to the House floor so the House can finally accomplish what the Senate already did 10 months ago.

Over the past year, we've heard Rep. Joe Heck (R-Where's He Been?) pay lip service to "supporting reform". Why can't Speaker Boehner give them the chance to actually do it? Or if Speaker Boehner really doesn't want to "get his hands dirty over this", why can't he at least let them sign the discharge petition for HR 15?

Might Speaker Boehner finally be realizing that he & his G-O-TEA House Caucus are out of excuses? They've tried everything to deflect blame. They've blamed President Obama. They've blamed the Senate. They've blamed CIR activists. And now, they're at the point of blaming their own unhinged base.

Instead of playing this never ending blame game, why don't they just pass HR 15 already? Instead of dumping tons of money into misleading ad campaigns, why don't they try passing useful legislation for a change? It's painfully obvious that House Republicans are out of excuses. So why won't they simply allow a floor vote for the CIR they claim to want?

Standing on Ugly Ground

We tried to warn everyone. We took notice when Cliven Bundy invited Richard Mack and other shady (& rather dangerous) characters to #BundyRanch. And we couldn't mince words when we saw G-O-TEA politicians like Dean Heller, Michele Fiore, & Cresent Hardy rush to Bundy's side.

Even though it was painfully obvious that Cliven Bundy broke the law, G-O-TEA politicians & pundits from across the nation were rushing to #BundyRanch to proclaim "FREEDOM!!!" from the rule of law. It's been embarrassing for all of us here in Nevada to witness. And we're sure it's given the rest of the nation further reason to wonder what the hell is going on in The Silver State.

But now, the level of crazy at #BundyRanch has risen to a whole new level. Cliven Bundy recently did an interview with The New York Times' Adam Nagourney. And now, we're becoming more familiar with Bundy's views on American society in general.



Even prominent conservative curmudgeons like MSNBC's Joe Scarborough have asked Republican politicians to back away from #BundyRanch. And so far, Rand Paul has taken his advice. However, Rick Perry is now trying to have it both ways on Bundy. G-O-TEA media personalities like Dana Loesch continue to make excuses for Bundy. And National Review writer Kevin Williamson still wants to compare the Bundy Gang to Mahatma Gandhi and "the heroes of The Alamo".

Wait, haven't we seen this before? Haven't we seen G-O-TEA politicians & pundits rush to the defense of someone who wanted to "Stand Your Ground"?

Oh, yes. That's right. Around this time last year, G-O-TEA Culture Warriors were hailing George Zimmerman as a "hero" because he "stood his ground" against Trayvon Martin. After all, Martin posed such a dangerous threat with his hoodie, that bag of Skittles, and that bottle of Arizona iced tea.

Earlier this week, MSNBC's Chris Hayes & Michael Eric Dyson discussed how #BundyRanch would be different if there were African-Americans resisting police at an urban or suburban "ranch". Think about it.



Remember that Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis never actually resisted police. They didn't even break the law when they were shot dead. They just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They just happened to be confronted by white men with vigilante fantasies dancing in their heads. And only one of those white men actually faced any sort of penalty for taking an innocent life.

The NRA & the gun industry have fought hard over the years to expand "Stand Your Ground" to Nevada and numerous other states. We're seeing the consequences of this unfold before us now. While innocent people lose their lives because of how "threatening" they look, actual outlaws claim the law is on their side because they have the "right to stand their ground" against such things as federal law.



We tried to warn everyone. We suspected we were standing on some very ugly & unstable ground. We've been allowing the NRA to rewrite the rules on "acceptable use of force". And this is the result. "Welfare King" Cliven Bundy can gleefully "stand his ground" while Trayvon Martin & Jordan Davis lose their lives.

Fringe Is the New Mainstream

Once upon a time, this was merely an oddball case out in a rural corner of Southern Nevada. Not all that long ago, hardly anyone outside the Virgin Valley knew who Cliven Bundy was. He was just the local outlaw rancher who was running his cattle onto federal property (and far beyond designated grazing territory) without paying his fees.

Once upon a time, this was merely a local embarrassment. But now, the Nevada Republican Party has taken up Cliven Bundy's (illegal) cause. And the Koch-topus has taken up this cause and broadcasted it on G-O-TEA media networks nationwide. And the entire world is looking at our state and wondering what the hell we're smoking.

Welcome to Nevada. In our state's Republican Party, fringe is the new mainstream. In this party, Sue Wagner is ostracized to the point of severing ties altogether while Cliven Bundy is celebrated to the point of being declared some sort of outlaw "folk hero".



However, it's no longer just the Nevada Republican Party. It's nationwide. #BundyRanch has been trending nationwide for nearly three weeks. And it's become the latest & greatest cause celebre for G-O-TEA politicians nationwide.

Just a decade ago, the Bush Administration would have used the "domestic terrorist" label to describe the Bundy Gang. But now that Senator Harry Reid (D) is employing the same definition of "domestic terrorism" that Former President George W. Bush used while he was in The White House, G-O-TEA media personalities are feigning "OUTRAGE!!!" while they spread more (already debunked) conspiracy theories about his alleged role in #BundyRanch.

Welcome to the Republican Party of 2014. There, fringe is the new mainstream. Since Sean Hannity has officially declared his undying love & admiration for Cliven Bundy and his merry gang of (fellow) outlaws, G-O-TEA politicians must follow his lead. And more importantly, since the Koch Empire is all in for #BundyRanch, G-O-TEA politicians from across the nation have been endorsing the Bundy Gang's calls for anarchy at gunpoint.

Once upon a time, the Republican Party was known as the "law & order party". Now, it's become the "outlaw & chaos party". Fringe is the new mainstream. And the crazier one sounds, the better chance one has of winning a G-O-TEA primary.

#BundyRanch Hypocrisy, Powered by Koch

All this month, we've heard many tall tales from Cliven Bundy and his merry gang of "fringe of the fringe" radical right extremists. Perhaps the tallest (in terms of most false) has been the tale of the nonexistent Chinese owned solar power plant. G-O-TEA media spinners have been peddling this story for the past two weeks, even though the Chinese company pulled out long ago, the proposed solar power plant was on county land (not federal), and the proposed power plant was sited for that county land in Laughlin, some 180 miles away from Mesquite/Bunkerville. But hey, "DIRTY Harry Reid's assaulting Cliven Bundy to help the China COMMIES!!!!!" sounds so much more salacious and outrageous than "Cliven Bundy broke the law".

Yet even though this outrageous conspiracy theory has already been proven false, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors are still spreading it. And no matter how false this conspiracy theory is, the Koch-topus has no problem spreading it even further. And why's that? This conspiracy theory just so happens to fit perfectly into the Kochs' latest campaign against renewable energy.

But why, oh why, are the supposedly "libertarian" and "pro-free-market" Kochs now attacking renewable energy? And why are they doing so just as the free market is increasingly favoring renewable energy?

The reason is actually quite simple: money. Much of the Kochs' multibillion dollar empire is built on fossil fuels. So really, they view renewable energy companies as competitors to undercut. And they're out to cut the growing green energy sector by drowning it in toxic politics.

Last year, we caught onto the Kochs' and Donors Trust's climate denial campaign. And we've been keeping tabs since then on their efforts to silence the truth about climate change and their campaign to kill clean energy. And we can't help but connect the dots as we notice just how the Koch funded astroturf outfits have been cozying up to the #BundyRanch outlaw gang.

Here's some food for thought: If the Kochs are so "libertarian" and "pro-free-market", then why are they trying to undermine the free market? Why have they been fighting tooth and nail against any effort to level the playing field for clean energy? Why are they fighting against closing tax loopholes that fossil fuel companies regularly exploit? And why are they now encouraging the merry gang of outlaws in Bunkerville who are demanding even more "big government" welfare at our expense?

There's a certain word we're now thinking of. Can you guess it? It has nine letters. It starts with the letter H. And it perfectly sums up the Kochs' meddling in #BundyRanch, as well as their campaign to kill their clean, green competition.

Nation of Laws

This is perhaps the most frightening aspect of the #BundyRanch saga. As Elaine Hurd has so eloquently explained, Cliven Bundy has been threatening our entire way of life with his continued attempts to subvert the rule of law. America is a nation of laws. We are a representative democracy, not a chaotic anarchy.

Since last week, national G-O-TEA astroturf outfits have been jumping into Bunkerville to defend Cliven Bundy's "right" to break the law. And G-O-TEA Culture Warriors from across the nation have rushed in to escalate an already precarious situation. One such G-O-TEA Culture Warrior is Richard Mack.



He was the one who suggested the wannabe #BundyRanch insurrectionists use women as human shields.



He's also known for his rather cozy relationship with white supremacists and extreme right militia groups. He sits on the board of the notorious Oath Keepers. And he's often led the anti-government "Patriot Movement" in its war against any & all efforts at gun violence prevention.

Have the #BundyRanch agitators really thought about what they're advocating? Do they understand the consequences of their endorsement of "Second Amendment Remedies"? If it's OK for them to take up arms to prevent the enforcement of the law, then was it OK for Anita Hill to shoot her son's boyfriend? Was it OK for Frazier Glenn Miller to open fire on that Jewish community center? Was it OK for the Tsarnaev brothers to blow up the Boston Marathon?



The reality of the #BundyRanch "logic" is that there is no logic there. They're essentially advocating the kind of armed combat that terrorists use. And their rallying cry truly looks to be nothing more than dreams of anarchy.

Again, we're supposed to be a nation of laws. We elect a government to make our society a civilized society. How can anyone claim to "love America" when one refuses to participate in our nation of laws?

This Land Is Our Land

On Thursday, we were alerted to a troubling situation near Bunkerville. A local rancher named Cliven Bundy had been illegally sending his cattle onto BLM land. He had racked up a $1,000,000+ bill after refusing to pay grazing fees for over 20 years. And when the BLM was preparing to put an end to Bundy's illegal grazing on federal land, Bundy decided to call in local and national "TEA" fueled allies to provoke armed conflict with the BLM.

And now, the BLM has been forced to stand down at #BundyRanch in order to prevent a bloody, violent end to this conflict. Already, the situation had gone out of hand.



And even now, #BundyRanch is is still a very volatile situation. It's just escalated from a local embarrassment into a national fiasco. And "TEA Party, Inc. definitely had several hands in escalating this conflict.

Remember when Republicans marketed their party as "the law & order party"? Those days now feel like an eternity ago. Now, we have the Nevada Republican Party cravenly endorsing brazen lawlessness. And G-O-TEA politicians & pundits from across the nation have been piling on to worsen an already fragile situation.



Over the past week, all of us in Southern Nevada have witnessed "Stand Your Ground" run amok... Except this ground does not just belong to Cliven Bundy. Gold Butte is ground that belongs to all of us. There's a reason why it's called "public land". Hint: This land is our land, as we are the public.

This is something the Koch-topus has been trying to make us forget. No wonder why it's reared its ugly head to spin this brazen abuse of public property into some sort of demented "freedom fighting". It's just ironic that the "libertarian" "TEA" powered astroturf network is fighting for the very "welfare" it claims to fight against.

This land is our land. This land is ours to protect, ours to cherish, ours to preserve. It's not there for one misinformed man to exercise his anarchist fantasies on. It's not there for Koch backed militias to play "Cowboys & Cops" on. And it's certainly not there to prove every worst assumption everyone makes of America & Nevada.

This land is our land. It's not just Cliven Bundy's. And it's a damned shame that after benefiting from "big government welfare" for all these decades, he has the nerve to tell us we have no rights on what's our land.

Stop Wasting Time. Just #RenewUI

Earlier today, we noted the inexcusable reality of House Republicans' stealth campaign to shut down any last chance of passing comprehensive immigration reform. We also noted their decision to instead focus on... Mindless crap. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Fierce) again took to the Senate floor to condemn House Republicans' latest time wasting gambit. And of course, he pointed out why they're so eager to waste our time (& taxpayer dollars).



As usual, the G-O-TEA Culture Warriors are taking their marching orders from the Kochs. And the Kochs just happen to love Rep. Paul Ryan (R-P90X), his austerity poisoned fiscal policies, and his willingness to subject the entire nation to manufactured crises in order to further the Kochs' radical ideological agenda.

Of course, the above mentioned G-O-TEA Culture Warriors don't like it when Senator Reid (or anyone else, for that matter) speaks the truth about their relationship with the Kochs. So they're now resorting to personal attacks on Senator Reid. And as always, they're running to the media and claiming victimhood in the most pathetic way possible.

Yet while the Kochs and their "TEA" powered ideological soulmates claim to be "victims" of people telling the truth about them, we now have over 34,000 Nevadans and 2.3 million Americans who have become real victims thanks to House Republicans holding federal unemployment insurance (UI) extension hostage. And we're supposed to be "OUTRAGED!!!" over Senator Reid speaking the obvious truth?



The Senate is set to pass its UI extension bill later today. Yet even with the Senate approving its UI extension deal, the lower House of Congress may still be nowhere near approving this deal. And why's that? It's still wasting time on legislation to hurt Paul Ryan's own constituents.

Once again, Senator Dean Heller (R) is asking his former House G-O-TEA colleagues to stop wasting time and join the Senate to #RenewUI already.



Perhaps the Kochs enjoy watching House Republicans waste our time & money on their ideological circle jerks, but the rest of us don't. We've already lost nearly $5 billion worth of economic activity thanks to the G-O-TEA's Koch addiction. Must they waste even more time & money while so many Americans suffer needlessly?

"Rebranding" the Same Old...

Rejoice! It will come! The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced Las Vegas as one of its finalists for the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Despair! It won't come. Already, two national media pundits have declared the RNC won't pick Vegas for 2016. And Jon Ralston's dreams of having a national Republican Party convention in his back yard have officially been dashed.

Does it really matter either way? In terms of political postioning, probably not. Republican Conventions don't have a great track record when it comes to flipping states from Blue to Red.

So why are so many media pundits treating the RNC's convention host selection process like it's a holy grail for 2016? Perhaps because it's easier to do this than to look more closely into the party's serious structural trouble?

Sure, plenty of ink has been spilled over "Republican rebranding". And party "leaders" seem to be suggesting that their 2016 convention selection will be the highlight of all this "rebranding". And of course, this is why many "party insiders" have suggested that Las Vegas is the perfect place to showcase the "rebranded Republican Party".

Well, this would be the perfect location to showcase the Republican Party that's rebranded its way into... Scaring away longtime Republican leaders like Sue Wagner, claiming the likes of (no, not that) Michael McDonald as its "leaders", trying to have it both ways on immigration reform, not even trying all that hard to hide its love of "segregation laws", and always trying its hardest to please its true leaders. Oh, yes. Las Vegas is the perfect location to highlight all the amazing rebranding the Nevada Republican Party has led the national Republican Party into.

And this is why it really doesn't matter where the RNC ultimately chooses to place its 2016 convention. As long as that "Republican rebranding" keeps going nowhere fast, hardly anyone will actually believe the RNC has anything new to offer.

Lessons Learned?

Apparently, this is becoming the hot topic of this election cycle. We've already been discussing the reality behind the Koch Brothers' extreme ideological agenda, as well as the great lengths they're going to amass power on Capitol Hill.

However, they're not alone. They're not the only "TEA Party, Inc." aligned billionaires who spend tons of money buying candidates influencing elections. And now, a character who's rather familiar to us here in Nevada is preparing to reemerge.

Remember Sheldon Adelson? He's back! And this time, he's looking for a new candidate to buy back.

This week, Adelson has summoned 4 likely 2016 Republican Presidential candidates to kiss his ring meet him at the Republican Jewish Coalition spring meeting here in Vegas. And so far, it looks like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R), Ohio Governor John Kasich (R), and Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) will be accepting Adelson's invitation. But why, why is Adelson courting these 4 Republicans?

According to Adelson BFF (& 2011 Las Vegas Mayoral candidate) Victor Chaltiel, "He doesn’t want a crazy extremist to be the nominee." Instead, he wants a less "crazy/extreme looking" G-O-TEA lackey to carry his water and do so competently. Apparently, Adelson learned his lesson after bankrolling Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney in 2012.

And now, Adelson wants to teach his party a lesson. Not only is he afraid of Hillary Clinton, but he's also afraid of his own party's base. And more specifically, he's afraid of Ron Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) rallying the G-O-TEA base to take the Republican Party in a more "libertarian populist" (aka batsh*t crazy "TEA" flavored) direction.

Apparently, Sheldon Adelson hasn't really learned his lessons from 2012. He's still shopping for damaged goods. And he's still picking nasty fights with the Paulistas. And both of these big mistakes will likely return to bite him, just as they did in 2012.

But in the mean time, let's think about the ramifications of Adelson starting another political spending spree. Last we checked, Las Vegas Sands is still facing legal trouble over its shady business operations in China. Meanwhile here in the states, Adelson's newest front group is catching scrutiny over its curious campaign to kill legal online gaming. And now, he wants to buy another Presidential candidate? When did this become "normal politics"?

And when will we develop the courage necessary to change this new, dangerous reality? Perhaps there are still lessons we must learn about money in politics?

No Sympathy

Last month, we saw a local media pundit get awfully butthurt express strong "OUTRAGE!!!" But why? Why all the outrage? Oh, that wily Senator Harry Reid (D) didn't hold back when he called out the Koch Brothers' campaign of deceit.

But why did he lash out at Senator Reid? Why didn't he last out at the shady billionaire brothers behind the nefarious front groups using deceitful campaign ads to buy more seats in Congress?

Alas, it's no longer just a local media pundit chiding Senator Reid for daring to speak the truth. Now, the Beltway pundits are catching up with their own tears shed for the poor lil' rich Kochs.

But why? Why is it "wrong" to fire back after the Kochs' front groups have repeatedly lied about Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA)? And why is it "wrong" to reveal the truth about the Kochs, their lying ads, and their extreme ideological agenda?

Think about it. Their ads are false. They have been spending a ton of money promoting their preferred candidates & ideology. And their ideology happens to be quite extreme in its rejection of pretty much everything that's made America strong.

So please excuse us for showing "The Koch-topus" no sympathy. Unlike certain local & national media pundits, we care more about the truth than Beltway cocktail party protocol. And since the Kochs show their political opponents no sympathy, we don't understand why anyone has to show them any.

The Shade of It All

There's only so much crap we can take. Once we reach a certain point, we can't take any more. And once we reach that certain point, we have had it.

So we totally understood why Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Fierce) spilled his righteous indignation onto America's TV's earlier today. He had it. And he knew he needed to read to filth some shady @ss boogers.



So why the need for this read? House Shade-throwing Oversight Committee Chair Darrell Issa (R-@sshole) admitted that his scandalicious fishing expedition was reaching a "dead end". After all, "there is no there there".

Yet for some reason, Rep. Issa felt compelled to silence the ranking Democratic member of the committee when he dared to speak the truth that pretty much everyone knows.



How many times has Darrell Issa gone on purely political fishing expeditions? And how many times has he come up empty? Dude, give it up. There's clearly no there anywhere.

Unfortunately for all of America, Rep. Issa probably won't take our helpful advice. And why's that? He doesn't listen to us. Hell, he doesn't even listen to his own constituents. Rather, he serves the "TEA" tinged astroturf that sustains his vapid political career.

And this leads us back to Senator Harry Reid (D-Fierce) and his righteous indignation over the "Koch-topus" & its horrifying campaign of deceit. Since the Koch Brothers' dangerously radical agenda downright frightens most voters, they must resort to smoke & mirrors to hide it. And they hate that Senator Reid is fierce enough to reveal what's behind the Kochs' smoke & mirrors.



Surprise, there's nothing but shade! And the "TEA" we find there does not stand for truth... Far from it. No wonder why Senator Reid didn't wince as certain media pundits whined over his deeming "un-American" the Kochs' campaign of lies.

So now, we're coming full circle. And we return to Rep. Steven Horsford. In addition to calling out the G-O-TEA's scandalicious nothingburgers, he exposed the real scandal of the G-O-TEA's despicable obsession with repealing Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act). Yep, he's been on fire today.



But hey, who can blame him? After all, one needs light to expose the shade of it all.

Harsh Language & Misplaced Outrage

It must be that time of the year again. The weather is not as cold outside. The days are starting to feel longer. And Jon Ralston goes off on bizarre tangents.

This time, Ralston is excoriating US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) for daring to speak the truth on the Senate floor.



Indeed, the Koch front groups' attack ads against Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act, or ACA) have been proven false. Their scare tactics are nothing more than air brushed lies. And the Kochs have spent millions of dollars airing these misleading ads in states where they hope to elect Republican US Senators.

So why is Ralston fuming over what Senator Reid said? Oh, that's right. Senator Reid dared to call "un-American" the use of shadowy front groups to pump millions of dollars worth of misleading ads into states where one hopes to buy (additional) seats in Congress.

Of course, we can see why the Kochs are dumping so much money into all these misleading ads. Most Americans still oppose the Koch approved agenda of manufacturing crises in order to find the "sweet spot" for their extreme ideological agenda. And since the Kochs' agenda of "license to discriminate", climate crisis, "Stand Your Ground" (to shoot to kill), privatization of public education, and voter suppression.



So why again are we supposed to be raging against Senator Reid for calling "un-American" the Kochs' underhanded plan to buy more power in government? How was Senator Reid wrong?

If anything, Jon Ralston's outrage seems awfully misplaced. Did Senator Reid use some harsh language in criticizing the latest Koch gambit? Perhaps... But then again, the Kochs ideological agenda is even harsher.

License to Discriminate, Brought to You by Koch

What on earth is going on? The Nevada Legislature is not even in session this year. So why is it grabbing headlines this week?

We can thank SB 192 for this. Even though SB 192 itself died in Carson City last spring, its legacy has quickly been resurrected. And now, it's striking fear in the hearts of civil rights advocates across the nation.

So far this year, various reincarnations of SB 192 are bubbling up through several state legislatures. The most notorious one yet has emerged in Arizona in the form of SB 1062. Meanwhile in Georgia and Missouri, similar "license to discriminate" bills have been introduced.



Clearly, these bills are making waves across the nation... But where did these waves come from? Where did this all begin? The answer may surprise you.

We suspect few people have previously known about the Ethics and Public Policy Center. However, we're sure you've already heard of the Kochs and their burgeoning political empire. And believe it or not, the Kochs' well heeled tentacles reach into the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Oh, and it's also funded by the same "TEA Party, Inc." aligned billionaires' club who are behind such infamous TEA fueled entities as Donors Trust and ALEC.

It turns out that the Ethics and Public Policy Center has an "American Religious Freedom Program". And it turns out that "American Religious Freedom Program" gave birth to the "religious freedom"/"license to discriminate" bills that are now emerging in state legislatures across the nation. So finally, the mystery of the origin of these "license to discriminate" bills has been solved.

And surprise (/snark), these bills come from the same source as the rest of the G-O-TEA legislative agenda. Once again, "TEA Party, Inc." is hiding behind shadowy front groups to push Orwellian legislation to further it's extreme ideology. And this is why we shouldn't be surprised that other G-O-TEA front groups are rushing to back the "license to discriminate" movement.

Astroturf for (G-O-TEA) Politicians

Ah, whatever would we do without the extraordinary astroturfers at "Americans for Prosperity" (AFP)? They keep finding new ways to embarrass themselves. First, they launched #BusWreck2012.



Then, the fine folks at this supposed "charitable foundation" let slip their violation of state election law in failing to disclose their campaign expenditures in a (DEMOCRATIC State Senate??!!) primary. Since then, AFP Nevada has been taking a turn for the absurd by opposing efforts to put our state back to work by investing in renewable energy. They have even offered cheap gas in order to play political games.

And now, it looks like the fine folks at the "educational charity" nearest and dearest to Koch Industries are ready to close the election with quite the big bang!



Yes, this is the "tea party" indoctrination concert we've all been waiting for! And they've been taking to the streets to let everyone know. They've also been carpetbombing visiting neighborhoods to leave this important message.









Yes, the "charitable foundation" working on "issues education" has been doing this. It's dumping doorhangers with scary looking images of President Obama and Shelley Berkley, strange PhotoShop moments, even stranger complaints about rental car fees, lies about Keystone XL, and other ridiculous nonsense. Really, is there anything about AFP that makes sense?

With three weeks left until the final ballots are cast, this "charitable foundation" supposedly focused on "issues education" is preparing one last blitz of ads, events, and other gimmicks designed to distract and mislead. But over time, AFP's "grassroots" have been exposed as astroturf. And the only real "charity" involved is the one meant to help Nevada Republicans.