Rachel Maddow, on the conservative media embracing conspiracy theories. 

quickhits:

Former GOP campaign staffer busted for waging his own personal War on Women.

Raw Story: A former intern for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was arrested Tuesday over an alleged sexual extortion scheme.

In a press release, the FBI said 21-year-old Adam Savader allegedly stalked 15 different women from three states between May 2012 and this past February.

The New York Daily News reported that Savader was a political science major at SUNY Farmingdale. He had worked on the political campaigns of Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, and Romney.

Savader claimed to have nude photos of the women, and threatened to release the photos unless they sent him more. He demanded that one woman answer “a series of personal questions, relating to sexual preferences, positions, etc.,” according to a FBI complaint. He also informed at least two women that he was masturbating to their stolen pictures.

“I swear on all that is holy. If you fuck with me again I will send these to your parents. I have no problem sending them to ur [sic] parents, friends and sorority sisters unless you cooperate by answering me,” he allegedly told one woman.

Some of the victims attended the same high school as Savader, according to the complaint.

Read more here.

Three years ago, Charles and David Koch, the billionaire industrialists and supporters of libertarian causes, held a seminar of like-minded, wealthy political donors at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen, Colo. They laid out a three-pronged, 10-year strategy to shift the country toward a smaller government with less regulation and taxes.

The first two pieces of the strategy — educating grass-roots activists and influencing politics — were not surprising, given the money they have given to policy institutes and political action groups. But the third one was: media.

Other than financing a few fringe libertarian publications, the Kochs have mostly avoided media investments. Now, Koch Industries … is exploring a bid to buy the Tribune Company’s eight regional newspapers, including The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, The Orlando Sentinel and The Hartford Courant.

Ron Johnson voted against common sense gun legislation.

Call him: 202-224-5323

Followers in other states: you can find contact information for your Senator here.  As President Obama said, “ you need to let your representatives in Congress know that you are disappointed, and that if they don’t act this time, you will remember come election time.”

(Source: twitter.com)

msnbc:

Newtown father responds to the defeated gun bill.

rachelinbrooklyn:

via

Dangerous and unconstitutional legislative restrictions, unceasing harassment, threats of violence and fearful doctors having to hide their identities for self-protection: this is what it means to be on the front line of trying to deliver legal and necessary reproductive health care to women in Wichita and other parts of the country where zealous right-wing politicians and activists on the political fringe currently hold sway.

There is nothing about the United States that I love more than the Great Lakes. I spent my college years on the shore of one of them, and I’ve spent time roaming around one part or another of the rest of them. They are a miracle of nature. They are an astonishing example of the immense natural gifts bestowed by Whoever on this continent. They were unquestionably vital to the growth of almost everything about this country, from its population, to its economy, to its work, and to its play.

And, yes, we’re screwing them up, too.

workingamerica:

75 bills restricting voting rights intro’d in 30 states…in 2013 alone.

When reporting on the the departure of J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson after just 17 months on the job, the “Today” show aired the photo of Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson in error.

The Beltway common wisdom on this is wrong. The social conservatives have triumphed in the Republican Party. And you could tell it — not from what they say to the Beltway press — you can tell it from how they are using the power that they have in governing all over the country.

You cannot distill this stuff out of the Republican Party. This is the Republican Party. If you kicked them out of your bedroom, they would have no idea where else to go.

Like it or not, younger Americans are thirsty for change that lines up with their more liberal cultural worldview.

Advantage Democrats.

A woman living here has registered to vote, thereby assuming responsibility of citizenship.

Election day, Wisconsin!  Head to the polls by 8:00 tonight!  And remember, you can register to vote right at your polling place.  

Please consider voting Ed Fallone for Supreme Court Justice and Tony Evers for State Superintendent. 

Find your polling place here.

Roggensack declined to recuse in a case where one party was represented by Donald Schott, an attorney who had represented her in a 2008 proceeding before the Government Accountability Board. She has also refused to disclose whether she received Schott’s services for free or at a reduced rate. And when lawyers for the losing side filed a motion saying Roggensack should have recused herself, she actually participated in a decision ruling that she didn’t need to recuse.

Her behavior received national attention. “Roggensack’s participation in judging her own conduct showed astounding disregard for legal ethics and every litigant’s right to impartial justice,” The New York Times declared.

Please consider voting Ed Fallone for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice on April 2nd.  And remember, you can already vote early at your Municipal Clerk’s office.