{"id":13119,"date":"2014-06-30T01:04:17","date_gmt":"2014-06-30T08:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=13119"},"modified":"2014-06-30T01:04:17","modified_gmt":"2014-06-30T08:04:17","slug":"open-thread6302014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2014\/06\/30\/open-thread6302014\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–6\/30\/2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 70.  I\u2019m writing for tomorrow and am feeling a bit groggy, having just awakened from a much needed nap.  Where have the weekend and the month gone?<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today’s took me 3:53 (average 4:55).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From Daily Kos<\/a>: <\/font>Multi-millionaire Nick Hanauer is no dummy. He sees the writing on the wall.<\/p>\n

I’d strongly suggest you read this entire piece titled "The pitchforks are coming . . . for us Plutocrats"<\/a><\/p>\n

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And what do I see in our future now? <\/p>\n

I see pitchforks.<\/p>\n

At the same time that people like you and me are thriving beyond the dreams of any plutocrats in history, the rest of the country\u2014the 99.99 percent\u2014is lagging far behind. The divide between the haves and have-nots is getting worse really, really fast. In 1980, the top 1 percent controlled about 8 percent of U.S. national income. The bottom 50 percent shared about 18 percent. Today the top 1 percent share about 20 percent; the bottom 50 percent, just 12 percent.<\/p>\n

But the problem isn\u2019t that we have inequality. Some inequality is intrinsic to any high-functioning capitalist economy. The problem is that inequality is at historically high levels and getting worse every day. Our country is rapidly becoming less a capitalist society and more a feudal society. Unless our policies change dramatically, the middle class will disappear, and we will be back to late 18th-century France. Before the revolution.<\/p>\n

And so I have a message for my fellow filthy rich, for all of us who live in our gated bubble worlds: Wake up, people. It won\u2019t last.<\/p>\n

Read more: http:\/\/www.politico.com\/…<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It’s rare to see truth coming from a billionaire. Click through.<\/font><\/p>\n

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>The Libyan militia leader charged in connection with the 2012 attacks in Benghazi<\/a> that killed the United States ambassador and three others was brought to Washington early Saturday, where he entered a not guilty plea at the federal courthouse, formally opening one of the most complicated terrorism cases the Justice Department has mounted in recent years.<\/p>\n

The suspect, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was flown to Washington by helicopter from a Navy warship that had steamed across the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea after he was captured by American commandos at a seaside villa near Benghazi two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

Obama is getting away with doing exactly what he is supposed to do.  Republicans must be livid!<\/font><\/p>\n

From Crooks and Liars<\/a>: <\/font>This is becoming a habit for Meet the Press host David Gregory<\/a>. Does anyone think he really does not know that the Republicans and their continued obstruction<\/a>, blocking rebuilding our infrastructure and President Obama’s jobs plan, shutting down the government and costing the economy billions of dollars<\/a> and refusing to cooperate on anything if heaven forbid it might make the president look good has harmed our economy?<\/p>\n

Whether he does or not, it didn’t stop him from playing concern troll for John Boehner and the Republicans during his interview with former President Bill Clinton this week, from the way he framed this question to begin with, to the follow up question where he pretended to be clueless on the way they’ve governed.<\/p>\n