Virtually Speaking

Race, Ferguson ... cops/prosecutions/TNR/executions. Matt Stoller's review of Al From's book, “The New Democrats and the Return to Power” Avedon Carol & Stuart Zechman & Jay Ackroyd provide the commentary. Political satire from Culture of Truth. folow @Avedon_Says, @Stuart_Zechman @JayAckroyd @Bobblespeak The 2014 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Andrew Jerrell Jones, Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, RJ Eskow, Stuart Zechman

Richard Mayhew talks with Jay Acroyd about the open enrollment period for people using the PPACA exchanges; the role that shopping around plays in creating a competitive environment for insurers and providers (Response to Digby and Dave Dayen);  auto-renewal for December 15 and the reason why everyone on a current Exchange policy needs to log-in and look around, and criticism that shopping for health insurance is overly complex. Then, what we've learned in this first year of Obamacare and propects for future quality and cost of care or the dog that has not barked -- the technology worked this year, and the program is effectively doing what it said it would be doing.  

Ferguson from several angles. Then the policy implications of a Republican senate, and a working pro "business" supermajority in the senate. Andrew Jerrell Jones, Joan McCarter, Jay Ackroyd Links http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/opinion/sunday/where-do-we-go-after-ferguson.html http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2014/11/gaius-publius-bipartisan-corporate-establishment-turns-back-challengers-strengthens-hold-congress.html  

Political satirist Culture of Truth creates this ridiculous moment from the Nov 23 Bobblespeak Translations.

Bengazi, Obamnesty (Immigration). Dems going forward. Political satirist Culture of Truth on the Sunday morning talk shows. Gaius Publius, Marcy Wheeler Jay Ackroyd moderates. Links John Cassidy summarizes Obama's immigration speech LA TImes on the GOP positions Benghazi report - rumor mill Chris Mooney on the jet stream theory for buffalo. Gaius reports from Washington DC http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2014/10/are-democratic-leaders-already-tea.html http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/is-dccc-even-pretending-to-win-tale-of.html http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/shorter-republicans-we-forgive-michael.html http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/enough-is-enough-open-rebellion-caucus.html The 2014 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Andrew Jerrell Jones, Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, RJ Eskow, Stuart Zechman  

Every week Culture of Truth provides satirical commentary on the Sunday Morning Talk shows--a segment called The Most Ridiculous Thing That Happened This Sunday. This week's episode is called "Delivery."

Digby,  David Dayen and Jay Ackroyd discuss the Supreme Court decision to revisit the constitutionality (!) of the PPACA exchanges; speculate on a GOP with control of the legislature, but no chance of overriding a veto; and celebrate (!) the hopeful news on net neutrality. Plus the Most Ridiculous Moment from satirist Culture of Truth. Links The President's net neutrality statement, big win for activists. The GOP's sneaky '16 plan The GOP's crazy "Real Men" crew are back PPACA What's the problem?  All you have to do is fix it.  Linda Greenhouse on SCOTUS and the PPACA The 2014 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Andrew Jerrell Jones, Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, RJ Eskow, Stuart Zechman

Election post-mortem, did candidates "distancing" themselves from Obama and core Democratic policies help them get votes or drive away base Dems? Disarray in the GOP? Robert Reich's statement – on Facebook! – that Dems must get their act together and appeal to regular people's economic needs -- or else we need a new party. And, if there is time ... "pointergate" to insane to be ignored. Dave Johnson, David Waldman provide the commentary, with Jay Ackroyd. Satire from Culture of Truth.   The 2014 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Andrew Jerrell Jones, Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, RJ Eskow, Stuart Zechman

Marcy Wheeler, one of America's premiere investigative journalists focusing on civil liberties, the military/intelligence and other national security issues is the author of the definitive book on the Scooter Libby trial: Anatomy of Deceipt. On EmptyWheel, she routinely breaks news on the intelligence and surveillance topics, and is very influential on these beats in the national press Patrick Eddington is a former CIA officer, and former intelligence staffer to Rush Holt (D-NJ).  His memoir Long Strange Journey covers his time as an intelligence officer. We'll discuss the intelligence community's nature and effectiveness, with a particular focus on Congressional oversight of the intelligence services.

While attending the 2014 Netroots Nation conference, Gaius Publius — contributing writer at AmericaBlog and member of the Virtually Speaking Sunday media panel — conducted three interviews under the heading "Five Questions." In 2014, Gaius spoke with House Democrat Keith Ellison; economist Stephanie Kelton; and Democratic strategist and activist Robert Cruickshank. In this podcast, Gaius talks with Robert Cruickshank about: • RC's view of the so-called "budget for burnable carbon" and the looming climate crisis. • How progressives can win even if Clinton is the 2016 nominee. • RC's journey from Rush Limbaugh–conservative to committed progressive activist. Gauis first published this series of conversations at AmericaBlog. Original link: http://americablog.com/2014/09/five-questions-robert-cruickshank.html   We have it in our power to begin the world over again. –Thomas Paine

Senate races up in the air? Governors' races, too!  The latest from David's Bankster beat.  Commentary from Joan McCarter and David Dayen. Jay Ackroyd moderates. Follow @joanmccarter @ddayen @JayAckroyd The 2014 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Andrew Jerrell Jones, Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, RJ Eskow, Stuart Zechman

Guest host Gaius Publius discusses climate change with Dr. Michael Mann. Gaius has written extensively on climate issues at AmericaBlog and Naked Capitalism. Gaius' write-up of Dr. Mann's Scientific American article, discussed in the interview, is here. The article itself is here.  Gaius and Dr. Mann discussed the three most critical topics in climate activism today — Is two degrees warming too much? Is there any remaining "carbon budget" as the IPCC implies? How do we defeat the Big Money ogre standing in the way of our future? Dr. Michael Mann is Distinguished Professor and Director of the “Earth System Science Center” at Penn State University, and the lead author of a 1999 paper that included what later became famous as the "hockey stick graph," a reconstruction of Northern Hemisphere temperatures for the past 1000 years. It shows a mainly flat line of temperature from the year 1000 through about 1900 — like the stem of a hockey stick — then an almost 90 degree uptick, like the blade of a hockey stick.  The diagram caught the public imagination. Michael Mann has detailed his battle against right-wing retaliation for "catching the public's imagination," in his 2012 book "The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines".

Teachers: armed and dangerous. (How are the kids responding to teachers with loaded weapons?) Climate coming at us. Commentary. David Waldman, Gaius Publius http://www.standard.net/Police/2014/10/10/Teacher-who-accidentally-discharged-weapon-charged-with-midemeanor.html Follow @KagroX @Gaius_Publius @JayAckroyd The 2014 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Andrew Jerrell Jones, Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, RJ Eskow, Stuart Zechman

Senate races, the success of Democratic policy initiatives, including the PPACA and the inadvertent success of the sequester. Joan McCarter — Senior Political Writer and regular front page contributor to Daily Kos. Joan writes about national legislative developments.   — and Jay Ackroyd discuss.

Future of the NFL?  Senate races up in the air?I suggest both a look at how the New York governor’s race is a perfect example of how how corporate, sellout, centrist Dems love to have nutcase Republican opponents as a way to stay in power, as well as more looks into how disastrous our foreign policy is and maybe still some look at racial profiling.  Commentary from Cliff Schecter, Andrew Jerrell Jones, Jay Ackroyd. Follow @sluggahjells @CliffSchecter @JayAckroyd The 2014 Virtually Speaking Media Panel: Andrew Jerrell Jones, Avedon Carol, Cliff Schecter, David Dayen, Dave Johnson, David Waldman, digby, Gaius Publius, Joan McCarter, Marcy Wheeler, RJ Eskow, Stuart Zechman