The American Trial Lawyers Association

According to a new report by Raw Story, a newly leaked military document shows that the Pentagon knowingly exposed US troops to toxic chemicals that cause cancer, while publicly downplaying the risks that their exposure might cause. The document details the risks posed to US troops in Iraq by burning garbage at a US airbase, and identifies various carcinogens that result from the burning. Because of the difficulties in testing samples, investigators could not prove that chemicals exceeded military exposure guidelines. But a military document released last December found that chemicals routinely exceeded safe levels by two to six times. In Iraq, most of the garbage that was to be burned was transported and disposed of by none other than KBR. Last December, the Pentagon issued a "Just the Facts" sheet about the burn pits to troops. While acknowledging that lab tests from 2004-2006 had found occasional carcinogens, it asserted that the potential short- and long-term risks were estimated to be low due to the infrequent detections of these chemicals. An investigation by the Army Times in 2008 found that dozens of soldiers who were constantly around these burn pits were developing serious, chronic respiratory diseases.


In other news, Chuck Norris, the washed up actor and inventor of Chun Kuk Do, is calling all of his conservative brethren to rebel against the United States. During an interview with Glenn Beck, Norris claimed that thousands of right wing groups from across the country have united, and they are ready for a second American revolution. Norris said quote, “Thousands of cell groups will be united around the country in solidarity over the concerns for our nation. We view ourselves on the eve of battle.” Maybe its just me, but that sounds an awful lot like the Taliban's method of doing business. In addition to this insurrection, Norris also says that the wants – and these are his words, not mine – but he says he wants to be the PRESIDENT of Texas. I'm not sure if he just has no understanding of how state governments work, or if he's planning on having Texas become New America after his Republican revolution. But I guess its true what they say – There is no chin underneath Chuck Norris's beard; just the face of a douchebag.


And finally today, in what is arguably the worst story I've ever had to report on here, a new study released in Great Britain shows that one in seven men think that it is actually ok to hit women, under certain circumstances. One of those circumstances is if the woman wears sexy or revealing clothing in public. Another might be, and this is according to the survey, if a wife or girlfriend is constantly moaning or nagging at the man. The findings of this survey also revealed that about a quarter of people believe that wearing sexy or revealing clothing should lead to a woman being held partly responsible for being raped or sexually assaulted. Not surprisingly, the majority of people who hold these views are either very old, or are members of the lowest class rankings in England. This story isn't just sad because hitting women is wrong – we all know that – but its mostly sad because the whole world has always looked to Britain as a source of intelligence and high class. Now they find themselves on the same rung of the social ladder as a guest on Jerry Springer.

Labels: Britain, Burn Pit, Cancer, Chuck Norris Facts, Farron Cousins, GoLeft.tv, GoLeftTV, Iraq, Jerry Springer, KBR, Pentagon, Republican, Revolution, Spousal Abuse, Texas, The Daily Left, Trailer Park

It's difficult to conclude which side looked the most ridiculous last week during the congressional hearings on bank bailouts. On one side of the room were silk-stocking bank CEOs who had to admit that they had not really used their bailout money the way they promised they would. On the other side of the room were U.S. congressmen who looked foolish and naïve when they discovered that those bank CEOs had hustled the system from the first day they received their corporate welfare. Some congressmen looked shocked as they listened to all the ways those Wall Street bankers had lied to America in order to get possession of taxpayer bailout money.


A couple of congressmen looked particularly brain dead when they suggested that, golly, maybe they should have put some things down in writing back in October when congress and our last president handed over $350 billion to a room full of bank CEO failures. Ya think?


Back then, Citigroup, Bank of America, and every other mismanaged bank that had enough money to fly their corporate jet to D.C. was making promises they knew they would never keep. Frankly, any rational thinking congressman should have known those banker promises were meaningless. It was a group that looked too lean, hungry and desperate.


So just how badly have we been hustled? Here are a few parts of the story: The ink had barely dried on Bank of America's first $25 billion bailout check before they used $7 billion of that bailout money to buy a bank in China. That Chinese bank has no connections to the U.S. They don't employ U.S. citizens. They don't lend money to American taxpayers.


Another place Bank of America spent more than $10 million was on K-Street lobbyists who were hired to help stop union initiatives aimed at giving workers the right to organize. Put another way, Bank of America took taxpayer money so they could lobby against a huge number of taxpayers who gave them that money.


You would think Bank of America is on a mission to advertise just how unsophisticated and foolish our Congress and our last president was to actually accept the promises of a room full of desperate bankers with no strings attached.


Bank of America and most of the other welfare recipient bankers have gone as far as raising interest rates on existing credit cards, along with cutting lines of credit on some of their most reliable customers. They have almost eliminated small business lending entirely. Their promise to end the foreclosure mania was just as meaningless as their promise to preserve jobs within their industry. In fact, Bank of America, after spending most of their bailout money, now tells us they intend to lay off 35,000 of their workers.


There are no surprises here. Mark Twain gave us some accurate insight into the character of an entity like Bank of America. He said, “a banker is a fellow who lends us an umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain.” Is that really the kind of entity we should lend money to with no ground rules?

Labels: air america radio, Bailout, Bank of America, Drunk, Economy, GoLeft.tv, GoLeftTV, Mike Papantonio, pap attack, Recession, ring of fire, Super Bowl Party, Union Busting

Bank of America has certainly been enjoying themselves after receiving $25 billion dollars from the government. From Super Bowl parties to investing in non-American companies, Bank of America has blown money on everything except things that would actually help our economy. Mike Papantonio talks with Brave New Films founds Robert Greenwald about how this bank is squandering our tax dollars and continuing to destroy our economy.

Labels: air america radio, Bank of America, Brave New Films, Economy, GoLeft.tv, GoLeftTV, Mike Papantonio, Recession, ring of fire, Robert Greenwald, Stimulus, Super Bowl Party, unemployment

By Mike Papantonio


Last Sunday, the pastor in the church I attend prayed for Barack Obama. That pastor prayed that Obama would have the strength and wisdom to guide America. I'm certain that the majority of that congregation agreed that we should all pray for Obama's success. It made me proud to be a member of that church during that prayer.


I wish Rush Limbaugh had been there. Because the week before Limbaugh made the statement on his radio show that he hoped that Obama's efforts to pull America through these dark days would fail. His words were: “I hope Obama fails. Somebody's got to say it.” He went as far as telling his lockstep listeners that he was angry at Republicans who are pulling for Obama to succeed.


I'm pretty sure there are preachers all over this country leading congregations in prayers that make the same plea my pastor made last Sunday. And I'm comfortable knowing that the power of those prayers are much stronger than the repugnant hate talk of an aging radio host in search of a bigger audience.


It's important to consider the specifics of what Limbaugh is hoping for in Obama's failure. Eight million Americans lost their homes to foreclosure during the Bush years. Perhaps if Limbaugh could step out of his 25,000 square foot home and see the pain of a mother and father telling their children that they just lost their home, maybe then he would want Obama to succeed.


Or maybe Mr. Limbaugh could step away from his $400 million dollar job long enough to be on sight the day a factory or a bank or a restaurant closes. And maybe he could follow one of those fathers home to tell his family that he just lost his job. Maybe then he would want to pray for Obama, rather than hope Obama fails. Or what if he heard one of the closed-door conversations that takes place late at night in the privacy of a bedroom between a husband who got his last paycheck and a wife who has to figure out how she will feed her children and keep a roof over their heads? Rush Limbaugh has probably never heard one of those conversations that take place with hushed whispers … quiet conversations that take place when parents don't want to frighten their children.


It might even be a good idea for this pathetic radio demagogue to put his solid gold microphone down for a few days and spend some time with his Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity chicken-hawk crowd touring V.A. hospitals. Perhaps then Mr. Limbaugh, who himself received a military deferment, could appreciate Obama's effort to end W's Iraq disaster instead of hoping for Obama's failure.


These latest words give us a creepy picture of the real heart and soul of Mr. Limbaugh. Because as he rallies his ditto-head crowd around the hopes of failure for Obama, he is in effect hoping that all of America fails.


But last Sunday, a prayer of hope and compassion delivered by a preacher who truly cares about America made Rush sound like the petty, irrelevant demagogue that he has worked so hard to become.

Labels: air america radio, Barack Obama, democrat, Economy, failure, GoLeft.tv, GoLeftTV, manufacturing, Mike Papantonio, president, Recession, ring of fire, rush limbaugh, unemployment

Mike Papantonio of Air America's Ring of Fire apears on Your World with Neil Cavuto to talk about Nancy Pelosi's plan to raise taxes on the top 2 percent of Americans by repealing the Bush tax cuts.

Labels: Barack Obama, Economy, Fox News, GoLeft.tv, GoLeftTV, Mike Papantonio, NAncy Pelosi, Neil Cavuto, Recession, tax Cut, Taxes, War, Your World