Blue Mass Group

Fascinating.

1.  Denver – police fire rubber bullets at 2000 peaceful marchers in Denver Here is a link to some youtube video from Denver,   today:  http://www.businessinsider.com/denver-police-fire-rubber-bullets-on-occupy-protesters-2011-10 And yes – the World is watching – and calls, faxes, and legal action are already underway.  The Occupy Denver group has vowed to reform, regroup, and keep going.   Don’t you love seeing one policeman hold someone while another stabs and hits the defenseless citizen with a baton in this bit of citizen journalist videotaping:    http://youtu.be/IDTvdAYkKdg   The photo above the article of a line of policeman with rifles poised is from Channel 9 in Denver – I am told that journalists were also arrested.  For the “official” statement voted on by Occupy Denver itself, go to:  http://occupydenver.org/ You can also read about police firing rubber bullets at kids in trees and see wounds and more citizen videotape. Occupy Denver continues to stand strong for economic justice and civil liberties, unlike Denver’s elected leadership and the orders given to – and followed by – Denver police. In Albany the police said no:  http://my.firedoglake.com/robertarend/2011/10/24/occupy-albany-cops-refused-orders-to-shut-it-down/ 2.  And then there is Nashville – Occupy Nashville is still standing tall, as well, defending first amendment rights and civil liberties better [...]

It remains somewhat unclear exactly what the Occupy movement, as a whole, “wants.”  Clashes with police are distracting from the group’s overall message.  And it remains to be seen whether the protests, many of which are located in northern cities, can withstand the faster-than-expected approach of winter. Nonetheless, it seems to me that the Occupy movement has dramatically shifted the center of gravity in this country’s political conversation.  A little while back, all anyone seemed to care about was reducing the deficit (even though that is a completely misguided strategy in an economic downturn).  Now, as Joshua Holland at AlterNet points out, In just one month, the protesters have shifted the national dialogue from a relentless focus on the deficit to a discussion of the real issues facing Main Street: the lack of jobs — and especially jobs with decent benefits — spiraling inequality, cash-strapped American families’ debt loads, and the pernicious influence of money in politics that led us to this point. How has this happened?  Well, first of all, they just wouldn’t leave, which more or less forced the mainstream media into finally covering the protests.  But I think it cannot be overlooked that they happen to have [...]

Via Daily Kos: A Google Doc of income inequality by Congressional District and a link to the Census Bureau’s most recent American Community Survey. And, from the Columbia Journalism Review, a good takedown of a fraudulent American Enterprise study.

Onion: Mitt Romney’s Goal: To Connect With One Voter By The Time This Is All Over BELMONT, MA—While he is widely favored to win the Republican nomination for president next year, Mitt Romney told reporters Monday that deep down, what he truly wants is to actually establish a real, authentic connection with at least one voter before his campaign ends. Romney says he wants just one person out there to appear the slightest bit excited about him. The anguished former Massachusetts governor, who conceded many in his party will recognize him as their most electable candidate and vote for him only by default, said victory in the primaries will mean nothing to him if he remains incapable of energizing a single member of the American electorate. “I’m getting a lot of support just by virtue of being the Republican in the race most likely to beat Obama, and that’s good, I guess,” Romney said. “But I suppose I was hoping for a stronger, more emotional reaction from people. When this whole thing is over, all I really want is for one person to truly, earnestly believe in me—to look me in the eye as if to say, ‘I’m with you, [...]