Elites Demand Voter Identification, But Enable Citizens United Secrecy

“Axis of evil” : voter suppression, gerrymandering, Citizens United, Electoral College. These ensure political influence for elites.

Battery Park Now Under Water Hurricane Sandy

Updated ! George Takei posted a photograph on Facebook at about 11:38 a.m. of Battery Park under water, which WNYC reposted on Facebook. Officials warn the public that the next high tide will be worse.

At 8:32 a.m., WABC Channel 7 Eyewitness News reports that the storm surge associated with Hurricane Sandy have now pushed sea levels along Battery Park in New York City above the concrete sea wall.

Meanwhile, Suzannah B. Troy posted a new video about the weather conditions.

Read also : Lower Manhattan Flooded in 1960 After Hurricane Donna

Lower Manhattan Flooded in 1960 After Hurricane Donna

Related : NYC Hurricane Sandy - Hospital Evacuations and Berger Commission #EPICFAIL

Related : New Hurricane Sandy Danger : Flood-Risk Nursing Homes Told Not To Evacuate

In 1960, Lower Manhattan was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Donna. Will the same thing happen to New York City after Hurricane Sandy makes landfall ? The risk of flooding is being compounded by the high tides and the Full Moon on Monday, October 29, 2012.

From The New York Times :

The hurricane center said through the day on Sunday that Hurricane Sandy was “expected to bring life-threatening storm surge flooding to the mid-Atlantic Coast, including Long Island Sound and New York Harbor.”

Read also : Battery Park Now Under Water Hurricane Sandy

Protest Banned By French Police ; Security Zone Created Around Moroccan King Mohammed VI Castle

The police in the Oise Department in France have banned a long-term demonstration planned to begin Saturday and to end on Friday, November 2, in front of a castle belonging to the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI.

Organizers of the protest, set to take place in front of the King's castle in Betz, a small village north-east of Paris, were requesting that Moroccans denounce “all injustices and indignities” committed by the current dictatorship in Morocco, reported RFI.

“The chief has banned the protests as a preventative measure” confirmed the Oise police department. “He believes that this area, in conjunction with what was planned for the demonstration and with protesters wanting to camp day and night, that it would only lead to incidents of public disorder. This would go against the purpose of the protest.”

French police officers have created a "security zone" around the castle, RFI reported.

Terry Rakolta and Mitt Romney in ''Married ... With FOX'' ?

Mitt Romney's "Married ... With Children" Connection

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a former brother-in-law to Terry Rakolta. Ms. Takolta's relationship with Mr. Romney stems from her sister, Ronna Romney, who is the ex-wife to Mitt's brother, G. Scott Romney. This complex relationship matters.

Ms. Rokolta launched a one-woman letter writing campaign against the Fox Broadcasting Company sitcom, Married... with Children.

In the late 1980's, "Married ... With Children" was the most successful series on the FOX Broadcasting Company, and the controversy over the show's content attracted viewers once word about Ms. Takolta's morality campaign spread. Not only did the ratings of the sitcom "Married ... With Children" benefit from Ms. Takolta's boycott, but so did the situation of the FOX Broadcasting Company, when the company was still struggling.

The link between FOX and Mr. Romney's family was first brought to my attention by Russ DiBello, who posted this information on Facebook.

How does Mr. Romney or his family figure into this scenario ? Some people are questioning why does Rupert Murdoch sometimes express indifference or even disdain toward Mr. Romney, for example, Mr. Murdoch has opposed some elements of Mr. Romney's financial and investment strategy.

Election: To win Romney must open big tent to sympatheticfamilies.Stop fearing far right which has nowhere else to go. Otherwise no hope

— Rupert Murdoch(@rupertmurdoch) September 11, 2012

But no matter that Mr. Murdoch had to personally "evolve" on Mr. Romney's campaign. Mr. Murdoch nonetheless owes some major gratitude to Mr. Romney's family. For, without Ms. Rakolta's morality campaign, "Married ... With Children" might not have been such a success, much like FOX Broadcasting Company.

Yankee Stadium Bailout But Not For St. Vincent's Hospital

Early this morning, Tom McDonald was hosting Sports on 1 on NY1, when a gentleman called into the sports TV show. The caller complained about how governments gave the owners of the new Yankee stadium complex hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies, but yet found no money to bail out St. Vincent's Hospital.

Mr. McDonald brushed off the criticism, saying that the new Yankee Stadium was good for tourism and that funding healthcare or keeping hospitals solvent were not important uses of taxpayer money.

Quinn Skips Chelsea Market Hearing ; Angers Chelsea Voters

Quinn Skips Chelsea Market Expansion Hearing ; Angers Core Chelsea Supporters

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was absent from a City Council Hearing about the zone-busting real estate development expansion project for Chelsea Market by its owner, Jamestown Properties. Speaker Quinn's decision to blow off the hearing angered some of her core supporters.

“It’s her council district. She was elected from a district, even though she’s now got citywide ambitions, and she should be here to hear testimony about a project that’s going to destroy her community,” Michael McKee told The Wall Street Journal. Mr. McKee once worked with Speaker Quinn back in 1989, when she was an organizer with the Housing Justice Campaign.

“She was a great community organizer. She was one of the best I’ve ever met,” Mr. McKee added, “but I don’t know where that Chris Quinn is.”

Also from The Wall Street Journal :

Quinn spokesman Justin Goodman said the speaker doesn’t always appear at hearings, even for projects in her own district. The spokesman noted that she also missed a hearing last year on the closing of St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Frank Rich and Fran Lebowitz - A Review of the Town Hall Conversation

A State of the Union Conversation : An Evening With Frank Rich and Fran Lebowitz

Two plush chairs sat empty on an area rug in the middle of the stage last night at the Town Hall, near Times Square in New York City. The setting was meant to be cozy, but early on the anticipation and tension was already palatable.

Some people who bought tickets were so late taking their seats that, twice, the early birds amongst the audience made noise to bring out the stars of the evening, who eventually took to the stage about 8:15 p.m. or so.

Frank Rich, the former op-ed columnist and drama critic for The New York Times, and Fran Lebowitz, the author and social critic, took to their chairs and shared a conversation about the 2012 presidential election with the audience.

"The whole United States is a protest zone," said Ms. Lebowitz.

Recording devices were banned, so I live-Tweeted some of the more memorable remarks of their conversation.

@healthcarefor99 #FranLebowitz said #healthcare reform should have moved us to a #singlepayer system

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

The Town Hall offered an intimate setting for the conversation. At many times, Mr. Rich and Ms. Lebowitz received loud cheers in recognition of their especially brilliant observations from the audience. A few people even shouted affirmations or retorts, whenever the conversation touched a nerve. At one point, when the same gentleman in the audience made two loud comments in reply to Ms. Lebowitz's witticisms, she said, "Let us know where you are appearing tomorrow, so we can attend." Lots of people wanted to dive into the luxury of taking part in this conversation, because just sitting in their wise presence just wasn't enough.

#FranLebowitz says #racism explains #GOP hate ; #racists get offended if you out them ; msm cowers away calling out racism

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Mr. Rich and Ms. Lebowitz spoke about the tour that their "conversation" was taking them : they had recently appeared in Las Vegas and in Washington, D.C.

#FranLebowitz says if you want a better #government then you have to be a better #citizen

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Mr. Rich began their conversation on a sick and twisted (my words, not his) puff piece published by The Times in which Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticised President Barack Obama and GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

#FranLebowitz said when she was young, being #gay was different. "It was illegal."

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Ms. Lebowitz offered a simple explanation for Mayor Bloomberg's interloping : he is envious that he could not become president.

Ms. Lebowitz said that when she saw Mayor Bloomberg get all involved up in Albany over last year's push for marriage equality in New York State, she said she hoped that Mayor Bloomberg would inspect Park Avenue for potholes as he was driven up to Albany, because potholes in New York City was his elected responsibility as a municipal administrator. This hilarious comment elicited many laughs from the audience.

#FranLebowitz said if we had a #draft in USA then #Bush would not have invaded #Iraq and #Afghanistan

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

At some point, Mr. Rich observed how none of the debates have touched on issues of LGBT equality. And Ms. Lebowitz observed that she was left confused by the LGBT equality movement's focus on getting married and joining the military, because, she said, when she was young, the two advantages of being gay was that you didn't have to get married, and you didn't have to go fight in any wars. There was also the obligatory joke about baby strollers. Her dry wit makes Ms. Leibowitz so attractive to people, who are sick and tired of the political spin of the talking heads on television news.

#FrankRich wondered whether #Obama would ask #Romney which of his sons would #enlist to serve in any future #GOP wars ?

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Mr. Rich circled back to the Bloomberg article in The Times and the observations were made about the shortcomings of the mainstream media.

#FranLebowitz said reporters don't focus on getting real answers from politicians

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Ms. Lebowitz couldn't resist making a joke about Jim Leher getting rolled over in the first presidential debate between President Obama and former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney.

#FrankRich questioned why newspapers write #factcheck articles separate from #news articles ? Do #facts not belong in #news ?

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

The conversation by Mr. Rich and Ms. Lebowitz was very current, you could not tell if any parts of their talk had already been shared at prior speaking events, but Ms. Lebowitz and Mr. Rich did touch on some very basic concerns among progressive voters.

#FranLebowitz said when #GOP say the want to take the country #back they really mean #backwards : repeal of #civilrightsact

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Eventually, the moment of glory : the conversation was opened up to questions from the audience.

#FranLebowitz mocked#MikeBloomberg #sodaban : Why he is #obsessedwithsize ? She doesn't know .... LOL

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Ms. Lebowitz's wisdom and humor was praised by many people in the audience, she is such an insightful thinker and speaker.

#FranLebowitz not surprised #CityCouncil never stood up to #MikeBloomberg and #NYPD treatment of #OWS #rubberstamp

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Her use of humor must have been an embarrassment to many politicians, and Ms. Lebowitz was bipartisan in her criticisms of Mayor Bloomberg, who she called the #Moncarchofminutiae, and of the New York City Council, who did not do anything to keep the NYPD in check as it set out to deliberately crush the #OccupyWallStreet movement. Ms. Lebowitz made the observation that when Mayor Bloomberg shut down efforts by protesters to demonstrate against the invasion of Iraq and against the Republican National Convention in 2004, he did so by trying to designate restricted areas, where activists could hold their protests. Ms. Lebowitz was infuriated. She said that the mayor did not know how the U.S. Constitution worked. Mayor Bloomberg could not restrict areas where protesters could hold their demonstrations. "The whole United States is a protest zone," said Ms. Lebowitz.

#FrankRich questioned why #Obama doesn't raise #environment ; #FranLebowitz said because #Obama takes money to promote #cleancoal

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

Ms. Lebowitz said at one point in the conversation that she didn't believe that voters were interested enough to hear the truth and facts in the news. She said that she thought that people were more interested in hearing lies. She made this observation in connection to some of the salacious political television ads now being aired in the Las Vegas television market. (Her observation was no doubt informed by other experiences.) She said that our whole culture is geared toward fantasy. No child asks their parent, "Daddy, tell me some more statistics before I go to sleep," or some outlandish request along those lines, is what she said. And she is correct. Ms. Lebowitz has rightly tuned into the fact that people are interested in hearing fabrication and lies -- a story of pure make believe. Early on, Ms. Lebowitz also expressed criticisms about the style of reporting in newspapers that placed an emphasis on elaborate literary descriptions of quaint village settings over just reporting facts, which, she said, normally showed up in the third paragraph.

Many people in the audience deliberately took seats that put them closer to the stage, which was a hassle to the staff at the Town Hall, who had to check tickets and move people back to their rightful seats.

One good thing about #OWS was that it brought up the subject of #incomeinequality said #FranLebowitz

— Louis Flores (@maslowsneeds) October 21, 2012

For my part, I would like to register a complaint : even though I bought and paid for my ticket online from Ticketmaster to sit in the second row, for which I paid a fee of $12.55 for that "convenience," and another $1.00 fee for the "facility," the Town Hall still saw fit to charge me $5.00 to pick up my tickets at the Box Office. When I demanded a receipt, the box office assistant refused to give me a receipt.

Our lives are at the mercy of all these fucking fees ! In the "Twilight Zone" that is our political reality in the United States, they can nickel and dime people trying to access a little bit of REAL TALK about the State of the Union. Note how the controversial issues discussed during last night's conversation never seems to take place right on the front pages of The New York Times, not even the issue of race, which, both Mr. Rich and Ms. Lebowitz claimed is the motivation behind the GOP hatred of President Obama. I had to pay an unfair extra $5 for the privilege of hearing Mr. Rich and Ms. Lebowitz, but I wonder what is the real price society-at-large pays for being shut out of this critical conversation ?

Romney Uses Job Intimidation To Extort Votes ?

In a leaked audio recording, GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney is heard telling employers to bully their employees to vote against Barack Obama.

I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections. And whether you agree with me or you agree with President Obama, or whatever your political view, I hope — I hope you pass those along to your employees. Nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision and of course doing that with your family and your kids as well.

Romney Ohio Voting Machine Scandal

Updated 20 October 2012 : 3:40 p.m. Forbes Magazine Article : Romney Family Investment Ties To Voting Machine Company That Could Decide The Election Causing Concern

From Politicol News :

The new owners of Ohio’s voting machines under the brand name HART Intercivic is none other than Tagg Romney the son of one of the candidates Mitt Romney. In recent weeks Tagg has taken a more “active role in his father’s campaign management” but when you look further, he also has a major problem with that role.

By virtue of conflict of interest alone, this role should be investigated by the DOJ preferably involving the addition of the FBI, Homeland Security and the CIA to ensure this connection will not endanger the vote in Ohio and other states.

Protest at Al Smith Dinner Against Budget Cuts

Hundreds of activists comprised of members of Healthcare for the 99% Working Group of Occupy Wall Street, PNHP, ACT UP, the Granny Peace Brigade, Occupy Queens, OCCU EVOLVE, and other groups protest against impending budget cuts to Medicare and healthcare across the street from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where President Obama and Mitt Romney were participating in the annual Al Smith Wall Street fundraiser.

ACT UP activists also rallied in support of a Financial Transaction Tax to raise money to pay for healthcare and treatments to break the HIV infection curve and end AIDS.

Activists first started a moving picket on the sidewalk in front of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, but police closed the public sidewalk to only registered guests of the hotel and to persons paying at least $2,500 to have dinner at the annual Al Smith Wall Street fundraiser.

Inside the hotel, President Obama and Mitt Romney dined on a luxurious menu that included poached lobster tail and dark chocolate tropical fruit cadeau ; meanwhile, due to the fact that Democrats and Republicans refuse to raise taxes on the top 1% of income earners, the federal government faces draconian budget cuts to core programs, such as Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid.

Stein, Honkala Denied Entry To Presidential Debate; Arrested

Democratic and Republican Parties Shut Out Third Party Candidates

Green Party running mates Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala denounced the Commission on Presidential Debates as an "unfair entity" set up by Democratic and Republican leaders to lock third party candidates out of the democratic process, reported Gawker.

From Huffington Post :

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested outside of Hofstra University on Tuesday after attempted to enter debate grounds.

According to Stein's campaign press statement, Stein and running mate Cheri Honkala joined supporters outside the Hofstra campus at 2pm, where Stein declared, "We are here to bring the courage of those excluded from our politics to this mock debate, this mockery of democracy." When they started to walk onto the debate grounds, they were stopped by police officers, and then the two women sat down on the ground. ...

Green Party Candidates Get Arrested Outside Hofstra Debate

Jill Stein, Cheri Honkala Arrested Before Hofstra Debate

Jill Stein And Cheri Honkala Were Arrested Before Hofstra Debate

From Huffington Post :

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested outside of Hofstra University on Tuesday after attempted to enter debate grounds.

According to Stein's campaign press statement, Stein and running mate Cheri Honkala joined supporters outside the Hofstra campus at 2pm, where Stein declared, "We are here to bring the courage of those excluded from our politics to this mock debate, this mockery of democracy." When they started to walk onto the debate grounds, they were stopped by police officers, and then the two women sat down on the ground. ...

Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala protest and get arrested at Hofstra Debate

Jill Stein And Cheri Honkala Were Arrested Before Hofstra Debate

From Huffington Post :

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was arrested outside of Hofstra University on Tuesday after attempted to enter debate grounds.

According to Stein's campaign press statement, Stein and running mate Cheri Honkala joined supporters outside the Hofstra campus at 2pm, where Stein declared, "We are here to bring the courage of those excluded from our politics to this mock debate, this mockery of democracy." When they started to walk onto the debate grounds, they were stopped by police officers, and then the two women sat down on the ground. ...

Felix Baumgartner Space Jump Video

Watch Felix Baumgartner leap from a stratospheric helium balloon at more than 120,000 feet and freefall at the speed of sound before opening his parachute and returning to Earth. (October 14, 2012)