Rand Paul's Budget Filibuster Came Up Short

Why Voting Rights Groups Are Upset About Obamacare's Federal Exchanges

Why Voting Rights Groups Are Upset About Obamacare's Federal Exchanges:



snip

The groups' concerns are colliding with another priority of Obama's presidency: his sweeping health care law. Voting rights activists say that in rolling out Obamacare -- specifically its federally operated health care exchanges -- the administration hasn't done enough to comply with the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. They are threatening to sue the administration over the alleged violations, according to a letter sent by Demos, ProjectVote and League of Women Voters of the U.S. to the White House Wednesday.

The federal law, also known as the "Motor Voter" Law, spells out the ways government services and assistance programs must provide participants the opportunity to register to vote. Because it offers enrollment in Medicaid and other public assistance, the federal exchange is one such program.

Republican Candidate Tax Plans Cost TRILLIONS

Agreement Is Seen as Short-Term Relief for Medicare and Social Security - The New York Times

Agreement Is Seen as Short-Term Relief for Medicare and Social Security - The New York Times:



snip

AARP, a lobby for older Americans, praised the agreement on Tuesday, though it said the legislation “will not provide a long-term solution to the funding challenge facing the Social Security disability insurance trust fund.”

Without action by Congress, some Medicare beneficiaries were facing an increase of more than 50 percent in their standard monthly premiums, to about $159, from the current amount of a little less than $105.

Continue reading the main story

RELATED COVERAGE

• 

  No Social Security Raises Even if Medicare SoarsOCT. 15, 2015

• 

  Congress and Obama Administration Seek Ways to Limit Increase in Medicare PremiumsOCT. 5, 2015

Instead, if the budget agreement is approved by Congress, the basic Medicare premium would rise in January to $120 a month for about 30 percent of beneficiaries. The annual deductible, now $147, would increase to about $167 for all beneficiaries, rather than the $223 projected under current law.

About 70 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will not see any increase in their Medicare premiums next year because of a provision of federal law that links premiums to Social Security benefits, which will be frozen in 2016 after a year of unusually low inflation — a byproduct of plummeting gasoline prices. For the third time in 40 years, Social Security will not provide a cost-of-living adjustment in benefits next year.

ALL Highlights GOP presidential Debate Boulder, CO 10-28-2015 #GOPDebat...

Rand Paul: Bernie Sanders May Kill Ten Million People

Truth Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford Drama...

Budget deal cuts 10-year deficits by $80 billion, CBO says

Paul Ryan Will Support The Budget Deal

Paul Ryan Will Support The Budget Deal:



snip

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who will likely be elected speaker of the House this week, announced on Wednesday morning that he will support the deal to raise the debt ceiling and set a two-year budget, despite his comments on Tuesday that the process Congressional leaders used to reach the deal "stinks."

"Once again, we are facing a hard deadline and few good options. There is no doubt that a better process would have produced a better result. If I’m elected speaker, we will begin a conversation about how to approach these big issues — as a team — long before we reach these kinds of deadlines. We simply can’t keep doing business this way," Ryan wrote in a statement.

But Ryan said that he will determine his vote based on the "substance of the bill" and any available alternatives to the deal.

The Most Shocking Details Of The Denny Hastert Scandal May Never Be Known

The Most Shocking Details Of The Denny Hastert Scandal May Never Be Known:



snip

Disgraced former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is expected to walk into a federal courthouse Wednesday morning in downtown Chicago and plead guilty to charges that stemmed from an alleged agreement to pay out millions of dollars in hush money to a mysterious "Individual A."

And people who have watched the case told TPM on Tuesday that thanks to the plea deal with federal prosecutors, reports of sexual misconduct against one of Hastert's former students will remain vague—at least for now.

The former House speaker's sudden indictment at the end of May shook the political world. The indictment itself was rather banal, charging Hastert with a count of structuring bank withdrawals to avoid detection and a count of lying to the FBI about those withdrawals. Hastert allegedly agreed to pay $3.5 million to "Individual A" to compensate for "prior misconduct" against that person, according to the indictment. Notably, the indictment referenced Hastert's tenure as a teacher and wrestling coach at a high school in Yorkville, Illinois prior to his election to Congress. It also specified that "Individual A" resided in Yorkville for much of his or her life and knew Hastert for most of his or her life as well.

The True Cost Of Fossil Fuels

Obama Helping GOP Cut Social Security

MoveOn Petitions - Expand Social Security.

MoveOn Petitions - Expand Social Security.:

Social Security benefits should be expanded, not cut.

There are currently 3,336 signatures. NEW goal - We need 4,000 signatures!

PETITION BACKGROUND

The Republican leadership has agreed to a deal to keep the government operating, raise the debt limit, and ensure that all Social Security benefits continue to be paid in full and on time beyond 2016. When hostage takers release their hostages, we are, of course, relieved that the hostages are no longer in harm’s way, but this is nothing to celebrate. That the ransom isn’t steeper is also not something to celebrate.

The deal does include some good provisions: Medicare beneficiaries will not experience the drastically large premium increases that were set to take effect next year. It also closes a loophole that was introduced in the law relatively recently that allows wealthier Americans to game the system by claiming extra benefits inconsistent with the goals of the program. 

Social Security Beneficiaries Stiffed Amid Benefits Debate

Social Security Beneficiaries Stiffed Amid Benefits Debate:

WASHINGTON -- Tens of millions of Social Security beneficiaries will not get a raise in 2016, the government announced on Thursday.

"With consumer prices down over the past year, monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for nearly 65 million Americans will not automatically increase in 2016," the Social Security Administration said in a press release.

The news comes on the heels of a debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has advocated changing the way cost-of-living adjustments are calculated so that seniors are more likely to get annual raises.

"It is unacceptable that millions of senior citizens and disabled veterans will not be receiving a cost-of-living adjustment to keep up with their rising living expenses,” Sanders said in a statement Thursday. "At a time when senior poverty is going up and more than two-thirds of the elderly population rely on Social Security for more than half of their income, our job must be to expand, not cut, Social Security."

Clinton, on the other hand, declined to say during the debate Tuesday night if she supported expanding benefits in the way Sanders did. Her campaign has not responded to further requests for comment from The Huffington Post.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meanwhile, indicated this week that he wanted to make Social Security's cost-of-living adjustments less generous as part of a budget deal with President Barack Obama.

Traumatized Trump: Daddy Only Gave Me A Million Dollars At First

Union-Made in America Halloween Candy Shopping List

Union-Made in America Halloween Candy Shopping List:



 "AFL-CIO NOW
Search:
Home >



 AFL-CIO Now > Other News > Union-Made in America Hallo...
Share
7K
Facebook
7K


Union-Made in America Halloween Candy Shopping List
38COMMENTS10/14/2014Jackie Tortora



 If you want your Halloween to be all treats and no tricks, make sure all your candy is union-made in America. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor's resource site, Labor 411, has an extensive list of union-made candies. Here are some highlights, featuring sweets made by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW):



 1. Baby Ruth
2. Butterfinger
3. Candy House Buttons
4. Caramello 
5. Clark Bar
6. 5th Avenue chocolate bar
7. Ghirardelli Chocolates
8. Halloween Candy Corn (Herman Goelitz Company)
9. Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses
10. Hershey's Extra Dark Chocolate bar
11. Hershey's Hugs
12. Hershey's Kisses and Kissables
13. Hershey's Nuggets
14. Hot Tamales
15. Jelly Belly
16. Kit Kat bars
17. Laffy Taffy
18. Malted Milk Balls
19. Mary Jane
20. Mike and Ike
21. Peanut Chews
22. Rolo
23. Smarties
24. Super Ropes
25. Tootsie Roll
26. Trolli"



'via Blog this'

After giving donation to charity, Sanders uses Pharma-Bro to raise money. His reaction? Priceless.

After giving donation to charity, Sanders uses Pharma-Bro to raise money. His reaction? Priceless.:



snip

Martin Shkreli is the hedge fund millionaire who bought a drug that treats AIDS patients, and immediately raised the price to $750 per tablet—a more than 3,000% increase.

He soon became the most hated man on the Internet (with both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders denouncing his greed), but his arrogance truly knows no bounds.

First, he reneged on the price increase—while insisting it was still justified, and only because of all the bad press he's been getting.

Then, Shrkeli gave the maximum legal donation to Bernie Sanders’ campaign ($2,700) because he thought he could then request a meeting—and present his case as to why the price hike was justified.

Apparently, he thought (like many millionaires) that he can buy access to a politician—but instead got a rude awakening. Not only did Sanders refuse to meet with him, but he gave the $2,700 donation to an AIDS charity.

And now, Bernie Sanders is using Shkreli to raise even more money for his campaign and is calling for a congressional investigation to look into the price gouging:

Buy Union-made Candy For Halloween. Here's a List.

Buy Union-made Candy For Halloween. Here's a List.:

This here link gives the following list of candies made by union workers:

5th Avenue
Abba-Zaba Original and Strawberry
Almond Roca
Baby Ruth
Big Hunk
Butterfinger
Cadbury
Jelly Belly Candy Corn
Candy House Buttons
Caramello Bar
Clark Bar
Disney Jelly Beans
Ghirardelli Chocolates
Gimbal’s Fine Candies
Harry Potter Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans
Hersheys Kisses and Hugs
Hersheys Nuggets
Hot Tamales candies
Jawbreakers
Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
Kit Kat Bars
Laffy Taffy
LOOK!
Mallo Cups
Mary Jane
Mighty Malts Malted Milk Balls
Mike and Ike
Necco Candy Wafers
Nestle
Pearsons Candy
Red Vines Red Licorice and Black Licorice
Rocky Road Original, Dark, Mint, and S’Mores
Rolo
Russell Stover Candy
Sconza Candy
See
Sip-n-chew
Smarties
Smarties Candy Lipstick
Snaps
Sour Punch
Sunkist Candies
Super Ropes
Sweethearts Mummy Hearts
Thin Mints
Tootsie Rolls
Trolli
U-NO
Zagnut
Zours

PS: I try to avoid Mars candy. The Mars family has colluded with other 1-percenters to repeal the Estate Tax. See this Wikipedia article.

U.S. lawmakers call for more oversight of workers’ comp

U.S. lawmakers call for more oversight of workers’ comp



snip

This originally appeared on ProPublica.

This story was co-published with NPR.

Ten prominent Democratic lawmakers, including presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, are urging the U.S. secretary of labor to come up with a plan to ensure that state workers’ compensation programs are properly caring for injured workers.

The lawmakers’ letter, sent Tuesday, was prompted by an investigation by ProPublica and NPR, which found that more than 30 states have cut benefits to injured workers, created daunting hurdles to getting medical care or made it more difficult for workers with certain injuries and illnesses to qualify.

As a result, some workers have been evicted from their homes, denied prosthetic devices their doctors recommended or left in precarious situations when their home health aides were taken away. Denied care, some workers have turned to state Medicaid or federal disability programs, the investigation found.

“State workers’ compensation laws are no longer providing adequate levels of support and compensation for workers injured on the job,” the lawmakers wrote. “Instead, costs are increasingly being shifted to the American taxpayers to foot the bill.”

-------------

Missouri has changed its comp laws not for the workers   my comment

“Texas” Means Crazy In Norway

Shillue Sanders and his supporters aren't real socialists

Trump On Shutting Down Mosques: Yeah Sure Whatever

Martin Shkreli Trolled By Rival Drug Company

The Disturbing Reason Ben Carson Is Winning In Iowa

Pssst . . . can we discuss an awkward, urgent problem with the Democratic party?

Pssst . . . can we discuss an awkward, urgent problem with the Democratic party?:



snip



Umm . . . if Hillary Clinton wins, she will be 69 when she takes office - - tying Ronald Reagan as the oldest president in history (and, likewise, hopefully, 77 when she leaves).

Her principal primary challenger, Bernie Sanders, is already 73. Some wondered if VP Joe Biden (age 72) would throw his hat in the ring [answer today: No], or maybe Al Gore (Hillary's rough contemporary at age 67) would run.  Or, Democrats could go with dream "newcomer" Elizabeth Warren (age 66).

BTW: Secretary of State John Kerry is 71, Jerry Brown is 77 and even Howard Dean is 66.  Dem House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is 75 years old.  Dem Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (age 75) plans to turn the reins over to Sen. Chuck Schummer, who will be a spry 66 at the time.  Indeed, the only two "young'ish" Democratic politicians with a national profile that I can think of are: (i) Andrew Cuomo (age 57) and (ii) Kirsten Gillienbrand (age 48).  

Anyone I am missing?  And are others unconcerned?  Truth is that the Democratic party is becoming one old-timer of a party.

But that is not the only problem.  Kudos to Mathew Yglesias for writing a piece that long needed to be said:  "Democrats are in denial. Their party is actually in deep trouble."

Trans-Pacific Partnership = Government Corruption At It's Finest

What Now? After the DARK Act (H.R. 1599)

Drug tunnel stretches 800m under Mexico-US border - BBC News

Drug tunnel stretches 800m under Mexico-US border - BBC News:

Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Drug tunnel stretches 800m under Mexico-US border

7 hours ago

A tunnel used to smuggle drugs under the US border has been discovered by Mexican police.

It runs from Tijuana to San Diego, and stretches over 800m.

Police seized large quantities of cannabis which had been smuggled through the underground passage.

Larry Lessig On How The “Tyrannical” US Gov't Oppresses Black Americans....

Next, let’s sic Donald Trump on Dick Cheney: Evil veep’s 9/11 revisionism must be confronted, too

Next, let’s sic Donald Trump on Dick Cheney: Evil veep’s 9/11 revisionism must be confronted, too



snip

Enlarge(Credit: Reuters/Scott Morgan/Chip East/Photo montage by Salon)

Exceptional, the new book from former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, Liz, is not. It is nothing more than an unhinged rant that smacks of sedition.

“The children need to know the truth about who we are, what we’ve done, and why it is uniquely America’s duty to be freedom’s defender,” the prologue proclaims. The book, however, is not about who we are but who Cheney wants us to become. It is a call for Americans to reject constitutional government and those values that have guided our nation for 227 years and replace it with imperial rule in the name of “freedom”––even when that rule includes wars of choice, intrusive violations of our privacy and civil liberties, and of course, an aggressive regime of torture.

This review assumes that Exceptional represents Dick Cheney’s ideas, and so we will refer to the author only in the singular. (To the extent the book reflects Liz’s original thinking, consider it a mind meld.)

Anti-Refugee Camerawoman To Sue The Man She Tripped

Red States Pay BILLIONS Just To Spite Obama

Hillary Clinton Benghazi Hearings Day 1 Summary

Support St. Louis Public Radio

Support St. Louis Public Radio:







The Young Friends of St. Louis Public Radio and The Nine Network join forces to bring you a fun and spooky movie night under the stars. We'll be showing Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) on the Public Media Common's two-story screen. The Fortune Teller Bar will bring a signature drink and a tarot card reader. Costumes optional. No masks or weapons. 

6 p.m. - Cocktail Hour 
7 p.m. - Little Shop of Horrors 
8 p.m. - Night of the Living Dead 

$10 ticket includes one drink ticket and one food ticket 

Additional food and drink will be available for purchase. 

Conservatives declare war on “Emperor” Paul Ryan: “Wants House conservatives to sign their own death warrant”

Conservatives declare war on “Emperor” Paul Ryan: “Wants House conservatives to sign their own death warrant”

snip

EnlargePaul Ryan (Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster)

Paul Ryan has some demands before he takes the job nobody wants (Jason Chaffetzimmediately withdrew his bid after Ryan signaled his interest) and becomes the next Speaker of the House. According to the demands Ryan laid out before a meeting of the House Republican Conference last night, before Ryan agrees to run for the job House Republicans must agree to these four “adjustments” by Friday. From Roll Call:

• The GOP moves from an opposition party to a proposition party.
• Update House rules so everyone can be a more effective representative.
• Unify as a conference now, not after a divisive speaker election.
• Avoid giving up time with his family.

Sounds simple enough but this is the Ho

Register Now for National Single Payer Strategy Conference | The Labor Campaign For Single Payer Healthcare

Register Now for National Single Payer Strategy Conference | The Labor Campaign For Single Payer Healthcare:

Registration is now open for what will be the largest-ever national conference of single-payer advocates in Chicago from October 30 to November 1.

The conference is jointly sponsored by the Labor Campaign for Single Payer, Healthcare NOW and One Payer States and will be fully integrated with every workshop and event available to all attendees. On Friday night and Sunday morning, we will be joined by participants from the Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) Annual Meeting, which will be held just down the street from our conference location.

This conference couldn’t come at a more crucial time. The just-issued Supreme Court decision has made it clear that Obamacare—with all of its limitations and deficiencies—is the law of the land. This will be an opportunity for all healthcare justice advocates to come together, prior to the 2016 election season, and discuss how we can finish the job and make healthcare a right for everyone in America.

Don’t miss this chance to share our experiences, learn from one another and help shape the strategic direction of our movement. Register today.

The conference will convene at 7 pm on Friday, October 30 at the Hilton Chicago in downtown Chicago. United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard and National Nurses United Co-President Jean Ross will give opening keynotes. Labor troubadour Anne Feeney will be with us through the entire weekend.

Trump wrote about terror threat before 9/11

As Trump Rampage Continues, GOP Readies Elephant Gun...

Wealth Therapist: Rich People Have Feelings Too

Posting Fake Reviews On Amazon Can Get You In BIG Trouble

Babies For Bernie Catches Fire On Social Media

Cosmic Irony: States That Didn't Expand Medicaid Paying More For The Program

Cosmic Irony: States That Didn't Expand Medicaid Paying More For The Program:



snip

States that refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act are now paying the price, literally.

A new Kaiser Family Foundation report released last week suggests that the Republican-controlled non-expansion states are seeing their share of Medicaid costs rise more sharply than expansion states.

The trend undercuts a popular argument against the Medicaid expansion in states where Republican leaders continue to resist opting into the program, under which the federal government pays 100 percent of costs through 2016 and at least 90 percent share after.

“We did see a higher growth rate of what states spent of their own dollars on Medicaid in the in non-expansion states than we did in the expansion states” said Laura Snyder, a senior policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report found that total spending in expansion states grew by 17.7 percent, but the state spending only grew by 3.4 percent. Meanwhile, state spending on Medicaid in non-expansion states increased by 6.9 percent as total spending rose by 6.1 percent.

Donny Rico & Chevron make it a crime to defend the environment

Congressman Already Plotting Hillary Clinton’s Impeachment

Bernie Sanders To Give Speech Defining Democratic Socialism

Bernie Sanders Avoids Responding To Trump's 'Absurd' Comment

Bernie Sanders Avoids Responding To Trump's 'Absurd' Comment:

AP Photo

BySARA JERDEPublishedOCTOBER 18, 2015, 12:32 PM EDT9776 Views

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joked Sunday when he was asked to respond to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's comments.

Trump had called Sanders a "maniac" and a "socialist slash communist."

ABC "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos asked Sanders for his response.

That FL CEO Who Said He'd FIRE Everyone if Obama Elected? Guess What Happened...

That FL CEO Who Said He'd FIRE Everyone if Obama Elected? Guess What Happened...





snip

"The Queen of Versailles" was a film documentary based on the sleazy time-share mogul, David Siegel, and his wife, Jackie.  David had major financial troubles following Bush's 2008 economic crises.  He even had to stop work on his private home, dubbed "Versailles", which was to be the largest home in the U.S.  Poor guy.

Naturally, Obama was to blame for this.  As you may recall during the peak of the presidential campaign, Mr. Siegel penned a letter threatening to fire all his employees and close down his Orlando-based company, Westgate, if Obama was elected.  A snippet from the full letter:

So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the "1 percenters" are bad, I'm telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the "1%"; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.
Signed, your boss

Dark Side of the Greens - Documentary

Man Faces Hundreds Of Lashes For Transporting Wine

Sheriff: If You Take My Tank People Will Die

Bill Maher Bernie Sanders FULL Interview

Trump

note on upcoming year's medicare/social security --------------- SSA Announces 0% COLA in 2016, Triggering Major Cost Increases for Medicare Beneficiaries Social Security Administration (SSA) officials announced on Thursday that there will be no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security beneficiaries in 2016. The announcement is particularly troubling because it triggers a premium spike and a major increase in deductibles for Medicare beneficiaries. If Congress does not act soon, the Medicare Part B premium could increase by 52%, to $159 per month, for 30 percent of people with Medicare. Deductibles could increase to $223 for every person with Medicar ----------- so much for a caring congress and president. remember the next voting day in November my friends

Koster reports more than $5 million in the bank, outpacing all Republicans | St. Louis Public Radio

Koster reports more than $5 million in the bank, outpacing all Republicans | St. Louis Public Radio: "(Updated 12:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16,  with additional candidate filings)

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster continues to hold a huge financial edge over all of his Republican rivals for governor next year.




CREDIT DLEAFY | SXC.HU
Koster, a Democrat with no major opposition from his own party, has banked more than $5 million, according to his latest campaign-finance report filed Thursday.

His bank account is more than twice as fat as that of the top-raising Republican seeking the job, former Navy Seal Eric Greitens., who reported $2.3 million."



snip

(Updated 12:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16,  with additional candidate filings)

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster continues to hold a huge financial edge over all of his Republican rivals for governor next year.

CREDIT DLEAFY | SXC.HU

Koster, a Democrat with no major opposition from his own party, has banked more than $5 million, according to his latest campaign-finance report filed Thursday.

His bank account is more than twice as fat as that of the top-raising Republican seeking the job, former Navy Seal Eric Greitens., who reported $2.3 million.

Bernie Sanders smacks down Martin Shkreli: Rejects meeting and donation from hated drug CEO

Bernie Sanders smacks down Martin Shkreli: Rejects meeting and donation from hated drug CEO

Enlarge(Credit: CNBC)

The most hated man in America — at least a couple weeks ago — just got the back of Bernie Sanders’ hand.

According to the Boston Globe, Martin Shkreli, the Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO who jacked up the price of Daraprim, the only drug for a rare parasitic disease, by some 4,000 percent, donated $2,700 to Sanders in late September, in hopes of getting a meeting with Sanders.

Bernie said not only no, but hell, no — then gave his money to a health charity.

“We are not keeping the money from this poster boy for drug company greed,” said Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs. The money’s going to the Whitman-Walker clinic in D.C. instead.

The ugly Bernie Sanders’ fans freakout: Hipster left melts down with media conspiracy theories

The ugly Bernie Sanders’ fans freakout: Hipster left melts down with media conspiracy theories

But, for a small subset of Clinton supporters, Obama supporters, particularly if they were young and female, were subject to all sorts of accusations of nefarious motives. Robin Morgan penned an unfortunate piece suggesting that Obama’s support was rooted solely in misogyny, characterizing his female supporters as “young women eager to win male approval by showing they’re not feminists (at least not the kind who actually threaten the status quo), who can’t identify with a woman candidate because she is unafraid of eeueweeeu yucky power.” The fact that many of those women liked Clinton was ignored. Morgan’s candidate was losing. Itmust be because forces were aligning against her unfairly and not because Obama was running a better campaign.

Clinton supporters who thought like this named themselves “PUMAs,” which stood for “Party Unity My Ass.” They were a small subset of Clinton supporters who became so sure of the dark motives of Obama supporters that some ended up turning their backs on the Democrats entirely. But their real impact was during the primary season, where they left an indelible impression, especially online. No doubt the PUMAs wanted Clinton to win, but their anger and bitterness ended up reflecting badly on their candidate of choice, especially in light of Obama’s upbeat, optimism-based campaign.