Unemployment Rose In 44 States in July

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates rose in 44 U.S. states in July, the most states to show a monthly increase in more than three years and a reflection of weak hiring nationwide.
The Labor Department said Friday that unemployment rates fell in only two states and were unchanged in four.
Unemployment rates rose in nine states that are considered battlegrounds in the presidential election. That trend, if it continued, could pose a threat to President Barack Obama’s re-election bid in less than three months.
Nationwide, hiring improved in July after three months of tepid job gains. But the national unemployment rate ticked up to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent. Monthly job gains have averaged 150,000 this year. That’s barely enough to accommodate population growth. As a result, the unemployment rate is the same as when the year began.
Still, 31 states gained jobs in July, while 19 lost them. Unemployment rates can rise in a state even when more jobs are created if more people start looking for work. People who are out of work are counted as unemployed only if they’re looking for a job.
In the most closely contested states in the presidential race, unemployment has fallen over the past year. That could help Obama in his contest with GOP candidate Mitt Romney.
But it has started to tick up in recent months. In Nevada, the rate rose to 12 percent in July from 11.6 percent the previous month. That’s the highest rate in the nation, though it’s still much lower than a year ago, when it was 13.8 percent.
And in Michigan, the rate has increased to 9 percent, from 8.5 percent two months earlier.
Unemployment also increased in Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin and New Hampshire.
The rate was unchanged at 7.2 percent in Ohio, the only swing state that didn’t suffer an increase. Still, that rate is down sharply from 8.9 percent a year ago.
Most competitive states have unemployment rates below the national level, so even recent increases may not have a large impact on voter sentiment.
Iowa’s unemployment rate, for example, increased to 5.3 percent, still the sixth-lowest in the country. New Hampshire’s rose to 5.4 percent and Virginia’s increased to 5.9 percent, both far below the national rate.
Only four swing states have higher unemployment rates than the national figure: Nevada, Michigan, North Carolina at 9.6 percent, and Florida at 8.8 percent.
Some battleground states reported large job gains that could lead to lower unemployment rates in coming months. Michigan added 21,800 jobs, the second-largest increase in the nation, after California. Michigan’s gains were mostly in manufacturing and government. Virginia reported the third-largest increase, 21,300, mainly in education and health care.
Most other battleground states added small numbers of jobs.

The Swiftboating Of Mitt Romney

Bob Garfield - We now know more about Barack Obama than we did previously.
Oh, not that he was born in Kenya, or Krypton, or wherever the moronic birthers still prattle on about. And not that he has ruined the economy; it's more accurate to say that he and the central bankers saved the world. Furthermore, he isn't a socialist or a tyrant bent on destroying America, as various demagogues – including a number of washed-out Republican presidential hopefuls – like to tell the teeming mouth-breathers. And, no, he's not a Muslim.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
But President Obama is, come to discover – and forgive the tautology – a cynical politician. Not for selling out environmental interests for the sake of salvaging jobs, although, well … And not for soft-pedaling regulation and legal scrutiny of the Wall Street pigs who nearly destroyed us, to the ongoing rage of the grungy 99%. And not even for remaining virtually mute about the horrifying spate of gun violence, lest he antagonize undecided gun nuts.
Let's just ascribe that behavior to presidential pragmatism. In the ebb and flow of politics, you can't always get what you want. Obama does, after all, face a Tea Party hostage situation in Congress, where the GOP leadership will pass neither a camera emplacement nor a law.
Nonetheless, be not too quick to see the president of the United States as a mere hapless victim of vicious partisan politics. He is also a perpetrator.
For the past 10 days, the president's Super Pac – Priorities USA Action – has been running a Swiftboat attack on Republican Mitt Romney so grotesque, so dishonest, so debased, as to force you to wonder who this Obama guy is, and whether he has been that guy all along. The ad features a former steel worker named Joe Soptic, recounting the death of his wife from cancer, after Soptic lost his health insurance when Romney's Bain Capital shut down the steel mill in 2001.
"I don't think Mitt Romney understands what he's done to peoples' lives," Soptic says.
What Soptic doesn't say, and what the ad leaves out, is that: a) Romney had left Bain Capital for the Salt Lake City Olympics when the plant was shut down; b) Soptic lost his health insurance, but his wife remained covered at her own job; c) she was not diagnosed with cancer till five years later; d) during which interim she held subsequent jobs and other insurance coverage.
Yet, the message is unmistakable: Mitt Romney has blood on his hands.
This is repulsive. The Obama campaign at first claimed to know nothing about Joe Soptic; indeed, Super Pacs – awash in donations from labor unions, corporations, and the wealthy – are statutorily prohibited from coordinating with candidates. But nobody believes that firewall exists. And the campaign was caught in its transparent lie, when someone remembered a Obama 2012 conference call in which Soptic and his sad tale were trotted out by the campaign for the assembled press.
Back in 2004, when a political action committee favoring George W Bush unleashed scurrilous ads accusing Democratic candidate John Kerry of cowardice and treason for the very Vietnam episodes that had gotten him decorated for bravery, Democrats howled with outrage at the smear by Swifboat Veterans for Truth. They howled when George HW Bush trotted out the infamous, race-baiting "Willie Horton" ad against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis. They howled when John McCain tried to link Senator Barack Obama with domestic terrorist William Ayres.
And well that they should have. Such tactics are beyond obscene. They are depraved.
And so is obliterating inconvenient facts to accuse the presumptive Republican nominee of homicidal neglect.
Once again, in theory, what the Priorities USA Action Super Pac does is independent of the campaign, although the funding entity was founded by the president's closest associates from previous campaigns. But never mind that. In the past 10 days, the Obama 2012 campaign itself has had every opportunity to condemn the tactics, to reject the slanderous implication, to entirely disavow the sorry episode and demand that the ad be pulled. Instead, from top to bottom, the campaign has offered mealy-mouthed denials. Likewise, the Democratic National Committee and a legion of partisan capos with long spears and short memories. Suddenly, swiftboating suits them just fine.
Meanwhile, the patron saint of hope and change has said not a word. It would have been so easy:

"I am Barack Obama and I emphatically disapprove this message."

But, nope, mum's the word. And the silence speaks volumes.
Look, choose the candidates you prefer. There are manifest differences between them. But do yourself a favor. Dispense with the hero worship. Believing a politician transcends politics is to guarantee disappointment. Depravity turns out to be an equal opportunity employer.
• Editor's note: this article originally stated in error that Soptic's steel mill closed in 1992; this was amended to 2001 (after Romney had left Bain Capital) at 11.40am (ET) on 14 August 2012

Soledad O' Brien Caught Using Liberal Talking Point Sheet On Paul Ryan

CNN’s Soledad O’Brien is no stranger to controversy or rightful journalistic scrutiny. She’s frequently been exposed for reading Wikipedia or talking points on the air, always disparaging a conservative guest on her program.
Tonight, she was the substitute host for Anderson Cooper, a program that boasts of its reputation for “keeping [politicians] honest.” During her interview with Virginia House of Delegates Republican member Barbara Comstock, O’Brien became visibly flustered and was actually caught doing finger stress exercises as she attempted to insert editorial commentary while her guest, a former skilled Republican operative, defended the House GOP budget, designed by Budget Chairman Paul Ryan.
Accidentally, a cameraman captured O’Brien furiously flipping through notes, only to cut out seconds later. What was she viewing?
Footage proves it was a printed email, talking points and opposition research.

The contents? There was a blog post from Talking Points Memo, the popular liberal blog. She was reading The Myth of Paul Ryan The Bipartisan Leader. She never cited it, but used its contents. In fact, she claimed to be reading a direct statement from Senator Wyden’s (D-OR) office, but was in fact reading this excerpt from the blog:

The Romney campaign’s lone evidence that Ryan is a bipartisan leader amounts to a vague blueprint he co-wrote with Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) late last year that mirrors key elements of his Medicare plan. Wyden voted against Ryan’s budget and said Romney’s characterization of their work was dishonest.
“Governor Romney is talking nonsense. Bipartisanship requires that you not make up the facts,” Wyden’s office said in a statement. “I did not ‘co-lead a piece of legislation.’ I wrote a policy paper on options for Medicare. Several months after the paper came out I spoke and voted against the Medicare provisions in the Ryan budget. Governor Romney needs to learn you don’t protect seniors by makings things up, and his comments sure won’t help promote real bipartisanship.”

In the very same segment where she then interviewed Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter, she used no notes, no research, and what are generally accepted as softball questions.

O’Brien loves Twitter. Ask her why she used opposition research emailed to her to question the Romney campaign surrogate.

Obama Plan Of Attack Against Paul Ryan "Mediscare"

Kevin Glass - Paul Ryan appeared alongside presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney earlier today to officially join the Republican ticket. Democrats leaped into action to discredit Ryan, using the same line they've been using for a long time.

Barack Obama

• ✔

@BarackObama

FACT: Paul Ryan would end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher program, costing seniors up to $6,350 a year.

11 Aug 12

This was merely an official tweet from Barack Obama, but Democrats have been promoting this for years. No matter how many organizations analyze this framing of the Ryan plan as "ending Medicare as we know it," the Democrats will cling to something that they think works.
Joe Biden, Ryan's presumptive opponent in the vice presidential debate in October, has been banging the drum for a long time. Democratic lawmakers up and down the ticket across the country have tried to scare people about Ryan's plan to "end Medicare." Don't expect them to come up with anything more original in the next few months.
Mere minutes after Ryan's pick leaked out, the liberal blogs were jumping on this talking point. ThinkProgress popped out "Ryan's Original Medicare Plan Ends Medicare, Period," using a claim that was called the "lie of the year" by liberal-friendly Politifact and a "whopper of the year" by Factcheck.org. ThinkProgress went on to repeat the claim while also smearing Ryan, a devout Catholic, as an Ayn Rand disciple. DailyKos called Ryan the leader of the "committee to end Medicare." Earlier this year, The American Prospect produced a "Guide to Ending Medicare As We Know It," in an attempt to bring some seriousness to the charge.
Factcheck.org noted earlier this year that, despite being roundly criticized by the news media, Democrats have stuck with the "end Medicare" claim - brought to us earlier this year by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. As they wrote in their "whopper of the year" edition:

[T]he truth: The budget plan that Republicans pushed through the House in 2011 would have radically changed Medicare in the future — for workers now under age 55. Starting in the year 2022, the GOP plan called for new Medicare beneficiaries to purchase private insurance with the help of federal subsidies. But the plan would have continued the present Medicare system indefinitely for those now getting benefits, and also for all those who reach age 65 during the next decade.
But the truth didn’t stop Democrats from misrepresenting the proposal shamelessly to scare senior citizens and win election votes. They tested this tactic in a May 26 special House election in New York state, running ads accusing the Republican candidate of endorsing a plan that would “essentially end Medicare” and amount to “cutting benefits for seniors,” claims that were far from the truth.

Take a look at the assembled list of those who have used this line of attack: Joe Biden. Sherrod Brown. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. That list is not going to get any shorter in the next few months, and their claims aren't going to get any better than (and I hate these Politifact ratings, but whatever) "pants on fire" and "false." What's important, however, is to push back. The Ryan plan does not "end Medicare as we know it" according to any reasonable rubric under which one could be considered to "end Medicare." Ryan does implement some very important changes - but a program that is going to bankrupt the country needs very important changes. This year's update that Ryan released even keeps a traditional Medicare FFS program for seniors to enroll in and raised the maximum level of spending growth of the program.
No matter, however. This isn't about truth or honesty for the Democrats. It's about winning elections at any cost - even lying to the American people.

U.S. Army Prepare For Domestic Insurrection

Susan Posel - In 2010, the US Army’s Operating Concept 2016-2028 was published and explains how armed forces in the US and overseas will behave in the future. Specific tactical operations, special “theater”, and organized forces are outlined along with the capabilities and priorities of the US armed divisions.
In simple terms: a full spectrum operations manual that details stratagems both domestic and foreign.
Presidential administrative National Security Strategy documents explain how to defend the Republic within domestic borders with suggested scenarios where a group of political reactionaries commandeer a prominent area of a town or city which requires that the US Army support local law enforcement in conjunction with state officials – including local government representatives.
In times of domestic insurrection, the Executive Branch can enforce armed support to state governments and local police departments with or without their approval because the continuity of government is the endgame and must be preserved. In this event, domestic intelligence gathering become paramount to maintain a clear chain of military command to be able to stop the home-grown insurgency. This would empower the Department of Homeland Security with the approval of the President, to enact the Insurrection Act and deploy armed troops with in the US to stop rebellion, insurrection, and lawlessness. While the initial powers are reserved for the state and local governments, and Posse Comitatus (PCA) restricts and delays the Executive Branch in enforcement, the current presidential administration with the aid of the Pentagon is seeking to rescind the PCA in order to facilitate control over domestic terrorism.
The Federal Protective Service (FPS) has been given the responsibility to protecting federally owned property while preparing for civilian led riots expected in the near future. And part of the preparatory measures was an order of 150 sets of riot gear that was requested to be filled exponentially.
The FPS is anticipating that police or military wearing the gear would encounter “blunt force trauma” to the upper torso, as well as potential beatings with “blunt objects”.
In June of this year, the US Army requested bids for riot gear that was answered by A2Z Supply Corp, in which specified equipment was to be delivered to West Point Academy in New York.
The purpose of these patrol units was to aid “with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack” and provide “coordinate defense support of civil authorities” under NORTHCOM and other commands including federal homeland defense efforts.
As outlined in the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) processes are defined by operational environments in regard to battle space, effects, evaluation of threats and adversaries while determining the course of action. In regard to civil situations, and to maintain intelligence and operational purposes, preparations with regard to terrain are inconsequential.
Enabled by an executive order from 1982, which states that intelligence gathering abroad could be used domestically and on American citizens, permanent resident aliens which are categorized as American persons.
According to the RAND Corporation document , Street Smart: Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield for Urban Operations, the use of IPB in urban areas will alleviate some of the anticipated “analytic difficulties posed by urbanized areas.”
By training in American cities, the armed forces can realize maneuvers and special considerations that are needed to control urban infrastructure in the case of civil disturbance and insurrection. Having foreknowledge of the people living in the specified cities that are marked for control assist in the “critical operational success” of not only “knowing the enemy” but also the ability to retain a level of concealment and surprise.
When the US Army is “called upon to operate in villages, towns, and cities their directive will be to “neutralize American citizen’s technological capabilities” using “sophisticated intelligence equipment” and advanced tactical training.
The Marine Corp has created a law-enforcement battalion (ELB) consisting of specialized military police officers (SMP) will take the role of current street cops while still remaining part of the Marine Corp.
SMPs would be deployed to assist in any event of civil disturbance, handling of detainees, use biometrics to identify suspects and conduct forensic work. Their assistance is not limited to conducting DUIs and writing speeding tickets in an effort to re-brand the Marine Corps as being more involved with average work now allocated to local law enforcement.
The Marine Corp Intelligence Requirements Handbooks presents new methodology to combat civilian rebellions and is meant to inspire intelligence professionals working on computer-based intelligence efforts.
The tactical operations, combined with the current training exercises being observed across our nation were laid out in documents like this. And the evidence that this is real and is being planned for are coming in eye witness reports at a staggering rate.
National Guard has been witnessed in Virginia conducting “wellness checks” and patrolling residential neighborhoods as well as downtown city areas.
One of the numerous reports of preparations for martial law that are happening across the nation is taking place now until August 17th in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin where a training exercise with M1117 armored security military vehicles that were used in Afghanistan to hunt for insurgents.
The US Army Reserve “wanted to alert the public to the training dates so residents are not alarmed when a pack of heavily armored military vehicles is driving around the county.”
Captain William Gedddes commented that the drills were conducted to make sure the officers remain alert and do not become “rusty” in their training with the M1117s.
While the Sheboygan County police department had no foreknowledge of the drill, Geddes commented that locals should not “create safety hazards” on the roads be drawing attention to the vehicles.
The US Army, wanting to control the public perception of their drills, claimed that they were training on civilian roadways and wanted to make this known to the public so as to not insight speculation as to their presence.
The Pentagon, decrying the false flag assertion of increased use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the US, is asking Congress to lay aside Posse Comitatus (PCA) in an effort to increase their use of military on the streets of America.
According to Section 1385 of the Posse Comitatus Act: “Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”
While specialized military police are currently working with local law enforcement, the Pentagon is attempting to alleviate “legal restrictions on the activities of US armed forces” by convincing Congress that the PCA is unnecessary.
Law-enforcement battalions , consisting of specialized military police officers (SMP), are being set up to work with local police while remaining part of the Marine Corp.
SMPs would be deployed to assist in any event of civil disturbance, handling of detainees, use biometrics to identify suspects and conduct forensic work. Their assistance is not limited to conducting DUIs and writing speeding tickets in an effort to re-brand the Marine Corps as being more involved with average work now allocated to local law enforcement.
Citing James Holmes’ apartment and use of home-made bombs, Army Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero told Congress that the threat “from both homegrown terrorists and global threat networks is real and presents a significant security challenge for the United States and our international partners.”
Furthermore, USNORTHCOM and Leon Panetta, US Secretary of Defense, has readily admitted that US armed forces will collaborate with local law enforcement “if called upon”.
The US Army has put out a solicitation for riot gear in preparation for civilian unrest in the US. On their official government website, the call for non-lethal equipment coincides with requests from DHS for allocation of riot shields, face masks, polycarbonate batons and body armor.
In collaboration with an executive order signed in 2001 by former President George W. Bush, DHS will “coordinate the executive branch’s efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States.”
Contained within the US Army Military Police training manual for Civil Disturbance Operations are outlines describing how the US military will use the arsenal at their disposal to quell domestic riots, confiscate firearms and kill Americans during times of mass civil unrest.
The explicit use of “deadly force” when confronting “dissidents” is clearly stated with the refusal of a “warning shot” and the directives toward weapons that rioters or demonstrators will experience in the name of continuity of government.
Many citizens are witnessing movement of military equipment from the East and the West coasts of America. In plain sight, a train carrying tanks was seen come through Burbank, California.
The globalist Fascists who are turning our free nation in to a Dictatorship view this probable fact as a threat and are preparing to quash it right now. Because of this infiltrated takeover of our country, we are all in grave danger.