Truth Out has the article The Case Against Billionaires. The article is good, but the simplest way to get the idea is to listen to the talk by Nick Hanauer, a venture capitalist from Seattle, that the article references.

The Truth Out article summarizes the argument as follows:

So if it were true that the world’s economies rely on their super-rich to do well, as today’s oligarch-inspired, right-wing economics argues, then why are world’s “austerity” economies doing so poorly?

It’s because billionaires are not job creators, they are somewhere between symbiotes and parasites. That’s not meant as a personal insult against billionaires, many of whom are decent people. But it’s meant as a statement of common sense. If vast fortunes are being hoarded in the hands of very few people who can’t possibly spend that much money in their lifetime or their kid’s lifetime or even their kid’s, kid’s, kid’s, kid’s, lifetime, then it’s essentially being wasted.

This is the point billionaire Nick Hanauer was making in his recent TED talk explaining why rich people aren’t job creators (He also said the same thing on The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann). As he said, “There can never be enough super-rich Americans to power a great economy. The annual earnings of people like me are hundreds, if not thousands, of times greater than those of the median American, but we don’t buy hundreds or thousands of times more stuff.”

Mother Jones has the article America’s Real Criminal Element: Lead by Kevin Drum.

New research finds Pb is the hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and even the ADHD epidemic. And fixing the problem is a lot cheaper than doing nothing.

After seeing this article posted on the Facebook pages of two friends, I thought it might be a good thing to read.  It is a rather amazing story.

I would have invented a quantum theory of general relativity by now if I hadn’t enjoyed melting lead fishing sinkers on the kitchen stove when i was younger.  Maybe the lead helps account for my tumultuous career.  Always did have a problem with authority figures.  Then there were all those years of soldering electronics and the occasional plumbing fix with 60/40 tin/lead solder..

Politico has the story and video Barney Frank: I want to be senator.

Governor Deval Patrick has said he would only appoint an interim Senator who would agree not to run for the Senate in the election. He said that nobody could perform the duties of a Senator and run for election at the same time. Ironically, the person most likely to run for the position is Representative Ed Markey. Markey will perform his job as a U.S. Representative at the same time he is running for Senator.

Well, if we must accept Governor Patrick’s nonsensical reasoning, the least he could do is appoint Barney Frank.

Thanks to RichardH who forwarded this cartoon that was forwarded to him. Things Nobody Ever Said: U.S. History Edition by Drew Sheneman.

On Left Action there is a petition Tell Harry Reid: Fix the Filibuster!

For too long, the work of the Senate has been held hostage by the filibuster. It is time to fix it. Don’t back down. Fix the filibuster!

I was going to add a note about how to refute one objection to fixing the filibuster, but then I found it as part of the petition already.

Some have argued against fixing the filibuster, asserting that it will be needed if the Democrats are again in the minority. However, keeping this rule in place now provides no protection for the future. There is nothing preventing the Republicans from eliminating it themselves if they gain the majority, regardless of what happens this term.

If there is one issue to raise your voice about, then this is it.  Other good things can derive from fixing this problem.

Now that we know that good things can pass the House if Boner will only allow them to be voted on, we have another point of pressure where a hopeless roadblock seemed to be.