Consider The Source

Ken O’Brien

The release of a new book called “Clinton Cash” has the right claiming that it will blow the lid off of the Clinton campaign and have the Democratic Party throwing in the towel on 2016 in no time. The book is about the nefarious doings of the evil Clinton Foundation, a non-profit supposedly dedicated to doing good works around the globe, but which conservatives say is actually nothing more than a corrupt organization dedicated to selling out the interests of poor people everywhere so that Hillary Clinton can destroy the world. 

Stop Susan Rice For Secretary Of State To Re-Elect Scott Brown

Ken O’Brien

A week and a half ago I posted the image on the right as one of The O’Zone’s Sunday Photo-‘Toons.

The obvious implication was that it would be of potentially great benefit to soon-to-be former Senator Scott Brown to have John Kerry appointed Secretary of State because it would allow Brown to run in a special election for that then vacant Senate seat.

Indeed, Kerry was among two names prominently mentioned to succeed Hillary Clinton who has announced her intention to step down. The other name floated was that of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.

The Romney Campaign Ends With A Lie - The Same Way It Started

Infamous Southbridge Billboard Featured On Rachel Maddow Show

Ken O’Brien

Last night The Rachel Maddow Show broadcast a segment on voter intimidation. The opening image of the report was the billboard that appeared in Southbridge during the special election for State Representative implying that citizens had to present ID to vote.

Also featured was a photo of a table set up within a polling place in New Bedford giving the appearance that ID was needed to vote in that city. That incident led to action by the state.

The video of the report follows:

Romney’s Lies II

Ken O’Brien

I was motivated to put this piece on The O’Zone by a recent exchange I had with a commenter on the article “What Happened To Republican Gas Attacks?”

The exchange went as follows:

stop the spinJune 7, 2012 9:36 PM

IQ Sounds like your undies are in a knot because you know im right stop the spin. The country is tired of four years of spending, high gasoline, solyndra ,bailouts gm, chrysler and any other buddy this dope of a president has bailed out at our expense and where still with high unemployment. Just wait november is coming and i will buy you a new pair of underwear IQ!!

Romney's Lies

Ken O’Brien

Rachel Maddow 

Rarely do journalists have the courage to use the term liar when referring to a candidate for public office.

It is even more unusual for a journalist with a national forum to use the term in reference to a candidate for President of the United States.

On Thursday, May 31, Massachusetts' own Rachel Maddow did this on her nightly program.

Regardless of whether you agree with her political leanings or not, one aspect of Ms. Maddow's reporting is her devotion to verifiable facts. She has assembled one of the best research staffs in the cable news business. 

Rachel Maddow Debunks Attacks on Elizabeth Warren’s Native American Ancestry

Ken O’Brien

Elizabeth Warren In Southbridge Tomorrow.

A week ago The O’Zone put forward an article titled “More Right Wing Filth”.                            

In the interim the Scott Brown campaign has focused increasingly on attacking Warren for references she has made in the past to her Native-American ancestry. In the meantime he has blithely gone about supporting the Republican agenda, most recently voting against efforts to prevent a doubling in interest rates on Federal student loans.

Last night, in her incomparable way, Rachel Maddow deflated this nonsensical focus by the Brown campaign and their right-wing talking head sycophants. Here’s the video from last night’s Rachel Maddow Show:

What Happened to New Hampshire?

Ken O’Brien

Years ago I spent a couple of years living in New Hampshire. This was while I was attending graduate school.

Now, I’ll quickly concede that Hanover is not typical of most of New Hampshire. However, while I went to school in Hanover, I lived in West Lebanon which was a little closer to the grass roots of life in rural New Hampshire.

While there has always been a fundamentally conservative and libertarian streak in the state, the last few years have seen the emergence, some would say predominance, of extremist fringe elements in New Hampshire politics.

With the New Hampshire Presidential Primary scheduled for this Tuesday, January 10, I thought the following synopsis of what has been going on in the state over the last two years would help to put that event in perspective.