Election 2012 Topics

2012 Election

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  • Sandra_fluke-dnc_2012

    Sandra Fluke Takes Fight for Women's Health to DNC After Being Insulted for Contraception Advocacy

    Sandra Fluke became famous after Republicans barred her from testifying at a congressional hearing in favor of insurance coverage for contraception. Right-wing talk radio host Rush Limbaugh blasted Fluke on his program, calling her a "slut" and saying she should be required to post sex videos online. The episode prompted President Obama to personally call Fluke to offer words of encouragement. Six months later, Fluke took center stage...
    Sep 06, 2012 | Story
  • Lilly_ledbetter-dnc_2012

    Lilly Ledbetter, Namesake of Fair Pay Act: From Discrimination Victim to Champion of Wage Equality

    The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is named for a female employee of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company who was paid 40 percent less than male colleagues doing the same job for 19 years. Ledbetter lost her gender pay discrimination lawsuit against Goodyear after the Supreme Court ruled she did not file a complaint on time. One day after addressing the Democratic National Convention, Ledbetter joins us to discuss her journey from victim of workplace...
    Sep 06, 2012 | Story
  • Benjamin_jealous-dnc2012

    NAACP's Ben Jealous on the Voting Rights Battles That Could Roll Back Gains and Decide 2012 Election

    NAACP President Ben Jealous joins us to discuss what some are calling the greatest wave of legislative assaults on voting rights in more than half a century. As shifting demographics give more weight to voters in the South, eight of 11 states in the former Confederacy have passed restrictive voting laws since the 2010 election. Republicans have led the effort, saying voter ID laws prevent fraud. But others call it a political ploy to suppress...
    Sep 06, 2012 | Story
  • Israel-dnc_2012

    As DNC Pushes Through Jerusalem Vote, Critics Ask Why GOP is Dictating the Democrats' Platform

    Controversy erupted at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday when party leaders forced through a platform change to reinstate references to God and the view that Jerusalem is Israel’s undivided capital. The language in question was included in 2008, but was left out when delegates approved their 2012 platform earlier this week. At the reported behest of President Obama, DNC chair and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa presided...
    Sep 06, 2012 | Story
  • Betsy_taylor

    Democratic Donors Withhold Contributions over Absence of Climate Change from Obama Campaign Message

    A group of Democratic donors have announced they will withhold some of their financial support from President Obama’s re-election campaign for not speaking out more about climate change. The group of roughly 100 political donors say Obama should directly address mocking by Republican rival Mitt Romney on climate change last week during his acceptance speech in Tampa. President Obama is also being urged to use his acceptance speech tonight...
    Sep 06, 2012 | Story
  • Melissa_harris-perry

    MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry and Activist Kevin Alexander Gray on Obama's Record and Re-Election

    As President Obama prepares to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination, we’re joined by two guests: Melissa Harris-Perry, host of the show "Melissa Harris-Perry" on MSNBC, professor of political science at Tulane University, and founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Project on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South; and by Kevin Alexander Gray, a civil rights activist and community organizer in Columbia, South Carolina,...
    Sep 06, 2012 | Story
  • Obama_1

    Obama Accepts Democratic Nomination for Re-Election with Appeal for More Time to Bring Change

    President Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night with an appeal for another four years to continue with the platform of "change" he was elected on in 2008. "If you reject the notion that this nation’s promise is reserved for the few, your voice must be heard in this election," Obama said. [includes rush transcript]
    Sep 07, 2012 | Story
  • Debate

    "Effective Evil" or Progressives' Best Hope? Glen Ford vs. Michael Eric Dyson on Obama Presidency

    As President Obama accepts the Democratic nomination to seek four more years in the White House, we host a debate on his presidency with Glen Ford of Black Agenda Report and Michael Eric Dyson, professor at Georgetown University and author of numerous books. Ford calls Obama the "more effective evil" for embracing right-wing policies and neutralizing effective opposition, while Dyson argues Obama provides the best and obvious choice...
    Sep 07, 2012 | Story
  • Obama_2

    Accepting Democratic Nomination, Obama Pledges to Revive U.S. Economy While Protecting the Environment

    Accepting his party’s nomination, President Obama brought the Democratic National Convention to a close Thursday with a vow to fix the nation’s economic problems while protecting the environment. Calling the 2012 election a pivotal moment in the battle against climate change, Obama criticized Republicans who say global warming is a hoax, but also gave support for natural gas drilling and "clean coal." [includes rush transcript]
    Sep 07, 2012 | Story
  • Sa_embassador

    South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool on Obama, Miners and Confronting Islamophobia in the U.S.

    As President Obama seeks four more years in the White House, we turn to a voice from Africa: South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, who was once imprisoned with Nelson Mandela. Rasool discusses the Obama presidency, the militarization of Africa, Islamophobia, the recent police killing of 34 striking South African miners and his 2006 meeting with then-Senator Obama in South Africa. [includes rush transcript]
    Sep 07, 2012 | Story