Monday, April 14, 2014    Published Weekday Mornings   To see the full version of today's cartoon, click on the preview graphic of the cartoon (below the Commentary) to be taken to the full version in your favorite web browser. America, Just Hanging On  President Obama: Right to Vote Now Under Threat in the U.S. Republicans Launch First 'Super Committee' To Rake In Post-McCutcheon Money Vox Media: The post-McCutcheon big money era begins Leonard Pitts: Big-money politics is putting our country at risk Scientific Study Confirms: The U.S. Is Now An Oligarchy Not a Democracy Republican Party Chairman Reince Prebius: Let's Get Rid of ALL Donation Limits Paul Blumenthal: Nothing Really Compares To The Koch Brothers' Political Empire Karin Kamp: Will Voters Know Who's Funding Who by Election Time? Likely, No. Lawrence Davidson: Why Americans Are So Ignorant - It's Not Just Fox Sean McElwee: Six Ways America Is Now Like a Third-World Country Guns & America    3 killed in shootings at Kansas City-area Jewish centers President Obama remembers Kansas shooting victims at Easter prayer breakfast Kansas Jewish Center Shooting Suspect Identified as Former KKK Leader Frazier Glenn Miller, longtime anti-Semite, arrested in Kansas Jewish Community Center murders John Avlon & Caitlin Dickson: Hate & Hitler in the Heartland: The Arrest of Frazier Glenn Miller Justice John Paul Stevens: The five extra words that could fix the Second Amendment Health Care Checkup    Retiring Sec. Sebelius calls timing on Obamacare website rollout 'flat out wrong' For Sebelius' seat, Obama chooses Sylvia Burwell, a budget wonk Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid calls for swift confirmation of Sylvia Burwell The Kathleen Sebelius sendoff: Everybody wins Greg Sargent: What Sebelius' resignation says about the Obamacare debate Catherine Rampell: The little-known truth about who really pays for Medicare Russian Roulette   No sign of crackdown on pro- Russian protestors as Ukraine's deadline for protestors to leave passes Josh Rogin: Obama Administration Preps New Sanctions Against Russia More severe U.S. sanctions likely if Russian-backed actions in Ukraine continue U.N. Security Council meets again on Ukraine crises Communications Breakdown Investigative Reporter Michael Isikoff Leaves NBC News Layoffs happening at Al Jazeera America Meet ABC News' Newest Contributor, Right-Wing Extremist Propagandist Laura Ingraham Luce: The power of the U.S. cable barons must be challenged Other Nations In Turmoil Syrian army seizes towns near Lebanon border Syria's Assad says war turning in his favor 68 killed in Nigeria; Islamic extremist group Boko Haram suspected International News Abdullah takes early lead in Afghan presidential election Global military spending falls overall, but rises outside the West Palestinian university students' peaceful trip to Auschwitz causes controversy in multiple nations 10,000 evacuated as wildfires in Chile flare up News From Capitol Hill Democratic Senators ask Soc. Security Admin. to stop garnishing tax refunds to pay for old debts Midwest Roundup 2014 Nebraska legislative session marked by acrimony & filibustering Outsiders behind negative TV ads in Nebraska governor's race Political battle over Iowa GOP Governor's decision getting heated Iowa Supreme Court: coaches without teaching licenses not subject to sexual exploitation law Other Notable News KISS, Nirvana, Hall and Oates, Linda Ronstadt inducted by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame By The Skin Of Our Teeth As we watched the news this weekend, spending time with our families, college sports, the beautiful cherry blossoms in our nation's capitol, and watching the Republicans launch their first super-committee to rake in the post-McCutcheon waves of campaign money that are certain to be rolling in, our staff members all kept coming back to the same thought: That most Americans today seem to have little idea of how tenuous our collective grasp is on the form of government we've lived under for slightly more than two centuries. As Benjamin Franklin is often quoted as saying, Americans have a republic - a form of democracy - "if you can keep it." Thankfully, for most of the last two-hundred plus years, Americans have been able to keep it. As we and others have been warning for some time now, however, that form of government is in severe danger - especially after the U.S. Supreme Court's recent McCutcheon decision. Last week, as all the living Presidents celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Obama also took the time to warn the nation that our right to vote is truly under attack - and he was not being hyperbolic. From Hawaii to Maine, Alaska to Florida, the battles over campaign financing are running hot, and often not in the best interests of voters. Even in the heart of deep-red Nebraska, the effort of outside, so-called "dark money" groups to buy their way into deciding who you get to vote for has become extremely obvious. While certain very wealthy candidates like Republican Pete Ricketts may try to claim ignorance of who is attacking his fellow Republican office-seekers, the fact remains right now the anonymous attack dogs of the wealthy are already trying to pick their pet politicians for 2014 and 2016... To continue reading... click here. And now, for your Daily Felltoon preview for April 14, 2014 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) Jobs & The Economy   U.S. retail sales post biggest gain in one-and-a-half years RealtyTrac: U.S. foreclosures fall to lowest quarterly level since mid-2007 | U.S. consumer sentiment hits nine-month high in April Finance Officials Push U.S. for Bold Action to Sustain Economic Growth Wall Street Watch    SEC begins nixeing high-frequency trading platforms Paul Krugman: Three Expensive Milliseconds World Economy High-Frequency Traders Get Curbs as EU Reins In Flash Boys Chinese Finance Official: Please Excuse Us While We Renovate Our Economy Tax Day 2014   Federal taxes now near historic lows, as shown in one chart Ezra Klein: Where your tax dollars go, in one chart Economic Inequality Are Americans Experiencing Economic Recovery? Sure - But Who? BLS Confirms - Incomes for th Rich Have Recovered, Not for Anyone Else The Spying Game   NSA Said to Have Exploited Heartbleed Bug for Intelligence for Years U.S. government says hackers now trying to exploit 'Heartbleed' bug Henry Farrell: The NSA may have exploited Heartbleed. That's a very, very big deal. Race & America Head of the DCCC, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) says GOP base 'animated by racism' Michael Tomasky: You're in Denial if You Think Democrat Steve Israel Is Wrong About GOP Racism The GOP Says 'Racism Is Over.' Most Americans Say 'No Way.' Energy, Climate & Environment    U.N. Climate Panel Warns Speedier Action Is Needed | Ohio geologists link local earthquakes directly to fracking Here It Is! Your HuskerNutz Preview for April 14, 2014 (Click the preview cartoon above to see the full version of the cartoon) National Politics   Armed Right-Wing Militia Members Descend On Nevada To Help Rancher Defy Court Order | Bureau Of Land Management Backs Down In Standoff With Cattle Rancher For Safety Of All Involved On The Left    Charles Blow: The Great And Horrible American Self-Sort Brian Beutler: The death of Charlene Dill - How liberals need to be talking about the Medicaid expansion Julian Zilizer: Hey Democrats - This year, why don't you show some spine on taxes? On The Right    Cruz, Paul & Huckabee face off at Koch Brothers-funded New Hampshire "Freedom" Summit Amid Charges of Hypocrisy, Louisiana Republican Lawmaker Faces Calls to Step Down Jennifer Rubin: The GOP is saying 'goodbye' to the tea party, even if the tea party doesn't know it yet States Of Confusion    Detroit bankruptcy bond deal frees up $56M for pensioners; Judge rules settlement is reasonable | Wisconsin State Republicans To Vote On Affirming Their State's Right To Secede We hope you enjoy "The Daily Felltoon" every business day. Thanks for continuing to be a member! Paul Fell Shawn "Smith" Peirce Paul Fell Cartoons, Inc.