“Be careful what you wish for,” goes the saying. More than a few Republicans are undoubtedly discovering the truth in it. Evil Knievel discovered this in 1974, when he tried to jump across the Snake River Canyon, making him the most famous motorcyclist ever. But back to the Republicans who, like Knievel, made elaborate plans for their daring feat. First, they demanded “conservative” judges who would cut back on government regulations allowing “free” citizens to do what they want. So, President Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush, and then W. nominated five “conservative” Supreme Court judges – Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito and Roberts. Culminating in the ultimate Republican and Neo-Con cout d’etat that equated corporations with people, those judges came together in their Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates for unlimited, often anonymous cash into the political process by way of super PAC contributions. Then, by weakening or shutting down unions with fervor since 2010 in states including Wisconsin and Florida, Indiana and Ohio, Republican governors and legislators also sought to neutralize their Democratic counterweights. And by restricting voters in over a dozen states via laws mandating photo IDs, shortening early voting, and by threatening, in the name of fighting voter fraud, civic organizations such as the League of Women Voters with fines of $5,000 for registrars who got their paperwork wrong, Republicans sought to further narrow the voting pool. With this three-pronged strategy finally in place, and with the biggest Daddy Warbucks businessman soon to head the Republican ticket, what could go wrong? But this is where the story takes a sad, sad turn. Their plan was that the new money flooding into the political system was supposed to be aimed at Democrats. Instead, it has been spent to attack loyal Republicans. Republicans loaded their guns for Democratic bear – then shot themselves. How could this happen? One of the gazillionaires who was supposed to help fund the coming Republican tsunami decided he did not like a fellow gazillionaire, and instead funded an insurgency to the tune of $10 million in South Carolina and Florida. Even those $10 million, however, were no match for the front-running gazillionaire, who outspent his insurgent rival by 10 to 1 in Iowa. In South Carolina, that same gazillionaire outspent the insurgent by a mere 2 to 1 – and lost. So in Florida, the gazillionaire went all out, spending $15 million for a 4 to 1 advantage, burying his competitor.

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The Coming Republican Civil War

In southeastern Missouri, where the Army Corps of Engineers blasted a levee last spring to help with flooding, signs of recovery are mounting, but controversy continues.

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Along Mississippi River, Rebuilding Levee After Spring’s Flood

Six rescued from flooding vessel.

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U.S. Saves More Iranians at Sea

Automakers are flooding the Detroit auto show with new hybrid and plug-in models, but the combination of gas prices below $4 a gallon and higher upfront costs for the cars is not attracting consumers.

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Wanted or Not: Alternative-Fuel Cars Flood Auto Show

A freight train has been derailed and two people were swept from their car in flooding that struck Australia’s Northern Territories.

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VIDEO: Train derailed in Australia flood

Heavy rain has caused flooding in mid and south west Wales, with firefighters being called out to over 20 incidents.

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Flooding keeps rescue crews busy

Tributes have been flooding in from around the world following the death of the Czech Republic’s first President, Vaclav Havel.

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Tributes paid after Havel’s death

On Sunday, the Red Cross had put the death toll from the flooding in the Philippines at 652, but that number was expected to rise.

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In Philippines, Fleeing Floodwaters in the Middle of Night

Lakia McDuffie was sleeping in her fourth-floor apartment at Wingate Towers & Gardens in Southwest Washington when a light flooding into her bedroom woke her up. Then her windows rattled. She wondered what was going on. It was a plane landing at Reagan National Airport . Since that night in the spring, incoming airliners have regularly flown by her building at late hours, McDuffie said. Read full article > >

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D.C. communities all shook up as Reagan National-bound planes change their landing patterns

A night of torrential rain causes flooding across much of central, west and southern Scotland.

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Heavy rain causes floods on roads

Occupy Wall Street protesters camped outside City Hall in Los Angeles defy an eviction deadline, with some 1,000 people flooding into the area.

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Occupy LA defy eviction deadline

Flooding and strong winds cause travel disruption in several parts of Scotland, prompting road closures and bridge restrictions.

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Severe weather disrupting travel

A Draperstown councillor said it is a miracle no-one has been killed using a river crossing which is liable to flooding.

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Flooded road ‘could claim lives’

A mother and her two children are rescued from flooding by firefighters in lifejackets in Draperstown, County Londonderry.

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Family escapes car flood danger

The flooding has revealed to the world the scale of industrialization in Thailand and the extent to which two global industries, computers and cars, rely on components made in the country.

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Thai Floods Wash Over Global Supply Chains