You know the old saying, those who don’t understand history are doomed to repeat it? What can you say about Republican hopefuls Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann and their incredible knowledge of U.S. history? Remember, this is the best they can do, the Republican Party, out of the millions of people they might select. These two are the crème of the crop.

Gaming the System: How the Political Strategies of Private Prison Companies Promote Ineffective Incarceration Policies. Report examining how private prison companies wield influence over legislators and policy, ultimately resulting in harsher criminal justice policies and the incarceration of more people.

Michele Bachmann is often compared to Sarah Palin for obvious reasons, they have many things in common. They are both attractive Tea Party darlings who have a penchant for making gaffes. Bachmann doesn’t know John Wayne from John Wayne Gacy, and Palin doesn’t know Paul Revere from his horse. These ladies need to take a remedial course in American history, and a training course on how to deal with the press.

The Koch Brothers, big tobacco, insurance companies, and the drug industry: all behind the shadowy corporate front group known as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). On the surface, ALEC is mostly comprised of thousands of state legislators, each paying a nominal fee to attend ALEC retreats and receive model legislation. In reality, corporations pay ALEC a king’s ransom to access legislators to distribute radical legislation that puts corporate interests over American workers and consumers.

The strongest argument Obama can make to base voters: it could, and will, be a lot worse if you don’t vote for me. That’s true, and fear is usually a pretty good motivator in politics. But it still isn’t what people were hoping for, and it seems inevitable that some percentage of the most loyal Democrats will stay home.