Monday, November 30, 2009

Working In A Pie Factory?

At This School, It’s Marijuana in Every Class - NYTimes.com: "SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — At most colleges, marijuana is very much an extracurricular matter. But at Med Grow Cannabis College, marijuana is the curriculum: the history, the horticulture and the legal how-to’s of Michigan’s new medical marijuana program.

“This state needs jobs, and we think medical marijuana can stimulate the state economy with hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars,” said Nick Tennant, the 24-year-old founder of the college, which is actually a burgeoning business (no baccalaureates here) operating from a few bare-bones rooms in a Detroit suburb..."

About that glaucoma...

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

What could those executive bank giveaways have done for the job market? Give me a billion and I can hire thousands of independent contractors and give them all the jobs associated with repairing crumbling schools, hospitals, and parks, not to mention all the jobs needed to rebuild the transportation infrastructure.

Debate on Creating Jobs, Without Raising Deficit - NYTimes.com: "As Democrats renew their push to create jobs, they are at odds over the timing, cost and scope of additional measures, with the White House’s concern about high budget deficits pitted against the eagerness of many in Congress to spur hiring before next year’s elections..."

Major Tennis Fine

Even if you are a zillionaire, this fine would make you pay attention-- Serena fined $175,000 for U.S. Open tirade | Sports | Reuters: "World number one Serena Williams has been fined $175,000 and put on probation for two years for her foul-mouthed tirade at the U.S. Open, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Monday..."

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Bad News For Radio Listeners

Huckabee says he probably will not run in 2012: "...2008 Iowa Caucus winner and current GOP poll leader Mike Huckabee says it is "less than likely" he will run for President in 2012. Huckabee was a guest on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace when he made the remarks..."

Slippery Bin

Report: 'Bin Laden was within our grasp' - CNN.com: "...A report released by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee blamed the Bush administration for failing to capture or kill Osama bin Laden when the al Qaeda leader was cornered in Afghanistan's Tora Bora mountain region in December 2001. The report, released Sunday, said the situation in Afghanistan presented greater problems today because of the failure to nab bin Laden eight years ago..."

No Swiss Mosques

Switzerland Votes to Ban Minarets - WSJ.com: "Swiss voters Sunday approved a ban on the construction of new minarets on mosques, defying appeals from the government to reject the proposal and raising the specter of a new round of tensions in Europe concerning the role of Islam on the Continent..."

It Ain't One World

...as Paul Harvey was fond of saying.

Report: Scores of albinos in hiding after attacks - CNN.com: "As many as 10,000 albinos are in hiding in east Africa over fears that they will be dismembered and their body parts sold to witchdoctors, the Red Cross said in a recent report.

The killings of albinos in Burundi and Tanzania, who are targeted because their body parts are believed to have special powers, have sparked fears among the population in the two countries, the report said."

Bloody Lipped Terrorist

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist - Iraq | War | Map - FOXNews.com: "Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com..."

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Who's Underqualified?

Of all the knocks on Sarah Palin, her qualifications are the most absurd. Name all the jobs Obama held-- ok, community organizer. And? And? And? Compared to Obama, Palin is a tower of qualifications. It seems that most of the people complaining the loudest, other than kool-aid drinkers, are writers of some sort, a class of people not known for having responsible positions of power and trust on their resumes. So glass houses... (My bold in the snippet.)

We can't stop looking at Sarah Palin | Katha Pollitt | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "...As just about every columnist in the world has noted by now, including me more than once, Palin is a bundle of contradictions: a Christian reactionary who has kind words for Title IX and thinks it's fine to have a top government job, five kids and a lower-earning husband; a seriously underqualified politician chosen by the desperate John McCain at least partly because of her gender and looks who exploits those assets every chance she gets – but if called on it, accuses her critics of sexism..."

Call Of Duty Cash Cow

I put the new Call of Duty aside to play Dragon Age Origins-- the best role-playing game since Baldur's Gate.
Call of Duty Franchise Claimed To Surpass $3 Billion

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Birther Brit

No, I don't think all the questions have been satisfactorily answered, but I think there is more fire in other areas of O's past. The former British police officer who wants to bring down Barack Obama | World news | The Guardian

What? No Petrocash?

Dubai Debt Delay Rattles Confidence in Gulf Borrowers (Update2) - Bloomberg.com: "Dubai is shaking investor confidence across the Persian Gulf after its proposal to delay debt payments risked triggering the biggest sovereign default since Argentina in 2001..."

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Skating Again

Roman Polanski gets bail -- if it sticks, will he skip again? [POLL] | Ministry of Gossip | Los Angeles Times: "Ministry of Gossip

Bail in the amount of $4.5 million has been approved for director Roman Polanski, who's been held in Zurich, Switzerland, facing extradition to Los Angeles to be sentenced for unlawful intercourse with a 13-year-old girl more than three decades ago."

If You Can't Discredit The Message

Hacked climate emails called a smear campaign | Reuters: "(SolveClimate) Three leading scientists who on Tuesday released a report documenting the accelerating pace of climate change said the scandal that erupted last week over hacked emails from climate scientists is nothing more than a 'smear campaign' aimed at sabotaging December climate talks in Copenhagen..."

Top Brit Says Stop Violence Against Women

British foreign secretary calls for end to violence against women_English_Xinhua: "British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Wednesday pledged support for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, calling on the international community to exert more efforts to help end gender based violence..."

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

God Sends GOP

Billy Graham: God was using Palin 'to wake America up' - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com If God likes the GOP so much, why doesn't He just wipe-out the Democrats and save everyone a lot of aggravation? Or, maybe, just as God installed Little Skippy The Chimpmaster Bush Boy as Preznit, He is using the GOP to punish us.

Fudging Data Cools The Earth

Lawmakers Probe Climate Emails - WSJ.com: "Congressional Republicans have started investigating climate scientists whose hacked emails suggest they tried to squelch dissenting views about global warming..."

Monday, November 23, 2009

The Daily Duh: Dowd Edition

Barack Losing Mojo and Modo : NO QUARTER: Quoting MoDo here: "McChrystal and Gen. David Petraeus should have been giving their best advice to Obama — and airing their view against scaling down in Afghanistan — in confidence. Instead, McChrystal pushed his opinion in a speech in London, and Petraeus has discussed his feelings in private sessions with reporters. This creates a “Seven Days in May” syndrome, where the two generals are, in effect, lobbying against the president and undercutting him as he’s trying to make a painfully complex, life-and-death decision..."

Gee, that ain't the first time the generals have tried to back-stab the President. Remember Colin Powell and Bill Clinton? Oh, wait. You were helping with the back-stabbing there. All the Presidents could take a lesson from Harry Truman and MacArthur.

Stunning News

Err, uh, this isn't the main story at this link but it's the most interesting: TechBytes: News Corp. vs. Google - ABC News: "...The words 'Set your 'phasers' to stun' are straight out of 'Star Trek' but now scientists say they've created a device that can do just that. The 'Star Trek'-like 'phaser' they've developed only works on worms right now. The machine temporarily paralyzes the worms but researchers believe the 'phaser' could someday be used to treat medical conditions in humans..."

Public Option Fakery

Is the Controversy over the Public Option the biggest Red Herring Ever? - GLG News: "Nothing has raised the hackles of partisan Democrats and especially Republicans more this year than the public health insurance option. On the left, liberals consider it to be the indispensable component of true healthcare reform. On the right, conservatives refer to it to the first step on the slippery slope to socialism, if not a return to the Third Reich this time in America. Yet, the truth is that its impact will likely be so small, its presence (or absence) hardly merits any debate..."

Casual Outing

"...Asked the Boston Phoenix: "Is this the most casual self-outing by a gay Republican in the history of politics or what?" ---Frontiers of gay Republicanism - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com.

Answer: "Yes."

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Daily Flashback: Hillary Haters Edition

Palin vs. Clinton – Sean Hannity’s Lies About Hillary : NO QUARTER: "...What is not fine is the nonsense he spewed with his panel as they all got fired up defending Sarah Palin. Hannity made the remark that you can bash a conservative woman all you want – but no one would touch a liberal woman. He basically said if you’re Hillary Clinton, you’re safe from this kind of treatment.

Well, Sean, if you’re reading this – here is a little refresher course on what the left did to Hillary in 2008. And by the way, you and your right wing cronies taught them well with the fifteen years of Hillary bashing she and we have had to put up with. Here are a few examples…"

In case you've forgotten the primaries, click on the link and read the sampling of quotes about (then) Sen. Clinton.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Ineptitude Redux

Op-Ed Columnist - The Big Squander - NYTimes.com: "Earlier this week, the inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a k a, the bank bailout fund, released his report on the 2008 rescue of the American International Group, the insurer. The gist of the report is that government officials made no serious attempt to extract concessions from bankers, even though these bankers received huge benefits from the rescue. And more than money was lost. By making what was in effect a multibillion-dollar gift to Wall Street, policy makers undermined their own credibility — and put the broader economy at risk..."

The Daily Flashback: Babbling Greenspan Edition

House Attacks Fed, Treasury - WSJ.com: "...In an interview, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said it would be 'a major loss to the country if the Fed were incapable of running an independent monetary policy. If you have the GAO, after the fact, offering its opinions on whether a certain monetary policy action is correct or incorrect, the active deliberations that are so critical to building a meaningful consensus at the FOMC will begin to become unhelpfully cautious...'"

Thursday, November 19, 2009

More On The Palin Cover

“News”week’s Sexism Is Showing On Its Cover : NO QUARTER
"...It makes me wonder where they are getting their information. You may know that Governor Palin was on Oprah earlier this week. I don’t know about you, but I was wondering, just out of curiosity, what the ratings were going to be for that show. Care to hazard a guess? If you went by the headline above, you’d guess not very high. And you would be very wrong. Oprah’s show had the highest rating it has had in over TWO YEARS. Dang, that Palin is just TERRIBLE for EVERYBODY!!!! Never mind all of those cheering crowds turning out for her book tour - Palin is just terrible for them! And the GOP! And the WORLD!!!! Ahem.

Again, I disagree with a lot of her policies, but I do appreciate her honest, down to earth bearing - those are characteristics sorely missing among politicians today. Does she possess brilliance on a par with Hillary Clinton? No, I don’t know anyone in politics who is on Clinton’s level. She is heads and shoulders above (which is, no doubt, why they drug her down and stomped all over her). Apparently, though, those of us who consider ourselves to be liberal cannot like Sarah Palin at all in any way for any reason whatsoever without being chastised, criticized, demeaned, and belittled. Because we couldn’t POSSIBLY have been marching for Equal Rights for someone like SARAH PALIN, who, by her own admission on Oprah says her relationship to her husband is one based on EQUALITY. Surely, SHE doesn’t count, which has been the recurring theme about her by so-called liberals and “feminists.”...?"

Duh Of The Day

Michael Moore says Democrats’ healthcare bill is giveaway to insurance industry | Raw Story: "In a speech broadcast on Canadian television Tuesday, Michael Moore savaged the Democrats' healthcare bill, calling it a gift to the health insurance industry, which he argues will make $70 billion more as a result of mandated health insurance..."

And who did you support for President, Mr. Moore?

Terrorist Seed-Planting?

Mouth Of The Potomac - NY Daily News: "Rep. John Shadegg isn’t winning many friends in New York after suggesting Mayor Bloomberg’s daughters could be “kidnapped at school by a terrorist” because Bloomberg wants the 9/11 culprits tried at the scene of the crime..."

Another Schizo Poll

The Associated Press: AP Poll: Support for curbs on malpractice lawsuits... Until you want to sue, everyone else is evil for expecting payment for incompetence.

Palin Aids Dems?

Dems hope Palin disrupts GOP's game plan: "As GOP former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin kicks off a national book tour this week, there are some unlikely voices cheering 'You go, girl!' - hard-core Democrats and progressives who hope Palin's 15 minutes of fame lasts all the way to 2012..."

Some Democrats are hopeful that with Palin getting the nomination they can use the same tactics against her that they used against Hillary Clinton. Don't count on that working out.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Comment Of The Day

From S.Brennan in "Your Health And The Economy's Health": Cannonfire: "'Obama turned an historic opportunity into a [failure].'

No matter where your politics lie, this should not surprise you at all. Obama had reached the age of 47 without ever actually doing anything that was not of direct benefit to himself. He had a non-existent record of achievement and no record of successful governance...just like Bush*. He and Bush had a life of privilege and they both chose the path of nihilism.

Agree or disagree with their policies, Hillary, Gore, and Clinton, had long records and had buckled down early in life. Their live stand in stark contrast to the prodigal, children that make-up the Bush/Obama years.

Obama is Bush's third term.

*[in Texas, the governor is practically a figurehead, doing little to set policy]"

Sounds Expensive

... until you compare the cost to the Iraq war and then to the cost of doing nothing.

Senate Health Bill Said to Cost $849 Billion Over 10 Years - NYTimes.com "The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, put forward his version of sweeping health care legislation on Wednesday, which a Senate aide said would cost $849 billion over 10 years. Mr. Reid promised that it would reduce the federal budget deficit while covering most of the uninsured and adding new benefits to Medicare..."

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Jail, Please

IRS divulges criteria for targeting UBS accounts - washingtonpost.com: "If your secret Swiss bank account was small enough, you can breathe easier: A landmark deal between the United States and Switzerland to expose American tax dodgers does not call for the Swiss to blow your cover..."

Rogue Fact Checking

Fact check: Palin's book goes rogue on some facts - San Jose Mercury News: "Sarah Palin's new book reprises familiar claims from the 2008 presidential campaign that haven't become any truer over time.

Ignoring substantial parts of her record if not the facts, she depicts herself as a frugal traveler on the taxpayer's dime, a reformer without ties to powerful interests and a politician roguishly indifferent to high ambition.

Palin goes adrift, at times, on more contemporary issues, too. She criticizes President Barack Obama for pushing through a bailout package that actually was achieved by his Republican predecessor George W. Bush — a package she seemed to support at the time.

A look at some of her statements in 'Going Rogue,' which was released Tuesday:..."

Code Pink Gone Real Bad?

Code Pink Sees Green in the Bloodshed at Fort Hood : NO QUARTER

Monday, November 16, 2009

You Are Being Sued

ACORN - A Laugh A Minute - NOT : NO QUARTER
"... Are you ready? Get this: they are suing Congress to get our money back! Isn’t that hysterical??? Wait - hold on a second - I am getting word that is NOT a joke, that this is, in fact, true, ACORN Sues Over ‘Unconstitutional’ Funding Cuts By Congress. Oh, sweet mother you have GOT to be kidding!..."

Resetting Priorities

Design - Mistakes in Typography Grate the Purists - NYTimes.com: "...That said, even the type-savvy Mr. Barnes claims to have become more tolerant — or less intolerant — of such howlers over the years. “I’m not sure if it’s a case of growing older, or maybe I have lower expectations,” he explained. “In France recently, I drank some nice Côtes du Rhône wine with a fairly dreadful typographic dress. I was less bothered than I used to be; after all, it’s the wine that’s important!”"

Yes, this little snippet does make a political point.

Lying Liars And Their Lying Lies

GOP twists facts about the House health care plan | ajc.com: "...You have to wonder: Are the Republican arguments against the bill so weak that they have to resort to these misrepresentations and distortions?"

I have two words for any GOP complaints about the current economic mess: George Bush. I will repeat for the politically challenged: George Bush, George Bush, George Bush, George Bush, George Bush, George Bush, George Bush...

More COD4:MW2

Bloody disgrace - BostonHerald.com: "“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” made more than $300 million on its first day in North America and the United Kingdom. That’s more than the Yankees spent to win the World Series. It’s the highest-grossing launch in the history of entertainment, but it’s nothing compared to what defense contractors earned this decade. Real war is still the best business going..."

Ok so UPS brings me my copy and Amazon has sent me a Playstation version. I don't own a Playstation. War is Hell.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

On The Daily Grind

On Rights and Responsibilities: One Cannot Exist Without the Other : Veritas Libertas by Edward Wimberley : Naples Blogs : Naples Daily News: Local Naples, Florida News Delivered Throughou: "...In another era, one that occurred not that very long ago, most of these bright but un-educated students would have never made it into college at all. Now, they shuffle into classrooms under the illusion that they have a “right” to receive a degree, even though they are generally disinterested in really doing the hard work required to learn.

In truth, they are principally enrolled in college to collect a degree, and education - their principal responsibility as students - has become an often unwanted obstacle to collecting the prize they imagine they purchased with their tuition..."

Predictable Split

The Associated Press: Dems, GOP split on NY trials of alleged terrorists

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Daily Flashback: Plame Edition

"Obama-- Words and Deeds"--Cannonfire: "...When Obama attained power, he got his revenge against Joe Wilson. Obama directed his Justice Department to halt the Wilsons' civil lawsuit against Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, who conspired to reveal Valerie Wilson's CIA employment. In essence, Obama provided legal cover for the chancred and leprous asses of Dubya's most vile henchmen.

And how did the progressives react? For example, did Randi Rhodes -- who spent years feasting on the Wilson/Plame scandal -- denounce Obama for siding with Dubya's evildoers against the people she had once championed?

No, she did not. At least not within my hearing. (If you know otherwise, please enlighten me.)

And that, my friends, is Barack Obama. He is a man who ran against the Bush/Cheney legacy, yet ended up protecting Bush and Cheney. He is a man who, on the issue of Iran, told lefties what they wanted to hear, yet consistently refused to match action to rhetoric..."

How Long Until Starbucks?

NASA spacecraft confirms water ice deposits on moon | Cutting Edge - CNET News: "Making a bigger splash than expected, the crash of an empty rocket stage in a permanently shadowed crater near the moon's south pole last month kicked up a surprising amount of water ice and vapor, confirming the presence of a potentially valuable resource for future space travelers..."

Pokey Time

Jefferson Sentenced to 13 Years - WSJ.com: "Former Louisiana congressman William Jefferson was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison following his conviction in a corruption case that featured a freezer full of suspected bribe money stuffed into boxes of veggie burgers.

A federal judge in Alexandria, Va., handed down the sentence to Mr. Jefferson, a 62-year-old Democrat ousted by voters last year. He had been convicted by a jury of bribery, money laundering and racketeering in schemes that prosecutors said he devised to enrich himself and his family..."

Well, I'll believe it when I see him behind bars.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

COD4:MW2 Sets Record

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 said to break sales records | Geek Gestalt - CNET News: "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is said to have broken the single-day sales record for an entertainment property. According to Activision, the game earned $310 million in North America and England alone in its first 24 hours..."

Tough O Talks

Obama: Won't hesitate to use force, if necessary - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency: "President Obama told troops at Elmendorf Air Force Base today that he will not hesitate to use force if necessary, but will also have good cause.

'I will not risk your lives unless it is necessary to America's vital interests,' Obama told an enthusiastic group of Air Force personnel. 'And if it is necessary, the United States of America will have your back...'"

Stupid OS Wars

Windows 7 Inspired By Mac? Here's the Guy Who Said So - PC World

Since both the overrated Apple and the unappreciated Windows owe their lineage to Xerox's Smalltalk operating system, isn't this rather like one crack dealer crying to the cops over another crack dealer stealing his dope? Without Xerox PARC neither company would be much of anything and Atari would probably own both of them.

No Vigilantes Here

Uh...because that's what lawyers do? | Michael Tomasky | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "...The best line of Obama's Ft. Hood speech, by the way, was: 'We are a nation of laws whose commitment to justice is so enduring that we would treat a gunman and give him due process, just as surely as we will see that he pays for his crimes.' That's not a liberal sentiment, nor (obviously) a conservative one, but a constitutional one. Any American who doesn't see this isn't really much of an American."

Bishop Power Play

How Catholic Bishops Threw the Health Care Debate into Turmoil with Anti-Abortion Maneuver | Rights and Liberties | AlterNet: "...It was a bold power play -- one that caught progressive members of the Democratic caucus off-guard, and one that has sown distrust and dissension among House Democrats.

With a major assist from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, two members of Congress -- both members, as well, of a secretive, right-wing religious group -- made it impossible for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to pass an historic health care reform bill without the attachment of anti-abortion amendment that, if signed into law, could set women's rights back decades..."

Not since the murder of the Knights Templar...

Palin/Dobbs Ticket?

From Logistics Monster: Lou Dobbs Leaving CNN TODAY!!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

WebBlog Award Nominee

In addition to being in the running for massive blog honors (remember the old Western North Carolina dictum--vote early, vote often), Carl also gets the Mad In The Middle Award for "Best Named Post Of The Day." Read it here:" Simply Left Behind: A Thousand Points Of Blight: The Non-Rapturist's Guide To The Galaxy."

Struggling Vet Organizations


American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars posts struggle - USATODAY.com

This is sad but I'm afraid the roots of the decline go back to Vietnam. Korean War veterans, for the most part, were welcomed into the vet service organizations as one of their own. That never seemed to be the case for Vietnam vets, who if not treated with outright contempt by their elders, were told they were boys who didn't fight in a real war. Couple just a few attitudes from vets with the general disdain for Vietnam vets held by the public at large and the current problem seems quite predictable.

Old, festering wounds perhaps never really heal.

I have to paraphrase Rambo here: "All we ever wanted was for our country to love us half as much we loved her."

Biggest Video Game Ever?

Eager fans greet Call of Duty launch | Technology | Reuters: "Activision Blizzard Inc's hugely anticipated 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2' video game went on sale on Tuesday, welcomed by eager fans who lined up hours in advance of the release..."

I await my copy from Amazon.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Real Male Enhancement

I absolutely will not comment on this (some jokes are too cheap): Artificial Penis Tissue Proves Promising in Lab Tests - Sex | Erectile Dysfunction | Sexual Health - FOXNews.com

The Daily Flashback: Cold Warrior Edition

20 Years Ago Today - The Berlin Wall is torn down!--- COMMON CENTS BLOG: "20 Years Ago Today - The Berlin Wall is torn down! On this date November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall fell! Long viewed as a symbol of the Cold War the Berlin Wall separated the free West Germany from the Communist East Germany..."

This morning on his radio show Huckabee Halftruth waxed eloquent over the greatness of the Raygun who apparently was solely responsible for the fall of Communism and the Wall. I've got news for everyone-- we, that is us, the U.S. and its allies, spent fifty years fighting communism, and the Cold War was not won during the term of one President. All those Americans who died in Korea and Vietnam did so because we were containing the Soviet Union, and the funding for those wars and the Cold War, came from the tax payers and was passed into law by primarily Democratic controlled Congresses, so no lectures on who was the greatest Cold Warrior-- the answer is those who fought in the hot wars.

Comment Of The Day

2Truthy at "Obama Says GOMER"-- Cannonfire: says "...So, Democrats are the patsies for the insurance companies? Leave it to the insurance industry to publish the WellPoint study ONE WEEK prior to the House vote. The study reveals the actual facts about how bad this shitty little insurance industry bill really is for the middle class. Damn, the GOP is gonna loooooove this, and they BOTH are getting their cake and eating it too. The insurance companies have pulled an astute political move that the Democrats don't appear to understand. 2-3 years from now, the Democrats will look like the evil-doers while the GOP does a righteous “I told you so” dance over Obama's Lucifer-ish deal with the insurance industry to not to run Harry and Louise commercials in exchange for his promise to throw people in jail for not buying their cost prohibitive, mandatory insurance policies..."

Monday, November 09, 2009

Shooting The Foot To Spite The Face

Conservative Republican group shuns party-backed Senate candidate in Florida - On Politics - USATODAY.com: "The Club for Growth's Political Action Committee made it official this morning, endorsing former state lawmaker Marco Rubio in next year's Florida Senate race. That's a diss to the state's governor, Charlie Crist. Crist has the backing of top national Republican party leaders as well as the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee in his bid for the seat..."

On DINOHealthcare

Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics | Taylor Marsh – Political Analysis, Foreign Policy, and Opinion: "...But let’s be honest. It was Pres. Obama who opened the door to sell us out when he decided to put the Hyde Amendment in the budget, something Bill Clinton never did. But Mr. Obama didn’t stop there. During the stimulus fight, at the first sign of displeasure, our President personally asked that contraceptives be taken out. Now the President seems ready to finish the job, with Democrats in the House helping him do it.."

The Daily Flashback: Paranoid Edition

Op-Ed Columnist - Paranoia Strikes Deep - NYTimes.com: "...But while the paranoid style isn’t new, its role within the G.O.P. is.

When Hofstadter wrote, the right wing felt dispossessed because it was rejected by both major parties. That changed with the rise of Ronald Reagan: Republican politicians began to win elections in part by catering to the passions of the angry right.

Until recently, however, that catering mostly took the form of empty symbolism. Once elections were won, the issues that fired up the base almost always took a back seat to the economic concerns of the elite. Thus in 2004 George W. Bush ran on antiterrorism and “values,” only to announce, as soon as the election was behind him, that his first priority was changing Social Security.

But something snapped last year..."

Sunday, November 08, 2009

RePumaing

Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away « The Confluence: "...The road to rehabilitation starts by ripping up your party card and mailing it to Donna Brazile. Then, join the rest of us. We’re the third party. We’re the rapidly growing group of voters in every state that designates themselves as unaffiliated. We’re the potential 30% of elected female officials who will change this country. We’re the people who don’t have to hold our elected officials accountable anymore because we are through dealing with them. And I think we have finally achieved the critical mass to become our own third party.

Just walk away..."

Gas Prices Going Up?

Oil cos shut output in Gulf due to hurricane | Reuters: "U.S. oil companies were shutting production on Sunday as they evacuated workers from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of Hurricane Ida, which is forecast to roar across the offshore oil patch Monday before making landfall on Tuesday..."

Friday, November 06, 2009

Goat Staring



Check Out The Real-Life Men Who Stare at Goats - Cinematical: "'I'm not sure why, but Overture Films has chosen to downplay the 'based on a true story' aspects of their high-profile new satirical film The Men Who Stare at Goats. The film finds Ewan McGregor as a journalist looking for a story in Iraq who stumbles across a former member (George Clooney) of a special platoon of psychics employed by the U.S. military. While many moments in the film seem outlandish and ridiculous, they become even more jaw-dropping with the knowledge that the film is based on fact..."

For a primer, see Suspect Zero, an excellent flick btw.

About That Spying

"Obama Takes A Page Out Of Bush's Book": The Advocate Online - November 6, 2009 – Volume 45, Issue 8: "...In fact, do you know who one of the loudest voices against this idea was when Bush did it? That’s right — our current president. The even bigger problem is that he was speaking out against it loudly right up until the time he got elected.

Then, suddenly, protecting the president from being questioned about very legal activities seemed like a very good idea..."

Slurp the Kool-Aid, regret the present.

Voice Of America Notes O'Woes

VOA News - Obama's Political Challenges Grow: "One year after his election as U.S. president, Barack Obama faces an increasingly challenging political situation at home, with rising anger on the right and growing nervousness among many of his fellow Democrats in Congress."

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Voting On Slavery

Would we still have slavery if we’d have voted on it? « The Confluence: "The vote in Maine that put aside its new law allowing same sex marriage got me thinking. Aren’t civil rights something the
constitution bestows and the courts uphold because they protect a minority against the tyranny of the majority? Why are we letting the tyrants vote on an equal protection issue? What would have happened if we’d have gotten to vote on slavery state-by-state and let it stand that way?..."

A Bit Of The Old Raygun

War of the Worlds, The Early Years : NO QUARTER

From The "All Politics Is Local" Department

Watertown Daily Times | Scozzafava's future in politics uncertain after backing Owens: "Republican Dierdre K. Scozzafava faces an uncertain future in state politics after aborting her congressional campaign three days before elections and throwing her support behind her Democratic opponent..."

Huckabee Halftruth, Limbaugh, and the rest of the GOPer echo machine all crowed loudly over this election before the actual election. Nary a peep now. They are all convinced that America Has Gone Red with the election of VA and NJ Republican governors. I'd say that we should all remember this was an off-year and for sure during low voter turnout it is local issues that drive the agenda.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Japan Worry

It is Japan we should be worrying about, not America - Telegraph: "Japan is drifting helplessly towards a dramatic fiscal crisis. For 20 years the world's second-largest economy has been able to borrow cheaply from a captive bond market, feeding its addiction to Keynesian deficit spending – and allowing it to push public debt beyond the point of no return..."

Cat With The Fever

The Associated Press: Officials: Swine flu confirmed in Iowa cat: "A 13-year-old Iowa cat has been infected with swine flu, veterinary and federal officials said Wednesday in what is believed to be the first case of the H1N1 virus in a feline in the United States..."

Sad Day For Civil Rights

The Associated Press: Gay leaders blame TV ads, Obama for loss in Maine: "Stunned and angry, national gay rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads — and President Barack Obama's lack of engagement — for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate..."

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

GOP Civil Drama

Republicans Hate Pro Choice Women « The Confluence: "Nothing these days makes the Republican Party act like cannibals more than a pro-choice woman in their midst. They can talk all they want about the big tent, but it’s an imaginary concept. It always has and always will be. Since the club for growth hooked up with the theocrats, the more traditional Rockefeller Republicans have been run out of the party like the heretics they are considered to be. Believe me, as one of the victims of the witch hunt, they come after you with all the vile, bile, and whispered lies they can muster. This being said, I really feel for Dede Scozzafava and wonder exactly how long it will take her to realize no matter what some of the monied business folks say about her or to her, the grass roots will burn her at the stake if she tries to go beyond her token status to convince the press there’s an imaginary big tent. They don’t want a pro choice woman’s face on the Republican Party Brand..."

It will all play out today-- watch and wonder.

Do We Really Need More Bold?

Conservatives emboldened by moves in New York election -- latimes.com

Monday, November 02, 2009

The Tiresome Middle East

Clinton Denies Easing Pressure on Israel - NYTimes.com: "Struggling to stem a chorus of protests from the Arab world, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reiterated Monday that the Obama administration still wanted Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements, even if it regarded Israel’s compromise offer as “unprecedented...”"

Sunday, November 01, 2009

No One Wants Public Option Or...

I'd love to see how exactly the survey was worded and administered, and if so few would want it, then why is anyone in the insurance industry even worried about it? Maybe all the ads and lobbying just need to cease since everyone apparently is perfectly satisified with their insurance options.

2 Percent Would Reportedly Take Public Option - FOXNews.com: "After all the noise over Democrats' push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in: Two percent.

That's the estimated share of Americans younger than 65 who'd sign up for the public option plan under the health care bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is steering toward House approval..."