Are public unions our convenient economic scapegoats? - Fortune Management:
"'...Unionized workers didn't sow the seeds of the economic downturn, deregulation of the financial industry did,' says Robert Bruno, a University of Illinois professor of labor and employment relations. 'We've suffered billions in losses because of greed, gross mismanagement and illegal activity in the financial industry.'
'Unions are an easy target because the largest cost in a state budget is always labor,' says Bruno, who studies employee and union issues. 'Why are we scapegoating teachers? Is the American love affair with capitalism so irrational that it knows no bounds?'
Joseph Slater at Toledo's law school agrees: 'It's easy to paint a portrait of public workers as overpaid, not working very hard and being fat cats on the tax dollar. But there's no correlation between collective bargaining and the state budget crises...'"
Comment on the above post by Ryan:
"Huh. Take away rights from workers, blame the middle class for the deficit, put the money back into the pockets of the rich. Sounds like the Republicans are back in charge. To the person that said that liberals will be the death of this country - you can think that if you want, but Republican economic policy (deregulation, tax cuts for wealthy and business, curtailing worker rights, and eliminating social programs) has been killing this country ever since Reagan took office. Those economic policies are coming home to roost in a fatally corrupt financial sector and a government more worried about self-preservation than the will of the people."
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Hope For The Middle East
Qaddafi YouTube Spoof by Israeli Gets Arab Fans - NYTimes.com: "A YouTube clip mocking Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s megalomania is fast becoming a popular token of the Libya uprising across the Middle East. And in an added affront to Colonel Qaddafi, it was created by an Israeli living in Tel Aviv..."
WI Police Say "No" To Arrests
Police Won't Boot Protesters From Wis. Capitol - FoxNews.com:
"...But in the hours before the deadline came and after it passed, it was clear most protesters did not intend to leave voluntarily and police had no immediate intention of forcing them to go.
Late Sunday night, Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs said no demonstrators would be arrested as long as they continue to obey the law.
'People here have acted lawfully and responsibly,' Tubbs said. 'There's no reason to consider arrests...'"
"...But in the hours before the deadline came and after it passed, it was clear most protesters did not intend to leave voluntarily and police had no immediate intention of forcing them to go.
Late Sunday night, Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs said no demonstrators would be arrested as long as they continue to obey the law.
'People here have acted lawfully and responsibly,' Tubbs said. 'There's no reason to consider arrests...'"
Southern Employee Strategy
Union bargaining just a dream for many gov workers:
"...To be sure, government jobs are still seen as more secure and desirable than most private-sector jobs even in states where public employees do not have the right to collective bargaining. In Mississippi, one of the poorest states in the nation, state workers get 10 paid holidays a year, their sick days and vacation days can be rolled over from year to year, and they can retire after 25 years of service under a defined benefit plan. They also have a certain level of civil-service job protection..."
Well, whoopee. I wonder how public employee pay and benefits stack-up against public employees in a country, say Germany, that is not trying to enslave its citizens?
"...To be sure, government jobs are still seen as more secure and desirable than most private-sector jobs even in states where public employees do not have the right to collective bargaining. In Mississippi, one of the poorest states in the nation, state workers get 10 paid holidays a year, their sick days and vacation days can be rolled over from year to year, and they can retire after 25 years of service under a defined benefit plan. They also have a certain level of civil-service job protection..."
Well, whoopee. I wonder how public employee pay and benefits stack-up against public employees in a country, say Germany, that is not trying to enslave its citizens?
Comment Of The Day
Newt Gingrich Affair Questioned By College Student: "Yank in France 03:46 AM on 2/26/2011
Amazing response that should impress the easily impressed!
First, Gingrich asks us to forget his lurid past, but he is campaigning on his past accomplishments, right?
So he is really asking us to selectively forget the bad things and remember the good.
OK, let's play that game and see what we see...
Gingrich's main accomplishment was pushing the impeachment of Bill Clinton for his extramarital indiscretions, but after he and his fellow travelers dragged America through several years of turmoil ending in the rejection of the impeachment charges, we learned that Gingrich had been cheating on his wife all the time he had been attacking Clinton for doing the same thing!!
Gingrich's other great 'accomplishment' was shutting down the US government.
All in all, the impeachment of Clinton only made of mockery of the United States, its government and its people in countries throughout the globe.
If that is what people want to see again, Gingrich is right, they will go forward with him and LOOK forward to the same old disastrous consequences!! "
Amazing response that should impress the easily impressed!
First, Gingrich asks us to forget his lurid past, but he is campaigning on his past accomplishments, right?
So he is really asking us to selectively forget the bad things and remember the good.
OK, let's play that game and see what we see...
Gingrich's main accomplishment was pushing the impeachment of Bill Clinton for his extramarital indiscretions, but after he and his fellow travelers dragged America through several years of turmoil ending in the rejection of the impeachment charges, we learned that Gingrich had been cheating on his wife all the time he had been attacking Clinton for doing the same thing!!
Gingrich's other great 'accomplishment' was shutting down the US government.
All in all, the impeachment of Clinton only made of mockery of the United States, its government and its people in countries throughout the globe.
If that is what people want to see again, Gingrich is right, they will go forward with him and LOOK forward to the same old disastrous consequences!! "
China Taking No Chances
Behind The Wall - China puts on a show of force to block rally:
"Let us be clear from the start: this is not a blog post about a would-be revolution.
It’s about the demonstration of state power in a police state..."
"Let us be clear from the start: this is not a blog post about a would-be revolution.
It’s about the demonstration of state power in a police state..."
Middle East Angst
What We Don’t Know About the Middle East : NO QUARTER:
"...Let’s start with Egypt. The so-called people’s revolution was a clever coup by the Egyptian military, who apparently decided that Hosni Mubarak’s time was up and that he had to go. If you are counting on a new, secular democracy emerging in the land of the Pharaohs you are delusional. Do you seriously believe that the new Egypt will be less Islamic, more favorably disposed to Israel and willing to support equal rights for men and women? If so, I have a bridge to sell you.
I do not believe the United States is in a position to control events in the world. But we sure as hell have a variety of resources and capabilities to influence the course of events and even intervene, both overtly and covertly. In the case of Egypt the Obama Administration decided to sit on the sidelines and play cheerleader. But our strategic interests in the region supersede what happens inside of Egypt. We should have been asking, “what does this mean for the region and, in particular, Israel’s security?”..."
"...Let’s start with Egypt. The so-called people’s revolution was a clever coup by the Egyptian military, who apparently decided that Hosni Mubarak’s time was up and that he had to go. If you are counting on a new, secular democracy emerging in the land of the Pharaohs you are delusional. Do you seriously believe that the new Egypt will be less Islamic, more favorably disposed to Israel and willing to support equal rights for men and women? If so, I have a bridge to sell you.
I do not believe the United States is in a position to control events in the world. But we sure as hell have a variety of resources and capabilities to influence the course of events and even intervene, both overtly and covertly. In the case of Egypt the Obama Administration decided to sit on the sidelines and play cheerleader. But our strategic interests in the region supersede what happens inside of Egypt. We should have been asking, “what does this mean for the region and, in particular, Israel’s security?”..."
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Human Rights Council Does The Right Thing
The U.N. Human Rights Council on Libya: The council gets it right - latimes.com: "Something odd happened Friday in Geneva: The United Nations Human Rights Council, derided by conservatives and liberal human rights advocates alike as a toothless and sometimes hypocritical organ, actually did the right thing. For the first time ever, it voted to expel one of its members for committing atrocities..."
Working People Suffering
Absorbing the Pain - NYTimes.com:
"...Among the many heartening things about the workers fighting back in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere is the spotlight that is being thrown on the contemptuous attitude of the corporate elite and their handmaidens in government toward ordinary working Americans: police officers and firefighters, teachers, truck drivers, janitors, health care aides, and so on. These are the people who do the daily grunt work of America. How dare we treat them with contempt.
It would be a mistake to think that this fight is solely about the right of public employees to collectively bargain. As important as that issue is, it’s just one skirmish in what’s shaping up as a long, bitter campaign to keep ordinary workers, whether union members or not, from being completely overwhelmed by the forces of unrestrained greed in this society.
The predators at the top, billionaires and millionaires, are pitting ordinary workers against one another. So we’re left with the bizarre situation of unionized workers with a pension being resented by nonunion workers without one. The swells are in the background, having a good laugh..."
"...Among the many heartening things about the workers fighting back in Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere is the spotlight that is being thrown on the contemptuous attitude of the corporate elite and their handmaidens in government toward ordinary working Americans: police officers and firefighters, teachers, truck drivers, janitors, health care aides, and so on. These are the people who do the daily grunt work of America. How dare we treat them with contempt.
It would be a mistake to think that this fight is solely about the right of public employees to collectively bargain. As important as that issue is, it’s just one skirmish in what’s shaping up as a long, bitter campaign to keep ordinary workers, whether union members or not, from being completely overwhelmed by the forces of unrestrained greed in this society.
The predators at the top, billionaires and millionaires, are pitting ordinary workers against one another. So we’re left with the bizarre situation of unionized workers with a pension being resented by nonunion workers without one. The swells are in the background, having a good laugh..."
The Real Terminator
GOP Attacking Women
The War on Women - NYTimes.com:
"Republicans in the House of Representatives are mounting an assault on women’s health and freedom that would deny millions of women access to affordable contraception and life-saving cancer screenings and cut nutritional support for millions of newborn babies in struggling families. And this is just the beginning.
The budget bill pushed through the House last Saturday included the defunding of Planned Parenthood and myriad other cuts detrimental to women. It’s not likely to pass unchanged, but the urge to compromise may take a toll on these programs. And once the current skirmishing is over, House Republicans are likely to use any legislative vehicle at hand to continue the attack..."
"Republicans in the House of Representatives are mounting an assault on women’s health and freedom that would deny millions of women access to affordable contraception and life-saving cancer screenings and cut nutritional support for millions of newborn babies in struggling families. And this is just the beginning.
The budget bill pushed through the House last Saturday included the defunding of Planned Parenthood and myriad other cuts detrimental to women. It’s not likely to pass unchanged, but the urge to compromise may take a toll on these programs. And once the current skirmishing is over, House Republicans are likely to use any legislative vehicle at hand to continue the attack..."
The Shrinking Middle
Plutocracy Now: What Wisconsin Is Really About | Mother Jones: "...The first is this: Income inequality has grown dramatically since the mid-'70s—far more in the US than in most advanced countries—and the gap is only partly related to college grads outperforming high-school grads. Rather, the bulk of our growing inequality has been a product of skyrocketing incomes among the richest 1 percent and—even more dramatically—among the top 0.1 percent. It has, in other words, been CEOs and Wall Street traders at the very tippy-top who are hoovering up vast sums of money from everyone, even those who by ordinary standards are pretty well off..."
Iran Nuclear Woes
The Iranians say it is not the Stuxnet virus. (Isit incompetence instead?) The Associated Press: In setback, Iran to unload fuel from nuclear plant:
WI Pensions Not Taxpayer Funded
tax.com: Really Bad Reporting in Wisconsin: Who 'Contributes' to Public Workers' Pensions?:
"When it comes to improving public understanding of tax policy, nothing has been more troubling than the deeply flawed coverage of the Wisconsin state employees' fight over collective bargaining.
Economic nonsense is being reported as fact in most of the news reports on the Wisconsin dispute, the product of a breakdown of skepticism among journalists multiplied by their lack of understanding of basic economic principles.
Gov. Scott Walker says he wants state workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to 'contribute more' to their pension and health insurance plans.
Accepting Gov. Walker' s assertions as fact, and failing to check, created the impression that somehow the workers are getting something extra, a gift from taxpayers. They are not.
Out of every dollar that funds Wisconsin' s pension and health insurance plans for state workers, 100 cents comes from the state workers..."
"When it comes to improving public understanding of tax policy, nothing has been more troubling than the deeply flawed coverage of the Wisconsin state employees' fight over collective bargaining.
Economic nonsense is being reported as fact in most of the news reports on the Wisconsin dispute, the product of a breakdown of skepticism among journalists multiplied by their lack of understanding of basic economic principles.
Gov. Scott Walker says he wants state workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to 'contribute more' to their pension and health insurance plans.
Accepting Gov. Walker' s assertions as fact, and failing to check, created the impression that somehow the workers are getting something extra, a gift from taxpayers. They are not.
Out of every dollar that funds Wisconsin' s pension and health insurance plans for state workers, 100 cents comes from the state workers..."
Friday, February 25, 2011
Madison Equals Baghdad
Shock Doctrine, U.S.A. - NYTimes.com: "Here’s a thought: maybe Madison, Wis., isn’t Cairo after all. Maybe it’s Baghdad — specifically, Baghdad in 2003, when the Bush administration put Iraq under the rule of officials chosen for loyalty and political reliability rather than experience and competence..."
Coffee Party: Wishing & Hoping
The Tipping Point | Coffee Party: "Years from now, we will think of February 2011 as the tipping point in America’s great awakening. After all the warnings and wake-up calls, this be will remembered as the time when the American people decided to come together, confront the plutocracy that plagues our republic, and do something to change the economic inequality/instability that has grown from it. There is a tide. If you don't yet feel it, here are Ten Wake Up Calls that we predict will help define February 2011 in America. The more people who get involved, the more meaningful it will be. So, please share this page with others who may still need a reason to wake up and stand up..."
A GOPer I Might Support
On Indiana governor Mitch Daniels-- Run Mitch, Run - NYTimes.com:
"...Daniels has occasionally leveled that toughness on his fellow conservatives. He told Ferguson that Republicans should declare a truce on social issues until the debt crisis is taken care of. A few activists are still upset.
But Daniels is keeping his paramount focus on debt and responsibility. He couldn’t match Obama in grace and elegance, but he could on substance. They could have a great and clarifying debate: What exactly are the paramount problems facing the country? What is government’s role in solving them?
I hope Daniels gives us a chance to be part of that."
"...Daniels has occasionally leveled that toughness on his fellow conservatives. He told Ferguson that Republicans should declare a truce on social issues until the debt crisis is taken care of. A few activists are still upset.
But Daniels is keeping his paramount focus on debt and responsibility. He couldn’t match Obama in grace and elegance, but he could on substance. They could have a great and clarifying debate: What exactly are the paramount problems facing the country? What is government’s role in solving them?
I hope Daniels gives us a chance to be part of that."
Organ Proposal Not Thought Through
So you say "no" to the 50 year old carpenter and a 15 year old gets the organ. Do we have a guarantee that said youngest will become a fully functioning member of society? No, the kid might become a crack head or a serial killer. We know what society will likely get from our 50 year-- 15 more years of house building. This proposal swaps one simplistic proposal for another. Under kidney transplant proposal, younger patients would get the best organs:
More Threats From The Right
Rep. Paul Broun Asked At Town Hall: 'Who Is Going To Shoot Obama?': "The Athens Banner-Herald in Georgia reports that a shocking question was asked at a town hall event held by Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) on Tuesday. According to the article, an audience member asked the congressman, "Who is going to shoot Obama?...""
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Lying Fox Liars Again
Fox News Chief, Roger Ailes, Urged Employee to Lie, Records Show - NYTimes.com:
"...Now, court documents filed in a lawsuit make clear whom Ms. Regan was accusing of urging her to lie: Roger E. Ailes, the powerful chairman of Fox News and a longtime friend of Mr. Giuliani. What is more, the documents say that Ms. Regan taped the telephone call from Mr. Ailes in which Mr. Ailes discussed her relationship with Mr. Kerik.
"...Now, court documents filed in a lawsuit make clear whom Ms. Regan was accusing of urging her to lie: Roger E. Ailes, the powerful chairman of Fox News and a longtime friend of Mr. Giuliani. What is more, the documents say that Ms. Regan taped the telephone call from Mr. Ailes in which Mr. Ailes discussed her relationship with Mr. Kerik.
It is unclear whether the existence of the tape played a role in News Corporation’s decision to move quickly to settle a wrongful termination suit filed by Ms. Regan, paying her $10.75 million in a confidential settlement reached two months after she filed it in 2007..."
Saudi Bomber Blues
Saudi Lone Wolf Hysteria : NO QUARTER:
"...The media has watched too many Hollywood violent fantasies and readily buy into the notion that anyone with a computer can become a master bomb builder and, with no significant external support, can run around the United States blowing things up right and left. Sorry, but that is foolish.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled that the FBI caught this a**hole and that he is likely to spend a significant amount of time in prison. Aldawsari failed to learn the most important lesson–DESIRE DOES NOT EQUAL CAPABILITY."
"...The media has watched too many Hollywood violent fantasies and readily buy into the notion that anyone with a computer can become a master bomb builder and, with no significant external support, can run around the United States blowing things up right and left. Sorry, but that is foolish.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled that the FBI caught this a**hole and that he is likely to spend a significant amount of time in prison. Aldawsari failed to learn the most important lesson–DESIRE DOES NOT EQUAL CAPABILITY."
Prank Call To Walker
Why did Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker take a call from 'David Koch'? - CSMonitor.com:
"Who are billionaire brothers George and David Koch, and why did Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker take a call from 'David Koch' – actually a liberal prankster – who recorded a conversation that may prove embarrassing to Governor Walker?
The Kochs are one of the major business forces fighting unions. A big part of their effort has been funding the campaigns of conservative, union-fighting gubernatorial candidates like Walker, John Kasich in Ohio and Rick Perry in Texas – to the tune of $1.2 million in the last election, including donations from company employees and subsidiaries..."
Why did he take the call? Hmmm. Let me think...
"Who are billionaire brothers George and David Koch, and why did Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker take a call from 'David Koch' – actually a liberal prankster – who recorded a conversation that may prove embarrassing to Governor Walker?
The Kochs are one of the major business forces fighting unions. A big part of their effort has been funding the campaigns of conservative, union-fighting gubernatorial candidates like Walker, John Kasich in Ohio and Rick Perry in Texas – to the tune of $1.2 million in the last election, including donations from company employees and subsidiaries..."
Why did he take the call? Hmmm. Let me think...
Illegal Midwifery In NC
Woman arrested for serving as midwife - CharlotteObserver.com: "...Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested Emily Hyatt Medwin, a certified professional midwife, for helping a woman with a home birth. She was charged with 'unauthorized practice of midwifery...'"
Lest We Forget: Hitler vs. Unions
May 1933: Hitler Abolishes Unions | NEWS JUNKIE POST: "On May 2nd, 1933, the day after Labor day, Nazi groups occupied union halls and labor leaders were arrested. Trade Unions were outlawed by Adolf Hitler, while collective bargaining and the right to strike was abolished. This was the beginning of a consolidation of power by the fascist regime which systematically wiped out all opposition groups, starting with unions, liberals, socialists, and communists using Himmler’s state police..."
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Kill The Protesters
I knew it was only a matter of time before this stuff started happening-- the Righteous Right has little tolerance for frustration.
Indiana state prosecutor fired over remarks about Wisconsin protests - CNN.com:
"An Indiana deputy attorney general lost his job Wednesday after commenting online that authorities should use 'live ammunition' to run off the throngs of protesters railing over union collective bargaining rights two states away in Wisconsin.
The former state prosecutor, Jeffrey Cox, attached the comment 'Use Live Ammunition' in response to a Feb. 19 Twitter posting by a writer for Mother Jones magazine. The writer, Adam Weinstein, wrote that riot police officers had been ordered to clear protesters from the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison..."
Indiana state prosecutor fired over remarks about Wisconsin protests - CNN.com:
"An Indiana deputy attorney general lost his job Wednesday after commenting online that authorities should use 'live ammunition' to run off the throngs of protesters railing over union collective bargaining rights two states away in Wisconsin.
The former state prosecutor, Jeffrey Cox, attached the comment 'Use Live Ammunition' in response to a Feb. 19 Twitter posting by a writer for Mother Jones magazine. The writer, Adam Weinstein, wrote that riot police officers had been ordered to clear protesters from the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison..."
Lies And More About Union Positions
Spreading Anti-Union Agenda - NYTimes.com:
"...In Wisconsin, union leaders agreed to concessions requested by Mr. Walker: to pay nearly 6 percent of their wages for pension costs, up from nearly zero, and double payments for health insurance. At that point, most governors would declare victory and move on. Instead, Mr. Walker has rejected union concessions and won’t even negotiate. His true priority is stripping workers of collective-bargaining rights and reducing their unions to a shell. The unions would no longer be able to raise money to oppose him, as they did in last year’s election, easing the way for future Republicans as well.
The game is up when unionized state workers demonstrate a sense of shared sacrifice but Republican lawmakers won’t even allow them a seat at the table. For unions and Democrats in the Midwest, this is an existential struggle, and it is one worth waging."
"...In Wisconsin, union leaders agreed to concessions requested by Mr. Walker: to pay nearly 6 percent of their wages for pension costs, up from nearly zero, and double payments for health insurance. At that point, most governors would declare victory and move on. Instead, Mr. Walker has rejected union concessions and won’t even negotiate. His true priority is stripping workers of collective-bargaining rights and reducing their unions to a shell. The unions would no longer be able to raise money to oppose him, as they did in last year’s election, easing the way for future Republicans as well.
The game is up when unionized state workers demonstrate a sense of shared sacrifice but Republican lawmakers won’t even allow them a seat at the table. For unions and Democrats in the Midwest, this is an existential struggle, and it is one worth waging."
A Win For The Good Guys
Wells Fargo Meeting Today With Philly Homeowner Who "Foreclosed" On Them (Here's How He Did It) - The Consumerist: "Wells Fargo is meeting today at noon with the Philadelphia homeowner who "foreclosed" on them, The Consumerist has exclusively learned. Patrick says he "received a call from upon high" late yesterday and that he now has an appointment, "with a very senior Wells Fargo person." It will be interesting to see how this plays out. But how did Patrick go from embattled and ignored homeowner to seated across the negotiating table with leverage? I spoke with him to find out more about both how and why he did what he did. His story is an inspiration to anyone who's dreamed of going toe-to-toe with the big banks and winning. Turns out that armed with persistence, and a little legal know-how, Davids can take down Goliaths..."
Enron II
Cannonfire: "WisCONsin -- or: Koch is the new Enron
The big story begins here by way of Corrente. Basically, Governor Walker of Wisconsin wants to sell state-owned power plants to private owners -- without bidding. No bid contracts = CORRUPTION. As one Corrente comment puts it:..."
The big story begins here by way of Corrente. Basically, Governor Walker of Wisconsin wants to sell state-owned power plants to private owners -- without bidding. No bid contracts = CORRUPTION. As one Corrente comment puts it:..."
States Could Lose Fed Bucks In Union Dispute
Gov. Walker Informed That Bill Targeting Unions May Cost State $46 Million In Federal Funds:
"Budget referees and transportation officials in Wisconsin have informed Gov. Scott Walker (R) that if he were to pass his controversial anti-union legislation into law, he could be forfeiting tens of millions of dollars in federal funds for transportation.
"Budget referees and transportation officials in Wisconsin have informed Gov. Scott Walker (R) that if he were to pass his controversial anti-union legislation into law, he could be forfeiting tens of millions of dollars in federal funds for transportation.
Under an obscure provision of federal labor law, states risk losing federal funds should they eliminate "collective bargaining rights" that existed at the time when federal assistance was first granted. The provision, known as "protective arrangements" or "Section 13C arrangements," is meant as a means of cushioning union (and even some non-union) members who, while working on local projects, are affected by federal grants..."
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Pro-Union Poll
Poll: Americans oppose weaker unions - USATODAY.com: "Americans strongly oppose laws taking away the collective bargaining power of public employee unions, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. The poll found 61% would oppose a law in their state similar to such a proposal in Wisconsin, compared with 33% who would favor such a law..."
Evil Days
George Lakoff: What Conservatives Really Want:
"The central issue in our political life is not being discussed. At stake is the moral basis of American democracy.
The individual issues are all too real: assaults on unions, public employees, women's rights, immigrants, the environment, health care, voting rights, food safety, pensions, prenatal care, science, public broadcasting, and on and on.
Budget deficits are a ruse, as we've seen in Wisconsin, where the governor turned a surplus into a deficit by providing corporate tax breaks, and then used the deficit as a ploy to break the unions, not just in Wisconsin, but seeking to be the first domino in a nationwide conservative movement..."
"The central issue in our political life is not being discussed. At stake is the moral basis of American democracy.
The individual issues are all too real: assaults on unions, public employees, women's rights, immigrants, the environment, health care, voting rights, food safety, pensions, prenatal care, science, public broadcasting, and on and on.
Budget deficits are a ruse, as we've seen in Wisconsin, where the governor turned a surplus into a deficit by providing corporate tax breaks, and then used the deficit as a ploy to break the unions, not just in Wisconsin, but seeking to be the first domino in a nationwide conservative movement..."
Hoping For Unions
Rarely do I agree with everything in a given post but with this one, I do.
Simply Left BehindThe Non-Rapturist's Guide To The Galaxy: In Union, There Is Strength:
"...But today, this week, this month, this year, we're starting to see the backlash of unions and union-minded people. The budget cuts that municipalities and states have been placing in effect has caused workers to shout 'Basta!' and take to the streets. In Wisconsin, even the unions exempt from Governor Walker's edicts have stood shoulder to shoulder with their union peers.
In union comes strength. The firefighters remember the words of Pastor Reinhold Niebur: 'Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love.'
Or to put it more prosaic terms, if they can screw with you, they can screw with me, so I stand with you now. "
Simply Left BehindThe Non-Rapturist's Guide To The Galaxy: In Union, There Is Strength:
"...But today, this week, this month, this year, we're starting to see the backlash of unions and union-minded people. The budget cuts that municipalities and states have been placing in effect has caused workers to shout 'Basta!' and take to the streets. In Wisconsin, even the unions exempt from Governor Walker's edicts have stood shoulder to shoulder with their union peers.
In union comes strength. The firefighters remember the words of Pastor Reinhold Niebur: 'Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love.'
Or to put it more prosaic terms, if they can screw with you, they can screw with me, so I stand with you now. "
Death Rays Getting Real
Navy Breaks World Record With Futuristic Free-Electron Laser - FoxNews.com:
"...To create incredible power requires incredible energy. After all, the more power one puts into a laser accelerator, the more powerful and precise the light beam that comes out on the other end. During a private tour of the Jefferson Lab in Newport News, VA., on Friday, FoxNews.com saw scientists blast unprecedented levels of power into a prototype accelerator, producing a supercharged electron beam that can burn through 20 feet of steel per second.
Scientists there, in coordination with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), injected a sustained 500 kilovolts (KV) of juice into a prototype accelerator where the existing limit had been 320 kV -- a world’s record, the scientists explained..."
"...To create incredible power requires incredible energy. After all, the more power one puts into a laser accelerator, the more powerful and precise the light beam that comes out on the other end. During a private tour of the Jefferson Lab in Newport News, VA., on Friday, FoxNews.com saw scientists blast unprecedented levels of power into a prototype accelerator, producing a supercharged electron beam that can burn through 20 feet of steel per second.
Scientists there, in coordination with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), injected a sustained 500 kilovolts (KV) of juice into a prototype accelerator where the existing limit had been 320 kV -- a world’s record, the scientists explained..."
Monday, February 21, 2011
Comment Of The Day: Overpaid Teachers Edition
This is great... Read this if you appreciate or even hate teachers. (4):
"by Eedroj Remier on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 4:42pm
Are you sick of high paid teachers? Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - baby sit! We can get that for less than minimum wage.
That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM
with 45 min. off for lunch and plan — that equals 6 1/2 hours).
Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children.
Now how many do they teach in day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.
LET’S SEE…. That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).
What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.
Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!
The average teacher’s salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student–a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!)"
"by Eedroj Remier on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 4:42pm
Are you sick of high paid teachers? Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - baby sit! We can get that for less than minimum wage.
That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM
with 45 min. off for lunch and plan — that equals 6 1/2 hours).
Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children.
Now how many do they teach in day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.
LET’S SEE…. That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).
What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.
Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!
The average teacher’s salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student–a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!)"
Geezers Ain't Rich
Social Security, Medicare and the nest-egg myth - latimes.com: "...This image of prosperous geezers and crones is just not accurate. The notion of an aging population well prepared to take care of itself — not only in its relatively healthy 60s and 70s, classified by sociologists as the 'young old,' but throughout the 'old old' 80s and 90s — is a delusion that threatens to undo 75 years of social progress that began when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935..."
One More Time...
...the unions didn't do it.
Wisconsin Power Play - NYTimes.com:
"...There’s a bitter irony here. The fiscal crisis in Wisconsin, as in other states, was largely caused by the increasing power of America’s oligarchy. After all, it was superwealthy players, not the general public, who pushed for financial deregulation and thereby set the stage for the economic crisis of 2008-9, a crisis whose aftermath is the main reason for the current budget crunch. And now the political right is trying to exploit that very crisis, using it to remove one of the few remaining checks on oligarchic influence.
So will the attack on unions succeed? I don’t know. But anyone who cares about retaining government of the people by the people should hope that it doesn’t."
Wisconsin Power Play - NYTimes.com:
"...There’s a bitter irony here. The fiscal crisis in Wisconsin, as in other states, was largely caused by the increasing power of America’s oligarchy. After all, it was superwealthy players, not the general public, who pushed for financial deregulation and thereby set the stage for the economic crisis of 2008-9, a crisis whose aftermath is the main reason for the current budget crunch. And now the political right is trying to exploit that very crisis, using it to remove one of the few remaining checks on oligarchic influence.
So will the attack on unions succeed? I don’t know. But anyone who cares about retaining government of the people by the people should hope that it doesn’t."
Angry Teachers
Why America's teachers are enraged - CNN.com:
". . .Public schools in Madison and a dozen other districts in Wisconsin closed as teachers joined the protest. Although Walker claims he was forced to impose cutbacks because the state is broke, teachers noticed that he offered generous tax breaks to businesses that were equivalent to the value of their givebacks.
The uprising in Madison is symptomatic of a simmering rage among the nation's teachers. They have grown angry and demoralized over the past two years as attacks on their profession escalated. . ."
". . .Public schools in Madison and a dozen other districts in Wisconsin closed as teachers joined the protest. Although Walker claims he was forced to impose cutbacks because the state is broke, teachers noticed that he offered generous tax breaks to businesses that were equivalent to the value of their givebacks.
The uprising in Madison is symptomatic of a simmering rage among the nation's teachers. They have grown angry and demoralized over the past two years as attacks on their profession escalated. . ."
Irony In Arizona
Giffords shooting leads to national civility institute - On Politics: Covering the US Congress, Governors, and the 2012 Election - USATODAY.com:
"The University of Arizona will announce today that it is establishing a civility institute, inspired by the Tucson shooting rampage that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords severely wounded and six people dead.
Former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush will serve as honorary chairmen for the National Institute for Civil Discourse, director Brint Milward told The New York Times.
The non-partisan center will focus on research, education and policy about civility in public discourse..."
"The University of Arizona will announce today that it is establishing a civility institute, inspired by the Tucson shooting rampage that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords severely wounded and six people dead.
Former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush will serve as honorary chairmen for the National Institute for Civil Discourse, director Brint Milward told The New York Times.
The non-partisan center will focus on research, education and policy about civility in public discourse..."
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Shrinking Beck
The G.O.P.’s Post-Tucson Traumatic Stress Disorder - NYTimes.com: "...Glenn Beck’s ratings at Fox News continued their steady decline, falling to an all-time low last month. He has lost 39 percent of his viewers in a year and 48 percent of the prime 25-to-54 age demographic. His strenuous recent efforts to portray the Egyptian revolution as an apocalyptic leftist-jihadist conspiracy have inspired more laughs than adherents..."
Rich Enjoy Recession
For the wealthy, a return to luxury spending - USATODAY.com:
"Wealthy Americans seem to have decided that it's OK to splurge again — a hopeful sign for an economy mired by slow growth, stubbornly high unemployment and depressed home prices.
Luxury and high-end marketers have picked up on what they hope is a growing trend, offering products that bank on a looming spending spree. Germany's PG-Bikes is rolling out the $80,000 Black Trail, a battery-powered bicycle. Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille is selling $525,000 timepieces. Steinway has launched a John Lennon-themed grand piano — at $90,000 and up. After selling out a $245,000 model, automaker Porsche is planning the 918 Spyder, a hybrid car that could sell for more than $630,000..."
Isn't that special?
"Wealthy Americans seem to have decided that it's OK to splurge again — a hopeful sign for an economy mired by slow growth, stubbornly high unemployment and depressed home prices.
Luxury and high-end marketers have picked up on what they hope is a growing trend, offering products that bank on a looming spending spree. Germany's PG-Bikes is rolling out the $80,000 Black Trail, a battery-powered bicycle. Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille is selling $525,000 timepieces. Steinway has launched a John Lennon-themed grand piano — at $90,000 and up. After selling out a $245,000 model, automaker Porsche is planning the 918 Spyder, a hybrid car that could sell for more than $630,000..."
Isn't that special?
Schultz Flogs Limbaugh
Ed Schultz To Rush Limbaugh: 'Wrap Your Fat Ass In The Flag' Over Wisconsin Protests (VIDEO): "Ed Schultz tore into Rush Limbaugh for calling the protesters fighting the anti-union bill in Wisconsin "freeloaders," telling Limbaugh that he should wrap his "fat ass" in the American flag..."
Libyan Defectors
Libyan unit defects as more Arab protests simmer | Reuters: "Members of a Libyan army unit said they had defected and 'liberated' the country's second city from forces loyal to veteran leader Muammar Gaddafi after scores of protesters were killed in the bloodiest revolt now shaking the Arab world..."
Busting Bush
Why there should be a case against George W. Bush under torture law - CNN:
"There was widespread support among scores of human rights groups and many others for recent efforts to have Switzerland open a preliminary investigation for torture against former President George W. Bush during his planned (and now canceled) visit to Geneva.
Our belief is that Bush violated U.S. and international law when he authorized torture, including the water boarding of detainees. Torture is a crime under a federal statute, Torture Statute, as well as under the War Crimes Act, and the Convention Against Torture, of which the U.S. was a major proponent..."
"There was widespread support among scores of human rights groups and many others for recent efforts to have Switzerland open a preliminary investigation for torture against former President George W. Bush during his planned (and now canceled) visit to Geneva.
Our belief is that Bush violated U.S. and international law when he authorized torture, including the water boarding of detainees. Torture is a crime under a federal statute, Torture Statute, as well as under the War Crimes Act, and the Convention Against Torture, of which the U.S. was a major proponent..."
Saturday, February 19, 2011
ME H2O Crisis
What does the Arab world do when its water runs out? | Environment | The Observer: "Poverty, repression, decades of injustice and mass unemployment have all been cited as causes of the political convulsions in the Middle East and north Africa these last weeks. But a less recognised reason for the turmoil in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Yemen, Jordan and now Iran has been rising food prices, directly linked to a growing regional water crisis..."
Koch v. Workers
Koch Brothers Behind Wisconsin Effort To Kill Public Unions - Rick Ungar - The Policy Page - Forbes:
"As the nation focuses on the efforts of Governor Scott Walker to take away collective bargaining rights from public employees in Wisconsin, new information is coming to light that reveals what is truly going on here.
Mother Jones is reporting that much of the funding behind the Walker for Governor campaign came from none other than uber-conservatives, the infamous Koch Brothers.
What’s more, the plan to kill the unions is right out of the Koch Brothers play book..."
"As the nation focuses on the efforts of Governor Scott Walker to take away collective bargaining rights from public employees in Wisconsin, new information is coming to light that reveals what is truly going on here.
Mother Jones is reporting that much of the funding behind the Walker for Governor campaign came from none other than uber-conservatives, the infamous Koch Brothers.
What’s more, the plan to kill the unions is right out of the Koch Brothers play book..."
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Unions Didn't Do It
Ezra Klein - Unions aren't to blame for Wisconsin's budget:
"Let's be clear: Whatever fiscal problems Wisconsin is -- or is not -- facing at the moment, they're not caused by labor unions. That's also true for New Jersey, for Ohio and for the other states. There was no sharp rise in collective bargaining in 2006 and 2007, no major reforms of the country's labor laws, no dramatic change in how unions organize. And yet, state budgets collapsed. Revenues plummeted. Taxes had to go up, and spending had to go down, all across the country.
Blame the banks. Blame global capital flows. Blame lax regulation of Wall Street. Blame home buyers, or home sellers. But don't blame the unions. Not for this recession..."
"Let's be clear: Whatever fiscal problems Wisconsin is -- or is not -- facing at the moment, they're not caused by labor unions. That's also true for New Jersey, for Ohio and for the other states. There was no sharp rise in collective bargaining in 2006 and 2007, no major reforms of the country's labor laws, no dramatic change in how unions organize. And yet, state budgets collapsed. Revenues plummeted. Taxes had to go up, and spending had to go down, all across the country.
Blame the banks. Blame global capital flows. Blame lax regulation of Wall Street. Blame home buyers, or home sellers. But don't blame the unions. Not for this recession..."
The Muslim Bros Motto
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: 'The Quran Is Our Law; Jihad Is Our Way' - WSJ.com:
"'Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.' So goes the motto of the Muslim Brotherhood.
What's extraordinary about this maxim is the succinct way that it captures the political dimension of Islam. Even more extraordinary is the capacity of these five pillars of faith to attract true believers. But the most remarkable thing of all is the way the Brotherhood's motto seduces Western liberals..."
"'Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.' So goes the motto of the Muslim Brotherhood.
What's extraordinary about this maxim is the succinct way that it captures the political dimension of Islam. Even more extraordinary is the capacity of these five pillars of faith to attract true believers. But the most remarkable thing of all is the way the Brotherhood's motto seduces Western liberals..."
Pancho Rides!
Possible Mexican Military Incursion On U.S. Soil - KRGV CHANNEL 5 NEWS - The Rio Grande Valley's News Channel - Breaking News, Breaking Stories - RGV News: "MISSION - CHANNEL 5 NEWS is exposing what appears to be a Mexican military incursion into the United States. It was all caught on camera. We froze surveillance video taken at the Anzalduas International Bridge..."
Bill To Defund Congress' Healthcare
Anthony Weiner Asks Republicans to Defund Their Own Health Care Plans | Video Cafe:
"Since as Rachel Maddow noted on her show tonight, John Boehner decided to allow open debate and endless amendments during the House debate on the budget, we got to see Anthony Weiner giving this speech. Rep. Weiner asked the House Republicans to defund their own health care plans since they don't want every day Americans to have the same options that they have as members of Congress.
"Since as Rachel Maddow noted on her show tonight, John Boehner decided to allow open debate and endless amendments during the House debate on the budget, we got to see Anthony Weiner giving this speech. Rep. Weiner asked the House Republicans to defund their own health care plans since they don't want every day Americans to have the same options that they have as members of Congress.
I still want single payer but if we're going to argue about how completely hypocritical Republicans are on this issue, Congressman Weiner is exactly right. There are a couple of models you can take with reforming the health insurance industry and with making sure you provide affordable services to everyone in the country. You either have the government replace the insurance industries and they manage the plans or you still have everyone pay in to private corporations and you regulate the insurance industries the way utility industries are regulated and they are not allowed to make excessive profits from those who are covered..."
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Fifth Ring Of Job Hunting Hell
Help wanted — jobless need not apply - Yahoo! News
"In 2008, Michelle, a 53-year-old Illinois resident with 19 years experience in information technology, became another casualty of the Great Recession. More than a year later, after a long and fruitless job search, she finally heard from a headhunter who thought she sounded like a great fit for a post he was looking to fill.
"In 2008, Michelle, a 53-year-old Illinois resident with 19 years experience in information technology, became another casualty of the Great Recession. More than a year later, after a long and fruitless job search, she finally heard from a headhunter who thought she sounded like a great fit for a post he was looking to fill.
But when Michelle told him how long she had been out of work, the headhunter turned apologetic: His client, he said, wouldn't accept people who had been unemployed for more than six months. Michelle would go on to stay jobless for so long that she ultimately exhausted all her unemployment benefits, and, for the first time in her life, was forced to apply for food stamps and welfare..."
Flares This Week
This could be a bad week for communications.
BBC News - Solar flare eruptions set to reach Earth:
"Scientists around the world will be watching closely as three eruptions from the Sun reach the Earth over Thursday and Friday.
These 'coronal mass ejections' will slam into the Earth's magnetic shield.
The waves of charged solar particles are the result of three solar flares directed at Earth in recent days, including the most powerful since 2006..."
BBC News - Solar flare eruptions set to reach Earth:
"Scientists around the world will be watching closely as three eruptions from the Sun reach the Earth over Thursday and Friday.
These 'coronal mass ejections' will slam into the Earth's magnetic shield.
The waves of charged solar particles are the result of three solar flares directed at Earth in recent days, including the most powerful since 2006..."
O Takes A Stand
Well, there is a first time for everything; it looks like O may be rebelling against his corporate masters. Obama Sides With State Government Unions Against Cuts - FoxNews.com:
'...“Some of what I’ve heard coming out of Wisconsin, where you’re just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain, generally seems like more of an assault on unions. I think it's very important for us to understand that public employees, they're our neighbors, they're our friends.”
'...“Some of what I’ve heard coming out of Wisconsin, where you’re just making it harder for public employees to collectively bargain, generally seems like more of an assault on unions. I think it's very important for us to understand that public employees, they're our neighbors, they're our friends.”
-- President Obama in an interview with Milwaukee’s WTMJ
Wisconsin has been wracked with protests and work stoppages as government employees fight a fiscal austerity proposal from new Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Now, President Obama is weighing in against Walker and sticking up for government workers..."
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Skating By
Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail? | Rolling Stone Politics
"...Nobody goes to jail. This is the mantra of the financial-crisis era, one that saw virtually every major bank and financial company on Wall Street embroiled in obscene criminal scandals that impoverished millions and collectively destroyed hundreds of billions, in fact, trillions of dollars of the world's wealth — and nobody went to jail. Nobody, that is, except Bernie Madoff, a flamboyant and pathological celebrity con artist, whose victims happened to be other rich and famous people..."
"...Nobody goes to jail. This is the mantra of the financial-crisis era, one that saw virtually every major bank and financial company on Wall Street embroiled in obscene criminal scandals that impoverished millions and collectively destroyed hundreds of billions, in fact, trillions of dollars of the world's wealth — and nobody went to jail. Nobody, that is, except Bernie Madoff, a flamboyant and pathological celebrity con artist, whose victims happened to be other rich and famous people..."
The Real Cost Of OutSourcing
787 Dreamliner teaches Boeing costly lesson on outsourcing - Los Angeles Times
"The biggest mistake people make when talking about the outsourcing of U.S. jobs by U.S. companies is to treat it as a moral issue.
Sure, it's immoral to abandon your loyal American workers in search of cheap labor overseas. But the real problem with outsourcing, if you don't think it through, is that it can wreck your business and cost you a bundle..."
Short People
Now if they can find something good about fat and bald. Severely short Ecuadorians resistant to diabetes, cancer, study says - CNN.com
The Value Of Your Life
Under Obama, Federal Agencies Raise Value of a Life - NYTimes.com--"As the players here remake the nation’s vast regulatory system, they have been grappling with a subject that is more the province of poets and philosophers than bureaucrats : what is the value of a human life? ..."
Uppity Woman Gets It right
Instead of listening to Pakistan's whining, maybe we should be demanding the genitals and then the heads of the men responsible for this: Batsh*t crazy animals blame the Jews for their sexual assault and beating of Lara Logan in Egypt « Uppity Woman:
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Curveball Straightens
Curveball Comes Clean and Rumsfeld Forgets : NO QUARTER: "Yes America, you were lied into an unnecessary war in Iraq. The U.K.’s Guardian is out today (Tuesday) with news that the source of the intel used by Colin Powell to sell the U.N on the case for going to war with Iraq lied. Remember Curveball? He comes clean in an exclusive interview with the Guardian:..."
Words Of (Stock Market) Wisdom
Simply Left BehindThe Non-Rapturist's Guide To The Galaxy: Is The Stock Market Obsolete?:
"...It's no illusion that as machines have risen to control the exploitation of these inefficiencies, people have taken a more mechanistic view towards their fellow man. It's also no surprise to me that as people have grown comfortable with the use and programming of machines to do this task, they too have lost their sense of purpose as human beings.
Humanity has a duty to its civilizations to take care of and to assist its fellow men and women. As the Dalai Lama puts it, 'Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.' "
"...It's no illusion that as machines have risen to control the exploitation of these inefficiencies, people have taken a more mechanistic view towards their fellow man. It's also no surprise to me that as people have grown comfortable with the use and programming of machines to do this task, they too have lost their sense of purpose as human beings.
Humanity has a duty to its civilizations to take care of and to assist its fellow men and women. As the Dalai Lama puts it, 'Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.' "
No Weather Excitement Here
The Weather Isn't Getting Weirder - WSJ.com: "...Global-warming alarmists insist that economic activity is the problem, when the available evidence show it to be part of the solution. We may not be able to do anything about the weather, extreme or otherwise. But we can make sure we have the resources to deal with it when it comes."
O Screws Left-- Again
Left slams Obama over safety net - Feb. 15, 2011:
"Obama's budget targets community block grants, a program that helps low-income people pay their energy bills, and the popular Pell grant program to aid college students. All are part of the social safety net Democrats often fight to protect.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal organization that boasts 700,000 members, took Obama to task before the budget was even officially released..."
"Obama's budget targets community block grants, a program that helps low-income people pay their energy bills, and the popular Pell grant program to aid college students. All are part of the social safety net Democrats often fight to protect.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal organization that boasts 700,000 members, took Obama to task before the budget was even officially released..."
Monday, February 14, 2011
O Ain't All Evil
An excellent post from an unlikely source--- Michael Medved: Obama Isn't Trying to 'Weaken America' - WSJ.com:
"Some conservative commentators may feel inclined to spend Presidents Day ruminating over Barack Obama's evil intentions, or denouncing the chief executive as an alien interloper and ideologue perversely determined to damage the republic. Instead, they should consider the history of John Adams's White House prayer and develop a more effective focus for their criticism.
On Nov. 2, 1800, a day after he became the first president to occupy the newly constructed executive mansion, Adams wrote to his wife Abigail: 'I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof...'"
"Some conservative commentators may feel inclined to spend Presidents Day ruminating over Barack Obama's evil intentions, or denouncing the chief executive as an alien interloper and ideologue perversely determined to damage the republic. Instead, they should consider the history of John Adams's White House prayer and develop a more effective focus for their criticism.
On Nov. 2, 1800, a day after he became the first president to occupy the newly constructed executive mansion, Adams wrote to his wife Abigail: 'I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof...'"
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Lest We Forget: Rumsfeld Edition
Simply the Worst - NYTimes.com:
"...He is still oblivious about how wrong it was to shunt aside Afghanistan and goose up reasons to go careering into Iraq, which he felt had easier-to-hit targets and easier-to-find villains. He doesn’t agree with the “If you break it, you own it” theory. He thinks you can break it and just leave and not get bogged down in trying to build democratic dream countries.
Rummy’s memoir, “Known and Unknown,” is an unnerving reminder of how the Iraq hawks took crazy conditionals and turned them into urgent imperatives to justify what the defense chief termed “anticipatory self-defense...”
"...He is still oblivious about how wrong it was to shunt aside Afghanistan and goose up reasons to go careering into Iraq, which he felt had easier-to-hit targets and easier-to-find villains. He doesn’t agree with the “If you break it, you own it” theory. He thinks you can break it and just leave and not get bogged down in trying to build democratic dream countries.
Rummy’s memoir, “Known and Unknown,” is an unnerving reminder of how the Iraq hawks took crazy conditionals and turned them into urgent imperatives to justify what the defense chief termed “anticipatory self-defense...”
No Surprise Convention
Ron Paul Wins US Conservative Poll, Romney Finishes 2nd | USA | English: "A group of U.S. conservative activists has picked Republican Congressman Ron Paul as their favorite candidate to challenge Democratic President Barack Obama in a presidential election next year..."
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Business As Usual For Gun Nuts
Paul Helmke: LaPierre vs. Reagan: Different Lessons on Guns: "After a month of silence following the horrifying Tucson shootings, the NRA's 'top gun', Wayne LaPierre, returned to his same old talking points before the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. this week. His speech consisted of a string of opportunistic arguments for even weaker gun laws, ignoring completely the tragic reality of what actually happened on January 8th outside that Safeway store..."
Budget Proposals
House GOP trims tens of billions more from Obama budget plan:
"...The legislation would eliminate more than $121 million in funding inside the White House, including money for the so-called health-care czar and climate-change czar. And it would slash the Environmental Protection Agency's annual budget by almost 30 percent.
ad_icon
Republicans proposed earlier this week to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and AmeriCorps..."
"...The legislation would eliminate more than $121 million in funding inside the White House, including money for the so-called health-care czar and climate-change czar. And it would slash the Environmental Protection Agency's annual budget by almost 30 percent.
ad_icon
Republicans proposed earlier this week to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and AmeriCorps..."
Friday, February 11, 2011
Walking Like An Egyptian
Joy to the World « The Confluence:
"I walked into the cafeteria a few minutes ago to see the TVs tuned to Egypt. I was watching with a big smile on my face when someone asked me, “Are you Egyptian?”, to which I replied:
“We’re all Egyptian today...”
"I walked into the cafeteria a few minutes ago to see the TVs tuned to Egypt. I was watching with a big smile on my face when someone asked me, “Are you Egyptian?”, to which I replied:
“We’re all Egyptian today...”
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
...who's the Rightest of us all? Romney, Pawlenty Prep for White House Bids in Wooing Activists - Businessweek: "Former governors Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney, two of the more active unofficial Republican presidential candidates, wooed activists in Washington today with attacks on President Barack Obama..."
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Flogging Federal Employees
Yes, They’re Overpaid | The Weekly Standard: If you follow this largely Heritage Foundation chain of reasoning, then private sector CEO salaries should waver around the President's salary, not a line they really want to follow.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Supreme Corruption
Impeach And Prosecute Justice Clarence Thomas For Corruption | JohnWSmart:
*Impeach And Prosecute Justice Clarence Thomas For Corruption*
Given the fact that Clarence Thomas has been a permanent lock down vote for the most reactionary corporate special interests in the country, is it any surprise that his wife has been collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from their so-called “think tanks,” like the Heritage Foundation? But what should raise more than an eyebrow is the fact that he has lied for the last 20 years on his financial disclosure forms about his wife’s income.
If you, or I, or anyone else we know hid upwards of a million dollars in income like this, we would have already been hauled before a grand jury. But now that the whistle has been blown, and his corruption and lying have been exposed, Thomas thinks he can just amend all these perjured declarations like it’s no big deal, claiming he “misunderstood” the filing instructions. (PDF link)..."
I'm having a Scooter Libby moment.
GOP Sex Scandal Redux
Get 'em back in power and they return to form in no time.
Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist Babe:
"Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist BabeMarried GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist BabeRep. Christopher Lee is a married Republican congressman serving the 26th District of New York. But when he trolls Craigslist's 'Women Seeking Men' forum, he's Christopher Lee, 'divorced' 'lobbyist' and 'fit fun classy guy.' One object of his flirtation told us her story..."
Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist Babe:
"Married GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist BabeMarried GOP Congressman Sent Sexy Pictures to Craigslist BabeRep. Christopher Lee is a married Republican congressman serving the 26th District of New York. But when he trolls Craigslist's 'Women Seeking Men' forum, he's Christopher Lee, 'divorced' 'lobbyist' and 'fit fun classy guy.' One object of his flirtation told us her story..."
Thank You To (Some) GOPers
My [edit/comment]-- Irony: House Republicans block Patriot Act extension to end of 2011; Obama wanted a 3-year bill « Uppity Woman:
"The bill to extend [the Patriot Act's more onerous provisions] through December 2011 was defeated 277-148.
The Republican Defectors:
Republicans voting against the bill were Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Roscoe Bartlett (Md.), Rob Bishop (Utah), Paul Broun (Ga.), John Campbell (Calif.), John Duncan (Tenn.), Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), Tom Graves (Ga.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Randy Hultgren (Ill.), Tim Johnson (Ill.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Jack Kingston (Ga.), Raul Labrador (Idaho), Connie Mack (Fla.), Kenny Marchant (Texas), Tom McClintock (Calif.), Ron Paul (Texas), Denny Rehberg (Mont.), Phil Roe (Tenn.), Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.), Bobby Schilling (Ill.), David Schweikert (Ariz.), Rob Woodall (Ga.), and Don Young (Alaska).
The bill was sponsored by a Not Too Pleased Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), whom I am sure is apoplectic over that Tea Party thing right now..."
"The bill to extend [the Patriot Act's more onerous provisions] through December 2011 was defeated 277-148.
The Republican Defectors:
Republicans voting against the bill were Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Roscoe Bartlett (Md.), Rob Bishop (Utah), Paul Broun (Ga.), John Campbell (Calif.), John Duncan (Tenn.), Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Chris Gibson (N.Y.), Tom Graves (Ga.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Randy Hultgren (Ill.), Tim Johnson (Ill.), Walter Jones (N.C.), Jack Kingston (Ga.), Raul Labrador (Idaho), Connie Mack (Fla.), Kenny Marchant (Texas), Tom McClintock (Calif.), Ron Paul (Texas), Denny Rehberg (Mont.), Phil Roe (Tenn.), Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.), Bobby Schilling (Ill.), David Schweikert (Ariz.), Rob Woodall (Ga.), and Don Young (Alaska).
The bill was sponsored by a Not Too Pleased Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), whom I am sure is apoplectic over that Tea Party thing right now..."
Skunk Wars
PalinLand lashes back at $$$ charge - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com:
"Sarah Palin’s camp hasn’t yet responded to Rick Santorum, but some of her supporters are already lighting up the former senator for his criticism of Palin's choice to skip CPAC.
Santorum suggested Tuesday that Palin was blowing off the conference for “other business opportunities,” though he later said his comments were misinterpreted.
Palin will likely get asked the question at some point, but since one of her aides swatted at Mitt Romney’s team in July, they have held off on attacking fellow Republican contenders..."
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Patriot Act Thumped
It's AP so this is all I can post: The Associated Press: House rejects extensions of Patriot Act provisions: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
Lest We Forget: Gipper Gotcha Edition
ThinkProgress » 10 Things Conservatives Don’t Want You To Know About Ronald Reagan:
"Tomorrow will mark the 100th anniversary of President Reagan’s birth, and all week, conservatives have been trying to outdo each others’ remembrances of the great conservative icon. Senate Republicans spent much of Thursday singing Reagan’s praise from the Senate floor, while conservative publications have been running non-stop commemorations. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee and former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich are hoping to make a few bucks off the Gipper’s centennial.
"Tomorrow will mark the 100th anniversary of President Reagan’s birth, and all week, conservatives have been trying to outdo each others’ remembrances of the great conservative icon. Senate Republicans spent much of Thursday singing Reagan’s praise from the Senate floor, while conservative publications have been running non-stop commemorations. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee and former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich are hoping to make a few bucks off the Gipper’s centennial.
But Reagan was not the man conservatives claim he was. This image of Reagan as a conservative superhero is myth, created to unite the various factions of the right behind a common leader. In reality, Reagan was no conservative ideologue or flawless commander-in-chief. Reagan regularly strayed from conservative dogma — he raised taxes eleven times as president while tripling the deficit — and he often ended up on the wrong side of history, like when he vetoed an Anti-Apartheid bill...."
Killing Abortion Through Rape
Jerry Moore: Government must revise how it classifies rape - Independence, MO - The Examiner:
"A recent controversy over wording in a bill has shed light on a glaring deficiency in how different types of rape are classified.
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act two weeks ago. The bill seeks to apply the Hyde Amendment permanently to all federal legislation..."
"A recent controversy over wording in a bill has shed light on a glaring deficiency in how different types of rape are classified.
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act two weeks ago. The bill seeks to apply the Hyde Amendment permanently to all federal legislation..."
The Center Of The Show
Koch brothers now at heart of GOP power - Los Angeles Times:
"Reporting from Washington — The billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch no longer sit outside Washington's political establishment, isolated by their uncompromising conservatism. Instead, they are now at the center of Republican power, a change most evident in the new makeup of the House Energy and Commerce Committee..."
I guess this is news for some people, but the Koches have been at the funding center of the Evil Empire since the days of Ronald Raygun. Add in Murdock & Fox and you have the proverbial Axis. (In fairness, there is nonevil conservative thought but if the main aim of your political positions is enriching yourself then that's evil, no matter how hard you wave the flag or how much apple pie you smear on your face.)
"Reporting from Washington — The billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch no longer sit outside Washington's political establishment, isolated by their uncompromising conservatism. Instead, they are now at the center of Republican power, a change most evident in the new makeup of the House Energy and Commerce Committee..."
I guess this is news for some people, but the Koches have been at the funding center of the Evil Empire since the days of Ronald Raygun. Add in Murdock & Fox and you have the proverbial Axis. (In fairness, there is nonevil conservative thought but if the main aim of your political positions is enriching yourself then that's evil, no matter how hard you wave the flag or how much apple pie you smear on your face.)
A Really Big Foot
Biggest Bear Ever Found—"It Blew My Mind," Expert Says:
"There's a new titleholder for the biggest, baddest bear ever found.
A prehistoric South American giant short-faced bear tipped the scales at up to 3,500 pounds (1,600 kilograms) and towered at least 11 feet (3.4 meters) standing up, according to a new study..."
"There's a new titleholder for the biggest, baddest bear ever found.
A prehistoric South American giant short-faced bear tipped the scales at up to 3,500 pounds (1,600 kilograms) and towered at least 11 feet (3.4 meters) standing up, according to a new study..."
Monday, February 07, 2011
O vs. O
O'Reilly After Super Bowl Interview: Obama 'Thin-Skinned' - Super Bowl - Fox Nation:
"Fox News host Bill O'Reilly says that, despite President Barack Obama's denials, he believes the 44th president is 'thin-skinned,' and clearly is affected by the criticism that he often receives..."
This is not news.
"Fox News host Bill O'Reilly says that, despite President Barack Obama's denials, he believes the 44th president is 'thin-skinned,' and clearly is affected by the criticism that he often receives..."
This is not news.
Another Odd O-P Poll
Palin trails Obama in red Tennessee - Maggie Haberman - POLITICO.com:
"Sarah Palin's big problems among the GOP faithful are on clear display in a new poll that shows large numbers of Republicans aren’t sure about her and the tea party darling trails President Barack Obama in a head-to-head matchup in Tennessee — even with the president's job approval numbers running low in the state.
The poll in the solidly red state where she and McCain crushed Obama by 15 points two years ago is a warning bell that Palin, despite her following and appeal to conservatives, remains fairly radioactive to some Republican voters, who are far from convinced she can win in 2012.
Continue Reading
In a hypothetical match up, 42 percent said they'd back Obama, while 37 percent picked Palin. Another roughly 20 percent picked none of the above, and other potential Republican candidates weren't measured..."
My theory is that the voters can recognize the real Republican-- Obama.
"Sarah Palin's big problems among the GOP faithful are on clear display in a new poll that shows large numbers of Republicans aren’t sure about her and the tea party darling trails President Barack Obama in a head-to-head matchup in Tennessee — even with the president's job approval numbers running low in the state.
The poll in the solidly red state where she and McCain crushed Obama by 15 points two years ago is a warning bell that Palin, despite her following and appeal to conservatives, remains fairly radioactive to some Republican voters, who are far from convinced she can win in 2012.
Continue Reading
In a hypothetical match up, 42 percent said they'd back Obama, while 37 percent picked Palin. Another roughly 20 percent picked none of the above, and other potential Republican candidates weren't measured..."
My theory is that the voters can recognize the real Republican-- Obama.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Too Much Reagan Worship
Capitol Journal: Celebrating Ronald Reagan the centrist - latimes.com:
"Call me the skunk at the picnic, but as conservatives celebrate Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday, I'll remind them that their icon often governed as a moderate.
Reagan talked like an unbending small-government ideologue, but in Sacramento and Washington he acted as a flexible whatever-size-fits pragmatist..."
Those rose colored glasses often reveal past that never was, and the constant blubbering over Reagan ignores the dead Marines in Beirut, among other events the neocon crowd would like to forget. Soon we'll be having Reagan sightings at Wal-Mart and the crippled will walk again after praying to a Ronald bobble-head.
"Call me the skunk at the picnic, but as conservatives celebrate Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday, I'll remind them that their icon often governed as a moderate.
Reagan talked like an unbending small-government ideologue, but in Sacramento and Washington he acted as a flexible whatever-size-fits pragmatist..."
Those rose colored glasses often reveal past that never was, and the constant blubbering over Reagan ignores the dead Marines in Beirut, among other events the neocon crowd would like to forget. Soon we'll be having Reagan sightings at Wal-Mart and the crippled will walk again after praying to a Ronald bobble-head.
Attack Of The Sanctimonious
Magician James Randi, skeptics launch attack on makers of homeopathic "drugs" - latimes.com: "Magician James Randi, who has devoted the latter part of his career to exposing fraud, scams and charlatans, and a network of skeptics known as the 10:23 Campaign launched a major campaign Saturday against the manufacturers of so-called homeopathic drugs, charging that the companies that sell the drugs are packaging worthless products that are cheating customers out of their money..."
GOP Attacks Planned Parenthood
The Siege of Planned Parenthood - NYTimes.com:
"As if we didn’t have enough wars, the House of Representatives has declared one against Planned Parenthood.
Maybe it’s all part of a grand theme. Last month, they voted to repeal the health care law. This month, they’re going after an organization that provides millions of women with both family-planning services and basic health medical care, like pap smears and screening for diabetes, breast cancer, cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases..."
"As if we didn’t have enough wars, the House of Representatives has declared one against Planned Parenthood.
Maybe it’s all part of a grand theme. Last month, they voted to repeal the health care law. This month, they’re going after an organization that provides millions of women with both family-planning services and basic health medical care, like pap smears and screening for diabetes, breast cancer, cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases..."
Saturday, February 05, 2011
O Goes Home
Obama visit to Chamber of Commerce could mark thaw with business leaders: "The White House's campaign to rebuild ties with corporate America gets the ultimate photo opportunity Monday when President Obama crosses Lafayette Park and steps into the imposing headquarters of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce..."
Thursday, February 03, 2011
First Amendment Blues
Cops vs. cameras: filming cops illegal - Page 1 - News - Miami - Miami New Times:
"...That confrontation, filmed in 2009, was the first of dozens that Hammonds and three friends caught on tape. They've paid dearly, spending thousands on legal fees and tickets, and sleeping multiple nights in county lockup. They've even seen their faces plastered on a warning flyer sent to departments around Miami-Dade County.
They're part of a simmering national fight between citizen journalists and police departments that believe subjects have no right to film them. The battle over whether cops can arrest you just for videotaping them is quickly becoming the most hotly contested corner of American civil liberties law.
'As more professionals and amateurs use equipment to record police activity, they're facing the ire of officers who just don't want to be recorded,' says David Ardia, director of Harvard University's Citizen Media Law Project. 'We need a clear answer from courts that this is legal, or else police officers' instincts will always be to snatch the camera.'
It might seem like an open-and-shut argument — cops are public figures, after all, and they're operating in plain view on the street. But it isn't, at least in the dozen states, including Florida, that require both parties in any conversation to consent to audio recording..."
"...That confrontation, filmed in 2009, was the first of dozens that Hammonds and three friends caught on tape. They've paid dearly, spending thousands on legal fees and tickets, and sleeping multiple nights in county lockup. They've even seen their faces plastered on a warning flyer sent to departments around Miami-Dade County.
They're part of a simmering national fight between citizen journalists and police departments that believe subjects have no right to film them. The battle over whether cops can arrest you just for videotaping them is quickly becoming the most hotly contested corner of American civil liberties law.
'As more professionals and amateurs use equipment to record police activity, they're facing the ire of officers who just don't want to be recorded,' says David Ardia, director of Harvard University's Citizen Media Law Project. 'We need a clear answer from courts that this is legal, or else police officers' instincts will always be to snatch the camera.'
It might seem like an open-and-shut argument — cops are public figures, after all, and they're operating in plain view on the street. But it isn't, at least in the dozen states, including Florida, that require both parties in any conversation to consent to audio recording..."
NYC Attacks The Constitution
Health Police Strike Again? NY Bans Smoking OUTSIDE - Health Blog - CBS News:
"Depending on how you see things, either the health police have gone off the deep end or park-loving New Yorkers are about to breathe a whole lot easier.
On Wednesday, the New York City Council approved a ban on smoking at public parks and beaches, part of a long arc of anti-smoking legislation pushed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The city banned smoking in bars and restaurants in 2002..."
"Depending on how you see things, either the health police have gone off the deep end or park-loving New Yorkers are about to breathe a whole lot easier.
On Wednesday, the New York City Council approved a ban on smoking at public parks and beaches, part of a long arc of anti-smoking legislation pushed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The city banned smoking in bars and restaurants in 2002..."
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
The Poison Of Fox News
Fox Geezer Syndrome | FrumForum:
"...Back home, I mentioned to a friend over beers how much Fox my mom and dad watched, and how angry they now were about politics.
“Yours too?!” he said. “I’ve noticed the same thing with mine. They weren’t always like this, but since they retired, they’ve gotten into Fox, and you can’t even talk to them anymore without hearing them read the riot act about Obama.”
I started to wonder how common this Fox Geezer Syndrome was. I began to poll conservative friends of my generation who had right-wing parents. At least eight different people – not an Obama voter among them, and one of them actually a George W. Bush political appointee in Washington – told me that yes, they had observed a correlation between the fevered emotionalism of their elderly parents’ politics, and increased exposure to Fox News.
After the Tucson shootings, Fox chief Roger Ailes said he had told his crew to “tone it down.” I’m skeptical, but I hope he succeeds. One of the great advantages of a conservative disposition is a suspicion of emotions, and emotionalism. The dumbest decisions I’ve ever made, about politics and everything else, were executed while I was worked up about something, and trusted my emotional response. Passion is inevitable – we are only human, after all – and can be constructive when properly channeled. But passion is the enemy of clear thought and, when given free reign, is the prerequisite for mob rule..."
O Beating P In AZ
Obama topping Palin in Red Arizona - Dan Hirschhorn - POLITICO.com:
"Even in Republican Arizona, Barack Obama has a healthy lead over Sarah Palin.
With the state swinging away from Democrats, having Palin on the ballot come general election time next year is Obama's best hope of winning the Grand Canyon State, according to a new poll. Democrats have taken Arizona in only one presidential race since 1952..."
Bachman And The Census
Bachmann's Diva Moment Mutes Boehner Gavel: Margaret Carlson - Bloomberg:
"...And like Palin, Bachmann is keener on herself than on any agenda her party might have.
No amount of nonsense has held her back.
She said she wouldn’t fill out her 2010 Census forms because President Franklin Delano Roosevelt used such information to round up Japanese nationals for internment during World War II. She credited the Founding Fathers with ending slavery.
She latched onto an India newspaper’s unattributed and unsupported claim that Obama’s trip there last year would cost $200 million a day, a preposterous sum. She says Obama runs a “gangster government” and is taking the U.S. on “the final leap to socialism.” She voted against efforts to help people facing foreclosure. Yet her family pocketed $251,973 in federal farm subsidies between 1995 and 2006, according to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit watchdog..."
"...And like Palin, Bachmann is keener on herself than on any agenda her party might have.
No amount of nonsense has held her back.
She said she wouldn’t fill out her 2010 Census forms because President Franklin Delano Roosevelt used such information to round up Japanese nationals for internment during World War II. She credited the Founding Fathers with ending slavery.
She latched onto an India newspaper’s unattributed and unsupported claim that Obama’s trip there last year would cost $200 million a day, a preposterous sum. She says Obama runs a “gangster government” and is taking the U.S. on “the final leap to socialism.” She voted against efforts to help people facing foreclosure. Yet her family pocketed $251,973 in federal farm subsidies between 1995 and 2006, according to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit watchdog..."
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
No DL In GA
Georgia Republican’s bill would do away with driver’s licenses | Raw Story:
"A Republican in Georgia's House of Representatives has introduced a bill to eliminate driver's licenses, arguing that the documents are an unnecessary infringement on personal freedom.
Rep. Bobby Franklin, who represents the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, defended the bill to skeptical reporters on Monday, who questioned whether it would be a good idea to eliminate oversight of Georgia's drivers.
'One of your inalienable rights is the right to travel, the right to move about without needing your papers,' Franklin told WSB in Atlanta. 'You shouldn't have to have permission from the state to exercise a right that has been inalienably given to you from your creator...'"
I'm sure this bill will have the enthusiastic endorsement of drunk drivers everywhere.
"A Republican in Georgia's House of Representatives has introduced a bill to eliminate driver's licenses, arguing that the documents are an unnecessary infringement on personal freedom.
Rep. Bobby Franklin, who represents the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, defended the bill to skeptical reporters on Monday, who questioned whether it would be a good idea to eliminate oversight of Georgia's drivers.
'One of your inalienable rights is the right to travel, the right to move about without needing your papers,' Franklin told WSB in Atlanta. 'You shouldn't have to have permission from the state to exercise a right that has been inalienably given to you from your creator...'"
I'm sure this bill will have the enthusiastic endorsement of drunk drivers everywhere.
UniLanguage Bills
English-Only and English as Official Language Bills Gain Momentum - Fox News Latino:
"State legislators in Indiana and Minnesota are pushing laws requiring public documents and other government business in those states to be done only in English.
Minnesota state Senators introduced their bill on Monday; the measure is similar to one introduced in the state House earlier this month..."
"State legislators in Indiana and Minnesota are pushing laws requiring public documents and other government business in those states to be done only in English.
Minnesota state Senators introduced their bill on Monday; the measure is similar to one introduced in the state House earlier this month..."
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"A public union employee, a tea party activist, and a CEO are sitting at a table with a plate of a dozen cookies in the middle of it. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies, turns to the tea partier and says, 'Watch out for that union guy. He wants a piece of your cookie.'"