Morning Open Thread
Chat away...
Comments (110) «
Liberty and Justice for all...starting January 20, 2009.
Mike Huckabee sharpens knives for fresh Mitt Romney attack
Well, for all except those who don't think that everyone deserves it. Those people can go straight to...shit, i don't believe in hell, where should they go? Ooooh, I know! Wasilla.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/chair-fight-sparks-fear-on-seniority-2008-11-18.html
Chair fight sparks fear on seniority
Long-serving House Democrats, particularly black lawmakers, fear that the gavel fight between Reps. John Dingell and Henry Waxman will “open a can of worms” and wreck the seniority system that keeps power in their hands.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/56110.html
Under Iraq troop pact, U.S. can't leave any forces behind
enjoy the afternoon, everyrobert.
Look at the nations, and see! Be astonished! Be astounded! For a work is being done in your days that you would not believe if you were told.
- Habakkuk 1:5
(repost)
Here we go, more bailouts, this time the auto industry.
Any problem that you throw money at is not a solution, its a bandaid.
The real problem is the "refuse to change" policies that the auto industry has taken for years. They have fought every improvement and every opportunity to become better for decades.
When the Japanese first kicked their butts in the 70's, the big three fought the higher gas mileage smaller foreign cars by getting baled out by our government, and making modest changes by building mid-size cars.
For years, the industry has been building gas guzzlers and spending mega-bucks in advertisements to try to convince the American public that this is what we need, verses the better made, higher gas mileage of foreign made vehicles.
Now they are asking once again for a bail out. Just throwing money at them is not the solution.
Fire all executives and have them walk away without a penny in bonuses. Use the money to retool for hybrids and fuel efficient vehicles even SUV's and Pickups.
But if this is just a one time deal for them to change for the better, then it will be all for not. They must put in a process to continue to improve over and over again and eliminate waste in their processes.
They need to continue to search for ways to make their vehicles better, faster (process), cheaper, at a higher quality. Because the rest of the world is, American businesses tend to hold on to what worked in the past.
obama is building a leadership team that will be able to get important stuff done on day one. smart is gonna be a big improvement over stupid.
Have you guys (and gals) seen this?
Al-Qaida No. 2 insults Obama, using racial epithet to describe president-elect By MAAMOUN YOUSSEF and LEE KEATH
Associated Press Writers
10:20 AM CST, November 19, 2008
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) _ Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader used a racial epithet to insult Barack Obama in a message posted Wednesday, describing the president-elect in demeaning terms that imply he does the bidding of whites.
The message appeared chiefly aimed at persuading Muslims and Arabs that Obama does not represent a change in U.S. policies. Ayman al-Zawahri said in the message, which appeared on militant Web sites, that Obama is "the direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X, the 1960s African-American rights leader.
In al-Qaida's first response to Obama's victory, al-Zawahri also called the president-elect — along with secretaries of state Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice — "house negroes."
Speaking in Arabic, al-Zawahri uses the term "abeed al-beit," which literally translates as "house slaves." But al-Qaida supplied English subtitles of his speech that included the translation as "house negroes."
The message also includes old footage of speeches by Malcolm X in which he explains the term, saying black slaves who worked in their white masters' house were more servile than those who worked in the fields. Malcolm X used the term to criticize black leaders he accused of not standing up to whites.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the latest message was just "more despicable comments from a terrorist."
The 11-minute 23-second video features the audio message by al-Zawahri, who appears only in a still image, along with other images, including one of Obama wearing a Jewish skullcap as he meets with Jewish leaders. In his speech, al-Zawahri refers to a Nov. 5 U.S. airstrike attack in Afghanistan, meaning the video was made after that date.
Al-Zawahri said Obama's election has not changed American policies he said are aimed at oppressing Muslims and others.
"America has put on a new face, but its heart full of hate, mind drowning in greed, and spirit which spreads evil, murder, repression and despotism continue to be the same as always," the deputy of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden said.
He said Obama's plan to shift troops to Afghanistan is doomed to failure, because Afghans will resist.
"Be aware that the dogs of Afghanistan have found the flesh of your soldiers to be delicious, so send thousands after thousands to them," he said.
Al-Zawahri did not threaten specific attacks, but warned Obama that he was "facing a Jihadi (holy war) awakening and renaissance which is shaking the pillars of the entire Islamic world; and this is the fact which you and your government and country refuse to recognize and pretend not to see."
He said Obama's victory showed Americans acknowledged that President George W. Bush's policies were a failure and that the result was an "admission of defeat in Iraq."
But Obama's professions of support for Israel during the election campaign "confirmed to the Ummah (Islamic world) that you have chosen a stance of hostility to Islam and Muslims," al-Zawahri said.
One sunny day in January 2009, an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue , where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The old man said, "Okay", and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the President and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?" The old man looked at the Marine, smiled, and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, "See you tomorrow, Sir."
Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have been indicted on separate charges related to alleged prisoner abuse in federal detention centers, Willacy County, Texas, District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra told CNN Tuesday.
The indictment stems from Cheney’s investment in the Vanguard Group — an investment management company that reportedly has interests in the prison companies in charge of the detention centers, according to The Associated Press. It also charges Gonzales halted an investigation into abuse at the detention centers while he was attorney general.
http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/dick-cheney-indicted-organized-crime-te
BlueinIdaho on November 19, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Hmmm, that just looks SOOOOOO familiar. :grin:
Tough times ahead for Sarah Palin. Gosh, with the price of oil dropping simultaneously with the temperature of an Alaskan winter, where are all those petrol dollars for the Alaska's state budget? That was o.k. when Ted Stevens was a senator, he could use his political clout to gouge the federal gorvernment out of a few choice earmark projects to inject into their economy. Less oil mony and fewer pork barrel handouts makes for a difficult time for an Alaskan governor, expecially one with the intellectual deficits of a Sarah Palin.
GregL on November 19, 2008 at 12:50 PM
What goes around...
:)
caldemo, all sarah has to do is tag sale those clothes she stole in manhattan and it will be another 4k check for everyone in alaska.
no shit! we could win this one. time to send some money south:
New polling from Rasmussen in the Georgia Senate runoff shows incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss clinging to a narrow four-point lead over Democratic challenger Jim Martin:
Chambliss (R) 50
Martin (D) 46
Osama bin Laden's no. 2 henchmnen has made it very clear that regardless of holds the office of president of the United States, al-Qaida's war against the West and the US is not going to stop. He has embedded himself in Pakistan where he is taking advantage of the political instability in that country to garner support among pro-Islamic extremest sympathizers.
The question is, will President-Elect Obama get aggressive enough against bin Laden and al-Qaida to go into Pakistan in a big way, risking a war with Pakistan?
Less oil mony and fewer pork barrel handouts makes for a difficult time for an Alaskan
CalDemo
The oil money is Alaska will still be there, possibly even more if what I heard on NPR this morning is true. Senator-Elect Mark Begich stated emphatically that he will push for the opening up of oil exploration in ANWR. I think most people thought that the defeat of Senator Ted Stevens was the key to stopping exploration for oil in ANWR but Begish seems to be putting the interests of the state of Alaska before all else.
CalDemo: I think that it's funny how Hypocrite Barbie/Bible Spice shrilly 'ranted' against 'pork barrel spending' and with everything that you just listed, it's all that she's going to have to fall back on. I wonder how this is going to impact her chances of being elected in the future. What are the chances that her constituancy will actually understand what a lying POS she actually is? (Without a conviction for fraud?)
Good morning all fellow dems. I hope that someone can help me out here. (Gregg - you always know this kind stuff!) While doing other stuff, I was listening to some of the hearings this morning. It sounds to me like the auto industry is not trying to 'get in' on the bailout for the financial industry. I kept hearing the term 'bridge loan' used and saying that it would come - not from bailout monies - but from an emergency fund dedicated to that specific purpose. I tried to listen about GMAC and Ford Motor Credit and see if they - as part of the finance industry related to auto industry but not part therefore, we looking for bailout money.
Also, they talked about 'retooling' already being in the works and how Ford hopes to the be #1 hybrid producer in the world within 24 months and how GM is shooting for flex fuel engines and electric power alternatives.
How much of that is correct? Where are they - actually - on retooling away from gas guzzlers and worrying about 'fuel efficiency' and focusing on changing the industry to eliminate the need for imported oil altogether?
They make it sound like are only a few months away and just need this 'loan' to tide them over? Somehow - I doubt that.
Help, anybody?
Oh - NOT JUST NO BUT HELL NO!!!!!!!
Taxpayers Will Pay for Gonzales's Private Attorney
Tuesday 18 November 2008
»
by: Marisa Taylor, McClatchy Newspapers
Alberto Gonzales's legal bills are being paid for by the taxpayers. (Photo: Getty Images)
Washington - The Justice Department has agreed to pay for a private lawyer to defend former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales against allegations that he encouraged officials to inject partisan politics into the department's hiring and firing practices.
Lawyers from the Justice Department's civil division often represent department employees who're sued in connection with their official actions. However, Gonzales' attorney recently revealed in court papers that the Justice Department had approved his request to pay private attorney's fees arising from the federal lawsuit.
the fact that we (Americans) have not been on the cutting edge in this is absolutely shameful and has hurt our country economically!
The Need to Combine Social and Health Policy
Tuesday 18 November 2008
»
by: Madeline Drexler, The Boston Globe
Madeline Drexler urges Obama to "think big" on health care by integrating social and health considerations. (Artwork: VHA)
First in an occasional series giving advice to the new president.
Since this is, by all accounts, a "defining moment" in American history, let's redefine the way we think about health. Over the past decade, a rich vein of research has detailed the links between large social forces - from income and discrimination to education and neighborhood safety - and a community's physical and mental well-being.
Last summer, a pair of fascinating reports - overlooked in the US press - drew on this perspective to suggest a blueprint for the next administration's health agenda. Both reports stepped back from our conventional explanations of health - "individual lifestyle" and "biomedical miracle" - to analyze the structural factors behind disease and suffering in our society.
"The Measure of America," published by the Social Science Research Council, an independent research organization based in New York, examined US health through a novel lens: the human development model that the United Nations has applied around the world - but, until now, never to the world's richest and most powerful country.
Underscoring how far we lag in our promise, the report documented how the roughly $5.2 billion we spend every day on healthcare yields a pitiable return on investment. For example, US life expectancy ranks below that of Chile, Costa Rica, and nearly every European and Nordic country. The US infant mortality rate is on par with that of Croatia, Cuba, Estonia, and Poland. Within the United States, stark health inequities persist along socioeconomic and racial/ethnic lines.
What's behind these dismal facts? Not just sedentary habits or calorie-laden diets, although obesity is a major factor in America's relatively faltering position. Rather, it's how public- and private-sector priorities shape health. As the other groundbreaking document - the World Health Organization's final report from the Commission on Social Determinants of Health, "Closing the gap in a generation" - explains: "The unequal distribution of health-damaging experiences is not in any sense a 'natural' phenomenon but the result of a toxic combination of poor social policies and programs, unfair economic arrangements, and bad politics."
And so, the defining moment. If President-elect Barack Obama wants to live up to his ambitious vision, then he must combine social and health policy. First and foremost, push for universal healthcare. "Just like smoking and diabetes, lack of health insurance is an early death sentence," said Sarah Burd-Sharps, a former UN administrator and co-author of "The Measure of America." Every rich nation in the world except ours has figured out how to provide health coverage to virtually every citizen - and at far lower cost per capita.
We had Psychiatrists in the past look at Steve's postings, and they agreed this was a very sick man. Danny is the same. Somehow he stumbled in here, and has gotten worse over time. I would bet his wife has left him by now. No self respecting woman would be connected with someone this ill !
142
PamB on November 19, 2008 at 09:01 AM
Yeah right, what kind of a psychiatrist would analyze someone based on his postings on a dopey blog? And what would he say about Johne? Or PamB's nutty, antisemitic ramblings about Joe boy Lieberman? Or what would he say about greggy's incoherent ramblings? Or Esmerelda insulting people with Bible verses or spreading baseless rumors about incest amongst Sarah's children?
well, face it, good thing this does not hold true anymore. You said your daughter finally found a boyfriend at 18? I did not realize there was a blind school so near to her home! :)
146
PamB on November 19, 2008 at 09:21 AM
My daughter knows her boyfriends name unlike your daughter who got knocked up during a one night stand and remembers only that he was drunk. (as would be required of him)
I had to smile even broader when I realized not a one of them had the balls to come in here that night or even for a few days----other than to just lurk and watch our JOY! It must have been so hard to pull their heads back out of their rearends!!! :)
PamB on November 19, 2008 at 09:16 AM
Uh Duh, I was here all that night dumbass.
You, on the other hand, disappeared outa here for 3 months after Lieberman kicked the crap out of your dopey candidate. Some said you were suicidal at the time.
Blue Dogs, for their part, say they’ll hold Obama’s feet to the fire.
This one made me smile. Old Stevie trying his hardest to throw some mud, because he has run out of 'taunts" and predictions which are never true!
Blue Dogs have to say this --to pretend to their constituents in Red states that they will work for trying not to have the country be so liberal! But underneath, they will be only too happy to vote along with the rest of the Democrats as we now enter this new LARGE majority
which is all about CHANGE and HOPE!
PamB on November 19, 2008 at 09:13 AM
You really have to be a dope to believe that the Blue Dogs are gonna behave differently than they ever have in the past.
Sally-*
Wow, this conversation sure took a hard left!
Is all of this truth?
Tough times ahead for Sarah Palin. Gosh, with the price of oil dropping simultaneously with the temperature of an Alaskan winter, where are all those petrol dollars for the Alaska's state budget? That was o.k. when Ted Stevens was a senator, he could use his political clout to gouge the federal gorvernment out of a few choice earmark projects to inject into their economy. Less oil mony and fewer pork barrel handouts makes for a difficult time for an Alaskan governor, expecially one with the intellectual deficits of a Sarah Palin.
13
CalDemo on November 19, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I don't think you need to worry about Sarah and Alaska. Alaska has $30 billion in their rainy day fund and they are still selling their oil at $60 per bbl plus taxes.
Good afternoon, y'all!
I just heard that Dingle is out and Waxman is in charge of the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
Waxman edges Dingell on committee vote to be Oversight and Government Reform Chairman
And Tom Daschel was nominated as the Secretary of Health & Human Services.
Sally-*
Wow, this conversation sure took a hard left!
Is all of this truth?
27
LincolnParkLiberal on November 19, 2008 at 02:53 PM
I only ever speak the truth LincolnParkLiberal.
I don't think you need to worry about Sarah and Alaska. Alaska has $30 billion in their rainy day fund and they are still selling their oil at $60 per bbl plus taxes.
Sally-*
Alaska is one of the few states, perhaps the only one, that's not broke. That oil rich beautiful and scarcely populated region is really positioned well to weather this turmoiltuous period in the American economy. Alaska certainly has been blessed with an abudance of natural resources to be sure!
27LincolnParkLiberal on November 19, 2008 at 02:53 PM
You're kidding right? The people who actually take the time to skim his filthy ramblings recognize bullshit when they see it.
Is all of this truth?
27
LincolnParkLiberal on November 19, 2008 at 02:53 PM
I only ever speak the truth LincolnParkLiberal.
30Sally-* on November 19, 2008 at 02:59 PM
person 1 and 2. come on, steve, show us a few more.
30Sally-* on November 19, 2008 at 02:59 PM
person 1 and 2. come on, steve, show us a few more.
33
Esmeralda on November 19, 2008 at 03:11 PM
What the heck are you talking about?
You're kidding right? The people who actually take the time to skim his filthy ramblings recognize bullshit when they see it.
BlueinIdaho
I didn't take the statements posted as bullshit. Alaska is doing quite well, that's what he/she? said. Reading through posts on her it seems to me that there are many, many comments addressed to or about Sally. Actually, it appears you all talk about him/her? so I didn't think I was not allowed to. Is this what you are telling me Blue?
LincolnParkLiberal on November 19, 2008 at 03:22 PM
The poster is nothing more than an annoying gnat on the blog, that I prefer not to engage or refer much to. Some though, like to spar with the trolls for whatever reason. That poster is about as credible as the F-word channel and that is what I was pointing out. 24 hour a day crapfest.
I don't recall typing into my post what you can or cannot do, but you can read into it the entirety of the Bible if that's your choice.
I certainly don't condone the rhetoric and actions coming out of California following the passing of Prop. 8, but how do you think Evangelicals or Mormons would act in Idaho if suddenly their marriages were considered null and void?
You take something from people who hold something near and dear to their hearts don't be surprised when they don't exactly like you and what you represent anymore.
A perfect world; get government out of the marriage business (it is indeed a revenue generating business) altogether -- they say who can and who cannot get married and yet any two breathing troglodytes can breed to their hearts content -- sucking up government resources as they go.
The government should only be concerned with "domestic partnerships" or "civil unions", keep "marriage" in the churches.
http://unequivocalnotion.typepad.com/blog/2008/11/a-prop-8-though.html
New ethics complaint filed against Palin.
Ah, McMoose. The gift that keeps on giving.
On that note, CNN is reporting "this just in", Senator Felon has just resigned his Senate seat following his loss to Begich.
The old fart won't even stay around until the end of the session.
Happy Birthday, Toobz.
Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 04:02 PM
Thank God. You know that Bible Spice would have just appointed herself to that Senate seat if Senator Felon had won and been kicked to the curb. I imagine that she is sending out her scented resumes to every last person in political power as we speak in order to obtain "experience". Surely she wouldn't lower herself to work up to a position through "community organizing" or other forms of low-pay public service.
But Blue, she saw an International House of Pancakes once. That must count for something. Maybe she can head up the UN?
Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 04:10 PM
I understand she is also a regular at McDonalds. Perhaps, Ambassador to Scotland??
Illusions of Climate Science
By William Kininmonth on Quadrant
How have we come to a situation where, as some polls suggest, most Australians are so concerned about dangerous climate change that they will put aside the very tools and technologies that have sustained clean air, clean water, nutritious food and long life? More importantly, is the perceived danger real and will the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions avert the perceived danger? Although there are many uncertainties to be resolved, it is clear that the community has been the subject of more than two decades of heavily biased propaganda.
In spite of claims to the contrary, there is no consensus of scientists supporting the findings and recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. There exists a large and vocal group of highly qualified dissenters (often denigrated as sceptics, deniers or worse). In the absence of computer models there would be little credence given to the view that the relatively small warming of the second half of the twentieth century was due to carbon dioxide emissions; there would certainly be no credence given to the possibility of irreversible runaway global warming over the coming century.
Cool heads would note that most of the earth's surface is either ocean or freely transpiring vegetation and that surface evaporation will continue to constrain surface temperature rise, as it always has done. The likely magnitude of human-caused global warming is so low that it will not be discernible against the background of natural variability in the climate record. Thus national or internationally co-ordinated efforts to impose carbon dioxide emission reduction for the purpose of preventing climate change will be a tremendous waste of resources.
The real danger is that government-instigated measures to drastically downsize a wide range of fossil-fuel-dependent industries in order to achieve emission reduction targets will actually be effective. Such success will destroy jobs and will limit future development opportunities, with no discernible impact on climate. Then the government will realise that it is much easier to change the economy than to change the climate, and it will also find that the direction and impacts of change will be equally unpredictable.
Atmospheric scientist William Kininmonth is the former head of Australia's National Climate Centre. He was an Australian representative and consultant to the World Meteorological Organization on climate issues and is the author of Climate Change: A Natural Hazard (Multi-science Publishing Co., 2004). He will be among the speakers at the Australian Environment Foundation's annual conference, "A Climate for Change", in Canberra this month.
Sarah isn't going anywhere, she is still the Governor of Alaska and our next President of the United States.
God Bless America!
Equality, which is the primary value of the left, is a European value, not an American value. -- Dennis Prager
CactusBarrack on November 19, 2008 at 04:15 PM
Marriage has always been a church thing, the goverment should have not ever got involved.Besides I thought you neocons believe in less goverment involvement in your lives why would you support the Goverment peeking in our bedrooms?
Equality, which is the primary value of the left, is a European value, not an American value. -- Dennis Prager
46
BlueinIdaho on November 19, 2008 at 04:25 PM
And what, pray tell, is the matter with that statement?
In America all men are created equal. There is no guarantee of equal outcomes nor should there be. That is, as Prager says, A European concept and a dopey one at that.
Marriage has always been a church thing, the goverment should have not ever got involved.Besides I thought you neocons believe in less goverment involvement in your lives why would you support the Goverment peeking in our bedrooms?
47
peaceman on November 19, 2008 at 04:29 PM
Geez, I wouldn't want that job - government peeker.
Imagine peeking into a bedroom and seeing a couple of fags doing whatever they do.
Gag me with a spoon.
45Sally-* on November 19, 2008 at 04:20 PM
What world do you live in?Is you head that far up your rearend?Obama is the next potus!!!
What world do you live in?Is you head that far up your rearend?Obama is the next potus!!!
50
peaceman on November 19, 2008 at 04:35 PM
Thank you for the correction. The lovely and talented Sarah will be the President right after Obama. In four years time.
Heck of a job, Chimpy.
Good thing you made sure we all have to take our shoes off at airports, and yet let the Department of Hopeless Insecurity opened up a ton of trap doors so Gonzales could spy on the Citizens.
Massive privacy breach leads to extortion over medical records
Meanwhile, the NSA is spending hundreds of man hours listening in on Soldiers' cell phone calls to see if they are having affairs.
When are these idiots going to leave so the adults can take over?
peaceman on November 19, 2008 at 04:29 PM
For the same reason they try to 'stuff government between womens legs' all the time - trying to abolish birth control and eliminate a woman's right to choose. Because they think that any who do not look, act and think exactly like them or how them tell them to look, act, think have no value. Free Will is a crime in the reTHUGlican party!
What about the free will of the baby the woman chooses to kill?
There are about 50 million people missing from our society since women were allowed to choose to kill their babies. We wouldn't even need any wetbacks if those citizens were here to do the work.
On the other hand, any woman who would choose to kill her baby would have made a real shitty mother anyway.
54marymac_memphis on November 19, 2008 at 04:41 PM
Amen Marymac!!! I agree 100%
peaceman on November 19, 2008 at 04:29 PM
Authoritarian follower types cannot live without government getting involved in all aspects of their life. They have so much fear, they require the watchful eye of big brother to keep them from harming themselves or becoming that which they profess to hate.
BlueinIdaho on November 19, 2008 at 04:53 PM
To whom do you assign that dopey quote to; Sponge Bob? Soupy Sails?
Equality, which is the primary value of the left, is a European value, not an American value. -- Dennis Prager
"No State shall...deny to any person the equal protection of the laws.” -- 14th amendment
Does Prager the bigot hate Americans or just our Constitution?
Equal protection of the laws does not mean equality of outcomes as European socialists and Obama favor.
Just in time for the Season of Joy and Peace and all that "Love" and "Goodwill to all men" stuff the hypocrites at the "Christian" American Family Association is selling plug in electric burning crosses to decorate your yard!
Yes, thanks to the AFA, Christians everywhere can have their very own burning cross in their front yard for a mere $81.85, plus shipping and handling. Oddly enough, this does not seem to be a big seller in African American communities.
55CactusBarrack on November 19, 2008 at 04:47 PM
They should have stayed out of it! The goverment saw a way to bring in money buy charging people to get married,and to control stds buy makeing people get blood tests. They don't do that anymore.
Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 04:57 PM
It is not a burning cross you moron, it is a cross lit by electric lights and it looks very nice.
(CNN) — California’s Supreme Court said Wednesday that it will hear an appeal of a voter-approved measure outlawing gay marriage. In a written statement, the court said it would not block the law being implemented or enforced in the meantime.
Well, at least it's a start!
Texas Jury Indicts Cheney, Gonzales in Prison Abuse Case
Wednesday 19 November 2008
»
by: Reuters
A Texas grand jury has issued indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over abuse at privately run prisons.
Editor's Note: Major news networks such as CNN and BBC have reported that Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have been issued indictments. It remains to be seen if this will gain traction, but the indictment highlights a detention center in Texas, which has been criticized for inhumane practices. Truthout will keep you updated as the story develops. sg/TO
Houston - A grand jury in South Texas indicted U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and former attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Tuesday for "organized criminal activity" related to alleged abuse of inmates in private prisons.
The indictment has not been seen by a judge, who could dismiss it.
The grand jury in Willacy County, in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border, said Cheney is "profiteering from depriving human beings of their liberty," according to a copy of the indictment obtained by Reuters.
As if we ever doubted that the 'bailout' was to help the rich get even richer from our tax dollars!
Treasury Denounced Over Bailout
Tuesday 18 November 2008
by: Edmund L. Andrews, The New York Times
Washington - The Treasury secretary, Henry M. Paulson Jr., on Tuesday rejected pleas to use money from the $700 billion bailout program to help homeowners avoid foreclosure or to stave off bankruptcy by Detroit's Big Three automakers.
Facing a barrage of complaints from Democratic lawmakers that he was ignoring the will of Congress, Mr. Paulson dug in his heels and said he wanted to put money only into financial institutions.
"The primary purpose of the bill was to protect our financial system from collapse," Mr. Paulson told the House Financial Services Committee. "The rescue package was not intended to be an economic stimulus or an economic recovery package."
Democrats pummeled the Treasury secretary in response, with some accusing him of carrying out a "bait and switch" by discarding his original plan and others expressing fury that the Treasury had allocated $290 billion for banks and insurance companies but nothing for individual homeowners.
"The bill is replete with authorization to you, not simply to buy up mortgages, but in effect to do some spending," said Representative Barney Frank, citing a four-page list of provisions. "Clearly part of this was not just to stabilize, but to reduce the number of foreclosures, for good macroeconomic reasons."
Leaving President Obama with 2 wars just isn't enough - no Bush and his minions are determined to start WW III before we can stop them!
Suspected US Missiles Strike Deep Inside Pakistan
Wednesday 19 November 2008
by: Munir Ahmad, The Associated Press
Islamabad, Pakistan - A suspected American missile bombarded a village deep inside Pakistani territory Wednesday, officials said, marking what appears to be the first time the U.S. has struck beyond the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
Six alleged militants were killed.
Hours after the strike, a large Islamist political party warned it would block two major supply routes for U.S and NATO forces in Afghanistan that run through Pakistan unless the attacks ended.
The attacks have killed scores of suspected al-Qaida and Taliban militants in the tribal regions that are a rumored hiding place of Osama bin Laden, but have enraged the country's civilian leadership.
"If these missiles attacks continue, then we will ask the people to create hurdles in the way of supplies for NATO," Qazi Hussain Ahmed, chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, told reporters.
The party has shown it can easily mobilize thousands of supporters at short notice. The supply lines have never been blocked by protests but militants and criminals often attack trucks traveling with them.
Two missiles destroyed a house in Indi Khel village in Bannu district, Javed Marwat, a local government official, told The Associated Press. Two Pakistani intelligence officials said their agents reported that militants from Central Asia were among the six killed.
DumbA$$ Cactus - I don't usually respond to trolls; however, this statement is so stupid that I just have to call you on it:
You Said:
"the people don't want it, we will force it on them.
So much for freedom."
Got a flash for you, stupid:
The people who are directly involved and who it will actually impact do WANT it - it's people who have no involvement who don't want it.
How exactly is it going to negatively impact your life if two people are legally - in every sense of the word - recognized as a 'life partnership' and afforded every benefit that comes with it. The word 'marriage' is a religious term AND a legal term and without benefit of 'marriage' in the legal sense, these people are not free to enjoy the benefits thereof. Why and how will it hurt you for them to enjoy the same kind of freedom that you enjoy? Who are you to say?
Gee, being such a good "christian" as you claim to be I thought you would realize that the Cross is usually associated with Easter, and the symbol for Christmas is a star.
You must have missed all that during your rigorous religious training.
Time Poll conducted by Abt SRBI. July 31-Aug. 4, 2008. N=808 likely voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.
"Should gay and lesbian couples be allowed to marry, giving them full legal rights of married couples, or not?"
7/31 - 8/4/08
Should 47%
Should Not 47%
No Answer/Unsure 7%
http://www.pollingreport.com/civil.htm
Hmmmm...its' about as divided as this one:
Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush?
7/5/07
Favor 45%
Oppose 46%
Undecided 9%
Gee, being such a good "christian" as you claim to be I thought you would realize that the Cross is usually associated with Easter, and the symbol for Christmas is a star.
You must have missed all that during your rigorous religious training.
73
Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 05:30 PM
The cross is always a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. It is appropriate for any season.
The old fart won't even stay around until the end of the session.
Happy Birthday, Toobz.
38Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 04:02 PM
They will have to conduct a special primary then a special general election to fill the seat for a week.
That will cost that state some money. to the controlling board!
marymac_memphis on November 19, 2008 at 05:29 PM
You're right. It was stupid. Even eight year olds know that the courts have the Constitutional authority to review laws.
At one time in Idaho, Mormons weren't allowed to hold government jobs....ummm, duh, unconstitutional. Too bad those who had injustice inflicted upon them by a regressive, bigoted society have not learned from their own wounds.
Resurrection = Easter. (Torture, Crucifixion, and Resurrection)
Have you ever seen a Crucifix on the top of a Christmas tree?
The 3 Wise Guys didn't follow the Cross.
Missed it by a few months, there.
I doubt that the court has any authority to change or negate an amendment to the constitution. They may suggest some minor change to the wording of the amendment but the people have spoken.
Resurrection = Easter. (Torture, Crucifixion, and Resurrection)
Have you ever seen a Crucifix on the top of a Christmas tree?
The 3 Wise Guys didn't follow the Cross.
Missed it by a few months, there.
79
Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 05:41 PM
Geez, you are way to dumb to argue with but yes I have seen a crucifix on top of a Christmas tree. Usually a lighted cross though or in your world a burning cross.
I don't need to wear a cross on a necklace or have one with lights displayed in my yard.
Christ already wore it for me and the display that mattered was the blood of the lamb.
This is pretty funny - funny in that 'too bad it's true' style of funny.
In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.
Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.
But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.
According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota, some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a president who speaks English as if it were his first language.
"Every time Obama opens his mouth, his subjects and verbs are in agreement," says Mr. Logsdon. "If he keeps it up, he is running the risk of sounding like an elitist."
The historian said that if Mr. Obama insists on using complete sentences in his speeches, the public may find itself saying, "Okay, subject, predicate, subject predicate -- we get it, stop showing off."
The president-elect's stubborn insistence on using complete sentences has already attracted a rebuke from one of his harshest critics, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
"Talking with complete sentences there and also too talking in a way that ordinary Americans like Joe the Plumber and Tito the Builder can't really do there, I think needing to do that isn't tapping into what Americans are needing also," she said.
Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com.
Sure they can. They can rule the amendment "unconstitutional" or "extra-constitutional", and they can rule on the actual Constitutionality of the measure and method of implementation and the legality of how it got on the Ballot in the first place.
Also, it has to jibe with the US Constitution.
Nobody's rights can be open to a popularity contest. That's what the Framers were talking about when they warned us to be vigilant of the "tyranny of the Majority". It meant that a simple majority of the simple minded won't cut it.
carpenter is home! time to serve up our supper.
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
enjoy the evening, roberts of the world!
Every one has equal rights. Every woman can marry a man, every man can marry a woman. Fags cannot marry each other because one party to a marriage must, by definition be a woman and one a man. Fag marriage is extending special rights to one group of perverts without extending special rights to all groups of perverts.
A major Al-Qaeda operative of Arab origin was among six militants killed overnight in a suspected US missile strike in northwest Pakistan, a senior security official told AFP Wednesday.Security sources identified the militant as Abdullah Azam al-Saudi, a senior member in Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.
"He was a senior commander of Al-Qaeda and was involved in recruiting and training of fighters," the senior official said.
According to US intelligence shared with Pakistan, al-Saudi was the main link between Al-Qaeda's senior command and Taliban networks in the Pakistani border region, an Islamabad-based senior security official said.
"He was the man coordinating between Al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders on this side of the border, and also involved in recruiting and training fighters," the official told AFP.
He is the second high-profile Al-Qaeda operative killed in recent US missile strikes in Pakistan's rugged tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Egyptian Al-Qaeda operative Abu Jihad al-Masri, described by the US as Al-Qaeda's propaganda chief, was killed in a missile strike in Pakistan in the early hours of November 1.
He was among several rebels killed when two missiles fired by a suspected US spy drone hit a truck in the North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, security officials said.
Copyright AFP 2008
Another one bites the dust. Well done, U.S. Military, well done!
Pakistan would be wise to assist us in this endeavor. Failure to do such could be construed as aiding and abetting the enemy. I still say Pakistan is the most dangerous place on the planet right now contrary to what the Bush Administration says about Iraq.
enjoy the evening, roberts of the world!
88
Esmeralda on November 19, 2008 at 05:54 PM
Yeah, where is Robert today.
Do you notice that when rjsnj is missing than so is YayObama, Duhsty, BigYellowStain, JohnyBoswell, Benji, Peewee et al.
Bob: Nice to see you - did you see the 'apology' post that I left for you yesterday. I had not realized that there was video and did not realize that you had seen the video. Again - sorry!
person 1 and 2. come on, steve, show us a few more.
33Esmeralda on November 19, 2008 at 03:11 PM
I think this is the REAL Robert, Esme!!! You know how he loves to fool us! heeheehee
WOW! COOL!
Israeli archaeologists unearth Herod family tombs
Reuters – A sarcophagus, one of three found where Herod's fortress palace once stood, is seen at Hebrew University …
BEIT SAHOUR, West Bank (Reuters) – An Israeli archaeologist said on Wednesday he had unearthed what he believed were the 2,000-year-old remains of two tombs which had held a wife and daughter-in-law of the biblical King Herod.
Other findings announced by Ehud Netzer of Jerusalem's Hebrew University provided new evidence of the lavish lifestyle of the Roman-era monarch also known as the "King of the Jews."
Herod, a Roman-anointed king who ruled Judea from 37 BC until his death in 4 BC, has a special place in biblical history. Herod rebuilt the Jewish temple in Jerusalem
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081119/sc_nm/us_israel_archaeology
We wouldn't even need any wetbacks if those citizens were here to do the work.
6Sally-* on November 19, 2008 at 04:47 PM
bwhahahahahahahahahaha. OF COURSE in your little mind, these aborted babies would all be low income, minorities who would be happy to pick fruit and do the dirty jobs! You are such a un-intelligent individual---you really are ! Yet you like to sound off and pretend you are a superior being! LMAO!
The Supreme Court can overturn an unconstitutional amendment to a state's constitution based on the 14th amendment:
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
I knew most of the posters here knew this already...
You can't marry your cousin ether Blue.
Greggy can't marry his goat, or pig or dog.
41CactusBarrack on November 19, 2008 at 04:13
You have quite an obsession with marrying animals, Danny boy. Speaking of which, how is YOUR wife???
You must have missed all that during your rigorous religious training.
73Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 05:30 PM
heehee, DooBee, he and his Mother were too busy rolling on the floor, for any religious instruction! All they learned was "abortion bad. Gays bad" "Rolling good"!
When Pamm goes "heehee" think "cackle cackle" for the proper sound effect.
Hey Dems. Lots of good things been working here in CT, waiting for Uncle Joey! He will make an excellent Salesman in the Ladies shoe Dept at Macy's when he gets really tossed out on his ass. Lamont already ahead of him by 10 points in polls in CT!
"Senate Democrats let Joe Lieberman off the hook Tuesday, allowing him to retain his Senate committee chairmanship over Homeland Security. But Joe is not exactly home free. He still has some pesky Democrats back in Connecticut to contend with. For starters, there's the Democratic primary challenger who beat him in 2006, Ned Lamont.
The Rachel Maddow Show provided Lamont a forum on Tuesday night, where he smiled wickedly and allowed as how "Obama's got bigger fish to fry" than little Joe Lieberman. He also stated the obvious, that Joe's become "more and more comfortable in the Republican camp" over time. Lamont was asked if he is contemplating another run. He replied, beaming, "You never say never!"
Hey Dems. Lots of good things been working here in CT, waiting for Uncle Joey! He will make an excellent Salesman in the Ladies shoe Dept at Macy's when he gets really tossed out on his ass. Lamont already ahead of him by 10 points in polls in CT!
"Senate Democrats let Joe Lieberman off the hook Tuesday, allowing him to retain his Senate committee chairmanship over Homeland Security. But Joe is not exactly home free. He still has some pesky Democrats back in Connecticut to contend with. For starters, there's the Democratic primary challenger who beat him in 2006, Ned Lamont.
PamB on November 19, 2008 at 06:14 PM
You don't have an election for 4 years fool.
MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell asked Sen. Arlen Specter about Barack Obama's choice of Eric Holder as Attorney General. Specter said that he wouldn't hold up Holder's nomination due to his involvement in the pardon of Marc Rich.
"I would be prepared to move ahead very promptly with hearings, move into the substance of the matter, ask the important questions, look for any documents that might be relevant and as fast as we can move through, I am prepared to decided it one way or the other," said Specter.
Specter believes that the Department of Justice needs to be "reprofessionalized" after the tenure of Alberto Gonzales.
Specter said, "This business of wiretapping is not in order in accordance with Constitutional rights and where you have the immunity granted to the telephone companies, that is still a festering wound and some speculation as to whether that will be asserted by a new administration."
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/specter-says-telecom-immunity-festering-woun
hey Robert, I would love to stick around and poke sticks at the piggy little trolls, but I am headed out for a little Christmas shopping.
Will come back in later ..............
Evening Pam!
I hope that you are doing well. What's the weather like in CT right now?
hey Robert, I would love to stick around and poke sticks at the piggy little trolls, but I am headed out for a little Christmas shopping.
Will come back in later ..............
109
PamB on November 19, 2008 at 06:19 PM
Robert isn't here today dufus - I just pointed that out. Duh!
Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on November 19, 2008 at 05:50 PM
...Also, it has to jibe with the US Constitution.Nobody's rights can be open to a popularity contest. That's what the Framers were talking about when they warned us to be vigilant of the "tyranny of the Majority". It meant that a simple majority of the simple minded won't cut it.
That's not exactly accurate, Doo-Bee. The 18th Amendment was repealed by the 21st Amendment. The 22nd Amendment limits a POTUS and VPOTUS to two terms. The mechanism is in place to repeal or amend any Constitutional Amendment. Granted, the U.S. Constitution is much more difficult to amend the CA Constitution and rightfully so however, CA Prop 8 amends the CA Constitution.
The CA Supreme Court, while agreeing to hear the case of repealing said amendment, pretty much has their hands tied in as much as their duty is to interpret the CA Consitution exactly like the SCOTUS interprets the U.S. Constitution. This will have to go to the federal courts for resolution. Going to the CA Supreme Court is a formality.
My guess is the 9th Circuit will agree with the pro-gay marriage lobby and this will end up in front of the SCOTUS. If it does, look for a 5-4 decision one way or the other. It'll come done to how Justice Kennedy votes, I'm sure.
marymac_memphis on November 19, 2008 at 05:59 PM
There was no need for an apology, Mary. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I've always respected yours even when we disagree. We're Democrats. We're bigger than that.
BobVADemocratHawk on November 19, 2008 at 06:23 PM
Thanks Bob - you are gracious as always but this wasn't just a difference of opinion - I was wrong because I 'missed' seeing some of the facts - even though you had posted a link. But - in any case, thank you for accepting my apology.
...Alabama is home to three Honda and Hyundai plants. And just across the state line in Georgia, a new Kia plant is set to open and will likely employ many Alabamans.Sen. Jeff Sessions, R- Ala., told reporters Wednesday, “I can not imagine a real justification for a worker in Alabama who does not have any health insurance at his company to be taxed to maintain a Cadillac health care plan for somebody in Detroit.”
...Honda and Hyundai, Sessions said, “are building steadily, and they are progressing steadily” even though they are being hurt by the economic downturn just like the Big Three U.S. automakers of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors.
“There are some states that might think there’s a competitive advantage for them if the Big Three don’t make it,” Sen. Carl Levin, D- Mich., a Big Three ally, told reporters Tuesday...
...Sen. Jim Bunning, R- Ky., who is up for re-election in 2010, said Wednesday, “It’s not a balancing act. It’s whether the federal government should intervene in the private-sector economy. And I believe it should not. I am very concerned that people as hard-headed as the three people who spoke to us yesterday would not have a plan in place and not have any concession to make, but they would just want the money so they can burn through it. That’s unacceptable.”
And if Chrysler and General Motors go into bankruptcy or liquidation?
“I think that’s probably the best thing that can happen,” Bunning replied. “Then there will be a reorganization and they’ll be able to jettison things they couldn’t ordinarily jettison, like health care benefits, like pension benefits and there will be someone to pick those up like the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. And then they will be able to restructure their salaries to get more in line with foreign producers and they may come out of bankruptcy a heck of a lot better off than they go into it.”...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27806336/
And there you have it. The GOP is on the record for supporting foreign companies over American companies. They are willing to let GM, Ford, and Chrysler go under to appease their Japanese, Korean, and Chinese benefactors. The GOP is party of sellouts. Sen. Bunning (R-KY) and Sen. Sessions (R-AL) are walking up to the line of treasonous actions, IMHO.
WASHINGTON - To appreciate how much the economic crisis is scrambling the political battle lines on Capitol Hill, consider the plight of the Blue Dog Democrats.The influential coalition of fiscally conservative House Democrats saw their ranks swell on Election Day, and they stand to gain even greater clout with a White House alliance they spent months cultivating. Just days after his victory, President-elect Barack Obama reportedly assigned economic adviser Jason Furman to consult regularly with the Blue Dogs on economic issues. Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged the centrists' new power when she said, a few days after her party gained 20-plus House seats, "The country must be governed from the middle."...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27804220/
That is one of the smartest things I've heard out of Speaker Pelosi. Indeed, this nation should be governed from the political center so that policy appeases the majority. For those worried about the government taking a slant that is too far left, do not be concerned. We Blue Dogs will not let that happen. However, the days of the GOP mantra of "no one left behind as long as you're white, Christian, and rich" are ended. Good riddance; it is time to fix this mess forced upon us by the GOP.
No, Scatass.
But NOBODY else can do those things either. You have no conception of what a "Right" is.
It has to do with "Good for ME but not for THEE".
If people are afforded certain accommodations according to the Law (i.e., visitation of loved ones in the hospital, tax laws, joint property laws, etc.) those accommodations should be available to ALL people. You can't just exclude those that YOU personally don't like.
It has NOTHING to do with "doing it". But you trolls can't keep your "minds" out of other peoples' crotches.
If the people of CA have decided that certain LAWS are applicable only to certain people, then THERE ARE NO LAWS. Therefore Unconstitutional.
I am in favor of castrating ALL Republicans.
Let's take a vote!
BTW, "Gay" marriage is ALREADY LEGAL. Otherwise there wouldn't be this mad dash every 4 years to write new Laws banning it.
A lack of prohibition means that IT IS NOT ILLEGAL! (Marijuana was legal until 1935, but Beer wasn't until the repeal of Prohibition. LSD was legal until 1965, although it was around for about 20 years...Get it?)
Gay marriage IS still LEGAL.
Therefore, the Constitutionality question.
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. (AP) - A $40 medical bill might seem small but a West Virginia man says his five-year battle over paying it was a matter of principle.Sam Juniper says his health benefits weren't supposed to change after he retired in 2000 from M&G Polymers.
But he received a $40 bill in 2002 after the company's new provider, Aetna Insurance, refused to cover the cost of some blood work.
He challenged that in Mason County court in 2003 and won every decision all the way to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. The appeals court ruled in his favor on Oct. 10.
Lawyer Mark Underwood handled Juniper's case for free and says small bills like this add up over time.
Juniper says he is still waiting for his $40 refund check, which he plans to frame and hang on his wall.
___
Information from: WCHS-TV, http://www.wchstv.com
Score one for the little guy! It's about time these blood suckers were put in their place.
116
BobVADemocratHawk on November 19, 2008 at 06:48 PM
There was an interesting take from a caller to the Ed Schults show today which got me to thinking.
Maybe those Pug Congressional idiots from the South should consider ALL the jobs that will be lost if the "Big Three" go under, all for their quest to kill the UAW.
Gee, beer vendors, tattoo artists, ushers, traffic control people, etc. ALL out of work. Ad to that the beer distributors (both ON and OFF season).
Hell, Martinsville is known as "Garage Mahal". Half of that towns economy depends on NASCAR.
I can just imagine all the ad revenue disappearing and the TV Networks dropping NASCAR because nobody will want to see a bunch of KIAs "race" a bunch of Hyundais.
But, as we all know, PUGS are STOOPID.
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