Awwww, they kissed and made-up.
No seriously.
A rare sign of over-the aisle respect for one another in today’s divided D.C.?
Props, guys.
Category: Domestic Affairs,
Obama spokesman defends White House efforts to stem Gulf ‘blowout’
Obama, the shining beacon of progress.
Obama, the environmentalist.
Obama, who cares for the little guy and the working man.
Obama, unbeholden to corporate interests like big oil.
Yeah, right….
Education: Texas Social Sciences Curriculum Standards Stirs Nationwide Debate – ABC News
Education: Texas Social Sciences Curriculum Standards Stirs Nationwide Debate – ABC News
The Christian Right Conservatives suck big, sweaty, hairy, mis-shapen donkey balls. If people don’t learn an accurate portrayal of history, how the hell will they learn to avoid the same mistakes? Oh, that’s right. The goal is to drive us backwards. Fucking bastards.
Obama wins the right to detain people with no habeas review
Obama wins the right to detain people with no habeas review – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com
How exceedingly un-hypocritical of him.
Umm….not.
Illegal Immigrants Cost U.S. $100 Billion per Year, Conservative Group Says About Illegal Immigration – ABC News
“At the same time, those whose jobs are paid legally – at least fifty percent, by some estimates – end up paying social security and other payroll taxes without ever collecting benefits. Since illegal immigrants are believed to constitute up to 5 percent of the U.S. economy, their tax contributions will mean a revenue windfall for legal residents.”
It’s buried and surrounded by statements that completely obscure the point but it is in there and that’s more than it gets most of the time so thank you, ABC!
Obama Mandates Rules to Raise Fuel Standards
Obama Mandates Rules to Raise Fuel Standards – NYTimes.com
Is the timing of this announcement supposed to soften environmentalists like myself in our growling disapproval of this Obama administration’s enviornmental stewardship in light of their non-response to the Gulf Oil spill?
Maybe I’m just being cynical.
Intelligence director knew his days were numbered
Intelligence director knew his days were numbered – Yahoo! News
Ahhh, the US Intelligence community: a true bastion of respect and cooperation. Nice to see them lining up behind a common goal…
..tanking anyone given the authority to tell them what to do.
Gates wants veto of defense spending bill if unwanted projects remain
Gates wants veto of defense spending bill if unwanted projects remain – CNN.com
If conservatives really gave a shit about fiscally conservatism they would be lining up to support this man’s vision of a streamlined defense budget.
Do they? Apparently not so much….
Why, oh why do Libertarians always have to be such backwards racists ?
Political Wisdom: Let the Rand Paul Show Begin – Washington Wire – WSJ
Why, oh why, do Libertarians always have to be such backwards racist rednecks? Actually I’m not sure if that statement is fair to rednecks. Rednecks, at least the ones who actually live in the country, tend to be outdoorspeople and, as such, have some sense of and respect for the environment.
Let me start again. Why, oh why, do Libertarians always have to be such backwards racist hillbillies?
For example Rand Paul is against the Civil Liberties Act because he doesn’t think it’s OK for the government to tell people who they do business with. On the surface that sounds like Freedom and small government. The problem is that legally that would mean it would OK be for Woolworth’s not to let minorities sit at their lunch counter. People put their lives on the line break down those barriers and Rand Paul wants to put them back up. I wonder if he’d feel differently if he wasn’t a rich white guy….
He’s also against the Americans With Disabilities act. Why, what has a person in a wheelchair ever done to him you ask? Simple. Their protective act lead the government to impose another regulation on him. Paul thinks it’s his constitutional right to open up that racist Woolworth’s and skip putting up the wheelchair ramp. fuck those injured vets anyhow. To Rand Paul, making businesses accessible to the handicapped is just another example of the government pushing the little guy around. (I know, what jerks, eh?)
The newest bit of pleasantry that I happened to come across on Paul is this little ditty:
he finds the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent regulatory initiative on greenhouse gas emissions, independent of Congress, “particularly galling.”
“I think that’s a regulatory commission run amok and I think we need to have congressional oversight,” he said. “I don’t think regulatory agencies should write regulations without approval of the people through their representatives. And I stick to that and that’s absolutely my point of view.” ()
Two things about that quote. First off, what kind of idiot thinks the most kind efficient way to do things is to have every government agency decision made by the voters? Isn’t that they whole point of having elected officials in the first place? If every committee and every government body ran things by the voters everytime they did something then they would never get anything done. I guess his logic isn’t that surprising. Paul would rather the government by hobbled than tell anyone what to do.
I realize Rand Paul doesn’t want a government at all but I really don’t think he’s taking into consideration what the environmentalists and minorities might do to his twisted backwards ass without a social contract to stop them. (If he does succeed in abolishing the power of the state I, for one, will start a pool on how long he’ll last and sell tickets to his hour of judgement.)
Secondly, Paul is OK with companies having the ability to poison the public as they fit without any fear of consequence. Admittedly that is an attractive proposition if you are a corporate CEO but not so much if you someone who breathes or drinks water.
Independently minded Yankee that I am, I have more than a few libertarian tendencies but I have never ever come across a libertarian group or candidate that I would consider supporting for even a fraction of a second. What is about that label that attracts all of the selfish asshole white people?
25 American Citizens Accused of Terrorism – Newsweek.com
25 American Citizens Accused of Terrorism – Newsweek.com
….I’ll come back to this one later.
Congress Hears Dramatic Rape Kit Testimony – CBS Evening News – CBS News
Congress Hears Dramatic Rape Kit Testimony – CBS Evening News – CBS News
The sad thing is that hearing that there are several thousand untested rape-kits, and several thousand cases that were never followed up on does not surprise me a bit. Our justice system makes money for prison guard unions and the private contractors that run prisons. It’s an industry. Period. Hey ladies, no one ever said getting tough on crime had anything to do with justice.
BP Oil Spill: Kevin Costner’s Oil Extractor Machine For Gulf Clean Up
BP Oil Spill: Kevin Costner’s Oil Extractor Machine For Gulf Clean Up – ABC News
This whole thing is becoming kinda surreal. I like Field of Dreams as much as next guy but seriously, we’re bringing in Kevin Costner? Seriously?
Coal mine official rejects criticism over safety – Mine Disasters | Coal Mines, Coal Mining – Salon.com
When a company admits fault it costs them money. Why then is it considered news when a CEO shirks blame?
Better question, why do we not immediately and emphatically tell them to sit down, shut up and stop blowing smoke up the public’s ass?
What will Specter do with the rest of his Senate term?
What will Specter do with the rest of his Senate term? – CNN.com
Every news outlet I can find reports that Specter was a causality of anti-incumbent sentiment or anti-Democrat/Obama White House sentiment or both.
Isn’t it possible that he lost because of partisan sentiment? The man was a Republican for years and then switched sides. Specter was “one of the good guys on the other side of the aisle” but even acknowledging that the other side isn’t all bad goes against the grain of contempory political discourse. Maybe Dems just didn’t trust him?
Maybe it’s just me.
Senate approves sweeping Wall St. reform bill
Reuters on Financial Reform: Senate approves sweeping Wall St. reform bill | Reuters
Heh, they don’t sound particularly supportive.
Rand Paul
Why can’t the gotcha journalists just leave Rand Paul alone and allow Kentucky to vote for him without understanding the implications of sending him to the Senate?
Geeeesh!
More historic legislation Rand Paul wouldn’t have supported – War Room – Salon.com
So if Paul’s view is controversial enough to dominate cable news and the political blogosphere all day Thursday, how come it wasn’t an issue in the month leading up to Kentucky’s primary?
asks How Rand Paul’s civil-rights views escaped media scrutiny – Yahoo! News
I’ve got some ideas but I’ll wait to see how it plays out to see if my theory matches up with what happens in November.
…Besides, that guy already said a lot of things on my mind but better than I could have managed do.
U.S. Spy Chief to Step Down – NYTimes.com
For me the most interesting part of all of this is difference in tone the news outlets take.
NY Times? A rift had always existed with the White House.
Facing a Rift, U.S. Spy Chief to Step Down – NYTimes.com
USA Today? A Senate report sealed his fate.
Intelligence chief resigns after scathing report – USATODAY.com
The AP and Reuters? He just resigned.
Spy chief Blair announces resignation | Reuters
Christian Science Monitor? He’s a scapegoat.
Intelligence director Dennis Blair takes fall for Christmas bomber – CSMonitor.com
CNN? He never had a chance.
Washington Post? Same theme but a slightly softer tone.
Blair’s resignation may reflect inherent conflicts in job of intelligence chief
Airport watchers miss 16 linked to terror
Report: Airport watchers miss 16 linked to terror – Yahoo! News
My favorite part:
The Government Accountability Office questioned the scientific basis of the entire program in a report released Thursday.
The entire program was without scientific basis and apparently didn’t work either. Nice! Heck of a job protecting the homeland there kids.
EPA asks BP to use less toxic dispersant on oil spill – chicagotribune.com
EPA asks BP to use less toxic dispersant on oil spill – chicagotribune.com
“We are reviewing four alternative dispersants, using information in the public domain,” Mark Salt, a BP spokesman, said Thursday in a telephone interview from Houston.
Oh-my-ghod… They’re freaking googling for an answer. They really have no freaking idea what they are doing, do they?
1 Month Later, Numbers Just Get Worse for Gulf
1 Month Later, Numbers Just Get Worse for Gulf – CBS News
Spill, baby, Spill: an overview.
BP accused of cover-up
BP accused of cover-up | Reuters
Whhha, whhhaaa, what???!
A cover-up?
What possible motivation could they have to telling the government, public and media bold-faced lies since the spill began?
I would have snarky comment about how this isn’t news but this is the only article I’ve seen to mention a cover-up so I guess instead I have to give Reuters props.
U.S. to check BP spill size, heavy oil comes ashore
U.S. to check BP spill size, heavy oil comes ashore | Reuters
Goll-eeee, dawn breaks on Marblehead! We’re not just going to take BP’s word for it? Who is the genius who waited a month to come up with that plan I wonder.
Elena Kagan and the case for an elitist Supreme Court
Elena Kagan and the case for an elitist Supreme Court – CSMonitor.com
Education is a bad thing? Is that where we are as a society? No wonder the ignoramuses believe Cable News Morons opinions to be gospel truth. Our society is becoming more and more ignorant of the world we live in. Doesn’t really bode well for the future.