I’m writing for tomorrow, and I’m still quite worn out. Nevertheless, I have an additional article to post, although I shall remain in minimal mode, otherwise. I plan to return to Salem for prison volunteer work on Tuesday, so I’ll need maximum rest until then.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:00 (average 4:50). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The Daily Mail (H/T Daily Kos): Governor Chris Christie has been accused of exacting still more political revenge after his administration shut down the DMV office in a large New Jersey city three years ago – and Democratic politicians say it was because they opposed his tax policies and worked for his Election Day opponent.
‘He shut it down, plain and simple, and of course this was political,’ New Jersey state Assemblyman Joe Cryan told MailOnline of the Motor Vehicle Commission office in Elizabeth, the fourth-largest city in New Jersey. ‘This was complete retribution. … There was no other possible explanation for it.’
Cryan’s district includes Elizabeth. He was former Gov. John Corzine’s state Democratic chairman when he ran for re-election in 2009, unsuccessfully, against Christie.
Ray Lesniak, Cryan’s state Senate counterpart representing the city, had been a top Corzine strategist since the future Democratic governor was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.
And Elizabeth’s longtime mayor, Chris Bollwage, got under Christie’s skin soon after he took Corzine’s job, joining Cryan and Lesniak to publicly oppose what they called a ‘flawed’ plan to cap the rate of annual property tax increases in New Jersey.
The three Democrats now say closing the motor vehicle bureau in Elizabeth was a way for Christie to crush three political adversaries with a single stroke of his pen.
Drip! Drip!! Drip!!! The saga of PIGnocchio keeps getting better and better!
From NY Times: The libertarian faithful — antitax activists and war protesters, John Birch Society members and a smattering of “truthers” who suspect the government’s hand in the 2001 terrorist attacks — gathered last September, eager to see the rising star of their movement.
With top billing on the opening night of the Liberty Political Action Conference, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky told the audience at a Marriott in Virginia that a viable Republican Party must reach out to young people and minorities.
But not long after the applause died down, Mr. Paul was out the door. He skipped an address by his father, former Representative Ron Paul, as well as closing remarks by his own former Senate aide, an ex-radio host who had once celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and extolled white pride.
The senator was off to an exclusive resort on Mackinac Island, Mich., where he again talked about the future of the party. But this time he was in the company of Karl Rove and other power brokers, and his audience was of Republican stalwarts who were sizing up possible presidential candidates.
Wasn’t it P.T. Barnum that said, "There’s a Republican voter born every minute"? 😉
From Think Progress: Despite agreeing to a budget this month, it seems Congressional Republicans are not yet done holding the economic fate of the country hostage in order to pass aspects of its agenda. In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told host Chris Wallace that it would be “irresponsible” for Republicans not to try to add amendments to a bill raising the debt ceiling, which they may need to pass as early late February. Failure to pass a debt ceiling increase would be catastrophic for the economy, forcing the country to default on its obligations:
Bought Bitch Mitch is lying, as always. Keystone XL would create only 35 permanent jobs. If Senate Republicans continue to make these unreasonable demands in return for paying for what CONGRESS HAS ALREADY SPENT, my response is the same as always:
Cartoon:
Republican Saint Ronnie Ray Gun violated that treaty with Star Wars.
13 Responses to “Open Thread–1/27/2014”
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2:57 I'm much happier with my time than the surgeonfish looks. What a big frown!
3:20 No surgical strikes here! Well I'm no cut up on this one!
The Daily Mail & Daily Kos ~ The hole Christie dug for himself looks to be too big even for him. Will he go the way of Ron Blagojevich and join him in prison?
NY Times ~ The younger Paul is definitely eying the 2016 RepublicanT Presidential nomination. Heaven help us!
Think Progress ~ They will never stop trying to ruin President Obama's legacy. It matters not to them how much they hurt our Nation in the process.
Cartoon ~ RayGun's Star Wars (SDI) was an idea conceived by an ex Hollywood star. He was thinking of this after watching the newly released blockbuster Star Wars at his private movie theater in the White House. The weapons he wanted weren't even in existence then. I wonder if Nancy's psychic gave him the idea for this one.
~~Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio all have the staying power of a dry log in a roaring fire. Each have recently suffered from serious and incurable 'hoof-in-mouth' disease. Rand Paul is notorious for plagiarism, Chris has the "weight" of numerous scandals to cope with, and Marco Rubio has the charisma of a grain of sand in a desert. Paul is trying his best to appeal by using both the ideals of libertarians and the Tea bags, neither has wide appeal and combined they have less appeal.
Huckabee may be thinking (is that even possible) that his nasty comments will win appeal among the loyalist, but he forgets that birth control has been used by couples since the 1960's and is in fact, preventive health care as well as a birth control measure. If one hates abortion, they should love birth control.
Any form of women's health care should not be addressed by men, this is our personal issue and we sure do not need men making this a political issue. One more of many reasons why we do need many women holding state and federal office. A woman's body is not about state or federal policy or laws, this should be sacrosanct, just as we longer accept any form of slavery, laws that dictate what a women can or can not do with her body enslaves her to the powers of governmental over reach.
Stay well my friend.
Adding to the latest "Drip Drip Drip" for Christie. A former prosecutor says he was fired for refusing to drop a case against a Chrisite ally:
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2014/01/another_cover-up_in_chris_chri.html
Thanks TC – please rest if you can – you are doing such a lot lately! The disclosures about Christie just keep on coming, don't they?
4:10 Another gorgeous feast of color
Kos – Wasn't there someone from New Jersey who recenly said something like "he suits us"? If true, I think I wouldn't be admitting it myself.
NY Times – yes, that was Barnum, although he used a different word. Today I suppose he might say "Kochsucker."
Think Progress – You know, we got along just fine without a debt limit until 1930. It certainly appears having one is more expensive than not having one. Most countries don't have one. It seems to serve no function. Why don't we abolish it?
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2011/05/abolish_the_debt_ceiling.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59236.html
The G-NO-P doing something of value?
Rand Paul speaking yesterday,stated that Hilary Clinton is unfit to run for president as her husband seduced a young girl ,in his office. 20 y.o. Monica Lewinski! !!! Relevance anyone?.(I seem to remember some talk of a "thong"!!. whoops.)
Stay well TC.
The Daily Mail:: Nothing they report about Christie is surprising at this point. I hope it keeps him from running for president.
NY Times: Somehow Rand manages to wiggle out of anything he gets caught doing. I still don't understand how he beat Jack Conway for the senate here in Kentucky.
Think Progress: Mitch always lies. I really like your solution in your graphic.
Cartoon: Saint Ronnie started a lot of the problems we have today. Union busting was really his thing.
Glad you are back, hope you get some well deserved rest.
Thanks everyone!
The debt, created via wars of choice and supplemental War Budget… "Bought Bitch Mitch is lying, as always."
5:55 –