Mar 032016
 

I was out to a meeting at my church for a few hours late this afternoon.  I noticed just how fast the flowers and trees are coming alive, the fruit trees in particular.  At this rate, we'll have cherry and plum trees in blossom by the end of next week.  They are all gorgeous, but I am particularly fond of the deep pink blooms.  Tomorrow is an extra physio session for my foot and then off to teaching.  Lucia starts her new ESL class on Monday so I am going to accompany her so I can tailor our sessions to her class work.  There is always something to do!

Short Takes 

Raw Story — Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) broke ranks with his state’s conservative lawmakers on Thursday in speaking out against a proposed “religious freedom” bill,Towleroad reported.

“I think what the New Testament teaches us is that Jesus reached out to those who were considered the outcasts, the ones that did not conform to the religious societies’ view of the world and said to those of belief, ‘This is what I want you to do,'” Deal said after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Atlanta. “We do not have a belief — in my way of looking at religion — that says we have to discriminate against anybody. If you were to apply those standards to the teaching of Jesus, I don’t think they fit.”

Click through for a video of Deal's remarks.  When I saw yesterday that Deal expected the bill on his desk today, he gave no indication if he was for or against it.  I am pleasantly surprised to hear his decision and his rationale.  Finally, a Republican with his head screwed on straight, well at least on this issue.  Let's hope that the State General Assembly does not have a veto proof bill.

CNN — Mitt Romney has instructed his closest advisers to explore the possibility of stopping Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, a source close to Romney's inner circle says.

The 2012 GOP nominee's advisers are examining what a fight at the convention might look like and what rules might need revising.

    "It sounds like the plan is to lock the convention," said the source.

    Romney is focused on suppressing Trump's delegate count to prevent him from accumulating the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the nomination.

    If Rmoney jumps in to the Republican fray, I can see Trump jumping to a third party.  Trump has said he would take all "his people" and leave the Republicans with far fewer voters.  A split vote on the right could make a significant contribution to a Democratic win.  Why buy a ticket to a WWF match when you can sit at home and watch the Republicans on TV eviserating themselves!

    Huffington Post — The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Obama administration on Thursday in rebuffing a bid by 20 states to halt an Environmental Protection Agency rule to curb emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plants.

    The action came about a month after the high court put on hold federal regulations to curb carbon dioxide emissions mainly from coal-fired power plants, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's strategy to combat climate change.

    Chief Justice John Roberts denied a petition made last week by the states, led by Michigan, to put the rule on hold after a federal appeals court decided in December to leave it intact while the EPA reassessed costs of implementing the regulation.

    Could there be hope for a Scalia-less SCOTUS . . . hope that there will be some reasonable decisions without all the Republican drama?  Good move but the issue isn't over as the compliance costs have to be worked out by 15/04/2016.

    Foreign Policy — On Thursday, March 3, a statement is being released by a number of Republican foreign-policy hands declaring why we can’t support Donald Trump as our party’s nominee for president.

    Now that Trump holds a strong lead in delegates, an internal debate is roiling the ranks of Republicans who have not supported him, but who recognize the growing likelihood (though not a certainty) that he will become our party’s nominee.

    But whether or not he believes his own words, merely uttering them renders him unfit to be commander in chief. Consider: If Trump does not believe what he says, he is a demagogue and a charlatan, who neither knows nor cares that his reckless rhetoric has already done serious damage to our nation’s international credibility and given succor to our authoritarian adversaries. Whereas if Trump does believe what he says — praising Chinese and Russian and North Korean tyranny, disparaging religious and racial groups, indulging the fever swamps of left-wing conspiracies — then he is not only unqualified to lead the world’s greatest democracy, he would place it in considerable peril.

    "roiling the ranks of Republicans" is a rather tepid description of Trump's affect on the Republican Party right now. From Republican politicians like Lindsey Graham refusing to support Trump if he should be the party's nominee, to foreign policy advisers refusing to support him, Trump has put the Republican Party into convulsions from which it may not recover soon enough.

    My Universe — 

    AmazingCats 09I am the master of all I survey!

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      9 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread 03/03/2016”

    1. Thanks Lynn – read all the articles but unable to comment properly due to illness – but in Raw Story – is it true that a Republican has actually read the Gospels and thought about what they say?  Good grief – that has actually got to be a first – and it means that if he continues to think about the Gospels and if he does try and act as Jesus would in his own life, he couldn't remain a Republican!

      Love the cartoon – I never tire of seeing a pretty kitty!  Thanks!

    2. Raw Story: Good to see that Mr. Deal remains positive on this issue. It's really a no brainer. imho.

      CNN: Boy…this is gonna get good.!! I mean, let the games begin, right?

      HP: ''The rule is "safeguarding millions of American children from poisons such as mercury, arsenic and acid gases," said Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund anti-pollution advocacy group''. Great news!

      FP: The Repugs should of lassoed Trump in, when he started spewing his vicious hatred at the 1st debate/appearance. Left unfettered, they permitted him to unleash his diatribes daily, with no holds barred. They have created a monster. What truly scares me, is that people pack the places where he shows up. What does that say?

      My Universe: What a sweet adorable kitty!!

      So I went to school, and ended up filing. ugh. Not my cup of tea, really, so I left early. I pruned my two fig trees, and they are budding. I'm going to have a lot of figs this year! Two owls live in one of my trees, I'm honored that they chose my property to nest this spring! πŸ˜‰  ESL classes are great, and I hope that Lucia and you enjoy the class. Enjoy your day, and take care. Thanks, Lynn.

    3. Thanks, Lynn.  Let's hope Gov. Deal actually votes as he SAYS.

    4. Raw Story – Hmmph.  Based on his prior performance, someone must have hypnotized him.  Not that that is a bad thing!  Long may it last!  Do not – repeat, DO NOT – snap your fingers!

      CNN – CNN – Why buy a ticket to WWF?  Because WWF havs better actors, and less bloodshed than the Republicans.

      HuffPo – Definitely there  is hope for a SCOTUS without Scalia.  This is a good example of a case where, if they deadlock, the lower court ruling will stand.  And they will/would.  Therefore Roberts bit the bullet and denied the writ.

      Foreign Policy – Well, it will be interesting indeed.

      Unoiverse – Isn't that sort of stating the obvious?

    5. Never a dull moment, Lynn. I hope the extra sessions with your PT will do your foot some good. Who is taking care of Lucia's two youngest while both you and her attend her ESL class?

      Raw Story: It may strange to tie this to Drumpf's rampage, but I thing the only good Drumpf has done for the country is that a number of Republicans are scratching their heads and rethinking the politics of their own party that have led to the havoc Drumpf is wreaking. And that includes thinking about the pseudo-Christianity Donald has started to preach lately to get the Talibangelists to vote for him. It seems that some Republicans are waking up and see that they've taken things to far which in turn allows Drumpf to take things even further, far beyond what even they believe is reasonable. Let's hope Gov. Nathan Deal goes the whole stretch and doesn't sign the bill on his desk, the bill that even he can see isn't a “religious freedom” bill at all, but a free pass to discriminate others on the basis of the one religion Georgia's legislators happen to prefer: their own.

      CNN: Sounds about right, a lock is the only thing they can come up with to get their way. Our newspaper had Mitt Romney calling Drumpf a fake and an imposter. Romney said the promises Drumpf makes to the American public are just as worthless as the certificates of Trump University. John McCain agreed with him. But Drumpf already tweeted that Romney had failed four years ago in one of the worst election campaigns ever. Four years ago Romney had begged him for his support. The Republicans reap what they've sown, but I hope they push Drumpf on a sideline before he makes it to president because of the voting system the Republicans have rigged to their advantage.

      HuPo: Now that is a surprise! Is it possible that now Scalia's bullying is no longer influencing the four other Republicans, they also start to think more clearly?

      FP: Again it's somewhat surprising to see that some Republicans, especially those who are intimate with what the rest of the world thinks of Drumpf, finally realize that Drumpf will harm America's international credibility and endanger it greatly. It doesn't matter if Drumpf believes what he's saying or not, the man is a disaster for America and for the rest of the world. I only wish they'd thought of it a little sooner the way we have.

      My Universe: A real Top Cat.

    6. Nathan Deal – Governor of Georgia

      Resigning from Congress to avoid an ethics investigation was only the beginning of Gov. Deal’s corrupt track record.

      http://www.citizensforethics.org/worst-governors-in-america/entry/nathan-deal-georgia

      Nathan Deal’s Ethics: An Embarrassment to Georgia

      http://www.nathandealethics.com/

    7. So Wingnuts aren’t that pleased with Herr Drumpf?

      It’s mind-boggling that the Rethuglican Party, whose warm embrace of Facts-Free Fox’s policy of endlessly poking their base with outright lies, dog whistles, racism, bigotry, misogyny and more, is only NOW concerned about the end results.

      Rethuglicans tirelessly worked to make our Government the Villain and Corporations the Hero. 

      Well, to borrow a common Business dictum:

      You Broke It – You Own It!

    8. CNN: Who would have thought that politics could be such fun?!

      Foreign policy: This jackass is offering succor, encourgement and material support to the enemies within!

      HP: With Valdemort gone, the SCOTUS folk might just be able to come together in a rational, reasonable concensus.

      RW: A Georgia governor making human sense?  Who would'a thunk?

      Spring is on the way.  The tree buds, here, are begining to swell, and a lawn in Summit, N.J. was full of crocuses i blom last weekend.

       

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