Debate to Begin on Weakened Gun Control

 Politics
Apr 122013
 

It almost feels like a major victory, but it isn’t  It took a major effort to shame just a few Republicans to merely allow debate to begin on a very watered down version of gun regulation.  While it closes the gun show loophole, all it would take for someone who could not pass a background check to purchase an assault weapon with a 100 round drum is to have an acquaintance, who could, make the purchase for them.  The NRA have done to sensible firearms legislation exactly what their Republican cohorts did to health care reform and financial reform.  That said, it is doubtful that even this will survive, but if it can, we should take it and start over.

12GOPGunsThe U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to overcome a Republican-led filibuster against tougher gun laws, clearing the way for a major congressional debate on a package of proposals sought by President Barack Obama in the aftermath of the Connecticut school massacre.

The procedural vote followed a breakthrough by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, who reached a compromise on broadening background checks to include private purchases at gun shows and on the Internet.

Because of the bipartisan deal, Senate Democrats backing the legislation received support from enough Republicans to approve the cloture motion, 68-31, setting up debate on the proposals and amendments expected to last for two weeks.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, pledged after the key vote to let both sides offer amendments. But he insisted they include an updated ban on semiautomatic firearms modeled after military assault weapons and a limit on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <CNN>

If you remember the health care and financial reform processes, you will remember that Republicans pretended to negotiate in good faith, watered down the compromises, and then opposed them anyway.  That is exactly what the NRA did here,

Chris Hayes discussed the NRA’s duplicitous role of weakening the legislation with Jack Abramoff, David Sirota, and Leah Gunn Barrett.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The following Senators voted to not to even discuss allowing fewer criminals to buy guns to murder Americans:

Barrasso (R-WY)

Begich (D-AK)

Blunt (R-MO)

Boozman (R-AR)

Coats (R-IN)

Cochran (R-MS)

Cornyn (R-TX)

Crapo (R-ID)

Cruz (R-TX)

Enzi (R-WY)

Fischer (R-NE)

Grassley (R-IA)

Hatch (R-UT)

Inhofe (R-OK)

Johanns (R-NE)

Johnson (R-WI)

Lee (R-UT)

McConnell (R-KY)

Moran (R-KS)

Murkowski (R-AK)

Paul (R-KY)

Portman (R-OH)

Pryor (D-AR)

Risch (R-ID)

Roberts (R-KS)

Rubio (R-FL)

Scott (R-SC)

Sessions (R-AL)

Shelby (R-AL)

Thune (R-SD)

If the elephant dumped any of these turds, including the two DINOs, in your state, you know what to do.

Share

Open Thread–4/7/2013

 Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 072013
 

I’m running way behind today for two reasons.  First, I overslept more than two hours.  Second, I had to look harder then my norm to find material I want to cover.  I’m current with replies, and please pardon the brevity of my responses.  Tomorrow appears routine, but I do have prep work to do foe Tuesday’s volunteer work in prison.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:40 (average 5:26).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Hillbilly Video: Red State Update: Real Mad Obama Won

 

This is a few months old, but I just found it. They do capture the essence of TEAbuggery!

From NY Times: …No other lawmaker [than Baucus] on Capitol Hill has such a sizable constellation of former aides working as tax lobbyists, representing blue-chip clients that include telecommunications businesses, oil companies, retailers and financial firms, according to an analysis by LegiStorm, an online database that tracks Congressional staff members and lobbying. At least 28 aides who have worked for Mr. Baucus, Democrat of Montana, since he became the committee chairman in 2001 have lobbied on tax issues during the Obama administration — more than any other current member of Congress, according to the analysis of lobbying filings performed for The New York Times.

“K Street is literally littered with former Baucus staffers,” said Jade West, an executive at a wholesalers’ trade association that relies on a former finance panel aide, Mary Burke Baker. “It opens doors that allow you to make the case.” …

I’m not surprised. In my opinion, BARF (Baucus Against Real Financial reform) Baucus is the Senates most bought DINO.

From Alternet:

In a week’s time the wide range of what was once considered routine GOP bigotry was on full display. Dave Agema, a former West Michigan state representative, and Republican National Committeeman called gays “filthy homosexuals." Next, Alaska Rep. Don Young blurted out the epitaph “wetbacks” in discussing the immigration issue. Then 23 members of the so-called White Student Union attended the Conservative Political Action Conference where its leader tacitly endorsed segregation and even slavery.

In times past, the silence from the GOP officials and rank and file would have been deafening. It would have reconfirmed the standard knock against the GOP as a party of Kooks, cranks misanthropes, and, of course, bigots. But in each of the three cases, there was an outcry from local GOP officials, bloggers, and GOP campus groups. They publicly denounced the bigotry, and in the case of Young, House Speaker John Boehner, Arizona and Texas Senators John McCain, and John Cornyn, and Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus blasted Young’s remarks.

At first glance, this seems a signal that the GOP recognizes that it’s widely considered the party of bigotry, and that it’s willing to do something about it. But the sea change may be much less than meets the eye. Many top GOP officials are still mute on its party’s bigots. The official record still stands that no top GOP official aggressively and consistently denounces the bigoted remarks or acts by a GOP operative, representative, or senator…

I’ll bet that in 2014, the GOP leadership remains active in supporting the worst of the worst in the general election. Whatever limited remorse we are seeing now reflects only their embarrassment of having their true colors exposed.

Cartoon:

7Cartoon

The first one someone could buy.

Share

Open Thread–3/20/2014

 Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 202013
 

Last night I broke a fever for the second time.  I’m still down, but I did add an extra Short Take.  I’m not yet up to catching up on replies, and I hope to be back tomorrow.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:37 (average 5:48).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Bernie.org: Send a Message to President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner: No Budget Deal on the Backs of the Elderly, the Children, the Sick and the Poor.

Click through to sign this petition for Bernie Sanders.

From The New Yorker: In a sombre ceremony attended by former members of the Bush administration, the former Vice-President Dick Cheney marked the tenth anniversary of making up a reason to invade Iraq.

The ceremony, held on the grounds of the Halliburton Company headquarters, brought together the former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, and other key members of the lying effort.

Calling the assembled officials “profiles in fabrication,” Mr. Cheney praised them for their decade of dedication to a totally fictitious rationale.

“Making up a reason to invade a country is the easy part,” Mr. Cheney told them. “Sticking to a pretend story for ten years—that is the stuff of valor.”

Mr. Cheney added that their “steadfast charade had raised the bar for all future administrations.”

While this, of course is satire, the underlying truth could be more relevant, nor could there be a more compelling reason to recognize that every Republican in office is one Republican too many.

From NY Times: Senate Democrats plan to introduce after the Easter recess a bill widely supported by both parties that would increase the penalties for people who buy guns for those barred from having them, known as straw purchasing. But Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, told Ms. Feinstein on Monday that her assault weapons ban would not be included in the bill.

“I tried my best,” Ms. Feinstein said with obvious disappointment. “My best, I guess, wasn’t good enough.”

This month, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed four pieces of gun legislation: the straw purchasing measure; the assault weapons ban, which included limits on gun magazine sizes; a grant program for school security; and enhanced background checks for gun buyers.

The Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid, who MUST be replaced as Senate Majority Leader, really screwed the pooch on this one.  He claims that he had only 40 votes for passage, but I wonder.  It’s much easier to say no to the mothers of murdered children in the secrecy of the Senate cloak room than it is with a public vote.  But even if 40 is all there are, the Republican Party and the Democrats, who lack the spine to take on Wayne LaPierre and the gun industry, should be made to own their votes before the American people.  Instead, Harry Reid humped a few Republican legs, whined, rolled over and played dead.

From MSNBC: Rachel on Republican Revision

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

When we failed to charge these war criminals, I cringed, because I knew that Republicans would not be content with an accurate historical retelling. We must not allow these Republicans to rewrite the history of how they lied us into this tragic war. If we fail to remember the lesson of Iraq, as we failed to remember the lesson of Vietnam, the warmongers among us will lie us into another.

Cartoon:

20Cartoon

Share

The Tears of LaPierre

 Politics
Feb 272013
 

Wayne LaPierre, raving propagandist for the gun industry, must want a little cheese with his whine this morning.  For the Record, I am not a fan of New York City Mayor Bloomberg, not do I approve of buying elections.  Nevertheless, I would by lying, if I did not admit to enjoying the NRA’s sniveling over being bested at their own game.

2nd District Preckwinkle

Robin Kelly handily won the Illinois 2nd Congressional District’s primary election Tuesday to become the Democratic nominee in the race to replace disgraced Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., all but confirming she will be heading to Washington.

The former State Representative and Cook County administrator won the special primary with 54 percent of the vote in the crowded race, according to WGN, with 306 of the district’s 545 precincts reporting. The Associated Press has also called the race for Kelly.

Now, Kelly is expected to coast to an easy victory in the April 9 special general election, thanks to the district leaning overwhelmingly Democratic.

Kelly’s victory speech focused on gun control, which emerged as a key issue leading up to the Tuesday primary…

Inserted from <Huffington Post>

Rachel Maddow had coverage.

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

With 17 candidates in the race, it’s amazing that anyone got 54%, especially since Bloomberg never even endorsed Kelly.  He just opposed Halvorson, the Blue Dog DINO gun-nut.  Kudos and congrats to Robyn!

Share

Chuck Hagel Can Thank Harry Reid

 Politics
Feb 142013
 

Chuck Hagel is now experiencing something no high level cabinet appointee has ever experienced before.  His appointment is being filibustered.  For that, he can thank the Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid, who had the votes for meaningful filibuster reform.  Instead, Reid humped a few GOP legs, whined, rolled over, and played dead in exchange for some very minor reforms and a gentlemen’s agreement from the Republican caucus, that they would not abuse the filibuster anymore.  The Republicans have demonstrated what their word is worth by abusing the filibuster for historic obstruction.

Reid-LegHound

Senate Republicans refused to allow a vote Wednesday on the nomination of Chuck Hagel to lead the Defense Department, staging the first filibuster against a president’s choice to head the Pentagon.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) called the move "a shame" as he announced on the Senate floor that he was unable to reach an agreement with the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee to avoid such a delay. Reid filed a motion to end the filibuster and said he expected to vote on it Friday…

Inserted from <LA Times>

Rachel Maddow covered the Republican hypocrisy.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A filibuster, by any other name. is still a filibuster, just like a Republican Senator, by any other name is still a liar, just like Harry Reid, by any other name, is still the Nevada Leg Hound, who should be replaced as Senate Majority Leader.

Share

The Nevada Leg Hound Screwed the Pooch

 Politics
Jan 252013
 

What, you might ask, is a Nevada Leg Hound?  It is our Senate Majority, a worthless piece of lying DINO crap, who just betrayed his party and an overwhelming majority of the American people.  In short, he humped Mitch McConnell’s leg, whined, rolled over, ands played dead.

Reid-LegHound

He could have gone nuclear. He could have forced senators to talk their mouths off. And he could have virtually dismantled the potent stalling tactic.

But in the end, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid refused to pull the trigger.

Why Reid decided to avoid taking unprecedented actions to dramatically weaken the filibuster is rooted chiefly in one main concern: Democrats, one day, will return to the minority and need the filibuster to block the GOP agenda.

Instead, Reid, known in the Senate as a leader far more concerned about keeping the trains running on time than his own ideological bent, focused squarely on what he considers his biggest obstacle: scheduling bills for debate and then moving on after the Senate has worked its will. The Nevada Democrat limited senators’ ability to stall the Senate from beginning floor debate and initiating talks with the House after legislation is passed. And he sought to speed floor debate only after the Senate has defeated a filibuster in a certain number of situations.

None of this goes nearly as far as filibuster reformers wanted — whether it was lowering the threshold from 60 votes to overcome a filibuster to 51, or actually requiring senators to go to the floor and carry out a stalling session… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Politico>

The ridiculous thing here is his foolishness to believe that he is protecting the filibuster for future Democrats. If Republicans ever take the Senate again, you can be sure that their first order of business on day one will to eliminate the filibuster completely, claiming that is necessary, because Democrats have abused the filibuster during the Crawford Caligula Regime.  Count on it!

Ed Schultz is as angry as I am.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

He followed this up with another segment.

Rachel Maddow exposed Reid as the worthless liar he has become.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

She also followed up with another segment.

I would like the complete list of Democrats who opposed true reform. Other than Reid himself, the names I am hearing are Durban (IL), Feinstein (CA), and Manchin (WV). All should be primaried, when they stand for reelection.

For years I opposed LBJ over the War in Vietnam. That said, if LBJ were Senate Majority Leader now, we would have filibuster reform today. When the Senate reconvenes in 2015, the Democrats’ first order of business should be to replace Majority Leader, Harry Reid, the Nevada Leg Hound, with a Democrat, who will use his or her balls for something more than staining Bought Bitch Mitch McConnell’s trousers.  Reid just did more to prevent Barack Obama’s legacy than any Republican could have.

Share

Open Thread–1/24/2013

 Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 242013
 

Yesterday was a zoo.  I had my computer corner broken down by 8:00 AM, and the repairman arrived at around 9:00 AM.  He started in the other apartment with a bad radiator, on the floor above mine and on the other side of the building.  I guess that apartment is badly infested with bugs, and the repairman freaked out.  He refused to do any work in the building and left.  I wish he had started with me, because the radiator is still not fixed, and I have no idea when a repairman will be coming to do it.  My computer corner is shaped like an L, and the radiator was at the intersection of the two tables.  When I put it back together, I changed it. so the radiator is at the end of the short table, so I can now provide access to it in ten minutes, without having to tear it down.  Needless to say, I am pooped, and this mess will likely set back my return for a few days.  I’m current with replies.

Jig-Zone Puzzles:

Yesterday’s took me 3:37 (average 4:36).  To do it, click here.  Today’s took me 4:44 (average 5:34).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: Senate Democratic and Republican leaders are nearing an agreement on new limits to the filibuster, an effort to speed action in the often-clogged chamber by prohibiting senators from using a common tactic to slow the legislative process. ..

…The changes will surely disappoint reformers who were pushing for more sweeping revisions to rein in the filibuster, once a rarely used legislative tool. It will not include, for instance, a requirement that senators be present on the Senate floor when they want to block a bill from coming to a vote, continuing the practice of allowing them to filibuster in absentia. And opponents would still have the opportunity to filibuster a final vote on any legislation, thwarting its passage without 60 votes.

If that damn leg-hound caves-in, I’m going to scream!

From MSNBC: Projection on Spending

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

As always, wastrel Republicans are projecting their own spending problem onto responsible Democrats. The lies and the blackmail come down to the Republican agenda to give our earned Social Security benefits to Wall Street, give our earned Medicare Benefits to Big Insurance, and convert Medicaid to a GOP governors’ slush fund for millionaires. How then, would they pay for their excessive spending on billionaires? Their plan is to raise the taxes paid by the poor and middle classes.

From YouTube: Full Clinton-Paul Exchange from the Benghazi Hearing

 

The absurd conspiracy theory that Democrats are shipping arms from Libya to Turkey to give guns to Syrian terrorists, comes from serial liar, Andrew Breitfart. If idiot, son of idiot, were President, ice hockey would be the national sport in hell.

Cartoon:

24Cartoon

With his words, none of mine are needed. 

The gun-grabbers in the Senate are about to launch an all-out-assault on the Second Amendment. On your rights.  On your freedom.  Just the other night, President Obama urged them to act. And then he went one step further, spelling out the 23 different Executive Orders he will take to get your guns.  My friend  our freedom is under direct assault.  From those who want take your guns. From those who want to shred our Constitution, and as our good in friend Rand Paul from Kentucky says, from those who want to be King.

Share
 Older Entries