TomCat

Is the US a Spillway?

Posted by TomCat at 5:19 am Politics

Apr 072013

As deliberations on the Keystone XL Pipeline continue, I was dismayed to learn of yet another oil spill from yet another effective pipeline. Big Oil is demonstrating their inability to transport oil safely in pipelines, let alone clean up the mess. They are content to make the US a spillway, but we cannot be.

Huh. So maybe these pipelines are shoddy or poorly designed, since this is the third accident in a week. If only there was some kind of movement to keep these pipelines out of ecologically sensitive areas like the Gulf of Mexico! Oh, wait….

Thousands of gallons of oil have spilled from a pipeline in Texas, the third accident of its kind in only a week.

Shell Pipeline, a unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, shut down their West Columbia, Texas, pipeline last Friday after electronic calculations conducted by the US National Response Center showed that upwards of 700 barrels had been lost, amounting to almost 30,000 gallons of crude oil.

By Monday, Shell spokespeople said inspectors found “no evidence” of an oil leak, but days later it was revealed that a breach did occur. Representatives with the US Coast Guard confirmed to Dow Jones on Thursday that roughly 50 barrels of oil spilled from a pipe near Houston, Texas and entered a waterway that connects to the Gulf of Mexico.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Steven Lehman said that Shell had dispatched clean-up crews that were working hard to correct any damage to Vince Bayou, a small waterway that runs for less than 20 miles from the Houston area into a shipping channel that opens into the Gulf.

Y’all come on down and enjoy some of our oil-soaked shrimp!… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Crooks and Liars>

Big Oil continues to demonstrate that the industry cannot be trusted with the earth. It’s the only one we have.

Open Thread–4/7/2013

Posted by TomCat at 5:18 am 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:

The first one someone could buy.

Republicans Make the World More Dangerous

Posted by TomCat at 2:57 am Politics

Apr 062013

Because they had no scruples in choosing whom to embrace in their quest for power, the Republican Party is now a cesspit of wing-nuts that change the conspiracy theories they embrace more often than they change their socks. This has led to interference in foreign policy in ways that make the world more dangerous for us all.

If you want to understand why progress on gun violence or on other major issues facing the country has become pretty much impossible, one place to start is with the GOP’s opposition to the U.N. treaty on the global arms trade…

…The United States is one of the 154 members to support the treaty; it was opposed by Iran, North Korea and Syria.

Prospects for the treaty are bleak in the United States Senate, however. As Steve Benen details, this is because it is opposed by the National Rifle Association and Republican Senators (and at least [Faux Noise Delinked] one Democrat, Max Baucus), partly on the grounds that it will violate Americans’ gun rights.

Leading Tea Party Senator Ted Cruz is denouncing [propaganda delinked] the treaty as “international gun regulation.” Senator Jim Inhofe called it “another attempt by internationalists to limit and infringe upon America’s sovereignty.” Last year Rand Paul claimed the treaty would pave the way for “full-scale gun CONFISCATION.” There’s no indication he’s since changed his views, which continue to be BEST EXPRESSED IN CAPITAL LETTERS… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Photo credit: UN

Well, grouping the Republican Party with Iran, North Korea and Syria is certainly descriptive!

Rachel Maddow covered the InsaniTEA od paranoia in three segments. In the first, she reviewed previous instances on how it interfered with US foreign policy.

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The InsaniTEA on disabilities shows that Republicans value whipping their rabid base to presenting a favorable image of America to the world.

In she second, she covers Obama’s success in locking up loose nuclear materials with Joe Cirincione.

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I remember how angry I was when Republicans demanded a nuclear weapons upgrade to ratify this.

In the third, she outlines Republican InsaniTEA in opposition to a new UN treaty.

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Genocide must rank high on Republican goals, as long as corporate criminals get their blood money. There can only be one explanation for the extreme f ignorance that believing all this garage requires. A picture is worth a thousand words.

FoxStupid

The Fix Is In

Posted by TomCat at 2:57 am Politics

Apr 062013

Last November, it became apparent that the 1%, combined with the assorted extremists they have embraced are not enough people to win presidential elections. Trickle down doesn’t work anymore, because Americans have seen the trickle down only gushes up. Jobs, jobs, jobs doesn’t work any more, because Republican jobs, jobs, jobs are in China. However, in 2010 they did so well that they have been able to gerrymander so many states that they can now exercise minority rule in many blue states, and they are trying to use that to steal the Presidency.

Attorney General Eric Holder has a solid record on voting rights, and he’s criticized Republican state lawmaker’s efforts to restrict the franchise in the past — at one point comparing voter ID laws to an unconstitutional poll tax. At a speech in New York yesterday, Holder added a new line to his previous attacks on voter suppression, suggesting that DOJ will respond with legal action if any Republican state lawmakers move forward with their proposals to rig the Electoral College:

Long lines are unnecessary. Shortened voting periods are unwise and inconsistent with the historic ideal of expanded participation in the process. Recent proposed changes in how electoral votes are apportioned in specific states are blatantly partisan, unfair, divisive, and not worthy of our nation. Let me be clear again: we will not sit by and allow the slow unraveling of an electoral system that so many sacrificed so much to construct.

There are two versions of the GOP’s election rigging plans, both of which Republicans want to enact exclusively in blue states. One version would allocate electoral votes in several targeted blue states by Congressional district, rather than to the winner of the state as a whole. The other version, which is currently being pushed by Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R), would allocate electoral votes proportionally — so that Mitt Romney would have won a significant chunk of Pennsylvania’s electoral voters even though President Obama carried the state. As with the congressional districts plan, Pileggi’s election-rigging plan would give away electoral votes to Republicans in his blue state, while still keeping all red state electors in GOP hands… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Think Progress>

For the record, I think Holder is the worst Democratic AG in my memory, because of his failure to prosecute war criminals, Banksters, and other deserving Republicans, so I have no intent to blows his horn here. Nevertheless is is important that we support him in thoise issues where he is right, and this is one of them.

Some of March’s Best PP Cartoons

Posted by TomCat at 2:56 am Blog News, Politics

Apr 062013

While I was ill for most of much, I still managed to post an Open Thread most days, including a daily cartoon. Since many of you regular readers come through links on other sites, you did not get to see them, so for your enjoyment, here are nine from March, plus one from April.

I hope you found them enjoyable.

Open Thread–4/6/2013

Posted by TomCat at 2:55 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 062013

I’m a little groggy after sleeping all day yesterday, but at long last, I’m back with a full set of articles for you. Lets hope it sticks. I’m current with replies to recent articles. Tomorrow appears routine.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 6:19 (not a typo)(average 5:38). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Reuters: Over loud objections from Democrats, Montana’s Republican-controlled Senate on Friday voted to put proposals on the 2014 ballot that would tighten voter registration and restrict the rights of third parties to compete in general elections.

Scheduling surprise votes at times when key Democrats will be absent is becoming a GOP standard means to overcome the popular will.

From YouTube: Bill Maher Trashes Libertarians: Movement Went ‘Nuts,’ ‘Intellectually Stuck In Their Teen Years’

As always, Maher is spot on, and he got a good laugh out of Bernie. 🙂

From Right Wing Watch: The Family Research Council has caught wind of a new theory percolating in the right-wing blogosphere and in certain circles on Capitol Hill: that the Department of Health and Human Services is using a new Obamacare rule to empower the long-defunct ACORN to commit voter intimidation and fraud.

Since ACORN no longer exists, here’s what people who actually believe this Republican lie have to say: "Ba-a-a-a-a-a-a!"

Cartoon:

6Cartoon

Open Thread–4/5/2013

Posted by TomCat at 1:39 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 052013

This will sound stupid, but I’ll admit it anyway. Yesterday I was so excited about the prospect of returning to blogging, that my mind kept racing, as I thought about things I want to say. I was so hyped over the prospect, that I could not sleep at all, so I need to delay my return for one more day. Embarrassed smile I’ll stay current with recent comments. Keep keeping your fingers crossed please.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:47 (average 4:46). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Robert Reich On Why You Shouldn’t Accept Chained CPI From Obama Or Anybody

I agree, but with the caveat that I believe Obama and most Democrats are setting the price for chained CPI higher than what Republicans will accept (revenue increase from the 1%) to demonstrate that Republicans consider bipartisanship as all for them and none for us. Nevertheless, please keep making that call, and sign this petition.

From NPR: Oregon state lawmakers have scheduled a marathon public hearing Friday on four gun control bills. The proposals include a ban on guns in schools and criminal background checks for private gun sales.

5Guns Opponents are lining up against the measures, but some gun control advocates say the proposals don’t go far enough…

…One February rally drew more than a thousand people — . Afterward, Negru toured the Capitol building with a hunting rifle slung over his shoulder and a handgun at his side…

…It’s perfectly legal to openly carry a gun in the state Capitol in Oregon if you have a concealed handgun license. But while no incidents were reported, the sight of people walking the marble hallways with semi-automatic weapons rattled some lawmakers.

That led to a proposed ban on openly carrying weapons in the state Capitol. The other measures would ban guns from school grounds; require more training for people who want a concealed carry permit; and require criminal background checks for private gun sales…

Even here in Oregon, we have TEAbuggery and InsaniTEA. Ginny Burdick, my state Senator, also wants a ban on assault weapons and high capacity clips.

From NY Times: When the Great Depression struck, many influential people argued that the government shouldn’t even try to limit the damage. According to Herbert Hoover, Andrew Mellon, his Treasury secretary, urged him to “Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers. … It will purge the rottenness out of the system.” Don’t try to hasten recovery, warned the famous economist Joseph Schumpeter, because “artificial stimulus leaves part of the work of depressions undone.”

Like many economists, I used to quote these past luminaries with a certain smugness. After all, modern macroeconomics had shown how wrong they were, and we wouldn’t repeat the mistakes of the 1930s, would we?

How naïve we were. It turns out that the urge to purge — the urge to see depression as a necessary and somehow even desirable punishment for past sins, while inveighing against any attempt to mitigate suffering — is as strong as ever. Indeed, Mellonism is everywhere these days. Turn on CNBC or read an op-ed page, and the odds are that you won’t see someone arguing that the federal government and the Federal Reserve are doing too little to fight mass unemployment. Instead, you’re much more likely to encounter an alleged expert ranting about the evils of budget deficits and money creation, and denouncing Keynesian economics as the root of all evil…

Click through for another fine Krugman editorial. Just like a Republican waging class warfare (Hoover) got us into the Great Depression, a Republican waging class warfare (Bush) got us into the Republican Recession. Getting us out of the Great Depression required a Democrat with a stimulus plan (FDR). To get out of the Republican Recession, we need a Democrat with a stimulus plan.

Cartoon:

5Cartoon

Open Thread–4/4/2013

Posted by TomCat at 1:31 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics, Religion

Apr 042013

Here’s the plan. Today I’ll make the rounds of sites where I share our articles and clean out message boxes, and then, will try to hit the ground running tomorrow. I’m current with replies to comments on yesterday’s Open Thread, as I don’t want to overtire myself by going way back. Keep your fingers crossed.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’;s took me 3:05 (average 4:30). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: The National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre today defended his decision to purchase the former congressman Asa Hutchinson, after an outspoken N.R.A. member complained that the organization should be using its funds to buy current congressmen only.

Shortly after Mr. Hutchinson appeared at a press conference in Washington to present the N.R.A.’s plan to arm teachers and other school personnel, N.R.A. dissident Tracy Klugian blasted the purchase of the former Arkansas representative.

“Members of the N.R.A. fork over millions of dollars to this organization,” he said. “That money should be used to buy people who are actually in Congress now, not some has-been like Hutchinson who doesn’t even have a vote anymore.”…

Now, Let's compare the satire with the truth.

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Isn't it quite Republican that the fiction against them is not as bad as the truth? These Republican massacre mongers just make up their own facts… as usual.

From Huffington Post: North Carolina state Rep. Carl Ford backs a religion bill that would allow the state to declare an official state faith.

Is it any wonder that Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians do not believe that elections have consequences, when they refuse to acknowledge that the Constitution and the Civil War have consequences?

From MSNBC: Rachel shared the latest fronts in the ongoing Republican War on Women.

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They are no longer Mississippi style trap laws. They are just Republican trap laws, designed to return women to chattel status.

Cartoon:

4Cartoon

…demonstrating, along with the assassinations of JFK and RFK, that opposing the military-industrial complex can be fatal.

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