TomCat

Personal Update–1/26/2013

Posted by TomCat at 3:44 am Blog News, Personal, Politics

Jan 262013

Yesterday as I was going to bed, the landlord showed up with another radiator repairman. He needed more space than the first one, so I had to tear down my computer corner again. He used a sealant on the threads that are leaking, but it probably will not hold. He could not do a more permanent repair, because the radiator is so old, the parts will have to be special ordered. Because I did not have the time to tear it down properly, reconnecting all the wires took several hours. I’m exhausted. I’m not current with replies. I’ll try to catch up tomorrow.

The Nevada Leg Hound Screwed the Pooch

Posted by TomCat at 5:26 am 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.

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.

Open Thread–1/25/2013

Posted by TomCat at 5:25 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 252013

Yesterday I zonked out for most of the day. Today I don’t really feel up to posting an extra article, but the subject is too important not to do so. Lynn, would you put it on C2, please? I’m current with replies. I’ll be staying down today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:28 (average 4:25) (ARGH! :-(). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: The Pentagon’s decision to end its ban on women in combat is a triumph for equality and common sense. By opening infantry, artillery and other battlefield jobs to all qualified service members regardless of sex, the military is showing that categorical discrimination has no place in a society that honors fairness and equal opportunity.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who overturned the ban this week, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who unanimously urged him to do it, deserve praise for bringing military policy in line with reality. Women have been in the thick of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan for more than a decade. More than 280,000 have been deployed there, thousands have been injured and more than 150 killed. With the rule abolished, such service and sacrifice will no longer be unofficial and unrecognized.

This is a hard one for me. I grew up learning to treat a woman like a lady and, with the rare exceptions, like Palin and Bachmann, who have clearly earned the right to be treated like whores to the Koch Brothers and other billionaires. Respect for women is so deeply ingrained in me, that I can’t help feeling a bit alarmed at the notion of women in combat. Nevertheless, I fully agree with this decision, because what matter’s is not how I feel about exposing women to that danger. What matters is how the women who decide to make that choice feel, especially those with exceptional shoe sizes.

From Huffington Post: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced legislation Thursday that would ban more than 150 types of assault weapons along with certain high-capacity gun magazines, saying she knows she faces an uphill battle to get her measure through Congress but, with the help of the American public, it can be done.

Feinstein’s bill is far more detailed than the 1994 assault weapons ban that lapsed in 2004. Her bill would stop the sale, manufacture and importation of 158 specifically named military-style firearms and ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. It would also ban an additional group of assault weapons that accept detachable ammunition magazines and have at least one military characteristic — a new provision she said addresses a loophole in the 1994 law.

I fully support this, even though Feinstein is a fool. When Republicans filibuster this bill, as they surely will, I wonder what she will have to say about opposing real filibuster reform.

MSNBC: John Kerry’s place in history.

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

We certainly owe Kerry a great debt. My only regret is that he was as boring a Presidential candidate, as he was an exciting antiwar activist.

Cartoon:

25Cartoon

Open Thread–1/24/2013

Posted by TomCat at 5:30 am 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.

Personal Update–1/23/2013

Posted by TomCat at 1:47 am Blog News, Personal, Politics

Jan 232013

Yesterday afternoon, as I was going to bed for the evening, my landlord came to check my radiator. Some radiators in the apartments are leaking into the businesses below. Naturally, mine is one of the culprits. My computer corner surrounds the radiator, so I have to tear it down by 8 AM to provide access to a repairman. He offered to have his people do it for me, because I’m sick, but there is no way I will let people who are technically challenged by a toaster tear down my system. I am not current with replies, but will catch up when I can. I will be offline until the radiator is repaired and I have redone my computer corner. So I may be back online tomorrow, or it could take several days.

Open Thread–1/22/2013

Posted by TomCat at 3:29 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 222013

I’m still pretty well knocked out and sleeping most of the time. I even missed the inauguration, but I have it all, if you missed it too. I’m current with replies. I hope I’ll return soon.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:08 (average 5:03). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The White House: The Complete 2013 Inauguration Ceremony

The President’s oath of office takes place at 40 minutes, followed by his inaugural address at 42:30. A wonderful speech, if only the Republican party would cooperate with his request to put America first. This has to be the longest Short Take in Politics Plus history.

From The New Yorker: Congressional Republicans heaped fulsome praise on President Obama’s second Inaugural Address today, saying that it had given them a detailed list of things to thwart over the next four years.

“My big fear was that the speech would be full of vague platitudes that wouldn’t be helpful to us in plotting against him,” said House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). “Once he started offering details of what he actually hoped to accomplish, though, I realized we had hit the mother lode.”

Speaker Boehner praised the President for citing such specifics as hiring math and science teachers, building roads, and reducing health-care costs: “Now that we know that’s what he’s got in mind for his second term, we can hit the ground running to stop him.”

The sad thing about this is that it’s funny, because it’s effectively true.

From Richmond Times-Dispatch: Senate Republicans this afternoon pushed through a surprise rewrite of the 2011 redistricting plan that erases a Democratic seat in western Virginia and creates a sixth majority black district that would be located between Petersburg and Danville.

Democrats were shocked by the move, vowing to oppose the new plan in court.

The so-called re-redistricting plan was woven into House-passed legislation that makes technical adjustments to delegates’ districts.

The revised plan cleared the Senate on a party-line vote of 20-19. Missing this afternoon was Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, D-Richmond, who was in Washington for President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony.

While Obama and the Democrats worked to meet America’s needs, these Virginia Republicans used the inauguration to take a surprise vote on redistricting that could not have passed otherwise. This is literally election theft. It doesn’t get any more crooked than this!

Cartoon:

22Cartoon

Inaugurations: Fun Facts, Firsts & Some Trivia

Posted by TomCat at 7:59 am Plus, Politics

Jan 212013

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but an article by any other Nameless would not be as good. Please join me in thanking Nameless for an excellent effort.

Beginning with the first Inauguration of George Washington on April 30, 1789, Inaugurals have been marked by many firsts and more than a few fun records. So let’s recount some of the Inaugural highlights beginning with its first photograph.

This is a photo of Buchanan’s Inauguration in 1857, the first such photo on record.

Note that the Capitol was still under construction. Not only were the steps not finished, but the stones to be used for them were covered with boards to serve as a platform for the viewers.

Shortest Inaugural Speech

March 4, 1793

At just 135 words, George Washington’s second inaugural address was the shortest in history.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered the second shortest speech at 557 words during the 1945 ceremony.

First Inauguration Held in Washington, D.C.

March 4, 1801

Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C.

The Marine Band first performed at an inauguration when they played at Thomas Jefferson’s inaugural ceremony, as they have at every inauguration since

First Inaugural Ball

March 5, 1809

The first Inaugural Ball was held the evening after the swearing-in ceremony (March 4, 1809). It took place at Long’s Hotel and tickets cost $4 each, which would be about $65 today.

First Inauguration Held Outdoors … Because Congress Argued About What Chairs to Use

March 4, 1817

James Monroe was the first to deliver his inaugural address outdoors in 1817, but only thanks to a feud between the Senate and House of Representatives. Politicians were fighting over which chairs would be used for the ceremony, so Monroe moved it outdoors – and they all stood.

First President to Wear Pants to His Inauguration

March 4, 1825

John Quincy Adams in 1825 was the first U.S. president to wear pants to an inauguration. Before that, they all wore “knee breeches.”

First to Be Sworn In on the East Portico Steps of the Capitol

March 4, 1829

Andrew Jackson was the first president to be sworn in on the east front portico of the U.S. Capitol.

… AND

First to Be Sworn In on the West Portico Steps of the Capitol

Jan. 20, 1981

The inauguration ceremonies were moved to a platform on the west portico – the “back door” of the Capitol – for the first time with President Ronald W. Reagan. But the west steps adjoin the Mall, with the Lincoln Memorial anchoring the far left end, so it provided space for crowds.

First President NOT Born a British Subject … AND First Time a President & President-Elect Rode to Capitol Together

March 4, 1837

Martin Van Buren was the first president who was not born a British subject. His inauguration was also the first time the president and the president-elect rode together to the Capitol for the ceremony.

First to Become President on Death of Predecessor

April 6, 1841

John Tyler was the first vice president to ascend to the presidency upon the death of his predecessor, William H. Harrison.

First Inaugurations Covered by Telegraph

March 4, 1845

James K. Polk’s inauguration was the first covered by telegraph.

First and Only President to Recite His Inaugural Address Entirely from Memory

March 4, 1853

Franklin Pierce was the first President to recite his Inaugural speech entirely from memory. He also affirmed the oath of office rather than swear it. Herbert Hoover was the only other President who also chose to “affirm” rather than swear the Oath of Office.

First Inauguration That Was Photographed

March 4, 1857

James Buchanan’s inauguration is the first ever to be photographed. The ceremony took place at the Capitol, which was still under construction in 1857.

First Time African-Americans Were Allowed to Participate in the Inauguration

March 4, 1865

African-Americans participated in the inaugural parade for the first time during Abraham Lincoln’s second Inauguration.

Coldest Inauguration in March – Marred by Dead Canaries, No Less

March 4, 1873

Ulysses S. Grant’s second inauguration was the coldest of those held in March. The temperature at noon was 16 degrees. About 100 canaries that were brought in to enliven the festivities with song instead froze to death.

First to Be Filmed

March 4, 1897

William McKinley’s inauguration was the first to be recorded by a motion picture camera.

First Time Women Were Allowed to Participate in the Parade

March 5, 1917

Woodrow Wilson was the first to permit women to participate in the Inaugural parade. And he was also the first president to take the Oath of Office on a Sunday – the day before (March 4, 1917).

First President to Ride in a Car to His Inauguration … AND Be Sworn in by a Former President

March 4, 1921

Warren G. Harding became the first president to ride to and from the inauguration ceremony in an automobile.

… AND it was the first and only time a former President, William H. Taft, administered the oath of office. Taft had been appointed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

First to Be Broadcast on Radio

March 4, 1925

President Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration was the first to be nationally broadcast on radio.

First to Be Filmed as a “Talkie”

March 4, 1929

Herbert C. Hoover was the first Inaugural ceremony recorded by talking newsreel.

The Oldest Bible Used Is the Only Bible That’s Written in a Foreign Language (Dutch)

March 4, 1933

FDR used the same Bible for all four of his Presidential Inaugurations. It is the oldest Inaugural Bible ever used, printed in 1686; and it’s the only one in a foreign language – it’s in Dutch.

First to Take the Oath on January 20th

January 20, 1937

Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first to take the oath of office on Jan. 20. The date had been moved from March by the Constitution’s Twentieth Amendment to shorten the lame duck period between the election and the inauguration.

First to Be Televised

January 20, 1949

President Harry S. Truman’s 1949 inauguration was the first to be televised.

Longest Inaugural Parade

January 20, 1953

President Dwight Eisenhower presided over the longest inaugural parade on record at his first inauguration in 1953. The procession lasted a bruising four hours and 39 minutes.

First to Have a Poet

January 20, 1961

Robert Frost became the first inaugural poet when he recited at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961.

First to Have Oath Administered by a Woman – As Well As First and Only Time to Take Place on a Plane

Nov. 22, 1963

Lyndon Baines Johnson’s hasty swearing-in was the first (and only) time the ceremony has occurred on an airplane. Johnson’s swearing-in also marked the first time a woman administered the oath of office. Johnson took the oath of office on Nov. 22, 1963, hours after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas. U.S. District Court Judge Sarah T. Hughes administered the oath to Johnson on Air Force One.

First to Ride in Bulletproof Limousine

January 20, 1965

Lyndon Baines Johnson became the first president to ride in a bulletproof limousine.

… AND

First to Have the First Lady Participate in the Ceremony

Lady Bird Johnson became the first presidential wife to participate in inaugural ceremonies when she held a family Bible for her husband, LBJ

First to Serve as Both Vice-President and President Without Being Elected to Either Office

August 9, 1974

Gerald R. Ford became the first unelected vice president to become the first unelected president when he succeeded Richard M. Nixon.

By the terms of the 25th Amendment, Ford was appointed as the Vice-President when Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace. And Ford became President when Nixon resigned in disgrace – Nixon was the first president in U.S. history to resign.

First to Walk the Parade Route Rather than Ride

January 20, 1977

President Jimmy Carter became the first president to walk the parade route from the Capitol to the White House.

Ronald Reagan Had Both the Warmest AND Coldest Inaugurations

January 20, 1981 and January 21, 1985

In 1981, Ronald Reagan enjoyed the warmest presidential Inauguration day on record with a toasty 55 degrees. Mother Nature got back at him for his second go-around when he was sworn in during 1985. That was the coldest day on record for an Inauguration, with a high temperature of 7 degrees. In fact, it caused the ceremony to be moved inside to the Capitol’s Rotunda.

First to Be Streamed on the Internet

January 20, 1997

William J. Clinton’s Inaugural ceremony was the first to be broadcast live on the Internet.

Probably More Records and “Firsts” Than Any Other President

January 20, 2009 and January 20-21, 2013

First African-American to be elected to the office of President of the United States

Largest attendance of any Presidential Inauguration in U.S. history

Largest attendance of any event in the history of Washington, DC – and possibly America

First woman, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, to emcee the ceremony

First inaugural webcast to include Closed Captioning for the hearing impaired

Only the second – and probably last – President to have taken the Oath of Office four times

With today’s ceremony, Pres. Obama will share a unique bond with Franklin Delano Roosevelt – they will be the only two Presidents who have taken the official Oath of Office four times.

As you recall, because Chief Justice flubbed the Oath’s administration four years ago it was repeated the following day. And this year because the 20th fell on a Sunday – and because the 20th Amendment requires the Oath be given on January 20 – Obama will have taken the Oath both the mandatory day and today, the 21st.

To be sure, there are even more interesting Trivia Tidbits you can find in the many References for the above.

RESOURCES:

If you want to see how well you remember, this one is formatted as a Quiz:

http://www.cfnews13.com/…

This one is probably the best:

http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/…

This one is formatted as a Slideshow:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

http://memory.loc.gov/…

This one is formatted in PDF – so you can save a copy:

http://www.cbsnews.com/…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…