Politics Plus

Today is a Holy Day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, so I will be meditating, when done here.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow the time has returned for my Podiatrist to cut a recurring growth from my foot, so I will post an Open Thread at most, and that may be late.  I hope to post articles on Tuesday, before leaving for prison volunteer work.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:35 (average 4:42).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: What’s Big, Orange, And Makes A Ton Of Sense?

Have a nice day! 🙂

From NY Times: Their states are still recovering from the recession, and now the nation’s governors are bracing, again, for cuts in federal aid.

They have been down this road before — Congress has already missed several self-imposed deadlines to cut the deficit — but many say they fear that this time, the talks in Washington to avert the so-called fiscal cliff will actually lead to deep cuts.

So they want a say in the negotiations.

Let’s call a spade a spade. Democratic and even most Republican governors fear the damage to their states that Republican proposed cuts will cause.

From ABC: When the next Congress cranks up in January, there will be more women, many new faces and fewer tea party-backed House Republicans from the class of 2010.

Overriding those changes, though, is a thinning of centrist veterans in both parties. Among those leaving are some of the Senate’s most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House’s centrist Blue Dog Democrats and several moderate House Republicans.

That could leave the parties more polarized.

ABC’s take on this is way off target, and revels their pro-GOP bias. The so-called moderate Republicans virtually always goose stepped, following orders, but the Blue Dogs often defected. If there is more gridlock, it is only because fewer Democrats are likely to cave-in to absurd Republican demands.

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Yesterday I overdid it, working my butt off cooking for folks and wrapping myself around too much bird (It’s a TomCat thing.).  Since it’s a slow news day, and since I’m really pooped, I’m taking the day off except this Open Thread.  I am current with replies, though, and tomorrow appears routine.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:54 (average 6:47).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Four Short Sentences Explain Who Killed The Twinkie

As I have said before, this is a classic textbook case of the Vulture Capitalism promoted by the Republican Party.

From USA Today: A Florida police detective has resigned after telling colleagues he would volunteer to assassinate President Obama and other members of the Democratic Party.

And Republicans keep saying "Who us?" every time one of them commits a violent atrocity in response to their hate mongering.

From Chicago Tribune: But I’ve got a suggestion for cutting short the GOP angst: Sarah Palin for president in 2016.

This clown actually means it! Go for it, with Batshit Bachman for VP!

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I’m feeling somewhat better today.  I’m current with replies, albeit in brief manner.  Tomorrow I’m feeding people in my building, who are too poor to have Thanksgiving dinner.  I’m providing all the food, and they are helping do some of the cooking, so I will have three articles at most then.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:02 (average 4:58).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Soledad O’Brien Makes This Guy Repeat Himself Until His Bullsh_t Sounds Dumb Even To Him

While I think CNN is right-biased overall, I have to admire Soledad’s bulldog tenacity, as mush as I disrespect Republican Bullshitology.

From NY Times: In a new turn in the scandals swirling around Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper outpost, prosecutors said on Tuesday that two former top executives would be charged with paying bribes of up to $160,000 to public officials, in addition to several earlier charges against them.

The Crown Prosecution Service identified the onetime aides as Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, both of whom have had close personal or professional ties to Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr. Cameron hired Mr. Coulson as his director of communications while in opposition and kept him on after coming to power in the 2010 elections.

The Tories appear to be in bed with Murdoch’s criminal activities, as I’m sure Republicans are here. We need more investigation on this side of the pond.

From Alternet: How Vulture Capitalists Killed the Twinkie

The demise of Hostess is a story of management that boosted its own salaries, while failing to make agreed payments into workers’ pension funds.

I strongly encourage you to click through to this extensive article that explains in detail how the failure of Hostess is a textbook example of Vulture Capitalism, similar to Bain. Republicans support Vulture Capitalism by wanting less regulation of Vulture Capitalists, when more is clearly needed.

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The Republican Party was more honest back then.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meditation with the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb yesterday, but unless my place kicker scores 10 points tonight, Rob will beat me at fantasy football.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow is my monthly grocery delivery, so my articles may be late.

Jig Zone Puzzle:\

Today’s took me 3:24 (average 4:24).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Religious Ecstasy:

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: In 2012 American Ladies Sent A Message, And It Was Awesome

This is good news, but it does not go far enough.  Click through for more good news for women.

From Think Progress: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has not hesitated to voice his distaste towards U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, who may be nominated to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. On Face the Nation Sunday morning, McCain went even further than simply opposing Rice’s nomination and said that, “until we find out all the information” on the Benghazi consulate attacks, he would not support any Secretary of State nominee.

The more time passes, the more McConJob acts just like a Republican.

From TPM: They are few, but they are vocal: the pro-same sex marriage, pro-choice, pro-tax Republican activists. For years, these groups have labored off the radar, trying to convince a party unwilling to listen that it needs to moderate on issues from social to fiscal. But after the Democrats’ decisive victories on Nov. 6, the Republican Underground says its finally time to go mainstream.

While I whish these Republicans every success at reforming their party, I hope that they will come out from among them, if they fail to do do.

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