Politics Plus

Yesterday I caught up on blogging, and made several personal appointments.  I have a full slate of articles today, and am current with replies.  Tomorrow appears routine.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Todays took me 3:46 (average 4:23).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Here’s How Weird Our Obsession With Rich People Is

I don’t have tell you where on that chart to find Rmoney!

From NY Times: Mr. McCotter, a Republican and former presidential candidate (albeit never a realistic contender), was running for re-election in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, which he has represented since 2003. That changed on Saturday when, dogged by a criminal investigation into petition signatures collected by his campaign, he announced that he would give up his bid.

Mr. McCotter’s abrupt decision took local and national Republicans by surprise, and has left them without an obvious candidate in a Congressional district that would otherwise have been a Republican stronghold.

Although Michigan demands only 1,000 signatures of its would-be Congressional candidates, Mr. McCotter’s campaign submitted 1,830 — of which 1,563 were found to be fraudulent. In some cases, entire pages had been duplicated. A spokesman for the Michigan Department of State said longtime Michigan elections officials were calling the level of fraud “unheard-of,” particularly among incumbent candidates for federal office. [emphasis added]

Talk about a false sense of entitlement!  This is great!  We need another House seat from Snyderstan!

From MSNBC: More on the Fartfuhrer’s criminal issues

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

Putting him in a cell with Blago would be hell for both! Bogus robo-calls are a standard Republican tactic. Having signed the recall petition, does NOT count as a vote!

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Yesterday I felt pretty wiped out by the time I returned from my perishables run, but I forced myself to stay up so as not to mess up my sleep schedule.  Bad idea.  I had forgotten that the annual Portland Rose Festival was kicking off last night with the Starlight Parade.  Because my place is right at the middle of the parade route, police and news helicopters stationed themselves directly over my building, and I got to listen to the very loud whup-whup-whup-whup for hours, until well after midnight.  I’m short on sleep, and since it’s a slow weekend, I’m limiting today to this Open Thread.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow should be normal.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:03 (average 4:47).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: A Scary Fact About Your Food That Will Have You Running For The Farmers’ Market

I have found many contraindications for and against GMO foods, and despite strong suspicions, have yet to form an complete opinion about them. However, to deny people their right to know whether or not a product contains GMOs is unconscionable.

From NY Times: In a display of political muscle, Elizabeth Warren overwhelmingly won the state Democratic Party’s endorsement on Saturday for the United States Senate seat held by Scott P. Brown, a Republican. With the size of her victory, she avoided a party primary in September.

Ms. Warren, whose campaign had appeared to be flailing over the past month under questions about her American Indian heritage, won 95.7 percent of the vote of the 3,500 delegates attending the state party convention here. Because the only other Democrat running, Marisa DeFranco, failed to capture 15 percent of the vote, Ms. DeFranco lost the chance to mount a primary challenge.

I wish Marisa DeFranco well, but am thrilled that Elizabeth passes this milestone with such ease.

From MSNBC: How did Republicans get so extreme?

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

I agree with Michelle Bernard. Part of it is that Obama committed the crime of governing while black. In addition, Republicans have driven their moderates out of office.  Also, Republicans have embraced a panoply of hate groups from the most extreme fringes of the right in their lust for power.

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I’m getting an early start today, because I’m quite tired and need to collect the data for tomorrow’s monthly report when I’m done.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow I have errors to run.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:40 (average 4:19).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: The Graphic That Every Small Business Owner In The Country Needs You To See (And Share!)

There is no need to oppose business, as long as we oppose corporate criminals, the business segment that the Republican Party supports.

From NY Times: Certainly, Mr. Edwards has lost in the court of public opinion. But on Thursday he was vindicated, for the moment, by a jury of mostly working class North Carolinians who could not reach a verdict on the five charges of campaign finance fraud and conspiracy he faced.

They acquitted him on one, which was based on a $200,000 check that the heiress Rachel Mellon had written him in January 2008, the month he dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination for president.

The Justice Department offered no indication on whether it would retry Mr. Edwards.

I have long thought that Edwards, whom I used to support, has behaved in a horribly sleazy manner, but I never thought his misdeeds were criminal wrongdoing.

From Sacramento Bee: Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa called on GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and the Republican Party to prove they haven’t declared war on women and workers by supporting the Paycheck Fairness Act…

…The Paycheck Fairness Act would hold employers accountable for pay discrepancies between their male and female employees while strengthening incentives to prevent pay discrimination. The legislation, along with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was the first piece of legislation signed into law by President Obama to allow more time for women to sue for pay disparity, will go a long way toward ending this type of discrimination in the workplace.

Needless to say, Rmoney refused to support it, and last night, House Republicans, blocked the bill, preventing a vote, and confirming that the Republican War on Women is real.

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I got up early this morning to make sure I get something up before the butcher podiatrist has at my feet.  As swollen as my my left foot is, I expect it to be be worse than usual.  I am not current with replies, but will catch up later today if I am able.  Tomorrow I expect to blog normally.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:51 (average 5:10).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: This Graphic Will Offend Your Anti-Gay Relatives – Guaranteed!

Either group fits right into today’s Republican Party!

From USA Today: Mitt Romney’s new iPhone app [Rmoney delinked] misspells the word "America" and the typo has gone viral.

As Romney clinched the GOP presidential nomination with a victory in Texas last night, his campaign released its "I’m with Mitt" app that allows users to post photos of themselves along with 14 different banners. One of those slogans reads: "A Better Amercia." [emphasis added]

They forgot to spend enough Rmoney to buy a spell checker, but it predicts human rights under a Rmoney Regime.

From MSNBC: Romney Opts for Racism. Lawrence O’Donnell and his panel cover the story.

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

The $2 million Rmoney raised is pocket change for him. It was not about the money. It’s about energizing racist vote. That’s why Romney put his own birth certificate on display  yesterday.  It’s part of the Republican No Bigot Left Behind initiative.

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