Politics Plus

Yesterday I alternated between busy and resting.  I’m running late because I’m current on comments and there are were more than normal.  Today I have some errands.

Blog Talk Radio:

I agreed to appear as the featured guest today on the Fred and Jed Radio Show.  The topic is the debt ceiling crisis.  The show is at 3:30 PM PDT (4:30 MDT, 5:30 CDT, 6:30 EDT).  Feel free to listen/join in.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:45 (average 5:01).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Washington Post: House liberals are launching an organizing drive inside the Democatic caucus, in an effort to line up Democrats and get them to commit to opposing any final deficit deal that contains any cuts to entitlements benefits, according to a letter I’ve obtained.

The two co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus have sent the letter to Nancy Pelosi, pledging to stand behind her insistence that the final deal contain no benefits cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.

Well done.

From CNN: Global energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp. will be forced to face a lawsuit over alleged murder and torture committed by company agents in remote Indonesia, after a federal appeals court said Friday that corporations cannot claim immunity from liability.

A divided 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia reinstated a massive lawsuit filed by 15 Indonesian villagers from the oil-rich province of Aceh. They claim government security forces working for Exxon Mobil committed brutal oppression while guarding a natural gas facility in 2000-01.

Don’t hold your breath.  SCROTUS represents Big Oil.

From Daily Kos: [Today] in Michigan, volunteers all over the state are holding a massive recall petition signing event to remove Gov. Rick Snyder from office. If you live in Michigan, you can find a local event near you on Facebook or at FireRickSnyder.org.

Also, for the first time the volunteers working to recall Snyder are receiving official support from the Michigan Education Association. Yesterday, the MEA sent out an email to their members linking to an action page endorsing many of the ongoing recall campaigns in Michigan.

I urge full support.

Cartoon:

Yesterday was cooler.  I slept all day, so I’m writing without toothpicks supporting my eyelids.  I’m current on replies and plan to rest today to finish recovering from the mini heat wave.

jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me  3:49 (5:13 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Huffington Post: During Thursday’s talks between the president’s team and congressional leadership, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner reportedly revealed that he believed the administration did not have the constitutional authority under the 14th Amendment to simply ignore the debt ceiling and continue borrowing money.

ARGH!  Timmy the Tool has to GO!  I suspect that, if it comes down to a default crisis or a Constitutional crisis, Obama would choose the latter.

From Bend Bulletin: Georgia investigators have found evidence of cheating at close to 80 percent of the Atlanta schools where they examined the 2009 administration of state tests.

The result was inflated test scores that led to thousands of children being denied the remedial education they were entitled to, state officials said Tuesday in announcing the results of the investigation. More than 80 educators have so far confessed to misconduct. Investigators said the cheating dated back to at least 2001.

This is the Republican approach to education.

From Politico:

Former President Bill Clinton Wednesday compared GOP efforts to limit same-day voter registration and block some convicted felons from voting to Jim Crow laws and poll taxes.

In a speech to liberal youth activists Wednesday, the former president called out proposals in battleground states like Florida and Ohio that could limit the voter rolls.

Willie got this one right!

Yesterday was another heat and bad air day.  Although only 86° outside, my breezeway and only source of outside air maxed out at 139°.  At my desk, it’s still 91°.  Although I’m frazzled, I’m current on replies, but many were shorter than usual, so please don‘t think I was blowing you off.  Today O go to my denturist for a test fitting of mu dentures before he adds the teeth.  I will be out in the mid-day heat waiting at bus stops, so I may be ever worse.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 5:09 (average 6:11).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Bloomberg: Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. came under pressure from U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron to respond to “really appalling” allegations that its News of the World tabloid hacked into the voicemail of a murdered schoolgirl.

Keith covered it too.

From Countdown:

That man is evil!

From Think Progress:  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), for instance, said a few weeks ago that “the less we fund” financial system regulators, “the better America will be.” And the Associated Press noted today that Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-NY) called the GOP assault on Wall Street reform, “entirely practical” and even “compassionate”.

Compassionate to banksters only.

Cartoon:

Yesterday I had chores to do around the apartment.  I slept poorly due to noise in the building, but I’m current on replies.  Today is forecast to be a hot one, so I’ll be cooking early.  Like many holidays, it’s a slow day for news.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 5:41 (average 6:23).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Think Progress: The NYT has a bunch of interesting charts on this. But suffice it to say that high-level managers appear to have become much more skilled at directed value into their own pockets.

What I always wish I could see more of were direct international comparisons. Not only do high-paid oil and gas CEOs all get paid roughly similar amounts of money despite drastically different performances, but running a large American oil company is much more lucrative than running the giant French oil company.

They exist more to transfer wealth than to produce oil products.

From News Hounds: Andrew Breitbart. Those two words result in derisive laughter from real journalists when combined with the word “journalist.” His thoroughly discredited ACORN/Sherrod/NPR scoops have made him the laughingstock of anyone who requires accountability and truth in journalism. In point of fact, when discussing Andrew Breitbart it’s hard not to use the words the words “journalist” or “journalism” because he’s such an affront to the concept that it’s only natural to begin discussing “journalistic ethics.” Which is why it is so very perfect that Fox “News”—a channel not known for its journalistic ethics either—would turn to Andrew Breitbart—yes, that Andrew Breitbart—to appear on Fox & Friends Weekend to discuss both gender bias in the media and the Constitution of the United States of America.

They would call in the Grand Dragon of the KKK, a subset of the Republican party, as their expert on civil rights.

From Common Dreams: Thousands of marchers stormed the Georgia Capitol on Saturday to protest the state’s new immigration law, which they say creates an unwelcome environment for people of color and those in search of a better life.

Thousands of people march through downtown Atlanta in protest against Georgia’s extreme new immigration law on Saturday, July 2, 2011 in Atlanta. On Monday, a Federal judge temporarily blocked parts of the law. One provision that was blocked authorizes police to check the immigration status of suspects without proper identification. It also authorizes them to detain illegal immigrants. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser) Men, women and children of all ages converged on downtown Atlanta for the march and rally, cheering speakers while shading themselves with umbrellas and posters. Capitol police and organizers estimated the crowd at between 8,000 and 14,000. They filled the blocks around the Capitol, holding signs decrying House Bill 87 and reading "Immigration Reform Now!"

I stand with the protesters.