Open Thread – Page 831 – Politics Plus

Open Thread–5/9/2011

Posted by TomCat at 2:15 am Open Thread, Personal

May 092011

Yesterday was Mothers Day. I feel pleased that I was able to join the celebration of others, even though it is a difficult day for me. I am current on replies and today I’ll be busy here catching up on volunteer work and paperwork.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:37 (average 5:11). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Washington Post: George Allen and Timothy M. Kaine are locked in a dead heat 18 months from Election Day, according to a new Washington Post poll, suggesting that the U.S. Senate race between the Virginia titans may live up to its billing as one of the most competitive contests in the nation.

This is sad. We have a lackluster candidate up against Macaca Man, a proven Republican racist.

From The Sun-Sentinel: Democrats are taking their complaints about Republican policies to the streets for another round of "Awake the State" rallies on Tuesday. This time they’re calling the events "Awake Again."

"While politicians paid lip service to improving the job climate in Florida, at the end of the day, all they did this year was make it harder for our state to recruit quality workers and unfairly taxes the middle class and public employees while handing out huge tax breaks to corporations," said Franco Ripple, co-organizer of the Broward rally.

Go Florida! Hit the streets and give them a piece of your mind!

From Crooks and Liars: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani says President Barack Obama’s success at taking out Osama bin Laden hasn’t deterred him from running for president.

Rudy 911 was the joke of Campaign 2008. He may be the class of Republicans running in 2012.

Cartoon:

If you’re not a Republican, celebrate. (This was intended to be a factual statement.)

Open Thread–5/8/2011

Posted by TomCat at 1:59 am Open Thread, Personal

May 082011

Yesterday I only made a small dent in my chores, because I was still tired and sore. I hope to catch up today. Here I am current on replies. It was a slow day for news, because Osama’s death still dominates, but I found a couple items of interest.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:18 (4:24 average). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: When George W. Bush took office in Jan 2001 there were 111,634,000 private sector jobs. When he left office in Jan 2009 there were 110,981,000 private sector jobs.

When Bush took office in Jan 2001 there were 20,835,000 government sector jobs. When he left office in Jan 2009 there were 22,582,000 government sector jobs.

That means during Bush’s eight years in office, we lost 653,000 private sector jobs and gained 1,747,000 government sector jobs.

I guess that explains why Republicans want to return to the Bush/GOP policies that got us here.

From TPM: President Obama has ‘pounded his chest’ too much and taken too much pride in the success of the mission to take out Osama bin Laden, according to, of all people, George W. Bush’s former Chief of Staff, Andrew Card.

The irony here is that Card is the fool that orchestrated the Crawford ChickenHawk’s Mission Accomplished strutting in his flight suit.

From Huffington Post: Republican Rick Santorum got credit for showing up and won a 2012 presidential straw poll of party activists in the crucial early voting state of South Carolina, organizers said on Saturday.

Of course that “Man on Dog” was the only potential candidate that showed up for the event had nothing to do with his selection. 🙄

Cartoon:

On this special day, call a Republican a mother … never mind. (That was not intended to be a factual statement.

Open Thread–5/7/2011

Posted by TomCat at 2:23 am Open Thread, Personal

May 072011

Yesterday I was so sore and tired that I slept most of the day. Today is chores around the house, and I am current on replies.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:29 (average 5:05). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Reuters: U.N. human rights investigators called on the United States on Friday to disclose whether there had been any plan to capture Osama bin Laden and if he was offered any "meaningful prospect of surrender and arrest."

Given that US troops, according to what I’ve heard, had been fired upon, I think it was justified, but I welcome an UN investigation, lest conspiracy theorists run amok.

From Think Progress: Senate Republicans have introduced legislation to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency, established 40 years ago by President Richard Nixon to give Americans clean air and water. The bill, introduced by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), would merge the EPA, which enforces environmental laws, with the Department of Energy, which manages nuclear energy and energy research, into one department.

I doubt this will pass even with DINO help.

From Crooks and Liars: During the first GOP presidential primary debate in South Carolina, Governor Tim Pawlenty is asked about his support for the teaching of creationism in public schools and whether he personally believes in the theory. Pawlenty said that he supported local school boards making those decisions and then tried to change the subject before he answered whether he personally supported it.

Love it! Paws is afraid to alienate Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians, as well as sane people.

Cartoon:

Saturday is teach a Bagger day: elections are ALWAYS on Wednesday. (That was int intended to be a factual statement.)

Open Thread-5/6/2011

Posted by TomCat at 2:40 am Open Thread, Personal

May 062011

Yesterday I went to see the denturist. He took molds of my mouth with horrid tasting goop. Because he’s originally Tex-Mex from the Fort Worth area, I razzed him a bit that his goop needed salsa mixed in with lots of habaneros. Next week I see the dentist. The following, extractions, and about 10 days after that, I get my dentures. My bus was late so I walked the quarter mile between the stop and his office at a faster pace than normal. I’m sore everywhere. I’m current on replies, and today’s plan is to recover from yesterday.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:37 (average 4:56). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Boston Globe: The GOP plan to replace Medicare with vouchers will have to wait, party leaders acknowledged yesterday as lawmakers bowed to political realities in pursuing a deal to allow more government borrowing in exchange for big spending cuts.

No deal! They actually expect something in return for giving up their own national embarrassment. Let then try to put it through if they want. And don’t let voter forget that they voted for it.

From Moveon.org: Robert Reich Exposes Republican Budget Scam.

If you think Republicans have given up their plans to scrap Social Security and Medicare, think again. They are already trying to sneak it through the back door.

From TPM: This Memorial Day weekend, the starting grid of the 100th Indianapolis 500 will be missing one star driver: Donald Trump, who walked away from his gig as honorary pace car driver following withering criticism of his planned participation.

The economic pressure of boycott works. He didn’t walk away. They canned his ass. Next his sponsors for The Apprentice.

Cartoon:

TGIF! (That was intended to be a factual statement!)

Open Thread–5/5/2011

Posted by TomCat at 1:58 am Open Thread, Personal

May 052011

Yesterday I went back to the grind of computer maintenance, and I actually completed repairing all the nagging little problems that should be easy fixes, but never are. Everything works, and this machine has never been faster. I am current with replies. Today I go to see a denturist. I found one that provides a sliding scale for seniors and people with disabilities, so my worst case scenario for new upper and lower will be $1,500. I’ve been saving for a while. The down side is that he is over an hour away by bus.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:24 (average 4:48). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Bloomberg: President Barack Obama decided yesterday not to release photographic evidence of Osama bin Laden’s death, saying the U.S. shouldn’t exploit such images as “trophies.”

I think this is a wise decision. There is no need to give the Muslim right wing an justification to recruit, and it provides a welcome relief from Bush’s personal snuff video of Saddam.

From FOK News Channel: Obama’s Bridge Game – One No Trump

I think Keith has made a great point here.

From Boston Herald: Scott Brown is unlikely to quickly live down yesterday’s humiliating blunder, political experts said, after the Bay State’s junior senator made the TV rounds boasting he’d gotten a peek at the gruesome photo of Osama bin Laden’s corpse — which the president is refusing to release — only to learn he’d been duped.

Bwahahahahahahaha!! Duped my ass! The stupid Bagger was lying and is BUSTED!

Cartoon:

If you play bridge, bid no-trump no matter what’s in your hand. (That was not intended to be a factual statement.)

Open Thread–5/4/2011

Posted by TomCat at 2:45 am Open Thread, Personal

May 042011

Yesterday I spent the entire day getting Norton off my system and installing Ad-Aware Pro. The initial scan took over four hours, but if found four items that Norton had let through. Today I have a lot of catch-up tasks to do here. I am current on replies.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:09 (average 4:14) To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Boston Globe: The top Democrat in the Senate on budget matters said yesterday he is preparing a fiscal blueprint to slash the deficit by $4 trillion over the upcoming decade — a plan built on the bipartisan findings of President Obama’s deficit commission.

I’ll withhold judgment until I see the plan, but since Senator Conrad is an accursed DINO, I anticipate a real stinker.

From FOK News Channel: Keith’s Worsts for yesterday.

All are heinous, but Batshit B is a good pick.

From Right Wing Watch: Judson Phillips, the head of Tea Party Nation, yesterday attacked President Obama for announcing the death of Osama bin Laden during Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice and for not wrapping his corpse in pig fat.

Teabuggery most foul! Cutting of Trump is America’s Blessing. The fool wants us to assist AQ’s recruitment by offending Muslims everywhere.

Cartoon:

Have a Teabuggered hump day! (That was not intended to be a factual statement.

Open Thread–5/3/2011

Posted by TomCat at 2:29 am Open Thread, Personal

May 032011

Yesterday was busy. I spent several hours working on my Windows Update problem. Microsoft’s first set of tech support suggestions did not work. I spent a couple hours looking for a denturist. I spent a couple researching antivirus software. Norton interferes with IE, and my subscription is up in a month. Today I expect more of the same. I am current on comments.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:08 (average 4:27). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From AP/Google: Republican John Ensign of Nevada apologized Monday to an all but empty Senate chamber for his extramarital affair with a former aide and hoped aloud that his legislative record would speak as his legacy.

For his sake, I hope he is remembered for his adultery and crimes covering it up. His legislative record is a far worse legacy.

From Alternet: In order to stop Planned Parenthood from being able to distribute them, lawmakers in Oklahoma are mulling legislation that would make nutrition vouchers inaccessible to thousands of low-income mothers.

Every penny Democrats spend on hungry mothers and children is a penny Republicans can’t spend on millionaires.

Cartoon:

Tuesday is introduce a bagger to Elvis day. (That was not intended to be a factual statement.)

Open Thread–5/2/2011

Posted by TomCat at 1:47 am Open Thread, Personal

May 022011

Yesterday my eyes continued to improve and I spent a couple hours researching a problem with Windows Update. I am current on replies, which took almost no effort today. The place was dead.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:37 (average 4:59). To di it, click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From USA Today: Now that retired U.S. District judge Vaughn Walker has revealed he is in a committed relationship with a man, do grounds exist to cancel his ruling that California’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional?

Only if men with women, women with men, women with women and Teabaggers with sheep are also barred from ruling on it.

From Washington Post: Starting this week, the talk in our nation’s capital will be dominated by whether Congress should raise the debt ceiling — as if we have any choice but to pay off our obligations. It will be a colossally foolish and self-destructive battle, another sign of how fanaticism and ideological obsession are rendering our country ungovernable.

The fanaticism and ideological obsession are exclusively in the Republican demesne. After all, they are the only ones holding the nation’s credit worthiness hostage.

Cartoon:

Monday is go to work with a Bagger day. Use spurs! (That was not intended to be a serious statement.)

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