Politics Plus

Posts are running late today, because I overslept and I had to go out to run a couple errands, but I am caught up on comments.  I plan to spend the weekend celebrating the holy days in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb: The Rite of Conference Semifinals.  I still feel like crap, but not quite as bad as yesterday.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today, it took me 4:47 (average 5:20).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From BBC: David Kernell, 23, was found guilty last year of illegally accessing Mrs Palin’s e-mail during the 2008 presidential campaign.

At the time, a judge suggested he should serve his year-long sentence in a halfway house.

But after intervention from US government officials he is now in federal prison, the BBC has learned.

Although I am in no way condoning this man hacking into a private email account, had he done it to a Democrat instead of to Sarah “Blood Libel” Palin, he would be in a halfway house.

From Americans United: A Tennessee county’s preference for Christianity in its courthouse displays violates the U.S. Constitution, according to a federal lawsuit filed today by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Americans United, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, is challenging the Johnson County Commission’s decision to display the Ten Commandments and Christian literature in the courthouse lobby while refusing to display a local man’s posters about the historic role of church-state separation in American law.

As a Christian, I support the AU position.  There is justification for the Ten Commandments in a court house, as long as it is in the company of other historical legal documents, but allowing Christian literature while refusing literature espousing different views, violates the establishment clause.

From Think Progress: The tragic shooting in Tucson last weekend has sparked a host of proposed legislative responses, but none is as hare brained as Rep. Louie Gohmert’s (R-TX) idea to allow members of Congress to pack heat inside the Capitol Building, and even when on the House floor.

Only professional security personnel should be armed on the floor of Congress and mentally instable people should be forbidden to carry firearms.  These are ywo reasons Gohmert should not be allowed to pack heat.

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TGIF!

I have a full slate of items today and am up to date with comments.  Whether or not I get out to visit blogs depends on how I feel, as I’m still a bit ill.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:44 (average 4:38).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Plutocrap:  A picture is worth a thousand words.

I wondered why that guy looked so familiar!

From Boston Globe: The solar-panel plant is a cornerstone of Governor Deval Patrick’s efforts to make Massachusetts a hub for the emerging clean-energy industry.

But Evergreen has been struggling in face of weak prices and competition from cheaper operations in China, where the government has offered solar companies generous subsidies to locate there. Evergreen itself has a partnership with a company based in China and previously announced plans to shift some work to the overseas location.

To save American jobs, we need an import tax on items that receive government subsidies overseas to level the playing field for US manufacturers.

From Think Progress:

Joining anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist Frank Gaffney on Gaffney’s radio program last week, King [Peter King (R-NY)] doubled down on his promise to launch a witch-hunt against Muslims. He repeated a falsehood that he stated earlier — that American Muslims never cooperate to combat terrorism. But in addition to this claim, King made the extraordinary smear that American Muslims aren’t “American” when it comes to war.

I wonder if this Republican hate monger would have the guts to make that statement in the home of one of the many Muslim families with children serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As much as I oppose the wars, their service deserves honor, not bigoted attacks.

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Cover your butts to protect against Republicans.  It’s hump day.

With a single story dominating the media, there is little news.  On the home front, I’m starting to recover.  Also, my apartment still had no water.  On the personal front, my Ducks are playing Auburn for the national championship this evening, so I’ll ne taking a nap so I can stay awake to watch.  I am current on comment’s.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:41 (average 4:34).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From LA Times: The sentencing hearing of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, convicted last year on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, has begun in an Austin courtroom.

DeLay was one of the chief architects in the transformation of the GOP from a political party into a criminal enterprise.  I’m not at all confident, but I hope they give him some serious time.

From The Vile Plutocrat: Lawyers and media pundits in Nigeria are accusing the government of acting illegally by agreeing to settle criminal bribery charges against Dick Cheney out of court.

I suppose it’s too much to ask for Nigeria fo follow their laws and convict Cheney, when our own government wont convict him for far worse crimes here.

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OGIM!

I’m up do date with comments, but doubt that I shall visit any blogs today, because of chores that need doing here and the Wildcard Festival of the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:47 (average 4:04).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From TPM:

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) literally accused the Republican leadership of the House of being a bunch of big old liars on the floor of the House last night. But that isn’t exactly what he meant.

I have never questioned Limpy’s mendacity, and never will.

From Right Wing Watch: I don’t know about you, but when Cindy Jacobs tells me that she has received an "urgent prayer alert from our good friend Chuck Pierce concerning California," my ears perk up … especially when that prayer alert entails God warning that failure by the courts to uphold Proposition 8 will result in California being destroyed by a massive earthquake.

LMAO!!

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May the Orb bless your team!