Politics Plus

I’m still feeling down, but I have a full slate of articles today, I’m up to date on comments, and yesterday I finally got out to visit around twenty blogs on our blogroll.  That felt good!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:22 (average 4:35).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From USA Today: Now that he’s made his departure plans public, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs can focus on his next big event: His favorite college football team’s bid for a national title.

And should his Auburn Tigers beat the Oregon Ducks on Monday night, Gibbs says he is planning a special D.C. celebration.

A toilet paper roll on a White House tree.

I hope that damn DINO doesn’t let the door hit is butt on the way out, and my Ducks are going to kick ass!

From Think Progress: Today, the New York radio station WOR announced that Glenn Beck’s nationally syndicated radio show will be dropped on January 17, 2011.

WOR is one of the nation’s largest radio markets.  May all other stations follow suit.

From Mother Jones: With the White House apparently favoring Gene Sperling, currently a counselor to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and an NEC director during the Clinton years, for the post [NEC Director], some progressives and Wall Street critics have expressed dismay or discouragement, as they point to Sperling’s supposed Wall Street ties. But how upset should they be? Sperling is hardly a Wall Street insider. In fact, he’s the rare economic power-player in Washington who didn’t fully cash in after leaving government service. He might be the wrong guy for this game of political/policy football.

Sperling might not be so bad after all.  David Corn is a credible source and he did his homework for this article.  I encourage you to click through.

Cartoon:

Let’s find Dino’s jobs circumcising conscious gorillas.

I’m running a little behind today, because I came down with a cold and overslept.  I’m feeling like something that should be buried in the deep end of my cat box, but could not pass up having some material to work with.  I did, however, stay up to date on comments.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:58 (average 4:59).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From TPM: A few years ago, Tim Griffin was a key figure in of the biggest scandals in the Bush administration. Democrats said — and the Justice Department Inspector General later concluded — that the Bush White House and Justice Department pushed out U.S. Attorney H.E. "Bud" Cummins III to give Griffin, a former aide to presidential adviser Karl Rove, a plum spot as interim U.S. attorney that would pad his resume.

Now Griffin, who was elected to Congress from Arkansas in November, has been named by House Republicans to be a member of the House Judiciary Committee — the very same committee which took a close look at his own role in the scandal that ultimately lead to the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

They clearly have no shame whatsoever.

From Huffington Post: The equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, according to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

We all know where LGBT folks stand in the hierarchy of the extreme fascist right.  Congrats, Ladies!  You have been assigned the same status in the pecking order.

From Me: Don’t be upset if Senate rules reform doesn’t come up for a vote tomorrow.  As long as the appropriate motion is made and accepted on schedule, they can defer the voting to negotiate the actual changes without losing the ability to approve it with 51 votes.

Cartoon:

What’s up in your world?

I caught up on comments and plan to spend the day meditation on the last day in which the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb features all the congregations, before wild card blessedness this week.  News is still dead, but there are a couple of housekeeping items to post.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:39 (average 5:40).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Bloomberg: Oil surged to its highest year-end price since 2007 as the dollar weakened and gasoline and heating oil futures climbed.

Crude capped its second consecutive year of gains as the dollar dropped against the euro, boosting commodities’ appeal as an alternative investment. Oil settled above $91 a barrel after testing technical support near $89. Gasoline and heating oil advanced before the January contracts expired today.

It’s going to get far worse.  With Bernanke weakening the dollar for the Banksters, oil speculation will attract a lot of the money from the huge tax bonus for millionaires and billionaires in the Tax Capitulation Act and driving our gas prices up again.

From Washington Post: There is an "urgent need" for Senate Democrats and Republicans to put aside their bickering and fill federal judicial vacancies, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote Friday in his annual State of the Judiciary report.

I suspect Roberts is frustrated that so many cases are backlogged that it limits his opportunities to trash the Constitution.

Cartoon:

May the Orb bless your team (unless it’s the Chargers).

I caught up on comments earlier and am still quite swamped.  I need to make a trip to the store.  I have my personal files migrated to 2011.  Today and tomorrow, I’ll get my blogging and home accounting files done.  I decided against a post reviewing the year, because Obama has handed is so many disappointments that I’d rather not dwell on it.  Be safe tonight.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:39 (average 5:12).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Take:

From Alternet: Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) recently pushed the envelope on extreme abortion analogies, arguing that pro-choicers’ vagueness about the moment when life begins is akin to haphazardly firing a gun into a crowd.

That’s a strange image coming from one whose followers bring their guns to crowdwd political events.

Cartoon:

For the last time this year, TGIF!