Open Thread – Page 865 – Politics Plus

Open Thread – 8/7/2010

Posted by TomCat at 2:16 am Open Thread, Personal

Aug 072010

Yesterday I caught up on comments and returned visits. I’m mostly up to date and should stay that way for a few days. I also started working on converting the entire Constitution series into a single PDF file, which will be available here when done.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:16. To do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

Because it was clear that we will not get enough players, and CBS will not let us publish the league to get players from the general pool, I moved the league to Fox Sports, because they will let us go public. I have sent an email initiation to everyone who was in and two have responded, so far. If you would like to play, sign into Fox Fantasy Football with any MSN ID. The League ID is 1023560. The Password is nogop

We had nine players. Only six transferred over. Gwen, Lisa and Otis, did you get your email and will you be joining? Later today I’ll be opening the league to the public, because the draft is in one week,l and we need to get it filled.

Short Takes:

From Alternet: Christina Romer, a key economic advisor to President Barack Obama who championed the use of stimulus programs to pull the US economy out of recession, will step down next month, the White House said Thursday.

I’m soprry to see her go. She was the only member of Obama’s economic team, whom I approved.

From Washington Post: The losses [131,000 jobs] came from the public sector. And they were foreseeable. And they were foreseen by the President of the United States and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the majority of House members and a majority of Senators. And the President of the United States and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the majority of House members and a majority of Senators voted for bills that would have prevented that. But because in the Senate a minority of members can get their way, action wasn’t taken. Consequently, we have a horrible jobs number. [emphasis added]

Republicans keep blocking jobs legislation while blaming Obama for the jobs situation.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

7wolverton

Good weekend?

Open Thread – 8/6/2010

Posted by TomCat at 1:38 am Open Thread, Personal

Aug 062010

Yesterday I spent the morning replying to three days of comments. Then I started to return visits. I should be up to date today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:48. to do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

Last chance to get in before it goes public.

Short Takes:

From TPM: Target’s CEO has now taken the pretty extraordinary step of issuing a public apology for the donation. [made to anti-gay activist Tom Emmer]

Target, as it happens, has a quite good corporate record on LGBT issues.

Although I appreciate the apology, Target should have known who they are supporting. Our only defense against Citizens United is to buy blue, not from companies that support Republicans.

From PFAW: Today, by a vote of 63 to 37, the Senate approved the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.

Although Kagan was not my choice, I applaud her confirmation. Ben Nelson (NE) was the only Democrat to vote No.

From Think Progress: Former President Bush has been working on a memoir about his tenure in the White House, titled “Decision Points,” that is scheduled to be released this fall. According to friends of the former president who spoke with the Financial Times, Bush insisted that the book’s release date be pushed back until after the November elections, apparently out of concern that the publication of a book dwelling on his deeply unpopular presidency could hurt Republicans at the polls.

I’ve heard some speculation about new revelations, but expect none. I think that, since the Republicans are running on Bush policies, they fear reminding people what they were and how they trashed our nation.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

6bagley

TGIF!

Open Thread – 8/5/2010

Posted by TomCat at 1:13 am Open Thread, Personal

Aug 052010

Yesterday I had no time to reply to comments or return visits, because it I was co-facilitating a therapy group. I talked about misattribution error. Nobody can make us angry or happy or whatever. Our emotions are our own. We alone are responsible for them. Any attempt to blame them on another is an error, because it leads to the belief that whatever anti-social action we may take is also another’s responsibility. It’s a tough concept to swallow. Today, I’m getting a haircut and starting to catch up on all those comments and return visits.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:46. To do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

I’ll be opening the league to the public on Saturday. Please get in and claim your place.

Short Takes:

From Alternet: A new letter from the Department of Justice says that Sheriff Joe Arpaio will have a federal lawsuit on his hands if he continues his refusal to cooperate with an investigation into discriminatory and unconstitutional practices.

Crazy Joe Arpaio needs to be deported.

From Crooks and Liars: A press release from Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle today goes after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for voting in favor of the economic stimulus package. The release features the headline: "Harry Reid’s Plan to Save the Nevada Economy: Coked-up Stimulus Monkeys."

If she keeps this up, she might even make Batshit Bachmann look sane.

From McClatchy DC: The Obama administration late Wednesday told BP that it can pour cement into its Deepwater Horizon well, a step that could seal the well permanently.

Moments later, BP announced that the cementing would begin Thursday. There was no word on how long the procedure would last.

Maybe the first stage of this disaster will finally be over, unless they let Halliburton do the cementing.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

5englehart

What’s up?

Open Thread – 8/4/2010

Posted by TomCat at 1:06 am Open Thread, Personal

Aug 042010

Yesterday, I spent most of the day at a meeting and had no tome left for replying to comments or returning visits. Today is my volunteer day co-facilitating a therapy group for former prisoners, so it won’t much better, if at all. I shall reply to every comment and return every visit possible. Potting a big dent, at least, in that backlog id my project for tomorrow.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:55. To do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

Short Takes:

From TPM: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) has added his voice to those who are speaking out against the construction of a Muslim community center in downtown New York, close to Ground Zero, an issue that has become a major cause on the right.

Once again I call to strip this Republican of his Committee Chair.

From Think Progress: Police in south-central Pennsylvania have arrested prison guard Raymond Franklin Peake for the murder of Todd Getgen on July 21 at a Pennsylvania Game Commission shooting range. What’s most disturbing about this incident is why Peake is involved. Peake told police that he found Getgen already dead and “stole his rifle so it could be used by an extremist group bent on overthrowing the U.S. government.”

This is Republican patriotism at its finest.

From MSNBC: A Teabagger Dovorce

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

Grounds? Failure to commit Teabuggery

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

4keefe

Happy Hump Day!

Open Thread – 8/3/2010

Posted by TomCat at 1:49 am Open Thread, Personal

Aug 032010

Yesterday I managed to stay current with replying to comments and returning visits. Today I have a meeting, and I don’t know how much time I will have.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:56. To do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

Short Takes:

From Think Progress: Tamara Scott, the state director for the conservative Concerned Women of America, told the NOM rally crowd that “part of the country’s current economic downturn was to blame on the social costs of the threatened traditional family unit through the legalization of gay marriage.”

Lady, the idea that the Republican Recession had anything to do with gay marriage is nuts! Are you going to blame gays for the GOP gusher too?

From Raw Story: The Republican National Committee will invite Andrew Breitbart to its rescheduled "big donor" fundraiser in Southern California, which had been set to feature the conservative columnist and online-media mogul, along with numerous California Republican politicians.

I had hoped they would keep them. He’s a walking definition of who they are.

From TPM: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has come out in support of congressional hearings into the matter of whether the US Constitution grants citizenship to every person born in the United States — so-called ‘birthright’ citizenship.

As we have learned in our Constitutional study, there is nothing for hearings to investigate. All people born here are citizens. Mitch “Bought Bitch” McConnell has joined the Republican “anchor babies” meme, proving that GOP racism goes all the way to the top.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

3matson

What’s up?

Open Thread – 8/2/2010

Posted by TomCat at 1:44 am Open Thread, Personal

Aug 022010

Yesterday I kept up with replying to comments and returning visits. Today should present no problems doing the same, except that my COPD has acted up the last couple days. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be busy though.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Yesterday it took me 4:35. To do it, click here. How dod you do?

Fantasy Football:

Short Takes:

From The Grand Forks Herald: Teabaggers claim they’re a new political movement, but there’s nothing new about them. Their ignorance and reactionary self-righteousness are as old as humanity.

There were teabaggers in ancient Israel; they were known as the Pharisees. There were teabaggers in the Spanish Inquisition; they burned witches at the stake. There were teabaggers in South Africa; they imprisoned Nelson Mandela for 28 years. There even are teabaggers in the animal kingdom; they’re called parrots.

That paper sure knows about Teabuggery!! 🙂

From TPM: Target donated $150,000 to a group called MN Forward, a pro-business group backed by the state Chamber of Commerce, and which is actively supporting the very conservative Emmer. As a result, they’ve come under fire from gay rights organizations, due to Emmer’s support for a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, and his close associations with the religious right.

Any company that takes advantage of the Citizens United Decision does not deserve our business, especially when they support bigots like Emmer.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

2cam

OGIM!!

Open Thread – 8/1/2010

Posted by TomCat at 2:16 am Open Thread, Personal

Aug 012010

Yesterday I kept up with replying to comments and returning visits. I should have no trouble with that today. There will be no Short Takes today, because it’s a slow day for news. Stats will not update until later this morning, so the the Monthly Report for July will be posted tomorrow.

Jig Zone Puzzle: Today it took me 3:26. To do it, click here. How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

I’m waiting until next Saturday morning to open the league to the public, so if you were in the CBS league and haven’t replied to your invitation to this one, please do.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

1keefe

May this new month bring you good news.

Open Thread – 7/31/2010

Posted by TomCat at 1:44 am Open Thread, Personal

Jul 312010

Yesterday I managed to stay up to date on replying to comments and returning visits. Doing so today should present no difficulty.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:50. To do it, click here. That babe is a real dog. How did you do?

Fantasy Football:

Short Takes:

From CNN: A federal appeals court has denied Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s request for an expedited hearing on the state’s controversial immigration law. Instead, the case has been scheduled for a hearing during the first week in November.

Love it!

From Right Wing Watch: On September 11, the folks at Dove World Church in Gainesville, Florida (perhaps best known for their "No Homo Mayor" signs a few months back) will be hosting "International Burn A Quran Day."

What hypocrites Republicans are! If a Muslim group were to ban Bibles, every Republican in both the House and the Senate would need an underwear change.

From McClatchy DC: Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson Friday became the first Democrat to oppose Elena Kagan, President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee.

Were I not so dead set against violence, I’d be tempted to imitate Glen Beck.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

31bagley

What’s up this weekend?

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