Politics Plus

Today is a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow appears routine, except that my Broncos are on Monday Night Meditation. 😉

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:15 (average 5:43).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: The Most Powerful Defense Of Teachers, Paramedics, And Police We’ve Seen Yet

RepubliCorp has a solution. Outsource your emergencies and our students to China.

From Yahoo News: President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are neck and neck in opinion polls, but there is one area in which the incumbent appears to have a big advantage: those who have already cast their ballots.

Obama leads Romney by 59 percent to 31 percent among early voters, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling data compiled in recent weeks.

I’ll take good news wherever I can find it.

From Daily Kos: By popular demand, here’s round 2 of "Mitt Romney debates himself":

Another Etch-a-Sketch goes up in flames from friction.

Cartoon:

Yesterday’s trip to the doctor turned out well.  The tests were negative.  All looks good.  Pain is just a side-effect of becoming a bald-headed old fart.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow appears routine.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:23 (average 4:23).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: The 15 Wars Started By The GOP Since Obama Took Office

If it’s good for America, Republicans have a war against it!

From NY Times: In these closing weeks of the campaign, each side wants you to believe that it has the right ideas to fix a still-ailing economy. So here’s what you need to know: If you look at the track record, the Obama administration has been wrong about some things, mainly because it was too optimistic about the prospects for a quick recovery. But Republicans have been wrong about everything.

Paul Krugman hit the bullseye again!

From Christian Science Monitor: As a slew of Twitterers and bloggers pointed out yesterday afternoon, the search term "completely wrong" brings up a slew of pictures (big and small) of presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. CNN has traced the origin of the whole mess to an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, wherein Romney attempted to distance himself from his infamous "47 percent" gaffe.

Once in a while, there is poetic justice in the universe

Cartoon:

Following the best laid plans of mice and men, I did not get to go to the prison yesterday.  The clerk responsible for the paperwork needed to get us in was transferred and his replacement was not trained yet, so that paperwork was never done.  I felt very disappointed, but fortunately, my associate had a premonition and checked with the prison right before leaving to pick me up, so at least we did not make the sixty mile trip down for nothing.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow I will probably have an Open Thread only, because I have an appointment with the doctor that takes four hours travel time, round trip.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:12 (average 5:10).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Three Questions Everybody Should Ask Themselves Before They Vote

The answer is obvious. We know they would, because they have. Have we forgotten that under Bush, Republicans used federal employees to conduct campaign activities for Republicans at taxpayer expense? Have we forgotten that Republicans outed a CIA agent, Valery Plame, to punish her husband, Joe Wilson, for telling the truth about their yellowcake uranium lie? Have we forgotten that they fired seven US Attorneys for refusing to file fraudulent charges against Democratic candidates right before an election? Republicans wish to establish a permanent totalitarian regime of one-party rule in which elections do not matter.

From CBS: Mitt Romney said on Tuesday that he has no plans for abortion legislation if elected president, a statement that is more moderate than ones he’s made on the issue in the past.

Wow! You can use that one to fertilize your veggies!

From Washington Post: Former U.S. House Majority Leader and GOP heavyweight Tom DeLay is getting ready to make his case to an appeals court that his 2010 conviction for taking part in a scheme to influence Texas elections should be overturned…

…DeLay, 65, was found guilty in November 2010 of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering for helping illegally funnel corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. He was sentenced to three years in prison, but that was put on hold while his case was appealed.

His cell has been vacant too long.

Cartoon:

Yesterday I enjoyed the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, if not the results.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow is a prison volunteer day, but I may be able to get articles up before I leave.  It’s more likely to interfere with the following day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:16 (average 4:27).  To do it, click here. 

Religious Agony:

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: What If Everyone Saw This Clip Of Robert Reich Exposing 7 GOP Lies?

If this is so, than why are Republicans telling us the exact opposite? They represent greed exclusively.

From Post and Courier: A local pastor urged people to vote for Mitt Romney during the Sunday morning church service, despite Internal Revenue Service guidelines that forbid tax-exempt organizations from endorsing candidates or campaigning in church.

“The IRS is not going to be the sermon content manager for this pulpit,” the Rev. Dr. Kevin Baird, pastor of Legacy Church in West Ashley, told about 150 members, who responded with a round of applause.

His congregation has 501(c)(3) tax exempt status because they requested it understanding and agreeing to abide by the political restrictions that come with it. If they are going to renege on their voluntary agreement, they should lose the tax exemption that comes with it.  Violating your word is for Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians, not authentic ones.

From Think Progress: The recent protests against the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline have reached a new height in Texas.  On Thursday, Eleanor Fairchild, a 78-year old great-grandmother, was arrested for trespassing after she stood in the path of bulldozers and machinery on her 300-acre ranch outside of Winnsboro, Texas that were tearing down trees to make the way for pipeline construction.

She’s absolutely right! Only in Texas can we expect a woman to be arrested for trespassing on her own land.

Cartoon:

And Republicans took notes.