Politics Plus

Yesterday, the minor surgery on my foot went well.  I have a chronic cyst under the skin on the outside edge of my left sole.  When it gets too big, walking gets very painful, so about four times a year, the doctor needs to dig it out.  I was overdue, so it took more digging than usual.  Unfortunately, there was just enough residual pain to keep me awake all night.  In addition, I’m supposed to keep the foot elevated today, so I need one more short day.  I’m current with replies and should be back tomorrow.  Good night!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 5:03 (5:41 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Of The Last 2 Presidents, Which Has Caused More National Debt?

Note that only the dark blue Recovery Measures resulted from Obama’s policies.

From Washington Post: Democracy Corps poll released last month showed Republican incumbents in 56 targeted districts with significantly weaker political brands than Democratic incumbents in 23 of their most vulnerable districts.

The GOP incumbents had an average approval rating of 41 percent and disapproval of 33 percent – including a nearly even 37/36 split in the 28 most vulnerable Republican districts.

Democratic incumbents, meanwhile, had the approval of 50 percent of their constituents, versus 26 percent who disapproved.

I consider the Senate our biggest problem.  Since most Senators whose terms expire are Democrats, holding the Senate may be difficult, and I see 56 as a best case scenario, so expect more Republican sabotage, unless Dems have the votes and the balls to limit the filibuster and outlaw individual holds.

From MSNBC: Rachel Maddow covers the Republican attempt to steal the 2012 election with Judith Browne-Danis.

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

The worst election fraud of all is the Republican attempt to steal the votes of American citizens. They want a permanent Republican Regime in which elections are for show only.

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Well I’ll have at least one good day of blogging, although things are slow after the holiday weekend.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow morning, my podiatrist will be performing routine minor surgery on my foot again, so I may be unable to blog at all, and if I can, it will likely be abbreviated.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:13 (average 5:06).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: The Powerful Bernie Sanders Quote That Has Been Shared Thousands Of Times

Thank goodness this wise independent supports Obama and the Democrats.

From NY Times: As Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin faces a well deserved recall vote next month after stripping public unions of their bargaining rights, voters are discovering the generosity of Diane Hendricks. Ms. Hendricks, the billionaire chairwoman of the nation’s largest roofing and siding wholesaler, wrote a check for $500,000 last month to help defend Governor Walker, a Republican, against his Democratic challenger, Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee.

The eye-popping donation was made possible by a quirk in the state law for recall campaigns. And Ms. Hendricks has never been shy about what she wants. A newly released piece of documentary video shows her running into Governor Walker two weeks after he took office in 2011. In what was presumed to have been a private discussion, Ms. Hendricks asked, “Any chance we’ll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions and become a right to work” state?

The Fartfuhrer of Fitzwalkerstan MUST go down!

From MSNBC: Romney can’t play no-Trump!

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

Will he say the same to an endorsement from the KKK?

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I’m still pretty worn out, but I do have a Memorial Day message in addition to today’s Open Thread.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow depends on the day.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:51 (average 4:49).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: The Secrets That Gay Kids Live With Every Day

Just more victims of the GOP Wars on __________.

From NY Times: Until now the attack of the fiscal phonies has been mainly a national rather than a state issue, with Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, as the prime example. As regular readers of this column know, Mr. Ryan has somehow acquired a reputation as a stern fiscal hawk despite offering budget proposals that, far from being focused on deficit reduction, are mainly about cutting taxes for the rich while slashing aid to the poor and unlucky. In fact, once you strip out Mr. Ryan’s “magic asterisks” — claims that he will somehow increase revenues and cut spending in ways that he refuses to specify — what you’re left with are plans that would increase, not reduce, federal debt.

The same can be said of Mitt Romney, who claims that he will balance the budget but whose actual proposals consist mainly of huge tax cuts (for corporations and the wealthy, of course) plus a promise not to cut defense spending.

Click through for the rest of this excellent Paul Krugman article.

From Politico: A member of the National Labor Relations Board has resigned amid allegations he leaked information about the agency to a former Mitt Romney campaign advisor, according to a report.

Terence Flynn — a Republican appointed by President Barack Obama in January to the board — submitted his resignation letter on May 26, Reuters reported on Sunday. NLRB inspector general reports this year accused Flynn of revealing non-public information about the board while he served as its top lawyer, and found that he allegedly leaked draft reports and memos to former Romney campaign advisor Peter Schaumber.

Republicans have a strict code about obeying the rules they insist all others follow. They don’t.

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Yesterday I was just too tired to get the sleep I needed, so I’m only putting up an Open Thread today.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow I expect to put up a full slate.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:27 (average 4:46).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: Mitt Romney’s Numbers Here Make George W. Bush Look Like A Rocket Scientist

That’s why Rmoney wants to etch the sketch on Massachusetts.

From NY Times: High above northwestern Australia, a robotic arm on the International Space Station grabbed onto a cargo capsule floating 10 meters away.

With that penultimate act, the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation of Hawthorne, Calif., or SpaceX, made history as the first private company to send a craft, the Dragon, to the station.

I still oppose exclusively privatizing space exploration, but at least someone is doing something.

From MSNBC: Bernie Sanders joins Ed Schultz to support Barack Obama against Romney’s lies.

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

Everything that Obama has sais about Rmoney and his history are both accurate and appropriate. As always Bernie is spot on. As Sanders is an Independent socialist, 3rd party advocates should note his support for Obama and the Democratic Party. I also want Obama to go to Fitzwalkerstan.

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