Politics Plus

Yesterday I was caught up in computer maintenance, but I am up to date on comments.  Tomorrow’s articles may be quite late because I have a morning appointment.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:43 (4:52 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Washington Post: President Obama signed an executive order Monday that will create a formal system of indefinite detention for those held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who continue to pose a significant threat to national security. The administration also said it will start new military commission trials for detainees there.

This is a horrible idea, but his hands are tied because Congressional Democrats caved in and goose stepped with the Republicans, supporting the law that forbids transporting them here.

From FOK News Channel: [Worst Person for 3/7] The winner: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Her appearances in the Sunday talk echo chamber are always great fun, but the one yesterday seems to have exceeded even our usual expectations. She said she was “hopeful” the Republicans’ hoary old apocalyptic threat wouldn’t actually come to pass. “I don’t think any one wants to see the government shut down.”

Even though…last week Bachmann opposed the continuing funding resolution because it didn’t strip out all government-related funding for Planned Parenthood. If her side had won that vote, we would’ve seen the government shut down.

Keith could not have picked a more deserving idiot.

From News Hounds: Sarah Palin claimed that she wanted to know what a shutdown of the federal government would entail when she was asked about it on Justice with Judge Jeanine (Pirro) Saturday night (3/5/11), and then went on to accuse “budget gurus” of keeping the public in the dark.

I guess nobody wrote the explanation on her hand.

Cartoon:

Tuesday is “Thou shalt not commit Teabuggery Day!”  Have a of coffee!

Yesterday it took me almost three hours to unpack and put away my grocery delivery.  By the time I was done, I was exhausted.  Another day of craving, but I’m up to date on comments.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:10 (4:55 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: Mr. Romney makes the case, in private meetings with business owners and in appearances like a dinner speech here Saturday, that the halting economic recovery — even after solid job growth in February, the unemployment rate remains at 8.9 percent — provides a compelling rationale that he is the strongest candidate to create jobs and take on President Obama.

There they go again.  Another Republican lying by promising the same jobs GW Bush promised in 2000.

From Washington Post: Military jailers are forcing Bradley Manning, the 23-year-old soldier accused of passing classified documents to WikiLeaks.org, to strip naked in his cell at night and sleep without clothing, a requirement his attorney says was imposed after Manning made a "sarcastic quip" about his confinement.

Such treatment of a convicted felon is inexcusable, bet alone a man still legally innocent.

From Houston Chronicle: The Texas Nationalist Movement marked Texas Independence Day with a rally on Saturday at the Capitol urging Texans to save the state by seceding from the United States.

Bu-Bye!!

Cartoon:

May you have a week without being Teabuggered!

The battle against tobacco continues, as do my cravings unabated.  It serves to distract me from almost everything I do.  Research and writing both take longer.  I’m up to date on comments.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:21 (4:51 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: President Obama demanded Thursday that the embattled Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, “step down from power and leave” immediately, and said he would consider a full range of options to stem the bloodshed there, though he did not commit the United States to any direct military action.

I do not support US military intervention at this time, unless such an intervention is UN sanctioned and includes troops and financial support from many other countries.  McConJob’s notion that US force needs to protect oil bound for China is absurd.

From TPM: Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White (R) indicted on seven felony counts including voter fraud, perjury and theft.

Republicans perennially accuse Democrats of voter fraud, but in those very rare cases that it actually happens, the perpetrator is almost always a Republican.

From Salon: Are you a major corporation that wants to do business with the state of Louisiana? The bad news is you can only donate $5,000 directly to Gov. Bobby Jindal. The good news is, you can give an unlimited amount of money to his wife’s charity, the Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana’s Children.

The New York Times reported last night that corporations including Marathon Oil, AT&T, Northrup Grumman, Dow Chemical, Alon USA and various state contractors have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the foundation. All of those companies have business with the state. All of them received permits or evaded fines or won contracts.

This is Republican integrity on didplay.

Cartoon:

TGIF!!

Today I have some errands to run.  I’m up to date with comments.  Yesterday’s meeting was somewhat stressful, and my craving just went wild.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:51 (5:02 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: The House on Tuesday approved a two-week budget measure that cuts $4 billion in federal spending. Senate Democrats said they would quickly pass the bill and send it to President Obama, averting any immediate threat of a government shutdown when current financing runs out Friday.

This does not mean that the Republican hostage crisis is over, merely deleyed.

From Bloomberg: Gunmen killed Pakistan Minister for Minorities’ Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti in Islamabad today in the capital city’s second high-profile assassination this year.

Bhatti was the premier supporter for repealing Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws, favored by the Taliban, and similar to the restrictions the pseudo-Christian American Taliban would place on us if given the chance.  The extreme religious rights is the same, regardless of which religion.

From Washington Post: With Congress and the White House set to debate the merits of massive spending cuts, federal auditors have identified hundreds of overlapping government offices and programs that if merged or eliminated could save taxpayers billions of dollars.

This low hanging fruit does not interest Republicans, because fixing the duplication does nothing to consolidate a Republican Regime or transfer wealth to the rich.

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Happy hump day!