Politics Plus

Today I’m up to date on comments and hope to do a little visiting.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:21 (average 4:46).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From USA Today: The Republican effort to repeal the nation’s health care law moves to the U.S. Senate today, where a vote to overturn President Obama’s signature domestic achievement is likely to fail.

A day after a federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the House-passed bill on repeal as an amendment to a pending measure on aviation issues.

If Republicans are successful in attacking this amendment, it will serve as a poison pill, killing the FAA bill, and costing thousands of jobs.

From TPM: GOP Sens Admit: Goal Of Changing Health Care Law Is To Kill It.

Of course it is.  Hundreds dying daily due to lack of health care is the Republican plan.

From Think Progress: This morning, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) — fresh from joining a ceremony for a newly built illegal Israeli settlement — called in to Fox & Friends and discussed the situation in Egypt. He complained about the Obama administration’s response to the protests, saying that it showed that the United States has “abandoned a 30-year ally” and said that there are concerns that the protests “could have cascading effects across the Middle East.”

And so it begins.  Most Republicans have reacted responsibly on this issue, but I knew it wouldn’t last.

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Happy hump day!

Well, as another months comes to an end, I hope February is a healthier month for me.  I have to go out to run a couple errands today, so we’ll see how I hold up.  Comments are up to date.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it tool me 3:41 (average 4:20).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Salon: Roger Stockham, a 63-year-old California man, was arrested on explosives charges last week after police allegedly found him with M-80s in the trunk of his car in the parking lot of the Islamic Center of America, a Dearborn, Michigan, mosque.

Stockham was arraigned on Wednesday on one count of false report or threat of terrorism and one count of possession of explosives with unlawful intent, police said in a statement. Bail has been set at $500,000. The chief of police told the Detroit Free Press that Stockham has a history of anti-government feelings and he was attracted to Michigan because of its large Arab and Muslim population.

Another Republican hard at  work to kill infidels for Supply-side Jesus. 🙄

From Raw Story: More than 10,000 protesters marched against authorities in Algeria’s northeastern city of Bejaia on Saturday, organisers said, in the country’s latest rally inspired by neighbouring Tunisia.

Demonstrators marched peacefully in the city in Algeria’s Berber-speaking Kabylie region, shouting Tunisia-inspired slogans such as: "For a radical change of the regime!," a lawmaker with the opposition Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), Mohamed Ikhervane, told AFP.

I’ve also heard reports of protests in Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

From Huffington Post:

At a speech in Reno on Saturday, Sarah Palin said she thinks a recently discussed media boycott of her is good–because then she won’t get "blamed" for the uprising in Egypt.

According to a report by The Daily Beast, Palin made a clear reference to Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank’s widely circulated pledge not to write anything about her for the whole of February.  [emphasis added]

Palin should realize that nobody in their right mind would associate aspirations for freedom with her.

Cartoon:

OGIM!

I’m still fighting for air, but I am up to date on comments and and have some good items today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:21 (3:52 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: Lloyd C. Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, had a rough 2010. But at least he got a raise: his bonus increased by $3.6 million, according to a regulatory filing.

The firm’s board granted restricted stock valued at $12.6 million to Mr. Blankfein.

That’s quite a reward for all the misery he caused the American people with Republican support.

From Washington Independent: Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) proposed this week $400 billion in “real and necessary” budget cuts in federal spending to avoid raising the budget ceiling from $14.3 trillion. The cuts include capping increases in Department of Veterans Affairs’ health care spending and reducing Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) payments for veterans, all to save a total of $4.5 billion.

Batshit B is showing what Republicans mean by “Support Our Troops”.  Use them up as cannon fodder. Then dump them.

From News Hounds: Predictably, Fox News’ fear and loathing of Muslims was front and center in their coverage of the Egypt demonstrations (more on that in a later post). But Sean Hannity took partisanship to new heights – or depths – when he “asked” if there wasn’t a connection between the uprising and Democrats being in power in the U.S.A. Not that he was able to make any real connection – you know the kind he and his colleagues demanded when they attacked those who suggested there might be a link between right-wing violent rhetoric and the Tucson massacre.

I told you they would blame the left.

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What’s up?

I’m still pretty ill, but I am up to date on replies.  Yesterdays big SOTU post just wiped me out and I spent the next 18 hours in bed, except for a couple sandwich breaks.  I hope to return visits this weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:42 (average 4:11).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Newsweek: Obama intentionally did not mention gun control in his State of the Union, but aides say that in the next two weeks the administration will unveil a campaign to get Congress to toughen existing laws.

I’m pleased to learn that he has not forgotten this important issue and the need to disarm crazies before Republican rhetoric whips them to commit violent acts.

From TPM: Sarah Palin: The Soviet Union collapsed because the Soviets spent so much money winning the space race.

I wonder if Drill Baby Death-threats has considered the effects of the arms race.

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Think elections when you drive today: D for ahead, R for backwards.