Politics Plus

I’m writing for tomorrow and feeling quite tired after research and running errands, but not too much so to give a Republican a parade.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:36 (average 4:45).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Upworthy: George Carlin (R.I.P.) was famous for being hilarious but also for being in-your-face honest about the state of humanity and the planet. His version of the lyrics for "America the Beautiful" are pretty halting.

Sadly, this is way too true.

From Daily Kos: Pretty much any traditional media outlet has been starting every discussion about the upcoming election as a done deal:  the House will remain in Rethuglican’s greedy, dangerous, corporate-owned claws and the Senate may be lost to these miscreants as well, because that’s just what happens in an election year after the opposition party has won the White House.

Bull shit.

Plain and simple.  And, yes, this is a rant.

Click through for a most excellent rant. Amen!!

From NY Times: The Obama administration is preparing to unveil a legislative proposal for a far-reaching overhaul of the National Security Agency’s once-secret bulk phone records program in a way that — if approved by Congress — would end the aspect that has most alarmed privacy advocates since its existence was leaked last year, according to senior administration officials.

Under the proposal, they said, the N.S.A. would end its systematic collection of data about Americans’ calling habits. The bulk records would stay in the hands of phone companies, which would not be required to retain the data for any longer than they normally would. And the N.S.A. could obtain specific records only with permission from a judge, using a new kind of court order.

People are far too quick to blame Obama for doing his duty by enforcing the secret law Congress passed, which is his job as chief executive. He has wanted too long, however, to do the right thing. Now I bet the very members of Congress, who have publically blamed Obama for spying on Americans, will sabotage the proposed measures to end that practice.

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A national shame and tragedy.

I’m writing for tomorrow, and unlike yesterday, I’m making this the FIRST thing I do.  That was horrid.  I hate it when I run out of day, before I run out of jobs to do.  I’m still busier than a Republican stealing groceries from food banks.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:56 (average 5:46).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The Guardian: Jimmy Carter: ‘my communications are probably being monitored’ – video

Former US president Jimmy Carter says he suspected that his emails are being monitored by intelligence agencies. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, President Carter says that if he wants to correspond with world leaders he now sends a handwritten letter in the post.

Hat-Tip to Pat A at Care2, for sending me a link to this. I consider Jimmy Carter the most honest President in my lifetime. That must be why our rogue agencies would monitor him.

From TPM: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) on Sunday said the U.S. should send small arms and radio equipment to the Ukrainian army in case Russian forces invade the eastern portion of the country.

“There are things that we can do that I think we’re not doing. I don’t think the rhetoric (from Obama administration officials) matches the reality on the ground,” he said on NBC’s "Meet The Press."

This Republican, and several of his fellow goose-steppers, are inviting nuclear war, as such a move dares Vladimir Putin (R-RU) to invade the eastern portion of Ukraine.

From Crooks and Liars: Say what you want about Diaper Dave but he’s just not shy about prostituting himself.  BARF BAG ALERT!!

I have only one question. Does this whore (apologies to prostitutes) wet his diaper when he’s sucking Koch?

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Writing for tomorrow, I’m quite tired, after doing some long overdue housework.  It was afternoon, before I even started my research, and with more housework to do, I’m making this tomorrow’s only article.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:10 (average 5:32).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From TPM: An Iraq War veteran who was wounded by police during a 2011 Occupy protest in Oakland, Calif. has reached a $4.5 million settlement with the city, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Friday.

Scott Olsen, 26, was struck in the head by a beanbag fired by a police officer on Oct. 25, 2011. He was part of a protest against the police clearing of an Occupy Oakland encampment outside City Hall.

It’s not often that I get to share such good news. I just hope he doesn’t become a Republican now. 😉

From Think Progress: One reason Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) opposes the Senate’s bipartisan answer to immigration reform is because he insists it would force immigrants to become unwilling citizens of the U.S.

“There are a lot of people who come here, just want to work and go back home and not be a legal citizen that the Senate bill would actually force onto an amnesty track,” Scalise told ThinkProgress after a town hall in his district Friday. “If you look at the 1986 law, 40 percent that were eligible for amnesty chose not to go that route because they just wanted to work and go back home. And yet the Senate bill would force them to become American citizens and that’s not even what they want.”

He proposed that the country strengthen immigration enforcement and secure its borders instead.

This Republican liar completely ignores the guest worker program in EVERY Democratic proposal.  He might as well say that disenfranchising voters prevents them from being forced to vote.

From Robert Reich: Despite the worst roll-out conceivable, the Affordable Care Act seems to be working. With less than two weeks remaining before the March 31 deadline for coverage this year, five million people have already signed up. After decades of rising percentages of Americans’ lacking health insurance, the uninsured rate has dropped to its lowest levels since 2008.

Meanwhile, the rise in health care costs has slowed drastically. No one knows exactly why, but the new law may well be contributing to this slowdown by reducing Medicare overpayments to medical providers and private insurers, and creating incentives for hospitals and doctors to improve quality of care.

But a lot about the Affordable Care Act needs fixing — especially the widespread misinformation that continues to surround it. For example, a majority of business owners with fewer than 50 workers still think they’re required to offer insurance or pay a penalty. In fact, the law applies only to businesses with 50 or more employees who work more than 30 hours a week. And many companies with fewer than 25 workers still don’t realize that if they offer plans they can qualify for subsidies in the form of tax credits.

Click through for much more. Once again, Robert Reich trumps the Republican Reich. Remember, under the Republican alternative, the RepubliCare Death Benefit guarantees that there’s never a charge to die, for those who cannot pay for medical care.

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I’m writing for tomorrow, and after having trashed my email system, because a new spam filter for my desktop email did not install properly, and spending most of the night fixing it, I’m pooped.  However, I could not resist another Republican that needs a parade.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:51 (average 5:39).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From NY Times: The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, said on Thursday that he had ordered a forensic examination of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s computer equipment to answer what he called the C.I.A.’s “absurd” claims that the committee’s staff had hacked into the agency’s network.

Mr. Reid’s order is the latest round of an escalating fight between the C.I.A. and the Intelligence Committee, which has oversight authority over the agency.

This an uncharacteristically good move by Reid, especially with Republicans supporting the CIA in this matter. He must have shined his ObamaBalls!

From Alternet: Republicans despise America’s poor and jobless. The GOP made that perfectly clear by repeatedly denouncing them and cutting food stamps and unemployment benefits. But last week, Republicans revealed that they also hate hard-working Americans!

Republicans condemned President Obama for proposing to extend mandatory overtime pay to more workers. The GOP doesn’t believe that Americans who work longer hours should be paid more.

Honk if this surprises you? What? No horns? 😉

From Huffington Post: The DC Abortion Fund, a non-profit group that helps local low-income women afford abortion care, has been giving out coat hanger pendants to its donors for the past four years as a symbol of the dangerous methods women resort to when they are denied access to safe and legal abortion.

When the National Review discovered the pendants [propaganda delinked] earlier this week, it set off a firestorm [propaganda delinked] of conservative media outrage. Breitbart [Breitfart delinked], The Drudge Report [propaganda delinked], The Daily Caller [propaganda delinked], former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain [9-9-9 delinked] and Bristol Palin were among the conservative outlets and bloggers who piled on.

I’m surprised that these Republicans are getting so bent out of shape. The Republican position on coat hangers is just this east to see:

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