Politics Plus

I’ve been working my tail off for six hours preparing for tomorrow’s monthly report, and researching this article, and cooking at the same time, so I’m feeling pretty pooped today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:36 (average 5:09).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: As the curtain comes down on the Michael Bloomberg era, the three-term mayor of New York received fulsome praise last night from his most appreciative constituency: the people who can still afford to live there.

Harland Dorrinson, principal owner of the hedge fund Garrote Capital, hosted a black-tie dinner in the vault of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pay tribute to a mayor who, in Mr. Dorrinson’s words, “put living in New York out of the reach of everyone except the deserving few.”

“To a lot of people, Mike Bloomberg will be remembered for reducing smoking and improving people’s diets,” said Mr. Dorrinson. “But that shouldn’t overshadow his greatest accomplishment, creating unaffordable housing throughout New York.”

“When Mike took office, this city was teeming with regular working people,” Mr. Dorrinson said, shuddering at the memory. “Today, it’s a magnificent tapestry of investment bankers, real-estate developers, and Russian oligarchs.”

As much as I liked Bloomberg’s stance on gun-control, he was a Bankster’s wet dream, otherwise.

From Upworthy: He Starts With 17 Lego Pieces And Ends Up With 6. The Reason Why Involves All Of Us.

Depressing as it is, he’s right!

From NY Times: A federal judge on Tuesday struck down as unconstitutional a Florida law that required welfare applicants to undergo mandatory drug testing, setting the stage for a legal battle that could affect similar efforts nationwide.

Judge Mary S. Scriven of the United States District Court in Orlando held that the testing requirement, the signature legislation of Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican who campaigned on the issue, violated the protection against unreasonable searches.

“The court finds there is no set of circumstances under which the warrantless, suspicionless drug testing at issue in this case could be constitutionally applied,” she wrote. The ruling made permanent an earlier, temporary ban by the judge.

Mr. Scott, who had argued that the drug testing was necessary to protect children and ensure that tax money was not going to illegal drugs, said that the state would appeal the ruling.

Extremist Republican Governor Scott wants you to believe that his profit from owning the lab that does the testing has nothing to do with it. Geez! You can fertilize the lawn with that one!

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I’m writing for tomorrow, the first day of the new year and planning a big roast beef dinner to celebrate the occasion.  Please stay safe.  There are drunks, maniacs and Re3publicans on the road.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:44 (average 4:50).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Right Wing Watch: Ending Aid To Jobless Americans

The perception, revealed in polling, that the GOP does not care about people is doing great harm to the Party…. To people who are flat on their back, unemployed or disabled and in need of help, they do not care if the help comes from the private sector or the government — they just want help.

Republicans in Congress rejected an extension of unemployment benefits, which will not only hurt approximately 1.3 million Americans during a period when long-term joblessness is still high, but will also result in serious harm to economic growth. If Republicans do not waver from their position, up to 5 million people could be affected by the cuts. The party also passed enormous cuts to the food stamp program under the auspices of preventing the tremendously low rate of fraud in an effort to kick 5 million people off of food assistance.

But the GOP continues to give special benefits to millionaires, as earlier this year Republicans once again rebuffed the “Buffet Rule,” which would have ensured that millionaires don’t end up having a lower tax rate than average Americans.

This is just one of five ways that, according to the author, the Republican Party got even worse in 2013. Click through for the other four.

From Robert Reich: Despite do-nothing congressional Republicans, we ARE making progress around the country because Americans are organizing and mobilizing. Together we can make 2014 the year we turn the tide on economic inequality.

Spot-on! If you don’t vote in 2014, you are the problem, not the solution!

From Upworthy: A Little Taste Of What Capitalism Is Like When It Has No Limits.

This is the kind of vulture capitalism the Republican Party seeks, not just for third world nations, but here in the US as well.

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I’m writing for tomorrow and running late, because I overslept.  Because we’re almost out of year I contributed to the campaigns of my Congressman, Earl Blumenauer, and my Senator, Jeff Merkley.  I urge all to support the progressives that represent them, because progressives are the ones Republi9cans most want to destroy.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:17 (average 5:12).  To do it, click here,  Hoe did you do?

Fantasy Football Finals:

Here are the final playoff standings for our fantasy football league, Lefty Blog Friends.

Congrats to all!

Judy had informed me that she won’t be playing next year.  If you let me know very quickly, I think I can get you plugged in in advance.  It really is a lot of fun.

Short Takes:

From Upworthy: This time of year, the word "family" gets thrown around a whole lot, which can leave a lot of people who don’t have it feeling left out. Imagine how much kinder the world could be if we extend the definition to make it a little more inclusive.

I’m thankful for my family… all of you.

From NY Times: Democratic Party leaders, bruised by months of attacks on the new health care program, have found an issue they believe can lift their fortunes both locally and nationally in 2014: an increase in the minimum wage.

The effort to take advantage of growing populism among voters in both parties is being coordinated by officials from the White House, labor unions and liberal advocacy groups.

In a series of strategy meetings and conference calls among them in recent weeks, they have focused on two levels: an effort to raise the federal minimum wage, which will be pushed by President Obama and congressional leaders, and a campaign to place state-level minimum wage proposals on the ballot in states with hotly contested congressional races.

With polls showing widespread support for an increase in the $7.25-per-hour federal minimum wage among both Republican and Democratic voters, top Democrats see not only a wedge issue that they hope will place Republican candidates in a difficult position, but also a tool with which to enlarge the electorate in a nonpresidential election, when turnout among minorities and youths typically drops off.

I consider this an excellent strategy, because it gives voters another reason to come to the polls and because Republican opposition demonstrates they they represent only the super rich and corporate criminals.

From TPM: Belief in evolution among Republicans has dropped more than 10 percentage points since 2009, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center.

Pew found that 43 percent of Republicans said they believed humans and other living beings had evolved over time, down from 54 percent in 2009. More (48 percent) said they believed all living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.

That proves it. Republicans are DEvolving!

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