Politics – Page 939 – Politics Plus

Open Thread–4/2/2016

Posted by TomCat at 12:40 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 022016

Just as I gave up yesterday and lay down to take a Lona nap, Lu showed up. I finally got my shower and am, once again, a pure puddy tat. We spent the rest of the day doing the dreaded task, cleaning, and researching her personal issues. I just heard from JD that Carrie B had unexpected abdominal surgery last night. The word is that she’ll be OK, but she’ll be hospitalized for a few days and wants you informed. Please join me in prayer for her or however you connect to the infinite.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:24 (average 5:33). To co it, click here, How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: John Kasich has managed to make himself look like the responsible moderate in the horror movie that is the Republican presidential primary, but it’s important to recognize that he’s neither responsible nor moderate. If he seems that way to you, it’s a measure both of how awful and extremist his competitors are and of how effectively Kasich has flown beneath the radar. Kasich showed off some of his reality, though, in a Wednesday night town hall, blaming high infant mortality on “the minority community:”

I will tell you this: The issue of infant mortality is a tough one. We have taken that on, and one of the toughest areas to take on is in the minority community, and the community itself is going to have to have a better partnership with all of us to begin to solve that problem of infant mortality in the minority community, cause we’re making gains in the majority community. We don’t ignore any of this, Chuck. These are serious issues and they need to be addressed and I don’t put my head in the sand and if I’ve got to get people upset doing it, that’s life.

Way to spin worsening racial disparities as the fault of the people being left behind!

He’s no moderate! He’s KKKasich!!

From Alternet: The first mystery guest on The Late Show’s wheel of news Thursday night was Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. Host Stephen Colbert put Sanders in the hot seat and grilled him on asking Hillary Clinton’s superdelegates to switch.

As much as I hate to say it, Bernie contradicted himself. He says Superdelegates should switch to him in states that he won, because they should reflect the will of the people. I fully agree. He says Superdelegates should switch to him in states that Hillary won, because he’s the strongest candidate. I think Superdelegates should reflect the will of their state’s voters. He can have it one way or the other, but not both.

From Orlando Sentinel: U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson received the backing of two of the biggest national grassroots progressive groups in his campaign for U.S. Senate.

Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a Washington, D.C.-based PAC, and Democracy for America, based in Vermont, both endorsed Grayson Tuesday in his race for the Democratic nomination for Senate against U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter.

"If you liked bold progressive Alan Grayson in the U.S. House, you’ll love him in the U.S. Senate," said PCCC co-founders Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor in a statement. “Every step of the way – from Wall Street reform to expanding Social Security to being a national leader for Medicare expansion – Alan Grayson has stood with progressives as one of our boldest and most reliable allies.”

I would happily support Alan for the Senate, based on his past stands on progressive issues. His “Die quickly” statement on the House floor is what gave me the idea die for “The RepubliCare Death Benefit”. However, I’d hate to see his ethics investigation derail his campaign and hand the seat to a Republican.

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Everyday Erinyes

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 9:12 pm Politics

Apr 012016

There were several things which happened or transpired last week which really should call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them. I'll share one in some detail, and a couple of others in passing. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as "unceasing," "grudging," and "vengeful destruction."

When I saw the headline "Terrorism concerns: Chase Bank stops dog owner's check over pet's suspicious name," I knew it deserved some looking into. Firstly, in the story but left out of the headline was the fact that this was a service dog. "Bruce Francis depends on his dog, a nine-year-old pitbull mix named Dash, for more than just companionship. Francis has a rare form of M.S. and Dash is a certified service dog." To their credit, both Raw Story and AlterNet put this information into their headlines. But to continue –

"Earlier this month, as was his routine, Francis paid Dash’s dog walker using his online banking account with Chase. On the memo line for the check Francis had typed Dash’s name." The next thing Francis heard was that the dog walker had not received the check. He went on line to look at his account, and found a message, "Please explain what Dash means. To OFAC (the Office of Foreign Assets Control, an office of the US Treasury)."

Francis called OFAC and was informed that the transaction had been flagged because "Dash" is similar to Daesh. The bank stopped payment on the check. Francis says he thought, "Great, they're stopping the world's stupidest terrorist."

KTVU, which originated the story, is a Fox affiliate, so I must give them credit for seeking comment from Edward Hasbrouck of Identity Project, a civil liberties group, who pointed out that many (perhaps most) people don't realize that "banks are required to scan all the financial transactions of their customers and turn over anything suspicious to the Treasury Department." So Chase was simply following the law here. (A pity, because I had hoped to be able to bring Jamie Dimon into this, but it looks like he is off the hook.) But the law itself is questionable to Hasbrouck, because it's all done in secret. He says, "What happens is that the government requires the banks to become in effect, outsourced spies for the government.”

A spokesman for Chase told KTVU, “If a name on the OFAC list appears on a payment, we are required to review it. This is an important part of ensuring that crime does not filter through the us banking system. In this instance, the payment was flagged, reviewed and eventually released.” Oh, yes, the dog walker did eventually get paid.

Francis himself says, “I think anything we can do to stop the terrorists and the funding of terrorists, let’s do it. And if it means an inconvenience to me and my dog walker then that’s a price I’m totally willing to pay.” I think that's very understanding and kind of him. I'm not (willing to pay that price).

As Hasbrouck points out, because this is all done in secret, no one but OFAC and the banks know what is on the list. Are these terms, all IMO conceivable names of pet or service animals, on the list? Brand, Alice, Baker, Ace, Deuce, Barnes, Brother, Knight, Duke, Pioneer, Storm, Hammer, White. All these words come from the SPLC list of Hate Groups and have, or could have, some connection to one or more white supremacist hate group(s). Because, if they are not, point one, that is discriminatory; and point two, more importantly, we are not really being protected from real dangers.

Dear ladies, Alecto, Megaera, Tisiphone, I apologize for not having done all the detective work here. But I am only a citizen. There are secrets that I can't access. So, first, could you check out the list I compiled against the OFAC list? And, second, could you find out what law or laws (I have suspicions of the Patriot Act, but there could well be others) dictated the existence of the OFAC list. And then – well, you know what to do, probably better than I do. After all, I am only a citizen.

In other news, there's a fellow in Florida who likes to play with guns. A bit under two years ago, he was trying to show his guests how he could quick draw "like a cowboy" and ended up sending a bullet into the temple of a pregnant woman, killing her and incidentally the potential baby. He was not charged. He claimed to have sworn off firearms for life, but this month, he was caught trying to "teach his girl friend's daughter (16) how to shoot" and was therefore discharging a shotgun into the air. At least this time he was arrested. Convicting him of a felony would at least prohibit him from owning or purchasing firearms. There's a petition to that effect. If we can get enough signatures, the Furies may not have to go deal with him.

And one last thing – Lamar Seeligson Smith (R-TX) is the chairman of the House Science Committee. Last year, he started a campaign, intending to discredit all legitimate scientsts, which is a tall order, but he could make them so tied up in red tape that he could slow down their work. He subpoenaed thousands of emails – any email which contained the word "climate," "change," and "temperature." Supported by people and organizations, the NOAA refused to release them. But now Smith is asking (did I say "asking"? I should have said "demanding") again. And, yes, he is still wrong. I'm sure the Furies can instruct him.

The Furies and I will be back.

Time for an Endorsement

Posted by TomCat at 12:31 pm Blog News, Holiday, Politics

Apr 012016

0401AprilFools2016

Poll Results–4/1/2016

Posted by TomCat at 12:30 pm Blog News, Politics

Apr 012016

Here are the results of our “Bernie: Campaign or Vision?” poll. Politics Plus Polls are not scientific, because those who respond are not balanced according to demographic categories. Therefore, we do not accurately reflect the makeup of the US population. Nevertheless, our polls are usually factually accurate, and more often than not, they reflect thinking or will of the national majority.

0401Poll

Since our polling site no longer enables us to copy and paste your poll comments, you may read them here.

I voted for Bernie’s vision. While I consider Bernie’s campaign very important also, I don’t think it’s quite as important, because Bernie’s vision of Democratic Socialism can survive without him.

The new poll concerns the meltdown in the Clown Car Destruction Derby. Get in the habit. VOTE!!

Open Thread–4/1/2016

Posted by TomCat at 12:29 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 012016

I talked to Lu last night. She says she will be here today by Noon. Grrr! I’m swamped. I spent the morning collecting the data for tomorrow’s Monthly Report.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 2:55 (average 4:30). To do it click here. How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos: They're in their own little world over in the House Freedom Caucus. They've pretty effectively killed any actual budget coming out of the Congress this year, and now are arguing to kill the lame duck session, even though they haven't worked out all the details of how. If they put their plan into effect, they might just get their government shutdown fight. Before the election.

When the House returns from a two-week recess on April 12, a small group of members are gearing up to stop GOP leadership in both chambers, if they have their way, from holding a legislative session after the November election.

It's not that the members are lazy, though doing away with the postelection session would mean the House would be in session just 17 days for the rest of the year after July 15—and zero past Sept. 30. […]

This surprises me. Given the current Republican meltdown, I think the Republican Party will be in a much stronger position in the lame duck session than they will, after the new Congress takes office. I would think they would want to do as much damage to America as possible during the lame duck session.

From NY Times: San Francisco police officers sent dozens of racist and homophobic text messages in the past several months, even as another group of officers was being investigated by prosecutors for having traded similar messages, the city’s district attorney said Thursday.

The disclosure of the new round of text messages, which includes derogatory references to blacks, Asians, lesbians, gays and transgender people, comes as the Police Department is under federal investigation after complaints that some officers routinely behave in a racially biased manner.

Along with dozens of other police departments around the nation, the San Francisco police — who work in one of the nation’s most culturally diverse cities — have come under scrutiny during the past year.

Officers have been accused of using unnecessary deadly force and brutality, and of focusing enforcement efforts on black neighborhoods while ignoring similar infractions elsewhere. Police critics, including many among the city’s dwindling black population, have held protests and called for the resignation of the police chief, Gregory P. Suhr.

On Thursday, George Gascón, the city’s district attorney, said that the text messages were a worrying sign that the department had a problem with racism and homophobia that was more ingrained than investigators had anticipated.

Every officer who sent of forwarded one or more of these text messages must be terminated in such as a way as to end their law enforcement careers. The only way to get rid of racism and bigotry in our nation’s police departments is to get rid of the racists and bigots.

From Media Matters: Now they tell us the Republican Party is to blame? That the Obama years haven't been gummed up by Both Sides Are To Blame obstruction?

The truth is, anyone with clear vision recognized a long time ago that the GOP has transformed itself since 2009 into an increasingly radical political party, one built on complete and total obstruction. It's a party designed to make governing difficult, if not impossible, and one that plotted seven years ago to shred decades of Beltway protocol and oppose every inch of Obama's two terms. ("If he was for it, we had to be against it," former Republican Ohio Sen. George Voinovich once explained.)

And for some of us, it didn't take Donald Trump's careening campaign to confirm the destructive state of the GOP. But if it's the Trump circus that finally opens some pundits' eyes, so be it.

Recently, Dan Balz, the senior political writer for the Washington Post, seemed to do just that while surveying the unfolding GOP wreckage as the party splinters over Trump's rise. Balz specifically noted that four years ago political scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein examined the breakdown in American politics and zeroed in their blame squarely on Republicans.

"They were ahead of others in describing the underlying causes of polarization as asymmetrical, with the Republican Party — in particular its most hard-line faction — as deserving of far more of the blame for the breakdown in governing," Balz acknowledged.

If I had a nickel for every time I've said that since 2008, I could retire to my own string of mansions. . I wish the Washington Post would get another reporter like that. They really need a pair of Balz.

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Friday Fun – “Houston, We Have A Problem”

Posted by SoINeedAName at 10:07 am Politics

Apr 012016

Dateline – April 1, 2016

Johnson Space Center

April Holliday Newswire

NASA engineers at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX are stunned and livid after learning that Republicans in the Texas state legislature yesterday passed, against unanimous Democratic opposition, a law that redefines the value of pi (π), a mathematical constant used extensively in the aerospace industry, as well as many other industries and educational centers.

The bill changes the value of pi from its widely accepted and commonly used value of 3.14159 to what its supporters contend is its true “Biblical” value of exactly three (3.00000). It was introduced without fanfare by a staunch Ted Cruz supporter, Sen. Iza Lou Zerr (R-Denton).

A letter campaign and an online-petition sponsored by the evangelical fundamentalist group “Let’s Get Back to the Bible” proved to be the difference in the bill’s rapid gain of right-wing support. The group’s Chairperson (who is also affiliated with a well-known White Supremacist organization) Rachel N. Tolerence, voiced her delight. “We need more laws that recognize the Bible as our sole source for guidance in all things – and that include math!”

Republican Governor, Greg Abbott, reported he will gladly sign it into law on Friday, April 1, 2016, saying, “We all should always believe that what’s in the Bible is the Gospel truth. After all, this isn’t rocket science, you know. So pi will now be its true Biblical value of 3.00000 – at least here in Texas”

According to Johnson Space Center’s Math Division Chair, Adam Upp, pi is a Greek letter derived from Euclidean geometry that signifies the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter and is frequently used by engineers to project rocket trajectories as well as many other calculations.

In utter shock, U. of Texas Electrical Engineering Professor, Alec Tricity, added that pi is a universal constant, and cannot arbitrarily be changed by lawmakers on a whim.

When informed of the legally mandated change in pi to a “Biblical” value of 3.0000, University of Texas Physics Professor Shirley U. Geste exclaimed, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Prof. Geste further explained that pi is an irrational number, which means that it has an infinite number of digits after the decimal point and can never be known exactly – and could never be rounded off to the even number of 3.0000.

Rep. Joe Kur (R-Plano) countered with "I think that it is the mathematicians that are being irrational. The Bible very clearly says in I Kings 7:23 that the altar font of Solomon's Temple was ten cubits in diameter and thirty cubits in circumference, and that it was round in compass. And that’s how one gets the true Biblical 3.0000 value for pi. It’s straight from scriptures!"

The law took the state's professionally trained scientific, mathematical and engineering communities by total surprise. “There was absolutely no warning at all this was about to happen,” Oliver Suddin, Chief Aerospace Engineer at the Johnson Space Center said.

Sen. Howard I. Nowe (R-Arlington), a co-sponsor of the bill, called into question the usefulness of any number that cannot be calculated exactly, and suggested that never knowing the precise value would harm students' self-esteem. "We need to return to some absolute values based on the Bible in our society," he said. “The Bible does not say that the font was ‘thirty-something’ cubits. It clearly says thirty cubits. Period. End. Full stop!"

Professionals from the education community are concerned that the legislation will adversely affect the way math is taught to children in Texas, a leading force in dictating how school books are written.

But one member of the Texas State School Board who is a strong supporter of home schooling based on “Christian values”, Lois Dee Nominator, is anxious to get the new value of pi into Texas’ math textbooks.

She would, however, consider a compromise allowing the non-Biblical value of 3.14159 based on actual math and scientific principles be retained as an alternative saying, "As far as I am concerned, the value of pi is only a theory, and we should be open to all interpretations." She looks forward to students having the freedom to decide for themselves what value pi should have.

Many experts are warning that this is just the beginning of a national battle over the value of pi between faith-based supporters and professionals in the education and scientific communities. “Let’s Get Back to the Bible” member Malcolm Tent agrees: "We’re ready to do battle. We just want to return pi to its true and Biblical value," he said. "And this, according to scriptures, is just plain old three – 3.00000. Can I hear an Amen on that?"

NOTE: Thanks to physicist Mark Boslough for his classic April Fool’s Day Hoax back in 1998, which can be read in its original format using Alabama as its foil HERE.

Squatch’s Open Thread 31/03/2016

Posted by Lynn Squance at 12:17 am Open Thread, Politics

Apr 012016

I don't know about where you live, but here in Metro Vancouver, BC it was sunny with nary a cloud in the sky and temperatures around 22 C (72 F) today as well as yesterday. Many of the fruit blossoms are finished, but there are still many magnolia trees (Magnolia liliiflora) in full regalia but they too will be finished before long.Yesterday I was teaching English and French, and tomorrow I will be working with my first student. My two adult students are at such different places in the command of the language. My young French student gets very excited when she knows I am coming over and it is cute to behold. Today is the last class in my Pastoral Care programme and we will be commissioned on 24/04/2016. Next Thursday I start another study group called Immersion. It is geared to we flaming liberal Christians and will be taught by our Pastor Dave along with the woman who was leading the Pastoral Care programme. So lots going on! So who said retirement was for relaxing? Retirement is for doing what you enjoy but seldom had the time to do!

Short Takes

Huffington Post — On Oct. 21, Jessica Grubb flipped open her laptop and watched a live stream of her father telling President Barack Obama about her addiction to heroin.

Obama was in Charleston, West Virginia, Jessica’s hometown, to discuss the opioid epidemic. When the local newspaper solicited questions for the president from its readers, Grubb’s parents asked their daughter if they could tell her story.

“Absolutely,” Grubb said, hoping it might help somebody else in need.

If she’d been in Charleston, Grubb would have tried to attend the president’s visit herself. But she was in Michigan, where she’d moved for a residential drug rehab program. …

Jessica Grubb 1986 – 03 March 2016

Jessica Grubb “had a twofold reaction” to her story being shared with Obama, David Grubb recalled. “The one part was, ‘Wow, the president’s talking about me.’ The second reaction was, ‘Wow, the president’s talking about me. It was bittersweet.”

Hearing about a life lost so young; about parents fighting so hard for their daughter, and ultimately all daughters and sons, yet losing the battle . . . it leaves me hollow. David Grubb is correct . . . something has to be done. He lists some things that are being done, but more is needed. Drug addiction is a health issue that needs to be addressed everywhere. In Squatch’s Open Thread 29/12/2015, I presented an article about how Portugal had decriminalised drugs and began treating drug addiction as a healthcare issue rather than a punitive issue. I then followed it up with a piece in Squatch’s Open Thread 30/12/2015.

From the internet —

Need anything more be said? I have never enjoyed his genre of writing, but on these words I agree.

Daily Kos — When I watched the Chris Matthews interview with Trump on MSNBC tonight, I’d already seen the video exchange where Trump said that women who had gotten an illegal abortion should be punished. But when I watched the entire discussion, Trump made an even more shocking, and I think, more newsworthy statement that no one even bothered to mention.

The blogger has a point. Here is the Chris Matthews interview with Drumpf.

Stephen Barf Bag Alert!!!!! Barf Bag Alert!!!!! Barf Bag Alert!!!!! Barf Bag Alert!!!!! Barf Bag Alert!!!!!

Sometime later, Drumpf tried to clarify his position but only succeeded in making himself a pathetic figure in my opinion. From The Guardian:

“If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed – like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions,” the statement said.

Raw Story — Senator Orrin Hatch took to the New York Times op-ed page to try to make the case for the Senate refusing to take up President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee.

It didn’t go well. …

If Hatch and his fellow Republicans want to vote against Judge Garland, they have every right to do so. But they should stop being cowards. They should make a substantive argument against him. vote against him, and accept the political consequences of that vote. They should stop pretending that this reckless path they have chosen is anything but a desperate attempt to hold onto a Supreme Court majority.

Amen!

My Universe — h/t Carol B, Ted W at Care2

Which one of these is not like the others?

Lizzie and Stephen

Posted by TomCat at 12:20 pm Politics

Mar 312016

Two of my favorite people in the world are Elizabeth Warren and Stephen Colbert, so when I saw that the two of them had gotten together to discuss the Presidential campaigns, I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. Note how Lizzie observes how similar Bernie and Hillary are, in comparison to how different both are to the Republicans.

On The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert wasn’t about to give any free passes last night. And Massachusettes [sic] Senator Elizabeth Warren, a favorite guest, is used to toughing it out and resisted his questions about her Democratic endorsement.

"People are having a really hard time now," Warren told Colbert, when he asked if she was surprised by how well Bernie Sanders has done. "People who work hard and play but the rules are having a hard time getting ahead, and Washington is not working for them. I think Bernie Sanders gets out there and makes that case and I think Hillary Clinton gets out there and makes that case."

Colbert wasn’t having it.

"Bernie Sanders is calling for a revolution," he reminded her. "Hillary Clinton is not calling for a revolution – She believes in slow and steady changes. Which one appeals to you more, Elizabeth Warren?"

Warren has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate – which, given her popularity – could swing voters. "Let’s be clear where the differences are," Warren explained. "Democrats are out there fighting for things that affect America’s families. For example, 70% of young people today have got to borrow money in order to go to college. So between Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders, they’re talking about ‘should it be free college or debt free college. God bless, that is the right place to have the discussion."…

Inserted from <Alternet>

Comparing asking help from Fecal Dump Trump to calling an arsonist when your house is on fire has to be one of the classic lines of all time! Go Lizzie!!

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