{"id":10164,"date":"2013-03-23T01:58:22","date_gmt":"2013-03-23T08:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=10164"},"modified":"2013-03-23T01:58:22","modified_gmt":"2013-03-23T08:58:22","slug":"open-thread3232013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2013\/03\/23\/open-thread3232013\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–3\/23\/2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

last night my fever broke again for the third time.  I hope it stays down.  I\u2019m drinking lots of fluids, dosing heavily with C, and except for feeding myself and this limited effort, staying in bed.  Soon, I hope.<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s took me 3:52 (average 4:50).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From Alternet<\/a>: <\/font>$16 billion. <\/p>\n

That’s how much JPMorgan Chase has paid in fines, settlements and other litigation expenses in the last four years alone. <\/p>\n

More than half of that amount, $8.5 billion, was paid out in fines and settlements as the result of illegal actions taken by bank executives. <\/p>\n

$8.5 billion is almost 12 percent of the net income the mega-bank brought in during the same period. <\/p>\n

12% is certainly low enough portion of net profit, that it can only encourage more criminal conduct from Banksters.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Common Dreams<\/a>: <\/font><\/p>\n

In a 62-37 vote late Friday, the US Senate passed a non-binding amendment calling for the approval of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.<\/font><\/p>\n

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\n

Alexander (R-TN), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Ayotte (R-NH), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Baldwin (D-WI), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Barrasso (R-WY), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Baucus (D-MT)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Begich (D-AK)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Bennet (D-CO)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Blumenthal (D-CT), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Blunt (R-MO), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Boozman (R-AR), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Boxer (D-CA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Brown (D-OH), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Burr (R-NC), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Cantwell (D-WA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Cardin (D-MD), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Carper (D-DE)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Casey (D-PA)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Chambliss (R-GA), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Coats (R-IN), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Coburn (R-OK), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Cochran (R-MS), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Collins (R-ME), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Coons (D-DE)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Corker (R-TN), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Cornyn (R-TX), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Cowan (D-MA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Crapo (R-ID), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Cruz (R-TX), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Donnelly (D-IN)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Durbin (D-IL), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Enzi (R-WY), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Feinstein (D-CA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Fischer (R-NE), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Flake (R-AZ), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Franken (D-MN), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Gillibrand (D-NY), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Graham (R-SC), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Grassley (R-IA), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Hagan (D-NC)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Harkin (D-IA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Hatch (R-UT), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Heinrich (D-NM), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Heitkamp (D-ND)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Heller (R-NV), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Hirono (D-HI), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Hoeven (R-ND), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Inhofe (R-OK), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Isakson (R-GA), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Johanns (R-NE), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Johnson (D-SD)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Johnson (R-WI), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Kaine (D-VA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

King (I-ME), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Kirk (R-IL), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Klobuchar (D-MN), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Landrieu (D-LA)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Lautenberg (D-NJ), <\/font>Not Voting<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Leahy (D-VT), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Lee (R-UT), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Levin (D-MI), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Manchin (D-WV)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

McCain (R-AZ), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

McCaskill (D-MO)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell (R-KY), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Menendez (D-NJ), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Merkley (D-OR)<\/font><\/strong>, <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Mikulski (D-MD), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Moran (R-KS), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Murkowski (R-AK), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Murphy (D-CT), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Murray (D-WA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Nelson (D-FL)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Paul (R-KY), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Portman (R-OH), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Pryor (D-AR)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Reed (D-RI), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Reid (D-NV), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Risch (R-ID), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Roberts (R-KS), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Rockefeller (D-WV), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Rubio (R-FL), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Sanders (I-VT), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Schatz (D-HI), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Schumer (D-NY), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Scott (R-SC), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Sessions (R-AL), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Shaheen (D-NH), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Shelby (R-AL), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Stabenow (D-MI), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Tester (D-MT), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Thune (R-SD), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Toomey (R-PA), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Udall (D-CO), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Udall (D-NM), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Vitter (R-LA), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Warner (D-VA)<\/font><\/strong><\/span>, <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Warren (D-MA), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Whitehouse (D-RI), <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Wicker (R-MS), <\/font>Yea<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Wyden (D-OR)<\/font><\/strong>, <\/font>Nay<\/strong><\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

I\u2019m glad I live in Oregon! If you own any of the Democrats bolded in red, please tear them a new lower orifice.  Of course, I don\u2019t have to tell you that every Republican goose-stepped in lock-step for Big Dirty Oil.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Crooks and Liars<\/a>: <\/font>The sheer volume of recent wing nut quotes has forced most thinking Americans to adjust their Sanity-Preserve-O-Meter’s from "Keep Calm" to "Stun". And they probably didn’t even see what we saw. Absurdity Today, Julianna Forlano’s satiric news parody, serves up what you missed, with a side of sense.<\/p>\n