{"id":12005,"date":"2014-01-11T00:49:18","date_gmt":"2014-01-11T08:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=12005"},"modified":"2014-01-11T00:49:18","modified_gmt":"2014-01-11T08:49:18","slug":"open-thread1112013-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2014\/01\/11\/open-thread1112013-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–1\/11\/2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing for tomorrow and still feel like something to be buried in the deep end of my kitty box.  My Broncos do not worship the Ellipsoid Orb until Sunday, so tomorrow, may its divine light shine upon your team.<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today\u2019s took me 4:09 (average 5:28).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From The New Yorker<\/a>: <\/font>New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lashed out at the media today, saying that it had \u201cfailed to focus on the single most important issue regarding me, which is my weight.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a press conference in Trenton, Christie yelled at a room full of reporters, accusing them of doing the public a disservice by not devoting all of their coverage of him to the issue of his body mass.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow much I\u2019ve weighed in the past, how much I weigh now, and how much I\u2019m eating\u2014that\u2019s all you clowns should be writing about,\u201d he yelled. \u201cAnything else is just a distraction.\u201d<\/p>\n

LOL Andy. That Republican criminal would do anything to switch the focus to anything but Bridgeghazi.<\/font><\/p>\n

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>With his strong-armed change to the filibuster rule and an iron-fisted control of the Senate floor, Senator Harry Reid has engaged in the greatest consolidation of congressional power since Newt Gingrich ruled the House, unleashing a bitterness that may derail efforts to extend unemployment insurance.<\/p>\n

Mr. Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, on Thursday dismissed all proposed Republican amendments to the unemployment extension, even those drafted by Republicans who had handed Democrats a victory on Tuesday by voting to take up the bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get nowhere with dueling amendments,\u201d Mr. Reid declared.<\/p>\n

A Republican effort to try to reopen the amendment process failed on a party-line vote, 42 to 54, setting up a showdown next week that is likely to end in the bill\u2019s demise, Democrats conceded.<\/p>\n

To Democrats, it was a typical Reid show of force in the face of unfair Republican amendments. To Republicans, it was only the latest \u2014 and one of the boldest \u2014 slaps in the face.<\/p>\n

The Republicans’ amendments had nothing to do with either helping the unemployed or promoting job growth, contrary to Republican lies on the matter. Each was a poison pill, designed to kill the bill in a way that they could deceptively claim to have supported it. Reid was spot on to insist that Republicans kill it directly, if they’re going to kill it anyway, so at least they can take credit for their greed and heartlessness.<\/font><\/p>\n

From YouTube<\/a>: <\/font>RACHEL MADDOW: An Alternate Theory Of The Christie Scandal<\/p>\n