{"id":12081,"date":"2014-01-27T01:25:33","date_gmt":"2014-01-27T09:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=12081"},"modified":"2014-01-27T01:25:33","modified_gmt":"2014-01-27T09:25:33","slug":"open-thread1272014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2014\/01\/27\/open-thread1272014\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–1\/27\/2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing for tomorrow, and I\u2019m still quite worn out.  Nevertheless, I have an additional article to post, although I shall remain in minimal mode, otherwise.  I plan to return to Salem for prison volunteer work on Tuesday, so I\u2019ll need maximum rest until then.<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today\u2019s took me 4:00 (average 4:50).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From The Daily Mail<\/a> (H\/T Daily Kos<\/a>): <\/font>Governor Chris Christie has been accused of exacting still more political revenge after his administration shut down the DMV office in a large New Jersey city three years ago \u2013 and Democratic politicians say it was because they opposed his tax policies and worked for his Election Day opponent.<\/p>\n

‘He shut it down, plain and simple, and of course this was political,’ New Jersey state Assemblyman Joe Cryan told MailOnline of the Motor Vehicle Commission office in Elizabeth, the fourth-largest city in New Jersey. ‘This was complete retribution. … There was no other possible explanation for it.’<\/p>\n

Cryan’s district includes Elizabeth. He was former Gov. John Corzine’s state Democratic chairman when he ran for re-election in 2009, unsuccessfully, against Christie.<\/p>\n

Ray Lesniak, Cryan’s state Senate counterpart representing the city, had been a top Corzine strategist since the future Democratic governor was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.<\/p>\n

And Elizabeth’s longtime mayor, Chris Bollwage, got under Christie’s skin soon after he took Corzine’s job, joining Cryan and Lesniak to publicly oppose what they called a ‘flawed’ plan to cap the rate of annual property tax increases in New Jersey.<\/p>\n

The three Democrats now say closing the motor vehicle bureau in Elizabeth was a way for Christie to crush three political adversaries with a single stroke of his pen.<\/p>\n

Drip! Drip!! Drip!!! The saga of PIGnocchio keeps getting better and better!<\/font><\/p>\n

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>The libertarian faithful \u2014 antitax activists and war protesters, John Birch Society members and a smattering of \u201ctruthers\u201d who suspect the government\u2019s hand in the 2001 terrorist attacks \u2014 gathered last September, eager to see the rising star of their movement.<\/p>\n

With top billing on the opening night of the Liberty Political Action Conference, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky told the audience at a Marriott in Virginia that a viable Republican Party must reach out to young people and minorities. <\/p>\n

But not long after the applause died down, Mr. Paul was out the door. He skipped an address by his father, former Representative Ron Paul, as well as closing remarks by his own former Senate aide, an ex-radio host who had once celebrated Abraham Lincoln\u2019s assassination and extolled white pride. <\/p>\n

The senator was off to an exclusive resort on Mackinac Island, Mich., where he again talked about the future of the party. But this time he was in the company of Karl Rove and other power brokers, and his audience was of Republican stalwarts who were sizing up possible presidential candidates. <\/p>\n

Wasn’t it P.T. Barnum that said, "There’s a Republican voter born every minute"? \ud83d\ude09<\/font><\/p>\n

From Think Progress<\/a>: <\/font>Despite agreeing to a budget<\/a> this month, it seems Congressional Republicans are not yet done holding the economic fate of the country hostage in order to pass aspects of its agenda. In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told host Chris Wallace that it would be \u201cirresponsible\u201d for Republicans not to try to add amendments to a bill raising the debt ceiling, which they may need to pass as early late February<\/a>. Failure to pass a debt ceiling increase would be catastrophic<\/a> for the economy, forcing the country to default on its obligations:<\/p>\n