{"id":12174,"date":"2014-02-12T00:11:12","date_gmt":"2014-02-12T08:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=12174"},"modified":"2014-02-12T00:11:12","modified_gmt":"2014-02-12T08:11:12","slug":"open-thread2122014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2014\/02\/12\/open-thread2122014\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–2\/12\/2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing for tomorrow, and my COPD is still severe, but I do have another article.  The ice storms are over, for now, and it looks like I\u2019ll be able to get out, after today.  I hope you enjoy what Abe wants for his birthday.<\/font><\/p>\n

Late Note<\/strong>:  I was right on the first short take.<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today\u2019s took me 2:49 (average 4:25).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>The House is likely to vote Wednesday on a plan to extend the government\u2019s borrowing authority into 2015 in exchange for reversing a cut to the pensions of working-age military veterans that Congress approved just two months ago to try to trim the budget deficit.<\/p>\n

The plan, presented to House Republicans on Monday evening by their leaders, represents a dramatic reversal for the House after three years of using the debt ceiling to extract major spending cuts and conservative policy changes. In this instance, the debt ceiling deadline \u2014 looming at the end of this month \u2014 will be used to reverse the only difficult spending cut included in a budget and deficit-reduction deal reached in December.<\/p>\n

For its part, the Senate voted Monday evening 94 to 0 to take up a Democratic bill that reverses the same spending cut without paying for it with other savings.<\/p>\n

This sounds like an attempt at projection by Republicans, to hide a cave-in, because they were the ones who originally insisted on these cuts on the conference committee, and Democrats are the ones that have been trying to reverse these Republican cuts.  I doubt that Republicans will actually vote to repeal those cuts.  I think they are about to cave-in.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Alternet<\/a>: <\/font>Crazy: Fox Host Lashes Out At Lego Movie for ‘an Anti-Business Message to Kids’<\/p>\n

Barf Bag Alert!!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n