{"id":14815,"date":"2015-03-01T12:16:04","date_gmt":"2015-03-01T20:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=14815"},"modified":"2015-03-01T12:16:05","modified_gmt":"2015-03-01T20:16:05","slug":"open-thread312015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2015\/03\/01\/open-thread312015\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–3\/1\/2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m running late today, because I had to collect all the data and prepare the graphics for tomorrow\u2019s Monthly Report.  My helper did not show up yesterday either.  She probably had to work.<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today\u2019s took me 4:29 (average 5:48).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From Daily Kos<\/a>: <\/font>The pension woes in NJ are, to a great extent, the result of past governors’ actions, but IMO Christie owned it as of his 2011 law\/union negotiation package (that he is trying to renege on this year).<\/p>\n

His argument that "I don’t have to abid by my own agreement because my own agreement is unconstitutional!!!  Ha, ha, suck it, ya liberal union pensioners, gotta pay for dem tax cuts!" is a pretty bizarre argument for a lawyer\/ex state’s attorney to make.<\/p>\n

I don’t think it is going to fly. How’d you like this guy as your President?<\/p>\n

Christie gets schooled by judge<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

In January, attorneys for the state argued that Christie could not make full payments because the 2011 law was violated a debt limitation clause and an appropriations clause in the state constitution. <\/p>\n

But in today’s ruling, Jacobson said Christie "now takes the unusual position in this court of claiming that this legislative contractual guarantee, which embodied significant reforms for which he took substantial credit with great national fanfare, violates the New Jersey constitution."<\/p>\n

Jacobson also ruled that the state must reimburse the unions for legal costs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It’s a shame that they can’t charge PIGnocchio with the legal fees, instead of the NJ taxpayers.<\/font><\/p>\n

From USA Today<\/a>: <\/font>Rand Paul won a high-profile straw poll for a third straight year Saturday, capping an annual conservative conference at which delegates argued about how to turn their ideas into a presidential victory in 2016.<\/p>\n

The Kentucky senator carried 25.7% in the Conservative Political Action Conference poll, while Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker finished second with 21.4% \u2014 a closer-than-expected tally in this early test of political strength among conservative Republican activists.<\/p>\n

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, finished third with 11.5%, followed closely by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson with 11.4%.<\/p>\n

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush \u2014 perhaps the most criticized candidate at this conservative conclave \u2014 finished fifth at 8.3%.<\/p>\n

Other potential presidential candidates \u2014 including Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, and Rick Perry \u2014 had less than 4% in the straw poll. Paul also won CPAC contests in 2013 and 2014.<\/p>\n

This about what I’d expect from CPUKE. What a foul collection od sold souls they are!<\/font><\/p>\n

From Right Wing Watch<\/a>: <\/font><\/p>\n

An anti-abortion panel at CPAC this afternoon was clearly gunning for a spot on the main stage next year. Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest, Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, and Darla St. Martin, co-executive director of the National Right to Life Committee, made the case that their movement is winning and that they can fill a room with activists.<\/p>\n

Dannenfelser started the discussion by declaring that "abortion-centered feminism is dead."<\/p>\n

The three credited their carefully formulated, incremental strategy that has brought them a slew of state-level victories cutting back on abortion access and pushing narrowly-tailored abortion bans meant to push back on Roe v. Wade in the courts while winning public opinion to their side.<\/p>\n

I think these dress wearing Republicans are unworthy to be called women.<\/font><\/p>\n

Cartoon<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"0301Cartoon\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m running late today, because I had to collect all the data and prepare the graphics for tomorrow\u2019s Monthly Report.  My helper did not show up yesterday either.  She probably had to work. Jig Zone Puzzle: Today\u2019s took me 4:29 (average 5:48).  To do it, click here.  How did you do? Short Takes: From Daily […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-open-thread","category-personal","category-politics","category-35-id","category-3-id","category-5-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14815\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}