{"id":21778,"date":"2016-05-14T11:09:48","date_gmt":"2016-05-14T18:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=21778"},"modified":"2016-05-14T11:11:03","modified_gmt":"2016-05-14T18:11:03","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-14052016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/05\/14\/squatchs-open-thread-14052016\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch’s Open Thread 14\/05\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well it has taken me several days to get this OT finished because I am in the midst of a bout of sinusitis, which among other things, has played havoc with my eyes and my ability to concentrate (headaches).  So now, with too much rest and some anti-biotics, I am starting to feel better.  I must say though, the sun has been too bright for the eyes, and the temperatures too hot — 27C (80F).  I have been binge watching Games of Thrones videos and NCIS:Los Angeles videos, which while enjoyable programmes, are too much for 3 days straight.  My sweet Primo, who I affectionately call Primolicious, has been close at hand the entire time.  He's not a lap cat but likes to be close.<\/span><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

CBC<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — The blackened landscape around Fort McMurray is far from a dead zone, despite a wildfire that has reduced more than 229,000 of hectares of boreal forest to cinders and ashes.<\/p>\n

Amid the charred skeletons of spruce and still smouldering muskeg, Alberta's fire-loving insects are on the move.<\/span><\/p>\n

"Its really spooky if you ever go to a burn after it's gone out," said Peter Heule, an insect expert with Edmonton's Royal Alberta Museum.<\/p>\n

\"Tar<\/p>\n

These long-antennaed creatures move quickly into areas torched by wildfire to find a nicely charred spot to lay their eggs. (Royal Alberta Museum )<\/span><\/p>\n

"Every step you take, there is just ash and soot, and you see these little beetles shimmering like little jewels on these black-burned trees, laying their eggs and doing their thing."<\/p>\n

Out of the ashes of destruction springs new hope.<\/span><\/p>\n

Politico<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — <\/span>Nine House committee chairmen are formally uniting behind Donald Trump’s campaign, announcing their endorsement of the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Friday as the only pathway to winning the White House in November.<\/p>\n

\"02_Donald_Trump_gty_1160.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Trump’s camp announced the endorsements of chairs Steve Chabot (Small Business), Michael Conaway (Agriculture), Jeb Hensarling (Financial Services), Candice Miller (House Administration), Jeff Miller (Veterans’ Affairs), Tom Price (Budget), Pete Sessions (Rules), Bill Shuster (Transportation and Infrastructure) and Lamar Smith (Science, Space and Technology). Though publicized in a statement encompassing the support of the range of chairs, some of the individuals named Friday had already voiced their support of the real estate mogul as recently as this week.<\/p>\n

How the general election shakes out will largely be dependant on how Democrats respond to the Drumpf challenge.  There is no room for complacency.  No room for Bernie\/Hillary supporter divisivness.  VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!!! <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

NY Times<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — <\/span>After meeting with Donald J. Trump<\/a> this week, SpeakerPaul D. Ryan<\/a> uttered the words many in his party longed to hear: “I do believe that we are now planting the seeds to get ourselves unified.”<\/p>\n

It is hard to win without party unity, as both Democrats and Republicans have learned. But neither party has confronted the prospect of a candidate denounced by some of its leading lights as a pathological liar unfit to be commander in chief and in need of therapy.<\/p>\n

Here are four reasons congressional Republicans are desperate for unity this year, and for Mr. Ryan to endorse Mr. Trump.<\/p>\n

1. Do the math<\/h4>\n

Congressional districts are far more gerrymandered than they were even 20 years ago; Republican members of Congress, by and large, come from very Republican districts. In the relatively few swing districts, Republicans cannot afford to alienate their base voters, many of whom may have voted for Mr. Trump in the primary (or other Republican presidential candidates) but could stay home in November if they are put off by party infighting.<\/p>\n

And in Senate elections, no-show voters are a threat to incumbency. “Parties want to win, and if they have sharp divisions it makes it that much more difficult” down the ballot, said Robert Dallek, a presidential historian.<\/p>\n

Click through for the other three reasons.  Are Republicans really starting to unify behind Drumpf or is this all smoke and mirrors trying to present a unified face to voters?<\/span><\/p>\n

Huffington Post<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday his state would give up all federal education funding in order to avoid complying with the gender equity law Title IX in how trans students are treated.<\/p>\n

The result of forfeiting the $10 billion currently flowing from the U.S. government to schools and public universities in Texas could leave thousands of college students without a way to pay tuition, grind to a halt a majority of research taking place on the campuses, and leave low-income children without support for meals. <\/p>\n

“[President Barack Obama] says he’s going to withhold funding if schools do not follow the policy,” Patrick said Friday at a press conference. “Well, in Texas, he can keep his 30 pieces of silver. We will not yield to blackmail from the president of the United States.”<\/p>\n

The bluebonnet state is at it again, or should that be still!  It would endanger the lives of all Texas students by denying them a proper education rather than complying with a gender equality law.  They sure do grow them bigger in Texas . . . right wing nutjobs that is!<\/span><\/p>\n

NY Times<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — <\/span>The casino magnate Sheldon G. Adelson<\/font><\/a> told Donald J. Trump<\/font><\/a> in a private meeting last week that he was willing to contribute more to help elect him than he has to any previous campaign, a sum that could exceed $100 million, according to two Republicans with direct knowledge of Mr. Adelson’s commitment.<\/p>\n

As significant, Mr. Adelson, a billionaire based in Las Vegas, has decided that he will significantly scale back his giving to congressional Republicans and direct most of his contributions to groups dedicated to Mr. Trump’s campaign. The two Republicans familiar with Mr. Adelson’s plans spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.<\/p>\n

A while ago, I seem to recall that Adelson (and the Kochs among others) said he was stepping out of campaign financing finding the then crop of Republican presidential misfits lacking.  Fast forward to today and the dye is cast with the drumpfing of all other candidates but he who must not be POTUS.  Should we maybe say that Adelson is holding his nose as he writes the cheques?  VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!!!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My<\/span> Universe<\/span> <\/strong>—<\/p>\n