I’m writing for tomorrow, waiting for a grocery delivery to arrive from Store to Door (highly recommended), and enjoying the breezes it takes to be a real cool cat. :-) Wooo Hooo! Day 24.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:09 (average 4:47). To do it click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: What happens when eight million people sign up for private insurance under Obamacare and millions more get coverage under the law’s Medicaid expansion? This:
House Republicans have no scheduled votes or hearings on ObamaCare, signaling a shift in the party’s strategy as the White House rides a wave of good news on the law.
Not a single House committee has announced plans to attack the healthcare law in the coming weeks, and only one panel of jurisdiction commented to The Hill despite repeated inquiries.
GOP campaign committees also declined to say whether they will launch any new efforts on the law.
But according to Senate Republicans, the notion that Republicans are running from their attacks on Obamacare is a load of bunk:
“There is absolutely zero evidence that any Republican is talking about ObamaCare less,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Brook Hougesen in a statement.
Oh yeah? Well, then what do you call this?
Whatever you call it, I call it Republicans using their BS in Bullshitology!
From Dallas Morning News: The Wendy Davis campaign is focusing on opponent Greg Abbott’s role as an overseer of the scandal-marred Texas cancer-research agency in a new, strongly worded line of attack. Millions of dollars earmarked for cancer research went to Abbott’s political donors.
Texas suffers from Republican Reich Rule. Wendy Davis for Governor!
From Think Progress: “[O]ur right to the free exercise of religion is co-equal to our right to life, [pseudo-Christian delinked]” according to the campaign website of Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who won his party’s nomination to the United States Senate on Tuesday. Nebraska is a solid red state that preferred Romney to Obama by a massive 21 point margin in 2012, so Sasse is now all but certain to succeed retiring Sen. Mike Johanns (R) this November. If he does, Sasse promises to promote an almost anarchistic vision of religious liberty as a member of the Senate. According to Sasse’s website, “[g]overnment cannot force citizens to violate their religious beliefs under any circumstances. [pseudo-Christian delinked]”
This Republican is claiming at any Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christian has the right to break any law at any time. He is wrong. The right to freedom of exercise of Religion does NOT extend to the violation of the Constitutional rights of another. If obeying the law runs counter to his beliefs, and he disobeys, that is civil disobedience, a practice I have engaged in myself. However, part of civil disobedience is facing whatever legal consequences that arise from that act. This extremist is not only a wing-nut. He is also, in all probability, the next US Senator from Nebraska.
Cartoon:
14 Responses to “Open Thread–5/15/2014”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Time: 3:35 – so much green between the honey and the bee….
Wendy Davis is doing better than one from the outside might expect, that is considering what you must think of Texas these days. One of my god-children will graduate from Baylor on Saturday so this weekend I will not be knocking on doors, but often the reception has been better than any of us expected. Wendy Davis is a bright energetic woman with such horribly radical ideas that she believes in personal rights. Rights that include religious freedom for all, the right to decide for yourself whether or not you might want to use birth control, the right to a good basic education for all Texas children. Shocking, I know.
“Education must be the number one priority we address as a state,” the state senator from Fort Worth said during a panel discussion at the University of Texas at Arlington. “It is part of making sure that we keep a promise to Texas, that where they start should have nothing to do with where they go.” said Wendy Davis.
(Dallas Morning News)
I see that by using just the right wording the issue of religious freedom has been slowly turned from your freedom to worship into my freedom to worship exactly as told. Is that really the train anyone wishes to ride? Do you as Christians want to force everyone to believe exactly as you do? When I see or hear statements about putting god back in the White House or allowing god back in the classroom I shutter. The White House, representing the titular head of a constitutional government is supposed to remain as neutral as human possible on issues of religion. When it does not, we have one religion or one arm of the Christian religion coming to the fore. Prayer has never been removed from our public schools, the idea that all children must be forced into one prayer led by their teacher was ruled unconstitutional. Big difference.
Greg Abbot, if you do not know is stilling running ads about Obama care, though this is one of many states that opted out of allowing the extension of Medicare. That leaves Texas with a huge population of those who work full time with many not even being paid minimum wage and most certainly not able to buy personal insurance.
The republicans are still running around like chickens without heads, screaming the sky is falling, and not realizing that they are pulling the ceiling down on their own heads. They are still not able to sanely discuss and address the real issues that face this country daily. Most of us are a part of that huge growing inequality the gap between those who have to decide on a new yacht and how to buy something for dinner, quick, affordable and easy to access health care, a burning need for our children to get an education for the taxes paid, the right of each citizen to vote without paying for that right. Dare I say it? Republicans, once the real leaders in environmental issues, are now painted into a corner that somehow leaves them unable to acknowledge science. That is sad for them and catastrophic for all of us. This really is not that 4 out 5 doctors recommend smoking, that too is just once more distraction. When any group lumps all scientists, whether or not they are specialists in that field, you can get some dissenters. If I had pain and fever and each gastroenterologist I saw told me I needed to have my appendix removed, but my eye doctor said it was probably just fine, I think logic would dictate that I follow the educated opinion. Just a few issues that those who are screaming to bring down the government have chosen to ignore. Ever thought about what bringing down the government really means?
What could possibly more important than another expensive and useless investigation of Benghazi? Distraction, we are so quick to fall for each distraction. "Every time you say Benghazi a republican gets an erection."
Happy day to all, smiles TC
The theft of money (huge sums of money) from cancer research to give to political cronies makes me feel completely sick. How can anyone do that to people???!!! Wendy Davis for Governor!
Love the Daily Kos graph – surprise surprise, the Reich wing is lying again!
Glad you are enjoying your AC, TC!
This is a bittersweet story with lots of tear-producing pictures of a baby elephant whose mother died, and the orphaned baby elephant refused to leave its mother's side. (Autopsy of Mom showed she had a massive infection from a volvulus – a twisted gut.)
But despite the cold and lurking predators, the orphan was rescued – and now has lots of new friends. YEAH!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2628032/Orphaned-elephant-refused-leave-dead-mothers-side.html#ixzz31i9vHekh
Day 24, good, keep it up!
4:11 but average is up to 5:02. I would expect a bee sting to speed people up – but maybe people are being cautious today.
Wow, just look what an air conditioner will do! Installed for one day, and four articles pop up! Enjoy, and keep well.
Daily Kos – It is still being used in advertising in their home districts. I use the passive voice because it's never clear (money being speech and the GOP being so free with it and all) whether the candidates are actually paying for it or whether it is the Kochs and their ilk.
Dallas Morning News – misstexaskitty, a heartfelt thank you from me and all who love our country for going door to door for Wendy. You are a shining example to us all. God bless you (the real God, not the Republican God). Advertising – certainly negative ads are no fun, but in order for a politician to run on his or her record, the record has to be known. No politician is going to trumpet his own negatives, especially when they are so close to criminal. Someone has to do it to TRY to prevent known criminals from getting into office.
Think Progress – Sad, sad, sad. At least it isn't a Democrat he will be replacing. We have to expect some wing nuts in the Senate (and in the House) since there are so many running around (though not as many as the politicians think there are). 100% sanity would be lovely, but I will settle for a solid majority.
Cartoon – Well, they are still doing it. Police don't lynch. They shoot first and ask questions much later if at all.
3:18 Time to move on little bee. TomCat's already been here.
3:48 I'm still smelling the flowers. Don't bother me.
3:18 Let me tell you about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees . . .
Daily Kos: They lost on Obamacare,now they are trying to drive people into a frenzy about Benghazi. Faux news has been a great help in this regard.
Dallas Morning News: I hope Wendy Davis prevails, maybe she can bring some sense back to Texas.
Think Progress: Yet another nut in the Senate, just what we don't need.
Cartoon: Another sad day in the history of our country.n
Puzzle — 3:18 Let me tell you about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees . . .
Daily Kos — From the Republicanus/Teabagger play book: When one manufactured scandal loses its sizzle, move on to the next manufactured scandal. That way, one avoids talking real issues and captures the salacious appetites of the unwashed and uneducated.
Dallas Morning News — Texas Reich rule: Government of the Republicanus/Teabagger friends, by the Republicanus/Teabaggers, for the Republicanus/Teabagger friends. Wendy Davis, Democrat rule: Government of the peopl, by the people, for the people. Any questions?
Think Progress — His isn't "an almost anarchistic vision of religious liberty", Ben Sasse IS an anarchistic vision of religious liberty.
In saying “[g]overnment cannot force citizens to violate their religious beliefs under any circumstances." , he is saying government cannot force ANY citizen to violate their religious beliefs under any circumstances so that extends to ALL religions. That WILL BE anarchy if it were to come to pass. We all know that what he really meant was “[g]overnment cannot force pseudo Christian citizens to violate their religious beliefs under any circumstances." The hell with the rest of the American citizens. Too bad that this guy is all but assured the senate seat. InsaniTEA!
Cartoon — I heard on our news today that after so many years desegregating education, there is more segregation than ever in the educational system. According to the report, White and some Asian students are paying to go to charter schools etc while Blacks and Hispanics go to public schools where the funding is being cut and resources are scarce. That to me is promoting segregation and setting kids up for failure.
Thanks everyone. Out of time.
4:50 – Puzzle – – 😆
Amen to that idea… 😥