I’m still feeling sick as a dawg. Lu came and helped me with my shower. As soon as my articles are up, I’m going back to bed for the day.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:24 (average 6:13). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Conspiracy theorists believe that the Republican Party did not die from natural causes but was instead the target of an elaborately planned killing, a leading conspiracy theorist has confirmed.
Harland Dorrinson, whose basement walls are covered with photos of suspects in the killing of the G.O.P., has spent countless hours connecting those photos with different colors of yarn in the hopes that a larger pattern would emerge.
“Because the Republican Party is one hundred and sixty-one years old, it’s assumed that it was time for it to die,” he said. “The truth is, that’s exactly what the people who killed it want us to think.”
While some conspiracy theorists have focussed on the billionaire Donald J. Trump as the most likely suspect in the death of the Republican Party, Dorrinson favors a “two-killer” theory that involves Arizona Senator John McCain and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
“McCain tapped Palin to be his running mate, and that led directly to people like Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Donald Trump being considered credible candidates,” he said. “There is no logical reason why McCain would have chosen Palin unless he wanted to kill the Republican Party.”
Dang!! Andy is reporting news again!!
From Daily Kos: Chris Wallace has made a career of pretending to be a serious journalist. Wallace is to Fox News what pipe cleaners are to high art—sure you can probably get some high level art done with it, but usually, it’s fun to twist things up with … and colors!
This past Sunday he had presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on his show via satellite for a little interview. Chris and Bernie spoke about some of the Sanders campaign’s talking points and then Wallace went in for his gotcha question: Bernie Sanders likes to say that the wealthiest Americans have “rigged” our country, but, according to Wallace, back in 1981 (the year where Ronald Reagan slashed taxes on the wealthy down to 17 percent) taxes on the rich were so low and now they’re so high (37 percent). Doesn’t this mean that the rich aren’t doing a good job of “rigging” the system?
Bernie smiles because, like anything coming out of the mouth of something looking at a Fox News camera, this is not the newest thought or an unheard of argument. Forget about the fact that Reagan had to subsequently sign huge tax raises not once but twice because of the disaster his original 1981 tax cuts were. Bernie smiles and begins to laugh, and you have to watch it because it truly tickles Bernie, you can see it in his eyes, to be asked something so patently false. You get the feeling that Bernie Sanders begins laughing because of all the idiotic things he knew he might have to hear during an interview on Fox News, this was not going to be one of them.
Wallace got Bernie Blasted!!
From NY Times: The United States Supreme Court declined late Friday to stay a lower court ruling that has forced North Carolina’s Republican-dominated legislature to redraw its congressional electoral maps on the grounds that the original maps amounted to racial gerrymandering.
As a result, the state must now follow a contingency plan, also devised by Republican lawmakers, that tries to comply with the lower court’s ruling by making significant changes to the boundaries of the some of the state’s 13 congressional districts.
The changes take effect less than one month before the originally scheduled March 15 primary, which has forced the legislature to set up a second election dedicated exclusively to the congressional primaries, which will now take place June 7.
The contingency plan was approved by the state legislature on Friday, hours before the Supreme Court announced that it had rejected North Carolina Republicans’ application for a stay. But the approval of the contingency plan came over the strenuous objection of Democrats, who claimed that the new congressional maps were hyperpartisan — giving Republicans 10 safe districts to the Democrats’ three — and still failed to protect black voters’ interests…
…State Senator Josh Stein, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, noted that North Carolina was the state that President Obama most narrowly won in 2008 and most narrowly lost in 2012. “North Carolina is a 50-50 state, and yet this map all but guarantees 10 out of our 13 congressional delegations will be Republican,” he said. “We live in North Carolina, not North Korea. The voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.”… [emphasis added]
What Republicans cant win with lies, they try to win with theft.
Cartoon:
14 Responses to “Open Thread–2/20/2016”
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Good one, Andy! I thought I was reading the "real" news on that one!
Chris Wallace needs to pull his head outa his a$$. He thinks he had Bernie and Bernie just laid it all back in his lap, with a wonderful GRIN!!
I would hate to live in North Carolina! Sounds as bad as OK!!!
I could start nagging you about not going to bed right after Lu helped you shower, but I know you'd be to busy with the blog in your head to really recuperate, so I'll leave it at that, TomCat 😉
The New Yorker: Wow, Andy, that's a great column there that touches upon so many issues at once: Conspiracy theories about Scalia's death, the expected demise of the GOP, what and who set it's downfall in motion, McCain, Trump, Palin, Bachman…and one big laugh!
Daily Kos: Trying to make yourself appear like a pundit by asking Bernie "smart questions"is about the most stupid thing you can do. Chris Wallace was lucky Bernie was in a good mood and never one to savage someone in a debate or interview, so he got away not quite the fool he could have been made out to be. But I doubt Wallace will ever return the favor – mostly because he'll never have to 🙂
NY: You'd think that Republicans in North Carolina should have gotten the message by now that they'll have to come up with some truthful boundaries, but this contingency plan is just as bad as the gerrymandering that went on before it and will let them get away with 10-3 safe Republican districts no matter what the voter turnout is going to be, again. Blatant theft and more of this to follow if Obama doesn't get to appoint a new justice for SCOTUS soon.
Cartoon: So I'm not as familiar with American politics as I hoped I'd be: I have no idea who this man is.
Lona, this is Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito, part of SCROTUS. Someone you should not add to your Christmas card list!
CARTOON: So it’s Alito who’s been “pulling Clarence’s string”?
And here all along I thought for sure it was Scalia “pulling Clarence’s finger” that caused those odiferous sounds on the right-side of the bench.
Apparently I was wrong.
NYer: Great post by Andy! Hilarious! LOL.
DK: Bernie smacked him good.
NY Times: How disgusting. “North Carolina is a 50-50 state, and yet this map all but guarantees 10 out of our 13 congressional delegations will be Republican''. It's a win-win for Repugs now. ugh!!
Sure hope that you start feeling better. Drink lots of fluids and get some much needed rest. Take care, and Thanks, Tom.
I had the same initial reaction as Vivian, had to be sure to see whether it was Andy, or not! But, the idea that the GOP went off the edge with the choice of Palin for Veep seems sound to me. I had heard tht McCain did not choose her but that she was foisted upon him…either way it was a strange jog towards the weird.
Thank you SoINeedAName. i had not realized that that beauteous visage belonged to Alito. Do we now get to watch Clarence slowly melt away, as in a slow motion video of the wicked witch's demise?
Chris Wallace…..putz.
4:22 The lanterns did not give off enough light for me to find my way.
3:04 Don't worry Puddy Tat, there wasn't even enough light and heat to attract insects for you to chase and snack on!
AB tells it like it is. Bernie did get the better of Wallace for sure. Wonder if this means NC election results can get thrown out…
6:43, after one cleaning, one defragmentation, and three virus scans. At least the pieces moved.
I see Umberto Eco has joined Harper Lee and the rest of the celestial authors' guild. Is it just me, or are they leaving us at a rapid rate? Maybe fleeing Republicans?
New Yorker – The problem with all the reports of the death of the Republican party is that they are all based on the assumption that sanity in America is alive and well. It isn't. The Republican Party is stronger than it has ever been. Stupider, yes, but stronger. Look at all the first-time newly-registering white supremacist voters. Be afraid. Be very afraid. That said, the satire is brilliant.
DKos – Perhaps Bernie would like a Tshirt like one I once had, which said, "Don't mess with me, I'm literate."
NY Times – Ah. Truth and justice now constitute a contingency. Well, this is another indication that the reports of the death of the GOP are greatly exaggerated. I once was stationed, and in fact owned property, in North Carolina, and thought it a lovely state, with many insane jurists and legislators. Sounds like the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Tar Heels do have one wonderful national treasure, Dr. Barber. All else equal, it might be worth going there just to meet and work with him. I'm not in a position to, but I surely wish him all the help, love, and support he can handle.
Cartoon – Pulling stings and pulling fingers are not exactly the same thing. Is Alito afraid he'll have to do both now? He does look like he is in the presence of an odor.
Just echoing others – definitely rest and relaxation for a rapid recovery!
(Given your medical "adventures" – I bet you weren't able to get a flu shot this season. Hope it's just a cold or pedesterian virus.)
I hope you get better soon!
The New Yorker: It is getting harder and harder to detemine if Andy is doing satire or straight reporting.
Daily Kos: Good for Bernie. I don't know how anyone could take Wallace seriously. If not for his father, he probably would never have had the job. Bernie showed his poise and confidence once again.
New York Times: Gerrymandering should be stopped, period. Both parties have used it, but the Republicans are masters at it.
cartoon: Good one!
Puzzle — 3:04 Don't worry Puddy Tat, there wasn't even enough light and heat to attract insects for you to chase and snack on!
The New Yorker — "Andy is reporting news again!!" — No doubt!!! Might even be a tag-team affair . . . McCain/Palin with the final nail in the coffin by Trump/Cruz!
Daily Kos — Bernie mopped the floor with Wallace, a dirty mop at best. Go Bernie!
NY Times — I hope this new plan is challenged in the courts too under the Voting Rights Act. Get it correct North Carolina!
Cartoon — Now that Salia is gone (doing my happy dance), Alito has the job. No increased pay , , , hell man, you don't earn what you make now!
Breaking News!
Jeb! Bush 'suspends' campaign (drops out) after South Carolina loss
By Laura Clawson
Saturday Feb 20, 2016 · 5:43 PM PST
We’re going to have to bid farewell to Jeb! Bush’s exclamation point, because—currently mired in fourth place in South Carolina after finishing sixth in Iowa and fourth in New Hampshire—he is bowing to reality and leaving the Republican presidential primary.
Establishment Republicans will be jumping up and down with joy that now they get to support Marco Rubio without angering the Bush family.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/2/20/1488483/-Jeb-Bush-suspends-campaign-drops-out-after-South-Carolina-loss
Please "Clap, clap, clap" for Dumya Jeb! Bush..
A Jeb in Winter | Full Frontal with Samantha Bee | TBS (no CC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=quoPqs3xccE
This now leaves Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich and Carson for the GOP nomination.
.