I’m writing for tomorrow, day 73. I have a friend coming over to help me with laundry and heavy cleaning today. (Later: she called and rescheduled for Saturday, screwing up both days).
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:02 (average 4:26). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Joanne’s Humor:
Short Takes:
From The Nation (Hat-Tip Joanne Dixon): …The true measure of Democrats’ sincerity will determine how hard they push for these policies in the near term, and also to what extent these ideas will become part of the Democratic agenda in 2016. Should the party retain the White House and maybe even win back Congress in two years, this might decide whether Washington can actually act to slow down dangerous Wall Street trading and exorbitant CEO pay while funneling the benefits back to the middle class.
Really, it goes beyond those particular policies—are Democrats ready to take on the wealthy and corporate classes at full steam, Citizen’s United be damned?
It’s a question where progressives should resist easy answers. Loyal partisans will dutifully tell you Democrats mean business. Cynical progressives trained to thoroughly distrust the motives of any elected Democrat will tell you otherwise…
This is a tiny snippet from an extensive article. Click through. I can only hope that democrats are learning from and not just trolling the left, because the only other alternative, for now, is the Republicans.
From CREW: More than four years after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging former Republican Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell had converted more than $20,000 of campaign funds to her personal use, the FEC finally sued O’Donnell and her campaign treasurer, Matt Moran, for exactly that. Most astonishingly, we’ve learned that in November, the current slate of commissioners voted 6-0 – a nearly unprecedented display of unanimity – to find probable cause to believe O’Donnell and Moran had violated the law. Then last week – again in a 6-0 vote – the Commission authorized the filing of a lawsuit to recover the money.
CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan stated, “Contrary to all of Christine O’Donnell’s whining, she is not and never was an innocent victim of partisan attacks. Rather, she was an otherwise jobless scam artist who fleeced donors to support herself.”
CREW’s September 2010 complaint, which formed the basis of the FEC’s lawsuit, alleged O’Donnell violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by illegally using campaign funds to pay rent and utility bills for a townhouse, where she lived and out of which her campaign operated.
In case you’ve forgotten Christine O’Dingbat… Barf Bag Alert!!
Kudos to CREW. Click through for details and documents. This goes to show that even the most insane Republicans consider themselves above the law. I liked Elvira’s version better.
From Daily Kos: One of the first things the new Republican-led Senate has done is moved a bill forward to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. Ten Democratic senators and independent Angus King of Maine voted Yea, as seen above.
Five of the eleven are from states won by Mitt Romney in 2012. Angus King, Tom Udall, and Tom Carper, however, are from states President Obama won by more than 10 points.
If you own one, tear them a new asshole. Obama intends to veto the bill.
Cartoon:
15 Responses to “Open Thread–1/17/2014”
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Thanks TC – sorry about your friend (people who let others down never seem to think how it can mangle the short amounts of energy on both days of those they were supposed to be helping, do they?).
Thanks Joanne for the Nation article – the Democrats have really got to get some bravery from somewhere and tell their big donors where to get off, and start to represent the people they SAY they want to represent. Trouble is one wish unites every politician in the world – the desire to stay in power/be re-elected – and that makes cowards of nearly all of them.
CREW – ah yes, 'Christine O'Dingbat' and that infamous video 'I'm not a witch … I'm YOU!' – to which most viewers said 'Oh no you aren't, you lunatic!' – or words to that effect.
Daily Kos – treacherous blue dogs! Ah well, local democrats now know exactly where their Repuglicon loyalties lie and can elect someone better – please God!
4:38 average still 4:26. "Is that a chamois?" "No, it's a realie." OMG, my age is showing, isn't it?
Nation – Thanks. I do feel some of them mean business, but I'm sure there are trolls in there too. There are trolls everywhere. Heck, the terrorists are trolling us. The problem is figuring out who is what.
CREW – I'm thrilled that this will come to court. I do wonder what took so long. I am absolutely with you on CREW – thank whatever you thank for them and do it passionately.
Daily Kos – I have already used the Daily Kos form to rip mine a new one, and I don't want to make any excuses, but I can understand wanting cloture – vote the damn thing – get it off the table – let the President veto it. Still, cloture would have passed without them, and they would have done better to make a statement. Let's see how they vote on the bill itself.
Cartoon – Some of the baby steps looked innocuous. But we should have listened and paid more attention.
Incidentally – Since the 80's I have been afraid that excessive airborne pesticide use would cause permanent brain damage widely across the country. If you look at the current Congress – I rest my case.
2:25 I was quick as a chamois getting up that mountain.
3:08 Mountain? I have enough trouble right now with a few stairs using 2 knees. 4 knees and a mountain . . . I wish!
This shows the lengths that repukkklicans will go to keep their donors happy!
The DINO’s are rearing their ugly heads and cannot be trusted! They will show their red stripes when we need them to back environmental causes when republicans try to take away the very right to breathe clean air! The KXL will be the death of many, many men and beasts because of the tar sands coming through the center of our country!
Keystone is a job killer as after it is built the net job gain is a loss, bad idea…!
Ike wouldn't recognize the current GOP party today.
Have been responding to emails from the traitors that they will not get donations from me in the future…nor PACs or party efforts they might get something from.
CREW does follow through…will she cry that she's melting when convicted?
Part 1:
The Nation:
Some of the Demos do mean business but it all seems a bit late. What they can do is stall the GOP/TP agenda as best as they can all the while start laying down their plans, objectives and informing the Public. Demos did very little in promoting progressive ideas the last two years. Some Demos did not help promote Obama's gains and the progressive ideas very well. In fact, Demos were practically negligent on positive gains and promoting, advertising them.
One thing the GOP/TP did very well and stayed the course in saying "NO" to anything Obama did regardless of what it was. Pure hatred and racist against Obama was their agenda. "You're either with us or against us". Any GOP/TP that did not follow the party line was ostracized.
CREW:
Christine O’Donnell isn't a witch; she is a troglodyte, out of touch with reality. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) will get her.
Elvira's version is certainly much better. For those of you Sarah Palinsane fans, here is one for you! "Elvira's Movie Macabre: Sarah Impalin'"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7ySAPhslJM
For those of you not famiiar with CREW, CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress:
http://Congress: http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/mostcorrupt
The Congress should not be part of the hot link. It should simply have the CREW link only. My copy and paste from my text edit was a bit sloppy as I did not pay close attention. Tired eyes from reading various stories from different sources was the culprit. lol.
Part 2:
Daily Kos:
Ten Democratic senators and independent Angus King of Maine voted Yea, as seen above. Guess that they are dyed-in-the-wool pukes. Yep, tear them all a new one. Any of you who have these Congresscritters, write to them and tear a new one on them. The Keystone, if built, will be one of the biggest polluters around. Say goodbye to clean water.
Cartoon:
January 17, 1961: President Eisenhower Warns of the ‘Military-Industrial Complex’ in His Farewell Address
http://www.thenation.com/blog/194713/january-17-1961-president-eisenhower-warns-military-industrial-complex-farewell-address
Claim: President Eisenhower once observed that "a few Texas oil millionaires" wanted to "abolish social security."
TRUE: http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/ikesocial.asp
"President Dwight Eisenhower, Republican, uttered these words on November 8, 1954:
"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
In addition to being a war hero, a decent fellow, a moderate Republican before they began to go extinct, President Eisenhower apparently was also quite the prophet.
Puzzle — 3:08 Mountain? I have enough trouble right now with a few stairs using 2 knees. 4 knees and a mountain . . . I wish!
The Nation — "But this effort could also go off the rails in a thousand different ways—maybe a million different ways, if Democrats aren’t truly invested in the outcome."
During the last mid term, Democrats seemed to be all over the place. There didn't seem to be any unity of purpose, no cohesion. Democrats, IMO, have to show their left leaning policies and not be apologetic. They have to know how policies will work and not leave the explanations to the Mitt Rmoneys of the country who will only tell lies and provide misinformation. This takes work and planning, and in opinion, that should be happening now.
CREW — "Sloan continued, “This was no more of a witch hunt than O’Donnell was a witch.”" And you heard O'Donnell say she is not a witch! I wonder if she'll try to run again. She should be barred from running.
Daily Kos — Great pictures for my dart board!
Cartoon — And it grew and grew and grew. Then Chickenhawk Cheney entered the picture and it grew exponentially!
Short Takes: I think I am a cynical progressive. Most of the Democrats we currently have in DC are not much better than the Republicans. If these ideas will get them elected, they will support them. Also as the article says, they have nothing to lose right now by espousing these causes.
CREW: I don't know how any of us could forget her. She was very entertaining! My question is, why did it take four years to charge her? I like Elvira's better, too. My son was in love with her when he was 13.
Daily Kos: Sadly, both my Senators are Republicans so you know how they voted. Manchin is a DINO, but he plays to the anxieties of people in WV who are worried about their jobs. WV, Ky, and parts of VA are all dependent on the coal industry for decent paying jobs, largely because the coal companies own our governments and are given precedence over citizens, with no help bringing in other industry. When you see your pay check leaving, it is hard to think about other things.
Cartoon: Americans were to busy watching tv, which was relatively new when he left office, we only had three channels, to even listen to what they were being told by people with a little wisdom. If only we had enough people now who didn't spend their lives watching tv or going to movies, but watching their government and going to elections!
Sorry you didn't get the help when you needed it.
Exhausted. Pit Stop. Hugs.
Question 2 days ago. "Are Americans crazy?No JUST STUPID.America ,unlike the civilised industrial countries of Western Europe has the worst infrastructure (an internaional disgrace,,pitiful transportation,dangerous bridges,(remaining unfixed).but worst someof the most corrupt polititions in the world.They, with the help pf lobbyists and MONEY sabotaged the ACA,immigration,the damned pipeline,deny Global Warming,( they are NOT scientists) could of fooled me)and some are SO dumb that they do not know enough to come out of the rain!.
The country is on a positive killing spree, endangered animals .Who Cares?,Destroy the beautiful environment,so what?
In fact they make Pol Pot lok like a beginner, talk about the killing fields.!!(Killing Derby,s against wildlife.}
and worst of all, he stupid American public STILL votes for these money mad crooks.eg. Who ,in their right mind would vote for Gohmert and othe nuts//?!.SORRY BUT i SEE no LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS TUNNEL.Just my opinion.