Dec 142012
 

I’m getting so sick of sick.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow, I hope.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:03 (average 5:08).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: We’d Just Like To Say ‘Ditto’ To Everything Jennifer Granholm Says In This Clip

 

Mathematically, Herr Snyder:Governors::Herr Scalia:Injustices. Republicans are trying to convert the 98% into just another third world country they can exploit with ease.

From NY Times: It’s important to make this point, because I keep seeing articles about the “fiscal cliff” that do, in fact, describe it — often in the headline — as a debt crisis. But it isn’t. The U.S. government is having no trouble borrowing to cover its deficit. In fact, its borrowing costs are near historic lows. And even the confrontation over the debt ceiling that looms a few months from now if we do somehow manage to avoid going over the fiscal cliff isn’t really about debt.

No, what we’re having is a political crisis, born of the fact that one of our two great political parties has reached the end of a 30-year road. The modern Republican Party’s grand, radical agenda lies in ruins — but the party doesn’t know how to deal with that failure, and it retains enough power to do immense damage as it strikes out in frustration.

Before I talk about that reality, a word about the current state of budget “negotiations.”

Here is another can’t miss editorial by Paul Krugman. Click through. See also Bernie Sanders take on the negotiations.

From MSNBC: Pope Grover’s Demonstrates Republican Love

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

If anyone needs a short leash, it’s Norquist, with a spiked choke collar. Like the Republican party, he is flailing desperately to stay relevant and failing miserably. But his grotesque characterizations exemplify what Republicans love.

Cartoon:

14Cartoon

Republican Theocons attribute this discovery, without which modern electronics would not be possible, to the devil.

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  16 Responses to “Open Thread–12/14/2012”

  1. 5:06 I'm not optimistic about this at all. At least I made it just under the average time.

  2. Puzzle — 3:55  I'm still sailing though I thought there were a couple of swells that were threatening to capsize me.
     
    MoveOn — The thugs of Snyderstan, long may they wallow in their own filth, and the people rise up to wrest back control!
     
    NY Times — As usual, excellent piece by Paul Krugman.

    "…From the beginning, however, these ideologues have had a big problem: The programs they want to kill are very popular [even to middle class Republican/Teabaggers]. Americans may nod their heads when you attack big government in the abstract, but they strongly support Social Security, Medicare, and even Medicaid. So what’s a radical to do?"

    If I recall correctly, it was in yesterday's Open Thread in an article in the Daily Beast that showed the results of a poll conducted by Marist — a poll that showed overwhelming support by Republicans as by 47-37, they oppose letting the current payroll tax cut expire; by 68-26, they’re against cutting Medicare spending; by 61-33, they oppose cutting Medicaid spending; by 66-28, they’re against eliminating the home-mortgage interest deduction; by 72-25, they oppose eliminating the charitable contribution deduction; and by 56-44,  they just say no to raising the Medicare eligibility age.
     
    I heard on the news yesterday that Boehner was castigating Mr Obama yet again about being totally uncoöperative and not putting forth a serious plan.  The air in my car turned blue with a few expletives for Mr Boehner.  I think that Krugman is absolutely correct when he in essence says that, in their death throes, the Republican/Teabaggers are lashing out and they have no regard whatsoever for the damage that will be done to the economy or the country.  As he says, this is a POLITICAL CRISIS, a crisis made by petulant Republican/Teabagger children.  This is no longer a game of political chicken, this is just plain asinine!
     
    MSNBC — Grover Norquist: "Obama will be on a very short leash fiscally speaking over the next 4 years …"
     
    TC: "If anyone needs a short leash, it’s Norquist, with a spiked choke collar."  I agree but please note, I would put the spikes facing inwards at Norquist's bared neck!
     
    Cartoon — Seems within the past 2-3 weeks, the cartoon was about Einstein, and now about a physicist 19 years Einstein's elder.  From Wikipedia: "…Together they [Planck and Einstein] constitute the fundamental theories of 20th-century physics. Both have led humanity to revise some of its most cherished philosophical beliefs, and have brought about industrial and military applications that affect many aspects of modern life."

    • Lynn, may I volunteer to be the one who sharpens the inward-facing spikes on Norquists' collar? I promise I'll do a very thorough job, and may even add an embellishment or two, like barbs.

      • The job is your's.  May I also suggest some curaré or other such solution on the tips, barbed or otherwise, just to show how compassionate we liberals can be!

    • Congrats!

      Amen!

      You do remember correctly, and this is a Republican-manufactured crisis.

      That was my intent, and I agree to giving John the sharpening job.

      Indeed.  Planck instituted a nre branch of Physics, while Einstein was the culmination of Newtonian physics.

  3. Dear NRA Members:
     
    If your first reaction to the unbearable tragedy of the shootings of innocent children, teachers and others in Newton is …
     
    "Oh, shit.  Now the libtards will have ANOTHER reason to try to regulate our guns."
     
    Then your priorities as a human being SUCK!

    • I just read of this shooting in Huff Post — 28 dead, mostly elementary school children.  There are a lot of people saying it is time for a discussion about gun control and the second amendment.  Of course the NRA rates lawmakers and too many lawmakers bow and scrape to the NRA because of the money flow.
       
      Well it is past time to remove the NRA from politics.
       
      It is past time to review the 2nd amendment, an amendment that was written in a totally different era with totally different circumstances.
       
      It is past time to review gun control.
       
      How many innocent lives will it take until the American people understand that there are nutcases out there ready to use a gun or guns for their own demented purposes?
       
      Couldn't agree more Nameless — their priorities SUCK!

    • I fully agree.  See today's special note and cartoon.

  4. To begin, I wish Bernie were my Senator. Krugman is  exactly right.  Norquist needs to be banished to some desert where he would have to look for water.  TC, I hope you are better soon.  Edie

  5. Grover Norquist will be the first casualty as a result of the Fiscal Cliff…. 🙂

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