Archive for February, 2012
Romney Flip-Flops on Blunt Amendment Over the Course of 45 Minutes
4:37 p.m. ET today:
Romney Comes Out Against Blunt-Rubio:
Jim Heath, a reporter for ONN-TV in Ohio, just Tweeted a remarkable piece of news: Mitt Romney told him he does not support the Blunt amendment, which would empower employers and insurers to deny health coverage they find morally objectionable.
I just got off the phone with Heath, and he graciously played me the audio. Heath asks Romney if he’s for the “Blunt-Rubio” amendment, and defines it. Romney replies:
“I’m not for the bill. But, look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a woman, husband and wife, I’m not going there.”
(The bolded emphasis is mine.)
This was big because supporting the Blunt amendment is like a litmus test as to how much of a wingnut you are and if Romney didn’t support it, that might piss extreme righties off.
So, fast forward to 5:23 p.m. ET and we have this:
Romney Camp Denies Candidate Opposed to Blunt Amendment
After conflicting reports over whether Mitt Romney told an Ohio TV reporter he opposed the Blunt amendment, which allows employers to deny health care coverage that conflicts with their conscience, the campaign clarified that Romney supports Sen. Roy Blunt’s (R-MO) legislation.
“Regarding the Blunt bill, the way the question was asked was confusing,” a spokesman told TPM. “Governor Romney supports the Blunt Bill because he believes in a conscience exemption in health care for religious institutions and people of faith.”
Oops!
This amendment isn’t popular with the general electorate. The only people who favor it are extreme right-wing evangelicals. This will come back to haunt Mitt but at this point, I guess he’s kissing the ass that’s closest to his face, as in people who will vote in the upcoming primaries and caucuses, as opposed to those who will vote in the general.
Can’t wait to see how he tries to weasel out of this six months from now because the bottom line is, this bill allows your boss to decide what kind of health care you have. Don’t bosses have enough power over us already for God’s sake?
Art Jones, Illinois GOP Candidate, Sides With Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
One of the things people in both parties here in the U.S. cite as “proof” that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is crazy is his denial of the Holocaust:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Photo: Wikipedia)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has courted further controversy by explicitly calling the Nazi Holocaust of European Jewry a “myth”.
“They have created a myth today that they call the massacre of Jews and they consider it a principle above God, religions and the prophets,” he said.
Well folks, this would be Republican Art Jones, a man who hopes to challenge Democrat Dan Lipinski in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District:
“As far as I’m concerned, the Holocaust is nothing more than an international extortion racket by the Jews,” Jones said. “It’s the blackest lie in history. Millions of dollars are being made by Jews telling this tale of woe and misfortune in books, movies, plays and TV.
“The more survivors, the more lies that are told.”
This is how whacked-out Republicans are getting.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (D) Cuts Ad for the Oil and Gas Industry
The issue of fracking is super-hot here in Colorado along the Eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Communities all around the area have instituted moratoriums on fracking or they are considering banning it altogether (here, here and here). People are concerned about things like the potential for groundwater contamination and even earthquakes.
Bearing that in mind, the people of Colorado learned recently that our governor, John Hickenlooper (D)
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper
just cut a commercial for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. That’s right, our governor is now an official spokesman for the oil and gas industry.
Listen to the ad here. Here’s a transcript:
Hi. This is Governor John Hickenlooper. In 2008 Colorado passed tough oil and gas rules. Since then we have not had one instance of groundwater contamination associated with drilling and hydraulic fracturing, and we plan to keep it that way. That’s why Colorado recently passed the toughest, and fairest, hydraulic fracturing disclosure rules in the nation. In Colorado, we’ve proven that industry and the conservation community can come together to solve problems. We can create jobs, promote energy security and protect our environment.
Then a woman’s voice cuts in and says:
Brought to you by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.
Not only has an elected official become a spokesman for an industry, he lies doing it. Per the Denver Post: “Oil and gas companies have reported 343 new spills this year, bringing the total since August 2009 to more than 1,000 spills, state data show.”
So, the bottom line here is that the oil and gas industry has been officially welcomed into the Colorado Governor’s Mansion, and a man charged with representing We the People represents it. And he’s Democrat! With Democrats like this, who needs Republicans, huh?
We thought Citizens United — declaring corporations “people” and giving them the ability to contribute unlimited amounts of money to campaigns — was bad. This is even worse. This isn’t about Hickenlooper taking money from the oil and gas industry, it’s about him becoming their spokesman!
Why Do We Have Leap Years?
Here is a video explaining why we have leap years and OMG, I had no idea how complicated it is:
(Via.)
CNN: Here’s an Idea — Wait For Confirmation Before You Report Something as Fact
I got up at 3:15 a.m. this morning because we’re in the midst of another windstorm and when I woke up I couldn’t go back to sleep. That said I grabbed some OJ and clicked around the teevee for a few hours while on standby to grab the dogs off the couch in case the front window blew in. (These “high wind events” in Boulder are the only thing I don’t like about living here.)
Morning Joe was stuck on the Michigan/Arizona primaries vis-a-vis Romney’s and Santorum’s performance and CNN (Soledad O’Brien) was stuck on BREAKING NEWS about a “top al Qaeda militant” being arrested in Cairo and how great it was that we took him alive because he would probably be a treasure trove of information. They reported the story over and over and over again but oops, I guess they forgot to wait until the man’s identity was confirmed:
Man arrested at Cairo airport ‘not al-Qaeda commander’
Doubts have emerged over the identity of a man arrested at Cairo airport on Tuesday, suspected of being a top al-Qaeda militant.
Geezus.
A Democrat in the White House is Bad for Business — Yeah, Riiiight
This is an amazing headline when you recall that Bill Clinton was in the White House in 2000 and now, of course, there’s another Democrat in the White House. But wait! Democrats are supposed to be bad for business, right?
Nasdaq hits 3,000 for 1st time since 2000
Since 2000!
Golden Boy James Murdoch Out at News International
Wooah, this is big (my comments in brackets):
[News Corp.'s golden boy,] James Murdoch has stepped down as executive chairman of News International, the British arm of News Corp., the company announced Wednesday. Murdoch, who
was once[has for years been] seen as the heir apparent to his father Rupert at the head of News Corp., has now lost a key position within the company.News Corp.
cast the move[is spinning this] as stemming from James’ recent relocation to New York from London, and Rupert Murdoch said his son would “continue to assume a variety of essential corporate leadership mandates.” He will also remain as the deputy COO of News Corp. But the reshufflingwill be widely seen as a reflection of[is undoubtedly a result of] James’ deeply diminished stature [and possible criminal activity] following wave after wave of damaging allegations about his complicity in News Corp.’s still-simmering phone hacking scandal.
Memo to Rick Santorum: Show Me a Woman Who Signed the Declaration of Independence
Dumb is good (you’re looking at it):
I’m watching Rick Santorum conceding (or showing how nutzoid he is) tonight in Michigan. The highlight of his speech for me is his praise of the “men and women who signed the Declaration of Independence.”
Women?
Oy.
Rick, take a look: Why didn’t women sign the American declaration of independence?
Going to college can be a good thing.
Darrell Issa: What is a “South African Constitution?”
Yo, Darrell, there’s absolutely no evidence to support this. Prove it.
Oh, and BTW what, for God’s sake, is a “South African Constitution?”
Rep. Issa Says President Obama Wants To ‘Convert’ The Constitution ‘To Some South African Constitution’
So we all (including me) get to say whatever the hell we want, be it true or not?
Apparently.
Greece Puts the Squeeze to Its Most Vulnerable Citizens
What’s going in Greece infuriates me because while I’m no expert on all the details, I’m positive rich people and banksters, who brought the economy down, aren’t suffering one bit. I mean, no way should “low-paid workers” be asked to suffer for the mess they had no part in creating:
Santorini, Greece (Image: Wikipedia)
Greek ministers agreed deep cuts to the minimum wage on Tuesday, slashing living standards for low-paid workers as Athens began implementing measures demanded by international lenders in return for a 130 billion euro rescue package.
Cabinet approved the cuts, which will hit workers already struggling after more than four years of deep recession, as it signed off on a series of steps agreed in principle by parliament last week, a government official said.
The move, which will pass into law without the need for further parliamentary approval, imposes a 22-percent cut on the standard minimum monthly wage of 751 euros. For those under 25, the cut will be even more brutal, a 32-percent reduction.
In addition, it will impose a public-sector wage freeze until the unemployment rate, currently 21 percent, falls below 10 percent.
So, a “public-sector wage freeze” is in place until the current 21% unemployment rate falls to 10%? Way to go Greece. Who are the geniuses who thought this plan up? You’re going to cut people’s wages so they can’t afford to buy things, causing layoffs at countless shops and stores, which will thus drive the unemployment rate even higher!
Unbelievable. Poor people.
The next time you hear about rioting there, remember this. (“A riot is the language of the unheard.” MLK, Jr.)
Don’t Google Lasagna When You’re Hungry
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT Google images of lasagna when you’re hungry, or any time for that matter. God there’s some great looking stuff there.
See what I mean:
This one via.
One in Seven Americans Pursued by Debt Collectors
Years and years ago Mr. SayItAin’tSoAlready and I ran into a very bad patch which included some financial difficulty. As a result, several of our accounts were turned over to debt collection agencies and we began receiving the proverbial collection calls at all hours of the night and day.
Getting out of that situation was all we thought about; it was an incredibly depressing and strangely frantic time. I remember not wanting to answer the phone because the debt collectors tried to make us feel like low-life scum, and it worked. We did feel that way. Ugh. It was an awful time. To this day I get a little nauseous and sweaty just thinking about it, so my heart goes out to the people who are being pursued by debt collectors these days (and there are a lot of them):
I went through the Federal Reserve’s Quarterly Release on Household Debt and Credit released today, and there were two notable trends. One is that the amount of consumer debt is declining, but that delinquency rates are stabilizing above what they were before the crisis. And the second is in this graph, which is that the number of people subject to third party collections has doubled since 2000, from a little less than 7% to a little over 14% of consumers. Ten years ago, one in fourteen American consumers were pursued by debt collectors. Today it’s one in seven.
What gets me is thinking about all the kids living in these households where the parents are dealing with this. Really sad.
Mitt, This is Just Sad
Check out this screenshot of Mitt appearing on Fox this morning with an old poster from his dad’s 1968 presidential campaign in the background.
Apparently Mitt doesn’t think he has, on his own, what it takes to win Michigan so he’s bringing daddy into it. Then again, I guess both he and Santorum are desperate and they’re doing whatever it takes…
Still, I think this is just sad.
Legalizing Recreational Use of Marijuana to be on Colorado Ballot
I think this is great. The amount of time, money and energy spent enforcing laws against the recreational use of marijuana is stupid and outrageous.
Colorado voters will be asked to decide whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in a November ballot measure, setting up a potential showdown with the federal government over America’s most commonly used illicit drug.
[...]
The Colorado measure, if approved by voters, would legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana or up to six plants for cultivation, said Mason Tvert, co-founder of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.
It would also set up a regulatory framework for the sale of cannabis products and the application of sales and excise taxes, in addition to legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp.
A provision of the measure would also annually earmark the first $40 million in tax revenue generated from pot sales to fund public school construction.
The Top Ten Happiest and Unhappiest States
Is it any wonder Hawaii is the happiest state?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hawaii residents had the highest wellbeing in the nation in 2011 with a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index score of 70.2, maintaining that state’s No. 1 status for a third consecutive year.
They Just Don’t Like Mitt (And Who Can Blame Them)
The Republicans have gotten themselves into a hell of a mess what with Mitt Romney being the presumptive nominee:
Mitt Romney has fallen to a new low in personal favorability among strong conservatives in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, as his persistent problems in this core GOP group now threaten his fortunes in today’s crucial Michigan primary.
Nationally just 38 percent of Americans who identify themselves as “very” conservative hold a favorable opinion of Romney, down 14 points from last week to the fewest in ABC/Post polls in this election cycle. Far more in this group, 60 percent, express a positive view of Rick Santorum.
Marcos Moulitsas Sells His Soul to the Devil
I’m reminded here of Arianna Huffington who was a progressive champion but who sold her soul to AOL: Markos Moulitsas often known by his username and former military nickname “Kos”, is the founder and publisher of the Daily Kos, a blog focusing on liberal and Democratic Party politics in the United States. He is also a weekly columnist at the Washington, D.C. newspaper, The Hill, and a contributing columnist at Newsweek.
I predict the slow death of the Daily Kos.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Hill and Newsweek know that.
Bye-bye Marcos.
The Speech That Made Rick Santorum Want to “Throw Up”
My mother was raised a Catholic. She felt the hate coming from the right when the Catholic John F. Kennedy was running for president. (And I felt it through her.) I remember her watching this magnificent speech JFK gave about the separation of church and state, about how his religion wouldn’t color his ability to represent people of all faiths. I remember how relieved she was afterward because she knew he got it; that he understood how important it was to keep religion out of politics.
This is the speech that made Rick Santorum want to “throw up.” If Rick Santorum wants to “throw up” at this, he has no idea what the United States is all about.
Seriously people. This is one of the great moments in American history:
Part I
Part II
Imagine Rick Santorum’s Foreign Policy
This would be my Tweet of the Day:
No kidding. What a disaster.
What It Was LIke On Top of That Car for Romney’s Dog Seamus
Imagine being a dog and living through 12 hours of this. The noise alone would drive it insane.
Mitt Romney famously took a twelve hour trip from Boston to Canada with his dog Seamus on the roof of his car. Mitt claims the dog enjoyed the ride, so I decided to test to see how enjoyable being strapped to the roof of a car in a kennel really was.
(Via.)
A 10″ Chef’s Knife for $1,700.00?
I can’t imagine what sets a 10″ chef’s knife apart to such an extent that it sells for $1,700.00:
Whorls of butterscotch, auburn and jet vein the petrified-wood handles of Togiharu’s gyuto, the Japanese interpretation of the French chef’s knife. Hand-honed in Seki City by master craftsman Hiromune Takaba, no two are alike. These knives are an investment as sound as cast-iron enamel cookware. Made with skill and care, they’re built to last.
So, is the petrified wood handle the big selling point?
Whatever. One would have to have an unbelievable about of money to shell out $1,700.oo for a knife. I can’t even get there.
LOL Wyoming
Paranoid much:
CHEYENNE — State representatives on Friday advanced legislation to launch a study into what Wyoming should do in the event of a complete economic or political collapse in the United States.
House Bill 85 passed on first reading by a voice vote. It would create a state-run government continuity task force, which would study and prepare Wyoming for potential catastrophes, from disruptions in food and energy supplies to a complete meltdown of the federal government.
The task force would look at the feasibility of Wyoming issuing its own alternative currency, if needed. And House members approved an amendment Friday by state Rep. Kermit Brown, R-Laramie, to have the task force also examine conditions under which Wyoming would need to implement its own military draft, raise a standing army, and acquire strike aircraft and an aircraft carrier.
That’s whacked out. Oh, and an aircraft carrier? Where in the world are they going to put an aircraft carrier?
Romney Strikes Again
Mitt put a silver foot in his mouth again yesterday while hanging out at the Daytona Speedway in Florida: “I have some great friends who are NASCAR [not drivers or mechanics but] team owners.”
Listen here.
Aye yie yie.
Jeb Bush as Karl Rove’s Lackey
Greg Mitch over at The Nation is culling through the emails Wikileaks is releasing tonight and here’s one of the gems he stumbled upon:
Curiously, there are whispers of McCain being set up by the Cheney/Bush crowd, because McCain was never liked by either. Some are shocked he did so well. Coupled with serious errors in tactics. Some made no sense. For example, the Hispanics in Florida loved Palin but his camp would never send her there when easy money was to be had. My guy said Rove and company want to bring in someone they can control next go around. McCain was not controllable. Jeb Bush’s name is being discussed.
I can see that.
Gwyneth Paltrow — What I Think of When I Hear Her Name
Gwyneth Paltrow is getting some serious props at the Oscars tonight:
Photo: Getty Images
That’s all fine and good but this is what I think of when I hear her name (circa 1/2011):
I know some people who have worked with Gwyneth Paltrow and they say she’s delightful but that seems impossible to believe. Because she’s a complete cunt, delusional and arrogant beyond all comprehension.
The latest proof: on her website GOOP, Paltrow, who is worth 90 million dollars and got married in a castle, has advice for “other extremely busy working mothers.” Yes that said “other”. Because that’s what she considers herself. And just like all working moms, after she drops her kids at school…
Did dance aerobics for 45 minutes then all of the butt lifts and the like. Rushed upstairs to have a shower, doing my post workout stretch while the conditioner was doing its magic on my hair to combine activities/save time. Dressed quickly and rushed downstairs.
Her day is essentially filled with stuff like that. The stuff that real working moms do when not at work or being a mom. The stuff they have to squeeze into one hour on the weekend is Paltrows entire life, but she’s here to tell them how to do it. Because they don’t know.
Oh to have such a life and what must it be like to be oblivious to those of us who don’t? (1%ers.)
When Do “Girls” Get to Be Women?
I’m making dinner while simultaneously watching the Oscar “Red Carpet” show on the E! News channel. A panel of women, including Guiliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne, are critiquing the dresses the female attendees are wearing, and they’re referring to people like Sandra Bullock as “girls.”
Sandra Bullock is 47-years-old for God’s sake. When does a female human being graduate from girlhood to womanhood around here? Can you imagine a 47-year-old male being called a boy?
Image via flickr user: tenfiftytwo
This phenomenon is out of control. I’ve even heard 16 and 17-year-old boys referred to as men. But 40-something females are still girls?
REALLY?!
