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March 26, 2010 archive
Mar 26 2010
Muse in the Morning
Mar 26 2010
Hundreds of thousands about to lose unemployment benefits
There is no stopping it this time.
Last month Senator Jim Bunning created a stir with his stand against extending unemployment benefits to the long-term unemployed through borrowing. After a lot of political grandstanding, it ended after a couple days when both sides agreed to a temporary 30-day extension.
The 30-days are almost over and nothing has been accomplished. D-Day is approaching for the unlucky millions of long-term unemployed.
As many as 130,000 Californians are expected to exhaust their unemployment benefits within the next three weeks, based on estimates from the state Employment Development Department. About 3,300 already have fallen off the unemployment rolls.
That’s 130,000 in just one state. The effects over the entire country will be catastrophic.
Mar 26 2010
On Email Gay Bashing, Or, ENDA’s Already Getting Ugly
It wasn’t but a couple of days ago that we had a conversation about The Fear and the emails that are used to spread it, and I figured with that out of the way we had dealt with the topic, and that we’d move on to new things.
Well, we would be moving on, Gentle Reader, if it wasn’t for the fact that an email came in today that was so ugly, so disturbing, and so indicative of what we are about to see as the battle over the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) begins to heat up (ENDA being possibly the next “big contentious thing” that this Administration hopes to accomplish), that I had to interrupt my story schedule to bring it to your attention.
Mar 26 2010
What the fuck did Equatorial Guinea ever do to anybody?
Okay, so Netanyahu shows up to the White House, right? Figuring that we’d still roll out the red carpet even though they basically spat in Joe Biden’s face, right?
Well, Obama, in a rare act of backbonedness for a Democrat, told the Prime Minister that there would be no more building in East Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s response? He tried to show Obama a flowchart of the approval process for new settlements and how he could have not possibly known.
Let’s face it folks, a flowchart would worked on Bush.
Obama said, “No Dinner for You!”
Or, even better, the reality:
“I’m still around, let me know if there is anything new.”
Then he went off to have dinner in private, among civilized people.
The Israelis, of course, went ballistic. They freaked out so bad they went and slept in the Israeli Embassy. They were so use to getting whatever the fuck they wanted, they couldn’t comprehend assfucking our Vice President trying to start peace talks would have consequences.
But, this, this pissed me off:
Binyamin Netanyahu humiliated after Barack Obama ‘dumped him for dinner’
Giles Whittell, Washington, and James Hider, Jerusalem, Times Online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t…
One Israeli newspaper called the meeting “a hazing in stages”, poisoned by such mistrust that the Israeli delegation eventually left rather than risk being eavesdropped on a White House telephone line. Another said that the Prime Minister had received “the treatment reserved for the President of Equatorial Guinea”.
Fuck the what?
What the fuck has Equatorial Guinea ever done to anybody?
You elitist bastards, why should you be treated better than them? They actually got their shit together, in Africa, not always an easy feat.
I think this “another”, who of course goes unnamed, was a little off in their geography.
the Prime Minister had received “the treatment reserved for a President of South Africa from the 80s.”
FTFY.
Mar 26 2010
Why I am quitting you, Democrats
You are officially the party of the status quo, now. It’s time to start recognizing that, and acting like it. And if you want change, then, well, make change. Don’t whine about it endlessly, especially if you supported corporatist laws with lies and caveats to begin with. And if you don’t want change, stop pretending you do.
The moment of President Obama’s election, the Democratic Party became the Party In Power. It ill becomes the Democrats, and their apologists, and supporters, to complain about the very things they helped do and pass, or are, even now, helping do or pass. For example, don’t try to sell me on how bad Wall Street has become, if out the back door, you are shoveling money at them as if there’s no tomorrow.
Don’t like the Tea Partiers? Good. I don’t either. So stop talking about them as if they are all powerful bullies, terrorizing you. You’re the government now. Grow the fuck up and crush them when and if they become actual domestic terrorists. You supported the means by which to do so. People as supposedly far left as Alan Grayson voted to pass an extension on the Patriot Act .. do you really want me to believe they’re so dangerous and you can do nothing? Oh, but you sure can do a lot about actual liberals who do anything but protest like baby kittens.
Let me remind you of a few things, Democrats. It was your conservative corporatist wing that joined with the Republicans and refused to do anything about insane gun laws that have turned the entire 50 state union into some mockery of the Wild Wild West. Yet now, Democrats talk about Tea Partiers having meetings with guns .. this is your fault.
Mar 26 2010
Proof of Election Fraud
Do you remember, as I do, how anyone at Daily Kos that dared state that the 2000 election was stolen was scoffed at? Do you remember, as I do, how without “evidence” it was all a conspiracy theory and extraordinary claim?
Well, the proof is now there for all to see. Eight defendants were found guilty in federal court for election fraud stemming from the 2000, 2004 and 2006 elections. From the Kentucky article:
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A jury convicted a former judge and seven others on Thursday of scheming to buy votes for several local offices in an eastern Kentucky county.
The jury in U.S. District Court in Frankfort deliberated for nine hours over two days before convicting all eight people in a federal racketeering conspiracy. Those convicted on Thursday included former Circuit Judge R. Cletus Maricle and former school Superintendent Douglas C. Adams.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the jury also convicted several of the defendants on other charges, including mail fraud, extortion and laundering money that was used to buy votes.
Mar 26 2010
Who will reel in a reckless Wall Street? Congress hopefully
Thankfully, Financial Reform appears to be back in play again. This little News Item today, indicates a “strategic pivot” is about to occur:
Obama presses for financial reform
Mar 25, 2010 – Reuters
Financial regulation reform vaulted to the top of President Barack Obama’s post-healthcare agenda on Wednesday, with both Democrats and Republicans upbeat about passing legislation soon.
After a meeting with Obama, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said the president wants results soon from Congress on proposals to tighten U.S. government oversight of banks and the capital market.
[…]
“We’re going to get a bill done,” Dodd told reporters outside the White House. He was joined by fellow Democrat Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee who said the issue will be Congress’ No. 1 concern after a two-week Easter break.
[…]
Pivoting from their victory this week on healthcare reform, Democrats are pushing hard for a crackdown on risky bank practices, over-the-counter derivatives, credit rating agencies and other segments of the financial sector, with the aim of preventing another crisis.
[…]
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