They filed last night, I believe.

Vinson's order struck me as wishy-washy and not nearly as tough as it sounded. In tone it was tough. In actual directive it was... cautious.

It seemed to me that Vinson was saying that ObamaCare was unconstitutional and its implementation must be halted as illegal... unless Obama filed for expedited review.

Since he did that, I assume that means implementation will go forward while courts rule on the matter.

That may be a prudent route but it does defer to Obama during this period of judicial review. Vinson's order sounded tougher than it was, I think.

The earliest ruling, NRO says, will be June or July. Presumably then the Supreme Court could take the matter up before the end of the year -- or decide it, effectively, without a decision by not granting certiorari (review) to the loser in the 11th circuit.

The 11th Circuit is described, an article said, as "moderate," so those (like me) hoping a court based in the South would be conservative are a little disappointed.

Thanks to Monty.

Posted by: Ace at 09:50 AM | Comments (119)
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Much of it has been said before, but it's still good.

Two passages I thought were especially good:

The feminist revolution began as a necessary reform movement, but unfortunately evolved into a marxism-imbued, revolutionary one. Second-wave feminismÂ’s focus soon shifted from womenÂ’s equal rights (which are limited to those defined by law) to womenÂ’s interests (which are limitless), as perceived through a victimÂ’s lens.

"(which are limitless)" -- spot on. The line of demarcation is between a movement dedicated to removing unfair impediments to women's freedom to general interest-group agitation for special pleas. At some point feminism because simply a Teachers' Union about women, women's complaints, women's desire to make more money, etc.

At this point, feminism is chiefly a guild interested in securing advantage for its members at the disadvantage of its non-members, and can and should then be treated as such by non-members. Just as non-teachers are right to stand against teachers' special pleadings, non-feminists generally are right to stand against the new class of Professional Woman -- by which I mean not a woman who is a professional, but a woman whose actual profession is being a woman. Every profession, they say, is a conspiracy against the laity.

Feminists watching Palin’s stunning performance knew a stake was being driven through their movement’s heart. They went ballistic. Feminist blogger Jessica Grose wrote on her Jezebel web site: “When Palin spoke on Wednesday night, my head almost exploded … What I feel for her privately could be described as violent, nay murderous, rage.” Judith Warner wrote in The New York Times that Palin was an “insult to women.” Comedian Sandra Bernhard riffed on YouTube: “Turncoat bitch! You whore in your cheap f***ing … cheap-ass plastic glasses.” Academic Wendy Doniger opined, “Palin’s greatest hypocrisy is her pretense that she is a woman.”

And who can forget Canada’s very own Heather Mallick — then of the CBC, now of the Toronto Star — who watched Palin with “my mouth open, my eyeballs drying out, my hand making shaky notes.” From those “shaky notes” emerged a stomach-turning attack on Palin’s “pram-face” daughter, Bristol, followed by the advice: “Turn your guns on [Bristol’s boyfriend] Levi, ma’am.” (And liberals say conservative discourse encourages violence!)

She goes on about Palin shaking feminists by presenting a different ideal, an idea that others have noted.

And as I always note: Yes, that's true, but liberal men were just as aghast at this performance. Sarah Palin committed two crimes that night: She spoke of Obama as if he were not, in fact, an earthbound god, but an unqualifed, shady pretender, a figure not ripe for worship but for lampooning; and therefore she threatened the chances of a liberal winning the White House.

It has to be remembered that before her speech, Obama won every poll, easily; it was no an election so much as a coronation. After that speech, at least for two weeks, McCain/Palin surged ahead of Obama/Biden; she scared the shit out of them. I still think that when they see Sarah Palin, she reminds them of those weeks of terror, the same way you'll always be reminded of a death if you see the person responsible for it. It's emotionally wrenching just to be reminded that for three weeks in September and October of 2008, A God Bled.

Posted by: Ace at 09:29 AM | Comments (279)
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He started with the foundation, now he's on to the middle stories.

First, the cowboy poets.

Now, the poor little boys and girls.

Next, Elmo.

He's building a pyramid of woe.

“H.R. 1 is a mean-spirited bill that would cut the heart out of the recovery that we have in America today,” said Reid. “It goes after little children, poor little boys and girls ... we want them to learn to read.”

...

“For someone over there on the other side to say they are looking at H.R.1 and that they will all vote for it because of the numbers — how insulting to the American people,” said Reid.

He's offering the premise that a budget consisting of numbers shouldn't be about the numbers.

He's telling America: Let's ignore the math.

This is a very dumb, very old time favor-bank-and-payoff politician. A lot of Democrats are. They simply have no Plan B when we're all out of money for Plan A.

I do not think they have a strong hand when their first words out of the gate are "Let's ignore reality."

Posted by: Ace at 08:32 AM | Comments (192)
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Last night, Juan Williams was unusually animated in his discussion of NPR with Sean Hannity. You can tell, he is still a bit stung by his treatment. He hammers NPR management repeatedly. The popcorn-worthy interview is below the fold.

Updated: The video of the interview at Mediaite was truncated. I replaced it with the full video from Fox News. (Skip to 1:55.) more...

Posted by: rdbrewer at 08:30 AM | Comments (35)
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I like to think that somewhere Juan Williams and James O'Keefe are laughing their asses off.

“It is with deep regret that I tell you that the NPR Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Vivian Schiller as President and CEO of NPR, effective immediately.

“The Board accepted her resignation with understanding, genuine regret, and great respect for her leadership of NPR these past two years.

“Vivian brought vision and energy to this organization. She led NPR back from the enormous economic challenges of the previous two years. She was passionately committed to NPR’s mission, and to stations and NPR working collaboratively as a local-national news network.

“According to a CEO succession plan adopted by the Board in 2009, Joyce Slocum, SVP of Legal Affairs and General Counsel, has been appointed to the position of Interim CEO. The Board will immediately establish an Executive Transition Committee that will develop a timeframe and process for the recruitment and selection of new leadership.

“I recognize the magnitude of this news – and that it comes on top of what has been a traumatic period for NPR and the larger public radio community. The Board is committed to supporting NPR through this interim period and has confidence in NPR’s leadership team.”

Schadenfreude...The Breakfast of Champions.

I'm sure she'll land on her feet. Maybe she can replace Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men or something.

More: NPR's history of giving out Golden Parachutes suggests Schiller will be fine.

Posted by: DrewM at 05:54 AM | Comments (337)
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What could possibly go wrong?

...The instruments, created by using credit derivatives on junk bond or high-yield indices, resemble transactions linked to US mortgages that proliferated before the financial crisis...

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 04:12 AM | Comments (124)
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Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 02:51 AM | Comments (145)
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Sheen's doing another ustream webcast in two minutes.

The latest is that, for lack of defending he who always wins and thus needs no defense, Jon Cryer is a troll.

But we knew that.

Posted by: Ace at 05:58 PM | Comments (116)
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Teh Suckitude: Part Deux

Yep this ONT is gonna suck too.

So tonight's theme is a valuable life lesson for all the kids and young-ish morons.

Posted by: Maetenloch at 05:42 PM | Comments (672)
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As suggested (or re-tweeted) by one of my Senators, how about all 50 states?

Link to story here.

PORTLAND, Maine - The federal government Tuesday granted Maine a waiver of a key provision in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, citing the likelihood that enforcement could destabilize the state's market for individual health insurance.

The U.S. Health and Human Services department said in a letter it would waive the requirement that insurers spend 80 cents to 85 cents of every premium dollar on medical care and quality improvement. Instead, the letter said, the state could maintain its 65 percent standard for three years, with the caveat that HHS intends to review the figures after two years.

The Obamacare savings™ calculations don't mean a damned thing and never did. Gabriel noted the other day over a thousand waivers have already been granted. Favored parties (unions) don't have to take the same medicine as the rest of us. But the key provision of the funding mechanism requires every goddang person has to buy into this mess (with cash).

(Actually Cornyn suggested "how bout Texas?" but I'm not selfish. All 50 states deserve a waiver.)

I'm cool with that. Even though I'm old.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 05:32 PM | Comments (63)
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