August 05, 2009
— Ace The Democrats are in trouble when even their Maine Hallelujah Chorus are balking.
Democrats tried to "railroad" healthcare through Congress, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said today.Snowe, a key centrist Republican on the Finance Committee, said the committee was hard at work poring over every detail of the possible legislation, and compared that process to what Democrats tried to do earlier this session.
"[We're] doing what should have been done at the outset of this year, rather than trying to railroad a procses in an unrealistic timeframe," Snowe told MSNBC's Morning Joe.
This doesn't mean she's actually off the Obama Team, of course. But it does seem to mean that Obama's tactic of attempting to pass bills before they're written, let alone read, might be at its expiration date.
It also seems to confirm that Obama's vaunted popularity, which hitherto caused Snowe to back him on just about everything, is now gone.
In polling news, Quinnipiac's headline is Scrap Health Care Reform If It Adds To Deficit, U.S. Voters Tell Quinnipiac University National Poll; Voters Disapprove Of Obama's Handling Of Health Care.
Well, of course it will add to the deficit. There is no "if" involved. And, per the poll, the public understands this.
American voters, by a 55 - 35 percent margin, are more worried that Congress will spend too much money and add to the deficit than it will not act to overhaul the health care system, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. By a similar 57 - 37 percent margin, voters say health care reform should be dropped if it adds "significantly" to the deficit.By a 72 - 21 percent margin, voters do not believe that President Barack Obama will keep his promise to overhaul the health care system without adding to the deficit...
American voters disapprove 52 - 39 percent of the way President Obama is handling health care, down from 46 - 42 percent approval July 1, with 60 - 34 percent disapproval from independent voters. Voters say 59 - 36 percent that Congress should not pass health care reform if only Democratic members support it.
Voters are split 39 - 41 percent on whether the President's health care plan will improve or hurt the quality of health care in the nation, with 14 percent saying it won't make a difference.
Thanks to AHFF Geoff.
Reason TV Rats on its own Writer for Spreading "Fishy" Information: Commenters already wrote they were submitting Obama's press conference as an example of such fishy information. Now Reason finds that one of its own must be reported.
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— DrewM Yesterday spokes idiot Robert Gibbs said that Ahmadinejad was the "elected leader" of Iran.
Today he revised and extended his remarks.
Gibbs’ reference to Ahmadinejad as “elected” rankled many in the Iranian dissident community, and stood in contrast to comments by France’s spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs who, when asked if France recognizes Ahmadinejad as having been reelected, said “France ’s position of principle, in accordance with international law, is to recognize states, not governments.”On Air Force One today, Gibbs told reporters that he wanted to "correct a little bit of what I said yesterday. I denoted that Mr. Ahmadinejad was the elected leader of Iran. I would say it's not for me to pass judgment on. He's been inaugurated, that's a fact. Whether any election was fair, obviously the Iranian people still have questions about that and we'll let them decide that. But I would simply say he's been inaugurated and we know that is simply a fact.:
Asked if the White House recognizes Ahmadinehad as the leader, elected fairly or not, Gibbs said it's not "for us to denote his legitimacy, except to acknowledge the fact."
Heck of a job Gibby, heck of a job.
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad was sworn in today.
Mr. Ahmadinejad did not directly address the massive street demonstrations against his proclaimed election victory, but said his government would "resist any violation of law and interference.""We will not remain silent, we will not tolerate disrespect, interference and insults," he said.
Top officials and clerics attended the ceremony, which was boycotted by opposition leaders and moderate lawmakers.
Well, now that those unpleasantness is done with, Obama can get back to doing what he does best, apologizing for the US and sucking up to murderous dictators.
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08:31 AM
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— DrewM Apparently in Obama's remade America dissent isn't as patriotic as it used to be. Now anyone who questions the Dear Leader is a member of a mob on the payroll of Big Tonsil.
So now protesting is bad? Just the latest Orwellian twist from the Community Organizer In Chief.
I love how the spot begins with a list of things Republican have failed to stop Obama. It sorta gives away the game...the people holding up health care reform on Capital Hill aren't Republicans.
Funny but I don't seem to remember Obama or the DNC so worried about some other acts of 'mob' actions.
more...
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— Slublog Sure, the US is out of money but that shouldn't stop members of Congress from riding in style, right?
Last year, lawmakers excoriated the CEOs of the Big Three automakers for traveling to Washington, D.C., by private jet to attend a hearing about a possible bailout of their companies.Disgusting.But apparently Congress is not philosophically averse to private air travel: At the end of July, the House approved nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy three elite Gulfstream jets for ferrying top government officials and Members of Congress.
The Air Force had asked for one Gulfstream 550 jet (price tag: about $65 million) as part of an ongoing upgrade of its passenger air service.
But the House Appropriations Committee, at its own initiative, added to the 2010 Defense appropriations bill another $132 million for two more airplanes and specified that they be assigned to the D.C.-area units that carry Members of Congress, military brass and top government officials.
Because the Appropriations Committee viewed the additional aircraft as an expansion of an existing Defense Department program, it did not treat the money for two more planes as an earmark, and the legislation does not disclose which Member had requested the additional money.
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— Gabriel Malor Happy Humpday.
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05:26 AM
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August 04, 2009
— Open Blog The common theme here seems to be control of those unsightly male areas. IÂ’ll let you fill in the blanks.
Item #1: Some strange goings-on in the placid town of Wausau, Wisconsin. According to the AP headline on this article ManÂ’s 4 Scorned Lovers Get Revenge, But Now Face Prison. Only four? What a piker. Naturally you want salacious details. Fine, but I provide these only as a cautionary tale.
”WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) - A married man who planned to rendezvous with one of his handful of lovers at an eastern Wisconsin motel instead found himself bound, blindfolded and assaulted by a group of women out for revenge, according to court documents. Four women, including his wife, eventually showed up to humiliate the man, who ended up with his penis glued to his stomach in a bizarre plot to punish him for a lover's quadrangle gone bad, according to the documents filed in Calumet County. Now it's the women who face punishment, perhaps six years in prison, and at least one said Monday the story has gotten twisted and she's embarrassed.”
So far IÂ’m not really seeing the problem here. In certain parts of the country people pay large sums of money for similar treatment. Maybe itÂ’s a Wisconsin thing.
”The women's plot for revenge unfolded last Thursday at the Lakeview Motel about 30 miles southwest of Green Bay in the tiny village of Stockbridge near the scenic shores of Lake Winnebago. Criminal complaints filed Friday allege the man agreed to be bound with "sheer sheets" and blindfolded with a pillowcase for a "rub down" by Ziemann. She instead cut off his underwear with a scissors and summoned the others to the room with a text message. Ziemann struck the man in the face, and used Krazy Glue to attach his penis to his stomach when the other women arrived, according to the complaints.”
Nope. Still not seeing an issue here. Maybe it has something to do with these so-called “sheer sheets,” though since there’s no Wikipedia entry on that they obviously don’t exist. So perhaps some sort of fraud was involved here. However, the man should’ve expected something was amiss when the Krazy Glue made its appearance. As we all know, that’s overkill and a bit harsh on the junk. Normally just a little dab of Liquid Nails will suffice. That should’ve set off alarms right there and told him he wasn’t dealing with professionals and should hold off until he could get a couple more estimates on the job. All’s well that ends well though:
”The man got free from the bed by chewing through one of his bindings, went outside and borrowed a telephone from the motel owner to call police.”
The ladies are currently free on $200 cash bonds and you may view these visions of loveliness at the link which has their mugshots. However, according to the article: “The Associated Press is not naming the man's wife to protect his identity as an alleged victim of sexual assault.” So alas you don’t get her mugshot either. Personally, that sorta’ spoils the whole thing for me. YMMV.
More manly happenings below the foldÂ…
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— Gabriel Malor I don't have much to say about DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse's charges of madness--MADNESS I SAY!--except that this is a really shitty sentence:
The Republicans and their allied groups – desperate after losing two consecutive elections and every major policy fight on Capitol Hill – are inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right wing extremists funded by K Street Lobbyists to disrupt thoughtful discussions about the future of health care in America taking place in Congressional Districts across the country.
Eeesh, my beloved English language. I guess it manages to fit in all the talking points though, so B+ for effort.
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05:09 PM
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— Uncle Jimbo I was never a big WJB Clinton fan and since I actually worked for the man I felt my dislike was fairly earned. I even put a picture of Hillary in the place of Bill's pic at the 1st SF Group HQ command wall. But I gotta say that Obama has made me miss the old bastard. Even so, this bit of pandering fits right in with the kowtowing to dictators policy the Obama team seems to favor. Who will be taking the trip to Teheran for some Mullah ass-kissing to save those idiot hikers who got scarfed up? And WTF is up with this Dali-esque photo op?
Well done getting the Gore reporters home, poorly played in legitimizing Kim and enabling tyrants worldwide.
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— DrewM Remember in the wake of 9/11 when the Bush administration urged people who may have seen something suspicious to report it? Well, the left went nuts.
This, from the official White House blog, however is apparently cool.
Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, "facts are stubborn things."(emphasis mine)Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the PresidentÂ’s health insurance reform positions.
...Since we canÂ’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, weÂ’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
Now keep in mind, a lot of what people will term 'lies' are merely policy difference. Either way, Obama and his apparatchiks want to know about it. Personally, I'll be sending in that Linda Douglas video from below since she's lying about what Obama actually said.
Given this President's unseemly propencity for going after individual citizens (Limbaugh* and Crowley come to mind) not to mention the media's willingness to vet the hell out anyone who actual dares to question Obama (hello Joe the Plumber) this is more than a little creepy. It's also excellent fodder for the "imagine if Republicans had done this" file.
Thanks to several commenters for pointing it out. Sorry, I don't remember where I saw it first.
*Yeah, Limbaugh can fight back but I don't recall George Bush going after Olbermann or Mathews by name.
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— Ace Outlier? Maybe. But even NPR found Republicans ahead by single point.
Rasmussen consistently shows more support for Republicans that other polls, but that doesn't mean they're wrong. Particularly since Rasmussen polls likelies.
upport for Republican congressional candidates has risen to its highest level in recent years, giving the GOPa seven-point lead [sic; they mean five] over Democrats in the latest Congressional Ballot and stretching the out-of-power party's lead to six weeks in a row.The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% would vote for their districtÂ’s Republican congressional candidate while 38% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.
...
Democrats held a six- or seven-point lead on the ballot for the first few weeks of 2009. That began to slip in early February, and from mid-April through June the two political parties were roughly even. Republicans have held a lead on the ballot since the last week in June, the first time they'd been on top in well over a year.
Women who have consistently favored Democrats now prefer the GOP by a 40% to 39% margin. Men continue to favor Republicans over Democrats 47% to 36%.
Voters not affiliated with either party prefer Republicans two-to-one - 43% to 22%.
[Update -- PA]
The Atlantic ran a piece recently suggesting that polling should be eliminated. I found it rather curious this appears just about the time Teh One starts to suck canal water in the polls.
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12:19 PM
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