Eh, not sure if this is disqualifying per se, as most politicians, including border-enforcement types, talk up this possibility at some point.

He is down on the Arizona law, though.

On the hot-button topic of immigration reform, he said he has long declined to “demagogue” the issue as a former U.S. Attorney, because “I come from law enforcement and it’s not an easy issue.”

But he did intimate that he thinks stringent state-by-state laws – such as in Arizona – are the wrong approach, and added, “I think President Obama doesn’t do this at his own risk because it’s affecting the economy in the country…to me, I think the president’s really gotta show the leadership on this.”

“This is a federal problem, it’s gotta have a federal fix,” he said. “I’m not really comfortable with state law enforcement having a big role.”

He said that without border security, enforcement of existing laws and a “clear” path to legalization for immigrants, there would never be a fix.

No one seems to talk about a clear path to legalization that is not citizenship.

Other countries have large guest worker programs. Why can't we?

Why do we have this childish insistence that it be all-or-nothing?

I know the Democrats want "all" because they want more voters. And unions either want them to be full citizens so they can more easily draft them into the movement (and grab their dues).

But why can't Republicans push back and offer a larger -- not huge, but larger -- guest-worker program? Two years, four years, whatever, and then either go home or get another extension?

Posted by: Ace at 06:53 AM | Comments (194)
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Actually it could go to 90% if current spending levels are maintained (plus inflation) and the Bush tax cuts are extended.

Hm, I wonder, I do wonder, which of those two Obama will choose to abandon.

By contrast, GDP has averaged "a little above" 36 percent per year over the past 40 years.

Posted by: Ace at 06:46 AM | Comments (23)
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Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 05:20 AM | Comments (74)
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A few stray rays of sunshine managed to break through the gloom yesterday.

The Ramona, CA Pie Auction and Barbeque fundraiser is set for July 17. Ingenuity! Community! Fair play! It brings a tear to the eye, especially in the benighted Land of the Boned -- California.

In other heartening economic news, a plucky young entrepreneur is starting a small single-proprietorship services business in Exeter, Maine. [UPDATE: I am told that this is actually Exeter, New Hampshire.] Although only a start-up, it has brought in more profit in the last month than the entire state of California made all last year. I see big things ahead for this firm!

But alas, these few stray beams could not dispel the thick black thunderclouds that stretch from horizon to horizon. Lightning flashes, and thunder rolls, leaving a huge echo in its wake: Doom! Doom! Doom! more...

Posted by: Monty at 03:01 AM | Comments (109)
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Pushback.

Now, what I think could have been the end of the Daily Kos was the assertion that R2K gave Kos good numbers but then Kos changed them, thus creating the suspiciously non-random patterns.

What they really say, though, is that the scandal about Kos is about owing people money, which isn't a good thing, but it's usually not the kind of thing that destroys someone's credibility.

The liberal blogger fired the pollster earlier this month and said he intends to sue in coming days. His State of the Nation polls tracked the favorable and unfavorable ratings for national elected leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Del Ali, president of Research 2000 in Olney, Md., said he could not respond to the specific allegations Tuesday and referred questions to his attorney, who did not return a call seeking comment.

“I can tell you, we’re fine. What we’re going to reveal, that will be the end of the Daily Kos,” Ali said. “I can say, it has to do with people owing money.”

Still, here's hoping for some popcorn-worthy stuff.

Via Gabe's Twitter feed.

Caution on Falsified Data Claims? Someone in the biz notes that R2K was considered one of the least accurate polls, and asks, "If they were just faking data, couldn't they have averaged Gallup and Rasmussen and faked something closer to accurate?"

Also questions whether some of the offered proofs of falsification are particularly strong.

One thing that I don't get is this paired-odds and paired-evens business. If you have an even number, and split it, you have to get both even numbers or both odd numbers. That's what an even number is.

The polling person also suggests that with sample sizes of 2500, subgroups of 600 or 800 should still yield decent results with a not-too-bad margin of error.

Posted by: Ace at 05:37 PM | Comments (150)
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Groovy Tuesday - LSD, Psychedelics, the ONT and You

Here's a totally groovy anti-drug film from the 70's that tries to be 'with it' with the kids. It's narrated by Tommy Roe who's best known for his 60's hits "Sheila" and "Dizzy". The music and bongo transitions are a nice touch. And is it me or do most of the kids in this film have an odd drawling accent? Maybe it's bad acting, just a regionalism or maybe teenspeak really has changed over the last 40 years.

So don't do drugs kids. Or else you'll up like the people in this video wearing bad fashion, saying goofy things and having to chat with a ginger psychologist with a pornstache.

Posted by: Maetenloch at 05:24 PM | Comments (608)
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Ever seen a Congressman bored with his constituents?

Call me crazy here, but I don't think Pete is all that concerned about border security (or his re-election bid, which is safe).

But for the record I'll note that while condescending and arrogant, he didn't threaten to throw the Minuteman out the window.

When you shut up and learn something, he might be willing to talk to you.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 03:58 PM | Comments (118)
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And blame the dreamy-headed idealists.

And blame everyone who allowed this to come to pass.

Why does neither the U.S. government nor U.S. energy companies have on hand the cleanup technology available in Europe? Ironically, the superior European technology runs afoul of U.S. environmental rules. The voracious Dutch vessels, for example, continuously suck up vast quantities of oily water, extract most of the oil and then spit overboard vast quantities of nearly oil-free water. Nearly oil-free isn't good enough for the U.S. regulators, who have a standard of 15 parts per million -- if water isn't at least 99.9985% pure, it may not be returned to the Gulf of Mexico.

When ships in U.S. waters take in oil-contaminated water, they are forced to store it. As U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the official in charge of the clean-up operation, explained in a press briefing on June 11, "We have skimmed, to date, about 18 million gallons of oily water--the oil has to be decanted from that [and] our yield is usually somewhere around 10% or 15% on that." In other words, U.S. ships have mostly been removing water from the Gulf, requiring them to make up to 10 times as many trips to storage facilities where they off-load their oil-water mixture, an approach Koops calls "crazy."

The Americans, overwhelmed by the catastrophic consequences of the BP spill, finally relented and took the Dutch up on their offer -- but only partly. Because the U.S. didn't want Dutch ships working the Gulf, the U.S. airlifted the Dutch equipment to the Gulf and then retrofitted it to U.S. vessels. And rather than have experienced Dutch crews immediately operate the oil-skimming equipment, to appease labour unions the U.S. postponed the clean-up operation to allow U.S. crews to be trained.

A catastrophe that could have been averted is now playing out.

Unconscionable. Unconscionable.

I read, two weeks ago, two things I could not comprehend:

1) Kevin Costner's oil-separating machines worked

and

2) Kevin Costner's oil-separating machines still had to be cleared by the EPA for use

What? What?

Now I understand: These machines work (and the Dutch machines), but as neither offers the 99.9% purity the EPA demands, it's better to let the coasts be destroyed and the fish killed for a generation.

Note: I am guestimating the 99% figure. The article doesn't specify how clean the Dutch vehicles scrub the oil. I think 99% sounds about ballpark, given that the article says "nearly oil-free."

Can It Get Worse? Just maybe it can.

Posted by: Ace at 03:49 PM | Comments (543)
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Some Shanghai robots doing some kind of kata. BTW: I don't know if this is real or what. Update: These are the droids you're looking for.

From Engadget.com, which also has the same robots set to a jauntier song.

Found on ArchaeoBlog, which notes the "hobbit" remains likely indicate a separate species, and weren't just a bunch of short, weird-looking humans.

And: Flyin' car. Almost. Really it's another roadable aircraft, but it's actually going into production, having won a special exemption from the FAA.

And, wonder of wonders, the iPhone may soon be available on Verizon.

From WickedPinto and JackStraw.

Posted by: Ace at 03:08 PM | Comments (54)
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At RightChange.com.

Brutal.

If only there were a crisis for which the correct solution was to play golf... -- from t-bird.

The RNC's attempt is below. I often find myself critical of the RNC's ads for the same reason: They try to sell things lightly, through humor. Often this is an effective technique, but some things are more serious than that, and if you try a soft-sell cutesy-funny ad it seems like you, the ad's author, are no more serious than Obama.

I know the first ad is very tough, very dramatic, and maybe that's a turn off, but on some of these you have to go hard, and not try to soften it too much with humor.
more...

Posted by: Ace at 01:48 PM | Comments (111)
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