1

Nevada, you magnificent basta...

wait a minute.

2 It should be named "The Hair of the Dog That Wrecked The Budget Act."

3

Nothing for the SEIU? 

I'd be pissed.

4 Fucking Reid is a gangster, isn't he?

Goddamn shame he won.

If we don't do the equivalent of the Rove 72-hour GOTV thing in November of 2012, we are doomed.  Doomed.

5
okay, Republicans, this is your time to shine.

6 The bullshit is really flying in DC. American Politics at it's worst.

7 Well, at least he didn't waste any time paying back the union thugs who helped him get re-elected. I guess this is Reid's idea of "transparency" in government!

8 Can any moron enlighten me on how this is Constitutional?

9

GOOD NEWS!

It appears that Ellmers has beaten Etheridge:

Ellmers now appears to have prevailed  over Etheridge by 1,489 votes, and should be certified the winner by the North Carolina authorities on November 23. Etheridge has demanded a recount  that would be completed before certification of the results would take place. In the meantime, Ellmers is planning to take office with the new Congress.

10 This bill has died several times, I expect the same this time. It is Reid's giving hi union pets a little pat on the head.

11 Let's line up for predictions and those who lose have to forego the Val-U-Rite for a night. (We don't want to be too harsh; one sober night is quite punishment enough.) Many have pondered the question "What vile rapine will the Lame Duck Session try to shove down our squeakholes before the year is out?" Some say a chastened Congress will apply forebearance; others say they will act like the daughter of a well known former candidate for President in 2008, when placed in front of an open pallet of Ho-Hos, Twinkies and Ding-Dongs. For myself, I fear for the snack foods. The Lame Duck Session will be no more open to reason than will be the tiny notochord which acts as the brain for our current Preznident. They're going to try plenty of mischief, in bills with innocuous names like "The 2010 American Pie, Sugar and Warm Fuzzy Act." Such legislation may include things like mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions from family members' nostrils. Pets will be included.

12

Please be sure to call your lame duck Congressman for the pleasure of hearing his soon-to-be-unemployed staff laugh at you with impunity.

If only....unfortunately, mine is going back to DC.  Freakin' CT....get MORE blue in 2010.

13 It's a good thing that Illinois refuses to seat Kirk until the end of November!

14 If they are going to try this garbage, what's next?  Socialization of all 401ks?  The Son of Crap and Tax.  I'm seriously putting nothing past these bastards.

15 unfortunately, mine is going back to DC. Freakin' CT....get MORE blue in 2010. Cry me a river. I live in Clownifornia. We are the iron pyrite standard of stupid, out here.

16 more unions! that's the ticket! the ticket to HELL!

17 what percent of cops and fire fighters are not already unionized ?

18 Does this bill apply to our rural voluntary fire departments?

I know those bubba's.  They like putting out fires and do it for very little or no pay out of the goodness of their redneck hearts.  Do you want to be the one who tells them they have to join the union and pay union dues? 

19 8 Can any moron enlighten me on how this is Constitutional? Posted by: Techie

WTF does that have to do with anything that Harry Reid is involved in?

Or

Constitution?  Never heard of it. Charlie Gibson
Constitution?  I was on vacation. Bob Schieffer

20 unions.....so big they fail!

21
It's a good thing that Illinois refuses to seat Kirk until the end of November!

oh well

/throws hands up

22 Cry me a river. I live in Clownifornia. We are the iron pyrite standard of stupid, out here. That was in 1990. We lead the pack this year. Right, Congressman Frank?

23 Now that we know Nancy Lugosi will remain Minority Leader, she has continuity to prolong the vampirism endemic in this Congress, among Demotards. She will simply tell her Demotard minions in the House "If you want any say in the coming minority at all, drink the blood of this freshly slain baby. It's okay, the baby was white."

24 what's the status of the DREAM act?

25 Cry me a river. I live in Clownifornia. We are the iron pyrite standard of stupid, out here.

Fool's Golden State?

26 It's okay, the baby was white.

Not orthodox Proggism, but probably plays better for the MFM.

27 Why even pass bills at this point?  Just have the monopoly police show up to each house and steal whatever they want, same difference.

28 Not orthodox Proggism, but probably plays better for the MFM. Beyond parody!

29 Gentlemen, Reid here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot.

30 Sen. Schumer wants a federal investigation and ban of reusable grocery bags

Hey, if it keeps them out of our 401(k) accounts between now and January, let's encourage him.

31 The FLRB just granted permission for TSA employees to unionize on the national level.  And yay, won't that be fun!  I'm already looking forward to their first strike, which will only occur when it's most inconvenient to the flying public.

Fuck, I miss Reagan.

32

"Please be sure to call your lame duck Congressman for the pleasure of hearing his soon-to-be-unemployed staff laugh at you with impunity"

 

Hmm.  I thought the zombie thread was further down the page

33 WSJ via NR

Republican Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska called the bill “reasonable.” “For several years now, we’ve seen the benefit of a similar policy in Nebraska which prevents public employees from going on strike while helping to establish reasonable compensation ranges.”

The other Republican co-sponsors in the Senate are Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.



Go Team Rino!

34

Finally!!!  Quantitative Easing explained.

Carl in Jerusalem

35 #12

Sorry about that!  I, on the other hand, will be represented by two brand spanking new conservatives.  Both my dem congressman, and Specter (May Spit be Upon Him), have been shown the door.  I've never enjoyed voting so much in my entire life.

36
I swear, if the Republicans hold hearings on the BCS championship or steroids in baseball...

37 The FLRB just granted permission for TSA employees to unionize on the national level. It's shit like this that will undo us. The feds are truly determined to imitate the excesses of Clownifornia. Think France. If you visit for more than a week, especially Paris, you are guaranteed to encounter a public transit strike of some sort. And the French put up with it like obedient lapdogs. We're going to look like a nation of Pekingese too if this isn't stopped.

38 O/T

Great pic on drudge of a Muslim TSA gropenagent giving a catholic nun a thorough pat down.

39 They gonna attach amnesty and cap and trade to it?

40 It's difficult for me to work up any outrage about this. After all, when in recent history has "our" government done a single God-damned thing that actually benefited citizens in general?

Never, that's when.

The system has long been gamed in favor of union thugs, vocal minorities and campaign contributors. With a corrupt, America-hating president and a Senate still controlled by criminals (the latter aided by "go-along-to-get-along" squishes who won't risk their status among the D.C. Royalty by showing any signs of ethical behavior), the chances of any meaningful tilt toward honesty and Constitutional government are less than nil.

The RICO statutes should apply here. Unions have bought-and-paid-for control of Congress and the Presidency. Nothing will change until Osama Obama, 60-70 Senators and several hundred Representatives are removed from office and indicted.

Since that won't happen, we might as well be good little serfs and bow to the inevitable. The looters won't be stopped by the results of the election just past, and chances are good they won't be slowed down by the next one, either.

41 BTW - if you look at the WSJ map of the states this would effect, they' look to all be states the Democrats lost in the recent election. So, nice of them to tell other people what to do, yet again.

http://bit.ly/d6ywyo

42 Republican Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska called the bill “reasonable.” “For several years now, we’ve seen the benefit of a similar policy in Nebraska which prevents public employees from going on strike while helping to establish reasonable compensation ranges.” You know what an historic mid-term election tossing more seats to Republicans than any election in perhaps over fifty years means? Nothing.

43
They just don't get it.

They (Snowe, Collins, Brown, etc.) keep 'fixing' shit that doesn't need to be fixed.

Stick your good intentions up your ass and leave shit alone.

44 Sen. Schumer wants a federal investigation and ban of reusable grocery bags Goddamn it, when are we going to stop this anarchy? How dare people use cloth bags when grocery shopping. When did the government say we could use cloth bags? Did anyone give them permission to shop? And did they get federal approval for their purchases? This reckless behavior will end, comrades.

45 I heard this morning the lame ducks are pushing to pass the Paycheck fairness act in some form. Don't know if this is just a provision in the bill mentioned in the post or a completely separate bill to kill the economy.

I do know it is a gift to the trial lawyers if passed. Can't find the specific link to where I heard it but this appears to be what they were talking about.

Harry Reid and comparable worth

46 LOL, It is good that they are wasting their time on this blatantly unconstitutional shit. I suspect that my State would tell them to take this bill and stick it up their ass.

Even an FDR Republican legislature would come down on this one.

Which is why it doesn't have a chance in hell of passing.

47 This reckless behavior will end, comrades.

Posted by: George Orwell at November 15, 2010 12:04 PM (AZGON)

Hey Chuckie is looking out for me! I own a lot of stock in Sonoco who makes those plastic film garbage bags!

48  unionized cops, firefighters and teachers are nothing but clubs used to beat taxes out of us.

49 I'm already looking forward to their first strike, which will only occur when it's most inconvenient to the flying public.

The good news is that the molesters who just signed up to be TSA gropers will never vote to strike.  Heh.

50

okay, Republicans, this is your time to shine.

Far from shining, the pubs are up to their old tricks.  Does this guy look like Freeze Meiser from Santa Claus is Comin' to Town?  Call and/or write Boehner and beeyotch!

51 O/T

Great pic on drudge of a Muslim TSA gropenagent giving a catholic nun a thorough pat down.

That's an old pic, isn't it? I know I've seen the wheelchair nun being patted down before.

But I've never seen it with that nice caption.

52 Well, the only thing better than a bureaucracy is a unionized bureaucracy.
So, to remain competitive in the global market, we must unionize as much as possible.

53 I cannot imagine how you go about being loyal to a union and public safety service. I fumed when I heard about the Washington DC Metro officers escorting union protesters out of their district and into Maryland a few years ago.

54 At Chicago Midway a couple of weeks ago my observation was that black TSA agents were having a fun time harrassing white old ladies in jogging suits. Not a scientific study obviously, but pretty darned obvious.

55 I didn't know wooden yardsticks were banned from flights?

56 Sen. Schumer wants a federal investigation and ban of reusable grocery bags



California almost banned disposable plastic bags this year, and most likely will ban them next year once the new Dem hypermajority takes power in the state.

So, not leaving a lot of options.

57 Laurie David's Cervix -- UHaul

58

*smiles*

Rangle walked out of his own ethics trial.

(won't link as I know ppl get pissy w/politico links)

59 So, not leaving a lot of options.

I'm pretty sure that's the point.

60 Next time I fly, I'm showing up in flip-flops and a thong.

61 What the heck is the beef with re-usable grocery bags? I'm so not up on my left-wing crusades....

62 Does this guy look like Freeze Meiser from Santa Claus is Comin' to Town?  Call and/or write Boehner and beeyotch!

"Financial Services Committee"

He is already the ranking minority member. Keep in mind the chairman is now Bwarney Fwank.

It is a committee of commununists and RINOs with the exception of Ron Paul.

Ever wonder why we get boned so much on banking matters?

63

@56

Californians will be reduced to carrying our groceries home in our hands. Everything will be banned for our protection.

64
Boner doesn't understand that he's on a very short leash.

You don't reward Spence fucking Bachus for being a corporatist Democrat.

65 The cloth bags supposedly carry salmonella.

66

Plank of New Republican Congress: Repeal Any and All legislation passed between now and inauguration 2011. Any decent legislation that mysteriously occurs can always be reinstated.

67 Sen. Schumer wants a federal investigation and ban of reusable grocery bags California almost banned disposable plastic bags this year, and most likely will ban them next year once the new Dem hypermajority takes power in the state. So, not leaving a lot of options. Clearly the answer is individually federally licensed bags of denatured hemp manufactured by Teamster unionized shops regulated by FEMA, in factories powered by windmills and solar panels installed by the TSA and PBS.

68 60 Next time I fly, I'm showing up in flip-flops and a thong.

Decadent! 

New uniform idea for TSA agents?

69 The FLRB just granted permission for TSA employees to unionize on the national level.

When did the Executive branch get the authority to override an act of congress? Remember when Hillary tried to get the TSA unionized at its creation and congress shot it down?

I guess the "FLRB" is another one of those agencies that needs zero budget in 2011.

70 Next time I fly, I'm showing up in flip-flops and a thong. Next time I fly, I'm going commando, and I'm not wiping after the morning bathroom visit.

71 What the heck is the beef with re-usable grocery bags?


Because they're germy after being reused. It's a public health thing.

You could wash them, but I don't think most of them would survive a trip through the washer.  Hemp shrinks soooo easily.

72 The FLRB just granted permission for TSA employees to unionize on the national level.

So when they strike, we get to just board the plane.  Cool.

If I ever get 'randomly selected', I am going to specifically request a female for my required ball and back massage.  and I will arch my back and thrust my pelvis forward when she is on her knees.  All in the name of public safety of course.

73 65 The cloth bags supposedly carry salmonella. Posted by: Who Knows at November 15, 2010 12:21 PM (QLiYt) Sheesh! So does CHICKEN! They want to ban that too?

74 The cloth bags supposedly carry salmonella.



Well, that's what you get for shopping at Bed Bath and Salmonella....

75 65 The cloth bags supposedly carry salmonella.
Only because people don't wash them.  But if people washed them even semi-regularly, it would defeat the stated purpose of using such bags, which is to "save resources". 

I have a significant stockpile of plastic grocery bags for when they are completely banned from use.  They should fetch a nice price on the black market. 

76

He is already the ranking minority member. Keep in mind the chairman is now Bwarney Fwank.

It is a committee of commununists and RINOs with the exception of Ron Paul.

He may be the ranking member for the GOP, but the article implies that Boehner has the final say on who gets the chairmanship.  It can't be a pro forma progression since Ed Royce has thrown his name in.

77

I'm debating a Thanksgiving flight I have booked.

It's a bit of a quandry for me. I understand the security measures are needed. However, the attitude of most TSA workers is something to behold. They do seem to get off on a power trip with those least likely to challenge them.

The unaddressed problem of uninspected cargo scares me still. What's going on with that?

 

78 The cloth bags supposedly carry salmonella. I read that Lead Paint Eleventy rubs off the bags. Because, you know, before you put the prepackaged organic arugula inside the bag you open the arugula plastic bag and rub the greens all over the outside of the cloth bag, put the greens back into the plastic, and go on your way.

79 #72

That was before Barry O was put into a position to begin paying back all that sweet union support.

80

I'm debating a Thanksgiving flight I have booked.

It's a bit of a quandry for me. I understand the security measures are needed. However, the attitude of most TSA workers is something to behold. They do seem to get off on a power trip with those least likely to challenge them.

I believe it was Gateway Pundit that showed an example of a ticket that was randomly flagged for groping.  It looks like a giant bar code in the center of the ticket.  This was part of the kid-groping story.  They advised trading in the ticket for a new one if yours looked like the one pictured.

81 The cloth bags supposedly carry salmonella. We carry it, with free shipping on orders over $25.

82 Sheesh! So does CHICKEN! They want to ban that too?

We're all going to be forced into veganism to Save Teh Planet at some point anyway...

Most people don't bake or fry their hippie bags between grocery runs.

83 How 'bout that Sharon Angle!  Whoohoo!

84 "65 The cloth bags supposedly carry salmonella." Yeah heaven forbid Californians..I dunno...WASH THE FUCKING BAG or something.

85 Yeah heaven forbid Californians..I dunno...WASH THE FUCKING BAG or something. Dude, washing is blasphemy to hippies. That would be eradicating the gentle sacrosanct grime which drops from Gaia, like manna from Heaven. Except hippies don't believe in Heaven, just hemp.

86

@8 techie and @19 kansas, I had the same thought. Where the hell is it in the Constitution empowering the Federal Government to tell state or local governments they MUST do this or that with respect to wages and benefits? Where is it in the Constitution that empowers the Federal Government to force me (or anyone) to mandatorily associate with anyone?

I thought the government was constrained to allow FREEDOM of association. This is mandatory association. My dictionary does not define that as freedom.

Where's Andy Jackson and his horse whip when you need him?

87 others say they will act like the daughter of a well known former candidate for President in 2008, when placed in front of an open pallet of Ho-Hos, Twinkies and Ding-Dongs.

For myself, I fear for the snack foods.

I laughed out loud in my office.

88

This is the great argument of the next few years -- whether we will let our public employee unions' pension and retiree health benefits (OPEBs) ruin us as a superpower, or whether we will act responsibly and decide as a nation that prior collective bargaining agreements with federal, state, city, county employees, teachers, police and firefighters are not suicide pacts.

By way of example as to how serious this problem is:  Maryland's state public employee pension funds are $33 billion in the red.    Maryland's population, meanwhile is 5.7 million people, or about 1.5 million households.   Assume conservatively that about half of those households pay no income tax.   That means there are about 750,000 Maryland households that owe $33 billion, or about $45,000 in debt per household.    To pay for someone else's retirement!

But it's actually worse than that.   You can go find Maryland's retirement system's annual report for 2009.  It shows that they use a 7.75% investment return assumption in valuing the system's liabilities.  That means that they believe that future benefit payments will be paid for by their assets growing at an average of 7.75% a year long-term.   Does anyone really think nowadays that the worldwide economy is going to generate a 7.75% rate of return going forward given its current problems?   If Maryland valued its liabilities using an expected rate of return of, say, 4.5% or 5%, that $33 billion in unfunded liabilities might be something closer to $50 billion.  

And, of course, the debt for future retirement benefits to state employees doesn't take into account the unfunded liablities of city employees, county employees, town employees, etc.  

And (of course, again!) none of this takes into account the unfunded liablities we all owe for federal government employees' pensions.  

What do you get when one neighbor finally realizes that they are in debt for hundreds of thousands of dollars to be able to pay for the retirement of their next-door neighbor simply because the next-door neighbor worked for something called "government"?   What do you get when the first neighbor realizes that he is going to have to work to 70 or 72 or beyond because he can't afford his own retirement, but his next-door neighbor -- who got more time off while he was working -- is retiring at age 58 or 60 with full benefits?   What do you get when people who have saved religiously in their 401k plans are told that they are now rich and have to be taxed punitively to pay defined benefits (that, we are told, can never be reduced) to their neighbors who worked for governments?  

What do you get when Man A who worked in private industry is going off to work and struggling to make ends meet while Man B who worked for government is heading off to his lake house secure in the faith that his retirement benefits can never be reduced one plug nickel, much less taken away, no matter what? 

Armageddon, that's what you get. 

89 I know I know. It would all be to easy. Stinkin hippies.

90 This is the great argument of the next few years -- whether we will let our public employee unions' pension and retiree health benefits (OPEBs) ruin us as a superpower Yes.

91 Here in San Francisco, almost 1000 cops and firemen have pensions in excess of $100,000 a year; many of them over $200,000 a year. Don't let your state make this same mistake.

92 Time to start organizing for 2012.  Some people need to be beaten repeatedly until the message sinks in.

93 If the situation persists, we'll need to establish an online clearinghouse which identifies the worst offending TSA agents by name. 

94 This is the great argument of the next few years -- whether we will let our public employee unions' pension and retiree health benefits (OPEBs) ruin us as a superpower, or whether we will act responsibly and decide as a nation that prior collective bargaining agreements with federal, state, city, county employees, teachers, police and firefighters are not suicide pacts. Seriously, the Lame Ducks will do all they can to spread public union hegemony while they have the chance. Plus, Barry will likely force more unionization down our throats by executive order or bureaucratic influence. Lawless? As if that mattered? Apropos of this, I wonder how Clownifornia will deal with this crash of reality against the pigheadedness of entitlement. Listening to a Ricochet podcast, I heard one possible outcome. Already CA is shutting down services partially; naturally unessential services will remain untouched. For example some DMV offices are being shuttered. Therefore making the remaining ones even more inconvenient and crowded for the citizens. The one closest to me was just closed. Others are having hours cut. The resulting shortened hours will reduce pay to gubmint workers, reducing outlays. CA is giving teachers some furlough days; that is, days without work or pay. This is a response to a refusal to accept reduced pay. So less schooling for kids, but less money paid out... and, if I understand correctly, fewer worked days means ultimately fewer days counted when calculating the pensions paid to the teacher upon retirement. Rather than CA doing something unpleasantly visible like defaulting on G.O. bonds, Sacramento will play games like this to tinker away at expenditures. Nevertheless, they can't find enough money this way to save their asses. CA will crash, but it will be in such slow motion the description "erosion" will be more accurate.

95
Can any moron enlighten me on how this is Constitutional?



Shut up. That's how.

96

Hmmm, I'm wondering if this doesn't open the door for private security and public safety companies -- maybe a company that provides private security, public safety, and education...I could end up wealthy after all...hmmm.

 

**yes, in my private time I do plot to become village warlord, sue me if that's wrong

97 in my private time I do plot to become village warlord, sue me if that's wrong

If crucifying your enemies is wrong, I don't want to be right.

98 97 Quartering can work well too.

99 92 Time to start organizing for 2012.  Some people need to be beaten repeatedly until the message sinks in.

Posted by: MarkD at November 15, 2010 12:51 PM (0Jy1K)

Aluminum baseball bat, or golf club?

100  If the situation persists, we'll need to establish an online clearinghouse which identifies the worst offending TSA agents by name. 

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at November 15, 2010 12:54 PM (3iMgs)

*adopts Mr. Burns' voice*

Excellent.  That's something the left would do.

101 Fucking Stalinist Totalitarian Statist Bastards.

102 61 What the heck is the beef with re-usable grocery bags?
I'm so not up on my left-wing crusades...  Chuckie S. is on another rant against China. Claims the paint on the logos contain lead. So unlike the plastic bags on the heads of the chidrens, the cloth bags will not smother them but it may make them crazier than the mad hatter if they eat it. 

103 O/T - Keep Watching the Skies Watch

Apparently now tattoos are a dangerous item.....

Los Angeles Times November 14, 2010

Adam C. Pearson, a Los Angeles food stylist, was settling into his seat aboard a Delta Air Lines flight at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday morning when a flight attendant tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to go to the front of the plane. His first thought: "I'm getting an upgrade!"

Not exactly.

Pearson was asked to step off the plane. He was told that another passenger had reported him for suspicious behavior, noting that he had the phrase "Atom Bomb" tattooed across his fingers. Questioned by the captain and the flight attendant, Pearson said the tattoo referred to a childhood nickname. After answering a few more questions, Pearson — who is a frequent Delta passenger and has flown more than 142,000 miles with the airline this year — was allowed to return to his seat.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black said Saturday that he did not have any knowledge of the incident but that pilots and flight attendants must use their judgment to handle such matters.

104 Gentlemen, Reid here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot.

Posted by: Rufus T Firefly at November 15, 2010 11:54 AM (GwPRU)

So would this be Lame Duck Soup?

105

Fuck Bachus...shove Reid up his ass. We should have a hell where they have to go through a TSA checkpoints...forever.

TSA: "Senator Bachus, what's those feet I feel sticking out of your ass?"

Bachus: "That's my friend, Senator Reid. I got a ticket for him right here."

106

CAW13500 (communication workers) sucks dead dog balls. Fuck Dick Johns, (I shit you not) the pres/henchman/Dem party mouthpiece. And in Pa, I don't have a choice, but to join the Verizon rep'd union.  I paid $25+, per week, for 18 years. The only grievance I ever filed was when I got fired for an on the job accident that popped 4 discs in my neck and needed treatnent. A tree fell on me while on a pole in a wind storm. They refused to seek arbitration, and waited 10 months to tell me, citing "we usually don't do too well w/ FMLA cases". I wrote back saying that this is Workmans comp, not FMLA, as the Verizon claimed. They sent the same form letter back, only certified mail this time. They advised my I would be better off w/a lawyer. Fine, can you provided me a staff attorney. NOPE. Reccomend one? Nope.

So now, 18 months later, I won my workmans comp case on 9-29-10, and yet verizon has stil refused to honor the judges decision, and pay me. Fuck UNIONS. I will suck cock at truck stops before I'll work in a union shop again.

I previously looked down on Unemployment cash, and ppl on Comp. But I can't climb poles in Ice storms w/a numb right hand and 50% use of  my right arm.

107 Jesus Hutch! I'm so sorry.

108 The bill clearly states that Public Safety Officers CAN NOT strike. I agree with the premise of the argument against the bill but the facts are not accurate in regards to the police and firefighters striking. I have read the bill all the way through and if  Mr. Forbes has read it as well he is telling a big fat one...I will assume he has not read it and is just being paid as a spokesman....Mr. Forbes getting paid, imagine that !