Caturday at the Kane's

Do what I say - not what I do

'Voters will be able to cast their ballot in next Tuesday's "First-in-the-Nation" Republican Iowa Caucuses without bothering to show a Photo ID --- even though the Republican Party itself sets their own rules for voting there'.

'Unlike most primary elections where an official state election board or agency sets the rules and runs the registration and balloting processes, the Iowa Republican Party runs its own state caucuses, determines the rules, tabulates all the votes and announces the results to the public and media themselves. They have complete control over the entire process, and yet they don't bother to ask their own voters to show a state-issued Photo ID before casting their ballot'.
From : http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9016

'Voters going to the polls next year — and even some this year — will encounter a lot of new rules. Photo ID requirements and fewer options for early voting are among the biggest changes'.

'They're part of a wave of new laws enacted by Republican-controlled legislatures this year. Supporters say the rules are needed to ensure honest elections'.
From : http://www.npr.org/2011/07/18/138160440/the-politics-behind-new-voter-id-laws

'On a campaign stop at an Algona chocolate store, the former House speaker said the "mistake" occurred because one of their workers committed fraud'.

"We hired somebody who turned in false signatures. We turned in 11,100 – we needed 10,000 – 1,500 of them were by one guy who frankly committed fraud."
From : http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/28/gingrich-campaign-workers-signature-fraud-cost-slot-on-virginia-ballot/

CONFORM!

'RICHMOND, Va'. --
'The state Republican Party will require voters to sign a loyalty oath in order to participate in the March 6 presidential primary'.

'Anyone who wants to vote must sign a form at the polling place pledging to support the eventual Republican nominee for president. Anyone who refuses to sign the pledge will be barred from voting'.
From : http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/virginia-news/2011/dec/28/1/paul-top-gop-primary-ballot-ar-1572784/

FOX (fewer and fewer call it and watch it) 'news'

'By losing 9% of their audience in 2011, Fox News’ prime time lineup now averages fewer viewers than Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show'.

'According to TVNewser, Fox News averaged 1.868 million total viewers in prime time compared to 2.3 million for The Daily Show'.

'The audience erosion continued over at Fox News as the network lost 8% of its total viewers and 14% of their viewers in the 25-54 demo. The total number of daytime Fox News viewers slipped to 1.073 million'.
“Red Eye” was the only Fox News show to post ratings gains in 2011. Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and On The Record With Greta Van Susteren all lost viewers. In the morning, Fox and Friends remained flat'.

'Fox News still showed its dominance by having the top 13 rated cable news programs, but a certain program hosted by a comedian that Fox News loves to hate on Comedy Central blew past most of the Fox News shows in the ratings'.

'According to Comedy Central, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart averaged 2.3 million viewers per episode in 2011'.

'The Daily Show was also the top cable late night talk show in terms of total viewers, and was generally dominant. While Fox News was losing 14% in the demo in 2011, Jon Stewart was gaining 6%'.
'Jon Stewart has become Fox News’ #1 media nemesis. To put Stewart’s ratings into a head to head context, The O’Reilly Factor tends to hover around the 3 million viewers range. Hannity is at around 2+ million, and On The Record with Greta Van Susteren varies between 1.1 million and 1.5 million as an average. This means that The Daily Show is more popular than both Hannity and On The Record, and trails O’Reilly by about 700,000 viewers'.

'So basically, The Daily Show averages more viewers than any show on Fox News Channel not hosted by Bill O’Reilly, and only trails him by 700,000 viewers. Perhaps more importantly, Stewart is stronger among the age demographics important to advertisers, while Fox News seems to be most popular among people on Medicare'.

'Perhaps this is why we’ve heard recently about Roger Ailes rethinking the ideological tone that his network has taken over the past three years'.
From : http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/jon-stewart-drawing-more-viewers-than-fox-news-channel/

FIRE

I am huge fan of the sci-fi series Firefly and also a huge fan of education.

My mood determines which comes first. (GRINS!)

Anywho, I cam accross this http://thefire.org/article/13977.html and since it satisifies both my top two prorities, life is good.

'The video, which features an interview with legendary author Neil Gaiman, is a lighthearted look at how the University of Wisconsin-Stout backed down from its censorship of Professor James Miller's posters, one featuring a quote from the science fiction show Firefly, and the other condemning fascism. Stout stood by its actions until FIRE's advocacy campaign on Miller's behalf inspired Gaiman, along with Firefly actors Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin, to take to Twitter to encourage their millions of followers to contact the university with their support of free speech'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iAOtkpFGhc

And just some extras...................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i6gF0iOW2M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwPtZHhwJmw&feature=related

Love this one .............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UcwnbDTnMs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuGYn82vKEE&feature=related

'Liberal' vs. 'Conservative'

'Today’s Republicans cast the federal government as an oppressive force, a drag on the economy and an enemy of private initiative…. The GOP is engaged in a wholesale effort to redefine the government help that Americans take for granted as an effort to create a radically new, statist society'.

'Republicans are increasingly inclined to argue that any redistribution (and Social Security, Medicare, student loans, veterans benefits and food stamps are all redistributive) is but a step down the road to some radically egalitarian dystopia'.

'Given all of this, Dionne concludes that it’s Obama who’ll be “the conservative” candidate, not in the sense of a left vs. right construct, but in the sense that the president wants to conserve the foundations of the American government that have served the nation well over the last eight decades'.

We all use words like “liberal” and “conservative” in describing contemporary political disputes, but the words have lost their traditional meanings'.

'There is, after all, nothing Burkean about the Republican presidential field — these are, in a literal sense, radical candidates with no real interest in conserving much of anything'.

'For example, Mitt Romney is supposed to be, in David Brooks’ terms, “the serious one” in the GOP field'.

'But Romney also wants to privatize Social Security, eliminate Medicare, repeal all Wall Street reform safeguards, and attack Iran'.

'When it comes to debt reduction, Romney believes a 10-to-1 ratio for spending cuts to tax revenue is too liberal, and he considers asking the wealthy to pay Clinton-era tax rates to be on par with communism'.

'And to many, Romney is seen as the moderate'.
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/index.php

The 'Promise' of Mitt Romney

During the upcoming General Election, the fringe freaks are going to be screaming about all the 'Obama lies'.

'On Friday, a college student in New Hampshire reminded Mitt Romney that “many” of those in her generation “find it especially hard to relate” to the former governor as a candidate. She asked why those in her age group should “mobilize” for the Romney campaign, instead of President Obama'.

'His response was rather mind-numbing'.

“What I can promise you is this — when you get out of college, if I’m president you’ll have a job. If President Obama is reelected, you will not be able to get a job. That’s the reason I will hopefully get young people who are in college is to say, ‘You know what, I understand what it takes to get jobs in America.’”
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/romneys_promise_to_college_gra034320.php

'In an interview with TIME Magazine’s Mark Halperin, Romney said, "25 million people are out of work because of Barack Obama. And so I’ll compare my experience in the private sector where, net-net, we created over 100,000 jobs.”

“I’ll compare that record with his record, where he has not created any new jobs.”

'During his one term as governor of Massachusetts Romney's record on job creation was “one of the worst in the country,” ranking 47th out of 50 states in job growth'.
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/romneys_limited_understanding034285.php

Romney - What to look forward to

'Romney was governor from 2003 to 2007, and as Edward Mason and Tom Mashberg explained the other day, Romney failed to impress much of anyone'.

'Romney entered the Massachusetts State House in January 2003 with a flashy favorability rating of 61 percent…'.

'By November 2004, voters were souring, and a Suffolk poll found his favorable rating had dropped to 47 percent'.

'A year later, that rating sank another 14 points. Just 33 percent of Bay State voters had a favorable opinion of Romney in 2005, according to Suffolk'.

'By November 2006, as he closed out his increasingly absentee term, his overall job approval rating had cratered to 36 percent'.

* From 61% to 36% in just 4 years.

'Maybe it’s because he was a GOP governor in a reliably “blue” state? No, Massachusetts has had plenty of modern Republican governors — Weld, Cellucci, Swift — and all were more popular with their Bay State constituents than Romney'.

'Here’s the sample question reporters can ask Romney: why were you so woefully unpopular with your own constituents when voters gave you a chance to lead'?
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/those_who_saw_romneys_leadersh034044.php

'Representing' us to 'get the money out of politics'

Getting the money out of politics is a wonderful concept. In fact it is something that should be natural and certainly not considered a radical or unique idea.

After all our Nation was founded on 'We The People'.

Yet................

'Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House more than doubled, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted 2009 dollars'.
From : http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/growing-wealth-widens-distance-between-lawmakers-and-constituents/2011/12/05/gIQAR7D6IP_story.html

The very people we elect to represent us have become if not our political elites, our economic and by extension, our social elites.

And we pay them well and with benefits and allow them perks that no private sector employer would even consider - except for their 'elite; upper management.

So are our elected Representatives or 'elite upper management' over us, or are they 'fellow citizens'?

The very people that would need to change the laws and codes to take and keep money out of politics are the very ones benefiting the most.

And that is why America is and will fail.

Empowering an elite that tell us what we want to hear - 'I'm working hard for you' while in fact they they are working hardest for themselves.

ROTFLMAO!!!! Mr 'smart guy' Newt

'3:09 a.m. | Updated Newt Gingrich will not appear on the Virginia presidential primary ballot, state Republican Party officials announced Saturday, after he failed to submit the required number of valid signatures to qualify'.

'Ten thousand signatures are needed to get on the ballot for the Virginia primary, which is March 6, known as Super Tuesday'.

'Mr. Gingrich submitted 11,050 signatures, but after verification, the state party said it determined that he had not submitted enough signatures'.

'The deadline for signatures was 5 p.m. Thursday. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul obtained the needed signatures to qualify'.
From : http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/rick-perry-fails-to-qualify-for-virginia-primary-ballot/

And.......................

'After not making the ballot in Virginia, Newt Gingrich's spokesman said he would "work with the Republican Party of Virginia to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign to make sure that all the voters of Virginia are able to vote for the candidate of their choice'."

'But there's a problem, CNN notes: "Virginia state law specifically prohibits voters from writing in candidates not on the ballot in primary elections."
From : http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/12/24/gingrich_write-in_campaign_hopes_dashed.html

Thank You teabaggers

'In what could be a new high water mark of anti-Washington sentiment, the city of Troy, Mich., is rejecting a long-planned transportation center whose construction would have been fully financed with federal stimulus money'.

'The terminal, which would help Troy become a transportation node on an upgraded Detroit-to-Chicago Amtrak line, was hailed by supporters as a way to create jobs and to spur economic development. But federal money is federal money, so with the urging of the new mayor, who helped found the local Tea Party chapter, the City Council cast a 4-to-3 vote this week against granting a crucial contract, sending the project into limbo'.

'The Troy transit center’s construction, by comparison, required no local contribution, and its predicted annual maintenance cost of $31,000 was, in the context of the city’s $50 million budget, “de minimis,” said Mark Miller, the assistant city manager'.

'Taking Tea Party reasoning to the local level has outraged supporters of the transit center, which has been in the works for a decade. Michele Hodges, the president of the Troy Chamber of Commerce, which supports the transit project, said that her organization “will be a pit bull for what’s best for this community'.”

'David A. Kotwicki, a local lawyer, noted that members of Congress might talk tough on spending, but that they still bring projects home to their districts. The vote against the transit center, he said, looks like “cutting off your nose to spite your face'.”

'The transit fight is not Mayor Daniels’s first brush with controversy. Earlier this month, it was revealed that she posted a message to her Facebook page last June, after New York State approved same-sex marriage, stating, “I think I am going to throw away my I Love New York carrying bag now that queers can get married there'.”

'On Tuesday, an official of Magna International, a global automotive supplier based in Canada whose American headquarters are in Troy, expressed frustration with the City Council vote in a private e-mail to Ms. Hodges and others that was posted to a blog that favors the transit center'.

“I am drafting a memo to all Magna group presidents and our Magna corporate executives strongly recommending that Magna International no longer consider the City of Troy for future site considerations, expansions or new job creation,” wrote Frank W. Ervin III, the company’s manager of government affairs. “I have also recommended that where ever and when ever possible we reduce our footprint and employment level in Troy” in favor of communities that act in the best interests of residents and business and that do “not simply use their public position to advance their own private agenda.”

'Ed Myles, the president of a local manufacturing company, J.E. Myles & Co., said that the area, like the rest of the country, had been hurt by the recession and that it could use the economic boost that the transit center could provide. He said he worried about what companies like Magna would do. The council’s vote “put the kibosh on any other companies moving here'.”

“It’s all politics,” he said. “In the meantime, people are suffering.”
From : http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/us/michigan-city-of-troy-led-by-tea-party-mayor-rejects-federal-dollars.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

 

“Not left. Not right. Forward”

Imagine. Not telling someone what the answer is - but showing one way to get answers.

Imagine a political organization not telling us what the direction our Country should take but showing a framework that may help us.

Imagine. Here's a way to talk to each other vs. here's what you're going to do.

One small problem. The very people that we elect to represent us to govern, are the very ones that would have to adopt these changes.

The influence of money in our politics has destroyed any chance of that ever happening.

“No Labels.” Even the name is annoying. For one thing, it’s a label. There’s no branding quite like anti-branding, which in this case is even perched atop a slogan: “Not left. Not right. Forward.”

'Kang’s stump speech from “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror VII”: “My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but tonight I say, we must move forward not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom.”

'The problem, of course, is that Americans disagree about which direction is forward. Is it toward universal health care? Or away from it? Toward policies to curb climate change? Or away from them? Toward more rights for gay and lesbian couples? Or toward a constitutional amendment enshrining the primacy of traditional marriage'?

'Political reform groups tend to buy into the most pernicious myth in politics: that the answers are easy and obvious, and that all the political system needs is a firmer commitment to common sense, bipartisanship or “the American people.”

'These groups don’t just deny the very real arguments that divide our politics, they take themselves out of the game of offering solutions. They leave everyone else to do the hard work while they collect accolades for offering a future beyond division and bickering and ugliness — and reality'.

'But last week, No Labels surprised me. They released an agenda that did the impossible: proposed a plausible path for moving in that most elusive direction: forward. They did it, unexpectedly, by refusing to suggest that they themselves knew which direction ultimately is forward'.
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/ten-miles-square/2011/12/no_labels_stops_whining034274.php

No Labels - http://nolabels.org/work

1. No Budget, No Pay

2. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments

3. Fix the Filibuster

4. Empower the Sensible Majority

5. Make Members Come to Work

6. Question Time for the President

7. Fiscal Report to Congress: Hear it. Read it. Sign it.

8. Fiscal Report to Congress: Hear it. Read it. Sign it.

9. Monthly Bipartisan Gatherings

10. Bipartisan Seating

11. Bipartisan Leadership Committee

12. No Negative Campaigns Against Incumbents

Mitt on bin Laden - “I think other presidents would do exactly the same thing.”

'In 2007, then Seantor Obama on the campagin trail - '“There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans,” he said. “They are plotting to strike again. . . . If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will.”

'Mitt responding to Obama's remarks - '“I do not concur in the words of Barack Obama in a plan to enter an ally of ours… I don’t think those kinds of comments help in this effort to draw more friends to our effort,” Romney told reporters on the campaign trail'.

'…Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is one of the Republican front-runners, said U.S. troops “shouldn’t be sent all over the world.” He called Obama’s comments “ill-timed” and “ill-considered.”
From : http://www.mediaite.com/tv/mitt-romney-bin-busted-candidate-like-myself-would-have-done-bin-laden-raid-except-2007-mitt/

Flip...................................Flop.

Vote 'em ALL out!!

Yeah. Not so much.

The 2010 Congressinal elections were seen as a sweeping change. Bringing in the Tea Party to clean up the way Government works.

The only problem is we keep electing the same people over and over and well you get the idea.
'In the House of Representatives, 87% of the incumbents who stood for election were re-elected. This is slightly below the historical trend over the last several decades, and lower than the re-election rate in 1994, 2006, and 2008'.

'In the Senate, and assuming Lisa Murkowski’s write-in bid is successful, 84% of the incumbents who stood for re-election were successful (the number drops to 80%). Again, this is fairly consistent with the historical rate over the past forty years or so'.
From : http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/incumbent-re-election-rates-in-the-2010-mid-terms/

And the Congressional approval (or disapproval) ratge was almost as low then as it is today.

When it comes to opinions on our Representatives, we think it's the other Representatives that need to be voted out.

'PRINCETON, NJ -- About three-quarters of registered voters (76%) say most members of Congress do not deserve re-election'.

'As has historically been the case, voters are much more positive about the U.S. representative from their own congressional district than they are about "most members of Congress," with 53% saying their representative deserves to be re-elected'.
From : http://www.gallup.com/poll/151433/Record-High-Anti-Incumbent-Sentiment-Toward-Congress.aspx

Representative Eric (The Ass) Cantor (R-GA) - Next Speaker?

'If Boehner were a stronger, more effective House Speaker, this fiasco could have been easily avoided. He could have told his caucus this was a fight they were likely to lose, so passing the Senate bill quickly was the smart course of action. But he couldn’t — Boehner takes orders; he doesn’t give them'.

It’s what helps make this story a disaster, not only for Republicans in general, but also for John Boehner personally. As he surrenders this afternoon, Boehner becomes The Speaker Who Has No Clothes.

'He stuck out his neck, vowing not to cave, knowing he’d likely have to cave anyway. Boehner than waited until the pressure became unbearable — after he’d lost face and friends — and walked away with his tail between his legs'.

'Neither party has had a Speaker this feeble in modern times. His instincts told him to take the deal over the weekend, but Boehner allowed himself to be pushed around by his unhinged caucus, then get pushed around by Democrats, then get pushed around by his allies, then get pushed around by Senate Republicans'.

'How big a disaster was this for Boehner? Keep an eye on whether Eric Cantor’s travel schedule changes over the holidays'.
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/house_republicans_cave_in_payr034271.php

The 'People's House'

'FULL TEXT: Boehner Delivers Remarks on Congressional Reform and the People's House'
'Sep 30, 2010'

'So instead of clamping down even further, it's my view that we should open things up and let the battle of ideas help break down the scar tissue between the two parties.  Yes, we will still have disagreements.  But let’s have them out in the open.  Yes, we will still try to outmaneuver each other.  But let’s make it a fair fight.  Instead of selling our Members short, let’s give them a chance to do their jobs.  Let’s let legislators legislate again'.
From : http://www.johnboehner.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=209528

Amended December 21, 2011 -

'Except when I don't like what you're saying'.

'During a quick pro-forma session of the House this morning, Republicans rebuffed a Democratic attempt to force an up-or-down vote on the Senate-passed payroll tax holiday extension, which Republicans have thus far refused to allow. Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who was serving as the speaker pro-temp, ignored shouts of “Mr. Speaker!” from Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), quickly adjourning the House'.

'Hoyer continued talking undeterred, saying, “You’re walking away, just as so many Republicans have walked away from middle-class taxpayers [and] the unemployed.” “We regret, Mr. Speaker, that you have walked off the platform without addressing this issue of critical importance to this country,” Hoyer added'.

'Moments later, the mic appeared to cut out. A few seconds after that, the video feed switched away from the House floor to a still image of the Capitol Dome. It appears someone in House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) office cut the feed, as C-SPAN tweeted afterwards: “C-SPAN has no control over the U.S. House TV cameras – the Speaker of the House does'.
From : http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/12/21/393990/speaker-cuts-off-c-span-cameras-when-dems-attempts-to-bring-vote-on-payroll-tax-cut/”

Come on teabaggers! What happened to the 'will of the people'?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PAYROLL_TAX_CUT_ECONOMY?SITE=KTVK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Over the last year, it is very often said and assumed that no matter what the Democrats or President proposes - Republicans will be against it. See Senator Mitch McConnell.

Less then a year away from the General Election, the Republicans have seemingly confirmed it.

This should have been such an easy victory for Republicans. The Presidency, maybe even more gains in the House and almost certainly taking control of the Senate.

The trifecta of National Politics.

And then came the teabaggers...........

America is a center - right Country. The more the Republicans have to go further right to apease the far, far right, the furter away from the center - right they go.

House members are being seen as too extreme.

Senate candidates will be seen as filibusterig obstructionists.

And any Presidential candidate will be saddeled with having to explain and justify thier actions as he is assoicated with them.

What a mess the teabaggers have made of what should have been a year long victory lap for Republicans.

'Former Bush adviser Karl Rove said he agreed with the Wall Street Journal’s blistering assessment on the failure of House Republican leadership in the payroll-tax debate, and conceded that Republicans have “lost the optics” and should fold on the issue'.

“I think the Wall Street Journal editorial hit it right on the nail, the question now is how do Republicans get out of it,” Rove told Fox News on Wednesday'.
From : http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/200877-rove-says-republicans-should-fold-in-tax-debate

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'DES MOINES, Iowa – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who famously lost budget battles to President Bill Clinton amid two government shutdowns, had some advice to House Republicans at loggerheads with another Democratic president: Give in'.
From : http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/12/21/gingrich-to-house-gop-give-in-on-payroll-tax/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said Wednesday that Republicans are losing the public-relations battle over a payroll tax cut extension and should find a way to extend the tax holiday and move on'.
"Are Republicans getting killed now in public opinion? There's no question," Corker said Wednesday on CNBC'.
From : http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/200705-sen-corker-says-gopers-need-to-pass-payroll-extension-and-move-on

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'GOP Sen. Scott Brown ripped into House Republicans on Tuesday after Speaker John Boehner vowed that his caucus would reject the short-term payroll tax cut extension that nearly 90 percent of senators voted for over the weekend'.
“The House Republicans’ plan to scuttle the deal to help middle-class families is irresponsible and wrong,” Brown said in a statement'.
From : http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2011/12/brown-blasts-house-gop-on-payroll-tax-cut-108035.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wall Street Journal -
'GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell famously said a year ago that his main task in the 112th Congress was to make sure that President Obama would not be re-elected. Given how he and House Speaker John Boehner have handled the payroll tax debate, we wonder if they might end up re-electing the President before the 2012 campaign even begins in earnest'.

'The GOP leaders have somehow managed the remarkable feat of being blamed for opposing a one-year extension of a tax holiday that they are surely going to pass. This is no easy double play'.

'After a year of the tea party House, Mr. Obama and Senate Democrats have had to make no major policy concessions beyond extending the Bush tax rates for two years. Mr. Obama is in a stronger re-election position today than he was a year ago, and the chances of Mr. McConnell becoming Majority Leader in 2013 are declining'.
From : http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204791104577110573867064702.html

"That is quite unusual"

'Police are questioning the crew of the MS Thor Liberty after what were described as 69 Patriot anti-missile missiles were found aboard'.

'Interior Minister Paivi Rasanen said the missiles were marked "fireworks".

'The MS Thor Liberty left port in Emden, northern Germany, on 13 December and docked two days later in Kotka, southern Finland, to pick up a cargo of anchor chains, said Finnish Customs spokesman Petri Lounatmaa'.

'It was bound for the Chinese port of Shanghai but there was no indication for whom the military cargo was destined'.

'Routine checks by Finland's traffic safety authority revealed a load of up to 160 tonnes of improperly packed nitroguanidine, a low-sensitivity explosive with a high detonation speed'.

"Actually in our investigation at the moment, we have got the information that we found 69 Patriot missiles on the ship and around 160 tonnes of explosives," said Detective Superintendent Timo Virtanen from the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation'.

"Of course, there are legal transports of weapons or defence material [through Finland] but in this case the cargo was marked as containing fireworks," she told Finnish media. "That is quite unusual."

'Patriot missiles, designed by the US company Raytheon, are supplied to "US and allied forces", according to the company's website. South Korea is among states which deploy them'.
From : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16292244

Sunday Picks

Kane 5 - 11 (223)
Total 132 - 92 = 59%

Week 16........Kane

THU, DEC 22

Hou v. Indy....Hou......
I really don't see a winning streak in Indy.

SAT, DEC 24

S.F. v. Sea....Sea......
Seattle needs a whole lota help and it may even be over for them by game time but I still like them.

Oak v. K.C.....K.C......
If the new coach can bring them down to Earth after they win over G.B.  

Jack v. Tenn...Tenn.....
Come on Matt!

Mia v. N.E.....N.E......

Ari v. Cin.....Cin......

Den v. Buff....Den......
Buffalo IS NOT N.E. 

StL. v Pitt....Pitt..... 

NYG v. NYJ.....NYG...... 

Minn v. Wash...Wash.....

T.B. v. Car....Car......

Cle v. Balt....Balt.....

S.D. v. Det....Det......
But after last week?

Phil v. Dal....Phil.....

SUN, DEC 25 

Chi v. G.B.....G.B......
Home field throughout.  

MON, DEC 26

Atl v. N.O.....N.O......

When 'Fact Checking' fails

'PolitiFact's 'Lie of the Year'

'Lie of the Year 2011: Readers' poll results'

'By Angie Drobnic Holan'
'Published on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 at 12:03 a.m.'

'We received 9,214 votes in our readers' poll. Here are the results:'

'The economic stimulus created "zero jobs." -- The National Republican Senatorial Committee and other Republicans 24% '

'Abortion services are "well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does."- Sen.  Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.   17%'

'"Republicans voted to end Medicare." -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and other Democrats 16% '
From : http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2011/dec/20/lie-year-2011-readers-poll-results/

So the biggest lie was the 'Economic stimulus created 'zero jobs' @ 24% BUT PolitiFact instead decided to tout that 'Republicans voted to end Medicare' @ 16% as the 'Lie Of The Year : 2011'

From Steve Benen at Washington Monthly :

' In 2009, the Lie of the Year was a Republican lie. In 2010, the Lie of the Year was a different Republican lie. In 2011, a majority of the Lie of the Year nominees came from Republicans, and the top two vote-getters in its reader surveys were both Republican lies'.

'If PolitiFact had chosen another GOP falsehood for this year’s “award,” the website would have been condemned by the right for being partisan. So, coincidentally or not, PolitiFact avoided the conservative pushback by picking a Democratic argument'.
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/stuffing_the_ballot_box_didnt034214.php

Priorities in the House of Representativess

The House tabeled the legislation to extend the 'payroll tax holiday' but DID find time and money to do this yesterday.........

'Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and agree to the following measure:
Provide for the placement of a statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United States Capitol: H. Res. 497, to provide for the placement of a statue or bust of Sir Winston Churchill in the United States Capitol'.
'Pages H9940-43'
From : http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r112:@FIELD(FLD003+d)+@FIELD(DDATE+20111219)

Having that bust of Winston Churchill in the Capitol is SO much more importamt then - well people.

And in the ROTFLMAO Department.....

In a pre-taped interview that aired last night on Fox Business Network’s “Follow The Money,” Eric Bolling mentioned to Sarah Palin that people constantly tell him they wish she was running for President.

“Any chance we can see you making a play, even after Iowa or New Hampshire?” Bolling asked. “There’s still plenty of time, Governor.”

“You know, it’s not too late for folks to jump in,” Palin replied. “And I don’t know, you know, it — who knows what will happen in the future?”
From : http://www.mediaite.com/online/sarah-palin-tells-fox-business-network-that-its-not-too-late-to-jump-into-the-gop-race/

The other 'March Maddness'

'The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it would devote three days in late March to hearing arguments in challenges to the 2010 health care overhaul law. A decision in the case is expected by the end of June'.

'On March 26, the court will hear arguments on the threshold issues of whether a federal law called the Anti-Injunction Act makes challenges to the mandate premature until 2015'.

'The court put aside two hours on March 27 for arguments on the central issue in the case, whether Congress exceeded its constitutional authority in requiring people to buy insurance or pay a penalty. The provision is often called the individual mandate; the announcement called it the minimum coverage provision'.

'The court will hear arguments on two issues on March 28. First, it will consider for 90 minutes whether the provision may be severed from the balance of the statute. That is what the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit held when it struck down the provision'.

'The court will also hear an hour of argument on March 28 on whether Congress was entitled to expand the scope of Medicaid'.
From : http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/supreme-court-to-hear-health-care-case-in-late-march/

From the 'They Never Give Up' Department....

'According to Dustin Baker of the blog Georgia Politico, a suit has been filed with the office of Georgia’s Secretary of State Brian Kemp challenging Barack Obama’s legitimacy to appear as a presidential candidate on the ballot in the November 2012 elections'.

'Georgia State Representative J. Mark Hatfield (R-Waycross) will plead the case before the Office of State Administrative Hearings on behalf of Mr. Kevin R. Powell of Duluth, Georgia, who filed the suit on the grounds that “Obama does not satisfy the ‘natural born Citizen’ requirement of Article II, Section I, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution. Obama’s father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a native of Kenya and a British subject who never became a United States citizen'.”

'Presumably the lawsuit does not address the question of the nationality of President Obama’s mother, whose status as a U.S. citizen would confer citizenship upon her son, no matter the nationality of his father'.
'The challenge, which Georgia Politico reports is styled “Kevin Richard Powell v. Barack Obama,” was submitted to Secretary Kemp’s office on November 28, and has been referred to the State Office of Administrative Hearings for further action'.

'Baker added, “In related economic news, no new businesses want to move to Georgia because they feel the workforce, as represented through the people they elect, are absolutely crazy and believe conspiracy theories'.”
From : http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/17/georgia-birther-suit-attempts-to-remove-obama-from-2012-ballot/

ROTFFLMFAO!!!!!

'If Americans find all of this ridiculous'

'they should have been a little more careful before the 2010 midterms'.

'Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) noted Saturday, “This is probably a done deal in the House; it should be.”

'The pieces were in place. Senate leads from both parties agreed to a temporary compromise that looked pretty sensible: Dems would get a two-month extension of the payroll tax break and a clean extension of unemployment benefits, while GOP lawmakers would get an expedited decision on the Keystone XL pipeline. It was quickly approved with overwhelming, bipartisan support, 89 to 10'.

'None other than House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) seemed relieved, calling the bipartisan compromise a “good deal” and a “victory'.”

'But Boehner then took this victory to his caucus, and as we’ve seen many times before, the Speaker quickly realized his job is to take, not give, orders from his right-wing members'.

'Indeed, the House will likely take up the Senate deal later today, simply to prove it can’t pass the lower chamber. In the bigger picture, it’s pretty amazing: House Republicans are going to kill a bipartisan compromise on a middle-class tax cut, which just passed the Senate 89 to 10, the week before Christmas'.
'It’s worth emphasizing that the GOP’s new demands are coming into focus. Last week, Republicans wanted an expedited decision on Keystone. They got it. This week, Republicans are arguing that the payroll tax break, if it’s extended at all, should be extended for a year, not for two months'.
From : http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_12/when_a_done_deal_unravels034184.php

Hey. You're the one who wanted to be Speaker.

No Labels - 12 Ways To Make Congress Work

'No Labels' is yet another of the more or less populus movements out there and like the rest, has little to no chance of making policy - but - at least someone is trying something.

On their site, they've listed 12 Ways. I've picked 6 that I RAVE about!

#1 - 'No Budget, No Pay'
'The Problem'
'The most basic responsibility Congress has is deciding how much money the government takes in and how much it spends. But Congress has passed its spending bills on time only four times since 1952. In the last 14 years, annual spending bills have been submitted an average of four months late'.

#2 - 'Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments'
'The Problem'
'When our Founders gave the Senate "Advise and Consent" power over presidential appointments, they hoped it would encourage the president to appoint qualified people and avoid conflicts of interest'.
'Today, it's the senators themselves who seem to have conflicts of interest, with key presidential appointments routinely held up for trivial reasons or to serve the narrow interests of a single senator. In one notorious case from 2010, a senator held up over 70 presidential nominees at once to secure more federal spending for his state'.

#3 - 'Fix the Filibuster'
'The Problem'
'The filibuster has been used for good and for ill, but for most of the Senate's history, it was rare, and it required members to stand up for hours on end to make their case. Neither is true anymore'.
'In the first 50 years of the filibuster, it was used only 35 times. In the last two years alone, it was used over 100. And senators don't even have to show up on the floor to explain themselves – just signaling their intent to filibuster effectively stalls legislation'.

#4 - 'Make Members Come to Work'
'The Problem'
'Members of Congress routinely fly home to their districts on Thursday nights to meet with constituents or attend fundraisers, and they often don't return until the following Tuesday'.
'Former Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle said that, "When we scheduled votes, the only day where we could be absolutely certain we had all one hundred senators there was Wednesday afternoon'."

#5 - 'Question Time for the President'
'The Problem'
'In January 2010, President Obama attended a House Republican retreat to publicly debate the merits of the president's proposed healthcare law. For a few hours at least, the American public got to see our leaders engage and truly debate with one another'.
'We haven't seen anything like it since. Today the president and members of Congress can more often be found talking past one another through the media. The issues facing our country are too important to be decided by a war of partisan talking points. Let's get the ideas on the table, debate them and let the American people decide'.

#6 - 'No Pledge but the Oath of Office'
'The Problem'
'One of the biggest barriers to solving problems in Congress is that many members literally sign away their ability to do it. A case in point: 238 House members have signed a pledge to never raise taxes. Another 110 members have signed a pledge to never cut any Social Security benefits. That's 80% of Congress refusing to even consider compromise on two of the biggest issues driving America's long-term budget deficits. Is it any wonder Congress can't balance our books'?
From : http://nolabels.org/

And Congress said - 'Let there be light'

'The shutdown-averting budget bill will block federal light bulb efficiency standards, giving a win to House Republicans fighting the so-called ban on incandescent light bulbs'.

'GOP and Democratic sources tell POLITICO the final omnibus bill includes a rider defunding the Energy Department's standards for traditional incandescent light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy efficient'.

'DOE's light bulb rules — authorized under a 2007 energy law authored signed by President George W. Bush — would start going into effect Jan. 1. The rider will prevent DOE from implementing the rules through Sept. 30'.
From : http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70534.html

This is one of the things I wasn't looking forward to. Replacing cheap incandescent bulds with very not so cheap CFL's of LED's. I've spent the last year stockpiling so I've got a 1-2 year supply of the cheap bulds and since I get my Natural Gas via Avista NOT my electricity, Avista isn't going to send me 7 CFL's.

Yes we all need to help in 'saving the Planet' yada, yada, yada BUT! when we are so use to getting a 4 pk of incandescents for a dollar and then having to go to a single CFL for $4-$5. Come on man!

Sunday picks on Wednesday for Thursday

Week 15

Good breakdown here http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings/_/type/playoffs/sort/conferenceRank/order/false as to who's gotta do what, when and why to get where.

THU, DEC 15..Kane....
Jack v Atl...Atl
Atlanta hasn't cinched yet and who knows which team Jacksonville will bring. I'm going with the team that's got something to play for.

SAT, DEC 17

Dal v. T.B...T.B.
Why not?

SUN, DEC 18

Sea v. Chi...Chi
Seattle is NOT Denver and Chicago should handle them.

Car v.Hou....Hou
Houston has cinched so good time to srat resting/healing up as much as possible.

Wash v. NYG..NYG
Still playing for position. Good Buddha I really hatge the NFC East!!!!

Mia v. Buff..Mia
I always like the odds when you have a new coach.

N.O. v. Minn.N.O.
N.O. are playing poorly but good time to start tuning up for a run.

Cin v. StL...Cin

Tenn v. Indy.Tenn
Hoping Locker starts and plays the whoule game. 

G.B. v K.C...G.B.
And here's the exception to the 'new coach' rule.

Det v. Oak...Oak
Who wants it more........

N.E. v. Den..Den
GAME OF THE WEEK!

NYJ v Phil...NYJ

Cle v Ari....Ari

Balt v S.D...Balt

MON, DEC 19 

Pitt v S.F...Pitt
San Fran has lost a couple of games they shouldn't.

The raise of Ron after the sagging of Newt

This could very well be the 9th 'new front runner' in almost as many months for the GOP.

Beginning in March, Huckabee, Palin and Romney traded places for several months. Then The Donald rose breifly in May. Then Bachmann. Then Perry. Then Cain. Then Newt and now - but not quite lastly - Ron Paul. And if Jon Huntsman could win in Hew Hampshire? Who knows?

Actually Romney, Hunstman and Paul have been and are the only serious candidates. It's been less about the GOP having a Republican Primary run and more about seeing howq many clowns can fit into the race.

'A new Public Policy Polling survey in Iowa shows Newt Gingrich clinging to the lead in the GOP presidential race with 22%, followed by Ron Paul at 21% and Mitt Romney at 16%'.

'Key findings: "Gingrich has dropped 5 points in the last week and he's also seen a significant decline in his favorability numbers... The attacks on him appear to be taking a heavy toll... Paul meanwhile has seen a big increase in his popularity... There are a lot of parallels between Paul's strength in Iowa and Barack Obama's in 2008 -- he's doing well with new voters, young voters, and non-Republican voters'."
From : http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/12/13/paul_surges_in_iowa.html

'What's the difference between Newt Gingrich and God'?

'God doesn't think he's Newt Gingrich'.

A great article here http://www.perrspectives.com/blog/archives/002348.htm.

Mitt to Christine - 'Please don't endorse me again'

'"That's one of the things that I like about him -- because he's been consistent since he changed his mind."
-- Christine O'Donnell, quoted by Politico, on her endorsement of Mitt Romney.
From : http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/12/14/bonus_quote_of_the_day.html

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Gingrich

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcV4EaSElfw

(GRINS!)

Newt on pot

The ultimate Newt : 'Gingrich would explain his shift in position in an interview with journalist Hilary Stout in 1996'.

“See, when I smoked pot it was illegal, but not immoral. Now, it is illegal AND immoral. The law didn't change, only the morality… That's why you get to go to jail and I don't.”
'August 8, 1996, Wall Street Journal'

We all may want to start smoking (if we aren't already) if this lovable guy gets elected.

'H.R. 4170: Drug Importer Death Penalty Act of 1996'

'104th Congress: 1995-1996'

'To provide a sentence of death for certain importations of significant quantities of controlled substances'.

'Sponsor: Rep. Newton Leroy Gingrich [R-GA6]'
From : http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h104-4170

And just how much are 'significant quantities of controlled substances'?

'a proscribed quantity of a mixture or substance containing a controlled substance in an amount the Attorney General has determined is equal to 100 usual dosage amounts'.
From : http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h104-4170&tab=summary

About 2 Ounces.

A great read :
http://www.november.org/razorwire/rzold/05/0526.

The 'Contract' with Newt

This is from Michael Savage. Interesting but Newt won't take it. I'm actually looking forward to Newt being the Republican candidate. The hate that comes in waves off of this guy will so turn off the moderate voters in America that Obama will win and win big.

Oh and Mr Savage - you have one very, very important thing wrong and why the Republicans may will lose control of the House and won't (although they should and could) take back the majority in the Senate.

You wrote - 'THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE BEFORE AMERICA TODAY IS DEFEATING BARACK OBAMA'.

The most pressing issue before America is JOBS Mr. Savage. That YOU and the REPUBLICAN Party can't even seem to grasp that simplest of concepts, tells moderate voters just how out of touch you are with America and Americans.

'(SUBJECT TO ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS TO BE EXPRESSLY STATED BY DR. SAVAGE, INCLUDING GINGRICH DROPPING OUT WITHIN 72 HOURS OF TODAY)'

'THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL FIELD HAS COME DOWN TO TWO CANDIDATES WHO HAVE A REAL CHANCE OF GETTING THE NOMINATION: NEWT GINGRICH AND MITT ROMNEY. WHILE IT’S TRUE THAT ROMNEY IS NOT AS STRONG A CONSERVATIVE AS MANY WOULD LIKE HIM TO BE, THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE BEFORE AMERICA TODAY IS DEFEATING BARACK OBAMA. AND THAT IS SOMETHING NEWT GINGRICH CANNOT DO. FOR WEEKS ON MY SHOW, I HAVE ENUMERATED THE REASONS WHY GINGRICH CANNOT SUCCEED IN AN ELECTION AGAINST OBAMA':

'•WHEN HE WAS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, GINGRICH FAILED TO DELIVER ON HIS SO-CALLED CONTRACT WITH AMERICA'.
'•HE MADE ADS WITH NANCY PELOSI PROMOTING THE FALSE THEORY OF GLOBAL WARMING'.
'•HE’S IN FAVOR OF AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS'.
'•HE’S TAKEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC, TWO OF THE MOST CORRUPT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN HISTORY'.
'•HE’S CHEATED ON TWO WIVES AND LEFT BOTH OF THEM WHILE THEY WERE BOTH SERIOUSLY ILL, WHICH WILL DESTROY HIS CHANCES AMONG FEMALE VOTERS'.
'•HE CALLED THE REPUBLICAN PLAN TO REFORM MEDICARE “RIGHT WING SOCIAL ENGINEERING.”
'•IN A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE AGAINST OBAMA, REGARDLESS OF HOW WELL HE DOES, ON TELEVISION, HE WILL COME OFF BADLY COMPARED TO OBAMA AND LOOK LIKE NOTHING MORE THAN WHAT HE IS: A FAT, OLD, WHITE MAN'.

'NEWT GINRICH IS UNELECTABLE. MITT ROMNEY IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WITH A CHANCE OF DEFEATING BARACK OBAMA, AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT FOR FUTURE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THEREFORE, I AM OFFERING NEWT GINGRICH ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO DROP OUT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATION'.

'IF NEWT GINGRICH REALLY LOVES THIS COUNTRY AS MUCH AS HE SAYS HE DOES, IF HE REALLY WANTS WHAT IS BEST FOR AMERICA, HE WILL SET HIS EGO ASIDE, CALL ME, AND ACCEPT MY OFFER. HIS CONTINUED CANDIDACY SPELLS NOTHING BUT RUIN FOR CONSERVATIVES, REPUBLICANS, AND ALL TRUE AMERICAN PATRIOTS. ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN EXCHANGE FOR PRESERVING THE NATION, NEWT. I SAY TAKE THE MONEY… AND DON’T RUN'.
From : http://www.michaelsavage.wnd.com/2011/12/savage-offers-gingrich-1-million-to-drop-out-of-the-race-will-announce-on-show-today/

Newt Gingrich and 'child labor laws are stupid'

First of all, here is the link to the video of Newt :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvCXwjj3Uf0

At 40 sceonds, he outlines a specific plan to 'get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the schools.'

So either English is a second language or you'd have to be taking a very slow ride down that river in Egypt to NOT understand that this was a plan that Newt was proposing.

Setting aside the 'child labor laws are stupid' comment - yes lets become a Third World Nation and leave the most vunerable defenceless or better yet, allow 'parents' to rent out their children for profit and companies to exploit them. Oh THAT will re-establish the United States as a World Leader!

Yes I understand Newt is thinking of instilling a work ethic in children but anyone thinking that since they, the children, would be on the bottom of the labor pool ladder - employers and parents WOULDN'T abuse and exploit them- is a fool.

But again setting aside THAT for a moment, Newt very clearly proposes firing a 'union' janitor who more then likely is putting food on the table and a roof over his/her family and replacing them with less expensive in pay and benefits child labor.

So on the one hand you develop a program to instill the values of the work ethic in 'poor' children and on the other you put a person out of work, put them on unemployment, welfare, maybe have their house foreclosed.

Newt Gingrich - creating several new problems to solve one. Leading America back to the 'good old days'.

http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/us_history.html

http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/youthlabor/

Caturday at the Kane's

The 'Republican Establishment' and 2012

Ezra Klein has a good blog on the likelyhood that the 'Republican Establishment' will not 'let' Newt be the nominee.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/newt-gingrich-will-not-be-the-republican-nominee--even-if-it-means-a-brokered-convention/2011/08/25/gIQARQ0DiO_blog.html

He points out that they, the 'Republican Establishment, are 'mobilizing' the likes of Will, Krauthammer, Brooks, Coburn, Coulter and others and and that this will somehow be seen as sage advice and the Republican voters will turn again to 25% Mitt. 

He takes a different route then Nate Silver who, rightly, sees Newt winning Iowa, 2nd in New Hampshire and then building on that, wins in South Carolina and Florida and so on and so on.

Klein ignores the fact that the 'Republican Establishment' is just too late in coming to the 'rescue' of Romney.

That should have happened last May after Palin had spent months teasing the voters and the press, after Bachmann rose in the polls while spouting nonsense about the history of our Nation and the legislative process and especially after The Donald rose in the polls after pushing the 'Obama wasn't a natural born citizen'.

By not stopping THAT, letting The Donald, Palin and then Perry go unchallenged (except for a few asides) in spouting that nonsense, thus giving those three and the 'issue' of Obama's birth 'credibility', the 'Republican Establishment' lost all of it's credibility.

Gingrich is not 'rising'. There simply is no one (with at least a realistic chance) left.

Palin, Bachmann, The Donald, Perry and then Cain. All self destructed. They shoulld have been at best bottom teir candidates but instead the 'Republican Establishment' along with FOX 'news' gave them time and voice which uninformed voters looking to be lead, eagerly accepted them as the role models for the Republican Party.

Newt doesn't have time, although he normally would, to self destruct as the voting begins in just a couple of weeks and Romney is just too weak to attack him. Newt has 25 years expereince attacking others and (usually when he self destructs) responding to attacks on him.

The 'Republican Establishment' blew it last Spring by not stopping the stupidity of what should have been the lower teir candidates and by not encouraging, nuturing the likes of Daniels, Pawlenty, backing Christie when he was considering and maybe even giving greater voice to Jeb Bush.

It doesn't mean that Bush or Christie would BE candidates but it would have shown the general electorate that the 'Republican Establishment' was at least serious about finding intelligent and reasonable representatives for the Grand Old Party.

And THAT would have given them a landslide victory in November 2012 instead of the now more then likely defeat at the Presidential level and also a now growing possibility of a defeat in taking the Senate and maybe even the growing possibllity of losing the House.

The growing backlash of moderates voting not for Obama but against the bitterness of Newt and that carrying over into other races. 

When steam dissipates, you're left with nothing

'The Great Donald Trump Debate (well, maybe slightly less great than its organizers had hoped) is still going forward even with just two committed candidates, its organizers said Friday'.

“We just had a production meeting this morning, and we’re pushing full steam ahead,” said Steve Coz, editorial director of Newsmax Media, which is hosting the debate Mr. Trump is set to moderate on Ion Television on Dec. 27'.

'But Mr. Trump, the reality star and real estate mogul, cast some doubt Friday about whether the debate would still happen in an interview with Fox News’s Megyn Kelly. “We’ll have to see,” he said. He made similar comments to Don Imus earlier in the day'.

'Mr. Trump’s spokeswoman did not return a request to clarify his remarks.

'Whatever the outcome, the incident is a body blow to Mr. Trump’s credibility as a player in conservative politics. He often talks up his political influence with the kind of self-aggrandizing swagger that is his trademark'.

'On Mitt Romney‘s supposed longing for Mr. Trump’s endorsement: “He wants my endorsement. He wants it very badly,” Mr. Trump said this week'.

'On his frustration about never being invited to the White House by President Obama: “I have a big voice. Call up Trump, invite him to the White House. Get him on your side.”

'On why he thinks he has influence: “The candidates look at me and they say, ‘He really does have a lot of people who are listening.’”

'Evidently, the campaigns of Mr. Romney, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann and Jon M. Huntsman Jr. — who have all declined to attend the debate — don’t quite see it that way'.
From : http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/newsmax-says-trump-debate-is-full-steam-ahead/
.

'Don't Worry - Be Happy' - 'Preventive Priorities Survey: 2012'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHFDa9efCQU

'The Preventive Priorities Survey (PPS) is intended to help inform the U.S. policy community about the relative urgency and importance of competing conflict prevention demands. The Center for Preventive Action asked a targeted group of government officials, academics, and experts to comment confidentially on a list of contingencies that could plausibly occur in 2012'.

'The list of preventive priorities for the United States is grouped according to three tiers of relative importance to U.S. national interests, based on different levels or categories of risk associated with various types of instability and conflict. The preventive priorities within each tier are not listed in any order of priority or probability'.

Tier I
•a mass casualty attack on the U.S. homeland or on a treaty ally

•a severe North Korean crisis (e.g., armed provocations, internal political instability, advances in nuclear
weapons/ICBM capability)

•a major military incident with China involving U.S. or allied forces

•an Iranian nuclear crisis (e.g., surprise advances in nuclear weapons/delivery capability, Israeli response)

•a highly disruptive cyberattack on U.S. critical infrastructure (e.g., telecommunications, electrical power, gas and oil, water supply, banking and finance, transportation, and emergency services)

•a significant increase in drug trafficking violence in Mexico that spills over into the United States

•severe internal instability in Pakistan, triggered by a civil-military crisis or terror attacks

•political instability in Saudi Arabia that endangers global oil supplies

•a U.S.-Pakistan military confrontation, triggered by a terror attack or U.S. counterterror operations

•intensification of the European sovereign debt crisis that leads to the collapse of the euro, triggering a double-dip U.S. recession and further limiting budgetary resources
From : http://www.cfr.org/conflict-prevention/preventive-priorities-survey-2012/p26686?cid=nlc-news_release-news_release-link4-20111209

Protecting the 'job creators'

The payroll tax holiday extension being debated in the Senate right now, was to be orginally paid for with a .2% tax on making over $1,000,000. The so-called 'Millionaires Surtax'.

This caused NPR to do, or attempt to do a story on the who and how the surtax would affect.
With interesting results...............

'The argument is that many small-business owners report company profits on their individual taxes because of the way their businesses are structured. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., says the surtax would hurt their ability to hire'.

"It's just intuitive that, you know, if you're somebody who's in business and you get hit with a tax increase, it's going to be that much harder, I think, to make investments that are going to lead to job creation," says Thune.

'We wanted to talk to business owners who would be affected. So, NPR requested help from numerous Republican congressional offices, including House and Senate leadership. They were unable to produce a single millionaire job creator for us to interview'.
 
'So we went to the business groups that have been lobbying against the surtax. Again, three days after putting in a request, none of them was able to find someone for us to talk to. A group called the Tax Relief Coalition said the problem was finding someone willing to talk about their personal taxes on national radio'.
From : http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/12/09/143398685/gop-objects-to-millionaires-surtax-millionaires-we-found-not-so-much

To paraphrase Ed Schultz - where are the 'job creators'?

Caturday at the Kanes

Robing poor Paul to pay poor Peter

Newt Gingrich :

"Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school. The kids would actually do work, they would have cash, they would have pride in the schools, they'd begin the process of rising."
From : http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/68729.html

Yes. During a recession with 30% un and underemployment, lets 'get rid' of someone trying to earn a living for their family and put them in poverty so that we can give a student a part time job.