2012.02.03
The bar is OPEN for the Friday thread
Shot by the blogger Ron on his recent trip to Washington D.C.
“I admit I was drinking a Guinness … but I did not swallow.”
Kinky Friedman
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Liberals views:
“No Pipeline across the midwest because it might harm the pheasant population.”
“It’s ok to kill an unborn baby.”
Comment by Pistol Pete — February 3, 2012 @ 9:21 am
I know the guy and family that run’s The Dubliner! Used to work for his brother’s restaurant – Coleman’s! Great Place!
Comment by Uptheriver — February 3, 2012 @ 9:41 am
In case Hillary missed this:
Biden’s net worth is $27,000???? What a joke. Take a look at his million dollar estate in Delaware.
http://www.zillow.com/blog/2008-08-25/joe-bidens-house-endures-the-media-swarm/
He makes about $27,000 a week and he gave $300 to charity. You see, when you are like Biden and advocate to give other people’s money away, your soul is cleansed and one feels no need to give on their own.
Comment by terps — February 3, 2012 @ 9:44 am
Romney Pledge..
I plege allegiance to the money bags
of the Richest States of America
and to the less fortunate
to which I can not stand,
Large Corporations
… Over God
clearly visible
No Liberty , money
nor justice ,each and all .
http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/ap_mitt_romney_mormon_nt_110608_wmain.jpg
Comment by Joe — February 3, 2012 @ 10:03 am
I recommend the fish & chips and Harp lager.
Comment by Ron — February 3, 2012 @ 10:18 am
On this day in 1959, the Music Died in a plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. Below are links to a song from each. RIP!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igLayzIQYck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHo3KfKsftc&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b-by5e4saI
Comment by Ron — February 3, 2012 @ 10:56 am
February 3, 1959
The day the music died.
http://youtu.be/0KKohj9NcXg
http://youtu.be/-ziSLGVQOSg
http://youtu.be/MWqLPxJ7kxU
Comment by 13 Suns — February 3, 2012 @ 11:28 am
The powers-that-be at Susan G. Komen have come to their senses.
Comment by Contrasuzie — February 3, 2012 @ 11:47 am
“Inmate Adds Pig Image To VT Police Cruiser Decals”
Hilarious!
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=15500751
Comment by Contrasuzie — February 3, 2012 @ 11:53 am
Hope all Roanoke City residents will go to the schoolhouse primary Sat. the 4th and vote smart for our successful 12 year incumbent Mayor Bowers. This is the only way we will win in the May 1st General Election.
Comment by mj — February 3, 2012 @ 12:17 pm
A good question.
“This claim, like much of what Mr. Romney says, was completely false: U.S. poverty programs have nothing like as much bureaucracy and overhead as, say, private health insurance companies. As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has documented, between 90 percent and 99 percent of the dollars allocated to safety-net programs do, in fact, reach the beneficiaries. But the dishonesty of his initial claim aside, how could a candidate declare that safety-net programs do no good and declare only 10 days later that those programs take such good care of the poor that he feels no concern for their welfare?”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/opinion/krugman-romney-isnt-concerned.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212
Comment by Debbie — February 3, 2012 @ 12:25 pm
“It’s the economy stupid.” Unemployment is down to 8.3 % and 243,000 “new net jobs” were added in January. It’s too early for a definitive prediction because the economy could change course and because we so easily succumb to negative campaigning, but I say, given that they are not solidly behind their presumptive candidate, the GOP will struggle mightily in November.
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-unemployment-january-report-20120203,0,6620355.story
Comment by scott whitaker — February 3, 2012 @ 12:42 pm
I am not surprised, but this remains really, really disheartening:
“The public doubts the Supreme Court renders judgments based solely on the law. Three-quarters (75%) say they think that, in general, Justices let their own ideological views influence their decisions while 17 percent say they usually decide cases based on legal analysis without regard to politics and ideology. Similarly, when asked specifically about the challenge to the individual mandate in the health reform law, six in ten (59%) Americans say they expect the Justices will take their own ideological views into account, while 28 percent think their decision will be based purely on legal analysis and interpretation.”
http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/8274.cfm
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 3, 2012 @ 5:11 pm
#3 terps
Net worth = the total assets minus total outside liabilities of an individual
Because he owns a home, and it is “million dollar estate” means nothing. It is what is still OWED on the property minus the supposed value = net. Get it?
According to Bloomberg and Biden’s financial statement:
Average Annual Salary over last 10 years: $172,770
According to Open Secrets [on a 1-10 scale] Joe Biden is in 9th position of the ten lowest net worth politicians in DC.
Value of 2 main assets to liabilities:
$241,030 asset – $175,006 liability
$894,000 asset – $500,000 liability
Comment by Hillary — February 3, 2012 @ 5:11 pm
I mean, is there really any doubt that George Soros will try to buy this election for Obama?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/03/koch-brothers-100-million-obama_n_1250828.html
No, apparently not much:
“At a private three-day retreat in California last weekend, conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch and about 250 to 300 other individuals pledged approximately $100 million to defeat President Obama in the 2012 elections.“
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 3, 2012 @ 5:15 pm
No doubt Scott W #12! The highlight reel already in the can from Romney will doubtless have much added to it as the months drag on. That we are in trouble does not mean we are ready to commit suicide and choose the TP/GOP.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 3, 2012 @ 5:18 pm
Any moment now, Suzie will be on here to complain that incompetent leader Obama is at it again, the stock market just today hit… Oh wait. “The Dow jumped 156.82 points to 12,862.23, its highest mark since May 19, 2008“.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/03/dow-jones-industrial-average_n_1253412.html
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 3, 2012 @ 5:23 pm
Still more of the disturbing polarization:
http://tinyurl.com/7x8utdl
**
Much has been written this cycle about the dwindling number of Blue Dog Democrats in the House. The group’s membership bore the brunt of the Democrats’ 2010 shellacking, and so far this Congress seven Blue Dogs have announced they won’t be back or are already gone — four are retiring, one is running for Senate and ex-Reps. Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.) and Jane Harman (Calif.) resigned. Three of the four retiring are pictured above.
Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.) became the latest Blue Dog to head for the exit Thursday, when he announced that after recently reflecting on his political career, he had decided he doesn’t want to return to Congress. “I feel very confident there’s going to be 20 others that take our place next year,” he told Roll Call’s Jessica Brady and Daniel Newhauser shortly after releasing his news Thursday.
But some of his colleagues sounded a little less confident when they began reacting to the move. “Oh man, that’s a crushing blow to the institution, and it’s tough for the Blue Dogs,” said Rep. Kurt Schrader (Ore.), a Blue Dog who had not yet heard about Shuler’s decision.
SNIP
**
Comment by Dave Hicks — February 3, 2012 @ 5:48 pm
“It’s the economy stupid.” Unemployment is down to 8.3 % and 243,000 “new net jobs” were added in January.
That’s a lie. This is called juggling the books. Two and a half million jobs were lost this past month. 0bama’s team of crooks dropped hundreds of thousands off the rolls, reducing the job-seekers’ pool and thus making it appear the unemployment level fell.
I guess ALL Communist regimes are built on lies.
Comment by Suzie — February 3, 2012 @ 7:20 pm
Sandi, I think one mistake our founding fathers made was allowing lifetime appointments to SOTUS. Of course they make judgements based on personal ideological views. We can predict the outcome of almost every single Supreme court case simply by the makeup of the court. I would call for term limits for judges right after we get them for members of Congress.
Comment by Cold n P — February 3, 2012 @ 8:14 pm
Wow that president of ours is on a roll. Great SOTUA, outstanding job creation 23 months in a row, DOW closes at highest level since before the financial meltdown of September 2008, Life is good:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40674800/ns/business-stocks_and_economy/t/dow-closes-highest-level-sept/#.TyyHG8XOzyo
Too bad Israel is gonna blow up the middle east:
http://www.theday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120203/NWS14/302039953/1044
Maybe that’s really whats got the money grubbers on Wall St in a tizzy. MORE WAR!!!!!! YEAH!!!! NOT.
Comment by Cold n P — February 3, 2012 @ 8:22 pm
Pistol Pete,
The opposition to the Keystone Pipeline project is bipartisan, at least in Nebraska. The opposition is twofold. First, there is opposition based upon concerns by farmers and other in agriculture because of its threat to the Ogallala aquifer. That aquifer provides water for irrigation and for drinking water for all or parts of six states. It is critical for the continuation of the agricultural life that has driven the economy of Nebraska and the Great Plains for 150 years. The other source of opposition is because of the heavy handed tactics of TransCanada in its efforts to obtain access to land and gain approval of the project by state and local officials. Nebrasks is a very conservative state so the opposition is not a liberal issue. The fact that environomental groups also oppose this project is almost secondary. Finally, oil interests would have us believe that the pipeline would help end U.S. dependance or foreign oil. The reason for building the pipeline is to get access to the port of New Orleans in order to ship the oil overseas. It was never about improving our oil supply. There are already pipelines to midwestern refineries if the intent was to keep the oil in the U.S. The pipeline was not needed for that. The article linked below confirms the bipartisan support in opposition to the pipeline.
http://www.thenation.com/article/165975/transpartisan-politics-plains
Comment by Ron — February 3, 2012 @ 8:28 pm
On earlier threads much has been said about Christianity as the only “way” to God. I recommend that when you get a chance you read
ABRAHAM: JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THREE FAITHS by Bruce Feiler.
Another book, by the same author, WALKING THE BIBLE, is an interesting read as well.
Comment by Ron — February 3, 2012 @ 8:40 pm
DOW closes at highest level since before the financial meltdown of September 2008, Life is good:
Cold thinks getting 0% on his investment the past four years is a good return. I hope he doesn’t run his businesses that way.
Comment by Suzie — February 3, 2012 @ 9:56 pm
According to Open Secrets [on a 1-10 scale] Joe Biden is in 9th position of the ten lowest net worth politicians in DC.
Hillary thinks Biden’s paltry net worth at his age is some sort of qualification to govern. We have two losers who have never earned a dime telling us how to run an economy (with predictable results).
Comment by Suzie — February 3, 2012 @ 10:03 pm
Oh, NOW you care about an administration “juggling the books”? Do you ever get tired of being a hypocrite?
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 3, 2012 @ 11:03 pm
Just got my 401k statement. Tripled my money in the past 4 years.
Comment by Dan Casey — February 4, 2012 @ 12:03 am
Ron@8:28
And what’s got Boehner’s panties in a wad over the keystone pipeline is that he is heavily personally invested in the project.
Comment by dave — February 4, 2012 @ 12:42 am
Scott Walker lawyered up today and is being grilled on the scandals that occurred during his tenure as Milwaukee County exec. Already four of his closest personal aides are facing indictment and have taken the fifth amendment in their testimony before the investigating group. Walker’s own background is shady and there are serious questions about some of his business activities before he got into politics. It’s quite possible that instead of being recalled, he could wind up indicted and in jail. Wonder if he can get some of that Koch Bros. money for bail and to pay off some friendly judges? This is the guy Jim Demint says would be a good candidate for VP.
Comment by dave — February 4, 2012 @ 1:07 am
I realize it is only the “friends” and associates of Obama and the Dems that “matter” but FGS this still looks bad:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/03/scott-walker-aides-district-attorney-meeting_n_1253487.html
“Kelly Rindfleisch, Walker’s deputy chief of staff before he became governor in 2011, has been charged with four felony counts of misconduct in office. Darlene Wink, who was Walker’s county constituent services coordinator, faces two misdemeanor counts of political solicitation by a public employee.
Two other former Walker associates, Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh, were charged Jan. 5 with embezzling more than $60,000 from veterans and their families. Another man is charged with child enticement charges, evidence of which was allegedly discovered while investigating one of the others.“
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 4, 2012 @ 1:22 am
Oh, the poor, poor babies!! “…As a percentage of ever-growing profits, corporations are paying less in taxes than they have in decades.
Thanks in part to federal tax breaks, corporations paid out just 12.1 percent of their 2011 profits in taxes”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/03/corporate-profits-tax_n_1253007.html?ref=business
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 4, 2012 @ 1:28 am
Oh my, Ron! (#6) Does this mean we are the walrus or have we been assimilated into the Blog-Borg? Because you know two different posters cannot possibly have similar thoughts and post them here….
Comment by 13 Suns — February 4, 2012 @ 1:50 am
“The rally pushed pushed the Dow, up more than 5% in 2012, to its highest level since May 2008. The Nasdaq, up more than 11% for the year, climbed to its highest level since December 2000. The S&P 500 has gained almost 7% this year, and finished at a six-month high.”
NASDAQ is at its highest level since Bill Clinton was President.
Comment by Ron — February 4, 2012 @ 2:57 am
“Just got my 401k statement. Tripled my money in the past 4 years.
Comment by Dan Casey — February 4, 2012 @ 12:03 am”
so danny pass around the wealth, thats what you libbies believe in, wheres my check?
Comment by pammala — February 4, 2012 @ 8:55 am
” That we are in trouble does not mean we are ready to commit suicide…”
Comment by Sandi Saunders — February 3, 2012 @ 5:18 pm”
hon if you vote for bammy that is EXACTLY what you’ll be doing
Comment by pammala — February 4, 2012 @ 8:57 am
Scott Walker lawyered up today and is being grilled on the scandals that occurred during his tenure as Milwaukee County exec.
Yeah, they’re giving him the Palin treatment. Throwing the kitchen sink up there to see what will stick, and like with Sarah, they’ll get a big fat nothing. And they know that. The idea is to smear him so badly, the public will turn on him.
This is the wage Scott gets for causing union membership to sink to an all-time low in Wisconsin. Walker has exposed the rich salaries and bennies these leeches get, and the taxpayers are showing their outrage. Walker is a national hero.
Comment by Suzie — February 4, 2012 @ 9:57 am
So much for Romney’s claim of caring about the middle class.
“So Mr. Romney’s position seems to be that we need not worry about the poor thanks to programs that he insists, falsely, don’t actually help the needy, and which he intends, in any case, to destroy.”
“Still, I believe Mr. Romney when he says he isn’t concerned about the poor. What I don’t believe is his assertion that he’s equally unconcerned about the rich, who are “doing fine.” After all, if that’s what he really feels, why does he propose showering them with money?”
“And we’re talking about a lot of money. According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, Mr. Romney’s tax plan would actually raise taxes on many lower-income Americans, while sharply cutting taxes at the top end. More than 80 percent of the tax cuts would go to people making more than $200,000 a year, almost half to those making more than $1 million a year, with the average member of the million-plus club getting a $145,000 tax break.”
“And these big tax breaks would create a big budget hole, increasing the deficit by $180 billion a year — and making those draconian cuts in safety-net programs necessary.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/opinion/krugman-romney-isnt-concerned.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212
Comment by Debbie — February 4, 2012 @ 10:25 am
13 Suns,
Not sure what that means. Several years ago I saw the musical “Buddy” in, of all places, London. I’ve been more tuned in to Buddy Holly since then. He was a prolific song writer.
It was of interest to me, that at the same time “Buddy” was playing in London, the musical “Roy” about Roy Orbison, was playing in another theatre just down the street. The Brits seem much more interested in American rock & roll icons than we Americans seem to be.
Comment by Ron — February 4, 2012 @ 10:28 am
Debbie’s quoting Krugman now — the same guy who says wars stimulate economies. But yet, Bush’s war was a drag on the economy. Go figger.
Romney’s big mistake is trying to backpedal and pander to the leftwing media who will pound him on everything, no matter if it’s obvious what he means. And now he comes out with the hideous automatic minimum wage increase. All these great conservative candidates knocked each other out, and now we are left with this guy. He will win, but it won’t be with 45 states as it would have been with any of the others.
I still hold out a small candle for Santorum. I believe in miracles.
Comment by Suzie — February 4, 2012 @ 11:09 am
He makes about $27,000 a week and he gave $300 to charity. You see, when you are like Biden and advocate to give other people’s money away, your soul is cleansed and one feels no need to give on their own.
Yep, Terps, and that was true about other Democrats like 0bama before he became president, John Kerry, and Ted Kennedy who came from one of the richest families in America. Kennedy donated like a tenth of a percent of his money to charity.
These lefties, like the ones in here, talk a great game but that’s about it.
Comment by Suzie — February 4, 2012 @ 11:12 am
The best candidate their money can buy – according to the Washington Post’s review of his campaign funds disclosure documents, 25% of contributions to his campaign came from just 41 donors.
“A quarter of the money amassed by Romney’s campaign and an allied super PAC has come from just 41 people, each of whom has given more than $100,000, according to a Washington Post analysis of disclosure data. Nearly a dozen of the donors have contributed $1 million or more.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-relying-heavily-on-small-group-of-super-rich-donors/2012/02/01/gIQAFVB4iQ_story.html
A ThinkProgress review of public records reveals, Ignacio E. Sanchez, a lobbyist and a major bundler for Romney, “raked in $86,700 for the former Massachusetts governor.” Sanchez is also a registered foreign agent representing the interests of the United Arab Emirates and a former president of the Dominican Republic. He’s also represented the governments of Turkey and Ethiopia, and currently lobbies for “Diageo North America, the makers of Guinness, Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, and dozens of other alcoholic beverages,” among other corporate clients.http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/02/02/417019/exclusive-major-romney-bundler-is-agent-of-foreign-government/?mobile=nc
Meanwhile, “The president has acquired nearly half of his campaign war chest from small-money donors, raising more from contributions of $200 or less than the Romney campaign has brought in overall, disclosure data show.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-relying-heavily-on-small-group-of-super-rich-donors/2012/02/01/gIQAFVB4iQ_story.html
Comment by Hillary — February 4, 2012 @ 11:41 am
Hillary neglects to mention the fact that 0bama has more than twice as much campaign cash as Romney, which means he’s getting more big fat-cat donations than Romney.
The WaPo has an agenda to push, even if they have to mislead to do it. Fortunately for them there are enough undiscerning 0prah-watchers like Hillary who don’t know the difference.
Comment by Suzie — February 5, 2012 @ 10:56 am
#42 Notice how racist troll suzie provides absolutely no details and just makes stuff up. Typical.
Comment by gdad — February 5, 2012 @ 11:31 am
#42 Notice how racist troll suzie provides absolutely no details and just makes stuff up. Typical.
Do I really have to do the math for you challenged liberals, Gdad?
The claim is that half of 0bama’s donations are from the little people. So therefore the other half are from big people. So if 0bama has more than twice Romney’s total, that means 0bama has received more from large donors than Romney has in his entire campaign.
People shouldn’t wonder why their kids can’t get into certain state universities. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Comment by Suzie — February 5, 2012 @ 1:06 pm
#43 most ill-informed. Here’s a reality check for you…
KOCH BROTHERS, ALLIES PLEDGE $100 MILLION AT PRIVATE MEETING TO BEAT OBAMA
WASHINGTON — At a private three-day retreat in California last weekend, conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch and about 250 to 300 other individuals pledged approximately $100 million to defeat President Obama in the 2012 elections.
A source who was in the room when the pledges were made told The Huffington Post that, specifically, Charles Koch pledged $40 million and David pledged $20 million.
This is the ninth straight year the Kochs have hosted the conference. The fact that the wealthy conservative donors pledged $100 million for the 2012 elections shows how intent they are on trying to get Obama out of office — and previews how intense, and likely nasty, the general election will be.
There are limits on how much an individual can give to a political candidate. Therefore, much of the money pledged at the recent gathering will likely go to super PACs or nonprofits that can spend and accept unlimited amounts of funds. GOP primary voters have already gotten a glimpse of how the political system looks with super PACs around: record amounts of money spent on a large number of negative ads in the early primary states.
The Koch brothers have been the major donors behind many Republican candidates, the Tea Party movement and efforts to discredit the science around man-made global warming. Democrats frequently highlight the brothers to fundraise, and the first TV ad of the Obama reelection campaign invoked them as “secretive oil billionaires attacking President Obama with ads fact checkers say are not tethered to the facts.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/03/koch-brothers-100-million-obama_n_1250828.html?ref=mostpopular
As always, if Republicans can’t lie, cheat or steal, they cannot win…
Comment by Hillary — February 5, 2012 @ 3:48 pm
#43 also, most ill-informed
Thank you for supplying entertainment for my friends and family. They got to read some of your “greatest hits” [I save them for historical purposes, you know, like Gingrich is an "historian"] – anyway, they didn’t realize people of your, ummm, “caliber” were allowed to roam free. I assured them you frequently roamed free on this blog. They were quite sure you have some type of insanity gene….or, what I like to call a great feeling of self-importance…
So thanks! you were some cheap entertainment.
Comment by Hillary — February 5, 2012 @ 3:55 pm
#44 More lies by racist troll suzie. Just sayin’.
Comment by gdad — February 5, 2012 @ 8:18 pm
Thank you for supplying entertainment for my friends and family.
You’re welcome, babe. Next time I’ll take them out. I hear that type likes to go to the zoo.
Comment by Suzie — February 5, 2012 @ 10:18 pm
gdad….your anonymity serves you well.
Comment by Phil Chitwood — February 5, 2012 @ 10:32 pm
#49 Given her usual comments, Phil, did you mean that comment for suzie, Phil? A number of people on this blog know who I am.
Comment by gdad — February 6, 2012 @ 1:48 pm