Ten minutes on the Tuesday OPEN thread
Shot by Dan on the Roanoke City Market.
“If the world comes to an end, I want to be in Cincinnati. Everything comes there ten years later.”
Mark Twain
March 12, 2013 - 10:00 AM
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March 12, 2013 - 10:00 AM
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Sunday, May 19, 2013
THE ROANOKE TIMES
The highlight of my day Monday was watching WH spokesman Jay Carney spanking NPR’s Mara Liasson and CBS’s Bill Plante like he was their daddy.
“Mara, the way you phrase that question, you know, makes me think that you’re still working on a typewriter or something,”
PWN3D!!
Lets completely Ban all supersized soft drinks in NYC – Bloomberg
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Lets have no limits on abortion – Cuomo
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-
-
Am I seriously living in America? What is wrong with this picture?
Yes PP…the same America where we discourage people from bike riding and penalize them for buying energy efficient vehicles. Weird, huh.
Dan,
In case you missed it, at 12:32 pm on http://blogs.roanoke.com/dancasey/2013/03/no-jumping-off-the-sunday-open-thread/#comments I asked you for a clarification of your support of drone strikes against anyone the US thinks is a terrorist.
**
Dan Casey | March 11, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Just to be sure I understand your position, by ” against terrorists, on foreign soil” do you include all other sovereign foreign nations?
Would you approve of drone strikes in Canada, France, Israel, China, Russia, etc, etc, etc?
**
Really would like to know what constraints or lack of constraints you approve of.
Dave Hicks,
Foreign soil is foreign soil, so yeah, I guess I’d support a drone strike in Canada, etc. Keep in mind that support is tempered by the notion that they’re targeting an actual terrorist, and not necessarily some dilettante that a weak-minded drone jockey believes MIGHT have some terrorist notions. Also, it’s tempered with the confidence I have that the feds are not going to willy-nilly provoke international incidents in superpower nations without real good reason and with no other options.
Enough blame to go around:
http://tinyurl.com/begah3w
**
Signs of Life in the Dead-on-Arrival Budgets
By David Hawkings Posted at 12:05 p.m. March 12
The two fundamentally different budget plans being unveiled on opposite sides of the Capitol today are both dead on arrival. But at least they have arrived.
Not so, of course, the president’s fiscal policy blueprint, which is still MIA. His plan is supposed to kick-start the annual congressional budget process. The thick volumes from OMB have been late in arriving on the Hill’s doorstep in many other years. But never in the history of the modern budget process (which dates to 1975) has the president submitted a budget after the House and Senate have produced budget resolutions of their own.
That’s what’s happening this year. President Obama’s proposal looks likely for a rollout on April 8, the Monday Congress returns from its spring break. And he’s not likely to offer any specifics about it during his meetings with the four congressional caucuses during the next three days.
SNIP
**
-
Re: Dan Casey | March 12, 2013 at 5:06 pm
**
Dave Hicks,
Foreign soil is foreign soil, so yeah, I guess I’d support a drone strike in Canada, etc. … Also, it’s tempered with the confidence I have that the feds are not going to willy-nilly provoke international incidents in superpower nations without real good reason and with no other options.
**
Only avoiding, “superpower nations”???
Hum?
So now in addition to endorsing the Machiavelli-ish “the end justifies the means” [see http://blogs.roanoke.com/dancasey/2013/03/no-jumping-off-the-sunday-open-thread/#comments ], we now have a resident liberal suggesting that “power makes right”?
I know there are more important items to discuss on this thread, but I couldn’t resist posting a link to this story. Having been stuck behind a line of traffic going below the speed limit on an interstate highway, I feel the frustration, but am not sure I agree with this ticket. I guess Maryland, like nearly every other state needs the revenue. I would n’t be surprised if It loses money on this one.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/12/17283634-youve-got-to-be-kidding-me-maryland-woman-gets-a-ticket-for-driving-63-mph-in-a-65-zone?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=6
Outrageous! Ron
Ron & Dan,
Assumed you have noticed the “in the left lane” here in Virginia?
FWIIW, those “slower traffic move right” sign are for a purpose:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-842
**
§ 46.2-842. Driver to give way to overtaking vehicle.
Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle on audible signal and shall not increase the speed of his vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle. Any over-width, or slow-moving vehicle as defined by § 46.2-1081 shall be removed from the roadway at the nearest suitable location when necessary to allow traffic to pass.
(Code 1950, § 46-227; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-211; 1979, c. 361; 1989, c. 727.)
**
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-842.1
**
§ 46.2-842.1. Drivers to give way to certain overtaking vehicles on divided highways.
It shall be unlawful to fail to give way to overtaking traffic when driving a motor vehicle to the left and abreast of another motor vehicle on a divided highway. On audible or light signal, the driver of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow the overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do so. A violation of this section shall not be construed as negligence per se in any civil action.
(1989, c. 708, § 46.1-211.1.)
**
Re: my last:
Messed up an addition.
**
Assumed you have noticed the “in the left lane” here in Virginia?
FWIIW, those “slower traffic move right” sign are for a purpose:
**
Should have read:
**
Assumed you have noticed the “in the left lane” in the news coverage?
FWIIW, those “slower traffic move right” sign are for a purpose, here in Virginia:
**
Well! It’s about damn time….
“IRS Revokes ‘Pray Away Gay’ Group’s Tax-exempt Status”
http://tinyurl.com/apwjhu2
Uh-oh, Michele Bachmann’s husband is screwed.
I’m with Dave H on this; slow traffic needs to keep right. Just because she didn’t feel safe doesn’t give her the right to impede traffic.
I remember when I was living in Falls Church and commuting to Alexandria there was an H1 Hummer that would occasionally beat me to the on ramp and then plant himself in the left lane doing 60 in a 65. The stubborn oaf refused to ever budge in spite of me constant flashing my high beams and giving him the adult Boy Scout salute. I think the clown took some sort of sadistic pride in starting my day off by swinging on my last nerve like a jungle gym.
Thus began my lifelong hatred of vehicular Hummers, an affliction that vexes me to this very day.
Dave Hicks,
As I said in my post, I am as frustrated as anyone when I get stuck behind someone going less than the speed limit in the left lane. I also understand that on some interstates there are signs indicating that one should move right, which I usually do, when higher speed traffic comes up behind you. My point here is, as this story suggests, there were special weather conditions present on the day in question in this story. At worst, in my view, the State Trooper should have reminded the driver that even in windy conditions she should have moved to the right when higher speed traffic approached. A warning ticket and a strong talking to would have been sufficient in this case.
I can’t see that ticket holding up in court, Ron. That’s crazy.
I saw a picture on Facebook that a friend has posted from some gun rights group, that said 84,999,989 gun owners didn’t kill anyone today. My first thought was, So, are we supposed to applaud people for not murdering someone?
Ron May | March 12, 2013 at 7:37 pm
“A warning ticket and a strong talking to would have been sufficient in this case.”
—–
IMHO, not as strong a lesson as:
Debbie | March 12, 2013 at 7:40 pm
“I can’t see that ticket holding up in court, Ron.”
———-
BTW, do you know if Maryland has “warning ticket [emphasis added]? Many States don’t.
One of the problems with “strong talk” warning is few take them — knowing there is no record an the likelihood of the same LEO pulling you for the same offense is very slim.
IMHO, the court cost, probation before judgement (which Maryland does have, BTW) and a strong talk by the magistrate/judge is a “strong talk” that might have an effect.
BTW — re: the Virginia statute, you can get ticketed even if you are exceeding the speed limit — assuming you are impeding traffic.
Love it: http://tinyurl.com/begah3w
**
A Sequester Silver Lining: More Hill Tourists
By David Hawkings Posted at 5:08 p.m. on March 12
The House Republicans have opened a subtle new front in their battle with the Obama administration for the hearts and minds of sequester-addled D.C. visitors. As anyone who holds a passionate fondness for the Capitol’s beauty, history and import will attest, it’s a fight the legislative branch ought to be given a decent chance to win.
Last week, when the White House announced that its most visible compliance with the spending cuts would be the cancellation of its public tours, GOP leaders were quick to pounce with the predictable rhetoric: The president was making a politically petty and unwise move, thinking he was punishing the lawmakers who hand out almost all the tickets when the real sufferers would be the 11,000 school kids and others denied access to the mansion every week, all to save $2 million a year in Secret Service overtime. But fear not, the Republicans said, Congress had made smarter spending reductions so the real “people’s house” can continue welcoming all visitors as usual.
To underscore the point the House Republican Conference quietly unveiled a video [http://tinyurl.com/b7c3prz] In just 90 un-narrated seconds, it beautifully illustrates why so many of the people of Capitol Hill view their workplace as a more worthy icon of American democracy than the house down the way – and have always hoped that their frescoed corridors and vaulted chambers would replace the State Floor as the ultimate Washington tourist mecca.
It’s too soon for decent data on how much busier this spring break will be for the red-coated Capitol guides now that the White House is off limits. But there’s a strong argument to be made that high tourist season should set records.
SNIP
**
Hum?
As many have thought: http://tinyurl.com/awwbtj2
**
Mar 12, 3:55 PM EDT
Titles don’t much matter for high school math
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Advanced or intermediate algebra? Honors or basic geometry?
When it comes to high school math, the labels may not really matter – or necessarily predict what’s in the textbook.
Those revelations are part of the Education Department’s new study of high school math courses, released Tuesday. During their review of almost 18,000 high school students’ records and textbooks, the investigators found as many as a third of the textbooks weren’t about the subject printed on the cover. And within the subjects, the course titles were subjective and didn’t really reflect the courses’ difficulty.
“We have heard about grade inflation. Now we have course title inflation,” said Linda Rosen, chief executive officer of Change the Equation, a coalition of business leaders pushing higher math and science standards. “Learning the course titles don’t have much meaning in terms of high expectations and rigor is quite problematic. It’s counterproductive if we provide impressive names but rather meaningless transcripts.”
SNIP
**
What Politicos (and today’s politics) teach kids:
http://tinyurl.com/aupge8w
Watch to 40-50 seconds in the clip.
The topic du jour on Facebook today among conservatives is the White House canceling tours, but Michelle Obama still being able to take a vacation.
So, so stupid, Debbie. I wonder if the country was always so full of idiocy , or if we’re just now being made aware of it courtesy of the Internet.
Earlier someone posted about the Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual report last week.
Some interesting insight here: http://tinyurl.com/ao8tqbr
Re: Debbie | March 12, 2013 at 8:37 pm
FWIIW, I don’t care whether she takes a vacation or not.
My gripe is the classic “Closing the Washington Monument” ploy, in all its ramifications.
So, for equal time how about from the Bush years?
http://tinyurl.com/bzqyh2s
**
Return of the ‘Washington Monument Ploy’
Posted on February 8, 2004 by Michael Froomkin
I am amazed that with all the realms of justified vitriol being poured on the Bush budget, no one has pointed out this budget revives the Washington Monument Ploy.
SNIP
The Washington Monument Ploy is an ancient device favored by executive branch budget makers. When required to meet some arduous budget number by producing cuts, the crafty bureaucrat proposes cuts to things that he knows Congress will never accept, such as closing the Washington Monument. Although this contributes nothing to good government, it does allow the executive branch to claim that the “budget-busting” comes from those irresponsible spenders in Congress.
SNIP
**
The Washington Monument has been closed since the earthquake happened last year I think. It will be closed until 2014 when the repairs are finished, assuming that money is appropriated.
Here is one for you, Dan.
http://tinyurl.com/ag3l4d4
**
God Bless Bob Woodward
In praise of investigative reporting.
BY MICAH ZENKO | MARCH 12, 2013
It is the collective practice of policymakers and pundits to diminish the work and impact of journalists as circulation rates decline, revenue streams collapse, and young people increasingly receive foreign news from late night comedy shows. However, information uncovered by journalists has been critical to understanding the use of drones and targeted killings in non-battlefield settings under the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. Although there are a growing number of thoughtful studies on the legality, morality, efficacy, accuracy, and long-term consequences of targeted killings, it is important to remember that such analysis would be impossible without the considerable leg-work by investigative journalists.
SNIP
**
Ron May | March 12, 2013 at 9:01 pm
I assume, from the smiley face, that you realize I was talking about the time honed Ploy — not the physical structure, at this time.
-
IMHO, it would be a mistake and misleading to rename that “ancient device” to the “Closing the White House ploy.”
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Yes Dave.
It is, as they say, off the table for now.
“The topic du jour on Facebook today among conservatives is the White House canceling tours, but Michelle Obama still being able to take a vacation.”
–Debbie
In the 50s, the RWer outrage was blacks in the front of the Bush; in the 60s it was black kids in “white” schools, or at the Woolworth’s lunch counter, since 2009 it has been black people who take vacations (a la the Obamas). The RWers were all over that long before the sequester. Soon they’ll be kvetching because the first family isn’t eating PBJs three times a day.
Notice, not one liberal or moderates is complaining that Bob Goodlatte hasn’t cut back on his staff.
I guess Leon would call this . . . LYPOCRISY!
A couple months ago I was headed east on 460, bound for Richmond, when some chucklehead entered from VA 24 at Appomattox and parked themselves in the left lane at just at or slightly below the speed limit. It was a clear, sunny day with next to no traffic, so there was no reason for them to be there. I passed them on the right with much grumbling about squatters.
Then I watched in my rearview mirror as a state trooper came up right behind this guy*, still toodling along in the left lane like it was put there for his personal use. The trooper stayed right behind him (there might have been some tailgating going on, but I was too far ahead at that point to be sure) for a couple of miles or so before eventually giving up and passing him on the right. Didn’t pull the squatter over, so I figured he must have been going exactly the speed limit and the trooper couldn’t come up with anything else to cite him for and went off in search of more lucrative prey.
Left-lane squatters are my biggest driving pet peeve, but I have never been so flabbergasted at an offender the way I was at that guy.
(* I say guy, but it could very well have been a woman. My mother’s one of the worst left-lane squatters I know, which drives me no end of crazy when I’m riding with her.)
Last summer during a quick trip to Annapolis to rescue my mom from the evil clutches of nursing home Nurse Ratchets, I tried an experiment I’d never tried before. I became a right-lane squatter. I just slotted myself behind an 18-wheeler and stayed there. Didn’t pass on the hills or anything. There were no split-second decisions to make, no passing/nonpassing “scores” to settle. It was like meditating and driving at the same time.
When we got there (it took 30 minutes longer than normal for a 5-hour drive) I felt like a completely different person. I was relaxed and clearheaded instead of angry and wanting a drink. It was amazing. I recommend everyone try this sometime. And then try it again. It’s a wholly different highway experience.
There’s a metaphor for life in there, somewhere.
Re: Laura | March 12, 2013 at 9:36 pm
Most the LEOs, which I know, don’t write it unless the left-lane squatters are impeding traffic. Some have a rule-of-thumb of “x” number of vehicles backed up.
Interesting
I particularly liked this part:
” the Associated Press found that, under Obama, 17 major agencies were 50 percent more likely to deny FOIA requests than under Bush. The following year, the presidents of two journalism societies— Association of Health Care Journalists and Society of Professional Journalists—called out President Obama for muzzling scientists in much the same way President Bush had. Last September, Bloomberg News tested Obama’s pledge by filing FOIA requests for the 2011 travel records of top officials at 57 agencies. Only about half responded.”
Oh yeah. Much better.
“There’s a metaphor for life in there, somewhere.”
His draft also improved your gas mileage considerably.
“I particularly liked this part:
” the Associated Press found that, under Obama, 17 major agencies were 50 percent more likely to deny FOIA requests than under Bush. The following year, the presidents of two journalism societies— Association of Health Care Journalists and Society of Professional Journalists—called out President Obama for muzzling scientists in much the same way President Bush had. Last September, Bloomberg News tested Obama’s pledge by filing FOIA requests for the 2011 travel records of top officials at 57 agencies. Only about half responded.”
Oh yeah. Much better.”
–Chuck
This is maddening, and Obama ought to be doing better (more transparent) rather than worse. But it’s not surprising. I’d bet this is true of every subsequent administration. The same is true of Virginia’s state government. The bureaucrats get more and more skilled at hiding things. We need a wholesale revision of FOIA laws in the federal government and in Virginia.
Re: Art Hill at 9:58 pm
http://tinyurl.com/alrk5kx
**
SNIP
It doesn’t generally save gas unless you’re a NASCAR driver. The idea, of course, is that drafting reduces your coefficient of drag. However, in highway circumstances, you’ll likely have to accelerate and brake so frequently that any savings would be lost. And then, there’s the chance of a crash, and totaling a car was never good for the environment.
SNIP
**
Paul Ryan’s Freudian slip. Republicans…’not going to give up on destroying the health care system for the American people.”
Kristen, I think the internet has now made us aware of it. They all have a home base now.
Yes Dan, they act like no Presidents or First Ladies ever took vacations before the Obama’s came along,
Speaking of vacations on (on another thread) biology lessons, anyone planning a Florida trip?
Will this bug move north? How long before we have them?
http://tinyurl.com/bbdwvv6
**
Quarter size mosquitoes invade Florida
Bay News 9|Added on March 12, 2013
Gallinippers can be 20 times the size of typical mosquitoes. They are expected to invade Florida this summer.
[video]
**
HAHAHA
“Art Hill | March 12, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Paul Ryan’s Freudian slip. Republicans…’not going to give up on destroying the health care system for the American people.””
sort of like obama’s” 57 states”, “wont raise any taxes” and “we didnt get a request from Benghazi”…eh artiboy?
“Debbie | March 12, 2013 at 7:50 pm
I saw a picture on Facebook that a friend has posted from some gun rights group, that said 84,999,989 gun owners didn’t kill anyone today. My first thought was, So, are we supposed to applaud people for not murdering someone?”
cant say the same about abortion/murders debbiedoo
I despise left lane squatters. To be perfectly blunt, if you’re not comfortable with driving at the prevailing speed of traffic (or at the very minimum the speed limit while passing slower vehicles), then get the heck off the road and take the bus. Speed differential is a significant contributing facotr to highway crashes…mostly when a slow vehicle is encountered. This creates a logjam of drivers behind the slow vehicle, requiring a multitude of lane changes and passing maneuvers to get around the slow driver. If they squatted in the right lane, the impediment to traffic is greatly reduced.
A few weeks ago, I watched a dash cam video in a major urban area. It showed a left lane quatter going slower than traffic in the other 3 lanes of the interstate. A state trooper was behind that vehicle, following very closely. Then, the trooper turned on his lights, and the vehicle began changing lanes to the right to pull over. Once the trooper and the subject vehicle hit the right-most lane, the trooper turned off his lights and sped past. I applauded that move.
At least 3 or 4 times a week, I get stuck behind someone who insists on driving between 30-45 in a 55 MPH area either on my way to or from work…in addition to people consistently insisting on driving 30-35 in a 4-lane 45…side-by-side. They just need to confine doctors visits for older citizens to the hours of 10-3…and not give them free/discounted morning coffee at McDonald’s, and most of SWVA’s traffic tie-ups would cease.
When Bush took a vacation to his ranch, we had jobs. That was the difference. Obama jetting all over the world, staying at million dollar houses while we have a trillion dollar deficit and 8-10% unemployment makes it look like he doesn’t care about the people who are suffering through his bad economy. .
If you’re a Harvard lawyer married to a Harvard lawyer, you’re probably going to be able to go on vacation. People who are jealous of this should just go and get a Harvard law degree so they can go on vacation too.
The left approves of force and tyranny as long as “their guy” is in charge. Once a neocon comes back the tune will change, and all of the sudden the right will be happy again with the wars and drones and the left will be in a hissy. The beauty of this right left system is you always have half the people giving a thumbs up to your tyranny. If the people actually woke up and realized that nothing ever really changes no matter whos in charge, then you have a problem. it’s really fascinating to see this mindlessness from an objective perspective and not being caught up in the fake politics. if I was the architect of it, I would have never thought people would still be blinded by the system.
Re: my comment @ March 12, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Dan,
Where is Mark Jurkevich, of Mark Around the World?
I love love to see him weigh in on on the drone issue and on your only avoiding superpower nations / “might makes right” and Kristen’s Machiavelli-ish “the end justifies the means.”
Think you could get him to share his views and the views of from outside the US?
Henry said it, the truth, finally…..yep there’s a big difference…but the blinded by the dark libbiecoms will never understand. Plus he’s giving billions to other countries to support all kinds of muslim crap…whata commie
I don’t consider being thought of as “Machiavellish” to be any more of an insult than being called “progressive”.
Henry @44 – facts seemed to have escaped you…here are some FACTS that you may find useful for future posts – these may help you look less foolish:
1. George W. Bush took 977 vacation days, out of 2,923 days in office, roughly 33% of his entire presidency.
2. President George W. Bush spent even more time away from the presidential mansion in the nation’s capital than Reagan [42 days].
3. In his first year as president, GW Bush spent 69 days on vacation5
4. President Obama spent all or part of 26 days “on vacation” during his first year as president,
5. At least two recent presidents took less “vacation” time during their first year than President Obama —Democratic Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton..
http://tinyurl.com/6hf8vye
6. Bush left office in 2009 with a 22 percent approval rate, making him one of history’s least-liked presidents, according to CBS News. In all, 73 percent said they did not approve of the way he ran the country for eight years. http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500160_162-4728399.html
6. Let’s not forget, during Bush’s eight years in office, and numerous vacations days – more than any recent president – the economy lost 646,000 private sector jobs.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Gee, instead of allowing the Cheney cabal to run the government and instigate the unnecessary Iraq war, GW Bush should have paid a lot less attention to clearing brush.
Re: Kristen at 12:33 pm
As I quoted earlier:
In The Prince — Niccolo Machiavelli said:
“The prince should be as strong as a lion and as shrewd as a fox, and he may have to trick his enemies and his own people.”
“… in actions of all men, especially princes, where there is no recourse to justice, the end is all that counts. A prince should only be concerned with conquering or maintaining a state, for the means will always be judged to be honorable and praiseworthy by each and every person, because the masses always follow appearances and the outcomes of affairs, and the world is nothing other than the masses. The few do not find a place wherever the masses are supported. [emphasis added]”
———-
IMHO, good advice for the authoritarian — not so good advice / strategy for a democratic / elected leader of the free world or for the democratic, representative, or elected goverment, itself.
And therein lies a big difference between me an the extreme wings of any stripe.
Remember that the The Prince is primarily focused on getting and keep power — personal power.
I know what The Prince us about perfectly well, and it’s you that keep insisting on drawing comparisons here between me/drone strikes/whatever and the author. Outside of the “the end justifies the means” axiom, which I’m sure everyone is heartily sick of by now, there isn’t much comparison to be drawn
He also said that it was better to be feared than loved, as love can wear off while fear sticks around. In the context of the “global war on terrorism” , or whatever it is we’re doing, that also seems appropriate.
Personally, Kristen, I’ve never understood how the terms progressive, and moderate came to be considered as something that is bad. Apparently there are a whole lot of conservatives who think they are though.
3. In his first year as president, GW Bush spent 69 days on vacation
Most of that time was spent at his ranch in Texas which really no different than his working in Washington. obama doesn’t go to Chicago or wherever he claims is his home for vacations. He goes to posh resorts. No president has ever lived higher or cost the taxpayers more with his vacations than obama.
I would like to praise Ron May for the new Ancilla website that has a little more “Catholic” flavor. Got the image on every page of the site. Nicely done.
Debbie, as you pointed out, the opposite of “progressive” is “regressive”. Except for a couple of them, I doubt many would want to be called that.
Re: Kristen at 4:43 pm
What I am objecting to is the logic of those championing drone violations of other nations’ sovereignty by the self-appointed world-police because might-makes-right and the-end-justify-the-means.
—–
Re: Debbie 4:46 pm
I agree. It is not progressive or moderate that I am addressing. It is the authoritarianism of some who label themselves as “progressive” — his dishonor from NYC, Bloomberg, is a classic example.
[And did someone suggest those other than "progressive" were "regressive"?]
No, Dave Hicks, no one did. My comment the other day was made with tongue planted firmly in cheek. I just don’t consider “progressive” to be an insult.
The “virginal” one @54
First, is lent over? and wouldn’t a “good” Catholic not break a promise to Jesus?
Second, isn’t not telling the truth during the Lenten season frowned upon?
I see you’re still fact-challenged:
“According to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, considered the unofficial presidential statistician, President Obama at the end of November 2012 will have spent 84 days on vacation since he became president on January 20, 2009.”
So comparing GW Bush’s [ 977 vacation days, out of 2,923 days in office,] “vacation” days, To catch up with Bush, President Obama would have vacation 893 days in the next 31/2 years.
“President Obama’s ‘vacations’ in 2009:
A four-day holiday weekend in Chicago in February where the president played some basketball and treated First Lady Michelle Obama to a Valentine’s Day dinner date.
An eight-day stay with his family at a rented house on Martha’s Vineyard in August.
A trip out west to the U.S. states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona that combined both business and pleasure. The president held town hall meetings on health care during the trip. And he went fly fishing and took trips to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon with his wife and two daughters.
An 11-day stay in Hawaii where the president and his family celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
http://factcheck.org/2010/01/president-obamas-vacation-days/
Oh yeah, the above vacations would be according to your quote, “… posh resorts. No president has ever lived higher or cost the taxpayers more with his vacations than obama.”
As always, WRONG…
You really need to get out more….
Dave Hicks, maybe someone who posits that there are many shades of color on the political spectrum should not be so quick to assign positions to people? Just a thought.
I spent many years of my life living with an “Authoritarian” and a “Dictator”, turns out they were right almost all of the time. Just like your diversion with quotes from Machiavelli, what you accuse someone of is not the same as proving it. People can feel one way on one issue and another way on some other issue. You want to lock people into their place and balk when anyone does the same to you… Just saying.
Re: Sandi Saunders at 7:32 pm
You are right.
FWIIW, I was addressing one issue and the justifications / positions put forward for that position.
OTOH, someone, other than me, labeled those to the right of them (i.e., non-progressives as regressives. And, yes I was taking a poke at that labeling.
DaveHicks, I posted that Yemen has approved the use of drones within its borders. According to Wikileaks, so has Pakistan. We clearly don’t care much about Afghanistan’s sovereignty. I don’t see the issue here, at least regarding sovereignty.
I also don’t see how we’re being self-appoint world police. We’re doing it for our own benefit and protection, period. In every measurable way, strategic use of drones is infinitely superior to our recent pattern of invasion, endless occupation and subsequent (failed) nation building. In the past 10 years our military had wreaked unspeakable havoc in the Mid East…it’s a little late in the day to start stressing the finer points of our policies there.
“Plus he’s giving billions to other countries to support all kinds of muslim crap…whata commie”
That makes Reagan a commie then, pammala. Lots and lots of cash to Muslims in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, including secret arms deals.
Got any more dense comments?