WaPo Conservative Blogger Jennifer Rubin Cites White Nationalist Robert Stacy McCain

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Washington Post conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin has a post today with the riveting title: Santorum vs. Sanford.

The post itself isn’t particularly interesting, but one of Rubin’s sources is:

Conservative blogger Robert Stacy McCain also points to Sanford’s problems with voters:

The former Pennsylvania senator’s endorsement comes with just a week remaining until the April 2 runoff that will pit Bostic, a former Charleston County council member, against Sanford, who got 37 percent of the vote in a 16-candidate field in the March 19 Republican primary… . A newly released Public Policy Polling survey shows the SC-1 race surprisingly close, in part because voters “continue to strongly dislike Sanford,” who was censured by the legislature for ethics violations related to the former governor’s affair with an Argentine woman.

Robert Stacy McCain, identified by Rubin as a “conservative blogger,” is the man who wrote this:

“[T]he media now force interracial images into the public mind and a number of perfectly rational people react to these images with an altogether natural revulsion. The white person who does not mind transacting business with a black bank clerk may yet be averse to accepting the clerk as his sister-in-law, and THIS IS NOT RACISM, no matter what Madison Avenue, Hollywood and Washington tell us.”

He’s apparently considered a reputable source by today’s conservatives, but McCain has a long and unsavory history of overtly racist statements and connections to neo-Nazis, white nationalists, “race realists,” and neo-Confederate slavery apologists.

For further reference, see:
A Response to Stephen Green (With Link)
The Other ‘Other McCain’
Sarah Palin’s Book Ghostwritten by Associate of White Supremacist McCain
Meet Robert Stacy McCain, Neo-Confederate Wacko Extraordinaire

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504 comments
1 austin_blue  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:03:57pm

Wingnut worldview incest.

Ouroboros as a conservative Metaphor:

Image: File:Serpiente_alquimica.jpg

2 aagcobb  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:06:32pm

The Right is a Big Tent, stretching from Libertarians to Theocons all the way to White Nationalists!

3 jaunte  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:19:51pm
“This is not merely a test of South Carolinian conservatives’ determination to avoid the opprobrium of fellow conservatives and the tag “world-class hypocrites.” It also is a test of of Santorum’s sway with the GOP’s social conservative wing. If he wants to remain viable for 2016 (or outside of presidential politics), there could be no bigger boost than helping to bring down a character like Sanford.”

Seriously? Santorum is still considered a viable 2016 candidate?

4 darthstar  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:21:15pm

Devil’s Slide Tunnel - to an appropriate song.

Youtube Video

The drive before the tunnel opened, to the same song (I’m like that). I’ll miss that view.

Youtube Video
5 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:30:50pm

Wasn’t the Post McCain’s old Bailiwick, or was that another insane newspaper?

And totally OT:

This is an amazing story of a Japanese POW in the Soviet Union.

6 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:33:16pm

re: #3 jaunte

Seriously? Santorum is still considered a viable 2016 candidate?

Worse. He’s the front-runner for 2016 since he was second to Romney in 2012.

7 Blue Point  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:35:11pm

(insert inflated head here)
Right Turn
Jennifer Rubin’s take from a conservative bigoted perspective.
There. Fixed that title for ya Jennie. You’re welcome.

8 Kid A  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:35:56pm

OT, but relevant considering SCOTUS and DOMA tomorrow:

I’m with a buddy right now tipping a few back, talking about gay marriage (we are both for it) and the events today trying to figure out which way it’s going to go. Anyway, DOMA came up, and I thought of this- How many of the congresspersons that voted for that offensive piece of shit in 1996 are now divorced?

9 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:38:25pm

re: #3 jaunte

Seriously? Santorum is still considered a viable 2016 candidate?

Well, yeah, especially with Portman coming out in support of same sex marriage. Cain and Gringrich will both be too old, Romney ain’t running again, neither probably is Perry and Bachmann is Bachmann. Santorum should actually be well situated to appeal to the Republican base, even though he’s completely boned in any general election matchup.

10 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:40:37pm

re: #8 Kid A

I’m with a buddy right now tipping a few back, talking about gay marriage (we are both for it) and the events today trying to figure out which way it’s going to go.

I lost almost all hope today that Roberts might side against 8. I think at best it’s going to be 5-4, with the ruling probably limited to California.

11 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:41:17pm

If anyone cares for a simple synopsis of free republic today, here it is:

To: bd476
I am just SO DAMN SICK OF QUEERS!!!!

Our great country is going round and round the toilet bowl and all it can think about is these demented degenerates being able to say “meet my wife, his name is Ned”, or “meet my husband, her name is Suzy”.


9 posted on 3/24/2013 10:41:32 PM by biff (WAS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

12 jaunte  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:43:30pm

re: #9 goddamnedfrank

Once more, over the cliff.

13 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:45:41pm

re: #1 austin_blue

Wingnut worldview incest.

Ouroboros as a conservative Metaphor:

Image: File:Serpiente_alquimica.jpg

Link didn’t work.

14 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:47:06pm

re: #11 SpaceJesus

My wife introduces me as her wife sometimes to make people do a double-take.

15 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:47:37pm

re: #12 jaunte

Once more, over the cliff.

Without a parachute.

I’ve tried to think up a credible general election threat, but it’s just not coming. Jeb Bush might be a strong candidate, but the Tea Party faction hates him, and very few people are going to be thrilled about voting for another Bush. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are borderline clinically insane and they’re all bigots.

I’d like to see Huntsman jump in again, if just for the lulz.

16 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:48:36pm

accepting the clerk as his sister-in-law, and THIS IS NOT RACISM, no matter what

i can just hear him stamping his little foot right here

17 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:49:23pm

re: #14 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

My wife introduces me as her wife sometimes to make people do a double-take.

Nice that at least one of you has a sense of humour.

18 Interesting Times  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:50:44pm

re: #15 goddamnedfrank

I’ve tried to think up a credible general election threat

Chris Christie. Though I’m not sure even all the Koch dollars and all the Koch men can get him past the frothing hordes of the GOP base.

19 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:51:58pm

re: #10 goddamnedfrank

I lost almost all hope today that Roberts might side against 8. I think at best it’s going to be 5-4, with the ruling probably limited to California.

Tomorrow’s DOMA hearing should be fun tho’. That case stands the best chance of legitimizing same sex marriage nationally.

20 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:52:24pm

re: #3 jaunte

Seriously? Santorum is still considered a viable 2016 candidate?

imma callin it for christie/rubio 2016

hear me now und believe me later

21 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:54:49pm

what’s all this i hear about the fence and carriage act?

22 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:57:39pm

re: #18 Interesting Times

Chris Christie. Though I’m not sure even all the Koch dollars and all the Koch men can get him past the frothing hordes of the GOP base.

Yeah, it’s the same problem Jeb Bush faces, only worse maybe. Plus I hate to say it, but the guy has a severe optics problem.

23 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:59:58pm

re: #18 Interesting Times

Chris Christie. Though I’m not sure even all the Koch dollars and all the Koch men can get him past the frothing hordes of the GOP base.

they laid down for mccain, and they laid down for romney, even though they protested mightily both times

the wall st wing of the party makes the wingnuts eat shit over and over again altho i’m not sure how much they will take before finally bolting

24 austin_blue  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:03:14pm

re: #13 Dark_Falcon

Link didn’t work.

Oops.

images.search.yahoo.com

25 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:03:30pm

re: #19 goddamnedfrank

Tomorrow’s DOMA hearing should be fun tho’. That case stands the best chance of legitimizing same sex marriage nationally.

Think it depends on oral argument tomorrow, but we might end up getting a mixed ruling, with SCOTUS essentially punting on Prop 8/Alabama by saying the defendants lack standing to bring the case before them, while DOMA gets knocked off. The result will basically be to throw the situation back to the states, arguing that they’re “better equipped” to address the question in their own time and manner.

26 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:05:36pm

re: #20 engineer cat

imma callin it for christie/rubio 2016

hear me now und believe me later

That would actually be a very good ticket. It would have real national appeal and would be very un-Romney: Both have strength of character and conviction and would actually be able to inspire.

27 William Barnett-Lewis  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:05:47pm

re: #20 engineer cat

imma callin it for christie/rubio 2016

hear me now und believe me later

Santorum/Huckabee.

28 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:06:30pm

re: #25 Targetpractice

Think it depends on oral argument tomorrow, but we might end up getting a mixed ruling, with SCOTUS essentially punting on Prop 8/Alabama by saying the defendants lack standing to bring the case before them, while DOMA gets knocked off. The result will basically be to throw the situation back to the states, arguing that they’re “better equipped” to address the question in their own time and manner.

What are the grounds for striking down DOMA in your opinion?

29 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:09:00pm

re: #23 engineer cat

they laid down for mccain, and they laid down for romney, even though they protested mightily both times

the wall st wing of the party makes the wingnuts eat shit over and over again altho i’m not sure how much they will take before finally bolting

True, but where is the Christian Right going to bolt to? Certainly not the Dems.

30 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:09:00pm

re: #28 Dark_Falcon

What are the grounds for striking down DOMA in your opinion?

The fact that there’s no legal basis for discriminating against gay couples over straight ones?

31 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:11:02pm

re: #28 Dark_Falcon

What are the grounds for striking down DOMA in your opinion?

Violation of the Equal Protection Clause.

32 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:11:20pm

re: #25 Targetpractice

Think it depends on oral argument tomorrow, but we might end up getting a mixed ruling, with SCOTUS essentially punting on Prop 8/Alabama by saying the defendants lack standing to bring the case before them, while DOMA gets knocked off. The result will basically be to throw the situation back to the states, arguing that they’re “better equipped” to address the question in their own time and manner.

Right, but that resets the Full Faith and Credit clause. With DOMA gone gay couples will be able to go to a friendly state to get married and their home State will have to honor it. Which is a good thing, because at that point there’s little practical difference between that result and upholding standing but applying an anti Prop 8 ruling nationally.

33 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:11:53pm

re: #29 palomino

True, but where is the Christian Right going to bolt to? Certainly not the Dems.

i’ve been waiting for many years for wall st and outer wingnuttia to fall out into two mutually hostile parties for many years - so when the tea party came along i was all like zomg it’s actually happening!

i expect to see two parties which both insist that they are the one and only true inheritors of the mantle of st ronald

34 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:12:31pm

re: #23 engineer cat

Notice that the last election was the first one after Citizens United, and there was no limit on the money. Republicans had a lot more money to spend and they still couldn’t put enough lipstick on the pig to get people to vote for their terrible polices.

Unless they can permanently tilt the jerimanderng even worse or have the balls to just rewrite state voting rules to insure that Republicans always win presidential elections, the Republicans are through as a national party, because neither the base nor the fiscal radicals like Grover Norquist will drop their respective deeply unpopular polices.

I bet that the biggest businesses are already abandoning the party, but I bet they’ll have money to keep the charade going for a long time.

35 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:12:43pm

re: #31 Targetpractice

Violation of the Equal Protection Clause.

also a violation of the very important Mind Your Own Business clause

36 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:12:45pm

re: #28 Dark_Falcon

What are the grounds for striking down DOMA in your opinion?

It’s an egregious violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause.

37 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:13:25pm

re: #29 palomino

True, but where is the Christian Right going to bolt to? Certainly not the Dems.

If they go anywhere, it’s to the Constitution Party, since it’s a religious bigot’s dream:

constitutionparty.com

38 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:13:42pm

re: #33 engineer cat

I don’t think anything is going go change, no new parties, just the Republicans getting uglier and uglier and louder and louder.

39 chadu  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:14:00pm

re: #32 goddamnedfrank

theonion.com

40 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:14:08pm

re: #32 goddamnedfrank

Right, but that resets the Full Faith and Credit clause. With DOMA gone gay couple’s will be able to go to a friendly state to get married and their home State will have to honor it. Which is a good thing, because at that point there’s little practical difference between that result and upholding standing but applying a national Prop 8 ruling nationally.

It’s hard to say. At least half the justices seem to be uncomfortable with the idea of making same-sex marriage the law of the land, but handling these two cases in a manner that will avoid that without ensnarling other laws is going to be one hell of a magic trick.

41 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:14:10pm

re: #35 engineer cat

also a violation of the very important Mind Your Own Business clause

Ain’t no such animal. Please do not eminate into the penumbra. :D

42 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:14:16pm

re: #33 engineer cat

i’ve been waiting for many years for wall st and outer wingnuttia to fall out into two mutually hostile parties for many years - so when the tea party came along i was all like zomg it’s actually happening!

i expect to see two parties which both insist that they are the one and only true inheritors of the mantle of st ronald

I can’t tell you how much I hope you’re right. It would be suicide for today’s right to do such a thing, AND it would be entertaining and historically a big deal. A win-win if there ever was one.

43 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:14:42pm

re: #36 goddamnedfrank

It’s an egregious violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause.

That and it’s a steaming pile of bigoted crap that Clinton was wrong to sign.

44 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:15:03pm

re: #28 Dark_Falcon

What are the grounds for striking down DOMA in your opinion?

45 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:15:36pm

re: #31 Targetpractice

re: #36 goddamnedfrank

Thank you for explaining.

46 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:16:14pm

re: #43 Lidane

That and it’s a steaming pile of bigoted crap that Clinton was wrong to sign.

Sometimes the arc of social justice bends quickly. DOMA, after only 15 years, already seems like a relic from a distant past. Like DADT, it’s time for DOMA to go to the ashcan of history.

47 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:16:32pm

re: #39 chadu

theonion.com

LOL. If only.

“I’m a strict Originalist, Mr. Cooper, and I’m looking at a 14th Amendment that forbids any state from denying any person equal protection of the law,” Associate Justice Antonin Scalia said. “So, unless we are the most uncivilized society on the face of God’s green earth, I think we can all agree that a gay person is in fact a person. So what I’m saying is, who the fuck are we to tell a person who he or she can get married to? This is dumb. Can we talk about a real case now, please?”

48 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:18:07pm

re: #43 Lidane

That and it’s a steaming pile of bigoted crap that Clinton was wrong to sign.

Clinton wasn’t a fan of gay marriage back then. He’s moved on from that position, but attitudes were different 17-18 years ago and Bill Clinton did come from a fairly socially conservative state. I think he can be cut slack over DOMA.

49 Kid A  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:18:54pm

How has it taken seventeen years for that steaming pile of fly-covered shit called DOMA to be given cert? Has it been brought to the Court before now?

50 Joanne  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:19:37pm

re: #26 Dark_Falcon

That would actually be a very good ticket. It would have real national appeal and would be very un-Romney: Both have strength of character and conviction and would actually be able to inspire.

As long as you don’t mind a Veep who’s dumber than dirt (he has zero understanding of policy) and is a creationist who’s anti science. Rubio is the male Palin.

A big loss to the country if that’s the best the opposition has to offer.

51 Mich-again  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:20:05pm

In the minds of the true believers, being forced to deal with treat gay people as equals is a violation of their freedom of religion. Its a variation of the Abu Hamza defense.

52 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:20:07pm

One thing to consider is that, despite being portrayed as simply about Prop 8, the case that was heard today was actually lumped in with a case involving a similar law in Alabama. A ruling that makes gay marriage legal in California but remains illegal in Alabama is going to have to be very narrowly argued. Hence why assumption has turned to SCOTUS just dumping the case back on the 9th with a note saying “Get back to us when the government wants to pick a side.”

53 Kid A  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:20:33pm

re: #48 Dark_Falcon

Clinton wasn’t a fan of gay marriage back then. He’s moved on from that position, but attitudes were different 17-18 years ago and Bill Clinton did come from a fairly socially conservative state. I think he can be cut slack over DOMA.

Nope. Clinton did what politicians do. So fuck him.

54 majii  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:21:39pm

Speaking from the perspective of a black female, I would say that it seems that Stacy McCain is only capable of seeing one’s race when he looks at a person. It doesn’t matter to him that the person may be well-educated, highly intelligent, and has a solid family history of being a member of the middle class. For him, being black, Latino, Muslim, LGBT, atheist, etc, automatically relegates one to a lower status than even the poorest white person in Appalachia. I believe this is a major reason why so many White Americans object to Barack Obama being POTUS—his race automatically means that he’s unsuitable to be the nation’s top politician. With these people, race/sexual orientation determines everything about a person. Most Americans have no idea how difficult it is to live as a Person of Color or a LGBTQ American, and they don’t want to know. In their opinion, they set the standard, and if you don’t measure up, they don’t feel they have to look upon you as being a member of the human race. Their attitude is if you don’t look like me or live your life the way that I do, you’re automatically inferior. It becomes very tiresome dealing with people like these after experiencing their racism/bigotry for a period of time. In their mind, no matter what you have accomplished, you’ll never be equal to them, and the American Dream is reserved for a specific group of Americans, and it’s not LGBTQ Americans, atheists, pagan, or POC. What they don’t realize is that many of us are more intelligent than they are and have achieved more in our lives than they have ever dreamed of. IMO, this is what leads them to make the racist/bigoted comments that they feel free to make on RW blogs. There, they let it all hang out. They have no fear of being challenged about anything they write because they’re among others who feel the same way. I think this is also the reason why not one republican in Congress and/or in a leadership position has ever told the racists and bigots to knock it off. They know that deep down inside, they feel the same way.

55 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:21:54pm

This might have been Olson’s finest moment today:

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: So it’s just about — it’s just about the label in this case.

MR. OLSON: The label is -­

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: Same-sex couples have every other right, it’s just about the label.

MR. OLSON: The label “marriage” means something. Even our opponents -­

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: Sure. If you tell — if you tell a child that somebody has to be their friend, I suppose you can force the child to say, this is my friend, but it changes the definition of what it means to be a friend. And that’s it seems to me what the — what supporters of Proposition 8 are saying here. You’re -­ all you’re interested in is the label and you insist on changing the definition of the label.

MR. OLSON: It is like you were to say you can vote, you can travel, but you may not be a citizen. There are certain labels in this country that are very, very critical. You could have said in the Loving case, what — you can’t get married, but you can have an interracial union. Everyone would know that that was wrong, that the — marriage has a status, recognition, support …

56 BongCrodny  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:22:05pm

re: #27 William Barnett-Lewis

Santorum/Huckabee.

Huckatorum!

57 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:22:08pm

re: #48 Dark_Falcon

Clinton wasn’t a fan of gay marriage back then. He’s moved on from that position, but attitudes were different 17-18 years ago and Bill Clinton did come from a fairly socially conservative state. I think he can be cut slack over DOMA.

Absolutely…there were virtually no elected officials (at the national level anyway) who supported gay marriage 17 years ago.

Now, in the Senate, you’ve got 40+ Dems who support SSM and even a whopping 2-3 Republicans.

58 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:22:32pm

re: #48 Dark_Falcon

Clinton wasn’t a fan of gay marriage back then. He’s moved on from that position, but attitudes were different 17-18 years ago and Bill Clinton did come from a fairly socially conservative state. I think he can be cut slack over DOMA.

He signed it in September 1996. That was an election year.

He was wrong to sign it. I don’t give a fuck what his reasons were. It was bigoted then and it’s a steaming turd of bigotry now.

59 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:23:41pm

re: #50 Joanne

Rubio is the male Palin.

Rick Perry would like to point out that he’s been the male Palin for a lot longer. He’s been governor of Texas for over a decade and is STILL dumber than a box of hammers.

60 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:24:02pm
61 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:25:09pm

re: #50 Joanne

Rubio’s a hell of a lot smarter than Palin, and he’s both more articulate and a better political organizer. If immigration reform goes through, his star will be high and bright.

62 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:25:14pm

re: #55 goddamnedfrank

This might have been Olson’s finest moment today:

I would have expected that argument from anybody but Roberts. I would have sooner expected Scalia to roll out that asinine “It’s just a label” BS. More than ever, I’m convinced that his ruling on the ACA was a fluke.

63 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:26:58pm

re: #61 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s a hell of a lot smarter than Palin, and he’s both more articulate and a better political organizer. If immigration reform goes through, his star will be high and bright.

Obama’s more likely to get the credit for comprehensive immigration reform, something that alluded the last four presidents, than Rubio is.

64 Mich-again  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:27:00pm

Rick Santorum is a confused person, a Catholic that promotes creationism instead of science. He is either pandering to the Bible Belt protestants or he slept through all his Catechism classes.

65 Kid A  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:28:02pm

My expectations may be a bit lofty here, but I’ll say DOMA goes the way of Old Yeller, 7-2.

66 Joanne  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:28:40pm

re: #59 Lidane

Rick Perry would like to point out that he’s been the male Palin for a lot longer. He’s been governor of Texas for over a decade and is STILL dumber than a box of hammers.

And I’d want Perey in higher office as much as I would Rubio.

I’m not a fan of Christie, but at least he has some brains. There are few in the GOP these days where I could say the same. Ad again, all to the detriment of US. We, the USA, deserves better.

67 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:29:16pm

re: #61 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s a hell of a lot smarter than Palin, and he’s both more articulate and a better political organizer. If immigration reform goes through, his star will be high and bright.

Rubio also has to convince the mouth-breathers in the GOP base that he’s a natual born citizen, since the morans at WND and other birther sites say he’s not.

68 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:29:40pm

re: #62 Targetpractice

I would have expected that argument from anybody but Roberts. I would have sooner expected Scalia to roll out that asinine “It’s just a label” BS. More than ever, I’m convinced that his ruling on the ACA was a fluke.

Yeah, that’s one of the bits from Roberts today that really disappointed me. He’s not the kind of guy who plays the fool just to help a lawyer make an obvious point, so he probably really believed that shit.

69 majii  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:29:41pm

re: #11 SpaceJesus

This person is not nearly as sick as I am of people like him/her who want to determine how others should be permitted to live their lives. I’m heterosexual, and I support gay marriage because I believe that the civil rights in the Constitution apply to all of us. Plus, I was raised under segregation. There were places I couldn’t go and things I couldn’t do. I didn’t like living that way, and I’ll be damned if I impose that separatist shit on any of my fellow Americans. These tools need to learn to mind their own damn business. What other people do in the privacy of their bedrooms doesn’t impact me in any way. In fact, I don’t even think about it. It seems to me that many of those who oppose gay marriage spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what gay Americans do in their bedrooms. None of them will ever have to marry a LGBTQ person. None of them will ever have to share a bed with him/her, so they need to sit down, mind their own damn business, and STFU, posthaste.

70 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:30:17pm

re: #61 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s a hell of a lot smarter than Palin, and he’s both more articulate and a better political organizer. If immigration reform goes through, his star will be high and bright.

You really think Republicans will get credit for immigration reform? I doubt it. The Dems are pretty much unified in support. The GOP will at least have some internal strife over it. And it’s quite clear that the only reason the party supports it now is, as McCain said, “We’re losing the Hispanic vote terribly, we don’t want that to continue.”

Furthermore, Rubio is just one of a “gang of 8” putting the legislation together. That’s hardly gonna make him a star…and not necessarily within a party that has a huge Coulterite anti-amnesty view.

And don’t forget: the guy signing it will be a Democrat.

71 Joanne  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:31:22pm

re: #61 Dark_Falcon

Rubio’s a hell of a lot smarter than Palin, and he’s both more articulate and a better political organizer. If immigration reform goes through, his star will be high and bright.

Have you ever paid attention to him-like really listened to him? He’s a policy moron. I’ll agree that he’s more articulate than Palin (not too terribly difficult), but he’s equally ignorant.

72 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:32:19pm

Really, if anything, Rubio would probably be damaged by promoting immigration reform in the short-term than over time. Putting a feather like that in Obama’s cap, letting Democrats claim credit for succeeding where Bush failed, and promoting “amnesty” over “self-deportation”? They’re gonna want to keel-haul him for at least an election-cycle after that.

73 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:32:26pm

re: #65 Kid A

My expectations may be a bit lofty here, but I’ll say DOMA goes the way of Old Yeller, 7-2.

The DOMA challenge is definitely an historically stronger case, since the specifics involve actual, not theoretical, financial harm to the plaintiff.

74 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:32:55pm

re: #63 Targetpractice

Obama won’t be running in 2016,, though. Rubio will be running and frankly, a viable narrative can be set up to make the case that this deal was done in the Congress. Don’t slight Obama, but point out that the key was cooperation in the Senate, then credit Rubio for that cooperation.

75 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:34:03pm

Fuck, two of my friends broke up. Cue massive re-juggling of the social calender.

Sucks, they were an awesome couple. Both in med school, though, and that’s goddamn rough. They barely ever saw each other.

76 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:34:30pm

re: #74 Dark_Falcon

Obama won’t be running in 2016,, though. Rubio will be running and frankly, a viable narrative can be set up to make the case that this deal was done in the Congress. Don’t slight Obama, but point out that the key was cooperation in the Senate, then credit Rubio for that cooperation.

Cooperation in the Senate is worth exactly dick, because getting enough Democrats together to vote for a path to citizenship isn’t a challenge. Getting the House to vote for it? That would be an accomplishment and I don’t think Rubio has that sort of star power in him.

77 Mattand  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:37:10pm

re: #69 majii

This person is not nearly as sick as I am of people like him/her who want to determine how others should be permitted to live their lives. I’m heterosexual, and I support gay marriage because I believe that the civil rights in the Constitution apply to all of us. Plus, I was raised under segregation. There were places I couldn’t go and things I couldn’t do. I didn’t like living that way, and I’ll be damned if I impose that separatist shit on any of my fellow Americans. These tools need to learn to mind their own damn business. What other people do in the privacy of their bedrooms doesn’t impact me in any way. In fact, I don’t even think about it. It seems to me that many of those who oppose gay marriage spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what gay Americans do in their bedrooms. None of them will ever have to marry a LGBTQ person. None of them will ever have to share a bed with him/her, so they need to sit down, mind their own damn business, and STFU, posthaste.

This comment needs to put in the Top 10 ASAP.

78 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:37:43pm

re: #72 Targetpractice

Really, if anything, Rubio would probably be damaged by promoting immigration reform in the short-term than over time. Putting a feather like that in Obama’s cap, letting Democrats claim credit for succeeding where Bush failed, and promoting “amnesty” over “self-deportation”? They’re gonna want to keel-haul him for at least an election-cycle after that.

Maybe a few will, but the party leadership understands how much this needs to get done. And it will cement Rubio’s credentials with his Latino constituents in Florida, which will build the ranks of GOP voters in a crucial swing state.

Moreover, once an immigration bill passes with a good chunk of bipartisanship, the rancor over immigration will diminish a good bit. The ‘done deal’ aspect of such a passage will discourage hostile reporting for a time, and the deal’s bipartisan aspects will keep its Republican and Democratic supporters from attacking each other over it.

79 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:38:47pm

re: #76 Targetpractice

Cooperation in the Senate is worth exactly dick, because getting enough Democrats together to vote for a path to citizenship isn’t a challenge. Getting the House to vote for it? That would be an accomplishment and I don’t think Rubio has that sort of star power in him.

Yeah, Boehner will probably have to violate the Hastert Rule again. I don’t see immigration reform passing primarily on Republican votes. As with a few other recent bills, Boehner will probably have to support it, but rely on Dem votes to get it passed. How that’s a big GOP victory with respect to Hispanic voters I don’t get.

80 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:39:15pm

re: #74 Dark_Falcon

Obama won’t be running in 2016,, though. Rubio will be running and frankly, a viable narrative can be set up to make the case that this deal was done in the Congress. Don’t slight Obama, but point out that the key was cooperation in the Senate, then credit Rubio for that cooperation.

Your party is just boned in the near term. Sorry, but it’s true. If you come around on marriage equality you lose the dead ender bigots. Same with immigration reform. The Dems would have to nominate Edwards and Blagojevich for the GOP to stand a chance in 2016.

When this realignment is finished only 30 percent of the country is going to be left opposing gay marriage, and most of that 30 percent will die off quick.

81 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:40:14pm

re: #80 goddamnedfrank

to nominate Edwards and Blagojevich for the GOP to stand a chance in 2016.

Thank you for at least asking a hair question.

(obscure?)

82 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:40:54pm

re: #78 Dark_Falcon

And it will cement Rubio’s credentials with his Latino constituents in Florida, which will build the ranks of GOP voters in a crucial swing state.

Or not:

83 Mattand  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:41:40pm

re: #74 Dark_Falcon

Obama won’t be running in 2016,, though. Rubio will be running and frankly, a viable narrative can be set up to make the case that this deal was done in the Congress. Don’t slight Obama, but point out that the key was cooperation in the Senate, then credit Rubio for that cooperation.

Don’t slight Obama?

Seriously, have you even following politics since January 2009? We’re talking about the same party that is willing to destroy the US economy to make Obama look bad.

84 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:42:10pm

re: #78 Dark_Falcon

Maybe a few will, but the party leadership understands how much this needs to get done. And it will cement Rubio’s credentials with his Latino constituents in Florida, which will build the ranks of GOP voters in a crucial swing state.

Moreover, once an immigration bill passes with a good chunk of bipartisanship, the rancor over immigration will diminish a good bit. The ‘done deal’ aspect of such a passage will discourage hostile reporting for a time, and the deal’s bipartisan aspects will keep its Republican and Democratic supporters from attacking each other over it.

I think you still see more power in the GOP’s leadership than is evident. If the leadership maintained the sort of power you give it, then Boehenr would not have had to violate the infamous “Hastert Rule” thrice in the past three months to get major bills passed. Every time he’s attempted to make a deal, it’s been scuttled by members of his own caucus threatening to kill the final bill. Hell, he couldn’t even bring the Farm Bill before the House last year for fear that Tea Partiers would kill it unless more cuts were made to food stamps.

Party primaries are generally the time when the most active (read: fanatical) of the party’s base comes out to play. Rubio, a guy with virtually no accomplishments to his name running on being the guy who was one of eight senators to propose comprehensive reform would be another name on the list of “Also-Rans.”

85 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:42:21pm

re: #81 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Thank you for at least asking a hair question.

(obscure?)

Booo!

86 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:42:58pm

Everyone knows the GOP is the party in the way of immigration reform. If all they do is get the fuck out of the way, Hispanics aren’t going to wring their hands and roll their soulful brown eyes and thank the white man for being so nice and all. They’re going to say “Thanks for getting out of the way, assholes” and continue to vote Democratic, because they Democrats are the ones who have been fighting for immigration reform for years.

Minorities are not children and they are not pets that you can throw a treat to. The GOP really needs to learn this.

87 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:45:09pm

re: #85 goddamnedfrank

Booo!

Youtube Video

Funny assholes. Better than the regular kind of asshole.

88 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:46:22pm

re: #78 Dark_Falcon

Maybe a few will, but the party leadership understands how much this needs to get done. And it will cement Rubio’s credentials with his Latino constituents in Florida, which will build the ranks of GOP voters in a crucial swing state.

Moreover, once an immigration bill passes with a good chunk of bipartisanship, the rancor over immigration will diminish a good bit. The ‘done deal’ aspect of such a passage will discourage hostile reporting for a time, and the deal’s bipartisan aspects will keep its Republican and Democratic supporters from attacking each other over it.

You guys really just don’t get it. You’re not losing Hispanic voters purely over immigration regorm. You never really had Hispanic voters to begin with, as they’ve voted Dem for decades now.

There’s a myth that Hispanic voters are very culturally conservative. It’s not true. They support gay marriage more than whites and blacks. They overwhelmingly support Obamacare. They’re no more religious, on the whole, than other ethnic groups. And 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanics are actually slightly more liberal than the 1st generation. A bill getting passed (primarily with Dem support) isn’t going to change that dynamic. At best it stops the bleeding for the gop.

89 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:46:45pm

re: #81 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Thank you for at least asking a hair question.

(obscure?)

Not obscure at all for me:

Image: 5807059698_fc16a84549_m.jpg

90 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:48:35pm

This is a public thank you to CL. I asked for her opinion on something I was creating a few days ago. She not only gave me an incredibly helpful critique, she dove into the nuts and bolts and fixed many of the things I couldn’t.

Thanks CL, you are one terrific person.

91 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:49:46pm

re: #17 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

Nice that at least one of you has a sense of humour.

Just noticed your new name. Are you handing out wolf tickets?

92 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:50:06pm

re: #89 Dark_Falcon

Nope. See above.

93 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:50:36pm

re: #80 goddamnedfrank

Your party is just boned in the near term. Sorry, but it’s true. If you come around on marriage equality you lose the dead ender bigots. Same with immigration reform. The Dems would have to nominate Edwards and Blagojevich for the GOP to stand a chance in 2016.

When this realignment is finished only 30 percent of the country is going to be left opposing gay marriage, and most of that 30 percent will die off quick.

All the more reason to pass the immigration bill.

Better to get changes that must be made over and done with. The longer you delay, the more they hurt.

94 Walking Spanish Down the Hall  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:51:39pm

Charles, is there a problem if I publish a post on my own blog and reproduce it here?

95 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:52:02pm

re: #92 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Nope. See above.

It had its meaning to me, having actually seen Blago in person.

96 Interesting Times  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:53:13pm

re: #93 Dark_Falcon

Better to get changes that must be made over and done with. The longer you delay, the more they hurt.

It would be nice if the GOP had that attitude toward climate change mitigation and renewable energy. Until they do, voting for them is literal long-term suicide.

97 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:53:18pm

I really think the problem with the GOP is that it is essentially a media party. There’s a little irony in there given their gabbing about Hollywood and all, but really the GOP is the one with the echo chamber of news and information, where no political career is too shabby to appear squinting into a Fox monitor and getting angry. It’s infected the new crop of politicians, who think that bullshit is real politics. They keep thinking it’s their messaging that’s the problem, because that’s all they know. They lack substance of any sort.

98 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:54:10pm

Whatever gains the GOP might get from agreeing to immigration reform would be lost to a segment of the anti-immigration reform base. At the same time, you have a lot of Hispanics that don’t see immigration reform as a central issue. My family doesn’t vote on immigration reform.

99 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:55:07pm

Quite honestly, the only help I see comprehensive immigration reform providing to the GOP in the near term is the same as SCOTUS ruling same-sex marriage the law of the land: It takes the issue off the table and out of the party platform for a couple elections. It would allow them to run more on the economy and on spending, issues where they tend to have an easier time appealing to voters.

100 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:56:05pm

re: #78 Dark_Falcon

The ‘done deal’ aspect of such a passage will discourage hostile reporting for a time, and the deal’s bipartisan aspects will keep its Republican and Democratic supporters from attacking each other over it.

maybe, but clinton tried to get the democratic party past an issue that it kept on getting attacked on with the ‘ending welfare as we know it’ thing

yet reagan’s ‘welfare queens buying cigarettes with food stamps’ zombie meme is still stuck, it seems, to the democratic party

101 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:57:44pm

re: #99 Targetpractice

Except their base is so reactionary that they’d demand people be running to revoke whatever had just been passed. That’s the big thing with the GOP these days, is “We’re going to rip down whatever the Democrats do.”

102 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:59:19pm

re: #99 Targetpractice

Quite honestly, the only help I see comprehensive immigration reform providing to the GOP in the near term is the same as SCOTUS ruling same-sex marriage the law of the land: It takes the issue off the table and out of the party platform for a couple elections. It would allow them to run more on the economy and on spending, issues where they tend to have an easier time appealing to voters.

It would also get the bigots and mouth-breathers so riled up that they’d run an ineffectual third party campaign in a temper tantrum for purity and doom the party. After that, the party splits in two.

At this point, a split is inevitable, since the only candidates that the bigots and mouth-breathers at the base would approve are toxic on the national stage. Passing comprehensive immigration reform and SCOTUS legalizing gay marriage would just speed the process along.

103 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 8:59:24pm

re: #98 Gus

The GOP is faced with the future possibility of losing Texas, or losing their base.

104 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:00:50pm

re: #99 Targetpractice

Quite honestly, the only help I see comprehensive immigration reform providing to the GOP in the near term is the same as SCOTUS ruling same-sex marriage the law of the land: It takes the issue off the table and out of the party platform for a couple elections. It would allow them to run more on the economy and on spending, issues where they tend to have an easier time appealing to voters.

It also removes the immigration issue as a weapon in the Democrat’s arsenal as well.

105 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:00:58pm

re: #103 SpaceJesus

The GOP is faced with the future possibility of losing Texas, or losing their base.

If they lose Texas, they’re done as a national party for at least two election cycles.

106 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:01:38pm

re: #101 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Except their base is so reactionary that they’d demand people be running to revoke whatever had just been passed. That’s the big thing with the GOP these days, is “We’re going to rip down whatever the Democrats do.”

True, but that’s a generational issue more than anything else. The hardliners against both issues are also the eldest members of the party, who are dying off with each passing year. Polls of the party’s younger members shows strong support for same-sex marriage and a path to citizenship. All the GOP accomplishes by playing to the dinosaurs is losing more support to either the Dems or third-party candidates.

107 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:01:56pm

re: #104 Dark_Falcon

It also removes the immigration issue as a weapon in the Democrat’s arsenal as well.

Not really. Not as long as toxic laws like SB1070 are on the books and people like Joe Arpaio are symbols of the bigoted right.

108 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:02:18pm

re: #105 Lidane

I think conservatism is in checkmate at this point. The future belongs to libertarians, us pinko commies have to look to our future fights with them and start preparing for those now.

109 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:03:21pm

Habersham man airlifted after accidental shooting

DEMOREST – A Habersham County man was airlifted for medical treatment after accidentally shooting himself Tuesday afternoon.

Sheriff Joey Terrell said the unidentified man apparently shot himself in the thigh with a 9-mm handgun while cleaning the firearm or preparing to clean it around 3:30 p.m. The incident happened inside a house on Elm Drive across from The Torch Worship Center off Cannon Bridge Road

Police: Husband accidentally shot wife while cleaning gun

A 25-year-old woman is expected to recover from a single gunshot wound after her husband accidentally shot her inside their Semoran Boulevard apartment late Monday, police said.

John Massallo Acevedo, 23, was standing in the kitchen of his Resort at Lake Frederica apartment about 8 p.m. when he attempted to remove the slide to his 9 mm Glock pistol and it fired.

The bullet struck his wife, Jean Santiago Zambrana, in the right arm and entered her abdomen, according to an Orlando Police incident report.

110 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:03:37pm

re: #103 SpaceJesus

The GOP is faced with the future possibility of losing Texas, or losing their base.

Good.

111 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:05:12pm

re: #110 Gus

also, there is a chance they could lose both. this is the gop after all

112 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:06:03pm

re: #109 Gus

Habersham man airlifted after accidental shooting

Police: Husband accidentally shot wife while cleaning gun

Call me crazy, but I was pretty sure that first two things you do before cleaning a gun is make sure the safety’s on and the gun is unloaded.

113 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:07:20pm

re: #108 SpaceJesus

I think conservatism is in checkmate at this point. The future belongs to libertarians, us pinko commies have to look to our future fights with them and start preparing for those now.

wall st will continue, as it has forever, to seek an ideological home for its eternal agenda of lower taxes for rich people and corporations and repeal of consumer and worker protections

if “conservatism” doesn’t work anymore, something else will need to be found

114 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:08:48pm

re: #108 SpaceJesus

And I think that idea is full of crud.

115 wrenchwench  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:08:51pm

re: #104 Dark_Falcon

It also removes the immigration issue as a weapon in the Democrat’s arsenal as well.

Racism is a tool of the Republicans. Think of it as a saw, and immigration is just one tooth. Nobody can remove that weapon from the Republicans, they have to put it down themselves.

116 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:09:00pm

re: #111 SpaceJesus

also, there is a chance they could lose both. this is the gop after all

I’d like to name that the “Rove come a cropper”, or the “Lee Atwater self-defeating boomerang”

117 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:10:35pm

re: #113 engineer cat

libertarianism will fill that role. “get rid of these commie business regulations” they’ll say

118 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:10:39pm

re: #114 Dark_Falcon

And I think that idea is full of crud.

How so? Reince Preibus wants to make Mike Huckabee the GOP’s go to guy for LGBT. They’ve lost it.

119 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:12:01pm

re: #114 Dark_Falcon

Look at the people under the age of 40. Conservatism is dead. Libertarianism is going to take its place. I’ll bet you a Barry Goldwater bobblehead I have.

120 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:12:09pm

Watching the Tweets of Antonin Salia on gays… it was like watching a troll on LGF being live blogged. Roberts was even an idiot even Justice Kennedy. A bunch of stupid, clueless, insulated old farts.

121 wrenchwench  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:13:13pm

re: #119 SpaceJesus

Look at the people under the age of 40. Conservatism is dead. Libertarianism is going to take its place. I’ll bet you a Barry Goldwater bobblehead I have.

Arizona gift shop souvenir?

122 Kid A  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:13:56pm

Lidane lives in Austin (I think) and I live in The Woodlands. I do not see the GOP losing their grip here in Texas for quite a while. All you need to do is look at the State House and see how fucked up it is. Mandatory sonograms for women that want an abortion? Need I say more?

123 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:13:56pm

The minority outreach program director at CPAC “left as friends” with that neo-Nazi Kinist Scott Terry.

124 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:14:38pm

re: #120 Gus

Watching the Tweets of Antonin Salia on gays… it was like watching a troll on LGF being live blogged. Roberts was even an idiot even Justice Kennedy. A bunch of stupid, clueless, insulated old farts.

At this point, the only real hope for a broad ruling on Prop 8 is that Kennedy was spending today making himself feel comfortable with making same-sex marriage the law of the land. More likely, the man’s gonna puss out yet again.

125 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:15:14pm

re: #121 wrenchwench

Ebay. I collect political memorabilia.

I also have a talking Ann Coulter doll. I’m usually very good and taking good care of my collectibles, but the doll was intentionally set aflame once or twice while I was in college.

126 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:15:56pm

re: #114 Dark_Falcon

And I think that idea is full of crud.

But the last time conservatism was in such a sorry state was 50 years ago…1964 and the failed Goldwater candidacy. The defensive conservative response to that observation might be: “But 16 years later, in 1980, the conservative wing triumphed, we won the WH, and the Reagan Revolution started.”

The big difference is that in 1964 the right had a demographic tidal wave still moving in its favor. Now the opposite is true. Which makes the climb back much much more difficult.

127 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:15:57pm

re: #117 SpaceJesus

libertarianism will fill that role. “get rid of these commie business regulations” they’ll say

well, from that point of view, i’m wondering what the difference would be between ‘conservatism’ and ‘libertarianism’ besides libertarianism abandoning the social conservatism aspects - if it even does

128 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:18:43pm

re: #88 palomino

You guys really just don’t get it. You’re not losing Hispanic voters purely over immigration regorm. You never really had Hispanic voters to begin with, as they’ve voted Dem for decades now.

There’s a myth that Hispanic voters are very culturally conservative. It’s not true. They support gay marriage more than whites and blacks. They overwhelmingly support Obamacare. They’re no more religious, on the whole, than other ethnic groups. And 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanics are actually slightly more liberal than the 1st generation. A bill getting passed (primarily with Dem support) isn’t going to change that dynamic. At best it stops the bleeding for the gop.

I think it’s a mistake to classify opposition to ObamaCare as being related to being culturally conservative. It’s related to hating other races and feeling that they’re poorer than you and would be stealing your money to pay for their care. It’s related to hating the poor. It’s related to being antisocial.

Hispanics are poor and they’re not antisocial so they’re in favor of universal insurance.

As for being culturally conservative, some of them are but in a Latin, Catholic sense which is different from a white protestant sense. Not sure what the differences are but one is that you can party and then confess on Sunday and your sin is forgiven.

EDIT: OOPS I wrote “Obama” where I meant “ObamaCare”!!

129 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:18:49pm

re: #124 Targetpractice

At this point, the only real hope for a broad ruling on Prop 8 is that Kennedy was spending today making himself feel comfortable with making same-sex marriage the law of the land. More likely, the man’s gonna puss out yet again.

Kennedy - 76, Roman Catholic
Roberts - 58, Roman Catholic
Scalia - 77, Roman Catholic
Alito - 62. Roman Catholic
Thomas - 64, Roman Catholic

130 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:19:54pm

us-mexico game not the best thing i’ve ever seen

131 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:20:18pm

re: #128 stabby

One can oppose Barack Obama without being a hater. Your post is a massive over-generalization.

132 wrenchwench  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:20:34pm

re: #125 SpaceJesus

Ebay. I collect political memorabilia.

I also have a talking Ann Coulter doll. I’m usually very good and taking good care of my collectibles, but the doll was intentionally set aflame once or twice while I was in college.

Crazy college hijinks!

133 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:21:21pm

re: #122 Kid A

Lidane lives in Austin (I think) and I live in The Woodlands. I do not see the GOP losing their grip here in Texas for quite a while. All you need to do is look at the State House and see how fucked up it is. Mandatory sonograms for women that want an abortion? Need I say more?

Yeah, I’m in Austin.

The big thing on the news right now is some gibbering GOP nutbar in the state legislature trying to get the City of Austin’s single-use plastic bag ban overturned. You know, because it’s such an inconvenience to keep a reusable bag or two in your car for when you need to go to the store.

134 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:21:33pm

re: #129 Gus

Kennedy - 76, Roman Catholic
Roberts - 58, Roman Catholic
Scalia - 77, Roman Catholic
Alito - 62. Roman Catholic
Thomas - 64, Roman Catholic

Not surprising. The only reason anybody went into this hoping he’d be the fifth vote is he’s written the opinions on two past pro-gay rights rulings, though it’s been noted by virtually every observer that those were very narrow rulings.

135 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:23:43pm

re: #122 Kid A

Lidane lives in Austin (I think) and I live in The Woodlands. I do not see the GOP losing their grip here in Texas for quite a while. All you need to do us look at the State House and see how fucked up it is. Mandatory sonograms for women that want an abortion? Need I say more?

Yeah, Texas would be tough to flip. You’d think it might be at least a little more like California electorally given its demographics.

But here’s the thing: while nonwhites vote heavily Dem in both states, whites in TX (especially outside the cities) are still VERY conservative. In CA, the white vote splits 50-50 in national elections; in TX, the gop routinely gets 75% of the white vote. And the white vote in TX makes up a disproportionately high portion of the total vote, as whites skew older than other groups (and are thus more likely to vote, at least while they’re still alive).

Tomorrow’s voters, the under-18 population in TX, however, is disproportionately nonwhite, so change is coming. Just not real soon probably.

136 Kid A  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:24:55pm

While the US has played very well defensively tonight, this lack of offense means a quick exit in the World Cup, IF they even qualify. Good grief, they can’t be this bad.

137 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:25:15pm

re: #135 palomino

Yeah, Texas would be tough to flip. You’d think it might be at least a little more like California electorally given its demographics.

But here’s the thing: while nonwhites vote heavily Dem in both states, whites in TX (especially outside the cities) are still VERY conservative. In CA, the white vote splits 50-50 in national elections; in TX, the gop routinely gets 75% of the white vote. And the white vote in TX makes up a disproportionately high portion of the total vote, as whites skew older than other groups (and are thus more likely to vote, at least while they’re still alive).

Tomorrow’s voters, the under-18 population in TX, however, is disproportionately nonwhite, so change is coming. Just not real soon probably.

Texas is also heavily gerrymandered to the GOP’s favor.

For example, Austin used to be a single congresional district on its own. Now it’s split up into at least five of them because of the way that the GOP has carved up this city to keep their districts white and conservative.

138 Kid A  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:26:17pm

US draws.

139 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:27:58pm

I hold out for a pretty ambitious dream: Hillary Clinton voted president in ‘16 with Texas going blue for the first time in decades. Nothing would be more hilarious.

140 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:31:41pm

re: #138 Kid A

US draws.

That’s better than we usually do against Mexico in soccer.

141 RadicalModerate  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:32:55pm

re: #103 SpaceJesus

The GOP is faced with the future possibility of losing Texas, or losing their base.

Unfortunately, the Texas Republicans have seriously stacked the deck against Hispanics (and other racial minorities) who tend to vote for Democrats, via a multitude of actions designed to disenfranchise those voters. The most obvious one is the gerrymandering of voting districts that has been done repeatedly along racial lines, which is also why they are so gung-ho on getting the 1965 Voting Rights Act overturned. They have also set up changed voter registration locations and hours of operation to severely inconvenience those same minority voters, by closing many inner-city locations and curtailing staffing and hours of others — forcing travel of a significant distance, and having long waits to register during peak voting cycles — not to mention the multiple cases of Tea Party-aligned groups engaging in voter intimidation and suppression. At the same time, predominately Republican areas’ locales were not affected. Finally, there was the Voter ID attempts that have been made - and subsequently tossed by Federal courts each and every time.

142 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:34:23pm

re: #128 stabby

I think it’s a mistake to classify opposition to Obama as being related to being culturally conservative. It’s related to hating other races and feeling that they’re poorer than you and would be stealing your money to pay for their care. It’s related to hating the poor. It’s related to being antisocial.

Hispanics are poor and they’re not antisocial so they’re in favor of universal insurance.

As for being culturally conservative, some of them are but in a Latin, Catholic sense which is different from a white protestant sense. Not sure what the differences are but one is that you can party and then confess on Sunday and your sin is forgiven.

Not all Hispanics are poor, nor are all blacks. Yet both groups support social programs like Obamacare in large numbers regardless of their own socioeconomic class.

Your understanding of Christianity is pretty limited. You might want to read an article or two before making more sweeping generalizations about the world’s largest religion.

And yes, race is a huge issue. I’m embarrassed and sickened by the way my country has treated Obama. However, those who identify as “culturally conservative” are much more likely to vote Republican. And overall Hispanics are not more conservative on a wide range of social issues than other groups; actually the opposite on some issues, like gay marriage.

143 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:35:44pm

re: #141 RadicalModerate

Unfortunately, the Texas Republicans have seriously stacked the deck against Hispanics (and other racial minorities) who tend to vote for Democrats, via a multitude of actions designed to disenfranchise those voters.

Pretty much. The Texas GOP, with the national party right there alongside them, is thoroughly corrupt and intent on keeping this state red even if they have to cheat to do it.

Turning Texas blue is going to take a while.

144 Pawn of the Oppressor  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:36:22pm

I’m starting to see a lot of hate and bile bubbling up about the gay marriage thing in the last couple of days… Including a friend at work who seems a decent guy most of the time, who suddenly spilled something about finding it “despicable that our culture was being destroyed under the guise of civil rights”, whatever that was supposed to mean. I didn’t have it in me to ask him to elaborate, and I really can’t fathom what kind of paranoiac world view would generate that kind of bile.

If SCOTUS ends up ruling same-sex marriage is OK, I expect violence.

145 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:38:43pm

re: #131 Dark_Falcon

One can oppose Barack Obama without being a hater. Your post is a massive over-generalization.

I never mentioned “Barak Obama”, I talked about universal health insurance.

Explain to me how one can morally oppose that.

146 gwangung  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:39:07pm

re: #142 palomino

Not all Hispanics are poor, nor are all blacks. Yet both groups support social programs like Obamacare in large numbers regardless of their own socioeconomic class.

Yah. There are multiple factors here. And actually, a lot of them line up against Republicans. For example, a lot immigrants are fleeing countries with even wider wealth gaps, with governments under the thumb of moneyed classes who’ve held that money for multiple generations. That’s a big strike against Republicans, race or no race.

147 RadicalModerate  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:39:30pm

re: #143 Lidane

Pretty much. The Texas GOP, with the national party right there alongside them, is thoroughly corrupt and intent on keeping this state red even if they have to cheat to do it.

Turning Texas blue is going to take a while.

Cheating to do it is a status quo for the Texas Republicans.

Case in point: Tom DeLay (R-Sugarland), former House Majority Leader, architect of the 2002 (non-census related) congressional redistricting that flipped no less that TEN House of Representatives seats to Republicans , and convicted felon for his money laundering in funneling money to the effort.

148 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:40:06pm

re: #143 Lidane

Pretty much. The Texas GOP, with the national party right there alongside them, is thoroughly corrupt and intent on keeping this state red even if they have to cheat to do it.

Turning Texas blue is going to take a while.

As long as Texas whites continue to vote 75% Republican, the GOP will dominate the state. I think we’re talking 15-20 years roughly. But demographics are destiny, so what we need is zen-like patience.

149 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:41:25pm

re: #145 stabby

I never mentioned “Barak Obama”, I talked about universal health insurance.

Explain to me how one can morally oppose that.

Especially when EVERY other developed country has some form of healthcare that is more “liberal” than Obamacare.

150 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:41:46pm

re: #142 palomino

So I said shorthand “hispanics are poor”

My step mother is Mexican from the upper class, she’s never been poor. I was using shorthand for the fact that a significant number are lower class, and vote lower class.

Why you’re talking about Christianity in reference to my post I have no idea. You’ll have to be more specific. Do you think that opposition to health care is related to Christianity?

If it is you’ll have to explain, I had a better opinion of Christianity than one that wishes sickness on the poor.

151 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:44:02pm

re: #145 stabby

I never mentioned “Barak Obama”, I talked about universal health insurance.

Explain to me how one can morally oppose that.

re: #128 stabby

I think it’s a mistake to classify opposition to Obama as being related to being culturally conservative. It’s related to hating other races and feeling that they’re poorer than you and would be stealing your money to pay for their care. It’s related to hating the poor. It’s related to being antisocial.

(Bolding mine.) Yeah, you mentioned Obama.

152 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:44:29pm

OOPS NOW I SEE: I wrote “Obama” where I meant “ObamaCare”!!

I fixed it.

153 RadicalModerate  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:46:56pm

re: #150 stabby

So I said shorthand “hispanics are poor”

My step mother is Mexican from the upper class, she’s never been poor. I was using shorthand for the fact that a significant number are lower class, and vote lower class.

Why you’re talking about Christianity in reference to my post I have no idea. You’ll have to be more specific. Do you think that opposition to health care is related to Christianity?

If it is you’ll have to explain, I had a better opinion of Christianity than one that wishes sickness on the poor.

When it comes to women’s healthcare, specifically related to reproductive rights (i.e. contraception and abortion), the Christian Right is front-and-center in the fight against any support, and I mean ANY support - to the point where they have attempted on several occasions to redefine rape, and are unapologetic regarding endangering women’s lives.

154 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:47:51pm
A stipulation of the budget which is still being crafted would allow magazines that hold as many as 10 bullets to still be sold in New York State after April 15th. The NY SAFE Act, which was passed in January, sought to limit magazines to 7 bullets starting on that date. Although the larger magazines will still be legal in the state, gun users will still be forbidden from loading more than 7 bullets at a time.

I’m sure criminals will be deterred mightily by the prospect of incurring an additional Class B misdemeanor. Will never understand the State’s compelling interest in limiting a 10 round device to seven rounds, especially within a legal gun owner’s own home. Absolutely an arbitrary exercise of authority.

155 palomino  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:49:59pm

re: #150 stabby

I mentioned Christianity because this was part of your post:

As for being culturally conservative, some of them are but in a Latin, Catholic sense which is different from a white protestant sense. Not sure what the differences are but one is that you can party and then confess on Sunday and your sin is forgiven.

It didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but no big deal. I wasn’t saying your comments were offensive or anything. I’m like the least-Christian Christian on the planet. I refuse to go to church unless someone dies or gets married.

But my point about Hispanics and blacks is that they continue to “vote poor” (i.e., support a safety net and universal healthcare) even after they’ve personally left poverty behind. So winning Hispanics isn’t going to be easy for the gop just because some Republicans support a bill—immigration reform—that nearly all Democrats will and which Obama will sign.

156 CarleeCork  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:51:00pm

re: #153 RadicalModerate

When it comes to women’s healthcare, specifically related to reproductive rights (i.e. contraception and abortion), the Christian Right is front-and-center in the fight against any support, and I mean ANY support - to the point where they have attempted on several occasions to redefine rape, and are unapologetic regarding endangering women’s lives.

And until other Christians extract these nutjobs, they will be lumped in with their brethren.

157 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:54:33pm

re: #138 Kid A

not bad considering once again the mexico supporters were shining laser pointers in our keeper’s eyes. fuck mexico fans.

158 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 9:56:28pm

re: #157 SpaceJesus

not bad considering once again the mexico supporters were shining laser pointers in our keeper’s eyes. fuck mexico fans.

Their fans hate the idea of the US beating Mexico in soccer. They used to chant “Osama!” when their team played the US, though they stopped after the SEALs punched bin Laden’s ticket.

159 SpaceJesus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:00:52pm

re: #158 Dark_Falcon

they also fill water balloons with piss and throw them at visiting teams’ fans and players. Do the refs or the authorities every do anything about the shithead mexico fans at azteca? no. in real venues games get called in favor of the away team for bullshit like that. every country needs to start boycotting playing there. their fans are the worst in the world.

160 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:01:15pm

re: #153 RadicalModerate

When it comes to women’s healthcare, specifically related to reproductive rights (i.e. contraception and abortion), the Christian Right is front-and-center in the fight against any support, and I mean ANY support - to the point where they have attempted on several occasions to redefine rape, and are unapologetic regarding endangering women’s lives.

Opposition to regularizing health insurance to require reproductive health (already state law in most states) came very late.

Opposition to ObamaCare was a big deal couple years before the Bishops and their supporters (oddly more Protestant than Catholic support among the laity) started throwing temper tantrums.

161 stabby  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:02:27pm

Therefore reproductive health insurance is certainly NOT the main reason for opposition to ObamaCare, even if its the reason that they feel most comfortable articulating

162 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:04:24pm

Checks weather. Finally back in the fucking 50s tomorrow. Cold weather sucks. I hate winter. Winter blows. I rather get drunk drinking cold beer in 100 degree weather and pass out than deal with freaking disgusting freezing weather. kthxbi

163 Dark_Falcon  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:09:09pm

re: #162 Gus

And I’d rather have a 20 degree day than a 100 degree day.

164 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:12:09pm

re: #163 Dark_Falcon

And I’d rather have a 20 degree day than a 100 degree day.

You can live through a 100 degree day by sitting under a tree. You can’t live through a 20 degree day sitting under a tree day by day. That’s fact. You’re hands won’t stop moving. Unless of course one is doing well enough to have a well heating domicile. It’s a lot easier to live with little money in warmer climates. Dems the facts. 20 degrees sucks donkey balls.

165 wrenchwench  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:16:32pm

re: #164 Gus

You can live through a 100 degree die by sitting under a tree. You can’t live through a 20 degree day sitting under a tree day by day. That’s fact. You’re hands won’t stop moving. Unless of course one is doing well enough to have a well heating domicile. It’s a lot easier to live with little money in warmer climates. Dems the facts. 20 degrees sucks donkey balls.

This is the most recent tweet on my feed (just got retweeted):

166 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:19:32pm

Oh jeez. Our governor Hickenlooper moaning about vetoing a bill that would ban the death penalty. He’s so freaking weird.

167 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:20:48pm

Fucking humans.

168 Single-handed sailor  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:20:55pm

re: #163 Dark_Falcon

And I’d rather have a 20 degree day than a 100 degree day.

you two obviously don’t work outdoors, both suck. ;)

169 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:22:02pm

“At least the last time I was out there it seemed like a pretty significant majority of people still favored the death penalty,” Hickenlooper said. “I think it’s worth a little more discussion before we mail in the votes, as it were.”

170 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:22:31pm

It’s like Bill Maher said once. Democrats have become Republicans and Republicans have become who knows what.

171 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:23:09pm

Anyone that supports a death penalty is immoral.

172 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:23:47pm

It’s like Gore Vidal said, America is a death cult.

173 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:24:38pm

“At least the last time I was out there it seemed like a pretty significant majority of people still favored the death penalty,” Hickenlooper said. “I think it’s worth a little more discussion before we mail in the votes, as it were.”

Moreover, Hickenlooper said he generally thinks that issues have a sense of time.

“Should we have done civil unions five years ago? Sure. Was the majority of people in the state five years ago for it? Probably not. Are they now? Yes,” he said. “I’m wondering whether we don’t need just a little more maturation.”

You know who he reminds me of here? Scalia.

174 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:28:25pm

He also opposed a 5 days sick day ballot. Colorado also remains a right to work state much like the GOP is trying to pass elsewhere. But, we have the gun magazine regulations that passed and civil unions now. Colorado was also notorious for Amendment 2. It’s a rather schizophrenic state.

175 dragonath  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:30:43pm

I’m not feeling as optimistic about demographics. Social conservatives have consolidated their hold on the South to such an extent that it will take decades to reverse. Then there’s Citizens United.

I wonder about the corruptibility of small to medium size media sites- half the liberal news sites I visit have sponsored ads from Newsmax… which runs editorials by Pat Boone, for fuck’s sake.

176 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:35:03pm

Someday people have ribbons for my causes. //

178 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:42:23pm

re: #177 Kragar (Antichrist )

Jon Stewart demolishes Republican’s superficial new messaging strategy

‘bout the only thing funnier is that the Ryan budget has become so much of a joke that their only way of selling it to potential voters is…to tell voters its a good thing because it balances in a decade. It’s actually such a shitty plan to run on that their only option is try to con people that the only major thing that matters about a budget is that it be balanced.

179 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:45:13pm

If I never come back my ankle blew up.

180 AlexRogan  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:46:57pm

re: #179 Gus

If I never come back my ankle blew up.

You planning on your ankle taking the rest of you with it?

///

181 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:47:42pm

re: #180 AlexRogan

You planning on your ankle taking the rest of you with it?

///

Yep. Boom! Bleeds to death. I need a petition and some Twibbons for my cause.

182 Lidane  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:51:42pm

re: #160 stabby

Opposition to ObamaCare was a big deal couple years before the Bishops and their supporters (oddly more Protestant than Catholic support among the laity) started throwing temper tantrums.

Not that odd, actually. The reason for the higher Protestant support is birth control.

The American Catholic laity has always strongly supported artificial birth control and they use it at very, very high percentages, ignoring the Vatican’s opposition to it. The evangelical Protestants oppose birth control because they think it causes abortion or some shit.

183 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:53:12pm
184 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:53:47pm

Highly doubtful this will change under ACA. But keep singing Kumbaya.

185 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:56:27pm

Lame. Mine is way better.

186 dragonath  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:57:04pm

re: #183 Gus

Heh, Loco Media Monitor’s favorite journalist.

187 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:58:42pm

re: #186 dragonath

Heh, Loco Media Monitor’s favorite journalist.

inorite Well, he’s just bonkers and can’t see the connections and still wants to crucify Charles. Or something. That’s an old pic of Ezra.

188 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:59:27pm

re: #177 Kragar (Antichrist )

Jon Stewart demolishes Republican’s superficial new messaging strategy

OMG that fast walking interview was hilarious.

189 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 10:59:58pm

Image: original.jpg

Derp.

190 Single-handed sailor  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:00:23pm

re: #185 Gus

Lame. Mine is way better.

I don’t know, you went full-on J. J. Abrams with the lens flare….
//

191 engineer cat  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:01:58pm

re: #183 Gus

Americans pay $40,634 for a hip replacement. Brits pay $11,889. The Swiss pay

yeah but you have to worship stalin and marry your dog

192 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:02:27pm

re: #190 Single-handed sailor

I don’t know, you went full-on J. J. Abrams with the lens flare….
//

I’ve been seeing a lot of these really horrible logos today. Off center. Terrible compression. You need low compression with red. Really driving me bats seeing these crappy graphics.

193 freetoken  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:02:29pm

Of all the incompetency that ATT has demonstrated to me today, none was worse than the fact that no one there seemed to be able to figure out what kind of account I was paying for, because the billing office keeps regular hours and the tech support, which is open 24/7, is unable to determine one’s account just by the ATT email addresses one has.

So they just pass me around to different tech support offices until one figures it out.

5 hours later… problem is fixed.

194 Single-handed sailor  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:03:54pm

re: #192 Gus

I’ve been seeing a lot of these really horribly logos today. Off center. Terrible compression. You need low compression with red. Really driving me bats seeing these crappy graphics.

pixel position maths is hard.

195 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:03:58pm

re: #191 engineer cat

yeah but you have to worship stalin and marry your dog

I’m considering renouncing my citizenship. Eventually.

196 Targetpractice  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:05:31pm

re: #191 engineer cat

yeah but you have to worship stalin and marry your dog

The Stalin worship wasn’t so bad, but my dog and I decided we’d just stay friends.

//

197 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:06:09pm

?

198 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:06:52pm

Some really weird people on Twitter. Reminds me of USENET.

199 BeenHereAwhile  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:06:54pm

OT

RIP Deke Richards. 

A talent and a nice guy. 

200 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:10:37pm

New species of frog found in South Carolina.

201 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:11:08pm

Image: Big-Derp-2.jpg

202 Kragar  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:14:13pm

OK, I fricking hate resin based models.

203 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:14:49pm
204 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:15:56pm

MONSANTO IS KILLING PEOPLE! WHY ISN’T THIS IN THE HEADLINES! GMOS ARE KILLING BILLIONS AND NO ONE CARES!!!

205 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:16:28pm

Ay, ay, ay.

206 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:18:19pm

That was me being sarcastic.

207 Gus  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:27:30pm

I think it’s funny because the alternative counter-culture that did PCP; snorted cocaine by the yard; dropped acid for weeks; did magic mushrooms; chain smoked in Disco bars; drank wine by the liter; drank beer by the case; did crack; sometimes meth; Quaaludes; Xanax; Morphine; Heroin; Oxycodone; Red Wine; White Wine; Jack Daniels; Everclear; and every possible drug in the world is suddenly worried about GMOs.

208 goddamnedfrank  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:28:41pm

re: #202 Kragar (Antichrist )

OK, I fricking hate resin based models.

Forgeworld or Finecast?

209 Kragar  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:29:18pm

How a Biotech Company Almost Killed The World (With Booze)

In the 1990s, A European biotech company prepared to commercially release a genetically engineered soil bacterium for use by farmers. They were operating under two very reasonable assumptions:

1. Nobody likes plant waste.

2. Everybody likes booze.

Whereas the common man might address these issues by simply not doing any plowing and opting to get plowed instead, scientists at the biotech company thought of a much more elegant solution: Engineer a bacterium that aggressively decomposes dead plant material—specifically wheat—into alcohol. And in 1990, they did exactly that. The bacterium was called Klebsiella planticola, and it nearly murdered everybody; you just don’t know it yet.

210 Kragar  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:30:05pm

re: #208 goddamnedfrank

Forgeworld or Finecast?

Crapcast.

I’d rather they just make the stuff in the regular plastic than finecast.

211 Single-handed sailor  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:32:41pm

re: #207 Gus

I think it’s funny because the alternative counter-culture that did PCP; snorted cocaine by the yard; dropped acid for weeks; did magic mushrooms; chain smoked in Disco bars; drank wine by the liter; drank beer by the case; did crack; sometimes meth; Quaaludes; Xanax; Morphine; Heroin; Oxycodone; Red Wine; White Wine; Jack Daniels; Everclear; and every possible drug in the world is suddenly worried about GMOs.

I am not!

212 Single-handed sailor  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:33:58pm

re: #207 Gus

Did we hang out together?

213 Single-handed sailor  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:52:02pm

LOL, Wingnuts promise to go to ‘DEFCON 6’ if the Supreme Court overturns Prop 8. They use that word, DEFCON, but I think they do not understand what that word means.

214 Kragar  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:54:42pm

re: #213 Single-handed sailor

LOL, Wingnuts promise to go to ‘DEFCON 6’ if the Supreme Court overturns Prop 8. They use that word, DEFCON, but I think they do not understand what that word means.

Has anyone had the heart to tell them that the higher the DEFCON number, the lower the threat?

216 dragonath  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:55:57pm

re: #213 Single-handed sailor

LOL, Wingnuts promise to go to ‘DEFCON 6’ if the Supreme Court overturns Prop 8. They use that word, DEFCON, but I think they do not understand what that word means.

From the comments:

I clicked on this article only to see if someone else noticed that too…DEFCON 6 must be super peace.

217 Kragar  Tue, Mar 26, 2013 11:57:23pm

Maybe they can ride in like the Light Brigade as well.

218 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 12:01:22am

THE RUSSIANS!

219 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 12:01:22am

Bill O’Reilly says same sex marriage foes are just a bunch of Bible thumpers

During the segment, O’Reilly remarked that public policy should be based on religion. Kelly responded by saying that arguments against same sex marriage were not very persuasive when the religious element was removed.

“I agree with you 100 percent, the compelling argument is on the side of homosexuals,” O’Reilly said. “That is where the compelling argument is. We’re Americans, we just want to be treated like everybody else.”

“That’s a compelling argument, and to deny that you’ve got to have a very strong argument on the other side. And the other side hasn’t been able to do anything but thump the Bible.”

220 freetoken  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 12:49:26am

EMI Classics (US) has one of their sampler albums on SoundCloud. Most of the cuts are the usual “war horses” of the concert season, but they also surprisingly have several choral pieces:

SoundCloud
221 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 1:21:21am

re: #22 goddamnedfrank

Yeah, it’s the same problem Jeb Bush faces, only worse maybe. Plus I hate to say it, but the guy has a severe optics problem.

I have to agree. And I am not saying this in any judgemental way: his body image has no influence on whether I would vote for him or not, but modern America is obsessed with body image and orifices and what we put in them that the topic of Christie’s weight would become obsessive in the US media and detract from his campaign to the point of derailing it.

222 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 1:30:44am

re: #150 stabby

If it is you’ll have to explain, I had a better opinion of Christianity than one that wishes sickness on the poor.

The difference is Calvinism: if wealth is an outward sign of inner grace, then it follows that poverty is an outward sign of inner moral depravity.

223 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 1:39:14am

re: #222 Sol Berdinowitz

The difference is Calvinism: if wealth is an outward sign of inner grace, then it follows that poverty is an outward sign of inner moral depravity.

Which tied in very well with the social darwinism that was rife during the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th. The poor are poor because they are “inferior” specimens. Such arguments were also applied to any immigrants that didn’t quite fit prevailing “superior” types.

224 Decatur Deb  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 1:52:39am

Morning?, all. Taking a short break from our trip into the Land the Internet Forgot.

225 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 1:58:27am

re: #223 wheat-dogghazi

Which tied in very well with the social darwinism that was rife during the latter part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th. The poor are poor because they are “inferior” specimens. Such arguments were also applied to any immigrants that didn’t quite fit prevailing “superior” types.

That and a culture that defines success solely on how much you earn and morality on not getting caught (or being too big to bust).

226 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 2:06:29am

re: #225 Sol Berdinowitz

That and a culture that defines success solely on how much you earn and morality on not getting caught (or being too big to bust).

As pertinent to the 1920s as it was more recently in history. Seriously, The Great Gatsby could be updated to the late 20th century with minimal effort — just change costuming and props and some cultural references.

227 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 2:08:29am

re: #226 wheat-dogghazi

As pertinent to the 1920s as it was more recently in history. Seriously, The Great Gatsby could be updated to the late 20th century with minimal effort — just change costuming and props and some cultural references.

HSBC taught us that the rich are tuly very different from the rest of us.

228 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 2:15:06am

re: #227 Sol Berdinowitz

HSBC taught us that the rich are tuly very different from the rest of us.

Not just HSBC. The Romneys, as well. They clearly had absolutely no idea how the common folk live. George and Barbara Bush to a certain extent also had that air about them. Was it George I that was completely amazed and perplexed by the laser scanner at a supermarket?

229 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 2:32:19am

re: #227 Sol Berdinowitz

HSBC taught us that the rich are tuly very different from the rest of us.

HSBC taught us that you can launder drug money and get away with it if you are too big to bust. Half a gram of crack will put you behind bars for years, but you can be up to your elbows in the stuff if you are big enough.

That is a recipe for a dysfunctional society - one that settles its grievances with guns.

230 freetoken  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 3:17:21am
MP3 Audio
231 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 4:09:42am

I love this quote from the grandson of the Japanese POW i linked to earlier:

The politicians of many countries very often we have themselves like crazy dogs and the ordinary people must pay with their sweat, blood and lives for their dark doctrines, vanity and even just whims

232 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 4:50:30am

re: #181 Gus

Yep. Boom! Bleeds to death. I need a petition and some Twibbons for my cause.

Four small ones in the shape of a propeller. I’ll get right on it.

233 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 4:57:37am

Good morning Lizards!

Sunny morning in Philadelphia, and a little bit warmer. But I expect it to cloud up (like it always seems to do) by mid-day.

L.C.’s (avatar cat) birthday is today. He wanted his own laser for a present, but I figured the neighbors would complain when he started (I iz LAZERCAT!) igniting the local pigeon population on the wing. So he has to settle for additional treats and attention instead.

234 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 5:23:54am

re: #226 wheat-dogghazi

As pertinent to the 1920s as it was more recently in history. Seriously, The Great Gatsby could be updated to the late 20th century with minimal effort — just change costuming and props and some cultural references.

Maybe not quite what you meant, but it’s been done.

en.wikipedia.org

But modernizing takes on novels/movies have been done repeatedly. I liked the 1995 “Richard III” with Ian McKellen that did Shakespeare in a fictionalized 1930s UK.

en.wikipedia.org

235 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 5:57:01am
236 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:12:07am

re: #235 Lidane

If religious peole do not want to see these people as married in the eyes of God, then let them. The Catholic Church refused to recognize my grandmother’s divorce, in their eyes, she was still married.

This is why we have separated Church and State.

237 BongCrodny  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:13:44am

re: #209 Kragar (Antichrist )

How a Biotech Company Almost Killed The World (With Booze)

We’re fucking doomed.

238 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:28:38am

re: #237 BongCrodny

The article is a little on the iffy side. Especially this bit:

If released from the lab—which, I cannot stress enough, it very nearly was—the modified K. planticola would have spread worldwide in a matter of months, killing all plants it touched within a week, and turning all soil-based plant life into sweet, sweet liquor.

Why do they think that the modified version would have outcompeted the unmodified version?

239 BongCrodny  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:35:31am

re: #238 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

The article is a little on the iffy side. Especially this bit:

Why do they think that the modified version would have outcompeted the unmodified version?

I’m not a scientist, so I have no idea whether it would have — but I thought the reason for genetic modification was to produce “stronger” species.

If V.2 is stronger than V.1, wouldn’t it follow that it would outperform the original?

240 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:43:32am

re: #239 BongCrodny

I’m not a scientist, so I have no idea whether it would have — but I thought the reason for genetic modification was to produce “stronger” species.

If V.2 is stronger than V.1, wouldn’t it follow that it would outperform the original?

Nah, it doesn’t work that way. It’s not about ‘stronger’ it’s about ‘fitter’. The common cold is ‘fitter’ than the Spanish Influenza, because it doesn’t kill most of its victims so it spreads around quite happily. The Spanish Flu broke out, killed shitloads, and died out because everyone who wasn’t immune to it was dead.

In this case, we don’t know what would have happened in ‘the wild’ (except we do, since it’s almost certain that some of this bacteria escaped the laboratory). The test the article did not describe was putting both the parent and the GMO version in the same soil. If it out-competes the parent version and kills the plants, that’s a huge problem, but there isn’t any reason to think it would outcompete it. Even if it outcompeted it on an individual plant, it seems very unlikely that it would outcompete it on the macro level since the ordinary version gets to make millions of itself without killing the plant, and this gets a brief one-week window to replicate before it kills the host.

The only citations I can find for this being a huge deal are fringe publications or students. It’s obviously still a bad thing to produce a bacteria that can essentially contaminate soil, but the scaremongering in the article would need a lot more to support it.

241 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:43:41am

re: #239 BongCrodny

I’m not a scientist, so I have no idea whether it would have — but I thought the reason for genetic modification was to produce “stronger” species.

If V.2 is stronger than V.1, wouldn’t it follow that it would outperform the original?

Not necessarily. Genetic modification is often done to get a particular result; e.g. production of an additional chemical by the plant, stronger stalk, etc. That does not mean that it would compete better against the “base” plant in the wild. The “Roundup” GMO corn, for instance, was intended to save on pesticide costs by producing one of the pesticide chemicals for itself to combat certain insects. And some of the Monsanto mods are actually *non-competitive* since the strains won’t produce fertile seeds.

In addition the competition is rarely one side wiping out the other. It might become more dominant, but V.1 will probably not simply disappear suddenly.

242 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:48:27am

re: #234 Feline Fearless Leader

Well, I missed G entirely. Haven’t seen that version of Richard III, but the modernized Macbeth with Patrick Stewart was well done. en.wikipedia.org

243 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:49:43am

re: #242 wheat-dogghazi

Well, I missed G entirely. Haven’t seen that version of Richard III, but the modernized Macbeth with Patrick Stewart was well done. en.wikipedia.org

I’ve never seen “G” either. But saw reference to it on the wikipedia page for _The Great Gatsby_.

244 BongCrodny  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 6:57:15am

re: #240 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

re: #241 Feline Fearless Leader

Cool.

So what you guys are saying is that I can feel free to just go back to worrying about asteroids. :-)

245 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:04:07am

re: #244 BongCrodny

Let me put it this way: The natural world on its own is still far more likely to produce a virulent plague that wipes out humanity than any GMO lab, but global warming is totally humanity’s fault and that will probably end civilization as we know it, so we can take credit for that.

246 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:06:50am

re: #245 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Let me put it this way: The natural world on its own is still far more likely to produce a virulent plague that wipes out humanity than any GMO lab, but global warming is totally humanity’s fault and that will probably end civilization as we know it, so we can take credit for that.

GW itself won’t kill us, just thin the herd a bit, but it could well lead to a series of wars that ultimately ensure that we are wiped out

247 Interesting Times  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:07:29am

re: #240 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

The only citations I can find for this being a huge deal are fringe publications or students. It’s obviously still a bad thing to produce a bacteria that can essentially contaminate soil, but the scaremongering in the article would need a lot more to support it.

What about this article?

248 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:07:56am

re: #216 dragonath

DefCon Eleventy!!!

249 sattv4u2  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:08:08am

re: #244 BongCrodny

re: #241 Feline Fearless Leader

Cool.

So what you guys are saying is that I can feel free to just go back to worrying about asteroids. :-)

I did that when I was young

Now, at my age, I worry about hemorrhoids

250 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:10:32am

re: #244 BongCrodny

re: #241 Feline Fearless Leader

Cool.

So what you guys are saying is that I can feel free to just go back to worrying about asteroids. :-)

Until the robots seize upon this item as a way to keep themselves re-fueled while they destroy all humans.
;)

251 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:15:39am

re: #247 Interesting Times

It’s from a website called ‘purefood’ that appears to represent organic farmers, and it’s got anti-vacc nonsense on it, and they promote the fraudster Dr. Mercola. I’d consider that a fringe publication, certainly not a scientific one.

252 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:21:35am

re: #97 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

I really think the problem with the GOP is that it is essentially a media party. There’s a little irony in there given their gabbing about Hollywood and all, but really the GOP is the one with the echo chamber of news and information, where no political career is too shabby to appear squinting into a Fox monitor and getting angry. It’s infected the new crop of politicians, who think that bullshit is real politics. They keep thinking it’s their messaging that’s the problem, because that’s all they know. They lack substance of any sort.

I actually think that is pretty cool insight. I will add that the GOP got into this echo chamber because they hated the media shift of the late 60s and 70s where we had left wing message shows on TV like “All in the Family” and “Maude” and how the press went after Nixon or was not pro Vietnam war or some such. So media savvy producers saw this need and niche and filled it with the cranky talk radio right winger and over time it became a self sustaining universe feeding off each other.

The problem is the demographics did not grow and for whatever reason, the right wing does not do well online because online is mostly a solo thing, you alone, reading and even in forums, the right winger is not getting the sensation of being in a movement of like minded people as they do over the radio and television and in fact get into fights on forums over orthodoxy with mass purges of members if they stray from said orthodoxy.

My little brother is in college. He has not watched TV or listened to radio in a long while. It’s what he can stream off the net and that’s it. Somehow the right wing can’t crack this new type of media well. At least that is how I see why the right wing has made a poor transition to the internet.

253 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:22:42am

re: #252 Destro

The right wing seems to be doing just fine on the internet. Drudge is one of the most-visited pages. The GOP and right-wingers have fundraised their nuts off via the internet. Not sure what you’re talking about.

254 Interesting Times  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:25:14am

re: #251 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

It’s from a website called ‘purefood’ that appears to represent organic farmers, and it’s got anti-vacc nonsense on it, and they promote the fraudster Dr. Mercola. I’d consider that a fringe publication, certainly not a scientific one.

Hmmm…I guess, since they quoted a University of Oregon researcher, I figured the original source was legit. But here’s some more interesting info on that:

Full story of the Dr Elaine Ingham controversy over Klebsiella p.

Lots of back and forth and controversy and accusations against the researcher. This quote, from her, stood out:

I did not say in my testimony, or at any other time, that release of genetically engineered Klebsiella planticola would end life on earth. That was a fabrication by a newspaper reporter. That this engineered bacterium could have serious implications for human life on earth is something that I would say, however. But it would not end life on earth. After all, the bacterium would survive and happily continue to make alcohol. Other bacteria would happily consume that alcohol, and so on. The web of life could be altered, but would not come to an end.

255 makeitstop  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:25:15am

One of my RWNJ friends posted an anti-Obama image on Facebook with the caption ‘Your ignorance is his (Obama’s) power.’

A true statement, but not necessarily for the reasons they think.

256 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:25:33am

re: #253 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

The right wing seems to be doing just fine on the internet. Drudge is one of the most-visited pages. The GOP and right-wingers have fundraised their nuts off via the internet. Not sure what you’re talking about.

They don’t gain new people from the internet. They just get the already conservative audiences. How old is the Drudge demographic?

The right wing is on the net but their online presence is not converting people to their cause.

257 Dr. Matt  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:26:26am

re: #253 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Drudge is one of the most-visited pages. .

Not anymore. Doesn’t even crack the Top 150: toolbar.netcraft.com

Today Drudge is the msypace of political websites.

258 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:29:23am

re: #256 Destro

They don’t gain new people from the internet. They just get the already conservative audiences.

I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re imagining here. There’s obviously a ton o people out there getting drawn into Ron Paul style libertarianism and other such bullshit by reading about it on the internet. There’s also not a pool of tabula rasa youth out there— these kids are growing up in households where they’re getting conservative opinions from their parents— that’s how most political information gets transferred. Is it just your contention that all of the 20 year old kids espousing fuck-you-got-mine libertarianism were already conservative?

The right wing is on the net but their online presence is not converting people to their cause.

That’d be nice if it were true; sadly, it isn’t. As often with your opinions, I have no clue why you think it’s true.

259 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:32:33am

re: #257 Dr. Matt

Not anymore. Doesn’t even crack the Top 150: toolbar.netcraft.com

Today Drudge is the msypace of political websites.

Being anywhere in the top five hundred webpages is still significant. I’m kind of baffled by this ‘the right are bad at the interwebs’ thing. What they’re bad at isn’t spreading their message via the web, it’s the message itself. It’s not because they’re not good at social media or the internet.

The reason they’re not converting more people is that their message sucks and is becoming suckier and they’re not interested in conversion, they’re reinforcing their own worldview constantly.

260 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:36:35am

There was a bad SF story or novel I recall reading ages ago about a bacterium that had evolved (or was made, I forget which) to eat plastic. It got into the wild and started eating the insulation off electrical wires, bringing civilization to a crashing halt.

261 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:39:57am

re: #260 wheat-dogghazi

There was a bad SF story or novel I recall reading ages ago about a bacterium that had evolved (or was made, I forget which) to eat plastic. It got into the wild and started eating the insulation off electrical wires, bringing civilization to a crashing halt.

Not important to the plot but Lem’s _Memoirs Found in a Bathtub_ has a framing device of a bacterium getting loose that destroyed all paper. Which for a 1973 novel would have quite an impact.

262 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:40:34am

LAPD Officer Awarded $1.2 Million In Racial Discrimination Suit

Plaintiff Officer Earl Wright, a 23-year LAPD veteran, alleged a hostile work environment and supervisor harassment starting in 2008-09. The series of offensive racist acts alleged in the suit, which was filed in 2010, is shocking and long. Wright, 50, claimed in the suit that former LAPD Sgt. Peter Foster, who is white, presented Wright with a cake honoring him for his 20 years of service—an act that seemed genuine, until the contents were revealed. Inside the cake were a fried chicken leg and a slice of watermelon, according to City News Service.

Then in June 2010, Foster texted Wright an image of a single yellow duckling with its arms raised above its head while standing in front of five black ducklings. Accompanying the image was a message inquiring what the reader was up to, referring to the reader as a slang version of the “N” word.

Another incident involved another officer, Lenny Davis. Wright and Davis’ faces were attached to a poster referring to the 1970s series “Sanford and Son” and hung in the Central Division.

Goddamn, racist humor is boring. Glad this guy had the guts to fight this in court and win. He’s staying with the LAPD too, which is good.

263 sattv4u2  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:48:05am

re: #260 wheat-dogghazi

bringing civilization to a crashing halt.

Not to mention Pepsi bottling plants!!
/

264 darthstar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:51:06am

Mornin’ everyone. Any guesses as to whether fertility will be the topic of choice again at the Supreme Court as they hear arguments on DOMA? Breed, motherfuckers, BREED!

265 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:54:32am

Good morning lizards!

266 sattv4u2  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:55:37am

re: #265 NJDhockeyfan

Good morning lizards!

It was, till you showed up!
/

267 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:56:19am

Morning Lizards. Happy hump day.

268 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:56:26am

re: #266 sattv4u2

It was, till you showed up!
/

I didn’t have anywhere else to go!

269 bubba zanetti  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 7:56:57am

re: #260 wheat-dogghazi

There was a bad SF story or novel I recall reading ages ago about a bacterium that had evolved (or was made, I forget which) to eat plastic. It got into the wild and started eating the insulation off electrical wires, bringing civilization to a crashing halt.

That’s part of Michael Crichton’s ‘Andromeda Strain’, where the mutating plague eats the rubber in a military jet plane, causing it to crash.

Stephen Gould’s ‘7th Sigma’ flips the idea, with self-replicating nano-bots that are eating all of the planet’s metal objects.

270 darthstar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:01:20am

Interesting website. Average income by neighborhood.

richblockspoorblocks.com

271 darthstar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:03:03am

re: #270 darthstar

Interesting website. Average income by neighborhood.

richblockspoorblocks.com

Some red states really are red…others just look jaundiced.

272 makeitstop  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:06:18am

re: #267 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

Morning Lizards. Happy hump day.

Damn, here I thought it was only Tuesday! Win!

273 makeitstop  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:10:35am

Way OT: As part of an ongoing systematic demolition of the old Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital here on LI, demolition crews will be imploding this brick smoke stack this afternoon.

If I can clear enough work by noon, I’m going to load up the cameras and head over there to try and get pics and video. Wish me luck!

274 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:12:48am

re: #271 darthstar

Some red states really are red.

The Northeastern states seem to have a pretty even income disparity- places like Alabama, Texas, and Arizona are all over the place.

I guess it depends on how much you like the Brooking Institution, but here’s a recent paper

Study Finds Income Inequality Is Permanent

275 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:13:18am

re: #269 bubba zanetti

That’s part of Michael Crichton’s ‘Andromeda Strain’, where the mutating plague eats the rubber in a military jet plane, causing it to crash.

Stephen Gould’s ‘7th Sigma’ flips the idea, with self-replicating nano-bots that are eating all of the planet’s metal objects.

Keith Laumer’s “Retief” stories also included the hero dealing with a race that had eaten their own planet (organics and some inorganics) down to the basalt, bought surplus warships, and was now attempting to expand to other planets.

276 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:17:10am

Charles, and other Lizards, WHY do I get audio commercials, when I have deleted the visual commercial?

277 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:18:25am

North Korea to cut all channels with South as “war may break out any time”

SEOUL (Reuters) - Reclusive North Korea is to cut the last channel of communications with the South because war could break out at “any moment”, it said on Wednesday, days after warning the United States and South Korea of nuclear attack.

The move is the latest in a series of bellicose threats from North Korea in response to new U.N. sanctions imposed after its third nuclear test in February and to “hostile” military drills under way joining the United States and South Korea.

The North has already stopped responding to calls on the hotline to the U.S. military that supervises the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Red Cross line that has been used by the governments of both sides.

“Under the situation where a war may break out at any moment, there is no need to keep north-south military communications which were laid between the militaries of both sides,” the North’s KCNA news agency quoted a military spokesman as saying.

“There do not exist any dialogue channel and communications means between the DPRK and the U.S. and between the north and the south.”
Despite the shrill rhetoric, few believe North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), will risk starting a full-out war.

This reminds me of when my kids were 2 and screamed when they wanted attention. Of course they didn’t have nukes.

278 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:20:41am

re: #277 NJDhockeyfan

or a shitload of human canon fodder.

279 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:20:56am

re: #262 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

LAPD Officer Awarded $1.2 Million In Racial Discrimination Suit

Goddamn, racist humor is boring. Glad this guy had the guts to fight this in court and win. He’s staying with the LAPD too, which is good.

Sure beats going on a shooting spree. Probably takes more courage, too. I’m glad he won.

280 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:24:17am

re: #277 NJDhockeyfan

“There do not exist any dialogue channel and communications means between the DPRK and the U.S. …”

Wait, Dennis Rodman doesn’t count?

Seriously, the DPRK right now is all bark and no bite. Their big neighbor to the north is not going to let a pipsqueak like Kim upset the region with some fool motion of invading or bombing the South.

281 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:27:14am

re: #280 wheat-dogghazi

Wait, Dennis Rodman doesn’t count?

Seriously, the DPRK right now is all bark and no bite. Their big neighbor to the north is not going to let a pipsqueak like Kim upset the region with some fool motion of invading or bombing the South.

I assume it is all about internal political posturing in N Korea

282 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:27:44am

re: #280 wheat-dogghazi

Wait, Dennis Rodman doesn’t count?

Seriously, the DPRK right now is all bark and no bite. Their big neighbor to the north is not going to let a pipsqueak like Kim upset the region with some fool motion of invading or bombing the South.

It looks like he hired Iran’s photoshop expert.

283 Killgore Trout  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:37:19am

re: #282 NJDhockeyfan

It looks like he hired Iran’s photoshop expert.

Heh. Nice catch. It’s hard to tell what the Norks are up to, they are a nutty bunch with a history or military bluffs and seemingly pointless sabre rattling. But they are unpredictable and I guess there’s always a chance they’ll go apeshit.

284 William Barnett-Lewis  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:37:46am

re: #280 wheat-dogghazi

Wait, Dennis Rodman doesn’t count?

Seriously, the DPRK right now is all bark and no bite. Their big neighbor to the north is not going to let a pipsqueak like Kim upset the region with some fool motion of invading or bombing the South.

The Chinese could remind them that since they have never ended the first war, the UN mandate would technically still be in effect. And that, by the way, the PRC is now a UN member too…

285 Killgore Trout  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:39:40am

Think Again: North Korea

North Korea is a lot more dangerous than you think, but that doesn’t mean that Kim Jong Un is insane.

286 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:40:24am

re: #257 Dr. Matt

Not anymore. Doesn’t even crack the Top 150: toolbar.netcraft.com

Today Drudge is the msypace of political websites.

Ouch! (and well said).

287 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:42:58am

re: #253 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

The right wing seems to be doing just fine on the internet. Drudge is one of the most-visited pages. The GOP and right-wingers have fundraised their nuts off via the internet. Not sure what you’re talking about.

Drudge was just there at the time when the Internet started to be regarded as a source of news and not just as a forum for discussing what came out on the other media.

288 celticdragon  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:44:34am

On a related note, “Crunchy Conservative” Rod Dreher over at The American Conservative has been linking an awful lot to VDARE writer Steve Sailer…

It does bear mentioning that Rod loves being a moral scold about all those untidy, reprobate brown skinned people who could be more virtuous and thrifty if they would only read books by Charles Murray. (The guy who wrote “The Bell Curve” arguing that black people are genetically inferior and whose newest book “Coming Apart” argues that poor people have breeding problems)

Oh, and gay people should STFU about marriage, because it makes Jesus upset.

289 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:44:58am

re: #258 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re imagining here. There’s obviously a ton o people out there getting drawn into Ron Paul style libertarianism and other such bullshit by reading about it on the internet. There’s also not a pool of tabula rasa youth out there— these kids are growing up in households where they’re getting conservative opinions from their parents— that’s how most political information gets transferred. Is it just your contention that all of the 20 year old kids espousing fuck-you-got-mine libertarianism were already conservative?

That’d be nice if it were true; sadly, it isn’t. As often with your opinions, I have no clue why you think it’s true.

Libertarians are not conservatives and the youth appeal for the father and son Pauls is there I think for drug liberation reasons or for foreign policy non intervention reasons because Ron Paul was the only one in the mainstream media (more so than Dennis Kucinich for example) that was taking a very public and contrarian view on these issues.

That you thought Drudge’s website is still relevant says something also.

290 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:45:48am

Hey KT, Minnesota is calling you!

Minn. DNR Wants Volunteers For Frog & Toad Calling Survey

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is looking for volunteers to help with its annual frog and toad calling survey — where you sit out in nature, simply listen and record what you hear.

DNR Spokeswoman Heidi Cyr says participants will conduct nighttime listening surveys around the state to help keep track of frog populations.

291 calochortus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:47:27am

re: #288 celticdragon

Just a drive-by book review. I read Coming Apart because the subject sounded interesting and I didn’t realize who the author was until after I got home from the library. My review: Don’t bother. Sloppy logic and statistics. Dull style.

That is all. ;)

292 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:49:33am

re: #289 Destro

Libertarians are not conservatives

Yes, they are, by and large. Can you explain why you think they’re not?

and the youth appeal for the father and son Pauls is there I think for drug liberation reasons or for foreign policy non intervention reasons because Ron Paul was the only one in the mainstream media (more so than Dennis Kucinich for example) that was taking a very public and contrarian view on these issues.

I’m not just talking about the drug freedom shtick, but the whole Randian ethos.

That you thought Drudge’s website is still relevant says something also.

It is still relevant. If you think it’s not, make an argument for why it’s not.

293 celticdragon  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:52:33am

re: #291 calochortus

Dreher is a huge fan of Charles Murray, and you can see the racial panic in Dreher’s writing since he does an awful lot of posts on black-on-white violence and “flash mobs”. The approving links to Steve Sailer did not occur in a vacuum.

294 Killgore Trout  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:54:21am

re: #290 NJDhockeyfan

Hey KT, Minnesota is calling you!

Minn. DNR Wants Volunteers For Frog & Toad Calling Survey

I’ve tried talking to my frogs but I can’t seem to make a sound they’ll respond to. They will respond to low rumbling sounds like a big truck or helicopter. I’m getting pretty good at understanding them. I can identify maybe 4-5 different frog sounds and have a general understanding of what they’re saying. Listening to the frogs is my favorite evening activity these days.

295 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:55:40am

re: #291 calochortus

Just a drive-by book review. I read Coming Apart because the subject sounded interesting and I didn’t realize who the author was until after I got home from the library. My review: Don’t bother. Sloppy logic and statistics. Dull style.

That is all. ;)

Not to be confused with Things Fall Apart, which is a good book.

296 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 8:58:11am

WaPo:

Why I just got called out by North Korean state media

North Korean state media has taken a break from photoshopping extra hovercrafts into its photos of military exercises to issue an official response to my recent post on reports that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had ordered its diplomats to become drug dealers.

Before I go any further, let me offer a warm welcome to my readers in the North Korean state news services. You can bookmark our North Korea coverage here for easier access.

The Korean Central News Agency put out a commentary accusing the Washington Post, and me specifically, of aiding in a U.S. government plot to “tarnish” North Korea’s sterling reputation. In very meta fashion, KCNA ran the story with a headline referencing itself in the third-person. Here’s how it opens:

KCNA Commentary Blasts Story of “Drug Trafficking” by DPRK

Pyongyang, March 26 (KCNA) — The American paper The Washington Post is misleading the public opinion by releasing the fictitious story of “drug trafficking” by the DPRK, pursuant to the government authorities’ hostile policy toward it.

The newspaper on March 23 carried a false report that north Korea ordered its diplomats to become drug traffickers.

This is a groundless and absurd smear campaign against the DPRK.

Here’s what I said in my post, which actually ran on March 22. (Sorry to nitpick, Pyongyang, but you did accuse me of lying.) A South Korean newspaper called Chosun Ilbo had reported that, according to defectors, North Korea had started sending its diplomats abroad with large amounts of drugs, which they were told to sell for hard currency to send back home. I wrote that there was “good reason to suspect” that the story “could be true”; North Korea has reportedly been producing high-quality meth for years, selling it in neighboring China to raise cash. The drugs have been wreaking havoc in neighboring Chinese provinces and, increasingly, in North Korea itself.

North Korean state media did not like my post. It has long attacked the “despicable reptile media” for “jabbering” and behaving, it says, as a mouthpiece for the “hostile” South Korean and U.S. governments. But, somewhat flatteringly, it seems to give the Post a little more credit.

…

Heh.

297 celticdragon  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:00:01am

re: #292 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

I have to say that libertarianism is not particularly comfortable with conservatism. Libertarians have a Utopian revolutionary ethos (we are going to make a fantastic new society that has never been allowed to exist by all those mean gub’mints in the past) which is utter anathema to conservatism. Conservatism is skeptical of using government power to interfere in markets, but traditionally has used the government to enforce the moral order it prefers. Libertarians would do away government enforcement of almost anything at all save for laws involving crimes against persons and property.

298 wheat-dogghazi  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:01:05am

re: #296 NJDhockeyfan

“despicable reptile media”

So, the DPRK is also a reader of Alex Jones’ stuff?

/

299 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:03:45am

re: #288 celticdragon

On a related note, “Crunchy Conservative” Rod Dreher over at The American Conservative has been linking an awful lot to VDARE writer Steve Sailer…

It does bear mentioning that Rod loves being a moral scold about all those untidy, reprobate brown skinned people who could be more virtuous and thrifty if they would only read books by Charles Murray. (The guy who wrote “The Bell Curve” arguing that black people are genetically inferior and whose newest book “Coming Apart” argues that poor people have breeding problems)

Oh, and gay people should STFU about marriage, because it makes Jesus upset.

Another blogger at The American Conservative, Daniel Larison, is sometimes looked to as a ‘reasonable conservative’, but he’s called himself a ‘proud member of the League of the South’.

300 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:04:10am

re: #292 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Yes, they are, by and large. Can you explain why you think they’re not?

I’m not just talking about the drug freedom shtick, but the whole Randian ethos.

It is still relevant. If you think it’s not, make an argument for why it’s not.

Conservatives are a mixed bag but they tend to embrace militarism aka “pro defense and attacking our enemies overseas” and social conservative principles within the Republican party.

Libertarians are not that fond of the American military, especially not fond of overseas adventures and generally departs with conservatives on being open borders and pro gay rights.

So the no govt no taxes no regulations aspects do link them to some economic conservatives but by and large they are not true conservatives in the Republican or “movement conservative” circles.

Also, the Ayn Rand part of the Ron Paul appeal was limited. It was and is mostly because Paul was at the debates against his fellow Republicans and denouncing the war on drugs and the Iraq war. That was the core appeal of Paul and still is.

Here is Ron Paul in the South Carolina debate arguing in favor of a drug libertarian policies that you can see contrasts with movement conservative views.

Youtube Video

And I must say it appeals to me even though I think Ron Paul is a grifter in a way and just says these things as part of his grift. But he is the only one on stage saying them and that appeals to certain college age demographic. The kind that grew up where they hear politician claim they are for limited govt yet pass the “Patriot act” and try to ban even more recreational habits, etc. So I think that is by and large the majority of the appeal a Ron Paul had.

301 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:05:53am

re: #294 Killgore Trout

Ribbet.
That is all.
LOL!

302 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:08:17am

re: #288 celticdragon

I’ve never read any of Murrays’ work, but the link to Naked Capitalism was illuminating. Although I work with statistics I have to admit it can be very easy to spin numbers and data to mean almost anything you want. If it’s packaged in a certain way, especially if mitigating data or information is left out, it can make for any number of very distorted and troubling “findings”, leading to even worse policy prescriptions.

303 sattv4u2  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:09:38am

re: #294 Killgore Trout

I can identify maybe 4-5 different frog sounds and have a general understanding of what they’re saying


#1,, I want flies
#2,, I want more flies
#3,, lets do what froggies do! Your pad or mine??
#4,, are there any more flies??

304 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:11:39am

re: #303 sattv4u2

I can identify maybe 4-5 different frog sounds and have a general understanding of what they’re saying

#1,, I want flies
#2,, I want more flies
#3,, lets do what froggies do! Your pad or mine??
#4,, are there any more flies??

#5,,I wonder what’s on the other side of this road…SPLAT!

305 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:13:26am
306 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:14:40am

re: #288 celticdragon

On a related note, “Crunchy Conservative” Rod Dreher over at The American Conservative has been linking an awful lot to VDARE writer Steve Sailer…

It does bear mentioning that Rod loves being a moral scold about all those untidy, reprobate brown skinned people who could be more virtuous and thrifty if they would only read books by Charles Murray. (The guy who wrote “The Bell Curve” arguing that black people are genetically inferior and whose newest book “Coming Apart” argues that poor people have breeding problems)

Oh, and gay people should STFU about marriage, because it makes Jesus upset.

Dreher has always been a moral scold and an obnoxious twit. I used to read his blog at Beliefnet some years ago. He was insufferable then, too.

307 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:17:23am

Rand Paul Threatens to Filibuster Gun Control Bill

308 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:19:07am

re: #294 Killgore Trout

I’ve tried talking to my frogs but I can’t seem to make a sound they’ll respond to. They will respond to low rumbling sounds like a big truck or helicopter. I’m getting pretty good at understanding them. I can identify maybe 4-5 different frog sounds and have a general understanding of what they’re saying. Listening to the frogs is my favorite evening activity these days.

Can they sing?

Youtube Video
309 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:19:09am

Derp:

310 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:21:27am

re: #257 Dr. Matt

Not anymore. Doesn’t even crack the Top 150: toolbar.netcraft.com

Today Drudge is the msypace of political websites.

Does netcraft track subscription feeds? see, the thing was back when that news media sites would set up a subscription and jump when Drudge updated.

the other reason I hesitate to dismiss Drudge (or any other site) on a direct hits basis is the followup question of who it is that reads Drudge? Some time back I learned that the best way to get news to big distributors was to get it to the (often secondary) distributor to whom the big ones were listening. If superstars Joe and Mary, with millions of followers, both listen to a far less popular and polished Neal, then getting the news to Neal means Joe and Mary will both see and forward it.

311 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:21:53am

re: #297 celticdragon

I have to say that libertarianism is not particularly comfortable with conservatism. Libertarians have a Utopian revolutionary ethos (we are going to make a fantastic new society that has never been allowed to exist by all those mean gub’mints in the past) which is utter anathema to conservatism. Conservatism is skeptical of using government power to interfere in markets, but traditionally has used the government to enforce the moral order it prefers. Libertarians would do away government enforcement of almost anything at all save for laws involving crimes against persons and property.

Except most libertarians are actually fine with government enforcement of morality, these days.

There’s a distinction between real libertarians and people who say they’re libertarian. Mostly what we have these days is confederate libertarians, who want a very weak central government but generally favor strong states rights. When you do find a libertarian who actually supports strong civil rights on the state level, they still generally are much more aligned with ‘conservatives’— rather, the GOP— than they are with the Democrats.

312 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:22:49am

re: #309 Lidane

Is this the ‘less government’ teaparty again?

313 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:22:56am

re: #309 Lidane

You can assault and murder whomever you wish. Nothing stops you, it’s the consequences of said actions that matter.

314 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:23:05am

re: #300 Destro

Isolationist ‘conservatives’ are not new, no.

And most libertarians are not for open borders. Why do you think they are?

315 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:24:06am

re: #309 Lidane

But no guns laws, obviously. Those never work. ///

316 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:24:43am

For example, if you take a look at the Libertarian Party platform on immigration, it seems to be saying that migration is a human right— until it says the same damn thing Romney did, that any illegal immigrant needs to go to ‘the back of the line’ to apply for permanent residency. Sheer fucking idiocy.

317 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:26:19am
318 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:26:59am

re: #316 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

For example, if you take a look at the Libertarian Party platform on immigration, it seems to be saying that migration is a human right— until it says the same damn thing Romney did, that any illegal immigrant needs to go to ‘the back of the line’ to apply for permanent residency. Sheer fucking idiocy.

As I recall the basic principle of most libertarian flavors is “You can prevent others from moving in, but you can’t stop anyone from moving out.”

319 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:27:21am

re: #317 Gus

So loving your neighbor is notifying him that he’s going to hell?

320 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:27:33am

Nothing says caveman like thinking there’s some place that people go to after they die in which they’re burned daily, 24/7, for Googol years.

321 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:27:52am

Will the word ‘Atheist’ cause you problems with the USPS?

Here’s something odd. Would you think that packages would get lost more or less often according to the brand on the box or the words on their packaging?

That shouldn’t be the case. A German company that sells handmade, minimalist shoes, did a cool branding thing and uses tape with the company’s name printed on it to seal their shipping boxes. That company’s name? “Atheist.”

They noticed that a lot of packages sent to the United States were significantly delayed, and wondered why that was. So they conducted an experiment. That experiment proved that if you want a package to get lost, brand it with the word “ATHEIST.”

179 packages went out to 89 different recipients in all but one of the 50 states. (One of the recipients must live and work in different states, or have two homes.) All of the boxes left Berlin on the same day, so each person should have received both boxes on the same day, right? Nope!
On average, boxes with the branded tape took three days longer to get to the recipients.

Ten packages total disappeared, but only one of them had the un-branded tape. Nine had “ATHEIST” tape.

Obviously this was an unscientific experiment, but the results are interesting. I wonder if the words “Islamic” or “Muslim” may cause similar problems?

322 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:28:09am

re: #319 wrenchwench

So loving your neighbor is notifying him that he’s going to hell?

A loving God that sends you to a torture camp for millions and billions of years. //

323 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:28:17am

re: #318 kirkspencer

Meant to add - the failure in there is the assumption that one is as important as many. Sometimes that’s true, but in this case the translation is “One individual can prevent others - allowed by everyone else - from moving in…”

324 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:28:33am

oops

325 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:29:21am

It’s coming. Rumor of 5 votes against DOMA.

326 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:29:35am

Heh, did a google search in a LGF comment box.

327 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:29:36am

re: #317 Gus

Is the same Erick son of Erick who rejoiced when he learned the new pope might have been complicit in the rightwing Argentine military’s disappearing and torturing of political opponents in the 1970’s and 1980’s?

/

328 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:30:14am

re: #325 Gus

It’s coming. Rumor of 5 votes against DOMA.

329 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:30:21am

re: #325 Gus

It’s coming. Rumor of 5 votes against DOMA.

Really? If DOMA is struck down I will be extremely happy.

330 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:30:38am

re: #325 Gus

Better not. Rightwing will amp up opposition and revolt to defcon 90!

/

331 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:30:43am

re: #319 wrenchwench

So loving your neighbor is notifying him that he’s going to hell?

No. Loving your neighbor is helping him out when he needs it. It’s being there for him when he needs it. Its treating him with respect and dignity like every human should be afforded. Its being someone he can count on.

And it’s being all of that without necessarily mentioning Jesus. You see, I am firm believer in, you know, establishing a relationship with someone before even getting into the topic of religion. Most people don’t like to talk to strangers about religion, but they will talk with friends about it.

332 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:31:41am

re: #325 Gus

It’s coming. Rumor of 5 votes against DOMA.

Does this mean the Wingnuts will be calling for Roberts’ head again?

333 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:32:16am

Most reasonable people have come to accept “the pursuit of happiness” as doing anything that does not interfere with others in their own pursuit of happiness.

That does not necessarily overlap with a lot of people’s sense of decency or morality, but to me, it is the ultimate arbiter of what should be forbidden by law, or what should be allowed within certain limits.

334 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:33:08am

Oh lovely. The TGDN tards are linking to a VDARE article that claims that legalizing gay marriage will mean that polygamy will be legalized because polygamist immigrants from Africa.

No, I’m not kidding. No, I won’t link it here. WTF.

335 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:34:57am

re: #320 Gus

Erick son of Erick and Rod Dreher and the other scolds just know what’s best for us and we don’t. Freedom.

/

336 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:35:04am

re: #316 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

re: #318 kirkspencer

I am not a libertarian but there is a difference between libertarians on immigration vs what conservatives say about it.

Youtube Video

I should also add, that a big aspect of the libertarians being for open borders is that there is no welfare so that immigrants come here will come and or go back based on how they can support themselves economically at some job or what not but no welfare.

337 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:36:57am

OUTRAGE!

338 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:37:38am

re: #332 Eclectic Cyborg

Does this mean the Wingnuts will be calling for Roberts’ head again?

Lettuce prey that happens. ;)

339 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:37:44am

re: #331 Eclectic Cyborg

No. Loving your neighbor is helping him out when he needs it. It’s being there for him when he needs it. Its treating him with respect and dignity like every human should be afforded. Its being someone he can count on.

And it’s being all of that without necessarily mentioning Jesus. You see, I am firm believer in, you know, establishing a relationship with someone before even getting into the topic of religion. Most people don’t like to talk to strangers about religion, but they will talk with friends about it.

I have a friend whom I like very much. In passing, we learned that we were both raised Catholic, and that she’s still a Christian, but ‘definitely not a Catholic’. In the course of a later conversation, she said, ‘Most people don’t tell you out of the blue what religion they are, but Jehovah’s Witnesses and atheists always do. And you know atheism is a religion when they talk about it so much’. I said, ‘Well, not all of them’. She said, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘You didn’t know until just now that I’m an atheist.” She smiled a bit sheepishly. We’re still good friends, and haven’t talked about religion since then.

340 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:38:14am

re: #334 Lidane

Oh lovely. The TGDN tards are linking to a VDARE article that claims that legalizing gay marriage will mean that polygamy will be legalized because polygamist immigrants from Africa.

No, I’m not kidding. No, I won’t link it here. WTF.

For what it’s worth, given their core assumptions about marriage they’re right. The flaws are in those assumptions.

The purpose of marriage is not children. Nor is it sacred destiny.

The purpose is, as I’ve said before, community integration and (in the modern world) creation of a defacto proxy for society/community/legal affairs.

341 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:39:40am

re: #338 Gus

Lettuce prey that happens. ;)

Heads up!

342 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:39:44am

re: #334 Lidane

Oh lovely. The TGDN tards are linking to a VDARE article that claims that legalizing gay marriage will mean that polygamy will be legalized because polygamist immigrants from Africa.

No, I’m not kidding. No, I won’t link it here. WTF.

Never mind that most of the polygamists in the US have never been to Africa, and are not immigrants.

343 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:40:12am

Dear fake Twitter patriots. If you’re opposed to gay marriage please remove the word “liberty” from your profile.

344 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:40:45am

re: #336 Destro

re: #318 kirkspencer

I am not a libertarian but there is a difference between libertarians on immigration vs what conservatives say about it.

[Embedded content]

I should also add, that a big aspect of the libertarians being for open borders is that there is no welfare so that immigrants come here will come and or go back based on how they can support themselves economically at some job or what not but no welfare.

True. For what it’s worth that common aspect - that there should be no welfare - is one of the reasons I say the core of libertarianism is altruistic selfishness. “Somebody who wants to help can, but you can’t make me do it.”

345 chadu  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:42:02am

re: #334 Lidane

Oh lovely. The TGDN tards are linking to a VDARE article that claims that legalizing gay marriage will mean that polygamy will be legalized because polygamist immigrants from Africa.

No, I’m not kidding. No, I won’t link it here. WTF.

Polygamy: so what? Polyandry, polygyny, whatever — there are already many thousands of people in polyamorous relationships.

346 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:42:59am

re: #344 kirkspencer

True. For what it’s worth that common aspect - that there should be no welfare - is one of the reasons I say the core of libertarianism is altruistic selfishness. “Somebody who wants to help can, but you can’t make me do it.”

And anyone who made it to be a successful, educated adult WITHOUT ANYBODY ELSE’S HELP should be able to opt out of the need to help others…

347 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:44:56am

re: #345 chadu

Polygamy: so what? Polyandry, polygyny, whatever — there are already many thousands of people in polyamorous relationships.

It’s in the Bible…

348 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:45:42am

re: #336 Destro

Read the actual policy position of the Libertarian party on immigration.

349 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:46:03am

re: #344 kirkspencer

True. For what it’s worth that common aspect - that there should be no welfare - is one of the reasons I say the core of libertarianism is altruistic selfishness. “Somebody who wants to help can, but you can’t make me do it.”

I don’t want to get into merits of this or that ideology (and I libertarian does appeal to me on some aspects of personal liberty) but what’s his name obdicut so almost no difference between a conservative and a libertarian and there are some major differences.

I think the libertarians are the “logical end conclusion” for those conservatives of the 1980s that came along saying they wanted less govt and less taxes. If less taxes and less govt is good then no taxes and no govt must be even better.

In a sense you can say libertarians are the mutants the Reaganite conservative ideology created and now the libertarians are the only dynamic element with the right wing that shows an ability to take over the party. I think the GOP will see a fight to the death between big govt in your bedroom and womb conservatives vs the up and coming libertarians who want to eliminate the govt from social issues and shrink the military (which is why McCain is freaked out over Rand Paul and his drone arguments).

350 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:47:13am

Hell has frozen over: Bill O’Reilly and Megyn Kelly discuss gay marriage:

BILL O’REILLY: Somehow, you evolved on this issue. I’m willing to listen to that, but I don’t believe any of this is sincere. It’s political and it’s just awful.

MEGYN KELLY: I mean, I think the country’s views on this issue are changing, they’re changing dramatically.

O’REILLY: But why are they changing?

KELLY: Well, because I think the same-sex marriage advocates have done a credible job in getting out there and making their case. I mean, for years those who opposed gay marriage — take the religion piece out of it for this, because there is no arguing that. The Christian religion teaches what it teaches. The Bible says what it says, I mean about marriage.

O’REILLY: But our policy shouldn’t be made by that.

KELLY: I know, so take that out of it.

O’REILLY: Right.

KELLY: What I’m saying is that when you ask — for example, I had an interview with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. What is it about calling a marriage — calling a gay union a marriage that offends you. How does it hurt a traditional, or a heterosexual marriage? And I didn’t hear anything articulated that was particularly persuasive. What people go back to —

O’REILLY: And I agree with you 100-percent. A 100-percent! … I agree with you a 100-percent. The compelling argument is on the side of homosexuals. That’s where the compelling argument is. ‘We’re Americans, we just want to be treated like everybody else.’

That’s a compelling argument. And to deny that, you’ve got to have a very strong argument on the other side. And the other side hasn’t been able to do anything but thump the Bible.

KELLY: Their best argument, thus far, has been, ‘well, marriage is an institution that for 2,000 has been about a man and a woman creating babies.’

O’REILLY: That’s right.

KELLY: Procreation. But look at how society has changed. I mean, people, they talk today about would we be okay passing a law saying people over 55 can’t get married because they’re not likely to have babies.

O’REILLY: I support civil unions, I always have. Alright. The gay marriage thing, I don’t feel that strongly about it one way or the other. I think the states should do it. Right.

KELLY: I think the Supreme Court is going to come down on the side of letting the democratic process play out in the states.

O’REILLY: New York has it now. I live in New York, New York has it, I’m fine with it. I want all Americans to be happy, I do.

351 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:49:09am

Focused on the important things:

Link goes to Breitbart.

352 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:49:17am

re: #349 Destro

I don’t want to get into merits of this or that ideology (and I libertarian does appeal to me on some aspects of personal liberty) but what’s his name obdicut so almost no difference between a conservative and a libertarian and there are some major differences.

I think the libertarians are the “logical end conclusion” for those conservatives of the 1980s that came along saying they wanted less govt and less taxes. If less taxes and less govt is good then no taxes and no govt must be even better.

In a sense you can say libertarians are the mutants the Reaganite conservative ideology created and now the libertarians are the only dynamic element with the right wing that shows an ability to take over the party. I think the GOP will see a fight to the death between big govt in your bedroom and womb conservatives vs the up and coming libertarians who want to eliminate the govt from social issues and shrink the military (which is why McCain is freaked out over Rand Paul and his drone arguments).

I think where libertarians are most consistent with each other, most different from other conservatives, and most wrong, is on monetary policy.

353 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:49:34am

re: #348 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Read the actual policy position of the Libertarian party on immigration.

ontheissues.org

Eliminate all restrictions on immigration

We welcome all refugees to our country. Furthermore, immigration must not be restricted for reasons of race, religion, political creed, age, or sexual preference. We therefore call for the elimination of all restrictions on immigration, the abolition of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol, and a declaration of full amnesty for all people who have entered the country illegally.

Source: National Platform of the Libertarian Party , Jul 2, 2000

also:

lp.org

Libertarian Party 2012 Platform

Adopted in Convention, May 2012, Las Vegas, NV

3.4 Free Trade and Migration

We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders. However, we support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or property.

What did you read? Link?

354 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:51:25am

re: #346 Sol Berdinowitz

And anyone who made it to be a successful, educated adult WITHOUT ANYBODY ELSE’S HELP should be able to opt out of the need to help others…

Because of the bold I assume sarcasm (nobody does it without someone’s help) but I still disagree. No such loophole should exist. It creates a hole in the fabric of “community”.

355 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:52:12am
356 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:52:15am

re: #345 chadu

Polygamy and some of the like, are for male dominance. It has nothing to do with gay marriage, it’s just a diversion. And a scary one, for many.

357 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:52:16am

re: #351 Lidane

Exclusive: Judicial Watch Investigating Cost of Sasha, Malia Bahamas Trip

Yunno, even if they had stayed home, the response would be “Why do they get to see the inside of the White House and not other children?”

Joan Walsh over at Slate made it clear, when they start of piss and moan about Obama’s kids doing the same thing any other President’s kids did, then there is only one reason for it

358 William Barnett-Lewis  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:52:38am

re: #317 Gus

I know. That’s why we keep trying to get people like you to repent and turn back.

359 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:53:44am

Government Is Not God PAC: ‘If Homosexuals Win, The Bill of Rights Dies’

The Religious Right group Government Is Not God PAC in a message to members this week warning that if the Supreme Court strikes down Proposition 8 and DOMA then “religious freedom, freedom of speech and the First Amendment will die.”

“If homosexuals win, the Bill of Rights dies and religious liberty/free speech will die with it,” GING PAC argued. “We either fight this evil or see our children and grandchildren brainwashed and/or coerced into accepting homosexuality as the new normal in our society.”

The group went on to say that “no institution will be safe from being homosexualized” and that society will soon “see our children and grandchildren brainwashed and/or coerced into accepting homosexuality as the new normal in our society,” as anti-gay activism “will be punishable by suppression, fines, or even jail sentences.”

360 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:53:48am

Didn’t anyone ever tell Joseph Farah not to cross the streams?

361 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:54:52am

re: #351 Lidane

Focused on the important things:

Link goes to Breitbart.

The founder of Judicial Watch is alleged pedophile Larry Klayman.

362 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:55:02am

re: #354 kirkspencer

Because of the bold I assume sarcasm (nobody does it without someone’s help) but I still disagree. No such loophole should exist. It creates a hole in the fabric of “community”.

Someday we might well be able to hatch out fully-formed adult humans who can then have a Basic Education chip implanted in their brains and be sent out into the world to fulfill their potential.

Then I would have no objections to a full libertarian/Randian free-for-all system.

But as long as we depend on each other to survive, both as individuals and as a species, I am for a social, economic and political system that recognizes those interdependencies.

363 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:55:03am

re: #360 Lidane

Wow. That’s some epic quality DERP right there.

364 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:56:11am

re: #349 Destro

I don’t want to get into merits of this or that ideology (and I libertarian does appeal to me on some aspects of personal liberty) but what’s his name obdicut so almost no difference between a conservative and a libertarian and there are some major differences.

There is no actual definition of a ‘conservative’, so I think that’s part of your problem here. Nor is there one of a ‘libertarian’.

In a sense you can say libertarians are the mutants the Reaganite conservative ideology created and now the libertarians are the only dynamic element with the right wing that shows an ability to take over the party. I think the GOP will see a fight to the death between big govt in your bedroom and womb conservatives vs the up and coming libertarians who want to eliminate the govt from social issues and shrink the military (which is why McCain is freaked out over Rand Paul and his drone arguments).

But they don’t want to eliminate them from social issues. They generally are fine with kicking that power down to the states. You can find all sorts of ‘libertarians’ defending state-level church-state mixing, segregation, bans on abortion, etc.

365 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:56:46am
366 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:57:11am

re: #352 wrenchwench

I think where libertarians are most consistent with each other, most different from other conservatives, and most wrong, is on monetary policy.

I don’t disagree. It’s a fascinating study in contrasts. If the Republican party was not a grifter party - designed to use wedge issues to fool people into voting for the tools of the rich/oligarchs the GOP party and platform would more match their ideology - for example you can’t be against abortion and also want to defund any attempts to help mothers raise children with govt tax money help so that at least abortions for economic reasons don’t happen.

The European conservatives who are against abortion like the Christian Democrats love to fund govt programs to make child birthing and raising less of a burden for example. American conservatives in the GOP have an illogical party platform when viewed this way UNLESS you view the GOP as using social issues as wedge issues but doing all it can to help their oligarchical patrons - the so called “What’s the matter with Kansas” thesis.

367 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:57:34am
368 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:58:26am

War on Easter outrages Fox News: ‘I don’t remember a bunny in the Bible story’

Last week, WHNT reported that the principal of Heritage Elementary School in Madison had instructed teachers not to have events linked to Christianity because one classroom could represent as many as six different religions.

Fox News host Gretchen Carlson on Wednesday argued that schools should be able to have the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs because “it doesn’t have anything really to do with Easter.”

“Some people say the bunny comes from paganism or is a symbol of fertility or something like that,” she explained. “Have we just gotten so deep into this political correctness that we now just can’t take the religion as it is, celebrate it and move on?”

“What better way to celebrate Christ’s resurrection than to hide eggs in your living room?” co-host Brian Kilmeade agreed.

“I don’t remember a bunny in the Bible story,” co-host Steve Doocy chimed in. “I feel sorry for those kids though they can’t say East… the e-word. Well, what if the teacher wants to talk about that big storm that’s moving up. You know, the [nor’easter]?”

“What about Easter Island?” Carlson wondered. “If they study that in geography.”

369 Political Atheist  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:59:12am

re: #338 Gus

Lettuce prey that happens. ;)

re: #341 Dancing along the light of day

Heads up!

Garnish for RW word salad.

370 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:59:19am

re: #367 Gus

371 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 9:59:41am

And once again, let me state I absolutely hate resin based models.

372 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:00:07am

re: #353 Destro

What did you read? Link?

Weirdly, I did what I said: I read the Libertarian party’s stance on immigration.

lp.org

For those workers already in the United States illegally, we can avoid “amnesty” and still offer a pathway out of the underground economy. Newly legalized workers can be assessed fines and back taxes and serve probation befitting the misdemeanor they’ve committed. They can be required to take their place at the back of the line should they eventually apply for permanent residency.

They don’t want to give them citizenship. They just want to make them guest workers. And for every illegal immigrant here in the US, they want to fine them, criminalize them, and put them last in line (in other words, no chance of ever becoming a citizen).

373 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:00:16am

re: #370 Lidane

Only if we can use green smoke for the inevitable marijuana ruling.

374 chadu  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:00:42am

re: #356 Dancing along the light of day

Polygamy and some of the like, are for male dominance. It has nothing to do with gay marriage, it’s just a diversion. And a scary one, for many.

Multiple companionate marriage (be it 1M+nW, 1W+nM, or nM+nW) is just a social structure, a tool. (One that’s not currently in popular favor, true.) As such, does not necessarily lead to male dominance.

Hammers are made for driving nails. You can also beat or murder someone with them.

375 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:01:35am

Defense Of Marriage Act Takes A Beating At Supreme Court

A majority of the Supreme Court justices delivered a beating to the Defense of Marriage Act during oral arguments Wednesday, signaling a positive outcome for marriage equality.

The four liberal-leaning justices and Justice Anthony Kennedy appeared deeply skeptical that the federal government has legal justification for treating gay and straight couples unequally. They seemed inclined to overturn Section 3 of the 1996 law, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage and thereby denies benefits to gay and lesbian couples even if they are legally wed in their states.

In his line of questioning, Kennedy, who has a track record in favor of gay rights, repeatedly contended that the federal government had exceeded its constitutional authority.

“You are at real risk of going in conflict … with federal police powers,” he told Paul Clement, the lawyer arguing in favor of upholding DOMA. When Clement tried to argue that it was a valid exercise of federal power and does not infringe on states’ rights, Kennedy responded, “I see illogic in your argument.” He wondered why Congress could deny marriage benefits in states “where the voters have decided” that same sex marriage ought to be legal.

376 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:01:43am

re: #368 Kragar (Antichrist )

War on Easter outrages Fox News: ‘I don’t remember a bunny in the Bible story’

I recall no similar outrage over the War on Ramadan…

377 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:02:13am

re: #351 Lidane

Behold the conservative opposition: principled, visionary, and policy-focused. //

378 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:02:54am

re: #377 Bulworth

Behold the conservative opposition: principled, visionary, and policy-focused like a laser beam. //

FTFY

379 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:02:55am

re: #369 Political Atheist

re: #341 Dancing along the light of day

Garnish for RW word salad.

Raddishes, curled into flowers!

380 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:04:07am

re: #372 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Weirdly, I did what I said: I read the Libertarian party’s stance on immigration.

lp.org

They don’t want to give them citizenship. They just want to make them guest workers. And for every illegal immigrant here in the US, they want to fine them, criminalize them, and put them last in line (in other words, no chance of ever becoming a citizen).

That is weird because what you read was an article of a CATO member’s opinion which while on the Libertarian party web page is not the party platform of 2012. So we can see the contrast:

lp.org

3.4 Free Trade and Migration

We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders. However, we support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to security, health or property.

381 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:05:43am

What’s funny is the SCOTUS justices are leaning towards striking down DOMA because they believe the federal government has exceeded its constitutional authority in enacting the law.

Which is EXACTLY the kind of thing the wingnuts are usually all about.

382 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:05:51am

re: #380 Destro

Yikes, libertarians use the term “human capital” unironically.

383 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:06:42am

re: #366 Destro

I don’t disagree. It’s a fascinating study in contrasts. If the Republican party was not a grifter party - designed to use wedge issues to fool people into voting for the tools of the rich/oligarchs the GOP party and platform would more match their ideology - for example you can’t be against abortion and also want to defund any attempts to help mothers raise children with govt tax money help so that at least abortions for economic reasons don’t happen.

Too simple. Abortion is not just a wedge issue to fool people into voting against their own interests. It’s a misogynistic, control-of-women issue.

The European conservatives who are against abortion like the Christian Democrats love to fund govt programs to make child birthing and raising less of a burden for example. American conservatives in the GOP have an illogical party platform when viewed this way UNLESS you view the GOP as using social issues as wedge issues but doing all it can to help their oligarchical patrons - the so called “What’s the matter with Kansas” thesis.

I think in Europe that’s about all they can do, because they can’t affect abortion policy. However, that’s a generalization only relating to parts of Europe. Ireland, for instance, is quite different.

384 Political Atheist  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:07:00am

The concept may shock some people, yet Judge Scalia was right. (No not talking about Prop 8 or DOMA)

Paged

385 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:07:05am

re: #380 Destro

What you just cited isn’t at all contradictory with what I said and cited. Why do you think it is?

386 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:07:08am

re: #381 Eclectic Cyborg

What’s funny is the SCOTUS justices are leaning towards striking down DOMA because they believe the federal government has exceeded its constitutional authority in enacting the law.

Which is EXACTLY the kind of thing the wingnuts are usually all about.

You forget the Wingnuts always support a strong federal government when it backs up their beliefs.

387 Big Steve  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:07:46am

Damn that Justice Scalia…..always voting with Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan…Supreme Court Decision on Drug Sniffing Dogs

388 Political Atheist  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:08:24am

re: #379 Dancing along the light of day

Raddishes, curled into flowers!

Monkey Flower Orchids
H/T WW

389 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:08:39am

re: #380 Destro

Also, if you go to the Libertarian Party site, and you click on “issues” and you click on “immigration”, what do you get?

390 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:09:23am

Louie Gohmert Has Late Night Altercation With Cops Over Parking Ticket

U.S. Park Police officers wrote Gohmert a citation a little after 11 p.m. on March 11 but he immediately cried foul, arguing that his congressional placard entitled him to park in the space. According to the report, he removed the ticket from his windshield and wrote a note on it before placing it, along with his business card, on a nearby police car.

“Oversight of Park Service is my job!” the message reportedly read. “Natural Resources Thus the Congressional Plate in window.”

The police report also quoted Gohmert giving the officers a lecture.

“I was issued a ticket and I am a congressman and parked my vehicle in the NPS parking only because I have a Congress placard, see,” Gohmert told one officer, according to the report. “I am going to a meeting on the Hill and I am the one who oversees the National Park Services Natural Resources.”

Gohmert’s spokeswoman told Politico that it was a misunderstanding, and claimed that the officer “accepted the ticket back and apologized” after being shown the Congressional plates. But the police report, in which Gohmert was described as “rude and irate,” did not mention any such apology. Politico notes that Park Police have yet to provide an update.

391 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:09:38am

re: #365 Gus

I love bikes, I hate bike lanes. Net ding: 0.

392 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:09:47am

re: #381 Eclectic Cyborg

What’s funny is the SCOTUS justices are leaning towards striking down DOMA because they believe the federal government has exceeded its constitutional authority in enacting the law.

Which is EXACTLY the kind of thing the wingnuts are usually all about, unless it involves gays, brown people, women, or the poor.

FTFY

393 erik_t  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:10:41am

re: #390 Kragar (Antichrist )

Louie Gohmert Has Late Night Altercation With Cops Over Parking Ticket

Party of personal responsibility.

Pay your fucking ticket, Louie.

394 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:11:07am

re: #384 Political Atheist

Scalia has his moments of insight. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a massive tool.

395 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:12:16am

re: #384 Political Atheist

The concept may shock some people, yet Judge Scalia was right. (No not talking about Pro8 or DOMA)

Paged

re: #387 Big Steve

Damn that Justice Scalia…..always voting with Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan…Supreme Court Decision on Drug Sniffing Dogs

Win goes to Political Atheist. He got there first, and linked to a Page, not a .pdf.

396 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:12:55am

re: #390 Kragar (Antichrist )

Do you know who I am?!!

397 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:14:14am

re: #356 Dancing along the light of day

Polygamy and some of the like, are for male dominance. It has nothing to do with gay marriage, it’s just a diversion. And a scary one, for many.

So polyandry is about female dominance?

OK, a touch more seriousness. Polygamy (which contain both polygyny - one man multiple women - and polyandry - one woman multiple men - ) can be justified for certain societal and historical situations, none of which are true in the US or most of the world today.

An example: when medicine was a lot less developed, death during childbirth was unfortunately common. A woman was needed to nurse the surviving child. Men… not so much. Again, that’s an example of a situation that no longer exists in any practical measure today in the US or most developed nations.

My opinion, using my previously discussed societal benefits, is that polygamy loses. Oh, it increases community ties even more than simple marriage. But it creates a confusion of proxy and raises the potential for even more community effort than having no proxy.

Clearing up that last, picture inheritance. With no spouse the court must step in and decide where it goes. With multiple spouses the same applies, though this time with the need to determine which spouses’ word of the dead spouse’s intent is truer. Much nastier.

398 RadicalModerate  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:14:23am

Looks like that “Less is More” business model of understaffing and overworking employees with a minimum number of hours is starting to come home to roost for the folks over at Wal-Mart.

Customers Flee Wal-Mart Empty Shelves for Target, Costco

Margaret Hancock has long considered the local Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) superstore her one- stop shopping destination. No longer. During recent visits, the retired accountant from Newark, Delaware, says she failed to find more than a dozen basic items, including certain types of face cream, cold medicine, bandages, mouthwash, hangers, lamps and fabrics.

The cosmetics section “looked like someone raided it,” said Hancock, 63.

Wal-Mart’s loss was a gain for Kohl’s Corp. (KSS), Safeway Inc. (SWY), Target Corp. (TGT) and Walgreen Co. (WAG) — the chains Hancock hit for the items she couldn’t find at Wal-Mart.

“If it’s not on the shelf, I can’t buy it,” she said. “You hate to see a company self-destruct, but there are other places to go.”

It’s not as though the merchandise isn’t there. It’s piling up in aisles and in the back of stores because Wal-Mart doesn’t have enough bodies to restock the shelves, according to interviews with store workers. In the past five years, the world’s largest retailer added 455 U.S. Wal-Mart stores, a 13 percent increase, according to filings and the company’s website. In the same period, its total U.S. workforce, which includes Sam’s Club employees, dropped by about 20,000, or 1.4 percent. Wal-Mart employs about 1.4 million U.S. workers.

399 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:14:24am

re: #390 Kragar (Antichrist )

Louie Gohmert Has Late Night Altercation With Cops Over Parking Ticket

Miss out on Park Place, do not pass GO, go directly to jail.

400 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:15:32am

re: #399 Eclectic Cyborg

Miss out on Park Place, do not pass GO, go directly to jail.

Do not collect $200!

401 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:15:39am

re: #304 Sol Berdinowitz

#5,,I wonder what’s on the other side of this road…SPLAT!

#6: STFU, or the herons will find us!

402 chadu  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:15:57am

re: #393 erik_t

Gohmert’s communications director, Kimberly Willingham, told POLITICO via email that the congressman had dinner with his stepsister and her husband that evening and decided to drive them to the memorial.

…

Washington law says members of Congress may park their cars “in any available curb space in the District of Columbia” when it is being used “on official business” and displaying the congressional registration tag issued by the member’s home state. Members may not block loading zones, fire hydrants or rush hour zones.

A Park Police spokesman and Capitol Hill source said a congressional plate would not allow a lawmaker to park in a reserved spot near the Lincoln Memorial.

Read more: politico.com

And the ticket would only be for $25.

Stay classy, Louie, you utter douchebag.

403 Big Steve  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:15:59am

re: #394 Lidane

Scalia has his moments of insight. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s still a massive tool.

What does that mean….”massive tool”?

404 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:16:21am

re: #398 RadicalModerate

Looks like that “Less is More” business model of understaffing and overworking employees with a minimum number of hours is starting to come home to roost for the folks over at Wal-Mart.

Customers Flee Wal-Mart Empty Shelves for Target, Costco

I’ve had similar issues. My mother in law likes a certain variety of low salt potato chips. Finding them at Wal-Mart is always hit or miss, but I don’t think ever once NOT been able to get them at Target.

405 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:16:45am

re: #397 kirkspencer

There is literally no way in polygamy to handle many legal obligations and rights of marriage— like making decisions about medical affairs for an unconscious spouse— without one of the spouses being designated as the decision-maker. You can’t have fully co-equal multiple spouses and have it work legally in many, many ways.

406 Eclectic Cyborg  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:16:59am

re: #403 Big Steve

What does that mean….”massive tool”?

Ask Ron Jeremy.

407 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:17:21am
408 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:17:50am
409 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:18:09am

re: #403 Big Steve

What does that mean….”massive tool”?

Y’know, he’s a rather hefty sawzall. He’s a rotund roto-rooter. A plump sump pump. He’s a sizable rake. An imposing leafblower. An Allen wrench of some magnitude.

410 erik_t  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:18:20am

re: #403 Big Steve

What does that mean….”massive tool”?

Inept tit. Festering choad. Turd-blossom. Bozo the clown.

Take your pick.

411 chadu  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:19:39am

re: #397 kirkspencer

So polyandry is about female dominance?

*high-hat, rimshot*

Clearing up that last, picture inheritance. With no spouse the court must step in and decide where it goes. With multiple spouses the same applies, though this time with the need to determine which spouses’ word of the dead spouse’s intent is truer. Much nastier.

That is a excellent flaw to point out in the actual mechanics of the social/legal structure of polygamy.

And that’s probably why it won’t get much official traction or sanction.

But have no doubt, it’s happening right now, as we type, de facto if not de jure.

412 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:19:50am

re: #408 Lidane

At national anti-equality rally, bishop says “sexual abuse does not happen” in straight marriages.

Because by this man’s definition of marriage, a man’s wife is his slave and chattel, and he cannot be accused of sexually abusing his property.

413 Big Steve  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:19:55am

re: #406 Eclectic Cyborg

Ask Ron Jeremy.

Oh I see…..so it is ok to call a male Supreme Court Justice by a euphemism for penis. Can we refer to Justice Ginsburg as a massive vagina next time she makes a decision we disagree with?

414 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:20:02am

I’m not seeing why Scalia should be singled out for praise for taking the position of the liberal justices- still, it is strange to see Thomas, Kagan, and Sotomayor voting on the same side of an issue.

415 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:20:53am

Erick Erickson has been getting increasingly fanatical about his fundamentalist beliefs.

416 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:21:51am
417 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:22:15am

re: #383 wrenchwench

Too simple. Abortion is not just a wedge issue to fool people into voting against their own interests. It’s a misogynistic, control-of-women issue.

I think in Europe that’s about all they can do, because they can’t affect abortion policy. However, that’s a generalization only relating to parts of Europe. Ireland, for instance, is quite different.

I should have added in Europe where abortion is legal the Christian Democrats, if they can’t ban it try and make child raising less of a burden on people and one of the reasons given (outside of Christian philosophy to help poor is govt’s role) is to make abortion less of an option for a mother if the abortion was to be based on economic reasons (can’t afford child, going to school, single mom, etc). But the American conservative in contrast wants to ban abortions AND not do a thing to help raise the child if it involves taxes. That position to a European raised in a Christian Democrat household is a position of an insane idiot.

418 jaunte  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:22:32am

Don’t know if son of Erick road-to-hell signage is trustworthy.

419 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:22:36am

It’s no great victory for “conservatives” when three out of their four most recent appointees vote for more government intervention in people’s lives.

420 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:22:45am

re: #413 Big Steve

Oh I see…..so it is ok to call a male Supreme Court Justice by a euphemism for penis. Can we refer to Justice Ginsburg as a massive vagina next time she makes a decision we disagree with?

What if I had just called him an asshole? Would that have worked for you instead?

421 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:24:21am

re: #413 Big Steve

That’s not actually the etymology of tool. It actually comes from the more substantial meaning of ‘tool in the hands of others’. These days, it’s come to mean a poser, someone who appears to have depth who doesn’t.

It doesn’t actually refer to cock.

422 chadu  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:24:31am

re: #416 Charles Johnson

en.wikipedia.org

en.wikipedia.org

423 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:24:33am

re: #385 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

What you just cited isn’t at all contradictory with what I said and cited. Why do you think it is?

The man’s opinion you cited as the libertarian position on immigration is not the party platform.

I read the party platform voted on by the party members.

You chose to think the opinion article of someone from CATO is the official position of the LP. It is the position of one person of influence within the LP only.

425 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:24:56am

re: #416 Charles Johnson

LA LA LA WE CAN’T THINK OF ANY LEGAL JUSTIFICATIONS AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE SO LETS JUST SPEAK IN MYTHICAL HYPOTHETICALS

426 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:25:10am

re: #417 Destro

I should have added in Europe where abortion is legal the Christian Democrats, if they can’t ban it try and make child raising less of a burden on people and one of the reasons given (outside of Christian philosophy to help poor is govt’s role) is to make abortion less of an option for a mother if the abortion was to be based on economic reasons (can’t afford child, going to school, single mom, etc). But the American conservative in contrast wants to ban abortions AND not do a thing to help raise the child if it involves taxes. That position to a European raised in a Christian Democrat household is a position of an insane idiot.

That is summed up in the Eric Son of Eric Quote: his notion of a “Good Christian” is one who does not hesitate to tell you that you are going to hell but does not necessarily help you in any other way, because that would be coddling and enabling.

427 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:25:10am

I object to calling Scalia a tool.

Tools are useful.

428 jaunte  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:26:11am

Is there a mathematical notation for {fallacious} slippery slope?

429 Big Steve  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:26:34am

re: #420 Lidane

What if I had just called him an asshole? Would that have worked for you instead?

Much better…..no sexism associated with being an asshole.

430 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:27:22am

re: #427 Kragar (Antichrist )

I object to calling Scalia a tool.

Tools are useful.

QFT!

431 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:27:36am

re: #416 Charles Johnson

Why does Erick son of Erick hate Freedom so much?

432 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:27:40am

re: #398 RadicalModerate

Looks like that “Less is More” business model of understaffing and overworking employees with a minimum number of hours is starting to come home to roost for the folks over at Wal-Mart.

Customers Flee Wal-Mart Empty Shelves for Target, Costco

That’s why slave owners needed whips. What Wal-mart needs is overseers with whips to motivate the slave wage laborers and even that loses it’s ability to motivate over time when people get used to the whipping.

433 kirkspencer  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:27:54am

re: #408 Lidane

There is an old precept: women and children are property, and so what you do to them is not rape.

Yes, it is rape. And there is incest. And anyone who proclaims otherwise is at best willfully blind.

434 geoffm33  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:27:57am

re: #416 Charles Johnson

EWErickson! Ohhhh…I always thought his name was Ewe Rickson.

435 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:27:59am

Mike Huckabee Warns: ‘Evangelicals Will Take A Walk’ If GOP Backs Gay Marriage

Recently, Republican Sen. Rob Portman made news when he expressed his change on heart on the issue, largely due to learning his son is gay. In an interview with Newsmax, Huckabee was asked whether the Republican Party may alter its stance and support gay marriage.

“They might,” he replied. “And if they do, they’re going to lose a large part of their base because evangelicals will take a walk.”

He continued:

“And it’s not because there’s an anti-homosexual mood, and nobody’s homophobic that I know of, but many of us, and I consider myself included, base our standards not on the latest Washington Post poll, but on an objective standard, not a subjective standard.”

Well, good luck with that.

436 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:28:31am

re: #423 Destro

The man’s opinion you cited as the libertarian position on immigration is not the party platform.

I read the party platform voted on by the party members.

You chose to think the opinion article of someone from CATO is the official position of the LP. It is the position of one person of influence within the LP only.

Dude.

A) If you go to the libertarian party site, and click ‘issues’, and click ‘immigration’, you get what I cited. That is all you get. That is what the Libertarian party is showing as its position on immigration.

B) What you cited isn’t inconsistent with what I said. They’re talking about migration for labor, not for citizenship. It, as I said, places current ‘illegal’ immigration to the back of the line for immigration, which means they would never become citizens— which is the harsh GOP position. There is nothing in there at all about a path to citizenship— all they want is for people to be able to hire migrant workers. That is not support for immigration, unless you just don’t give a shit about citizenship.

437 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:28:32am

re: #416 Charles Johnson

Nah. They’ll go for this instead:

Image: idic.jpg

438 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:29:33am

Wow…Luke Russert just grilled Tony Perkins pretty hard. Color me surprised. I am sure he’ll atone by licking the taint of the next con he has on though.

439 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:29:43am

Charles, whenever I click on an image to view, I get kicked back up to the middle of whatever thread I’m in.

440 The Ghost of a Flea  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:30:16am

re: #438 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance

Wow…Luke Russert just grilled Tony Perkins pretty hard. Color me surprised. I am sure he’ll atone by licking the taint of the next con he has on though.

Penitent taint-licking is the worst.

441 jaunte  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:30:22am

re: #439 Kragar (Antichrist )

Same here.

442 wrenchwench  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:31:09am

re: #441 jaunte

Same here.

Me too.

443 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:31:17am

re: #441 jaunte

Same here.

I don’t.

444 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:31:20am

re: #439 Kragar (Antichrist )

Charles, whenever I click on an image to view, I get kicked back up to the middle of whatever thread I’m in.

I think Charles indicated last night that there is an issue regarding Windows and Firefox in this regard.

445 Feline Fearless Leader  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:32:38am

re: #440 The Ghost of a Flea

Penitent taint-licking is the worst.

But that’s how you avoid the spinning blades of GOP disapproval.
/

446 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:33:16am
447 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:33:34am

re: #436 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Dude.

A) If you go to the libertarian party site, and click ‘issues’, and click ‘immigration’, you get what I cited. That is all you get. That is what the Libertarian party is showing as its position on immigration.

B) What you cited isn’t inconsistent with what I said. They’re talking about migration for labor, not for citizenship. It, as I said, places current ‘illegal’ immigration to the back of the line for immigration, which means they would never become citizens— which is the harsh GOP position. There is nothing in there at all about a path to citizenship— all they want is for people to be able to hire migrant workers. That is not support for immigration, unless you just don’t give a shit about citizenship.

You specifically mentioned that the Libertarian platform position was that the immigrants (illegals) should leave the USA and come back in line - the Romney plan. That was the opinion of one libertarian from CATO on the LP website but it was NOT The LP platform position of 2012.

Which I linked and copied and pasted. I am no a libertarian and I don’t want to defend them any more or less than I have to but what you claimed was the ‘official’ self deport and get in line immigration policy of the LP was in fact not the case. All attempts to back track that error aside.

448 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:35:09am

Somehow Erickson’s version of “love thy neighbor” sounds like a good auto de fe.

449 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:35:21am

re: #416 Charles Johnson

I remain baffled as to why conservatives insist on crying ‘Polygamy’ in response to the issue of same-sex marriage. It’s a non-sequitar and it was practiced by many of the Biblical patriarchs, who according to conservatives were more righteous than our own decadent selves.

450 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:36:28am

re: #447 Destro

No immigration reform is going to work unless it is comprehensive: everything from border control and access to residence and work issues. Anything else, like SB 1070 in Arizona, is just playing whack-a-mole with the problem.

451 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:37:19am

re: #439 Kragar (Antichrist )

Charles, whenever I click on an image to view, I get kicked back up to the middle of whatever thread I’m in.

I looked into this yesterday - it’s a bug in the Windows XP version of Firefox. Still checking to see if there’s anything I can do to prevent it.

452 stabby  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:37:20am

re: #415 Charles Johnson

You’re not really loving your neighbor when you’re cool with him staying on the road to hell.

We really really really don’t want your God damn love, you fucker.

Can people who have twitter accounts flood him with that message?

453 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:37:54am

Supreme Court Sides Unanimously With Prisoner Who Filed His Own Handwritten Appeal

Before beginning arguments over the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act Wednesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion unanimously siding with a prisoner who filed a handwritten appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court without a lawyer.

Inmate Kim Millbrook is known for being litigious, and has lost several of his previous cases. But his perseverence and experience with the legal system has paid off. In an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, the court interpreted government immunity narrowly, paving the way for many other prisoners and litigants alleging law enforcement misconduct to hold government officials accountable. It is not often that the U.S. Supreme Court takes a case filed without a lawyer. And as the New York Times’ Adam Liptak noted recently, Millbrook’s case comes on the 50th anniversary of the landmark case establishing the right to counsel, Gideon v. Wainright. Petitioner Clarence Gideon, who was also ensnared in the criminal justice system, filed a handwritten appeal on his own, and went on to set groundbreaking precedent with the help of some of the most prominent lawyers of his time.

Millbrook’s case was one of two cases the high court agreed to hear this term filed without a lawyer — a highly unusual scenario. Even more encouraging, both cases sought to challenge government attempts to insulate officials from claims of wrongdoing. In an era when justice is often viewed as synonymous with access to expensive legal representation, today’s decision is a rare win for equal access to justice (even as another U.S. Supreme Court decision decided Wednesday morning contracts access). And in a country whose prison population eclipses that of every other country in the world, it is particularly crucial that inmates are at the very least able to challenge their treatment.

454 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:38:17am

re: #447 Destro

You specifically mentioned that the Libertarian platform position was that the immigrants (illegals) should leave the USA and come back in line - the Romney plan.

Well, yeah, that’s because that’s what the Libertarian party says on their Issues page, and it doesn’t in the least bit contradict with what you cited. Why do you think it does? This is what I don’t get. Where do you see what you cited contradicting what I did?

455 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:38:18am
456 stabby  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:40:02am

re: #451 Charles Johnson

Clicking an image moves me to near the top of the page on the newest firefox on Windows 7

But I think it’s faster than it was - it kept timing out yesterday.

On Android (on every brower” built in, firefox, opera, chromium) thing that need javascript like images are unusably slow on longer threads. I don’t know if the recent speed up affected that.

457 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:40:46am

re: #455 Lidane

What a disgusting vile thing to do.

458 jaunte  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:42:10am

re: #455 Lidane

One guess who gets the blame when the prayers don’t “work.”

459 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:42:20am

re: #455 Lidane

Linda Harvey, honey, there are easier ways to get laid.

460 stabby  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:42:46am

re: #457 Kragar (Antichrist )

I just prayed for Bryant Fisher to be gay… and he is!
I get amazing service, i must be on the right side.

461 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:43:23am

re: #458 jaunte

One guess who gets the blame when the prayers don’t “work.”

“DAMN IT JESUS! I’ve been praying my ass off down here. What the fuck have you been doing?”

462 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:44:23am

re: #451 Charles Johnson

I looked into this yesterday - it’s a bug in the Windows XP version of Firefox. Still checking to see if there’s anything I can do to prevent it.

It happens in Firefox for Vista as well, probably for all versions of Firefox on Windows.

463 stabby  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:44:29am

re: #461 Kragar (Antichrist )

*picks up nails and a hammer* “Don’t make me come over there!”

464 Brother Holy Cruise Missile of Mild Acceptance  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:44:48am

re: #461 Kragar (Antichrist )

“DAMN IT JESUS! I’ve been praying my ass off down here. What the fuck have you been doing?”

why did I just read that in the voice of Stan from southpark?

465 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:45:13am

re: #391 wrenchwench

I love bikes, I hate bike lanes. Net ding: 0.

:P

466 NJDhockeyfan  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:47:17am
467 jaunte  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:47:17am

Perfectly straight hissy fit:

The Religious Right group Government Is Not God PAC in a message to members this week warning that if the Supreme Court strikes down Proposition 8 and DOMA then “religious freedom, freedom of speech and the First Amendment will die.”

468 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:49:16am
469 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:50:45am

re: #439 Kragar (Antichrist )

Charles, whenever I click on an image to view, I get kicked back up to the middle of whatever thread I’m in.

Eureka! I found the magic code. If you reload the page, that scrolling problem is now fixed.

470 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:51:30am

Derp:

471 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:52:39am

re: #470 Lidane

Derp:

Right, we all worship the Great Old Ones and urge the stars to rightness to herald their glorious return.

Right?

472 stabby  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:52:45am

they’re ripping apart Roger L Simon over at PJMedia for supporting marriage equality (his son is gay).

pjmedia.com

I notice a poster called “escape velocity” going nuts in that comment section, mentioning “European Christian culture” over and over - euphemism for white supremacy. I know him from a few sites, he taught me what a religious fascist looks like. Among other things he’s from the crowd that tithes but insists that there should be no taxes. He doesn’t want to help the poor, he just wants to pay his way into heaven.

473 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:55:48am

re: #470 Lidane

The word “Constitution” is strangely absent from this tweet. /

474 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:58:26am

North America? South America? Best America? Real America?

475 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:58:36am

re: #94 Walking Spanish Down the Hall

Charles, is there a problem if I publish a post on my own blog and reproduce it here?

Not a problem.

476 jaunte  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:58:57am

re: #474 dragonath

Murka!!!

477 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:59:04am

re: #470 Lidane

Oh look, this religious tweeter hashtags the teaparty. I thought the teaparty was only concerned about Runaway Government Spending. //

478 stabby  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 10:59:53am

By the way the fact that the current leader of PJMedia is for marriage equality has his audience of wingnuts trying to reason (as well as insult him).

Reading wingnut reasoning will make you want to scoop your brains out with a spoon. These people can’t reason, they have 1 pound minds filled with 3 pounds of shit.

479 Charles Johnson  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:00:07am

re: #276 Dancing along the light of day

Charles, and other Lizards, WHY do I get audio commercials, when I have deleted the visual commercial?

I haven’t seen this at my end - can you let me know which company the ad is for?

480 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:00:42am

re: #477 Bulworth

Oh look, this religious tweeter hashtags the teaparty. I thought the teaparty was only concerned about Runaway Government Spending. //

GUMMINT IN MAHH LIFE

481 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:01:47am
482 jaunte  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:02:06am

I believe some of these gay marriage opponents are deliberately damaging their own minds. Some fresh gibberings from WND’s Susan Harris:

“The LGBT agenda is ensuring that our tiny tots are taught homosexuality before we’ve even broken them of thumb-sucking,” Harris writes. “By the time they are teenagers – feeling ‘different’ like millions of teenagers before them – they are being sucked into the LGBTQ lifestyle because their parents and their communities put acceptance of man’s lusts above God’s law.” rightwingwatch.org

483 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:02:55am

Can’t wait for the obligatory Sodom and Gomorrah comparisons later

484 Gus  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:03:48am
485 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:04:03am

re: #470 Lidane

Derp:

I love that he has the Mountain Dew icon. Christ and high-fructose caffeine delivery systems, that’s all he needs.

486 Lidane  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:04:40am

Fiscal responsibility, y’all:

487 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:05:02am

re: #479 Charles Johnson

I haven’t seen this at my end - can you let me know which company the ad is for?

Will do!

488 Dancing along the light of day  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:06:03am

re: #487 Dancing along the light of day

Loewe’s
“never stop improving, is what I just got.

489 dragonath  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:06:35am

GOD IS CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING (THE NEW FLOOD) BECAUSE GAYS

490 Bulworth  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:06:43am

re: #486 Lidane

If the Obama girls had notta gone on vacation around the world the Pentagon could buy more defense for America!
/

491 Targetpractice  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:08:47am

re: #486 Lidane

Fiscal responsibility, y’all:

Well, they are right, defense contracts are like most contracts that the government signs these days: So laden with landmines and sinkholes that it’s better just to see the damn thing through than cancel it and find your ass either out a shitload of money or in court for violating the contract.

492 Sol Berdinowitz  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:08:57am

re: #470 Lidane

America is a religion based country! All your atheists liberal RANTS AND LIES WON’T CHANGE THE TRUTH!!! Get over it. :

And nothing you can write will change the First Amendment. Get over it.

493 stabby  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:09:12am

re: #489 dragonath

GOD IS CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING (THE NEW FLOOD) BECAUSE GAYS

Finally a way to get conservatives to notice global warming.

494 Kragar  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 11:09:42am

re: #489 dragonath

“HEY! ASSHOLES! STOP TREATING GAYS SO BADLY OR I’LL UNLEASH A FEW MORE DISASTERS!”

495 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 12:17:14pm

re: #470 Lidane

Derp:

Iran prays to god to destroy America all the time. Seems to work based on all the natural disasters.

496 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 12:55:20pm

re: #454 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Well, yeah, that’s because that’s what the Libertarian party says on their Issues page, and it doesn’t in the least bit contradict with what you cited. Why do you think it does? This is what I don’t get. Where do you see what you cited contradicting what I did?

The LP platform mentions no program of deportation, leaving the USA and then waiting in line to re-enter as you asserted. That assertion was made in an opinion piece written by a CATO gut on the website and as an opinion piece was not part of the LP 2012 platform. Your attempts to link the official voted on platform with the CATO opinion piece is based on them being on the same website.

497 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 1:00:19pm

re: #496 Destro

The LP platform mentions no program of deportation, leaving the USA and then waiting in line to re-enter as you asserted.

No, but their ‘immigration’ page under ‘issues’ on their website does.

Why do you think they have that there, Destro?

It’s not them ‘being on the same website’, its that the Libertarian party has decided, as the only fucking entry under ‘immigration’ on their website, to have that piece.

If you don’t think that piece represents where they stand on the issue, can you explain why it is there under ‘issues’?

Do you get that all they’re talking about is the right to work, not any sort of path to citizenship in that bit that you quoted?

498 Destro  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 5:37:43pm

re: #497 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Simple. Libertarians as a party voted to have open borders.

Because I know party members voted to have open borders with no mention of self deportation I can say one way libertarians by and large differ from Republicans is on immigration (the contention of the issue which you chose to pettifog as you are want to as is your style), the opinion of one person who wrote an op-ed piece on their website notwithstanding.

I am not a libertarian and I will leave it to them to sort out why they placed that op-ed under the immigration tab when it contradicts their stated policy on open border immigration.

499 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Wed, Mar 27, 2013 5:40:21pm

re: #498 Destro

Simple. Libertarians as a party voted to have open borders.

Open borders in terms of work, not of citizenship. Do you get that?

the opinion of one person who wrote an op-ed piece on their website notwithstanding.

I don’t think you’re a stupid person, so I can only think you’re a massively deceitful one. it is not just an op-ed piece on their website. It is the only thing, the absolutely only thing, that the Libertarian party offers as its position on immigration on its website.

The only thing.

500 Destro  Thu, Mar 28, 2013 6:35:35am

re: #499 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

Your pettifoggery is getting old. I am being deceitful how? By showing libertarians in a good light somehow and claiming I am not a libertarian when I am a secret one?

If you read political literature you would know that citizenship is anathema to libertarian ideology also. I am not talking about the casual libertarian but the ones that are really into it. For many of them even citizenship is an outdated model since govt would be limited and border controls almost null so would the citizen / non-citizen distinctions be minimal and I have never heard libertarians argue immigrants by and large would never become citizens in due time. That is something you pulled out of your asshat.

I linked the 2012 lP platform. Below is the 2004 platform.

lpedia.org

The 2004 Platform called for “the elimination of all restrictions on immigration, the abolition of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol, and a declaration of full amnesty for all people who have entered the country illegally”.

This is where you pettifog and go off on a tangent about citizenship, etc where you see some sort of deceit in the LP statement.

Again, I am in position of defending libertarians, and I am not one of them nor do I like their ideology but truth is truth.

501 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Thu, Mar 28, 2013 6:37:24am

re: #500 Destro

Your pettifoggery is getting old. I am being deceitful how?

By repeatedly claiming that what I cited— which is the only thing on the Libertarian Party website about immigration, under their ‘issues’ page— is just some unexplainable mystery, some blog post, not really relevant to the Libertarian Party’s positions on anything.

Pretty simple.

502 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Thu, Mar 28, 2013 6:43:33am

There’s also this: Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party’s 2012 nominee:

garyjohnson2012.com

Deportation for anyone who violates their new work visa requirements.
Work visas, not a path to citizenship.

And to be clear, I wasn’t saying the LP position is deceitful, though it kind of is— I was saying you were.

503 Destro  Thu, Mar 28, 2013 7:40:31am

re: #502 Glenn Beck’s Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut

And what started the discussion is indicating that libertarians were not conservatives as self identifying Republicans define the term these days.

While there is overlap between libertarian and conservative Republican positions there are also major differences.

I think the differences on immigration are pronounced. You are saying “not so much”.

I will leave it at that because I am neither a libertarian nor a conservative Republican and like neither of them well enough to defend one against the other against your pettifoggery.

504 Glenn Beck's Grand Unifying Theory of Obdicut  Thu, Mar 28, 2013 7:42:20am

re: #503 Destro

And what started the discussion is indicating that libertarians were not conservatives as self identifying Republicans define the term these days.

You do know that a ton of libertarians vote and identify as Republican too, right?

And again, it’s really cool that you learned the word ‘pettifog’ but using it constantly is silly.


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