Heritage Foundation’s Jim DeMint Promises More Obamacare Insanity

They won’t stop
Wingnuts • Views: 17,275

Far right ideologue and leader of the Heritage Foundation Jim DeMint has a piece in the Wall Street Journal that’s good news for the Democratic Party: We Won’t Back Down on ObamaCare.

Now that the government shutdown has ended and the president has preserved ObamaCare for the time being, it’s worth explaining why my organization, the Heritage Foundation, and other conservatives chose this moment to fight—and why we will continue to fight. The reason is simple: to protect the American people from the harmful effects of this law.

DeMint is touting one of those patented Heritage Foundation “studies” that always seem to produce exactly the results they’re looking for. The last time we featured a Heritage study here at LGF, it was their immigration reform report by Jason Richwine, who “resigned” after it came out that he also happened to write articles for a white nationalist website. That report concluded that immigration has devastating effects on America.

Oddly enough, the new Heritage Foundation report on Obamacare concludes it will have devastating effects on America. Go figure.

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298 comments
1 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:06:10pm
2 Targetpractice  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:06:42pm

Word had it that, while Cruz and his fellow travelers are eager for another round, Boehner and McConnell aren’t. The thinking might be that they’d rather be seen as RINOs and avoid another shutdown than go forward with one with the same message that the White House has to agree to destroy his own law to stop the economy from cratering.

3 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:07:38pm

Their version of America is really weak and frail if it can be devastated by things like immigration and affordable healthcare.

4 Targetpractice  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:09:53pm

re: #3 klys

Their version of America is really weak and frail if it can be devastated by things like immigration and affordable healthcare.

Remember, in their minds, “Real ‘Murica” still resembles the white oligarchy that existed in the 1950s.

5 aagcobb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:10:18pm

re: #2 Targetpractice

Word had it that, while Cruz and his fellow travelers are eager for another round, Boehner and McConnell aren’t. The thinking might be that they’d rather be seen as RINOs and avoid another shutdown than go forward with one with the same message that the White House has to agree to destroy his own law to stop the economy from cratering.

McConnell came right out and said there would not be another government shutdown. It would be wonderful if Boehner’s Teahadis forced him to launch another one in an election year. It would be painful, but apparently its going to take several applications of pain to make American voters understand they have to vote these lunatics out of office.

6 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:11:33pm

re: #4 Targetpractice

Remember, in their minds, “Real ‘Murica” still resembles the white oligarchy that existed in the 1950s.

Right. The kind where instead of getting a graduate degree, I get to put on heels and pearls while I vacuum the floor.

I think I’ll pass, regardless of whether or not it’s alright with them.

7 lawhawk  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:11:50pm

Memo to DeMint. You’d approve if it were renamed RomneyCare or HeritageCare, since Obamacare took your group’s signature health care initiative, the individual mandate, and made it the central idea of making personal responsibility key to getting people into the health care exchanges - marketplaces that are drivers for insurance companies to goose their profits since the subsidies essentially go to the insurers at the end of the day.


While it’s the insureds who see lower premiums as a result of the subsidy, it’s the insurers who get the full amount - the amount paid by the insured plus the subsidy.

They’ve got an incentive to make sure that this works.

8 b.d.  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:13:15pm

They really should start calling it the Affordable Care Act, they’ll feel a lot better about it in the long run.

9 jaunte  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:13:35pm
Mr. Gonshorowski’s research shows that the hardest hit by the increases will be young adults.

Possibly because they’re the ones not buying any health insurance now?

10 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:13:54pm

The cognitive dissonance required to be a Republican these days is astounding. You would think that at that level, you would start to have trouble with basic tasks, like tying shoes.

I’d rather my politicians be well-grounded in reality, even if I disagree with them.

11 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:14:10pm

re: #9 jaunte

Possibly because they’re the ones not buying any health insurance now?

Because they can’t afford it?

12 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:15:33pm

re: #11 klys

Because they can’t afford it?

And before someone claims that I am making the Republican case for them, this is exactly where the subsidies are supposed to help and most of these are apples to oranges comparisons anyway because the coverage levels are so different.

13 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:16:42pm

The reason is simple: to prevent more people from having adequate healthcare protect the American people from the harmful effects of this law.

14 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:16:43pm

Years from now, we’re going to be telling our kids and grandkids about the healthcare war that nearly sent this country over the cliff and they are going to wonder just what the big deal was about it.

15 blueraven  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:16:49pm

Heritage is out of step with the financial community, which used to be a partner.
Chamber of Commerce is contemplating backing primaries for the tea party republicans.

Please proceed.

16 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:18:04pm

fox news since the end of the shutdown has been in rabid DebtScareTM mode, with screaming headlines in all caps such as

“WHAT CEILING??”

and

“GROWING THE DEBT”

THE SEEMINGLY MODEST 35-PAGE BILL approved by Congress and signed by President Obama to raise the debt ceiling also is packed with billions in additional spending — including a vaguely worded allocation of more than $2 billion extra for an ongoing Ohio River dam project.

ZOMG!!! 2 bil for a dam!!! we’re all gonna die!!

17 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:18:21pm

re: #14 Eclectic Cyborg

Years from now, we’re going to be telling our kids and grandkids about the healthcare war that nearly sent this country over the cliff and they are going to wonder just what the big deal was about it.

You do hear some folks on the right going on about first Social Security, then Medicare, now Obamacare as if the first 2 weren’t hugely popular.

18 victor27  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:18:29pm

Remember, this is the organization that said Obamacare will add $6 trillion (or eleventy bazillion, or somesuch) to the deficit.

Pay no attention to the fact that they were laughed out of the room by fellow conservatives.

When Orrin Hatch warns that your organization is becoming irrelevant… maybe it’s time for some quiet reflection.

19 Mattand  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:18:30pm

re: #7 lawhawk

Memo to DeMint. You’d approve if it were renamed RomneyCare or HeritageCare, since Obamacare took your group’s signature health care initiative, the individual mandate, and made it the central idea of making personal responsibility key to getting people into the health care exchanges - marketplaces that are drivers for insurance companies to goose their profits since the subsidies essentially go to the insurers at the end of the day.

[Embedded content]


While it’s the insureds who see lower premiums as a result of the subsidy, it’s the insurers who get the full amount - the amount paid by the insured plus the subsidy.

They’ve got an incentive to make sure that this works.

Bill Maher Coins New Term to Describe GOP’ers Who Switch Positions to Oppose Obama…

Maher said, “We need a word for when you change your mind because Obama had agreed with you. He then presented his new addition to the dictionary: “blacktrack.”

20 Targetpractice  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:18:52pm

re: #14 Eclectic Cyborg

Years from now, we’re going to be telling our kids and grandkids about the healthcare war that nearly sent this country over the cliff and they are going to wonder just what the big deal was about it.

“So 2008 saw the election of America’s first black president and the first president elected with a majority of the popular vote in nearly 2 decades. Hours later, millions of Americans lost their fucking minds.”

21 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:19:02pm

re: #16 dog philosopher

fox news since the end of the shutdown has been in rabid DebtScareTM mode, with screaming headlines in all caps such as

“WHAT CEILING??”

and

“GROWING THE DEBT”

THE SEEMINGLY MODEST 35-PAGE BILL approved by Congress and signed by President Obama to raise the debt ceiling also is packed with billions in additional spending — including a vaguely worded allocation of more than $2 billion extra for an ongoing Ohio River dam project.

ZOMG!!! 2 bil for a dam!!! we’re all gonna die!!

A dam in a red state. I’m surprised Fox has even mentioned it. I would have thought they’d want to sweep it under the rug.

22 Mattand  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:19:15pm

re: #10 klys

The cognitive dissonance required to be a Republican these days is astounding. You would think that at that level, you would start to have trouble with basic tasks, like tying shoes.

I’d rather my politicians be well-grounded in reality, even if I disagree with them.

This.

23 The Mountain That Blogs  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:19:21pm

re: #17 calochortus

You do hear some folks on the right going on about first Social Security, then Medicare, now Obamacare as if the first 2 weren’t hugely popular.

And increasingly important to the very people screaming about how horrible they are.

24 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:19:41pm

re: #17 calochortus

You do hear some folks on the right going on about first Social Security, then Medicare, now Obamacare as if the first 2 weren’t hugely popular.

Extra added bonus points when the person in question is on both Social Security and Medicare.

25 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:20:26pm

I was subjected to a bit of Fox News this morning courtesy of my break room at work. It was hilarious and sad.

They were actually complaining because Obama, Pelosi and other Dems were attacking Republicans.

The hypocrisy is astounding.

That would be like me loading up an arsenal of assault weapons, challenging someone, then getting pissed off when that someone dares to fire a BB gun back at me in defense.

26 lawhawk  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:20:26pm

re: #16 dog philosopher

A big dam/lock project that has been taking too long to complete because the way Congress appropriates these things, it’s done in piecemeal, and the ACE can’t get any other projects that are important done while this is on the books, so they’re trying to speed the project this way.

Needed and essential. Hardly pork. But to the people who only see money and nothing else, they think that if the money isn’t going to them, then it’s got to be pork.

27 jaunte  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:20:58pm

re: #17 calochortus

You do hear some folks on the right going on about first Social Security, then Medicare, now Obamacare as if the first 2 weren’t hugely popular.

Those programs are still the big target for the privateers.

28 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:20:58pm

re: #10 klys

The cognitive dissonance required to be a Republican these days is astounding. You would think that at that level, you would start to have trouble with basic tasks, like tying shoes.

I’d rather my politicians be well-grounded in reality, even if I disagree with them.

I make an exception for those who register as Republicans because they are in areas so red that their only real choice is made in the GOP primary.

29 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:21:17pm

I love seeing Cory Booker proving how awesome he is again:

30 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:21:53pm

re: #27 jaunte

Those programs are still the big target for the privateers.

Yes, but it ain’t going to win them any elections.

31 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:22:03pm

re: #28 calochortus

I make an exception for those who register as Republicans because they are in areas so red that their only real choice is made in the GOP primary.

Yes, I forgot to mention that.

I mean Republican in the “actually buy into the party line” sense and not the “trying to have some semblance of influence on local elections” sense.

32 blueraven  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:22:13pm

re: #21 klys

A dam in a red state. I’m surprised Fox has even mentioned it. I would have thought they’d want to sweep it under the rug.

Au contraire, it is on McConnell and he is a RINO. That is worse than a Democrat to them now.

33 aagcobb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:22:20pm

re: #19 Mattand

Bill Maher Coins New Term to Describe GOP’ers Who Switch Positions to Oppose Obama…

For example, when the President authorized US forces to assist in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, Newt Gingrich blacktracked on his demand for a no-fly zone and came out in opposition to it.

34 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:22:24pm

re: #31 klys

I figured as much.

35 ComradeDread  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:22:38pm
Oddly enough, the new Heritage Foundation report on Obamacare concludes that it will have devastating effects on America. Go figure.

Uh… Wasn’t Obamacare the Heritage Foundations health care plan to begin with?

I guess if they’re implemented by Obama, then they magically become America destroying no matter what ideas they are.

I have a plan to feed every hungry person in America without raising taxes or adding to the deficit… oh… Obama’s going to do it? It’s going to destroy America!!!!!

36 Justanotherhuman  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:22:52pm

Larry Klayman is being shredded on Martin Bashir.

What a POS.

37 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:23:09pm

Youtube Video

38 lawhawk  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:24:26pm

Oh joy of joys, I’m watching people try to claim that the nullification movement down in the Carolina’s isn’t a secessionist movement. These people haven’t paid attention to history, or the law for that matter.

pulse.ncpolicywatch.org

As Chris Fitzsimon has been pointing out lately, a group calling itself “Nullify Now” will meet at the Raleigh Convention Center tomorrow. The event is, amazingly enough, co-sponsored by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Greg Brannon of Cary. Brannon, of course, is the fellow who recently picked up the endorsement of national Tea Party favorite, Rand Paul.

In addition to Brannon, the nullifier event is also co-sponsored by, among other fun groups, the North Carolina League of the South — a group that calls for secession from the United States, a western NC branch the certifiable Glenn Beck creation known as the 9-12 Project, something called Dr. Dan’s Freedom Forum (a website apparently founded by an Asheville-area tea partier who has run for congress in the past) and, not surprisingly, a for-profit gold and silver retailer.

They cannot nullify this federal law because they don’t like it. The South tried it once. They lost. Threw the nation into the worst war the continent had seen, and there are some in the South still convinced that the outcome should have gone their way - or think that they came out on top, or try to reverse the results.

39 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:25:08pm

So the yarn store called yesterday and I have my yarn waiting for me (from August’s order!) …but the plumbing got stopped up last night and since it wasn’t an emergency-emergency since he still had clothes he could wear today and could shower at the office, we figured we would wait for the non-emergency hours. (Cleanout is on the roof, so they need a two man crew, and it’s an hour of time, so …you do the math.)

They have 30 minutes left before I get really cranky, because lunch and my yarn is waiting on this.

40 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:25:10pm

re: #17 calochortus

You do hear some folks on the right going on about first Social Security, then Medicare, now Obamacare as if the first 2 weren’t hugely popular.

well sure they’re popular with the 47% of the country that does nothing but sit around on its butt collecting welfare checks and buying cadillacs with food stamps

41 ComradeDread  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:25:23pm

re: #14 Eclectic Cyborg

Haha… ahhhh, you assume our kids won’t have turned us all into Soylent Green because we let Louis Gohmert and his ilk set Climate Change policy and there isn’t enough food to sustain us all anymore.

42 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:26:42pm

re: #38 lawhawk

Oh joy of joys, I’m watching people try to claim that the nullification movement down in the Carolina’s isn’t a secessionist movement. These people haven’t paid attention to history, or the law for that matter.

pulse.ncpolicywatch.org

They cannot nullify this federal law because they don’t like it. The South tried it once. They lost. Threw the nation into the worst war the continent had seen, and there are some in the South still convinced that the outcome should have gone their way - or think that they came out on top, or try to reverse the results.

My husband was trying to convince me that if we had to move back to the East Coast, NC would be better than NJ.

I don’t care how awesome the Outer Banks are, I refuse to live in the South. Jersey may have plenty of faults, but it’s at least marginally sane.

(We decided to agree that we’d just never move back to the East Coast instead.)

43 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:26:50pm

re: #39 klys

My deepest condolences-yarn should always take precedence.

44 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:29:01pm

re: #29 klys

I love seeing Cory Booker proving how awesome he is again:

[Embedded content]

OT - when I read ‘officiated’, I thought:

“What did the Little Mermaid tell the teacher when she didn’t have her homework?

“Officiated.”

45 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:29:36pm

re: #44 GeneJockey

That post tests whether you hear a voice in your head when you read.

46 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:30:49pm

re: #45 GeneJockey

That post tests whether you hear a voice in your head when you read.

I think, although this is based purely on speculation, that people who think in words have a much harder time with foreign languages than people who think in concepts/images.

Or at least, that’s my excuse, dammit.

47 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:32:10pm

re: #24 klys

Extra added bonus points when the person in question is on both Social Security and Medicare.

I EARNED THOSE!! I PAID INTO THEM!!!

Of course, many of them paid lower percentages overall than those of us whose working lives started around or after the 1983 Soceial Security fix. But we didn’t earn ours.

48 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:34:06pm

re: #47 GeneJockey

I EARNED THOSE!! I PAID INTO THEM!!!

Of course, many of them paid lower percentages overall than those of us whose working lives started around or after the 1983 Soceial Security fix. But we didn’t earn ours.

My retirement planning assumes absolutely no contribution from Social Security whatsoever. If it does end up still existing, great! Less money that my savings needs to contribute. If not, well, at least I am not fucked.

I think that’s honestly the only realistic way for people in my age-range to plan, right now.

49 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:34:53pm

re: #47 GeneJockey

I EARNED THOSE!! I PAID INTO THEM!!!

Of course, many of them paid lower percentages overall than those of us whose working lives started around or after the 1983 Soceial Security fix. But we didn’t earn ours.

Yeah, years ago my mother had to sit her (perfectly intelligent) sister down and run her through the math on how much more she was getting out of SS than she had put in-even if it had been earning interest in an account somewhere. People just don’t tend to think of it in those terms.

50 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:35:08pm

re: #46 klys

I think, although this is based purely on speculation, that people who think in words have a much harder time with foreign languages than people who think in concepts/images.

Or at least, that’s my excuse, dammit.

Years ago, when we were having our older son tested to try and understand what his issues were, he was asked, “Do you ever hear voices?”

He said, “Yes, sometimes when I’m outside.” Of course, that gave me a fright!

“What do they say?”

“Things like, ‘Stand behind the blue line.’” - he was hearing the PA at the Middle School across the street!!!

51 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:36:21pm

re: #50 GeneJockey


Depending on his age at the time it sounds like the diagnosis might have been “smart-ass”.

52 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:36:46pm

re: #50 GeneJockey

Years ago, when we were having our older son tested to try and understand what his issues were, he was asked, “Do you ever hear voices?”

He said, “Yes, sometimes when I’m outside.” Of course, that gave me a fright!

“What do they say?”

“Things like, ‘Stand behind the blue line.’” - he was hearing the PA at the Middle School across the street!!!

We live near an elementary school and before we replaced the windows with double-pane, I could hear most of the announcements.

The whole announcements-audible-outside is related to the who-needs-hallways attitude prompted by CA’s weather, I think.

53 Justanotherhuman  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:38:01pm

re: #38 lawhawk

Well, Brannon is going to have to get out of the Research Triangle area to campaign and work his ass off and get the backing of the nationals if he’s going to move up in rank among R candidates. I wouldn’t expect him to do very well in urban areas, and this is a Senate race, where the Old Guard usually picks who’s going to be the candidate they’ll pour the money into, and Brannon isn’t going to be the one. Senate races are somewhat different than House races, as Brannon, an ambitious newby, will find out. He really is a long shot. Rand Paul’s endorsement won’t help him here.

Here’s a poll taken by Dems last month, showing him in 5th place among Rs.

publicpolicypolling.com

54 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:42:11pm

Hoax? Or just bored?

Action star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been lobbying for support to change the law to allow him to run for president in 2016, Page Six has exclusively learned.

We’re told Ahnold has been openly talking about his political ambitions while in New York to promote his new movie with Sylvester Stallone, “Escape Plan.”

One source said: “Schwarzenegger has been talking openly about working on getting the constitutional rules changed so he can run for president in 2016. He is ready to file legal paperwork to challenge the rules.”

Arnie was born in Austria, and the US Constitution prevents foreign-born citizens from holding the nation’s top job. Any amendment to the Constitution must be approved by two-thirds majority in the House and the Senate.

55 HoosierHoops  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:42:25pm

A lady on Fox news just said that the food stamp program is nothing more than a big crime ring. Comments and insight like that will insure the GOP remains a minority national party for years on end.
Just go for it GOP. That damn 47%. Go get em.

56 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:42:29pm

Anything that discredits Heritage is good. DeMint is the man.

57 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:43:42pm

re: #54 Political Atheist

I don’t think he’s delusional, so I’ll go with ‘hoax’. Changing the constitution in 3 years to allow someone who wasn’t a brilliant governor to run for president is a non-starter.

58 Dr Lizardo  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:43:46pm

Just heard that former Speaker of the House, Tom Foley of Washington state, has passed away at the age of 84.

RIP.

edition.cnn.com

59 jaunte  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:44:29pm

re: #57 calochortus

New movie publicity stunt.

60 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:44:57pm

re: #58 Dr Lizardo

Not that I’m happy he’s dead, just endorsing the RIP part.

61 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:44:58pm

re: #57 calochortus

I don’t think he’s delusional, so I’ll go with ‘hoax’. Changing the constitution in 3 years to allow someone who wasn’t a brilliant governor to run for president is a non-starter.

He’d never make it out of the Republican primaries anyhow.

62 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:45:34pm

re: #59 jaunte

Ahh. That would explain it.

63 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:46:47pm

I’d like to know what other ideas Heritage came up with that they now oppose.

64 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:48:38pm

re: #63 Amory Blaine

I’d like to know what other ideas Heritage came up with that they now oppose.

I was actually originally a Heritage idea for dealing with unemployment.

65 Mattand  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:49:36pm

re: #29 klys

I love seeing Cory Booker proving how awesome he is again:

[Embedded content]

Hey! I voted for that guy!

66 Mattand  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:53:34pm

re: #57 calochortus

I don’t think he’s delusional, so I’ll go with ‘hoax’. Changing the constitution in 3 years to allow someone who wasn’t a brilliant governor to run for president is a non-starter.

I guess it’s plausible that Arnie may be looking at the current drooling, shit-eating pack of hyenas* that passes for the GOP and thinking, “I can easily pass for a moderate in that group.”

But “hoax” is probably the right call. Schwarzenegger isn’t stupid, and is probably fully aware of how incredibly difficult it is to amend the Constitution.

*Apologies for insulting drooling, shit-eating packs of hyenas with my comparison.

67 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:56:49pm

re: #21 klys

A dam in a red state. I’m surprised Fox has even mentioned it. I would have thought they’d want to sweep it under the rug.

Only one end is in a red state. Illinois Thug Dam!!

68 ComradeDread  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:59:01pm

re: #54 Political Atheist

Hoax.

He’s from California. (strike one)

He was a poor to middling governor (strike two)

He’s neither an heir apparent nor a frothing at the mouth lunatic nor a religious fundamentalist. (strike three)

69 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:00:27pm

re: #66 Mattand

I guess it’s plausible that Arnie may be looking at the current drooling, shit-eating pack of hyenas* that passes for the GOP and thinking, “I can easily pass for a moderate in that group.”

But “hoax” is probably the right call. Schwarzenegger isn’t stupid, and is probably fully aware of how incredibly difficult it is to amend the Constitution.

*Apologies for insulting drooling, shit-eating packs of hyenas for the comparison.

Who cares if libtards call the GOP a pack of hyenas!! All that matters is who has more votes. …. Oops.

70 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:00:48pm

re: #68 ComradeDread

Hoax.

He’s from California. (strike one)

He was a poor to middling governor (strike two)

He’s neither an heir apparent nor a frothing at the mouth lunatic nor a religious fundamentalist. (strike three)

He had a love child with the maid.

Which could be overlooked if strike 3 was not present, but…

71 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:01:14pm

re: #57 calochortus

I don’t think he’s delusional, so I’ll go with ‘hoax’. Changing the constitution in 3 years to allow someone who wasn’t a brilliant governor to run for president is a non-starter.

Well if we try to apply the “brilliant governor’ filter back over time we might find stranger (American born) people have won out. Gov Brown put forth many of the very same fiscal changes Arnold wanted and held a special election for. Thing is the legislature went along with a fellow Dem., was never going to happen for a Republican like Arnold. Arnie never had a chance. His election was his only win.

72 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:01:20pm

re: #54 Political Atheist

Page Six?

73 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:02:07pm

re: #72 Bulworth

Yeah not exactly the LA Times.

74 ComradeDread  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:02:17pm

re: #70 klys

He had a love child with the maid.

Which could be overlooked if strike 3 was not present, but…

No. Sex scandals only produce moral outrage if a Democrat is involved.

75 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:02:54pm

re: #74 ComradeDread

No. Sex scandals only produce moral outrage if a Democrat is involved.

Or if it’s a candidate the Republicans dislike.

76 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:04:00pm

re: #71 Political Atheist

My point was that to amend the Constitution in time to campaign for an election that is 3 years away would take a far more compelling reason than Schwarzenegger.

77 The Mountain That Blogs  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:04:08pm

re: #70 klys

He had a love child with the maid.

Counterpoint: Mark Sanford (R-SC)

78 Justanotherhuman  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:04:55pm

Snowden either got lucky, or, he may have had insider info on which facility would yield the best results for his activities.

Exclusive: NSA delayed anti-leak software at base where Snowden worked -officials

reuters.com

“Well before Snowden joined Booz Allen Hamilton last spring and was assigned to the NSA site as a systems administrator, other U.S. government facilities had begun to install software designed to spot attempts by unauthorized people to access or download data.

“The purpose of the software, which in the NSA’s case is made by a division of Raytheon Co, is to block so-called “insider threats” - a response to an order by President Barack Obama to tighten up access controls for classified information in the wake of the leak of hundreds of thousands of Pentagon and State Department documents by an Army private to WikiLeaks website in 2010.

“The main reason the software had not been installed at the NSA’s Hawaii facility by the time Snowden took up his assignment there was that it had insufficient bandwidth to comfortably install it and ensure its effective operation, according to one of the officials.”

79 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:05:08pm

re: #77 The Mountain That Blogs

Counterpoint: Mark Sanford (R-SC)

Right. Hence the qualification that it could be overlooked if he was, in fact, a raving lunatic fundamentalist or espoused every Tea Party view ever to the 11ty extreme.

80 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:05:43pm

re: #74 ComradeDread

No. Sex scandals only produce moral outrage if a Democrat is involved.

Saint Ronald of the Rayguns was the only president who was even divorced.

81 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:06:03pm

re: #70 klys

Can’t imagine why Arnold, or anyone, would want to be president. Has he seen the House GOP?

82 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:08:44pm

Braves fans outraged after team has nerve to host GLAAD spirit night

A selection of comments in response to an official Braves tweet announcing the Spirit Day:

I’m all for anti-bullying, but those kids need Jesus, not encouragement to pursue that lifestyle. As a long-time Braves fan, I am very disappointed that this was posted here. I will love people for who they are and encourage them to find hope in Christ, and definitely rally against bullying, but I will not celebrate sin!
…
Stick with baseball. Homosexuality is an abomination.
…
Stick to baseball. Stay out of politics. I’m ashamed that they have taken this stance.
…
no thank U!
…
Well, I pulled my son from Boy Scouts due to their support of homosexuality and now guess I am no longer a Braves fan. And yes I will remove myself and refrain from supporting any organization or people who support LGB groups no matter the age!
…
More desensitization of the masses to a disgusting, repulsive, sinful behavior. It’s been real. See ya. Obviously mlb and the braves care more about this agenda than they do families and truth.
…
Bad call, Braves. You were doing so well with “Stand up against bullying”; there was no need to drag people’s perversions into it.
stop being political telling us to stand up for something that God clearly condemns. Play baseball and shut up. And no I don’t hate gays , just hate their lifestyle.

If you want to look at the rest, you can find them at the link above.

83 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:09:44pm

re: #82 Eclectic Cyborg

I’m all for anti-bullying

Translation: No I’m not.

84 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:10:13pm

re: #71 Political Atheist

Well if we try to apply the “brilliant governor’ filter back over time we might find stranger (American born) people have won out. Gov Brown put forth many of the very same fiscal changes Arnold wanted and held a special election for. Thing is the legislature went along with a fellow Dem., was never going to happen for a Republican like Arnold. Arnie never had a chance. His election was his only win.

The main reason Arnold won in the first place was the Gray Davis recall circus + CA self-inflicted energy crisis circus. IIRC, the only reason the energy crisis ended was that the Feds finally stepped in, after a sufficiently long delay to destroy Davis politically.

I wasn’t very fond of Davis, but the abuse that he and the state took at the hands of the Bushies and the energy companies was unconscionable.

85 The Mountain That Blogs  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:11:04pm

re: #81 Bulworth

Yea, but the House GOP wouldn’t be a problem if the president was a Republican. They would just rubber stamp everything he wants.

#actualargumentsinfavorofvotingforRomney

86 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:11:22pm

re: #83 Bulworth

Translation: No I’m not.

I had the same thought.

87 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:12:36pm

re: #84 EPR-radar

The main reason Arnold won in the first place was the Gray Davis recall circus + CA self-inflicted energy crisis circus. IIRC, the only reason the energy crisis ended was that the Feds finally stepped in, after a sufficiently long delay to destroy Davis politically.

I wasn’t very fond of Davis, but the abuse that he and the state took at the hands of the Bushies and the energy companies was unconscionable.

And let’s remember who started the whole recall mess: Darrell Issa.
He thought he could walk into the governor’s office if Davis were recalled.

edited because I can’t spell.

88 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:13:04pm

re: #83 Bulworth

re: #86 Eclectic Cyborg

Of course this nimrod is against “bullying”. It’s just that he has a wingnut definition of bullying, where, by definition, the only possible targets are oppressed wingnuts.

89 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:13:50pm

re: #87 calochortus

And let’s remember who started the who recall mess: Darrell Issa.
He thought he could walk into the governor’s office if Davis were recalled.

Instead—-

Benghazi!!!!

90 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:14:37pm

re: #87 calochortus

And let’s remember who started the who recall mess: Darrell Issa.
He thought he could walk into the governor’s office if Davis were recalled.

I had forgotten that part of the story, although I think it likely that if Issa hadn’t done the deed, some other rich GOP wingnut would have. Davis really was hammered by his helplessness in the energy disaster, and was probably doomed in any recall election.

91 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:15:07pm

Arnold also looks rather the worse for wear these days. Can’t imagine he’d be up for a presidential tour of duty three years from now.

92 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:16:56pm

re: #90 EPR-radar

I had forgotten that part of the story, although I think it likely that if Issa hadn’t done the deed, some other rich GOP wingnut would have. Davis really was hammered by his helplessness in the energy disaster, and was probably doomed in any recall election.

Perhaps so.

93 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:17:26pm

re: #82 Eclectic Cyborg

The dudes on NFL Network last night were sporting the purple and Rich Eisen (the host) went out of his way to explain that the purple-wearing was on account of Spirit Day, which could not have had the NFL’s macho-dude base too pleased. But good for them anyway.

94 ComradeDread  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:18:28pm
Well, I pulled my son from Boy Scouts due to their support of homosexuality and now guess I am no longer a Braves fan.

Keep in mind, ‘support of homosexuality’ = not automatically kicking a kid out of the boy scouts for admitting that he’s gay even if he’s celibate.

And it appears that the Braves’ support = bringing awareness to bullying of LGBT students and saying, “Stop that. Treat them like you’d want to be treated.”

Truly, we’re one step away from being forcibly gay married.

95 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:20:54pm

re: #94 ComradeDread

Well, I pulled my son from Boy Scouts due to their support of homosexuality and now guess I am no longer a Braves fan.

Quick, get her a spot on Hannity to discuss how Spirit Day oppressed her and her family. //

96 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:21:24pm

so you mean this is not a post about the Creme de Menthe Association?

97 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:22:03pm

boy scouts
walt disney
major league baseball

ALL ON THE RIGHT WING SHITLIST!!!

98 Bulworth  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:22:34pm

Well, I am close to wrapping up my first day back at work after the three-week federal government furlough. Didn’t miss my job at all. Glad it’s Friday.

99 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:24:13pm

re: #84 EPR-radar

Right, it took a severe aberration for a republican to have a shot at all. The Dems have owned this state, and it’s state of affairs for a long time now. What I find interesting is the influence Southern California lacks in the state legislature.

100 kirkspencer  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:25:31pm

re: #82 Eclectic Cyborg

Braves fans outraged after team has nerve to host GLAAD spirit night

A selection of comments in response to an official Braves tweet announcing the Spirit Day:

If you want to look at the rest, you can find them at the link above.

The echo they’re ignoring is “I don’t hate coloreds. I just don’t want them [in my schools | in my neighborhoods | marrying whites].”

101 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:29:28pm

re: #58 Dr Lizardo

Just heard that former Speaker of the House, Tom Foley of Washington state, has passed away at the age of 84.

RIP.

edition.cnn.com

That man was far better than the people of his district deserved. The first Speaker to be voted out, and if you believe the polls a huge number of the people who voted him out thought that his replacement would also get to be Speaker. They just magically thought that they got to elect the Speaker of the House, that their district was special or something.

His opponent, George Nethercutt, was elected by campaigning on term limits, with an express promise to only serve three terms. Predictably, he broke this promise to only serve three terms, and the same assholes who voted foley out on a term limits binge eventually gave Nethercutt five terms.

102 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:31:18pm
103 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:32:37pm

Now here are some cogent arguments against same sex marriage brought to you by a Freeper:

Simply consider it in economic terms.

Gay marriage allows the entry of more couples into the world of marriage and thus devalues marriage much like increasing the money supply devalues the dollar.

So marriage should be rare and precious. Let’s live in sin!

A little more close to home. Think about the value of your home and the impact on that value if a married gay couple were to move in next door. How do you sell your house if your gay neighbors are visible while potential buyers are looking at the house you are attempting to sell?

OMG! People! Next door!!!11!

And in a very personal level. What if you were having difficulty with your own marriage. Will the value of your marriage increase or decrease if you know that people in your own community or even your next door neighbors are gay and are married?

Maybe you could get advice and support from a happily married couple?

Will the value of your children’s education increase or decrease if they happen to go to school with kids who have parents that are involved in gay marriages?

Will that be a distraction to the educational mission of the school?

Only when you stand out there with a sign.

What if you work for a company that offers Domestic Partner Benefits? Will inclusion of these gays on your company’s health care plan increase or decrease the cost of your insurance?

Larger pool of employees shouldn’t raise the cost. It could even drop the cost a bit.

Thanks for playing.

104 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:34:48pm

re: #103 calochortus

This could well be a parody. It’s well-written self-sabotage on every point.

105 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:36:05pm

re: #39 klys

So the yarn store called yesterday and I have my yarn waiting for me (from August’s order!) …but the plumbing got stopped up last night and since it wasn’t an emergency-emergency since he still had clothes he could wear today and could shower at the office, we figured we would wait for the non-emergency hours. (Cleanout is on the roof, so they need a two man crew, and it’s an hour of time, so …you do the math.)

They have 30 minutes left before I get really cranky, because lunch and my yarn is waiting on this.

Wait, what?

There’s a YARN STORE near you? Where do you live where it’s still 1980?

106 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:36:47pm

re: #104 EPR-radar

I don’t think so. The post was in response to a question by another Freeper, and they don’t do a lot of parody over there.
The answers to questions are, of course, mine.

107 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:37:34pm

re: #105 Vicious Babushka

Wait, what?

There’s a YARN STORE near you? Where do you live where it’s still 1980?

My yarn store is a beautiful, beautiful place.

Besides, didn’t you get the memo? Knitting is cool again. It’s my love of counted cross stitch that marks me as anomaly and/or throwback to ancient times.

108 wrenchwench  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:38:01pm

re: #105 Vicious Babushka

Wait, what?

There’s a YARN STORE near you? Where do you live where it’s still 1980?

We have a yarn store, but it’s 1890 here.

109 ComradeDread  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:38:30pm

re: #103 calochortus

A little more close to home. Think about the value of your home and the impact on that value if a married gay couple were to move in next door. How do you sell your house if your gay neighbors are visible while potential buyers are looking at the house you are attempting to sell?

Had a gay couple living next door. They got married. When it was time for me to move, I sold my house the first week it was on the market.

Those guys were the nicest neighbors you could ask for.

110 Rev_Arthur_Belling  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:39:19pm

re: #9 jaunte

Mr. Gonshorowski’s research shows that the hardest hit by the increases catastrophic illnesses will be are young adults.
Possibly because they’re the ones not buying any health insurance now?

FTFY

111 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:39:28pm

re: #108 wrenchwench

We have a yarn store, but it’s 1890 here.

Because it is CA, my yarn store emphasizes its selection of sustainable fibers.

No, really.

112 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:39:30pm

re: #103 calochortus

SOME FREEPER:

A little more close to home. Think about the value of your home and the impact on that value if a married gay couple were to move in next door. How do you sell your house if your gay neighbors are visible while potential buyers are looking at the house you are attempting to sell?

Are you freaking kidding me? Property values would skyrocket! Do you know how fabulous they landscape and decorate?

113 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:39:58pm

re: #109 ComradeDread

Had a gay couple living next door. They got married. When it was time for me to move, I sold my house the first week it was on the market.

Those guys were the nicest neighbors you could ask for.

You must have thrown a sheet over them or something when people were looking at your house.
// (do I really need to say?)

114 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:40:16pm

re: #112 Vicious Babushka

Are you freaking kidding me? Property values would skyrocket! Do you know how fabulous they landscape and decorate?

Pretty sure the couple across the street is gay. I haven’t really asked, because it’s not really any of my business.

They’re fantastically nice though, and I like them.

115 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:40:24pm

re: #111 klys

Because it is CA, my yarn store emphasizes its selection of sustainable fibers.

No, really.

Their web design is like from 1980.

OK 1998.

116 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:40:32pm

re: #111 klys

Because it is CA, my yarn store emphasizes its selection of sustainable fibers.

No, really.

Seriously awesome store.

117 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:40:59pm

re: #105 Vicious Babushka

Wait, what?

There’s a YARN STORE near you? Where do you live where it’s still 1980?

Yarn bombing. It’s a thing.

118 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:41:34pm

re: #112 Vicious Babushka

Are you freaking kidding me? Property values would skyrocket! Do you know how fabulous they landscape and decorate?

And then me in a rental with my patch of dust vaguely resembling a lawn can hold up the law of averages.

119 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:41:39pm

re: #115 Vicious Babushka

Their web design is like from 1980.

OK 1998.

It’s better than the website for my local needlework store (which is all the way up in Alameda, sigh).

In general, savvy web design and crafting ability seem to fall on separate sections of the Venn diagram.

120 psddluva4evah  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:43:26pm

I know that probably a good bit of you guys don’t really spend much time thinking about HBCU big team sports, but here in Louisiana, one of the best known HBCU teams and sports programs is going through a big crisis. That is beginning to affect other things as well. No one really knows what is going in, but if it continues it could effect one of the biggest “bowl” games in HBCU football.

In case you guys weren’t following the thing going down with Grambling State University, but it def deserves some attention. That is beginning to affect other things as well. Anyway, alot of the issues can be squarely put at Jindal’s feet or just has been exacerbated by his stupid fiscal policies.

There has already been some talk about the longevity of Bayou Classic (it’s the biggest game of the HBCU football season I’m pretty sure the only one shown nationally) anyway, and this type of thing could sure be the things that lets the money talkers jump ship…they’ve been waiting for just the right opportunity.

Just wondering what happens to Bayou Classic if it continues. Bayou Classic is a big deal in NOLA and it’s a BIG money maker. If this is not resolved a month, no one knows what gonna happen.

What’s Behind The Grambling Football Team’s Protest

The inside story of what caused Grambling football players to revolt

121 Charles Johnson  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:43:44pm
122 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:43:44pm
123 HoosierHoops  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:44:13pm

Bob Beckel is doing well tonight on the Five on Fox. Sometimes I worry about him. I think he is a great man but sometimes outmatched by the other 4 sometimes. Maybe ambushed..I shall not make excuses for him, To be a liberal on a very conservative network you must..must be able to hold your own else the cause and vision is damaged nightly. I like Bob..It would be better to have 2 liberals and 3 rightwing people.. ( Love Dana ) on the Five. Can you imagine if Maddow and Bob were on the Five every night?
My gawd.. Everybody would watch with strong augments from both sides.
I record every Five show and some of you here know that I met a lovely Fox News producer while she is here teaching some media class at OU.
Sorry to see her return to NYC soon. She is a big sports fan and we watch the Bronco’s games with a small group of fans at the sports bar.
I’ve seen all the pictures of her with all the Fox personalities and have heard the backroom stories.. One time I tried to slip in that it would be nice to see a Maddow booked on Fox…Wait for it..
She said she had booked Maddow on Fox shows several times in the past and really liked her.. Yes.. More pictures from her phone of them together. My over all judgement of Fox has been somewhat tempered by meeting a real person from there.
Maybe there is hope for them in the future with young producers.
/please don’t snark this post..She is a lovely person.

124 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:45:04pm

re: #119 klys

It’s better than the website for my local needlework store (which is all the way up in Alameda, sigh).

In general, savvy web design and crafting ability seem to fall on separate sections of the Venn diagram.

And Old World Designs’ website would seem to confirm that. (But they are closer to you than Alameda and do have a nice assortment of threads. Probably not a lot of other counted cross stitch supplies though.)

125 klys  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:45:08pm

Ok, the plumbers have been by, the toilets flush again, and so I am off to find food and get my yarn!

Later Lizards.

126 Lidane  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:48:54pm

re: #106 calochortus

I don’t think so. The post was in response to a question by another Freeper, and they don’t do a lot of parody over there.
The answers to questions are, of course, mine.

Parody requires a sense of humor, something that Freepers and RWNJs lack.

127 Mike Lamb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:49:11pm

re: #103 calochortus

This person does realize that because of the ability to get easy, no fault divorces in most jurisdictions, that the marriage pool is essentially infinite, right? Everyone is taken pretty much on a temporary basis.

He also realizes that in about half of his points, it is of no relevance whether the gay couple is married or not, right? Does this person think that non-married gay couples don’t live together?

128 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:49:33pm

MORANS

129 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:50:11pm

re: #99 Political Atheist

Right, it took a severe aberration for a republican to have a shot at all. The Dems have owned this state, and it’s state of affairs for a long time now. What I find interesting is the influence Southern California lacks in the state legislature.

Gray Davis was preceded by TWO 2-term Republican governors, George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson, and as recently as 1996 the Assembly had a GOP majority.

To be fair, though, as the GOP went slowly insane during the Clinton years, and, honestly, through the Bush years and then completely bugfuck crazy after 2008, the GOP’s numbers dropped precipitously. Now they’re under 1/3 of the assembly, mostly from the big, empty counties.

130 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:50:34pm

OK wingnuts you want to be one motorcycle accident away from destitution and homelessness THAT’S NOT MY PROBLEM. YOU CHOSE THIS.

131 Lidane  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:50:51pm

re: #112 Vicious Babushka

Are you freaking kidding me? Property values would skyrocket! Do you know how fabulous they landscape and decorate?

132 Mike Lamb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:52:44pm

re: #128 Vicious Babushka

Yes, please do so. Don’t get health insurance and definitely, definitely don’t visit doctors or other medical providers that accept patients with Obamacare. That dark, growing mole on your cheek? Better to ignore it than give in to Obamacare. Numbness in your right arm? A trifling inconvenience compared to the horror of Obamacare.

133 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:55:42pm

re: #127 Mike Lamb

I have no idea what this person thinks. Or if s/he thinks. But I do wonder what exactly he or she really thinks marriage does for society if it should be so carefully limited?

134 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:56:50pm

re: #128 Vicious Babushka

MORANS

[Embedded content]

Reminds me of the Judean People’s Front crack suicide squad.

135 gwangung  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:57:11pm

re: #120 psddluva4evah

I know that probably a good bit of you guys don’t really spend much time thinking about HBCU big team sports, but here in Louisiana, one of the best known HBCU teams and sports programs is going through a big crisis. That is beginning to affect other things as well. No one really knows what is going in, but if it continues it could effect one of the biggest “bowl” games in HBCU football.

In case you guys weren’t following the thing going down with Grambling State University, but it def deserves some attention. That is beginning to affect other things as well. Anyway, alot of the issues can be squarely put at Jindal’s feet or just has been exacerbated by his stupid fiscal policies.

There has already been some talk about the longevity of Bayou Classic (it’s the biggest game of the HBCU football season I’m pretty sure the only one shown nationally) anyway, and this type of thing could sure be the things that lets the money talkers jump ship…they’ve been waiting for just the right opportunity.

Just wondering what happens to Bayou Classic if it continues. Bayou Classic is a big deal in NOLA and it’s a BIG money maker. If this is not resolved a month, no one knows what gonna happen.

What’s Behind The Grambling Football Team’s Protest

The inside story of what caused Grambling football players to revolt

Holy crap.

Republican stewardship, indeed.

136 Rev_Arthur_Belling  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:58:57pm

re: #120 psddluva4evah

Saw that earlier today on DeadSpin. Good for the players for standing up.

137 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 2:59:20pm

re: #112 Vicious Babushka

Are you freaking kidding me? Property values would skyrocket! Do you know how fabulous they landscape and decorate?

My wife’s late brother was gay. She tells me she felt cheated, because she’d always LOVED Teh Ghey, but Ted followed none of the stereotypes.

“He wasn’t gay. He was morose!”

138 ObserverArt  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:02:45pm

Hey, I got my email response from Heritage. How timely. They actually had someone answer my questions and does not appear to be a form letter. They glossed over my religious based questions, but they sure went into their policy on the mandate.

They more or less deny they had anything to do with the mandate saying they studied it as policy but did not invent it. They go on to give me some links to background on an amicus brief that Heritage filed with the 11th circuit court in May of 2011 in support of Heritage that clears their record on the issue.

I’m going to go through it and read the many links this weekend. If I get some time, I’ll try to break it down and see if I can get one those side pages built on it.

I don’t want to post the email as I feel that would be out of line, but I will explain their policy reasoning.

Oh yeah, it seems that if they are backtracking on their original research and policy they started sometime in early 2008. They point out that was before Obama was elected and when Obama was still opposed to the mandate.

Very interesting.

139 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:03:54pm

re: #129 GeneJockey

Gray Davis was preceded by TWO 2-term Republican governors, George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson, and as recently as 1996 the Assembly had a GOP majority.

To be fair, though, as the GOP went slowly insane during the Clinton years, and, honestly, through the Bush years and then completely bugfuck crazy after 2008, the GOP’s numbers dropped precipitously. Now they’re under 1/3 of the assembly, mostly from the big, empty counties.

California has a long history of weak executives. Here, at least in part is why.

The California State Legislature currently has a Democratic supermajority, with the Senate consisting of 28 Democrats and 12 Republicans and the Assembly consisting of 55 Democrats and 25 Republicans. Except for the period from 1995 to 1996, the Assembly has been in Democratic hands since the 1970 election (even while the governor’s office has gone back and forth between Republicans and Democrats). The Senate has been in Democratic hands continuously since 1970.

140 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:04:53pm

re: #9 jaunte

Mr. Gonshorowski’s research shows that the hardest hit by the increases will be young adults.

Possibly because they’re the ones not buying any health insurance now?

And these are the people that some on the Right are telling not to sign up for Obamacare. They argue that young people don’t need it which is only true until it’s very, very UNtrue.

This is like arguing that good drivers shouldn’t get car insurance, or nonsmokers shouldn’t get fire insurance on their houses.

Not only that, but if they DON’T sign up, and end up really sick, the Righties will be the FIRST to tell them to fuck off and die for being so irresponsible.

“Party of Personal Responsibility”, my ass.

141 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:05:27pm

re: #104 EPR-radar

This could well be a parody. It’s well-written self-sabotage on every point.

Needed: Gay corollary to Poe’s Law.

142 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:07:32pm

re: #138 ObserverArt

Hey, I got my email response from Heritage. How timely. They actually had someone answer my questions and does not appear to be a form letter. They glossed over my religious based questions, but they sure went into their policy on the mandate.

They more or less deny they had anything to do with the mandate saying they studied it as policy but did not invent it. They go on to give me some links to background on an amicus brief that Heritage filed with the 11th circuit court in May of 2011 in support of Heritage that clears their record on the issue.

I’m going to go through it and read the many links this weekend. If I get some time, I’ll try to break it down and see if I can get one those side pages built on it.

I don’t want to post the email as I feel that would be out of line, but I will explain their policy reasoning.

Oh yeah, it seems that if they are backtracking on their original research and policy they started sometime in early 2008. They point out that was before Obama was elected and when Obama was still opposed to the mandate.

Very interesting.

Yeah. Guess who was in favor of it?

143 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:07:57pm

re: #114 klys

Pretty sure the couple across the street is gay. I haven’t really asked, because it’s not really any of my business.

They’re fantastically nice though, and I like them.

Don’t know if there are gay couples on my street, but there is one suspicious lawn I’m watching.

144 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:11:00pm

re: #139 Political Atheist

For completeness, the GOP minority in the state legislature has had a marked tendency to play the part of a spoiler on anything that needed 2/3 votes to pass (such as state budgets, until recently).

The recent removal of some of these 2/3 requirements combined with GOP representation going to less than 1/3 in the legislature threatens to make the CA GOP completely irrelevant to state governance.

So far, the CA GOP response to this problem appears to be to go after recently enacted protections for transgendered kids in schools.

145 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:11:27pm

I don’t know if this has been posted.

Cruz’ Father Suggests Ted Cruz “Anointed” to “Bring The Spoils Of War To The Priests”

In a sermon last year at an Irving, Texas, megachurch that helped elect Ted Cruz to the United States Senate, Cruz’ father Rafael Cruz indicated that his son was among the evangelical Christians who are anointed as “kings” to take control of all sectors of society, an agenda commonly referred to as the “Seven Mountains” mandate, and “bring the spoils of war to the priests”, thus helping to bring about a prophesied “great transfer of wealth”, from the “wicked” to righteous gentile believers.

Youtube Video

146 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:11:49pm

WHATEVS

147 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:12:48pm

re: #139 Political Atheist

California has a long history of weak executives. Here, at least in part is why.

IMO, the California GOP since 1994 has been slowly strangling itself in its quest for ideological purity. They finally managed to marginalize themselves into complete irrelevance, even with the ridiculous supermajority requirement in the Legislature.

On Schwarzeneggar, yeah, the ONLY REASON he got elected was because of the recall, because he could NEVER get nominated by the California GOP as it has existed in the 21st Century. They nominated him for reelection, because he was already Governor, but they’d never have done so otherwise.

148 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:13:11pm

re: #145 Amory Blaine

Seven mountains dominionism is the stuff that professional snake handlers regard as batshit insane.

149 ObserverArt  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:14:12pm

re: #142 GeneJockey

Yeah. Guess who was in favor of it?

Now it is becoming clearer!

I smell snake-like activity. That might be why they never touched on my points on healthcare and Christianity.

150 Rev_Arthur_Belling  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:14:18pm

re: #148 EPR-radar

I admit that’s a new one on me, and I spent years around some hardcore fundamentalists.

151 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:14:58pm

re: #144 EPR-radar

That’s a all far more recent development. Majority since 1970. 43 years uninterrupted in the upper house only a two year break in the lower. Who runs California? The Dems do. For better or worse that’s the history.

152 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:15:38pm

I’m signing off now for the Shabbat.

Tonight’s menu:

Gefilte fish w/horseradish
Baked salmon w/lemon dill sauce
Home-baked challah
Butter lettuce salad w/vinaigrette
Chicken soup w/matzo balls

KEY LIME PIE

Wine: Sion Creek Chardonnay
Herzog Orange Muscat

153 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:16:03pm

re: #147 GeneJockey

IMO, the California GOP since 1994 has been slowly strangling itself in its quest for ideological purity. They finally managed to marginalize themselves into complete irrelevance, even with the ridiculous supermajority requirement in the Legislature.

On Schwarzeneggar, yeah, the ONLY REASON he got elected was because of the recall, because he could NEVER get nominated by the California GOP as it has existed in the 21st Century. They nominated him for reelection, because he was already Governor, but they’d never have done so otherwise.

If the US GOP follows the CA GOP example without ever again getting into power at the federal level, I can’t imagine how I’d cope with my sadness.

154 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:16:09pm

re: #149 ObserverArt

Now it is becoming clearer!

I smell snake-like activity. That might be why they never touched on my points on healthcare and Christianity.

Well, shit - you weren’t expecting an HONEST answer, were you?

155 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:17:17pm

re: #151 Political Atheist

That’s a all far more recent development. Majority since 1970. 43 years uninterrupted in the upper house only a two year break in the lower. Who runs California? The Dems do. For better or worse that’s the history.

No, it’s really not. You know that getting the supermajority has changed things, that the weird budget laws requiring a supermajority for a ton of stuff existed, and that the GOP were able to use their minority to obstruct. The Democrats were not unopposed. Now, basically, they are. Now they have a supermajority and the governorship and, big suprirse, they’re not really that ‘progressive’ since a lot of Democrats are actually pretty conservative.

California politics has not just been ‘Democrats run the show’ and it’s really facile to portray it as such.

156 allegro  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:18:00pm

re: #145 Amory Blaine

I don’t know if this has been posted.

Cruz’ Father Suggests Ted Cruz “Anointed” to “Bring The Spoils Of War To The Priests”

[Embedded content]

Sheesh. They are all about the bucks aren’t they? Not even trying to pretend anymore.

157 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:20:07pm

re: #153 EPR-radar

If the US GOP follows the CA GOP example without ever again getting into power at the federal level, I can’t imagine how I’d cope with my sadness.

Alcohol? Party streamers?

158 Charles Johnson  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:22:02pm
159 Mike Lamb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:22:36pm

re: #146 Vicious Babushka

WHATEVS

[Embedded content]

I’m just going out on a limb and say they aren’t including the people enrolling in the state created health care exchanges.

Still got to love the audacity of it all:

1) Do everything possible to sabotage ACA.
2) Label ACA failure after sabotage works.

160 Justanotherhuman  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:23:25pm

re: #145 Amory Blaine

I don’t know if this has been posted.

Cruz’ Father Suggests Ted Cruz “Anointed” to “Bring The Spoils Of War To The Priests”

[Embedded content]

Dominionists. No wonder Palin endorsed him. She’s seen as the modern day Queen Esther.

Those people are nutso-facto indeed.

161 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:23:37pm

re: #158 Charles Johnson

Hey Skipper maybe we should postpone the three hour tour….

162 wrenchwench  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:23:52pm

re: #158 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Looks like Ganesha’s about to step on someone.

163 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:24:14pm

re: #155 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

No, it’s really not. You know that getting the supermajority has changed things, that the weird budget laws requiring a supermajority for a ton of stuff existed, and that the GOP were able to use their minority to obstruct. The Democrats were not unopposed. Now, basically, they are. Now they have a supermajority and the governorship and, big suprirse, they’re not really that ‘progressive’ since a lot of Democrats are actually pretty conservative.

California politics has not just been ‘Democrats run the show’ and it’s really facile to portray it as such.

And Jerry Brown and the Democrats in CA seem to have been generally improving things since the GOP lost its minority veto.

(edited to add) And yes, I really do think this is simply attributable to the loss of the GOP minority veto at a time when the GOP was acting only to destroy the very idea of functional government.

164 ObserverArt  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:25:24pm

re: #154 GeneJockey

Well, shit - you weren’t expecting an HONEST answer, were you?

Nope. But I didn’t think I would get this type of detailed song and dance. I was expecting a “we were for it before we were against it and after further study…blah, blah, blah.”

Maybe they have this as a from letter for reporters and media and the like and sent it on to me due to the nature of my questions.

165 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:26:46pm

re: #163 EPR-radar

And Jerry Brown and the Democrats in CA seem to have been generally improving things since the GOP lost its minority veto.

And next year the CA GOP is planning to have the right to bully transgender kids be the central plank in their party platform. There’s a reason they’re so unpopular here, they’re just mean.

166 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:28:28pm

re: #164 ObserverArt

Nope. But I didn’t think I would get this type of detailed song and dance. I was expecting a “we were for it before we were against it and after further study…blah, blah, blah.”

Maybe they have this as a from letter for reporters and media and the like and sent it on to me due to the nature of my questions.

Prolly.

167 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:29:28pm

re: #165 goddamnedfrank

And next year the CA GOP is planning to have the right to bully transgender kids be the central plank in their party platform. There’s a reason they’re so unpopular here, they’re just mean.

I’M NOT TRULY FREE UNTIL I CAN MAKE SOMEONE ELSE LESS FREE!!!!

168 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:30:50pm

re: #38 lawhawk

Oh joy of joys, I’m watching people try to claim that the nullification movement down in the Carolina’s isn’t a secessionist movement. These people haven’t paid attention to history, or the law for that matter.

pulse.ncpolicywatch.org

They cannot nullify this federal law because they don’t like it. The South tried it once. They lost. Threw the nation into the worst war the continent had seen, and there are some in the South still convinced that the outcome should have gone their way - or think that they came out on top, or try to reverse the results.

I can’t play “Marching Through Georgia” for a bunch of Neo-Confederates in North Carolina, because Gen. Sherman specifically spared that state the devastation meted out to South Carolina and Georgia. So instead, I’ll go with this next song:

Youtube Video

169 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:31:08pm

re: #155 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

No, it’s really not. You know that getting the supermajority has changed things, that the weird budget laws requiring a supermajority for a ton of stuff existed, and that the GOP were able to use their minority to obstruct. The Democrats were not unopposed. Now, basically, they are. Now they have a supermajority and the governorship and, big suprirse, they’re not really that ‘progressive’ since a lot of Democrats are actually pretty conservative.

California politics has not just been ‘Democrats run the show’ and it’s really facile to portray it as such.

Sorry but your justified dislike of GOP policy has allowed you to exaggerate it’s effect over the time period I include. the actual numbers, over the 43 years are undeniable. For example the top 3 officers in the Senate are Democrats. All from up north too. The last few years just don’t apply 20, 30, 40 years ago. the history is what it is. Solid Democratic majority and plenty of time in the top executive office as well.

This is only bothersome if you think California has done badly over the period. Edit-“Facile”? Is that really necessary just because we disagree?

170 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:31:27pm

re: #165 goddamnedfrank

And next year the CA GOP is planning to have the right to bully transgender kids be the central plank in their party platform. There’s a reason they’re so unpopular here, they’re just mean.

But teenage boys will want to use the girls’ locker room!!!

Except that I don’t think they’ll want to be labeled as transgendered. Of course, some idiot 15 year old will try it somewhere and Someone will have to Talk to him.

171 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:32:56pm

re: #145 Amory Blaine

Simple con-men. Hillary’s people will need little more than a video editor.

172 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:33:20pm

re: #165 goddamnedfrank

And next year the CA GOP is planning to have the right to bully transgender kids be the central plank in their party platform. There’s a reason they’re so unpopular here, they’re just mean.

It would be delightful karma if movement conservatism, which inflicted itself on the nation based in part on its successes in attracting swing voters in places like CA, followed the lead of the CA GOP into total irrelevance.

173 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:36:07pm

re: #172 EPR-radar

It would be delightful karma if movement conservatism, which inflicted itself on the nation based in part on its successes in attracting swing voters in places like CA, followed the lead of the CA GOP into total irrelevance.

Well, that’s a delight you’re not going to see.

174 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:36:24pm

Most of you know me to be a fierce advocate for self defense rights. I don’t like SYG, but this Page well illustrates why self defense out in public areas needs to be better codified under the law.

175 freetoken  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:37:35pm

re: #145 Amory Blaine

I don’t know if this has been posted.

Cruz’ Father Suggests Ted Cruz “Anointed” to “Bring The Spoils Of War To The Priests”

Youtube Video

Can we stop pretending now that the Tea Party insurgency isn’t a religious war against the rest of us?

176 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:39:17pm

re: #163 EPR-radar

And Jerry Brown and the Democrats in CA seem to have been generally improving things since the GOP lost its minority veto.

With fiscal moves very similar to those first suggested by Arnold. Not A Coincidence. The fiscal reality finally won out, wore through the partisan distortions popular while he was Governor.

177 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:39:21pm

re: #171 Decatur Deb

Simple con-men. Hillary’s people will need little more than a video editor player.

FTFY. No editing necessary.

178 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:39:52pm

re: #175 freetoken

Can we stop pretending now that the Tea Party insurgency isn’t a religious war against the rest of us?

It isn’t. Most Tea Party people aren’t Dominionists, but it is a fact that Dominionists are drawn to the Tea Party.

179 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:40:04pm

re: #169 Political Atheist

Sorry but your justified dislike of GOP policy has allowed you to exaggerate it’s effect over the time period I include. the actual numbers, over the 43 years are undeniable. For example the top 3 officers in the Senate are Democrats. All from up north too. The last few years just don’t apply 20, 30, 40 years ago. the history is what it is. Solid Democratic majority and plenty of time in the top executive office as well.

Except I didn’t fucking argue that. That wasn’t my argument. My argument was that the GOP, as a minority party, were able to obstruct because of supermajority rules. So if you want to address my argument, address my argument, not a replacement of my argument that you’ve constrcuted.

This is only bothersome if you think California has done badly over the period. Edit-“Facile”? Is that really necessary just because we disagree?

I very honestly think that you’re being facile when you say that California was run by the Democrats. It’s like claiming that the Democrats run the US Senate, and ignoring the filibusters.

180 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:41:14pm

re: #178 Dark_Falcon

It isn’t. Most Tea Party people aren’t Dominionists, but it is a fact that Dominionists are drawn to the Tea Party.

They don’t need to be Dominionists to be Christianist Theocrats,

181 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:42:14pm

re: #176 Political Atheist

With fiscal moves very similar to those first suggested by Arnold. Not A Coincidence. The fiscal reality finally won out, wore through the partisan distortions popular while he was Governor.

Though that is in large part because Jerry Brown is far more of a pragmatist than he is generally thought to be.

182 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:42:15pm

re: #173 Dark_Falcon

Well, that’s a delight you’re not going to see.

Life is full of disappointments.

More seriously, the GOP is infected with Tea Party madness. This is a simple fact. There are several possible outcomes:

1) The tea party remains in charge of the GOP and they get into power. Further considerations are irrelevant in such a dystopia.

2) The tea party remains in charge of the GOP and they marginalize themselves. Here I’ll eventually get to do my happy dance.

3) The tea party loses its grip on the GOP. I assume this is the outcome you prefer, and I could live with it as well. The problem is that I don’t see anything resembling sufficient push back from the non-teapartiers in the GOP.

183 AlexRogan  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:43:36pm

re: #16 dog philosopher

fox news since the end of the shutdown has been in rabid DebtScareTM mode, with screaming headlines in all caps such as

“WHAT CEILING??”

and

“GROWING THE DEBT”

THE SEEMINGLY MODEST 35-PAGE BILL approved by Congress and signed by President Obama to raise the debt ceiling also is packed with billions in additional spending — including a vaguely worded allocation of more than $2 billion extra for an ongoing Ohio River dam project.

ZOMG!!! 2 bil for a dam!!! we’re all gonna die!!

The teaturds don’t seem to know (or, if they know, want to acknowledge) that dams (like the Olmstead Dam and Locks project in question) are one of those “provide for the common Defence and general Welfare” things that the federal government is tasked to do, for stuff like interstate commerce and flood control.

Bunch of willfully ignorant dipshits…

184 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:45:08pm

re: #181 Dark_Falcon

Though that is in large part because Jerry Brown is far more of a pragmatist than he is generally thought to be.

Someone who wants government to work will tend to be a pragmatist drawn to policies that can actually work in real life.

Ideological bomb throwers have no interest in making things work, and simply want to destroy.

185 gwangung  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:46:00pm

re: #182 EPR-radar

3) The tea party loses its grip on the GOP. I assume this is the outcome you prefer, and I could live with it as well. The problem is that I don’t see anything resembling sufficient push back from the non-teapartiers in the GOP.

I would prefer pragmatism to return to the Republican Party. They used to be the party of hard headed realists. Now, if the facts don’t jibe with ideology, they’ll chuck reality and cling to the ideology.

186 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:46:27pm

re: #181 Dark_Falcon

Though that is in large part because Jerry Brown is far more of a pragmatist than he is generally thought to be.

Those of us who watched him as AG and Mayor of Oakland are not surprised, however.

187 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:47:19pm

I remember when it was okay to describe yourself as a “liberal Republican”. Those were heady, heady days.

188 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:48:21pm

re: #187 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

I remember when it was okay to describe yourself as a “liberal Republican”. Those were heady, heady days.

Now, ‘Liberal Republican’ is an oxymoron. And ‘Republican’ is just a plain moron.

189 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:48:29pm

re: #99 Political Atheist

What I find interesting is the influence Southern California lacks in the state legislature.

Huh? Five of the last six Assembly Speakers have been from the Los Angeles area.

190 freetoken  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:49:48pm

Americans and their Wackaloon Wrestlers:

Youtube Video

191 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:51:22pm

re: #179 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

I did not reconstruct anything. I pointed out some historical facts. Compelling facts IMO. We disagree on the implications. A downding, a pale insult and now you seen to be fairly mad at what ought to be a straightforward conversation. How about we just dial that down a bit.

Sure The GOP managed to obstruct some things. More than I would have liked. But plenty of others got through. Fiscal adjustments suggested in Arnolds day were dismissed and the state suffered for it. Fiscal conservative Jerry Brown gets similar changes in and is a hero for it. The left leaning partisan influence there is undeniable. Gun laws designed to obstruct rather than improve gun ownership passed again and again. To be fair those were in among some really good changes. Like universal registration.

I served on a couple industry task forces and saw with my own eyes how the progressive bureaucracy exceeds sensible boundaries.

Care for an explicit example or two?

192 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:52:01pm

Commute break BBL

193 kirkspencer  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:52:36pm

re: #135 gwangung

Holy crap.

Republican stewardship, indeed.

Actually, the articles rang a different sort of alarm bell to me. When they discussed most cuts it was in percentages - 40, 50 percent. But when they discussed how much the football program was cut it was in dollar amounts. A few hundred thousand, a million.

So then I read it more carefully and, well, I find it’s even more of a scare piece without giving the reader honest basis to act.

The university has lost 50% of funding from the state over the last decade. What the article doesn’t say is the amount. State funding has declined from ~50 million to ~25 million dollars in that time.

To help pay for the cut, the football program was cut by $200,000 last year and another 1.19 million this year. This represented a 10% cut over the time period.

So on the one hand yes, the football program is suffering because of the cuts. On the other hand I’ve got a real problem (and sad lack of surprise) that the complaints are because of the football program cuts when the academic side took even larger cuts.

194 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:52:50pm

re: #186 GeneJockey

Those of us who watched him as AG and Mayor of Oakland are not surprised, however.

No, indeed not.

195 theheat  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:54:39pm

Given enough time, talking heads like Palin, Limbaugh, DeMint, Cruz, and all the other hardcore fuckwits are going to double down on True Conservatism™ and maneuver another crisis for fear of losing their appeal to their equally crazy base.

Never once have they learned from their mistakes. They always believe their mistake was not being “conservative enough.” And by conservative enough, of course I’m talking about their regressive, Dickensian, theocratic, anti-everything, covered in coal dust and wrapped in a flag, worldview.

They don’t learn. They simply don’t have the capacity. And once you know the nature of something, you know what it’s capable of.

What they didn’t anticipate was the fact that despite all their outrage and over-the-cliff tactics, Obama didn’t blink. And I think more than anything else, that’s why I like him more now than ever.

196 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:54:54pm

re: #193 kirkspencer

I assumed much harsher cuts for academics than for football from the outset, but didn’t have the time or energy to make this point solidly. Thanks.

197 Archangelus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:55:11pm

re: #82 Eclectic Cyborg

I’m all for anti-bullying, but

Per Game of Thrones: “nothing someone says before the word ‘but’ really counts. “

198 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:57:48pm

re: #99 Political Atheist

Right, it took a severe aberration for a republican to have a shot at all. The Dems have owned this state, and it’s state of affairs for a long time now. What I find interesting is the influence Southern California lacks in the state legislature.

Here’s a district by district map of the California Assembly.

Southern Californians have plenty of influence. What you’ll notice is that like everywhere else, land doesn’t vote, people do. The urban and suburban vote of LA and SD dominate most of So Cal because that’s where most people live.

199 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:58:46pm

lo siento señor pero su software es ROMPA

200 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:59:17pm

re: #197 Archangelus

Per Game of Thrones: “nothing someone says before the word ‘but’ really counts. “

OT, I was pondering Game of Thrones over lunch today, and the following amusing possibility occurred to me.

What if George Martin is setting up the all-time surprise ending for an epic fantasy —- the moldering spawn of hell finally reach the ‘civilized’ kingdoms in volume 531, realize what these people have been doing to each other for light entertainment, and hightail it back to the deepest pits of Hell in terror, slamming the crypt door shut behind them.

201 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:01:31pm

re: #200 EPR-radar

OT, I was pondering Game of Thrones over lunch today, and the following amusing possibility occurred to me.

What if George Martin is setting up the all-time surprise ending for an epic fantasy —- the moldering spawn of hell finally reach the ‘civilized’ kingdoms in volume 531, realize what these people have been doing to each other for light entertainment, and hightail it back to the deepest pits of Hell in terror, slamming the crypt door shut behind them.

Or the White Walkers win, and take everything over:

“And I, for one, welcome our new frozen overlords!” - Grand Maester Pycelle.

202 ObserverArt  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:01:39pm

re: #182 EPR-radar

Life is full of disappointments.

More seriously, the GOP is infected with Tea Party madness. This is a simple fact. There are several possible outcomes:

1) The tea party remains in charge of the GOP and they get into power. Further considerations are irrelevant in such a dystopia.

2) The tea party remains in charge of the GOP and they marginalize themselves. Here I’ll eventually get to do my happy dance.

3) The tea party loses its grip on the GOP. I assume this is the outcome you prefer, and I could live with it as well. The problem is that I don’t see anything resembling sufficient push back from the non-teapartiers in the GOP.

If there is going to be any push back, it will be done in back rooms not out in public. The real GOP does things in certain ways, and much of it is backroom power politics. That is probably just getting sized up, targets drawn and getting ready to be read the riot act. Should January come and we get through the next debt and budget work and it goes by with very little fight from the GOP majority, then we will know the message got through. I’m going to watch the noise and see if it starts to die down in the Tea Party and with people like Palin, Beck, Rush, Fox News, etc. if the tone changes in the next few weeks we will know there are some big threats of backing, etc. going on in those back rooms. If GOP Tea Party members remain strident, then the split is big and remains strong, which means big change for both parties and there could be some shift of old power to the Democrats centrists. Like an Obama.

203 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:02:47pm

It’d be nice though if conservative rural voters finally came to realize that their infrastructure, roads, bridges, power grid, internet access, and water distribution is disproportionately paid for by comparatively liberal, urban tax dollars.

204 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:03:55pm

re: #191 Political Atheist

I did not reconstruct anything. I pointed out some historical facts. Compelling facts IMO. We disagree on the implications. A downding, a pale insult and now you seen to be fairly mad at what ought to be a straightforward conversation. How about we just dial that down a bit.

Stop trying to do psychology via TCP/IP. It doesn’t work. Again: The Californian Constitution requires a supermajority to pass taxation, and to pass budgets, and various other stuff too. That is all I’m goddamn saying, that even though the GOP wasn’t dominant in the legislature they were not powerless, it wasn’t just the Democrats calling the shots. They had to negotiate with Republicans, to get a little Republican support for every bill. I am not claiming the Republicans always obstructed— it used to be simple political negotiations, where the GOP got some of what they wanted and the Democrats got most— that’s still not the Democrats running the place. It is really not a good idea to present it as sole Democratic control, because it is not true and it also then makes the current situation, where the Democrats really do have control, seem like less of a change. It’s a big change.

I served on a couple industry task forces and saw with my own eyes how the progressive bureaucracy exceeds sensible boundaries.

Care for an explicit example or two?

What on earth does this have to do with me asserting that supermajority requirements in the Californian constitution means that saying that the Democrats ran California isn’t right? What are you talking about?

205 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:04:28pm

Red-haired British kids say they were attacked during ‘Kick a Ginger Day’

British authorities are investigating whether red-headed children were targeted during a so-called “Kick a Ginger Day” that may have been inspired by a similar prank portrayed on the television show “South Park,” the Daily Telegraph reported.

206 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:05:02pm

re: #203 goddamnedfrank

It’d be nice though if conservative rural voters finally came to realize that their infrastructure, roads, bridges, power grid, internet access, and water distribution is disproportionately paid for by comparatively liberal, urban tax dollars.

Rural electrification and phone service in the US would never have happened without intervention from the big, bad government boogieman.

Acknowledgement and appreciation of this little bit of reality would be a good start for these people.

207 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:05:37pm

Another entry in the ‘Abuse of Power’ category:

Southwest passenger hits federal air marshal in the neck for taking upskirt photos of women on the plane (VIDEO)

A federal air marshal was arrested after a brave passenger noticed and put an end to the man snapping lewd photos up women’s skirts as they boarded a Southwest plane at the Nashville International Airport.
The married 28-year-old Adam Bartsch from Rockville, Maryland, was on-duty at the time of the incident and if it wasn’t for the actions of one bystander who noticed Bartsch using his cell phone to take the photos, the air marshal would have likely gotten away with it, the Daily Mail reported.

Rey Collazo, refusing to standby and do nothing, confronted Bartsch about his conduct.

“I looked at the guy and said, ‘Excuse me, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You’re a disgrace to human beings. To a man. That’s wrong,” Collazo chastised Bartsch.

When Bartsch tried to delete the photos from his phone, Collazo wouldn’t stand for it. He lunged for the device and managed to strip it away from the air marshal.

SNIP

Bartsch confessed to police he had taken between 10 to 12 photos and had committed similar crimes in the past. He was later released on a $10,000 bond and when news cameras tried to catch a statement, he literally ran away.

Adam Bartsch is going to have a seriously bad time in prison. A former law enforcement man who is also a pervert, he’ll likely spend his whole sentence on lockdown in protective custody.

208 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:06:01pm

re: #203 goddamnedfrank

It’d be nice though if conservative rural voters finally came to realize that their infrastructure, roads, bridges, power grid, internet access, and water distribution is disproportionately paid for by comparatively liberal, urban tax dollars.

Everybody’s gotta have a dream.

The thing is, that would make them EXTREMELY uncomfortable - the idea that the cities (which are full of nothing but black and brown parasites) paying for THEIR roads, bridges, libraries, etc? Unthinkable!

No, they’ll keep doing what they do now, which is to deny the obvious (metro areas are where the money is) and cling to their belief that THEY are the REAL Americans, and they support everyone else.

209 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:06:43pm

re: #191 Political Atheist

I served on a couple industry task forces and saw with my own eyes how the progressive bureaucracy exceeds sensible boundaries.

Care for an explicit example or two?

Sure, in the meantime here’s a few examples for you.

List of California Superfund cleanup sites.

210 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:06:44pm

re: #203 goddamnedfrank

It’d be nice though if conservative rural voters finally came to realize that their infrastructure, roads, bridges, power grid, internet access, and water distribution is disproportionately paid for by comparatively liberal, urban tax dollars.

Rural electrification was probably one of the best redistributions of wealth in history, and man, was it a great idea and great achievement.

We should do it again, with internet access.

211 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:07:45pm

re: #210 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Rural electrification was probably one of the best redistributions of wealth in history, and man, was it a great idea and great achievement.

We should do it again, with internet access.

Free Porn For Farmers!!!

212 theheat  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:08:34pm

re: #203 goddamnedfrank

They’re too busy seceding from all the ills of City People. Namely science, education, literacy… All bad scary stuff.

213 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:08:41pm

re: #211 GeneJockey

Free Porn For Farmers!!!

Works for me. If their energy gets dissipated that way, perhaps there will be less enthusiasm for Tea Partying.

214 calochortus  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:08:53pm

re: #208 GeneJockey

Everybody’s gotta have a dream.

The thing is, that would make them EXTREMELY uncomfortable - the idea that the cities (which are full of nothing but black and brown parasites) paying for THEIR roads, bridges, libraries, etc? Unthinkable!

No, they’ll keep doing what they do now, which is to deny the obvious (metro areas are where the money is) and cling to their belief that THEY are the REAL Americans, and they support everyone else.

No one wants to be beholden to others. We are very, very good at rationalizing why others actually owe us something.

215 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:09:07pm

You’d think a guy with clearance like that could rig up something better than a cell phone. He could have a camera in his shoe or whatever. Not that it ever crossed my mind or anything.

216 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:09:25pm

re: #208 GeneJockey

Everybody’s gotta have a dream.

The thing is, that would make them EXTREMELY uncomfortable - the idea that the cities (which are full of nothing but black and brown parasites) paying for THEIR roads, bridges, libraries, etc? Unthinkable!

No, they’ll keep doing what they do now, which is to deny the obvious (metro areas are where the money is) and cling to their belief that THEY are the REAL Americans, and they support everyone else.

To be fair quite a bit of that spending is self serving for the urban population. We need infrastructure to distribute food and other goods. It’s also nice to be able to get out and tour the country. All I’m asking for is that the rural population acknowledge who pays for their shit.

217 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:11:28pm

File this under “he’s a worse crap weasel than I thought”: nationaljournal.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Rand Paul was talking with University of Louisville medical students when one of them tossed him a softball. “The majority of med students here today have a comprehensive exam tomorrow. I’m just wondering if you have any last-minute advice.”(Steve Brodner)

“Actually, I do,” said the ophthalmologist-turned-senator, who stays sharp (and keeps his license) by doing pro bono eye surgeries during congressional breaks. “I never, ever cheated. I don’t condone cheating. But I would sometimes spread misinformation. This is a great tactic. Misinformation can be very important.”

He went on to describe studying for a pathology test with friends in the library. “We spread the rumor that we knew what was on the test and it was definitely going to be all about the liver,” he said. “We tried to trick all of our competing students into over-studying for the liver” and not studying much else.

“So, that’s my advice,” he concluded. “Misinformation works.”

218 theheat  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:12:08pm

re: #216 goddamnedfrank

Did you catch this year’s Superbowl commercial about farmers? According the them, we (anyone not a farmer) should worship the ground they walk on.

219 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:13:09pm

re: #216 goddamnedfrank

To be fair quite a bit of that spending is self serving for the urban population. We need infrastructure to get distribute food and other goods. It’s also nice to be able to get out and tour the country. All I’m asking for is that the rural population acknowledge who pays for their shit.

You’d think it might occur to them that a county with fewer than 50,000 mostly not very well off people do not produce enough tax revenue to pay for themselves, let alone subsidize counties with millions of rather affluent residents.

220 GeneJockey  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:14:15pm

re: #218 theheat

Did you catch this year’s Superbowl commercial about farmers? According the them, we (anyone not a farmer) should worship the ground they walk on.

The Rural Electrification Program has been dwarfed in effect by the Rural Deification Program.

221 wrenchwench  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:16:41pm

re: #210 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Rural electrification was probably one of the best redistributions of wealth in history, and man, was it a great idea and great achievement.

We should do it again, with internet access.

And cell phone access. Hundreds of immigrants and re-immigrants (who went back ‘cause Mom died or got sick, and tried to return here to their families) would be alive today instead of dead if cell phones worked near the border.

Oops, wrong justification there for certain audiences.

222 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:17:15pm

re: #218 theheat

Did you catch this year’s Superbowl commercial about farmers? According the them, we (anyone not a farmer) should worship the ground they walk on.

Yes, I immediately went out and jacked off a farmer.

223 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:18:09pm

The country is just like the city except the wierdos are further apart.

224 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:18:33pm

re: #222 goddamnedfrank

Yes, I immediately went out and jacked off a farmer.

My friend Jimmy’s family were farmers and they were pretty awesome. They were from Kansas. When I told Jimmy that people still farmed in New England, he thought I was joking, and asked, “Have they heard about Kansas?”

225 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:19:19pm

re: #217 EPR-radar

File this under “he’s a worse crap weasel than I thought: nationaljournal.com

There’s a kid that should have spent his college years puking drunk in a frat house.

226 Varek Raith  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:19:38pm

re: #218 theheat

Did you catch this year’s Superbowl commercial about farmers? According the them, we (anyone not a farmer) should worship the ground they walk on.

Youtube Video

227 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:19:47pm

re: #225 Decatur Deb

There’s a kid that should have spent his college years puking drunk in a frat house.

I just related that story to my wife and she said “Why would someone admit to that?”

228 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:21:11pm

What a dick.

229 b.d.  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:21:15pm

I hear that farmers touch people’s food.

Ick! Gross!

230 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:21:16pm

re: #227 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

I just related that story to my wife and she said “Why would someone admit to that?”

The easy answer is that at least this level of mendacity is expected by the GOP base these days.

231 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:22:17pm

re: #218 theheat

Did you catch this year’s Superbowl commercial about farmers? According the them, we (anyone not a farmer) should worship the ground they walk on.

that would be great if any small farmers existed in the united states anymore

2.2 million farms dot America’s rural landscape. About 97 percent of U.S. farms are operated by families - individuals, family partnerships or family corporations.

Farm and ranch families comprise just 2 percent of the U.S. population.

232 wrenchwench  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:22:26pm

re: #224 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

My friend Jimmy’s family were farmers and they were pretty awesome. They were from Kansas. When I told Jimmy that people still farmed in New England, he thought I was joking, and asked, “Have they heard about Kansas?”

I rode a bike across Kansas from the northeast corner to the southwest corner. Milo, soybeans, sorghum, pigs, milo, soybeans, sorghum, pigs, milo, soybeans, sorghum, pigs, milo, soybeans, sorghum, pigs, milo, soybeans, sorghum, pigs, milo, soybeans, sorghum, pigs, milo, soybeans, sorghum, pigs, milo, feedlot, corn, soybeans….

It took three weeks.

Did you know the word ‘Kansas’ means ‘southwest wind’?

233 freetoken  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:23:25pm

For those who have followed the sensationalistic headlines over the paper in Science that described a new skull from Georgia (the original one, not the one home to CNN and the Braves), John Hawks put up some lengthy thoughts that are worth the read:

The new skull from Dmanisi

234 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:24:35pm

re: #200 EPR-radar

OT, I was pondering Game of Thrones over lunch today, and the following amusing possibility occurred to me.

What if George Martin is setting up the all-time surprise ending for an epic fantasy —- the moldering spawn of hell finally reach the ‘civilized’ kingdoms in volume 531, realize what these people have been doing to each other for light entertainment, and hightail it back to the deepest pits of Hell in terror, slamming the crypt door shut behind them.

that would resemble an ending too much for mr R R Martin

in GoT, no story ever actually ends

235 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:24:53pm

re: #217 EPR-radar

File this under “he’s a worse crap weasel than I thought: nationaljournal.com

For the record that’s classic psychopathic behavior.

236 The Mountain That Blogs  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:25:11pm

re: #227 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

I just related that story to my wife and she said “Why would someone admit to that?”

Seriously. What an ass.

237 freetoken  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:25:53pm

re: #235 goddamnedfrank

For the record that’s classic psychopathic behavior.

Are you doing psychology by TCP/IP?

238 Mattand  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:26:00pm

re: #224 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

My friend Jimmy’s family were farmers and they were pretty awesome. They were from Kansas. When I told Jimmy that people still farmed in New England, he thought I was joking, and asked, “Have they heard about Kansas?”

Yeah. Given the murder of abortion doctors and denial of evolution, they elected to stay in New England.

239 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:26:23pm

re: #235 goddamnedfrank

For the record that’s classic psychopathic libertarian behavior.

240 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:28:08pm

re: #232 wrenchwench

I drove a car from Texas, through Kansas from the southern border to the northern border, and into Nebraska. I probably averaged 70MPH. It felt like it took 19 years.

241 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:29:17pm

re: #239 Decatur Deb

This may be assuming facts not in evidence (i.e., any meaningful distinction between ‘psychopathic’ and ‘libertarian’)

242 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:29:35pm

re: #235 goddamnedfrank

For the record that’s classic psychopathic behavior.

Reminds me of this:

Diminished cooperativeness of psychopaths in a prisoner’s dilemma game yields higher rewards.

And this:

Traders more reckless than psychopaths, study shows

Nothing about Rands advice was helpful. It’s sole purpose is to treat a non zero sum, non-competitive situation as if it’s the opposite of what it really is.

No wonder he’s a Republican.

243 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:30:27pm

re: #241 EPR-radar

This may be assuming facts not in evidence (i.e., any meaningful distinction between ‘psychopathic’ and ‘libertarian’)

Psychopaths don’t usually print up bumper stickers and beer coozies.

244 The Ghost of a Flea  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:30:58pm

re: #239 Decatur Deb

The free market was okay with it. Why should anybody else care?

245 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:33:06pm

re: #242 goddamnedfrank

Reminds me of this:

And this:

Nothing about Rands advice was helpful. It’s sole purpose is to treat a non zero sum, non-competitive situation as if it’s the opposite of what it really is.

No wonder he’s a Republican.

Maybe eye-doctorin’ is graded on the curve.

246 wrenchwench  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:33:07pm

re: #240 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

I drove a car from Texas, through Kansas from the southern border to the northern border, and into Nebraska. I probably averaged 70MPH. It felt like it took 19 years.

If I ever go to Kansas again, it will be in something that can go at least 70 mph. I’d rather look down upon it at 700 mph, though.

247 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:33:17pm

re: #242 goddamnedfrank

Rand Paul’s advice for ambitious students is the subject of a fine demolition over at DailyKos dailykos.com

I … I am entranced. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a beautiful summation of conservative Republicanism. Let us count the intertwined lessons:

It is all right to lie outright to people if doing so will gain you personal benefit. That’s not cheating.

If you can’t do any better yourself, try hurting others. It all counts so long as you end up on top!

Misdirection is a fine tool for convincing others to do stupid things instead of smarter ones.

What could this not be applied to? Want to convince people that a health insurance law will hurt them? Spread the word that includes something called “death panels!” Is the party brand getting damaged among urban and minority voters, and your “rebranding” efforts have fallen flat? They can’t vote against you if they can’t vote, so let’s make it more difficult for them to get to the voting booth! Having trouble justifying unpopular policies and an apparent inability to do anything worthwhile or competent? Holy crap, look over there—it’s a five-headed Benghazi!

…

248 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:35:27pm

re: #237 freetoken

Are you doing psychology by TCP/IP?

Not really, I’m objectively categorizing the behavior. A medical school test is non-zero sum, Rand’s success or failure wasn’t related to his ability to deceive the other test takers. This kind of substitution of counter productive competitiveness for productive cooperation is, in fact, one of the tested for hallmarks of psychopathological behavior.

When I said it’s no wonder he’s a Republican, that might have been closer to making a diagnosis. But it’s true.

249 Romantic Heretic  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:36:39pm

re: #201 GeneJockey

Or the White Walkers win, and take everything over:

“And I, for one, welcome our new frozen overlords!” - Grand Maester Pycelle.

To which the Walkers reply, “Nom! Nom! Nom!”

250 wrenchwench  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:36:47pm

re: #246 wrenchwench

If I ever go to Kansas again, it will be in something that can go at least 70 mph. I’d rather look down upon it at 700 mph, though.

We did have a couple of very nice experiences with the locals. One guy we crossed paths with three times, and then hit his home county, where they had heard of us in advance through him, and we got several offers of assistance and free meals. That guy was traversing the state conducting auctions at all the farms that were going bankrupt that summer (1986).

251 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:37:59pm

re: #248 goddamnedfrank

Not really, I’m objectively categorizing the behavior. A medical school test is non-zero sum, Rand’s success or failure wasn’t related to his ability to deceive the other test takers. This kind of substitution of counter productive competitiveness for productive cooperation is, in fact, one of the tested for hallmarks of psychopathological behavior.

When I said it’s no wonder he’s a Republican, that might have been closer to making a diagnosis. But it’s true.

No, no, it’s about class standing. Class standing matters hugely in med school. It’s a ‘gunner’ tactic to try to sabotage other students.

252 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:38:10pm

re: #247 EPR-radar

Rand Paul’s advice for ambitious students is the subject of a fine demolition over at DailyKos dailykos.com


“I … I am entranced. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a beautiful summation of conservative Republicanism. Let us count the intertwined lessons:”

dKos is still imagining a non-conservative Republicanism? Idealists.

253 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:38:54pm

re: #245 Decatur Deb

Maybe eye-doctorin’ is graded on the curve.

LOL. Wouldn’t that be encouraging. Does anybody do that anymore?

254 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:39:35pm

Here’s a good parody of the ubiquitous “Thrift Shop” video that explains what a ‘gunner’ is.

Youtube Video

255 Romantic Heretic  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:39:47pm

re: #217 EPR-radar

File this under “he’s a worse crap weasel than I thought”: nationaljournal.com

What a complete, utter, fucking scumbag!

256 The Mountain That Blogs  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:40:09pm

re: #251 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

No, no, it’s about class standing. Class standing matters hugely in med school. It’s a ‘gunner’ tactic to try to sabotage other students.

And in many institutions (though this might have changed since Paul’s time), the preclinical years are pass-fail, and class standing (which does matter), isn’t determined until the third and fourth year. A pathology exam would have more likely been in the second year.

257 Iwouldprefernotto  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:42:01pm

re: #240 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

I drove a car from Texas, through Kansas from the southern border to the northern border, and into Nebraska. I probably averaged 70MPH. It felt like it took 19 years.

It did.

258 goddamnedfrank  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:42:10pm

re: #251 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

No, no, it’s about class standing. Class standing matters hugely in med school. It’s a ‘gunner’ tactic to try to sabotage other students.

Well, that’s just sad and fucked up. Why even publish class standing if it’s going to lead to this kind of unethical behavior? That’s pretty much the last personality trait one would objectively desire to foster in a doctor.

259 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:43:49pm

re: #251 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

No, no, it’s about class standing. Class standing matters hugely in med school. It’s a ‘gunner’ tactic to try to sabotage other students.

That makes it understandable, but still wrong. Winning by forcing the other guy to fail is wrong, except in certain types of games such as pool.

260 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:44:05pm

re: #256 The Mountain That Blogs

And in many institutions (though this might have changed since Paul’s time), the preclinical years are pass-fail, and class standing (which does matter), isn’t determined until the third and fourth year. A pathology exam would have more likely been in the second year.

Oh that’s true! Good point, any path exam would probably be in early years. But Rand could excusably not know that— my wife’s program just went pass/fail five years ago, for example.

261 Rev_Arthur_Belling  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:44:19pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

Why even publish class standing if it’s going to lead to this kind of unethical behavior?

Because the faculty are psychopaths too.

ETA: given the fact that Paul isn’t even board certified, it’s still bizarre.

262 wrenchwench  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:45:26pm

re: #254 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Here’s a good parody of the ubiquitous “Thrift Shop” video that explains what a ‘gunner’ is.

[Embedded content]

What are ‘Netter’s Cards’?

263 dog philosopher  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:45:46pm

re: #240 First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

I drove a car from Texas, through Kansas from the southern border to the northern border, and into Nebraska. I probably averaged 70MPH. It felt like it took 19 years.

that’s because to drive through kansas you have to detour through the period from 1948 to 1963 in order to get back to the 21st century, which shouldn’t really exist anyway what is this a science fiction movie?

264 Romantic Heretic  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:45:48pm

re: #223 Amory Blaine

The country is just like the city except the wierdos are further apart.

I’m thinking it might be a little worse.

Because people are so scattered in rural areas it makes law enforcement and other methods of detecting and relieving ethical problems hard to perform. More expensive as well.

My wife grew up in rural Michigan and some of the stories she’s told me make my hair curl and my testicles draw up. I grew up in the suburbs which became city while I lived there. I don’t recall anything as hideous as some of the stuff I’ve heard from my wife.

Just my opinion though and based on limited data.

265 Decatur Deb  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:46:25pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

Well, that’s just sad and fucked up. Why even publish class standing if it’s going to lead to this kind of unethical behavior? That’s pretty much the last personality trait one would objectively desire to foster in a doctor.

Don’t overthink Randian motivation. It’s like hand-sifting catshit, looking for coffee beans.

266 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:48:12pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

Well, that’s just sad and fucked up. Why even publish class standing if it’s going to lead to this kind of unethical behavior? That’s pretty much the last personality trait one would objectively desire to foster in a doctor.

You can’t achieve a high class standing just by sabotage, you also have to be legitimately brilliant. Mostly, the ones who sabotage others don’t wind up at the top, anyway. I’m pretty ambivalent on class standing, since even if you ban it it will recreate itself in the form of personal communications between professors, but then the criteria for standing will be simply “who the professors think are most awesome”. Without class standing, then you just have the exam scores plus whatever the professors have to say. Having grades forces, for example, a racist professor to be potentially called out on giving black students low grades in a way he couldn’t be called out for not making calls for that black student or not writing him a good letter of recommendation.

It definitely selects for bad behavior, and my problems with the curriculum of med school are legion at this point. Definitely a lot more medical ethics needs to be taught. One quarter of my wife’s med school class, when asked in the first year, thought it would be appropriate to do a vaginal exam on an unconscious woman in the ER even if they didn’t forsee any definite diagnostic reason.

267 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:48:32pm

re: #258 goddamnedfrank

Well, that’s just sad and fucked up. Why even publish class standing if it’s going to lead to this kind of unethical behavior? That’s pretty much the last personality trait one would objectively desire to foster in a doctor.

Because its expected, and not publishing it would cause a controversy. It might also be the ‘cream rises to the top’ mentality not noticing that the cream has gone sour. Psychopaths tend to be good at fooling people, after all.

268 The Mountain That Blogs  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:48:58pm

re: #260 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Mine was still transitioning to it. But even in places where it wasn’t pass/fail, unless you’re going into the most competitive specialties, your grades from the first two years don’t matter in the slightest. Unless you failed a class, they are the last thing anyone looks at or cares about.

269 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:50:09pm

re: #268 The Mountain That Blogs

Mine was still transitioning to it. But even in places where it wasn’t pass/fail, unless you’re going into the most competitive specialties, your grades from the first two years don’t matter in the slightest. Unless you failed a class, they are the last thing anyone looks at or cares about.

I can certainly believe that Rand Paul’s motivation was the pure pleasure of misleading others.

270 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:50:36pm

re: #262 wrenchwench

What are ‘Netter’s Cards’?

Anatomy flash-cards.

See, I’m kind of giving Gunners a bad name. There are such things as ‘gunners’ who just study super-fucking hard and never screw other people over, but there definitely is a population that will point out any mistake made by another student and will seek to promote themselves over the others. The behavior of some of my wife’s classmates has shocked me. Some of them, however, are amazing, awesome people who really are going into medicine because they want to help people and they like the challenge of medicine.

271 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:51:51pm

I wonder if this behavior is behind his self certifying. Think about the shit he won’t brag about in front of a room full of people.

272 The Mountain That Blogs  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:53:43pm

re: #266 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

One quarter of my wife’s med school class, when asked in the first year, thought it would be appropriate to do a vaginal exam on an unconscious woman in the ER even if they didn’t forsee any definite diagnostic reason.

{spit-take}

excuse me?

273 Amory Blaine  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 4:56:30pm

First place you look!

//

274 Dark_Falcon  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 5:00:06pm

re: #271 Amory Blaine

I wonder if this behavior is behind his self certifying. Think about the shit he won’t brag about in front of a room full of people.

So we’d figure “The 47%” times 10 or times 100?

275 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 5:03:13pm

re: #204 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

Stop trying to do psychology via TCP/IP. It doesn’t work. Again: The Californian Constitution requires a supermajority to pass taxation, and to pass budgets, and various other stuff too. That is all I’m goddamn saying, that even though the GOP wasn’t dominant in the legislature they were not powerless, it wasn’t just the Democrats calling the shots. They had to negotiate with Republicans, to get a little Republican support for every bill. I am not claiming the Republicans always obstructed— it used to be simple political negotiations, where the GOP got some of what they wanted and the Democrats got most— that’s still not the Democrats running the place. It is really not a good idea to present it as sole Democratic control, because it is not true and it also then makes the current situation, where the Democrats really do have control, seem like less of a change. It’s a big change.

What on earth does this have to do with me asserting that supermajority requirements in the Californian constitution means that saying that the Democrats ran California isn’t right? What are you talking about?

THAT was psychology? Just perceiving your obvious annoyance? Heh, whatever.

Running California is more than taxes and budgets. All those laws and regulations, overall educational policy, countless other things. I remain unconvinced of your point. My point and offered example was about the unfortunate side of results of that long Dem majority. Since that data is unwanted so be it.

276 gwangung  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 5:05:17pm
My point and offered example was about the unfortunate side of results of that long Dem majority.

And his point was that you couldn’t draw that conclusion from the data. In fact, the better inference was the exact opposite.

That data wasn’t what was unwanted; the poor thinking was.

277 Feline Fearless Leader  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 5:24:58pm

re: #196 EPR-radar

I assumed much harsher cuts for academics than for football from the outset, but didn’t have the time or energy to make this point solidly. Thanks.

Unclear from the article as well is whether the cuts were broad across all the state-supported LA universities, or hit Grambling harder in particular.

278 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 5:29:48pm

re: #275 Political Atheist

If you had said that the Democrats had a majority for long periods of time and had used that majority to do a lot of significant stuff, I’d have agreed. But instead, you got hyperbolic, and for some reason have decided it’s important to defend that hyperbole.

279 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 5:39:23pm

re: #277 Feline Fearless Leader

Unclear from the article as well is whether the cuts were broad across all the state-supported LA universities, or hit Grambling harder in particular.

It looks like Jindal is really polishing his fiscal madness halo in Louisiana: americanpress.com

Jindal for the last five years has submitted budgets that count on revenues that aren’t always dependable. And when the money doesn’t show up, higher education and health care take the hits.

Neither of those areas is protected from budget reductions, so they pay a heavy price when money comes up short. They have faced mid-year budget reductions every year Jindal has been in office. There have even been some year-end cuts.

Take higher education, for example. The state spent $1.4 billion for colleges and universities in fiscal year 2007-08. The budget Jindal proposed for the fiscal year starting July 1 contains $284.5 million for higher education. That is an 80 percent reduction in state funding over those years.

One certainly hopes the historically black colleges and universities in LA are not facing worse than an 80% drop in state support.

280 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:14:26pm

re: #278 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

If you had said that the Democrats had a majority for long periods of time and had used that majority to do a lot of significant stuff, I’d have agreed. But instead, you got hyperbolic, and for some reason have decided it’s important to defend that hyperbole.

If you mean “runs California” it’s hardly hyperbolic. The majority runs the place. That’s just what winning means on the ground. The similarities between the two governors fiscal recommendations are significant enough to take that out of hyperbolic range.

So let’s roll up to this-hyperbole?!

littlegreenfootballs.com

California has a long history of weak executives. Here, at least in part is why.

The California State Legislature currently has a Democratic supermajority, with the Senate consisting of 28 Democrats and 12 Republicans and the Assembly consisting of 55 Democrats and 25 Republicans. Except for the period from 1995 to 1996, the Assembly has been in Democratic hands since the 1970 election (even while the governor’s office has gone back and forth between Republicans and Democrats). The Senate has been in Democratic hands continuously since 1970.

281 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:19:04pm

re: #280 Political Atheist

If you mean “runs California” it’s hardly hyperbolic. The majority runs the place.

They don’t. They have to compromise with the minority because of the supermajority rules.

That’s just reality.

282 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:24:40pm

re: #281 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

They don’t. They have to compromise with the minority because of the supermajority rules.

That’s just reality.

You say that as if they need a supermajority to change criminal law. Or the civil code. Or any other kind of policy outside of taxation and the budget.
Why?

283 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:29:58pm

re: #282 Political Atheist

You say that as if they need a supermajority to change criminal law. Or the civil code. Or any other kind of policy outside of taxation and the budget.
Why?

Please. Taxation and the budget are precisely the things that have been most notoriously broken in CA for many years. The recent loss of the GOP minority veto in these areas is the only reason we’re seeing any progress at all in the last year or so.

Can you claim with a straight face that Gov. Brown’s fiscal proposals would not have been vetoed by the GOP if they had the power to do so, simply because a Democrat was making the proposals?

284 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:35:19pm

re: #283 EPR-radar

Please. Taxation and the budget are precisely the things that have been most notoriously broken in CA for many years. The recent loss of the GOP minority veto in these areas is the only reason we’re seeing any progress at all in the last year or so.

Can you claim with a straight face that Gov. Brown’s fiscal proposals would not have been vetoed by the GOP if they had the power to do so, simply because a Democrat was making the proposals?

No. But… So? That’s all well beside the point I made. This is not about GOP behavior, or the last few years. The recession was in charge of fiscal policy there for a couple years.

It’s about who has been in charge in the legislature by any fair measure and for how long. Like since 1970. Current GOP misbehavior has nothing to do with anything until well, recently.

285 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:39:51pm

re: #283 EPR-radar

Please. Taxation and the budget are precisely the things that have been most notoriously broken in CA for many years. The recent loss of the GOP minority veto in these areas is the only reason we’re seeing any progress at all in the last year or so.

Can you claim with a straight face that Gov. Brown’s fiscal proposals would not have been vetoed by the GOP if they had the power to do so, simply because a Democrat was making the proposals?

Just for discussion, who is responsible for this policy? GOP or the Democrats?

California signs private-prison deal

Or this?

The Pension Fund That Ate California

286 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:40:44pm

re: #284 Political Atheist

No. But… So? That’s all well beside the point I made. This is not about GOP behavior, or the last few years. The recession was in charge of fiscal policy there for a couple years.

It’s about who has been in charge in the legislature by any fair measure and for how long. Like since 1970. Current GOP misbehavior has nothing to do with anything until well, recently.

My basic contention is that up until very recently, the GOP has held a minority veto relating to budget and taxation issues. That has screwed things up relating to budget and taxation in CA for decades, despite the fact that the Dems held a legislative majority for just about all years since 1970.

Thus, pointing out that the Dems have held the state legislature for decades is rather irrelevant does not give the Dems 100% ownership for budget and taxation issues.

(edited to be more precise)

287 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:46:23pm

re: #286 EPR-radar

Okay but I think the similarities between much of what Arnold suggested for fiscal reform and what Jerry Brown got through bear notice, especially given their distance from what the legislature wanted. And thanks for recognizing the 2/3rds is budget and taxation only. All else is a simple majority. Hundreds of laws passed just in the last decade. Often laws that matter to us quite a bit.

288 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 6:49:48pm

re: #287 Political Atheist

Okay but I think the similarities between much of what Arnold suggested for fiscal reform and what Jerry Brown got through bear notice, especially given their distance from what the legislature wanted. And thanks for recognizing the 2/3rds is budget and taxation only. All else is a simple majority. Hundreds of laws passed just in the last decade. Often laws that matter to us quite a bit.

If the CA GOP still held a minority veto over budget and taxation issues, I can’t imagine them caring about anything less than the similarities between Gov. Brown’s proposals and Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposals.

289 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 7:01:49pm

re: #288 EPR-radar

Wel like I said my point has nothing to do with the GOP. It’s about who is in charge and for how long. The longer, larger pic.

Care to address my question you you above?

290 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 7:02:29pm

re: #285 Political Atheist

Just for discussion, who is responsible for this policy? GOP or the Democrats?

California signs private-prison deal

Or this?

The Pension Fund That Ate California

Private prisons are appalling. I have no idea which parties are more involved with that stupidity. In any case, the need for more prisons is driven by the criminal law, which isn’t directly a budget or taxation issue.

With respect to the second article, I’m not going to accept anything from the Manhattan Institute at face value. Libertarian think tanks always come to the same conclusions —- “we can’t afford anything, so eliminate all taxes and cut everything.” That’s boring and trite.

291 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 7:05:08pm

re: #290 EPR-radar

Have you not seen from reliable sources how screwed up Calpers is? I can do some links if you like. Our pension deals? Why can the Dems not own what they got wrong along with what goes well? How is that logical or reasonable?

292 EPR-radar  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 7:09:17pm

re: #291 Political Atheist

Have you not seen from reliable sources how screwed up Calpers is? I can do some links if you like. Our pension deals? Why can the Dems not own what they got wrong along with what goes well? How is that logical or reasonable?

Pension obligations are a real issue for CA, and for many other states and cities. I’m not about to deny that. Significant modification of terms already agreed to is almost certainly necessary.

I just reject the Libertarian/teabagger approach of ending public sector pensions entirely.

293 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 7:10:33pm

Two former CalPERS officials indicted on fraud charges
Former Chief Executive Federico Buenrostro Jr. and former board member Alfred J.R. Villalobos deny committing mail and wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

articles.latimes.com

Recent “calpers” Stories, Video and Galleries
abclocal.go.com

294 Political Atheist  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 7:11:10pm

re: #292 EPR-radar

I just reject the Libertarian/teabagger approach of ending public sector pensions entirely.

I agree with you.

295 wheat-dogghazi  Fri, Oct 18, 2013 7:52:26pm

re: #231 dog philosopher

that would be great if any small farmers existed in the united states anymore

2.2 million farms dot America’s rural landscape. About 97 percent of U.S. farms are operated by families - individuals, family partnerships or family corporations.

Farm and ranch families comprise just 2 percent of the U.S. population.

Wait. I am sure there must be some farmers under 5 feet tall somewhere.

296 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut  Sat, Oct 19, 2013 4:17:53am

re: #282 Political Atheist

You say that as if they need a supermajority to change criminal law. Or the civil code. Or any other kind of policy outside of taxation and the budget.
Why?

I don’t. I say it as though they need it to change taxation, the budget, and various other smaller things. That’s enough. You can’t say that the Democrats ‘ran the place’ when they had to have Republican buy-in on every budget and every tax.

297 Political Atheist  Sat, Oct 19, 2013 8:31:26am

re: #296 Absalom, Absalom, Obdicut

I don’t. I say it as though they need it to change taxation, the budget, and various other smaller things. That’s enough. You can’t say that the Democrats ‘ran the place’ when they had to have Republican buy-in on every budget and every tax.

Suddenly having a 43 year majority is not in charge, not really a majority in any important effect then? I am wholly unconvinced. It appears to reflect a double standard as a unreasonable GOP critic would have. You and EPR want to reshape what I was even talking about. Sorry not buying in.

298 labman57  Sat, Oct 19, 2013 10:43:48am

Jimmy “Ahab” DeMint and his Pequod minions continue their obsessive quest for the great whale … which will eventually result in their own political demise.

I would not be surprised to learn that the medical community has defined the denial of the ACA’s legal legitimacy as yet another form of OCD.


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