Meet Pamela Gorman, Arizonan for Congress

Another smash commercial, but this time from a candidate to represent the Arizona 3. Her name is Pamela Gorman, and she does have quite a shot. Although they never do show her actually hitting a target (?).

Hump-Day Song of the Week: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins

Among my top favorite music videos of all time. Also, in the still, doesn’t Billy look like he’s about to sneeze?

Morning Constitutional – Wednesday, 30 June 2010

Good morning, everybody. Could there really be a Lego movie? Now, your morning constitutional:

Legendary broadcaster Larry King will leave his show this fall after 25 years.

Hurricane Alex, the first June hurricane since 1995, is moving westward through the Gulf of Mexico and is on course to hit Mexico and southern Texas, but nowhere near the oil spill cleanup efforts.

The German presidential election goes into a second round today, as Christian Wulff won the first round, but not by a large enough margin to secure victory. The voting takes place in an electoral college by secret ballot.

Withdrawing stimulus spending now a dangerous bet.

Be prepared for upcoming public sector job cuts, which could swell unemployment rolls by as much as five percent.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter apologizes to England and Mexico for refereeing errors.

Why ebooks will never replace real books.

Report shows that teen girls drink more than boys; girls drink to relieve stress, while boys drink for fun.

Sharron Angle talks to a reporter.

While Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was in town to visit President Obama, he sent two women on his staff to a local D.C. record store to pick up some Duke Ellington and B.B. King on vinyl. Sadly, the store was fresh out of Ellington, but was able to sell the women three Hendrix records, two B.B. King, plus some by Gil Evans, Blossom Dearie and Mark Murphy.

Barry Wong, a Republican candidate for the Arizona Corporation Commission, an elected body that regulates public utilities, wants to require utilities to check the immigration status of customers.

Finally, a Texas Tech professor gave a lecture via teleconference, but forgot to shut down the video feed after class and started looking for porn.

Sharron Angle and “God’s Plan”

No wonder she’s trying to avoid the news-folk. Sharron Angle may have spouted some radically conservative ideas and convictions since becoming a candidate for Senate, but this has to take the cake:

In a segment that has gone unnoticed since it first aired, the Tea Party-backed candidate told the Bill Manders show — a favorable platform for Republican candidates — that she opposed abortion even in cases of rape and incest. A pregnancy under those circumstances, she said, was “God’s plan.”

Okay, sure, her opponent Harry Reid is pro-life as well, so maybe it doesn’t seem like such an issue. But, as you can see here, his stance is quite a bit more…nuanced. And, while not acceptable to most who actually defend women’s reproductive rights (or myself), is a hell of a lot better than his alternative. And don’t forget: Sharron Angle wants the government to force women to give birth and then ignore the child and mother once the baby’s born if they need help.

Doctor Who, “Vincent and the Doctor”

Doctor: “Is this how time normally passes? Really slowly, and in the proper order?”

“Vincent and the Doctor” was a lovely episode, full of great moments, and the tone felt appropriate after last week’s loss of Rory. Amy is in mourning though she doesn’t even realize it, and she finally makes a human connection with Vincent that I think has been lacking for her all season. As the Doctor joked, a child produced by Amy and Vincent would have been the ultimate ginger…

Continue reading »

Kagan Changes Her Mind on Hearings

Back when Elena Kagan was first nominated for the Supreme Court, I mentioned her 1995 critique of confirmation hearings– she said they had become “a vapid and hollow charade, in which repetition of platitudes has replaced discussion of viewpoints and personal anecdotes have supplanted legal analysis.”  I was optimistic that Kagan would adhere to that viewpoint and approach her own hearing with more candor, but it doesn’t appear that that will be the case.

In fact, during Kagan’s confirmation for Solicitor General last year, she took a step towards disavowing her earlier analysis: ““I am . . . less convinced than I was in 1995 that substantive discussions of legal issues and views, in the context of nomination hearings, provide the great public benefits I suggested.”

And sure enough, as her SC confirmation hearings began yesterday, she explained that it wouldn’t be appropriate to answer questions about a) pending cases, b) cases that may come before the court in the future, or c) past cases, which could come up again.  Oh, and it also wouldn’t be appropriate to answer any “veiled” attempts to get her to address such issues.  So what will she answer?  Not much, it would seem, though we have the next few days of questioning to find out for sure.

Interestingly, in her 1995 comments, Kagan seemed to place the blame for the lack of “seriousness and substance” on the Senate rather than the nominees themselves:

When the Senate ceases to engage nominees in meaningful discussion of legal issues, the confirmation process takes on an air of vacuity and farce, and the Senate becomes incapable of either properly evaluating nominees or appropriately educating the public.

Any questions you wish the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee would ask Kagan?

New York Times Columnist Line of the Day

If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy.

Today’s is from Roger “Life of the Party” Cohen, who in his column “The Black and the White of It,” writes:

If the powerful steal with front companies, why should the weak not steal with guns?

Morning Constitutional – Tuesday, 29 June 2010

Good morning, folks. Steve Carell is indeed leaving The Office after next year. Now, your morning constitutional:

General Petraeus appears for confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee today to lead the war effort in Afghanistan. His confirmation is basically assured, but questions will arise about the President’s strategy for the war.

Kagan taking questions during her confirmation hearing; seems to be getting at least a little bipartisan support on the committee; Scott Brown glowingly called her “undoubtedly a brilliant woman who has served her country in a variety of capacities.” Dahlia Lithwick at Slate on how Kagan is doing at her confirmation hearings. Republicans seem to wish they could filibuster Thurgood Marshall.

Finance reform bill in trouble; likely not enough votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate.

Ireland adopted austerity measures two years ago, but its economic situation has only gotten worse.

David Roberts: “Republican plans to lavish the industries and technologies they favor with subsidies — which is called ‘picking winners’ when Democrats do it — are new spending that’s not paid for. They are, by definition, ‘more expensive’ than alternatives that are paid for. This is a key aspect of the climate debate on which the mainstream media has utterly dropped the ball: Democratic plans on climate and energy are not only more environmentally credible, they are more fiscally credible. Republican plans would achieve less at greater total cost to federal coffers.”

Tropical storm Alex is expected strengthen into a hurricane, but its course will likely miss the oil spill cleanup effort off the coast of Louisiana.

Iceland’s Prime Minister marries her partner after the country legalizes same-sex marriage.

A bill that would make it easier for FedEx employees to unionize is pitting FedEx against UPS on labor.

National Review endorses John McCain over J.D. Hayworth in Arizona Republican senate primary.

Sharron Angle is running for Senate and from cameras.

Three years ago, David Vitter was caught in a prostitute scandal and is now looking at being elected; how did he get away with it?

Electorlux will start making vacuum cleaners from plastic ocean trash.

Finally, new Shrek movie making Vidalia onions more popular than ever with kids. Seriously.

Senator Inouye likely to be next president pro tempore of the Senate

The New York Times Caucus Blog reports that with the passing of Senator Byrd, Senator Daniel Inouye is next in line to become the president pro tempore of the Senate.

Just want to point out that this makes the presidential line of succession the following: an African-American, an Irish-American, an Italian-American, and, finally, a Japanese-American. Somewhere, Strom Thurmond is turning over in his grave.

New York Times Columnist Line of the Day

If you’re one of the four-or-so frequent readers of this here blog, chances are you also occasionally check out the New York Times op-ed page. You may even know the names: Thomas “Friedman’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left to Lose” Friedman, Gail “The Colander” Collins, Nicholas “The Dark Crystal” Kristof, &c. Well, I’ve decided to devote a daily feature to these folks, by daily pointing out one line that is either awesome, funny, insightful, intelligent, ridiculous, or utterly divorced from reality. I hope you enjoy.

Today’s is from Paul “The Little Professor” Krugman, who in his column “The Third Depression,” writes:

It’s almost as if the financial markets understand what policy makers seemingly don’t: that while long-term fiscal responsibility is important, slashing spending in the midst of a depression, which deepens that depression and paves the way for deflation, is actually self-defeating.

Mea Copa: Over the Line, Mark It Zero!

This weekend might have been the end of the American soccer boom that many pundits and fans had predicted would result from a deep Yank run combined with a serious push by ESPN/ABC to market the matches. The ratings are up tremendously over 2006, which was played in essentially the same time-zone, over the same month. It is possible that Americans are growing to love soccer, but I doubt it. I had a conversation with a friend, who is a once-every-four-years viewer:

Captain: You must be happy now that 2/3 of the World Cup audience in America has turned off their TV and stopped going to the bar.

Me: Well, other than the fact that they lost, perhaps. And I said that I appreciated new fans, I just want them to stay or care for the next four years. … But, then, maybe soccer = swimming.

Captain: Fact.

Which, bummer city. Both that folks aren’t as likely to watch now that the US is out, and that the US is out. But, this weekend was so frustrating for me because I saw how frustrating it was to casual/new fans of the game. Even though I’m used to it by now, the mistakes, blown calls and egregious errors of the officials drove my friends crazy all weekend. In watching England-Germany, as play continued despite the fact that Frank Lampard’s audacious chip cleared the goal line by two yards, a friend asked, “Aren’t they going to stop and change that?” “No. No replay.” “Like baseball then?” “Yup.” “Isn’t this game too fast for that?” “Yup.” “That’s stupid.” The English would have leveled the score had Lampard’s goal counted, which would have changed the complexion of the game and not forced the English to open up their defense and charge forward quite so much, leading to the Germans’ two successive goals. No denying England were shit, nor that Germany were the better team, but the officials ended the mystery long before the players did, and that’s a problem.

Welcome to my world.

Hours later, Carlos Tevez scored in a position so offside that someone with the vaguest understanding of the rule ought to have been shouting in protest. The linesman (guy with the pretty flag on the sideline) caught a glimpse of the replay on the stadium’s Jumbotron and seemed like he wanted to change the call, but the rules explicitly bar that. Indeed, in order to ease tension amongst fans and players, controversial replays aren’t usually even allowed to be shown inside the stadium.

And it’s at this point that I have to bring out the Big Lebowski: “This is a league game. It determines who enters the next round robin. Has the whole world gone crazy?! Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?!” Continue reading »

Morning Constitutional – Monday, 28 June 2010

CC photo by Flickr user jpockele

Good morning, everybody. The U.S. and England are out. Now, your morning constitutional:

Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in history, is dead at 92. FiveThirtyEight looks at how the W.V. senate seat will be filled.

Elana Kagan’s confirmation hearings begin today. How Republicans are struggling for a line of attack. Slate wonders: How many votes will Elena Kagan get?

A new study shows that Supreme Court hearings do address real substance; also, women and minority nominees are more closely questioned than white males.

The people of Kyrgyzstan voted to approve a new constitution on Sunday, setting up the first parliamentary democracy in Central Asia.

Sitting up straight actually bad for your back.

Map of the World Cup as a communicable disease.

How the things we touch affect our judgments and decisions.

Finally, an American has crossed the English Channel on helium balloons.

Mea Copa: US v Ghana

With this morning’s methodical victory over Good Korea, Uruguay become the Cup’s first Quarterfinalist, and the US’ potential opponent should the Yanks get past Ghana’s Black Stars this afternoon (but more on that later). First we need to take a look at how the teams that got this far did so, and how some teams ended up watching this morning’s action from home. This tournament has been anything but pain-by-numbers, with upsets and intrigue galore. Having a group stage like the one just concluded — outside the first go-round where teams were still adjusting to each other, the ball and the altitude, producing some dire viewing — can only help casual fans embrace what the rest of the world thinks is the best sporting event in the world.

France and Italy are home. My wife and her father are fuming; he won’t even talk about it yet. Meanwhile, the US are through and our media can’t stop talking about it. Topsy-turvy world we live in right now. France completely imploded in about the most French way possible: bickering with one another to the point of refusing to pass to certain team-mates, going on strike for a day and looking disorganized and unpleasant on the field of play. Italy were simply, as I warned, old. They looked every bit of it as Lippi refused to play his young and enterprising players, preferring most of the team that lifted the trophy for years ago. The new manager will have an embarrassment of riches to play with in four years, with bit players from this squad ready to take the reins from the last gaspers.

Also, I was wrong, so so so wrong, about so much that I’m tempted to gloss over everything, but I won’t. Argentina were as rampant as I expected, but Maradona looks more capable as a coach than I’d ever thought possible. All the African teams I tipped to get out and make some noise quietly faded into the mountains, rarely even appearing likely to get a point, let alone win a match. About the only things I was right about were that I hate Tim Cahill and that Chile are a fun team to watch. After taking tomorrow off, I’m going to try to preview all the matches this week, looking back at the appropriate groups, where I missed and where I hit on something.

But today is about one game (because there’s only one left, but still). The US, the Mighty Yanks, Uncle Sam’s Army, The US MiNT, will take to the field today after winning their group for the first time since the inaugural World Cup in 1930 (held in and won by Uruguay, who, again, potentially our next opponent). They did so playing against 12 men in the matches against Serbia and Algeria (counting the referees) in which two perfectly good goals were disallowed. Much has been said about the Serbia match, and the atrocity that was Edu’s non-goal. But that controversy greatly overshadowed the fight and verve the Yanks came out with in the second half of that match and the energy they sustained not just through the burst that led to Donovan’s goal, but for the full 45. Seeing a national team come together like that is rare. These guys don’t train together often, they don’t even play in the same leagues, let alone teams, throughout the professional calendar. And, the team that came out for the second half against Serbia, in the positions they were playing, was not an 11 I’d ever seen at the same time. But they gelled, stayed in formation, played their game. Papa Bradley has turned most supporters to his side, after years of doubting, questioning and, on many occasions in my house, screaming at his tactics; his boy has helped him on that count by making the leap. Michael Bradley especially has impressed a ton of onlookers, probably earning himself a few million Euros or Pounds in the process.

But all of that is prelude to this morning, a short preamble to a hopefully long and glorious manuscript — perhaps, if the team can carry on at the level its operated at thus far, even a manifesto. It is yet to be written, and it starts this afternoon, against two Princes, two Mensahs and 19 other Black Stars from the only African nation remaining in the tournament. They are not the same team that the US lost to in 2006, 2-1, if only because they are missing their best player, and one of the world’s best, in Michael Essien. His absence has been obvious in Ghana’s inability to score from open play. They’ve got two goals, both penalties, in the tournament. The US has double that, and ought to have treble their goals (yes, I’m continuing to bitch about officiating). They’re not without threats, but they’ve been content thus far to sit back, absorb the attack and catch their opponent on the counter. That may or may not continue today. I could see this game being far more open than the previous three.

Is that an advantage to the US? I have no idea. The back four is still something of a mess, and I can’t say I didn’t cringe when I saw Bornstein in for the Algeria match. Why bring Clarence Goodson as cover for Onyewu if you’re just going to slide Bocanegra in the middle and then put Bornstein on his wrong foot on the outside? Again though, results matter and that team did give one. Michael Bradley and Kevin-Prince Boateng (former Spur) will be THE battle today, more so than Altidore v. 2 Mensahs (John and Jonathan) and our centerbacks v. Assamoah Gyan. Whichever of those players throws his weight around, moves box-to-box and manages to keep the ref’s card in his chest pocket, will go a long way to helping their team through to Uruguay. Bradley and Boateng are both young guys who rely on strength and motor (the American term is probably “gritty” or some such), though Boateng has a big box of tricks that he’ll pull out possibly to his detriment. That said, they’re both huge hot heads known to getting a bit of the red mist in their eyes followed by a red card. Keeping their head in the game might matter even more than keeping their feet on the ball.

If the US come out like they have the last three halves of play, I think they walk away with more to play for. If they come out as they did against England, letting in something easy, playing out of shape and outside themselves, it will be tough to hang on. Ghana aren’t going to come out guns blazing, I doubt, but if handed a gift-wrapped opportunity, they’ll take it and shut up shop, putting 10 men behind the ball and daring the US to break it down (which, to be honest, is not the US’s strong suit by a mile). The one huge mismatch (which isn’t really a matchup, what with both players at the opposite ends of the surface) is in goal. The US, as I’ve said time and again, have one of the best keepers in South Africa. Tim Howard has saved the bacon of his shoddy defense and helped the US put up points in every match thus far. If it comes to penalties after 120 minutes, I’d put my money on his gloves rather than Ghanaian keeper Kingson.

I’m done with patriotic bluster and jingoistic rationale. If you’re with us, be with us today, and if you’re not, we’ll be waiting when you finally hop aboard. This team has the ability to be something special, to become a team that we tell our kids about, to become a team that other nations tell their kids about. This group of kids, raised on the 1994 World Cup, giving our national team an identity in the international game. Watch the beginning of something this afternoon. Watch it for Dempsey, bleeding from the mouth. Watch it for Tim Howard, screaming and striding about. Watch it for Donovan, the prodigal son of US Soccer who epitomizes so much of its good and bad that to separate the two from one another is almost impossible. Watch it for Michael and Bob Bradley, father and son. Watch it for Bocanegra and Cherundolo, and all the old soldiers out for one last parade. Watch it because this is the beginning of something today, that could just as easily be the end.

Poem of the Week

A friend suggested this week’s poetry pick, telling me that a) it is her favorite and b) she has it memorized.  So did I!

Said friend also offered me homemade baked goods today, so obviously I would have been obliged to post her favorite poem even if I did not also like it.  Which I do.   Point being, if anyone else would like to share a poem with the many, many readers of V&V, please note that I take well to bribery, especially when it involves food.

If

Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

PS– Ever wanted to hear this poem read by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?  Lucky you:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is-JCJCUy18

Subjects of the drug cartel

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer believes that most undocumented aliens illegal immigrants er, Mex’cans are here to smuggle drugs. For real:

“I believe today, under the circumstances that we’re facing, that the majority of the illegal trespassers that are coming into the state of Arizona are under the direction and control of organized drug cartels and they are bringing drugs in,” Brewer said.

“There’s strong information to us that they come as illegal people wanting to come to work. Then they are accosted and they become subjects of the drug cartel,” she said.

That are some serious sweet English skills. Make to English language official! Kicker out all thoughs Mexicaners!

(Yeah, it’s ad hominem; hey, it’s Friday afternoon and I’m lazy.)