Sometimes, it’s a little hard to like Majority Leader Harry Reid. Okay, not sometimes: Often. Sure, once in a while he’ll accomplish the historic passage of a Republican health care bill, but, generally, he’s blasé at best and offensively useless at worst. Or maybe just offensive. Offensive it is, again. Yesterday, in addressing the recent (cynical) outrage over the planning of an Islamic community center near the World Trade Center site, his spokesman, Jim Manley said, “The First Amendment protects freedom of religion. Senator Reid respects that, but thinks that the mosque should be built someplace else.”...
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Candidate for Congress Ben Qualye thinks Obama is the worst president ever
Ben Quayle, the 33-year-old son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, is running for a House seat from Arizona, released the above ad last week calling President Obama “the worst president in history.” You’d think he would have read this week’s conservative talking points. I’m referring, of course to a a list compiled by conservative bloggers of the worst 25 figures in American history—a list which President Jimmy Carter topped. Jimmy Carter: The worst figure in American history? The lowest of “all the gangsters, serial killers, mass murderers, incompetent & crooked politicians, spies, traitors, and ultra left-wing...
Continue reading...Same-sex marriages in California possible on August 18
U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, the judge who ruled that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional, lifted the stay on his decision as of Wednesday, August 18, at 5pm PST. The evidence presented at trial and the position of the representatives of the State of California show that an injunction against enforcement of Proposition 8 is in the public’s interest. Accordingly, the court concludes that the public interest counsels against entry of the stay proponents seek. Of course, that’s assuming that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stays out of it. That’s not likely. Proponents...
Continue reading...Are all choices equal? Does it matter?
There’s a fascinating article in Elle from July, in which Bettina Paige recounts her decision to undergo a “selective reduction” when she found out she was carrying twins after going through fertility treatment. She already had a toddler, felt the family couldn’t afford to take care of two new babies, and her husband was strongly opposed to twins. So she chose to have one of the fetuses terminated, and then she chose to tell her story publicly– a brave choice, I think, considering the judgment she would inevitably encounter. On DoubleX yesterday, KJ Dell’Antonia described her own...
Continue reading...Rand Paul is just afraid of imaginary beer
The Fancy Farm Picnic, a picnic held by the St. Jerome parish, is the traditional beginning of the campaign season in Kentucky. It’s a huge affair: so huge, in fact, that in 1985, it was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Largest Picnic” for the consumption of 15,000 pounds of mutton, pork, and chicken at the 1982 picnic. Since it’s such an important event, you’d of course expect that Senate candidates Jack Conway and Rand Paul would have to make appearances. Democratic candidate Jack Conway made some news this weekend when he...
Continue reading...House Representative Mike Pence loves teachers
Earlier today, the House of Representatives passed a bill—by a vote of 247-161—providing states $16B in emergency funding to shore up their Medicaid budgets and $10B in an effort to stave off teacher layoffs. The bill is slated to be signed by the president this evening. According to Democratic estimates, the bill is expected to save 290,000 jobs, including 140,000 teachers’ positions. Republic House Representative Mike Pence of Indiana wasn’t a fan of the bill. When asked by ABC’s Top Line what the Republican strategy would be for teachers who have lost their jobs, his response is,...
Continue reading...How I'm pretty sure I went to college with Rand Paul
Sure, he might be the sober new leader of the libertarian wing of the Republican party, but, after reading this, I’m fairly certain I must have gone to college with Rand Paul:* The strangest episode of Paul’s time at Baylor occurred one afternoon in 1983 (although memories about all of these events are understandably a bit hazy, so the date might be slightly off), when he and a NoZe brother paid a visit to a female student who was one of Paul’s teammates on the Baylor swim team. According to this woman, who requested anonymity because of...
Continue reading...Great moments in campaign ad history: Nixon Now
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonAuLOIjZ0&w=560&h=445] On August 9, 1974—36 years ago today—President Richard Milhous Nixon resigned the office and went home. What a catchy tune his 1972 campaign advertisement had, though.
Continue reading...63-37
Just moments ago, I watched the Senate finish voting to confirm Solicitor General Elena Kagan by a vote of 63-37. You\’ll note that I made a silly bet with Lady Blaga that the vote would be 60-40. So, I\’m paying the lady her Hamilton. Sen. Ben Nelson was the only Democrat to vote nay, while Republican Senators Lindsay Graham, Susan Collins, Olympia Snow, Judd Gregg and Richard Lugar voted yea. Scott Brown, as I expected, voted nay and released a statement to that effect, citing her lack of judicial experience. That said, Ben Nelson is the first...
Continue reading...I win!
Ok, I slightly overestimated the vote count, but as of a few minutes ago, Elena Kagan has been confirmed to the United States Supreme Court in a vote of 63-37. Ben Nelson was the only Dem to vote no, while 5 Republicans voted yes: Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Richard Lugar, Olympia Snowe, and Judd Gregg. Congratulations to now-Justice Kagan! Hurray for 3 women on the Court for the first time ever. And yay to me for decisively proving how much smarter I am than Poplicola (ha). I look forward to collecting on my substantial winnings.
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