Friday Open Thread

Filed in National by on December 18, 2009

It’s a pre-snow Friday open thread! Don’t forget the War on Christmas party tonight, 7 PM, C.W. Harborside. Bring canned goods to donate to the Food Bank of Delaware. You’ll also get the chance to tell off the DL contributors in person! How can you resist?

Remember those funny/strange Michael Steele/RNC intern pictures? Now you can be in one of those pictures. A clever troublemaker set up a web site called Keepin’ It Real With Michael Steele where you can photoshop yourself into a picture with Michael Steele. Some of them are pretty funny (Warning: NSFW). Here’s a funny one:

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About the Author ()

Opinionated chemist, troublemaker, blogger on national and Delaware politics.

Comments (31)

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  1. CNN closely follows DL! Just in time for the DL’s War on Christmas party tonight CNN posted their WOC article today:

    http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/18/war.on.christmas/index.html

    Merry Christmas!!

  2. Lizard says:

    America’s Best Days: 66% Favor Smaller Government With Fewer Services, Lower Taxes

    Rasmussen Reports ^ | 12/17/2009
    Sixty-six percent (66%) of U.S. voters prefer a smaller government with fewer services and lower taxes over a more active government with more services and higher taxes. That’s the second highest finding of the year: In August at the height of the congressional town hall controversies over the health care plan, 70% felt that way. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 22% prefer a government with more services and higher taxes. Eleven percent (11%) aren’t sure which is best. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Republicans and 63% of voters not affiliated with either major party like a…

  3. a.price says:

    Lizard, most americans are too stupid to know what is the best form of government. That is why George Bush was elected once, and why Palindumn got ANY votes at all…… besides, if you truly believed in majority rule, you wouldn’t question the Obama administration at all since according to the only poll that REALLY matters… i.e election results, YOUR views are wrong. Also, no once can trust these conservative polls since the al-jezzera of the american taliban (faux news) has repeatedly shown polls supporting their narrative that total over 100%. what say you to THAT?
    you really dont have actual principles do you? whatever you need to believe to keep hating Obama is what you adhere to that particular day.

  4. LOL, Scott. Too funny.

  5. h. says:

    Typical. Insult the majority of Americans.

  6. liberalgeek says:

    I have heard that more that half of Americans have an IQ of 100 or less…

  7. Unignorant Lawyer says:

    50% of people polled admitted to peeing in the shower. The other 50% lied about it.

  8. anon says:

    I have heard that more that half of Americans have an IQ of 100 or less…

    That’s almost fifty percent!!!

  9. anon says:

    50% of people polled admitted to peeing in the shower.

    The other 50% were three minutes late to work every day.

  10. pandora says:

    I’ll believe this sort of poll when it lists the services to be cut.

  11. anon says:

    I’ll believe this sort of poll when it lists the services to be cut.

    Waste and fraud, of course. And entitlement spending. Except Medicare, Social Security, and military.

  12. a.price says:

    “Typical. Insult the majority of Americans.”
    Better insult than oppress.
    Face it. Conservatives have almost 250 years of bad karma coming their way. NO wonder they are so afraid.
    I can even make a (weak) case that American Conservatives are to blame for WWII and parts of the Holocaust. Ready?
    Conservatives in the congress, after WWI opposed American involvement in the League of Nations. The lack of the then rising superpower really weakened the body and allowed Hitler to slice through Europe like Glenn through a K of coke.
    Add that to conservative’s support of the King of England, slavery, the 3/5ths compromise, Jim Crowe, opposition to the civil rights act, voting rights for ANYONE but white men, opposition to fair treatment of (legal) Irish immigrants, Italian Immigrants, Polish immigrants…ANY IMMIGRANTS. opposition to child labor laws (gotta love the free markets) opposition to labor rights of ANY sort…. man.
    you guys have a SH!TSTORM of Karma heading your way. No wonder the Bag’s are frightened. Go huddle behind Sarah Palin, load you guns (which are safe) get in your bunker and never come out.

    Merry Secular-winter-solstice-holiday-mas

  13. Exactly, pandora and anon. I’ll believe a poll like that when people don’t bitch about closing their library. Americans are big believers in the pony plan.

  14. Remember earlier this week when McCain had to get out the fainting couch and the smelling salts because Franken cut off Holy Joe? Well, McCain seems to be suffering from Joe-mentia (h/t Stephen Colbert):

    Yesterday, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), acting on the orders of the Senate leadership, refused to grant Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) “an additional moment” to continue speaking on the Senate floor after his 10 minutes expired. Franken’s objection caused Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) to groan about how Franken’s move was unprofessional, unprecedented, and disrespectful:

    McCAIN: I’ve been around here 20-some years. First time I’ve ever seen a member denied an extra minute or two to finish his remarks. … I just haven’t seen it before myself. And I don’t like it. And I think it harms the comity of the Senate not to allow one of our members at least a minute. I’m sure that time is urgent here, but I doubt that it would be that urgent.

    On October 10, 2002 — just ahead of the looming mid-term elections — the Senate rushed a debate on a war authorization giving President Bush the power to use force against Iraq. The resolution ultimately passed the Senate after midnight on an early Friday morning by a vote of 77-23.

    During the course of the frenzied floor debate, then-Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) spoke in favor of an amendment offered by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) that would have restricted Bush’s constitutional powers to wage war against Iraq. After a minute and a half, Dayton ran of time, prompting this exchange:

    The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator’s time has expired.

    Mr. DAYTON. I ask for unanimous consent that I have 30 seconds more to finish my remarks.

    Mr. McCAIN. I object.

    Byrd stepped in to grant Dayton time to finish his remarks. But just moments later, Byrd asked for more time to speak for himself. Again, McCain objected, prompting Byrd to chide him for doing so. “This shows the patience of a Senator,” Byrd said. “This clearly demonstrates that the train is coming down on us like a Mack truck, and we are not even going to consider a few extra minutes for this Senator.”

  15. cassandra_m says:

    UI, you are right, people want their libraries open — it is the libraries those other people have in the next county or state over that are full of waste, fraud and abuse.

  16. ergonomic says:

    My wife works for the NCC Library System … not that we are literally focussing on libraries. On a typical Saturday, their branch (Newark( receives over 5,000 visitors. The staff works their butts off to connect people with information, providing a truly useful and valuable government service. The Library is also a hub to help people transition from blue collar jobs to more technology oriented jobs, get tax help, promote reading and family activities, and on an on. Truly useful government service to the community. I’d love to hear public opinion if someone tried to take it away.

  17. Why did Jim Inhofe go to Copenhagen?

    The senator didn’t have any meetings scheduled in Copenhagen, and he did not see chief U.S. negotiator Todd Stern or the members of the House delegation, who were not scheduled to fly in until later in the afternoon.

    But Inhofe’s aides eventually rustled up a group of reporters, and the Oklahoman — wearing black snakeskin cowboy boots — held forth from the top of a flight of stairs in the conference media center.

    “We in the United States owe it to the 191 countries to be well-informed and know what the intentions of the United States are. The United States is not going to pass a cap and trade,” he said. “It’s just not going to happen.”

    A reporter asked: “If there’s a hoax, then who’s putting on this hoax, and what’s the motive?”

    “It started in the United Nations,” Inhofe said, “and the ones in the United States who really grab ahold of this is the Hollywood elite.”

    One reporter asked Inhofe if he was referring to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Another reporter — this one from Der Spiegel — told the senator: “You’re ridiculous.”

    Inhofe ignored the jab, fielded a few more questions, then raced to the airport for the nine-hour flight back to Washington.

    What was the point of that? He flew to Copenhagen to tell the world that Republicans are the party of no? What a waste of taxpayer money.

  18. ergonomic says:

    Yes.
    A psychotic, sociopathic exercise in self indulgence.
    But this guy somehow has wisdom that enables him to irrefutably deny a working scientific theory.
    Of course – we just need to keep trotting out stereotypically ignorant displays of ‘America’ and ‘Americans’.
    SOmeone please tell me unenlightened trogs like this are adying breed.

  19. arthur says:

    ergonomic – in response to your post – libraries are the only government agency that works well. free entertainment and free education. plus the people who work there are usually very knowledgable and willing to help. that is one government service i would be willing to pay for.

  20. cassandra_m says:

    UI, the point of that was exactly that photo op and press conference which has provided Fox Noise and the usual suspects denialist fodder for awhile.

    He should have the grace to pay back taxpayers for the funds he just wasted to get himself on TV again.

  21. V says:

    the ONLY one? what about the fire department? or the cops? my mail also gets where it needs to.

  22. Parks, highways. People get awful mad when their potholes don’t get filled and their snow doesn’t get plowed. I also like municipal utilities. It was government investment that brought those things to us.

  23. TPM is reporting that Obama has reached a climate deal with China, India and South Africa. No details yet.

    Who know that China is more reasonable than Ben Nelson?

  24. xstryker says:

    I’m just waiting for Lieberman to suddenly decide he opposes curbing emissions. Just you wait, it will happen.

  25. Just don’t let any liberals say they like the legislation and it will be o.k.

  26. xstryker says:

    libraries are the only government agency that works well

    Yes, just libraries. Libraries and the military. Just libraries, the military… also Medicare. Nothing but libraries, the military, and Medicare. And the interstate highway system. Right, that’s it – plus the post office. But nothing else… well, except traffic lights. And prisons. And perhaps the printing of paper currency. And, well, I suppose monopolies ought to still be illegal, so we’ll need people to enforce that…

  27. anonie says:

    Wow. Obama ripped the Chinese a new one in Copenhagen. Then he spoke like a world leader with a purpose.

    On Friday morning, Obama warned delegates that U.S. offers of funding for poor nations would remain on the table “if and only if” developing nations, including China, agreed to international monitoring of their greenhouse gas emissions.

    “I have to be honest, as the world watches us … I think our ability to take collective action is in doubt and it hangs in the balance,” Obama told the COP-15 plenary session, as hope faded for anything more than a vague political agreement.

    “The time for talk is over, this is the bottom line: We can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward. We can do that, and everyone who is in this room will be part of an historic endeavor, or we can choose delay,” he said.

    He added, “The question is whether we will move forward together, or split apart. … We know the fault lines because we’ve been imprisoned by them for years.”

    I wonder what might have been had Obama fought for the PO with the same kind of honesty and strength.

  28. Joanne Christian says:

    So what the heck happened at “The War on Christmas” party? Did it happen? Was it a “Silent Night”, and you guys had a truce-or was it cancelled? Update please….

  29. anon says:

    The War On Christmas was modified to include food, drink, gifts, songs in praise of the Christ Child, attendance at Mass, and salutations of Merry Christmas. Liberals agreed to the compromise, saying there wouldn’t be another opportunity to party until next weekend. It was a great victory against Christmas.

  30. Joanne,

    We had the party and quite a good turnout. I’m waiting for liberalgeek to post about the party and update us on the amount of food we collected for the foodbank.