End Of 2009 Open Thread
I can’t say that I’m sorry to see this year go away. The year started out with such promise, with a brand new president but ended up being the year of horrible recession, angry townhallers, celebrity deaths and celebrity/politician sex scandals. Here’s hoping that 2010 is better than 2009!
This week we found out that champion of traditional marriage Karl Rove just had his second divorce. To the folks on Twitter, this was an opportunity for snark and Newsweek captured some of the best under the hashtag #RovePickUpLines:
Here are a few favorites (be warned–some of them are a bit bawdy):
@JamesUrbaniak: They call me the bush advisor #RovePickUpLines
@Spidey004: I’d like to pre-emptively invade *your* sovereign state. #RovePickUpLines
@reelquinn: “Is there a leak in my administration, or am I just happy to see you?” #RovePickUpLines
@MikeHasTweets: Let’s make a rumored illegitimate black baby. #RovePickUpLines
@JC_Christian: Ever seen a war criminal, naked? #RovePickUpLines
@Dajbman22: Come on baby, waterboarding isn’t torture, its more like light bondage… #RovePickUpLines
@Ali_Davis: “Shall I pick you up at 8:00, or would you prefer to be the subject of a vicious smear campaign?” #RovePickUpLines
@kasper_hauser: I’d (wire)tap that. #RovePickUpLines
Don’t forget – it’s the last day of 2009 and some candidates need money to close out the year on a high note. If you have some money to give and feel like spreading some wealth today is a good day to do it. I’m planning on giving some money to John Carney today.
Tags: Open Thread
One more chance to vote in 2009 – http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/31/820807/-Poll:-Ass-Clown-of-the-Year-%28Final-two:-Beck-vs.-Lieberman!%29
I voted for Glenn Beck! It was a tough decision, though. I thought Beck was more consistently an assclown, though.
UI – I also voted for Beck. Going to have a talk with Lieberman’s rabbi on my next trip to DC. What LIEberman does is a shanda.
conspicuously absent from the list: barney frank
Yeah–it’s the year end–and I just finished the last proof read of college apps on child #3. These supplements are a killer–glad I’m not the applicant!!!!! Now for the wait!!!!
Have a safe New Year everyone!!! Peace on Earth….
I voted for Lieberdouche. Beck helped us capture NY-23.
Good luck, Joanne, and Happy New Year! Same to you, Dom. Nice to hear from you! Hope all is well.
TPM’s “Golden Duke Awards” have just been announced. The lucky winners are the following:
Good luck to #3, Joanne. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Dominiq
Dominique – you, Lizard, Rethug David, and the Sussex County 9/12 chapter were all voted out in the second round.
I voted for Lieberman. I figure Beck’s assclownery is likely genetic so why should he get an award for that?
FROM REPRESENTATIVE JOHN ATKINS (D)–41st District–Forwarded from him to the Coastal Network:
Proposed Legislation for Sexual Offenders
Background
· Recently, there has been a lot in the news about child sex offenders and their victims.
o Dr. Earl Bradley at BayBees in Lewes may have molested up to 100 children in a 10 year period.
o Dover sex offender charged with molesting a 7 year old.
o Sarah Foxwell’s body was found Christmas Day not far from the Delaware border.
· These stories are very tragic, and as a State Representative, I want to ensure that all children in Delaware are safe from sex offenders.
· Ultimately, I would like Delaware to be the toughest state in the nation on high-risk, repeat sex offenders.
· I am currently drafting several pieces of legislation that will affect high-risk, repeat sex offenders and will make Delaware a safer place for all of us.
· Proposed Legislation
· All high-risk, repeat sex offenders should receive truth in sentencing when serving time for a sexual offense.
o If a sexual offender is giving 20 years for molesting a child, that person should serve 20 years of jail time, not 8 or 9.
o Any sexual offender who is convicted of a second sexual offense will be served a mandatory life sentence.
o We need zero-tolerance sentencing for child molesters and other sex offenders.
· For all high-risk, repeat sex offenders, their driver’s license (or state ID) will be stamped with the words “sex offender.”
o This tool will allow law enforcement officers to better protect the public from repeat offenders.
o For example, a police officer in a routine traffic stop will remember a license stamped with “sex offender” and that memory may come in handy if a child is hurt or kidnapped from the area.
o Also, in places with large crowds like the state fair or a busy park, law enforcement officers do not have access to a computer. A stamped driver’s license will alert the officer to the presence of a high-risk, repeat sex offender.
· For all high-risk, repeat sex offenders, a special license plate to be designed by the Department of Motor Vehicle that must be registered and displayed on the offender’s vehicle.
o For too long child sex predators have been stalking our children, it’s now time we know where they are.
o An easy identifiable license plate will not only be a red flag for parents, but we can teach young children to avoid these vehicles and drivers at all cost.
o Wisconsin, Ohio, and Alabama have considered legislation requiring sexual offenders to have special license plates on their car denoting their sexual offender status.
· All high-risk, repeat sex offenders must register all Internet domain and chat room names with the authorities.
o Law enforcement officers can then monitor those domain and chat room names to ensure that the sex offender is not committing another crime through the Internet.
o Failure to register domain and chat room names would result in [fine? imprisonment?]
· Before leaving prison, all male, high-risk, repeat sex offenders that are older than 21 and have targeted a child younger than 12 would be chemically castrated.
o Castration may prevent these sex offenders from harming more children.
o For the liberal groups that will claim that this is cruel and unusual punishment; I say so is the rape and victimization of our young children. It is my job to see that children have a safe environment.
o Ten states have enacted or are considering enacting similar legislation. Louisiana enacted this legislation in June of 2008 and Europe is also debating this concept.
· It will be an additional penalty for a sexual offender to provide a cell phone to his or hers victim without the victim’s parental consent.
o Sexual offenders that target pre-teen and teenage girls often hook their victim by giving the girl a cell phone.
o There is no reason why a child should have a cell phone given to them by a non-family member that the child’s parents know nothing about.
Miscellaneous
· Sexual offenders, especially those involved in child molestation, often have a high recidivism rate, and are never rehabilitated. Their sex crimes often escalate to include murder.
· Sex offenders often target children under 2 years of age because they can’t talk very well, making it less likely for the offender to be caught.
· Lawmakers must stand up for kids who are victims of sexual offences because we have the power to protect them.
Representative John C. Atkins
41st District – Delaware House of Representatives
Typical. Let’s hand down mandatory sentences to address problems.
If anyone reads though Atkins’ proposal, the one word that comes to mind is draconian.
He also doesn’t address how flawed the sex offender registry is. This strikes me as an emotional response do a horrible situation.
The last statement is funny in that I think lawmakers should stand up for kids who don’t have quality education, health care, shelter or enough food to eat.
For all high-risk, repeat DRUNK DRIVERS, a special license plate to be designed by the Department of Motor Vehicle that must be registered and displayed on the offender’s vehicle.
There…Fixed it for him
Ouch and zing! 🙂
Who knew a comment like Mark H’s was coming? 🙂
wouldn’t Atkins fall under that law himself?
Atkins does what sociaopathic demagogues do…demagogue sociopathically.
Last I checked, that doctor wasn’t on any sex offenders registry…but he HAD given off more than enough warning signs to justify an urgent investigation on SOMEbody’s part.
That’s what needs to be investigated, and investigated thoroughly. How was it possible for this sicko pervert to remain under the radar?? There was a massive fail here, and those responsible need to be held accountable.
It’s too easy. But seriously, this isn’t an easy issue. There is ample evidence the pedophiles (please notice the difference between Sex Offenders and pedophiles) will NEVER stop their actions. The problem with the Sex Offender registry and the like is that it doesn’t really differentiate between someone like the Dr and another garden type Sex Offender. There are no easy answers and certainly no easy legislation from the Mind of Atkins that will make this any better
Has anyone told you that the new decade doesn’t start on 2010 because year 1 began the first decade? Weediculous.
this is america nemski. we dont need your “facts” getting in the way of our reality. its the 10’s bitches and good riddance to the decade everyone wishes never happened.
Oh no, I’m in agreement with you.
These were the same naysayers that said this century didn’t begin until 2001.
breaking on MSNBC. Rush is in the hospital in hawaii (where the kenyan usurper is) for chest pains!!!!!!! just sayin
when do the problems of the country that go unsolved become O’s?
don, seriously. it has been less than a year. you are a smart guy, and im sure you know it will take more than a year to unfuck the world from Bush.. and with treasonous bastards like joe wilson and LIEberman and other wingnuts, it is an even bigger task. how bout all the unhappy progs stop bitching and lend a hand. happy new year.
Unfuck the world from Bush? It’s more like we’ve announced we are getting a divorce from Bush policies, but we haven’t filed the papers yet, and we are still living in the same house, and go out to dinner on Fridays, and maybe get lonely and spend a night in the same bed now and then… We are going to date other people but just haven’t met anyone yet…probably later though.
I’m sorry, the first word that occurred to me wasn’t “draconian’ it was, “bat-shit crazy”. At this rate chemical castration would continue to be the only “medical care” the state provides.
Mayo facility in W. Valley to stop taking Medicare payments
Cecilia Chan – Nov. 27, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic .
Low reimbursements have led one West Valley medical facility to stop taking certain Medicare patients, a pilot program that an Arizona health-care expert says may become a long-term trend in the industry.
For now, most Valley hospitals are still taking Medicare reimbursements
.
The Mayo Clinic announced in October that its Arrowhead Family Medicine practice will stop taking Medicare payments for primary-care services. The policy goes into effect Jan. 1, affecting about 3,000 seniors. Five doctors have practices at the clinic.
“We tend to see more Medicare patients in that area,” said Lyn Closway, Mayo spokeswoman. “This is a (two-year) pilot, and we will re-evaluate or reassess this after an appropriate period of time.”
For Mayo Clinic, the cost of providing services to Medicare patients exceeded the total amount paid on behalf of Medicare patients by $840 million in 2008, according to the hospital.
“Government payers, without question, are the worst payers in health care,” said John Rivers, president of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. “Medicare shortfalls in hospital payments represent nearly $1 billion in Arizona alone. And those costs ultimately get shifted onto the backs of privately insured individuals in the form of a hidden health-care tax.”