Friday Open Thread
TGIF! It looks like the wonderful spring-like sunny weather is not going to hold through the weekend, unfortunately. Let’s roll with the open thread.
Democrats overwhelmingly want to pass the health care reform bill. I understand how they’re feeling, I’m sick of the delays.
Roughly five out of six members of MoveOn favor passing the health reform bill in its current form:
Should MoveOn support or oppose the final health care bill if it looks like the plan recently proposed by President Obama?
Support 83
Oppose 17That is a pretty resounding endorsement from the grassroots.
I know that some people here think that House Progressives could force the White House to push conservative Democrats to accept a stronger bill if the Progs refused to vote for anything less. However, if the Democratic leadership is facing two different groups of Dems demanding “give in to us or else we will kill the bill,” the leadership is just going to pressure the group whose constituency is more in favor of passing the bill as is. And clearly, House Progressives have both activist and in-district constituencies that are overwhelmingly in favor of passing the bill as is. So, the leadership will pressure the Progs as the path of least resistance.
There’s still a few progressive House members who are holding out on voting for the bill (Mike Capuano, Dennis Kucinich), however this is position is a small minority of the Democratic party. I think some progressives have been surprised at the reactions they’ve gotten when they’ve said they’re voting no
Overall, support for passing health care reform has gone up 7% in the last month. I guess opposition has peaked after people got a look at the alternatives Republicans are offering (status quo) and President Obama has made a PR push in the last couple of months. Remember – at least a third of the opposition to the bill comes from the left, who doesn’t think the bill goes far enough.
Tags: Open Thread
From Chis Weeks’s biography (Chris is Pete Schwartzkopf’s challenger for the 14th: (about his graduate studies)”no degree was conferred..”
Is that a euphemism for DROPPED OUT, or FAILED OUT? The 14th needs someone committed and competent. So, is Chris Weeks UNCOMMITTED or INCOMPETENT?
hello all,
about a month ago i mentioned in an open thread that i had to join the statistic making Obama look bad…. the unemployment number.
Well, i can happily say i no longer have to undermine the President’s agenda by not having a job!
Thank you to everyone who expressed support and good thought.
Congrats a. price!
Is that a euphemism for DROPPED OUT, or FAILED OUT?
This is a really stupid comment. The world is full of successful people with some graduate credits. There are probably some in the General Assembly too.
Congratulations, a. price. Hopefully you got a job in the private sector, and not one of those government “jobs”. ‘Cause they’re not real, you know. Just a figment of some liberal’s imagination.
Nancy Pelosi on the public option:
I’m not surprised. We just don’t have to votes for it at this time.
“The world is full of successful people with some graduate credits. ”
And all these people either failed out, or dropped out…
There is no “dropping out” in graduate school. Except for medical and law school, you can usually go back and finish the program up until a certain time limit which is usually pretty generous.
Good news! Stupak’s primary opponent Connie Saltonstall has outraised Stupak on Act Blue in only 3 days!
Act Blue
“There is no “dropping out” in graduate school. Except for medical and law school, you can usually go back and finish the program up until a certain time limit which is usually pretty generous.”
And your dream of being an astronaut never really dies until you’re actually in the ground….
Congrats, A. price. 🙂 *happydance*
Congratulations, a. price!
Woot a.price!
Texas Text Books! get them while they’re hot!
Texas ed board adopts social studies standards
Google AP ^ | March 12, 2010 | April Castro
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas State Board of Education agreed to new social studies standards on Friday after the far-right faction wielded its power to shape the lessons that will be taught to millions of students on American history, the U.S. free enterprise system, religion and other topics. In a vote of 11-4, the board preliminarily adopted the new curriculum after days of charged debate …
They also agreed to strike the word “democratic” in references to the form of U.S. government, opting instead to call it a “constitutional republic.”
In addition to learning the Bill of Rights, the board specified a reference to the Second Amendment right to bear arms…
Conservatives beat back multiple attempts to include hip-hop as an example of a significant cultural movement that already includes country music…
Over the past three days, the board also argued over how historic periods should be classified (still B.C. and A.D., rather than B.C.E. and C.E.); whether or not students should be required to explain the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on global politics (they will); and whether former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir should be required learning (she will)….
Question… Are any of the commentators on DL Jewish? If so, I was wondering what your reaction was to our Vice President Biden insulting Benjamin Netanyahu (and Israel) by showing up 90 minutes late for a dinner, and his ignoring all of Israel’s media, and granting an interview only with Al-Jazeera.
Just curious.
Love,
Miscreant
Hi Miscreant,
I find it curious you do not find Israel’s actions insulting to the United States of America. The Vice President of the United States was in their country on a good will mission to discuss restarting the peace talks, and the Netanyahu government decides to insult and embarrass the Vice President by announcing a peace-talk-ending expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Serious foreign policy commentators from all over the globe described the action as Israel kicking sand into the US’ face.
The Netanyahu government has proved it is not serious about peace and as such it should no longer receive any subsidy from the United States. I dare say if we cut off the lifelines that keep Israel alive Bibi will quickly change his tune.
And Miscreant, I know you are a person of very limited intelligence, and I know you are a bigoted jackass as well, but you do realize that not all Jewish people think alike right? Indeed, not all Israelis think alike. You should actually read the Jerusalem Post to see the negative reaction Bibi’s actions received in his own country. Many Israelis are downright embarrassed by the actions of their government.
Love,
Delaware Dem
Is that all you have for me, little man? By your impotent attempt to distort this question by launching the usual, insulting ad hominum, I’ll conclude that you’re anti-Semitic, just too cowardly to admit it.
I further conclude, that if any DL commentators are Jewish, they are, for some reason, silent about it. Or, perhaps just afraid to confront the issue. Otherwise, why would anyone stand silent while this administration takes a hot, steaming shit on Israel?
“….You should actually read the Jerusalem Post to see the negative reaction Bibi’s actions received in his own country. Many Israelis are downright embarrassed by the actions of their government.”
Not unlike with our own biased, agenda-driven media?
http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/rosner/entry/recycled_joe_biden_the_erratic
Interesting article. The comments are priceless. Like the following made by these Israelis …
…Biden is no friend of Israel, all the phoney rhetoric notwithstanding. But, of course, our media with their usual lack of acumen, unprofessionalism, superficiality, & left-wing bias, will demonstrate the expected tuchas-kissing for our undistinguished & unwelcome guest. And, of course, expect the same abject groveling from many of our politicians, most notably Livni in her rather unsuccessful & desperate attempt to remain relevent.
Or, this one …
“Biden is most notable for his big mouth, his innumerable blunders, & is frequently shown in caricatures wearing a dunce cap. Biden is no foreign policy expert, a review of his positions only reveals a politician who was almost always wrong in his assessements. Biden is the emissary of a failed president,…”
And this gem …
“…Biden, probably the worst occupant of the Vice Presidency in American History. A plagarizing pompous Ass, a coward who like the Obama who hired him gave the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, those rapists, murderers of women like Neda Soltan, and the terrorist killers of American troops in Iraq a pass. A guy who claims to be pro-Israel but his record, including vicious attacks on Menachem Begin prove this to be a lie….
those peace loving palestinians…
PA calls Arabs to ‘defend al Aksa’
Jerusalem Post ^ | 3-14-10 | KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Top Fatah official: Israel “playing with fire” through Temple Mount “provocations.” A senior Palestinian Authority official on Sunday called on Israeli Arabs and Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to come to al Aksa Mosque in the Old City “to protect it from Israeli schemes.” Top Fatah official and holder of the Jerusalem portfolio Khatem Abd el-Kader called Palestinians on Sunday to “converge on al Aksa to save it” from what he called “Israeli attempts to destroy the mosque and replace it with the [Jewish] temple.” Khader was speaking ahead of a dedication of a renovated synagogue in the Jewish Quarter in…
apartments are an impediment to peace, glorifying murderers, not so much…
AJC Urges Obama Administration to Condemn Fatah’s Glorification of Terrorist Dalal Mughrabi
March 14, 2010 – New York – AJC urged the Obama Administration to condemn the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah Party after its youth division staged a ceremony to name a square in Ramallah in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, a terrorist who led a murderous rampage which resulted in the deaths of 38 civilians in 1978. Known as the Coastal Road Attack, the assault was the single most deadly act of terrorism in Israel’s history. Among the dead were 13 children and a US citizen.
“This monstrous spectacle in Ramallah took place while Vice President Biden was visiting the region,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “Unfortunately, we have not heard a single word of condemnation from the U.S. Administration. While the Administration has focused its ire on Israel for clearly misguided steps taken by the Ministry of the Interior, and later apologized for by Prime Minister Netanyahu, the glorification of this terrorist sends a clear signal that Fatah, conventionally regarded as a moderate party, has no serious commitment to securing a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
At the Ramallah ceremony, Mughrabi was lauded by Tawfiq Tirawi, a Fatah Central Council member, as “a fighter who fought for the liberation of her own land.” Mughrabi’s victims included Gail Rubin, an American photojournalist who was the niece of former U.S. Senator Abraham Ribicoff.
Phony: Murderous Palestinians do not prove all Palestinians are murderers any more than murderous Israelis prove all Israelis are murderers. Take your simple-minded worldview somewhere it will be appreciated. I suggest a barn.
I like the crazies before Al Gore invented the internet. Back then I could ignore the cheaply mimeographed rants.