Monday Open Thread
Welcome to a hot, steamy Monday. I felt like I was in a sauna yesterday. How did you cope with the hot weather? Did it force you to change any plans? It’s time for an open thread to share your burning opinions. The floor is yours.
Massey Energy is under criminal investigation. Good.
The FBI has launched a criminal investigation of the Massey Energy Co. mine where earlier this month an explosion killed 29 West Virginia miners, according to the Associated Press.
Citing an unnamed law enforcement official, the wire service reported that the FBI has interviewed nearly two-dozen of the company’s current and former employees in its probe of the April 5 accident.
Massey spokesperson Jeff Gillenwater acknowledged the FBI had conducted interviews, but said the company is “not aware of the nature of their investigation. We intend to cooperate in all phases of the accident investigation.”
Massey Energy is still headed by world’s biggest PR nightmare, Don Blankenship. There’s not much more information on the nature of the FBI investigation yet, but reports earlier in the week indicated there may have been bribery of federal regulators involved. This makes me sick to my stomach.
The “Great Seal” of the Commonwealth of Virginia depicts the Roman goddess Virtus standing over the defeated Tyranny and has been in use since 1776. Virtus is holding a spear and a sheathed sword, and the garb she is wearing exposes her left breast. (An earlier rendition of the seal traced back to Thomas Jefferson shows the goddess wearing even less clothing.) However, far-right Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) is now tinkering with the historic seal:
When the new design came up at a staff meeting, workers in attendance said Cuccinelli joked that it converts a risqué image into a PG one.
Judge for yourself the risqué image that got Cucinelli in a tizzy:
Tags: Open Thread
I don’t know…some men would still get excited by a woman standing on them. And, whats under that dress for him to see?
I would think they’d be more concerned over the fact that their State Seal has foreigners on it. What, they couldn’t find a homocidal American woman?
Oh yeah, and it ain’t even in English, neither.
*sigh* More t*ts and asses.
Is it safe to come back??
Times Square Bomb: U.S. Officials Finding Foreign Links to New York Bomb Plot
ABC News | May 3, 2010 |
U.S. law enforcement officials say there is growing evidence the Times Square bomber had ties to radical elements overseas and did not act alone. One senior official said the individuals involved “are living here and did not come from overseas to carry out the bombing.” Attorney General Eric Holder said today the investigators had made “substantial progress” in tracking the man who drove a Nissan Pathfinder into New York’s Times Square with a crude bomb that failed to detonate. Officials declined to provide the specifics that led them to believe there were overseas links to a larger plot. …
I predict they’ll have their bomber(s) by Friday. If it’s tied to the middle east it will be a bummer for me….I wanted it to be a teabagger(s). Lord knows they need a hole in their ballon.
Thank heaven the bomb was aborted….the death count would have been hideous.
So, yet again, the News Journal is covering a Republican candidate forum. Number of Republican forums attended: 3, number of Democratic forums attended: 0. Fair & balanced!
That old Virginia seal was making me horny. Thanks Ken Cuccinelli. You’ve saved me from my benobo monkey instincts!!
I guess the NJ could cover Spencer by himself, Lt. Gov. Carney has refused all invitations to appear with him. No news–no coverage. The Democrats chose to avoid news. The Republicans chose to make news. How is that the WNJ’s fault? It was like Judge Lee refusing to go to the forums. It killed him in the general because people didn’t know he was running or his positions, but was it the obligation of the press to track him down after every forum?
I think in this case, there is merit to the decision from a purely political calculation. Republicans have a primary which will give them the floor when determining issues. That is why I believe the winner of the primary will have a boost and the race will be essentially even in October.
UI – what Democratic forums have been held so far?
There’s been several regional meetings, anon. Also, John Carney held an hour-long meeting with the Progressive Democrats at the beginning of the year where he answered questions (I guess it would have been similar to the 912 Patriots group forum). There’s two candidate forums coming up next week. The Stonewall Democrats on May 8 and the Newark Area Democrats on May 10. The schedule of events can be seen here.
I did ask the party about having media attend events like this. I didn’t get a straight answer on it. The best I got is if the media wants to attend, contact the organizers. It makes me think though, perhaps DL should organize an event.
Check out politico.
Which story, jason?
UI – They will most certainly need to PR it to media outlets and encourage their presence. If they are simply posting a public schedule, that’s too passive and won’t do. Then again, you did say that you asked about it and weren’t given a straight answer, so maybe there is something else afoot.
Number of people who read “candidate forum” stories and aren’t political junkies: 0.
Number of people who will therefore be influenced to vote for someone because of what was written in a candidate forum story: 0.
A1, this one. You can comment on the story above.