Friday Open Thread
Welcome to your Friday, drying out open thread. How many of you were flooded? I hear there was flooding in Newark and on the UD campus and some schools are closed. How is it where you live?
By now, you’ve probably heard the terrible story of Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after his college roommate broadcast Clementi’s sexual encounter with another man. Dan Savage has started a project called “It Gets Better” to help teens deal with the bullying and issues with being gay and coming out. There’s a YouTube channel where people can share their stories. This is a great idea – hopefully something good can come out of this tragic story.
Republicans will have a good election year in 2010 but they have to wonder how much better they would have done if they didn’t have such ridiculous candidates in some races. Take Connecticut GOP Senate nominee Linda McMahon. She just has no clue:
A scandalous multi-millionaire can buy a primary win, and even run enough ads to position herself to buy a Senate seat, but it’s tough to put a price on sound judgment and policy smarts. Connecticut’s Linda McMahon was reminded of this yesterday.
Republican Linda McMahon accepted the endorsement of a prominent business interest lobby on Thursday, but her campaign staff abruptly shut down a press conference in which McMahon was asked to explain whether she agreed with all of the organization’s positions.
Most notably, McMahon said she believed Congress should consider lowering the federal minimum wage in times of economic distress for small businesses, such as the current recession.
“The minimum wage now in our country, I think we’ve set that and a lot of people have benefited from it in our country, but I think we ought to review how much it ought to be, and whether or not we ought to have increases in the minimum wage,” McMahon said.
McMahon, who made her fortune running a scandal-plagued wrestling company, added that she had no idea what the federal or state minimum wage currently is. (Connecticut’s minimum wage is $8.25 an hour, while the federal wage is $7.25 an hour.)
This reminds me of when John McCain said Americans won’t work for $50/hr in the fields. These people just have no clue what life is like for ordinary people.
Tags: Open Thread
CNN’s Rick Sanchez calls Jon Stewart a “bigot” and claims the Jews run the media.
This story has been making its way through the Twitterverse. A man was killed while riding his bike in a hit-and-run accident. The article of the incident got all kinds of negative and nasty comments because the man was a 48-year-old minimum wage worker. In response, the newspaper wrote a long story of the man’s life. Really fascinating.
This is quite a story:
Medical ethics in the mid-20th century were atrocious? I you haven’t already, I strongly recommend you read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks which details some of the issues with the ways that African-Americans were treated during this time period.
And the expansion of the Police States of America continues:
“Feds radiating Americans’? Mobile X-ray vans hit US streets”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100929/ts_csm/329052
Ready for the next Bill Maher video dump tonight?
Josh Marshall gave the heads up on the Maher video dump:
F Bill Maher. He needs to stop that nonsense because its only feeding the beast. There is nothing a reasonable person would say O’Donnell is beyond saying, committing or believing. Well, maybe the truth, that seems out of that particular Christian’s reach.
Rather than the embarrassing clips the media needs to focus on the money: where it came from and where its going. As much as I enjoy disparaging the t party, its hard to think that 100% are that comfortable with corporate influence and campaign chicanery.
McMahon’s comments remind me of when GHWB went to a grocery store in 1988 and had no idea what the price of a gallon of milk or a loaf a bread was. The people have no clue.
I see an Asshat award in the making.
speaking of asshats: certainly no one knows who Rose Izzo is, I can’t explain why you should. She has a bit to say (still) about the race for Senate:
RoseIzzo2010
Chris Coons will stimulate the economy and himself at the same time. http://bit.ly/bLA9y2
2:43 PM Sep 28th via web
Retweeted by RoseIzzo2012
RoseIzzo2010
Hey Christine Odonnell. Its a natural act, nothing to feel dirty about. http://bit.ly/bcjByt
2:41 PM Sep 28th via web
Retweeted by RoseIzzo2012
I am regretfully reporting the sale of Buckworth’s Hardware of Middletown to somebody else. This is going to be a tough time for my husband. And me too….where else can he go to buy my birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gifts and get such personal service?
I blame Obama.
As VP of the Sussex County Pilots’ Association, I will be helping out at Georgetown Airport tomorrow for their annual “Wings and Wheels” festival. I have this terrible fear that O’Donnell, Urquhart, or other local teabag idiots will show up and I will have to be polite to them. I went to O’Donnell’s web site looking for a schedule or something. There is none. Can someone please tell me that these idiots will be elsewhere tomorrow?
I heard that she was going to be at Willey Farms on 13 for a bit. It is all very hush hush.
The cult dabbler ended up in the biggest, most destructive cult in America; the Republican Party. If only the Hari Krishnas ate meatballs.. ..sigh…