Thursday Open Thread
Welcome to the Thursday edition of your open thread. It’s the day after the big debate. Does the world seem different. It feels pretty strange to have all this national attention, especially considering O’Donnell’s standing in the polls.
Slate brings us “The Concord Monitor Obtains the Dumbest Libertarian Quote Ever.” First the background story:
There’s a blogworld-meets-real-world frenzy going on in New Hampshire, as the anti-government movement rallies in defense of a couple whose newborn was taken by the state’s Division for Children. In the right-libertarian online world, the story that went out was that the state had confiscated the baby because its father was a member of the Oath Keepers movement. An excerpt of an affidavit posted online said so.
Later, as protesters picketed the hospital and Reason and Wonkette got into a savage flame-post war, it emerged that the full affidavit mostly dealt with allegations that the father, Johnathan Irish, had a long history of violence toward the mother, Stephanie Taylor, and her two older children (who were from an earlier, undissolved marriage), and that Taylor had persistently “failed to recognize” the danger.
So, libertarians are taking up the cause of a man who had his newborn taken away due to child abuse, on the basis of a highly redacted affidavit posted online. Some libertarian groups have been protesting in New Hampshire and unfortunately some of them were allowed to talk:
The most amazing voice from the anti-tyranny forces, though, belonged to a woman named Amanda Biondolillo, from Concord:
“The family should be left to resolve it on their own,” Biondolillo said. “Or private enterprise – private companies can contact the family and say, ‘We heard you were hitting your kids. Can you stop that?’ “
Is Amanda Biondolillo a prankster who shows up at protests to say things to make libertarians look like morons? Her online presence looks sincere. But: really? Private enterprise! The solution to domestic violence is for there to be private companies that will go around telling people to please stop hitting their kids. Oh, the parents will say, we hadn’t thought of that. We will stop hitting the children now.
Ummm…er…. I’m speechless
Did you know Wheel of Fortune‘s Pat Sajak is a wingnut? Not just a standard wingnut, but a wingnut with an idea! I’ll let him explain:
None of my family and friends is allowed to appear on Wheel of Fortune. Same goes for my kids’ teachers or the guys who rotate my tires. If there’s not a real conflict of interest, there is, at least, the appearance of one. On another level, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has recused herself from nearly half the cases this session due to her time as solicitor general. In nearly all private and public endeavors, there are occasions in which it’s only fair and correct that a person or group be barred from participating because that party could directly and unevenly benefit from decisions made and policies adopted. So should state workers be able to vote in state elections on matters that would benefit them directly? The same question goes for federal workers in federal elections.
I’m not suggesting that public employees should be denied the right to vote, but that there are certain cases in which their stake in the matter may be too great. Of course we all have a stake in one way or another in most elections, and many of us tend to vote in favor of our own interests. However, if, for example, a ballot initiative appears that might cap the benefits of a certain group of state workers, should those workers be able to vote on the matter? Plainly, their interests as direct recipients of the benefits are far greater than the interests of others whose taxes support such benefits. I realize this opens a Pandora’s box in terms of figuring out what constitutes a true conflict of interest, but, after all, isn’t opening those boxes Ricochet’s raison d’être?
Using this logic:
Should candidates be allowed to vote for themselves? After all, they directly gain by getting a job and get paid. What about their families? They benefit too! Pat Sajak – what a moran.
Tags: Open Thread
I assume “federal workers” would include the U.S. military.
Well, clearly the fair solution would be for all members of SCOTUS to be drawn from a population that has had no contact with Constitutional law, at all.
They’re still mad about that gay judge in CA. That’s the source of this one.
Glenn Beck accuses Michele Obama of voodoo.
Cue the usual suspects claiming that this is absolutely not about race.
🙄
UI – it could be a cottage industry just waiting to take off. Hmm, Stop Hitting the Kids, LLC.
Now there would be an opportunity for Blackwater.
I think Pat Sajak had wheels spinning in his head, andhis comments show how much of an idiot he is. Too bad he couldn’t get a real job.
Under libertarianism, children are pretty much “owned” by their parents without any real rights of their own. Parents would be free to educate or not educate their children in whatever way that they saw fit, which obviously includes whatever type of discipline or punishment that they please.
So Amanda is pretty much spouting the standard libertarian philosophy in regards to the relationship between government, parents, and children. However, I doubt that there would be a private enterprise that would find some way to make a profit by assuming the government role of protecting children’s rights. So while that idea is pretty wacky, from a libertarian perspective, it is the only possible way to rationalize their utterly inhumane attitude toward government protecting children from abusive parents in any real way.
Ignite Wilmington was October 7th. Anybody go?
its 2:37 and I went to her website to see the SCOTUS issue posted as she promised last night on national TV
I could not find it – can any of you??
Chritine O’Donnell – empty promises and lying again
I missed Ignite too. Saw Lee Mikles today — said it drew about 150, and sounded like a real strong program.
Here’s a full debate transcript.
The next time someone says, “Ted Kennedy … car … drinking … didn’t report promptly,” you answer, “Dick Cheney shot a man in the face and chest after drinks, and didn’t face the cops for 18 hours”:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/13/AR2010101307173.html?sid%3DST2010101307297
Nearly disabled the man and has never apologized.
ABC NEWS has a summary up of today’s debate: here is a snippet from what happened after the debate and then the link:
While Coons stopped to answer reporters’ questions, O’Donnell did not take a single one.
As her hired security guards – with earpieces – held cameramen and reporters at bay under the hotel’s awning outside the lobby, O’Donnell ignored queries lobbed by newsmen and women about her views on tax policy and deficit reduction.
“We can’t do it like this, I apologize,” she said as she waited for her van to arrive.
“I would ask you to respect our policies and contact Doug,” her spokesman, O’Donnell said, before dashing into the rain to load into the waiting van.
http://tinyurl.com/2eczzqf
Does she think she is the president? hell I see Tom Carper jogging by himself most days and she has a security team??
Fallows: Is She More Dangerous Than Palin?
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/10/why-christine-odonnell-could-be-more-dangerous-than-sarah-palin/64542/
Libertairiamism is solely a Utopian fantasy for stingy, chronic assholes.
Simple. As. That.
Obomba’s DOJ has filed for a stay of the ruling stopping enforcement of DADT pending an appeal.
So much for being a “fierce advocate for gay and lesbian Americans.”
About that “fashion show” …
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/did_chris_coons_really_spend_53000_on_a_mens_fashi.php?ref=fpa
Thanks, Belinsky. I just posted on that and then saw that you had commented here.
Josh: It’s another case of “her demonstrable penchant for hinting that her male opponents may be gay.”
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/10/very_slimey.php
Love the egg on the face now for that one! Of course the repubs will scream how dare he support an event that helps underprivileged children with even 1 of their tax dollars!
My eye just randomly fell on this from COD’s website:
Coons Voted At Least 36 Times To Install Street Lights And Implement A Tax Based On The Cost Of The Lights.
Oh, the horror!
I just got a robocall from “Your Delaware Financal Watchdog Team” (Bonini and Wagner). There actually a menu to hear the whole message, or hear a phone number where you can call back to play the message. Try it ( 1-302-698-4463/4). I’ll transcribe it when I get a chance.
Just got it as well…guess they are contacting everyone.
Asshat Beck wants you to donate to the chamber of commerce. Rick Jensen sure to follow.
Dear me – the Delaware resistance has a lot to say about the debate
al deramo former DNREC employee is a hoot to read:
http://www.resistnet.com/group/delawareresistance/forum/topics/2010-coons-odonnell-cspan
check it out – then check out the members of the “resistance”
living south of the canal is getting scary
well folks – here is another one
apparently Bill Colley has an isue with a “jewish man” moderating a debate with a Catholic candidate……interesting
http://www.resistnet.com/profiles/blogs/odonnell-coons-and-faith?xg_source=activity
take a pill – swallow hard..and read it all
then pray for us in Sussex County – we gotta live with goons like this
Dear lord Aoine, that is frightening. Scary these people are our neighbors. Of course they think the same thing about us! HA HA
I live in the 36th district, Sussex County. I just received a mail piece for Bob Rhodunda. It doesn’t say what he is running for, what his party is, or where he is from. But I am glad is is “ready to take on the big spenders in Dover,” since he just wasted a mail piece on me — and how many others who are not in his district?
but anon – we’re are not threatening violence…and armed insurrection and government overthrow….
we just want latte in the Am and Cabernet in the PM….LOL
Rhodunda is running in the 10th R. D., decidedly north of the canal. In fact, its northern border is the state line w/Pa.
Pretty damn funny.
Also, for the record Rhodunda is a Republican…of course few local Republican candidates seem to list their party on their signs, lit, etc.
Wonder if the Rhodunda mailer came out of resolute blogger Charlie Copeland’s direct mail shop.
A diversion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QDv4sYwjO0
WTF does Blitzer’s religion have to do with anything? Curly is a bigot, plain and simple.
I know the foster family that had the baby in NH. The court has, at least temporarily, given her back to the man who beat her two older brothers and refused to attend violence-prevention seminars. Bear in mind, this “mother” lost custody of her two sons because of the violence committed by this hero of the Constitution.
You can’t imagine how devastated they are.
If anything happens to that little girl, you can be assured that I blame Oath Keepers and the f-ing libertarian “morans” who helped him.
O’Donnell supporters were attacking the debate moderators all day. Remember there were several times during the debate where O’Donnell went after Blitzer. But I guess the O’Donnell supporters think they lost the debate because they’re spinning it as O’Donnell had to debate Chris Coons and the moderators.
Curly was prepping his minions on Wednesday, telling them that the debate wouldn’t be fair because “it’s hosted by AARP, which is an arm of the Democrat Party.”