Weekend Open Thread
Welcome to your weekend open thread. It’s the first weekend in a while where I don’t actually have much to do. I’m just hanging out a home. It’s heavenly.
LOL at the law of unintended consequences. I love that the Oklahoma anti-sharia law is going to bite Oklahomans in the rear.
Lawmakers in the Sooner State put a constitutional amendment banning the application of Islamic law by Oklahoma courts on the ballot for Tuesday’s election.
But the amendment, which also banned the use of international law in judicial decision-making, might force Oklahoma judges to ignore all laws that were conceived on foreign soil, including the 10 Commandments.
“I would like to see Oklahoma politicians explain if this means that the courts can no longer consider the Ten Commandments. Isn’t that a precept of another culture and another nation?” said a University of Oklahoma law professor. “The result of this is that judges aren’t going to know when and how they can look at sources of American law that were international law in origin. Many of us who understand the law are scratching our heads this morning, laughing so we don’t cry.”
I hate to say “I told you so.” Who am I kidding – I say it all the time.
Rachel Maddow on Keith Olbermann’s suspension from MSNBC for political donations and what it all means:
You can do it if you ask in advance and management tells you it’s OK. That’s what I understand happened with our morning-show host’s political donations in 2006, under previous management.
But if you don’t ask in advance for an exemption from the rule, you’re bound by the rule. (For the record: the rule applies to us here at MSNBC and to NBC News staff. CNBC isn’t under NBC News, so they’re not bound by the rule.)
I understand the rule. I understand what it means to break it. I believe everyone should face the same treatment under that rule. I also personally believe that the point has been made and we should have Keith back hosting Countdown.
Here’s the larger point, though, that’s going mysteriously missing from the right-wing cackling and old media cluck-cluck-clucking: I know everyone likes to say, “Oh, cable news, it’s all the same. Fox and MSNBC — mirror images of each other. But if you look at the long history of Fox hosts not just giving money to candidates, but actively endorsing campaigns and raising millions of dollars for politicians and political parties — whether it’s Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck or Mike Huckabee — and you’ll see that we can lay that old false equivalency to rest forever. There are multiple people being paid by Fox News to essentially run for office as Republican candidates. If you count not just their hosts but their contributors, you’re looking at a significant portion of the entire Republican lineup of potential contenders for 2012.
They can do that because there’s no rule against that at Fox. Their network is run as a political operation. Ours isn’t. Yeah, Keith’s a liberal, and so am I. But we’re not a political operation — Fox is. We’re a news operation. The rules around here are part of how you know that.
Exactly. MSNBC is not Fox News of the left. It has some partisans, true, but it still adheres to some standards. Shame on those tut-tutters who say “both sides do it.” It’s just not true (that means you, Jon Stewart).
Tags: Open Thread
Wow, you nailed it except for the last sentence. Stewart mocks both Fox and MSNBC. He mocks Fox because of what they are. He mocks MSNBC because they aspire to be Fox. Stewart is right to mock both in my opinion, as both distract from any kind of civil discourse & intelligent discussion of the issues.
For the record, I like Olbermann. He’s a bit bombastic at times, but he’s usually entertaining, correct on the facts and, most importantly, funny.
Shame on those tut-tutters who say “both sides do it.” It’s just not true (that means you, Jon Stewart).
Bill Maher seriously took Jon Stewart out to the woodshed on this point:
I think the sanity rally was all in all a good thing. But I spoke with too many people there who thought it was a justification for “meeting Republicans in the middle.”
Stewart was saying “If we all just relax, everything will be all right.”
No… it… won’t.
Guess you all heard COD is definitely doing a book deal. Oh, and she’s been approached for a reality TV show, which she’s not yet enthusiastic about. We’ll see.
I doubt COD can read!
“Christine O’Donnell’s Delaware” – did I call it or what?
What is COD’s reality?
Maybe instead of calling them middle class tax cuts, it’s time to start calling them “tax cuts for everybody on their first $250K of income.”
Happy Sunday all!!
Have a good one for you – a poster on DP is now saying the 17 point spread between Senator-elect Coons and witchy-poo is due to voter fraud and machine tampering on behalf of the Dems.
check it out: post #5
http://www.delawarepolitics.net/so-how-many-votes-do-you-need/comment-page-1/#comment-39935
Similarly, in Delaware, a 17 point spread in any race would lead me to take a closer look at what actually happened in the Senate race. The winner in this race is immediately sworn in and cast a possible deciding vote on any “Lame Duck,” legislation. This race would be worth the democrats consideration of voter fraud.
looks like they are also having an issue with a poster and trying to out/intimidate them/him/her whatever – so be careful over there
Rick Parry and the Repukes want “States to decide on Social Security”. Even though there is a surplus now and the fund is good for 25 years, they will push more and more to the States which will force states into bankruptcy, or vote against social security. Rick Parry stated, “its all up to the states now”. Really? While California’s unemployment fund is now bankrupt. These bastards want americans living in the streets young and old. Pew Report looking at the numbers 45 million eligible voters didnt vote?