Monday Open Thread
Welcome to your Monday open thread. It’s not just Monday, it’s a wintery Monday. Stay warm folks!
This is a great story – Wally Funk, one of the female astronaut trainees in the 1960s, will finally get to go into space.
With the purchase of a $200,000 ticket to ride Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane from southern New Mexico, the flight instructor who five decades ago was part of a group called the First Lady Astronaut Trainees is finally on the doorstep of her dream of spaceflight.
…
Funk came closest to her dream of being a pioneering female astronaut in 1961 when, at 21, she became the youngest volunteer in an Albuquerque-based private program that evaluated women’s fitness for spaceflight.
Twenty-five women from around the country were invited to participate, 19 accepted, and the baker’s dozen who passed the demanding series of tests were dubbed the Mercury 13.
The name is a spinoff of the Mercury 7 male astronauts, introduced to the public by NASA in early 1959, who would take part in the nation’s initial spaceflight program.
“All the guys got the glory,” Funk said. “We didn’t.”
The program was canceled before the women could take part in advanced testing at a naval facility in Pensacola, Fla. Funk was disappointed but didn’t let go of her dream.
The women’s astronaut program fell victim to the sexism of the time. We had to wait 20 more years before women were allowed to go into space.
Republicans continue their search for the one perfect wingnut – the wingularity! Apparently Texas state Speaker of the House Joe Straus is not it.
The current state House Speaker is Joe Straus, a conservative Republican leading a conservative Republican majority. He’s currently facing a challenge from state Rep. Ken Paxton, who appears to agree with Straus on nearly everything.
So what makes this noteworthy? Straus is Jewish, and some far-right activists in Texas have a problem with that.
A few weeks ago, a coalition of Tea Party and right-wing Republican groups began lobbying for Paxton to replace Straus, with coalition activists circulating anti-Semitic emails. The message from conservatives was that the GOP state House needed a “Christian conservative” leader.
This week, the Texas Observer reported on an email exchange between two members of the State Republican Executive Committee, which governs state GOP affairs. One of the two party leaders, John Cook, insisted in a message, “We elected a house with Christian, conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it.”
Sorry, Joe Straus. It doesn’t matter how many years of service you’ve put into the Republican party.
Tags: Open Thread
What do Progressives do when Obama and the Democrats cave and give everyone tax cuts? Is this bad for Obama?
Obama is dead in the water. I’m switching my registration to R to try to stave off the worst-case scenario.
Not a bad idea.
Ironically, Obama beat a Republican (McCain) who actually voted against the Bush tax cuts.
But McCain campaigned for the tax cuts for the rich while Obama campaigned against them. Now Obama is fighting for the tax cuts, and who the hell knows what McCain is for on any given day.
They are like two sacks of Jello.
If Obama had told us he would go squishy on tax cuts for the rich and a public option, he wouldn’t be President today.
I’m switching my registration to R to try to stave off the worst-case scenario.
Not worth the effort. Delaware doesn’t matter in national primaries. Better to stay Dem and get some progressive ideas into the local committees.
strike 3, O.
let’s hope you have enough people still dooped enough to work for you so you can beat $t $arah in 2 years.
(i wont be one of them)
also, what happened to Drinking Liberaly?
What do Progressives do when Obama and the Democrats cave and give everyone tax cuts?
I vote for binge drinking.
If anybody (hint: Geezer) is looking for historical precedent as a predictor of Obama’s reelection prospects in 2012, consider this:
Since WW II, the only incumbent President to win reelection when the unemployment rate was greater than 7% was Reagan, and for him the unemployment rate was over 10.8 two years earlier. Carter, Bush 1, and Ford all lost.
When Obama took office, the unemployment rate was under 8%. It is now 9.8% with no credible plan in place by Obama or the Democrats to reduce it. Obama’s Federal wage freeze, his coming cave on tax cuts, and his proliferate war spending are all policies that will lead to more unemployment.
Increasing unemployment benefits addresses the symptom and not the cause.
If the next two years are anything like the last two years, Obama has the Dems in a suicide pact, and Obama will have done more to bring the republicans back to power than any republican has.
Has there ever been a Drinking Liberally in Kent County? How about Smyrna?
BTW, the House can still stop Obama’s cave if Pelosi can stop any tax bill from coming out of the House. before the end of the session. Then all the tax cuts will expire.
The tax cuts for the rich can still be stopped by any one of the House, the Senate, or Obama.
This is like watching a tee-ball game with a slow grounder going between the legs of three tiny fielders.
Pelosi caved on the public option. I expect her to do the same for the tax cuts, unless she decides to go out with her spine intact.
What about switching parties on the grounds of having a say (however small) in Americas ruling party? Regarding Pelosi, she and other house Dems should just assume that Obama is a Republican. Stall on everything and be on the side of the angels when the next election rolls around.
“Delaware doesn’t matter in national primaries. Better to stay Dem and get some progressive ideas into the local committees.”
I don’t take part in local committees. By the worst-case scenario, I mean a resurgence of the GOP in Delaware. Election of a Republican president in 2012 looks inevitable.
A1: I saw that over the weekend, too. I agree with you.
Drinking Liberally in Delaware has no leaders. The two local leaders resigned in November when Drinking Liberally forced them to choose between Newark and Wilmington and select a consistent location.
I think anyone that wants to start a chapter just has to go to the Drinking Liberally website and volunteer. In the meantime, DL will have a few events a year (both in Newark, Wilmington and other locales across the state).
Viva delaareliberal drinking events. I was on the fence but I guess this is enough to keep my current party affiliation.
seems that liberal enthusiasm for Drinking Liberally has waned as much as the support for Obama has
Thank God the support war and torture crowd still has a leader that listens
and don’t mistake any of this as me reveling in the fact that Obama is pretty much governing to the right of how he campaigned.
I voted for some black guy that I thought was going to right the ship and not cave to special interests.
I’m saddened and disappointed and I guess it has to get worse before it get’s better.
I sense that Obama has come to a tipping point. If they are any gauge, The kos diaries are now solidly distressed. I guess that means Obama has finally accomplished his goal of divesting himself of liberal supporters.
Luckily, when this is all said and done, I can retire around 70, and not 62.
I just hope that these tax extensions create jobs this time. they have too right? otherwise, Obama is just a pussy that gave in for the wealthy, elite and corporations of the world…
Geek and I are planning our annual War on Christmas party on December 16th. It will, once again, benefit the food bank. So, no waning here. Once we settle the details, I’ll post.
Pelosi should keep the tax cut extension from happening if possible. Krugman today has an analysis showing that while the rise in tax costs for most Americans won’t be pleasant, it won’t be particularly painful either. The far greater damage is in a DEM party that won’t stand on principle. No?
The kos diaries are now solidly distressed.
Huffpo was distressed a year and half ago.
Huffpo 2009 = Anonone 2010
dKos 2010 = DelawareLiberal 2011
Speaking of dKos…
Obama finally takes to the bully pulpit… in favor of tax cuts for the rich – and he gets it wrong.
Obama:
What inspired him to drop the mask and come out today? He sounds very anxious. Follow the link and read the whole blurb.
Hopefully there is a Democratic revolt under way. I would like to see Nancy Pelosi drag him across the stage by his tin ear.
Either that or he is riding the tiger, dealing with Republicans who want ever more.
The odd thing about the whole Obama experience is that for every liberal he turns off, he gets a conservative further turned off. He must see that it gains him nothing to run as a Republican.
People don’t trust him on either side…
You are right Jason Senator Lincoln tried that in AK and look where that got her along with a good portion of blue dogs in the house. When you have a choice between a Repuk and a Dem acting like a Repuk the Repuk always wins.In the case of Lincoln’s successor how will we be able to tell the difference?
We are now witnessing the bizarre spectacle of a President, with a majority in both houses, lobbying the House against his own signature tax cuts which were the cornerstone of his campaign.
Obama certainly has changed the way Washington works, I’ll give him that.
…or has Washington changed the way Obama works?
@anon 2:31
almost!
anonone 2009 = anonone 2010
I was suspicious when he chose Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his inauguration. I was totally off the Obama wagon last year when he caved and started lying about on HCR. It has all been downhill from there.
Hopefully, even the stanchest Obama defenders will now finally see what a disaster his presidency is becoming for progressive Democrats and independents.
Jason got it right: “Regarding Pelosi, she and other house Dems should just assume that Obama is a Republican.”
So should we all.
I think it has been a mixture of america-hating republicans and Obama (and the rest of us) who never saw their insurgency comming.
He didn’t deal with it well.
a1, my current take is, i appreciate he did more than any republican would have done regarding fair pay and financial reform…i know you consider it bread crumbs, but the fact is it’s more than we had. Same with health care. He did more than clinton could and deserves credit for that. Maybe president Weiner will be able to do more.
Im in a position now where i can absolutely be won back, i will still vote for him if he is the nominee, but volunteer most of my nights and weekends for the re-election campaign?
no. i. wont.
DL is cracking like an egg today. Let it all out, you’ll feel better.
I think Pricey and I are on the same page. I’ll vote for him even thought he does not seem interested in my vote, and I’ll look for local candidates that I like.
Even in light of his accomplishments, which are significant, Obama has failed. Republicanism is about bullying and bullies only understand having their asses kicked.
They demanded Obama’s lunch money and he gave them his ATM card and pin number.
How about taking the next two years in building a real progressive national party? Democracynow.org Comcast chan 20 tonight at 7:00…climate gate. Wikileaks will expose the climate deniers.
I can’t wait until Obama has to negotiate with Iran. The Iranians will probably end up owning Connecticut.
LMAO.
The’ll get CT before the negotiations start. Then for the sake of fairness he’ll let them have Hawaii. It’s hardly the US anyway…all tropical and exotic.
Oh man, I missed this…
Obama is losing his real base:
……….Jones was a personal advisor, legal counsel, draft speech writer and close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he’s a Scholar in Residence at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. When someone with those credentials is calling for a primary challenge to Obama, something very interesting is happening. Outlier — or crack in the dam? We’ll see:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clarence-b-jones/time-to-think-to-unthinka_b_792237.html
NASA should, at the very least, spring for Wally’s ticket.
They demanded Obama’s lunch money and he gave them his ATM card and pin number.
True that.