Tuesday Open Thread
Welcome to your Tuesday open thread. It’s Tuesday and it’s open thread time, how much better can it be? Share your thoughts below.
Republicans are already trying to take credit for the increasing signs of economic recovery. The sad thing is that this will probably work because voters have short memories.
It took less than three weeks for the new Republican Congressional leadership to claim credit for an apparent economic upturn.
An aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Brian Patrick, emailed reporters this morning:
THERE ARE THE JOBS: Republicans Prevent Massive Tax Increase, Economy Begins to Improve: U.S. companies plan to hire more workers in the coming months amid growing optimism over the economy, a quarterly survey released Monday showed, providing further evidence that the jobs market is turning around. In the fourth-quarter poll of 84 companies by the National Association for Business Economics found 42% of companies interviewed, ranging from manufacturing to finance, expect to boost jobs in the six months ahead. That’s up from 29% in the first three months of 2010. Only 7% in the latest survey predict they will shed jobs in the coming six months, down from 23% at the start of last year.
The Dow Jones wire story Patrick linked makes no mention of the GOP.
I think we really need to worry about the recovery because the stimulus has ended and now stares will have to lay off more employees. Budget will be priorities 1, 2 and 3 in Delaware.
Tim Pawlenty (T-Paw) is trying to get attention in a crowded GOP presidential field. He premiered this Hollywood movie trailer-like commercial. What do you think?
I kinda like it. Do you think it will work?
Tags: Open Thread
Fury After Hezbollah Picks Lebanon Leader
nytimes.com January 25, 2011 Anthony Shadid
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A prime minister chosen by Hezbollah and its allies won enough support on Monday to form Lebanon’s government, unleashing angry protests that continued on Tuesday, realigning politics and culminating the generation-long ascent of the Shiite Muslim movement from shadowy militant group to the country’s pre-eminent political and military force.
By nightfall, angry opponents of Hezbollah took to the streets in parts of Beirut, Tripoli and other cities, burning tires, shouting slogans and offering at least an image of what many feared Hezbollah’s victory might unleash: strife among communities in a country almost evenly divided over questions of foreign patrons; posture toward Israel; and the relative power of Lebanon’s Shiite Muslims, represented by Hezbollah, and its Sunni foes.
Similar demonstrations continued in some of the same cities on Tuesday and in the northern port of Tripoli, protesters attacked a truck belonging to the Arab satellite channel, Al Jazeera, accusing the broadcaster of showing bias toward Hezbollah.
In Beirut, acrid smoke billowed into a nighttime sky, as barricades temporarily blocked some roads into Beirut before security forces dispersed the demonstrators. Hezbollah’s foes called for “a day of anger in all of Lebanon” on Tuesday, and martial language and cries of treason began punctuating the public discourse.
“Down with Hezbollah! Down with Miqati!” young men shouted in Beirut.
Ah, Ishmael. Always a joy to see your anti-democratic instincts come to the fore.
geezer, im not sure there is anything democratic about Hezbollah. They are an outside force hand picking puppet masters to run Lebanon…. like us with Karzai.
ah Geezer, it’s funny the way you view backroom deals and intimidation as “democratic”. (funny but not surprising)
Egypt braces for anti-government protests
CNN 1/25/11 Amir Ahmed
Egypt’s security agencies are bracing themselves for anti-government protests Tuesday, with thousands expected to demonstrate against corruption and failing economic policies.
Protest organizers said they hope to capture the regional momentum for political change set by Tunisians, who 10 days ago forced the collapse of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s 23-year rule.
The Egyptian government has not issued permits for Tuesday’s planned protests.
In an interview released Tuesday with state-run al-Ahram newspaper Interior Minister Habib Adly warned that “the security agencies are able to stop any attempt to attend” the demonstrations and called the efforts of the “youth staging street protests ineffective.”
By early Tuesday morning, more than 90,000 people throughout the country had pledged to participate in the event in a Facebook group called “We Are All Khaled Said,” named after an Alexandria activist who was allegedly beaten to death by police.
Twitter’s reportedly blocked as Egyptians protest government
Yahoo 1/25/11 Michael Calderone
Tunisian activists used Twitter and social media platforms effectively in protests that ousted the corrupt regime of President Ben Ali. But Egyptian protesters—inspired by events in Tunisia—have had difficulties accessing Twitter during today’s large-scale protests against the Mubarak government.
**SNIP**
The Cutline reached out to a Twitter spokesman to confirm, and instead, was redirected to a tweet from the company’s new Twitter Global PR account. That account links to Herdict, a Harvard project that looks at web accessibility around the world. Herdict, on Tuesday, found several reports today of inaccessibility in Egypt.
Even if Egyptians can’t access Twitter, the site remains a go-to destination for those following the the protests from around the world, using the hashtag #jan25.
Internet ‘Kill Switch’ Act Back On Senate’s Agenda
By Tracey E. Schelmetic TMCnet Contributor
It’s a new legislative year, and once again the topic of an executive branch-controlled “Internet kill switch” has reared its head in Washington, on the tech blogs and in the national media.
The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010, also known as S. 3480, was a bill introduced in the Senate by Senators Joe Lieberman (Independent Democrat, CT), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tom Carper (D-DE) back in June of 2010. The purpose of the bill, as stated, is to “increase security in cyberspace and prevent attacks which could disable infrastructure such as telecommunications or disrupt the nation’s economy.” In addition to giving the President an option to essentially shut off private Internet networks, the bill would create an Office of Cyberspace Policy and a National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications.
The bill would allow the President to enact “emergency measures” in the case of a large-scale cyber attack. In its original form, the bill granted the President authority to shut down part of the Internet for an indefinite time. A later version of the bill reduced that time to 120 days, unless Congress approves an extension.
Internet kill switch
This is really a dumb idea. I trust the top 100 sysadmins in the US – the people who are currently managing the Internet – to make better decisions than a politician.
Rahm picked a bad week to give up cursing.
Just read that Illinois Supreme Court issued a stay. Rahm is back on the ballot for now.
I’m no expert in the law but it does seem wrong to kick someone off the ballot because they are in federal service.
Right, Ish. WE never use backroom deals and intimidation. Only those who oppose us do that. When we use them, it’s democracy. When they do, it’s tyranny.
Right, Ish. WE never use backroom deals and intimidation.
Ish never uses links, so I don’t read his comments. You should try it, Geezer. 😉
James O’Keefe (or a copycat) is at it again:
Planned Parenthood has very tight procedures and training for reporting illegal activity, especially abuse of minors. These clowns are picking on the wrong organization.
It’s smart of Planned Parenthood to get out in front of this. BTW, whatever happened to ACORN hoaxer Hannah Giles? You don’t hear about her anymore.
A man said he needed treatment for a sexually transmitted disease and then, once alone with a staff member, implied that he ran an interstate sex trafficking ring that involves minors and illegal immigrants.
They should give him the old-fashioned STD treatment that involves inserting a long tube… you know where.
Why should anyone want Rahm to run for anything. He supported the Patriot Act (up for renewal), he supported the war in Iraq, and he supports the horrific War on Drugs. He cant say he was still a resident, (my wifes wedding dress is still in the closet) when he rented the house out for two years. Nice try Rahm, but no cigar.
Rachel Maddow needs to take a chill pill, lest she becomes Keith Olbermann incarnate. On the eve of the SOTU address, the majority of her show revolved around Paul Ryan’s forthcoming respone to Obama’s speech. Maddow also spent considerable political capital on Michelle Bachmann (who’s a virtual non-entity). Why not actually discuss what the prez is going to tackle in his speech?
She’s beginning to start the we should fear-hate-and-or-loath meme where Ryan, Cantor and Bachmann are the new targets. They must be evil or crazy because…….
In fact, I’ve seen ‘other’ MSNBC-represented folk string this meme along in recent weeks.
Ryan is a well-respected, well-educated, quiet leader who isn’t even in the ballpark of nut jobs like Christine O’Donnell and Sharron Angle.
Because the GOP has won the messaging/policy debate over the last two years, let’s personally attack Cantor, Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Boehner and others. It’s so transparent. It’s like when Olbermann incessantly railed against evil Fox, specifically O’Reilly and Beck on a nightly basis, while O’Reilly and Beck virtually ignored the guy behind the curtain over at ‘Countdown.’
Most importantly, however, is the fact that Maddow is single-handedly ruining her credibility by invoking her Olbermannesque-like snarky, condescending and sarcastic commentary without regard for her own future.
I also find it very transparent, and sadly grotesque, that when Chris Hayes fills in for Maddow, he’s a reincarnation of Maddow herself (same tone, sarcasm and schtick). Why can’t he be his own man; be original for once. Oh, I forgot…he was one of the main ‘Journolist’ intelligensia figures, along with Ezra Klein and a host of others who attempted to ‘pick sides’ and push certain stories in their respective liberal media enclaves in the name of fairness and impartiality.
I’m sure Comcast has a good medical plan. They should heretofore make sure Matthews, Lawrence O’Donnell and Maddow get some good meds to ease their we-hate-the-tea-party-and-all-republicans-without-providing-the-other-side-with-a-counter-response illness that they suffer from.
it is so cute that one of the things that offends you most is how they “dont provide the other side with a counter response”. Matthews, Maddow, and Ed invite every single Teabagger they shine a light on, onto their programs almost weekly and they dont even get a press release response. They are all given the opportunity to show up on the programs and answer the accusations. They also need not worry about “going into the lion’s den” like anyone who goes on Fox news and doesnt seig hiel to Hannity’s America. Every single person i have ever seen Maddow interview has been treated with more dignity and respect than the entirety of NewsCorps (minus shep smith) is capable of in an entire year.
For those interested, I’ll be guest co-hosting a half hour radio show on WVUD tonight from 6:30-7:00.
Newshound worries about Maddow damaging her credibility. Thanks for your concern, Hound.
i’ll be tunin’ in
Many people these days are attacking the pensions of state workers, claiming that they are a big cause for state budget shortfalls. This podcast shows that such claims are highly exaggerated.
http://tinyurl.com/4b6cml4