Wednesday Open Thread
Welcome to your Wednesday open thread. Happy hump day! What’s going on in your world?
In Wisconsin, the first of 9 state senate recall elections was held. The Democratic incumbent, Dave Hansen (SD-30) won easily. Dave Hansen was thought to be the most vulnerable of the senate Democrats because he was in a district won by Prosser but he won easily, 66% to 34%. The turnout was a healthy 31,000 voters.
Democratic state Sen. Dave Hansen of Green Bay was the first of nine state senators to face a final recall election, and he easily survived Tuesday.
Hansen won a lopsided victory over his Republican challenger, wind farm developer David VanderLeest of Green Bay, against whom Democrats and their allies have been hammering away on his personal and legal problems.
The victory keeps Democrats in control of a seat that Hansen, 63, has held since 2000.
There were also two primaries on the Republican side for the right to take on the other two Democratic senators who are being recalled. Check out the candidates who won:
Senator Holperin will face Tea Party organizer Kim Simac. Simac is known for two things.
She has written some right-wing children’s propaganda books, including With My Rifle By My Side: A Second Amendment Lesson. One Amazon reviewer gave it 5 stars, gushing…
This excellent book was featured on Glenn Beck Friday July 2 during a Founders’ Fridays Show about the many women who shaped our country’s history. The book is great for you to read to your children and grandchildren about their right to bear arms.
Her second noted accomplishment is having “swapped spouses” in a manner of speaking. She divorced her first husband in 1993 and remarried in 1995 to her current husband, Arthur Simac. Their ex-spouses eventually married each other. But she’s pro-family. Weird.
The other primary winner is Jonathan Steitz:
Senator Wirch will face the winner of the other Republican primary, Jonathan Stietz. Stietz is a Chicago lawyer who now lives in Wisconsin about a mile from the Illinois border. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and is still listed as the student contact for their business school’s chapter of the Federalist Society.
The bulk of the recall elections are on August 9, with the remaining elections on August 16.
Crazy Teapublican Allan West got his delicate fee-fees hurt by Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. He responded with a petulant email.
Subject: Unprofessional and Inappropriate Sophomoric Behavior from Wasserman-Schultz
Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. You are the most vile, unprofessional ,and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!
I am bringing your actions today to our Majority Leader and Majority Whip and from this time forward, understand that I shall defend myself forthright against your heinous characterless behavior……which dates back to the disgusting protest you ordered at my campaign hqs, October 2010 in Deerfield Beach.
You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!
Steadfast and Loyal
Congressman Allen B West (R-FL)
The weird thing is – Allan West is actually a constituent of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s Congressional district (although he represents a neighboring district0. I feel like we’ve spent a significant part of the last 2 years discussing Rpeublicans hurt feelings. Democrats telling the truth is very disturbing to them.
Tags: Open Thread
Acting like bratty playground kids gets them TV time, you know.
Someone should remind West that he isn’t a Lady, either, then challenge him to a duel.
How does that work — living in one district but representing another? Oh, by the way, West also narrowly dodged a court-martial for his treatment of an Iraqi prisoner. He was allowed to resign instead.
Gang of Six readies another gift to the wealthy:·
Tax simplification that involves reducing the number of tax expenditures (i.e., tax breaks) and reducing individual tax rates. There would be three tax brackets with rates in the range of 8%–12%, 14–22%, and 23%–29%. To the extent future Congresses find that the dynamic effects of tax reform result in additional revenue beyond initial targets, this revenue would go to additional rate reductions and deficit reduction, not to new spending.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/r/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2011/07/19/National-Politics/Graphics/Gang_of_Six_Document.pdf
Former O’Friel’s troubadour pushes for same-sex marriage in The Old Line State:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/martin-omalley-preps-new-more-aggressive-push-for-gay-marriage-in-maryland.php
Good on O’Malley. He sat back last legislative session on this as it got close, but fell apart at the end. Clearly Cuomo provided a template for leadership on this issue.
Roger Ebert tells us how The Republicans Exit History.
This is very good!
Email from Congressman Carney:
*click*
*sigh*
We don’t need Republicans anymore. We have Democrats to cut taxes on the rich, cut Social Security and Medicare, and eliminate regulations.
Republicans have successfully implanted their DNA into Democrats and no longer need their own cumbersome physical bodies to get Republican stuff done.
Republicans may have a comeback though once voters realize Democrats are no longer the defenders of Social Security and Medicare or labor.
Interesting premise. But parliamentary coalitions can exist in America, they just haven’t yet.
Also, it seems to me that Republicans are Jr. partners in the Tea Party/Republican Coalition. As such we may see the exit of the Republicans and the concurrent entry of the Tea Party similar to how the Republican Party absorbed the remnants of the Whig Party.
Carney taking his issues to a telephone town hall? Just more proof the three blind mice in Delaware are still three blind mice, taking their cues from telephone town hall carpetbagger Carper. They cant face the public because they know seniors, vets et all will give them a good tongue lashing as soon as the gutless demorats go down with the teabagger minority.
It is pitiful. If his name was Mike Castle, I’d be all over his shit right now.
Carney still thinks tax cuts are a jobs program. He needs to be straightened out.
You too, Coons and Carper.
Obama to accept short term debt solution, but only on the condition that Republicans eventually get everything that they want.
Costa Rica is looking better every day.
@skippertee – yup, it sure is
1. no standing army
2. national health care that is higher than the standard of care in the USA – free
3. beautiful country, from volcanos to the sea,
4. stable economy
5. drinking age – 18
6. sun, fun, babes and beach – all year long
whats not to like???
@Aoine-And some GREAT fishing!