Wednesday Open Thread [5.1.13]

6 Comments
McKay Coppins notes that with teabagging criticism of the immigration reform effort "grow[ing] louder, many Republican operatives, donors, and consultants are bracing for an outcome that would be even worse, politically, than the demise of the bill: A fierce, national, right-wing backlash that drowns out the GOP's friendlier voices, dominates Telemundo and Univision, and dashes any hopes the party had of making inroads to the Hispanic electorate by 2016." I personally think we are going to get both nightmare outcomes for the GOP. The demise of the bill will be accomplished by having the right act all explicitly racist, anti-immigrant and insane.

This Is Not An Accident

17 Comments
BURKESVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in southern Kentucky say a 2-year-old girl has been accidentally shot and killed by her 5-year-old brother, who was playing with a .22-caliber rifle he received as a gift. [...] White told the newspaper that the boy received the rifle made for youths last year and is used to shooting it. He said the gun was kept in a corner and the family didn’t realize a shell was left inside it. White said the shooting will be ruled accidental. (Emphasis mine)
Who, in their right mind, gives a 4 year old a gun? Who, after giving (or accepting) a gun to a flippin' 4 year old, keeps it in a flippin' corner? Who, with a functioning brain cell, would ever call this an accident?

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., May 1, 2013

12 Comments
Yes, SB 19(Peterson) was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee, which disappoints death penalty repeal supporters like myself. However, keep in mind that this is the first of a two-year General Assembly session, so the bill is not dead, just 'sitting in limbo.' House sponsor Rep. Darryl Scott has stated that he may try to petition the bill out of committee. Not sure if that's the best strategy for now, think I'd only do it if I knew that I had the votes for the bill on the floor. Timing is everything, and this might not be the best timing. Sen. Bruce Ennis introduced SB 33 yesterday, which would require owners of manufactured home communities to seek approval for any increase above the average inflation rate.