Before You Hoist That Next Black & Tan…

Before You Hoist That Next Black & Tan…

You need to know about Dick Yuengling's public statements about labor unions and Gov. Corbett of Pennsylvania. Go ahead and read it, I'll wait. Until now, I've neither known nor cared about Yuengling's politics. I have enjoyed the occasional Black and Tan. However, it was Dick Yuengling, not anyone else, who made his views public. He did it on purpose.  In a speech before the Pennsylvania Press Club, Yuengling reportedly called for the adoption of 'right to work' laws in Pennsylvania to disenfranchise unions and to enable him to make beer more cheaply. He also called Gov. Corbett 'a great man', according to the Associated Press.
From the First State to the Last State: The State of Sussex

From the First State to the Last State: The State of Sussex

So some disgruntled Republicans in northeastern Colorado, displeased with the recent election results that elected Democrats, have gotten a ballot question on the ballot in one local northeastern Colorado county about whether that local county, along with several other northeastern Colorado counties, should seccede from the State of Colorado. This notion has inspired our local wingnuts downstate to dream of a State of Sussex. First, it should be pointed out that the procedural hurdles for the sore losers to form a State of Sussex are quite high.
Monday Open Thread 8.26.13

Monday Open Thread 8.26.13

Booman warns us to beware the "Do Something" mantra on Syria:
The problem in Syria is that the opposition is no longer preferable to the regime and the regime is beyond redemption. Until I see evidence that contradicts it, I am not going to assume that Samantha Power is unaware of this conundrum just because she wrote a book condemning historical indifference to genocide in the West. The assumption is that she favors military action because she's always argued that we should not stand idly by while evil regimes slaughter their own people. But all that tells us is that she is morally opposed to doing nothing when we can intervene at an "acceptable risk." The problem in Syria is that there are no acceptable risks.
Can Our Super Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Help Avoid Perpetual Sequestration?

Can Our Super Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Help Avoid Perpetual Sequestration?

Well it looks like perpetual sequestration is shaping up to be the teabag Congress's new "most important thing EVER!" Now that de-funding Obamacare and destroying the credit worthiness of the United States have faded as the most important things EVER!, continuing to hobble the economy through austerity and perpetual sequestration is the thing that is going to give Boehner his Boner back. (If the Democrats go along with it.) And let's face it - they will.
“My Son Beau is Fine.” I’m sorry, I need more than that.

“My Son Beau is Fine.” I’m sorry, I need more than that.

So last Thursday, upon the Vice President returning home to Delaware with his son, the Attorney General, Beau Biden, the White House released a statement on his behalf, stating as follows:
Yesterday our son Beau underwent a successful procedure. He is in great shape and is going to be discharged [Thursday] and heading home to Delaware. He will follow up with his local physicians in the coming weeks.
I said at the time that I thought, based on earlier reporting, that this successful procedure was in fact the biopsy, and thus until we hear the results, this health crisis for the junior Biden was not concluded. Commenter Puck disagreed, saying:
It’s possible the “successful procedure” was in fact the treatment. There are minimally invasive radiosurgery procedures that could have been done in that timespan in Texas, and conceivably would have constituted full treatment. It’s also possible there is no issue of cancer, but rather some type of abnormal cluster of blood vessels which might require the same kind of treatment. I know this is just speculation, but I’m willing to indulge a little.
Could be. It would explain the very vague yet optimistic statement from the Vice President above and his statements on Friday in Scranton, PA:
“And I just want you all to know, since so many of you have asked me about my son, things are – it’s not only good to be here, but things are good at home in Delaware. My son Beau is fine,” he said, eliciting applause and cheers from a crowd of approximately 2,500 in the Lackawanna College student union.
The problem is though, with these vague statements and no further comment, is that Beau's recent medical crisis and his overall medical state remains unclear at best. You don't travel from Indiana to Chicago and then to Philly and then to the best cancer center in the country in Houston for a minor issue.
Is it a bad thing that stealing money from conservatives continues to be a growth industry?

Is it a bad thing that stealing money from conservatives continues to be a growth industry?

I think we can all agree that being an American conservative means being a gullible idiot. The "movement" is a harmonious symbiosis between parasitic grifters and bloated, intellectually lazy hosts. That has been the state of things since Nixon decided to break the country in two in the hopes that the stupid, racist half would contain more electoral votes. But while the con men who run the conservative movement were once satisfied by collecting votes, and separating the doltish conservative masses from their political donations, they are increasingly fleecing the conservative dullards and racists of actual money. So what, right? Why should I care if Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity want to 1bankrupt a bunch of morons by selling them worthless gold certificates and freeze dried survival food? Certainly, it is hard to feel sorry for these idiots - as the old adage says, "You can't cheat an honest man." And yet, the monetary losses suffered by these gullible idiots are usually fungible across society. Take, for example, Trump University.
Bush did one good thing

Bush did one good thing

Thanks to Bush, there are fewer people around who think America should be the world's Sheriff. We went into Iraq drunk on WWII "greatest generation" nostalgia. (Saving Private Ryan, 1998. A Band of Brothers, 2001) It was America's job to "put a boot in (the world's) ass" according to the 1999 Toby Keith song lyrics. I like to think that we are a little less sure of the virtue of global American belligerence these days.

Sunday Open Thread [8.25.13]

Yesterday was one of the biggest Democratic events of the year -- the Democratic Jamboree at Cape Henlopen State Park. It sounds like the most interesting comments of the event came from Matt Denn:
Gov. Jack Markell was off on vacation and could not attend. Lt. Gov. Matt Denn gave a speech that was particularly critical of the Delaware Republican Party. He noted for the crowd that Republicans hold just one statewide office – Tom Wagner is the elected state auditor – and are in the minority in both houses of the General Assembly. He blamed that partly on policies that he said alienated minority communities and opposition to gay marriage. “The Republican Party seems to be doing its part to make it easy for us to win elections,” Denn said. “I feel guilty being here,” Denn joked. “I’m a proud Democrat. But I’m also a straight white guy. I’m pretty much all the Republicans have left.”
Burn!