Wednesday Open Thread
It’s open thread time! While a lot of us recover from last night’s event talk among yourselves.
Here’s some news I’m reading – Barbara Boxer says that there will not be a Stupak-like amendment to the Senate health care reform bill, despite reports that Ben Nelson and Bob Casey are working on one:
“If someone wants to offer this very radical amendment, which would really tear apart [a decades-long] compromise, then I think at that point they would need to have 60 votes to do it,” Boxer said. “And I believe in our Senate we can hold it.”
“It is a much more pro-choice Senate than it has been in a long time,” she added. “And it is much more pro-choice than the House.”
Boxer’s reading of the political landscape might seem like the hopeful spin of an abortion-rights defender. But it was seconded by a another lawmaker, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
“It would have to be added,” sad the Montana Democrat of an amendment that mirrored that offered Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) in the House. “I doubt it could pass.”
Good for you Barbara Boxer. Codification of the Hyde Amendment is bad enough but further restrictions are just unacceptable.
Senator Jerk Lieberman is standing firm for health insurance company protection.
In a scrum with reporters just now, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) was asked how strong his commitment to filibustering any health care reform public option really is. Asked if he saw any “wiggle room” on his pledge — say, a trigger for example — Lieberman said he’ll stand firm.
“I don’t feel like wiggling,” he said.
Tags: Open Thread
Iraq veteran announces he’ll seek GOP nomination for Patrick Murphy’s seat (PA blue dog)
Chicago Tribune ^ | November 11, 2009 | Robert H. Orenstein
A former assistant Bucks County prosecutor and Marine reservist who served in Iraq announced his candidacy Tuesday for the Republican nomination for the 8th Congressional District. Dean Malik said it’s time to return a Republican to the district and criticized the direction of the country since President Barack Obama was elected last year. ”They have taken it upon themselves to reinvent, modify and tamper with this American dream,” he said outside the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown. ”The American dream, which always stood for opportunity and freedom, is now being turned into an American dream of entitlements and handouts.”
What is suckier than a trigger and more useless than a co-op? A triggered co-op!
That is Carper’s latest brainstorm. Even better:
Good thing this wasn’t announced last night. Some of us liberal activists had Carper’s lapels inches from our grasp.
”The American dream, which always stood for opportunity and freedom,FOR RICH WHITE CHRISTIANS is now being turned into an American dream of entitlements(RACE EQUALITY), CLOSING THE WAGE GAP, ADDING FAIRNESS TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM and handouts FOR DIRTY INFIDELS WHO AREN’T WHITE.”
Dang it, I thought we were done with triggers. Next time I hear that word it had better be about a horse.
lol, Scott. 🙂
and handouts FOR DIRTY INFIDELS WHO AREN’T WHITE.”
And aren’t “Christians.”
More on the party of no and
“The myth of 60”
http://congressmatters.com/storyonly/2009/11/10/1850/-The-Myth-of-60,-in-reverse
A triggered co-op!
His staffers are so clever. By his own admission Carper doesn’t read the bills or put his own options out.
Any new amendments have to have 60 votes to get added.
Carper is horsetrading for the nuke power industry partnering with Lieberman.
Lieberman is partnering with DIFI, Voinovich, Bayh and Conrad etc to cut medicare and social security.
Wonderful.DLC.DEMs.
I want to sum up last night, btw: Damn It!
Did Lou Dobbs get fired from CNN? He’s resigning, effective immediately. His last show is tonight.
Smitty,
One of us will try to get a post up soon. I’m just exhausted right now. I was out late last night and I was super-busy at work all day. If one doesn’t get put up tonight, I’ll post one tomorrow.
No, you musunderstood me, UI. “DAMN IT” was in regard to how my night turned out vs yours. Do remember why y’all didn’t have any center-pieces there.
Good Catch UI. Loud Obbs is a goner!!
Basta Dobbs has been on a roll getting signatures for their petition to remove Dobbs and in getting a very great deal of press attention. Definitely not the kind of attention that a CNN would want. Perhaps CNN will stop trying to do the FOX tabloid trash and get back to news. Or, even better, just get rid of CNN and broadcast CNN International which is much more focused on news and is very smart.
We missed you and your centerpieces last night, Smitty!
With CNN running last in the ratings, Ted Turner making speeches about how he’d like to run the network again, and CNN night-time programming looking very old and very tired (both literally and figuratively), I’d say he’s getting out right before the deluge.
Anyone placing bets that he’ll run for some office in NJ, or be appointed to something by the new gov there?
You can watch Lou Dobbs resign:
PM – I didn’t know the governor in NJ appointed garbage collectors. That’s the only job Dobbs is qualified for.
Heard that there are incriminating photos of Dobbs being friendly to his landscaper.
More like there are incriminating photos of Dobbs shooting bullets into his own house.
Dobbs was pretty widely rumored to be looking to run for Gov or for the Senate in NJ.
ha, ha, MJ & nemski.
Dobbs is the prototypical mid-Atlantic FlufferNutter, isn’t he: loves that second amendment, until some law-abiding, near-sighted hunter pulls the trigger around his house. Wants all them furners out of the country, except for the nice “Oriental” who does his landscaping, no doubt.
Although I don’t care if he stays or goes, I do think it’ll be great if I never have to hear Olberman do his horrible Dobbs “impression voice” again.
tonight’s southpark will be re aired tomorow at 10, and saturday at 10 and 12am
in it Cartman, the fat ass hole, gets to read the morning announcements. He starts being annoyed about the current student council president. It becomes VERY clear very quick that it is a spoof on Glenn “crazy fat ass hat” Beck. it is worth a watch. (not with your kids)
Obama-mania alive and well, and living in China
Telegraph UK ^ | 12 Nov 2009 | Francois Bougon
Obama-mania may have waned in the United States since but when the he gets to China next week, he will be greeted by images of ‘Obamao’ and ‘Comrade Maobama’.
Obama, who will visit China from Sunday until Wednesday, is especially well-liked among the youth in the world’s most populous nation, who see the US leader as a symbol of the American dream.
In Beijing, where Obama will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the latest fad in the tourist areas is the unlikely “Obamao” T-shirt – Obama dressed in a olive green Mao Zedong suit and red-star cap, Cultural Revolution-style.
“Most Chinese people really like Obama. They think he’s nice, funny and he’s the first black president,” explains the creator of the popular shirt, 39-year-old Liu Mingjie, at his shop near Houhai lake.
Who new there were Tea Party Protestors in China?
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/11/its_not_over_recanvassing_shows_ny23_race.html
Recanvassing shows NY-23 race tightens, Owens May Not Have Won Race
The Post-Standard ^
Most Transparent Admin Ever…
AmeriCorps Inspector General Shredded White House Documents at Request of Agency’s Spokeswoman
CNSnews ^
AmeriCorps Inspector General Shredded White House Documents at Request of Agency’s Spokeswoman Thursday, November 12, 2009 By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer
(CNSNews.com) – The acting inspector general of AmeriCorps said he shredded White House documents at the request of an agency press spokeswoman that pertained to the controversial firing of the previous inspector general, who was ousted after investigating a political ally of President Obama.
The e-mail message from agency spokeswoman Ranit Schmelzer seemed urgent, as she wrote: “WH documents were sent in error. Can you please destroy them? And can you confirm you receive this e-mail?” Acting IG Kenneth Bach responded 13 minutes later writing, “Confirmed, documents were shredded.”
The email exchanges between Bach and Schmelzer, as well as other documents pertaining to the firing of the AmeriCorps inspector general, were obtained by CNSNews.com through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.