Sunday Open Thread [7.20.14]

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New York Times:
"Today, as a wave of unaccompanied minors fleeing Central America poses a new crisis for Congress and the White House, Republicans are struggling to calibrate a response that is both tough and humane, mindful of the need to reconcile their freighted history with Hispanic voters and the passions of a conservative base that sees any easing of immigration rules as heresy." "Some senior Republicans are warning that the party cannot rebuild its reputation with Hispanics if it is drawn into another emotional fight over cracking down on migrants -- especially when so many are young children who are escaping extreme poverty and violence. But pleas for compassion and even modest proposals for change are dividing the party, and setting off intense resistance among conservative Republicans who have resisted a broader overhaul of immigration."
Senator Elizabeth Warren at Netroots Nation

Senator Elizabeth Warren at Netroots Nation

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The media doesn't typically pay that much attention to Netroots Nation -- unlike CPAC coverage (which is pretty much non-stop on NPR), where I think the media flocks to in order to hear the crazy. Still. NPR covered VP Biden's speech at Netroots Nation in order to cite him as a source for the Malaysian Airlines plane being shot out of the sky and to spin out the Presidential Horserace story for Democrats. I Googled Elizabeth Warren's speech and found not one, but 3 Politico articles on how she is the heart of progressives at this event. Then there are the horserace articles about whether Warren will take on Hillary Clinton in the Presidential primaries. It's just sad that you have to provide some juicy theater for the press to cover you.
Vice President Biden at Netroots Nation

Vice President Biden at Netroots Nation

Here is the video (about 47 mins) of VP Biden addressing the progressives at Netroots Nation in Detroit this week. Props to him for showing up there. Loved how he owned the perception that he is gaffe-prone. And he made the pitch that progressives were crucial to the political conversation and were needed more than ever. Then again, this Joe Biden telling progressives that he is one of them (touting -- among other things -- that he led the fight against Bork, Alito and Roberts) is the same Joe Biden who mistreated Anita Hill during the Thomas confirmation hearings. At the 20 minute mark, VP Biden is heckled by a group of folks opposed to deportations and encourages the applause for them. Nicely done, too. So take a look and tell us if you think he is running for President:
Saturday Open Thread [7.19.14]

Saturday Open Thread [7.19.14]

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The world would be a much better place if John McCain were put back on his meds, if he just retired to a home, or just slipped away. His hyperbolic statements are getting a little outrageous lately. Yesterday, I saw a quote from notorious murderer and former Congressman Allen West (yes, he killed someone intentionally and yet was elected to Congress) that blamed President Obama for the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. You can chalk up that kind of quote to the insanity of Mr. West. Then McCain repeated it.
Mr. McCain said that Mr. Obama is running a “cowardly administration that failed to give the Ukrainians weapons with which to defend themselves.”
Mr. McCain, how... IN THE FUCKING WORLD... would this intentional act of murder on the part of the Russian backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine been prevented by the President giving Ukraine weapons?

The Weekly Addresses

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President Obama The West Wing Week, with its focus on Delaware... Governor Markell hasn't posted a weekly message update on his YouTube channel (which is where I always check) in three weeks. Sussex Watcher informs me that he has hidden his weekly messages at part of his state website. So he been posting messages, just not publicly to his YouTube channel. So here is this week's update: And over the craziness of the last few weeks, I forgot to post this legislative wrap up from the House Democratic Caucus from Valerie Longhurst and Speaker Schwartzkopf. I do highly encourage the House and the Senate to continue these weekly messages from various lawmakers, even when the General Assembly is out of session. One of the travesties of our democracy is that everyone knows who the President is, but very few know who their local state representative and senator are, and those officials are the ones who are and are supposed to be most responsive to your needs and requests. Keep it up GA.

The President in Delaware

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We have the President's full remarks at the Port of Wilmington inside. I worked from home yesterday, covering some conferences and a deposition over the computer and the phone. But around lunchtime, I headed down Concord Pike to hit M&T Bank to deposit some checks, and I had just passed the Charcoal Pit and was coming up on the light at the old Rollins Tower, when the President's motorcade came barreling up north on Concord Pike. That was unexpected. I knew the President was in my lovely state, but I expected him to stay south. After a delay of a few minutes that allowed the President to pass, traffic south of the Charcoal Pit was allowed to move again, so I was only slightly inconvenienced, not that I care. I thought it was pretty cool. Here is something that Cassandra saw yesterday that was hilarious. If you have any stories or pictures from yesterday, share them here.
Why Would Anyone Shoot Down a Malaysian Airline Plane over Ukraine?

Why Would Anyone Shoot Down a Malaysian Airline Plane over Ukraine?

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Seriously, I was astonished and sick when I heard that this plane disappeared from radar, then heard it was shot down. The pictures are horrific and while the Ukrainians and the Russians have rushed to say they were not responsible, someone shot down that plane. There's not much anyone knows at this point, but why would anyone shoot down this plane? Tell me what you think in the comments.
Wednesday Open Thread [7.16.14]

Wednesday Open Thread [7.16.14]

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Anne Marie Cox thinks the GOP is now destroyed as an option for the Millennial Generation.
Late last week, the Reason Foundation released the results of a poll about that generation, the millennials; its signature finding was the confirmation of a mass abandonment of social conservatism and the GOP. This comes at a time when the conservative movement is increasingly synonymous with mean-spirited, prank-like and combative activism and self-important grand gestures. The millennial generation has repeatedly defined itself as the most socially tolerant of the modern era, but one thing it really can't stand is drama.
Which probably explains why Millennial approve of No Drama Obama.
Funding Highways by Underfunding Pensions

Funding Highways by Underfunding Pensions

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This is the latest from the Congressional brain rust -- this time trying to find money for the Transportation Trust Fund. This time, it is Hoouse Republicans who are looking to use this trick to look like they are paying for the extension to the Transportation Trust fund. Instead of looking at rational ways of raising revenue (taxes, closing tax loopholes), they've decided that undermining America's already hemorrhaging pension system is the right place to get money to pay for our roads. But this is apparently not the first time this accounting gimmick has been floated to actually fund something. The Democrats tried using this mess into a bill to extend unemployment insurance and it was part of the funding mechanism for the last temporary Transportation Bill. Which means that this bit of business is available for some appalling bit of bipartisanship. (Even though the GOP looked at the pension smoothing plan to pay for unemployment benefits and said that it paid for nothing. Now they are all for it.) So what is Pension Smoothing?
So, Corporations Think They’re People?

So, Corporations Think They’re People?

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The Hobby Lobby case gave us yet another reminder that corporations are pushing for full recognition as people; in this case a person with a particular religious belief. The Supremes seem totally hell bent on actualizing this fiction which historically started with a very mistaken decision based on an event decades ago in a area where I went to college, Santa Clara, California.