Mitch McConnell – Incompetent conservative or working for Obama?

Mitch McConnell – Incompetent conservative or working for Obama?

9 Comments
Harry Reid could not have been more clear. If the GOP uses the filibuster to prevent the three vacancies in the DC circuit from being filled, the nuclear option would be in effect. The filibuster would go away. It was Mitch McConnell's choice. The choice he made throws the the federal judiciary (currently evenly balanced, with 390 GOP-appointed judges and391 Democratic-appointed ones) to the Democrats. President Obama now has 90 federal court vacancies to fill with simple majority votes. I'll let Kos take it from here: [...]
50 Years

50 Years

In case you live under a rock and haven't heard, today marks the 50th anniversary of the murder of our President. Whether he was killed as a result of the rage of Lee Harvey Oswald or a wider conspiracy or coup d'etat, it is beyond dispute that the assassination of the President was a singular turning point moment in American history. If John F. Kennedy had lived, the world today might be unrecognizable to us. Think of a world without the Kennedy Assassination, the Assassinations of MLK and RFK, Vietnam and Watergate. This cascade of events began with that murder 50 years ago today. And all of those events combined to radically change America. Here are some of my favorite JFK speeches.
You Be The Judge In A Mental Health Court

You Be The Judge In A Mental Health Court

15 Comments
"A person may be dangerous to self and others when he or she have recently threatened or attempted suicide or some serious bodily injury. He or she may have demonstrated danger of substantial and imminent harm to himself and/ or others through some recent act, attempt or threat of the same." Now, I'd welcome your interpretation of this legal definition of a mentally ill person's status in a court in a crisis center or public psychiatric hospital whose family members or colleagues trying to get an involuntary assessment of their mental health/competence to make their own decisions.  Pay particular attention to the words "dangerous", "threatened", "recently", "substantial", "imminent" or "harm". What conduct, voiced statements or behaviors would lead you to your decision to either release the person to society or have them confined temporarily for psychiatric assessment and further action?
About effing time – Reid to change Senate filibuster rules

About effing time – Reid to change Senate filibuster rules

46 Comments
Republicans have pushed hard enough to finally trigger the "nuclear option" filibuster rules change with regard to appointees. Senate Republicans say that they will use this action as a pretext to disallow ANY filibusters when they are in the majority - even for Supreme Court nominees. 1) No shit Sherlock. We all know you will not allow Democratic filibusters if a simple rules change could end them. 2) Democrats have to hold the Presidency and the US Senate now forever or we'll be looking at justice Sarah Palin. [...]

Oklahoma claims the most anti-gay state title

6 Comments
In a bid to one up Texas and claim the title of "most anti-gay state" outright, marriage benefits have been canceled for all Oklahoma National Guard personnel in an effort to stop same sex couple from getting spousal benefits. Texas is scrambling for a reply and is determined to retake the crown. People close to the governor's office say that there are plans being drafted to shut off electricity in the state because some of it might be going to gays. [...]
La France a le meilleur healthcare dans le monde – What is the US best at?

La France a le meilleur healthcare dans le monde – What is the US best at?

12 Comments
One of the many wrong facts that keep being repeated by Republicans is that the US health care system is the "best in the world." John Boehner just said that "“This (the ACA) is going to destroy the best health care delivery system in the world,” That is some typical fantastical thinking that is hardly worth taking the time to debunk. (It is nice to see that DL readers don't suffer from such delusions). Anyway, it turns out that France has the best healthcare system in the world. It was a conscious choice. And, surprisingly, it isn't single payer. So, France has the #1 spot in heathcare locked up. What is America #1 in? [...]
Tuesday Open Thread [11.19.13]

Tuesday Open Thread [11.19.13]

2 Comments
"Despite the disastrous rollout of the federal government's healthcare website, enrollment is surging in many states as tens of thousands of consumers sign up for insurance plans made available by President Obama's health law," the Los Angeles Times reports.
"A number of states that use their own systems, including California, are on track to hit enrollment targets for 2014 because of a sharp increase in November... The growing enrollment in those states is a rare bit of good news for backers of the Affordable Care Act and suggests that the serious problems with the law's rollout may not be fatal, despite critics' renewed calls for repeal."
Same thing will happen on the federal exchanges once the website is working properly. The real story of the Obamacare rollout is not a non-working website or insurance companies cancelling policies on 3% of the nation's populations, it is the media coverage of both. Jonathan Bernstein argues that the recent two weeks of anti-Obamacare stories is mostly a media-driven phenomenon.
Another Business Commits Suicide

Another Business Commits Suicide

2 Comments
Can we please stop pretending that "business" owners are smart.  They aren't - just ask Komen. So this happened:
Like many consumers who have had a bad experience, Jen Palmer wrote a review online in 2008 after the Christmas presents her husband ordered from Kleargear.com never arrived. Years later, thanks to her online review, the couple is facing a damaged credit score and a $3,500 fine.
$3,500 fine?  How could that happen? 
Sociopaths of the Day — Walmart

Sociopaths of the Day — Walmart

2 Comments
A Walmart store in Canton, OH is running a food drive for its own workers. No doubt it is good they recognize that their workers are hurting, but they are working for Walmart and not making enough money to eat! How is it possible that you are working and not able to live without charity or government support? And considering how much the Walton family is worth, they could give all of their associates the makings of a decent holiday meal and never notice the money spent.