The Swamp

Since when do Republicans have "all of the above" energy policies?

Jerloma wrote:Since when do Republicans have "all of the above" energy policies?

That's a policy that's pretty well known to me as a republican. The main thing is don't create legislation that directly outlaw/create a bad business profile for any one.

Personally, my opinion is that 1) to live the lives we want to lead, we need all forms of energy at our disposal and 2) access to affordable energy is what helps people and communities thrive.

Therefore, places should be able to use the energy resources they have at their disposal. If that's hydroleectric in areas that can support it, good. If that's coal, good. If it's nuclear in areas that might not have good access to other forms, then so be it!

Okay, perhaps that is high level republican philosophy so I shouldn't say "since when" but is this something that the current GOP congress is pushing for?

Jerloma wrote:Okay, perhaps that is high level republican philosophy so I shouldn't say "since when" but is this something that the current GOP congress is pushing for?

It was a big deal during the election process for people in my industry. Namely because we're the one that seems to have been targeted the hardest. It's probably fair to say that it's not been a major point for many americans, though.

Republican legislator finally admits laws making it harder to vote is actually vote suppression, not prevention of voter fraud. Of course it is just a State legislator(Wisconsin), and he suddenly realized this after deciding not to run for reelection, but it's a start. What is the cover story for reducing hours at crowded polls (typically Democratic because it is typically cities) in order to prevent fraud? The whopping seven examples of fraud in the entire state. It seems after years of supporting the strategy, he finally looked into it and realized the entire thing was bullshit. Like he said, instead of fighting to prevent people from voting, try making your platform palatable to more people.

Susan Atanas wins GOP primary for Congressional Seat. She is the woman who looks like a balding Bill Richardson who believes that tornadoes and autism are caused by God's wrath to gay marriage and abortions.

Did God's wrath cause those roots?

Serve your country. Come home, get shot in the face, collect $4.5 millon

Iraq war vet hurt in California Occupy protest to get $4.5 million

Of course, no headline or article states the facts plainly: unarmed, legally exercising his right to free assembly in a public place, shot in the fucking face by a cop, from range of about four feet.

No charges filed. Cop is not reprimanded, much less in prison where he and his supervisors belong. Pay the taxpayers' money, just forget about it.

Heh. This country is really something else.

ETA:
Semper Fi, Scott, thank you for your service.

Coming to Grips With Our Not-So-New Surveillance State BY Matt Stoller

Paul Craig Roberts on Crimea, US Foreign Policy and the Transformation of Mainstream Media

Several other speakers also available on the youtube. But this one won.

The relationship between those who are constantly watched and tracked, and those who watch and track them, is the relationship between master and slaves.

Absofuckinglutely.

Anybody following the Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court? This case involves a Christian-owned corporation arguing that they should not have to contribute to covering birth control through medical insurance for its employees based on religious freedom. This has enormous potential to expand the Christian Nation concept. I had no idea that corporations were religious, but I guess corporations are people after all. Of course if the Court finds in favor of sanity, the Christian Warriors will come out full force screeching about oppression and "birth control shoved down their throats." So next thyroid medicine and numerous other medications don't have to be paid for by Jewish or Muslim corps because they contain traces of pork?

So now I see that Hobby Lobby is soooo devoted to its precious religious beliefs, it invests in 3 manufacturers of birth control. Basically, it is OK to violate its principles and religious beliefs, but when it costs them money, then they follow their alleged religious beliefs. Fucking craziness. I read a great article about how failing to cover birth control will cost the company a lot of money in medical bills related to pregnancies and lost work productivity.

Nice graphic, Fox News. At least they corrected this one.

Obviously those bar graphs are on a 200,000 unit scale and zoomed in to the very top. Obviously.

Johnnie wrote:Obviously those bar graphs are on a 200,000 unit scale and zoomed in to the very top. Obviously.

Sure, but how many Fox Viewers come to that conclusion? You look at the graph without thinking about it, and OMG they only got 1/4 of their goal!!!

The Sybian wrote:Anybody following the Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court?

My experience in disengaging from following the actions of the court (I'm not all the way out, but I pay about 1% of the attention I used to) encourages me that I will be able to similarly back away from my election junkie habit. Other than making back all that lost Mitt money on Hillary's loss, I will have no fucks to give come November 2016. Similar to the number of fucks I have to give about the court today, wrt this case, the software patent case, the 'citizens united 2' McCutceon v FEC, and the Aereo TV case.

(Those gentlemen at Aereo declined to engage in my firm's network consulting services, after a long, involved sales pitch; I wish them the best of luck before the court this week.)

McCutcheon v. FEC will probably end up being worse than the Citizens United ruling

The Quebec Election is today! Maybe not important in all world politics but always one of the most interesting.

The Parti Quebecois (seperatist party) won a minority government in Fall 2012 after 9 years of Liberal rule. You guys remember a guy with a gun inturupting Pauline Marois speech, it wasn't that long ago. Not satisfied with that and seeing favourable conditions in the polls, they called another election only 18 months later guaranteeing a majority. And with a PQ majority usually comes a referendum on soverignty.

Or so they thought, the campaign has been a disaster. Their star candidate Peladeau (the billionaire who's trying to bring the Nordiques back) has been a failure and some are predicting tonight that they in fact may lose power entirely.

http://www.cbc.ca/elections/quebecvotes2014/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow. Traitors wiped out.

Called an election in 18 months and lose to a Liberal majority.

degenerasian wrote:Wow. Traitors wiped out.

Called an election in 18 months and lose to a Liberal majority.

But they've still got the only team in the country to make the playoffs!

British Columbia government official commissions 19 year old girl with no academic credentials $19,000 to write a 14 page report. He met her while she was working as a DJ at a wedding.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/05/08 ... from-teen/

The resulting paper contains only two previously unpublished quotes, has no bibliography and appears to get much of its content from a 2006 book Research-based Teacher Education in Finland. It also misspells the word “Finns” as “Fins.”

Mentorship, it's a beautiful thing.

Pruitt wrote:
Mentorship, it's a beautiful thing.

I expected the girl to be a beautiful thing too. she is Indian, so maybe he just assumed she was smart.

This video of two Jordanian journalists debating the civil war in Syria was linked. Political TV shows in Jordan are way more interesting than in the US. And have cheap desks.

Skip first 40 seconds



Skip the first minute, unless you speak Arabic

Idaho has some questionable gubernatorial candidates.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/ ... _life.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

State Rep from Florida thinks common core math will turn kids into the gay...

These people, that will now receive $220 million from the state of Florida unless this is stopped, will promote double-mindedness in state education and attract every one of your children to become as homosexual as they possibly can. I’m sorry to report that to you.

Jerloma wrote:Idaho has some questionable gubernatorial candidates.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/ ... _life.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That was amazing.

P.D.X. wrote:

Jerloma wrote:Idaho has some questionable gubernatorial candidates.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/ ... _life.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That was amazing.

Yeah. Holy shit. Fat Jack's old lady!

P.D.X. wrote:

Jerloma wrote:Idaho has some questionable gubernatorial candidates.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/ ... _life.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That was amazing.

And that is an understatement.

Good news Syb!


http://results.enr.clarityelections.com ... ml?cid=690" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jerloma wrote:Idaho has some questionable gubernatorial candidates.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/ ... _life.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The results are in. Looks like the people of Idaho won't be electing a biker or insane Santa after all.

Republican

Gov. Butch Otter: 79,383 (51.3%)

Russ Fulcher: 67,514 (43.6%)

Harley Brown: 5,052 (3.3%)

Walt Bayes: 2,751 (1.8%)

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/05/2 ... rylink=cpy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dammit...that would have been awesome.

Excuse my ranting, but Ontario goes to the polls for a provincial election next week.

Three parties in play:

1) Liberals who have been in power for a decade of unprecedented economic shrinkage and deficit growth. Scandal ridden beyond belief (and this being Canada, they are financial and not sexual escapades), even going so far as to suspend the legislature in order to keep the Premier (like Governor) from having to answer questions in an official inquiry into a major bit of corruption. He stepped down and left the carcass of his party to this woman - Kathleen Wynne - who is as charismatic as she looks...



Not that it matters with the voters, but she is a lesbian. She has managed to kill a million fantasies to be sure...

2) Progressive Conservatives who when last in power led an all out war against every union you could imagine. They preached fiscal responsibility, but managed to screw up so much in the province that just the name of their leader at the time is enough to cause grown men to shriek like little girls. Thay are led by this handsome devil (Tim Hudak...)



Who has pledged to create a million new jobs (in fact, the words "Million Jobs Plan" appears behind him at every rally and photo op).

Thing is, there are only a half million unemployed people in the province. Brilliant.

3) New Democratic Party - the traditional 3rd party across Canada. Big government, big taxes (socialists in other words). Their only time in power (1990-1995) was such a disaster that the people turned around and obliterated the party and elected a right wing band of union busters (which is very rare for Canada). Their fiscal stewardship was marked by having the provincial civil servants work only four days a week to save money. Their leader is this woman (Andrea Horwath) who - if she didn't look like this...



Would be accused of running on looks and charisma. Because she certainly doesn't seem to have anything in the way of policies to sell.

It is a gruesome choice, as bad as I have ever seen in any election. In my riding (like a congressional district), the choices are an 83 year old gummer who in 30 year of being an elected representative has only been in the provincial cabinet (in Canada, this is a big deal) for a year and a half and was kicked out when implicated in a corruption scandal, and a young guy who spent the last campaign driving Tim Hudak's campaign RV.
The NDP never gets more than 10% in my area.

Currently it looks like the PCs will win with a minority government which is probably the best possible outcome. But do spare a thought for the people of Ontario... this is as ugly as it gets.

Pruitt wrote:

Jerloma wrote:Idaho has some questionable gubernatorial candidates.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/ ... _life.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The results are in. Looks like the people of Idaho won't be electing a biker or insane Santa after all.

Republican

Gov. Butch Otter: 79,383 (51.3%)

Russ Fulcher: 67,514 (43.6%)

Harley Brown: 5,052 (3.3%)

Walt Bayes: 2,751 (1.8%)

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/05/2 ... rylink=cpy" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is that the boring guy or the normal guy?

Pruitt: I watched a bit of the debate last night, Hudek said if he didn't create 1 million jobs, he'd resign.

Hold him to it!

degenerasian wrote:Pruitt: I watched a bit of the debate last night, Hudek said if he didn't create 1 million jobs, he'd resign.

Hold him to it!

Look for currently employed people to be laid off and working 2 part time minimum wage jobs.

The Sybian wrote:

degenerasian wrote:Pruitt: I watched a bit of the debate last night, Hudek said if he didn't create 1 million jobs, he'd resign.

Hold him to it!

Look for currently employed people to be laid off and working 2 part time minimum wage jobs.

He's also pledged to lay off 100,000 civil servants (everyone from mid-level bureaucrats to teachers to police support staff).

Here's the crux of the problem (from Global news)

But the Liberals, and some prominent economists, including a former federal associate deputy minister of finance, have suggested the Tories misinterpreted information from a report they commissioned from the Conference Board of Canada.

The report, which studies the impact of reducing corporate and personal taxes, uses the term “person years of employment,” which some economists suggest the Tories confused with permanent jobs, resulting in a vast over-estimation of just how many new positions their plan would create. They say the Tories counted one person holding a job for eight years as eight jobs when they made the million jobs promise.

So that would be 125,000 new jobs. Which is great. But the "Hundred Thousand Jobs Plan" doesn't have that certain ring to it.

Guess his strategists figured that no one would notice that he was promising two new jobs for each unemployed person. Thing is, it's the transparent stupidity/dishonesty of this pledge that will keep his party from a landslide victory.

Pruitt wrote:Guess his strategists figured that no one would notice that he was promising two new jobs for each unemployed person. Thing is, it's the transparent stupidity/dishonesty of this pledge that will keep his party from a landslide victory.

Methinks you give the voters a lot of credit. Perhaps too much.

"Under-promise, and over-deliver", said no politician, ever.

sancarlos wrote:

Pruitt wrote:Guess his strategists figured that no one would notice that he was promising two new jobs for each unemployed person. Thing is, it's the transparent stupidity/dishonesty of this pledge that will keep his party from a landslide victory.

Methinks you give the voters a lot of credit. Perhaps too much.

"Under-promise, and over-deliver", said no politician, ever.

What I should have said is that by making such an obviously ridiculous pledge the centrepiece of his campaign (Tv ads, transit ads, web ads, election signs), the part has given the opposition an easy target. So instead of the ruling party being on the defensive for a decade of bad government, it is the PC party that has been on the defensive since the campaign kicked off.

Believe me, I have no great faith in the desire of most voters to analyze beyond the sound bites they hear. But a smart campaign would have thought things through a bit better.

Hudek is lucky the debate was yesterday and not a week ago.

I predict a Liberal minority (status quo)

degenerasian wrote:Hudek is lucky the debate was yesterday and not a week ago.

I predict a Liberal minority (status quo)

I'll call a Tory minority with the NDP suffering some big losses.

IF that happens, I will predict that the Liberals will be back in power within two years with a new leader.

And then it will be time to really focus on the Toronto mayoral election. By the way, if he returns from rehab ready to campaign, I can try to get some Rob Ford paraphernalia for interested swampers. A couple of weeks ago I was in D.C. for a family event - many orders for Ford gear were taken.

Pruitt wrote:

degenerasian wrote:Hudek is lucky the debate was yesterday and not a week ago.

I predict a Liberal minority (status quo)

I'll call a Tory minority with the NDP suffering some big losses.

IF that happens, I will predict that the Liberals will be back in power within two years with a new leader.

And then it will be time to really focus on the Toronto mayoral election. By the way, if he returns from rehab ready to campaign, I can try to get some Rob Ford paraphernalia for interested swampers. A couple of weeks ago I was in D.C. for a family event - many orders for Ford gear were taken.

If the NDP have less than 10 seats they could form a coalition goverment with the Liberals. They'll give Horwath a cabinet position.

Pruitt wrote:

degenerasian wrote:Hudek is lucky the debate was yesterday and not a week ago.

I predict a Liberal minority (status quo)

I'll call a Tory minority with the NDP suffering some big losses.

IF that happens, I will predict that the Liberals will be back in power within two years with a new leader.

And then it will be time to really focus on the Toronto mayoral election. By the way, if he returns from rehab ready to campaign, I can try to get some Rob Ford paraphernalia for interested swampers. A couple of weeks ago I was in D.C. for a family event - many orders for Ford gear were taken.

Liberal majority tonight, what a shocker. Hudek once again snatches defeat from the hands of victory.

So in Canada over the last few months, we had a minority government in Quebec call their own election and get soundly defeated and a minority government in Ontario that was defeated in the legislature come back with a majority.

The grass is not always greener on the other side.