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November 12, 2009 04:43 PM UTC

Thursday Open Thread

  • 138 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“Error always addresses the passions and prejudices; truth scorns such mean intrigue, and only addresses the understanding and the conscience.”

–Azel Backus

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138 thoughts on “Thursday Open Thread”

  2. ….it may be that I will see the Death of the Repub Party, squashed into pieces by it’s towering stupidity…

    Lindsay Grahm censured by SC GOP

    Republican leaders in a South Carolina county have censured their own U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for working with Democrats on a climate bill and other legislation.

    The Republican has often worked with Democrats in Congress, but Charleston County Chairwoman Lin Bennett says his work on climate legislation is the last straw.

    http://www.washingtonmonthly.c…

    Any plans to change the name from Republican to American Whig party?

    1. In light of the apoplexy, it’s probably worth remembering that Graham hasn’t moved to the center. Let’s once again take a look at the always-helpful VoteView analysis, which ranks lawmakers from the most liberal to the most conservative. In the current Congress, #1 is Dick Durbin (furthest to the left), #100 is Tom Coburn (furthest to the right). Graham is tied for #82, meaning only 17 senators are to his right.

      Wonder what they do to real moderates.  Pitchforks at midnight?

      2. is that he has always been willing to work with whoever he needs to to get his priorities done.  The backlash here is against that, and it’s ominous.  It’s the “never work with the enemy” attitude which in reality means, “never get anything done” but plays well with the rabid base.  

        Before his prez run, McCain was the same way, as was Trent Lott.  When Lott lost his majority leader post to McConnell because of his racist comments at Strom Thurmond’s birthday party, a lot of Senate D’s were pissed because they knew they could actually work with Lott and not with McConnell.

          1. half of them are hiding something.  Didn’t push Larry Craig to be less of an a-hole.  He was a first class a-hole (in my experience, second only to Don Nichols) all the way to the end.  

          2.    First, there’s their Luv Guv and his Argentine Soulmate.  

              Then they had that former Repub State Rep and Assistant A.G. who was caught in the cemetery last week with 18 year old stripper, the dildoes and viagra.  

              And their Lt. Guv, who is running to replace Mark Sanford next year, is rumored to be gay.

               

          1. I’m sure they long for the days when African Americans couldn’t vote and they probably would prefer if women couldn’t vote considering the GOP gender gap.

            To achieve these gains they work hard to disenfranchise young people (the population is highly mobile and needs registration laws that accommodate the lifestyle) and minorities (why they really hate Acorn-voter registration).

            If you cut the voting population in half suddenly 19% is 38% wah-la

                1. Led by Republican women?

                  “A female state senator says if women’s suffrage were being voted on today she would not support it, because the 19th Amendment was the start of a decades-long erosion of family values.

                  “I’m an old-fashioned woman, Senator. Kay O’Connor told The Kansas City Star. “Men should take care of women, and if men were taking care of women (today) ‘we wouldn’t have to vote.”

                  1. Seriously. How does she think she got to the State Senate? Because women (whom she thinks should stay barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen) voted for her. And why is she holding down a job instead of staying home and taking care of her roses and her man? Because of her self admitted rising health care costs. Hehehehe. Oh man. This from a woman who is a member of a political party that is doing everything they can to gut meaningful reform for 40 million people.

                    The Republican Party has become an embarrassing parody of itself.  

                    1. Kansas was the first real battleground for women’s suffrage. The state was considered the most progressive in the country in the middle of the 1800s, so much so that feminists thought it would be the easiest state to win.

                    4. I would really like to know what in the world it is that I do that makes that keep happening.  

                    9. in Sarah Palin, Janet Rowland, Michele Bachmann, Carrie Prejean, Caitlin Upton kind of way.

  3. …in all fairness, let me introduce the issue that has pissed off Vets and Vet advocates.

    Armory plans to pull money from Veterans Trust Fund

    WINDSOR – A plan to build three National Guard armories in Colorado will draw heavily on the state’s Veterans Trust Fund, which supports veterans programs.

    Last week, Governor Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) held a news conference to discuss the proposed construction of the armories. The training facilities would be based in Windsor, Grand Junction and Alamosa. The multi-million dollar project will likely pull all $4.6 million out of the state’s Veterans Trust Fund. That money would then attract around $12 million in federal matching funds.

    The Veterans Trust Fund was established years back with Colorado’s tobacco settlement money. It funds programs that provide direct services to veterans like food, shelter and health care.

    http://www.9news.com/news/arti…

    Speaking of pitchforks and burning torches, I just got mine, and the Vet advocates of the state are assembling now ….

    1. armories for active duty national guard, paid for by funds dedicated to services for veterans?!!  What’s the most effective way for citizens to protest this?

    3. And we need three new armories cause why?

      I mean I get the fight about PiГ±on Canyon – but three new armories? And when we get the 12m from the feds- does the VTF get paid back?

    4. “In a sense, this is a new way to use that money for veterans because the National Guard [is made up of] veterans,” Bozella said.

      Now, we just need to figure out how to get homeless vets — some with alcohol and drug problems, due to PTSD — into the National Guard, I guess.

    1. ….but don’t think the fight is over. Health Care was supposedly dead in August, but it got off the mat and landed a few good punches.

      I might be out of town during the Xmas-New Years break (family in Europe) so that’s out.

      1. Is everyone going to Europe for friggin’ Christmas except me ?  Ballroom dancing Christmas eve in Vienna perhaps ? Christmas dinner at Damsteeg ?  Bastards.

          1. I’m be too busying going broke buying Ali beer.I’ll probably have to stick to water and the bread and cracker basket by the time he gets done bleeding me dry.

            You’re going to Austria? God, I am so envious.  

              1. When I was a kid, I made my mom watch The Sound of Music every single time it came on. I remember my dad asking my mom, “how many times does she have to watch this thing?” It’s my favorite child hood movie. I know every single song by heart. I sang “Climb Every Mountain” for a singing competition. My sister and I sang “My Favorite Things” for a mother/daughter church banquet. You have no idea how much I’d love to see Austria.

                And screw it, while I’m embarrassing myself, I should also admit that I loved John Denver. Are you aware that Julie Andrews suffered a throat injury a few years back and can no longer sing? Now that is a tragedy.

                Thanks for the video. That just made my night.  

                1. Did you know “Edelweiss” was the last song that Rodgers and Hammerstein ever wrote together?  I think it was Oscar Hammerstein that was actually on his deathbed in the hospital and they wrote it together.  

                  Totally not an Austrian tune.

                  I love John Denver as well.  You should email me, and I’ll tell you some great stories.

                  This clip was actually recorded in Salzburg proper.  Julie Andrews did two Christmas specials from there.  One was with Placido Domingo singing “O holy Night”.

                  I shit you not.

                  🙂

                    2. I’d prefer to do it offline. I also want some pictures of Austria. 🙂 I’ll email you here shortly.  

                2. Wheedled and nagged the parents until they drove me to the movie theater to see it again.  They wouldn’t take me for a third time, though, so I had to wait until I was a grown-up and a mom and could buy the movie “to show to the kid, kids love it.”  My son was never impressed with it, but who cares?

                  We went to Europe in 1991 and spent 3 or 4 nights in Salzburg. Amazing place! We were in Europe for 4 weeks, and that was #1 on my Places to Go Back To list. We had an unfortunate collision with 3 liters (each) of Augustiner Brau one afternoon, which led to a most amusing trip back to the hotel, during which I was laughing and screaming because his shortcut through the mental hospital and across the railroad tracks wasn’t working and I had to pee RIGHT NOW….

                  Fun times.  LB, be sure to have some Augustiner Brau but also be sure to have adult supervision.

          2. And, no, she wasn’t singing “Do-Re-Mi,” at the time.

            I seem to recall a few years back some revival movie houses played “The Sound of Music,” and the whole audience would intentionally sing along and get involved a la “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

            My memory is correct. Just found this article:

            http://archives.cnn.com/2000/S…

        2. Distinctly different agendas. If it were just for my Wife and I, we’d be in Ausburg for the Christmas Market and Southern Germany Skiing.

          Instead, we will be trudging between family gatherings, pretending to tolerate each other.

          LB, you may put in the Sound of Music, but around here, it’s Home for the Holidays.  

          Quote: “Well, we don’t have to like each other, Jo. We’re family. “

            1. …between trips to the inlaws, there’s a stop at the Rijksmuseum, (national art gallery) Stedelijk Museum (coolest modern art museum on the planet) and numerous trips to the local pubs.

              2. Although my fave is still the Van Gogh Museum (love his final paintings), followed by the Rijksmuseum.

                Have you been to the brewpub beneath the old windmill, Brouwerji ‘tIJ?

                I’ve only had a beer once, myself, in one of the pubs with everything stained from hundreds of years of tobacco abuse: a so-called Bruine (“brown”) cafe. Didn’t smoke anything there, at least, myself.

    2. I’m down with setting up something in Dec, after the 15th.  The only dates that don’t work are the 18th and 19th.  My wife is due Jan 5th so obviously Jan is a REAL BAD time anyway.

      I think something will definitely happen, but I don’t think these loafers in the Senate will finish it this year. Say what you want about Nancy, but she does get shit done.  

      Also, Ali indicated interest as well and I would like to meet him too if he still wants to go.  

      Can you give me an E-mail address that dosen’t reveal anything, and I’ll E-mail you today ?

      1. We’ll have to check with Dan as we get closer to see if he’s going to be around.

        My email is on my username or account thing here at Pols.

        Good luck to you and the wife.  That’s awesome.

        2. i still haven’t made one of these and I want to, but my wife is also due (with #3) on Dec 20, so will have to play by ear.  my email is also on my profile page

        1. She’s a girl.  First girl.  I’m already a total sucker for my boy so I am sure she’s going to run roughshod over me.

          I’ve always, always wanted a girl, and my Romanian mother in law is breathing into a paper bag until she gets here.  She’s so damn excited.

          It’s a very happy time in life.

          1. And well you should. And her brother is going to adore her. And she’ll have a built in wingman for life, lucky little lass. I’m so happy for you.  

          3. I have three girls.  Anything you need, I got.  Nothing like paying five times the market price for an item because they slap some color on it and make it for “kids”.

  5. Link.

    “We sent a letter to the clerk laying out the totals,” Conklin said. “The key is that Hoffman conceded, which means the race is not contested. However, all ballots will be counted, and if the result changes, Owens will have to be removed.”

    1. Wouldn’t that just be a kick in the ass? I bet he’s wishing he hadn’t conceded so early, particularly since Owens went on to vote for the House HCR bill. I can see why he conceded but did you notice that something like 84 out of more than 200 polling places called in the wrong totals? WTF is wrong with New York District 23?  

  7. Hasan to be charged with premeditated murder, Army official says

    “FORT HOOD, Tex. — Army officials intend to charge Maj. Nidal M. Hasan with premeditated murder in last week’s killing of 12 soldiers and a civilian at Fort Hood, an Army official said Thursday.”

    “The murder charges are expected to be announced Thursday afternoon.”

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

    Under the Military Justice System, before a case is referred to a General Courts Martial (the most serious, and the only one that can hand down the Death Penalty) there must be an Article 32 hearing. This is somewhat like a Grand Jury, except there are extra protections built in to keep it conflict-free.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A…

    I heard rumors that the Fort Hood JAG was going to skip the Article 32 hearing, but this proves it. If the Army screws up his prosecution by bowing to political and media pressure, I’ll be pissed.

    1. Is active military personnel always tried by military court, under any circumstances?  I was wondering if Texas is able to charge for the civilian death.

      I deal with quite a bit of military, but not like this at all.  Thanks.

      1. There were three Supreme Court Decisions on this –

        O’CALLAHAN v. PARKER, 395 U.S. 258 (1969)

        RELFORD v. U.S. DISCIPLINARY COMMANDANT, 401 U.S. 355 (1971)  

        and then this one, which overruled the prev ones.

        SOLORIO v. UNITED STATES, 483 U.S. 435 (1987)

        In that the court held: “The jurisdiction of a court-martial depends solely on the accused’s status as a member of the Armed Forces, and not on the ‘service connection’ of the offense charged.”

        Since it didn’t really set the record straight, most Military authorities have agreements with local and state jurisdictions on who gets to try who.

        In this case, the alleged crime was committed on a military installation, against other military members (both Active Duty and Civilian employees.) If for some insane reason the military doesn’t Court Martial him, the Feds would be next in line.

        The only reason for that is that while the Military has a Death Penalty for a lot of charges (including rape) it very seldom executes them. There’s only eight people on Death Row, and their execution has to be approved by the President.  The last military execution was in 1961, by hanging.

  8. I am brand new to ColPols, and am seriously interested in keeping an eye out for any of the Trailhead neocons and tracking their actions. I am also curious to find out if anyone has tried to find the birth certificate(s) of the recent, out-of-wedlock addition(s) to the Bill Owens family. Several media types I have asked about this say they would do the story with confirmation.  We cannot let this hypocrite have any voice in future Colorado public affairs.  It is the hypocrisy, not the fact that he had extramarital affairs, that should keep his discredited voice unheard.

    1. by embarrassing that person’s children?

      That’s a really awful thing to do.

      Note that I reserve that for children who are not active in politics or who have resisted becoming public figures; i.e., it doesn’t apply to Liz Cheney.

      I hope you’re just a troll and not the serious scumbag that your post suggests you are.

  9. Via Instapundit.

    OPM is now claiming authority to weed out every former political appointee from being considered for ANY federal positions at EVERY level of the GS Pay Scale, for both the competitive AND excepted service – made RETROACTIVE for the past 5 years! (This is a new, extra layer of scrutiny previously reserved for SES hires.) OPM will now check the recommended hires to “ensure they comply with merit system principles and applicable civil service laws.”

    Retroactive for the last five years?  Don’t you folks think this sets a bad precedent just in case a Republican ever comes into power again?

    2. this might be something I could support. I’d just want to learn more about it, but I probably won’t take the time this week to do so.

      This is what I see as key:

      OPM will now check the recommended hires to “ensure they comply with merit system principles and applicable civil service laws.”

      I think that someone working for the federal government should at least meet the qualifications for the job they are doing. (This is in contrast to those jobs that are specifically reserved for political appointees.)

      I want good people in those career positions. I think that good qualified people will do the jobs they are asked to do, regardless of party affiliation. I don’t want dead weight Dem appointees drawing a government paycheck and occupying a career position that could go to someone with real qualifications.

      As for the retroactive stuff, I’m always a bit uncomfortable with this, but I also see this as important for this move to have any good. My understanding is that this is SOP, for outgoing administrations to fill career spots with their political appointees. This is not good.

    1. And where’s the Pay problem level, where I get a Leave and Earning Statement that says I owe three months of combat pay (even though I was in combat?)

      There better be missions where I get to unlock things like Iraqi Moonshine and Hookers….

      I’m forwarding this to too many of my friends! THANKS!

    1. They’re claiming illegal Bill of Attainder, Fifth Amendment violations against punishment without a trial to prove guilt, and First Amendment violations against freedom of association.

      IMHO, they’ve got a strong case.  It was dumb for Congress to name them specifically in the bill.

        1. the Constitution is silent on that matter, but Article I, Section 9 is clear on bills of attainder.

          If you’ve got a problem with sending federal dollars to corrupt organizations, then write the bill that way. Problem is, that would also cut off funding for most military contractors and lots of giant health care providers. Have at it.

  12. $20,822 is what Andrew Romanoff has raised in the past 21 days on ActBlue.com.

    Last quarter he raised about 70% of his cash from ActBlue.  With the holidays coming up he may be hard pressed to match the dollars he raised last quarter.

    Bennet has raised 42,099 in the same 21 day period on ActBlue only.

    Bennet has 240 new ActBlue donors and Romanoff 127 in the same 21 day period.

  13. .

    President Obama will make a stop in Afghanistan on 19 November, where he will announce his new strategy and troop levels.

    He will not be photographed holding a plastic turkey.  

    .

    1. ….I don’t think it was the sole reason, but it gave him pause to consider all the options, for all reasons, from all sides.

      Considering the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, (a former General) said to put the brakes on escalating, it might be that Pres Obama doesn’t a “Blow ’em All Up” solution.

      For those of you who say that he should listen to his generals, consider that everyone in DoD urged JFK to invade Cuba during the Missile Crisis, thinking it would be a cake walk. They didn’t know about the Soviet Naval Infantry units in country, or their Tactical Nuclear Weapons.

      I’m glad JFK considered all the options.

      1. Your insight into Obama’s head might be the best I’ve heard…..OK, top 10.

        Take your time Obama….it’s someone’s son or daughter you’re making a decision about.

        Comparing Obama to JFK is nice…whether intended or not. Same level of intelligence, similar levels of problems faced, that said…..Obama has it a  lot tougher.

    3. will in some subtle way impact Obama’s decision-making about Afghanistan?  Jon Krakauer has written a book about the Tillman friendly-fire death cover-up (Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman).  Krakauer spoke very strongly this week in an interview on CNN (sorry, I don’t have a link) about McChrystal’s misrepresentations to Congress, and apparent use of the Silver Star as part of the early cover-up.  I suppose we might not ever know if the new book is impacting McChrystal’s current role.

      2. …so I guess his spook/special ops background trumped his ethical flaws.

        Sometime lower-level officers write this stuff up for the boss to sign. THIS is something I imagine that McSpook devoted a lot of time to, esp trying to weasel a Silver Star out of a Friendly Fire Incident.

  14. My question is, Was this organization under investigation by the Bush/Cheney administration? Or, is this a success of the Obama administration actually, you know, getting things done!

    My comments here are not about divisive “gotcha” politics. They’re about who actually accomplishes the good of the commons.

    The good of the commons.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…

    Where is the error, and where is the truth, is the question.

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