Stephen Colbert: "Now I was afraid the Obama administration was going to be tough, because of the whole 'mandate to govern' and high approval ratings. But Daschle folded like an origami tax form that you 'forgot to fill out.' If this were the Bush administration, he would never have stepped down -- not without a Medal of Freedom."
Jay Leno: "Today, Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination for secretary of health and human services after being forced to pay $128,000 in back taxes." Daschle "was extremely upset because now it looks like he paid his taxes for nothin'!"
Jay Leno: "And tax problems for another Obama nominee. Nancy Killefer has withdrawn her nomination as White House chief performance officer. Not only did she not pay her taxes, she had a tax lien put on her house by the government. Where is Obama getting these nominees? Old episodes of 'Cops'?"
Conan O'Brien: "Earlier today," Tom Daschle "withdrew his nomination to be the health and human services secretary after it was revealed he didn't pay back taxes. Yeah. So, President Obama says now it's down to his second and third choices, Willie Nelson and Wesley Snipes."
This blog will focus on political images I have found all around the Internet, though I will intersperse some commentary and quotes that I find interesting.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Popularity
One thing the Republicans don't understand is popularity brought on by treating fellow citizens with some respect and dignity. Usually their presidents get elected, they screw up and their popularity goes into the crapper. That didn't happen with Clinton and it drives conservatives insane, even today, that Bill is still quite popular. And now they are hoping and praying that Obama fails so that his popularity gets flushed as did the popularity of both Bush's.
Democrats Dance
Yep - we're excited that Democrats now control the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Poor Conservative Bloggers
Conservative bloggers now get to spend some time living the same hell we liberals lived in for the 8 years of the Bush administration. I hope they enjoy!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Great Words
Some political and newsy humor from some amateurs...
The California woman who recently had octuplets—bringing her total number of children to 14—says she plans a career as a television child expert. Though it seems to me any child expert’s first piece of advice would be, “Don’t have 14 kids.” – Todd Long
Relatives of Bernie Madoff are so embarrassed that they’re changing the last names of Bernie’s grandchildren. I’m not sure that Scott and Megan Mygrandpasacrook is much better.
On Feb. 19, President Obama will address the Parliament in Ottawa on the topic, “Yes, We Canada!” He will be followed by Governor Palin, “Take a Hike to the Klondike” and by Bernie Madoff, “Yukon, I con.” – Paul Feehan, Key Biscayne, Fla.
The California woman who recently had octuplets—bringing her total number of children to 14—says she plans a career as a television child expert. Though it seems to me any child expert’s first piece of advice would be, “Don’t have 14 kids.” – Todd Long
Relatives of Bernie Madoff are so embarrassed that they’re changing the last names of Bernie’s grandchildren. I’m not sure that Scott and Megan Mygrandpasacrook is much better.
On Feb. 19, President Obama will address the Parliament in Ottawa on the topic, “Yes, We Canada!” He will be followed by Governor Palin, “Take a Hike to the Klondike” and by Bernie Madoff, “Yukon, I con.” – Paul Feehan, Key Biscayne, Fla.
Bush-Cheney Loyalists
John Walkenbach over at the J-Walk Blog has run across a rather interesting web site for Bush-Cheney supporters now that the 
President isn't in office and no longer provides a center for their interests. What makes this post so funny, at least for those of us who were not fans of Bush 43, is this partial list of document links that John found...
By the way, you can click on the blog link above to read John's entire post.
President isn't in office and no longer provides a center for their interests. What makes this post so funny, at least for those of us who were not fans of Bush 43, is this partial list of document links that John found...By the way, you can click on the blog link above to read John's entire post.
Homeland Insecurity
The Federal Government is trying to push technological advances on us when, sometimes, we're not ready for them. One of the places where we expose ourselves is in applying for a Passport. All sorts of private information is provided in those forms and it seems as if we have a right to expect the government to protect us from identity theft.
Here's a report from Boing Boing online which rejects the notion that Americans are ready for RFID tags in our passports - or driver's licenses - or any other form of ID which we must carry around with us.
Here's a report from Boing Boing online which rejects the notion that Americans are ready for RFID tags in our passports - or driver's licenses - or any other form of ID which we must carry around with us.
Meet Chris Paget, a hacker who believes that people shouldn't be tagged with RFIDs. He spent a productive day driving around San Francisco, sniffing and cloning mountains of RFID-equipped US passports and driver's licenses. The equipment to accomplish this feat cost him $250. When we debate the risks associated with RFID-equipped IDs, we usually focus on what happens when the government can follow us around everywhere -- but the real risk may be that crooks, marketing creeps and various unaffiliated snoops will do this instead.
Florida: Sansom Resigns As House Speaker Amid Scandal
And now, for something not completely different - Republican scandal.
From the Florida Villages Daily Sun (click on the link to read more)...
From the Florida Villages Daily Sun (click on the link to read more)...
Ray Sansom will not be Florida’s next Speaker of the House.
House Republicans Monday night unanimously voted to accept the resignation of their embattled leader, and voted to replace him with Ocala Republican Larry Cretul. Sansom will maintain his House seat, but is no longer the Republican’s designated leader, or next in line to become Speaker of the House.
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However, with Sansom facing mounting legal pressure, including a grand jury investigation related to his accepting a $110,000 a year job at a Panhandle community college where he funneled $35 million, he decided instead to tenure his resignation as Speaker.
Don't Mourn for Daschle
A Democratic scandal? Surely Tom Daschle lied to President Obama, or Obama did not do a thorough jog in checking out Daschle's background.
I like this opinion piece by John Nichols at The Nation. Click on the link to read the whole article.
I like this opinion piece by John Nichols at The Nation. Click on the link to read the whole article.
Tom Daschle has, under his usual cloud of scandal, withdrawn as President Obama's nominee to serve in the critical Cabinet position of Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Republicans think they have dealt the new president a blow.
In fact, by opposing Daschle so strenuously, and appropriately, Republicans and a handful of principled Democratic senators (who had quietly let the White House know they were not going to back the nomination) have done the new president and the nation a favor.
The scandal over Daschle's lavish lifestyle and failure to pay taxes simply emphasized why the former Senate Majority Leader was exactly the wrong choice to serve in the administration of a Democratic president who aspires to make a break with the worst of the compromises that characterized his party during the Bush-Cheney era.
Republicans think they have dealt the new president a blow.
In fact, by opposing Daschle so strenuously, and appropriately, Republicans and a handful of principled Democratic senators (who had quietly let the White House know they were not going to back the nomination) have done the new president and the nation a favor.
The scandal over Daschle's lavish lifestyle and failure to pay taxes simply emphasized why the former Senate Majority Leader was exactly the wrong choice to serve in the administration of a Democratic president who aspires to make a break with the worst of the compromises that characterized his party during the Bush-Cheney era.
Is This Right?
I lost track of the source of this chart (and I find a lot of stuff loose on the Usenet so I may never have had the source), but it is probably accurate. However, my limited knowledge of the economics of the bailout tells me that these figures for the economic crisis include monies not actually spent, but guarantees given by the Federal Reserve System to failing banks and financial institutions.
The "Wall Street Bailout" figures also, most-likely, do not include anticipated returns from loans that the government has made.
My final comment: Although the chart does not indicate the basis used for all of the monetary amounts, one would have to assume that any organization sophisticated enough to put this together also used constant dollar amounts, thus accounting for inflation.
The "Wall Street Bailout" figures also, most-likely, do not include anticipated returns from loans that the government has made.
My final comment: Although the chart does not indicate the basis used for all of the monetary amounts, one would have to assume that any organization sophisticated enough to put this together also used constant dollar amounts, thus accounting for inflation.
Obama Considers Tax on Cabinet
From Andy Borowitz Reports 2/3/09 (click the link to read more)...
President Barack Obama is mulling a controversial new tax program that would require members of his Cabinet to pay taxes owed under the Federal tax code, the White House confirmed today.
While the unorthodox tax proposal is reportedly "only in the planning stages," it is being eyed as a possible way to balance the Federal budget.
ECONOMY -- SENATE GOP FLOAT $3.1 TRILLION STIMULUS PLAN CENTERED ON TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH:
From The Progress Report, 2/3/09...
Yesterday during a press conference, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reiterated his opposition to President Obama's economic recovery plan, expressing concern about its long term cost. "We have been throwing figures around like it was paper money. We are already looking at, before we even do this, at over a trillion dollar deficit for this year," McConnell said. Other Senate Republicans have echoed McConnell's rhetoric but the only alternative they are offering is a plan written by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) based on a series of permanent tax breaks for corporations and wealthy Americans. According to a Center for American Progress Action Fund analysis, this plan will cost $3.1 trillion over 10 years -- nearly three times the cost of Obama's plan. Permanent tax cuts are one of the least effective ways of stimulating the economy, according to both Moody's Economy.com and the Congressional Budget Office. Furthermore, slashing government revenues would leave deep structural deficits for generations to come. McConnell is fond of saying that a stimulus bill should be "timely, temporary, and targeted." However, the plan Senate Republicans are backing fulfills none of these criteria.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Political Ha-Ha
In a recent survey carried out for leading toiletries firm ‘Brut’, people from Chicago have proved to be the most likely to have had sex in the shower!
In the survey, 86% of Chicago’s elite residents, and government official’s (almost all of whom are politicians) said that they have enjoyed sex in the shower.
The other 14% said they hadn’t been to prison yet.
In the survey, 86% of Chicago’s elite residents, and government official’s (almost all of whom are politicians) said that they have enjoyed sex in the shower.
The other 14% said they hadn’t been to prison yet.
Barney Frank - Right On
Barney Frank has lots of issues that piss off a lot of people. But in my mind, he is VERY bright and his remarks in this video are right on target and make fools of the Republicans.
The Shoe
An artist in Iraq created a monument to the shoe-thrower who tossed his footware at President Bush in Baghdad.
But, from Video Cafe comes this word...
But, from Video Cafe comes this word...
Almost as soon as it went up The Shoe has been brought down. The monument commemorating the journalist who hurled his shoes at President George W. Bush was taken down only one day after it was erected. Seems the Central Government just didn't approve.
Blackwater Gets The Boot
Blackwater is a private security firm (mercenaries) who provide security for private firms operating in Iraq, and body guard functions for private, foreign workers in Iraq. They have not had a very good reputation as some of their employees seem to be a little bit "gun-crazy."
Here's a clip from Mother Jones - click the link to read more...
Here's a clip from Mother Jones - click the link to read more...
The Iraqi government, taking advantage of the autonomy granted by the Status of Forces Agreement that went into effect January 1, has informed US officials that it will not be renewing Blackwater's operating license, according to this morning's Washington Post. This does not come as a shock—the firm has been in Baghdad's sights since at least September 2007, when its contractors opened fire in a traffic circle, killing 17 and wounding 24 others. The Iraqi government's first attempt to boot Blackwater from the country came just days after the shootings when it revoked the company's license, but US officials (enjoying a bit more authority at the time) simply ignored the order and went on to reaffirm Blackwater's presence the following April, much to the Iraqis' displeasure.
Blackwater has a short grace period as Baghdad finishes a draft of new guidelines that will govern the operations of private contractors. As Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Adbul-Karim Khalaf told the Post, "When the work of this committee ends, [private firms] will be under the authority of the Iraqi government, and those companies that don't have licenses, such as Blackwater, should leave immediately."
Blackwater has a short grace period as Baghdad finishes a draft of new guidelines that will govern the operations of private contractors. As Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Adbul-Karim Khalaf told the Post, "When the work of this committee ends, [private firms] will be under the authority of the Iraqi government, and those companies that don't have licenses, such as Blackwater, should leave immediately."
Discrimination Is Okay In Some Places
I don't disagree with the judge's ruling in this case. See what you think. I'll comment more after the clip, from The Los Angeles Times...
I've said it before - I don't like any of the organized religions - but the constitution guarantees them the right to do most anything they want - short of human sacrifice.
Check out the image used in this post - does this imply religious persecution? Is this church school discriminating against Christians and Muslims? Is there any difference between this and what's posted above?
via The J-Walk Blog
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After a Lutheran school expelled two 16-year-old girls for having "a bond of intimacy" that was "characteristic of a lesbian relationship," the girls sued, contending the school had violated a state anti-discrimination law.So, what do you think? I think "freedom of religion" means exactly that - religions are free to treat people any way they want. If the girls are so stupid that they want to continue to participate in a religion that hates them, one has to ask just how dumb they are.
In response to that suit, an appeals court decided this week that the private religious school was not a business and therefore did not have to comply with a state law that prohibits businesses from discriminating. A lawyer for the girls said Tuesday that he would ask the California Supreme Court to overturn the unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal.
I've said it before - I don't like any of the organized religions - but the constitution guarantees them the right to do most anything they want - short of human sacrifice.
Check out the image used in this post - does this imply religious persecution? Is this church school discriminating against Christians and Muslims? Is there any difference between this and what's posted above?
via The J-Walk Blog
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More Scandal
This stuff makes you sick after a while. One has to wonder if there are so many politicians getting away with bilking the taxpayers that most think they'll get away with it - or do we in fact catch most of this crap and the ones who are caught are just stupid? Any thoughts?
This is from Pennsylvania, posted at WHPTV.com...
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - Two Luzerne County judges are headed for federal prison.
This is from Pennsylvania, posted at WHPTV.com...
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) - Two Luzerne County judges are headed for federal prison.
Federal authorities say President Judge Mark Ciavarella and Senior Judge Michael Conahan were involved in a $2.6 million scheme to place juvenile offenders into facilities in which the judges had a financial interest.via Crooks and Liars, where Susie Madrak says...
Court documents state that in some cases, Ciavarella ordered children into detention even when juvenile probation officers did not recommend it.
The two have agreed to plead guilty to honest services fraud and tax fraud. Their plea agreements call for sentences of more than seven years in federal prison. They have agreed to step down from the bench.
Ciavarella denied wrongdoing in an interview last May with The Associated Press.
Back when I was a reporter, I once explained to a (Republican) politician that it was against the state ethics law to use his wife as the township secretary, since the two of them could collude to change the public record. He looked at me, shocked, and said, "If you're not in politics to make money for yourself and your family, why would you bother?" Why, indeed.
Evangelical Leader Ted Haggard's Accuser Speaks
Hypocrite Central - Haggard still doesn't get that it's okay to be homosexual (or bisexual). He must hate himself for something he can't control.
Republican Scandal - Antonia Novello
Yep, another one. This story from the NY Daily News...
The state's former top doc acted like a diva, abusing staffers, ordering them to take her shopping and pick up her dry cleaning, according to a report due out Tuesday.
The latest scandal to rock Albany involves Antonia Novello, who was U.S. surgeon general under President George H.W. Bush and later was Gov. George Pataki's longtime state health commissioner. Novello is accused by the state inspector general of costing the taxpayers $48,000 in overtime by making her workers carry out personal chores for her, according to the Albany County district attorney.
Makes Sense To Me
I like what the Obama Administration is doing. So many of their new rules seem designed to clean up government and I like it a lot.
From TPM...
From TPM...
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, in his first full day on the job, announced new rules Tuesday to limit special-interest influence on the government's $700 billion financial rescue program.via MoJo
The new rules are designed to crack down on lobbyist influence over the rescue program and make sure that political clout in not a factor in awarding rescue money.
Obama administration officials said they go farther than the lobbying rules imposed by the Bush administration and are designed to ensure that bailout money is distributed with the goal of promoting the health and stability of the financial system.
Bush Paints Bush
George W tried to paint a pretty picture of himself as he prepared to leave office.
Bush Cries?
President Bush is shown here leaving a farewell meeting with the White House staff. Is he crying, or is it just the momentary facial distortion caused by exertion or some other emotion?
Can't be sure - but if he was crying - who ever knew that he cared about ANYTHING in D.C.?
Can't be sure - but if he was crying - who ever knew that he cared about ANYTHING in D.C.?
Monday, February 02, 2009
The Free Market
Republicans and money managers LOVE to crow about the advantages of the "free market system" - capitalism at its finest. Many of them right now proclaim that we don't need to bail out the economy - we need to let the markets restore balance. Of course, that means millions out of work, out of money and out of health care. But what concerns these Republicans? Balancing the markets.
From Mother Jones...
And the Award for the Biggest Cold-Hearted Bastard in America Goes To...
Bay City (Michigan) Electric Light & Power manager Robert Belleman. Upon learning that 93-year-old Marvin Schur froze to death—"a slow, painful death" according to the medical examiner—in his home, Belleman defended the utility's decision to cut off the man's power, without warning, during last week's subzero cold snap. Installing "limiters" which put a cap on power usage and shuts off the juice altogether if an owner exceeds the limit, is company policy, noted Belleman, and he saw no reason to change it in the light of Schur's death. As for the utility's failure to inform Schur?
"I've said this before and some of my colleagues have said this: Neighbors need to keep an eye on neighbors," Belleman said. "When they think there's something wrong, they should contact the appropriate agency or city department."
Schur, who was $1,000 behind on his utility bill, was indeed found by his neighbor—four days after the limiter was switched on, in a sub-freezing room that had icicles on the insides of its windows.
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