hello basement.

i guess now we'll hafta worry about radon gas around here.

personally, i'm more worried about keeping warm today.

DeeLittle — January 16, 2012 at 9:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nailingit, this one's for you:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/15/mrs-santorum-s-abortion-doctor-boyfriend.html

I must admit I was fascinated by the gossipy story here. It humanizes Mrs. Santorum, actually. I am glad to know she has an interesting May-December love in her history.

manthou — January 16, 2012 at 9:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

One of the funniest parodies on formulaic news I have ever seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9MGOckIzlU&sns=em

manthou — January 16, 2012 at 10:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

OK, I'm still laughing........

Great stuff, manthou, sooooo true!

hawkeye — January 16, 2012 at 11:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

That video even got me out of my cave and to post. Now that was truly funny and so true.

luvithere — January 16, 2012 at 11:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

saw where JHB was in town and the C interviewed her. I couldn't crank up the volume enough to hear her. Just me or did anyone else has a problem with the audio?

mrd — January 16, 2012 at 4:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

A headline on Newt.org reads: Newt Explains the American Dream.

“Listen hear you intellectually inferior people, let me tell what you should dream.”

hawkeye — January 16, 2012 at 4:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mrd at 4:110: I could hear her just fine, unfortunately. :(

A picture is worth a thousand words! Could JHB be throwing more disgust at the camera with her stink-eye look?

Lou B: was she staring at you? Keep asking those questions of her because none of us were invited to her coffee parties! Thanks for posting the videos. They were not very reassuring to me, though. She is lost, lost, lost!

manthou — January 16, 2012 at 4:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

uh...hawk...

that should be listen here

DeeLittle — January 16, 2012 at 5:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

it should be, I didn't write it. it's a newt-ism.

hawkeye — January 16, 2012 at 6:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

DeeLittle, here is another newt-ism ---

"WE ought to have some requirement that you either have health insurance or post a bond" May 15, 2011

"I am against any effort to impost a federal mandate on anyone". May 16, 2011

Atta boy Newt, you tell em.

hawkeye — January 16, 2012 at 6:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

should be "impose"

hawkeye — January 16, 2012 at 6:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Wha' happened to the stink-eye photo of Jaime Herrera Beutler throwing eye daggers at Lou B?

It was priceless! It was obvious that she would rather be eating nails than answering questions of the C's editorial board.

Did her staff call the C and demand another one?

manthou — January 16, 2012 at 7:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

another debate down and finished. they're like mushrooms (yes, i know what they grow in)

romney was looking good after his 1st real campaign speech, but then somebody, think it was perry, accused his bain years of corp raiding. he actually defended the paper mill by saying it took over another mill in the area, then shut it down when it became idle.

maybe it's just 'my team' blindness, but that sounds suspiciously like his company bought out the only competitor in the area, then shut it down......

stay tuned, i guess.

DeeLittle — January 16, 2012 at 8:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Romney is a true POS, unless you're a a millionaire. His Bain Capital is good for segmenting up, "consulting", chit like that, for corporate Amerika. Why do the GOP'ers seem reluctant to put him up to the task? Oh yea...lip service to the unemployed and the under employed. This guy will kill 1000 jobs if it means protecting investors' money-a GOP'ers dream. Why are they reluctant? Couldn't be religion, could it? They'll come back to what they think might defeat Obama, and Romney's that guy.

He's the capitalatist's (read GOP here) dream-wanting free, unregulated markets-the same things his fellow GOP'ers attack him for, job killer(?)- the same tactics they'll undoubtly employ given the chance. Poor guy can't win-or at least I hope not. Can you imagine him with a Tea-Bagger Congress?

As the US is by far the worst developed country in lifting the impoverished out of poverty, we need a Romney. We only raise about 5% of the impoverished out of poverty with our social safeguards. The Netherlanands is the second worst at 22%. The international average is 45%. Small wonder, in a consumer based economy, we suck. Not saying we should throw money at the poor for the hell of it, but it is quite apparent that NOT putting money somehow, in the hands of the masses isn't very helpful to the overall economy.

Tax the rich? No way. The DC folks ain't gonna do it-the rich, super PAC's (what a cruel joke) own them. The states will have to. It's politically OK now-go for it.

Fix SS and Medicaire? Easy, raise the cap on SS and the contribution rate on Medicaire. Why is that so friggin' hard? Oh, yea, the rich thing. Don't want those job creators to get hurt because someday, they're gonna create a job. Maybe two.

But, cut away, dump the working poor and what's left of the middle class. I don't know if the GOPer's even realize who's using all the food stamps. Hint-it ain't black folks or the lazy. Most people requiring food stamps actually work and less than 1/3 are black. But, there's no use confusing them with facts, their stereotypes are already solid.

mrd — January 16, 2012 at 9:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mrd at 9:47 pm: Your analysis of MR and other ills is spot on. Lifting the impoverished out of the hopeless hole they are in is not a US strength, either, as you so aptly point out.

I am wondering why the C is piling on the little guy, too, in terms of its attacks on public servants? Lou B, what is the motivation for such an effort, really? It feels more like a personal vendetta to me. There has to be a story behind it. Is your spouse getting rich off her classified salary and milking the taxpayer for her hard work and long hours? I doubt it. You know better.

I know this is anecdotal, however, my thirty-something son makes more as a manager in a popular Pacific NW big box retailer than I do as a 30 year veteran of public service work. I'm not complaining, just pointing out one example. There are many others.

Go after the CRC contracts, Columbian. Your editorial today hits the nail on the head there. But leave the beaten down public servants, the folks who process those CRC invoices, and the ones who serve our state's children and vulnerable, alone. You are playing into the hands of the likes of the Mitt Romneys of the world, the Masters of the Universe who are counting on us peons destroying each other while they rake in the profits.

It is the perfect diversion that allows them to continue to get rich and fat off our pain.

manthou — January 17, 2012 at 5:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Man Hides Gun In Rectum: Michael Leon Ward Smuggled 10-Inch Weapon, Cops Say

"There are some places you should definitely not hide a gun."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/16/man-hides-gun-in-rectum_n_1208666.html?ir=Crime

nailingit — January 17, 2012 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Too bad Mitt isn't more like his Dad...

He's still inauthentic – but with, I think, an exception. Every time he opens his mouth on the subject of capitalism, he says what he sincerely believes, which happens to fit neatly with present-day Republican ideology: that rich people deserve every penny they have, and if people complain about anything rich people do, it's only because they're envious. Comme ça:

That's another rebellion against his late dad. Not only was George Romney, that loser, ironclad in his ideological commitments; his vision of how capitalism should work was in every particular the exact opposite of the one pushed by the vulture capitalist he sired.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/national-affairs/what-mitt-romney-learned-from-his-dad-20120117#ixzz1jjzWmoCB

nailingit — January 17, 2012 at 10:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Anyone else pay attention to the Opinion piece by The Columbian this morning? "In Our View: CRC Out of Control." Great reading!!! They do a good job of addressing and legitimizing one of the main areas opponents of the CRC have been harping on - that the contractor David Evans is way over budget and behind on producing anything, and that the CRC and government agencies who should be monitoring this are showing a complete lack of concern about this apparent waste (misuse?) of the taxpayer dollars.

Now, it sure would be nice if the next thing they'd look at is the rest of the documents they posted with the Sunday article. (And I'm hoping this is why they were there.) We (the CRC) paid a Bridge Expert Review Panel $1 million to assess the overall project and the planning done by the CRC/David Evans. Their findings were released last Spring. They questioned the wisdom of an unproven bridge construction, and the CRC hurriedly produced the three alternatives that we (whoever the interested parties of the moment were) selected the latest choice from. But, as near as I've seen, they've completely ignored the recommendation to build a straight line bridge immediately west of the current one (much cheaper and quicker to build straight rather than curved like we're getting). And the CRC has also stated that the Kevin Peterson alternative, closer to the Review Panel recommendations, has been looked at and dismissed for some unclear reason.

I'd also recommend they look a bit closer at Tri-Met. Just from what I read in The Oregonian, they are bleeding money and having a hard time maintaining their equipment, to include MAX. One of their recent proposals was to reduce the number of runs for each line (which would reduce the number of people the line to Vancouver could support) - yet they insist on keeping their free ride zone downtown. If someone could actually show the benefit of light rail to the economic recovery and livability of Clark County, we'd be much better served by having C-Tran build and manage our own line. Like, maybe a loop from Ridgefield to Battleground, down the east side, and over to downtown - then back to Ridgefield. (And while your at it, move the AmTrak station to Ridgefield also - co-locate these terminals.) Run a spur line down to the MAX station in Delta Park - and have C-Tran maintain this route (to include over the new bridge) independent of MAX. We (Clark County) would be much better off free of Tri-Met.

roger — January 17, 2012 at 7:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Last night Stephen Colbert addressed the fact he won't be able to get on the South Carolina ballot even as a write in. He noted that Herman Cain (previously endorsed by his SuperPac) dropped a couple of weeks ago but is still on the ballot in SC. And then he made a round about "nonrequest" that his supporters vote for Cain anyhow. It'll be interesting to catch the next round tonight.

And why are they (mainstream news) taking this joke of his so seriously? Because he actually outpolled Huntsman and Perry in SC? And I'm not hearing anyone challenge what he says he's running for - "The President of the United States of South Carolina." Pay attention; we don't need something that supports FOX's criticism of lamestream media!

roger — January 17, 2012 at 7:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

On one of the news programs this morning - expect the price of gas to start climbing. They said up to $5.00 per gallon in some areas, and the prices to hold through the summer. The Iranian action on the Strait of Hormuth, increased Chinese demand, and our own "insatiable thirst" were all given as reasons.

So why are our oil companies allowed to export fuel? Wouldn't it make sense to say it's vital to our own national well-being and restrict exports? Lots of countries restrict what can be imported - why doesn't the same logic apply? (Other than that a few of the richest corporations in the world say so, anyhow.)

roger — January 17, 2012 at 7:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

This is getting down and dirty. At least the book wasn't written on golden plates.

John McCain's 200-Page Mitt Romney Opposition Research Book From '08 Found Online

"The entire thing is worth a thorough read if only for an exploration of how little the current Republican field has scratched the surface with respect to Romney-related attacks."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/john-mccains-200-page-romney-research-book_n_1211965.html

nailingit — January 17, 2012 at 9:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Another Christian conservative leader taking trash. Quite the way to speak of ones brothers and sisters in Christ. At what point do we stop calling them Christians?

Callista Gingrich Called A 'Mistress For 8 Years' By James Dobson: Report

In making his case for Rick Santorum as the conservative consensus' alternative to Mitt Romney at a conference in Texas over the weekend, evangelical leader James Dobson reportedly brought up the marital past of Newt Gingrich, calling his wife, Callista, a "mistress of eight years."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/callista-gingrich-james-dobson-mistress_n_1211758.html

nailingit — January 17, 2012 at 9:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

roger — January 17, 2012 at 7:49 p.m.

Roger, you know the answer to that as well as the rest of us. It's all about the money. They must be getting more for it somewhere else. There is no patriotism any more, no more taking care of us first. It's ALL about the mighty buck!

hawkeye — January 17, 2012 at 10:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ROGER

re c's editorial: hallelujah !!!!! the c's actually doing some investigate reaming :)

re gasoline: don't we have 'strategic oil reserves' to use in cases like this? also, if there was any real-world example of our country's need for the canadian pipeline, this is it.` fwiw, i agree that we should have SOME KIND of control over how much of our refinery capacity must be dedicated to domestic need.

DeeLittle — January 17, 2012 at 11:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

LOL!!!

Palin, Gingrich said, is part of a rush of support he believes will power him to victory on Saturday — and from there, into the candidate who will beat Mitt Romney to the GOP nomiantion.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71578.html#ixzz1jomf7Heq

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 5:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

G'morning, Forum friends: Hope you all are cozy and safe inside. Beautiful snow, for sure.

Did you all notice that Wikipedia is off line today as a protest to the internet censor bill before Congress today?

Have you checked out Google's home page?

Chilling possibilities and bleak information black out scenarios at the hands of legislators we have learned to distrust. It might be worth our while to contact the bums and let them know we are watching them and how they vote on this.

manthou — January 18, 2012 at 7:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Anybody lose any trees last night? I have a bunch of broken branches and the chainsaw will be humming later today. Hope we won't be getting that wind they are getting at the coast. 90mph gust at Newport this morning.

hawkeye — January 18, 2012 at 7:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

ELISI — January 18, 2012 at 7:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

No wind as of yet here Hawkeye. We just had our 130 yr old + maple trimmed about 2 weeks ago so we are looking good. Plus the city/electric co. came around back in the late fall and trimmed trees around power lines through out the neighborhood.

Is it just me or is this chatcha getting harder to read?

ELISI — January 18, 2012 at 7:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

from the director of the World Bank advising governments to prepare for an economic downturn worse than 2008--

"He said they should line up financing in advance to cover budget deficits, review the health of their banks and emphasize spending on social safety nets."

The only thing the US has done is to review the health of banks. Personally, I felt the "stress test" was a dog and pony show to retain confidence in the banking system to prevent a panic, which would have adversely affected the ruling class.

As far as social safety nets, I'm guessing we'll see cuts rather than additional spending. Why do our elected reps waste money on such endeavors as the World Bank? The bank is in Wash DC, can't they hear them? Maybe the bank needs to hire the newt as a "historical consultant" as did Fannie & Freddy to set them straight, assuming they can afford him.

On an unrelated note, Romney, under fire from the newt and Perry, revealed his tax rate was around 15%, about 2/3 as the rest of us shoulder. Not surprising he pays a lower rate, being rich and all, but I find it ironic two other millionaires would be calling Romney out for it, when undoubtedly they enjoy the same lowered rates.

mrd — January 18, 2012 at 8 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

had some weighed down almost to ground. but these are new branches on a tree that's a cross between bush and tree height. now that snow's melting, so is problem.

my heat stopped working yesterday. i'm trying to stay warm by remembering how much more awful it was back in the sixties when i was living in that pre-civil war era house and the only heat we had was this huge siegler heater in the middle of the living room...had to start it up every morning and the non-underpinned house was literally ice cold when we would get up.

i guess this is progress...of a sort.

DeeLittle — January 18, 2012 at 8:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MRD

you're aware of why it's 15%, aren't you...?

it encourages those evil, greedy rich people to invest their earned income in businesses that create all those jobs for us poor suffering average earners. they're taxed at the same rate we are on earned income. if they didn't have the lower 15% rate, there'd be little incentive for them to risk losing all their money (remember solyndra?) on start-ups; they'd just put it in some growth stock or something.

we really have to stop trying to institutionalize class warefare here in the usa. hasn't worked too well in other countries that have tried it, either. fwiw, there are more self-made millionairs here in the us than any other country on earth. why do you want to screw up a system that works just because you envy what someone else has?

DeeLittle — January 18, 2012 at 8:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

it's not envy or warfare-I've got what I need and want-it's fairness. The government needs money-BAD. Seems a good place to start getting it is from millionaires. Donald Trump has diamond-encrusted seat belts in one of his jets, and a mile away, people live in abject poverty. Just doesn't sound right to me. Ans as Warren Buffet said, "I've never seen an investor turn down a good investment based on tax implications".

I can't justify an unfair tax code with international comparisons of the number of millionaires per capita. If our system is that great, why does it not stack up in international comparisons in areas of education, poverty rates, infrastructure, and on and on? Its seems the masses are irrelevant as long as we have enough rick folks. There is a lot of denial is this country over our shortcomings compared to other developed countries. I read where Europeans where shocked when Katrina revealed the massive poverty in the south. How could such things be in such a rich country they asked.

mrd — January 18, 2012 at 9:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

:) Obama's through with being dictated to from these guys.

END OF THE LINE Keystone XL Pipeline Reportedly A No-Go

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/keystone-pipeline-state-department_n_1213136.html

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 12:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GOP fires away at Obama's rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline

Some House Republicans will come out clamoring that they would have been better off pushing Terry's bill to give the decision to FERC instead of the White House and State Department in the year-end payroll tax holiday extension talks rather than the Senate GOP language giving Obama a 60-day deadline to make a decision, the aide said. "There are members on our side who will say ... if we would have taken the House FERC language we’d be in a much different position," the aide said.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71612.html#ixzz1jqNcucic

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 12:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

President Obama Stands Up to Big Oil

President Obama has just rejected a permit for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline -- a project that promised riches for the oil giants and an environmental disaster for the rest of us.

His decision represents a victory of historic proportions for people from throughout the pipeline path and all across America who have waged an uphill, years-long fight against one of the most nightmarish fossil fuel projects of our time.

But make no mistake: Big Oil is going to fight back hard and fast.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-redford/keystone-pipeline-obama-administration_b_1214158.html

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 4:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Nail, Seriously, do you really believe what you just wrote, Nite marish Fossil Fuel projects, Historic Proportions, Saving environemental Disaster from the rest of "US"... Please re phrase what you just wrote so I can really understand how YOU feel... OBTW..Glad to see Snowpocolypse or Snow storm of the century, or hwatever there now calling it the biggest snow storm in our era.. Does that sound similar Nail???

vanwadreamer — January 18, 2012 at 4:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

vanwa- The words belong to Robert Redford and I tend to agree. Right wing media duped you guys into blindly supporting this debacle. Always good to consider another perspective vanwa, even if it's not being blown out of Murdoch's.....posterior.

A single pipeline is a jobs plan?

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 5:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Keystone Claptrap Published: December 12, 2011

The State Department, the lead federal agency on the project, also estimates 6,500 temporary jobs. And the only independent study, conducted by Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute, concludes that it may generate no more than 50 permanent jobs when the work is done.

Contrary to another favorite Republican argument, the pipeline will also do little to reduce America’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Though it would provide a steady source of crude for Gulf Coast refineries, existing contracts and business plans indicate that most of their output will be destined for export.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/opinion/keystone-claptrap.html

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 5:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mrd @ 9:51 am: As usual, well-supported rebuttal. Fair share makes the most sense. Don't forget the Patriotic Millionaires who want to do their part. :)

You mentioned the Europeans who were so shocked by the poverty and neglect they saw unfold during Hurricane Katrina.

I remember watching Celine Dion break down, sobbing, during a Larry King interview in 2005. Her tears turned to rage at how a country like the US could turn its back on its most vulnerable citizens.

I found the excerpt on YouTube. It is worth a look because her distress is real, honest. And I think her anquish reflected how people viewed the US then and now.

manthou — January 18, 2012 at 5:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nailingit,

Now, I suppose I could remind you of previous conversations about whether The Pres would make this decision before the election....

This whole business of jobs being lost is total baloney. The number proponents throw out there - in the tens of thousands - was originally put out there by TransCanada. Other sources say at most a few thousand temporary jobs - and that includes waitresses in restaurants, extra people working the bars, and other people who'd be out of a job when the work crews moved down to build the next stretch. The only permanent jobs would have been at the sand pits in Canada and the oil refineries in Texas - several years down the road and not that many in this country.

roger — January 18, 2012 at 5:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Here's something else on the Keystone XL project. TransCanada has lawsuits against property owners in Texas, South Dakota (and I believe Nebraska) who have refused to grant them use of their land for the project. They (TransCanada) are arguing they should be allowed to exercise eminent domain. In Texas Tea Party and environmental groups have teamed up to oppose these suits - probably the only time we'll ever hear of an alliance like that!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/keystone-xl-pipeline-unites-left-and-right/2011/11/08/gIQAHw3FCN_blog.html

roger — January 18, 2012 at 5:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"nailingit,

Now, I suppose I could remind you of previous conversations about whether The Pres would make this decision before the election...."

:) Thanks! And I believe I said something to the effect that the GOP have lost their voice on jobs and Obama would not bend to them.

This still isn't over. Big Oil will expect much more from the politicians they pay off. Obama will most likely make a "compromise" and will state that he'll consider it with more time to study. Until after the election. The very reason he turned it down today. And still say no! :)

"This whole business of jobs being lost is total baloney." I couldn't agree more. People from both parties should rake congress over the coals about this. They refuse to vote on Job Bills that would provide hundreds of thousands of permanent jobs, but are more than willing to push this debacle in order to satisfy big buck donors.

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 6:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

roger- I ran across this and thought you might like it. Long live Rock & Roll!

8-Jan-12 Original KISS Drummer Peter Criss Honored As A Drum Legend

On January 14th, KISS co-founder Peter Criss was feted as a Drum Legend by Guitar Center during a ceremony at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

Criss received induction alongside veteran drummer Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons) for his contributions and influence on drummers around the world. Criss also participated as a judge in Guitar Center's 23rd annual Drum-Off, a nationwide search for the next great undiscovered drummer.

http://www.eddietrunk.com/index.cfm/pk/content/pid/400026

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 7:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

roger- This link is better.

http://www.eddietrunk.com/index.cfm/pk/view/cd/NAA/cdid/433000/pid/400512

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 7:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Roger & Nailingit

I'm really confused on this whole pipeline BS. Why don't they (in Canada) just build a friggin refinery up there. Then they could sell all the gas to us. Seems like a no brainer AND cheaper.

hawkeye — January 18, 2012 at 7:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sounds good to me hawk. I'm guessing contractual obligations+Big Oil+Politics+..Canada isn't a member of OPEC, and how this boils out affecting the global market I don't know. I know the argument about jobs vs environmental concerns (in this case) seems to be a no-brainer. I've read that Canada feels OPEC fears them in the market...

Obama could still be working this and the pipeline could still happen. I don't think it would get approval till after the election, and now that Obama has learned a little about negotiating, this is is one big carrot on Obama's stick.

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 8:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Why don't we align ourselves with Canada...merge...and call it AmeriCanada! Or CanAmerica!

I'm sure they wouldn't go for it. Our poverty levels are too high.

We could always draw up a plan, (I'm sure we already have) to invade, conquer, and destroy Canada like we did Iraq......and take their oil & beer.

Whatever happened to all that Iraqi oil that was suppose to pay for the war? :))

We should have a foreign pipeline running through America...refine it in the gulf...sell it to the middle east...(W?T!F?)...BUT THEN take our share from Kuwaiti oil where this idiotic war and 9/11 was birthed in the first place. And I might add started by the Evil that sired the worst President in American history.

Both barrels from both Bushes. And the completion of the unholy trinity eating barbecue in Florida...otherwise known to some as the Anti-Christ.

nailingit — January 18, 2012 at 8:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MRD

It’s both envy and class warfare: you want what somebody else has.

Trump earned his money legally, he can be a dk about how he wants to spend it – it's his money.* Suppose there’s a welfare parent who spends the kid’s support money on drugs…you going to seize that, too?

As for comparing us to other countries, NO country’s citizens contribute more to charity than here…I’d guess that’d be the “1%rs”, not someone in my income bracket. But then, in December, when I had to support two people on $60 for the month, my son gave one of our scrounged-up food dollars to a salvation army kettle. I was very proud, btw.

The issue of education is totally the fault of colleges and universities. When you don’t have to actually get results, it’s easy to sit and pontificate about what shall and shall not be taught in schools. So, instead of the three r’s, we’re teaching sex ed to elementary school kids. What do you expect the outcome’s going to be?

Re. Katrina: Get over yourself. New Orleans was the perfect example of what happens when people let the government support them. They didn’t even evacuate…they just waited, like they always have, for the government to take care of them. Even the politicians did. THEY waited for uncle sam to take over the responsibility of enforcing an evacuation and responding to a natural disaster.

Without responsibility, there is no freedom. We are now seeing what happens when we cater to a welfare class, instead of letting them have the consequences of their abdication of personal responsibility.

There’s a saying I’ve taught my kids: “the harder you work, the luckier you are.”

“massive poverty” my big fat hiney.

DeeLittle — January 19, 2012 at 4:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Re: Keystone XL.

TransCanada will resubmit their application. The Administration said they weren't actually opposed - they just didn't have time to "adequately study" all the concerns due to the Congressionally imposed deadline. Translation??? How about $$$ from Big Oil is already at work.

The tar sand oil is much dirtier and emits more pollutants. I'm not sure if this enters the picture as pertains to refining it in Canada. I believed they dropped out of Kyoto recently.

The bottom line is that this is a Big Oil backed project - Mobil and others will make billions refining the oil in Texas and selling it to overseas markets. Anyone who claims the refined oil will be sold here is blowing smoke. Understand that one of the completed phases already goes to refineries in Illinois - they are not running at full capacity. Another projected phase is from the storage areas from the fields in Oklahoma to the Texas refineries - they have a glut of oil stored there already. The intent is to add US oil to the pipeline so it can also be sold overseas.

The port area in Texas where the oil will end up being processed and shipped is in a tax free zone. Just another variation of the rich not paying taxes.

The people of this country will get virtually nothing from Keystone XL. A few thousand temporary jobs, a few hundred permanent jobs, a pipeline through the Heartland that could conceivably have an accident that would create environmental havoc, more pollution in the Gulf Coast area, and billions in profits for the shareholders of Big Oil and their bought politicians.

roger — January 19, 2012 at 5:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Seems to me there are several refineries a lot closer to Canada besides Texas. I'm pretty sure there is one in Michigan in the U.P., that would be a LOT closer. Not so close to a shipping port in the gulf, though. This IS all about the money and shouldn't be approved unless it benefits us greatly.

hawkeye — January 19, 2012 at 6:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"Why don't they (in Canada) just build a friggin refinery up there. Then they could sell all the gas to us. Seems like a no brainer AND cheaper." -- hawkeye — January 18, 2012 at 7:54 p.m.

I think we have too many competing powers here for that to work. As I note in my last post, our oils storage fields have plenty of reserves. Our shortages exist because 1) it drives cost at the consumer end up and results in higher profit, and 2) it lessens pollutants to the air. Our shortage is artificially imposed. The only logical argument for this - that we have finite reserves that must be conserved - is blown away when you consider that we export refined fuel.

As for them building their own pipeline to the coast. The fields are in the plains of eastern Alberta. It's a flat, relatively straight shot to Texas. There's a couple of mountain ranges between the fields and the western coast. And I have no idea whether any of the ports there can handle this product.

roger — January 19, 2012 at 6:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hmm some surprising facts straight from the CBO and our government's web sites about the deficit and the Iraq war..

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/iraq_the_war_that_broke_us_not.html

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Best Paid Pastors Make Hundreds Of Thousands To Millions Of Dollars Annually

According to an article by the Associated Press that ran in 2008, "His ministry's 1,500-acre campus, behind an iron gate a half-hour drive from Fort Worth...includes a church, a private airstrip, a hangar for the ministry's $17.5 million jet and other aircraft, and a $6 million church owned lakefront mansion."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/best-paid-pastors_n_1214043.html

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 7:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Kodak files for bankruptcy..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/19/kodak-files-for-bankruptcy

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Glad I don't have at & t

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-jacks-data-plan-prices-233528599.html

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 8:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dee-

you're right on all accounts. how could I be so blind as not to see the US and it's government are the best there ever has been or will be? we are the richest, best educated, and most charitable society ever. we have eradicated all social ills such as poverty and disease. anyone that is not enjoying the total success of American society is just lazy. opportunities abound equally for all, we just need to take advantage of them. if you work hard, you'll never need welfare or food stamps as those things are for the lazy ones the government has to support. ah, the American Dream-until you wake up.

mrd — January 19, 2012 at 8:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Roman Catholic Church Sex Abuse Cases

In October, the bishop of Kansas City, Robert Finn, and the diocese he leads were indicted by a county grand jury for failing to report the case of suspected child abuse, which involved a priest who had been accused of taking lewd photographs of young girls. The indictment is the first ever of a Catholic bishop related to the scandal.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/r/roman_catholic_church_sex_abuse_cases/index.html

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 8:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mrd — January 19, 2012 at 8:14 a.m

Would you rather be living in say Iran, Syria and the likes?

Actually we are the richest country, are we the best educated, ..no are we the most charitable, yes again. What other country pours millions of dollars into other countries? We just don't seem to know how to take care of our own first. Have we eradicated all social ills?..has any country?

Opportunities do abound equally for all and yes we DO need to take advantage of them.

Yes there ARE lazy ones that live off our tax dollars. Welfare and food stamps were set up to help those who need a helping hand, not set up for someone to make it a way of life. Far too many have for decades.

Get outside your cocoon, work within your community and you will walk away with both eyes wide open.

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 8:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"dee" @ 4:22 - Not the "creative write" you usually bring to the forum. You forgot the intended misspells and weird verbiage, and as usual you are wrong in so many ways. No we are not the most charitable country. Not by a long shot.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/sep/08/charitable-giving-country

List of governments by development aid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Keystone decision a political win-win

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71636.html

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 9:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Will anyone that posts on this forum please explain this to me?

Being a lemming for the right is one thing...but this?

New Hampshire Considers Defunding Planned Parenthood, Weakening Domestic Violence Laws

House Bill 1581, sponsored by state Rep. Dan Itse (R-Fremont), would prevent law enforcement from being able to immediately arrest an abuser who has assaulted his partner unless the officer has actually witnessed the crime take place. Under current law, the police can arrest an abuser based on probable cause.

"This means that if 911 has been called, and they see a victim who was assaulted and is bleeding, they wouldn't be able to arrest that person unless they went back and got a warrant," explained Amanda Grady, director of public policy for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. "This is how it was in late-'70s before states decided to put victim protections in place."

The other domestic violence bill, House Bill 1608, limits the grounds for which an officer can arrest an abuser who violates a domestic violence protective order. The law enforcement community in New Hampshire, including the Dept. of Safety, Attorney General's office, and Chiefs of Police Association, and domestic violence workers are all vehemently opposed to the bill.

According to state statistics, 38 percent of homicides in 2011 were domestic violence-related, and the vast majority of domestic violence cases were perpetrated by men again women.

"The passage of [these laws] will likely result in further injuries and could possibly have lethal consequences for victims and their children," Grady told HuffPost.

None of the three House Republicans who sponsored the domestic violence bills returned multiple requests for comment from The Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/new-hampshire-planned-parenthood-funding-domestic-violence-arrests_n_1213208.html?ref=politics

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 9:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

...or this?

By a vote of 7 to 3, the City Council repealed the local law that makes domestic violence a crime.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/us/topeka-moves-to-decriminalize-domestic-violence.html

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 9:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

....or this?

Lawmaker proposes relabeling rape victims as 'accusers'

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-02-07/us/georgia.rape.law_1_fraud-victims-word-victim-burglary-victims?_s=PM:US

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

....how about this?

Michigan Republicans Allow Bullying If ‘Religiously or Morally Motivated’ (Video)

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/michigan-republicans-allow-bullying-if-religiously-or-morally-motivated-video.html#ixzz1jveYgtEC

The Republicans put in a clause, introduced in secret, which is a cop out for anyone who can provide a religious or moral reason for their action.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/michigan-republicans-allow-bullying-if-religiously-or-morally-motivated-video.html#ixzz1jveIfyJo

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 10:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Here’s what I think nailingit. I think you live in New Hampshire. I think you’ve been bad-mouthing those New Hampshire Republicans and they’re out to get you. I think they want to pass that law, hoping that your significant other will kick the crap out of you…and get away with it:(

kn_dalai — January 19, 2012 at 10:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kn_d, you sound out of sorts as of late...you okay? I know the truth hurts at times...what do you think of the "racist remarks Ron Paul scandal?" This next one is for the whole Country!

...this one is special!

One of the programs that Republicans plan to cut is the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) which provides food assistance to 500,000-600,000 Americans. Almost all of the participants (96%) are senior citizens. The WIC program is also on the chopping block. Republicans are trying to slash $833 million from a program that feeds low income pregnant women, new moms, babies, and children under 5. If House Republicans get their way, 325,000-475,000 mothers, infants, and children will be denied food in 2012.

http://www.politicususa.com/en/military-bands-poor-food

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 10:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

lemming [ˈlɛmɪŋ] n 1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of various volelike rodents of the genus Lemmus and related genera, of northern and arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America: family Cricetidae. The Scandinavian variety, Lemmus lemmus, migrates periodically when its population reaches a peak 2. a member of any large group following an unthinking course towards mass destruction [from Norwegian; related to Latin latrāre to bark] lemming-like adj Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003 ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms Noun 1. lemming - any of various short-tailed furry-footed rodents of circumpolar distribution gnawer, rodent - relatively small placental mammals having a single pair of constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing Cricetidae, family Cricetidae - mostly small New World rodents including New World mice and lemmings and voles and hamsters European lemming, Lemmus lemmus - notable for mass migrations even into the sea where many drown brown lemming, Lemmus trimucronatus - of northwestern Canada and Alaska gray lemming, grey lemming, red-backed lemming - Old World lemming pied lemming - North American lemming having a white winter coat and some claws much enlarged southern bog lemming, Synaptomys cooperi - of low bogs and meadows of northeastern and central United States and southern Canada northern bog lemming, Synaptomys borealis - of wet alpine and subalpine meadows of Canada and Alaska Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2011 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

lemming A member of a crowd with no originality or voice of his own. One who speaks or repeats only what he has been told. A tool. A cretin. "Ya think he'll do it?"

"He's a lemming, he'll do anything he's told."

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 10:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Mr. nails; out of sorts? Naw, just funnin' ya.

As a Libertarian, I think Paul's an especially good target for leftists. For example, I beleive he's on the Southern Poverty Law Center's "watch list". Anyone who doesn't believe in government welfare handouts, is going to be on the Left's bad list.

kn_dalai — January 19, 2012 at 10:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kn_d...At least you offered a voice with opinion, more than most on the right when confronted with Republican lawmakers unprecedented/unrelenting/glaring assault on women and the poor.

Thanks for the analysis though. You know how liberals think everyone is out to get us anyway, good train of thought!

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 10:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

One of the programs that Republicans plan to cut is the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) which provides food assistance to 500,000-600,000 Americans. Almost all of the participants (96%) are senior citizens. The WIC program is also on the chopping block. Republicans are trying to slash $833 million from a program that feeds low income pregnant women, new moms, babies, and children under 5. If House Republicans get their way, 325,000-475,000 mothers, infants, and children will be denied food in 2012.

No cause for concern, these are just lazy people living off the government. Cut them off and they'll have to go out and get a job and/or an education and support themselves. In this country with all it's opportunities, there's no reason these people are poor, except laziness. As for the kids, well mom should have figured out how to feed them before she got pregnant. She should have been responsible enough to do so. It's all about hard work and taking responsibility, right?

mrd — January 19, 2012 at 10:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

What about Paul's newsletter remarks about race that is raising much ire. If you've noticed I haven't beat this drum before. I would like to think Paul is well intended. When he has spoken of repealing the civil rights act, I understood somewhat on pure ideology...but the recently surfaced writings are causing my leftist/liberal/progressive/idealistic hatedar to sound.

What's up with that? And it's good to see you post btw.

^ Apparently you've roiled my liberal nature for harboring self-flagellation tendencies . :)

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 11:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mrd- :)) I hear you!

The one segment of America that is doing okay these days are the seniors. Because of Social Security and Medicare.

And now the ones that are "getting theirs," middle income seniors, are electing politicians that promise to get rid of Social Security and Medicare.

Lemming doesn't quite cover these folks, but it's as polite as I can be!

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 11:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MRD

where are all these children's fathers?

DeeLittle — January 19, 2012 at 11:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nailingit,

You may recall that Senator Robert Byrd once held a leadership position in the KKK. But was later embraced by the Democrats.

Personally, I am not particularly concerned about every this or that, that Paul may have once said or written. I like his belief in a return to a constitutionally more limited Federal government. There is after all, a very significant difference between the thoughts of what the PURPOSE of governmnet is, between Left and Right. DM tried to address this issue on FB a couple of months ago, but it quickly turned into a "STRUCTURE of government" discussion, such as it was.

Perhaps a bit off topic, but did you know that Eldridge Cleaver, once one of the top three most prominent Black Panther leaders, later became a Republican, once ran for the U.S. Senate from California, voted for Reagan in 1980, if memory serves, and became a...Mormon!

kn_dalai — January 19, 2012 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

You may recall that Senator Robert Byrd once held a leadership position in the KKK. But was later embraced by the Democrats.

Somehow, this got left off of my last post above.

kn_dalai — January 19, 2012 at 11:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kn_d...A few things I've read with the exception of Wiki has Cleaver as a "born again". Given his over the top actions, I doubt he would have turned to Mormonism. That "mark of cain stuff no doubt would have caused him to go off during his "family home evening" duties!

btw it is January 19 2012. If there is any credence in bringing up half century old political party philosophy, it's not to repeat past mistakes. The right seems to embrace people like "Newt", putting people like "Juan" in their place. Anyway here are a couple of Cleaver bio sites.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9805/01/cleaver.late.obit/

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcleaver.htm

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 12:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kn_dalai — January 19, 2012 at 11:38 a.m

"But was later embraced by the Democrats"

I don't think "later" is the proper term, at the time the klan only accepted democrats.

frobert — January 19, 2012 at 12:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

fro!

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 12:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"People say, how can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you." George Bush Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 12:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Let's debunk some poverty myths here:

http://news.change.org/stories/6-myths-about-poverty-in-america-debunked

manthou — January 19, 2012 at 12:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

I don't know why those links don't work. At least they don't on my computer. If you are interested, you can copy and paste onto the address bar, which does work.

kn_dalai — January 19, 2012 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Nail, As soon as you Mentioned Robert Redford, you lost any credibility with me.. You might just as well as add Ms. Fonda while your at it...How far left can you go??? How about some common sense while were at it... Democrats from his own Party are mad that he didn't pass this ... So your against Job growth of any kind?? 4K to 6K full time jobs there

vanwadreamer — January 19, 2012 at 1:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Manthou

how dare you posting something so anti-American. Those clowns obviously don't know who we are. We are the richest and best educated country-EVER. Our health care system is second to none. This here's 'merika, boy-luv it or leave it!

MRD

where are all these children's fathers

They got 'em a job a dumped the welfare queen-she's lazy. Besides, she has final say whether to deliver to term or not, so she can deal with it. I'm tired of seeing my tax money wasted on lazy, crime ridden, low lifes and those seniors that use all their SS money for bingo. Get a job for pete's sake! The government can't afford welfare, there's a war to fight somewhere or a corporation in need of a subsidy to create jobs, always something.

mrd — January 19, 2012 at 1:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

*CNN) -- Newt Gingrich offered his second wife a choice of an open marriage or a divorce when he revealed to her he was having an affair with the woman he later made his third wife, Marianne Gingrich said in interviews with ABC News and The Washington Post.

A day after he told his wife about his affair with Callista Bisek in May 1999, the former House speaker delivered a speech titled "The Demise of American Culture" to a group of Republican women in Pennsylvania, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

"How could he ask me for a divorce on Monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people?" Marianne Gingrich said in her interview with the Post*.

quite the the guy, that slippery newt. his response to this was really over the top. unreal.....

mrd — January 19, 2012 at 2:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

manthou @ 12:48- Most excellent site with good info! Thanks for the link.

vanwa- Nail, As soon as you Mentioned Robert Redford, you lost any credibility with me..

Hey, he was great shooting on the run as Sundance, displayed exceptional journalistic investigative skills in All the President's Men, and was quite respectable in "Brubaker."

What more could you want?

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 2:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

and people wonder why there isn't any jobs ...think hard before you cast your next vote!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Brazil-Embraer-aircraft-wins-rb-4269760435.html

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 3:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

sorry, MRD. i didn't know you couldn't rationally defend your positions. i won't be commenting anymore on your posts.

DeeLittle — January 19, 2012 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

This is a MUST listen!! Man has common sense and serves in Congress!!

A CAR DEALER IN CONGRESS -

Mike Kelly, a Chevy/Cadillac dealer in western PA...got himself elected to congress last term....listen to him take the entire congress to the "woodshed". Click below.

He says what I would like to say to congress!

http://pawatercooler.com/v3/?p=22696

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Nail, You are correct, those were very watchable movies, I'll give ya that..Even Ronnie made some good flicks..LOL...But the Pres is just playing Bul$$$politics at the cost of a few thousand jobs, He doesn't want to be RUSHED into making a decision.... So why did he RUSH into OBAMACARE, 1073 pages which he has said he has yet to read in it's entirety that will end up costing many of us more in taxes and be forced upon us or pay a penalty when the majority of AMERICANS don't want it...Thats my point. he is an utter failure in my mind.. Will you be voting for him come November???

vanwadreamer — January 19, 2012 at 4:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

1 in 6 teens didn't think they could get pregnant.

http://news.yahoo.com/1-6-teen-moms-didnt-believe-could-pregnant-202403188.html

This is what I call BS, what with all the sex ed classes at school, starting in the 5th grade up.

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 4:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ELISI

wonder what would happen if they taught 'planning for life' instead of 'sex education'

DeeLittle — January 19, 2012 at 4:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mrd @ 1:44 PM: I know. I know. I am hopelessly unpatriotic. I think I will go back to Canada and leave you flag wavin' losers to fight over the scraps.......

nailingit @ 9:05 am: Bingo, brother. Bingo.

Closer to home: Anyone try to make it to Seattle today? My tenacious husband sat in PDX for 7 hours hoping that the next Horizon flight to the Emerald City would take off. They kept cancelling one after the other. Maybe tomorrow? Nasty weather, enough that the good governor declared a state of emergency.

manthou — January 19, 2012 at 5:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

DEE little,

Really isn't that what the parents should be doing! Thats our problem right there. The family unit has been torn apart by many sides. I see it every day in my job. Accountability has been thrown out the window. I see and hear aprents everyday say My Boy wouldn't do that or this..YEA! he did though..Mainly because you couldn't teach him from right or wrong and what the reprocussions would be. OH and by you setting the standard MOM or DAD.I see call it the knucklehead society....

vanwadreamer — January 19, 2012 at 5:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

WANWA

if it takes a village to raise a child, where are the parents?

the 'village' camel can jolly-well keep it's nose out of my tent. if we don't have anything that's out of bounds, then there's no down side to doing whatever you want, whenever you want.

and who got elected King and decreed that the most important lessons our kids need to learn is about sex, anyway? what happened to those old fashioned things like responsibility, not hurting others, thinking before acting...?

but that's me....just another greedy, selfish, heartless racist/bigoted member of the Opressive Generation.

DeeLittle — January 19, 2012 at 5:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Harry Potter and the Sex Ed Class:

manthou — January 19, 2012 at 5:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 3:42 p.m.

I love it. Now if everybody will follow suit. Sadly that won't happen, I'm guessing they just blew him off and went back to arguing.

hawkeye — January 19, 2012 at 7:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

LOL! Let's hope hogwarts don't take on a new meaning at the school of witchcraft and wizardry!

vanwa- Will you be voting for him come November??? I'm leaning towards Colbert, but Obama could sway me over. I'd vote for Paul, but I lack the gall. I'd vote for Newt, but I prefer him on mute. I'd vote for Mitt, but he's wallstreet's money pit, I'd vote for Rick except he wants to regulate my d..., it's a tough choice vanwa...

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 7:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

All things aside, if this doesn't make you laugh then.......

Baby Is Amazed By Her Dad's Motorboat Impression (VIDEO)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/baby-is-amazed-by-motorboat-video_n_1216551.html

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 7:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nailingit at 7:28 PM: Hard as I tried, I could not counter with anything as clever as your poetry slam above.

We're not worthy.......We're not worthy........

What did you make of Newt's reaming of John King at the debate? Effective? Or did he did himself a deeper hole?

manthou — January 19, 2012 at 7:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

manthou- I just watched it. As weird as this might sound, I agree with most of what he said. At the end it was "media protecting Obama blah blah" kool-aid crap. But for the most part I agreed with what he had to say.

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 8:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

John King is about as personable as a grapefruit. I've commented before on the Sarah Palin/Peggy Hill look alike thing. Has anyone ever noticed the similarity between Bobby Hill and Newt?

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 8:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Yeah. Newt actually had the sympathy of many, I think, by being asked such a "gotcha" question. John King tried to rationalize as a defense, but it was weak.

I was impressed with how he shut it down. No one will go there again, I'll wager.

I won't vote for him, though. :)

manthou — January 19, 2012 at 8:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

manthou- Newt's opponents on the "conservative" right might go after him on this. He wins SC and Fox will will dig their claws in! It's something to watch Fox news discredit/nullify Paul. If Newt becomes one more unelectable threat they'll pull out all the stops. Man, politics this year, just brimming with drama!

nailingit — January 19, 2012 at 8:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Thursday's Republican debate in Charleston, South Carolina started off with a bang when CNN moderator John King asked Newt Gingrich if he wanted to respond to allegations made by his second wife that he asked for an open marriage.

"No," Gingrich retorted to audience applause. "But I will."

"The destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run for public office. And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that," Gingrich said. You can watch video of his complete answer above.

The morning of the debate, ABC released pieces of the Nightline interview with Marianne Gingrich where she spoke about her marriage to the former speaker of the house, "[Gingrich] was asking to have an open marriage, and I refused."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/gingrich-open-marriage-debate-am-appalled-begin-presidential-014447988.html

hawkeye — January 19, 2012 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Joe Scarborough says the Evangelicals will support Newt despite his past "transgressions" - that forgiveness is core to their beliefs. From the reactions of the crowd at the debate and on his show this A.M., it looks like he's right. And Romney waffling on the tax return release didn't help him. The poll they posted shows Newt crushing the rest of the field in SC. Santorum looks lost. Ron Paul is back to his usual - he presents good counterarguments, but the moderators won't give him a chance to speak his piece.

Meanwhile, Andrea Mitchell and Eugene Robinson agree that this latest turn has the Dems elated. If Newtie can take Romney out, or even just continue scuffing Romney up, they see the undecided/independents moving to the Obama camp.

Pan to a clip of The Pres at a press conference singing an Al Green song - and doing a respectable job of it.

I've been enjoying the Stewart/Colbert tag team on the South Carolina Repub primary. But when you get right down to it, the real thing is proving to be much better comedy.

roger — January 20, 2012 at 5:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Does anyone here care about the local lawsuit that's going to the WA State Supreme Court? The police officer who had his burger spit on at Burger King a couple of years back is suing the corporation for all kinds of traumatic issues the incident caused him. (Keep in mind he never ate the burger - his suspicion of how the kid delivering his order was acting caused him to check.)

Does this constitute a frivolous lawsuit?

And the comments that what the kid did would have improved the taste of the burger have already been made.

roger — January 20, 2012 at 5:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Paul Newman was the real star of the two best movies Redford was in - The Sting and Butch Cassidy. (Please understand that my point of view that the best movies are action packed entertainment ones - Clint spaghetti westerns, Raiders of the Lost Ark series, the one where Mongo punches the horse, etc. Can't stand all the angst-filled movies.)

"What we have here is a failure to communicate. Some men...."

And Paul Newman (or his company) put out the ONLY spaghetti sauce in a jar worth eating - love that Sockaroo!

roger — January 20, 2012 at 6:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

roger- Newman's the man! More times than not I'll go with the marinara. Newman was a devout liberal with a heart of gold. So many flicks for a fav, I'd have to go with Cool Hand Luke per your quote.

Conservatives will embrace anyone that espouses their stated values. It never has mattered if the leaders live it or not, because by and large, they don't. But that's okay. God forgives!!!

I think Paul (Ron, Newman would beat both Obama and Romney!) might garner more votes nationally than Gingrich. It's hard to believe Newt is in the running!

What I'm wondering is...with the exception of evangelicals, corporate whores and the rich, why would anyone vote to bring us back to Bush policy?

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 7:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

I think the Jack in the Box cop should shut his mouth for once. Or he might end up on the wrong end of a bavarian creme filled delight!

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 7:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

President Obama Sings Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together' During Fundraiser At Apollo Theater In Harlem (VIDEO)

And you guys thought Cain sounded good...

Can you imagine Mitt bustin' out a tune?

Republicans are sooo done this year.

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/obama-al-green-apollo-theater_n_1218070.html

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Big doings with the CRC/I5 Bridge project yesterday.

The Oregonian has an article covering where the CRC briefed Oregon on their latest plan to reduce the cost of the initial phase by about $650 million through eliminating upgrades to the Marine Drive interchange and the Mill Plain/Fourth Plain ones. Appears the Port of Portland isn't happy - traffic there is bad (as anyone who tries to get on I5 North from MLK or the Expo Center can attest to) and this proposed change means commercial traffic back up isn't fixed. (Remember - this project isn't about commuters; it's about interstate commerce. We Clark County commuters are just in the way.) Light rail stays. My calculations are that at most 4000 could commute using rail - hardly worth the expense. Someone at The Oregonian website places this figure much lower - around 1650.

Lew Waters has an article about Tiffany whoever going to the Washington State gov't with her forensic audit. Link to Lew is here - the review findings are linked there. http://wp.me/pgT6S-1QV

roger — January 20, 2012 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

And Paul Newman (or his company) put out the ONLY spaghetti sauce in a jar worth eating - love that Sockaroo!

roger — January 20, 2012 at 6:27 a.m.

RIGHT ON! Absolutely the best sauce ever. Perfect blend.

As for Newt, I think I predicted him winning SC a few weeks ago.

As for the CRC/I5 mess, if they don't include those exchanges, it will not get any better than it is now. Marine Drive is a horrible mess and I can't believe the overpass hasn't collapsed yet.

hawkeye — January 20, 2012 at 9:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

From the Oregonian article covering the CRC update:

""We hope you'll go forward with the $450 million and the full build," CRC government affairs official Patricia McCaig told the assembled committee. "But the reality is, we've clearly been directed by the Governor, the public and conversations with you to go for a smaller project. That's the reality of these times."

Gov. Kitzhaber was the driving force for scaling back the CRC plan. He demanded a second look at possible revisions last summer after consultants for the Oregon Treasury reported that the CRC's toll revenue projections were overly optimistic and based on inflated traffic projections.

"We strongly believe we're moving in the right direction and that we're going to get this bridge built," Kitzhaber spokesman Tim Raphael said. "We look forward to working with the legislature to put the funding together."

The Columbia River bridges themselves will survive unchanged under the new plan, as will the extension of light rail from the Expo Center in North Portland to Clark College in Vancouver.

Question #1. Given that Oregon has been moving to making themselves the lowest dollar billpayer with this project (after tolls, the Feds and WA state), how does their Gov get to be the main decision maker? Where is the input from north of the river on cutbacks?

Question #2. Why is light rail still included? If we're that broke, this should be the first to go. The bridge can be built allowing for rail to be added later, if desired. (And the answer to this is that Oregon refused to play unless rail was included - - the people of Clark County will help keep their mismanaged and failing Tri-Met system afloat.)

As Hawkeye notes, the overpass at MLK/Marine Drive should be one of the last cuts made. I've sat on it in rush hour traffic, while it shakes from the vibrations. Call me chickensh**, but this was a prime factor in deciding to use the 205 route for my commute.

roger — January 20, 2012 at 11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Nail, regarding Newt's backlash last nite on the marriage question. It has nothing to do with the campain or his ability to lead the country. It is a tough choice but staying with the staus quo will only drag our country down even more. It might take decades to get out from under what this current administration has done. 5 trillion spent during his 3 years, no plan for a balanced budget, proposing a health care plan that will cost all of us more wether your on it or not. I could go on but am tired of the SOS. And yes the Koolaid is very tasty, I see many on the left liking cherry more than grape:(

vanwadreamer — January 20, 2012 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

the newt has been a representative, Speaker, and after he was drummed out of that job, he became a lobbyist. How could he be any more "status quo" than that? He can be a glib charmer, but he's an insider as much as anyone. Newt may be full of hot air, they are all, but is certainly no breath of fresh air.

mrd — January 20, 2012 at 12:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"It was noted that David Evans and Associates’ billing rate schedule allowed for each billable labor hour to be. marked up by a 172.82% Overhead Rate and a 31.0% Fee (Profit). The total markup on each billable labor hour was negotiated to be a factor of 204.32% (for example, a state rate for a Bridge Engineer of $40 per hour would actually cost the CRC $121.73 per hour)."

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, LOU??? WHAT DO YOU THINK WE'VE BEEN SCREAMING ABOUT ALL THIS TIME!!! We've been called whiners, Hounds of Whinerville, Nimby's...everything by members of your crew and YOU guys have been promoting this project for how many years now??? Now that the facts are out, all of a sudden it's news???

Sheesh!!!

Lesson for you, Lou:

Definition of Boondoggle: Term for a scheme that wastes time and money.

Final Note:

THANK YOU, Ms. Tiffany Couch and everyone who worked together to pull the rat out it's hiding spot!!!

goldenoldie — January 20, 2012 at 1:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Lou, Bill Schmidt · Top Commenter · Clark College You should probably ask the "little guy" what they markup their costs on projects. You will find that they all mark up their costs by a factor of 2 or 3. That is how they cover their overhead, fringe benefits and profit. 204% is not out of line with what companies that provide that service charges.

I will wait and see if this commenter is correct before I deem these costs outa control. While on the surface it appears extreme, there are always 2 sides.. I'm not a contractor so i don't know if these charges are high-low or competitive... I'll wait for the dust to settle.. My Captcha was only 3 letters wowsi

vanwadreamer — January 20, 2012 at 2:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Yes, we will wait and see it this kind of markup is normal. I believe even T. Couch would say she's not commenting on whether or not it is normal (large markups.)

But that could raise an even larger question: If it's normal, should that be changed? That's likely to be a difficult story to capture because who in authority is going to say it. We'll see.

Lou Brancaccio (Columbian Staff) — January 20, 2012 at 3:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

A 31% mark-up, especially if it's placed on the mark-up for the overhead, is about triple the going rate. Getting 10% in the current market is a plum.

I would expect a reasonable mark-up on the engineer's $40/hr rate. That probably covers his salary only. But actually, $120/hr seems reasonable to hire a registered, professional engineer. There's a lot of support staff involved, draftsmen, spec writers, contract reviewers, all requiring folks that don't exactly make minimum wage. Now $350/hr for a consultant? That's outrageous, unless you're hiring the newt as a "historical consultant". Or was that hysterical consultant?

My bone to pick is the lack of intial focus by CRC. Everything that's revised, every idea that's "floated", sends some pretty expensive folks back to the drawing board, and as we now see, it adds up. Lack of enforcable milestones, no liquidated damages for delays, it sounds like a pretty open-ended contract, the kind contractors drool over. I assume they had an initial contract with such provisions-no one is that stupid-would you sign a contract with a contractor to build a house without a clear understanding of exactly what he's contractually required to do and exactly what it will cost you? I sure as hell wouldn't. but going all over the place with this bridge is getting pretty costly.

As for the CRC itself, where's the oversight on them? Is there any? Did some entity set them up with a blank check? Why aren't they contractually obligated to perform? Why don't they have some budget number? I don't know the whole story but it seems they've been skipping along humming Don't Worry, Be Happy.

mrd — January 20, 2012 at 3:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mrd, Well said and very thought out...

LOU- Why don't you all down there at the C do some investigation if these numbers are good or not...Then maybe it wouldn't have stirred the pot so much or these numbers are high and we should actually take even a closer look at things.. The story seems like one of those that helps drive sales of the paper more than something of wrong doing at this point... You know the Sensationalism sells stuff.. I'm not buying it yet... A friend of mine who works for an engineering firm off of 14 says that what appears in the story may be accurate numbers for a job of this scale..

vanwadreamer — January 20, 2012 at 3:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

vanwadreamer — January 20, 2012 at 11:17 a.m.

Wow, trying to poke the bear a little, are you? His "backlash" on the marriage question has everything to do with his campaign because it has everything to do with his character or lack of. Newt will never be able to get away from his past and the public will never let him forget. He is a big ol' southern boy that's as screwed up as they come.

As far as how much Obama has spent, he's only trying to pay the bill Bush left for him.

hawkeye — January 20, 2012 at 3:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hawkeye, while I dislike Newt, and would never give him my vote, I feel that his personal life is just that, his personal life. Remember what people said about Bill Clinton after the cigar and Monica? Then later after the people found out about his affairs? Seems not many was challenging Clinton about if he was fit to be our leader.

As far Obama paying for the bill Bush left..I'll repost what I posted earlier this week, it has the links within the article from government's own web sites.

Hmm some surprising facts straight from the CBO and our government's web sites about the deficit and the Iraq war..

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/iraq_the_war_that_broke_us_not.html

ELISI — January 19, 2012 at 7:28 a.m.

ELISI — January 20, 2012 at 4:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

OH Hawk, Before I head out for the day, maybe weekend... So the 18K people there who cheered his answer are all wrong as well. While some You included think that question was ok and worth asking, I mean the first question worth asking, and he answered it BTW.. Looked good answering it as well.. If that was his only so called flaw it would still be too much for sum folk...Like the leftys...And yet how about our presidents flaws when speaking supposedly off mike calling other countries leaders idiots, and the like.. Wonder what he is saying when he's balling it on the court with his home boys... While he may never be able to "get Away" from his past neither will our current president.. BTW this president signed every bill during his 3 y.. Bush left in 08.. Maybe he is secretly running the country telling the Prez really what to do.. Maybe we should be giving Bush the credit for slaying Osama...Yea thats right..See I knew you leftys really liked Bush so much you asked him to work behind the sceens for the Prez...No balanced budget or even a propsed Budget for 3 years... Hows it woking for us now...How would a comapny work without a balanced budget...How could you live... What about Jobs he is making...Can you in all seriousness believe he is doing a good job.. Because his job approval rating is "UP" to a whopping 46% right now... Let me see 46% when I was in school was a failing grade...Latest gallup Poll

vanwadreamer — January 20, 2012 at 4:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

vanwa- How many jobs were lost in the last 12 months of the last Bush Admin?

How many jobs have been lost in the last 12 months of the Obama admin?

I am amazed that some of you want to return to Bush 2.0 and worse, instead of holding the Congress that you elected accountable...everything is Obama's fault. My God! We had the stimulus to bail out Bush and a 12 year GOP congress. Onandonandon. I'm not rehashing well known facts for the sake of doing it. vanwa let's agree to disagree.

"...but staying with the staus quo will only drag our country down even more."

Ahhhh yes. The flavor that brought us the 2010 Congress. :)))))

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 4:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

So where's the blame for the deficit to go, on Bush, Obama, Congress, or the depression? I'd answer all the above. Where's the blame to go for not getting it under control? Again, I'd say all the above.

Who's gonna step up and help fix it is the question. This Congress appears clueless. Obama's proposals get shot down. The House would like to impose austerity measures on us, well except the wealthy. (see Europe for how well that's doing) They deserve tax cuts. Still ticked Obama caved in to that. The Senate is gridlocked-filibusting, or the threat thereof, kinda puts it off the table. Put Romney or Gingrich in with their tax plans and cuts and we're toast. There may not be much more than hope with Obama, but al least there's hope.

As long as the economy is depressed, the deficit won't improve. And comparisions of how to run a government and a business during a depression are ludicrous. Like a government can fold it's tent and call it a day?

So who's gonna fix the deficit? Mr. Robust Economy is the biggest player by far.

mrd — January 20, 2012 at 4:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

vanwa- What about Jobs he is making...Can you in all seriousness believe he is doing a good job..

I'm always taken back when Republicans insist that Government doesn't create jobs.

Except when they criticize Obama for not doing so.

And when unemployment numbers improve, it's the genius of free enterprise.

The right complain about jobs, but ship ours overseas.

The right say they like small government, but their leaders have grown government like no other.

Republicans say they espouse individual liberties.

But want to dictate separate rights for gays and women.

The right fights for low corporate taxes.

Then gripe about the quality of education and the bad roads they drive on.

The right say they care about individual responsibility, fairness and integrity.

But then promote a candidate like Newt Gingrich. A former speaker of the house that was fined more than a quarter of a million dollars for ethics violations. Vilified by his own party for being corrupt, impossible to work with, dishonest, hypocritical. A shamed scam artist in a year that Republicans should take seriously.

Last election it was John and Sarah. This year it's a total freak show, and the right has the lemmings falling into place!!! Cats and dogs living together!!! The end of days are here!!!

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 5 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Having scanned Tiffany Couch's CRC review findings, I'm left with the following questions.

Evans and Associates were heavily involved in the early planning leading up to putting out a bid for a primary CRC contractor in 2005. When the solicitation was issued, they were the only qualified bidder. Does this sound like the solicitation was written so that the contract would be awarded to Evans? Is there an ethics concern here? And we can be certain the Evans submission was being worked before the solicitation was issued. How long was it open for bid - was there enough time for other companies to prepare an adequate presentation?

There's a later document from WADOT - I think 2008 - where they justify handling control of the project planning to Evans based on there being no state employee qualified to do the job. Ms. Crouch's list of possible violations and concerns include an observation that a number of WADOT employees went to work for Evans. Ms. Crouch indicates a potential concern. My alarm bells are deafening!

roger — January 20, 2012 at 6:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Roger-

Working from an ignorant position, I must ask what a CRC contractor is? Is it design or construction? Evans & Assoc couldn't build a doghouse. They may be able to design one helluva a doghouse, but they can't drive a nail, pour concrete....
Many construction projects are awarded based on a design/build contract. No biggee there. This one was based on design only apparently(?). I've been involved in bridge construction for 35 years from the split E/W bound on the interstate up from North Bend to Snoqualmie Pass to the I-205 bridge. I've never seen anything like this. Perhaps I missed the "planning stage" or maybe it has changed so much recently, but something is amiss here. Construction contracts are generally ruthless in terms of performance. The CRC's contract (assuming they have one and weren't just turned loose to do whatever-IMO it seems they were) with whomever, seems VERY generous, open ended and forgiving. But, they're fighting for public money. TO THE VICTOR-THE SPOILS. To the vanquished-SHUT UP & PAY UP! BTW-that would be us.

mrd — January 20, 2012 at 6:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Someone on the Facebook side wants to resurrect that we need a new bridge because we're going to get clobbered by The Big One. I'm offering a response to that.

Based on recent inspections our I5 bridge has a MUCH better chance of surviving than the I5 and adjacent infrastructure down around the Markham Bridge. Same when compared to most of the other bridges over the Willamette. So, we need to build a new bridge so we can get across the river - to go where? (I'm just hoping the restaurant at Jubitz survives - great biscuits and gravy there!)

According to the earthquake maps linked to (when the earthquake reason was given during the summer) the section running along OR 30 to downtown Portland is directly on the main fault line and will sustain massive destruction. Vancouver will survive much better off, depending on the strength of the follow-on shock waves. The area along the riverfront by downtown, to include our entry to the bridge, is supposed to be the hardest hit.

The only reason to even want to cross the I5 bridge is to assist P'Town with disaster relief. If you're trying to get somewhere, I205 will be the logical way to go. (That's if the P'Town landing survives the soil liquification that's supposed to take PDX out.)

Meaning, we're concerned that we're getting clobbered by the Big 9.0 any time now, and the I5 bridge is our main concern? One that we'll spend billions to possibly rectify, meanwhile doing little or nothing to overcome other problem areas (on both sides of the river) where tens of thousands of lives will be lost?

roger — January 20, 2012 at 6:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Obama Administration Announces New Decision On Birth Control, To Chagrin Of Religious Groups

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/barack-obama-birth-control_n_1219622.html

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 9:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Robert Weissman

We the People

It's a virtual certainty that all of this spending will fundamentally distort our democracy, tilting the playing field to favor corporate interests, discouraging new candidates, chilling elected officials and shifting the overall policymaking debate even further in the direction of giant corporate interests and the super-wealthy.

So now we face a choice. Americans can let Citizens United remain the law of the land, or we can have a functioning democracy. We can't have both. We choose democracy. With no reason to think that this court will reconsider its decision, we need a constitutional amendment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/we-the-people_b_1219573.html?ref=homepage

nailingit — January 20, 2012 at 9:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ELISI/Vanwa

I dropped by to check in and see if you answered me and to no surprise both of you had. But then I also saw that nailingit and mrd replied to your posts so really there is no need for me to answer.

But since I'm here and I'm still going to have to figure out that damn captcha thing, here it goes.

No matter who runs for President, be it Newt, Mitt or who ever is left over, EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE! Be it their family life, their religion, their thoughts about abortion, their shoe size, EVERYTHING. For crying out loud, even after he was elected, they went after Obama for where he might have been born. As for Clinton, had his indiscretions been public before the election, his chances wouldn't have been so good.

I don't know why you are sticking up for the Newt, but the man is a loser.

hawkeye — January 20, 2012 at 10:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

HAWK

since "EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE!", how do you propose to get msm (main stream media) to obtain obama's college transcript?

don't YOU want to know if he got financial aid as a foreign student, too?

DeeLittle — January 20, 2012 at 10:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

I don't know why you are sticking up for the Newt, but the man is a loser.

hawkeye — January 20, 2012 at 10:39 p.m

There is no way in Hell I am sticking up for him!! Reread what I said, ....I dislike him and in no way would I cast a vote for the man. I simply was pointing out the fact that what he does in his bedroom in his personal life is just that...his personal life...same was said about Clinton! I could careless what anyone does in their personal life as far as sex goes. Having or not having sex, with whomever, or whatever isn't of any of my concerns nor does his bathroom visits.

What matters to me is how they vote, what have they brought to to table in ways of bills and laws that help the people. What they support and what they don't, just to mention a few things..

If you have to be so picky about a candidates personal sexual behavior there wouldn't be anyone in any office elected. There is certainly more to worry about in a candidate like...do they pay their taxes, how many have credit cards ran over the limit, how many have bad checks floating around..

Seems to me there were several on Obama's cabinet (no longer there now) that were tax evaders. Like Rahm Emanuel, who now is mayor of none other that Chi town...go figure..

ELISI — January 21, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Editor Lou did a humor column for Press Talk today. He wants Commish Mielke to do the Tebow and send him a picture. I doubt Mielke reads us, but his response should be along the lines that he's Old School - that he'll send one of him doing the Ickey Shuffle instead.

roger — January 21, 2012 at 6:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Editor Lou asked what the SC Repub primary will bring. It's starting to look more and more like the answer is a prolonged fight by the remaining 4 for the nomination. (Or, In Paul's case, to continue building the Libertarian base.) Hmmm... Given the importance religion is playing, would it be fair to say we'll see it raining another 40 days and 40 nights of this show?

roger — January 21, 2012 at 6:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

This business of producing documents is getting stale. I liked Ron Paul's response at the debate - he didn't want to release his because everyone would laugh at how little money he made (compared to the others). And, from how the news stations are addressing Romney's status, I think Newtie's people are trying to make stashing his money in The Caymans. You know what? If it's legal, and if it provides a greater degree of protection than our own banks, then I'd consider him a fool for not doing this. And we've had enough fools holding that office.

As for The Pres not releasing his college transcripts - so what? The controversy seems to focus on his first 2 years at Occidental, where he was a Poli Sci major and may have earned unimpressive grades. (Poli Sci was also my major, and I'll tell the world that it ranks with English Lit as probably the most useless degree to pursue.) Anyhow, considering he graduated in the top of his class at Harvard Law, and was selected an Editor to the Law Review (some very impressive accomplishments) - and considering that he was a complete nobody while doing so - sorry, but I see this as even dumber than the birth certificate "issue."

roger — January 21, 2012 at 7:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ELISI — January 21, 2012 at 12:01 a.m.

Your last para zeroes in on what I think the anti-Obama crowd should focus on - the Chicago Dem political machine. I suppose the younger Mayor Daley may have cleaned them up some, but Blogo didn't come out of the blue with thinking he could sell the seat Pres Obama vacated.

And it isn't going to do Editor Lou to argue what a nice town Chicago is. I have it from a higher authority - "Use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers has been approved."

roger — January 21, 2012 at 7:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

roger — January 21, 2012 at 7:35 a.m.

There is dirty laundry and corruption in politics in every city and town across the board. How deep pocketed it is in each..depends upon locale and the amount. New York and Chicago have been the top two for a very long time.

ELISI — January 21, 2012 at 7:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

saw a poll on CNN where the newt is up on Romney 40-26. he should win SC, where 60% of the primary voters are evangelical christians, and mitt being mormon and all, well.....I think the newt claims to be born again so he should walk away from this one with top prize, being a good 'ol southern boy ain't gonna hurt none eater. when the gopper's leave the Bible Belt, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

good take on the newt-

Your new front-runner is one of your old front runners, Newt Gingrich. I would like to take a moment to revel: I cannot personally tell you how pleased I am to see old Newt rise to the top after listening to all of your nauseating, sickening lectures on the evils of government and the importance of family values.

Now, you guys have to deal with a $1.6 million Freddie Mac consultant (who says he wasn't a lobbyist) who has been married three times. Hope you, at least, enjoy the Super Bowl. It could be your last hurrah for a while.

mrd — January 21, 2012 at 8:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

DeeLittle — January 20, 2012 at 10:55 p.m

Nope, don't care if he got aid from anyone. Why do you? Is it because ANY dirt on him makes you happy? Why is that?

hawkeye — January 21, 2012 at 9:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oops, newt converted to catholicism-which makes his rise in SC a little more confusing. I guess Mormon's must be real unpopular down thar.

mrd — January 21, 2012 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Rick Santorum Wins: Iowa Caucus Results

:))))))))))))) Iowa conservatives seem to be as every bit as incompetent as they are ... "conservative".

Officials found inaccurate counts in 131 precincts, including one that had an error by 50 votes, the Des Moines Register reported on Thursday. Chad Olsen, the party’s executive director, told the Register that the results showed "a split decision." The final tallies, exempting the eight precincts that will not be tallied, were 29,839 for Santorum and 29,805 for Romney, according to the Register. The Santorum campaign said the change in results could change the narrative of Romney as a front-runner. "The narrative for a long time has been that Mitt Romney was 2-0," Spokesman Hogan Gidley told CNN on Thursday. "And if these results are true and Rick is ahead by 34 votes, then that's not the narrative anymore. There have been two states, two different victors."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/rick-santorum-iowa-caucus-results_n_1220446.html

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

South Carolina primary: Mitt Romney skips in-person showdown with Newt Gingrich

When Gingrich dropped by the crowded restaurant, a must-visit breakfast joint for presidential candidates, he made sure to point that out. “Where’s Mitt?” Newt asked to cheers from the crowd. “Putting his taxes together,” someone shouted from the back. “I thought he would stay and we could have a little debate,” Gingrich said. In an unusual twist, Gingrich’s campaign out-organized the Romney camp.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71762.html#ixzz1k7Gddhns

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 9:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

More about Keystone XL - from Oilprice.com, a web source for energy investors. BLUF - Don't expect Keystone XL oil to be used to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

The article is about the political maneuvering to defer Keystone XL and how it'll play to a win-win for all politicians. They fully expect approval once TransCanada resubmits the project to State.

My favorite line - because it shows that Big Oil considers themselves too powerful for the Feds to control.

"The market revenge for the regulatory regime bearing down on American markets is to export the coal, oil and refined products and even natural gas as LNG into higher priced foreign markets. The oil from Canada needs the refinery capacity in America to extract its full market value. America needs the refined products which are a (pardon the pun) a keystone of our own export growth."

http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Environmental-Politics-Keystone-XL-Rejected-Until-After-the-Election2875.html

roger — January 21, 2012 at 2:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Justice Scalia On Unlimited Political Ads: Turn Off The TV

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/justice-scalia-on-unlimit_n_1221080.html?ref=politics

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 4:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

HAWK

Nope, don't care if he got aid from anyone. Why do you? Is it because ANY dirt on him makes you happy? Why is that?

since you're doing both sides of this conversation, i await my answer.

DeeLittle — January 21, 2012 at 4:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

As for The Pres not releasing his college transcripts - so what? The controversy seems to focus on his first 2 years at Occidental, where he was a Poli Sci major and may have earned unimpressive grades.

roger- Unfortunately this request has nothing to do with academics. It's the birther thing again. Here's a recent comment from the Huckster. Conservatives can't seem to wrap their collective heads around having a black man as our president. They believe that Barack Obama's actual name is Barry Soetoro, a native to Indonesia. Strange but true!!!

Huckabee Wants To Know If Obama Got College Loans "As A Foreign Student" January 20, 2012 9:21 pm ET by Matt Gertz

During a Fox News appearance this evening, Mike Huckabee suggested that Mitt Romney, who has come under fire for refusing to immediately release his tax returns, respond by challenging President Obama to release his college application materials in order to "show whether he got any loans as a foreign student."

Speaking on The O'Reilly Factor, Huckabee said of Romney, "Let him make this challenge: 'I'll release my tax returns when Barack Obama releases his college transcripts and the copy of his admission records to show whether he got any loans as a foreign student. When he releases that, talk to me about my tax returns.'"

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 4:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hawk, roger, anyone with common sense- Many on the conservative right believe Barack Obama's actual identity is Barry Soetoro, a native of Indonesia.

Strange but true! Superstition+religion+politicians....this is a real Lion Tigers and Bears scenario! And these people organize and vote!

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 4:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Newt Gingrich Wins the South Carolina Primary, The A.P. Projects

Television networks and The Associated Press projected Newt Gingrich as the winner of the South Carolina primary Saturday, just 10 days after a fifth-place finish in New Hampshire left the impression his candidacy was all but dead.

WHAT DID I SAY??????

hawkeye — January 21, 2012 at 6:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Have you heard anyone on the right hold their elected in Congress accountable? They won't even allow a vote on any part of the Jobs bill that was given to them. Why filibuster has taken on a new meaning since 2010. Where are they? Where are the intelligent thoughtful people many Republicans used to be? It's all this conspiracy/hate/racist/elitist/ brand of yuck that exists today.

The loudest voice from the right preaches nothing but hate, yet he's feared and revered by GOP politicians from the Speaker down. Today's conservatives glom onto personalities, rather than ideas, gimmicks rather than solutions, and a watered down version of Jesus that many never understood in the first place. Fox news, Rush, Beck, etc...religious figures that not only fleece the flock, but steal the youth of so many, have shaped this generation of hateful, uninformed narrow minded bigoted conservatives we see today.

FRI APR 08, 2011 AT 11:38 PM PDT Rush Limbaugh: Portrait of a Birther byJohnKWilsonFollow

Limbaugh's willingness to admit his birther beliefs reflects the radical transformation of the Republican Party that Limbaugh himself led. Limbaugh has spawned a new generation of conspiracy nuts who have been so dumbed down by years of being Dittoheads that even plainly idiotic ideas like those of the birthers have become the mainstream of the conservative movement. And now Rush Limbaugh feels the need to lurch even further to the right in order to maintain his status as the leader of the lunatics.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/09/965107/-Rush-Limbaugh:-Portrait-of-a-Birther

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 6:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Good call hawk but don't expect too many accolades. I predicted Santorum in Iowa!

OMG! Newt is playing the Saul Alinski card!!!

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 6:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Newt's ego is exploding! Pride goes before a fall Newt! I think he's been drinking!!!

:))))))))))))))))))))))))

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 6:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Newtie won BIG. I'm sure his camp is saying he's the new Repub front runner. But polls show Romney far in front in Florida, and even though they lost half their delegates I believe they still have more than SC.

Anyhow - YeeHaw!!! The entertainment continues.

I presume the 3-4% Other is Herman Cain standing in for Stephen Colbert. Interesting - I'll have to look more, but I'm not seeing Cain's name anywhere. Is the news media boycotting Colbert??

Newt is carrying on right now about it taking 8 years to study a project in Charleston. Guess he hasn't heard about our own CRC.

roger — January 21, 2012 at 6:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

nailingit, I don't want accolades, in fact I was hoping I was going to be wrong. I can't stand the guy, he's so creepy, he makes my skin crawl. He fits his name --- Newt, a slimy little four legged creepy crawly amphibian.

hawkeye — January 21, 2012 at 6:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Between Romney and Newt, Cain ain't looking so bad now, is he? If I HAD to vote Republican't, I think Colbert is looking pretty good.

hawkeye — January 21, 2012 at 7:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

I don’t care much for Gingrich, for his cadish, I think, very dispicable behavior in his private life. I don’t care for the position he has taken on the Israeli –Palestinian problem. There are a number of things I do not like about the man. And while I do wonder about his motivations (i.e. wanting to become president ) about some of his proclaimed posiitons, he has not struck me as mealy mouthed. Quite the opposite.

As far as I’m concerned, Romney doesn’t have a chance against Obama. During the general election, his immense wealth, and former business practices are sure to sideline his viability, as far as the swing voters go. And other things.

While I like Ron Paul’s message, and put myself in his corner, he doesn’t “act” presidential. Doesn’t have the “gravitas” of a Reagan (or Fred Thompson or Govenor Christy, for example, as far as that goes). And certainly his political philosophy is too far out of the main stream.

Santorum is an appealing candidate to some, but I believe his base is rather limited.

Gingrich needs to capitalize on his importance as the former house speaker. While his “Contract WITH America” was vilified by the left, and was deridingly labeled as the “Contract ON America” , his campaign needs to revisit that issue. (Again, it all gets back to the the most basic question of what the the PURPOSE of government).

Then President, Bill Clinton, has been given credit, I believe very wrongly, for the somewhat questionable “balanced budget” of 1995. Clinton submitted his budget to the house a RECORD 5 TIMES. Each of the previous 4 times, having been rejected by the Gingrich led, Republican House of Representatives.

Yet it has been Clinton who has received credit for, and has promoted himself as the progenitor, of a balncaed budget that he fought tooth and nail against. As did his fellow Democrats.

kn_dalai — January 21, 2012 at 8:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

crazytrain,

thanks, you haven't changed either.

Was there something else you wanted?

hawkeye — January 21, 2012 at 9:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/the-many-dohs-of-homer-si_n_1216025.html?ref=comedy

nailingit — January 21, 2012 at 11:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hawkeye: Good call on the Newt win! Shows you how out-of-touch I am with the conservative voter base............He said all the right anti-PC things to whip up the far right into a frenzy of love.

The Tea Party is alive and well.

kn_dalai: I agree: Newt is not mealy-mouthed. He is pugnacious and loves verbal sparring. He not afraid of offending. In fact, I think he is fueled by the power that not caring what anyone thinks gives him.

The Republican primary finally got my attention last night. Hoo, boy, it is getting interesting.

manthou — January 22, 2012 at 7:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

By the way, Newt will be on Meet the Press this morning at 9 am. KGW.

What a study in opposites an Obama/Gingrich fight would be!

manthou — January 22, 2012 at 7:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Looking forward to watching the Newtster manthou. I hope he doesn't implode for awhile. Just when you think it can't get any better....!

nailingit — January 22, 2012 at 8:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

A Democrats dream! Americans that normally don't engage in politics much except at voting time would see/hear GOP Conservative policies and those behind them. Mainstream America as well as the world would be watching like never before. Abortion, equal rights, voter requirements, immigration, foreign policy, the patriot act, capitalism would be Centre Stage! The fragmented soul of the Republican Party would be laid bare, filleted, it would leave the GOP crippled for years to come. Paul, Santorum, Romney and Newt! The tea party. The "federalists" the "constitutional purists" Pat Robertson, Frank Graham, the Mormons, people in the party being booed off the stage for accepting gays in the military....oh my God...

Let it happen!!!

Republican Convention Has '50-50' Chance Of Being Open: Former GOP Chair

And if it does, Steele says, the result will not be an unpalatable anti-democratic display of insider deal-making, but rather an advertisement for the ideological and grassroots input of the party.

"You would see the people who had the influence to begin with -- the Tea Party, the social conservatives, you name it, hashing it out right in front of us all. I think that is good."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/republican-convention-mitt-romney-south-carolina-primary_n_1221350.html

As a side note Joe Paterno died this morning.

nailingit — January 22, 2012 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

I predicted we might have a brokered Republican convention, nailingit. There are so many competing factions right now in that party and no one can please them all.

I hope they have clinical psychologists, along with medical personnel and law enforcement, in attendance, if it comes to fruition. No joke there: it would be traumatic and nasty.

manthou — January 22, 2012 at 10:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Excellent edition of Fox News Sunday today. Chris Wallace delivered a good interview with Mitt Romney, and quite the interview with John Boehner. Great insight as to why our Congress has the lowest approval ratings in United States history. I understand why many in the party want Cantor. Boehner looked incompetent, disengaged and foolish. Wallace hammered him! It's on again at 3:00, at the tail end of the AFC game. Looks like they are repeating it now.

manthou- You are so right. I remember Bagger activists bringing guns to political rallies in 2010. In most cases uncontested by law enforcement. One of the down sides of a brokered convention is the international fallout. Once again right wing radicals will marginalize the intellect and compassion of the American people, as well as give our allies cause for concern.

nailingit — January 22, 2012 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

looks like the R's like lobbyists so much they might put one in the White House. Sheesh......

mrd — January 22, 2012 at 12:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

"Columbia, South Carolina (Reuters) - Humbled by a stunning loss in South Carolina, Mitt Romney said on Sunday he would release this week the tax returns demanded by rivals in his bid to regain the upperhand in the volatile Republican presidential race.

Romney, the longtime frontrunner in the Republican race and one of the wealthiest presidential candidates in history, lost to a resurrected Newt Gingrich in the conservative southern state on Saturday after stumbling badly in debates with clumsy responses to demands that he disclose his tax history.

Trying to recapture his footing as the contest heads to more populous and more moderate Florida, Romney said he would release his 2010 returns and an estimate for 2011 on Tuesday."

I think Romney will take Florida. Newt might take N.C. but that will be his only state in the South, then he will be done.

hawkeye — January 22, 2012 at 2:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

And now for something completely different....

There's a survey out there listing the top 10 cities with the most sensitive men. Now, I'm not saying this is an especially desirable quality, but I was certain our neighbors south of the river would rank among the top. Wrong.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/sensitive-men-cities-chemistrycom_n_1214413.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl8|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D129140#s617878&title=10_Staten_Island

roger — January 22, 2012 at 3:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Newt might take N.C. but that will be his only state in the South, then he will be done. -- hawkeye — January 22, 2012 at 2:18 p.m.

Not his home state of Georgia? And there's a poll showing him way in front in Michigan. The so-called experts are saying this'll last at least until Super Tuesday (Mar 6?). And Michael Steele sees a good chance of it going all the way to the convention.

Polls still show Romney comfortably in front in Florida. Not sure if Jeb Bush declining to endorse either Romney or Newtie matters.

roger — January 22, 2012 at 3:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

A race to keep an eye on is Virginia's 7th District - home of Eric Cantor. His popularity is on the decline, though most polls still say he'll win reelection. He got a lot of bad press for holding up earthquake relief aid recently with his insistence cuts had to be made elsewhere. And he's also seen as a primary reason for Congress's overall single digit favorable ratings. And you can bet he'll be a top DNC target once the primaries are over.

I'm betting our own Jaime is more secure than he is.

roger — January 22, 2012 at 3:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Roger, you know the phrase "Familiarity breeds contempt"? About Georgia, nuff said.

I think Jeb will back Romney and might suggest himself as a VP.

hawkeye — January 22, 2012 at 4:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

John Laird has a link to the WSJ in his comment to his column today. They're calling Newtie the Che Guevara of the GOP. Must be pandering to the Occupy crowd, I guess.

Anyhow, I went to their polls page and surprise! In polls a couple of weeks old, Romney remains in a virtual tie when matched against The Pres. Next closest one on one is Ron Paul - about 5% points back. The polls show The Pres walking all over Newtie and Santorum.

I've no idea who answers these polls, but you'd think with numbers like this old Ron would get a little more respect from the "experts."

roger — January 22, 2012 at 4:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

In honor of Hawkeye's newest avatar, I'm offering up the following.

"The Eastern Newt or Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is a common salamander of eastern North America. Eastern newts dwell in wet forests with small lakes or ponds. They can coexist in an aquatic environment with fish, however, their skin secretes a poisonous substance when the newt is threatened or injured."

Observations. -- Wash DC was originally a swamp, which explains why Newtie is so comfortable there. -- Newtie is doing more than secreting poison; he's spewing it all over the place.

roger — January 22, 2012 at 4:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Roger, I can’t imagine anyone on the Right, pandering to the Occupy crowd. There is nothing in common there. Never will be, until some of those kids grow up. And for the older ones…it’s too late. (Sorry Manthou, no offense or anything.)

Talking about polls. Whenever the subject might have come up, I’ve never heard anyone say they were ever called up on some major poll. Instead always wondering who it is that is called up.

I have actually been called on one of the biggie polls. During the Clinton years, when Hillary was on her health care panel. I was called by one of the big ones…Gallop or Harris, I don’t remember which.

I’ve been called any number of times over consumer products.

I was one of the 400, that was called by the Columbian, years ago, when they were considering whether to go to the morning edition. They said it would take 15 minutes, but I swear, it must have been at least 45.

kn_dalai — January 22, 2012 at 5:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Oh Damn !!!!

Chip Kelly is going to Tampa Bay. This sucks.

hawkeye — January 22, 2012 at 7:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

And oh. If someone may assume that the Wall Street Journal is Rightest, you may want to rethink that.

An internet search of “media bias” will return some studies which suggest otherwise.

Some suggest that Fox News is not as Rightest slanted as is generally thought. Or that NPR is more centrist than may commonly be thought. There is one study which I found a couple of years ago, about a ten year or so old study, that stated there is a schism at the Wall Street Journal, between the editorial staff on the Right, and the Journalists on the Left.

All is subject to criticsim by the other side. Just don’t be too sure of assumptions.

kn_dalai — January 22, 2012 at 7:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Hawkeye,

THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG WITH CAPITALISM!

Those guys are always looking out for themselves. There ought to be a law!

kn_dalai — January 22, 2012 at 7:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Ever think to yourself there are a couple of things you would like to do before you die? Quite honestly this never crossed my mind. But you know...

Woman With Two Vaginas: Hazel Jones Talks About Her Rare Condition

“I always noticed there was this thing there,” said the 27-year-old.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/11/woman-with-two-vaginas-hazel-jones-this-morning_n_1199193.html?ref=weird-news&ir=Weird%20News

nailingit — January 22, 2012 at 8:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )