Thursday Reads
Posted: July 14, 2011 Filed under: Democratic Politics, fundamentalist Christians, morning reads, Republican politics, Republican presidential politics, Surreality, the villagers, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics, voodoo economics, We are so F'd | Tags: Barack Obama, Eric Cantor, Freedom from Religion Foundation, John Boehner, liquor licenses, Mark Dayton, Minnesota government shutdown, Mitch McConnell, Mumbai attacks, Rick Perry Tim Pawlenty 40 Comments
Good Morning!! The big news is still the deadlocked debt ceiling talks. There will be another meeting of the squabbling children tomorrow afternoon. Frankly, I’m hoping for some serious fireworks.
Meanwhile, Eric Cantor is grabbing points with the Tea Party, but everyone else is laughing at him. Check this out from Joe Klein (yes, he’s an idiot, but the Villagers listen to him):
David Rogers over at Politico, who has been doing this–extremely well–for about as long as I have, has word that the President of the United States monstered down on Representative Eric Cantor in Wednesday’s deficit ceiling squabble. This is so refreshing on so many levels. Cantor has been using this crisis to undermine his leader John Boehner, by playing the Tea Party/Grover Norquist recalcitrance card. The boy badly needed someone to get up in his face and Barack Obama, of all people, apparently did, telling Cantor, in no uncertain terms, that he’d veto any short term deficit ceiling fix or, indeed, any plan that did not include revenue increases. Then Obama walked out, or the meeting ended, depending on whom you talk to.
So what we have now is the Republican party in, yes, disarray–a word used to describe Democrats almost exclusively, back in the day before the crazies took over the GOP store. You have Cantor and the House Teasies opposing any revenue increases, including a tax loophole closing plan that Ronald Reagan and Edmund Burke would have smiled upon. You have Boehner, struck dumb apparently, after his attempt at bipartisan statesmanship with the President was greeted by tossed shoes and catcalls from the Teasies. You have Mitch McConnell, well, I’m speechless about Mitch McConnell…
Here’s this Kentucky dude whose every action, before Tuesday, painted him as one of the most cynical operators we’ve seen on Capitol Hill since Pitchfork Ben Tillman–and now, suddenly, he’s gone all rational on us, chiding his Republican forces (that means you, Eric) about leading the party to the electoral slaughterhouse if they don’t take this debt ceiling business seriously. He has proposed to place the responsibility for raising the debt ceiling solely on the President and let Obama run with that. This is looking more likely today than it did yesterday.
Jonathan Allen at Politico suggests that Cantor is overreaching.
As he has surged to the forefront of debt-limit negotiations and faced round-the-clock scrutiny on cable and radio talk shows, a fundamental question about House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s high-stakes political maneuvering is being discussed in the halls of power.
Is he building street cred with House Republicans or overplaying his hand?
The answer may be both. Cantor’s allies note that he’s been put in the spotlight by assignment — from Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama — not by choice. And they say he has gained political capital within the GOP conference.
Cantor has a lot riding on the outcome of the debt-limit negotiations. He’ll share in the public blame if they fall apart and the economy tanks, and he’ll face recriminations from his conservative base in the House if he cuts too soft a deal with the president.
At The New Republic, Jonathan Chait explains why “The Republican Crazy Is Not An Act.” Please don’t miss it.
John Boehner says working with the White House over the debt ceiling has been like “dealing with Jello,” whatever that means.
“Dealing with them the last couple months has been like dealing with Jell-o,” Boehner said. “Some days it’s firmer than others. Sometimes it’s like they’ve left it out over night.”
Boehner explained that talks broke down over the weekend because, he said, the president backed off entitlement reforms so much from Friday to Saturday, “It was Jell-o; it was damn near liquid.”
“By Saturday, they’d spent the previous day and a half just going backwards” on reforming entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
“The only thing they’ve been firm on is these damn tax increases,” the Speaker said.
I have no idea what he’s trying to say. Maybe he’s been spending too much time in the tanning salon.
The Villagers will keep on bickering, but real people are suffering out in the real world. There has been another terrible attack in Mumbai.
The blasts that rocked Mumbai killing 18 people and injuring 131 was a “coordinated terror attack” but officials have not singled out a group behind them, India’s home minister said Thursday….Three bomb blasts rocked India’s largest city in congested areas during the evening rush hour Wednesday.
The attackers used ammonium nitrate with a timer mechanism based on forensic evidence collected from the blast sites…
In Minnesota, the state government shut down two weeks ago because of lack of funds, and it is causing bars to shut down because they can’t renew their licenses.
By Wednesday, hundreds of bars, restaurants and liquor stores across Minnesota already had been stopped from buying new inventory due to expired permits the state has not renewed.
MillerCoors, the second largest brewer in the United States, failed to get its license to sell 39 brands in Minnesota renewed before a government shutdown over a budget impasse began with the new fiscal year on July 1.
“Without that brand label registration, their distribution and sales aren’t allowed to continue,” Doug Neville, a state public safety department spokesman, said on Wednesday.
The stalemate, the longest of the nation’s six state government shutdowns since 2002, began July 1 after Democratic Governor Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders failed to resolve an impasse about how to address a $5 billion budget deficit. Republicans want spending cuts alone, and Dayton is pushing for taxes to preserve services.
Dayton yesterday traveled to Rochester, which is home of the Mayo Clinic, and Albert Lea, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Iowa border, to meet with people with disabilities and senior citizens to “discuss what is at stake in the state budget,” according to an e-mail from his office.
Meanwhile, legislative Republicans sent out an e-mail with charts showing the impact of the shutdown on areas including schools and parks in those two cities. It didn’t mention a booze drought.
Although businesses can sell alcohol with city liquor licenses, they can’t purchase new product without the state buyer’s card, Neville said in a telephone interview from St. Paul. Cards for 300 of 10,000 businesses have expired since the shutdown began July 1, and that will increase to 424 by the end of the month, Neville said.
Walter Shapiro writes that the whole thing is really Tim Pawlenty’s fault.
In addition to irrational politics and the state’s tradition of moralism, Pawlenty shares in the blame for Minnesota’s budgetary woes. And the GOP presidential candidate knows his financial stewardship is on the line: Late in the evening of June 30—just minutes before the Minnesota government officially shut down because of a budgetary impasse—Pawlenty held a hastily scheduled press conference at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport to try to shield himself from political attack over the shut-down. “Both in Washington, D.C., and in St. Paul, the Democrats continue their thirst for more spending and more taxes,” Pawlenty said in a boilerplate critique of his successor. “That’s not the right direction for Minnesota, and it’s not the right direction for our country.”
What the rhetorical onslaught was designed to hide was that, in truth, Pawlenty—like many governors in both parties juggling the books in the midst of the severe downturn—practiced budgetary legerdemain to avoid a statutorily forbidden deficit before he left office in January. Of course, it was hypocritical for Governor Pawlenty to eagerly bank $2.3 billion in federal stimulus money while Politician Pawlenty was denouncing Barack Obama for spending it. But, for all the partisan talking points over Pawlenty’s budgetary record, it strains credulity to believe that conservative GOP voters will blame him because Republicans in the Minnesota legislature held the line against a Democratic governor. In fact, Dayton may have caused more political mischief for Pawlenty with a recent unsuccessful proposal to help end the budgetary wars. Instead of his proposed 2 percent income-tax surcharge on millionaires, Dayton suggested that he could also accept a dollar-a-pack increase in the state cigarette tax. His purported inspiration: Pawlenty’s 2005 acceptance of a 75-cent-a-pack wholesale tax increase under the transparent guise of a Health Impact Fee. Undoubtedly relishing every moment, Dayton declared, “Governor Pawlenty even agreed to a cigarette tax increase. So there’s precedent for that.”
But, beyond the narrow implications for Pawlenty’s political fate, the broader national message from Minnesota is how easy it is for both parties to step off the cliff, heedless of the consequences. Already, there is talk that the government shutdown could last for months.
Will other states follow suit?
Finally, The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is suing Texas Governor Rick Perry over a religious rally he is planning to hold in Houston in early August.
Perry proclaimed August 6 as a “Day of Prayer and Fasting for our Nation to seek God’s guidance” and invited governors from across the nation to join his Christian prayer summit at Reliant Stadium.
“Given the trials that beset our nation and world, from the global economic downturn to natural disasters, the lingering danger of terrorism and continued debasement of our culture, I believe it is time to convene the leaders from each of our United States in a day of prayer and fasting, like that described in the book of Joel,” Perry said in June.
The legal complaint asks the federal court to declare unconstitutional Perry’s organization, promotion and participation in the event because it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
It says Perry’s active participation in the event violates the U.S. Constitution by “giving the appearance that the government prefers evangelical Christian religious beliefs over other religious beliefs and non-beliefs, including by aligning and partnering with the American Family Association, a virulent, discriminatory and evangelical Christian organization known for its intolerance.”
That should be a fun story to follow.
So… what are you reading and blogging about today?
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
Mama Lopez
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
I am proud of Cantor for standing up to the bully-in-chief. Obama thinks everyone is supposed to kiss his butt because he is a progressive. Obama need to leave raygun dead and burried. Maybe if more people(the Clintons,Reid,the people who love America) told him and progressives no we wouldn’t be in this mess. Hillary should have said “HELL NO” to the bully.
Cantor is a psychopath. He didn’t stand up to any one. He is simply belligerent for his own sake. He is not on the right side of this at all.
Eric Cantor is not your friend. I’m not a fan of Obama, but he’s not the bully in this situation.
BB, great post…thanks. With all my router problems I really do not know what is going on with the Obama showdown. This post is helping me catch up. I have a question though, with all the reporting on Cantor…is there anything about his “betting” on US Treasuries?
Also, BB you might be interested in this:
Women in Crime Ink: Was a Fraud Perpetrated Not Just by Casey but by George and Cindy too?
I know that many are tired of this Casey stuff, but the psychology of this family is interesting to me. BB you said that Cindy was narcissistic mother before…What a f’d up family. I still think they all need to be locked away. They are all responsible for that little girl being dumped in the woods.
Again, thanks for this post and the ones from last night…it is so nice to be able to come here and get caught up on everything.
I’ll have to read the whole article, but I don’t think most “solid clinicians” would diagnose someone with BPD from news reports and watching them on TV. The description she gives sounds more like NPD than BPD anyway–I never saw “charismatic” listed in descriptions of BPD. Anyway, I’ll read it, thanks. I’m not sick of trying to figure out this family yet either.
That is what I was thinking. Pretty hard to diagnose someone from afar.
Now I do think that all three committed fraud. Whatever happened to that child and whenever it happened only they know. Their lies and deception got them out of trouble this time. Hopefully, if they commit some other crime in the future they’ll get their just desserts.
I share your interest but I’m still not convinced of the sex abuse charges being leveled against her father and brother. Casey is a prolific liar and if she can find someone else to blame for her behavior she will gladly do so.
I never did like her mother and her father, at least in the beginning, attempted to steer law enforcement toward his daughter but withdrew probably at the urging of his wife. They probably felt they shared the guilt over her upbringing which made them even more determined to protect their “little monster” from charges that they had chosen to overlook her actions as it may portray them as bad parents.
My feeling is that the “secrets” they were accused of were probably some measure of physical abuse toward Casey. There are reports that her mother has denied that she physically attacked her the night before the baby disappeared. Her father is seen more than once in a combatitive mood both on and off the witness stand and I would imagine that her constant stealing and lying led to many frustrating moments when she refused to back down in the face of her accusers. Someone who can hold her own against seasoned detectives would have surely done the same with upset parents while holding her own child as a bargaining tool to get her way. She held the trump card with Caylee and they knew it.
It’s her mother’s actions that are most telling. A normal parent would be aggrieved at the charges Casey leveled against her family, crestfallen at the lies she told that had them looking for a live child that was dead from the outset, yet this woman was overcome with delight when Casey made her entrance ito the courtroom with hair down and a grin on her face as her mother described how “beautiful” she looked. As if she had just delived a stage performance instead of a murder trial that covered the murder of a beloved grandchild.
This family was stuck with a lying psychopath whose sins they chose to cover and whose behavior they were unable to defend outside the family circle. Don’t be surprised if that mother chooses Casey over the rest of her family since that dynamic appears to be hard to break.
I think this is very telling. Joy Behar – Casey Anthony Lawyer – Would You Let Her Babysit Your Kids | VIDEO | Mediaite
That was just a stupid question to ask in my opinion. There are a heck of a lot of people I would never allow to baby sit my children and yet last I checked none were murderers, criminals, pedophiles or just generally bad people. Irresponsible, yes. Stupid, yes. Self involved, yes. I personally would never say allow a RW Christian fanatic to come near my children even though they’d probably be great babysitters. I guess it is all in the way you look at things.
Did you see this?
Bomber Hits Ceremony for Karzai’s Brother – WSJ.com
Bomber hits memorial for Karzai’s half-brother – CBS News
The whole suicide bomber thing is really perplexing to me. I wonder what sort of coercion was used on that particular individual. Personally, I wish we’d give the whole country back to the Soviets and be done with it. One of Carter’s biggest mistakes was boycotting the Olympics over the invasion of that horrible country. That country has been invaded and taken over twice in the last 35 years or so and still the Opium flows.
And one more…(boy am I glad my DSL is working)
Religious right rushes to Bachmann’s defense following ‘ex-gay’ reports | Minnesota Independent: News. Politics. Media.
Wow, ya think this will hurt her chances? I don’t know…she still has her hypnotic stare at her disposal to win over the masses. /snark
*Oh and read the comments at the bottom of the page…good stuff.
Did you see John stewart last night? He basically said that Michelle had married herself a big old queen. She said she married him becauss gawd told her too not because she loved him. What a sad thing to admit to …
No, I have to find the clip… but I saw Colbert and his bit on the debt ceiling…it was good. Here is a link: Stephen Colbert | GOP Nuts Caught In A Vice | Video | Mediaite
They can call it whatever they want but it is still hate and unfortunately it is directed right at the most vulnerable and susceptible people on Earth. Yes, we all should admit the gay lifestyle is traumatic and very hard on them. Not because there is something wrong with them but because there is something terribly wrong with the rest of us. Kids are ostracized way, way before puberty. They are told again and again how horrible they are. How horrible gay people are. What is the suicide rate of gay or transgender teens? Astronomical.
And frankly, it is all because of people like the Bachman’s who profit from hate and misery in the guise of love. If they really wanted to practice LOVE they would have their arms open to all gay people and be preaching for tolerance, acceptance and total gay rights. Most people don’t give a darned what someone’s orientation is. Unfortunately, some people have made that a front and center issue and continue to push the idea that gay people are abominations or sexual deviants when that is the furthest thing from the truth.
As a society we need to find our way out of this wilderness of intolerance and bad ideas and just let people be people. Personally, I don’t have enough time or energy to worry about my neighbor’s sexual orientation. I don’t see how these people have that much energy either. These kinds of people are sad, sad people who unfortunately ruin the lives of people who could be perfectly happy.
Last Fall some of us tried to point out to those eager to “send a message” to Obama and the Dems that voting for GOP candidates was not the answer. Some of those same candidates were signaling the very same tactics they are now employing in congress which had nothing to do with correcting the woes of the nation but were clearly what they have and are now attempting to do by way of “balancing the budget”.
Some of us kept up the drumbeat but were beaten back and a national sweep was underway whereby the governships and state legislations were won over by these radicals. WI and MN to name a few. NH has its own nutjob in its governor and Ohio is another state showing signs of buyer’s remorse. Florida and Rick Scott are not enjoying a happy marriage so to speak but this is what you get when “sending a message” is regarded as the end all, be all of decision making.
Just as the Casey Anthony jury abandoned all forms of critical thinking, this “getting even” vote in 2010 saw the suspension what could and did occur when it came to voting.
Wide eyed radicals with little sense of how government works thus opening the door to elements beyond our control. The prime example is what has happened during the last 6 months when a wave of sheer stupidity has managed a sweep across this country bent on inhibiting the rights of women and protecting wealthy donors who helped make all this chaos possible.
Thus the “message”. From bad to worse.
I agree. Turning to “nutjobs” (e.g., the “P” woman) just because you can’t stand Obama is really self-defeating.
Here here!
For all you skeptics out there, here comes the “good news”: Quiterella will make her announcement sometime in late August, early September!!
I just hope I can get through the next 10 weeks or so as the suspense itself may just kill me outright.
Will she run or not? Will she overcome Michelle in the sweeps? Is America ready for a “true leader” who can help us take back America? Do I really care?
No. But the laughs may just continue to roll in with a stage full of morons, idiots, liars and ignoramuses declaring that Ronald Reagan, our First President, freed the slaves when he challenged Boss Hogg to “tear down this wall!”
You guys all remember that don’t you? It was all over the news.
This is one of those moments when comedians will be weeping for joy while the rest of us should be shuddering in our boots.. Our election process is about to become ONE big exercise in perversity.
We now have two women running for president that essentially HATE women.
I love this. Great statement.
We’ll know we’ve arrived when we can have two women running who love women and they’re not treated like Hillary was.
We now have two women running for president that essentially HATE women.
What metric do you use to determine that a woman hates women?
The metric is that these two women think that another woman can’t make the best decision possible. These two women think the government makes better decisions than women and that women need fake science and time and government lectures to make decisions for themselves. They think husbands and people that rely on iron age myths and imaginary friends make better decisions than women. They won’t let women make adult decisions on their own. They want to legislate men to do it for them. They must think women are stupid so they hate them.
These two women think the government makes better decisions than women and that women need fake science and time and government lectures to make decisions for themselves.
This sounds reasonable. Both Bachman and Palin have serious science/religious issues. However, this does not make them women haters. It makes them science haters.
They want to legislate men to do it for them.
I have never seen any reference to the fact that they want men [and men only] to legislate their laws.
The metric is that these two women think that another woman can’t make the best decision possible.
I suspect, but will not positively say it, that you are referring to these two women’s position on abortion. I only say suspect because you DO bring up very valid points when it comes to their religious beliefs. However, your language sounds a lot like that used by pro-choice folks who claim that women are unable to “choose”.
If that’s the case, I would suggest that while there is a massive chasm between the folks on either side of the debate, it does not make either one of them a woman hater or a woman lover. It seems to me that the debate is as valid for a woman to have as for a man to have and even if you disagree with the other side” you should refrain from the rhetoric that one group is a hater while implying the other isn’t.
For example, I suspect that many people in America would see the fact that women being elected to high office is, in fact, empowering to women.
Women who think that other women need special laws to stop them from making decisions as adults when no extra steps are required from any man to make decisions that are lawful, based on constitutional rights and concern the sanctity of their independent personhood do nothing to further the empowerment of women. They act as partners to enslave women. Furthermore, the complete lack of regard for other women’s struggles by demeaning them and calling them derogatory names–like crones as example–demonstrates disregard for women minimally. Read the words they use to describe women that disagree with them. They are hateful.
Women who think that other women need special laws to stop them from making decisions as adults when no extra steps are required from any man to make decisions that are lawful, based on constitutional rights and concern the sanctity of their independent personhood do nothing to further the empowerment of women.
I suspect that their stance on such decision has less to do with the fact that women are unable to arrive at proper conclusions as it does with the fact that some people feel there are significant issues of Individual Liberty at play.
For example, many many people feel that in the minutes preceding literal birth, the “collection of cells” in the womb is a child. A real life human being fully endued with individual liberty. Those people would rightly feel that such a child has the right to life.
Making that argument may not be consistent with your view of that same situation, but it shouldn’t mean that folks who DO hold much a position hate women. If anything, I would make the argument that they love kids.
Furthermore, the complete lack of regard for other women’s struggles by demeaning them and calling them derogatory names–like crones as example–demonstrates disregard for women minimally. Read the words they use to describe women that disagree with them. They are hateful.
I suspect that your argument concerning proper use of language would hold more weight if you were equally vigilant in the defense of Bachmann and Palin when they are the victims of such abuse.
There are no such thing as third trimester abortions because science and medicine agree at that point that its not a cluster of cells but a viable baby. OBs call it either a successful or unsuccessful delivery. Roe v wade says there’s a compelling state interest then too including life of the mother. Before then it is not up to any one but the woman and rightfully so.
Additionally you are obviously new because I’ve defended palin against sexist attacks. But she doesn’t get a free pass for having a vagina either. I prefer my women candidates to be prepared for office and knowledgeable about issues. I also don’t support women that don’t support women. I never support people that don’t respect the establishment clause and that have no clue about economics or foreign policy.
None of this, by the way, should lead you to think that I feel either of these women are qualified to be President. Only that I don’t think they hate women.
I can respect that.
Her time has passed, IMO. Bachmann is a lot more focused and determined that on-again, off-again Quiterella.
Quiterella is in it for the money in my opinion. I don’t think she really wants to be an elected official and to me Bachmann is much, much more scary. Bachmann actually believes in her own virtuousness and insane viewpoint while Palin actually has a more moderate record. I can see Palin moving to the center if she were elected and actually doing a reasonable job. At least better than the last 2 presidents. Bachmann has Hoover like destruction written all over her.
What is clear to me is that neither are a decent option. Neither is the current nitwit. In order to save this country we need to get someone who will protect its citizens ie social security, medicare and end the costly and disastrous wars. Those two open ended wars along with unfettered Wall-Street and banker criminality has pushed us to the brink. We need to stop the madness.
I agree. Bachmann is super scary. She’s even catching up to Romney in NH.
what we need is what was stolen from us..Hillary!!!!!
Exactly!
Yup, won the popular vote…
Emptywheel is leaving FDL
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2011/07/12/emptywheel-leaving-firedoglake/
After reading the comment from Ian Welsh regarding the dynamics of FDL, I guess Emptywheel will have more freedom out on her own. I sure will be following her over there.
How about having negotiations on C-Span? Transparency anyone? Let’s see if Obama puts SS on the table! Lets just see who is selling us out.
I think they sent Cantor to his room for a time out.