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    Ok (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by lilburro on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:37:43 AM EST
    on some level this reminds me of taking issue with every article Maureen Dowd writes - yes, they are dumb or slightly crazy articles, but what did you expect?  However, today we have another silly article from Ezra Klein that egads! makes excuses for Obama to to the Left.

    Ezra:

    The first year of the Obama presidency has been a long tutorial on the difference between liberal ends and liberal means. If I told you America has a president determined to pass large amounts of Keynesian stimulus spending (that's particularly concentrated in impoverished areas), a near-universal health-care plan, and a bill addressing climate change, you'd say liberals had recaptured the White House. Ambitious liberals, even.


    An apparent failed Russian... (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by desertswine on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:50:56 AM EST
    test rocket makes a bizarre pattern in the skies over Norway.

    the punctuation mark BEFORE the speech? (none / 0) (#8)
    by jedimom on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:54:42 AM EST
    it was certainly an interesting event considering Obamas words this morning in his acceptance speech about working with Medvev to halt the spread of nuclear weapons

    Parent
    Hmm. Not buying (none / 0) (#22)
    by brodie on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:43:30 AM EST
    the missile test story line, though I have no idea what it was, except that it looked far more like a Hollywood f/x spectacular than anything a missile has ever produced.  I've never seen anything so perfect in shape, so spectacular in symmetry produced from a rocket.  I've seen tests from US missiles at Vandenburg, often at sunset, leave some lovely colors behind with, of course, uneven squiggly contrails.  Always uneven and asymmetrical.  

    I'd like to see video of prior confirmed actual missile tests that come close to the amazingly neat geometry of this alleged test before swallowing the offical version, as the unskeptical, giggly Rachel Maddow did last night to her discredit ...

    Parent

    Why is this junk called NEWS?? (5.00 / 1) (#43)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 08:28:11 PM EST
    U.S. claims it killed yet another TOP Al Qaida official inside Pakistan (Drone attack). Won't name the top official. Pakistan says it NEVER happened.

    So, this is news? It says absolutely nothing except the media will report anything at all no matter what the source or level of accuracy.

    Where are those Obama anonymous sources in this?

    Ah, those Cheeseheads! (none / 0) (#1)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:36:42 AM EST
    A Waldo man accused of urinating on a police officer during his fifth drunken-driving arrest has been sentenced to a year in jail. Court records released Wednesday show 36-year-old Daniel L. Shilts Jr. of Waldo was also fined about $3,600 and had his driver's license revoked for three years.

    The Sheboygan Press said according to the criminal complaint, Shilts was pulled over in November 2008 in Plymouth after an officer saw his vehicle hit a pole at a gas station.

    The complaint said Shilts failed field-sobriety tests. It said as he was taken to the police station he urinated in the back of the squad car, spraying the back of the officer's head.

    Link

    Now they get around to revoking his license?  Uff da!

    Accident (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by waldenpond on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:30:18 AM EST
    My spouse was hit by a drunk driver a week ago Saturday.  The guy was going 80 and crossed over into oncoming traffic.  Hit hard enough to flip our jeep over, rip off the rear wheel, and push the vehicle into a telephone pole.  Totalled the trailer and motorcycles being towed (of course not covered by auto insurance.)  The drunk driver slid on it's roof another 200 feet and the drunk took off without checking for injuries.  The passenger in our vehicle walked away without a scratch.  My spouse was cut by glass on left side of face and back of hand, otherwise good to go.

    Parent
    Glad to hear (none / 0) (#18)
    by jbindc on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:39:16 AM EST
    everything is ok.  Sorry that your spouse had to go through that for some jerk's recklessness.

    Parent
    Very glad to hear... (none / 0) (#19)
    by kdog on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:41:25 AM EST
    sounds like it coulda been a helluva lot worse.

    Parent
    why can't people call cabs any more? (none / 0) (#23)
    by jeffinalabama on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:44:00 AM EST
    Glad everyone was relatively unhurt. Scary.

    Parent
    Any more? (none / 0) (#24)
    by kdog on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:50:56 AM EST
    Did they ever?  If anything I think drunk driving is down from 30-40 years ago, just so many more cars on the roads these days make it seems more prevalent...plus the increased media coverage & increased enforcement makes it seem like its on the rise.

    Listening to my parents tell stories...back in the day nobody batted an eye at driving drunk...totally different ballgame today.

    Parent

    As you said (none / 0) (#25)
    by jbindc on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:59:26 AM EST
    Fewer cars on the road, people didn't drive very far, as they lived close to where they worked and hung out (so they could stumble home instead of drive), and the cars were good old American cars made of steel with big engines in the front - not the littel fiberglass things we have today.

    Parent
    Doesn't say what... (none / 0) (#4)
    by kdog on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:48:54 AM EST
    got him the year in a cage...the drunk driving or the g*lden sh*wer?

    Parent
    I'm guessing the DD... (none / 0) (#7)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:53:40 AM EST
    ...and I'm surprised the GS didn't get his tased/beat within an inch of his life (although our resident authoritarian would probably argue that would be acceptable).

    Golden shower v. Tomato--who you got?!

    Parent

    Geez. give me a Hobson's choice (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by jeffinalabama on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:13:53 AM EST
    here, please.

    Parent
    OK... (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:26:28 AM EST
    ...but I don't think rum is the best thing to pair with those PK's, Jeff!

    Although a trip to the Haight is never dull...

    Parent

    heh. (none / 0) (#21)
    by jeffinalabama on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:42:38 AM EST
    guess I'll de-pain with a nice cuba Libre...

    Parent
    Sanford impeachment voted down (none / 0) (#3)
    by jbindc on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:39:38 AM EST
    Not gonna happen.

    A subcommittee in the South Carolina state House voted against an impeachment resolution against Republican Gov. Mark Sanford on Wednesday.

    The constitutional laws subcommittee voted 6-1 against the impeachment resolution, which was introduced by the subcommittee's chairman, GOP state Rep. Greg Delleney - the only vote in favor.

    The news means Sanford will likely serve out the rest of his term, as the will to oust the governor has been waning in the months since he admitted to an affair with an Argentine mistress.

    Sanford still must face a vote of the full House Judiciary Committee, but numerous South Carolina lawmakers suggested Wednesday that the resolution will likely face a similar fate in front of the whole committee.



    Do we like PPP polling? (none / 0) (#5)
    by jbindc on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:49:34 AM EST
    They have a new poll out that shows that just 50% of voters prefer having him as president to Bush,while 44% said they'd rather have Bush back. Amazing considering the poll numbers Bush left office with, but I guess people are getting nostalgic.

    Obama (none / 0) (#9)
    by gpassavanti on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:56:34 AM EST
    It is not that people have gotten nostalgic. They are just waking up to the fact that they thought Obama to be from the left and now they find out that he is a Leftist bent on changing our system of free trade.

    "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.  You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.  You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.  You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.  You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred...  You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.  You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."
    Abraham Lincoln


    Parent

    Really? (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by waldenpond on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:42:34 AM EST
    That gave me a chuckle.  Yes, those consumer protections are going after our 'free market' system .... oh wait, the Dems can't pass those watered proposals.  How about those bills the Dems are about to pass for the banksters (those 'free market' banks that got bailed out by Bush?)  Those?  Oh yeah, and all of the work being done to enforce our trade agreements? pffft.  Are the upcoming tax breaks for business offending you?

    Hate to tell you this, but this country does not have a 'free market' system.  It is married to our political system and the politicians who get elected on the largess of special interests look out for their own interests.

    Parent

    That was probobly Glenn Beck (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by jondee on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 02:53:25 PM EST
    "freely paraphrasing" Abraham Lincoln.

    If you cant debate without lying, you've already lost.

    Parent

    Or conflate... (none / 0) (#38)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 03:35:15 PM EST
    ...Obama with a "leftist".

    Parent
    I would honestly like to know (none / 0) (#17)
    by CST on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:38:17 AM EST
    What programs has Obama implemented that have done any of those things you said in the quote from Lincoln?

    Name one piece of legislation passed that has changed our system of free trade.  And I mean really changed in a way that hasn't been changed before.  Taxes have been higher in the past, the clean air act was passed years ago (not that different from cap and trade), we have had Medicare and Medicaid for decades.  FDR's Stimulus.  These things are all part of the current "system".  What has Obama done that is so vastly different from all of that?

    Frankly, I can think of one that did the opposite, it helped the rich.  TARP.

    Parent

    There is no quote from Lincoln (5.00 / 2) (#30)
    by Steve M on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 02:12:34 PM EST
    It is a fake.

    Parent
    my mistake (none / 0) (#37)
    by CST on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 03:28:27 PM EST
    I should know better than to take something like that at face value...  I did think it sounded weird.  Regardless, I think the gist of my point stands.  Even if that IS what you believe, it has nothing to do with the reality of the situation we are in.

    Parent
    Nice (none / 0) (#29)
    by Steve M on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 02:12:11 PM EST
    Yeah, that's it, we are a nation of committed free traders.  By the way, that Lincoln quote is 100% fake.

    Parent
    He won by 7 points against Bush (none / 0) (#12)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:13:22 AM EST
    in 2008.

    McCain was Bush in that election you know.

    Frankly, that is a good result for Obama.

    Parent

    I can see those (none / 0) (#16)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:35:47 AM EST
    numbers against McCain, but not against Bush.  McCain had a 61% approval rating after he LOST the election.

    Bush, on the other hand, was about the most hated man in America about a year and a half ago (29% approval ratings).  That he could run so close to Obama now, says a lot (none of it good) about Obama.  But it isn't a surprise.  One thing you could say about Bush was that he was decisive.  I think Americans may prefer someone who is decisive but wrong to someone who is a wimp.

    Parent

    In this week's Oops Department (none / 0) (#10)
    by CoralGables on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:59:57 AM EST
    Golf Digest Magazine for January 2010 features Tiger Woods on the cover and speaks of him being a "Good Role Model" and offers "10 Tips Obama Can Take From Tiger". It arrives in subscribers' mailboxes this week.

    I suspect Letterman's Top 10 list can almost write itself on that one.

    The cover (none / 0) (#11)
    by jbindc on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 11:11:26 AM EST
    is unfortunate too. (yes, my mind is in the gutter).

    Parent
    It arrived days ago in my mailbox. (none / 0) (#26)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 12:09:23 PM EST
    The Tiger/Obama article was really lame, I barely skimmed it...

    Parent
    kdog, (none / 0) (#27)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 12:27:38 PM EST
    Here's what de-criminalizing and regulating med MJ does - so many restrictions that the 1000+ med MJ shops in LA will probably get reduced to, at most, 70, (although some estimate less than a dozen) Wal-Mart type MJ mega-stores.

    It's a concern... (none / 0) (#28)
    by kdog on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 01:53:58 PM EST
    I've thought about...if legalized we probably do end up with a Phillip Morris of reefer dominating production, and big chains possibly dominating retail sale...I still think its a net positive, gotta get rid of the chains & cages for sale and possession above all...if it leads to monolith corporation dominance so be it...way of the capitalist world my man.

    Parent
    Ya know what... (5.00 / 1) (#34)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 03:00:59 PM EST
    I just realized that almost all of my posts this week have been on open threads.

    wtf?

    What happened to the good old days when J would post controversial (to some of us) stories and then had to shut down the comments because they were too many?

    My interest in 20 threads/day on health care has gone flat looooong ago.

    I used to come here for the content first, and my "cyber-friends" second, now it seems the only draw for me are the friends...

    Parent

    I'm right there with you. (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 03:16:05 PM EST
    There's only so much wankin' that I can take.  

    Parent
    Wanking is the perfect word for it. (none / 0) (#39)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 03:54:57 PM EST
    Probably so... (none / 0) (#32)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 02:40:22 PM EST
    As American as Apple Pie... (none / 0) (#36)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 03:19:02 PM EST
    ...the big story on the local news last night was the increase in crime around all of the MMJ places around here.  

    Cash, pot and not much security is drawing other "free marketers" into the mix.  

    Believe it or not, the cops are actually working with the MMJ stores to fight this.  

    Parent

    2010 races (none / 0) (#31)
    by jbindc on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 02:25:40 PM EST
    The Cook Report doesn't think Chris Dodd's chances for re-election look good:

    It's been obvious since the start of the cycle that Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd would face the toughest campaign of his long political career. Even Dodd has publicly acknowledged his vulnerability. He got his campaign up and running early and started running flights of ads last spring.

    Still, it is increasingly clear to both independent analysts and Democratic leaders that Dodd is just too badly damaged to have a decent shot at getting re-elected, almost regardless of who wins the Republican nomination. Democrats have given Dodd time to attempt to repair his problems, but nothing appears to have helped enough to salvage his position....

    These numbers jibe with our view that Dodd is about as unelectable as unindicted incumbents get. And now that Democratic leaders have reached a similar conclusion, the question is how public they have to get before Dodd takes the hint that it is time to exit the race, and how messy the situation becomes...

    As a general policy, the Cook Political Report does not rate unindicted incumbents worse than "Toss Up," at least until Labor Day of the election year since some endangered incumbents have a tendency to make comebacks despite appearing hopeless early in the cycle. There have been some rare exceptions to this policy over the years, and Dodd now joins that small group. The race moves from Toss Up to Lean Republican.

    And right now, Ras (yes, I know) has Toomey leading both Specter and Sestak.

    The telephone survey of 1,200 likely Pennsylvania voters finds Toomey leading incumbent Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter, 46 percent to 42 percent, in general election Senate matchup next year. Four percent said they would vote for another candidate, while 8 percent were unsure.

    Specter, who has held the Senate seat since 1980, left the Republican Party to become a Democrat last April, just as he was facing a primary challenge from the more conservative Toomey. A former representative and president of the anti-tax Club for Growth, Toomey has also led Specter in previous Rasmussen surveys.

    An October poll showed Toomey ahead of Specter by 5 points, winning 45 percent to 40 percent.

    In a matchup against Rep. Joe Sestak, Specter's primary challenger, Toomey's lead expands to six points, 44 to 38 percent.



    Notre Dame hires Brian Kelly as football coach (none / 0) (#40)
    by caseyOR on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 04:59:28 PM EST
    He certainly has the right last name. (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by desertswine on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 05:07:30 PM EST
    Heck. I was hoping for Saban. (none / 0) (#42)
    by jeffinalabama on Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 07:49:29 PM EST