Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats

[GasBandit]

Arizona's immigration law is supposed to go into effect today. Yesterday a judge blocked key parts of the bill.

New Jersey's governor Christie takes on teacher's unions.

Under a little-noticed provision of the recently passed financial-reform legislation, the Securities and Exchange Commission no longer has to comply with virtually all requests for information releases from the public, including those filed under the Freedom of Information Act.

The scariest information you will read all day ...

This column is definitely worth a read: The Timeless Principles of American Prosperity.

This is liberal-speak for "raising taxes": U.S. deficit panel eyes reining in tax breaks.

The EPA has released a 55-page "guidance" to help its employees "advance environmental justice" for low-income and minority communities.

Women, white men, Jews, Hispanics ... they all have one thing in common.

A study of 91 fiscal stimulus programs in 21 developed economies between 1970 and 2007 by Harvard's Alberto Alesina found tax cuts were more stimulative than government spending.

"Our estimates suggest that a tax increase of 1 percent of GDP reduces output over the next three years by nearly 3 percent. The effect is highly significant." Who said that? Obama's economic adviser Christina Romer.

Nearly a century and half since the United States last divided, a new "irrepressible conflict" is brewing between the states ...

California is trying to gets its unruly government pension system under control. Easier said than done.

Your tax dollars at work .. the Pentagon cannot account for over 95% of $9.1 billion in Iraq reconstruction money.

Was Hillary Clinton right?

Obama administration deports illegals in record numbers.

 

[JONJONAUG]

Arizona's immigration law is supposed to go into effect today. Yesterday a judge blocked key parts of the bill.

The parts that were blocked were either unconstitutional or already superseded by Federal law.

The scariest information you will read all day ...

"The best way to fix the deficit is to raise taxes and do it now."

This is liberal-speak for "raising taxes": U.S. deficit panel eyes reining in tax breaks.

"Those damn liberals. Raising our taxes."

The EPA has released a 55-page "guidance" to help its employees "advance environmental justice" for low-income and minority communities.

This sounds like a good thing so....yeah.

 

[GasBandit]

Ah, Jonjon, you'll always be my second favorite doe-eyed socialist.

A must-read from the Wall Street Journal ... At a time when the American people need to make some decisions about the nation's purpose, along comes Barack Obama to make the choices crystal clear.

Another must-read column from Victor Davis Hanson .. The Two Faces of the Ground Zero Mosque.

Finally .. Obama bows to someone worthy!

This may seem simple, but it is important to understand: Why debt is bad.

Sen. Lindsey Graham is considering introducing a constitutional amendment that would change the current laws on anchor babies.

Liberals have been looking for a new name, most likely driven by the uncharacteristically sensible realization that most Americans reject their big-government philosophy.

What has revitalized General Motors: government or free-enterprise? I bet you already know the answer.

As a consequence of the job market, a record number of borrowers once judged the most creditworthy are heading into foreclosure.

Want to see the devastating effects of unions? Look no further than California.

An HOA story for ya .. Homeowner wins (after 13 years and $200,000) the right to park in his own driveway.

Great news, West Virginians - your state just decided the first DUI doesn't really count

Obama wants FBI to be able to get individual's internet usage data without a warrant. That must have been what he meant by transparency.

 

[Dei]

Great news, West Virginians - your state just decided the first DUI doesn't really count

Honestly, Breathalyzer to make your car actually start for 6 months as a penalty for DUI it return for getting it wiped doesn't seem that bad. There are a lot of conditions that have to be met, and it might keep people from deciding that can drive around on suspended licenses still drunk as shit. That might also be a little too optimistic in regards to people though.

 

[JONJONAUG]

Another must-read column from Victor Davis Hanson .. The Two Faces of the Ground Zero Mosque.

Are you fucking serious? Most of the logic in this article can be used as reasoning not to build churches.

Sen. Lindsey Graham is considering introducing a constitutional amendment that would change the current laws on anchor babies.

Considering that the parents will still be deported anyway and cannot obtain citizenship through their children, I don't get why children of illegal immigrants are called "anchor babies". This issue is a complete scapegoat by those who are looking to drive away progress towards any actual reform.

What has revitalized General Motors: government or free-enterprise? I bet you already know the answer.

And GM would be completely dead if it weren't for the stimulus.

 

[Eriol]

Another must-read column from Victor Davis Hanson .. The Two Faces of the Ground Zero Mosque.

Are you fucking serious? Most of the logic in this article can be used as reasoning not to build churches.[/QUOTE]
How about problems with the founder of this Mosque specifically? Here's an article from Ezra Levant (that was published in a National Newspaper chain) about this: Should we build a mega-mosque at Ground Zero? - Ezra Levant

According to the article it says that the founder of this mosque (Feisal Abdul Rauf) has done:

• Just weeks after 9/11 he told 60 Minutes that America had it coming—U.S. policies were to blame, andAmericans were “an accessory to the crime.”
• Rauf won’t even admit that Islamic terroristswere responsible for 9/11 itself. He told a New York radio station that’s just the “general perception.”

So this isn't a benign founder, as well as repeating the things said above in the other article about the symbolism of the name being very jihadist, and emphasizing that it's highly unlikely that they got the funding for this place above-board.

This isn't the peaceful Muslims building this mosque.

 

[SpecialKO]

Another must-read column from Victor Davis Hanson .. The Two Faces of the Ground Zero Mosque.

Are you fucking serious? Most of the logic in this article can be used as reasoning not to build churches.[/QUOTE]
How about problems with the founder of this Mosque specifically? Here's an article from Ezra Levant (that was published in a National Newspaper chain) about this: Should we build a mega-mosque at Ground Zero? - Ezra Levant

According to the article it says that the founder of this mosque (Feisal Abdul Rauf) has done:

• Just weeks after 9/11 he told 60 Minutes that America had it coming—U.S. policies were to blame, andAmericans were “an accessory to the crime.”
• Rauf won’t even admit that Islamic terroristswere responsible for 9/11 itself. He told a New York radio station that’s just the “general perception.”

So this isn't a benign founder, as well as repeating the things said above in the other article about the symbolism of the name being very jihadist, and emphasizing that it's highly unlikely that they got the funding for this place above-board.

This isn't the peaceful Muslims building this mosque.[/QUOTE]

I give zero credibility to any article that uses the words "mega-mosque" about a community center and tries to claim its being built on Ground Zero. There's nothing sacred about an abandoned Burlington Coat Factory building.

For one thing, he condemns terrorism in the 60 minutes interview. His remarks about American responsibility were in the context of the consequences of American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Bradley: And throughout the Muslim world, there is also strong opposition to America's foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East because of its support of Israel and economic sanctions against Iraq.

Faisal: it is a reaction against the US government politically, where we espouse principles of democracy and human rights, and where we ally ourselves with oppressive regimes in many of these countries.

Bradley: Are you in any way suggesting that we in the United States deserved what happened?

Faisal: I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but united states policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.

Bradley: You say that we're an accessory? How?

Faisal: Because we have been accessory to a lot of innocent lives dying in the world. In fact, in the most direct sense, Osama bin Laden is made in the USA.

Bradley: Bin Laden and his supporters were, in fact, recruited and paid nearly $4 billion by the CIA and the government of Saudi Arabia in the 1980s to fight with the mujahadeen rebels against the former Soviet Union, which had invaded Afghanistan. After the Soviets pulled out, the Saudis, our best friends in the Arab world, our staunchest ally during the Gulf War, poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the newly-formed Taleban regime, and then felt that bin Laden and the Taliban were out of control. Bin Laden's faith is a strict, puritanical form of Islam called Washbasin, which was founded in the 18th century in Saudi Arabia, and is now that country's predominant ideology.

 

[Krisken]

I find I get greater amusement out of these posts if I read them in my head with Stephen Colbert's voice.

 

[Covar]

I'm not saying the rapist had it coming, but if she hadn't dressed like a slut...

 

[SpecialKO]

I'm not saying the rapist had it coming, but if she hadn't dressed like a slut...

Equating US foreign policy in the Middle East, which includes setting up dictators and funding terrorist groups while in the position of being the world's greatest Superpower, with being a rape victim is ridiculously misleading and intellectually insulting, not to mention just generally grotesque.

 

[Covar]

I'm not saying the rapist had it coming, but if she hadn't dressed like a slut...

Equating US foreign policy in the Middle East, which includes setting up dictators and funding terrorist groups while in the position of being the world's greatest Superpower, with being a rape victim is ridiculously misleading and intellectually insulting, not to mention just generally grotesque.[/QUOTE]

Let me help you out, I'll put the analogy side by side to the source.

Faisal: I wouldn't say that the United States deserved what happened, but united states policies were an accessory to the crime that happened.

I'm not saying the rapist had it coming, but if she hadn't dressed like a slut...

 

[SpecialKO]

No, I heard you the first time.

Pretending that the US bears no responsibility for the fall-out of its foreign policy reveals a staggering level of ignorance and two-faced morality. Comparing the consequences of those policies to a girl dressing up nice is grotesque because it perpetuates the ridiculous idea that in a world where the US possesses the majority of wealth, culture, media, economy, and a relatively expansive view of the application of military and political might, and we leave an indelible print on the behaviors and politics of every other world government, we are victims of circumstance.

EDIT: Also, the other stupid thing about your logic is that it automatically assumes that in geopolitical conflict, someone is always blameless. Someone should ask the Israeli government, Fatah, and Hamas how that's working out for them.

 

[GasBandit]

We learned the obvious over the weekend: The recession was deeper than the government originally thought. The economy actually shrank last year by 2.6%, which is the steepest drop since 1946. Revisions in the GDP now show that that there was zero growth in GDP.

Another stimulus? The Local Jobs for America Act is $100 billion of taxpayer money to "create and save" a million public and private jobs in communities this year.

The country faces a huge deficit not because Bush cut taxes but because Obama has made permanent much of the stimulus spending that was supposed to be temporary to combat the recession.

A recovery that should be accelerating after the long and deep recession has instead downshifted into slower growth. You can thank the anti-business vibe emanating from Washington and our Community Organizer.

From the Cato Institute: Like the swallows returning to Capistrano, the Congressional Budget Office follows a predictable pattern of endorsing policies that result in bigger government.

With the elections less than 100 days away, here are the 10 telling signs that blaming bad times on Bush is not a winning strategy.

Ed Schultz believes that if we continue to follow Republicans, we will end up in soup lines in two years. He also says that a higher tax rate for the evil rich is not a tax increase.

You think that public opinion of Congress is low now .. wait until Charlie Rangel gets in the hot seat. Oh and our favorite Maxine Waters.

On the one hand, Obama talks about improving education for children "born into the wrong neighborhood," but then he puts an end to programs like the DC voucher program.

Fun times in the house of representatives!

Raul Castro: This whole Communism thing? Eh, maybe not so much.

Mom, Dad, summer camp is going great. I'm now a weapons expert and ready to kill evil infidels.

 

[AshburnerX]

Mom, Dad, summer camp is going great. I'm now a weapons expert and ready to kill evil infidels.

Now THAT is creepy... and at the same time, I wonder why Xi isn't doing something similar in the US? It would be a huge hit with the NRA and Gun Lobbies.

 

[GasBandit]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[Krisken]

With the elections less than 100 days away, here are the 10 telling signs that blaming bad times on Bush is not a winning strategy.

What do you expect Democrats to do? Point out that Republicans in the House blocked health care benefits for 9/11 workers who were adversely affected? That would just be crazy and effective!

Keep in mind, Bush is delaying the release of his memoirs so he[urlhttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/08/05/2010-08-05_expresident_george_w_bush_delays_launch_of_memoir_decision_points_until_after_mi.html] doesn't adversely affect the midterm elections coming up.[/url] I'm sure you are right though, Gas. People couldn't still think Bush was a shit poor president.

 

[GasBandit]

The all-powerful "independent/swing" voter bloc is tired of it. I know that for die hard supporters like you it will never get old, but among the weathervanes, a serious case of buyer's remorse has set in, and no matter how bad a president Bush was (and he WAS bad), grumbling dissatisfaction is hurting the number for incumbent democrats very badly because they've held the legislature for 4 years, been as good as filibuster-proof for 2, and elected their messiah in 08, and things have done nothing but gotten worse while the lies multiply and the bucks keep getting passed.

Historically speaking, even in relatively calm times midterms usually give control of the legislature to whichever party didn't win the presidency. This one's shaping up to be a real doozy. If Democrats want to minimize their losses, they... well, it's actually more than likely too late. But I guess there's still time for an "october surprise."

 

[Krisken]

Gas, I only care if they blame Bush for stuff he did do. If they blame him for something he didn't, I would be happy to speak up. I don't expect you to understand the difference.

 

[Dave]

I think the biggest problem is twofold:

1. There's no way Obama could have lived up to the raised expectations pre-election.
2. The Republicans are GREAT at fear-mongering and spinning the truth into something bad.

Oh. Yeah. I forgot.

1. (This should be 3 but the auto numbering...) The Democrats tried to please everyone and ended up just doing nothing.
2. Even though things are moving they are moving too slow for most Americans, even though this movement is impossible in the expected timeline.
3. Democrats got arrogant and it showed. And it pissed people off.
4. Bad things Bush did (TARP, etc) got attributed to Obama. But only the bad things. The good things Bush did (the Iraq buildup, etc) did not.
5. ALL ISSUES - no matter what they are - are split almost 100% down party lines. Our "representatives" have stopped giving a shit about what is good for the people and are instead only caring how these things look for their party and their own power. If the Democrats found a cure for cancer the Republicans would be against it.

 

[Krisken]

I think you've got it exactly right, Dave.

 

[SpecialKO]

No, no, the Republicans would just block further funding of the cure on the basis that, "only the free market could properly produce and distribute this cure to everyone in a timely and cost-efficient manner", and then after the Democrats cave to this "logic", when the free market versions are shown to be ineffective, or have awful side-effects, due to private companies cutting their production costs in order to improve their bottom line to their investors (which includes the families of many Republican politicians), Republicans will blame the Dems for "forcing companies to cut corners to counter-balance the opportunity cost of those pesky regulations".

And the Dems will sit there and take it.

 

[GasBandit]

And the Dems will sit there and take it.

Like I said, they had a filibuster-proof majority (And really, they still do since republicans in maine are de facto democrats), and still managed to goof up.

In 2006, republicans suffered a major defeat that was largely their own fault. It wasn't that the democrats were so great, it was that the electorate was so utterly sick of the behavior of the republicans. This is the same thing that's about to happen the other way. It's not that republicans are so great, or have even learned the lesson of 2006 - it's just right now, they're in charge and they've dropped the ball so. damn. hard.

 

[SpecialKO]

[It's not that republicans are so great, or have even learned the lesson of 2006

In a way, I think this is the major problem for both sides in Congress, at least as far as groupthink/action is concerned. Both sides are acting like it's still in the lead-up to 1996, and the country is in a good, stable spot, and the only thing worth doing in Congress is playing for political points with the hometeam.

I despise a lot of what GWB got us involved in, and I think history is going to rightfully treat him poorly, but it's undeniable that Congress, whether as crony-istic enablers or self-interested spoilers, has not provided an honest counter-point to the executive branch, as it should have, since GWB's first term up until today.

Debatably, they began this with Clinton, term 2, but after 9/11 and the dot-com bust, it became critical that they step up, but didn't.

 

[crono1224]

The problem is that people viewed the repubs as not giving a shit what the people wanted and just doing what they wanted. The dems however are in an attempt to please every single person that nothing will ever get passed with real substance.

 

[GasBandit]

Well, I thought I'd take it easy and just post that one humorous video for today's update, but it looks like people are in the mood to wrassle, so here's my REAL update for the day I guess!

For the first time, a majority (50.1%) of Americans disapprove of PrezBo's job performance in the Realclearpolitics.com poll average.

An important question from Victor Davis Hanson ... for years, several American cities have declared themselves sanctuary cities .. So why does Washington sue a state that seeks to enhance federal immigration laws and yet ignore cities that blatantly try to erode them?

Typical mentality of a politician who believes that they know best. Missouri Senator Clair McCaskill says she got the message on Missouri's vote on Prop C, but people "don't realize" how beneficial the "mandate" for health care will be.

Did you know that the Senate yesterday had the chance to extend the Bush tax cuts for individuals and small businesses and none of the Democrats voted for it?

The UN is still trying to come up with new taxes as a way to pay for a climate change fund.

Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle (running against Harry Reid) says she wants to stop Democrats in Washington who want to expand entitlement programs and "make government our God."

Things are getting ugly as Democrats are now being accused of tampering with tea party candidates.

John Kerry is very concerned about jobs ... for Muslims from other countries.

Tell me you are not surprised that government officials in Oregon shut down a little girl's lemonade stand because she was operating without a license.

How much does it cost the government to provide broadband service to 850 rural customers? Try $5,525 per customer.

Do you remember the case of little Adolf Hitler Campbell and the birthday cake? A court has ruled that the parents should not regain custody of him or his siblings.

A carnival in Allentown, PA had a booth where people threw darts at an effigy of Obama to win prizes.

City council members who have never been on an on-line message board say they can no longer tolerate the sarcasm from citizens at community meetings.

Man, I wish I could take 8 vacations in 2 years. But I have to hold down a job, I guess.

Obama recommends Congress restore the rank of Vietnam War general who was fired and demoted for carrying out the orders Nixon secretly gave him.

British doctors who quit working for the NHS are forced to sign gag orders despite legislation protecting whistleblowers. But don't worry; that could never happen here.

 

[Krisken]

Obama recommends Congress restore the rank of Vietnam War general who was fired and demoted for carrying out the orders Nixon secretly gave him.

Fucking A. I agree with this a hell of a lot. The guy did what he was told and then became a scapegoat for it.

 

[GasBandit]

Despite the high unemployment rate, this article says that some firms are having a hard time finding qualified workers. What's going on here?

In Washington State, it cost $410,152.74 to "create or save" one stimulus job. That's our government! I hope you aren't at all surprised.

Two former Treasury secretaries say that we need to overhaul the tax code and work on deficit reduction measures, rather than implement more stimulus plans.

Here's a great column, which pretty much sums it up: Robbing 'rich' wrecks economy.

This is a prime example of how politicians manage to spin any facts to support what they want you to believe. Here's the truth about the latest Medicare analysis.

The national debt may not be a "sexy" issue, but it sure has people's attention.

Are Republicans running the risk of campaigning without an agenda?

Here's a "duhh" statement for the day .. Changes to Social Security must be made -- and the sooner the better.

Here's your outrage for the day. Up to 24 retired NYPD cops being investigated for faking mental illness to add Social Security benefits to their juicy incomes -- even as they declared themselves sane enough to pack a pistol.

Bend over! Freddie Mac is requesting $1.8 billion more in federal help after a larger second-quarter loss.

'Recovery Summer' vs. 'Mission Accomplished': Will MSM Immortalize Obama's Laughable Proclamations?

Ted Stevens' plane may have been piloted by series of noobs. Too bad he couldn't have taken the big truck.

San Francisco's local government is dabbling in capitalist economics - by trying out parking meters that adjust their rate based on supply and demand. And yes, they accept credit cards.

Oil guru who warned that peak oil is fast approaching found dead in his hot tub. Tin foil futures up 73% today.

Rand Paul says he's not a libertarian.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia "tripped and fell" while leaving Italian restaurant, according to witness Fat Tony.

 

[Dave]

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia "tripped and fell" while leaving Italian restaurant, according to witness Fat Tony.

Stolen directly from Fark, you hack.

 

[GasBandit]

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia "tripped and fell" while leaving Italian restaurant, according to witness Fat Tony.

Stolen directly from Fark, you hack.[/QUOTE]

Dave, it's taken you HOW many years to realize that the vast, vast majority of the time, I don't author my own headlines? I know YOU just discovered Fark recently and are excitedly engaging in no doubt what you consider to be a robust test of humor trying to get articles greenlighted, but the rest of us have been forwarding links found on fark for half a decade or so now. You old fart.

 

[Dave]

Dude, I've been on Fark for years. I used to be a TFer.

But even though a lot of the links are from there, rarely does one rip the headline verbatim. I suppose now when I see your updates I need to go to Fark to check it out, huh? Hack!

---------- Post added at 02:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:25 PM ----------

By way of proof:

Login:  Edrondol  (UltraFark)    
Fark account number:  204289    
Account created:  2005-01-04 08:30:31    
Submitted links approved:  8

 

[GasBandit]

Yeah yeah, I used to be a TFer too, for about a month or two. I even won a photoshop contest.

So yes, you're going to have to go cross-check ALL MY LINKS against fark.

Or you could, you know, just enjoy the content and, like everybody else here, not care how I got it to you.

 

[AshburnerX]

Dave... WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT ULTRA FARK!

Despite the high unemployment rate, this article says that some firms are having a hard time finding qualified workers. What's going on here?

Middle Class people want Middle Class jobs that use their Middle Class Skill set? Big shocker.

 

[GasBandit]

Dave... WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT ULTRA FARK!

Despite the high unemployment rate, this article says that some firms are having a hard time finding qualified workers. What's going on here?

Middle Class people want Middle Class jobs that use their Middle Class Skill set? Big shocker.

And thanks to perpetual extensions of jobless benefits, they can keep on waiting until people need more middle managers again, and not have to stoop to taking that job as a machinist.

 

[Krisken]

Dave... WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT ULTRA FARK!

Despite the high unemployment rate, this article says that some firms are having a hard time finding qualified workers. What's going on here?

Middle Class people want Middle Class jobs that use their Middle Class Skill set? Big shocker.

And thanks to perpetual extensions of jobless benefits, they can keep on waiting until people need more middle managers again, and not have to stoop to taking that job as a machinist.[/QUOTE]
The machinst job is gone too. When the management guy is gone, so is the little guy. And there are a hell of a lot more gone from the machine job than the management job, I guarantee. This is from personal experience, not some crackpot political hack.

Unemployment isn't the cause of people not having jobs. It's asinine to even make that connection.

 

[GasBandit]

Dave... WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT ULTRA FARK!

Despite the high unemployment rate, this article says that some firms are having a hard time finding qualified workers. What's going on here?

Middle Class people want Middle Class jobs that use their Middle Class Skill set? Big shocker.

And thanks to perpetual extensions of jobless benefits, they can keep on waiting until people need more middle managers again, and not have to stoop to taking that job as a machinist.[/QUOTE]
The machinst job is gone too. When the management guy is gone, so is the little guy. And there are a hell of a lot more gone from the machine job than the management job, I guarantee. This is from personal experience, not some crackpot political hack.[/QUOTE]

I was using the exact job being used as an example in the article. They can't find people to fill their machinist jobs. In fact, they profiled one guy who started training for it and then quit because he found factory work to be "too confining." Maybe it will feel less confining once joblessness-induced-hunger has helped him lose 20 pounds.