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

[GasBandit]

Softening the soft language even softer - Before, you couldn't call them "fat," they were "obese." Now even "obese" hurts too many feelings. (4th story down)

So much for renovating your home in Tulsa.

High Fructose Corn Syrup To Be Illegal in New York?

Why Brazil's Cotton Farmers Get Subsidies from the U.S.

More 18 year olds getting busted for making out with youngin's.

Man Almost Jailed Over A Penny

Red Tape Rising: Regulation in the Obama Era

Who will Charlie Crist choose: Government employee unions or Florida's school children? He chose the government employee unions.

Your tax dollars at work: Last year alone, the State Department sent taxpayers tabs totaling nearly $300,000 for alcoholic beverages. That's about twice as much compared to the previous year.

The Washington Examiner proclaims that Libertarian sentiment has finally gone mainstream. Look, nobody would be happier about that than me, but I have a hard time believing it. Watch, this November, people will be saying voting Libertarian is just voting Democrat, because "only the Republicans can win." So long as that continues, we're still doomed.

Looks like some of the Bush tax cuts may be extended ... except for those earning over $200,000 a year.

George Will believes that conservatives should rethink their rhetoric about "judicial activism."

New York City has decided to close its asinine "Rubber Rooms" for government school teachers.

Should troops be allowed to criticize President Barack Obama's policies while serving in the military? Take a look at what happened to Sgt. Gary Stein.

 

[Krisken]

Here's a couple that were missed-

Goldman Sachs charged with securities fraud, while at the same time the GOP unites to try to stop the debate on Wall Street Reform.

 

[SpecialKO]

New York City has decided to close its asinine \"Rubber Rooms\" for government school teachers. .

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[GasBandit]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned top White House officials that the United States does not have an effective long-range policy for dealing with Iran's steady progress toward nuclear capability.

Well, that's a bit of a relief. The Senate doesn't like the idea of a value-added tax.

Timothy Geithner says the economy is growing faster than the Obama administration expected. Unclear which nation's economy he's talking about...

The state of New Jersey has learned its lesson the hard way ... 'If you tax them, they will leave.'

Iran and North Korea are no longer referred to as "rogue states." Under the Obama administration they will be referred to as "outliers."

This is what happens when government "creates" jobs in an industry with little to no demand.

Expect this trend to spread nation-wide thanks to Obamacare: New York Offers Costly Lessons on Insurance.

Rep. Heath Shuler is denying a report that he heard racial slurs yelled from a crowd of angry health care protesters on the day the House passed Obamacare.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling has introduced legislation to repeal the Community Reinvestment Act, which many would argue contributed to the latest collapse of the housing industry.

Teachers unions ... always want what is best for your children. Or not.

Massachusetts health insurers are starting to sell policies that prohibit consumers from receiving medical care at popular but expensive hospitals.

A city in Texas has decided to bring back its paddling policy to punish students.

Which president owes $300,000 in late fees to the library?

Fox News found out the Cincinnati tea party's organizers were charging for admission, so they canceled Sean Hannity's appearance there.

It used to be that protest was the new patriotism. But now that the Democrats are back in control, it's just plain old sedition.

 

[AshburnerX]

It used to be that protest was the new patriotism. But now that the Democrats are back in control, it's just plain old sedition.

Don't even pretend that this is something new or that one of the sides started it. No matter which party is in power, there will always be groups that call out for revolution so that they can have things the way they want. You'd be naive to expect otherwise.

 

[GasBandit]

It used to be that protest was the new patriotism. But now that the Democrats are back in control, it's just plain old sedition.

Don't even pretend that this is something new or that one of the sides started it. No matter which party is in power, there will always be groups that call out for revolution so that they can have things the way they want. You'd be naive to expect otherwise.

You're right, all those conservatives marching on Washington during the Clinton era, and all those widely publicized and mocked protests during the first Bush's administration were... uh... hrm.

Well, at least all the pundits publically begging for the assassination of Dubya were properly called to task by the media when... hrm.

 

[Krisken]

It used to be that protest was the new patriotism. But now that the Democrats are back in control, it's just plain old sedition.

Don't even pretend that this is something new or that one of the sides started it. No matter which party is in power, there will always be groups that call out for revolution so that they can have things the way they want. You'd be naive to expect otherwise.

You're right, all those conservatives marching on Washington during the Clinton era, and all those widely publicized and mocked protests during the first Bush's administration were... uh... hrm.

Well, at least all the pundits publically begging for the assassination of Dubya were properly called to task by the media when... hrm.[/QUOTE]
"All those pundits" who? Do you have sources for this?

 

[DarkAudit]

Links or you're just lying.

 

[GasBandit]

I was remembering incorrectly... Bill Maher was advocating the assassination of Cheney, not Bush.

But here's some pictures...

Kill Bush: the video game

Kentucky Governor Steve Bashear (D) edit - link died - new link

And the whole movie, "Death of a President?"

Rage Against the Machine at some music festival talked about on stage how the entire Bush administration " should be hung and tried and shot, as any war criminal should be?"

Sarah Vowell’s best-selling murder travelogue of assassinated Republican presidents, Assassination Vacation?

Nicholson Baker’s Checkpoint, a novella conversation between two people about the advisability of assassinating Bush?


Nice selective memory there, Darkaudit.

 

[Krisken]

That there is some weak sauce. Rage Against the Machine, Sarah Vowell (an author), and a movie.

As Ashburner said, it happens on both sides like this. You're being naive.

 

[DarkAudit]

No selective memory here. You *were* just lying.

 

[Dave]

Wasn't the game developed by Muslims? Non-American Muslims? And wasn't it widely panned?

As to the rest...the books, songs & stuff aren't really good references. The pictures shown do show that there are idiots on the left. That was never in doubt, just as it's not in doubt that there are idiots on the right, the center, the left-center, the right-center, the right-right-center...

But what you are not showing is the reactions to these things. I distinctly remember people being lambasted in the press for this very sort of thing - then and now. It will be interesting to see the statistics on how many death threats the secret service investigated during the Bush years and the Obama years. I'd wager I know the outcome.

 

[Krisken]

Wasn't the game developed by Muslims? Non-American Muslims? And wasn't it widely panned?

As to the rest...the books, songs & stuff aren't really good references. The pictures shown do show that there are idiots on the left. That was never in doubt, just as it's not in doubt that there are idiots on the right, the center, the left-center, the right-center, the right-right-center...

But what you are not showing is the reactions to these things. I distinctly remember people being lambasted in the press for this very sort of thing - then and now. It will be interesting to see the statistics on how many death threats the secret service investigated during the Bush years and the Obama years. I'd wager I know the outcome.

Exactly. I'm not going to make guesses on who has more death threats, but I will say there are nut bags on all sides who say stupid shit. And, as Dave said, they got called out for it by both the right and the left, not to mention everyone in between.

 

[GasBandit]

Just to hoist you by your own pitard, let's have some links of this alleged universal panning. Oh, especially of the ones you pretended I didn't post, like Bill Maher and the governor of Kentucky.


Oh, I just remembered, and so I have to correct myself... I had forgotten about the hit rap single put out in 1992 called "Bush Killa." There, it has happened before in living memory. Guess you guys showed me. Oh wait... you didn't do squat. And I like how you guys didn't even contest the other portions of what I'd said in post #930.

 

[Espy]

I don't know about pundits, since I generally ignore them, I do know I hear as much vitriol and frankly terrifying talk coming from the right during Obama's presidency as there was from the left during Bush's and the hypocrisy of it kills me. For every Bush is hitler/nazi I hear the same about Obama and I hear the same deafening silence from both sides about what their own people are saying. There is no discussion anymore, it's all vitriol and hyperbole. Maybe it's always been that way, I dunno, it's really demoralizing though.

 

[Krisken]

Mahar, as you admitted, didn't say Bush should be assassinated, and he's the only one in your list that can be considered, though barely, a pundit. You're tainting your information with bias Gas. If you want to be taken seriously, or even to have one of those arguments you crave so dearly, you should at least have a grain of truth in your rambling.

 

[GasBandit]

Mahar, as you admitted, didn't say Bush should be assassinated, and he's the only one in your list that can be considered, though barely, a pundit. You're tainting your information with bias Gas. If you want to be taken seriously, or even to have one of those arguments you crave so dearly, you should at least have a grain of truth in your rambling.

I guess we have a different definition of pundit then. I consider anybody who advances a political opinion via the mass media grounded in their own supposed knowledge and expertise. To me, there are lots of pundits, but only numerous professional pundits. I'm guessing you don't think they count if they have a day job other than punditry.

 

[Steven Soderburgin]

I have a day job other than PUNditry yuk yuk yuk

 

[GasBandit]

I have a day job other than PUNditry yuk yuk yuk

Dear god, I would hope so.

/facepalm

 

[Krisken]

Mahar, as you admitted, didn't say Bush should be assassinated, and he's the only one in your list that can be considered, though barely, a pundit. You're tainting your information with bias Gas. If you want to be taken seriously, or even to have one of those arguments you crave so dearly, you should at least have a grain of truth in your rambling.

I guess we have a different definition of pundit then. I consider anybody who advances a political opinion via the mass media grounded in their own supposed knowledge and expertise. To me, there are lots of pundits, but only numerous professional pundits. I'm guessing you don't think they count if they have a day job other than punditry.[/QUOTE]

I guess I'm a traditional kind of guy. I go by the definitions offered by generally everyone on what a pundit is.

Sunday morning political shows and talk radio programs often feature at least one guest referred to as a pundit. This is an informal title for a recognized expert in a particular arena such as sports, politics or entertainment, especially one who is not afraid to be very outspoken or opinionated. A pundit often acts as a biased but informed critic of a particular political party or sports team or entertainer. A [URL="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-commentator-do.htm"]commentator such as comedian Bill Maher or Chris Matthews may be called a political pundit, while a sportscaster such as Bob Costas would be considered a sports pundit.[/url]

In the English-speaking West, pundits write signed articles in print media ([URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blurbs"]blurbs included), and appear on radio, television, or the internet with opinions on current events. Television pundits may also be referred to as talking heads. In a BBC television interview following the murder of John Lennon, former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson insisted that in selecting the Beatles for OBEs, he was acting on his belief that the pop group was doing something new that 'the pundits' (by which he presumably meant people such as newspaper music critics) had not recognised. This derogatory use of the word is an indication of the low esteem in which commentators (particularly cultural commentators) are held in Britain (particularly by politicians).[/url]

So take that as you will.

 

[Covar]

So if Glen Beck advocated the assassination of Joe Biden that would be ok? Because that's what I've gotten from Krisken.

 

[Espy]

Here's a couple that were missed-

Goldman Sachs charged with securities fraud, while at the same time the GOP unites to try to stop the debate on Wall Street Reform.

I hope they rung GS through the grinder. They give a crap ton of money to politicians though... i wonder if the people they give to should return all that dirty money?

 

[GasBandit]

A really interesting look at libertarians (small L), independents, and Tea Parties by the Cato Institute. Never thought I'd hear libertarianism be called centrist, but... it does make an interesting read.

The White House is caught cooking the books when it comes to stimulus employment numbers.

Joe Biden says that he is absolutely determined to see a revitalization of the labor movement.

Top GOP officials in DC now believe it is a "virtual certainty" that Charlie Crist will bolt the GOP and run instead as an independent.

A city in Florida wants to disqualify for employment anyone who admits they are a smoker.

You may find this amusing ... Congress may get fined by its own healthcare law.

This is a long one, but worth the read: How public-sector unions broke California.

Because of healthcare reform, we now have more doctors running for Congress than ever before.

Where are all the people now who screamed about how much Bush played golf?

Brussels has declared vacation time to be a human right.

 

[Espy]

Where are all the people now who screamed about how much Bush played golf?

Wow, I remember that. I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. But I mean, it's not like they are gonna criticize their guy...

 

[Krisken]

Here's a couple that were missed-

Goldman Sachs charged with securities fraud, while at the same time the GOP unites to try to stop the debate on Wall Street Reform.

I hope they rung GS through the grinder. They give a crap ton of money to politicians though... i wonder if the people they give to should return all that dirty money?[/QUOTE]
Well, the Republicans on the securities exchange committee voted charging them with fraud

Edit: Dear god, that was a bad typo. They voted AGAINST charging them with fraud

 

[Covar]

You may find this amusing ... Congress may get fined by its own healthcare law.

That's just hilarious.

 

[Krisken]

Where are all the people now who screamed about how much Bush played golf?

Wow, I remember that. I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. But I mean, it's not like they are gonna criticize their guy...[/QUOTE]
That is silly. I know they tried to say it was because he promised to give up golf for some reason or another, but really, who cares?

My complaint early on was the amount of vacation days he took in his first term.

 

[SpecialKO]

Brussels has declared vacation time to be a human right.

Oh, dear god.

If the Times article is on level, this way be one of the stupidest things I've heard the EU propose in a long time.

They could reduce airport tariffs, but no....

 

[GasBandit]

Here's a couple that were missed-

Goldman Sachs charged with securities fraud, while at the same time the GOP unites to try to stop the debate on Wall Street Reform.

I hope they rung GS through the grinder. They give a crap ton of money to politicians though... i wonder if the people they give to should return all that dirty money?[/QUOTE]
Well, the Republicans on the securities exchange committee voted charging them with fraud[/QUOTE]

Normally I'd not be one to stick up for GS, but it seems to me that there's something rotten going on here. As I understand it, they're basically being taken to task for hiring an outside contractor to help work their mortgage-backed securities, who himself bet AGAINST real-estate in his personal investing.. thus making himself roughly a billion by selling short, and losing GS 90 billion. So basically it sounds to me like GS got boned from the outside here. Then, on top of that, usually when the SEC brings an action against a company there is plenty of warning and an opportunity to reach a settlement as to how to resolve the problem and any fines that might be played. Oddly - and nobody can remember where this has happened before --- the SEC wouldn't even return Goldman Sachs calls in the days leading up to the lawsuit. This is pretty much unprecedented, as is the nature of this particular SEC action. There really is no record of an action like this taken by the SEC before.

Did the SEC pop this lawsuit on Goldman Sachs last week to bolster Obama's calls for new financial regulations? Was this lawsuit thrown out there to give Obama the talking point he needs to sell his new regulatory scheme? Usually actions like this are settled before a lawsuit is filed, but in this case the SEC wouldn't even return calls from Goldman Sachs. Maybe someone was telling them to get this thing done .. and get it done NOW ... so that Obama can have his talking point for regulatory reform.

 

[Krisken]

Here's a couple that were missed-

Goldman Sachs charged with securities fraud, while at the same time the GOP unites to try to stop the debate on Wall Street Reform.

I hope they rung GS through the grinder. They give a crap ton of money to politicians though... i wonder if the people they give to should return all that dirty money?[/QUOTE]
Well, the Republicans on the securities exchange committee voted charging them with fraud[/QUOTE]

Normally I'd not be one to stick up for GS, but it seems to me that there's something rotten going on here. As I understand it, they're basically being taken to task for hiring an outside contractor to help work their mortgage-backed securities, who himself bet AGAINST real-estate in his personal investing.. thus making himself roughly a billion by selling short, and losing GS 90 billion. So basically it sounds to me like GS got boned from the outside here. Then, on top of that, usually when the SEC brings an action against a company there is plenty of warning and an opportunity to reach a settlement as to how to resolve the problem and any fines that might be played. Oddly - and nobody can remember where this has happened before --- the SEC wouldn't even return Goldman Sachs calls in the days leading up to the lawsuit. This is pretty much unprecedented, as is the nature of this particular SEC action. There really is no record of an action like this taken by the SEC before.

Did the SEC pop this lawsuit on Goldman Sachs last week to bolster Obama's calls for new financial regulations? Was this lawsuit thrown out there to give Obama the talking point he needs to sell his new regulatory scheme? Usually actions like this are settled before a lawsuit is filed, but in this case the SEC wouldn't even return calls from Goldman Sachs. Maybe someone was telling them to get this thing done .. and get it done NOW ... so that Obama can have his talking point for regulatory reform.[/QUOTE]
So you're going with conspiracy. What a shock.

 

[GasBandit]

So you're going with conspiracy. What a shock.

I don't know that you can really call it conspiracy. More like more of the du jour government manipulation to push an agenda we've all just come to expect. After all, when government recently exploited a financial emergency they themselves pretty much caused, using it as an excuse to further increase government power, that's not really "conspiracy" either.

 

[Krisken]

So you're going with conspiracy. What a shock.

I don't know that you can really call it conspiracy. More like more of the du jour government manipulation to push an agenda we've all just come to expect. After all, when government recently exploited a financial emergency they themselves pretty much caused, using it as an excuse to further increase government power, that's not really "conspiracy" either.[/QUOTE]
Um...

Conspiracy (civil), an agreement between persons to deceive, mislead, or defraud others of their legal rights, or to gain an unfair advantage

Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.

 

[GasBandit]

So you're going with conspiracy. What a shock.

I don't know that you can really call it conspiracy. More like more of the du jour government manipulation to push an agenda we've all just come to expect. After all, when government recently exploited a financial emergency they themselves pretty much caused, using it as an excuse to further increase government power, that's not really "conspiracy" either.[/QUOTE]
Um...

Conspiracy (civil), an agreement between persons to deceive, mislead, or defraud others of their legal rights, or to gain an unfair advantage

Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, by that definition, every single group of persons with the same goal is a conspiracy.

 

[Krisken]

What, you mean by the official definition of the word?

Main Entry: con·spir·a·cy
Pronunciation: \kən-ˈspir-ə-sē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural con·spir·a·cies
Etymology: Middle English conspiracie, from Latin conspirare
Date: 14th century
1 : the act of conspiring together
2 a : an agreement among conspirators b : a group of conspirators
synonyms see plot

But we could use your definition just because you want to.

 

[GasBandit]

What, you mean by the official definition of the word?

Main Entry: con·spir·a·cy
Pronunciation: \kən-ˈspir-ə-sē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural con·spir·a·cies
Etymology: Middle English conspiracie, from Latin conspirare
Date: 14th century
1 : the act of conspiring together
2 a : an agreement among conspirators b : a group of conspirators
synonyms see plot

But we could use your definition just because you want to.

There's "conspiring" and then there's "conspiracy." One is just a few people working toward a goal, and fits the dictionary. But that's not what you were inferring. You were inferring "Conspiracy Theory," IE, trying to conjure up the image of tinfoil hats, digging through garbage, masonic rituals, fiendish fluoridators and otherwise dismiss an otherwise valid question as being based on paranoid insanity.