US POLITICS SPRING 2011: Let's just call off this country.

it's only for real playaz

that's why I use it man - QuickTime? what kind of RealPlayer would be caught calling himself QuickTime, c'mon

Having dealt forcefully with a Muslim terrorist and a blowhard Trump, Obama might hopefully be emboldened to deal forcefully without negotiation with Republican economic terrorists on debt limits and regressive/recession-extending budgets commenter on Washington Monthly

I would not count on this

I was going to make the same suggestion. I'll let him know when I call him tonight.

time to spend that political capital that Dubya held so dear

But the capture and killing of bin Laden ... does two things instantly: it tells us that an American named Barack Hussein Obama ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. A man who symbolizes an integrative, tolerant, multicultural future defeated the symbol of a twisted, dark, fundamentalist past. A man who represents the human continuum of the developing and developed worlds defeated a man who seeks only one world and Shariah rule over all of it. And it also tells those who have been bombarded with lies and rumors and disgusting smears that this president, whatever they have been told, is no weakling, no terror-lover, no alien. He is as American as every new passport holder and every ancient Southern or Yankee family.

ugh jesus when somethin gets the shine back for sully he really gets purple

killing just gets him hard, pretty commonplace

He is as American as every new passport holder

having a passport isn't very American!

i have a passport holder manufactured from chinese pleather, not very american. fwiw

Juan Cole apparently will no longer read him.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/05/03/hitting-unsubscribe/

i think you mean john cole; but thats not john cole, thats one of the other bloggers

I can stomach wrongheaded analysis, different political views, bad musical taste and a whole host of other annoyances if the blog I’m reading at least gets the facts right.

what the fuck!! pet shop boys >>>> whatever sub-merge youtubes the klein/yglesias crew are always throwing up

the guy is ridiculous tho, i quit reading him a while ago myself *crosses arms*

hey it's just a little counting crows between friends. let's be cool.

You only tell me you love me when you're drunk.

i think you mean john cole; but thats not john cole, thats one of the other bloggers

― ban drake (the rapper) (max), Tuesday, May 3, 2011 4:59 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

where is Alfred's speedy correction

*unfollows*

with no regrets, and a palpable sense of relie

f

max speedily corrected me, lambchop.

where is your speedy apology

I apologize, Speedy.

lol

has everybody called his or her representative and expressed your feelings in re: HR3? Please do. If hunting down your rep's name and number is a hassle just tell me where you are and I will get the number for you, but please give them a call. Here is what HR3 is about, per Planned Parenthood, who oppose it, but this is an accurate description of the bill.

The Smith bill, or H.R. 3, was introduced in Congress by U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), and represents an unprecedented attempt to take away comprehensive private health insurance coverage from American women by imposing new taxes on small businesses and individuals.

The bill makes excessive restrictions on individuals who pay for their own health insurance coverage by drastically altering the tax code. It states that individuals who purchase insurance in the new health exchanges cannot receive federal tax credits if they choose a plan that provides coverage for abortion (except in the limited cases of incest, rape, and when the pregnant woman’s life is in danger) — even though they are also using their own private dollars in part to buy insurance coverage.

As a result, a woman who has to terminate a pregnancy because of serious medical complications could face bankruptcy, as the costs for an abortion in complicated cases can cost more than $10,000.

Man, it's not funny, but it does remind me about this hilarious bit:

http://www.theonion.com/video/new-law-requires-women-to-name-baby-paint-nursery,14393/

it's kind of the inverse of the 'actual headlines you can't believe aren't onion articles" thing

Man, it's not funny, but it does remind me about this hilarious bit:

http://www.theonion.com/video/new-law-requires-women-to-name-baby-paint-nursery,14393/

the Texas bill that passed its second hearing yesterday requires that the ultrasound tech describe the fetus to the woman if she closes her eyes to the u/s

please, please, please do everything you can to stop these nightmare bills from passing.

That. is. amazing. This IS Clockwork Orange.

I should be clear. The bill had language that required the patient to actually look at the ultrasound. They knew that wasn't workable, so they wrote in a part about how the u/s tech is required to describe the fetus. The patient has to listen to this whether they choose to look at the ultrasound or not. These are some of the most shameful laws being passed and everyone who cherishes their right to privacy, their right to determine the course of their own medical care, and general human decency should be opposing these bills loudly and visibly.

aero, I'm looking at www.house.gov/ directory business but there are like 20 reps for NY state. How do I know which one(s) to write to?

you have to figure out which district you live in and write the one that represents it

then write all the other ones

Looking up congressional districts now....

enter your zip code here and they will get to you to a page with a pre-written letter to your rep which you can amend as you see fit, then click through for electronic signature on the next page. I am told that phone calls remain the most effective. I do both.

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6713/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6678

Found it! Dist 11. Yvette Clarke, yay.

aero - do you have a link re: the ultrasound technician thing?

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2011/05/03/texas-senate-passes-mandatory-ultrasound-bill

Thanks! I'm trying to convey this info to my wife and some others, helps to have links to go along with my angry ramblings.

I send the form letter and added: "This bill was abhorrent when it was proposed in January as a vehicle to introduce the term "forcible rape," a contemptible effort to take from women even the *right* to consider themselves sexually assaulted, and even with that language withdrawn it is wholly abhorrent now.

Please bring your influence to bear on this issue out of the many you consider -- women are losing ground nearly every day, losing critical rights of agency and self-determination in matters of our own human development and physical and mental health."

Hmm. My street's not showing up.

I get a little over-blown when I'm upset.

i've never called my rep before - do you usually speak to them directly? or to an aide?

It depends on who you call - when you call a state rep you will sometimes be sent straight through, but usually it's an aide. but you should consider the aide your best shot at conveying your message - it's what they do. you can also request a response sometimes.

btw Laurel that is great work!!

for those feeling particularly worried obama has indicated that he will veto HR3 if it managed to pass the senate (which it wouldnt): http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/as-abortion-bill-nears-house-vote-white-house-threatens-veto.php

I can't imagine Obama signing it but I don't blame anyone for their skepticism

Yvette Clarke, yay.

You obv don't know her very well...

(She's a lockstep NY nepotism pol -- succeeded her mother -- but I don't think you have any worries on this issue)

lol, it's not going to pass

still worth putting your reps' feet to the fire though. i've got a great rep but i send him stuff like this occasionally, just as reinforcement. probably doesn't do anything

yeah I was just about to link that! it is FANTASTIC to hear the White House willing to say "this won't get past the President's desk" - that kind of pushback is necessary. Would be great if the Justice Dept would take an interest in these unconstitutional violations of patients' rights at the state level too but make no mistake, that TPM piece is really, really good news

in the event that it did make it through the Senate and Obama vetoed it I would straight up donate to his reelection campaign on those grounds alone

within, like, five minutes of the veto

probably doesn't do anything

― estkella (k3vin k.), Tuesday, May 3, 2011 8:04 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

it does, actually. these cats do most of their voting based on *drumroll* the number of constituents who contact their office for/against.