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

re the NJ bill: it still hasn't been voted on in the Assembly for what it's worth. OTOH, the damage has been done.

i gave up on the NJ Dems after i moved to Hudson County and saw them in action. and the folks who tried to "reform" them. there's a reason why the "rank and file" aren't doing anything (NJ Democratic Party is an unappetizing mix of old-timey political bosses [in Hudson, Essex and Camden Cos] and Gabbneb-style "New Democrats" [hello, Bergen and Union Counties]).

well, the rank and file could start a new party like my friend suggested, then.

that always turns out well

i assume the first line here describes the whole of the relationship:

Joe Biden to me
show details 10:20 (0 minutes ago)
Theon --

The President and I have a routine -- we get lunch together almost every Friday.

But all I get is lunch. You could be one of four supporters to have dinner with him soon.

4. Prizes. Four (4) winners will each receive the following prize package (the "Trip"):

* One round-trip coach-class airplane ticket from the major airport closest to the winner's address within the continental United States to a destination within the continental United States to be determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsor ("Destination"), including ground transportation to and from the airport at the Destination. (approximate retail value $700.00)
* One night's stay for winner at a hotel at the Destination on a date to be determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion in a single-occupancy room or room of equivalent value (approximate retail value $275.00);
* Dinner with President Barack Obama at the Destination, on a date to be determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion (approximate retail value $100.00);

Approximate retail value of the entire Trip package: $1,075.00.

Sponsor will choose, in its sole discretion, the airline, hotel, flight dates, flight times, departure city and airport and other Trip logistics and details. Dates of travel are subject to availability. If winner's address is within 100 miles of the Destination, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, provide ground transportation to the Trip hotel or event in lieu of an airplane ticket. Except as expressly set forth in the description of the Trip above, each winner is responsible for his/her ground transportation to and from the airports and hotel, all meals and all other expenses that such winner incurs in connection with the Trip.

oh boo, I wouldn't get to bring anyone with me

There is a chance that insomuch as hipsters are an influential Democratic coalition group, and hipsters begin to engage in urban farming, “the price level” might become more of a thing that Democrats are responsive of in order to meet the needs of urban hipster gardeners.

heh

is urban hipster the new soccer mom

Bruce Bartlett has been terrific of late:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZNa3JcuTK0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/why-wont-obama-draw-hard-lines/2011/03/03/AGwM4peH_blog.html

well, the rank and file could start a new party like my friend suggested, then.

that always turns out well

So you expect the Democrats to get religion someday, or fucking what? They're gone and they ain't coming back.

(Also, Friedman wants a third party in his column today, but it's still our only hope)

Third parties do not work under our legislative system imho. Not sure who you're gonna get to run on this purist liberal ticket and where-- you would need a whole slate to have any influence in Congress. Its fantasy--like the Mets winning the World Series this year.

You gotta start somewhere.

To reiterate for the thousandth time, I believe this country is over. I'm interested in a way for the good people to go down fighting.

there are plenty of countries with improving legal and political and physical institutions, instead of deteriorating ones like ours. plus economies growing in the 5% range instead of a tenth of that. maybe some "reverse immigration" is in order?

x-post to the Post article Goole posted-So Obama won't draw lines because he as the outsider throughout his life he always want to be the compromising bipartisan one, but where does that leave the rest of us?

Morbs with his third party and me foolishly looking at my e-mail from boldprogressives.com urging me to call the White House to urge Obama to make E. Warren a recess appointment (the e-mail notes that they have already gathered "over 350,000 people signing in support of a recess appointment so she can lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On top of that, 89 members of the House and Senators like Al Franken joined have the cause".) Will Obama listen? Doesn't seem likely so far.

he as the outsider throughout his life always wanted to be the compromising bipartisan one

Another public interest group fighting for Warren, but will Obama listen and take on the Republicans:

On Tuesday, Public Citizen sent a letter (PDF) to President Obama revealing that congressional Republicans do NOT have the authority to block a recess appointment. I’ve copied part of that letter for you here.

Contrary to press reports, the House of Representatives cannot hold the Senate open to block a recess appointment. When the House and Senate cannot agree on the timing of adjournment, the Constitution explicitly provides the President the power to adjourn the Congress:

“... he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper ...” [U.S. Const. Art. II, § 3]

The use of this “adjournment power” would be particularly appropriate if the House prevents Senate adjournment in a bid to interfere with the appointment of certain public officials, a matter that the Constitution explicitly assigns to the President and the Senate.

Public Citizen was instrumental in the development of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the passage of the law that created it.

Public Citizen has been a steadfast and leading voice calling for the president to put Elizabeth Warren in charge of the bureau.

And now Public Citizen is dispelling a Republican misinterpretation of the Constitution and showing the president how he is well within his rights and responsibilities to recess appoint the most qualified person to this critical position.

Isn't the GOP threatening to prevent Congress going into recess to stop Obama appointing anybody? (until 2012, I'd heard)

Bruce Bartlett has been terrific of late

dude is a hero.

p confused as to why the LAMESTREAM media isn't harping more on his, D. Stockman's and even Greenspan's GOP/ tax cut apostasy as of late.

or why they're not more keen on calling out demonstrable tax falsehoods being perpetrated by the GOP.

Yeah why would huge corporations be all for spreading lies about the awesomeness of tax cuts?

I don't see him making a recess appointment. Recess appointments are for Republicans to make so Democrats can cite them as reasons to vote Democrat in the next election, that is the parliamentary function of recess appointments

another reason he shd switch parties

@Adam - yeah yeah I know. that was meant more sarcastically than it read

Isn't the GOP threatening to prevent Congress going into recess to stop Obama appointing anybody? (until 2012, I'd heard)

― carson dial, Wednesday, June 22, 2011

And that's why in the long Public Citizen item I posted, that they say the Constitution authorizes the Prez to adjourn Congress when the House and Senate disagree. But Obama would have to display courage to do so and it would not look bipartisan! Oh my.

Great article by Owl Bore

mainly focused on how climate change deniers gain such traction, but for those who don't care much about the environment (and btw, fuck you to those people), it's middle section goes beyond climate and talks about special interest groups and their eroding effect on democracy.

in Ohio they're now going allow drilling for gas and oil in state parks - bizarrely enough the head of state senate is going to resign and become head of the Ohio Gas Association, what are the odds

*leader of the state senate

backtracking a bit, i just read that old ellen willis piece and i found myself agreeing with just about everything she said.

am going to start using new BHO campaign mailout subject-line 'How about a t-shirt?' as a good-natured riposte to all future complaints about the dems itt, fyi, everyone. in the spirit of democratic compromise.

I kind of like when my day starts out with an email from Joe Biden with the subject line "Good Luck".

think a joe biden fridge magnet could be the incentive that makes this the first billion dollar campaign

rolling US politics thread: joe biden fridge magent

that's right, magent

joe biden totally looks like a fridge magnate

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l7vi2ush5k1qafzdko1_500.jpg

rolling US politics thread: joe biden fridge magent

reading massive "Real Housewives of New Jersey" vibes off of this

Obama cheerleader Steve Benen at Washington Monthly is excited about the Afghan troop withdrawal plans but he's cynical about the Republican response:

Obama want to “invest in … our people,” but Republicans see “invest” as an ugly code word for “spending” — and “spending” is bad. Obama wants to “unleash innovation,” but the GOP considers this “big government.” Obama wants to “rebuild our infrastructure and find new and clean sources of energy,” and Republicans consider both of these socialistic plots to undermine America.

“We must recapture the common purpose”? I’m afraid that’s impossible for the foreseeable future.

About to read Tabbi's Bachmann piece. Have we talked about this yet?

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/michele-bachmanns-holy-war-20110622

LOL great opening

Fans of obscure 1970s television may remember a short-lived children's show called Far Out Space Nuts, in which a pair of dimwitted NASA repairmen, one of whom is played by Bob (Gilligan) Denver, accidentally send themselves into space by pressing "launch" instead of "lunch" inside a capsule they were fixing at Cape Canaveral. This plot device roughly approximates the political and cultural mechanism that is sending Michele Bachmann hurtling in the direction of the Oval Office.

"Imagine Joe McCarthy dragging Cabinet members into hearings and demanding that they publicly disavow the works of Groucho Marx, and you get a rough idea of the general style of Bachmannian politics." A+

that this may be the sorriest group of presidential hopefuls ever assembled. Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty looked like a bunch of rumpled businessmen in a subway car watching an old lady get mugged, each waiting for the other to do something about it

http://www.theawl.com/2011/06/shallow-rolling-stone-hit-piece-is-just-what-michele-bachmann-needed

abe sauer not really feeling the taibbi profile

i didn't feel it either, tbh

this was otm:

It's a screed that warns America that Michele Bachmann is to be taken seriously—right before doing exactly the opposite.

It's entertaining and necessary, I guess, but Taibbi takes her more seriously than the GOP establishment.

writers chomping at the bit to write about The Michelle Bachmann Threat because they can get good copy from it = de-facto Bachmann supporters as far as their effect on her credibility

yup

it's fun to read because, you know, she's nuts, but pieces like this are just the wind beneath her wings, if you ask me

Taibbi himself points this out before falling into his own trap

there are plenty of countries with improving legal and political and physical institutions, instead of deteriorating ones like ours. plus economies growing in the 5% range instead of a tenth of that. maybe some "reverse immigration" is in order?

^^^a more reasonable response imho

Re the RS article on Bachshit

I dunno. The wingnuts may hate us for zinging her but eventually she and Palin will become merely the butt of jokes for the majority and most idiots will go along with the flow.

I heard her the other day on NPR saying that CO2 was 'natural', blah, blah, blah and I just wished I could have agreed with her to her face and then asked if she'd like a tankful the next time she went scuba diving.

soo what do we think about the war speech?