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[Averon]

Didn't see this posted, but I am so shaking my head at my damn state.

Va. House GOP Muscles Through Abortion Curbs

Some choice quotes:







I wouldn't be surprised if there's probably Virginia GOP legislation waiting in the wings requiring vaginal ultrasonic probes in order to get unemployment insurance benefits . . . regardless of your gender.

bu bu bu bu less government! Another example that the GOP is just fine with big government--provided it's the type of government they like.

 

[Invisible_Insane]

How? I said they get excited to vote for cookie cutter candidates.

Good point but wouldn't that be more so due to people being nervous about their retirement or social security?

1) Are you saying Ron Paul is a cookie-cutter candidate? Your post started of by saying that young people are excited to vote for candidates like Paul, who break the mold, and then you finished by saying that people who are enthusiastic vote for cookie cutter candidates. Contradiction.

2) The why isn't particularly important here, I'm just pointing out that there are compelling reasons to think that it's not the case that young adults are not more politically active than older ones.

 

[DasRaven]

Didn't see this posted, but I am so shaking my head at my damn state.

Va. House GOP Muscles Through Abortion Curbs

I wouldn't be surprised if there's probably Virginia GOP legislation waiting in the wings requiring vaginal ultrasonic probes in order to get unemployment insurance benefits . . . regardless of your gender.

So happy to read that Gov. McDonnell is poised to sign this. That would likely make him toxic as a VP pick and keep him in VA. to drive Dem. turnout.
The worse the GOP Governor's overreach the better.

BTW: Do google image search "transvaginal ultrasound" (NSFW) and decide whether that would count as overreach to most women.

 

[Officerrob]

A Republican supermajority has muscled two of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in years through the Virginia House, including one that would all but outlaw the procedure in the state by declaring that the rights of persons apply from the moment sperm and egg unite.

To steal from the late great George Carlin, I then expect every sexually active woman in Virginia to be arrested for first degree murder every time they have a period.

 

[Snake]

Josiah Bartlett was a mediocre president.

I've been saying this for years! And Andrew Shepherd from The American President was an even worse POTUS.

 

[SteveWinwood]

To steal from the late great George Carlin, I then expect every sexually active woman in Virginia to be arrested for first degree murder every time they have a period.

I'm certainly not for it... But that period joke isn't really the same thing at all.

That's the same as saying every masterbating boy should be brought up for mass murder charges. It's funny, but it's not what he's saying.

 

[PantherLotus]

I've been saying this for years! And Andrew Shepherd from The American President was an even worse POTUS.

he balanced the budget!

 

[Lambtron]

Lol he got glitter bombed.

Darn, I really should've gone to this tonight.

 

[Narpas Sword0]

I'm certainly not for it... But that period joke isn't really the same thing at all.

That's the same as saying every masterbating boy should be brought up for mass murder charges. It's funny, but it's not what he's saying.

Rick sanatorium is against contraceptives for this very reason. It is not a far fetched mentality in some circles

 

[empty vessel]

he balanced the budget!

Thereby dooming the country to recession.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Because its easy to spout off a few sentences that make him sound AMAZING to young voters.

1. Anti-war
2. Anti-war on drugs.
3. Anti-government (which sounds great until you realize its actually a terrible idea)
4. Anti-torture/pro individual rights against dah police state.
5. A lot of people think hes pro gay rights

All of this sounds amazing until you really get down on what he believes and his outlandish beliefs.

Yeah, I don't get this one. He'll make it clear in almost any statement about gay rights that he's not a supporter. It's probably just the same kind of logic behind people thinking Obama wants to legalize pot.

 

[PantherLotus]

Thereby dooming the country to recession.

Dooming an imaginary country that would accept "that's not so hard, is it?" as realistic politics to recession, you mean.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

1) Are you saying Ron Paul is a cookie-cutter candidate? Your post started of by saying that young people are excited to vote for candidates like Paul, who break the mold, and then you finished by saying that people who are enthusiastic vote for cookie cutter candidates. Contradiction.

2) The why isn't particularly important here, I'm just pointing out that there are compelling reasons to think that it's not the case that young adults are not more politically active than older ones.

1)? I said that young people DON'T vote for cookie cutter candidates. The old people tend to vote for cookie cutter candidates. I don't see the contradiction. And Paul isn't cookie cutter at all.

2) I never said they were more politically active. I was saying that those who are politically active tend to vote for more unique candidates.

 

[Invisible_Insane]

1)? I said that young people DON'T vote for cookie cutter candidates. The old people tend to vote for cookie cutter candidates. I don't see the contradiction. And Paul isn't cookie cutter at all.

2) I never said they were more politically active. I was saying that those who are politically active tend to vote for more unique candidates.

Which explains Ron Paul's electoral success in the Republican primary? You're not making sense.

 

[Rentahamster]

Can someone give me a list of all the really terrible stuff Santorum has said? My roommate loves him and doesn't believe me when I say he's a terrible person.

If you want to make some cracks in his love for Santorum, I'd advise you to criticize Santorum from the right on the grounds that his claims of being for limited government are weak given his penchant for using the strong arm of the government to force his social agenda on the people.

Unless, of course, your roommate is a Huckabee-ish social conservative only, in which case that won't work.

At any rate, try to do your own research instead of asking gaf to tell you what your opinions should be.

 

[Black Republican]

looks like Rick Snyder will endorse Romney tommorow

 

[SpeedySwaf]

How popular is he with Michigan?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Which explains Ron Paul's electoral success in the Republican primary? You're not making sense.

Success? I don't recall him being in the top 2 or even 3.

 

[Chichikov]

"Santorum accepts Megadeath endorsement after learning they are not the abortion clinic of the same name".

hahahahahaha

 

[sharbhund]

How popular is he with Michigan?

Not very.

Less than 20 percent of Michigan residents believe Gov. Rick Snyder is doing an excellent or good job running the state

 

[SteveWinwood]

Santorum's oldest daughter is pretty attractive.

Woops, just used google images. Take that back. She looked attractive when I was halfway across a hotel ballroom. Now that I have actual pictures...

 

[PhoenixDark]

How popular is he with Michigan?

Not popular at all. Interestingly he like most republicans in this state supported the auto bailouts. Should be interesting hearing the mental gymnastics they jump through in support of Romney

 

[Officerrob]

I'm certainly not for it... But that period joke isn't really the same thing at all.

That's the same as saying every masterbating boy should be brought up for mass murder charges. It's funny, but it's not what he's saying.

That analogy to masterbation totally doesn't apply here, the law doesn't declare sperm a person.

Even after an egg is fertilized it is several days until it reaches the uterus, and not all of them make it. 80% of a woman's eggs are flushed out of their system during their period including those that could be fertilized. Since these fertilized eggs would now have rights in Virginia, how would their "deaths" be classified? Are we going to ignore the right's of these "people"? Will their be investigations? Will their be funerals? Will anyone be held accountable? This is the kind of shit you can expect if this goes into effect

 

[Invisible_Insane]

Success? I don't recall him being in the top 2 or even 3.

Yes, that was sarcasm. You said the politically active tend to vote for "more unique" candidates, which would suggest that if Ron Paul is the most unique candidate, then he should be getting the most votes. That is not the case, and you are not making sense.

 

[Ghost_Protocol]

I can't wait for the President to stomp all over the GOP in the general election. Can't wait.

 

[SteveWinwood]

That analogy to masterbation totally doesn't apply here, the law doesn't declare sperm a person.

Even after an egg is fertilized it is several days until it reaches the uterus, and not all of them make it. 80% of a woman's eggs are flushed out of their system during their period including those that could be fertilized. Since these fertilized eggs would now have rights in Virginia, how would their "deaths" be classified? Are we going to ignore the right's of these "people"? Will their be investigations? Will their be funerals? Will anyone be held accountable? This is the kind of shit you can expect if this goes into effect

Like I said I believe it's stupid as all hell, but I would believe it's safe to say that most eggs released during a period don't get fertilized making them the same as sperm being a single sex cell. An unfertilized egg wouldn't be declared as a person under the law either. That was my issue with the statement.

 

[Chichikov]

I had another thought, does that law means you can't discard "leftover" eggs in IVF?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Yes, that was sarcasm. You said the politically active tend to vote for "more unique" candidates, which would suggest that if Ron Paul is the most unique candidate, then he should be getting the most votes. That is not the case, and you are not making sense.

Okay it seems I have you confused so I'll explain again.

Most people who vote are old yes. However some young people vote as well.

Those people who are young and who vote are absorbing the world for the first time. They immediately see all of the bullshit around them and feel like they can actually do something about it. Because of this this minority of youth who are active in politics tend to vote for unique or rouge candidates such as Ron Paul or to a lesser extent Ralph Nader.

Those who are old tend to worry about life such as their retirement and future medicare, and preserving what they have. Now there are two types of these people. The first which are people who vote for the candidate who is the most likely to win because they have seen so many "unique" and other politicians fall. Or the others who actually believe what the "mainstream" politicians actually say, those who buy into the hype. And yes these people vote more.

 

[sc0la]

I had another thought, does that law means you can't discard "leftover" eggs in IVF?

On the plus side you can claim them all as dependents on your taxes now!

EDIT: does cold storage count as a "child care" expenditure?

 

[rohlfinator]

To me, Ron Paul's appeal is very simple to explain. He says a lot of things that make sense (FP, WoD), and a lot of things that don't (economics). But fundamentally, he conveys a sense of intellectual honesty that most politicians do not, and I think a lot of people find him attractive for just that reason.

Yeah, he's by far the most intellectually consistent, as opposed to the other candidates' "cut spending -- expand the military" or "keep government out of our lives -- except in the bedroom" etc.

I think he also does a pretty good job of identifying actual problems with our country instead of just fear-mongering to old people, Christians, and racists. I may disagree with many of his proposed solutions, but he at least seems to be witnessing the same reality as the rest of us.

And the Libertarian ideology in general seems to be an easier sell to young people for various reasons, and for a lot of them, Ron Paul is probably the first real exposure to it.

 

[remist]

Thanks to everybody who shared their personal political stories a few pages back; they really gave me some food for thought. I'm going through some similar stuff right now, questioning my faith and fed up with the republican party. About 2 years ago I was not quite a fundamentalist christian, now I'm probably an agnostic.

 

[speculawyer]

I had another thought, does that law means you can't discard "leftover" eggs in IVF?

Why not just close down IVF labs and charge them all with genocide?

 

[PantherLotus]

Libertarianism in young people is pretty easy to undo with a few simple arguments:

1. civil rights
2. screaming fire in a theater
3. private roads

If you're speaking with someone that can't/won't acknowledge the need for a federal government in any instance (esp. when the majority is wrong), or that there should be no limits at all to individual liberty (esp. in cases where it can harm or restricts the rights of another), or that the government has a special ability to do something for its people that no business would ever provide (roads)...and they won't acknowledge any of that, you're not talking with someone worth talking to.

 

[PantherLotus]

Thanks to everybody who shared their personal political stories a few pages back; they really gave me some food for thought. I'm going through some similar stuff right now, questioning my faith and fed up with the republican party. About 2 years ago I was not quite a fundamentalist christian, now I'm probably an agnostic.

I see our liberal poison...err, antidote is working. Where does it still hurt? You on board with evolution and global warming, social safety nets, a progressive tax code, and equal rights? Let me know where you need a little push. I'll hold your hand through the entire process. Just ask LovingSteam.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Psshh. Hate the player, not the game, good buddy.

The GOP is full of nutters, but there is a lot of good to conservative (read: not what is currently going on in government) fiscal policy.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Looks like the payroll tax cut, UI extension and Medicare payment deal has been finalized.

The portion I was concerned about is still not ideal, but not as bad I had feared:

Republicans claimed victory in reducing the number of weeks of jobless benefits that workers would be eligible to receive. The maximum number in states with the highest jobless rates would be cut from 99 weeks to 73 weeks by the end of the year, according to aides in both parties. Republicans had wanted to cut the maximum to 59 weeks.

But in states with particularly high unemployment, such as Rhode Island and Nevada, the measure is actually more generous over the next few months than current law.

I bolded a detail that I think will be important; the reduction in UI benefits appears to phase out rather than drop off.

Full details here. It appears to be a pretty even compromise, in the actual (rather than recent Republican) definition of term.

It even includes a small GOP policy I support, even though it's an odd inclusion:

The measure also would prevent welfare recipients from using their electronic benefits cards to withdraw money at ATMs in strip clubs, casinos and liquor stores.

 

[Puddles]

The whole UI argument just floors me. Does anyone actually believe that people aren't finding jobs because collecting benefits saps their motivation?

 

[jamesinclair]

The whole UI argument just floors me. Does anyone actually believe that people aren't finding jobs because collecting benefits saps their motivation?

I, for one, would rather feast on the government trough than go out and create jobs.

 

[thezerofire]

The whole UI argument just floors me. Does anyone actually believe that people aren't finding jobs because collecting benefits saps their motivation?

yes. I know quite a few of them.

 

[Puddles]

Phasing out the duration of benefits as the unemployment rate gets closer to 6% makes a whole lot of sense.

 

[Nebula Haze]

Psshh. Hate the player, not the game, good buddy.

The GOP is full of nutters, but there is a lot of good to conservative (read: not what is currently going on in government) fiscal policy.

There is no such thing as conservative fiscal policy just as there is no such thing as liberal fiscal policy. Conservative fiscal policy is whatever fiscal policy conservatives are proposing, just as liberal fiscal policy is whatever fiscal policy liberals are proposing. There is no ideologically pure way for either since both conservative and liberal are terms relative to their times. And no, conservatism is NOT conservationism and is NOT fiscal prudence. You can be fiscally prudent both as a liberal (Clinton) and as a conservative (Eisenhower).

Right now, conservative fiscal policy means unpaid flat taxes and gutting social programs while increasing defense spending. I don't see much good to that.

 

[Rentahamster]

If you're speaking with someone that can't/won't acknowledge the need for a federal government in any instance

Sounds more like an anarchist than a libertarian.

 

[Oblivion]

The whole UI argument just floors me. Does anyone actually believe that people aren't finding jobs because collecting benefits saps their motivation?

This is an incredibly dubious assumption even during a booming economy.

It's downright idiotic when one argues this during a RECESSION.

 

[SouthernDragon]

yes. I know quite a few of them.

And for the few that you know I know quite a few more that want nothing more than to earn their way.

Take me, for example. Do you know how crushingly embarrassing it was to take out my Florida ACCESS card and use it to buy groceries? It's less embarrassing now that it's a card, but the fucking grocery boy called me out on it. Hell, we have a good reason for needing it, too. Doesn't make it any better when I have to pull it out.

And since we're being anecdotal here, I'd wager that for every 1 of your leeches there are 9 that want nothing more than to be able to pay their bills and buy their groceries with their own money.

 

[Oblivion]

http://i.imgur.com/axC4t.jpg

Um, I could be wrong (legitimately), but didn't the founding fathers also run up debts (admittedly, mostly during times of war)?

Dunno how much they'd like a BBA.

 

[XMonkey]

Balanced Budget Amendment for the Federal government is one of the worst ideas ever. We'd be proper fucked right now if our government had to deal with that during this financial crisis.

 

[Oblivion]

Cenk Uygur interviews that psycho Breitbart for that whole 'STOP RAPING PEOPLE!!!' thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH0Nq8KAZJY

 

[Zzoram]

Balanced Budget Amendment for the Federal government is one of the worst ideas ever. We'd be proper fucked right now if our government had to deal with that during this financial crisis.

I bet that as much as Republicans claim to want a balanced budget amendment, they would exempt military spending from it.

In the past, you couldn't just wage war on a whim because you needed to raise taxes and everyone would feel the sting of war. Now, the elite class of wealthy politicians who have no personal stake in the war due to the lack of a draft or war tax has no disincentive to start more wars.

Instead of a balanced budget amendment, how about including war spending in the general budget, and requiring a war tax to kick in if military spending forces deficit spending above 150% of income?

 

[GaimeGuy]

I bet that as much as Republicans claim to want a balanced budget amendment, they would exempt military spending from it.

In the past, you couldn't just wage war on a whim because you needed to raise taxes and everyone would feel the sting of war. Now, the elite class of wealthy politicians who have no personal stake in the war due to the lack of a draft or war tax has no disincentive to start more wars.

Instead of a balanced budget amendment, how about including war spending in the general budget, and requiring a war tax to kick in if military spending forces deficit spending above 150% of income?

or instead of putting stupid gimmicks and triggers into the system, we elect people who know what the fuck they're doing and adapt to the given circumstances of society at the time? GASP.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

I don't think Obama has been a bad president, really. I think Mitt Romney would be slightly better, but I think they are pretty much two sides of the same coin. If Santorum gets the nomination, I might vote Obama, or possibly Ron Paul as a write-in/ third party.

Do you think that gay marriage should be banned, social programs should be eliminated, public schools should be eliminated, abortion should be illegal, intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution, the deficit should be paid down on the backs of the middle class? What do you think about the Ryan plan?

Take a quick look through this list, and ask yourself if that would have been enacted with a Republican in the WH: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/111th_United_States_Congress#Enacted

Then ask yourself if Obama and Romney are two sides of the same coin.