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[cartoon_soldier]

Look who's username is famous!

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Look who's username is famous!

Wait, GAF was on GMA?

Must mean a GAFer works there.

 

[speculawyer]

Diablos is gonna Diablos.

 

[Wilsongt]

While it was a lie to say people could keep their health insurance, it's a bit disingenuous if people to not explain why it's happening.

 

[codhand]

Look who's username is famous!

 

[zargle]

When is the GDP number released? I know the official release is embargoed until this morning, but do we know when the number is first leaked out? The only reason I ask is that my Data mining professor was explaining how some things can be applied and casually threw out that it would be 2.8, then laughed and said that was just a guess, followed by 'no, really, 2.8'. So im just wondering if he already knew or if he had seen a model that was that much closer than the predictions of 2%. He does work on an 'american dream' project, so maybe he gets some news from there.

 

[demon]

I was lucky enough (I think) to hear Charlie Cook speak today at my company. Less platitudey than he has been in the past, but still nothing earth shattering. Still, general thoughts from him: unlikely to see Dems take the house or Republicans take the Senate; Hillary at 70% to run, "skeptical" that Christie runs, sees Alabama runoff yesterday as "Fort Sumter" in the GOP civil war, thinks Dems will have a similar civil war if they are pushed to decide on entitlement cuts. Thinks Jeb Bush would make a good candidate but does not think he will run, cites family issues (wife hates politics). Says the two to watch on the Republican side are Rand Paul and Scott Walker. Paul is "much more adept" a politician than the tea party people that elected him and that everyone else thought he would be, and Walker is a big business/chamber of commerce champion.

He thinks pretty little of the tea party congressmen.

Thinks Virginia has basically fully shifted into the "mid-atlantic" type state category vs. southern state. Thinks NC is moving in that direction despite bullshit over the past 12 months. Thinks Dems have a chance in Georgia provided the Republicans nominate a shitty candidate; he says the top vote getters in the current runoff process are shitty. Says Nunn is a great candidate. Likes Grimes in Kentucky but realizes Kentucky would vote against any incumbent at this point.

Scott Walker running for president.. *groans*. I'll barf if I have to be subjected to that scumbag in the presidential election. He is quite the hero around here among irrational conservatives, though. They love him for god knows what reason.

 

[RustyNails]

When is the GDP number released? I know the official release is embargoed until this morning, but do we know when the number is first leaked out? The only reason I ask is that my Data mining professor was explaining how some things can be applied and casually threw out that it would be 2.8, then laughed and said that was just a guess, followed by 'no, really, 2.8'. So im just wondering if he already knew or if he had seen a model that was that much closer than the predictions of 2%. He does work on an 'american dream' project, so maybe he gets some news from there.

I think your Prof was right. Heard on my way to work the number well above the 2.0% margin.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Scott Walker running for president.. *groans*. I'll barf if I have to be subjected to that scumbag in the presidential election. He is quite the hero around here among irrational conservatives, though. They love him for god knows what reason.

Wisconsin Dems are scared shitless of him and won't point out how awful a governor he's been. He wouldn't hold up on a national level.

 

[rocketknight]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...get-goes-to-foreign-aid/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein

And yet the perception persists. A new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that Americans think 28 percent of the budget goes to foreign aid. That would make foreign aid pricier than Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or all defense spending.

Of course, foreign aid isn't that pricey. About 1 percent of the budget goes toward foreign aid. And the Kaiser poll found that when you tell people that fact, it changes their opinions.

Sigh.

 

[empty vessel]

When is the GDP number released? I know the official release is embargoed until this morning, but do we know when the number is first leaked out? The only reason I ask is that my Data mining professor was explaining how some things can be applied and casually threw out that it would be 2.8, then laughed and said that was just a guess, followed by 'no, really, 2.8'. So im just wondering if he already knew or if he had seen a model that was that much closer than the predictions of 2%. He does work on an 'american dream' project, so maybe he gets some news from there.

The NY Times had a breaking news alert at 7:45 am central that it was 2.8.

 

[ClassyPenguin]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...get-goes-to-foreign-aid/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein



Sigh.

I hear those arguments from very smart people after a natural disaster. Like, come on.

 

[robochimp]

Scott Walker running for president.. *groans*. I'll barf if I have to be subjected to that scumbag in the presidential election. He is quite the hero around here among irrational conservatives, though. They love him for god knows what reason.

Back in 2004 I was driving home from work. In the middle of the block someone steps out into the road from between two parked cars. I slam on my breaks to not hit the moron. there standing in front of my car, with the most slack jawed look I've ever seen on a human being, was then Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. The dude then just kept walking like he didn't just almost get run over.

 

[GhaleonEB]

When is the GDP number released? I know the official release is embargoed until this morning, but do we know when the number is first leaked out? The only reason I ask is that my Data mining professor was explaining how some things can be applied and casually threw out that it would be 2.8, then laughed and said that was just a guess, followed by 'no, really, 2.8'. So im just wondering if he already knew or if he had seen a model that was that much closer than the predictions of 2%. He does work on an 'american dream' project, so maybe he gets some news from there.

I use the Bloomberg economic calendar for these reports. It's a good one stop shopping for most of the economic releases each day, and one of my first visits each morning when I'm reading news.

GDP growth for the third quarter surprised on the high side but inventories played a big role. Real GDP grew 2.8 percent in the third quarter, following a 2.5 percent rise the quarter before. Analysts projected a 2.0 percent rise.

By contributions to growth, it was a mix. PCEs rose an annualized 1.5 percent, contributing 1.04 percentage points to GDP. Inventories gained $86.0 billion, following a $56.6 billion increase in the second quarter-leading to a third quarter contribution of 0.83 percentage points.

However, PCEs slowed for the quarter after a 1.8 percent increase in the second quarter. Net exports played a notable role in the boost to GDP growth but in the wrong way. Import growth decelerated to 1.9 percent, following a 6.9 percent jump in the second quarter. Essentially, demand slowed. Exports grew but at a slower pace of 4.5 percent versus 8.0 percent in the second quarter.

Housing investment remained healthy as did nonresidential structures. Equipment investment slipped while government purchases were basically flat.

But overall demand is sluggish. Final sales of domestic product rose 2.0 percent in the third quarter after a 2.1 percent increase the prior period. Final sales to domestic purchasers softened to a 1.7 percent gain, following a 2.1 percent rise in the second quarter.

Inflation was a little warmer than expected. The overall GDP price index rose 1.9 percent, following a 0.6 percent annualized gain in the second quarter. Market expectations were for a 1.4 percent annualized gain. Excluding food and energy, inflation was 1.9 percent in the third quarter, following a 0.9 percent rise the previous quarter.

Overall, the economy is not as strong as the headline suggests. We may see some pullback in the fourth quarter on inventories. On the news, equities were little changed.

tl;dr everything still sucks.

 

[zargle]

I think your Prof was right. Heard on my way to work the number well above the 2.0% margin.

I use the Bloomberg economic calendar for these reports. It's a good one stop shopping for most of the economic releases each day, and one of my first visits each morning when I'm reading news.

Yeah, he was dead on, which is why i was wondering when that info leaks to reporters, people in the know, since he was a full 12 hours ahead of the official report. Just interesting.

 

[Aaron Strife]

I use the Bloomberg economic calendar for these reports. It's a good one stop shopping for most of the economic releases each day, and one of my first visits each morning when I'm reading news.


tl;dr everything still sucks.

More austerity is necessary tbh

Can we cut social security now?

 

[Carpe Libertatem]

I'm fairly certain Rand Paul does almost none of the writing for anything he does, mostly because he's a moron, but also because it's obvious he doesn't know what's going on.

I'm not sure there's a U.S. Representative or Senator alive that doesn't have their staff write almost all of their speeches/letters/bills/etc for them.

 

[B-Dubs]

Look who's username is famous!

Holy shit :lol

 

[ivysaur12]

(Thanks, Dax)

@frankthorpNBC 3m
6 GOP Reps retiring after this term :
- Coble (NC)
- Runyan (NJ)
- Bachmann (MN)
- Bachus (AL)
- Campbell (CA)
- Griffin (AR)

Incumbency was big last election, along with many Dem reps who retired. I still don't think the House is winnable, but I think it's certainly possible the Republicans will lose seats.

I don't know what this means for Kay Hagan, either.

 

[Wilsongt]

(Thanks, Dax)



Incumbency was big last election, along with many Dem reps who retired. I still don't think the House is winnable, but I think it's certainly possible the Republicans will lose seats.

I don't know what this means for Kay Hagan, either.

Political suicide.

 

[GhaleonEB]

(Thanks, Dax)

Incumbency was big last election, along with many Dem reps who retired. I still don't think the House is winnable, but I think it's certainly possible the Republicans will lose seats.

I don't know what this means for Kay Hagan, either.

When uncertain, it's bad news. Unless they're Republicans, then it's great news!

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Coble has been representative since 1985, serving in the NC-6. That district is safe for the GOP, probably will add another Tea Party voice.

This is the map as of the post-2010 redistricting. As you can see, it has some curious exclusions and cuts to it, which happen to be urban areas with higher concentrations of democratic voters. In Greensboro, for example, all but the northwest side of the city is excluded (NW Greensboro is solidly Republican).

 

[Aaron Strife]

When uncertain, it's bad news. Unless they're Republicans, then it's great news!

They really have been running the Perfect Campaign(tm)

Even though some of the GOP reps who are retiring are in safe seats (like Coble) keep in mind incumbents have a tendency to retire when they feel the majority of their party is in danger. People speculate that's why Barney Frank retired in 2012 after all, because he didn't think the Democrats could win back the House.

Though when your majority is as unruly as the tea party is maybe it doesn't make a difference.

 

[Piecake]

Scott Walker running for president.. *groans*. I'll barf if I have to be subjected to that scumbag in the presidential election. He is quite the hero around here among irrational conservatives, though. They love him for god knows what reason.

Because look at Wisconsin's economy! Since he has taken the helm, Wisconsin has been doing great! Just look at Minnesota and how terrible they are doing with their democrat controlled government. Oh, wait...

hardcore conservatives don't live in a factual based world. They will love a guy who preaches their ideology even though it doesnt seem to be working and is making the lives of its citizens worse.

 

[ivysaur12]

@jamiedupree 23m
Rep Howard Coble R-NC announces he won't run for re-election; 17 House members won't be back in 2015 (5 D, 12 R)

If anyone has that full list, that'd be great.

 

[Wilsongt]

Coble has been representative since 1985, serving in the NC-6. That district is safe for the GOP, probably will add another Tea Party voice.

This is the map as of the post-2010 redistricting. As you can see, it has some curious exclusions and cuts to it, which happen to be urban areas with higher concentrations of democratic voters. In Greensboro, for example, all but the northwest side of the city is excluded (NW Greensboro is solidly Republican).

Why is this shit not illegal?

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Why is this not illegal?

You'll love NC-12 and NC-4.

12 is kind of hard to see because of the color, but it's the part that stretches into NC-6 at Greensboro and down to the southwest to grab part of Charlotte. Both it and NC-4 (which gets Durham, Raleigh, and Fayetteville) are designed to concentrate us much as possible the Democratic urban areas together, to leave the rural and suburban Republican areas to carve much of the rest of the state. Democrats also carry NC-1 and NC-7, but the remaining districts are all Republican in the current Congress.

 

[zero shift]

Because look at Wisconsin's economy! Since he has taken the helm, Wisconsin has been doing great! Just look at Minnesota and how terrible they are doing with their democrat controlled government. Oh, wait...

hardcore conservatives don't live in a factual based world. They will love a guy who preaches their ideology even though it doesnt seem to be working and is making the lives of its citizens worse.

People like Walker because they hate Racine, Beloit, and Milwaukee.

 

[Black Mamba]

I'm not sure there's a U.S. Representative or Senator alive that doesn't have their staff write almost all of their speeches/letters/bills/etc for them.

I was referring to his book there, which he also plagiarized in parts.

Yeah, I'm aware none of them write their stuff but they also generally keep themselves informed about what is going on (not necessarily with letters, but things that get big print).

Also lol @ Diablos being famous.

 

[cartoon_soldier]

ENDA passes Senate!

Dead in house!

FUCK

 

[Wilsongt]

ENDA passes Senate!

Dead in house!

FUCK

SHOCKING.

Fucking Republicans.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

More NC stuff. The most competitive race in 2012 was NC-7, decided by under 600 votes.

I got these numbers from Politico, and it's possible I could have fat-fingered something and got a typo, but this is a tally from all votes in 2012 for Congress in NC.

And, naturally, GOP won 9 races to the Democrats' 4. Yay, "democracy."

 

[Wilsongt]

Fox News latched onto the story I posted here a few days ago about a man in NC being sent personal information of a man in SC via the healthcare.gov website

Once again, Hasselbitch failed to note that the problem was fixed.

Fox Hypes HealthCare.gov Security Problem, Hides Fact That It's Been Fixed

Fox & Friends co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck misleadingly hyped a specific security concern with the HealthCare.gov website without mentioning that the problem has been fixed.

On November 7, Hasselbeck interviewed South Carolina resident Tom Dougall, who explained that he had entered personal information into HealthCare.gov only for it to erroneously be sent to someone else who logged into the website. Hasselbeck used this incident to scare people into thinking it could happen to them, asking Dougall if anyone should "be logging onto a site that puts them at risk for security fraud, identity fraud."

But the Fox News segment never brought up the fact that the particular software issue that lead to the leak of Dougall's information has been fixed. CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner testified before the Senate on November 5 that "she became aware of the mistake on Monday and told the committee a 'software fix' had remedied the problem." McClatchy DC further reported:

A top Obama administration official on Tuesday tried to assure anxious senators that Americans' personal information was secure on the troubled HealthCare.gov website, which erroneously provided a South Carolina man's personal information to a man in North Carolina last week.

[...]

Julie Bataille, a spokeswoman for HHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the problem was caused by a piece of software code that needed to be fixed. She said the fix was made, tested and the system is working properly.

Bataille said it was the only such incident reported to HHS, but she would not speculate about whether other, similar incidents have occurred.

Many problems have been made apparent since HealthCare.gov launched. In testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on November 6, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the government is working on fixes for a "couple of hundred" problems with the website. The problem highlighted by Hasselbeck was a serious issue, and she should have mentioned that this particular software problem has been resolved.

Stirring up some fresh FUD.

 

[Jooney]

ENDA passes Senate!

Dead in house!

FUCK

Vote passed 64-32, with ten republicans in support. More than I would have thought.

But it won't go anywhere in the house because my gosh they are just so busy over there.

 

[Black Mamba]

The house blocking ENDA is so dumb. They gain nothing from it at all. I'm sorry but no one is getting primaried over it.

 

[thepotatoman]

The house blocking ENDA is so dumb. They gain nothing from it at all. I'm sorry but no one is getting primaried over it.

I think they are doing this for their rich guy business owner masters, not the tea party extremist ones.

 

[Link]

The house blocking ENDA is so dumb. They gain nothing from it at all. I'm sorry but no one is getting primaried over it.

Guess again. Heritage has already announced this vote will be on their scorecard.

 

[Wilsongt]

Good news! The GOP hasn't forgotten Obama is a Kenyan!


GOP Senate Candidate Jokes About Obama Being ‘From Kenya’

…You spend time out there [in a Kenyan slum] and little kids are running around barefoot in these kinds of streets and you ask them what they want to be. They want to be an astronaut, they want to be a physicist, a marine biologist, one kid even told me he wanted to be President of the United States. I held back my snarky comment that said “Well, you know what, we already have someone from Kenya.”

 

[Jooney]

The house blocking ENDA is so dumb. They gain nothing from it at all. I'm sorry but no one is getting primaried over it.

House republicans won't bring it to a vote because this is what their base thinks about ENDA

This is a classic one-sided Republican deal. They will vote for a bill mandating the hiring of cross-dressers to any position as long as the government doesn’t retaliate against religious groups. And of course, John McCain was in on it.

If you own a daycare center or any other business and object to the dissolute behavior of a cross-dresser, you are out of luck. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will have full latitude to agitate seminar discrimination complaints and infringe upon private property rights.

All the while, there has not been one word of opposition from Mitch McConnell. As Democrats pick off members one-by-one, there is no counter effort to stand up for religious liberty.

It’s time we confront an inconvenient truth about most Republicans in Washington. We already know that most of them are not fiscal conservatives. But the reality is that few of them are social conservatives either. Checking the boxes on abortion and marriage, and then doing nothing to stop a bill like this is worthless.

Democrats know that Mitch McConnell will never stand up for religious liberty. Period. They have free reign over the Republican Conference. This is reminiscent of the reaction to Justice Anthony Kennedy’s DOMA decision, in which he dressed up an anti-religious liberty manifesto as legal jurisprudence. Even as all the other leaders condemned the decision, we got nothing but crickets from McConnell.

They are more interested in protecting the rights of business owners and religious groups to discriminate rather than protecting the right of Americans to gain or keep their employment.

 

[Gotchaye]

I think they are doing this for their rich guy business owner masters, not the tea party extremist ones.

Eh, probably not. Lots of really big corporations have non-discrimination policies in place that cover orientation already. Many states have similar laws already, and I keep hearing claims that there just haven't been many lawsuits.

I'm sure there are big money types who are against ENDA just because it infringes on their authority, even if they wouldn't exercise it or want other people exercising it, but mostly the fight here is over whether or not sexual orientation is the same sort of characteristic as race or sex.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Corporate republicans tend to not care about stuff like this. Heritage is opposed because of a mixture of religious fundamentalism and their general view that government shouldn't regulate business in any way.

If you're Boehner there's no upside in allowing a vote on this. If republicans plan on reviving their "expand outreach" plan, they sure as hell aren't going to start with gay issues.

 

[Trouble]

Look who's username is famous!

Taker.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Eh, probably not. Lots of really big corporations have non-discrimination policies in place that cover orientation already. Many states have similar laws already, and I keep hearing claims that there just haven't been many lawsuits.

I'm sure there are big money types who are against ENDA just because it infringes on their authority, even if they wouldn't exercise it or want other people exercising it, but mostly the fight here is over whether or not sexual orientation is the same sort of characteristic as race or sex.

Even if it weren't, though, I think the issue is that choices made by consenting adults that do not in any way infringe upon others' rights should not be discriminated against. Whether it's an innate part of their being or not seems much less material, to me, than the simple consideration of freedom.

 

[Jooney]

Look who's username is famous!

The sky is falling, and so are Wal-Mart's prices!

 

[bonercop]

the hits keep coming

 

[Jooney]

the hits keep coming

The republican primaries are going to be fun.

 

[speculawyer]

So neither Cuccinelli nor that crazy Alabama Tea Partier would call to concede & congratulate their opponents?

Ooh, those Tea Partiers are a salty bunch.

 

[RoninChaos]

SHOCKING.

Fucking Republicans.

What's the excuse now? Job killing, socialism?

 

[speculawyer]

the hits keep coming

So Rand Paul's book is plagiarism from the Southern Avenger (that he later fired)?

Well, maybe the plagiarism helped make the book less racist?

 

[Jooney]

What's the excuse now? Job killing, socialism?

religious liberty
protecting rights of business owners

For the GOP: The freedom to discriminate > Freedom from discrimination