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[Aaron Strife]

I won't postulate how likely this is to happen, but I hope the debt ceiling is a big enough betrayal for enough conservatives to stay home this November.

 

[Aaron]

I won't postulate how likely this is to happen, but I hope the debt ceiling is a big enough betrayal for enough conservatives to stay home this November.

Fox News will barely mention it, so it won't even be a flicker.

 

[PhoenixDark]

I won't postulate how likely this is to happen, but I hope the debt ceiling is a big enough betrayal for enough conservatives to stay home this November.

Most tea party congressmen won't vote for it regardless, so why would it hurt turnout? The right is very pumped up to take the senate, I doubt that energy will disappear unless an immigration bill is passed (not going to happen).

 

[WayneMorse]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/11/michael-dunn-takes-stand_n_4768210.html

LOL I don't know how anyone can't see that this guy murdered that kid because he was black.

"Thug music" give me a fucking break.

But it's Florida so he'll probably be acquitted.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Most tea party congressmen won't vote for it regardless, so why would it hurt turnout? The right is very pumped up to take the senate, I doubt that energy will disappear unless an immigration bill is passed (not going to happen).

You know that doesn't mean anything. How many blue dogs got voted out in 2010 who DIDN'T vote for the healthcare bill?

Conservative voters who are mad at the GOP leadership will take it out on their own representatives regardless.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Bad news for Kay Hagan Mary Landrieu:

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2014/02/louisiana-senate-race-tightens-.html

Yikes.

Will probably go to a runoff anyway though.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Bad news for Kay Hagan Mary Landrieu:



http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2014/02/louisiana-senate-race-tightens-.html

There's been a lot of talk among conservatives that they'd like someone other than Cassidy in the race on their side, and we did find one Louisiana conservative who'd be a stronger candidate than him. Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson actually leads Landrieu 46/42 in a hypothetical contest. He has a +26 net favorability rating (45/19) compared to Cassidy's -2 at 24/26.
Robertson is pretty universally well liked among Republicans (59/10 favorability) and despite his controversial comments in December Democrats (35/24) have a positive opinion of him as well. Overall favorability for the show stands at 53/22, slightly improved from its 47/21 spread in August.

:lol

 

[NYCmetsfan]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/11/michael-dunn-takes-stand_n_4768210.html

LOL I don't know how anyone can't see that this guy murdered that kid because he was black.

"Thug music" give me a fucking break.

But it's Florida so he'll probably be acquitted.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/20...-loud-music-dispute-faces-murder-charge-week/

Some of his letters from jail:

It’s spooky how racist everyone is up here and how biased toward blacks the courts are. This jail is full of blacks and they all act like thugs. … This may sound a bit radical but if more people would arm themselves and kill these **** idiots when they’re threatening you, eventually they may take the hint and change their behavior.

I just got off the phone with you and we were talking about how racist the blacks are up here. The more time I am exposed to these people, the more prejudiced against them I become.

I’m not really prejudiced against race, but I have no use for certain cultures. This gangster-rap, ghetto talking thug ‘culture’ that certain segments of society flock to is intolerable.

 

[Snake]

"I’m not really prejudiced against race"

Well I guess that settles that.

 

[PhoenixDark]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/20...-loud-music-dispute-faces-murder-charge-week/

Some of his letters from jail:

I'm sure they'll have quite a warm welcome for him in jail, assuming he's convicted. Have fun.

 

[WayneMorse]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/20...-loud-music-dispute-faces-murder-charge-week/

Some of his letters from jail:

Man, out of all the excuses I hear from people who say racist shit and get called out on it, the most infuriating one is probably the "I don't hate black people, I just hate the culture!" excuse.

 

[WayneMorse]

I'm sure they'll have quite a warm welcome for him in jail, assuming he's convicted. Have fun.

Looks like someone has high expectations in the Florida justice system.

 

[sc0la]

Man, out of all the excuses I hear from people who say racist shit and get called out on it, the most infuriating one is probably the "I don't hate black people, I just hate the culture!" excuse.

It's not like this is a new excuse. I remember being told by an elderly relative when I was a kid that she "[didn't] have a problem with black people, just n****rs" :/

 

[NYCmetsfan]

So the debt limit passes with dem votes and like 28 republicans. Why can't he bring up immigration and pass it with the same votes?

It's not like this is a new excuse. I remember being told by an elderly relative when I was a kid that she "[didn't] have a problem with black people, just n****rs" :/

blame Chris Rock for giving racists that one, cosby's also hinted at the same thing.
I think Rock distanced himself from it as he was uncomfortable with peoples reactions

 

[Oblivion]

My sadness is that we are probably today more race- and difference-conscious than I was in the 1960s when I went to school. To my knowledge, I was the first black kid in Savannah, Georgia, to go to a white school. Rarely did the issue of race come up.

Well, then.

 

[PhoenixDark]

blame Chris Rock for giving racists that one.

That's been a common mindset for 70+ years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EihcRDRAy90

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Well, then.

“[t]he worst I have been treated was by northern liberal elites. The absolute worst I have ever been treated…The worst things that have been done to me, the worst things that have been said about me, by northern liberal elites, not by the people of Savannah, Georgia.”

.

 

[Mike M]

So the debt limit passes with dem votes and like 28 republicans. Why can't he bring up immigration and pass it with the same votes?

I would think because the debt limit needed to be raised, and the GOP doesn't actually want action on immigration that's not building a wall on the border of Mexico and mass deportations.

 

[sc0la]

blame Chris Rock for giving racists that one.

Naw this was before that, besides she wouldn't have a clue who Crhis Rock was. Besides, while this has probably gained prominence post 60's and CRA, its got to have Jim Crow roots expecting when "good negros" were the ones who "knew their place".

PS this was my grandmother.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

That's been a common mindset for 70 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EihcRDRAy90

No doubt. There's always been that "I'm not racist but I hate their culture (besides the fact I listen to Rock, Rap, Jazz, Blues, love sports, copy dance moves, etc)" it just seems likes that phrase blacks vs. n**gas exploded after that.

I just have seen so many white people use the n-word and justified themselves with that bit. That and the Pound Cake speech always gets posted on my facebook.

 

[Armoured Priest]

So the debt limit passes with dem votes and like 28 republicans. Why can't he bring up immigration and pass it with the same votes?



blame Chris Rock for giving racists that one, cosby's also hinted at the same thing.
I think Rock distanced himself from it as he was uncomfortable with peoples reactions

Removing the cuts to military pensions from 2 months ago also happened today.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Oh Boehner, you awful, awful speaker.

 

[WayneMorse]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-60-vote-threshold-clean-debt-ceiling

We're not out of the woods yet.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Well, then.

Hey Clarence has your memory changed since 2007?

He was also acutely aware of the impact of lynching on his and his grandfather's lives during the 1991 hearings, he writes: "Segregation, lynchings, black codes, slavery: the endless litany of injustices raced through my head."

In the '50s and '60s, "blacks steered clear of many parts of Savannah, which clung fiercely to racial segregation for as long as it could."

"The Ku Klux Klan held a convention [in Savannah] in 1960 and 250 white-robed members paraded down the city's main street one Saturday afternoon. No matter how curious you might be about the way white people lived, you didn't go where you didn't belong. That was a recipe for jail, or worse."

As late as 1972, the summer after his first year at Yale Law School, Thomas and his first wife encountered a billboard that said "The United Klans of America Welcome You" when they crossed into North Carolina while driving from New Haven to Atlanta.

Thomas labeled his rage at the racism he'd endured "the beast." He admitted that he lost his battle with it in the summer of 1968, when it consumed him from within. "I couldn't accept the way the white man had treated [his beloved grandfather]. Somehow, some way, he and others like him had to be avenged."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/12/AR2007101201883_pf.html

Removing the cuts to military pensions from 2 months ago also happened today.

In the senate? I thought it was just procedural? The gop will clog it up with amendments, or that was their plan.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-60-vote-threshold-clean-debt-ceiling

We're not out of the woods yet.

Seriously why post this. He says this every time. Its not gonna happen. They'll get the 60 votes.

 

[Black Mamba]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-60-vote-threshold-clean-debt-ceiling

We're not out of the woods yet.

There are over 60 votes in the Senate available. Guys like McCain are not filibustering it.

 

[Aaron Strife]

There are over 60 votes in the Senate available. Guys like McCain are not filibustering it.

McCain, Murkowski, Collins, Kirk, someone else (Portman? Ayotte?)

There's a pretty reliable coalition here.

 

[WayneMorse]

There are over 60 votes in the Senate available. Guys like McCain are not filibustering it.

Another 12 hour talking not-really-filibuster.

 

[Armoured Priest]

In the senate? I thought it was just procedural? The gop will clog it up with amendments, or that was their plan.

No, just the house, 326-90 to restore pension cuts for military retirees under 62.

 

[PhoenixDark]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-60-vote-threshold-clean-debt-ceiling

We're not out of the woods yet.

Meh, it passed the House. Cruz might defeat it once in the senate, but ultimately it'll pass long before February 27th.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

No, just the house, 326-90 to restore pension cuts for military retirees under 62.

Paid for?


This is a hilarious article where a republican tries using a variety of unpersuasive and incongruent arguments to argue the GOP doesn't need to change. Someone should count how many times his arguments contradict themselves
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...ics_really_work_against_the_gop_121538-2.html

And lol at this

And yet, Republicans’ showings among whites continue to improve over time. In 2010, Republicans won the highest share of the white vote for any major party in House elections since 1822. They’re doing something correct.

 

[Aaron Strife]

This is a hilarious article where a republican tries using a variety of unpersuasive and incongruent arguments to argue the GOP doesn't need to change.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...ics_really_work_against_the_gop_121538-2.html

And lol at this

If we keep doing well in midterms we'll win the presidency in no time!

 

[Oblivion]

Not sure how I feel about the military pension thing. I don't want them to be cut, but it's bullshit that their spending gets corrected while everyone else suffers under sequestration.

Hey Clarence has your memory changed since 2007?

Somebody must have a nice "talk" with him since then.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Not sure how I feel about the military pension thing. I don't want them to be cut, but it's bullshit that their spending gets corrected while everyone else suffers under sequestration.

I'm not of the opinion someone shouldn't suffer because others are. Its a recipe for never correcting any mistakes.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Paid for?


This is a hilarious article where a republican tries using a variety of unpersuasive and incongruent arguments to argue the GOP doesn't need to change. Someone should count how many times his arguments contradict themselves
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...ics_really_work_against_the_gop_121538-2.html

And lol at this

The point about the African American vote dropping in 2016 tells you everything you need to know about how delusional this is. I don't expect Hillary Clinton to convince black people to stand in line to vote for 4+ hours, but she won't need that. The general population growth of blacks virtually guarantees that the black vote in 2016 will be comparable to 2012.

Republicans aren't going to get 59% of the white vote against Hillary Clinton, or whoever gets the dem nomination. You can't just pick numbers out of the past and declare them 100% comparable to now. Reagan ran against a bad candidate who was lampooned by many in the country, during a time of great "America fuck yea" fervor.

And even if republicans did win 59% of the white vote, it probably wouldn't matter given the Hispanic vote in Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia.

I don't think republicans realize that democrats don't need Ohio or even Florida to win elections now.

 

[Avon Barksdale]

Paid for?


This is a hilarious article where a republican tries using a variety of unpersuasive and incongruent arguments to argue the GOP doesn't need to change. Someone should count how many times his arguments contradict themselves
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ar...ics_really_work_against_the_gop_121538-2.html

And lol at this

Saw this ad on the mobile site.

LOL.

 

[rocketknight]

Bad news for Kay Hagan Mary Landrieu:



http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2014/02/louisiana-senate-race-tightens-.html

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/phil-robertson-mary-landrieu-poll

Landrieu also loses to Phil Robertson. This is Louisiana in 2014.

 

[Oblivion]

Okay, somebody up there has a sense of humor. As if Freedom Industries wasn't lol-worthy enough, now we have Patriot Coal.

What's next? Jesus Petroleum?

 

[Captain Pants]

I don't think republicans realize that democrats don't need Ohio or even Florida to win elections now.

I don't have the slightest idea what strategy they could use to win. I feel like I'm being generous by having Colorado and Nevada in there as swing states.

 

[Joe Molotov]

Okay, somebody up there has a sense of humor. As if Freedom Industries wasn't lol-worthy enough, now we have Patriot Coal.

What's next? Jesus Petroleum?

Jesus makes oil, not dinosaur bones.

 

[Incognito]

sean hannity was in complete meltdown mode on his radio show today. was absolutely hilarious.

and look at this. http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/someones-been-sending-gop-lawmakers-a-bizarre-threat-over-th

A group of House Republicans has received a mysterious threat in recent weeks: an anonymous email that promises political retribution for those who for vote yes to a debt-limit increase — sent to their closely guarded personal email addresses.

Because of the near-secret nature of lawmakers’ internal email addresses, the emails have raised more than a few eyebrows — and the possibility that one of their own was behind, or at least assisting in the attacks.

The emails, circulated to lawmakers at the end of January and during their closed door retreat earlier this month, came as Republicans struggled to come up with a plan to extend the nation’s debt limit. Leadership threw in the towel Tuesday, opting to move a bill that simply raises the debt ceiling without other conditions. The bill passed Tuesday, with nearly every House Democrat and 28 Republicans voting for it.

“It’s got to be another member. Probably one of the crazy ones,” said a Republican who had seen the email, which was sent from an anonymous email address, unrepresentative1@gmx.com.

:rollllllin

dibs on which member is using a sockpuppet to threaten other members? goehmert? bachman? i mean, the list goes on and on...

 

[PhoenixDark]

I don't have the slightest idea what strategy they could use to win. I feel like I'm being generous by having Colorado and Nevada in there as swing states.

Even if you make Iowa a swing state (possible, especially if the state falls in love with a GOP candidate during the primaries like they did with Obama), the map still starts out 251 to 191. I just can't see republicans winning with those odds in two years, assuming Hillary is healthy enough to run and the economy doesn't implode. Which is probably why they're already throwing the kitchen sink at her.

I could see Michigan beginning to trend away from democrats as suburb population increases, and if Detroit can be fixed. Outside of that...eh. Until republicans turn around the Hispanic vote they're fucked, period. New Mexico+Nevada+Colorado is just too steep a climb. Colorado might be the least liberal of the three, but in terms of numbers Hispanics make it hard for conservatives to win state-wide there.

 

[Jackson50]

Senators Flake and Leahy call for pretty much ending much of the embargo on Cuba

Obama was criticized by the usual suspects for shaking Raul Castro's hand at Mandela's funeral, so it seems the prospects for reform are poor. Of course, the embargo should have been abrogated yesterday. It has utterly failed to engender reform, and the Cuban regime persists despite the sanctions. The proposition that engagement harms our interests or the people of Cuba is fatuous. The Cuban regime is not going to collapse in the near future. With our diminished economic power and Cuba's engagement with virtually every state on this planet besides the U.S., the embargo is even less effective than it was after the collapse of the Communist Bloc. And on a more strategic note, even though Cuba is relatively inconsequential, our intransigence only limits our influence on Cuban reform. Moreover, the humanitarian cost for the Cuban populace has been terrible. It's an unjust, ineffective policy. So we'll probably keep it.

It is pretty rare but when an issue is pretty clean cut, there are people who do things. Like Lady Gaga doing "Born this way" and other pro-gay rights songs.

I suspect there are some people who may have regretted doing the the "No Nukes" album
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Nukes_(film)

I think nuclear power certainly has some significant problems . . . but EVERY energy source has some problems. Nuclear's problems are expense, no good way to deal with the waste, risk of accidents, water usage, etc. But in view of climate change, I think we should build some nukes in appropriate places (but the primary focus should be on wind, solar, geothermal, etc.).

Right. Nuclear power is not without its problems, but neither is any source of energy. It should be an integral component of our energy policy if we are to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels. An ideal national policy would concentrate renewable sources of energy where they are most effective and supplement with nuclear power. Also, I know you're an energy policy maven, so I was curious if you know of any literature on hydro power. I understand the consequences, but I recently read an Energy Department report on the potential of power generation at non-powered dams. And I was curious if independent sources had considered the feasibility of the proposal.

 

[Aaron Strife]

I don't have the slightest idea what strategy they could use to win. I feel like I'm being generous by having Colorado and Nevada in there as swing states.

Give the Democrats CO and NV on that map - Obama won them both by more than five points. They're already at 272.

Ohio, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina were the big swing states in 2012. Obama won three of them yet needed none of them. The GOP has no path forward right now - they can only wait for a Democrat to screw up, and Obama has run a tight ship as far as scandals go.

 

[thepotatoman]

I don't have the slightest idea what strategy they could use to win. I feel like I'm being generous by having Colorado and Nevada in there as swing states.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institute...titute/colorado/release-detail?ReleaseID=2004

Despite Christie Woes, Clinton Struggles In Colorado, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Udall Locked In Tight Race For Reelection

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky gets 47 percent to Clinton's 43 percent;
Clinton is at 44 percent with 43 percent for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas;
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin leads her 48 - 43 percent.

 

[speculawyer]

Okay, somebody up there has a sense of humor. As if Freedom Industries wasn't lol-worthy enough, now we have Patriot Coal.

What's next? Jesus Petroleum?

Close . . .

Zion Oil and Gas is a Dallas-based hydrocarbon exploration company; its principal assets are the three license blocks in northern Israel. The company was founded by John Brown in 2000 and is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Market (stock symbol: ZN).[1] What makes Zion different from other exploration minnows is that it is a faith-based company which is Biblically inspired and convinced it will discover one of the largest oil fields in the Middle East during the "End Times", based solely on the reading of biblical texts.[2] The company has been heavily promoted in Christianist nutjob publications such as WorldNetDaily and most of its 4000 investors are believed to be evangelical Christians with a lesser number of Jews.[3] The primary aim of the company is to make Israel self-sufficient in oil for decades to come; just in time for the Rapture.
However, despite the Christian fundamentalist background of Zion's founder, the company does not rely on any of that creationist flood geology nonsense. Several members of the board are either qualified geologists or have worked in senior positions for major oil companies.

“”I believe Zion Oil & Gas was ordained by G-d for the express purpose of discovering oil and gas in the Land of Israel and to bless the Jewish people and the nation of Israel and the body of Christ (Isaiah 23:18 NIV). I believe that G-d has promised in the Bible to bless Israel with one of the world’s largest oil and gas fields, and this will be discovered in the last days before the Messiah returns and that it will be found on the Joseph License and the Asher/Menashe License, both being on the Head of Joseph (Genesis 49:1-2 and 22-26)
—John Brown

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Zion_Oil_and_Gas

http://www.zionoil.com/

And you thought you were joking.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

The point about the African American vote dropping in 2016 tells you everything you need to know about how delusional this is. I don't expect Hillary Clinton to convince black people to stand in line to vote for 4+ hours, but she won't need that. The general population growth of blacks virtually guarantees that the black vote in 2016 will be comparable to 2012.

Republicans aren't going to get 59% of the white vote against Hillary Clinton, or whoever gets the dem nomination. You can't just pick numbers out of the past and declare them 100% comparable to now. Reagan ran against a bad candidate who was lampooned by many in the country, during a time of great "America fuck yea" fervor.

And even if republicans did win 59% of the white vote, it probably wouldn't matter given the Hispanic vote in Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia.

I don't think republicans realize that democrats don't need Ohio or even Florida to win elections now.

The bigger thing was there was no cohesion to his argument. He stated look to history, but when history didn't give him what he wanted he says don't listen to history things will change. Fundamentals matter is a response to one point but in another a candidate is a superhero that magically changes demographics. That and his delusion about the white vote not shrinking.

Its just sad they can't graps reality and seek only the facts that make them feel better. Like the poll above me. Does anybody think rand will/can win against Clinton in Colorado? People don't vote candidates when they're policies are that far apart.

 

[Armoured Priest]

Paid for?

lol, its the republicans...of course they're going try and cut something else. Always gotta be revenue neutral.

They wanted to offset it by extending sequester cuts in Medicare providers for an additional year, through 2024.

Sounds like Reid plans to strip that part out though.

 

[Oblivion]

lol, its the republicans...of course they're going try and cut something else. Always gotta be revenue neutral.

They wanted to offset it by extending sequester cuts in Medicare providers for an additional year, through 2024.

Sounds like Reid plans to strip that part out though.

Hahaha, what? That better have been laughed right out of the room.

But I thought sequester didn't touch medicare?

 

[thepotatoman]

and look at this. http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/someones-been-sending-gop-lawmakers-a-bizarre-threat-over-th

:rollllllin

dibs on which member is using a sockpuppet to threaten other members? goehmert? bachman? i mean, the list goes on and on...

It's apparently already happening.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/senate-conservatives-fund-replace-boehner

The powerful outside group's call came in an email to supporters on Tuesday, shortly after House Republicans announced that they would give up on previous demands for a debt ceiling extension and instead support a clean hike. In the email Senate Conservatives Fund Executive Director Matt Hoskins wrote:

"Republicans are giving up because they know that winning is impossible when their leaders are determined to lose. These leaders have telegraphed weakness to the Democrats and sabotaged conservative efforts so many times that Republicans now have no leverage. There's only one solution.

John Boehner must be replaced as Speaker of the House."

Hoskins goes on to warn that Republicans will never have any leverage if Boehner stays as Speaker.

"Unless we install a new leader who will actually go on offense, Democrats will never fear us and we will never have any leverage," Hoskins continued in the email.

Poor Boehner gets no thanks for successfully throwing his weight around with farm bill, but gets tons of hate for not doing something as crazy as using economic devastation as leverage.

Oh well, let them kick Boehner out and vote in Paul Ryan or Eric Cantor instead. I still bet nothing would change.

 

[sc0la]

Let's offset the spending on military cola with also extending UI benefits. Win win right?

I wish people would propose this shit just to see if it got traction