ThinkFast AM: June 22, 2006
ThinkFast AM: June 22, 2006
In an effort to meet recruiting goals, the Army has raised its maximum enlistment age to 42. The move “marked the second time this year the Army has boosted the maximum age for new volunteers.â€
The House delayed a vote on extending the landmark Voting Rights Act. Texas lawmakers objected to the bill, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, because of its federal oversight and multilingual voting requirements. “I don’t think we have racial bias in Texas anymore,” explained Rep. John Carter (R-TX).
41.2 million: The number of Americans who lacked health insurance last year, 14.2 percent of the population. 8.9 percent of American children did not have coverage.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged the international community to reassess its approach to the war on terror, claiming that there has not been enough focus on the roots of terrorism itself. “I strongly believe … that we must engage strategically in disarming terrorism by stopping their sources of supply of money, training, equipment and motivation,” he said.
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) “helped funnel at least $179 million in U.S. government contracts over the last six years to companies that gave to†his family-run charity, tax records and other documents show.
The Pentagon waited nine months after completing an investigation into the deaths of two U.S. soldiers before notifying the families that the men were killed by Iraqi troops.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) isn’t the only one apparently turning taxpayer-funded earmarks into personal profit. The Washington Post finds others, like Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), who “received nearly double what he paid for a four-acre parcel near an Air Force base after securing $8 million for a planned freeway interchange 16 miles away.”
“Middle-class neighborhoods, long regarded as incubators for the American dream,” are disappearing rapidly across the country, a new study shows. “In their place, poor and rich neighborhoods are both on the rise, as cities and suburbs have become increasingly segregated by income.”
It’s official. “Californians will vote in November on a ballot measure proposing a constitutional amendment that would tax oil production to fund a range of alternative energy efforts.†Californians for Clean Energy gathered 1,143,365 signatures to put the initiative on the ballot.
And finally: Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has apologized to 85-year-old veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Remarking on Abu Musab Zarqawi’s death last week, King said, “There probably are not 72 virgins in the hell he’s at. And if there are, they probably all look like Helen Thomas.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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The ethical woes of Mollohan and Jefferson are the exceptions to the rule of the Republican culture of corruption. For a laundry list of GOP misdeeds, see:
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:28 am“The Republican Rap Sheet.”
Jobs are disappearing; and, also, retirees are losing benefits from Soc. Sec. and Medicare – so, the military might soon remove the enlistment age limit altogether.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:36 amWhat an a-hole Steve King is — really nice, picking on an 85 year old woman.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:36 am“What an a-hole Steve King is — really nice, picking on an 85 year old woman.”
I’d say he was picking on Zarqawi more so then Helen, I mean, even for a terrorist why would you wish 75 of her on anyone?
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:43 am42 - oh boy, getting to the cheetoh eating mom’s basement types is that much easier now. I hope that have fresh drawers.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:43 am#3, I agree.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:45 amFortunately, Helen can take care of herself.
After 6 years with a White House that is scared
to even let her ask a question, she still holds her
head high & rises above the crap.
Her new book, ‘Watchdogs of Democracy’, is worth
the read. I liked her comment when asked about the
lack of real questions to this administration. I’m
paraphrasing, but it was something like, ‘I’d rather
be a watchdog than a labdog’.
You go, girl!
The rest of you so called journalists could learn a lot
from an 85 year old woman who isn’t afraid of fallout,
but is afraid of silence.
That huge sucking sound you’re hearing is liberty
leaving the country.
42 million Americans w/o health insurance. Think about
it. Where the HELL are we going?
Had enough, America?
All right, fine, even I think that 42 is just a bit too old. As long as they don’t start overlooking drug use and homogayulation, we should be ok, though.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:46 amHey, where’s Little Miss Amy with her inane remarks? I’m rather disappointed that she’s unable to come up with more irrelevant ramblings.
Since she never adds any content to the postings, it should be easy for her to write something trite like “I know am I, but what you are?”
No big loss.
I wonder when we’re going to hear Fox news claim that “Democrats do it too!” in an effort to gloss over Republican ear-marking and special funding amendments? It seems that Rep. Mollohan has been caught doing the “Republican thang”.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:48 am#2 JObs are dissappearing? Last time I checked, unemployment was at 4.6%, which is one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world and historically low even for the U.S. While the repugs screw many things ups, they have done a very very good job at getting people jobs.
As far as health insurance: I hope congress somedays looks into insurance and works to change it for the better. Right now we have lawyers sucking bucket loads of cash away from the insurance companies which increase there premieum costing us all serious cash. It is time for congress to step up and mandate that all Healthcare lawsuits only happen in federal court. They also need to cap the amount of damages that the suer can sue for ($1 million – $2million is the number most recommend). Furthermore, it is time for our hospitals to have the right to refuse service to anyone uninsured unless it’s an emergency. I am more then sick of seeing our ER rooms used to treat a cough. ER’s are for emergency’s only. If our hospitals stop treating non emergencies we would all see a decrease in our premiums. Lastly, we need to work with our Democrat congressmen and women to further reduce business and investment tax so they can continue to hire and supply benefits to the american public.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:53 am#7 – Actually, I think the US Army is trying to raise their minimum recruiting age to get me back in uniform! I told my partner that at the rate the Army is raising the “bar”, I’ll be eligible for re-enlistment by the time I retire!
By the way, love your parody website! “Teach them (children) that God will kill them dead if they have sex before they are married.” Too funny!
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:53 amAre you sure that the idiot representative from Texas LIVES in Texas? Hell I live in Texas, and for that moron the say he doesn’t think we have racial bias in Texas any more PROVES he doesn’t live here. Pull his voting card and burn it.
June 22nd, 2006 at 9:54 amJoyce Schulte, who is running against Steve King this year, has a great response to his comments on Helen Thomas. Check them out: http://schulteforchange.blogspot.com
King keeps popping up as the ‘little strong arm’ of the GOP. If he is not on the border contradicting himself about the glory of how the 14th amendment helped his family…but is no longer good for others, he is busy worrying about his poor wife having to navigate the scary DC streets which, according to King, ARE WAY worse than any neighborhood in Iraq.
Now, he pops up as one of the major players in blocking renewal of the Voting Rights Act. Seems like the GOP likes to use this lesser known Congressman to do a lot of their ‘right-pleasing’ work. Sad.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:02 am#9 – I think you’re operating under a false assumption. The Insurance industry makes trillions of dollars, and they’re the ones who want congress to turn down the spigot ON ONE SIDE OF THE EQUATION ONLY.
They’re the ones fighting to cap all awards for medical malpractice, but they refuse to make any commitment on the amount of money they’ll charge for insurance coverage.
How about congress say “We’ll mandate a cap in malpractice awards, and we’ll also mandate a cap in the cost for the malpractice coverage!”
But of course, the insurance lobbyists would scream like a stick pig if we were to be THAT fair and pro-active!
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:08 amRoger, I work in medical collections and by and large the law is that hospitals have to only stabilize an emergent condition. Hospitals, however, normally treat everyone equally by choice, in an attempt to have good public relations. Many hospitals don’t pay property tax and so fear that may be repealed if they stop treating the uninsured.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:09 amBut for the uninsured there is the Health Care Assurance Program, a federal program tied to funding, that allowes hospitals to write off bills for those under the poverty line. Hospitals like this program becuase the more bills they write off, the more funding they get from the federal government.
And most increases in premiums, etc., by insurance agencies aren’t caused by lawsuits, they’re caused by simple usage under the terms of one’s plan. Just like auto insurance, if you use it your rates go up. And insurance companies, in my seven years experience, are corrupt. They go to lengths to screw over their insured and the hospitals they contract with. Insurance companies don’t make money paying bills, which is why I have a job of trying to make them do theirs.
Roger x 2,
Unemployment rate is not 4,6%. The 4,6% is the number of people collecting unemployment checks. Big difference. The Bush Regime fiddled with it after they were criticized for the job loss situation during their first term.
Unemployment, by experts, has been put at closer to 9%
Under Clinton it was 4%.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:13 amRoger – you claim to be independent but yuor words belie you. You are so conservative it is sad. It is sad because you come here claiming you are not a neo con then you write up this garbage.
Do you know how many med mal cases are won by plaintiffs? Less than 4%. Do you know why med mal insurance rates are so high? Because the states allow the insurance companies to charge whatever they want. Insurance companies drag cases on as long as they can to prevent paying.
How would you like it if you went into surgery to have an operation and they “mistakenly” cut off an appendage? Has happend. on gue even had his penis cut off. Actual story. If this happend to you don’t you think you should be compensated for a lifetime of the misery you will have?
If we do not treat uninsured individuals in hospitals where are they going to go? Are you really so cold hearted that you would prefer to see your premiums reduced than a child saved from the complications of strep? How silly of me, of course you are, your words prove that.
In Texas we have had “tort reform” in place for years. The insurance companies told everyone this would reduce our auto premiums. Want to guess what happend? Not only did they not decrease, they have increased every year.
You need to get out more buddy and see what real people are facing every day!
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:16 amRep. Steve King (R-IA) has apologized to 85-year-old veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Remarking on Abu Musab Zarqawi’s death last week, King said, “There probably are not 72 virgins in the hell he’s at. And if there are, they probably all look like Helen Thomas.’’
Inadequate idiot assholes like Rep King will always have to pick on the smartest woman in the room. It makes them feel like men — even if it’s only temporary.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:18 amGreedy Old Pigs.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:20 amBy the way, #6 should have said ‘Lapdogs’.
The House delayed a vote on extending the landmark Voting Rights Act. Texas lawmakers objected to the bill, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, because of its federal oversight and multilingual voting requirements. “I don’t think we have racial bias in Texas anymore,†explained Rep. John Carter (R-TX).
Rep Carter actually lives on a progressive planet in a far away galaxy, named after the State of Texas largely for sentimental reasons. He’s here to visit his distant relatives and hasn’t gotten the lay of the land — since he doesn’t speak the language.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:23 amYOU GOT IT RIGHT UNBELIEVABLE!
Bushco directed his dept. of labor flunkies to do something about the rising unemployment numbers years ago so they came up with the bright idea of changing the way the unemployment percentage was arrived at.
They decided that only the people getting unemployment insurance were unemployed and disregarded all looking for work. This cut the number in half and Georgie Porgy was delighted.
Also please note that this unemployment percentage and the number of jobs created do not make any sense at all.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:24 amJeeze- I don’t know how this administration can continue to top itself with the hideous truths that keep spilling out. The Pentagon waited 9 months after they knew what happened to inform the families? Why? Just too busy? Slipped their mind? Or that their ‘genius’ plan of waiting till “they can stand up, so we can stand down” might have a few… flaws, which of course, they didn’t anticipate happening. One more screw-up, that BushCo will blame someone, anyone for, while they try to look innocent. GWB will assure us that he ‘understands’ that people are upset, 9/11, 9/11, 9/11! And when they claim to ‘care’, they only mean about the american people turning on them, and making them stop, no more war, that’s what scares them. It hurts, knowing that it will only get worse. Gawd they are making me tired. If there is a God, I will live to see them all get what they deserve, and I will be glad.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:24 amInadequate idiot assholes like Rep King will always have to pick on the smartest woman in the room. It makes them feel like men — even if it’s only temporary.
Comment by Zookeeper — June 22, 2006 @ 10:18 am
That is so true. A man who is confident and self-assured do not ever degrade a woman. Guys like King are the ones who are anti-choice and religious zealots who claim the bible says a woman is to be subservient to her husband. I had a pastor tell me that once in a bible study class. I told him that was the most idiotic statement I had ever heard. He was more than a little shocked he did not want to offend me and lose my donations so he stuttered his way through an explanation, a very bad one. Did not take me long to leave that church!
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:26 amActually, I think the US Army is trying to raise their minimum recruiting age to get me back in uniform!
Comment by Democrat Soldier
Hey, that’s not a joke, Democrat Soldier, they really would like to get you back. The larger question that should be asked by the democrats is what is the state of preparedness and is there a declining quality and quantity of available recruits willing to serve in Rummy’s idea of a modern military.
Some of the 42 year olds I know have grandkids in better shape. Wonder how they’ll do humping a 100 lb full-combat load 20-30 miles over the mountains in the Afganistan? Or even carrying a couple of full 5 gallon water cans 3 or 4 hundred yards across Iraqi sands burning in 120 degree heat?
For the taxpayer, those 42 year old beer guts and 20 years of inactivity will lead to bad backs, bad knees and broken bones with long term disability and medical care that the govenment will be paying for for the next 40 or 50 years.
For the young soldiers risking their lives and in harms way, they will have to wait up for gramps to catch up and hope that if they get hurt in a firefight, grandpa can run out, pick them, and carry them back to safety without getting them both killed.
This asinine idea for the military to recuit the old geezers and grey haired guys is absolutley bull shit. They are long past their prime. When I left the military I was a lot younger than that and the wear and tear on my body was unsustainable.
I don’t think there will be a lot of them signing up for Special Forces, Ranger, or Airborne training. But what the hell do I know? I’m just a former grunt and DI, and don’t have the knowledge Rummy and his draft-dodging administration buddies have on creating a modern, well-equipted, and physically fit army able to defend America against its enemies.
I know: maybe Rummy is thinking they could replace the truck drivers and cooks we are paying Halliburton to do. Do you think?
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:26 am“homogayulation”
Comment by Herman B. Hayes
HI-LARI-OUS, Herman
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:26 amBy the way, #6 should have said ‘Lapdogs’.
Comment by Zimzone
Whew, Zimzone, I’d rather be a lapdog, than a “labdog,” anyday. ;)
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:29 amWhy does the Army want to raise the age to 42 when they wouldn.t draft people that old. Why put the other troops in danger. I know when I was a healthy 42 yr old serviceman I couldn’t keep up with 19 or 20 yr olds. Don’t we have anyone in this Admin that know anything about what war is about. 60 or 70 lb. pack in 100 deg heat I can’t believe it.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:29 am#15 The unemployment rate calculations have not changed under Bush. For you to assume that Bush somehow changed to formula without any proof is wrong. The far left always wants to say that Bush changed the formula, but I haven’t seen any eveidence. Sure, the formula only counts those that receive unemployment, but the same was true under Clinton. BTW, here is a link to the historical unemployment rates for your enjoyment.
http://www.bls.gov/cps/prev_yrs.htm
It shows that Clinton did well with unemployment for many of his years just like Bush. Clintons worst unemployment average for 1 year was 7.5%. Bush’s current worst was 6%. Clinton on the other hand did top Bush for the low mark (Clinton had a 4% unemployment while Bush has a 4.6% unemployment). Regardless, Both are historically VERY low. Both did a very good job. The rest of the world would love to have unemployment even close to those number, Europe especially as poverty and unemployment have crippled that part of the world.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:34 amTP, I just caught the tail end of a report about the Supreme Court deciding 9-0 on a sex discrimination case, but I didn’t get any other details. Please post something on this!
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:35 am#27 – I’m reminded of the far-right that didn’t hold back in any fashion in their attacks against Pres. Clinton and how his policies would cause massive unemployment and ruin the economy. When they were proved wrong, did they apologize for their remarks or feel sorry for the lies THEY told?
Don’t shed tears over the treatment of Pres. Bush when your side didn’t shed any over Pres. Clinton. You’re being disingenuous in your selective categorization.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:40 amRoger_Roger
Clintons worse was 6.9 according to that site, 1992, when it was 7.5 was Bush Sr.’s last year, not clinton’s first.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:41 amzoo- i typed in pertinent words at google news, got this:
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:42 amTop court affirms sex discrimination award
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed a sex discrimination jury award for a female forklift operator who was transferred to a more physical job after she filed a lawsuit accusing her employer of sexual harassment.
Roger_Roger, you have to quit drinking that strawberry flavored kool-aid. It does something to your brain.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:48 amWhile running this morning I was thinking about how much I hate Bush. And yes, I do hate him.
I wanted to be able to articulate my reasoning and I think it comes down to this; When Clinton was President he did a lot of things I disagreed with, for example the don’t ask don’t tell policy and the marriage protection act (I cannot remember exactly what it was called) because I still have yet to find a neo con who can explain to me why my marriage needs protection from gay people.
Anyway – I disagreed with Clinton but I understood why he did many of the things he did. He was not just the president of the democrats he was the president of all Americans. Therefore he could not just take into account what democrats wanted but try to bring the country together as one nation.
Bush does not do this. He will not listen to the American people. He does not care what we think and he does not care what we want. Should he govern by polls? Hell yeah!! Polls tell our politicians what we Americans want and the direction we want our country to go in. Bush has forgotten, or just does not care, that he works for US, we the people. He is an employee of every single American citizen not just his corporate cronies.
Anyway, I don’t feel much better because we are stuck with him for what seems like a life time, but its out there.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:55 amRegardless, Both are historically VERY low. Both did a very good job. The rest of the world would love to have unemployment even close to those number….
Comment by Roger_Roger
Of course unemployment is down. But what Roger Rabbit isn’t taking into consideration that with all those $5.15 an hour minimum wage service jobs junior has created, a lot of people are working two jobs just to make ends meet.
Have another glass of koolaid, pal.
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:01 amBushCo is constantly trying to make things look better than they are, and if they can’t, they just stop talking about it. Like they don’t want to have to face the truth of the drastic increase in the number of terrorist incidents, worldwide, each year that Bush has been in office, so they said they are no longer going to release those figures. What we don’t know, won’t hurt them. “Clear Skies”? Okay to pollute, more than ever! “Healthy Forests”? Send in the loggers! And I really loved when they tried to have fast-food jobs reclassified as “manufacturing” jobs, so they could make the types of jobs they were ‘creating’ look better. They lost on that one, though. They are liars, plain and simple. No set of statistics will change that. They hype everything. If it was all good, why would they need to lie about it?
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:04 am#31 – Thanks, katy, I was just leaving for work and I missed it. I was so frustrated, since it was a 9-0 decision. That’s a rare thing. Cool that this woman won her suit!
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:06 am#33 – 942 days, 12 hours, and approximately 49 minutes. (As of right. . . . .NOW!)
http://www.backwardsbush.com/
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:06 amHe was more than a little shocked he did not want to offend me and lose my donations so he stuttered his way through an explanation, a very bad one. Did not take me long to leave that church!
Comment by Jules — June 22, 2006 @ 10:26 am
I have a friend who says he does not understand how a single woman or black person could support Christianity. The Bible clearly says that women are inferior, and was used to abduct blacks into slavery and consider them secondary-citizens after they were ‘emancipated’.
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:12 amSure, the formula only counts those that receive unemployment,
Comment by Roger_Roger — June 22, 2006 @ 10:34 am
Then it isn’t the Unemployment Rate at all. It’s just the number of people collecting unemployment insurance checks. And it cannot be used to make any arguments about real Unemployment, or compare ourselves to other countries who use actual unemployment figures.
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:18 am#33 Jules Quote:
“Bush does not do this. He will not listen to the American people. He does not care what we think and he does not care what we want. Should he govern by polls? Hell yeah!! Polls tell our politicians what we Americans want and the direction we want our country to go in.”
This I agree with you on. Our politicians should govern with what we the people want. Polls reflect that. For example, polls show that most Americans (over 50%) do not want us to set a firm date to take our forces out of Iraq. This poll should tell those lawmakers that demand we remove our troops to settle down and “govern by what the polls say”. Also, the “polls” suggest that most americans are against gay marriage. In turn, Democrats and Republicans should govern by the polls and cast laws to make the practice illegal.
Now it isn’t rosy on the republican side either as Bush surely doesn’t govern my polls in most cases. You are just failing to realize that some of the major subjects the Dems are touting are also not favorable to “most” Americans.
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:35 am#27. Roger_Roger — June 22, 2006 @ 10:34 am
You just have to let go of the fiction that Bush’s jobs performance is acceptable in any way… historical or otherwise.
The total number of net new jobs reported during Bill Clinton’s 8 years is 22,746,000. That’s 2,843,000 per year.
The total number of net new jobs reported duringn GW Bush’s ~5.5 years is 2,635,000. That’s not even one of Clinton’s average years. You can see that right?
Go here: http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet
This is the unemployment rate page.
Change the beginning year to 1968.
Look at the graph. Every spike that you see occurred during a Republican’s admin.
The number of new workers entering the job market every month is about 150,000. Any monthly job growth less that 150,000 is a net job loss. Bush’s average has been 41,000 per month. Historically, that is the poorest performance since 1968.
Clinton: 240,000
G Bush: 53,000
Super-Ron: 166,000
Carter: 219,000
Nixon/Ford:117,000
Johnson 2nd Term: 205,000
BTW. I have been watching the BLS website for years. And they did make a change. I don’t know why, or whether it affected the unemployment rate. But, around the beginning of 2005, the monthly job figures were all changed, going back to 2001. Almost all were revised downward, resulting in an even poorer net performance for GW Bush.
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:36 amRoger once again you are spewing crap! The majority of Americans want the troops out of Iraq. Stop using Fox as your only news source because it is not news!!
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:41 amCan’t speak for Texas, but after watching this UNF-INGBELIEVABLE clip, I can guaratee there is outright RACISM in Pennsylvania…
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:46 am
#41 – Roger, Roger, Roger, sweetie, ya got links for those smelly stats?
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:46 amPolls showing that most americans don’t want Gay Marriage:
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050401-114205-2153r.htm
and
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/02/24/national/main601828.shtml
These are even from your very own left wing media!!
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:55 am#44. #41 – Roger, Roger, Roger, sweetie, ya got links for those smelly stats?
Comment by Zookeeper — June 22, 2006 @ 11:46 am
Those are my stats, not Roger’s. The stats are all on the BLS website. You just have to do a little addition.
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:57 ammoony – er- washington times? left wing?
June 22nd, 2006 at 11:59 amah hahaha
#45 – Linking to the Washington Times would be like linking to Pat Robertson’s web site. The Rev. Sun Yung Moon is about as far right as Ann Coulter, he still has all his original parts.
You are correct, that most American’s don’t support gay marriage. The interesting statistic is that most Americans also do not support a Federal Marriage Amendment. Go figure!
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:01 pmOMG – you have just outed yourself roger. Anyone who actually believes that the washington times is liberal is so far to the right they are off the scale. You did not bring up gay marriage, you wrote about bringing home the troops.
I brought up gay marriage because PROGRESSIVES are unafraid of it. It is you neo cons that for some reason believe it will totally destroy your marriage. Obviously isn’t very stong to begin with then. Because Clinton is a democrat I thought he should be pro-gay rights and was disappointed he was not. I understood his position though because, once again because you obviously do not retain information for very long, he was the president of AMERICANS, not just democrats.
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:02 pmMarriage and flags are over-rated.
The divorce rate is pushing 60% and most of the married people I know aren’t living happily ever after as the fairytale promise.
And people don’t even notice flags until someone is burning one.
Hunger, poverty, disease are under-rated.
Each year the statistics of people dying from starvation increases.
Every year more and more working people slip into poverty.
Every year new strains of deadly bacteria emerge from the forest we are clear cutting.
Yet the so-called Christians running this show are focused on the non-essentials in life. The things that only matter to those that care. Flags and marriage are concepts. Food, shelter and water are necessities.
Time to focus on tne important issues in life like hunger, poverty and disease. I eally don’t want to hear anything else from these so-called public servants.
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:09 pm#46 – The Moony Times? Roger, please. Ok, what about the timetable for pulling out of Iraq? Does the Moony Times have anything on that?
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:10 pmI understood his position though because, once again because you obviously do not retain information for very long, he was the president of AMERICANS, not just democrats.
Comment by Jules — June 22, 2006 @ 12:02 pm
That was excellent Jules… Very poignant and something the partisans seem to be forgetting – including the current “President” of the United States… Well said!
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:12 pmU.S.A. eliminated from world soccer tournament.
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:17 pmU.S.A. eliminated from world soccer tournament.
Comment by sports guy — June 22, 2006 @ 12:17 pm
Too bad. My daughter was devastated when the Mavs lost. Hope you are not taking it too hard.
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:24 pmThe unemployment rate calculations have not changed under Bush. For you to assume that Bush somehow changed to formula without any proof is wrong. The far left always wants to say that Bush changed the formula, but I haven’t seen any eveidence. Sure, the formula only counts those that receive unemployment, but the same was true under Clinton. BTW, here is a link to the historical unemployment rates for your enjoyment.
Wrong Roger. The Bush administration changed the formulation shortly after coming into office – from surveying company payrolls to surveying households. If Bush were held to the more-stringent standard by which Clinton was judged, his performance would look even worse.
Nice try.
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:36 pmDubya’s “Change of Thinking”?
Thursday 22nd of June 2006
by Jay Randal
“For Europe, September 11 Was a moment. For Us, it Was a Change of Thinking.” (President Bush in Vienna, Austria, 6/21/06)
The Iraq Occupation is an unmitigated calamity of grotesque proportions, but the Bush Regime thinks 9/11/01 justifies every criminal act they perpetrate?
Their fabricated lies and insidious propaganda have severely damaged the reputation of the United States!
President George W. Bush lives in a bubble of his own deceptions, while he spews bogus nonsense worldwide!
Republicans in the Congress have willfully colluded to mislead the citizenry on the Iraq War/Occupation!
Some DC Democrats have also colluded in the fiasco debacle quagmire to the utter detriment of America!
The Media/Press have conspired in trying to fool the US population, on Iraq, by promulgating falsehoods!
Who will demand in Congress to end the Occupation?
( Jay Randal, political activist and writer in Stone Mountain, Georgia.)
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:53 pmBring up Clinton all ya want Rightards, we all know the guy was a better Preznit than George. Let go of your fear of terra, and you will see this.
June 22nd, 2006 at 12:54 pmRoger That!!!
You have one conservative thought in this BLOG!!! How EVIL..
I am tired of the phony stat about those who don’t have insurance… take away those who don’t care about having health insurance because they feel they are otherwise healthy, those students who are in college, those who don’t care about their health… and not to mention the illegals or those popping babies out they can’t afford… then tell me what the statistic is…
never mind my rate is high when I am a single male paying for things such as maternity leave… the fact that states require insurance companies to cover things that maybe me as an individual might not need… like a chiropractor… i don’t work in a field that i worry about my back so why should i pay a rate that includes it… and i am sure i can go down the line with a lot more B.S. i am “covered” for. Yet most states require insurance companies to include them in their plans… which of course stifles competition for better rates or services from companies that my have plans that
bottom line is that there is no choice to be offered just HMO or PPO.. there are those that have risk insurance as well who save tons because they lead healthy lives and can save money to handle the serious things…
Who wants situation like Canadian Healthcare system it is a joke… My god have we not figured out from Katrina that government in individual lives does more harm than good because we gain sense of entitlement that makes us complacent (sp) On top of that government can’t account for the money and over spend for things without worry because they run the show… like any monopoly does… the soviet union ran everything and paid for everything yet there were still lines to get food?! Look at France… the “disaffected youths” rioting over jobs that they felt entitled to… imagine that concept in America… that I am entitled not to be fired within a 2 year or so window come out of college?!
I don’t have to worry about my health care because someonelse’s money is going to take care of it… I am entitled?
The “Me-Me” generation getting older etc… who became complacent that S.S. would take care of things… and their grand kids will take care of it… Question what happened to the times where we took care of our own? Instead nursing homes and assisted living? What happened to taking care of your family and responsibility? … I guess when we came up with all these “sincere” entitlement programs that don’t work such as welfare that has destroyed blacks in this country (the equivalent institutional CRACK)…
we devalued life from cradle to grave to the point it about “me” and what i am entitled to from my country and i have no responsibility to my country.
But I hope to see what San Fransisco does… because when it bombs out… hopefully people will see…. rather than federally funded and mandated….
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:07 pmSports Guy, U.S.A. eliminated from world soccer tournament… by Ghana… which isn’t a superpotency of soccer…
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:11 pmThe House delayed a vote on extending the landmark Voting Rights Act. Texas lawmakers objected to the bill, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, because of its federal oversight and multilingual voting requirements. “I don’t think we have racial bias in Texas anymore,†explained Rep. John Carter (R-TX).
Congressman Carter should tell that to the family of James Byrd. He was the one who was dragged to death behind a truck driven by racist idiots (yes, that’s redundant). When asked about it, then-Governor Bush said with a creepy, almost jubilant glee, of the men who killed Mr. Byrd, “They’re gonna get the death penalty!” (Of course, at that point in time, they didn’t even have their trial yet.) I find it hard to believe that Texas has eliminated the rest of its racists since then.
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:12 pm#61 – Ouch…
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:14 pm#62 – Wayne, two of the killers of James Byrd got death, and one got life. GWB is just not quite right. No shit, you say? I know. He has this weird antisocial, no empathy thing going on. He gets all squirmy about Byrd’s killers getting the death penalty — before any trial; and he made fun of Carla Faye Tucker’s appeal not to be put to death. It sends chills down my back.
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:19 pm#59 – So, what you’re saying is that if (I say ‘if’) the project in San Francisco works out that you’ll come back and say “Gee, I was wrong about universal healthcare”???
When you’re so sure that you’re right, that’s when it usually bites you in the butt.
Me, I think it’s going to work for a while. I doubt it’ll be sustainable over the long term, but I refuse to make predictions based on my opinion. I’ve been proven wrong too many times for that! ;-)
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:27 pmRedeployment Plan #1
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:29 pm-Send all Democratic troops home now!
You’ve told us, KKKarl, that when the tough
battles arrive we won’t be there. Fine. We’re
good with that. So, any troops voting Blue will
return asap.
Let’s see, KKKarl, that leaves you with some
officers & Asian cooks.
How’s that working for you?
Zookeeper,
I just hate it when hypocritical liars try to piss on me and tell me it’s raining.
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:31 pmI love Phil Michelson;but did he choke,or what,in the U.S. open ?
Did anyone else notice that ‘deer in the headlights’ look after tee shot on 72nd.hole ?
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:32 pmFunny, I have alot of Canadian friends, and when I tell them about all the stuff the right says about how poor thier healthcare system supposedly is, they look at me funny. Sorry Joneser the Canadian Healthcare system works well, and keeps thier populace healthy. Furthermore if you are insured, you already pay $1,000/per year extra because of the uninsured. Whether you pay for it in taxes, or in payroll deductions, you still pay for the uninsured.
June 22nd, 2006 at 1:50 pmI just hate it when hypocritical liars try to piss on me and tell me it’s raining.
Comment by Wayne A. Schneider
What if they just piss one you and say nothing? How would that be?
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:02 pmGOP divided on Voter’s Rights.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:04 pmOH look IRI found an ublocked IP, I thought I smelled vaseline. So IRI how are the boys in mexico?
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:07 pmHi, I-Right-I,
Haven’t seen you here lately. How are you holding up down there in Houston? I hear the flooding has been the worst it’s been in quite a while. Hope you and yours are doing okay. I seriously do.
To answer your question, most times I feel like they haven’t been telling me that they were doing it.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:08 pm#65 democrat soldier…
yes i agree with what you said about that… but to me the problem with the Dems right now is they don’t worry about that because it isn’t their money they are playing with… Case in point the welfare system one of the biggest tragedy in American history next to slavery.
California has proven time again they don’t care what their constituents think… they legislate and spend over thier heads anyway. I give AWWNOLD credit for proposing referendums and changes he believes in and letting the Californians decide for better or for worse.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:14 pm#26 because its part of their big plan to wipe out as many human beings as possible. raise the recruitment age so that when it comes time to an obligatory draft, everyone will have to go. simple.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:28 pmI just hate it when hypocritical liars try to piss on me and tell me it’s raining.
To answer your question, most times I feel like they haven’t been telling me that they were doing it.
Comment by Wayne A. Schneider
I hate looking down and finding a wet leg…
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:38 pmWayne, you are a true master of colorful imagery. ;)
Thanks, Zookeeper. I try. Whether I’m feeling blue, green with envy, seeing red, or I’ve got something yellow and wet on my leg, I try. :)
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:44 pm#73 Joneser, So whose money is GWB “playing with? And the “welfare system” only seems to be a “tragedy” to the Right when it is the poor receiving aid. But hey, the Corporate Welfare system is just great, in fact, we should give them even more! Republicans have been spending all the money, mostly on themselves.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:44 pm#38 unbelievable…
i know it is late in the discussion… but being black, conservative, and christian requires me to state some info….
Jesus wasn’t sexist, read the Bible….
The Republican Party was established by abolishoinists who used Chiristianity to combat morality of slavery as did the DixieCrats in the preservation. The for fathers new the issue of slavery would rise up and it did Amistad to the Civil War… but our country ad the union was fragile at the time… and of course the ultimate compromise was met.
Blacks are conservative by principle… ask Fredrick Douglas, MLK, Booker T. Washington, and the first Black politicians, the people that move to Harlem and Bronzeville during the Great Migration, They all used their beliefs as Christians to fight for what they believed in to hold themselves up to character and values far before their color.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:52 pm#77
i think you need to do a little studying up on what welfare has done to this country particularly blacks… every aspect of blacks lives was excellent if not on the rise until LBJ and companies brilliant concept of giving women (disproportionately black) money to have babies and if they did have a father in the house, to lock in votes for their “Great Society” so now we have 70% plus illgitamicy rate. Black on black crime… ghettos etc…It created a dizzying complacent… anti social… self loathing…. victimhood for us as blacks… yeah we got hip hop… great messages being sent there… we used to have Jazz… the Blues… Motown… things that were creative independent… proud… optimistic way before civil rights
and to follow up on Blacks principally conservative… i bet if you looked at abortion rates in our country by race… blacks would be quite low despite this “racist bigot homophobe” libs believe this country to be…
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:02 pmDon’t tell me about the right and the poor when the red states rank as the most charitable and volunteer more in communities and churches… Charitable giving is at a 6 year high! Damn Bush and his tax cuts!!!
Mississippi?! One of the poorest states in the Union give more money in proportion than any state… try looking up New England and see what they have done.
Look up the richest Senators in the House and tell me about the right…
I am tired of left and right… just tell me does it work?!
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:09 pm#79- What color is the sky in your world?
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:11 pm42?
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:18 pmHow old is Hannity?
Time for that great American (not a chickenhawk hatemonger,no siree!) to leap into action!
LOL
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:19 pm#78. joneser — June 22, 2006 @ 2:52 pm
I have to dispute your use of the term “DixieCrat.” It is my recollection that the DixieCrats were the racist white southerners who opposed desegregation. They were Democrats until northern democrats pushed for integration. The so-called DixieCrats were promptly welcomed into the Republican party. It’s this sort of episode that causes me to think of the majority of Republicans as racists. The fact that many more racists ran from the Democrats to the Republicans when the Civil Rights acts were passed in the Sixties helped confirm that view. Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms consistently pandered to the racist voters in their states and consistently opposed affirmative action and every other progressive civil rights movement for their entire careers. The Republican party stopped being a party of abolitionists more than 100 years ago. Go ahead and tell me that Robert Byrd was in the KKK.
More here: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1751.html
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:20 pmthink you need to do a little studying up on what welfare has done to this country particularly blacks… every aspect of blacks lives was excellent if not on the rise until LBJ and companies brilliant concept of giving women (disproportionately black) money to have babies and if they did have a father in the house, to lock in votes for their “Great Society†so now we have 70% plus illgitamicy rate
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:22 pm==========================================
This has gotta be satire–right?
Jesus wasn’t sexist, read the Bible….
I have.
It’s not about what Jesus said it’s about whatthe Bible says, since Christianity isn’t, oddly enough, only based on what Jesus said. In fact, it ignores the stuff it doesn’t like – such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gospel of S. Thomas.
The Bible is very sexist. And being the book of the Christian religion – makes Christianity sexist.
You should read the rest of the Bible.
The Republican Party was established by abolishoinists who used Chiristianity to combat morality of slavery as did the DixieCrats in the preservation..
Now they just enslave the entire poor and middle classes. But I didn’t say anything about Republicans – just Christianity. Which was used to bring many black slaves here and treat them appallingly. You should read about the methods for whichthey brought them here. Storing them, like sacks of flour – under the floorboards of the ship and shackled so they couldn’t move and had to deficate on themselves. Very similar to how the Jews were transported by the Nazis.
Blacks are conservative by principle… ask Fredrick Douglas, MLK, Booker T. Washington, and the first Black politicians, the people that move to Harlem and Bronzeville during the Great Migration, They all used their beliefs as Christians to fight for what they believed in to hold themselves up to character and values far before their color.
Comment by joneser — June 22, 2006 @ 2:52 pm
When did the entire black American population appoint you as their spokesman? Because my friends who are black look up to liberal black Americans such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou.
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:22 pm#79 joneser,
Call me an ignorant white dude if you want, but if, as you say, “every aspect of blacks lives was excellent if not on the rise” in the mid-60s, I don’t think I ever would have heard of that great American, the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I make no assertions about anything else you wrote. Peace.
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:25 pm# 61…Oh, Wayne, your facts as stated are incorrect. The murderers of James Byrd were sentenced to death in September 1999. George W. Bush’s remarks regarding the fact that they received the death came on Oct. 2000 during a presidential debate with Al Gore when asked about hate crime legislation. (Halfway through the presidential debate on Wednesday, after Vice President Al Gore expressed support for hate crimes legislation and cited the 1998 slaying of a black Texas man,
James Byrd Jr., the moderator Jim Lehrer turned to Gov. George W. Bush of Texas and asked his views on hate crimes laws. Mr. Bush did not mince words.
“We’ve got one in Texas and guess what,” he said. “The three men who who murdered James Byrd. Guess what’s going to happen to them? They’re going to be put to death. A jury found them guilty and it’s going to be hard to punish them any worse after they get put to death.”)
So your statement that Bush made his comments before the three defendants had had their trial is false.
We await your retraction.
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:30 pmFine, Exley, I retract the part where I said erroneously that the three men didn’t even have their trial yet. I was wrong. Happy?
That was a minor part of the point I was trying to make which was that racism in Texas hasn’t gone away, and that Governor Bush was positively gleeful that someone was going to be put to death by the state.
I just wish conservatives would retract their lies and false statements as quickly.
Aplogies to all for making an error.
See how easy that was to do?
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:39 pmAnd I apologize for misspelling “apologies” in my previous post.
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:42 pmI accept yor retraction. Thank you.
But I dispute tour characterization of Bush’s response as “gleeful.” He was stating a fact in response to a question about the supposed need for so-called hate-crime legislation.
Besides, don’t you think the murderers of James Byrd deserved the death penalty? I do.
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:44 pm#80 – Let me guess, you get these “statistics” from a Christian web site. And you expect they’ll find statistics that won’t be to their particular bias?
Want to buy a bridge? It’s a really nice one!
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:44 pm#91 Exley,
You are welcome, and thank you.
No, I don’t think they deserved the death penalty. I don’t think anyone “deserves” to be put to death at the hands of the state. Executing even one innocent person is inexcusable, and it has happened many, many times in this country.
I believe that if you really wanted to punish the murderers, make them spend the rest of their natural lives in prison. They fear that more than they fear having their misery put to an end. Why do you think Timothy McVeigh waived all his appeals (except to President Bush) and asked to be put to death early? Because he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Capital punishment is not about retribution, it’s about revenge. It’s not a deterrent, or else states like Texas would have lower crime rates than states without capital punishment.
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:51 pmWayne,
I am not a super huge proponent of the death penalty. I think it should be applied in exceedingly rare cases. And I agree that in most cases life in prison seems like a far worse fate that death. For example, the super-max prison in which Zacarias Moussaoui spend the rest of his miserable life seems like a living nightmare (He deserves no better)…But I do think there are those rare cases that are so horrible, so brutal, so monstrous that the only fitting punishment is death. We can debate whether the murder of Byrd constitutes such a crime (I happen to think it did and so did a jury).
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:58 pmThe man in Idaho who killed a family too kidnap the two children in the family, who then proceeded to rape both children and kill one of them. deserves the death penalty in my opinion. However in many cases life in prison would be a far worse punishment.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:03 pmAmazing when you state an opinion what happens…
But i know quite well the horrors of slavery… And the holocaust besides the Nazi’s were anit smoking and animal slaughter too….at any rate I decided along time ago to go beyond my beloved university professors and look at other sited, and well thought media with alternate points of view…. like you all do i think and hope
I invite you to check out two books
Black Rednecks and White Liberals
And Visions of the Anointed
both by Thomas Sowell OR ANYTHING HE HAS WRITTEN
shelby steele, john mcwhorter etc…
#85 you are right it isn’t 70% plus anymore… it is about 68% now ooops…
#86 I wasn’t appointing myself anything I was just bringing a different point of view.. sorry to offend you with “christianity” i wasn’t trying even to convert you “earth” forbid.
MLK was principally conservative… he believed in faith based initiative… his his whole principals was based the sexist bible you speak of… against being judge by skin but content of character (affirimative action)
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:05 pm#94 Exley,
Okay, so we disagree. As I see it, the problem with allowing that there are some crimes that are “so horrible, so brutal, so monstrous that the only fitting punishment is death” is who decides when that line has been crossed? I mean, the jury in Texas that voted for the death penalty might have been comprised of people who think the death penalty is proper for a whole range of crimes, not just brutal murder. Or they might not like the defendants.
I also don’t think it’s right that the victim’s family gets to speak at sentencing. Why do I say this? Because there isn’t supposed to be any emotion in deciding a sentence. If we are to go around saying that we are all equal under the law, then who, I ask, will speak for the homeless people who get murdered? Is it any less of a crime against humanity to kill a homeless person then it is to kill a rich man? And just because a murder victim was popular and well-loved, why should his killer be treated any differently than the murdcerer of an unpopular, poor person? If the crime is “murder”, and not “murdering a popular person”, then the penalty should be the same, or at least, not influenced by the victim’s family’s emotions (which often, though not always, demand the harshest possible punishment.)
If you have no capital punishment at all, you can’t accidentally execute an innocent person. And there is absolutely no excuse at all for executing an innocent person.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:15 pmJoneser,
MLK was a conservative, and a pacifist. As you most likely know he was attacked for being against the veitnam war. I think that his death prevented growth that may have stopped some of issues that plague the black community. However things like poverty, were present in black communities long before welfare.
I do agree that there is something to be said about blacks counting on welfare to support them. My wife worked as a child services social worker in detroit for 2 years about 12 years ago. she has told me stories that will curl your toenails. One time she told me that every black women knew down to the penny how much she would recieve from welfare for each child she had. While welfare may not help in the way it was intended. Poor educational opportunities, and a desire to not perform in schools don’t help either. Some of the changes for blacks to succeed in America need to come from the black community. I think that because of slavery, Blacks don’t want to blend into society, and whites don’t really allow them too. Asians, and latinos have had greater success then blacks, but they still face discrimination. Especially for Latino’s given the recent bruhaha over immigration.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:19 pmWayne,
Interesting points. I don’t know if I agree with them, but they are well thought out. But let me ask you this — You state you don’t think that the family of victims should be permitted to speak at sentencing hearings (For the record, I disagree). Do you similarly believe that the families of potential death penalty defendants be barred from speaking at sentencing hearings to ask for mercy?
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:19 pm#99 Exley,
Yes, the convicted’s family should also be denied a voice at sentencing. Very few would tell the judge to go ahead and impose the death penalty, so a judge isn’t going to learn anything helplful from them.
The just-convicted person should be allowed to ask for mercy, of course.
Thank you for the opportunity to have a civilized debate.
One more thing to correct. Earlier, I mistakenly said “crime rates” when I meant “murder rates”. I have no information on overall crime rates in states with or without the death penalty. Sorry for the error, but I wanted to get that cleared up.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:31 pmI wasn’t appointing myself anything I was just bringing a different point of view.. sorry to offend you with “christianity†i wasn’t trying even to convert you “earth†forbid.
There’s a difference between offering a different point of view and telling someone to go read the Bible. I gave up Christianity intentionally. There is no going back. Just pointing out the hypocrisy in the religion.
MLK was principally conservative… he believed in faith based initiative… his his whole principals was based the sexist bible you speak of… against being judge by skin but content of character (affirimative action)
Comment by joneser — June 22, 2006 @ 4:05 pm
I don’t call him conservative on any level. He was respectful. That isn’t a conservative trait alone, as your post infers. Not all Christians are conservative either.
Most people I know call him liberal – because the defnition of a conservative is someone who does not want change. That definitely was not Mr. King. He was as progressive as they come.
Butthe Bible advocated slavery,a nd therein lies my friend’s dilemma with blacks being Christian.
As for women, in the second chapter of genesis it says that your god too the rib of a man to create a ‘helper’ (when really, the Y chromosome was evolved from the X. Man actually came from woman).
If that’s not your brand of sexist, then I hope you occasionally do laundry and cook and don’t expect your wife to do it all…
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:32 pmthe reason they don’t fera the death penalty is because of the time spent in appeals to the point that over the 20 some odd years they have time to make name for themselves while the victims names and who they were is lost. When Lincoln was assasinated and the conspirators were caught, they were trialed and executed in less than two months. Nextel.. done. If these murderers realized punishment came swift and severe it would change alot of criminal behavior…
As for innocent people put to death… I am still looking for documented cases because the last one’s DNA still proved he did it…
Only case I have seen it was when they recently killed a bear that they thought killed a little girl but turned out it was another one they ended up killing and her DNA was under his finger nails…
And if they are put away for the rest of their lives, they should all be used as cheap labor. Their paycheck should then go to the family they ruined.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:32 pm# 100 Wayne…
I agree..It is pleasure to be able to have a civil, level-headed debate with someone. I too appreciate it.
Having said that, you write: “Very few would tell the judge to go ahead and impose the death penalty, so a judge isn’t going to learn anything helplful from them.”
But don’t you think that a defendant’s family could testify as to possible mitigating factors, such as an abusive childhood suffered by the defendant or possible mental heath problems????
I just think the more information a judge has about a defendant (and a victim) before making such a crucially important decision, the better.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:42 pm#96 – Krazny, last I heard Shasta’s father wanted the death penalty off the table because of the real likelihood that she would have to testify again and again over the years to come. The prosecutor was still going to go for the death penalty, though. Must be up re-election. I would certainly want to spare my child that, and I don’t blame him. Personally, I’m not for the death penalty.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:42 pm#102 joneser,
I invite you to go to http://www.innocenceproject.org and read about the people on death row who are known to be innocent and yet still face execution. New York State (my home state) has executed at least eight people who we now know were innocent of the crimes for which they were executed.
Want some names of documented innocents being executed? Start with Sacco and Vanzetti.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:44 pm“I don’t think we have racial bias in Texas anymore,†explained Rep. John Carter (R-TX).
Let’s paint Rep. Carter black and throw him out along the road in Vidor, Texas and see what he thinks. I’ve lived in Houston (which is a bit more enlightened than most of Texas) for 25 years and I could walk outside and throw a rock randomly and hit a racist. At the store down the street they refer to the little brown bags single beers are put into as ‘mexican koozies’. Can these guys tell the truth about anything? Anything at all??
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:46 pm#106 – Wayne, that’s why I’m against the death penalty. Too many mistakes, even one is too many.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:53 pmI can’t say I blame him either zoo, I would not want my child to go through years of having to relive the experience. I still think Duncan is a monster who should be put to death.
#106, just paint him black and have him try to hail a cab. That should work well enough.
June 22nd, 2006 at 4:54 pm#99 Krazny…
thanks for the civility in here… it is nice… but statistice show blacks we on the rise before welfare…. alot of course is to complicated or nuanced to go it from here
101.
i forgot unbelievable you don’t do that at all… and as for your rejection of christianity. MLK was a traditionalist and a fundmentalist. he agreed with the countries founders and believed in their principals because they are the rooted in tradition and morality. It was race that divided things. Hence why the constitution didn’t speak on slavery… MLK knew and relaized there was a reason for this.
If you think he agreed with what takes place in public schools? Abortion? That anything goes in society? Laws decided by courts? That character does not play a role in poverty? Judged by sincerity and not results? Moral relativism? That equality is more important than liberty? Compassion over standards? How you feel over what is right? The ACLU? castro and arafat are more humanitarian than bush? teach condom use on cucumbers as ok, not abstenace? Art is freedom of expression in public space yet a crucifix or nativity scene is not?
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:00 pm105
thanks wayne i will check that out tonight.
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:01 pmBut don’t you think that a defendant’s family could testify as to possible mitigating factors, such as an abusive childhood suffered by the defendant or possible mental heath problems????
Are you trying to set a trap for me? Make me agree to the old “bleeding heart liberal” excuse for murder? I won’t fall for it. ;)
I only said that a victim’s family shouldn’t testify at sentencing, nor should a convicted man’s family members, either. I didn’t say there should be no mitigating factors introduced at sentencing. But they should be the opinions of qualified professionals, not family members. If a defendant really does have mental health issues, then I feel it is the obligation of the state to determine that those issues are addressed accordingly before handing down a sentence.
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:03 pm#111
Nope, Wayne, no traps….Yes, I am a conservative, but believe it or not, we conservatives DO actually believe in fair trials and the impartial administration of justice! (Shocking, I know…)
But anyway, we disagree…I believe the families of victims and defendants should have the right to be heard at sentencing. You think such statements carry the danger of being to inflammatory or prejudicial. That’s fine…A reasonable disagreement.
But here is where you will get mad at me again…Ready? Sacco and Vanzetti were NOT innocent!
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:12 pm#111
Nope, Wayne, no traps….Yes, I am a conservative, but believe it or not, we conservatives DO actually believe in fair trials and the impartial administration of justice! (Shocking, I know…)
But anyway, we disagree…I believe the families of victims and defendants should have the right to be heard at sentencing. You think such statements carry the danger of being too inflammatory or prejudicial. That’s fine…A reasonable disagreement.
But here is where you will get mad at me again…Ready? Sacco and Vanzetti were NOT innocent!
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:13 pmthat’s why I’m against the death penalty. Too many mistakes, even one is too many.
Comment by Zookeeper
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:14 pm=================
That is one of the reasons why I,too,am opposed to the death penalty.
#108 – Krazny, in Houston that might work. I suspect if he hailed a cab in Vidor though, he’d be picked up immediately and the repugnicons would say “see, no racial bias here”. The following week on page 50 of the Houston Chronicle the story would read “Republicans have scheduled special election to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Carter who has not been seen or heard from since hailing a cab in Vidor last week”
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:16 pmYou are welcome Joneser, I try to be civil. It is much easier to actually have a converstation if you don’t devolve into name calling.
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:22 pm#113
I had been taught that they were both innocent, but further research shows that some claimed that Sacco was guilty but Vanzetti was innocent of the crime for which they were executed. Yes, they were both anarchists and had some radical ideas, but that alone is not cause for execution.
Well, it’s been a real pleasure having such a civlized conversation. I am also glad that others gave our conversation the same respect that we did. You and I will probably disagree over, well, just about everything. But as long as we both avoid the less-respectable tactics that some employ, one or both of us might learn something some day.
Peace to you, my friend. Just make sure you don’t get arrested for something you didn’t do. If there’s one thing we both should know, it’s this: Your actual guilt or innocence may have nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not you are found guilty. Which is why I feel the state shouldn’t have the power to take your life away.
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:27 pmROFL
Thanks for the laugh Quadra. I am pretty pragmatic, and I realize that this country has taken great strides in the last 50 years regarding racism, but we are far from done.
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:28 pmHave a good evening, Wayne…Work is done. Time for Happy Hour. Until next time.
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:29 pmjonser – I will not argue on the rest of your post at 109 as I don’t have the time or the energy. However, I really take offense when people start criticizing the ACLU. Their sole purpose is to protect the constitution. Period. They are not left, they are not right, they simply want to protect the freedoms guaranteed to us by the constitution. I am quite sure there are cases you could find that you agree with them on just as there are cases that I disagee. For example, I cringe when they support the KKK. However, it is just for that reason they need to exist. Who am I to decide what the rest of the country has a right to say. I am not “the decider” when it comes to the first amendment and neither is Bush.
OK, you may now continue your argument with unbelievable and, well, good luck you will need it!
June 22nd, 2006 at 5:35 pmi agree no time nor energy right now… but so be it… the ACLU grabs hold of nutty cases such as that in Makavelian way to enhance other agendas… and I don’t care anyway because I want those people to speak on their views… I want their voice heard so i know who they are. Stifling it isn’t going to help anyone.
ACLU defends the North American Man-Boy love association for god sake… the promoters of exploitation and abuse of young boys!?
June 22nd, 2006 at 6:29 pmJoneser the ACLU also defended Rush Limbaugh in his med shopping case, despite the amount of criticism Rush has dumped on the ACLU in the last 10 years.
June 22nd, 2006 at 6:40 pmHey, IRI, the again raised the enlistment age(and lowered the standards) GO JOIN THE ARMY YOU *F*CKUP!!!!
June 22nd, 2006 at 6:55 pmArt is freedom of expression in public space yet a crucifix or nativity scene is not?
Comment by joneser — June 22, 2006 @ 5:00 pm
Art doesn’t have a history of Inquistions, enslaving people, or declaring war.
Art isn’t trying to force itself on anyone with a preconceived version of morality that excluded anyone who is different or doesn’t believe.
Art isn’t exclusive.
Art isn’t judgmental.
Art isn’t hypocritical.
Art doesn’t require blind faith or obedience.
Art doesn’t discriminate.
Art doesn’t ask for 10% of your salary.
Art doesn’t demand you be something humans aren’t meant to be.
Art doesn’t send you to eternal damnation for being an imperfect human.
Art asks for nothing in return, yet gives itself solely for the sake of human pleasure.
I’m an artist and an atheist by birth. The two are ultimates in freedom. They demand nothing from you that you don’t want to give.
June 22nd, 2006 at 7:01 pmYes I remember all that well… it still says nothing to their agenda… because they pick and choose… case in point they agreed with the decision to censore the validictorian’s speech… even though the schools districts own rules said they can’t censor the speech at any rate have a good one.. all
June 22nd, 2006 at 7:03 pmJesus said that you should keep your religion private. He was a wise man. You should listen to him.
June 22nd, 2006 at 7:21 pm# 127: Looks like you’re basically being ignored:Where is Jason when you need him?
”I’m an artist”…LMAO!
June 23rd, 2006 at 8:54 amI posted it late… but i realize he/ she (she i think) is “sensitive”
June 23rd, 2006 at 9:58 amI posted it late… but i realize he/ she (she i think) is “sensitive.” But I have always been of the feeling that if you really believe in what you do and who you are, you should be able to be a little more respectful of other opinion and actually enjoy dialogue about it. After all, what good is your opinion if you can’t prove it to be true or false?
June 23rd, 2006 at 10:00 amI posted it late… but i realize he/ she (she i think) is “sensitive.â€
She. I’m not the one who is sensitive. You’re the one who got upset over my post. I’ve jsut been pointing out facts. But that’s what you conservatives do when you have nothing – try to attack the person rather than the arguement.
But I have always been of the feeling that if you really believe in what you do and who you are, you should be able to be a little more respectful of other opinion and actually enjoy dialogue about it.
I do. But it sounds like you’re preaching about something you yourself do not follow. I’m not upset. But clearly you are. You keep bringing it up.
After all, what good is your opinion if you can’t prove it to be true or false?
Comment by joneser — June 23, 2006 @ 10:00 am
Well, I already did. And you, instead of countering my post with facts or examples, have turned it personal. Seems you should take your own advice before you start accusing others of doing what you just did.
Makes it look like you’re outta fuel…
June 23rd, 2006 at 10:21 amand this is the part where i counter and you say “see!” LOL
June 23rd, 2006 at 12:37 pmNo I wasn’t hurt by what you said at all… and no i don’t attack anyone personally…
but hey like i said it was a spirited debate so to speak and see you on the next blog topic ;)
Okay…
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