ThinkFast: April 9, 2009
ThinkFast: April 9, 2009
The Obama administration said yesterday that the U.S. would join Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China in talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program — a further step toward direct American engagement with Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said he welcomes talks with the U.S. should President Obama prove to be “honest” in his outreach to Iran.
Attorney General Eric Holder “began a series of personnel moves yesterday” aimed at restoring “public confidence in the nation’s highest law enforcement operation.” Holder appointed Mary Patrice Brown to head the Justice Department’s internal ethics unit while moving the unit’s former head, H. Marshall Jarrett, over to lead the executive office of U.S. attorneys.
Four Somali pirates are holding an American ship captain hostage after briefly seizing a cargo ship Wednesday. A U.S. Navy destroyer is now keeping watch over the small lifeboat to which the pirates fled with their hostage, after the American crew retook the cargo ship yesterday.
On a “mostly party-line 46-53 vote,” the Virginia General Assembly “rejected $125 million in federal stimulus money Wednesday that would have provided additional unemployment benefits to thousands of jobless Virginians.” Gov. Tim Kaine (D) was “visibly angry” after the vote. Virginia’s unemployment rate is at 6.6 percent.
President Obama “plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal,” says director of intergovernmental affairs in the White House Cecilia Muñoz. Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May and will hold working groups over the summer “to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as this fall.”
The White House is “open to compromise on certain key elements of its climate-change agenda, including whether businesses could get some emissions allowances for free.” An Obama administration spokesman said the president prefers a “100% auction” but “will be flexible during the policy-making process as long as those larger goals” of a clean-energy economy are met.
A coalition of liberal groups called Health Care for America Now (HCAN), which includes the AFL-CIO, Campaign for America’s Future, and MoveOn.org, is “waging a national grassroots campaign this week to demand that all Americans be given access to government-run public health insurance plans.” They are also pushing centrist senators like Evan Bayh (D-IN) to allow health care legislation to pass through budget reconciliation.
The team organizing the Chicago Tea Party protest has rejected RNC Chairman Michael Steele as a speaker. Eric Odom, the event’s organizer, explained: “[W]e prefer to limit stage time to those who are not elected officials, both in Government as well as political parties.”
And finally: The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles has turned down a vegan driver’s license plate request for “ILVTOFU.” According to the agency, “the plate might be offensive to some people.” “We don’t allow FU because some people could read that as street language for sex,” explained a spokesman for the Department of Revenue. Kelley Coffman-Lee, the woman who requested the personalized plate, said that she simply wanted to show her love for tofu, a “staple” for her vegan family.
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AmeriKablog will censor your posts if you call them out for whining about not getting their share of Progressive fund raising money. You can swear if you want. You can bash gays if you want. Don’t dare question their patriotism for wanting their share of the money. Show me the money, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Peace?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:02 amOn a “mostly party-line 46-53 vote,” the Virginia General Assembly “rejected $125 million in federal stimulus money Wednesday that would have provided additional unemployment benefits to thousands of jobless Virginians.” Gov. Tim Kaine (D) was “visibly angry” after the vote. Virginia’s unemployment rate is at 6.6 percent.
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Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought States had to take all of the stimulus money or none of the stimulus money. Did that change somewhere along the way and I missed it?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:08 amVirginia Republicans really hate Virginians don’t they?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:11 amI think that even if I was a tofu-loving vegan, I would still be somewhat embarrassed to drive around town sporting a license plate that said “ILVTOFU”. What in the world was this woman thinking?
Come to think of it, it would be difficult to work “tofu” into ANY vanity plate letter arrangement and not have it misinterpreted.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:12 am“We don’t allow FU because some people could read that as street language for sex,”[...]
__________________________________________________________
I don’t know about any one else, but when I say “FU” to someone, I a’int thinking about sex.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:13 amThe only people the Virginia repugs care about is the rich fat cats. The working stiffs in Virginia can go pound dirt. We are the party of NO, and that means NO to anyone who works for a living and doesn’t make 250,000 plus a year.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:16 amI’m not sure I understand the response to this pirating. Sending big, marked military ships out to patrol is useless. The pirates can visually spot and stay away from them, going after some other ship elsewhere. Why are the US ships, at least, not having the same kind of terrorist protection that US planes do, putting armed personnell on board? It seems to me that this would be a cheaper and more effective way to make the high gain of pirating offset with a high risk of capture or being killed.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:18 amIt is quite sad that we do not have health care for everyone in this, what is still the most wealthiest country on the Planet and we have 45 to 50 million underinsured or not insured at all.We have a for porfit system that is an egregious front to all in this country.The industrialized world have based their own health care system models on our very own Medicaid for our elderly and Veterans Affairs for our military heroes.So why on earth are the Reich Wing nuts opposed to national health care for everyone? The almighty dollar.The same can also be said for RX`s when people load up into buses and go to Mexico or Canada to get their RX`s.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:18 amIgnoranceIsNotBliss Says:
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought States had to take all of the stimulus money or none of the stimulus money. Did that change somewhere along the way and I missed it?
____________
Prolly just another GOOPer “vanity vote”, so they can go to their bed-rock crazy core supporters and “See what we did???”
Their lips say NO!… but their eyes are just begging for it.
They’ll end up taking it and lie about that too… prolly even try to find some sneaky back-door way to use it for other than what it was intented for…
April 9th, 2009 at 9:20 amRantingTommy Says:
Virginia Republicans really hate Virginians don’t they?
__________
Only the poor, Democratic, non-Christian, non-white ones…
April 9th, 2009 at 9:21 amRead.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:22 amThe Republicans in Virginia General Assembly should be ashamed of themselves for depriving the citizens of their state help when they so desperately need it. How do they sleep at night?
We should do something about health care in this country, and sooner rather than later. If you are poor enough, you get welfare and health care. If you are rich enough, you have insurance, and have health care. The working folks in the middle who do not get health insurance because their employer cannot afford it, simply go without. Does this seem right?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:24 amAttorney General Eric Holder “began a series of personnel moves yesterday” aimed at restoring “public confidence in the nation’s highest law enforcement operation.”
Good luck with that one Mr. No Torture Investigations.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:26 amCould someone with some political history knowlegde offer up any past examples of states voting to refuse federal assistance funds? I am very curious if this has any sort of past precedent, and if so how it was done.
Appropriate keywords to google with would be plenty sufficient. Thanx in advance.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:28 amPelosi claimed on Olbermann last night that the ’sovereign immunity’ issue, along with parts of The Patriot Act are due to sunset at the end of this year. She appeared to be indicating that would be the time Congress would review State’s Secrets, etc.
I hope Olbermann continues his rant on this. America needs to realize that the Cheney admin infested all layers of our government, & wingnuts are still pulling our strings.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:29 amLicense plate — can’t argue that. besides, who would want a plate that COULD be read:
I – LV – TO – FU
April 9th, 2009 at 9:30 amAs for those pirates, we need four snipers to take them out. The captain could re-board his vessel and sail on. Why we make nice with these thugs is beyond my comprehension.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:33 amlarkohio Says:
If you are poor enough, you get welfare and health care.
And despite the rightwing spin, that “poor enough” is a pretty despicable standard of living that you have to meet: Pretty much “destitute”.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:33 amIf this doesn’t prove we’re hurtling toward a fascist dictatorship, what does?
First they came for the tofu lovers. But I did nothing, because it wasn’t me…
The newly-renamed Planet Xe
April 9th, 2009 at 9:34 amThanks for the post Dru Odontomachus hastatus. Crooks & Liars had a post last night about a piece that Rick Sanchez did on the topic of FOX News and fear mongering:
http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/cnns-rick-sanchez-slams-fox-news-fearm-0
Eric Boehlert was a guest on this piece as well as some gun loving militia wing nut.
As to the vanity plate, may I suggest, “TOFULVR” or perhaps “ILVTOEFOO”. I LV TO FU is just too funny though!
April 9th, 2009 at 9:35 amNext Time a someone claims FOX is ‘Fair and Balanced’
April 9th, 2009 at 9:36 amOne way to solve the ongoing piracy is to arm ships heading in to those waters. Having a few of them blown to bits ought to discourage the cowards.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:36 amCageyCretin Says:
License plate — can’t argue that. besides, who would want a plate that COULD be read:
I – LV – TO – FU
April 9th, 2009 at 9:30 am
________
Or IL-VT-OF-U, for that matter.
Illinois/Vermont Open Firmware University??
April 9th, 2009 at 9:36 amThe team organizing the Chicago Tea Party protest has rejected RNC Chairman Michael Steele as a speaker. Eric Odom, the event’s organizer, explained: “[W]e prefer to limit stage time to those who are not elected officials, both in Government as well as political parties.”
Hmmm… first of all, I don’t suppose that it would be a good idea for Mr. Steele to be standing in front of a crowd whose bulk of participants are militant gun-loving skinheads and neo-nazis (I guess the Clan itself is keeping under the radar on this one).
Second…. isn’t there a list of elected republican reps who will be speaking at these events, or has that changed? We will see, I suppose. Although, it appears that this is JUST about the Chicago event…
April 9th, 2009 at 9:38 amEvan Bayh would run into trouble at home if he votes for all Americans to have access to government run health insurance. Wife Susan sits on the board of huge health insurer, WellPoint. Flipping stock options added over $1.2 million to the family income the last few years.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:38 amOn the pirates off the coast of Somalia, US Special Ops teams have drawn up a detailed plan to destrot the burgeoning pirate trade. They claim that they have plans that could take out the pirates where they live, on land:
April 9th, 2009 at 9:38 amhttp://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/04/09/2009-04-09_us_military_prepared_for_battle_with__somalia_pirates.html
aquarius2 Says:
One way to solve the ongoing piracy is to arm ships heading in to those waters. Having a few of them blown to bits ought to discourage the cowards.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:36 am
No no no, the only way to stop piracy is with global warming. As everybody knows, there is a direct inverse correlation between number of pirates and global average temperatures.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:39 amIf the Virginia Legislature were being offered tons of money to repair beachfront condos after a storm they would greedily take it and ask for more. More Republican stupidity. My apologies for having repeated myself.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:39 amWait a minute…. as every patriotic American KNOWS, you cannot put a stop to anything (such as piracy) UNTIL YOU DECLARE WAR ON IT!
Piracy will never end until America declares a WAR ON PIRACY. All policy must be geared toward that war, and all of our economy needs to focus on it. The recapture of pirate booty will pay for this war, which will last only a month or two… no more than 6, and it will pay for itself.
(Sorry ’bout the heavy snark… I DO think action needs to be taken… but I also think the best solution is arming the ships — there is something seriously wrong when 4 men in a rowboat can take over an ocean-going vessel)
April 9th, 2009 at 9:45 amlarkohio Says:
The working folks in the middle who do not get health insurance because their employer cannot afford it, simply go without. Does this seem right?
Depends on who you ask :(
April 9th, 2009 at 9:48 amCageyCretin Says:
Wait a minute…. as every patriotic American KNOWS, you cannot put a stop to anything (such as piracy) UNTIL YOU DECLARE WAR ON IT!
April 9th, 2009 at 9:45 am
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Now that’s ridiculous. A WAR ON PIRACY will never work without an immediate GROG EMBARGO on pirate-producing nations!
Actually, even that’s ridiculous. The piracy problem is a direct result of extreme poverty and a complete vacuum of governance in Somalia, something we helped encourage when we got the Ethiopians to invade and depose the theocratic government that had taken conrol a few years back.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:49 amThere must be something in the drinking water of Texas. People cannot be born this ignorant:
April 9th, 2009 at 9:50 amA Republican state lawmaker, Rep. Betty Brown, in Texas said in House testimony Wednesday that Asian Americans should change their names to ones that are “easier for Americans to deal with.”
The team organizing the Chicago Tea Party protest has rejected RNC Chairman Michael Steele as a speaker. Eric Odom, the event’s organizer, explained: “[W]e prefer to limit stage time to those who are not elected officials, both in Government as well as political parties.”
So should we expect appearences by Malkin, Colture, Beck, Joe the Dumb@ss and the usual wingnut suspects? Do these idiots realize that if the shoe were on the other foot and they tried this during Herr W.’s reign they’d all be rounded up and sent to Gitmo? Do they realize that the tax code is simply being reset to where it was during the prosperous Clinton years and is still WAY below the taxes impilemented during the Reagan years? Of course they don’t. Could you imagine if during the Bush years supposed “news” folk AND elected officials clammered daily on radio and tv for an armed uprising against the Government and staged these kind of events? I guess copping the “Tea Party” label makes them feel all patriotic in their blind stupidity.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:51 amCagey, NEVER be sorry about snark! Although I prefer non-violent solutions whenever possible, I don’t see how there is any other way to respond in the short term to piracy. I am concerned that your snark has much truth in it as there are people thinking we should invade Somalia as a way to root out the pirates. We have had enough of this “shock and awe”, massive military response to criminal activity.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:53 amCageyCretin Says:
License plate — can’t argue that. besides, who would want a plate that COULD be read:
I – LV – TO – FU
How about BEENCRD?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:54 amchiroptera toasterhead Says:
How DARE you interject sanity and reason into my snarky and irreverent diatribe.
Piracy exists becasue of democrat legislation and the hijacking of America by the 10% of the poulation who are Democrats. Jeez.. kepp up, eh?
First we need to declare war on piracy, then we need to eliminate taxes for the rich, then remove all social-welfare type programs while retaining corporate welfare… I mean corporate bail out… ummm corporate recovery programs, then we pay a bunch of mercenaries to partol the waters, and after a year or two we can pay the pirates to stay at home while maintaining the mercenaries in the waters. Simple.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:56 amVirginia repugniscum must despise their fellow Virginians — the ones who are out of work, running out of money, and becoming more desperate every day.
April 9th, 2009 at 9:57 amYet, this Sunday, they will go to church and praise the lord, or they will put on their yarmulkas today and say their prayers — goddam hypocrites.
Somehow they are of the perverse notion that god blesses them.
chiroptera toasterhead and CageyCretin
The Pirates of Somalia will not be stopped until President Obama and Congress adopt an anti-Pirate Czar. (I know, I hate the “czar” deal too but I couldn’t help myself)
April 9th, 2009 at 9:58 amMarie Says:
There must be something in the drinking water of Texas. People cannot be born this ignorant:
A Republican state lawmaker, Rep. Betty Brown, in Texas said in House testimony Wednesday that Asian Americans should change their names to ones that are “easier for Americans to deal with.”
Unless there is republican inbreeding, of course ;)
April 9th, 2009 at 9:58 amgummble-bee-itch Says:
Or: ULVGAY2?
April 9th, 2009 at 9:59 am#20 Patriot
ILVTOEFOO — is that Dick Morris’ vanity plate?
April 9th, 2009 at 10:00 am:)
A Republican state lawmaker, Rep. Betty Brown, in Texas said in House testimony Wednesday that Asian Americans should change their names to ones that are “easier for Americans to deal with.”
Betty loves her Brown name
April 9th, 2009 at 10:00 amAnd wishes everyone else had the same.
But her kindness is pretty thin
For she really doesn’t like brown skin.
Let’s send Jack Sparrow to Somlia.
He’ll get them all so drunk they’ll be unable to row their boats!
April 9th, 2009 at 10:00 am#42 Marie
Don’t know but it is his favorite dish and he is quite vain.
April 9th, 2009 at 10:01 amZimzone Says:
Let’s send Jack Sparrow to Somlia.
That damn Depp… isn’t he married to a french woman?
This piracy stuff is all his fault for making those movies.
(yes …/snark)
April 9th, 2009 at 10:03 amMarie Says:
ILVTOEFOO — is that Dick Morris’ vanity plate?
:)
Someone is on a roll today ;)
April 9th, 2009 at 10:03 amDr. Moth Matt Says:
Here is a good plate:
GOPH8SUSA
Speakin’ da’ truth!
April 9th, 2009 at 10:05 amCageyCretin YOU DAH MAN, YOU DAH MAN!
April 9th, 2009 at 10:11 amThe Virginia legislature and Terry Sanford, inter alia, make it pefectly, crystal clear that it is the repugnant Republican leadership that has been waging and continues to wage class warfare. They must be pulled down and humilated at the polls by the voting workers and their families that they so despise and spit upon!
April 9th, 2009 at 10:35 amAttorney General Eric Holder “began a series of personnel moves yesterday” aimed at restoring “public confidence in the nation’s highest law enforcement operation.”
What I am wondering is why Holder isn’t getting rid of the Bush appointees to the DOJ. He is leaving the foxes in the hen house. I’m thinking his reason is that he’s having a tough time filling his aide positions and I’m thinking this is part of the reason why the Republicant’s are making a mockery of the appointment process. They want to scare off anyone who may want the jobs to keep the Bushies in the DOJ.
I certainly don’t remember the Democrats giving George Bush a hard time about hiring the people he wanted to work in his Administration.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:34 amOn a “mostly party-line 46-53 vote,” the Virginia General Assembly “rejected $125 million in federal stimulus money Wednesday that would have provided additional unemployment benefits to thousands of jobless Virginians.”
Wait a second, if the legislature can’t vote to override the Governor on whether to accept the money, how can they then vote to not accept money the governor has taken?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:37 amThe Republic of Hymenoptera Stupidity Says:
RantingTommy Says:
Virginia Republicans really hate Virginians don’t they?
__________
Only the poor, Democratic, non-Christian, non-white ones
Actually, I’m fairly sure there are almost as many unemployed who are Republicans as there Democrats. That’s why I don’t get their turning down money for unemployment. That hits people where it hurts and those people are not going to forget when it comes time to vote. The last couple of elections have pretty much proved that the Republicans are no longer only voting for god, guns and gays.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:43 amPresident Obama “plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal,”
April 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm…………………
Let me tell you a story of an event that happened to my Mexican neighbors the day before I left for Spain a couple months ago . They are an extended family 1/3 of whom have been in the country illegally for decades . Some of their children not born here are in the US since they are 2 or 3 are now 25 or 30 and have never been to Mexico .
One son was recently deported because he was accused of shoplifting , which he denied , the charges for which were dropped. He has 4 children one of whom is only months old all of which were born in the US ,one of whom is 1/2 Native American. He has been in the US and has paid taxes as have the illegal portion of his family without ever filing a return .His mother is now having to raise his children who have lost their father !
These are generally very upstanding moral people who are exceptionally hard working , performing jobs no white American would touch . They like millions of others live in fear of the authorities and deportation though they have been in the country since early childhood through no fault of their own.
The entire family , including those who are citizens , live in fear that they can have a spouse , sibling , child or parent taken from them in an instant.
OT Gladly, President Obama on TV with info on a new stream lined Veteran’s health care….Looks good..Happy posting…P,B.& J
April 9th, 2009 at 12:06 pmImmigration laws in the US are criminal !
April 9th, 2009 at 12:07 pmRe: Piracy (Conspiracy)
One theory suggests that we (US Government) have actually been funding the pirates in order to validate our military presence in that area, completing the strategic surrounding of the area where 30% of the world’s oil is transported.
Yeah, it could be “nuts”, but it is something to think about.
April 9th, 2009 at 12:28 pmThe Virginia Rushpublican move was done for one reason only — to embarass Gov. Kaine, who is now also chairman of the DNC. The only saving grace about this is that they are doing is hastening their own demise. The Rushpublicans hold only one seat of power in our Commonwealth — the majority in the House of Delegates. The Senate and governorship are in Democratic hands.
So, this November, when we vote for every seat in the House of Delegates, I predict that we’ll complete our realignment and turn Virginia into a completely blue state (or Commonwealth)…
April 9th, 2009 at 12:30 pmhuh? Isn’t that what he is beginnng to do with this series of personell moves? Do you have some inside info for us?
April 9th, 2009 at 12:35 pmRe the pirates – Yes, arm the ships so they can’t be taken over.
April 9th, 2009 at 12:37 pmAnd, the current situation, the destroyer is basically sitting on the small boat until they give up, I imagine they don’t have an endless supply of fresh water. And it wouldn’t take snipers with bullets, how about tranquilizer darts?
SKdeAnt Says:
“how about tranquilizer darts?”
Or Laz0rz!!! Where’s Newt?
April 9th, 2009 at 12:59 pmOkay, so the license plate jumped out at me on the page, and I thought it read “I love to f-u” before I saw that it was a vegan making the request and realized it was “I love tofu.” I can kind of understand where they’re coming from….although that’s more than a little prudish, and I don’t approve of such Puritanistic things. Let him have whatever he wants. It’s his license plate, and he has to pay for it. Get over it, Colorado.
April 9th, 2009 at 1:21 pmCan the lege do that?
April 9th, 2009 at 2:09 pmWorth watching-Larry Summers interview with Carlyle co-founder David Rubenstein:
http://www.cspan.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-17276
April 9th, 2009 at 4:22 pmLarry Summers offered the U.S. Chamber of Commerce rational for health reform. He wants it to control the “most rapidly growing component of labor costs.” He cares about the competitiveness of American branded global businesses.
The race to the lowest global common denominator on worker pay/benefits, taxes and cream puff regulation continues.
April 9th, 2009 at 5:35 pmLet’s suppose I buy a gallon of whole milk and leave it in my refridgerator for the whole year. After the year is up, I decide to use it for a bowl of cereal for my friend that came to visit. As I pull the gallon jug out and unscrew the lid, I not only notice unbearable stench of spoileded milk, I also notice is is all curdled and separated.
My friend happened to be looking over my shoulder and saw how tainted the contents of the milk jug were, he immediately came up with an excuse to head to the IHOP down the road.
What is the best way to regain my friend’s confidence in my refridgerator? Put some sugar in the spoiled milk, or get new milk?
April 9th, 2009 at 7:09 pmBloomberg reported:
Law, lobbying and consulting firms have announced the hiring of at least 15 of 61 House and Senate members who left politics or were defeated in 2008.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=ayq5aYIvGWO4&refer=home
April 10th, 2009 at 12:03 amOK Pat obviously senile dementia has set in. Time to see the nice young men that will need to take care of you soon.burun estetigi rent a car arac kiralama
April 18th, 2009 at 5:45 amsac ekimi