Reid tells Harold Koh supporters he will bring Koh’s nomination up for a vote within two weeks.
Reid tells Harold Koh supporters he will bring Koh’s nomination up for a vote within two weeks.
Though President Obama nominated Yale Law School Dean Harold Koh to be chief legal adviser to the State Department in March, the nomination has languished in the senate; at least one senator has placed an anonymous hold on Koh. Now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has told Koh’s supporters that he will bring Koh’s nomination for a vote sometime in the next two weeks, according to an e-mail sent yesterday to members of the “We Support Harold Hongju Koh” Facebook group:
Last night, after yesterday’s phone bank, we got word from inside sources that Senator Reid believes Harold has enough votes, and has decided to file for cloture on the nomination sometime in the next two weeks. While we do not have an exact date yet, it’s an indication that all of your calling is working!
ThinkProgress spoke to a source with knowledge of the situation who confirmed the timeline. Earlier this week, Obama said he had no plans to appoint Koh or other nominees currently blocked by Senate Republicans under recess appointments.
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Harry Reid is such a pushover. If he has enough votes, do it next week!
June 20th, 2009 at 4:17 pmWhen is the Democratic Party going to WAKE UP to the fact that Harry Reid is a spineless, useless member of the Party with NO leadership skills?
Democrats have more power now than they’ve had in a long time, yet it’s all being wasted!!!
Whenever I read “Harry Reid” I have the same gut reaction as when I read “Joe Lieberman. Yuck!
June 20th, 2009 at 4:21 pmWhat’s the difference between a dem from nevada and a repbulican from CT?
June 20th, 2009 at 4:29 pmOne wears a brimless hat on saturday and the other wears magic underwear all the time…
I believe it’s long past time for the US Senate to do away with its rules allowing “anonymous holds”. If any Senator is too cowardly to publicly state why they oppose a piece of legislation or a nominee, they don’t belong in the Senate. Anonymous holds are anti-democratic. Maybe that’s why Republicans use them so often – they don’t believe in Democracy.
June 20th, 2009 at 4:31 pm“Whenever I read “Harry Reid” I have the same gut reaction as when I read “Joe Lieberman. Yuck!”
I’m with you, krystalview. How Reid ended up in the ‘leadership’ position is beyond me. He epitomizes the term “wishy-washy.”
June 20th, 2009 at 4:32 pmWell, it’s nice to see the republicans are still in charge of things.
Hopefully we can lose the next election so we can be in charge too.
:|
That’s how it works, right?
June 20th, 2009 at 4:43 pmI guess TP is taking the same path it took with violence in Gaza.
**crickets**
June 20th, 2009 at 4:44 pmThe same path with violence in Iran, that is.
Sorry, tired…
June 20th, 2009 at 4:48 pmZooey Says:
The same path with violence in Iran, that is.
Sorry, tired…
There’s no reason a thread can’t be hijacked for good, instead of evil…
June 20th, 2009 at 4:58 pmWhat have you heard? Does anyone have any links?
Two weeks, two months, whatever. I hate paying his salary.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:00 pmBobwurst, I’m getting most of my info from Nico Pitney’s live-blogging here.
CNN is covering it, but it’s pretty sanitized.
Click on my name to go to the Zoo.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:01 pmBobwurst, here:
http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/all-hell-is-breaking-loose-in-tehran/ This also has links to Nico Pitney’s live blogging of the protests.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:02 pmOops, I see Zooey beat me to it.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:04 pmI wish we had a Senate majority leader who would stand up to the obstructionists. We have the majority and it’s time to act like it.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:12 pmSenator Harry Reid is very slow, unconerned, out-to-lunch and is generally clueless about the wants and needs of everyday Americans who put President Obama in the White House and who gave Democrats large majorities in both the House and the Senate.
O/T: US imperialism in the third world is going strong after over a century of aggression and colonialism in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Pacific. We have been meddling in Iraq since 1921, when we, the British, the French and the Dutch happily split up Iraq’s vast oil reserves. We have been meddling in Iran since 1953 when Republican President Eisenhower directed the CIA to help British imperialists over throw the democracy and put in the dictator Shah. (The mess in Iran today can be traced back to our imperial intervention fifty-six years).
June 20th, 2009 at 5:16 pmPlease make that fifty-six years ago).
June 20th, 2009 at 5:18 pmhi kdgamergirl,
Sorry there was hardly anyone around at the Zoo when you showed up last night. Zoo critters time-zones stretch from -8 GMT to +2 GMT so sometimes we have a hard time synchronizing for fun and/or detailed discussion.
So don’t let your first experience there put you off. ( and if you are a computer gamer, well me too ( a crappy one , I admit, but still! So there’s that too, also, you betcha!)
June 20th, 2009 at 5:23 pm5th Estate Says:
——————————————————————————–
hi kdgamergirl,
Sorry there was hardly anyone around at the Zoo when you showed up last night. Zoo critters time-zones stretch from -8 GMT to +2 GMT so sometimes we have a hard time synchronizing for fun and/or detailed discussion.
So don’t let your first experience there put you off. ( and if you are a computer gamer, well me too ( a crappy one , I admit, but still! So there’s that too, also, you betcha!)
Oh no worries. I enjoy the posts at the Zoo and it’s nice to get away from the trolls.
I am a computer gamer and it’s nice to meet a fellow gamer :)
June 20th, 2009 at 5:25 pmJames, I keep flashing back to the image of the previous Ayatollah Khomeini (sp?), when he died and his body was being paraded through the streets with everyone trying to touch it. The actions of the U.S. really had turned him into the revered figure that he became in Iran.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:26 pmCan anyone point me to a cessppol? I haven’t had a free Saturday in a long time…
June 20th, 2009 at 5:39 pmdbadass, I thought that the Steele thread had already turned into a cesspool.
June 20th, 2009 at 5:41 pmgood point Jane. I totally spaced it but I have like 3 pounds of smoked sockeye flakes. Can you grab some bagels and cream cheese when you make that cider run?
June 20th, 2009 at 5:51 pmdbadass… there’s never a cesspool around when you need one, is there?
June 20th, 2009 at 5:53 pmSure, dbadass, there’s a surprisingly good bagel place in Brewster.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:15 pmIt took chaos in the streets of Iran, but you finally got me to check out the zoo. I know Zooey will be happy.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:31 pm“I know Zooey will be happy.”
Me, too, Levi! We Critters love new visitors! :D
June 20th, 2009 at 6:36 pmI wonder if the Zoo has any special troll cages.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:41 pmI THANK
June 20th, 2009 at 6:43 pmSesli Sohbet
Sesli Chat
SesliSohbet
SesliChat
I so much wish to chat with Sesli. Sesli is hot…
June 20th, 2009 at 6:52 pmFlag the porn spammer.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:52 pmLevi the Dungbeetle Says:
It took chaos in the streets of Iran, but you finally got me to check out the zoo. I know Zooey will be happy.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I am. :)
Levi the Dungbeetle Says:
I wonder if the Zoo has any special troll cages.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
We do — with electric fences around them. :-D
June 20th, 2009 at 6:54 pmLevi the Dungbeetle Says:
It took chaos in the streets of Iran, but you finally got me to check out the zoo.
I just did the same thing! I liked it so much added it to my favorites sites to visit daily.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pmWhile we do not have an exact date yet, it’s an indication that all of your calling is working!
Exactly the point that needs to be made – holding representatives accountable on BOTH sides of the aisle is what brings PROGRESS – change.
Glad to see something other than the 24/7 coverage of marginalized lying liars and the latest lie they have told (that no one, including the majority of their party is listening too anyhow, i.e. steele).
About time for something other than a diet of ALL BACKWASH ALL THE TIME!
And thanks for indirectly acknowledging that holding representatives accountable and taking action is the only way to create PROGRESS.
Perhaps someday the gods at TP will decide that acknowledging the effectiveness of action and being a catalyst for meaningful change is more newsworthy than the latest insane lie from a thoroughly discredited repug/neocon.
It isn’t hard to figure out what the main issues Americans are concerned with. It is even easier to find out which of these issues are being buried by the mainstream media and our political leaders.
Evidently, the hardest part is for some to have the balls to write about it – easier to run 24/7 backwash I guess.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:00 pmWhat a WASTE of democratic power! Can we ever get the Senate more in tune with the House’s appreciation of the people’s will? The Senate isn’t keeping up with the House and they’re sure as hell not keeping up with this president!
How many more elections will it take?
June 20th, 2009 at 7:02 pmHi Another Joe;
June 20th, 2009 at 7:08 pmStill whining? I get get you some tapas…
Think about it — Sens. Grassley and Baucus, the point men for health care reform in the Senate, get to throw their health risks that accompany being old farts on the taxpayers, yet providing the similar coverage to the same constituency that assumes the burden for their health risks elicits a loud “NO!” .
Not only do they want the taxpayers covering their premiums, they also want them to continue furthering their corporate health portfolios. This is absolute tyranny, folks!
June 20th, 2009 at 7:12 pmSomebody sure has an obsession with the word “backwash”. Not really sure what he means by his use of it, but then, I don’t really care.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pmI noticed the same thing, Wayne Ant.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:24 pmMy guess he goes around the house the morning after, draining the last swallows out of all the empties standing around.
Joe you obviously don’t like this website or the stories the authors decide to post yet you’re still here whining… why is that?
June 20th, 2009 at 7:29 pmIf I may return to Iran for a moment, let’s all give a tip of the hat to the Zoo. Once again, America’s MSM is behind the curve though the foreign press is doing a bit better. However, that’s not what I find most disturbing.
What has me concerned is that other governments are remaining largely silent while they wait for our reactions. Let us hope our elected leaders don’t take the bait. If we are perceived to be acting unilaterally, it will go badly.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:30 pmpete,
I just wish the Republican Party would remember that the President decides foreign policy, not the opposition party.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:37 pmMy response to Another Joe’s post: I, too, have found a lot of things to be disappointed about in Obama. But even if we found that he did everything we wanted him to line-by-line in the democratic agenda to the max of his executive authority, it still wouldn’t measure up to the potential good of the Congress, the Senate namely, if they could clear their f’n throat. We know this — Obama isn’t going to stand in the way if a good bill hits his desk.
He needs his nominees confirmed so he can clean out & reform the government–including the right-wing idiots at DoJ writing up the repulsive DOMA briefs.
He needs his budget passed and in effect and health care reformed with a public option so the executive branch under him can really get to work in moving away from the Bush presidency.
He needs revamped financial regulations in place, green legislation passed & the stimulus doled out faster and creating jobs (see: appointees).
President Obama wants to allow the Legislative branch to have its say once again. They should take him up on that.
I want you to keep dissenting, however. I don’t want to come off as high and mighty. Continue to criticize your commander-in-chief, because you’re right to do so. God bless.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:43 pmOh come on, whats wrong with a few recess appointments, Boosh did it.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pmAnd after he makes them make it illegal to have recess appointments
June 20th, 2009 at 7:50 pmkrystalview Says:
I just did the same thing! I liked it so much added it to my favorites sites to visit daily.
June 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Thanks, krystalview! :)
June 20th, 2009 at 7:53 pmAmericasBack Says:
I just watched the video on the zoo. Two things; Don’t the people realize that they out number ‘the authorities’ 50 to 1? …and number 2, Those folks better grab the guy with the camera taking pics of civilians (and not of police injustice). What he and others like him are doing is taking pictures so that later the government can go after the demonstrators …if there is a ‘later’ for the government…
June 20th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
The authorities have all the guns. :(
Also, there’s been reporting that people with cell phones and cameras are particularly targeted for beatings and arrest.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pmI think that President Obama needs to appoint everyone that is being obstructed by the Republics during the recess. What the Republics are doing is unconscionable and needs to stop. I NEVER remember the Democrats doing anything close to what the Republics have done to Obama since he was elected our President.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:57 pmI want to thank Zooey (and Jane)for the zoo tip too Nice site Ms Zookeeper! the video is disturbing, but inspiring. I hope they prevail.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:01 pmI wouldn’t necessarily mind Obama making recess appointments, but if he does so (and here I’m going off an unsubstantiated hunch), wouldn’t the congress take insult at being bypassed and refuse to confirm them for the long haul once the next session of congress expires, leaving potentially excellent nominees out the door so early in this young administration? With some of these blue dogs, you never know.
Just putting that out there. Precedent-wise, I could be way off the mark.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:07 pmpete Says:
What has me concerned is that other governments are remaining largely silent while they wait for our reactions. Let us hope our elected leaders don’t take the bait. If we are perceived to be acting unilaterally, it will go badly.
There are thousands marching in the streets of Paris to show their solidarity with the people in Iran. I really do wish that we could get people in this country involved like that.
7:50 PM ET — Major rally in Paris. “Tens of thousands of people from across Europe have rallied in Paris to show solidarity with Iranians protesting over the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president.”
June 20th, 2009 at 8:12 pmWell no, your point is one that has some basis in the Constitutional right to bear arms.
But the idea was for a well organized militia, free from the hindrance of federal control. So I’d be more concerned if I were you over the merging of the federal authority over state National Guard units.
As for the use of a few disorganized citizens sending the federal government “running” with their small arms, that’s pretty far fetched given a handgun won’t do much good against an Apache Helicopter, or an armored personal carrier.
We’re long past the point in this country where any sort of armed revolt by citizens would be effectual without the assistance of the national guard. That’s just something the gun freaks tell themselves to shore up their own insecurities that compel them to require a small arsenal of weapons just to exist in civilized society.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:13 pmAmericasBack Says:
Yes. Maher was right on. I especially liked the line: “I don’t want to be on your team. Pick another kid”.
As for gun control…
I haven’t seen much support for outright bans, though there are few. On the other hand, our current laws have proven woefully inadequate at keeping guns out of the wrong hands. When people are committing mass-murder with “legal” guns? We need to examine the law and we can’t let fear/panic rule the debate.
We need a national standard for gun ownership and laws that really address the problem of illegal gun sales. We need a national registry of those who are ineligible for gun ownership. We need to eliminate casual gun sales. And, we need much tighter scrutiny of those who acquire arsenals of weapons that have no purpose but to kill people or provide volume of fire. Technology has outstripped the 2nd Amendment.
Personally. I want someone in law enforcement to take notice when someone is purchasing thousands of rounds of ammo. I would like to see smaller clips and restrictions on extra clips. I would like to see all gun and ammo sales meet the standards of a “conceal/carry” permit.
I don’t put a lot of faith in armed civilian resistance. I can’t think of a modern insurrection that succeeded through superior firepower. Insurrections are a matter of will and rifles aren’t much protection against artillery, armor, and air strikes.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:25 pmSorry to go ot, but in times like these, we need…Obamaman! (Or, Obama, man!)
http://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/hes_barack_obama
June 20th, 2009 at 8:28 pmDang it WAYNEBRO! I told you it creeps me out when we agree. LOL!
June 20th, 2009 at 8:29 pmCase in point:
When a Daniel Murry can legally own 8 handguns? We need to change the laws.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/06/05/2009-06-05_arrest_warrant_issued_for_new_york_man_who_threatened_to_kill_president_obama.html
June 20th, 2009 at 8:31 pmYea, I’m going to have to watch it, lol.
I think when it comes to firearms I like your ideas. They mirror England’s current restrictions on firearm ownership.
In England, people aren’t entirely restricted from gun ownership, but it’s pretty much rifles, shotguns and then only for people proven to be responsible enough to own them and who have a need, i.e. hunters, sportsman, collectors, etc.
A quick peruse of the death toll in England due to firearms prove irrefutably the logic of such laws.
Example. According to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics “mortality report”, in 2006 there were 30,896 deaths in the US from firearms in the United States.
In contrast, in 2006 in England, there were 210.
That’s 30,896, to 210.
So its a no brainer.
Assuming one has a brain.
If we were smart, and we’re not, but if we were, we’d simply rewrite our gun laws to mirror England’s. Simple as that.
But unfortunately in this country there’s an ignorant element that is so pervasive, so dominant and so placated to, that it’s unlikely to happen.
So, our stupidity will continue to kill us while we hand over our civil rights for fear of losing another 3000 Americans to “terrorists”, while we continue to slaughter 30,000 of ourselves due to our own stupidity, and unwillingness to live a little more courageously without the need of a gun barrel to suckle us to sleep every night.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:44 pmThat’s what I find so maddening, WAYNEBRO. There is so much ground between the outright bans people fear and the, virtually, unregulated gun ownership we have now.
At this point I would welcome most any national standard. When Mexican criminals are coming here to arm up? We need to change what we are doing.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:54 pmNow, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (R-NV) has told Koh’s supporters….
looks like Ali Frick is guilty of a Freudian slip.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:18 pmWow, Badger, good catch, neither Wayne nor I saw that one!
June 20th, 2009 at 9:24 pmlooks like Ali Frick is guilty of a Freudian slip.
Or is being dangerously candid.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:24 pmAwhile ago, I read that “Street Crime” in England was Rampant.
Guns are the “great equalizer”. Strong arm robbers and purse snatchers in England are not afraid of getting shot…and if they are bigger and stronger….they win.
It seems to me that MOST people shot in America are shot by people they Know. Crimes of passion…not crimes for profit.
That being said, I think the Gun Laws in America need a major overhaul.
The shooter at Virginia tech was Treated for Mental Problems, and was still able to buy two handguns. Medical Records of this sort are Confidential ??!
June 20th, 2009 at 9:27 pmIt’s 63 degrees Fahrenheit here in central Oregon. A friend just called from Vegas. He wishes he were here.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:31 pmAmericasBack Says:
Yes. Maher was right on. I especially liked the line: “I don’t want to be on your team. Pick another kid”.
I watched the New Rules too. Maher was dead on about every comment! Amazing! I particularly liked the part about how America needs a Progressive Party…straight on, progressive all the way! I’ve been hoping for that for 8 years now!
June 20th, 2009 at 9:34 pmThat’s the whole problem, AmericasBack. We have a current, ongoing and increasing, threat to public safety and we can’t let fear or politics prevent us from correcting it. And I don’t think that an arsenal of military grade weapons is a “liberty”.
Take the AR-15 for example. They are fun to shoot and are very effective for the military. They are optimized for killing people and volume of fire, neither of which would help an insurrection much. Insurrections aren’t won in open battle, they are one by guerrilla tactics. Bombings, booby-traps, sabotage and sniping is the order of the day.
Even then, I don’t think banning them is the answer. My proposal, open to negotiation, would be to limit them to a single clip of reduced capacity and, as I said, one would need to jump through more hoops. Simply saying “2nd Amendment” and moving on is no longer an option.
I strongly believe we need a rational, universal, standard for gun ownership. If one has not been convicted or committed for violent acts? One could own guns that are purchased from licensed dealers.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:39 pmOpps! That should say “they are won by…”. I can’t believe I made that mistake.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:46 pmAmericasBack Says:
except for the fact that Bill Maher is a Libertarian (but not the jimmy big bucks kind)
Really? I did not know that. Regardless, he is absolutely correct to call the Democrats “corporate puppets” (paraphrazing) If you study the Blue Dogs’ and “moderate” Democrats’ records, they side with big corporations 99% of the time. I enjoy hearing someone with a public forum calling them on it.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:57 pmAnd none of that will you change with a handgun.
The way to make change is through the spreading of ideas, the incorporation of knowledge and changing the hearts and minds of the people to stand up better candidates to be our leaders.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:58 pmTo what end?
At best you what, throw back the local law enforcement? Seize and occupy a given area?
And then what?
What happens when the air to ground missiles come in and blow you and your gun toting friends into oblivion?
Do you honestly think you’d make any difference?
If martyrdom is your goal then I suppose you’d “win” so to speak. But at that point what’s the difference between you and a terrorist? The best way is to continue to enlighten our society through the spreading of ideas and intelligence, and not tolerating totalitarianism by educating the people.
England hasn’t turned into a totalitarian state and they’ve been around for a lot longer than us. And about 200 people a year die from guns.
30,000 people have to sacrifice their lives in this country every year, so that you and people like you can “feel safe”, without ever really being safe.
Perhaps it’s time for a new approach.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:06 pm“…being a Libertarian isn’t such a bad thing…”
Wayne (A. Schneider) is a liberal libertarian. And he’s definitely one of my favorite people. :D
June 20th, 2009 at 10:09 pmI, too, would support the non-violent approach to reform. I know I may die, but at least I would die for a good cause.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:10 pmThe thing to keep in mind is that handguns are not “defensive weapons”. By virtue of their ability to be concealed they are offensive weapons. Ask any law enforcement, military, or paramilitary expert “what makes the best defensive weapon”?
The overwhelming majority will tell you it’s a twelve gauge shotgun and, if they keep any gun next to their bed, that’s their weapon of choice.
I have owned handguns, and I am better than most at using them, and I wouldn’t even consider one as my primary means of self-defense. Frankly, I would reach for a baseball bat before I reached for a handgun in a matter of life and death.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:11 pmGood evening, Waynebro! :D
June 20th, 2009 at 10:12 pmFight fire with fire – if cowardly repugniscum employ the “anonymous” hold on a nominee, then Obama needs to take a page from the Book of Bush and fill all those vacant seats with recess appointments.
Repugs are a hateful, spiteful, petulant lot and they can’t even stand up and admit their identity – Dems are not guilty of those traits, but instead, they are timid, reticent and lack the courage to act with determination. Obama show some of that fly-killer instinct and let the repugs have a dose of their own poison.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:15 pmMegaloptera McWars Says:
June 20th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Aarrggh!!! I hadn’t thought of that!
June 20th, 2009 at 10:22 pm“Reid tells Harold Koh supporters he will bring Koh’s nomination up for a vote within two weeks.”
I’ll believe it when I see it. As Yoda would say: “Do or do not… there is no try.” Reid is a wet noodle. I hear nothing from him regarding the nominee to head OLC Dawn Johnsen. Is Reid going to bring her nomination asap and quit bowing down to the GOP. These nominees for the OLC office are much needed.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:24 pmI’m fine with people owning guns but I do think there needs to be more restrictions. It seems like its too easy to obtain a gun nowadays.
I don’t understand why people need assault rifles. I can see no other use for them other than to kill and maim. Handguns are fine for protection and rifles are fine for hunting (not that I condone the practice of hunting animals) but I fail to see the need to shoot a person to shreds.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:24 pmWhoops I should clarify my last post by saying that I’m against hunting animals for sport.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:28 pmSo, gun owners can keep their guns, if they feel they must — but stricter controls are in order to say the least. Who needs an assault rifle – except for killing people?
June 20th, 2009 at 10:29 pmIf the government were to turn on its citizens, not even an assault rifle can stop a tank.
AmericasBack Says:
Back to my main point, I really am a peaceful man – but I do enjoy shooting a gun (safely).
I’m a peaceful man too. I would love to have a case of grenades to blow up (safely). I enjoy explosions and I can think of a few things I’d like to blow up (safely). And don’t even get me started about machine guns. If I could own a .50 cal. machine gun? I would go into the tree-trimming business. But seriously…
Target shooting and hunting do not require a military style weapon whether it’s a handgun or long gun. I’ve hunted for four decades and I’ve never fired more than three rapid shots in succession. I’ve shot a small forest’s worth of paper targets and always fired one round at a time. I really don’t think my recreation would be curtailed by tighter restrictions and, frankly, I would be willing to curtail my recreation in favor of better regulation.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:46 pmJust for the record:
I’m not a trophy hunter. I’ve never killed an animal I didn’t intend to eat except for one groundhog that devastated my garden.
June 20th, 2009 at 10:52 pmWhat could be more fun than, safe, grenades?
June 20th, 2009 at 11:04 pmJane E. Schneider Says:
Good evening, Waynebro! :D
Kapla!
June 20th, 2009 at 11:06 pmI understand that.
And every year some 30,000 Americans have to die, for you to have that “fun”.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:08 pmWhat else would you call it when you die for a cause?
That’s what would happen.
Your gun would not protect you from the Orwellian nightmare you describe.
Hence, Martyrdom is your plan, whether you know it or not.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:10 pmI’m not the one calling people Nelly, lol.
And no, providing you with accurate information does not constitute “touching a nerve”.
There’s a couple of knuckleheads in here that touch nerves with me, mostly due to their universal stupidity.
You however are not numbered among them.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:12 pmRecreation has a value but I’m willing to limit, or even sacrifice, my recreation for public safety. The same goes for the performance of cars. We could cut new vehicle emissions in half, overnight, if we simply halved our 0-60 time. But old “gear-heads” like me are unwilling to take that step.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:14 pmOops! I should have said that we need to “double our 0-60 time”.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:16 pmWell that’s a nice sentiment on paper. And while I don’t doubt your sincerity, I do doubt your comprehension of what you’re saying.
You’re not saying you’re willing to die for your country.
You’re saying you’re willing to kill for it.
Which this country has no shortage of candidates waiting in line for.
It’s always easy to find someone willing to kill. Finding people willing to die is another story.
Either way, this country has plenty of people willing to both kill, or die for it.
What we need is a few people willing to live for it.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:28 pmCars are not intended for “fun”, except for teenagers perhaps.
Most adults drive out of necessity, not fun. I haven’t driven for fun in several decades now. A car is a fact of life that we cannot live without. Traversing great distances is a requirement, thus a car is a necessary evil.
A gun however is not.
A gun is an indulgence, that most can do without.
My father was in WWII. So were my uncles. Many of them fought.
None of them owned guns after the war. Most died without ever owning a gun.
I don’t own a gun. Never have. I’ve fired a few, but never felt that one was necessary to survive in civilized society.
We had societies at one time where people thought guns were necessary. The “Wild” West. And when everyone had guns, we had nothing but anarchy. So when the lawmen, like Wyatt Earp, and Bat Masterson went in to clean up a town, the first ordinance they instituted was “No Firearms In City Limits”.
With no exceptions.
And that’s how they brought about order.
It takes courage to live without a gun. Perhaps you’ll be killed by someone with one. Which is why it takes a degree of courage. But if we were all a little more courageous, then there’d be no one left to shoot us.
Because there’d be no more guns to shoot us with.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:36 pmWell, if you think this is me pissed off, clearly you’ve never seen me pissed off.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:38 pmNo problem. Nelly is the name of most Mules, and I can be a bit of an ass at times.
:|
oops, did I say that out loud?
June 20th, 2009 at 11:41 pmOne positive step would be to criminalize “accidental” shootings.
Just for a hypothetical: If the negligence of a parent results in a child killing their sibling with an unsecured firearm? Said parent should face serious charges.
This is, admittedly, harsh but our country needs an attitude adjustment. People who can’t secure weapons should not possess them. I might add that those who make it easy for criminals to steal weapons should face consequences as well.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:42 pmPerhaps Pete, and I’ve heard arguments to that effect.
But the questionable deterrent impact aside, this country already has far too many laws, and hence far too many criminals.
This country, this “land of the free” imprisons more of its people than any country on the planet.
That’s right. We imprison more people than Russia, China, Iran, and ever “evil” empire that we deem inferior to ourselves.
This fact should disgust every American, but before I go off on a tangent on it I’ll just state that I don’t think more laws and more opportunities to imprison people are the answer.
The answer is educating our people so that the “good ole boy” mentality does not rule our politics. “From my cold dead hands” should not be what we’re teaching our children, but it is. So I think education, is the first answer to bringing us up to the level of other, older and wiser countries than our own. Education is the key. Unfortunately we have politicians to whom education is merely there to be ridiculed and scorned.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:53 pmI’ve driven across the country as a young man. I drove my 440 Magnum up and down the east coast, and rode my Triumph Trident from LA to DC. Sure it can be fun, but the fact is it’s not there for fun. That it’s fun doesn’t make it a necessity.
Driving is a necessity because we live in a society where covering great distances is necessary to our survival. Thus a car is a necessity. The fact that it can be fun is merely an afterthought.
Guns on the other hand are not required for existence in our society. They are thus relegated to the realm of the indulgence.
And given 30,000+ Americans have to give up their lives each year to facilitate that indulgence, it seems that an adjustment is in order.
That is if “saving American lives” is really a core value, and not merely political ploy.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:58 pmAnd that’s just my point.
That “law and order” was established by a revolting group at the barrel of a gun, and on the business end of a jackboot.
Had it been done through peaceful means, Hitler would have never risen to power.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:00 amA bunch of good ole boys to “protect” us from the government isn’t necessarily a panacea for freedom or survival.
There’s no guarantee that they’d be any better than the leaders they’d be “protecting” us from.
In a nutshell, better the devils you know…
June 21st, 2009 at 12:02 amThat’s the thing AmericasBack. We’ve had too much fun with cars and guns and a whole lot of other things. We need to scale back the excesses we grew up with.
I came of age in the muscle car generation. I learned to drive in a Delta 88 with a 455ci V-8. The first car I bought was a Camero. I had a lot of fun and managed to avoid legal hassles because I lived in a rural area and I’m more cautious than average. That didn’t prevent me from “burying” a few speedometers. Then I grew up.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:04 amSpeaking of fun cars. The most fun I’ve ever had in any car was in a ‘74 Triumph Spitfire. It was, basically, like a four wheel motorcycle and got around 30 mpg.
Big engines and quick acceleration are not the only ways to enjoy driving.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:12 amI drove through Amish country with a buddy of mine back in the 70’s in his MGB convertible. We had a blast.
I still remember stopping at that country store, and the Amish girls standing outside on one side of the store, and the boys on the other. (they couldn’t mingle with each other).
We tried saying hi to the girls but they just stood there giggling. (good thing too cause damn they were ugly, lol).
I kept asking the young men what was going on (I didn’t realize they were Amish at the time, I’d never seen one) and if they were part of a parade or something. Finally one of the young men came over and told us “We’re not permitted to talk to the English”.
I responded, “Hey no problem, we’re not English, we’re Americans“.
:D
June 21st, 2009 at 12:17 amAmericasBack Says:
isn’t it funny (not ha haa) that education was high on bush list of things to destroy. I’ll have to check this, but I’m pretty sure he took the Hitler approach to books (although I don’t know if he had them burned, I’m almost positive they were destroyed one way or the other)
I couldn’t agree more. Chimpy, like his Reichwhiner pals, is contemptuous of knowledge/education.
When I was growing up I would not have believed that our country would have become a victim of such primitive thinking. Bushco never pushed education. They pushed indoctrination. They are fundamentally: dishonest, bigoted, ignorant, dogmatic, vindictive, petty, dishonorable, reckless, partisan, primitive, delusional, aggressive and incurious. And it all stems from their closed minds.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:19 amYou didn’t happen to find any magnetic recording tape in it by any chance, did you?
:|
About 18 minutes worth?
June 21st, 2009 at 12:21 amIt’s true too. The kid was pretty nice. He took me over and showed me his carriage. The other men were glaring at him and the girls just kept giggling. Remember this was the 70’s, so the clothes we were wearing were a stark, colorful contrast to their black and white wooden button clothes. We must have looked like aliens to them. I think I had a psychedelic silk shirt on, and one of those snap in the front caps on. And of course my “stacks” (big thick high heeled boots for men).
I asked him why they were dressed that way, and he said “we are Amish”.
I remember responding, “what continent is ‘Amland” in?”.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:27 amWAYNEBRRO, you reminded me of a great memory.
I do much of my trout fishing in an area with a large Amish community. One day I was driving down a “cart road” to my favorite fishing spot.
I saw a big Dodge pickup with four laden wagons behind it approaching. Much to my surprise I saw that the driver was Amish, in full regalia, sporting a big grin. It seems that the local community decided to make the practical decision and invest in a truck for hauling their crops to market. Practical, or not, that Amish gentleman was having FUN driving a truck! My respect for the Amish way of life went way up in about 30 seconds.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:30 amI’m betting he was a Mennonite Pete. It’s possible he was Amish, but most Old Ordnung Amish won’t drive except in emergencies. And even then they usually get a Mennonite neighbor to drive them.
Mennonites look a lot like the Amish, but they can have cars and or modern appliances.
It may have been an Amish man but it probably was a Mennonite.
That’s a cool story either way.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:34 amHe was Amish, Wayne. I interacted with the community many times. They don’t have electricity or other conveniences but they decided that a truck is not a sin. In my experience they are practical people.
They grow sweet corn and realized that they needed to get it to market in a hurry to make a profit. Though, to be sure, the truck was not for casual use.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:46 amAmericasBack Says:
(oh, forgot to mention that my 160 lb. very best friend is my dog)
That’s what I call effective home defense. When I was growing up we had a 120 pound Belgian Shepard. He was gentle as a spring rain, I tormented him and never sparked any aggression, but there was no way for an intruder to know that.
Heck! He was even submissive to my sister’s miniature dachshund for a couple years. I haven’t seen a lot of things more amusing than a big dog cowering from a little “wiener”. Come to think of it, I think the dachshund’s bark might have been more intimidating the Shepard’s bite.
June 21st, 2009 at 1:20 amOne has to go no further than Lancaster County Pennsylvania to see a prime example of a people with the courage to live without guns.
June 21st, 2009 at 1:30 amA dog they say is the best form of home defense. I have shep’s and an Akida\Chow.
Most burglars seem to want to bypass my home for some reason.
:|
Except maybe for the hamburglars.
June 21st, 2009 at 1:37 amYou got the “smart” part right, AmericasBack. Our shepard, Teddy, was amazing. He made a pretty good pony too. But? He entered our household as a pup and we had an adult dachshund. It was amazing to watch a small dog dominate another who was ten times his size.
The shepard, eventually, ended up with the best shady spot under the apple tree but, he never managed to kick the dachshund off the couch. He just wasn’t mean enough. Except for cats.
We lived in a rural area with feral cats and Teddy became an accomplished cat hunter. “Fritz”, our dachshund, may have had some seniority but he couldn’t handle cats.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:14 amAside from the “end of the world” stuff relating to the Mayans, we could learn a valuable lesson from them. All indications are that they destroyed themselves by destroying their environment.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:22 amThis secret hold crap needs to go. The American people have the right to know which singular dickhead is preventing important appointed positions from being filled, especially when it is clear there is no real basis for holding them up.
June 21st, 2009 at 6:15 amAmericasBack Says:
Krystal, being a Libertarian isn’t such a bad thing (unless your the Jimmy bb type). I’ve known Libertarians that are not too far from my beliefs – which of course are the most correct beliefs to have …lol. One Libertarian that I am particularly fond of is my brother. He’s one of my favorite people.
Um, just for the record, isn’t Glenn Beck a “libertarian”? Or is that a misplacement of his definition of the word? Or have the libertarians rejected Beck as one of their own?
June 21st, 2009 at 10:59 amThere are Liberal Libertarians (like me) and Conservative Libertarians (like Glenn Beck, but Ron Paul would be a better example.) Liberal Libertarians care more about government staying out of people’s personal lives, while Conservative Libertarians care more about government staying out of “business’s lives”. They care more about the “Free Market” than they do about the people it destroys.
If you want to know where you stand, I recommend the site http://www.politicalcompass.org
June 21st, 2009 at 11:19 am“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (R-NV)” That looks about right to me.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:29 amYea Steve, you’re the first one to catch that I think.
I’m surprised no one noticed. I didn’t even see it.
Just goes to show that Reid’s so much like a republican these day that no one, not even the author, Ali Frick noticed that typo.
:|
If it was a typo.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:43 pmThank you..
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