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Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottleThe federal government has succumbed to a small group of White Collar Terrorists, but that won’t stop us! Please join us for an evening of prognostications over a pint at tonight’s meeting of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday evening at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Our normal starting time is 8:00pm.






Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out another DL meeting over the next week. The Tri-Cities chapter also meets tonight. The Lakewood chapter meets on Wednesday. And for Thursday, the Spokane chapter meets. On Friday,the Enumclaw chapter meets. And next Monday, the Yakima, South Bellevue and Olympia chapters meet.

With 210 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Breaking: Terrorist attack on Washington D.C.

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An anti-American terrorist group struck down the U.S. Government early Tuesday morning. The Government is now shut down for an indeterminate period that could last from mere hours to, perhaps, weeks.

The terrorists, who go by the name Republicans, have no known ties to al Qaeda but share a similar hatred of the U.S. Government and, apparently, share similar ambitions of shutting down and ultimately destroying the U.S. Government. The Republican’s methods of terrorism resemble those of al Qaeda in conducting hostage taking, demanding ransoms and, in the extreme, engaging in suicide missions. Unlike the individual suicide missions of al Qaeda operatives, however, Republican terrorists commit suicide as a group.

A full assessment of the damage to the U.S. Government brought on by the Republican terrorists actions is still underway. Sadly, the terrorist attacks will negatively impact millions of Americans every day until the U.S. Government can be restored to operational status.

Informed observers believe the U.S. Government will eventually make a full recovery, but likely with fewer Republican terrorists.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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ONN: The Week in Review.

The Affordable Care Act is front page news

Why do we have a debt ceiling?

Sam Seder: Former Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer can’t count.

Terrorists Attack America!

Jon: On Republicans trying to scare Americans over health care (via Crooks and Liars).

White House: West Wing Week.

Young Turks: Wendy Davis to run for Texas Senate.

Jon: One of God’s messengers seems to have it wrong.

Virginia Race:

Stephen wants in on conservative children’s book racket (via Crooks and Liars).

What’s “normal” when you live in the White House?

Sam Seder: Climate change is at crisis level say scientists.

Mental Floss: 27 drinks made of coffee.

The Ted Cruz Comedy Hour Day:

Stephen on the return of Crossfire.

Ed: Ken Blackwell’s bizarre theology.

Invalid Arguments: Climate change.

Iran Courtship:

Sharpton: Obama cuts down GOP lies on healthcare with remarkable sarcasm.

White House White Board: What ObamaCare means for you:

Sam Seder: Obamacare premiums report show low prices.

Lower premiums: Busting the GOP’s Obamacare ‘Death Panels’ myths.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottlePlease join us for an evening of politics under the influence at tonight’s meeting of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday evening at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Our normal starting time is 8:00pm, but some people stop by earlier to eat before the political melee begins.




Can’t make it tonight? Check out another one of the other Washington state DLs over the next week. The Tri-Cities chapter meets tonight and every Tuesday night. The Bellingham and Burien chapters meet on Wednesday, and the Woodinville chapter meets on Thursday.

With 208 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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White House: West Wing Week.

ONN: The Week in Review.

Sam Seder: The “gay AIDS ring” video that Pat Robertson doesn’t want you to see.

Thom with more Good, Bad, and Very, Very Ugly.

Maddow: Why Jeb Bush is not as moderate as he thinks:

Kimmel: This Week in Unnecessary Censorship.

Stephen: FAUX host predicts Syria will bring the apocalypse.

Thom: The Good, The Bad, and The Very, Very Ugly.

Republican’s Engage in Extortion and Sabotage over ObamaCare:

Young Turks: House GOP vote to cut food stamps by $40 billion.

Pap and friends: The de-evolution of the G.O.P. (a.k.a. The Party of Crazy).

Sam Seder: Obama extends labor protections for over 2 million people.

Obama on the economy.

O’Donnell: Republi-CARE, the GOP’s deluded alternative to ObamaCare.

Liberal Viewer: Bashar al-Assad Does “That’s What She Said”.

Thom: Democracy is in our genes.

Shoot….Not AGAIN!

Mental Floss: Unfinished Films.

Ann Telnaes: Mayor Gray vetoes living wage legislation.

Sam Seder: What if there was no food stamp program?

Jon: Employers cheating ObamaCare and screwing over workers.

Maddow: Lessons for Republicans in why cheating doesn’t pay.

Koch-funded Orifice Ads:

Red State Update: Podcast episode #44.

Thom: Here’s an ad for Rick Perry to use.

Thom corrects Steve Doocy for spreading lies.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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Please join us this evening for a pint peppered with political prognostication at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday evening at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Our normal starting time is 8:00pm.


Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities and Shelton chapters meet. The Lakewood and South Seattle chapters meet this Wednesday. And for Thursday, the Spokane and Tacoma chapters meet.

With 210 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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On Sept 21: Draw the Line on Keystone XL.

Maddow: G.O.P. War on Women™ yields gender gap in VA.

Syria’s Consideration:

Ed: Trickle-down fails.

Susie Sampson’s Sister: Is sex fun?

Michael Brooks: “Trifecta of Stupid” Reps Bachmann, Goehmert, & King go to Egypt to celebrate coup.

Alex Wagner: Former Rep. Allen West thinks U.S. should go to war with Libya.

Mental Floss: 48 names for things you didn’t know had names:

Weiner Goes Out Like a Dick:

Red State Update: Podcast Episode #43.

White House: West Wing Week.

Thom with The Good, The Bad, and The Very, Very Ugly.

Sharpton: G.O.P. insanity…with 41st failed attempt to “repeal Obamacare”.

Ed and friends: Is God really a Republican?:

Kimmel: This Week in Unnecessary Censorship.

Remembering September 11:

Meet the “Governor of D.C.”:

Thom corrects the Daily Mail on climate change.

Young Turks: NRA victory in Colorado.

Bashir: How “Obama derangement syndrome” is dating up the insides of the GOP tea-party.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

The Muslims are coming!

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It’s September 11th, so I guess this is as good a time as any to let you know that The Muslims are Coming!

And they want you to die!

Ummm…I mean, they want you to die laughing. You know…figuratively.

Here’s the deal:

The Muslims Are Coming! is an independent comedy film that hits back against Islamophobia. It will be in Seattle theaters for a one week run starting tomorrow (Friday).

Here is the blurb:

A group of Muslim-American standup comedians go on the road counter Islamophobia using the only weapon they have: jokes. The Muslims Are Coming! follows these comics as they visit big cities, rural villages, and everything in between to do shows, meet locals, and counter the haters. Commentary from pop culture icons like the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow, Janeane Garofalo, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, David Cross, and Lewis Black pepper the film as the comedians travel through middle America. Will audiences laugh? Will they make a difference? Will they make it back? Rest assured, you’ve never laughed this hard at a Muslim!

And here is the trailer:

The film is playing at the Grand Illusion Cinema. Tickets are available here.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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Please join us for evening of political conversation over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally. This evening President Obama will address the nation on Syria at 6:00 pm, so show up early to hear the speech.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday evening at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Our normal starting time is 8:00pm.




Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out the plethora of other DL meetings over the next week.

Tonight there are also meetings of the Tri-Cities and Vancouver, WA chapters. On Wednesday, the Bellingham chapter meets. On Thursday the Bremerton chapter meets. And on Friday, the Centralia chapter meets. Finally, next Monday, the Yakima and Olympia chapters meet.

With 207 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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ONN: The Week in Review.

Mark Fiore: Obama’s reassignment surgery.

Maddow: Now N.C. G.O.P. giving high school students the finger: .

Weiner Outburst:

Alex Wagner: The Cheney family feud plays out on the national stage.

Ed: The moral obligation of Obamacare amidst GOP/Tea-Party heartlessness and racism.

Young Turks: Study shows that politics wrecks your brain.

Pap: Conservatives threaten our future.

Maddow: “Fiscal conservative” Gov. Bob McDonnell’s LOOT!

Pickin’ on John Kerry:

Mental Floss: 107 regional words.

Sharpton: Tea bagger racists outraged by a black man’s foot on oval office desk!!!

White House: West Wing Week.

Thom: Should Hurricane James Inhofe hit the East Coast?.

Pickin’ on McCain:

Matt Binder: What Republicans hear when Obama talks.

Bigger Pizzas: A Capitalist case for health care reform:

Seattle cop accidentally shoots unarmed woman in the leg.

Sharpton: Shameful Republicans push the poor to hunger.

Thom with The Good, The Bad, and The Very, Very Ugly.

Syria’s Consideration:

Thom: Why prisoners should be allowed to vote.

Ann Telnaes: The “Job Creators” get a raise.

Michael Brooks: TSA will sell your freedoms back to you…for $85.

Sharpton: The GOP’s “family values” hypocrisy.

Pickin’ on FAUX News’ Eric Bolling:

Clinton on Obamacare.

Pap: Fracking away our water.

Red State Update: Week in Review, Podcast #42.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Drinking Liberally — Seattle

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DLBottlePlease join us for a late summer evening of political conversation over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday evening at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Starting time is 8:00pm. Some people show up earlier than that for Dinner.




Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out another DL meeting over the next week. The Tri-Cities chapter also meets tonight. And for Thursday, the Spokane, Lakewood, and Tacoma chapters meet. On Friday, the Enumclaw chapter meets.

With 207 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

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ONN: Week in Review.

Young Turks: DOJ okays pot legalization in states.

How Grover Cleveland Invented Labor Day:

Liberal Viewer: FAUX News “Worst Interview” defense misses fact/value distinction.

This Week in the Republican War on Voters™:

Red State Update: Podcast Episode 41.

Pat Robertson Bizarre Conspiracy Theory:

White House: West Wing Week.

Ed: Rep. Steve King (R-IA) compares un-employed to ‘unruly children’.

Ken Cuccinelli: Another day, another scandal.

Matt Binder: Republican lawmaker complains he saw a “physically fit” couple use food stamps.

Syria’s Consideration:

Jonathan Mann: Fukushima, Syria and Miley Cyrus’ Tongue.

Sam Seder: Gun instructor accidentally shoots student.

Young Turks: IRS recognizes same sex marriages.

Mental Floss: 26 unfortunate celebrity arrests.

Mike Yard: I never thought I’d live to see a black president.

Fifty Years Ago, A Man Had A Dream:

Maddow: Feds cede ground on pot.

Matt Binder: In Portland, hate flyers are targeting the disabled for receiving disability.

Pap: Political poison from the pulpit.

What flows below Washington D.C..

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Washington state gets go-ahead with new pot laws

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Finally. From a joint statement from AG Bob Ferguson and Gov. Jay Inslee:

Today we received confirmation Washington’s voter-approved marijuana law will be implemented. We received good news this morning when Attorney General Eric Holder told the governor the federal government would not pre-empt Washington and Colorado as the states implement a highly regulated legalized market for marijuana. Attorney General Holder made it clear the federal government will continue to enforce the federal Controlled Substance Act by focusing its enforcement on eight specific concerns, including the prevention of distribution to minors and the importance of keeping Washington-grown marijuana within our state’s borders. We share those concerns and are confident our state initiative will be implemented as planned.

[…]

The memo from the Department of Justice spells out the terms (informally):

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an update to its federal marijuana enforcement policy in light of recent state ballot initiatives that legalize, under state law, the possession of small amounts of marijuana and provide for the regulation of marijuana production, processing, and sale.

In a new memorandum outlining the policy, the Department makes clear that marijuana remains an illegal drug under the Controlled Substances Act and that federal prosecutors will continue to aggressively enforce this statute. To this end, the Department identifies eight (8) enforcement areas that federal prosecutors should prioritize. These are the same enforcement priorities that have traditionally driven the Department’s efforts in this area.

Outside of these enforcement priorities, however, the federal government has traditionally relied on state and local authorizes to address marijuana activity through enforcement of their own narcotics laws. This guidance continues that policy.

For states such as Colorado and Washington that have enacted laws to authorize the production, distribution and possession of marijuana, the Department expects these states to establish strict regulatory schemes that protect the eight federal interests identified in the Department’s guidance. These schemes must be tough in practice, not just on paper, and include strong, state-based enforcement efforts, backed by adequate funding. Based on assurances that those states will impose an appropriately strict regulatory system, the Department has informed the governors of both states that it is deferring its right to challenge their legalization laws at this time. But if any of the stated harms do materialize—either despite a strict regulatory scheme or because of the lack of one—federal prosecutors will act aggressively to bring individual prosecutions focused on federal enforcement priorities and the Department may challenge the regulatory scheme themselves in these states.

Where were the Republicans?

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Via WaPo:

Not a single Republican elected official stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday with activists, actors, lawmakers and former presidents invited to mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington — a notable absence for a party seeking to attract the support of minority voters.

Event organizers said Wednesday that they invited top Republicans, all of whom declined to attend because of scheduling conflicts or ill health.

In fact, the organizers invited every single member of Congress. And the ghastly fact is that no Republicans showed up to take a place of honor in the ceremonies.

This observation prompted Gabriel Romero to quip in the comment thread:

Man! Was Lincoln the ONLY Republican that showed up? Pretty sad!

Now…it is understandable that some folks will be out of town during the congressional recess, and unable to attend. But zero? Zilch? Not a single congressional Republican?

Do you suppose there was a red flu going around?

As I mentioned yesterday, both Presidents Bush were unable to attend for health reasons. George W. Bush was one Republican capable of showing a big dose of dignity. In his statement for the occasion he gave a thoughtful tribute to Dr. King that included a respectful nod to President Obama:

Our country has come a long way since that bright afternoon 50 years ago; yet our journey to justice is not complete. Just to the East of the Lincoln Memorial, where President Obama will speak on Wednesday, stands the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. There on the National Mall our President, whose story reflects the promise of America, will help us honor the man who inspired millions to redeem that promise.

And this, I believe, is the crux of the issue for G.O.P. politicians. Dr. King stood for many things that go against the Republican mindset: ending school desegregation, providing economic opportunity for the underclass, supporting union workers, giving equal voting access to minorities and the poor, and so on. That notwithstanding, King is a genuine American hero who catalyzed great, and positive, social change for our nation—the March on Washington was a momentous occasion for our democracy. Republicans, as part of their post-autopsy re-branding, had everything to gain by standing before a nation on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and honoring this man who is a hero to the very people the G.O.P. wants to lure into their fold.

Yet they couldn’t do it.

Why? It’s because, for a Republican politician to participate in this historic moment would have been to acknowledge what George W. Bush was at liberty to say: that the keynote speaker, President Barack Obama, is a powerful living embodiment of the accomplishments of Dr. King’s and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. I think many Republicans could have stomached standing before America as a tribute to Dr. King—if only for the political gain. But, it inherently required an act of respect and honor for President Obama.

And that crossed the line.

Fifty years ago today

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A lot of stuff happened fifty years ago today.

Here in Washington state, it was the opening of the SR-520 floating bridge.

In New York City’s upper East Side, two young women were murdered in their apartment. Later, a 19 year old black man named George Whitmore, Jr. was arrested for the murders. The police coerced a confession out of him through intimidation and by assaulting him.

Whitmore was eventually cleared, but the case had two lasting impacts on America. First, it was cited by the Supreme court when they established guidelines known as Miranda rights. Secondly, it was used as justification to restrict and eventually eliminate New York state’s death penalty.

Fifty years ago today in the other Washington, a quarter of a million people gathered for a “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” The official program began with the National Anthem sung by Marian Anderson, and an Invocation by the Archbishop of Washington, the Rev. Patrick O’Boyle. (O’Boyle was a leader in racial desegregation and desegregated D.C.’s Catholic schools long before the Supreme Court made it mandatory.)

John Lewis, now a Democratic Congressman from Georgia, gave a speech as the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. An excellent speech was given by Rabbi Joachim Prinz, President of the American Jewish Congress (listen here).

And, of course, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech that marked a turning point for the civil rights movement:

Today, fifty years later, there is another gathering in D.C. for a week-long remembrance.

Today’s speakers included Rev. Al Sharpton (2:44:50), Opera Winfrey (3:25:33), Rep. Lewis (3:34:45), President Jimmy Carter (3:45:10), President Bill Clinton (3:51:50), and President Barack Obama (4:25:10).

How did Republicans celebrate? Both Presidents Bush couldn’t make it for health reasons. George W. Bush did offer a statement.

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) memorialized the 50th anniversary by going on a civil rights pilgrimage through Alabama with Rep. Lewis. Cantor released a statement that concludes:

I was especially moved by the gesture of Montgomery Police Chief Kevin Murphy who presented John Lewis with the badge off his uniform apologizing for the police department’s failure to protect the African American community in those turbulent days of the ’50’s and ’60’s. Reflecting on these important moments in our nation’s history, I look forward to focusing on ways in which together we can continue to confront challenges and solve the nation’s problems.

Ummm…has anyone mentioned to him that voting rights for African Americans are under, what appears to be, a systematic attack after the Supreme Court gutted part of the Voting Rights act?

At least one Republican is willing to do something. Speaking at a RNC by-invite-only commemoration luncheon at the Capitol Hill Club on Monday, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) said:

“[M]y job is to fix the Voting Rights Act,” and promised that by the end of the year, Congress would create and pass the section of the law struck down by Supreme Court in June.

Well…that encouraging.

Other speakers…not so much. The RNC event also featured former congressman Allen West (R-FL) and former Ohio Secretary of Voter Suppression State Ken Blackwell (R).

Daily Beast‘s Ben Jacob was underwhelmed by the RNC event.

In other venues, we had this contribution from former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL). It’s a teabaggy dream nightmare delivered to his radio audience:

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I have a dream that young unmarried black women will say “no” to young black men who want to have sex.

I have a dream that today’s black leadership will quit blaming racism and “the system” for what ails black America.

I have a dream that black America will take responsibility for improving their own lives.

I have a dream that one day black America will cease their dependency on the government plantation, which has enslaved them to lives of poverty, and instead depend on themselves, their families, their churches, and their communities.

Ahhh, yes. God (or gods) bless the First Amendment, but it’s sure good to have him in the former Rep. category.

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