– Transportation Action Agenda
– I’m glad to see the rest of the country realize that Cathy-McMorris-Rodgers is pretty awful.
– Bootstraps.
– Jay Inslee at Bike Works.
– If you only count the Catholics who vote for Rick Santorum, he has 100% of the Catholic vote.
– Mitt Romney is the Etch a Sketch candidate.
Checkout McMorris-Rogers FB page. It’s the FB feed of lies.
http://www.facebook.com/mcmorrisrodgers
Obama Fast-Tracks Keystone XL
President Obama today ordered federal agencies to fast-track the permitting for Keystone XL pipeline on a revised route.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/46821877
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Both the pipeline builder, TransCanada, and the Obama administration have always said Keystone XL will be built and will be completed on the original construction schedule. The only thing that has changed is the pipeline will be routed around, instead of over, the Ogallala Aquifer, which is critical to farmers in America’s corn-growing heartland.
Republicans in Congress manipulated legislation to make it appear Obama had denied TransCanada the permits. That was never true, and both TransCanada and the White House said so. This was mere GOP grandstanding in an election year.
Here on HA, some of our stupid and badly-informed trolls regurgitated the GOP’s claims that Obama blocked the pipeline, costing the economy thousands of jobs. I called b.s. on their comments, because that’s what it is, b.s.
Keystone XL will create about 5,000 construction jobs for about 8 months or so. After the pipeline is completed, Keystone XL will create only 20 permanent full-time jobs. That’s because pipeline operations are largely automated.
Republicans also claimed Obama was causing high gasoline prices by denying permits for Keystone XL. This, too, is a lie. Keystone XL will raise gasoline prices in the midwest by relieving a supply glut in that region by moving that oil farther south the Gulf refineries and ports, from where at least some of it will be exported out of the United States.
@2 “Keystone XL will create about 5,000 construction jobs for about 8 months or so. After the pipeline is completed, Keystone XL will create only 20 permanent full-time jobs. That’s because pipeline operations are largely automated.”
Well, Roger…don’t forget the occasional creation of a bunch of temporary jobs when the accursed thing springs a major leak or catches fire.
The really pathetic part of all this is that so many Americans are still stupid enough to think that building a pipeline to facilitate Canada shipping its tar-poop to China by way of the Gulf Coast is going to reduce the price of gasoline in in the US. Come to think of it, it’s even more pathetic if any Canadians are harboring the delusion that it’ll make their own gas cost any less.
@3 Shhh! Don’t tell LIVs (low information voters) that Republicans lied to them, or that they have their heads up their asses for believing Republicans.
Banks Cheated Veterans
As this article shows, no fraud is too low for banksters to stoop to.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/46820709
Energy Secretary Steven Chu testified about the Department’s loan guarantee program,
Republican Representative Jim Jordan (Ohio) admitted that Republicans’ ongoing probes of the program — from which the bankrupt California-based solar company Solyndra and others benefited — are largely a play to win votes in November.
“Ultimately, we’ll stop it on Election Day, hopefully. And bringing attention to these things helps the voters and citizens of the country make the kind of decision that I hope helps them as they evaluate who they are going to vote for in November.”
Gee, didn’t we know that already Refucklicans do nothing for the good of our country. Refucklicans motto:
GOP (Good? Ole Party Boys first) America and Americans be damned.
Upon retirement in June we are hauling the Airstream, the dog and cats and our sorry selves from Las Vegas to Keller for a blissful retirement and the opportunity to vote against McMorris-Rodgers.
@6. Banks Cheated Veterans
But isn’t that the free market at work? Shouldn’t our conservative poster be arguing that the banks had the right to do that? Buyer beware and all that?
Cause the way conservatives talk, regulations only apply to women’s bodies and birth control methods.
@7That’s some pretty country up around Keller.
One of the things that I’d really like to see in terms of politics and elections is the 5th CD turn blue. They’re just getting ripped off by the Republicans.
Does the Trayvon Martin’s Killing encourage thug behavior in the unpleasant?
After all, they can be as nasty and abusive as they want, and if their victim tries to fight back or resists or act uppity or doesn’t show proper respect, the person can just shoot them and claim self defense.
Boy and howdy, #3. It is an ugly, polluting, environmental destruction boondoggle.
And why on earth do people think high gas prices are about supply?
The pipeline will leak, not to mention the long term North American impacts of the tar sands tailing ponds and destruction in Canada. I’m sure that the pipeline has so many layers that when an environmental disaster does occur, no one corporation will be identifiable as the responsible party. It’s utter horse shit.
Roger Rabbit, I know you are a Vietnam Veteran. Looking at the Ryan Budget there seems to be a major dispute between the info posted on the Huffington Post by Vote Vets concerning a 13%= $11 billion of cuts in Veterans Funding and what is getting sold by the Army and Air Force Times. http://www.armytimes.com/news/.....e-032112w/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....f=politics
If Zimmerman walks, you can bet your bottom dollar that some black person(s)will gun down some white person(s) for the same reason Zimmerman used.
#14 But if a white person dies, will people like Dave be posting for tolerance and wait and let the authorities do their work.
Case in point. Do you remember when that white couple that gave birth to 6 kids, but when a black couple gave birth to 7 kids there was an outrage that science had gone to far.
No Time For Communists is still stinging from his recent whooping it would appear….
Komen Followup
Following the attempt by Komen’s rightwing leaders to chop off funding to Planned Parenthood, several top Komen executives have resigned and donations are down by 30% in some areas.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nig...../#46828303
House Republicans continue wasting everyone’s time on pointless votes useful only for election-year grandstanding.
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.c.....-provision
Birther suit questions Romney eligibility
The lawsuit filed by Republican primary write-in candidate John Albert Dummett Jr., Markham Robinson of the American Independent Party of California and five others also raised “questions concerning the eligibility” of Republican Mitt Romney to be a presidential candidate, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US.....z1ptvalAcI
@15
Yes.
Heh. Nothing drives the right wing troll mind more insane than the word:
PROGRESS..
All 119 Republican votes for PROGRESS.
dup…
@2 – Don’t forget that when the pipeline ruptures and creates an ecological disaster, the R’s will be first in line to blame Obama.
Not that he’s doing it to win the hearts and minds of the rank-and-file R’s (hard to do when they possess neither); but because he’s a corporatist.
Hey global warming deniers, how d’ya like this fucking ICE AGE we’re having?
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_n.....of-records
@18 – I’ve known for years that Komen was a Right Wing group, and expected that their true colors would come out sooner or later. Glad they finally were exposed for who they are.
When all is said and done in the Trayvon Martin case, what will become clear is that George Zimmerman is one of those people who shouldn’t be allowed to carry guns in public.
And there’s something profoundly wrong with a political party that works its ass off to make it hard to vote and easy to get guns.
@11 Canadians have always had a cavalier attitude toward their fabulous environmental gifts, and someday their grandchildren will curse them for it.
Millions of tax payer dollars spent to build something that can be defeated with a $15 sheet of plywood. O’ joy. It’s not like you can hide that big old microwave oven that’s sending out those heat waves. Protestors will know what their up against and ransack the nearest construction site for plywood. Group that might run into one of these will figure out a way to defeat this thing and somehow I get the feeling it wont take very long.
And somehow I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re seeing all these press releases from the military industrial complex disguised as journalism coming out just as the defense department is getting its budget trimmed.
@12 Here’s what VoteVets.org said:
“And today, we read that the GOP doesn’t even talk about veterans in their budget. But, without saying the word ‘veteran,’ the budget tells us a lot about what they think about veterans. The budget calls for across the board spending freezes and cuts. If enacted, the Ryan GOP budget would cut $11 billion from veterans spending, or 13 percent from what President Obama proposes in his own plan.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....70899.html
And here’s what Army times said:
“Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., appeared to fully endorse the 2013 Obama administration request for a 10.5 percent overall increase in veterans funding, including a 4.5 percent hike in discretionary funding that comes under the jurisdiction of appropriators.”
http://www.armytimes.com/news/.....e-032112w/
Roger Rabbit Commentary: The Ryan budget is a talking points document drafted for that purpose; it isn’t going anywhere in Congress. Everyone, including Rep. Ryan, knows that.
But it’s fair to assume Republicans would pass this budget if they could. So the question is, would the Ryan budget cut veterans funding?
There seems to be a consensus among many veterans groups that it would. See, e.g.,
http://www.disabledveterans.or.....-veterans/
http://today.yougov.com/news/c.....-politics/
http://veteransforcommonsense.org/
On the other hand, it seems inarguable that President Obama has pledged to protect veterans from budget cuts. See, e.g.,
“’The president has been consistent in word and action on protecting and increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs budget, and he pledged to continue to do so even in these tough budget times. We gratefully appreciate that commitment,’ said Richard L. DeNoyer, a retired Marine and Vietnam combat veteran from Middleton, Mass., who leads the 2 million-member VFW and its Auxiliaries.”
http://www.vfw.org/News-and-Ev.....PRESIDENT/
On balance, while some influential Republicans support the veterans budget, I believe overall the White House and Congressional Democrats are more consistently committed to veterans on funding issues.
@29 You just know what a Republican president will do with it:
“Others have focused on concerns that weapons whose operative principle is that of inflicting pain (though ‘non-lethal’) might be useful for such purposes as torture, as they leave no evidence of use, but undoubtedly have the capacity to inflict horrific pain on a restrained subject. According to Wired Magazine, the Active Denial System has been rejected for fielding in Iraq due to Pentagon fears that it would be regarded as an instrument of torture.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Denial_System
Roger Rabbit Commentary: There are some other problems with this gadget, too, the most serious of which arguably is what it does to babies and young children who don’t have the ability to run away from its heat rays. And, thanks to the ubiquity of cellphones with video camera capabilities, we’re already seeing plenty of videos of what rogue cops are prone to do with tasers and other devices that inflict pain without leaving tell-tale marks …
You couldn’t make this up:
“The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Gary Kreep …”
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US.....z1ptvalAcI
Looks like Republicans want to renege on last year’s deficit deal. And yes, Ryan’s budget cuts veterans benefits while sparing military spending.
http://www.economist.com/blogs.....t-proposal
Why Trayvon Martin’s shooting is such a danger to the NRA and the Republican right wing:
Zimmerman was carrying a weapon, and claims that he used it to protect himself against a minority “intruder” in his neighborhood, causing him to fear for his safety.
If we are to examine the facts in a manner which is MOST favorable to Zimmerman, then this is exactly the type of scenario for which the NRA argues that average person needs a firearm – to protect themselves and their family against a perceived threat.
It is also exactly the type of situation which everyone other than the NRA has been warning us about: that unrestricted gun laws put firearms into the hands of people who should NEVER be allowed to carry a gun due to extreme prejudice, heroic delusions, or general mental instability. And that doesn’t even include the cases where a mere misunderstanding an quickly escalate into a fatal shooting when one or more of the parties to the dispute are carrying a firearm.
So expect that the NRA will come out with guns blazing on this issue (sorry about the bad analogy). Unable to argue the logic, they will attack the facts by trying to re-write the history of the events. They will try to move the direction of the inquiry away from Zimmerman, and against Williams. Expect every aspect of his history (and his family) to become the subject of a an O’Reilly “investigative report” (i.e., reading the script handed to them by Roger Ailes). Limbaugh will pick it up, trying to paint Williams as a gang-banger wanna-be who was looking for trouble. Then Fox News will repeat the lies, referring to Williams in every story as a “troubled teenager”, then later refer to the “controversy” about William’s past.
The question is – can Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Hannity, etc. make this stick? Or did their ridiculous conduct over women’s birth control damage their credibility to the point where they can no longer defend the indefensible?
Looks like the Irish are finally starting to get pissed off about getting ripped off in the bubble and meltdown.
@34
Well, I tried to edit my block quote down a bit, but it seems that I don’t have permission to edit my own posts.
How is what happened to Trayvon Martin different than a lynching?
@36
In a lynching half the damn town takes part. In this case it was one racist hater backed up by a handful of corrupt cops and the whole country is pissed about it.
@17
Probably, but not alone. The name calling, as well as the topic changing, and strange/unrelated analogies always indicate that very thing.
To clarify, the main part of the above link is #2. To further clarify, the overall message of #2 isn’t directed at any “one” particular person (even if their name appears in the comment). It’s an “overall theme” comment (http://horsesass.org/?p=42456&.....nt-1141616, in that same thread, emphasizes this point as well).
@38
you need to learn to ignore the rabbit, most everyone else does.
Oh dear, I forgot to put out the welcome mat for our new trolls! How remiss of me. As the ex-officio HA greeter, it is my responsibility to acquaint all comers (especially newbies) with the HA ad hoc posting rules, so here they are:
1. This is a liberal blog.
2. Anyone can post here, except JCH.
3. There is no censorship.
4. As liberals, our mission is to verbally kick the living crap out of rightwing scum.
5. No mercy for wingnuts!
6. Our terms are unconditional surrender, and there will be trials.
7. klake is a nazi.
Any questions?
We go through a lot of trolls on this blog. Most can’t take the abuse we heap on them and quickly flee, like that chickenshit J.McD. who lasted only two weeks before slinking back to Stefan’s sucky little blog. Recruitment and retention of trolls is a constant problem around here. It may get to a point where we have to pay people to be trolls here. I admit the working conditions for HA trolls aren’t all that great, but what job is? The bottom line is, somebody’s gotta do it, because if we didn’t have any wingers to kick around, we’d probably turn on each other.
@38 I wouldn’t call this a lynching, it’s just a senseless fool with a gun, and a stupid Republican law that encourages people like him to brandish guns.
Not really…the one to be ignored is the dumb fuck emperor max mini-dick (aka kaider bun the first) and his unending stream of aliases.
nice to see that HA’s professional broom pusher is back…
What some call strange/unrelated analogies is how I work through the correctness of the logic of arguments. The way I see it, some people are rigid in their thinking and don’t want to try to make connections.
Wow!, I try to give people a chance to accept/acknowledge that “everyone” they disagree with on a few topics doesn’t necessarily mean they ideologically oppose them on all fronts but he/they can’t/won’t understand that basic concept… LOL (in a funny, but sad sort of way). Sad, because it’s confirmation of the sorry state of affairs this nation/world has digressed to. Specifically that when someone is confronted with someone they don’t agree with their first response is to assume that person disagrees with them on every topic and is a “troll”, “right winger”, “nutjob”, wingnuts, etc…
It is possible to have a right or left leaning blog that still maintains common sense, logic, and rational thinking. Well…, at least it should be. Apparently not here though. Wait a second, my mistake, I should rephrase that to “Obviously not here though” because those attributes are obviously lacking here…
@39
Unfortunately, it’s not just him. His comments just reiterate the validity of the points raised in @38 and the associate link. Truly a sad state of affairs.
Btw, per “rule” 5 (@40), Roger Rabbit and his narrow minded friends get no mercy as they are most certainly self described “wingnuts”. I.e. people so far on the extreme right or left wing (left in this case) that they can’t understand/accept common sense rational differences to their narrow minded opinions. To be clear, I’ve also seen spews from other people on this site that indicate they are “wingnuts” (to use your term again) on the opposite side of the spectrum.
@45, No Time for Fascists spews:
Finally, self realization (the first step is admitting you have a problem). Now you just need to convince your other “friends” around here like Roger Rabbit, YLB, Ekim, Blue John, Boy Scout, Rujax, etc, of the same thing. That would go a long way towards overcoming the “wingnut” (to use your sites word) mentality and allow rational thoughts to permeate their brains.
So says The Independent Moderate who is apparently the only open minded free thinking individual to post on this blog. No offense to any other unidentified independents I haven’t seen.
There were really 3 replies built into @46 and I should have separated them. Here they are in separate form:
First:
@39
Unfortunately, it’s not just him. His comments just reiterate the validity of the points raised in @38 and the associate link. Truly a sad state of affairs.
Btw, per “rule” 5 (@40), Roger Rabbit and his narrow minded friends get no mercy as they are most certainly self described “wingnuts”. I.e. people so far on the extreme right or left wing (left in this case) that they can’t understand/accept common sense rational differences to their narrow minded opinions. To be clear, I’ve also seen spews from other people on this site that indicate they are “wingnuts” (to use your term again) on the opposite side of the spectrum.
Second:
@45, No Time for Fascists spews:
Finally, self realization (the first step is admitting you have a problem). Now you just need to convince your other “friends” around here like Roger Rabbit, YLB, Ekim, Blue John, Boy Scout, etc, of the same thing. That would go a long way towards overcoming the “wingnut” (to use your sites word) mentality and allow rational thoughts to permeate their brains.
46 – Does this mean you’re going away now?
Well, if that’s true then you have a lot more sense than the racist idiot @ 44 I’ll give you that.
Again, have a great life.
Fox’s Rivera Blames Martin For Getting Shot
Faux Noise commentator Geraldo Rivera enlightens us about why Trayvon Martin is dead:
“I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was. You have to recognize that this whole stylizing yourself as a gangsta, you’re going to be a gangsta-wannabe, well people are going to perceive you as a menace.”
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_n.....-zip-it-up
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Why are all the TV commentators who have law degrees so goddamned stupid? I mean, really, what kind of punkass “law school” did Geraldo Rivera graduate from to make a remark like this on TV? Since when does a fashion statement constitute justifiable homicide? Thank the Great Mother Rabbit Spirit this idiot is a Fox commentator and not a practicing lawyer, because his legal “advice” is downright dangerous!
I wanted to be a lawyer from the time I was a wee little bunny. I used to think you had to be awfully smart to be a lawyer. But the fact a moron like Rivera can get a law degree blows that theory out of the water. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some smart lawyers, but — I hate to say this — I’ve also met lawyers who are dumber than a box of hammers. As Rivera proves, you don’t need the I.Q. of a pumpkin to get through law school.
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_n.....-zip-it-up
@47 If you think this country isn’t full of ideological zombies who merely regurgitate on cue the spew cooked up in rightwing propaganda factories, you’re dumber than you look. I’m not necessarily saying you’re one of ’em, I’m just sayin’ the run-of-mill trolls on this blog are brain-dead zombies.
Geraldo Rivera’s shtick is that kids who don’t conform to his dress code deserve to be shot. He sounds a lot like the Taliban.
I cannot speak for the others and I have not tracked down every post dave have ever made here (sorry, I have a life) but of the two concepts he posted that I noticed, I get his arguments, I knowledge his arguments have validity on the surface, but I don’t agree with the rightness of his arguments.
As I remember it, dave posted that we shouldn’t be getting riled about the Trayvon Martin case and let the process unfold when lack of interest and process in the case is what caused the problem in the first place. It’s called “Neighborhood Watch”, not “Neighborhood Kill the Innocent Kid then Claim Self-Defense”. This was murder and right thinking people should be upset.
dave also went on and on about a 60% threshold for property taxes, with a superficial math based argument that I thought was not valid. When I explained why, (because what about the case of a single person owing ALL the land, would that person be the only vote that mattered?), he dismissed it. So then I just had fun with his premise.
Also after a couple of back and forth’s, it seemed that’s dave’s arguments were coming from a position of underlying personal greed, to make it harder to raise taxes, though dave did not see it that way.
@48 Wanna know why there’s so much name-calling? Because the other side does it. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, you know. When they quit, we’ll quit too, but they have to stop first because they started it.
I don’t mind being criticized for my behavior when I behave like a Republican. That’s healthy.
Rabbit, it seems that Geraldo is blaming the victim.
Oh and dave,
You are not going to change any hearts and minds here by insulting us. I don’t like it when the progressives do that and you sure won’t cause any sudden conversions by calling anyone who doesn’t instantly agree with you as unable to understand common sense rational differences.
If you are right, convince us with facts and data and logic, again and again (don’t just say see @38). But it’s gonna take a while, we have had a LOT of conservative trolls and paid FUD posters blather a LOT of nonsense and name calling and insults and you will have to overcome their considerable legacy.
I’d like to see Dave pull this “independent moderate” act with Pudge at soundpolitics.com.
Let me guess how will it go.
Dave: Wow Pudge you’re the first person I’ve found that I totally agree with!
Pudge: Maybe so, but you lied about being an independent moderate. You’re actually a conservative. Retract that and I won’t ban you…
i.e. a typical conditional lovefest on the right.. something like that.
@58. It would nice to see conservative sites like red state or sound pol or free republic let other voices into their echo chambers. Seems the conservative sites are the ones doing the majority of the censoring and banning.
too damn funny…HA’s cadre of fools is still getting owned – and their collective response is “ya, but you should see how the TEH RIYTEE sites are – they are just as bad!”.
ahahahahahhhhhhhahhahahahahahhahhahahahha, and I wont even try to explain why this is so lame, and funny, because its obvious nobody but Dave, and perhaps 1 or 2 others, would even get it.
do you see why most moderate independents laugh at you(and the fools on the far right)? do you get it yet? nah, of course you dont…
@51
1) Thanks, I never said or intended to imply you were “one of ’em” either. The part that makes you look like a winger is that you (and others) constantly isolate concepts like above as “rightwing”. If you’re suggesting “both” sides don’t do the exact same thing then you’re truly dumber than anyone on this site looks.
2) Also, assuming (and classifying) “everyone” who you disagree with as “run-of-mill trolls & brain-dead zombies” is certainly judgmental and part of the problem with most of the comments you & your friends are making..
Wow, that’s a good point because everyone knows that 2 wrongs make a right. “they started it”
I honestly wish you hadn’t said that because it certainly suggests that you’re saying 1) that you have no self control/discipline or 2) that you aren’t mature enough to be the bigger person and act differently just because they started it (using your assumption that the mysterious “they” started it)? I think I’ve heard that one a few 1000 times from 5yr olds “Dad, he/she started it”…
I can’t believe you actually posted those comments and I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn’t really mean what those comments said… Which would mean the “Dad” comment wouldn’t apply. Good, I don’t want to think that’s actually the case.
Btw, if anyone goes back and looks they’ll see that I’ve been under constant attack having “started none of it”. I’m purely defending against the constant assault that is enjoyed by so many here.
57. No Time for Fascists spews:
Irt insults see 62 and look in the mirror.
Irt facts, data and logic: I already did. A person can only provide the truth and rational thought. He/she can’t force people to accept the truth. This applies to your @53 spew irt 60% as well. Here’s the link that had that answer http://horsesass.org/?p=42456&.....nt-1141363
Irt “you will have to overcome their considerable legacy”: I’d be nice if people gave others the benefit of the doubt, no?
To update @63-
If I remember correctly you actually weren’t among the worst of the name callers so “look in the mirror” is probably a bit extreme. I do believe your insults were more mild intimations (as opposed to some of the upper level ones of others). Although, I think you’d agree that there’s still some validity because insults (veiled and plain) were going fast and furious (generally towards me).
# 50 & 57: Yep, I hadn’t seen this article when I posted my prediction at # 33. But I didn’t expect Geraldo to be the guy firing the first shot for Fox News. Maybe Ailes, etc. thought Limbaugh and Hannity no longer had credibility, so it was time to trot out someone else to fling the mud for them?
As for whether or not this was a lynching, it’s not. It was a typical Saturday night in my old hometown. Except in my old hometown, they would apply the standard definitions and rule that a person who shot a minority three or more times in the back was “self defense”.
(There’s the old story of a Justice of the Peace in Texas, who served as the coroner. The dead fellow was found hog-tied, with several shotgun blasts to his back. The shotgun was found on the other side of the room. The JP/Coroner ruled it a suicide.)
Hmmm.. They wouldn’t laugh at this?
“I dont hate anybody”
Lol…no wonder ylbarrio supports illegal immigration…it all makes sense now.
now go have a taco and shut the fuck up.
Heh. How “independent”… lol..
@66
speaking of pussified she-men, YLB drops in right on time….
Im not really concerned with what a lazy, basement dwelling shut-in who thinks leaving the house to get the mail is “seeing the world” and who “lives on the internet” thinks.
you……just…..dont…..matter……
now, go have a burrito and shut the fuck up. you give hard working latinos a bad name.
67 LMAO! An asshat racist as an “independent”!
I see you’re enjoying yourself today. Lounging by the septic tank perhaps? Any rotties barking in the distance?
LMAO!!! Here’s the oldest comment I see for you:
buttslammin’ dan teamed up with Krazy Kieth..lol what a fucking pair they make.
Right out of the gate you “mattered”..
Too freaking funny for words..
Looks like the wingnuts are taking their cue from Zimmerman: an armed gunman threatens a news team.
Man Pulls Gun On WREG Reporter April Thompson And Photographer Ben Short During Report (VIDEO)
@67 Sir David Beatty-
You’re not helping your case. I don’t know enough about you to have an educated opinion but you’re starting to act in the same way that the other ppl I’ve been trying to rehabilitate have been acting.
Extreme name calling and random vitriol doesn’t accomplish anything. If this represents your true feelings then I don’t need your praise/acceptance. If, on the other hand, it’s an isolated occurrence and you’re really a common sense, rational, independent thinking person then start acting like it and I’m happy to have you on board.
EDIT: After seeing 66/69 I have to say that you unfortunately seem nothing like me and far from an independent thinker so please either prove me wrong or stop associating with my comments. Thanks
Eventually, I’m sure that will be the case (I want an invitation to the party if food will be provided)… Then Rabbit can claim:
Even though, based on observations thus far, it seems far more likely that “whoever” he’s referring to simply got tired of banging their heads against the wall of narrow mindedness on this site that refuses to look at things from “the fuselage” (i.e. not being “wingers” on one extreme wing or the other). It’s also more likely that those people simply weren’t as comfortable taking and “dishing out” (when appropriate, as it is now) criticism. I feel empathy for the children of wingers, who will grow up with the same narrow minded viewpoints of their parents. Too bad we can’t have more “fuselage” parents to teach objective, common sense, rational thought.
Unfortunately, for those of you who are involved in these tactics, you went up against someone who isn’t as easily intimidated online or off (it’s amazing how being right, and a decent level of intelligence, enables such confidence).
It would be nice to assume that a site (left or right leaning) would want to encourage & engage in civil, thought provoking conversations. YLB’s comment “Does this mean you’re going away now?”, is certainly the exact opposite mentality and more along the lines of “if you don’t agree with us would you please leave so we can agree with each other some more?…because we just DON’T want to engage in civl discourse with you and your “different” thoughts.” Unfortunately, many ppl on this site have behaved more like a bunch of middle school girls in a clique that just want to agree with each other on everything and “self glorify” one another so they can each feel special and correct because “everyone” agrees with them (at least everyone in their clique).
Yes, it’s exactly like a middle school girl’s clique that tries to bully others (even as the nation tries to encourage less of that in schools). Many of you probably advocate against such behavior, then hypocritically engage in the vary thing. Perhaps you should book a presentation by Rachel’s challenge to help your little clique mature from the middle school level?
I’d certainly be nice to see some apologies to facilitate a burying of the hatchet but it seems that very few around here would be willing/capable of such a thing.
Heh.. We’d love to see little maxie lobotomy the right wing racist asshat @67 exercise “reason and calm judgement” on Dave’s blog.. lol..
Haven’t clicked on it yet myself and I don’t plan to.
fuck dude, at least get your god damned datubayze correct….the person posting as “yuck” isnt me.
geek.
That’s refreshing to know. Feels like I dodged a bullet… You wouldn’t like it anyway because it uses exactly that “reason and calm judgement“…
74.. Sure it isn’t..
this is yuck’s second comment:
rujackoff has only been laid twice. Once by a drunk skank and the other time by a fat ugly chick.
and something a bit later from a moronic “Conan” fan:
damnit man, go out and at least try and pull a drunk fat chick.
Nice try racist.
75 – Nope. Just don’t care for pompous, arrogant, supercilious claptrap..
dave, use your imagination and visualize this site as a noisy, boisterous bar with bunch of rowdies who don’t take themselves to seriously and a couple of drunk loud mouths in the end of the bar, not some dusty library meeting room. Stop whining that we are not being nice to you. Grow a thicker skin. If Roger Rabbit, or Goldy or YLB whined like you are every time some one didn’t treat them with deference, this blog would explode.
What do you think of the Ryan Plan? Single payer heath care? The tunnel? Gay Marriage, Woman’s health, Zoning, The rich counties subsiding poor county’s school systems, The republican complete lack of cooperation, The biased reporting on Fox, The purpose of the Federal government, a WA state Income Tax, something. If you want engage in thought provoking conversations, find an open thread and start one.
Just don’t expect us to roll over and agree, if you cannot back up what you say.
Stick a fork in little Ricky Sanctimonious:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....f=politics
That remark reflects the very base little Ricky is trying to pander to – those who suffer from Obama Derangement Syndrome.
Seriously? That’s the best reply you have to @72? Thick skin? Lol, I’ve got one of the thickest. Pointing out childish behavior is a far cry from “whining” and you’d be wise to figure that out.
So, to summarize your position: self control, restraint, common sense, dignity, rational thought, etc, goes out the window in a “bar like” setting correct? Is that what you’d teach your kids or hope that others would teach their kids? OMG I truly hope the answer is no. Unfortunately, I’m concerned you’d teach them the winger mentality instead of the fuselage one described @72…
Inside or outside a bar (library, bank, grocery store, or anywhere else) there’s a standard degree of civility that’s appropriate in life. If you’d be perfectly happy in a bar that had the some of crap being said by certain people here “contently” going on you must hang out in some pretty crappy and pathetic bars. Usually, that type of behavior precedes a good fight (and them subsequently being thrown out).
If that’s the case then you must really hate YLB getting into a pissing contest with Beatty because Beatty’s comments are just like being at a bar and are perfectly appropriate in this bar-like setting right?
The problem is the anonymity provided online. Most of the people acting like that wouldn’t dare act the same way somewhere else for fear of being knocked out.
Dave, Beatty is a racist who enjoys degrading others.
He’s a right winger who claims he’s not a Republican while carrying on like any other right wing troll who votes lock step Republican.
He’s a clumsily manipulative right wing bullshit artist. A liar would be a kind thing to call him. A liar knows what the truth is. A bullshitter doesn’t care.
The consensus here among the people on the side of rigtheousness and the promise of this country is that the right wing sucks so anyone who spews right wing bullshit or enables it as you do (see Beatty’s reaction to you) is not looked upon kindly.
Please find readers for your blog elsewhere. (un)soundpolitics.com might be a good place.
@81 should say:
@79. No Time for Fascists- not @78
Does it get more deranged than this?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....f=politics
I guess he can’t say “that n*gg*r” so he says “that socialist”.. It’s nuts.
1) Excuse me? as I’ve said before, I’m far from right wing anything. I’m a “fuselagewinger” if I’m anything.
2) Irt “enables it…see Beatty’s reaction to you”
How about “See my reaction to him” @72. If anything it makes more sense that you’d want people like me around here to provide a dose of reality to ppl like that.
3) So you seriously have the mentality I described in @72 of: “if you don’t agree with us would you please leave so we can agree with each other some more?…because we just DON’T want to engage in civl discourse with you and your “different” thoughts.” Unfortunately, many ppl on this site have behaved more like a bunch of middle school girls in a clique that just want to agree with each other on everything and “glorify” one another so they can each feel special and correct because “everyone” agrees with them (at least everyone in their clique).
–That’s an amazingly isolationist viewpoint of not wanting anyone disrupting the little utopia where we all agree… Fascist actually inquired about my thoughts on other topics so apparently someone in utopia doesn’t have the same opinion as you irt that. Personally, I have friends who categorize themselves as both left wingers (like you) and right wingers. You get much better conversations and exchanges of ideas that way. You really should reconsider your isolationist viewpoint…
Btw, for the most part, the little school girl comment is referencing a mentality here more than anyone in particular but even if it was apparently that wouldn’t matter according to fascists thick skin argument @79.
4) Irt:
-I already said: It’s refreshing to know that you aren’t interested in my independent opinions. Feels like I dodged a bullet… You wouldn’t like it anyway because it uses “sound, rational, common sense”…
Naughty, naughty Dave. Deflecting, changing the subject.. Too bad we’re experiencing a lull at the moment in attracting right wing trolls.. You’d get more positive attention than just from that old crotchety racist Beatty.
I’m sure you’ll also be “refreshed” to know that “calm”, “sound”, “rational” readers with “common sense” await you at (un)soundpolitics.com.
I eagerly await your engagement with them.. It’ll be fun to watch.
1) Fyi, that doesn’t even remotely make sense and just makes you look ignorant for insinuating that it does…. Please try harder if you insist on continuing down this path…
Your right, it’s too bad about the lull, you desperately need someone else to “tag in”…
2) Based on your lack of thinking skill it’s most probable that you “eagerly await” that because you’re upset with consistently getting trounced there (aside from the random easy target of someone who’s actually less of a thinker than you). That’s without even knowing what that site is because I’ve never been there (but I’ve seen you in “action”). Sorry, I’m not a gun for hire so you’ll just have to go on getting schooled by those you’re silly enough to challenge.
I’ve offered up numerous olive branches of opportunity to you but you’re too narrow minded to accept. You really should stop while your behind because you’re out of your league… As fascists would say, grow a thicker skin and Chortle!
@72 Holy shit, we’ve got an amateur psychologist on the loose here!
1) Regarding my opinions on various other topics, I’m certain you’d be surprised (as would all the other extreme wing personalities from the right and/or left wings). For example, I’m not in agreement with the ole top “__”% (fill in blank) pay an overwhelmingly unfair portion of taxes. argument. I explain it in Taxation Decoded: Who pays What & How a Flat Tax Should Work
2) I’m posting the link because that topic is a pretty hard thing to go back and forth about on a site like this. If you don’t want to look at it that’s completely up to you. “If” you choose to read any of them (you did ask for my thoughts on other things) feel free to reply there, here, whatever…
–I also have a relatively short Same Sex Marriage in WA and Nationally post that covers related topics as well.
– There’s also a short one (I think it’s around 6 paragraphs) titled Reality Checks of Conservative & Liberal Rhetoric that goes over big oil tax breaks, and a few other tax related comments.
–Then there’e the current event: Sifting Through the Facts, Furor, and Demagoguery Surrounding the Trayvon Martin Shooting.
3) Quite honestly, I couldn’t care less if someone wants to read any of those posts. I’m not trying to become some sort of a huge site with lots of page views or something as evidenced by the relatively few posts I’ve even made on the blog. However, I will provide people the opportunity to read a post that seems relevant to a given topic. I’ve only recently begun utilizing the ability to embed links in replies and if people want to look so be it. If not, so be that too.
It’s much to nice out today to bother typing much.
Flat Tax – I think a strongly progressive income tax should be much better for the country. I like it because it combats the problem of wealth concentration, as a reason. You seem prefer a flat tax that does not address that.
Trayvon Martin Murder – I think the lack of action or interest in the case is the issue. At first it was just a murder, but now it’s become a bigger pattern of ignoring the murders of minorities. If it had not been for the media firestorm over this, it still have been ignored. You seem to think it’s better to wait and let the people who are the problem, handle the problem. Again we will have to agree to disagree.
I will leave further discussions for within threads. It’s to nice out there.
1) Did you actually read the whole tax post? The last paragraph of #5 addresses making it progressive…
2) No, I prefer not to “create” a problem the way half the talking heads/politicians/demagogues are doing (especially when all the facts aren’t known to Them/You). Making it about race is complete crap btw. Have you even heard about the interviews with Zimmerman’s neighbors (some black, like that should even fricking matter) who’ve said he’s a great guy?…
I believe in action when appropriate and not the crazy “overreaction and mob mentality” pushing that you apparently prefer. Yes, we’ll definitely have to agree to disagree on that…
@91. Yes I skimmed your post. What I got from it, is that you think the wealthy are paying too much in taxes as a percentage of income and you would like to change the tax code to be flat, to either make the rich pay less, or take in less taxes total. You didn’t address which.
I read what you wrote“Lower income aren’t paying enough- Well, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip ” and “However, any viable flat tax will also have a basic subsistence exemption of somewhere between $12-16K per taxpayer”. IMHO, that hardly makes it progressive.
Progressive means that the most wealthy pay more, as a percentage, than the less wealthy, and the more wealthy you are, the higher the rate. I don’t think we need to go back to a 90% tax rate like during WW2, but I would love to roll back the Reagan tax cuts.
I’ll tell you why.
A steeply progressive tax helps combats the problem of wealth concentration, one of the things the founding fathers warned us was a very bad thing. I want a healthy strong vibrant middle class with economic and political power rival to the upper wealthy, not a unhealthy country like Mexico or Russia with a few of great wealth and power, and everyone else. And a steeply progressive tax is a tool to achieve that.
You can argue that those of great wealth and power are never going to let a strong middle happen if it means it would cost them, but you cannot argue a progressive tax code and the resulting strong middle class wouldn’t be a good thing for the country.
@91. Dave, WHY you think a flat tax would be better for the country as a whole?
Dave, now that you are back, I’d love your reasoning WHY you think a flat tax would be better for the country as a whole?
-I was busy doing some other things. Ok:
—> Apparently, that’s what happens when you skim it because I’ve had other people read it (both liberals & conservatives) and they’ve come away with the exact opposite meaning (the correct one) from what you just described. Perhaps it’s along the same lines as what I discussed regarding the Zimmerman case, 6B. Basically, people’s propensity to “hear what they want to hear and see what they want to see”. You want to think that’s what I believe so you make it so…
1,2,3)Wow. Seriously,… WOW! This is very interesting, here’s why:
The very first sentence (of the 1st numbered paragraph) completely contradicts what you claim it says in the post. Unfortunately (because it’s gonna take up extra reply space), I have to post the entire first paragraph to work through what your claiming. The only modifications to the paragraph will be using bold (because that’s the only option this site has for singling out words) to id the parts you somehow chose to miss when you were skimming… Here it is:
“I don’t agree with the ole top “__”% (fill in blank) pay an overwhelming portion of taxes. I don’t disagree that “some” people stay on entitlement handouts indefinitely but I also believe that “most” people on food stamps and other aid would rather be off of it. It’s also true that the income gap is out of control and it’s ridiculous to have a discussion about upper income tax inequality (percentage of overall federal taxes paid) without accounting for the associated incomes related to those taxes paid…”
— How you could twist that around to mean what you posted is a mystery of the mind and human behavior. The words “don’t…pay an overwhelming portion” are very clear. What that “should” tell you is: I don’t agree with the argument that the upper income earners pay too much tax, and that any discussion/argument as to that point (the point that they pay too much) is “ridiculous” without accounting for the associated incomes related to the amount of taxes they pay. That’s the complete opposite of what you said it says.
— Later in the post, I go on to expand upon that 3rd sentence by pointing out the fact that even though the the top 50% pay almost all the federal income taxes, it’s simply due to the fact that their associated incomes accounts for the predominate amount (88%) of the TOTAL U.S. taxable income.
—I’m clearly saying the wealthy are making far more than than the poor. I EVEN go on (#4 in the post) to specifically point out the income growth of the top 0.1% vs. the other earning levels to demonstrate that very inequality. Again, the complete opposite of what you purported it to say…….
It’s truly amazing (and intriguing, in a psychology class sort of way) that you could read something and take away the exact opposite from what other unbiased people have come away with. Btw, NO, that’s not me saying “you need a psychologist”, I’m referring more to the study of human behavior. I’d be interesting to see what your takeaway was if you actually read it instead of skimming…
Furthermore,
4)??? That’s ONE of a list of four “possible” reasons I site that are often given by people for why the bottom 50% pay so so small a portion (3%) of the overall income tax. Then, I refute or agree (as appropriate) the reasons given. You also left out the last part of that statement which is “(see 3&4 below)“ which means those two sections expand/clarify the quoted point and should encourage the further reading of those two sections (3&4). Even though I’ve had others read it and understand the meaning, based on your input I did end up making 1-2 minor tweaks to aid in the understanding (especially for people who try to skim it) of a topic that I realize not everyone can or want’s to follow.
—The turnip reference is NOT a negative connotation it’s simply a commonly used phrase to indicate that you can’t get something that ISN’T there to get. I.e. you can’t get a lot of taxes from someone who doesn’t have a lot of income. The point of view that the lower income aren’t paying enough is what I REFUTE throughout the post.
5) What are you talking about? That statement makes no sense. The “subsistence exemption” absolutely DOES make it progressive and the wealthy WOULD pay more as a percentage of income… The more they made the closer the’d get to the actual flat tax rate (whatever it happened to be), however the lower income earners would always be quite a distance from that rate due to the exemption.
Will America accept the cheaty, cheaty, bang, bang 2012 election – as necessary, or the norm?
That’s the big question of the Citizens United decision. And what will America’s Star Chamber Supreme Court do about it, if anything?
I tired to read Dave’s posts – he really does seem to want to have a conversation and be taken seriously.
However, Dave, your posts are too wordy, and your syntax/writing skills are lacking, making all those words a terribly challenging exercise to wade through.
For example, WTF does this even mean:
Fr. Moran, SJ, PhD, my high school freshman English teacher, would have shreded me for submitting this sort of drivel. You need to be coherent, and concise. Your posts are full of this sort of unedited word salad.
Moreover, if I understand your “logic”, you advocate either a supermajority or an electorate limited to property owners, when considering property tax levys. This is absolutely undemocratic on its face, and has, in practical terms, been shown to be a recipe for gridlock and utter legislative dysfunction in places like California.
To extend this logic, should only women be allowed to vote on issues concerning the policing of uteri? (I think then there would be no policing of uteri!) Should only gay people be allowed a say on marriage equity (or only straights)? How about only making the people with school age children pay for public schools? How about only car owners voting regarding traffic laws or registration fees or highway development? Why only property owners/property tax payers?
Your thinking displays an all too familiar, um…adolescent?…un-nuanced?…concrete?…superficiality that I have come to associate with the libertarians. You engage, in a very masturbatory way, a very first-order analysis of the most immediately obvious relationships. At the heart of your writing is a profound denial of community, of the fact that we citizens are all, at a fundamental level, equal, and that we’re all in this together.
@98
Oops! “tired” should be “tried”, though I suppose both work just as well!
@98 Don’t confuse him with logic. Superficiality is what these people do, because they’re incapable of thinking beyond the end of their noses.
However, Dave, your posts are too wordy, and your syntax/writing skills are lacking, making all those words a terribly challenging exercise to wade through.
Yes. I agree. I just couldn’t think of a way to say this same thing as kindly as you did.
Dave is obnoxious. He wants to troll.
I could be wrong about his motivations.
To prove himself I suggested he try his “reasoning” act at (un)soundpolitics. So far I’ve seen nothing on that.
Speaks volumes to me.