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Is it Too Soon To Go Back On Break?

by Carl Ballard — Monday, 1/4/16, 6:59 pm

When I was looking for stuff to write about, I came across this press release about Inslee’s budget by Representative Bruce Chandler. I don’t think I can improve on it’s terribleness, except to say that people vote for him. Like actual humans in Washington see his name on a ballot every two years since 2008 and mark the little circle.

“The governor is required to introduce his ideas for state spending before the Legislature convenes each year. We thank Governor Inslee for his proposal and for his staff’s efforts in providing a starting point from which the Legislature can begin its work.

So far, fine. Let’s follow it up with the dumbest paragraph ever written.

“At first glance, we’re pleased to see emergency money allocated for fire suppression efforts across the state. While we may not agree on the cause of this year’s horrendous forest fires, we certainly agree on the need to allocate adequate resources to fire suppression now, and in the future we believe there is ample opportunity to restore forest health and develop more effective state and local fire response strategies.

Sometimes when you do a metacommentary piece, you have to leave jokes on the table. Here are some things I left out because if I went in depth on them, I’d never finish writing this:

  • If you’ve taken the time to write 8 paragraphs, it’s not first glance.
  • There’s no mention of how he wants to pay for the fire suppression stuff.
  • That monster second sentence could be, like, 3 sentences.
  • Is “we” the whole GOP Caucus? It sort of sounds like that from future paragraphs, but it’s never explicitly stated.

OK. With that out of the way: As far as I can tell “we may not agree on the cause of this year’s horrendous forest fires,” is Representative Chandler’s way of saying he doesn’t believe humans caused global warming. Or possibly he doesn’t think global warming is even a thing? Look, on the one hand, you have Governor Inslee’s side: Basically all the scientists that study the issue, and the fact of the actual forest season that we’re actually talking about. On the other side, you have Representative Chandler: Nu huh.

Seriously, global warming is real. It did contribute to the fire season being bad. It will contribute to future bad fire seasons.

“We agree with the governor that a supplemental budget year is not the time for substantial policy changes that balloon state spending down the road. The 2015-17 biennial budget was signed into law less than six months ago. Significant policy additions – outside of emergency caseload adjustments – are better suited for the deliberation and scrutiny of a 105-day session during budget-writing years.

Fine whatever. Although I’d prefer yearly budgets, that’s not the process.

“However, in his proposal for additional policy changes, we find it disappointing that Governor Inslee has decided to trot out four tax increases we’ve all seen before. These tax increases have either been rejected by voters in the past, like the tax on bottled water, or already reviewed by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee. The Legislature had ample opportunity to impose these new tax increases over the last few years, but after citizen input and careful scrutiny, chose not to. If the governor felt it was an emergency to add further growth to state government, the public would be better served by innovation and new ideas rather than a continuation of failed efforts of taking more from taxpayers.

Innovation and new ideas? Look, if you could just innovate greater revenue, people would have already done it. Why does Governor Inslee propose minor tax increases when he hasn’t even tried magic?

“We’re also disappointed that Governor Inslee failed to make a strong commitment to public charter schools in our state. During today’s press conference, he had the opportunity to lend his support to bipartisan legislative efforts to ensure all students and parents of our state are served equally. Legislators will invest precious time and political capital in crafting a solution to our state’s voter-approved public charter school system. However, without the engagement of our governor in those efforts, the solution will be more difficult.

Charter schools were ruled unconstitutional. What possible commitment could you make to them if you swore to uphold the state constitution? Gaaah.

In any event, given the McCleary decision, I’d think it would probably make sense to include something about public school funding more generally in this press release if it’s going to have an education section. But no. Just take us home a no-transitions-needed ending.

“We look forward to further discussions with the governor and the other caucuses to arrive at timely, common sense solutions so that the 2016 session can end on time.”

Is ending the session on time really the highest priority? I would think making some situation where you aren’t in contempt of court for shortchanging education would at least get a mention. Oh well.

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HA Bible Study: 2 Samuel 13:10-15

by Goldy — Sunday, 1/3/16, 6:00 am

2 Samuel 13:10-15
And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”

“No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”

Discuss.

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Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

by Darryl — Friday, 12/18/15, 11:57 pm

Stephen: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power explains the world.

Minute Physics: The physics of car crashes.

The 2016 Krazzzy Klown Kar:

  • Red State Update watches the G.O.P. debate.
  • Young Turks: Worst line of the CNN debate?
  • David Pakman: Which 2016 candidate lies the most?
  • Friday hottakes.:

  • Jessica Williams give some G.O.P. debate pointers.
  • Young Turks: Republican candidates compare childlike ISIS “strategies.”
  • Jimmy Dore: GOP debate ignored Christian and Climate terror
  • Resolve over fear.
  • Totally weak.
  • Daily Show: Fact-checking the G.O.P. debate.
  • Still not a scientist.
  • David Pakman and Ben Dixon: Who bombed and dominated the G.O.P. debate?
  • Thom: The G.O.P.’s path to the Dark Side.
  • Maddow: Facts a low priority at Republican debate:

  • Young Turks: Republicans would target and kill families of terrorists.
  • Farron Cousins: GOP insanity is no laughing matter.
  • David Pakman and Ben Dixon: Most insane moments of the GOP debate.
  • Jimmy Dore: Rand Paul says something sane, but destroys his campaign.
  • Mark Fiore: Trumplandia.
  • Jimmy Dore: Trump gathers goons for his gestapo.
  • The G.O.P. debate summed-up.
  • Darth Trump.
  • Young Turks: Debate summary.
  • Michael Moore’s message for Donald Trump: “We are all Muslim”.
  • When someone shows you they are a Fascist….
  • Seth Meyers: G.O.P. debate wrap-up.
  • Michael Brooks: What are Trump supporters thinking?
  • G.O.P. candidates’ technology fayle.
  • Stephen totally watched the CNN G.O.P. debate.
  • Young Turk: Donald Trump’s YUGELY excellent medical report.
  • Liberal Viewer: Donald Trump supports affirmative action?
  • David Pakman with Pap: Progressives shouldn’t be afraid to call Trump a fascist.
  • Trump wants to be Preznit to finish his bucket list.
  • Trumpax: Make your vagina great again!
  • Jimmy Dore: Trump = Hitler except for one thing.
  • Stephen: Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin explains Trump’s credibility gap.
  • Maddow: Donald Trump defies decency for conspiracy fringe.
  • Did UK Prime Minister David Cameron call Donald Trump ‘stupid’?
  • Young Turks: The worst debate answer ever?
  • Sketch: Trump in the family.
  • You’re a mean one Mr. Trump:

  • Young Turks: Best line of the G.O.P. debate.
  • Ann Telnaes: Cruz or Trump, the G.O.P. loses either way.
  • Sam Seder: Cruz disgusted by suppression of Islamaphobia and paranoia.
  • #CruzYourOwnAdventure: Ted Cruz Genetic Secret Exposed.
  • Jimmy Dore: Ted Cruz out-weirds everyone during National Anthem.
  • Young Turks: FAUX News savages Ted Cruz over immigration.
  • Jimmy Dore: Ted Cruz dog whistles racism using FDR.
  • Farron Cousins: Ted Cruz would nuke the Middle East.
  • The many faces of Ted Cruz.
  • Jimmy Dore: Ted Cruz promises to carpet war crime the Middle East
  • Ann Telnaes: Ted Cruz, carpet bomber-in-chief.
  • Young Turks: What was Jeb! doing during the debate?
  • Jimmy Dore: Jeb! stands up to Donald Trump.
  • Mike Huckabee tells youth to get off their butts and fight ISIS.
  • Sam Seder: Ben Carson’s bizarre analogy between carpet bombing and brain surgery.
  • Richard Fowler: Ben Carson hates transgender people.
  • Michael Brooks: Ben Carson does a perfect impression of an incoherent Ben Carson.
  • Young Turks: Biggest loser of the debate was Rubio.
  • Mike Papantonio and Farron Cousins: No, Marco Rubio is not surging; stop pretending he’s “a thing”.
  • Jimmy Dore: Chris Christie embraces fear itself.

David Hawkings’ Whiteboard: 2016 Calendar.

Phillip Chang comedy: It ain’t easy being Asian-American.

Mental Floss: Misconceptions about holidays.

Farron Cousins and Howard Nations: Koch brothers attempt to infiltrate progressive organizations.

Young Turks: Judge swears in on Koran to “conservative” outrage.

Climate Summit:

  • Seth Meyers: A closer look at the Paris climate change pact.
  • Sam Seder with Ben Adler: What the Paris climate deal means.
  • Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) celebrates climate deal.
  • Mike Papantonio and Farron Cousins: Ted Cruz finds someone dumber than himself to deny climate change.
  • David Pakman: Paris climate deal reached with huge non-binding goals.
  • Stephen: Whoo! The world will stay hospitable for human life!.
  • Thom: What is next for climate activist?
  • Pap and Ferron Cousins: Sociopath Karl Rove perfectly exemplifies Republican selfishness.

Stephen: Walk like a Putin.

Maddow: Anti-Muslim attacks in U.S. more than double.

Thom: Time to cure 21st century America of its original sin and prosecute Bush, Cheney, & Co.

Adam Ruins Everything: The reason we thing vitamin supplements are good for us.

Thom: The Good, The Bad & The Very Very Clinquantly Ugly!

Merry War On Christmas:

  • Trevor Noah & friends: War on zombie Christmas.
  • Kids perform an accurate nativity scene.
  • Holiday gifts nobody wants.
  • Sam Seder: War on Christmas™ update.
  • John Oliver: Regifting.
  • David Pakman: It’s “Merry Christmas” so fuck off.
  • 360 holiday tour of the White House.
  • PsychoSuperMom: Jew-In-A-Gentile-World-Blues.

Young Turks: Congressman pranked by C-SPAN Caller.

Jimmy Dore: Your fear is being used against you.

Stephen: Creepy advertisements.

White House: West Wing Week.

Sydney Robinson: Baby boomers brought us this Republican creep show.

David Pakman: The disastrous impact of income & wealth inequality.

Non-Shutdown Accomplished:

  • Young Turks: Bipartisan budget agreement gives more to the rich.
  • Some thing in the new spending bill.

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

Songify the News: The Fish Awakens:

Congressional hits and misses of the week.

Maddow: New clues about mysterious buyer of Nevada’s largest newspaper.

Adam Ruins Everything: Why orange juice is so unnatural.

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

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G.O.P. Debate Open Thread

by Darryl — Tuesday, 12/15/15, 4:35 pm

The debate should start at 5:30. I’ll be at Drinking Liberally and live-blogging the event (internet bandwidth permitting).

To get this thread started, here is an interesting video that was released today:

Does this provide any insights about one particular G.O.P. candidate’s (1) truthfulness, (2) great memory, (3) campaign substance?

5:10: The kiddie debate is over. Caught the closing statements. Sen. Man-on-dog wins just because he had such an upbeat way of talking about death.

Oh lord. That was the kiddie debate. What fresh hell is the grown-up freak show going to bring?

— digby (@digby56) December 16, 2015

Santorum, a Catholic, outraged that children are coming to US in desperation. #NoRoomAtTheInn #NoRoomInTheStableEither #MerryChristmas

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) December 16, 2015

5:25: What the fuck, CNN? “Trump arrives at debate” isn’t fucking news.

5:33: Someone named “Rinse Prius” or something is giving some bullshit talk. He sounds like a used car salesman.

5:36: Is Donald Trump holding up the show? Holy fuck…start without him!

Jeb Bush is trying to smile like a human being backstage. This could be his night!

— Civic Skunk Works (@civicskunkworks) December 16, 2015

5:43: Rand Paul has morphed into Ron Paul: Unelectable oddball.

5:44: Red ties are in.

5:46: Again?!? Seriously? The national anthem? This debate better involve some sort of physical test of skill!

5:48: Did Paul just say the Constitution is wrong?

5:52: Hey, Chris Christie, those LA father’s are probably thankful they aren’t crossing a bridge in NJ!

5:55: Jeb Bush: “I’ll keep our country safe, secure, and free”…just like my Brother did.

5:58: Carson pauses for a moment of silence. Don’t be fooled…he just REALLY needed to close his eyes.

6:02: Jeb: “Trump would be a Kaos president.” Get Smart!

6:05: Cruz is a one issue candidate tonight: “Obama won’t say ‘radical Islamic Terrorism’, so vote for me.

6:08: Is Christie wearing a “junk” pin on his lapel?

#ChrisChristie is looking into the camera to try to make us believe him. #NotWorking #GOPDebate

— GottaLaff (@GottaLaff) December 16, 2015

Pretty sure Cruz taking that sip of water was a Rubio taunt. #GOPDebate

— Michael Maddux (@michaeljmaddux) December 16, 2015

.@MarcoRubio voted for unconstitutional mass surveillance of innocent Americans, which hasn't identified a single tangible threat #GOPDebate

— TimKarr (@TimKarr) December 16, 2015

6:20: Christie needs to make an executive decision to straighten his tie.

6:22: Carson bails on a question…and looks really bad doing it. Wow.

To Carson: Who was right on last debate question? Carson: Sorry, I wasn’t listening.

— Samuel Minter (@abulsme) December 16, 2015

6:26: Fiorina throws around “CEO” as if Americans have a positive association with the term.

Trump has a Ted Stevens-level grasp of the internet
/p>— Joshua Green (@JoshuaGreen) December 16, 2015

It would have been awesome if Trump has called it the intertube

— Taegan Goddard (@politicalwire) December 16, 2015

6:36: Aaaaaaahhhh…a Muslimey looking questioner! Everyone duck under your podiums!!! (podia?)

6:39: Actually, Donald, Bush seems a little more energetic than you do this evening….

Jeb Bush: "Donald, you're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency." Boom!

— Jim Brunner (@Jim_Brunner) December 16, 2015

Bush's "attack Trump" policy is four months out of date.

— Civic Skunk Works (@civicskunkworks) December 16, 2015

Carson: “Death by a thousand pricks” – sounds like a description of this debate

— Samuel Minter (@abulsme) December 16, 2015

Anyone who lets Ben Carson perform brain surgery on them after this debacle is crazy.

— Murtaza Hussain (@MazMHussain) December 16, 2015

7:08: This debate has become exceptionally empty and repetitive.

7:11: “Punch Russia in ‘The Nose'” Nikolai Gogol smiled.

7:12: Earth to Fiorina: The withdrawal from Iraq was Bush’s doing.

In a fairly deep level of hell, you hear GOP presidential candidates swaggering around talking & acting tough on an infinite loop.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 16, 2015

By my count, so far nothing Carly F has said is true.

— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) December 16, 2015

7:19: Trump hurt himself with his juvenile “tough guy” insults to Jeb and then talking poll numbers. He should save that crap for campaign events.

"We do need more fencing" will be a great line for Jeb Bush's Home Depot ad after he drops out of the race in February.

— Civic Skunk Works (@civicskunkworks) December 16, 2015

7:32: Donald Trump. A totally low energy debater. Low ENERGY. Am I right?

7:37: Kasich says stuff that doesn’t sound extreme. But doesn’t really say anything at all.

7:45: As President, Dr. Carson could do brain surgery on “unstable” Kim Jong Un

7:45: Carson memorized a bunch of military stuff!

#Zing! RT @SarahWoodwriter Fiorina knows a thing or two about China, after all, that's where she sent all the HP jobs. #GOPDebate

— Left Out Loud (@LeftOutLoud) December 16, 2015

7:47: Ummm…Jeb Bush used a private email server while Gubernator of FL.

Ted Cruz has a strategy for propagating tautologies by saying he would definitively do what he says he intends to do. #GOPDebate

— Greg Greene (@ggreeneva) December 16, 2015

7:55: At this point Carson seems almost incapable of speaking…

One of you being elected is the biggest threat to our national security. #GOPDebate

— Lizz Winstead (@lizzwinstead) December 16, 2015

.@tedcruz wants to keep our children safe. Who kept the children of #SandyHook safe? #GOPDebate

— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) December 16, 2015

8:03: Jeb bush stumbles his way through his closing comments. He was doing okish until then.

8:04: Rubio: “Now millions of Americans feel left behind”…like most Muslim Americans?

8:05: Carson’s “exceptionalism” closing statement makes him sound like he munched on lead paint chips as a lad.

Wrap-up. Another retched debate. My complaints is that WAAAAYYYYYY too much time was spent on security and terrorism. Fact is…foreign terrorism is a pretty minor threat in the U.S. Domestic terrorism is a much bigger threat, but no real discussion of that. That’s because IT DOESN’T SCARE VOTERS enough. I missed a chunk of the debate, but I didn’t hear anything about climate change, the environment, air polution, the economy, health care, domestic infrastructure, gun safety, white collar & Wall Street crime, higher education, primary education, mass transit & reducing traffic congestion, tax relief for the poor, reducing income inequality, energy independence, credit card fraud, etc., etc. These are issues that affect Americans every single day. And there was nothing.

These guys are in a political campaign bubble, and completely out of touch with the real America. But they got that fear thing going….

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Drinking Liberally — Seattle

by Darryl — Tuesday, 12/15/15, 2:58 am

DLBottle

It’s always fun when debates happen to fall on a Tuesday. And it’s happened once again—CNN will host a G.O.P. debate tonight. So please join us this evening for a special debate watching edition of the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. You’ll find us in the small room at the back of the tavern. Our normal starting time is 8:00pm, but this week we will start at 5:30pm for the debate.

Note: We’ll have sound and video for the debate. But the pub has other customers, so the sound may not be as loud as you want, especially with the background noises of a busy tavern and peripheral conversations. If you are intent on hearing every word, I recommend you bring stuff to stream the audio. The pub has free wifi.




Can’t make it to Seattle tonight? Check out one of the other DL meetings happening this week. Tonight the Tri-Cities, Vancouver, WA, and Shelton chapters also meet. The Lakewood meets on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Tacoma chapter meets. And next Monday, the Aberdeen and Yakima chapters meet.

There are 186 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, three in Oregon and one in Idaho. Find—or start—a chapter near you.

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Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

by Darryl — Friday, 12/11/15, 11:53 pm

Judge not lest ye be judged: the quiz game.

City Hall Drama: Nick Licata battles Kshama Sawant aid Clay Showalter.

Jimmy Dore: Erick Erickson trashes his own mom to defend his racist lie Part I and Part II.

The Koch Brother’s Climate change deniers’ anthem.

Lee Camp: The truth about being a drone pilot.

Mental Floss: 25 facts about the science of music.

Islamophobia: Woman yells at and hits Muslim praying in California park.

The 2016 Clown Convention:

  • The 2016 Republican field: Extreme across the board
  • Trevor: Awkward moments at the Republican Jewish Coalition Forum
  • David Pakman: Republicans panic…will Romney save the day?
  • Harry Reid: “Trump’s just saying out loud what other Republicans merely suggest.”
  • Sam Seder: Trump, “We have no choice” but to be insane bigots.
  • Stephen: A tahini bit of perspective on politics:

  • Lawrence O’Donnell: Republicans slam Trump.
  • Meet the Trumps.
  • Jimmy Dore: Trumpism is fascism & his supporters couldn’t be happier (Part 1)
  • Jimmy Dore: Trumpism is fascism & his supporters couldn’t be happier (Part 2)
  • Maddow: G.O.P. is too frightened of Trump 3rd party run to confront him.
  • Sam Seder: Philly Mayor says about Trump, “He’s an Asshole”
  • Pap: Trump is the new ugly face of the Republican party.
  • Donald Trump sings “White Christmas”
  • Young Turks: Bald eagle is not a Trump fan.
  • David Pakman: How Trump would run as an independent.
  • Richard Fowler: Donald Trump elevates the Republican party to America’s largest hate group.
  • Sam Seder: Trump knows all the cool Jewish jokes.
  • Maddow: Trump message plays into hands of ISIS recruitment
  • Mark Fiore: Trump recruitment and retention.
  • Young Turks: G.O.P. may be planning a coup if Trump wins.
  • Everyone agrees that Trump’s Muslim ban “idea” is the worst
  • Sam Seder: Republican fearmongering has come to its natural conclusion…Donald Trump
  • Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice”: Vice Presidential.
  • Young Turks: Trump suggests his Muslim ban is “not about religion.”
  • Sen. Jeff Merkley slams Trump over proposal to ban Muslims entering U.S.
  • Matthew Filipowicz: How Donald Trump plans to “take out” more than just families of terrorists
  • Young Turks: Trump Spox, “So what? They’re Muslim.”
  • David Pakman: Trump Spox, “So what? They’re Muslim.
  • Larry Wilmore: The Donald isn’t funny anymore.
  • Watch “Person of the year” nominee Donald Trump cower in fear of an American Eagle.
  • Republicans weren’t always Islamophobes
  • Seth Meyers: A closer look at Trump’s plan to ban Muslims
  • Sam Seder: The G.O.P. prefers a War of Civilizations to gun control.
  • Trump’s Muslim ban idea has some strong reactions
  • Jimmy Dore chats with Jeb Bush on “women stuff”.
  • Pap and Farron Cousins: Ted Cruz’s latest ad is a substitute for his missing masculinity
  • #CruzYourOwnAdventure: Portrait of a Serial Killer Ted Cruz
  • Jimmy Dore: Ted Cruz smears Democrats with “violent criminals” lie
  • Young Turks: Ted Cruz doesn’t trust Trump’s finger on the button.
  • #CruzYourOwnAdventure: Genetic Experiment
  • Pap and Farron Cousins: Ted Cruz just cannot stop lying.
  • Jimmy Dore: Ted Cruz gets big laughs with his contraception comedy
  • Young Turks: Carly Fiorina grilled on her constant Planned Parenthood lies and rhetoric

Stephen helps the cause of free speech in Turkey.

Harry Reid blasts Justice Scalia’s racist remark.

KPLU: A preview of the Inslee–Bryant gubernatorial race.

Jimmy Dore: What could Obama possibly say to appease the Republicans?

VSauce: Supertasks.

For the First Responders:

  • Jon crashes Stephen’s monologue.
  • Jon returns to the daily show to scold Congress over 9/11 first responders.

White House: West Wing Week.

Jimmy Dore: Jokes of the Week.

Pap and Farron Cousins: Congress critters own stock in the pharma companies that they (de)regulate.

David Pakman: Could a guaranteed basic income work?

Sam Seder: GOP terrifies people then argues policy should be formed around ‘feelings’.

How I feel right now as a Muslim in America.

The Week in Gunz:

  • Colbert makes the case for gun controls.
  • Mock mass shooting planned by gun advocates in Texas
  • The Yelling Man takes on guns.
  • Daily Show: Good guy with a gun.

  • Democrats blast inaction on gun control with silent speech.
  • GunTV coming to a cable TV channel near you.
  • Jimmy Dore: Want sane gun laws like universal background checks? Then you are just like most NRA members.
  • Biggest driver of gun sales? Barack Obama.
  • Sam Seder: FAUX News wants kids to attach active shooters.
  • Young Turks: FAUX News faceplant…Hey, kids, attach shooters.

Rent-An-Endorsement : hooks politicians up with celebrities!.

Congressional Hits and Misses of the week.

Jimmy Dore: Dick Cheney predicted the quagmire he later created.

Jay Pharoah and Michelle Obama: Go To College Music Video.

Sens. Al Franken and John McCain do some trash talkin’:

Mental Floss: Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?

Friday hot takes.

Seth Meyers does Hillary:

  • Part I: On Donald Trump
  • Part II: Gun control
  • Part III: Why Bill will make a great first gentleman
  • Part IV: Bill’s mission to North Korea

Stephen: How to defeat ISIS.

Pap and Farron Cousins: Texas is trying to redefine “personhood” to keep Blacks and Hispanics from voting

Jimmy Dore chats with John Boehner on life after Congress.

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

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Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Bryant Stakes Anti-Minimum Wage Claim, Because He’s a Terrible, Terrible Politician

by Goldy — Thursday, 12/10/15, 3:02 pm

Bill Bryant

Terrible politician Bill Bryant opposes raising the minimum wage.

The high point of Dino Rossi’s 2008 gubernatorial redemption tour came in mid-September, in the days following the Republican National Convention. After months of trailing in the polls, Rossi had finally clawed ahead of Democratic incumbent Governor Christine Gregoire to claim a small but significant lead. Things were looking good for Republicans up and down the ticket. Rossi’s people were starting to sound downright cocky. Then the minimum wage debate happened.

At an Association of Washington Business sponsored debate in Blaine, Rossi came out against Washington’s minimum wage. And as Josh Feit first reported here on HA, that didn’t play too well with minimum wage workers:

Rossi took the opposite point of view. Touting his Washington Restaurant Association endorsement (the most adamant opponents of the minimum wage), he said:   “The minimum wage was not meant to be a family wage. It’s meant to be an entry level wage.”

The news pissed off [convenience store worker Garner] Palomata. “If he lowers it,” he said, “I don’t want to vote for him. I’d be cutting my head off. I don’t want to demote myself.”

The Gregoire campaign immediately seized the opportunity, running ads attacking Rossi for opposing the minimum wage. It worked. The Rossi bubble burst, and he quickly dropped in the polls. Rossi, who had managed a virtual tie just four years before, went on to lose by 6.5 points.

That’s a lesson you’d think Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bill Bryant might have learned before claiming the anti-minimum wage mantel:

Minimum wage is one economic issue where the two candidates diverge: Inslee supports a statewide minimum wage hike. Bryant does not, although he did back an $11.22 an hour wage at Sea-Tac airport.*

“Statewide level, the concern I have is that we can’t or we shouldn’t pin a minimum wage to the cost of living in King County,” Bryant said. “So I don’t think we can have a one-size-fits-all system.”

To be clear, Washington’s up-until-recently nation’s-highest minimum wage has proven both excellent policy and excellent politics, which is why raising the minimum wage remains exceptionally popular with voters. When workers have more money, businesses have more customers. And when businesses have more customers, they hire more workers. Our minimum wage is one of the reasons why our state economy is kicking ass.

So if the legislature fails to pass a minimum wage increase next year (and Bryant’s colleagues in the Republican-controlled senate won’t), a minimum wage initiative will be put on the state ballot and it will pass overwhelmingly. And you can be sure the Inslee campaign will make it clear to voters which candidate supports it and which doesn’t.


* Oh, and by the way, Bryant’s alleged support for an $11.22 an hour wage at Sea-Tac is bullshit. The port commission has obstructed the minimum wage struggle for years, first claiming that it had no authority to impose a minimum wage at the airport, and then suing that only it had the authority to do so after the SeaTac $15 initiative passed. Bryant only acceded to the $11.22 number after Alaska Airlines acceded to it first. Just sayin’.

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Another Lunatic Fringe Right Wing theory shot to hell

by Darryl — Tuesday, 12/1/15, 11:53 pm

So…this is what Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was thinking about the other day:

When a reporter asked him at an Iowa campaign stop Sunday evening about suspect Robert Lewis Dear saying he was motivated by “no more baby parts,” Cruz countered that he’s also been reported to be a “transgendered [sic] leftist activist.”

Cruz explained, “We know that he was a man registered to vote as a woman.” This discrepancy on Dear’s voter registration was first reported by The Gateway Pundit, a self-described “right-of-center news website,” under the claim that he “identifies as [a] woman.” Conservatives have since run with the claim that Dear is transgender.

Yeah…that makes perfect sense. Because transgendered [sic] women always sport a full, scruffy beard and a mustache. You know, especially if they are “transgendered [sic] leftist activist[s].”

Reality turns out to be a bit more mundane:

Records show Dear traveled 65 miles to a Colorado Springs clerk and recorder’s office to obtain his driver’s license and his voter’s registration card, Parsell said.

Although Dear clearly identified himself as a man, the information was incorrectly logged into a computer, Parsell added.

“Our employee inadvertently clicked on ‘female’ and gave the confirmation to Mr. Dear to review,” he said. “He missed it and signed it.”

Thirteen days later, Dear received the erroneous driver’s license in the mail. Records show he traveled to a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Salida to report the error and request a corrected license, which he received, Parsell said.

To change his voter’s registration card, however, Dear would have had to mail a separate request to his local clerk and recorder’s office.

Crackpots of the week: Ted Cruz and the rest of the right wing “scruffy bearded transgendered woman” theorists.

Holy shit.

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HA Bible Study: Exodus 21:22-25

by Goldy — Sunday, 11/29/15, 6:00 am

Exodus 21:22-25
Suppose a pregnant woman suffers a miscarriage as the result of an injury caused by someone who is fighting. If she isn’t badly hurt, the one who injured her must pay whatever fine her husband demands and the judges approve. But if she is seriously injured, the payment will be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, cut for cut, and bruise for bruise.

Discuss.

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Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

by Darryl — Friday, 11/27/15, 10:22 pm

Lee Camp: Hell frozen over? A CEO is jailed!

PBS & NPR: Are pesticides to blame for the massive bee die-off?

The 2016 Clown Auditions:

  • The G.O.P. is the party of the past.
  • The G.O.P. Health Care plan? Repeal ObamaCare.
  • Sam Seder: Bedtime stories with Ben Carson…the imaginary crafting of the Constitution.
  • Young Turks: The bizarre “end times” beliefs of Dr. Ben Carson.
  • Sam Seder and Farron Cousins: Ben Carson’s stupidity is a national security threat
  • Maddow: Is Cruz courting the violent religious right?
  • Farron Cousins: Scientists confirm…Ted Cruz is roughly as intelligent as Kindergartners.
  • Maddow: Ted Cruz embraces religious radicals with violent message.:

  • Farron Cousins: Ted Cruz could win the nomination…and that should terrify Americans.
  • Stephen: The all-seeing NostraDonald
  • Chris Hayes: Trump doubles down on lies and violence.
  • Harry Shearer: Trump is the O.J. of politics.
  • Kasich PAC goes after Trump
  • Lawrence O’Donnell & friends: About that anti-Trump ad
  • Maddow: New devastating G.O.P. ad rips Trump!
  • Young Turks: Press now needs escorts for bathroom breaks at Trump rallies.
  • Sam Seder: Trump Mania—Waterboarding? Torture? Absolutely!
  • Farron Cousins: Is the Trumphole the most racist presidential candidate ever????
  • Maddow: Trumphole sticks to 9/11 lie & his campaign takes a dark turn.
  • David Pakman: Donald Trump calls for “registering” Muslims like animals
  • PsychoSuperMom: (Trump Can’t Hide) Your Lying Eyes.
  • Chris Hayes: Many Republicans are now calling Trump the “F-word”.
  • Jonathan Mann: Donald Trump reminds me of Hitler.
  • Inside the Trump hat factory.
  • Farron Cousins: G.O.P. wants Trump to disappear before he costs them the presidency
  • Seth Meyers: A closer look at Trump’s racist claims:

  • Young Turks: Trump retweets fake statistics from a neo-Nazi.
  • Thom: Trump’s White Fascist Brigade
  • Farron Cousins: Trump and FAUX News want to bring back waterboarding.
  • Sam Seder: Trump Mania—Saw thousands of Arabs in N.J. cheering 9/11
  • David Packman: Huckabee says there will be no abortion when he is President.
  • Farron Cousins: Mike Huckabee wants Obama to wipe out Muslims

Minute Physics: Why isn’t it faster to fly West?

Pap: Corporate media wants you to be stupid. Let’s fight back.

Mitch McConnell drinks.

Refugophobia:

  • Young Turks: Asshat Congressman (R) says refugees just want paid vacations.
  • Jonathan Mann: Jesus was a refugee.
  • David Pakman: Obama explains to Republicans that you can’t keep refugees out of your state.
  • Richard Fowler: Obama calls G.O.P. stance on refugees “shameful”
  • Young Turks: Game of Thrones author schools Republicans on refugees
  • Stephen: Presidential Medal Of Honor recipient Gloria Estefan knows what it’s like to be a refugee

Thom with Steven Gaffney: Really! How do you know a politician is lying?

Jimmy Dore: God refuses to apologize for Paris.

California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (with Bill Maher): Why raise the minimum wage.

Redacted Tonight comedy special with Lee Camp.

Farron Cousins: Corporate media is hungering for a war.

Actual Terrorism That Happened in the U.S. This Week:

  • Young Turks: Armed masked men intimidate Black Lives Matter protests.
  • Terrorists strike in Minneapolis
  • Young Turks: 5 BLM protesters shot
  • Liberal Viewer: FOX News omits key Planned Parenthood statement on Colorado Springs shooting.
  • News coverage: Terrorist attack in Colorado.

Congressional hits and misses: Thanksgiving leftovers edition.

John Oliver: Pennies.

Thom: The Good, the Bad & The Very, Very Gallionicly Ugly!

David Pakman: World hunger is a social construction.

Young Turks: Koch brothers building their own CIA to spy on progressives.

Surviving the survivalist game.

Quagmire Happening:

  • Young Turks: Turkey shoots down Russian fighter plane
  • Turkey shoots down Russian fighter.
  • Assad talks peace while chemical weapons become routine.

Jimmy Dore: Not drunk Bill O’Reilly calls about Muslims, responsibility & Muslims:

David Pakman: More Mexicans are leaving U.S. than coming in to the U.S.

White House: West Wing Week.

Maddow: Origin of the “freakin’ Presidential turkey pardon”.

Thom: Why the Kochs really embrace criminal justice reform.

Stop war and start cuddling.

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

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Welcome, Hanna Brooks Olsen, to Nick Hanauer’s Crass Menagerie

by Goldy — Monday, 11/23/15, 2:03 pm

Back in March, when I welcomed Paul Constant to our then-unnamed policy/messaging shop, I joked about our boss’s weird hobby:

Most 1 percenters just don’t know what to do with all their filthy lucre. Some rich people collect art. Other rich people collect cars or even houses. But Nick Hanauer, America’s premier self-loathing plutocrat, seems intent on ostentatiously collecting ex-Stranger writers.

Well, I’m happy to announce that Nick has recently added Hanna Brooks Olsen to his crass menagerie.

Hanna has a number of freelance bylines at The Stranger and elsewhere, though she’s certainly best known to local readers as one of the forces behind the popular tumblog, Seattlish. Mostly, Hanna will be heading up a top-secret internal Civic Ventures project, but she’ll also contribute regularly to our Civic Skunkworks blog. In fact, her first Skunkworks post just went live today: “It’s Too Soon to Tell if a Higher Minimum Wage is Eliminating Restaurant Jobs.” Give it a read, and then pretty much ignore just about every headline you see on the so-called “early” impact of Seattle’s minimum wage.

So welcome to Civic Ventures, Hanna. Now let’s all go out there and change the world… you know, hopefully for the better.

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The Uterid

by Darryl — Wednesday, 11/18/15, 12:03 am

Once upon a July day, Washington Republican leaders were haunted by thoughts of lady parts making baby parts with capitalist intent.

“We will investigate this outrage of endometrial entrepreneurship!”, they cried from the belfry.

The scrivener issued a clarifying scroll, “Yes, we believe in free markets, unless a uterus is involved. And then we demand Big Government Regulations”

So they hatched a bold plan to use Collective Action to get the job done:

Thirty-four Republican state representatives have asked state Attorney General Bob Ferguson to investigate whether Planned Parenthood affiliates in the state have illegally profited from the sale of fetal body parts.

The leaders waited as General Ferguson’s investigation underwent a months-long gestation. They would take the fruits borne of this disquisition, parade the findings before the masses, take them apart and serially disseminate them in pursuit of political contributions.

But the fruits were bitter and cruel to the union of uterine-overseers. There was no nourishment to be had for their War on Women™.

In a 48-page report, Attorney General Bob Ferguson rejected claims that Planned Parenthood has performed partial-birth abortions or that any of its clinics sell fetal tissue for profit “rather than simply recovering costs.”

“We found no indication that procedures performed by Planned Parenthood are anything other than performance of a legally authorized medical procedure,” Ferguson wrote in his report.

Ferguson’s findings are particularly important because Washington is one of only two states where a Planned Parenthood clinic allows women to donate fetal tissue to medical research. The report is a result of a four-month investigation, which was requested by state Republican leaders.

There was no endometrial entrepreneurship to be found in the lands. The report was barren and lifeless. Their plans to sew the seeds of discontent and grow their coffers would have to be aborted.

“Surely, the investigation has overlooked something.”

“We’ll keep looking and root out endometrial entrepreneurship yon.”

More than a dozen other states have also ended investigations of Planned Parenthood without finding any illegal or suspicious activity.

“Inconceivable”, some bellowed.

“Unbearable findings”, others howled.

“More investigation!,” one cried.

“Yes…More investigation!”, another.

And they satisfied themselves by repeating the chant in rhythm, until their distant leaders took their cause.

Congressional leaders have announced their own probe into the organization, which consists of about a dozen members from both parties.

They were, once again, filled with great hope of finding endometrial entrepreneurship, but only so that they could properly abhor it. And plant the seeds of fundraising.

And so it goes.

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HA Bible Study: 1 Samuel 18:25-27

by Goldy — Sunday, 11/15/15, 6:00 am

1 Samuel 18:25-27
“Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

Discuss.

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Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza!

by Darryl — Saturday, 11/14/15, 12:04 am

How the Keystone victory was won.

Mental Floss: What causes motion sickness?

Tweety: GOP Sen. Vitter chose prostitutes over patriots.

Romance with a young Hillary Rodham.

The 2016 Festival of Clowns:

  • How many time was the middle class mentioned?
  • Maddow: Politicians’ ‘secret information,’ a factual red flag.
  • Republicans want to reverse our progress.
  • PsychoSuperMom: Their lips are movin’….
  • Daily Show: What the actual fact?!?

  • Young Turks: The 4th G.O.P. debate.
  • Farron Cousins: Republicans promote the same failed policies. Why do people vote for these idiots?
  • “Memorable” quotes from the 4th G.O.P. debate
  • Red State Update watches the GOP debate
  • Seth Meyers: GOP Debate Wrap-up
  • Stephen: The 4th GOP debate was a thing that happened.
  • David Pakman: How many stories have Ben Carson fabricated?
  • Sam Seder: Ben Carson releases liberal media diss track

  • Young Turks: Ben Carson’s evolution on minimum wage.
  • Stephen: Did Ben Carson really try to stab a dude?
  • Young Turks: Ben Carson’s on China and ISIS
  • Sam Seder: The Official Ben Carson Song.
  • Panderdom: Ben Carson’s new Hip-Hop radio ad.
  • Ben Carson’s past is scarier when accompanied by metal
  • Judd Apatow is voting for Ben Carson.
  • Sam Seder: What part of Ben Carson owning a time machine do you not understand?
  • Young Turks: Trump goes after Carson on knife story.
  • Trump son’s are back to defend their dad.
  • Young Turks: Trump’s modern “Operation Wetback” is even too nuts for Bill-O-the-Clown!
  • Matthew Filipowicz: WTF? Donald Trump is against raising the minimum wage and actually thinks wages are too high?!?:

  • Ron White explains the flaws in Trump’s wall plan.
  • Young Turks: Donald Trump is really mocking Hillary’s hair?
  • Sam Seder: Jeb not cool with Marco!
  • Stephen: Baby Hitler is no match for Jeb.
  • What G.O.P. tax plans really mean.
  • An interview with Lindsey Graham, hairstylist
  • Sam Seder: Ted Cruz will cut every federal agency he can remember.

Minute Physics: How to go to space.

Mark Fiore: Climate Interuptus.

Maddow: $15/Hr nationwide strike by fast food workers.

Stephen: Senators McCaskill & Klobuchar explain how women get things done.

Trevor: The Myanmar Daily Show.

David Pakman: New jobs accelerate as unemployment keeps dropping.

Congressional hits and misses of the week.

Thom: The good, the bad, and the very, very osmagoguely ugly!.

Our generation our choice.

Daily Show: Solution for outdated voting machines.

Maddow: Arizona Republican’s border wall flops! Oops.

Sam Seder: Bill-O-the-Clown thinks all colleges are fascist training camps.

Honest Political Ads: Meet Mrs. Fullbright.

Dick Cheney is the GOP guest of “honor” this week.

Stephen: The next debate will feature Hillary, Bernie and Mumford & Sons (sp?).

War on Christmas Caffeine:

  • Nutbagger thinks Starbucks hates baby Jesus
  • Stephen: Putting the Christ Back In C(hrist)offee.
  • Young Turks: Trump bizarre Starbuck’s rant.
  • New and improved Starbucks holiday cups
  • Farron Cousins: The Republican War on War on Christmas™ starts early this year.
  • Ellen: The great Starbucks cup controversy.

Young Hillary gets ready to party.

How to speak like a presidential candidate.

Mental Floss: 24 facts about GOP Candidate Whine wine.

Farron Cousins: Make voting day a national holiday.

How its built: Political scandals.

Young Turks: WA school football coach won’t stop leading prayers.

Adam Ruins Everything: The Electoral College:

David Pakman: FAUX News hosts confused about good jobs numbers.

Stephen: Climate change and coital frequency.

Young Turks: Good news in the battle for voter rights.

The Adventures of Young Hillary: Hillary in the stacks .

Harry Reid’s special relationship with Roll Call’s Niels Lesniewski.

John Oliver: Prisoner re-entry.

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

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Lisa Herbold Likely to Win Seattle City Council District 1, While District 2 Is Still Too Close to Call

by Goldy — Monday, 11/9/15, 7:56 am

Bruce Harrell

Betcha Bruce isn’t smiling right about now.

 

So, on Election Day I predicted that “several races will be left officially undecided after tonight’s ballot drop,” a prediction I apologized for the very next day, writing: “Some will likely tighten up, but I will be awfully surprised if any of last night’s top-line winners end up losing.”

Well, I apologize for my apology.

Over the past few ballot drops the races in both Districts 1 and 2 have tightened to the point where they really are too close to call. No, wait. I take that back. For although Lisa Herbold still trails Shannon Braddock by a 104-vote, 0.56% margin, I’m calling this one for Herbold. And to understand my confidence, you need understand the way our all vote-by-mail ballot counting works.

It is both an over-simplification and a generalization, but ballots tend to be tallied in the order in which they arrive. Election night results include most of those ballots that arrived through Monday; these are the “early” ballots. Most of the subsequent tallies are of “late” ballots from voters who didn’t cast their ballots until Monday or Tuesday. And as we saw two years ago with Kshama Sawant’s stunning 8-point comeback from election night to the final tally, early voters and late voters can sometimes constitute dramatically different electorates.

On election night, Braddock led Herbold 52.92% to 46.48%, but since then the margin has flipped, with Herbold winning a progressively larger share of each day’s totals. Combined, Herbold has won 52.88% of all late ballots, and 57.25% of the Friday evening drop. Assuming about 3,350 votes left to count (and that’s a complicated and iffy assumption), Herbold needs only 51.55% of the remaining votes to win. Based on my experience tracking previous elections, there’s simply no good reason to expect Herbold to fall below that threshold. I would now be surprised if Herbold didn’t win this election.

Meanwhile, in D2, where incumbent Bruce Harrell held a seemingly invincible 10-point election night lead, we have seen an even bigger late ballot swing, with unheralded challenger Tammy Morales winning an impressive 53.44% of the late vote. But unfortunately for her, Morales may have had too large a deficit to overcome: my spreadsheet suggests Morales will need 57.3% of the remaining votes to take the lead, somewhat above the 55.15% she won in the most recent ballot drop. It’s not impossible. But at this point I’d have to put my money on Harrell squeaking out an embarrassingly narrow victory. But to be clear, had Morales benefited from a Sawant-like GOTV effort, Harrell would be out of a job come January.

In any case, it sure does look like all those post-election post-mortems were way premature. The final tally will tell a much different story than the spin we heard on election night.

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