Friday Talking Points [308] -- Selenofriggatriskaidekaphobics Unite!
I have to begin this week by apologizing for the irreverent nature of that title, but then how often do you get a chance to coin a cool word like "selenofriggatriskaidekaphobia"? The proper answer is that the chance won't come again until 2049, which explains why we couldn't resist. The word is a mashup of two phobias, the fear of a full moon (selenophobia) and the fear of Friday the 13th (friggatriskaidekaphobia, not to be confused with fear of the number 13, which is just triskaidekaphobia, of course). The rare occurrence of a full moon on a Friday the 13th won't happen again for another 35 years, so today's pretty much it for this generation of selenofriggatriskaidekaphobics, at least. But enough of this looney etymological fun, let's get on with a week chock-full of political happenings, shall we?
Hillary Clinton apparently has a new book out, as anyone within sight of a television learned this week. This would have been the big story this week, except a whole bunch of other stuff happened which overshadowed Hillary's book tour. By week's end, the Clinton news had even moved on to astonishment that Chelsea Clinton was being paid a whopping $600,000 a year to produce the occasional puff piece for NBC News. Nice work, if you can get it, eh?
Another story which faded fast was the Bowe Bergdahl saga, even though his girlfriend released his handwritten journals to the Washington Post, which gave a glimpse inside his troubled mind.
An amendment to weaken "trucker fatigue" standards for professional truck drivers was debated in the Senate, mere days before Tracy Morgan's limo was hit by a trucker who had reportedly been awake for more than 24 hours. This was indeed an ironic twist of fate, but we refuse to make cheap jokes about an accident which killed one of Morgan's friends.
The Drug Enforcement Agency, according to a new report, has been intentionally hindering research on marijuana for four decades, which should come as a surprise to nobody. The key takeaway from the story:
[The new report] also criticizes the agency for creating a "regulatory Catch-22" by arguing there is not enough scientific evidence to support rescheduling marijuana while simultaneously impeding the research that would produce such evidence.
A spokesperson at the DEA declined to comment on the report.
In Nevada, "None of these candidates" won the Democratic primary election for the nomination to run against the well-liked governor, Brian Sandoval. This is partly due to the fact that Sandoval is likely to win re-election no matter who runs against him, but it's still pretty funny for "none of the above" to win an election (due to Nevada's quirky ballots, which always include this option).
President Obama is visiting an Indian reservation today (the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation), becoming only the third president in American history ever to do so (Clinton did so in 1999, and F.D.R. was the first). From the story, which most of the media is likely to ignore:
Obama is making his first visit as president to an Indian reservation, where he will tout the strides his administration has made with Native Americans, unveil new education and economic measures aimed at Native Americans and speak of the difficult work that remains to pull many tribal members out of crippling poverty and endemic unemployment.
Many tribal leaders say Obama has done more in six years for Native Americans than all of his predecessors combined. The administration has given land back to tribes, worked one-on-one with tribal governments and is cracking down on crime in Indian Country.
"The best thing that's happened to Indian Country has been President Obama being elected," said Dave Archambault II, chairman of Standing Rock.
In other Native American news, a television ad called "Proud To Be" was run during a basketball championship game which featured many Native Americans stating what they are proud to be called. The ad ends with: "Native Americans call themselves many things. The one thing they don't..." which then shows a picture of a Washington Redskins football helmet. You can see the full two-minute version of this powerful ad in the story at Huffington Post.
In international news, Iraq is self-destructing. This led the Wall Street Journal to call for a few airstrikes and some American paratroopers to fix the problem, because we all know how well that turned out the last time, right? The Maliki government has dug its own grave, and now it is about to lie in it. Obama, thankfully, stated that there would be no new American boots on the ground any time soon.
OK, what else? What's that? Something about Virginia? Oh, right! This week marked the 47th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case which threw out all the racist miscegenation laws that still remained on the books, and allowed people to get married no matter what their skin color. Certainly a milestone to celebrate!
I am kidding, of course, because there were two big stories out of Virginia this week, and they were both pretty stunning. First there was the Democratic state senator who was bribed into quitting by state Republicans, so that his daughter could be confirmed as a judge and also so he could get a plum job on the state tobacco board. When the story broke, Phillip Puckett hastily withdrew his name for consideration from the tobacco gig, but the upshot is that the Virginia state senate went from a 20-20 political split to 20-19.
Even a story about such naked political bribery was quickly overshadowed, however, by the first House Majority Leader ever (since the position was created in 1899, mind you) to lose his primary election. Yes, Eric Cantor's days haunting the halls of the Capitol are indeed now numbered. Since so much has already been written about this political earthquake, we'll just summarize the high points quickly.
The immediate reaction was one of shock and surprise. The reason for Cantor's loss was endlessly theorized over (including the possible "Cooter effect" -- the most amusing theory yet), but the emerging conventional wisdom was that it was due to Cantor's all-but-non-existent support for immigration reform. Upon closer examination, this was likely not the core reason for his defeat, but that's not going to matter to House Republicans, who are likely to avoid voting on any immigration bill until pork barrels grow wings (or at least until 2017). Even though an actual supporter of immigration reform (Senator Lindsey Graham) handily won his own primary against multiple Tea Partiers.
Cantor immediately announced his resignation as Majority Leader, effective next month. The vote to replace him will take place next Thursday, Speaker John Boehner announced. The jockeying for the number two position in the House began immediately, but a funny thing happened on the way to the Tea Party -- the man in the number three position looks likely to take over from Cantor, even though he is even more centrist than Cantor ever was. Several candidates more acceptable to the Tea Partiers put their names forward, and then hastily withdrew (after counting noses). First to bow out was Jeb Hensarling, followed by fellow Texan Pete Sessions. Today, Raul Labrador from Idaho announced he's in the running, but it's looking like Californian Kevin McCarthy may already have enough votes to win next week. The entire scramble has reminded many of a high school class president election -- nothing more than a ferocious bout of gladhandling and backslapping to win a popularity contest.
We've got almost a full week before the (secret ballot) votes are counted, so who knows what will happen next in this fast-moving story? Stay tuned!
President Obama deserves at least an Honorable Mention for his visit to the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, especially considering this is only the third such visit ever.
Attorney General Eric Holder also deserves an Honorable Mention, for officially supporting a proposal by the U.S. Sentencing Commission to lessen the sentences of low-level drug offenders currently in federal prisons (making sentencing reform retroactive, in other words). Holder continues to show that he has had a true change of heart on the whole War On Drugs issue, and for that he deserves credit.
But we're going to hand the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week to Senator Elizabeth Warren, for getting very close to passing a bill which would reform student loans. Her bill ultimately failed to clear the filibuster hurdle by a vote of 56-38, but this really should be read as 57-37 (Harry Reid had to vote "no" so that the bill can be reintroduced later, for technical reasons). Three Republicans crossed the aisle and voted with Democrats, meaning the bill could pass if only three more follow suit. While the loss was a disappointment, the closeness of the vote was impressive enough for her to win this week's MIDOTW award.
[Congratulate Senator Elizabeth Warren on her Senate contact page, to let her know you appreciate her efforts.]
There were, unfortunately, a number of candidates for Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week this week. The weirdest one can't even really be called a Democrat, since he obviously is trying to game the election system -- he ran and lost several races in Arizona as a Republican, and then decided not only to reregister as a Democrat but to actually change his name to "Cesar Chavez." The grandson of the more-famous bearer of that name is suing to get this guy off the Democratic primary ballot. "Chavez" (né Scott Fistler) deserves at least a (Dis-)Honorable Mention, no matter what party he really hails from.
A group of Rhode Island state senators deserve a group (Dis-)Honorable Mention, for acting like Republicans this week. They're pushing a bill that would block any local laws which raise the minimum wage -- an action normally taken by Republicans to pre-empt more progressive city laws from taking effect.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, normally a quite progressive politician, deserves her own (Dis-)Honorable Mention this week for coming out against a proposed medical marijuana ballot initiative in her home state of Florida. The reaction from Americans for Safe Access, and from a guy described as "one of the state's major Democratic donors" was swift:
A 30-second ASA ad stated that Wasserman Schultz "thinks it's okay for medical marijuana patients to go to federal prison."
[John] Morgan, whose family members have used marijuana for debilitating pain, said he raised $250,000 for Wasserman Schultz at his home a couple of years ago. "I will never let her come to my house again for a huge fundraiser," Morgan said.
Let this be a warning to Democrats everywhere -- the people are leading on this issue. This is one major method successfully used by gay rights supporters to get Democrats on board -- withholding previously-generous donations to politicians. Democrats, please take note.
But the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week just has to go to Virginia state senator (ex-senator, now) Phillip P. Puckett, the guy who was bribed by Republicans to quit his elected position for nothing more than a job offer and a vote on his daughter's judicial future. Even if he had reaped these rewards, it would likely not have been illegal under Virginia's lax political ethics laws, but that's immaterial. Whether the law says so or not, such a deal would have been unethical by pretty much any standard. He should truly be ashamed of himself, and he has clearly earned this week's MDDOTW award.
[Phillip Puckett is now a private citizen, and it is our standing policy not to provide contact information for such people, sorry.]
Volume 308 (6/13/14)
Quite the mixed bag this week, for our talking points. We could have written seven of these just on the Cantor upset alone, but decided that would have been too unseemly. Instead, we limited our Cantor glee to only two, because other things were indeed happening this week that need pointing out.
As always, these are offered up for Democrats everywhere to freely use, whether during a television interview or around your workplace's water cooler. In other words, these are for everyone from high-ranking politicians to the selenofriggatriskaidekaphobics among us!
Congress can act fast!
This is worth pointing out -- because it disproves a piece of conventional inside-the-Beltway wisdom.
"For all the talk of divided government, polarization, and gridlock, Congress can actually act pretty fast when it is motivated by shame. Although the media didn't take much note of it, both the House and the Senate are quickly moving to put a bill on President Obama's desk which will bring much-needed reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs. These reforms have, in fact, been necessary for years now, but Congress refused to act. But in the bright light of the recent scandal, Congress acted with blinding speed to enact major reforms to the V.A. system. The vote in the Senate was 93-3 and it passed the House unanimously. Please remember this the next time anyone tells you Congress can't get anything done in a timely fashion. Because when the media effectively turns the spotlight on shameful situations, Congress can act with surprising speed."
Hope the steaks were worth it, Eric
This was the most amusing aspect of the Cantor dethroning.
"Eric Cantor's campaign spent almost as much just on steak dinners alone as his opponent spent in total to beat him. There's a lesson in here for fat-cat politicians everywhere: just having a campaign chest full of millions of dollars does not guarantee you an election victory. Eric Cantor spent something like $173 for every vote he got, while his opponent spent less than six bucks per vote. Maybe Cantor should have just bought a steak dinner for every voter in his district -- it probably would have been a cheaper campaign, that way. I sure hope those were tasty steaks, Eric!"
Tea Party failure
This falls into the category of "rubbing it in," but it's been that kind of week, hasn't it?
"A Tea Partier took down the number two Republican in the House leadership, but in the race to replace him it looks like an Establishment Republican who is to Cantor's left is going to get the job. So the Tea Party got rid of one insufficiently pure leader, but they don't seem to be able to muster the strength to replace him with one of their own. Instead, what they're getting is someone even less pure (by their standard). Not exactly an overwhelming victory for the Tea Party, was it?"
Obama moves on student loans
While Elizabeth Warren's bill failed, Obama did what he could.
"President Obama introduced new student loan rules which will save money for over five million students. That is an impressive accomplishment, to be sure. But during the same week, the Republicans in the Senate blocked more important reforms to the student loan program, for unfathomable reasons. Obama acted as he did because Republicans won't let Congress move forward on the issue. Voters in families across the country should take note, because it is obvious that Democrats are fighting to reduce the burden of student loans while Republicans are fighting for American students to pay more money in interest to the government. Every mom and dad should remember this when they enter the voting booth this November."
So much for being deficit hawks, eh?
This one hasn't gotten nearly the attention it should.
"Republicans in the House voted this week to add tens of billions of dollars to the deficit and to the national debt. Oh, sure, they talk a good line about how they're 'deficit hawks,' but then they turn right around and extend tax breaks without paying for a dime of it. Republicans insist loudly whenever Democrats propose any budget measure that 'it must be paid for!' but the reality is that they are just fine with extending tax breaks without even attempting to pay for it. In other words, Republicans are allowed to do all the deficit spending they want, while Democrats have to pay for every dime of every proposal -- including even emergency aid packages. The stench of hypocrisy was thick over Republican House members this week, and everyone should remember this the next time you hear any Republican crying crocodile tears over the deficit, in the future."
Pork is good!
Speaking of the stench of Republican hypocrisy...
"I see that Trent Lott has cut a very interesting ad for Thad Cochran's primary runoff campaign. In it, Lott begs the voters of Mississippi to remember all that wonderful pork-barrel spending that Cochran brings home -- and in which he freely admits that federal spending is a good thing because it equals 'jobs.' After hearing Republicans decrying earmarks and pork and federal spending for years and years, it is simply astounding that Trent Lott -- who is now a powerful lobbyist, I should mention -- thinks that the message to win over voters is: 'more pork!' I mean, do these guys ever listen to themselves?"
War on genitalia?
Finally, in the "War On Women" category, we have a doozy to close with this week.
"I see that conservative radio personality Mark Levin thinks he has the answer to the Republicans' dismal record on women. He confidently advises the Republican Party how they can win elections. Not only is the advice bad, since he is saying 'ignore women voters,' but the way he put it was downright offensive. According to Levin, Republicans should, and I quote, 'stop chasing ethnic groups, stop chasing genitalia.' Wow. Addressing the issues that women voters care about is 'chasing genitalia'? Really? No wonder Republicans have such problems convincing women to vote for them, if this is their attitude."
-- Chris Weigant
All-time award winners leaderboard, by rank
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground
Cross-posted at: Democrats For Progress
Cross-posted at: The Huffington Post
I've been promoting your columns at Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/07/1305269/-Recommended-ChrisWeigant-com-Talking-Points-for-Democrats
and
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/13/1306882/-Selenofriggatriskaidekaphobia-is-definitely-today-s-word
I hope these are okay with you. If not, of course I'll take them down immediately.
But the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week just has to go to Virginia state senator (ex-senator, now) Phillip P. Puckett,
There once was a guy named Puckett...
:D
Addressing the issues that women voters care about is 'chasing genitalia'?
Maybe he meant that Bill Clinton should stop "chasing genitalia"?? :D
Michale
There once was a guy named Puckett...
Who hooked up with a lady from Nantucket...
:D
Michale
I just have to say that skies were clear in my neck-o-the-midwest, with an awesome Strawberry Full Moon rising over the tree line at 12:01 am Thursday morning.
Elias Isquith at Salon, summed up his take on Eric Cantor's primary defeat:
"...the results on Tuesday weren’t caused by Cantor’s supposed ideological heresies or even... a more generalized populist rage over the (totally normal and inevitable) collusion of big government and big business. It wasn’t about policy and theory, in other words. It wasn’t that Cantor strayed from Reagan’s electoral strategy (uniting big business with economic and social conservatives) or rejected the panglossian free-market clichés of the libertarian right. The problem, instead — besides the fact that he ran a haphazard and maladroit campaign — is that many of the 36,110 people who voted against him saw Cantor as a living reminder of conservative politicians’ failure to transcend the sordid reality of self-government and turn the U.S. into a right-wing paradise by pure rhetorical force.
"Simply put, what Cantor’s defeat tells us is that the GOP base is out of touch and prone to throwing tantrums, which is nothing that we didn’t know already."
Pork is good!
Speaking of the stench of Republican hypocrisy...
Ahem....
Where’s the pork? Durbin, Reid among lawmakers seeking to bring back earmarks
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/6/wheres-the-pork-durbin-reid-among-lawmakers-seekin/?page=all
You were saying something about "Republican" Hypocrisy?? :D
I spose you COULD argue that Democrats are ALWAYS for pork IE wasteful spending..
Iffn ya want.. :D
Michale
and turn the U.S. into a right-wing paradise by pure rhetorical force.
That's kind of funny, since the last POTUS we elected was elected SOLELY on the basis of "rhetorical force" w/o ANY qualifications whatsoever..
I also must point out how uncanny it is that, no matter WHAT happens, it's all aligned and in keeping with the Leftist agenda..
I mean, according to the Leftist pundits, Illegal Immigration "had nothing to with Cantor's loss", even though the facts clearly show that it was a big part of the campaign...
It's positively Orwellian... :D
Michale
Well, Obama's approval numbers are still falling...
42.3
I don't know what bothers ya'all more..
The fact that The One's approval ratings are heading to Bush territory...
Or the fact that this time I might actually be right.. :D
Michale
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Buzz/2014/0615/Obama-mocks-climate-change-skeptics-Wise-move-video
That's our POTUS...
ONLY the President for those who support his agenda.. Everyone else can go pound sand..
I guess he lied (AGAIN) when he said that he was going to be a President, not for the Blue States, but for a UNITED States...
2017 simply can't come fast enough...
Michale
Michale,
I don't know what bothers ya'all more..
If you really want to know what bothers me most, it's how tedious comments and discussion have become here at my once favourite place in the internets.
:(
If you really want to know what bothers me most, it's how tedious comments and discussion have become here at my once favourite place in the internets.
The comments are only "tedious" insofar as the Left is losing the PR Battle...
Remember how lively it was around here when Harry We-Need-More-Pork Reid was tossing nukes around the Senate floor??
Of course, ya'all could simply concede the point. The Left is NOT as pure as the driven snow and many of the policies from Obama and the Democrats are part of the problem and not part of the solution..
THEN we can move on to bigger and better things..
But if ya'all continue to deny (deniers?? :D) the facts, the "tedium" will likely continue...
Michale
We have a lot of different topics we can discuss..
Iran filling the power vacumn in the Mid East, created by the US and it's capitulation in the region..
The Katrina-esque catastrophe that is occurring at the US-Mexico border.
Immigration "reform"...
Throw a dart at HuffPo/Drudge and pick a topic..
The list of topics are as endless as they are fascinating...
I'm easy... :D
Michale
Looks like Baghdad is about to fall..
U.S. evacuates embassy as bombs, fighting rock Iraq
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/06/15/iraq-us-qaeda-insurgency/10545803/
Credit where credit is due..
Ya gotta admire Bush.. He has chosen to remain silent rather than Mondy Morning Quarterback Obama to death...
If only Obama and the Democrats showed even a 10th as much class as Bush has...
Michale
Mopshell
"It wasn’t that Cantor strayed from Reagan’s electoral strategy (uniting big business with economic and social conservatives) or rejected the panglossian free-market clichés of the libertarian right."
No, but Brat's reformulated economic message is a bit more panglossy than Cantor's, with "The Fresh Scent of Christianity" in his reformulation of the free-market.
Brat's certainly no heavy weight in the world of economics, but he knows what he likes, and more importantly, he knows what his constituents like. A smart operator, who seems to network well.
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/politics/david-a-brats-curriculum-vitae/1036/
Brat's presumptive opponent, Jack Trammell seems an attractive candidate, also well networked, who has the misfortune of a (D) following his name in a strong (R) district. Plus even less money than Brat.
http://jacktrammellbooks.com/About_Jack_Trammell.html
Is Randolh-Mason making some sort heads I win, tails u lose political power play? :-)
No, but Brat's reformulated economic message is a bit more panglossy than Cantor's, with "The Fresh Scent of Christianity" in his reformulation of the free-market.
Isn't Cantor Jewish???
Michale
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqHnGSVV7hgjXS6hlTpBHm1-emSGZjaTox5cl5KPVTD525SE30XQ
I am sure glad that Iraq imploding is not interfering with our POTUS's golf game...
Michale
M-
Just to be clearer (than I was in 13. it's Brat who explicitly brings Christianity into his free market economics, not Cantor.
TS,
Ahhhh I did, indeed, read it wrong..
Thanx for clearing that up...
Michale
TS,
Ahhhh I did, indeed, read it wrong..
Thanx for clearing that up...
Just what we need.. More religion....
{/sarcasm}
Michale
DOH!!!!
Apologies for the double tap...
Michale
As I am wont to do..
The third episode of STAR TREK CONTINUES just aired..
And it was a DOOZY!!
It continues the TOS Episode MIRROR MIRROR and takes place solely and completely in the Mirror Universe...
For those of you who wonder what happened to the bearded Spock in the Mirror Universe after Captain Kirk told him, "In every revolution, there is one man with a vision", you can wonder no more...
The only blemish on an otherwise fine episode was the Obama tie-in at the end of the episode...
It was obvious and embarrassingly forced...
It made a good solid '8' episode out of what was a '10'....
Still, a definite MUST SEE for any Trekker out there...
Michale
OBAMA: 275 US FORCES DEPLOYING TO IRAQ
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_UNITED_STATES_IRAQ_TROOPS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-06-16-18-42-48
WAY TO GO, OBAMA!!!!!!
I never would have thought Obama would defy his base in the best interests of the country...
Color me surprised.. Shocked, even!
Michale
Mopshell [1] -
First, your comment was automatically held for moderation, because it had more than one link in it (it's set this way to cut down on comment spam). To see comments instantly, only use one link per comment.
Second, please do promote these humble articles anywhere and anyhow you see fit! And thanks for the publicity!
:-)
-CW
An updated Washington Post article makes a strong case against any appreciable "Cooter Effect" in the Brat:Cantor race. Voter turnout in the Republican party was up 28% since 2012, yet Cantor received 8000 fewer votes than two years earlier, which was larger than Brat's margin of victory. Moreover, the number of votes cast in Democratic leaning areas was down from 2012, suggesting little crossover occurred.
Cantor was done in by his fellow Republicans. It's always a shame when cold hard facts kill a fascinating theory!
CW [24]
Yes I'm aware of the delay when there's more than one link in a comment but I couldn't see how to avoid it so I chose to practise patience. (Seems like I've been practising patience all my life; you'd think I'd have it down pat by now. (???))
It didn't occur to me until after I'd submitted it that I could have split it up into two comments!
Not to worry; the message was for you and I knew you'd get to it when you had the time.
I really am relieved that you're okay with this. I don't visit HuffPost so much now that they've transitioned their comment platform to Facebook but I do visit your website every week day (and my Saturday morning, of course). There's so much in your writing that is valuable and I want to share - so I do! Now that I'm writing for Daily Kos (what a pleasure that is!) I feel obligated to share the good stuff with them. I'm also an admin for the PostHuffPost group so all my articles are republished for them too.
You should consider cross-posting there, especially the Friday Talking Points. I think you'd build up quite a following.
The biggest story of the year and no one says 'boo'!!???
Of course, I mean the fact that Obama did something that I whole-heartedly agree with and support!! :D
I can't wait to see how ya'all spin this and STILL support Obama..
A day or so ago, Obama was adamant.
There will be no boots on the ground in Iraq. PERIOD
Now, we find out that almost 300 US troops are being deployed to Iraq...
Let the spin begin!!! :D
I love it when our Democrat (so called) leaders are hoisted by their own Picard..
It must be that Holier-Than-Thou/We're-As-Pure-As-The-Driven-Snow attitude... :D
If ya'all don't want to talk about Iraq, we can always talk about the oh-so-convenient computer crash at the IRS that is preventing the IRS from fessing up the Lerner Emails.
Talk about a smoking gun!!
Ya see, Liz.. There is a BUTTLOAD of things we can talk about!! :D
But no one wants to discuss how the Emperor, THE Messiah is buck-assed nekkid...
On the plus side for ya'all, looks like I might be wrong on Obama's RCP poll numbers going below 40%.. If he continues on the right course in Iraq, his poll numbers might actually RISE...
Of course, if Obama is serious about making nice and becoming besty BFFs with Iran, then all bets are off...
Whatta difference a day makes, eh???
Michale
Remember before when I said it's likely that Hillary won't run..
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/06/17/5_reasons_hillary_wont_run_123015.html
There ya go...
Michale
Michale,
Ya see, Liz.. There is a BUTTLOAD of things we can talk about!! :D
I never said there was a shortage of issues to discuss. I was just lamenting the tedious nature of the discussion here, no matter the issue.
I would like to discuss/debate around these issues - many of them critical issues - without the conversation always devolving to how Democrats and Republicans are all bad.
I've decided to spend time here only when I can participate in a discussion that is based on the merits - or lack thereof - of the issue at hand. I will not get involved with non-serious comments that do nothing to help anyone here better understand the issues or the commenters' perspectives.
OK.. Fair enough..
But here's the thing..
Ya'all want to be free to point out how bad Republicans are and how Republicans are responsible for everything..
When THAT is the case, Wegantia is a virtual jabber-jaw of activity with comments flying left and right... No pun intended :D
But when it's DEMOCRATS who are at fault, all of the sudden no one wants to talk about who is at fault..
The recent discussion on Iraq is a perfect example..
"IT'S ALL BUSH'S FAULT" was the ONLY war cry from the Left side of Weigantia...
Seems like everyone only want's to have substantial discussions when they can blame the Right..
When ya'all CAN'T blame the Right, like with the Katrina-esque catastrophe in the SouthWest or the Obama Administration getting it's wee-wee whacked over illegal immigrant housing or Iraq or the IRS losing TWO YEARS of emails, all of the sudden such discussions are "tedious"...
You want to have "substantial" discussions on topics??
Fine.. I am there...
But quit blaming Republicans for everything then...
Come up with some SOLUTIONS for our POTUS that don't involve the "IT'S ALL BUSH'S FAULT" hysteria.....
I'll be happy to start..
To stem the Katrina-esque catastrophe that is occurring in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, Obama needs to PUBLICLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY rescind the DACA policy that is bringing illegal unaccompanied minors into this country by the hundreds of thousands...
What do you think???
Michale
Michale,
Ya'all want to be free to point out how bad Republicans are and how Republicans are responsible for everything..
Please don't lump me in with that gang ...
http://blogs.wsj.com/peggynoonan/2014/06/16/a-tale-of-two-scandals/
Comments??
Anyone?? Anyone??? Beuhler??
Michale
I'd rather talk about Iraq, Michale, if you don't mind.
And, if you don't mind, I'm going to cut and paste a comment I made just a little while ago on a HuffPost article dealing with Iraq and a possible alliance between the US and Iran in stemming the ISIS tide ...
A de facto American-Iranian alliance against Sunni jihadists would seem reasonable and possibly quite productive, on a number of fronts in the
US-Iran relationship. It would also be exceedingly ironic given the strategic vision that apparently resided within the confines of the vice
president's office during the very worst days of the Iraq invasion. Yes, I speak of Cheney and not Biden.
There is little evidence to suggest that Cheney didn't take the Machiavellian approach to a kind of Darwinian scenario and the survival of
the fittest, backing the Shi'ites in Iraq because they far outnumbered the Sunnis and would likely win in an all out Iraqi civil war. The thinking went on, so the story goes, that the Shi'ites winning it all in Iraq might, with any luck, spark a Sunni-Shia regional war in a region where the Sunnis far outnumber the Shi'a and in which Iran would be the big loser.
Biden, on the other hand, had quite another strategic vision which, had it been put into action by the Obama administration or the Bush administration before it, might have offered the best hope and prospects for a united and stable Iraq and for denying regional space for jihadists deemed too brutal for al-Qaeda.
Is it too late for the Biden strategy for US policy in Iraq? The more pertinent question might be whether or not there is any energy and spirit
left in this administration for such a monumental effort?
It is definitely too late for another round of any sort of US military involvement there without a larger strategic vision that would direct a
vigorous diplomatic and political effort having the desired effect of moving the divisive Maliki out of power, first and foremost, and that would see the US strenuously promote and facilitate a process involving the major and regional powers through which Iraq might make real progress toward political reconciliation.
The US might very well have a willing partner in Iran for such a venture, not to mention many others in the international community.
One might even call it the Obama doctrine, in action! That was a little joke, I must admit. :)
Interesting quote from the above link..
The mischief of the Nixon administration was specific to it, to its personnel. When Chuck Colson left, he left. All the figures in that drama failed to permanently disfigure the edifice of government. They got caught, and their particular brand of mischief ended.
But the IRS scandal is different, because if it isn’t stopped—if it isn’t fully uncovered, exposed, and its instigators held accountable—it will suggest an acceptance of the politicization of the IRS, and an expected and assumed partisanship within its future actions. That will be terrible not only for citizens but for the government itself.
And the IRS scandal will also have disfigured government in a new and killing way. IRS scandals in the past were about the powerful (Richard Nixon) abusing the powerful (Edward Bennett Williams). This scandal is about the powerful (Lois Lerner, et a.) abusing the not-powerful (normal, on-the-ground Americans such as rural tea-party groups). If it comes to be understood that this kind of thing is how the government now does business, it will be terrible for the spirit and reality of the country.
So many of those who decide what is news cannot, on this issue, see the good faith and honest concern of the many who make this warning. And really, that is tragic.
Now, honestly, can ANYONE find fault with that analysis??
Michale
A de facto American-Iranian alliance against Sunni jihadists would seem reasonable and possibly quite productive, on a number of fronts in the
US-Iran relationship.
Except for one thing..
Months ago, the US State Department was BLAMING Iran for the Iraq insurgency...
One would assume that State had good reason to level such charges...
For the US to go charging into an alliance with Iran would absolutely SEAL Orwell's 1984 comparison..
"Iran is our enemy. Iran is fomenting the Iraqi Insurgency"
"Iran is our ally. Iran will help us quell the Iraqi Insurgency"
I fear for the health of Administration officials....
Such 180 degree twists must be tortuous on the skeletal structure...
Michale
Liz,
The Shia happen to be the majority in Iraq. You cannot have a democratic process that won't favor the Shia. It isn't our place to dictate who rules other countries. Because of the Shia majority Iran is Iraqs natural ally.
The stability issues in the middle east are because of religious fundamentalism and intolerance. Democratic governments may alleviate some of the issues, but its holy part of the answer. Unrest, instability, and terrorism will persist until the people in the region also evolve with regard to religious tolerance.
There's very little we can do to make that happen. What we need to concentrate on is not making matters worse and repeating our past errors. Like installing and propping up unpopular minority governments, manipulating populations and regional factions, and sacrificing populations to achieve our goals.
Basically we need to understand that we can't rule the region, even through proxies. We need to accept the fact that there will be consequences for us do to the actions of middle eastern nations and while its fair to try to minimize adverse events too proactively attempting to prevent them can be counterproductive in the long-term.
Unrest, instability, and terrorism will persist until the people in the region also evolve with regard to religious tolerance.
Ironically enough, I agree with LD...
Islam is, right now, where Christianity was a thousand years ago. Brutal, sadistic, intolerant and uncivilized...
Back then, Christianity did plenty of damage...
Toss in nukes, CWMDs and terrorism and you can see the threat that Islam represents....
The only question is will Islam "grow up" before it destroys civilization...
Or destroys itself...
Michale
Lew Dan,
Unrest, instability, and terrorism will persist until the people in the region also evolve with regard to religious tolerance.
I think there is a lot of truth in that. And, I agree with you that Iraq and its people are the ones who will have to figure out how to move the country forward, on their terms; no one can do that for them.
However, there is definitely a role for the US working along side the major and regional powers in promoting and facilitating political reconciliation in Iraq. Which is what Biden has always been talking about.
And, one things seems quite apparent - nothing good can come from any US military intervention, of any sort, so long as Maliki continues to act in what he sees as his own self-interest and not that of ALL the Iraqi people.
The ethnic divisions in Iraq are very well known to those of us who have been paying attention for the last many years. But, some form of a political compact between the various groups in Iraq is essential
Michale,
Noonan's whole piece is premised on the faulty presumption that "the IRS scandal is still a scandal." It is not. Nearly two years later Republicans are still trying to MAKE it a scandal.
The simple proven fact, Noonan, and you, ignore I'd that there was no targeting of Tea Party groups exclusively. Their targeting was reasonable. Groups claiming exemptions reserved for nonpolitical organizations, that had names implying political purposes were targeted. There were more conservative groups applying, and more conservative groups with politically based names, so more conservative groups were flagged.
There's nothing "scandalous" about that. The mere fact that Tea Party groups were flagged isn't automatically a scandal, or a serious problem. The Watergate burglaries were a scandal. Were proven illegal illegal conduct. With proven Whitehouse connections. The only question was how much, if any, involvement Nixon had in them.
The loss of emails is nothing new.--To ANYONE. What makes them important to conservatives is that they've no evidence of ANY "scandal" and the desperately want some! That's why they've been reduced to making absud claims of all the supposed "harm" to Tea Party groups by the delay in granting their exemptions. Their fairy tale of the IRS only targeting Tea Party groups proved false, so their pretending indeterminate tax status is dome great hardship, because UNLESS the Whitehouse is involved THERE IS NO "SCANDAL."
Do unlike Watergate all Republicans have is a conspiracy theory.--Yet ANOTHER conspiracy theory! that they're desperately trying to prove, by innuendo and supposition--because they've NO evidence of any "scandal" AT ALL.--Its all smoke and mirrors.--First you convict. Then you try to find a crime!
Noonan's whole piece is premised on the faulty presumption that "the IRS scandal is still a scandal." I
That is your opinion, unsupported by facts..
If a GOP had been POTUS and his/her IRS targeted Progressive/Liberal SOLELY, then it would be a scandal..
Ergo, the current IRS mess IS a scandal...
The simple proven fact, Noonan, and you, ignore I'd that there was no targeting of Tea Party groups exclusively.
As I said.. Unsupported by facts..
Conservative groups were EXCLUSIVELY targeted.. Not ONE SINGLE Progressive/Liberal group was targeted..
This is fact..
The Left went apeshit over 18.5 minutes of audio recordings from a GOP POTUS..
We have over *2 YEARS* of missing emails from various people involved in the IRS targeting conservative groups under the auspices of a DEM POTUS...
Your claim that there is no scandal is hypocrisy at it's finest... Or worst...
Michale
Michale
Liz,
Not that I don't basically agree with you, but acting in the self-interest of the majority and exploiting the minority is kinda a hallmark of democratic government. EVERYBODY talks of the need to represent everyone. But, in practice, it just doesn't happen.
What makes the Shia minority significant is that they're a national majority in a couple countries. And what makes ISIS so dangerous is that they represent the Sunni MAJORITY in the region.
Blaming Maliki is unfair, and unproductive. NO ONE in the country, or the region, WANTS everyone represented. THAT'S the problem. Maliki represents the will of the majority, short-sighted, and not a little vengeful, though that may be. And that's exactly the kind of government democratic elections are supposed to produce. Democratically elected heads of state have a limited ability to actually "lead." They're mostly elected to follow, as in follow the will of the people. The Shia majority has been oppressed for decades by the Sunni minority. Now the tables are turned. Its no surprise they're acting badly toward the Sunni now they're in charge. No surprise that the Sunni are in revolt.
There's not a lot Maliki could really have done. And even less that we can do.
The greatest lies of the Obama Administration..
The IRS scandal doesn't have a SMIDGEN of corruption.
I welcome the debate on the NSA's domestic surveillance programs.
Bowe Berghdalh served with honor and distinction.
The DOJ will NEVER target reporters for doing their jobs.
The Benghazi attack was because of an anti-Islam video.
Under Obamacare, if you like your health insurance plan, you can keep your health insurance plan. Under Obamacare, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.
Need I go on???
Michale
Michale,
I "have no facts?!" There you go again with your all-purpose fairy tale!
The way it works us I don't HAVE to "prove" there was no targeting, though that's been done.--Repeatedly. YOU have to prove the Tea Party WAS "SOLELY" targeted.--AND YOU HAVEN'T.
That's the trouble with Noonan's piece, she too thinks its a "scandal" unless proven otherwise.
Absent proof, its NOT a "scandal." Its a crackpot conspiracy theory.
LewDan,
... acting in the self-interest of the majority and exploiting the minority is kinda a hallmark of democratic government. EVERYBODY talks of the need to represent everyone. But, in practice, it just doesn't happen.
Actually, the protection of minority rights happens quite a lot of the time in successful democracies, though certainly not to the extent that it should. There is always room for improvement and a need for people to actively support minority rights.
I know you are not suggesting that western liberal democracies are nothing more than a tyranny of the majority!
As for Maliki, there is quite a lot he could have tried to do but did not. Actually, there is a paucity of democratic leadership throughout the Middle East and, frankly, a lack of experience with what democracy is all about and this is a major problem in all of this.
YOU have to prove the Tea Party WAS "SOLELY" targeted.--AND YOU HAVEN'T.
Have there been any liberal/progressive groups come forward with IRS targeting??
No, there has not..
Basically your argument consists of, "You have never seen a unicorn, therefore they much exist"...
Like pretty much ALL of your arguments, they are facetious and do not pass the "UTTER BULLSHIT" test...
Michale
I know you are not suggesting that western liberal democracies are nothing more than a tyranny of the majority!
That is EXACTLY what LD is saying..
Hence his emotional, irrational and illogical support of anything Obama/Democrat...
Michale
Absent proof, its NOT a "scandal." Its a crackpot conspiracy theory.
I have already PROVEN it's a scandal by demonstrating, via examples, what the reaction from the Left would be if it had happened under a GOP Administration..
Watergate, Abu Ghraib, to name a couple...
Michale
If there is no scandal, why were those emails from a half dozen people conveniently lost??
Why did it take MORE THAN A YEAR for the Obama Administration to fess up that the emails were, indeed, lost??
In a court of law, such gross misconduct puts the onus of proof on those being accused..
In other words, because of the gross malfeasance of the Administration, they are assumed to be guilty and now they must PROVE their innocence...
This is the law that you CLAIM to cherish...
Except when it doesn't work in your favor...
Michale
Michale,
Your fantasies of what you imagine Dems would have done is only proof of your delusions.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2014/04/23/3429722/irs-records-tea-party/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Documentary evidence,--THAT would be "proof."
Documentary evidence,--THAT would be "proof."
Which is why the IRS conveniently "lost" 2 years worth of emails from a half dozen people involved with breaking the law...
Because of this, the onus is on them to prove their innocence...
This is the law...
Michale
Your "proof" is "thinkprogress.org"???
REALLY!!??? :D
Your fantasies of what you imagine Dems would have done is only proof of your delusions.
I don't have to "fantasize" what Dems have done.
We all have SEEN what Dems have done.. A "scandal" nothing worse than college hazing and Democrats went totally BATSHIT....
And now YOU are trying to pass off the utter CRAP that, if a GOP POTUS's IRS had targeted Leftist/Progressive SOLELY for scrutiny, that Democrats wouldn't go totally BATSHIT x10??
Again.. SERIOUSLY!!???
Michale
Michale
Liz,
Democracies rarely protect minority rights. Here in America minority rights are only protected when it doesn't cost the majority anything. Which is why there id no minority right in this country that isn't under attack. Because the majority feels threatened by them.
What progress we've made has taken two and a half centuries. Iraq hasn't even had two decades! If they took a hundred years to get where we are now they'd still be doing it more than twice as fast.
You're beginning to remind me of Michale and his fantasy of Christian enlightenment. It wasn't that long ago that some Christians were trying to exterminate the Jews. With the Pope having been bribed not to interfere! For far too many Americans the war on terror IS a war on Islam.
And when WE were in a situation similar to Iraq, when our northern Republicans finally came to power after a century of Southern rule, WE TOO had a civil war because the newly empowerd behaved badly and the newly dethroned rebelled.
For the last half-century our courts have tended to lead the way, once public opinion shifts enough, because democratic governments do NOT represent minorities. Though they do, on occasion, pander to them.--As long as it doesn't really cost the majority.
It wasn't that long ago that some Christians were trying to exterminate the Jews.
2000 years is "not that long ago"???
Again, what COLOR is the sky on your planet??
WE TOO had a civil war because the newly empowerd behaved badly and the newly dethroned rebelled.
And who were the "newly dethroned"???
The Democrats...
Funny... Iddn't it... :D
Michale
Michale,
Gotta how you're ALWAYS claiming I hand no "facts" and then simply choosing to ignite all the facts I present, just so you can GO ON PRETENDING there ate no facts!
http://www.businessinsider.com/irs-tea-party-targeting-report-danny-werfel-occupy-israel-progressive-2013-6
Here's the Business Insider on an Associated Press story exploding your "solely Tea Party" targeting lie. I'm sure you'll invent an excuse to ignore it as well.
But the report of the new head of the IRS is STILL a FACT! Your winger talking-points?!--Not so much.
Michale,
WWII wasn't 2000 years ago.
Protestants and Catholics fighting in Northern Ireland wasn't 2000 years ago.
You've made it clear that your ignorant of history, even contemporary history. But I'd no idea you were THAT ignorant!
THE CRUSADES were FAR less than 2000 years ago!
Michale,
Yep. All those Democrats who now call themselves "Republicans." It was North against SOUTH, Michale, NOT Democrats against Republicans.
You're ALWAYS trying to make EVERYTHING into "Democrats are the same as Republicans." They are not. The Southern Democrats who formed the Confederacy are NOW calling themselves "Republicans." Lincoln's Republicans are not OUR Republicans. And Lincon's Democrats are not OUR Democrats.
The NAMES have changed.--The people?!--Not so much.
Nazi Germany targeting the Jews had absolutely NOTHING to do with religion..
Jews were a convenient scapegoat, along with gypsies and the infirm and crippled..
Obviously, it is YOU who is ignorant of history...
And yes, I know the crusades were less than 2000 years ago...
As I pointed out in comment #37...
So, along with an appalling ignorance of history, you also have issues with comprehension..
That explains much... :D
Michale
LD<
Yep. All those Democrats who now call themselves "Republicans."
Ahhhh no...
All those Democrats are now dead...
I am surprised I have to explain this to you...
Michale
I am not claiming that today's Democrats are the EXACT same as the Democrats from 60-100 years ago..
However, it is UNDENIABLE that the Democratic Party WAS the Racist Party.. WAS the Party Of The KKK..
This is historical fact...
Give this historical FACT, it seems to me that Democrats MIGHT be just a tad more subdued with regards to pointing the RACIST finger at the Republicans...
Donald Sterling is a Democrat, after all... And I am willing to wager that there are a LOT more Democrats like Sterling than ya'all would care to admit..
So, obviously the racist roots of the Democratic Party are NOT so far flung into the annals of history...
Google "STONES" and "GLASS HOUSES" if you still have trouble comprehending my point...
Maybe you should clean up your own Party first...
I'm just sayin'....
Michale
Here's the Business Insider on an Associated Press story exploding your "solely Tea Party" targeting lie. I'm sure you'll invent an excuse to ignore it as well.
WOW!! You really BEAT down that (Straw Man) argument!!! Kudos!!!
Too bad, I never made the claim that SOLELY TEA PARTY groups were targeted...
I said, and you have yet to provide ANY facts to refute, that Conservative groups were SOLELY targeted...
There has not been ONE single substantiated claim of a Leftist/Progressive/Liberal group that was targeted..
NOT.. ONE... SINGLE... GROUP...
NONE... ZERO... ZILCH.... NADA....
Now, if you have any FACTS that show other wise, by all means.. Let's see them....
IF you can take time away from chasing your unicorns, that is....
You are wrong on this one LD...
That's what the FACTS say.....
But hay.... In being wrong, at least yer consistent... :D
Michale
Regarding the Nixon-esque "missing emails"...
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/06/16/attkisson-on-missing-irs-documents-if-the-emails-really-are-lost-thats-quite-a-story-in-itself/
As an IT professional myself (and I am sure other IT pros unfettered by Political ideology will back me up) I can tell you that it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE for an email chain to completely disappear...
ESPECIALLY in a large business/government entity who runs servers and back-up servers...
The ONLY way those emails are gone is if someone WANTED them gone...
And, as I pointed out above if, in the midst of criminal/civil litigation, even if such litigation is even HINTED at, destroying evidence in such a manner, either by commission OR omission puts the onus of proof of innocence on the accused..
It's called "spoliation inference" and it puts the assumption of guilt on the spoilator (the person(s) who "spoiled" the evidence) and gives full credence to the opposing party's case.....
Fancy words which, in THIS case, simply means that LEGALLY it is now assumed that the Obama White House is GUILTY of everything that the GOP has accused it of and it's up to the Obama Administration to PROVE their innocence in a court of law....
In short, the Obama Administration is frak'ed... Royally and unequivocally frak'ed...
Michale
Wow!
Michale, those portable goal posts of yours gave no only left the building they've now entered The Twilight Zone!
The Holocaust had NOTHING to do with religion?! Because Jews aren't defined by, you know?--Their RELIGION?!
And the cites I gave, BOTH of them, clearly prove that "Conservatives" were NOT "solely targeted."
And, yes, The Democratic Party WAS the racist party. The party of the KKK.--FIFTY YEARS AGO. TODAY that would be THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
Interesting that you think Christians no longer engage in religious persecution. (Abortion? Gay Marriage?) Or wars. (Israel? Ever heard of it?)
Oh, I too wad an IT professional. Unlike you, however, I was one of those hired to try and recover data that's been lost. Your pipe dream that its virtually impossible, or even difficult, is a other stifling example of your ignorance. Critical business data may be backed up under some mountain in Colorado, but NOT routine emails.
So, once again, YOUR take, is ANOTHER vast conspiracy theory. Both the IRS and the data recovery specialists are lying.--Because EVERYONE is just so DESPERATE to cover-up the "scandal" all the evidence provrs doesn't even exit!--R-I-G-H-T-!-!
Michale,
I provide a cite that the head of the IRS, Mr. Werfel testified before Congress that Progresdive groups WERE also targeted and you keep spinning your pipe dream that it Judy COULDN'T be so! Because YOU don't know of ANY Progressive complaining.
At the risk of entering your delusion, I'm curious--just what would progressives be complaining about? The IRS trying to do its job? The CONSERVATIVE complaint is that ONLY they were targeted. What, exactly, would Progressives bitch about? That only THEY, AND EVERYONE ELSE, were targeted?!
You see the problem with all the "arguments" that you just make up out of thin air, is that they ONLY make "sense" to YOU!
I provide a cite that the head of the IRS, Mr. Werfel testified before Congress that Progresdive groups WERE also targeted and you keep spinning your pipe dream that it Judy COULDN'T be so!
So!??
Did he offer ANY proof that Progressive groups WERE targeted??
No, he did not.
So, you are taking the word of an Obama Appointee who is trying to cover his POTUS's ass...
You have absolutely NO EVIDENCE, NO FACTS to show that Progressive groups were targeted, save the unsubstantiated word of ONE political flunkee who is protecting Obama...
In other words, you don't got jack...
Oh, I too wad an IT professional. Unlike you, however, I was one of those hired to try and recover data that's been lost. Your pipe dream that its virtually impossible, or even difficult, is a other stifling example of your ignorance. Critical business data may be backed up under some mountain in Colorado, but NOT routine emails.
When dealing with government entities who, BY LAW, have to retain data, there is no such thing as "routine" emails...
For Lerner's emails to really be "lost", there would have to be MULTIPLE crashes on MULTIPLE servers covering a HUGE geographical area...
We're not talking Acme Cleaners in BumFuq Kentucky... We're talking the US GOVERNMENT. The I.R.frakin'.S.. They have redundancy out the arse...
Due to spoliation inference, the guilt of the Obama Administration is no longer in question.
The ONLY thing that is in question here how BAD do those emails sink the Obama White House..
If the IRS is willing to generate ANOTHER scandal of Nixonian/Watergate proportions, then the incrimination of those emails must be pretty bad..
These are the facts...
Of which you have none...
Michale
Even Hillary Clinton said that the IRS is a "real scandal"...
"Well, I think any time IRS is involved, for many people, it's a real scandal."
-Hillary Clinton
Michale
The Holocaust had NOTHING to do with religion?! Because Jews aren't defined by, you know?--Their RELIGION?!
I honestly can't believe you just said that..
So, a Jew is defined by his or her religion..
Of course, then you also believe that a person is defined by the color of their skin??
I honestly don't know how it is on YOUR planet, but here on earth, people are not defined by their religion OR the color of their skin..
Here on earth people are defined by the strength of their character.. At least, that is what we strive for.. We even had a great leader here on earth who once who stated that such is worth striving for...
I guess your planet never had an MLK....
Your loss....
Michale
When dealing with government entities who, BY LAW, have to retain data, there is no such thing as "routine" emails...
For Lerner's emails to really be "lost", there would have to be MULTIPLE crashes on MULTIPLE servers covering a HUGE geographical area...
We're not talking Acme Cleaners in BumFuq Kentucky... We're talking the US GOVERNMENT. The I.R.frakin'.S.. They have redundancy out the arse...
You also have to remember that ONLY the people who were involved in the IRS targeting conservatives lost their emails.
And ONLY the emails that pertain to the IRS targeting conservatives were lost...
It's the most selective computer "crash" in the entire HISTORY of computers...
As an IT Professional unencumbered by political ideology I can assure you that the odds of such selective email losses happening unintentionally is billions, if not trillions, to one...
Michale
National Journal's Ron Fournier thinks that "you couldn't blame a person for suspecting a cover-up." No, you couldn't. In fact, you'd have to be pretty gullible — or in-the-tank — not to suspect a cover-up.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/06/17/irs-conservative-obama-lerner-investigation-emails-column/10550507/
Which are ya'all???
Gullible??
Or In-The-Tank???
Hmmmmmmmmmmm?????
Enquiring minds want to know... :D
Michale
"Thinking about the rest of Barack Obama's term as president, do you think he can lead the country and get the job done or do you no longer feel that he is able to lead the country and get the job done?"
Fifty-four percent said that Obama "cannot lead and get the job done".
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/18/the-single-most-depressing-number-for-president-obama-in-the-nbcwall-street-journal-poll/
Obama is in trouble...
Plain and simple...
Michale
Michale,
Obama is in trouble... Plain and simple...
Actually, if that is true, then it is YOU, my friend, who is in trouble ... you and all of your fellow Americans.
I'm just sayin' ...
Not a joke!
Actually, if that is true, then it is YOU, my friend, who is in trouble ... you and all of your fellow Americans.
I'm just sayin' ...
Not a joke!
This is true...
Our only hope is that the GOP widens their lead in the House (most likely) and also takes the Senate (likely)...
That will limit the amount of damage Obama can do and will, JUST MAYBE, force him to actually consider the COUNTRY before himself and his Party..
One can only hope.. For change...
Michale
Of course, that's not what I meant. :)
Of course, that's not what I meant. :)
Oh, I know...
But, if what we are postulating is true, if Obama's crappy leadership is going to doom this country, then limiting Obama's damage he can do is the only hope this country has..
Michale
Issa: "We want to see all the emails from Lois Lerner and anyone else involved in targeting conservative groups."
One year later...
IRS: "Oh, sorry. Those emails were lost in a hard drive crash."
Issa: "OK, fine.. Give us the hard drives. Our experts say they can retrieve the emails."
IRS: "Really!!?? You can do that!!??? Oh...er... uh.... Those hard drives were destroyed."
Like it was quoted above..
Anyone who DOESN'T think something is hinky here is either gullible as hell or in the tank for Obama...
And considering the scandal fallout that is going to result from claiming the emails were destroyed, what is IN those emails must be very damning indeed...
Michale....
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOLXM-mcihDNvi05Xjq0RB6sCZXItpH3xxfb5ijkekMxNUcK8fTg
Ahhh yes...
Hardworking "law abiding" illegal immigrants..
Salt of the earth..
Who WOULDN'T want millions of these streaming across our borders...
Michale