tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8489204909296544382024-03-12T21:04:48.697-05:00Everything Possible HappensA blog. About stuff. Stuff that happens.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-89611614687605989932016-07-17T00:03:00.003-05:002016-07-17T00:09:58.734-05:00Donald Trump Announces Convention Speaking Schedule...<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 13.5pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Official Republican Convention Speaking
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Night 1</span><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br />
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Keynote Speaker: Gary
Busey</span><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Theme: Hot Chicks I Can Do Because I'm Really, Really Rich<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Melania (did and do)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Tia Tequila (did)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Teresa Giudice (did)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Natalie Gulbis (doing, shhh)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Katrina Pierson (did backdoor, baby)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Omarosa (like you didn't know)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Azealia Banks (later tonight)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Kirstie Alley (did before she got old and fat)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ivana (before she got old and ugly)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ivanka (I'll never tell)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Tiffany (ditto)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Special Guest: Ann Coulter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Music by Loretta Lynn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Night 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Theme: Politicians That I Own Because I'm Really, Really Rich<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Reince Priebus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mitchie Mitch McConnell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Paul "Guns 'n Gums" Ryan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lyin' Ted Cruz<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Newtie Noot Gingrich<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rick "Bat Boy" Scott<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Tom "Douchecanoe" Cotton<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Rudy Giuliani<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">That Jackass I Wish I Hadn't Picked As My VP<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Special Guest: The Pig Castrating Chick<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Music by Wayne Newton<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Night 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Theme: Great Tough Guys Who Are So Really Tough and Really Great<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Chuck Norris<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Curt Schilling<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pete Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mike Ditka<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Richie Incognito<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Hulk Hogan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Mike Tyson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Dennis Rodman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lou Ferrigno<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Stephen Baldwin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Special Guest: Vladimir Putin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Music by Kid Rock<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Theme: Me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ivanka<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">My Jew Son-In-Law<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Scott Baio (nominating speech)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Me! Me, me, me, me, ME!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Special Guest: Me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4b4f56; font-family: "helvetica" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Music by Ted Nugent</span></div>
John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-17594879671930399592015-07-11T19:15:00.000-05:002015-07-11T19:15:48.130-05:00Winner Lose, Loser Win - Feeling the Bern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Bernie Sanders can't win the Democratic nomination, and he knows it, but by losing he's really winning.</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jvkayeASXF0/VaGm14Be_xI/AAAAAAAAA20/A6AKrCQXlm0/s1600/berniesanders2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jvkayeASXF0/VaGm14Be_xI/AAAAAAAAA20/A6AKrCQXlm0/s400/berniesanders2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The surest sign yet that Bernie Sanders isn't running to win the nomination is his staffing. Bernie has only 8 full time staffers in Iowa and New Hampshire put together. He has no staff or offices in South Carolina, the third primary state, or any of the other primary states. If the run for the nomination was a poker game, this would be a tell. Bernie doesn't plan to be around after Iowa and New Hampshire.</div>
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Despite closing the gap in New Hampshire, which he considers home turf, to 8 points and picking up some ground in Iowa, where he still trails Clinton by 20 points, the "surge" hasn't translated into a groundswell of national support. A month ago Bernie was polling around 12%. Now he's polling around 14%, about even with Joe Biden, who hasn't said anything about running. Overall, he still <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/2016_democratic_presidential_nomination-3824.html">trails Hillary Clinton by close to 50 points</a>.</div>
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For the most part Bernie Sanders hasn't been able to expand his base of support. Master prognosticator and statistical guru Nate Silver has <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/bernie-sanders-could-win-iowa-and-new-hampshire-then-lose-everywhere-else/">done the math</a>. Sanders does very well with progressive white voters, but fares poorly with other demographic groups, and particularity with minority voters. He's not doing well with the coalition of voters that Barack Obama was able to put together for wins in 2008 and again in 2012.</div>
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The latest CNN poll pegs Bernie's <a href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/06/30/trumpbushclinton.pdf">support among non-white Democrats at just 9%</a>, while the latest Fox poll shows only <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2015/06/24/0624152016iranweb/">5% support among African-Americans</a>. This suggests that while Sanders could do very well, and possibly even win, in Iowa, where <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/IADemHorizontal.pdf">93% of caucus voters in 2008 were white</a>, and New Hampshire, where <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/NHDemHorizontal.pdf">95% of 2008 primary voters were white</a>, he's not likely to fare well in South Carolina or anywhere else. Iowa and New Hampshire are the only states where more than <a href="https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/silver-datalab-bernieland.png?w=773&h=1308">50% of 2008 primary voters were white liberals.</a> In South Carolina, the third primary, only <a href="https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/silver-datalab-bernieland.png?w=773&h=1308">43% of 2008 primary voters were white and only 19% identified as liberal</a>. Next up is Nevada, with a strong Hispanic vote, and then Super Tuesday, where the minority vote is a major factor in 8 of the 12 states.</div>
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These numbers aren't good, but there's another number that's worse for Bernie. <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/183713/socialist-presidential-candidates-least-appealing.aspx">A recent Gallup poll</a> asked voters what kind of presidential candidate they'd consider voting for. In every demographic, regardless of party affiliation, "socialist" came in dead last, behind "atheist" and Muslim." Even among Democrats, only 59% say they would consider voting for a socialist. There's no way to win the nomination of a party when 41% say they wouldn't even consider voting for you. The general election math is worse. Much worse.</div>
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In the current political environment, <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/6/13/5803768/pew-most-important-fact-american-politics">polarization is the keyword</a>. Around 47% of voters will vote for the Democratic candidate, no matter what. This is the 47% Mitt Romney famously dismissed. About the same percentage will vote for the Republican, no matter what. It's the voters in the middle, voters whose votes can be swayed, that will decide this election. Moderates will not vote for a socialist. There's no math where 59% of 47% gets a candidate to 50% overall.</div>
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Math aside, there's an even more basic reason that Bernie Sanders can't win the nomination. Rule 1: The Democratic nominee must be a Democrat. A lot people believe Bernie is running as a Democrat. He's not. He's running for the Democratic nomination as an independent. There's only one segment of the party that supports Bernie, unions, and even that is more or less a 50/50 split. The rest of the party machinery is solidly lined up behind Hillary. Superdelegates, made up of senior elected officials and Democratic Party power players, are going to back the Democrat. Primaries, caucus and debate rules are all controlled by the party. It's simply not possible to win the nomination of a party that doesn't want you as the nominee.</div>
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Despite all of this Bernie Sanders is still winning, because he knows he can't win. He can and is doing two very important things. After decades of moving to the right, Bernie is succeeding at moving the political conversation to the left. Even trickle down, never met a corporation they didn't like, stash the cash in Caymans and incorporate overseas to avoid taxes Republicans are talking about the vast and growing gap between the 1% and everyone else. Their policies would make inequality worse, but at least they're talking about it.</div>
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The other way he's winning is to take some of the sting out of the word "socialist," a label that is political death in American politics. Bernie proudly calls himself a "democratic socialist," While some take pains to point out that this is different from the political ideology of socialism, in practice all socialist nations practice democratic socialism. There are no more autocratic socialist nations. The Gallup poll shows Americans still fear the term, but a likable, avuncular guy like Bernie Sanders makes it a lot less scary. Bernie is channeling the anger and frustration many Americans feel, but he manages to do it in a non-threatening way.</div>
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Bernie Sanders' campaign may not last beyond New Hampshire, but his influence will last. He's not a Democrat, but his campaign is good for the Democratic Party. It's also good for the country. In the end Bernie will continue to be a powerful progressive voice in the Senate, where along with other progressive like Elizabeth Warren, he will be at the vanguard of a long overdue progressive sea change of American politics, and that's the biggest win of all. Bernie Sanders is a winner.</div>
John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-46762720264347299202015-07-10T16:44:00.000-05:002015-07-10T17:42:15.385-05:00Nikki Haley's Tasteless Victory Lap<div class="tr_bq">
<b>Nikki Haley tried to grab credit for the Confederate battle flag coming down as Republicans in the House insisted the flag be allowed to fly on federal land.</b><br />
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Am I the only one who was put off by Nikki Haley making the signing of the bill to remove the flag a giant media circus with her center ring? Is it naive to think that a quiet, dignified, closed ceremony with only the families present would have been appropriate? I don't mind her taking a victory lap, though it was primarily the pressure from corporate America and the RNC, not Nikki Haley, that led to this, but to do it at the signing of the bill was tasteless.</div>
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It's particularly inappropriate considering that less than a year ago, when she was running for reelection, Haley <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/2014/10/sc-governor-defends-confederate-flag-at-statehouse-not-a-single-ceo-has-complained/">vigorously defended</a> the presence of the flag at the Statehouse. Her idea of a fix was to sugar coat the reality with peppy phone greeting.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
What I can tell you is over the last three and a half years, I spent a lot of my days on the phones with CEOs and recruiting jobs to this state. I can honestly say I have not had one conversation with a single CEO about the Confederate flag.”<br />
...<br />
“But we really kind of fixed all that when you elected the first Indian-American female governor. When we appointed the first African-American U.S. senator, that sent a huge message.”<br />
Haley said that she had tried to improve the perception of the state by ordering employees to answer the phone with the phrase “it’s a great day in South Carolina.”</blockquote>
It was also a bit weird that she referred to the "actions" of the people massacred at the Mother Emanuel Church multiple times. To my mind it was the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/06/dylann-roof-manifesto-forgiveness/396428/">actions of the families of the 9</a> at Dylann Roof's arraignment, expressing forgiveness, not anger, that led to South Carolina finally being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century and being forced to do what it should have done long ago.<br />
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“I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you,” a daughter of one victim said. “We have no room for hating, so we have to forgive,” said the sister of another. “I pray God on your soul."</blockquote>
I'm glad they've taken down that rag of bigotry, hate and treason, but Nikki Haley and the government of South Carolina should be apologizing, not celebrating. It's everyone who has had to walk past that flag to do any official business with their state government and everyone everywhere who has chaffed under this symbol of hate who have the right to celebrate. Does the bully deserve a victory lap for finally ceasing to beat on his bloodied victim?<br />
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This certainly has symbolic meaning in the long struggle for civil rights, but corporate pressure can't end bigotry. Legislation can't force attitudes to change. Changing the status quo, however, does lead to real changes over time. Succeeding generations grow up in a South Carolina where official displays of bigotry and oppression are no longer the norm.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">State troopers remove the Confederate battle flag from Statehouse grounds</td></tr>
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Sadly, at the same time Nikki Haley was signing the bill to remove the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina Statehouse grounds, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/gop-house-confederate-flag-cemeteries-119892.html">Republicans in the House of Representatives were refusing to do the same for federal grounds. </a>A full blown fracas ensued in Congress, once again exposing deep divisions in the Republican party.<br />
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The battle was joined Tuesday night, when Democrats offered a series of amendments to prohibit Confederate flags from being displayed at federal cemeteries, and to stop the U.S. Park Service from doing business with enterprises that sell the flags. These flags are typically displayed alongside the centuries-old tombstones of deceased confederate soldiers.<br />
“This House now has an opportunity to add its voice to end the promotion of the cruel, racist legacy of the Confederacy,” California Rep. Jared Huffman said in a floor speech before his initial amendment was adopted Tuesday.<br />
The measures passed by voice vote.</blockquote>
Outraged Southern Republicans shouted their opposition to the voice vote and chaos ensued on the House floor. All or most of the congressional delegations from Texas, Virginia, Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama, as well as majorities of the delegations from other Southern states, demanded that leadership include language protecting the display of the flag. A representative from California, of all places, Rep. Ken Calvert, R-CA, introduced an amendment to overturn the voice vote and allow the display of the flag on federal grounds, specifically federal cemeteries. Stung by immediate and harsh criticism, Calvert, <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ken-calvert-gop-leadership-confederate-flag">issued a statement</a> that blamed GOP leadership, and, of course, President Obama.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rep. Ken Calvert, R-CA</td></tr>
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The amendment offered last night to the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill was brought to me by Leadership at the request of some southern Members of the Republican Caucus. The Leadership amendment would have codified existing National Park Service policy set by the Obama administration. Those Obama administration policies prohibit the sale and display of the Confederate flag on National Park Service properties, except when displayed in a historical or educational context. To be clear, I wholeheartedly support the Park Service's prohibitions regarding the Confederate flag and the amendment did nothing to change these prohibitions.<br />
...<br />
Looking back, I regret not conferring with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, especially my Ranking Member Betty McCollum, prior to offering the Leadership's amendment and fully explaining its intent given the strong feelings Members of the House feel regarding this important and sensitive issue.</blockquote>
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It was yet another embarrassing fiasco for a completely dysfunctional GOP House that can't even control its worst, most extreme members. The Confederate battle flag has been taken down in South Carolina, but it's still being waved by Southern Republicans in Congress.<br />
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In South Carolina, Republicans had used procedural tricks to stop the bill calling for the removal of the flag before finally capitulating and allowing the bill to proceed. There are two Republicans in South Carolina who deserve credit for removing the flag, and neither of them is Nikki Haley. The son of segregationist Strom Thurmond, Senator Paul Thurmond, R-SC, <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/paul-thurmond-confederate-flag">called for the flag to be removed</a> in a moving speech just days after the Charleston massacre.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vK5FXXmpD3k/VaA3e4QZtQI/AAAAAAAAA18/caizEXv9xN0/s1600/paul_thurmond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vK5FXXmpD3k/VaA3e4QZtQI/AAAAAAAAA18/caizEXv9xN0/s400/paul_thurmond.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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“For the life of me, I will never understand how anyone could fight a Civil War based in part on the desire to continue the practice of slavery,” Thurmond said. “Think about it for just a second. Our ancestors were literally fighting to continue to keep human beings as slaves, and continue the unimaginable acts that occur when someone is held against their will. I am not proud of that heritage.”<br />
“Now we have these hate groups and the symbols that they use to remind African-Americans that things haven’t changed and that they are still viewed as less than equal human beings,” Thurmond continued. “Well, let me tell you, things have changed. Overwhelmingly, people are not being raised to hate or to believe that they are superior to others based on the color of their skin.”<br />
...<br />
“I am proud to be on the right side of history regarding the removal of this symbol of racism and bigotry from the Statehouse,” Paul Thurmond said on Tuesday. “But let us not be satisfied to stop there. Justice by halves is not justice. We must take down the Confederate flag and we must take it down now. But if we stop there, we have cheated ourselves out of an opportunity to start a different conversation about healing in our state.”</blockquote>
Despite Thurmond's plea it looked like Republican effort to stop the South Carolina bill, led by Rep. Rick Quinn and Rep. Michael Pitts, the latter adding dozens of amendments to the bill to stymie any possible progress, would succeed. They might have succeeded, had it not been for the amazing, impassioned, emotional <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYz65IYafZA">speech from Republican Jenny Horne</a>, that finally shamed Republicans into allowing the bill to proceed.<br />
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Many people deserve credit for the flag finally being taken down, including Republicans who called for the flags removal and voted for the bill, but Nikki Haley, who only reversed her support for flying the flag when political pressure mounted, isn't one of them.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-71954733663730111812015-06-19T19:02:00.001-05:002015-06-19T19:02:29.889-05:00NRA Board Member Blames Pastor for Charleston Terror Attack!<br />
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I <a href="http://www.everythingpossiblehappens.com/2015/06/right-wing-media-machine-gop.html">wrote at length earlier</a> about the blame the domestic terror attack at the Mother Emmanuel church in Charleston on everything but racism, domestic terrorism and American gun culture. I hope you'll read <a href="http://www.everythingpossiblehappens.com/2015/06/right-wing-media-machine-gop.html">that post</a>. But this response is even worse than those I <a href="http://www.everythingpossiblehappens.com/2015/06/right-wing-media-machine-gop.html">documented and discussed earlier</a>. The word that comes to mind is appalling. Appalling and disgusting. Appalling, disgusting and ghoulish. Even for the NRA <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/06/18/nra-board-member-blames-murdered-reverend-for-d/204057">this is truly appalling, disgusting and ghoulish.</a></div>
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<a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/06/18/nra-board-member-blames-murdered-reverend-for-d/204057">MediaMatters</a> caught a <a href="http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/uploader/image/2015/06/18/cottonnra.png">screenshot</a> of a since deleted post from NRA board member Charles L. Cotten on a message board for Texas gun nuts. Cotton blames Pastor Clementa Pickney for the nine deaths at the hands of white supremacist domestic terrorist Dylann Roof. Speaking about Pinckney, who was also South Carolina State Senator, Cotton wrote...</div>
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And he voted against concealed-carry. Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead. Innocent people died because of his position on a political issue.</blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot of Cotten's post<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> At the bottom of Cotten's post was an image </span>promoting<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> NRA membership. This isn't the first time Cotten has posted something truly appalling. This is the same shitbag who wrote in favor of </span>corporal<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> punishment in public schools...</span></div>
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<div style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: start;">
"I'm sick of this woman and her 'don't touch my kid regardless what he/she did or will do again' attitude, <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Perhaps a good paddling in school may keep me from having to put a bullet in him later," he added."</span></div>
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Cotten has been a NRA board member for a decade. His current term expires in 2017. It's bad enough that these are the sick bastards that make it impossible for America to enact sane gun laws. This kind of rhetoric simply has no place in any civilized society. Sadly, it's the norm for the NRA.</div>
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-61389995660630545952015-06-19T17:41:00.000-05:002015-06-19T17:41:00.782-05:00Right Wing Media Machine, GOP Politicians, Rush To Use Charleston Domestic Terrorism for Partisan Political Gain<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Never
underestimate the lack of class or the pure ghoulishness of the right wing. In
the wake of the race-based domestic terrorism attack at the historic Emanuel
African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina that left nine
dead, right wing media and politicians rushed to use this terrible tragedy for
partisan political gain. There are some common threads to these efforts.
Nowhere is a motive mentioned. There’s no mention of race. The word “terrorism”
is never used. Even the phrase “hate crime” is carefully avoided. Instead, the
attack is blamed on gun free zones, not enough religion, mental illness and
even speculation about psychiatric drugs. And this isn't just the fringe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Just
hours after the attack assumed </span><span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">presidential</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> candidate Rand Paul tried to pander to a group of Evangelicals by
blaming it on,<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/18/rand-blames-charleston-shooting-on-people-not-understanding-where-salvation-comes-from.html"> "...people not understanding where salvation comesfrom."</a></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“We
had a shooting this morning in South Carolina,” Paul said (the shooting
happened last night). “What kind of person goes into church and shoots nine
people? There’s a sickness in our country, there’s something terribly wrong,
but it isn’t going to be fixed by your government. It’s people straying away,
it’s people not understanding where salvation comes from. And I think that if
we understand that, we’ll understand and have better expectations of what we
get from our government.”</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wy25KiNvMIg/VYSZwL7sVfI/AAAAAAAAA0g/lrGb3flNNww/s1600/rand_paul5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wy25KiNvMIg/VYSZwL7sVfI/AAAAAAAAA0g/lrGb3flNNww/s400/rand_paul5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rand Paul, opportunist jackass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Paul’s unabashed opportunism was both clumsy and tasteless, but it also was also far removed from reality. The vast majority of white supremacist terrorists like Dylann Roof are devout evangelical Christians.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kerry Picket, a reporter for Tucker Carlson’s ‘Daily Caller,’ was quick to try to link the attack to Sandy Hook and the Aurora movie theater shooting by chanting the gun nut mantra that the attack <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2015/06/18/charleston-church-massacre-happened-in-gun-free-zone/">occurred in a gun free zone.</a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Charleston, S.C., church massacre is already drawing
comparisons to the tragedies at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Conn., and at
a movie theater in Aurora, Colo. because it happened in a gun-free zone.</div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The
only thing the Charleston attack has in common with Sandy Hook or Aurora is the
use of a gun, but gun nuts blame anything and everything but America’s gun
fetish. Conservatives talk about mental health and lone wolves, even when it’s </span><span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">obviously</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> not the case. This attack wasn’t the work of some random nut going
on a rampage. Dylann Roof is a white supremacist who had a clear motive to
terrorize the African-American community. The attack was well planned. The
target was carefully chosen. Even the pastor,
Clementa Pinckney, who was also a state senator and a rising star in
South Carolina Democratic politics, was specifically targeted.</span></span><br />
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This isn’t the first
race based attack on this church. The iconic Mother Emmanuel, as the church is
known locally, was founded in 1816. It’s the oldest AME church in the South,
with a long history of racial struggle. In 1822, one of the church’s founders,
Denmark Vessey, helped plan what would have been the largest slave revolt in US
history, had it not been discovered beforehand. Vessey and five co-conspirators
were hanged and the church was burned to the ground by an angry mob of whites.
Charleston later passed a law banning black churches, because they were hotbeds
of abolitionist activism. Members of Mother Emmanuel met in secret until the
church could be rebuilt after the Civil War. Booker T. Washington spoke at
Mother Emmanuel, as did Martin Luther King. The church was at the forefront of
the fight against slavery and later the struggle for civil rights, and is still
a focal point for the African-American community in Charleston and beyond. But to hear conservative politicians and the
right wing media machine tell it, this was anything but a well planned
terrorist attack by a white supremacist.</div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Breitbart chose to quote current GOP Rep. and former
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, claiming that this attack is <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/06/18/rep-sanford-charleston-shooting-an-outlier/">just an“outlier,” and out of character for Charleston and South Carolina</a>.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
"This is out of character for Charleston, for South
Carolina. It does not make sense. It is an outlier."</div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Here
in the real world this is completely in character for Charleston and South
Carolina, but Sanford is infamous for having only a loose connection to the
real world. He’s best known for disappearing from office for five days without
a word, then</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">lying about “hiking the
Appalachian trail” when he was actually holed up in South America with a woman
not his wife.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1iNscz95es/VYSQp4n_ZYI/AAAAAAAAAy8/5daJDYLnGEM/s1600/roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1iNscz95es/VYSQp4n_ZYI/AAAAAAAAAy8/5daJDYLnGEM/s400/roof.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dylann Roof posing with his "Confederate States" license plate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Charleston is a city with a long and troubled history of racial
strife in a state that has always been a flash point for virulent racism. Specifically
citing protection for the institution of slavery as the primary motive, South
Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. The first shots of the
Civil War were fired by Confederate troops on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.
The Confederate battle flag, the same symbol of racial hate emblazoned on
Dylann Roof’s “Confederate States” license plates), which still flies today at the
Confederate Soldier Monument, directly in front of the South Carolina
Statehouse in Columbia. South Carolina
today is at the very heart of the white supremacist movement in the United
States.<br />
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YpL9s4SJQMg/VYSQyVRJOCI/AAAAAAAAAzE/Hek9AcHnUVQ/s1600/Confederate_Flag_and_Soldier_Monument_2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YpL9s4SJQMg/VYSQyVRJOCI/AAAAAAAAAzE/Hek9AcHnUVQ/s400/Confederate_Flag_and_Soldier_Monument_2007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Confederate battle flag and Soldier Monument at the South Carolina Capitol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s
a poignant irony that the Confederate battle flag, alongside the seven star
flag of the Confederacy still flies from very near to Mother Emmanuel at Castle
Pickney, a Civil War era fort in Charleston Harbor close to Fort Sumpter.
Castle Pickney was named for Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a slave holder and
signer of the Declaration of Independence. Clementa Pinckney was a </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6666660308838px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">descendant</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> of those slaves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yU0mEtTGPms/VYSUHYGvMnI/AAAAAAAAAzY/vmQFHhhRcks/s1600/pickney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yU0mEtTGPms/VYSUHYGvMnI/AAAAAAAAAzY/vmQFHhhRcks/s400/pickney.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confederate flags flying alongside the American flag at Castle Pickney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For its part, leader of the right wing media machine Fox
News has avoided any mention of domestic terrorism and has struggled mightily
to avoid “hate crime” and “racism” as much as is possible, only briefly
mentioning that the Justice Department has opened a hate crime investigation. Fox
and Friends set the spin machine in motion the morning after the shooting by
claiming it wasn’t a hate crime (no mention of terrorism), but an attack on
Christianity. Co-host Steve Doocy stated, <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/06/18/foxs-steve-doocy-its-extraordinary-that-charles/204043">“It's extraordinary that Charlestonchurch shooting is being called a hate crime.” </a>What’s extraordinary is that a
man this stupid can anchor a show on a supposed leading news network. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Strangely, on his radio show Rush Limbaugh was one of the
few voices on the right to clearly label the attack as terrorism. On his radio
show he said, "Keep in mind, there are more people dead, this church in
Charleston, South Carolina, than in the Boston bombing. I'm just trying to draw a comparison here. It's real terrorism, if you want to look at
it."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rush’s moment of clarity didn’t last long. He quickly
pivoted to blaming Barack Obama for supposedly politicizing the tragedy by
pointing out the fact that these kinds of mass killing killings don’t happen in
other advanced nations, where not any nut can walk into a store at any time and
buy as many guns as he wants. In the Wingnutosphere, mentioning gun violence
after yet another incidence of gun violence is unseemly and inappropriate,
because, as Saint Ronald of Reagan said, “Facts are stupid things.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPU8KMcV2fk/VYSVS-Pe_II/AAAAAAAAAzk/LELrtFbgzg4/s1600/Reagan_Facts_Stupid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPU8KMcV2fk/VYSVS-Pe_II/AAAAAAAAAzk/LELrtFbgzg4/s400/Reagan_Facts_Stupid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Out of all of the opportunistic attempts in the
Wingnutosphere to use a tragedy to try to score political points, perhaps the
most tasteless, most tone deaf effort comes from the National Review, the publication
once considered to be the intellectual foundation of conservatism. Mona Charen attacks Democrats for
politicizing this tragedy by pre-emptively politicizing this tragedy. She only
briefly mentions the facts of the case before spending the bulk of her column
<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/419980/awaiting-politicization-horrorific-murders-mona-charen">attacking Democrats, Al Gore, the NAACP, the daughter of James Byrd, who wasdragged to death in Jasper, Texas, and, of course, Hillary Clinton.</a> Presumably
she simply forgot to include the ACLU, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Martin
Luther King.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Democrats have often used attacks on African Americans not
just as opportunities to express their horror at racism or violence, but also
to imply that Republicans secretly approve of racism. Al Gore did this in 2000.<br />
...<br />
But in 2000, to support Al Gore’s campaign, the NAACP ran ads featuring the
voice of Renee Mullins, James Byrd’s daughter. <br />
...<br />
The point of the ad was not to argue the merits or demerits of hate crime laws,
it was to reach down into voters’ psyches and squeeze the chords of resentment
and rage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hillary Clinton has already dealt this card with her
announcement speech urging that Republicans are trying to prevent African
Americans from voting. I very much fear that in short order, last night’s
horrible massacre in Charleston will be deployed for the lowest kind of
divisive politics.</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The
sheer scope of the irony here is truly stunning. What, if not deploying the
lowest kind of divisive politics, is Charen doing with this post? She’s not
responding to anything anyone has actually said about this tragedy. She’s just
trotting some favorite conservative shibboleths to attack liberals for
something no one has done. This post perfectly sums up the very heart of modern
conservatism. It’s no longer about ideology. The defining characteristic of
American conservatism is paranoia. Fear, real or imagined, has become the
driving force. Fear of Muslims. Fear of Hispanics. Fear of African-Americans,
and especially young African-American males. Fear of gays. Fear of Ebola. Fear that “their”
country is changing and there’s nothing they can do about it. Invading Iraq, a
country that had neither attacked the United States in the past nor had the
capability to attack us, is the multi-trillion dollar proof of this fear made
manifest. Bush and the neo-cons chose to believe the lies fed to them by a
single source with no credibility because those lies fit their fears. This
justified in their own minds telling even larger lies to the American people,
who they needed to be as afraid as they were.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-loZoJ-eRfzA/VYSWjl7v-tI/AAAAAAAAAz0/d7UjGmSicok/s1600/fear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-loZoJ-eRfzA/VYSWjl7v-tI/AAAAAAAAAz0/d7UjGmSicok/s400/fear.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irrational conservative fear on display</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">It
is this underlying fear that causes conservatives to so often lash out in ways
that are breathtakingly inappropriate, even in the face of a terrible tragedy
like what happened at the Mother Emmanuel church. The people who were inside
that church when Dylann Roof opened fire know the real meaning of fear. Even in
the face of that fear, the kind of sheer terror most of us will never know, Clementa
Pinckney, the church’s pastor, a state senator carrying the name of a man who
signed the Declaration of Independence, a forty-one year old married man with
two children, tried to calmly talk Roof out of it right up to the moment he was
shot dead. Conservatives could learn a thing or two about true fear, and true
courage in the face of fear from Clementa Pinckney. We all could.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1UkfCgOqRcc/VYSXIlV2XaI/AAAAAAAAAz8/q3-X3FU356A/s1600/c_pickney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1UkfCgOqRcc/VYSXIlV2XaI/AAAAAAAAAz8/q3-X3FU356A/s640/c_pickney.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Clementa Pickney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V5J7ds-AAfA/VYSXnDEDtxI/AAAAAAAAA0M/V0XOs99Vw90/s1600/150619065558-charleston-shooting-victims-pereira-dnt-newday-00002121-large-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V5J7ds-AAfA/VYSXnDEDtxI/AAAAAAAAA0M/V0XOs99Vw90/s640/150619065558-charleston-shooting-victims-pereira-dnt-newday-00002121-large-169.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nine killed inside Mother Emmanuel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-31275970533147383602015-05-02T19:29:00.002-05:002015-05-15T21:07:31.762-05:00One Night With B.B. King Cost Me $14,000, and Was Worth Every Penny<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UPDATE: Since I posted this a short while ago B.B. King <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/b-b-king-blues-legend-dead-at-89-20150515">has passed away</a>. I first met B.B. King almost 30 years ago. Here's the story of one night I got to spend with the man...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_4Sin3JNWPw/VUVksxGLf9I/AAAAAAAAAwk/NT0D14z3Vuk/s1600/king2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_4Sin3JNWPw/VUVksxGLf9I/AAAAAAAAAwk/NT0D14z3Vuk/s1600/king2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">There's been some
confusion, so to set the record straight, no, B.B. King is not dead. Soul
legend Ben E. King died at 76 on the same day that 89 year old blues legend
B.B. King announced on his website that he was in Hospice care at his home in
Las Vegas.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CJ_vv0dcmvg/VUVlAjpZwvI/AAAAAAAAAww/7_-VZQwPHew/s1600/Ben_E_King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CJ_vv0dcmvg/VUVlAjpZwvI/AAAAAAAAAww/7_-VZQwPHew/s1600/Ben_E_King.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soul legend Ben E. King</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">B, as his friends and
family know Riley B. King, was first diagnosed with Type II diabetes almost
three decades ago, after he was found in his Rolls on the side of the road in
Vegas in a coma. There were premature reports of his death then, too. I know
all too well. I co-promoted his very first show back after recovering, 'Love
Comes to Town: A Blues Benefit for the Homeless' at Michigan State University
in East Lansing. It was also the first show in 40 years of touring where he sat
down. Sitting down, talking to the audience and playing a few songs without his
fantastic orchestra became a regular part of his show from then on. It was a
brilliant show. B.B. never sounded better. Everything that night went off
without a hitch, but that was far from the case for everything that had come
before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECl1-CEcnAQ/VUVx7BvQ8cI/AAAAAAAAAyA/BT2hb8337l0/s1600/bb_me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECl1-CEcnAQ/VUVx7BvQ8cI/AAAAAAAAAyA/BT2hb8337l0/s1600/bb_me.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Me with Kenny Kinsey, Ralph Kinsey, BB King,Lester"Big Daddy" Kinsey, Donald Kinsey and Ron Prince</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">From the beginning we
had problems. The first problem was the university missed the ticket release
date by almost two weeks. It was during this delay that we encountered the
second problem: B.B. King's health problems. Because he was initially
hospitalized in a coma, premature reports of his death were flying. Some
newspapers ran their canned B.B. King obits and radio stations paid homage with
special B.B. King programming. Early ticket sales were disappointing, to say
the least. Who buys a relatively high dollar ticket to see a dead guy? It
didn't help that his management cancelled six weeks worth of shows, every
single show right up to ours.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7tv_otdyno/VUVl__-sHsI/AAAAAAAAAw8/CkuBvUr8hKA/s1600/bb_u2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7tv_otdyno/VUVl__-sHsI/AAAAAAAAAw8/CkuBvUr8hKA/s1600/bb_u2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B.B. King with U2 at Sun Studio during the recording of 'When Love Comes to Town'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">Traditionally blues
shows do bigger walk-up business than other genres, so we were still optimistic
that with a strong promotional effort we could sell out the house. B.B was
touring on the strength of, ‘When Love Comes to Town,’ recorded at Sun Studios
with U2. The single hit number 2 on the US charts. Plus, B.B. King had always
done well in Lansing. With the right promotion we hoped we could get his
long-time fans to drive the few miles to East Lansing. We hit the barbershops,
community papers and community radio stations in the African-American
neighborhoods of Lansing and also promoted heavily on classic rock radio,
around East Lansing and on campus. Then we were hit with the knockout punch.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kBX7344RAI/VUVnekPQ-9I/AAAAAAAAAxE/r_G1GcF2At0/s1600/nba_u_magic11_576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kBX7344RAI/VUVnekPQ-9I/AAAAAAAAAxE/r_G1GcF2At0/s1600/nba_u_magic11_576.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magic Johnson drives on Isaiah Thomas </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">here was no way to know
it in advance, but show night turned out to be the same night as Game 7 of the
NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles. The Pistons, only
75 miles down the road, had a rabid local following. Compounding the problem,
the Lakers were led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who was not only a Lansing
native, he had taken Michigan State to the NCAA Finals, where MSU beat Indiana
State, led by another future Hall of Famer, Larry Bird. Magic was more than
just a local sports hero. He was THE sports hero.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CVTszG5tVNQ/VUVoekH1NgI/AAAAAAAAAxU/ligCncQqmhM/s1600/20-magic-johnson-larry-bird-ncaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CVTszG5tVNQ/VUVoekH1NgI/AAAAAAAAAxU/ligCncQqmhM/s1600/20-magic-johnson-larry-bird-ncaa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magic John and Larry Bird, 1979 NCAA Final</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">The crossover between our audience and the audience of the game was too much to
overcome. We sold about half of the tickets we had expected to sell. Any one of
the problems we could have overcome. Maybe even two. But this was a perfect
storm of promoter's nightmares. After expenses, including a guaranteed donation
to a homeless services agency, we lost just over $14,000 on the show.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Shortly before he went on B.B. sought me out backstage. There was no way to
hide the fact that half of the seats were empty. Or to hide my disappointment.
He put an arm around me and pulled me in close for a hug and said, “Sometimes
things just don’t work out. Don’t let it get you down. This </span><span style="font-size: 15.3333330154419px;">isn't</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"> your fault.
It’s just one of those things. What you’re doing here is a beautiful thing.
Keep the faith.” It mean the world to me at the time and still does.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEmqWRLbIUk/VUVpLHBKahI/AAAAAAAAAxc/nNnK8HINt_M/s1600/BBKing_02092010_7670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DEmqWRLbIUk/VUVpLHBKahI/AAAAAAAAAxc/nNnK8HINt_M/s1600/BBKing_02092010_7670.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">I've known B.B. King for
many years. We aren't friends; we had a business relationship, but he treats
everyone he meets as a friend and I’ll always think of him as a friend. He’s a
very humble man. He always has a kind word. He is one of the most giving
artists I've ever met, and one of the most giving human beings. He played 150
or more shows every year for nearly seven decades, a touring career unmatched
by any other artist. Even in his senior years he would stay after a two hour
show for hours more to talk with fans and sign autographs, despite being
physically exhausted and often having a show hundreds of miles away by bus the
next night.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-01Y6dNDL2zg/VUVqdfoNJyI/AAAAAAAAAxo/X9Zm7FHM26E/s1600/bb_auto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-01Y6dNDL2zg/VUVqdfoNJyI/AAAAAAAAAxo/X9Zm7FHM26E/s1600/bb_auto.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B.B. King greeting fans and signing autographs after a show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I'll cherish every
moment I was lucky enough to spend with this great man. He's far outlived any
expectations, and he's lived a life as full as full can be doing the thing he
loves the most and bringing joy to millions doing it. B.B King is not going to
recover this time. He hasn't left us yet, but this is the last chapter of an
amazing life. That's what Hospice care means. But instead of being sad about
this, celebrate the life, the art and the humanity of Riley "Blues
Boy" King, the true King of the Blues. I guarantee you, that's how B would
want it.</span></div>
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<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t3qLYUNhTqY/VUVrTgCu8UI/AAAAAAAAAxw/mnMkY-Q_ahc/s1600/BB-portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t3qLYUNhTqY/VUVrTgCu8UI/AAAAAAAAAxw/mnMkY-Q_ahc/s1600/BB-portrait.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-40277765850466364802015-05-02T18:38:00.004-05:002015-06-02T16:23:38.536-05:00Bernie's Run Is Good for Democrats and Good for Hillary Clinton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BbXcStl6uSE/VUVbCWU4wSI/AAAAAAAAAvU/MYLdDdQ_QdI/s1600/sanders_for_prz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BbXcStl6uSE/VUVbCWU4wSI/AAAAAAAAAvU/MYLdDdQ_QdI/s1600/sanders_for_prz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bernie Sanders has officially announced his candidacy for
the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. What chance does he have to
actually win the nomination? None, and he knows it. So, why is he running and
is it ultimately good for the Democratic Party?</div>
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<br /></div>
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The only other announced candidate so far, Hillary Clinton,
begins her 2016 campaign with $229 million in cash left over from her 2008
campaign. There are no FEC reports on 2016 fundraising yet, but she's projected
to raise an additional $30 million in the weeks after her announcement. Unlike
2008, where she asked large donors to max out their contributions during the
brutal race for the Democratic presidential nomination against Barack Obama,
this time she's asking donors to hold back half of the legal maximum to be
spent on the general election. Democratic super PACs, most expected to back
Clinton, have half a billion dollars to spend, and this is just the cash on
hand. The Clinton campaign and Democratic super PACs together are projected to
raise as much a staggering $2 billion during the long campaign season.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nsOaxEXRlv4/VUVbbgRTVRI/AAAAAAAAAvc/COeDrwILGXY/s1600/cash.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nsOaxEXRlv4/VUVbbgRTVRI/AAAAAAAAAvc/COeDrwILGXY/s1600/cash.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Bernie Sanders has no banked campaign cash to spend. In an
appearance on MSNBC today Sanders told Ed Shultz that he's raised around
$500,000 via his website. Put in perspective, Hillary Clinton has 458 times as
much cash on hand as does Bernie Sanders, and that's not counting super PAC
money that’s likely to flow in her direction. While Bernie Sanders has run
successful campaigns on a shoestring before, first for mayor of Burlington,
Vermont, then for the House and finally for the Senate, each time besting a
well funded opponent with strong major party support, a national campaign is a
very different animal. Vermont is one of the smallest sates in the country.
It's possible to drive anywhere in the state in no more than a couple of hours
and on less than one tank of gas. With a
small population in a small state, what a candidate lacks in cash can be made
up by grass-roots organization and pressing the flesh. Put simply, Bernie
Sanders does not now and will not have the cash to mount a serious challenge,
and he said as much today.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The other problem Bernie faces is meeting the bar for entry
to the Democratic presidential debates. The DNC has yet to announce the
criteria for candidates to make the cut this cycle, but it generally involves
being on the ballot in enough states to mathematically win the nomination as
well as having a specific percentage of support according to an average of the
polling. Because Hillary Clinton is far ahead in terms of cash and support, and
because the DNC has lined up behind Hillary, it's likely she will have quite a
bit of influence over the ultimate form of the debates. Another problem for
Bernie Sanders is that unlike 2008, when the debates began in the Spring, this
time around the DNC plans on waiting until mid-September to mount the first
debate. Given his lack of cash and relatively weak support, it’s likely that Bernie
Sanders will not be able to last until the Fall.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
All of this puts the DNC into something of a debate
quandary. If there's only one serious candidate, there may be no contested
debates at all. This would not be good for the party or for Hillary Clinton.
Debates provide for a way to inject important and controversial issues into the
political discussion which might otherwise be avoided. They also provide an
important way for voters to get to know the candidates as human beings. This is
particularly important for Hillary Clinton, who's running a campaign that's
more personal, stressing that she's a mother and a grandmother, and well to the left of her 2008 campaign.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uTOzWZICT3U/VUVcz8wkKGI/AAAAAAAAAvw/qb1vcPD8_Eo/s1600/hillary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uTOzWZICT3U/VUVcz8wkKGI/AAAAAAAAAvw/qb1vcPD8_Eo/s1600/hillary.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bernie Sanders knows full well that he has no chance at the
nomination, or, for that matter, a spot on the ticket. For one thing, he's not
really a Democrat. He's officially an independent, though he caucuses with Democrats
in the Senate. He describes himself as a "democratic socialist."
America is not ready to elect a self declared socialist now and may never be.
No candidate can win a national election without winning a majority of moderate
voters, and to the voters in the "squishy middle, just the term
"socialism" is anathema, even though they may support policies that are
essentially socialist.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LL3EC0NE7KA/VUVc7wCKQbI/AAAAAAAAAv8/4FE3GJhvOlg/s1600/SocialistUtopia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LL3EC0NE7KA/VUVc7wCKQbI/AAAAAAAAAv8/4FE3GJhvOlg/s1600/SocialistUtopia.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bernie Sanders is running to move the party discussion to
the left. He wants to make sure his the issues most important to him - economic
fairness, reigning in corporations and reducing the influence of the
ultra-rich, addressing climate change and a building a better social safety net
- are taken seriously. With almost no money to travel or buy TV ads, the
debates would provide the best way for him to do this, but if there are no
debates, or he's gone by debate time, he can't achieve this goal. It's a
problem for the candidates and the party.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One solution would be to allow Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well
other high profile Democrats who may wish to participate, to champion their
issues in a casual open forum format rather than a formal debate, with Hillary
listening and then responding to all of them. This kind of soft debate would go
a long way in bringing progressives disaffected by Hillary Clinton on board and
energizing them to work on her behalf and ultimately to turn out and vote.</div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uclH__UfqT0/VUVdpmYSMZI/AAAAAAAAAwA/j1oA0VYhnNQ/s1600/democrats_3256384b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uclH__UfqT0/VUVdpmYSMZI/AAAAAAAAAwA/j1oA0VYhnNQ/s1600/democrats_3256384b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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Something along these lines would not only solve the DNC's
dliemma, it would give Bernie Sanders a high profile platform to speak about
the issues most important to him without having to raise impossibly high mountains
of money. Inviting Elizabeth Warren, who's repeatedly said she’s not running,
to participate as well would also go a long way towards wooing disaffected
progressives back into the Democratic fold by showing that Hillary is
sympathetic to progressive issues and has the support of progressive champions.
Other candidates of high profile Democrats could participate as well, even if
Hillary has sucked all of the oxygen out of the room in terms of fund-raising
and popular support. The progressive vote and the youth vote were both vital to
Barack Obama's wins in 2008 and 2012 and it will be vital again in 2016.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pmjd-327r40/VUVeFTftCcI/AAAAAAAAAwM/TmOzqiF6Wrg/s1600/youth_vote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Pmjd-327r40/VUVeFTftCcI/AAAAAAAAAwM/TmOzqiF6Wrg/s1600/youth_vote.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The biggest strategic concern about a Sanders run is that it
will fragment the party. We're already seeing signs of this on social media,
where there's been much unfriending and unfollowing. There have been strident,
passionate clashes between progressives supporting Sanders and liberals
supporting Hillary. Hillary Clinton graciously welcomed Bernie Sanders to the
race after his announcement. Bernie Sanders has nothing but nice things to say
about Hillary Clinton. It does not appear likely that we will see a repeat of
the kind of knock-down, drag-out primary season we saw in 2008. If the two
campaigns maintain a positive tone towards each other, the rifts can be healed
by November of 2016. In the end, the presence of Bernie Sanders in the race is
a good thing for the small "D" democratic process as well as the
Democratic Party and its ultimate nominee, whoever she may be.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AVS6p_2oIO4/VUVexhzMx5I/AAAAAAAAAwU/4Vhl3YlvxLo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AVS6p_2oIO4/VUVexhzMx5I/AAAAAAAAAwU/4Vhl3YlvxLo/s1600/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-85527219596809887432015-04-25T16:31:00.000-05:002015-04-25T16:31:38.641-05:00Hillary Clinton Should Pick One of the Castro Brothers as a Running Mate and Do It Now (Plus which one she should pick)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JSWZN-NTllE/VTq_lq_RQ2I/AAAAAAAAAs0/0ze9HNsTKZg/s1600/header_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JSWZN-NTllE/VTq_lq_RQ2I/AAAAAAAAAs0/0ze9HNsTKZg/s1600/header_image.jpg" height="264" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
Joaquín Castro, Hillary Clinton and Julián Castro</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Candidates typically don't announce their choice of running
mate until just before or at the party convention, but here are six reasons
Hillary Clinton should pick one of the Castro brothers and do it now. Let's
game this out, but first, a little background on the Castro brothers.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joaquín and Julián Castro are 41 year old twin brothers from
San Antonio, Texas and rising stars in the Democratic Party. They are both
highly accomplished and have compelling stories. The twins were raised by their
mother, Rosie Castro, who was active in the Chicano Movement and helped to
found the La Raza Unida political party. They credit their mother for inspiring
their interest in political careers.<br />
<br />
The twins attended Stanford together, where they both served in the student
senate, tying for the most votes of any candidate. Both earned B.S. degrees in
two majors, political science and communications. Both went to Harvard Law
School, where they both earned Juris Doctorate degrees. After Harvard both
joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a prestigious international law firm
anchored in Washington D.C with offices all over the country and around the world.
They left Akin Gump to form their own law firm. Both then entered into politics.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qsE2IOHoP6U/VTrBaNbegOI/AAAAAAAAAtA/mLDNfUF5ZoU/s1600/Castrosblog_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qsE2IOHoP6U/VTrBaNbegOI/AAAAAAAAAtA/mLDNfUF5ZoU/s1600/Castrosblog_crop.jpg" height="640" width="513" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Joaquín
and Julián Castro </span></td></tr>
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Joaquín Castro is currently a member of the U.S House of
Representatives, where he represents Texas' 20th Congressional District. He
serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Before that he spent ten years in the Texas House of Representatives, where he
co-chaired the Committee on Higher Education and served on the committees for
County Affairs, Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence and Oversight of Higher
Education Governance & Transparency. </div>
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<br />
Julián Castro is currently serving in Barack Obama’s Cabinet as the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development. In 2001 he was elected to the San Antonio
City Council, at 26 the youngest person ever elected to the Council. In 2009 he
was elected Mayor of San Antonio, the seventh largest city in the United States
with a population of about 1.5 million. In 2013 he won his third term as Mayor.
In July of 2014 he resigned as Mayor to take his current position in the
Cabinet.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfA2JFGW3t0/VTrRRgGKcvI/AAAAAAAAAuw/pxQ3x5xRfu0/s1600/julian_castro_padres_ap2_978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfA2JFGW3t0/VTrRRgGKcvI/AAAAAAAAAuw/pxQ3x5xRfu0/s1600/julian_castro_padres_ap2_978.jpg" height="620" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julián Castro throws a first pitch strike at a Texas Rangers game</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The brothers came to the attention of a national audience in 2012, when Joaquín
introduced his brother at the Democratic National Convention. Julián delivered
the keynote address at the convention, an honor reserved for the best and
brightest rising stars in the party. In 2004 a little known first term Senator
from Illinois, Barack Obama, delivered the keynote address.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, why should Hillary Clinton pick one of these brothers,
why should she do it now and which one should she pick?<br />
<br />
1. Picking one of the Castro brothers as her running mate and announcing it now
would essentially put an end to the race for the Democratic nomination. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, the primary process is an excellent way to season a
candidate and a campaign, but Hillary Clinton has been here before. The
beginning of her 2016 race shows she learned a great deal from her unsuccessful
run in 2008 and from her two successful Senate campaigns in New York.<br />
<br />
In 2008 Clinton’s campaign tried to exude an air of inevitability, but the
party was badly fractured. Most of the power players in the party lined up
behind Clinton, but the Democratic National Committee, headed by Howard Dean, who made a splash in the 2004 primaries, supported Barack Obama. Obama had adopted Dean’s 50 state strategy of contesting every race in every state. He implemented this strategy by focusing on the ground game, especially in smaller states the higher profile
campaigns mostly ignored. He concentrated on generating interest with
younger voters and used his ground game to push them to participate in
primaries and caucuses, which they did in record numbers.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGDkQUirULs/VTrK7YB420I/AAAAAAAAAuI/CYoOc2dyoEA/s1600/dean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGDkQUirULs/VTrK7YB420I/AAAAAAAAAuI/CYoOc2dyoEA/s1600/dean.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Howard Dean announcing his run for the 2004 Democratic </span>nomination</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It wasn't just the party that was fractured. Deep divisions existed inside of
Hillary Clinton’s campaign. These divisions began to leak into the press in the
form of bad mouthing and back stabbing, always on background. Clinton herself
shifted from trying to remain above the fray to aggressively attacking Obama,
who was steadily gaining ground. What was supposed to be a coronation turned
into a death match. The deciding factor turned out to be the overall message of
the two campaigns. While Clinton emphasized experience and expertise, Barack
Obama’s message was hope and change. After eight years of George Bush, Obama’s
message resonated with the party base and the electorate in general.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GqUZT_SzgwM/VTrOO49a1-I/AAAAAAAAAuU/NYHBCu-_f6w/s1600/obama_hope_progress_change.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GqUZT_SzgwM/VTrOO49a1-I/AAAAAAAAAuU/NYHBCu-_f6w/s1600/obama_hope_progress_change.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The other common argument in favor of an extended primary
process is it allows issues important to the base that might not otherwise get
a hearing to come out. The first few days of Hillary Clinton’s campaign show
that not only has she learned from her campaign missteps in 2008, she’s also
moved to the left with a much more populist, progressive message. In 2008 she
delivered anodyne, centrist speeches. She didn't take chances. She never veered
from the centrist path.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In her fist day on the trail in this time around she
lamented the CEO/worker pay gap and crushing student debt, echoing Obama’s call
for free community college for everyone. She called for an end to
“unaccountable money” in the political system, even if it took a constitutional
amendment to overturn Citizens United. She also called on the Supreme Court to
give constitutional protection to same sex marriages. Someone just reading the
transcripts might think it was Elizabeth Warren speaking.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-01mzQFMe2OE/VTrO23o-A_I/AAAAAAAAAuc/5LduG5l3vR8/s1600/ceo_worker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-01mzQFMe2OE/VTrO23o-A_I/AAAAAAAAAuc/5LduG5l3vR8/s1600/ceo_worker.png" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Nowhere is the difference in Hillary 2008 and Hillary 2016 more readily apparent
than in the video announcements of her candidacy. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPMhQmHFXAw">2008 announcement video</a> was all Hillary
Clinton speaking straight into the camera while delivering the kind of inoffensive
fodder that all but screamed, “It’s my time!”</div>
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<br /></div>
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We don’t even see Hillary in her
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N708P-A45D0">2016 announcement</a> until a minute and a half into the two minute video. Instead,
we see a diverse group of people, young, old, singles, couples, white black, Asian,
Hispanic, same sex couples, all talking about transitions in their own
lives. Hillary hits some populist notes
then says she’s getting ready to do something, too. She’s running for
president, “Because it’s your time.” The contrast from the 2008 video couldn't
be more stark.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Hillary Clinton is as seasoned a campaigner as she’ll ever
be. On the issues she was always well to the left of Bill, and now she’s not
afraid to show it. She obviously took her meeting with Elizabeth Warren
seriously, and she’s carrying populist, progressive messages into this race.
Speaking of progressives, right now many on the left flank are not happy with
the prospect of Hillary Clinton as the nominee. The sooner she can essentially
end the race, the sooner she can begin to work on party unity and work to win
over progressive voters, with the help of progressive standard bearers like
Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who are sure to support her in the end.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6IpVHwGkyaA/VTrCUFuYyPI/AAAAAAAAAtM/8npcrSarYC4/s1600/bern_liz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6IpVHwGkyaA/VTrCUFuYyPI/AAAAAAAAAtM/8npcrSarYC4/s1600/bern_liz.jpg" height="405" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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From a logistical point of view, the race is already over. The days of raising
a few million dollars and hand-shaking through the primaries hoping to catch
fire and attract donors are over. In a
post Citizens United world, it takes huge piles of cash to compete. Hillary
Clinton campaign projects raising $2 billion. No other prospective candidate
can come close to this staggering figure. In the post Citizen’s United days,
any candidate can stick it out if they have their own billionaire, but so far
none of the other Democratic hopefuls have landed a whale. From a purely
monetary point of view, no one else can last beyond Iowa and New Hampshire in
late January or at the longest, South Carolina in mid-February.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This raises a problem. With the race all but over now, and almost
surely over by mid-February, there will be no one left for Hillary to debate.
My suggestion would be to do debates, but focus them on the issues, not the
candidates. Allow Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and any other high
profile Democrat who wishes to participate, to champion their issues in a
casual open forum format, rather than a formal debate format, with Hillary
listening and then responding to all of them. This kind of soft debate would go
a long way in bringing disaffected progressives on board and energizing them to
participate.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
2. The GOP is already saying, “She’s old.” She can blunt this attack with
someone young on the ticket.<br />
<br />
In Marco Rubio’s speech announcing his campaign for the GOP nomination, he made
references to Hillary Clinton’s age <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/all-the-times-rubio-called-hillary-old-in-his-campaign-announcement/">more than a dozen times</a>.
Even the theme of his campaign, A New American Century, (this despite the fact
that the new American century began 15 years ago) was a jibe at Hillary
Clinton. Because subtlety is often lost
on Republican voters, he came right out and said, “Just yesterday a leader from
yesterday began a campaign for president by promising to take us back to
yesterday.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LV_gmUWq72M/VTrCmOaoDXI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/7F7SEjQwbzQ/s1600/rubio_water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LV_gmUWq72M/VTrCmOaoDXI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/7F7SEjQwbzQ/s1600/rubio_water.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marco Rubio's infamous water bottle moment while,delivering the GOP Response to Barack Obama's State of the Union speech</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Rubio was the first candidate to embrace what has so far been a smear campaign
championed mostly by the right wing noise machine. Obviously one of the major
lines of attack against Hillary Clinton will be, “She’s old,” but only because,
“She has a vagina,” sounds worse. This line of attack might seem strange coming
from the party that elected Reagan, who was also 68, and nominated John McCain,
who was 72, but consistency, like subtlety, has never been a conservative
strong point.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r-zntXVZ7c0/VTrQQiC-DLI/AAAAAAAAAuo/MoFt9x89LpM/s1600/clinton_old.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r-zntXVZ7c0/VTrQQiC-DLI/AAAAAAAAAuo/MoFt9x89LpM/s1600/clinton_old.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photoshopped images of Hillary Clinton abound in the Wingnutosphere- "She's Old" has now leaked into mainstream GOP candidate talking points</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The easiest way to blunt this attack is to balance the ticket with someone
young. The GOP did it in 2008, though the VP nominee they picked had the
qualifications of a boiled cabbage. But at 44, she was young and attractive and
it did at least temporarily revive a campaign that was covered in cobwebs. Not
only are the Castros young and attractive, unlike Sarah Palin they’re also
highly intelligent and highly accomplished and they can speak in complete
sentences</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. The Hispanic vote.<br />
<br />
Barack Obama won 63% of the Hispanic vote in the last election. The GOP knows
they need to increase their share of this important demographic if they are to
have a chance to win in 2016. Marco Rubio may not be able to win the
nomination, but he does have a very good chance of landing the second spot on
the ticket, even if Jeb Bush, also from Florida, is the nominee. Under normal
circumstance you’d never see both nominees come from the same state, but the
only other Hispanic the GOP has on tap is Ted Cruz, and it’s highly unlikely
that Jeb Bush, or anyone else but Ted Cruz, would run with Ted Cruz. Also,
polls show that Jeb might not be able to deliver Florida on his own. Rubio
would go a long way towards winning a big state that has been a linchpin of
recent elections.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZbarKsM4nQ/VTrDPgdFyJI/AAAAAAAAAtY/9giWpUKZ90Q/s1600/rubio_bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZbarKsM4nQ/VTrDPgdFyJI/AAAAAAAAAtY/9giWpUKZ90Q/s1600/rubio_bush.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Bush/Rubio ticket is a real possibility</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Putting Joaquín or Julián Castro on the ticket would assure
Democrats not only getting at least the 63% of the Hispanic vote they got last
time, and probably more, it would increase turnout among Hispanics, meaning
more Hispanic votes overall. This would make the math for a GOP path to the
White House very difficult. It would also accomplish something else, which may
be the best reason of all, especially for those of us who live in Texas and
long for the day the Lone Star State turns blue.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. It would put Texas in play. Yes, Texas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No Democratic presidential candidate has won Texas since
Jimmy Carter in 1976. No Democrat has been elected to a state-wide office in
Texas since 1994. This is the longest Democratic dry spell in any state, ever.
The latest polls in the state show Hillary Clinton doing surprisingly well. In
head to head match-ups against the top GOP contenders she <a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_TX_417.pdf">gets 40-44% of the vote</a>. Add
one of the Castro brothers to the ticket and it might provide enough of a spark
for Hillary Clinton to win Texas, and with it 38 electoral votes the GOP simply
cannot afford to lose.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKJhQESXn8M/VTrDvRKDn9I/AAAAAAAAAtg/evl2lsUxY4g/s1600/blue_tex.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKJhQESXn8M/VTrDvRKDn9I/AAAAAAAAAtg/evl2lsUxY4g/s1600/blue_tex.jpeg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Adding Joaquín or Julián Castro to the ticket would energize Texas Hispanics to
register and vote in record numbers. It would also pry away some older, more
conservative Hispanics who have been voting Republican. Finally, it would
energize younger voters to register and turn out in record
numbers. The combination of these three factors just might be enough to get
Hillary Clinton over the hump. Winning Texas would be a stunning achievement,
but with the help of the Castro brothers she just might be able to pull it off.
At the very least, it would force the GOP to use precious resources in the form
of candidate time and mountains of money to defend turf they consider to be
their own.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. It would energize the youth vote.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not only would putting Joaquín or Julián Castro on the
ticket help fight off the negative “She’s old” argument, it would have the
positive effect of energizing younger voters. We know younger voters skew
heavily liberal on the issues. We also know they are the most difficult
demographic to get to the polls. Compare 2008 and 2012, when the youth vote
turned out in record numbers and Democrats won from top to bottom, to 2010 and
2014, when young voters stayed home and Democrats suffered record losses.
Arguably the single biggest factor in Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 wins was his
success in getting young voters to turn out. If Hillary can turn out younger voters in similar numbers, she wins, period.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wzg5o6yZALw/VTrEGr0mb7I/AAAAAAAAAto/65mlxI01GhQ/s1600/youth-vote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wzg5o6yZALw/VTrEGr0mb7I/AAAAAAAAAto/65mlxI01GhQ/s1600/youth-vote.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The youth vote that propelled Barack Obama to victory in 2008 and 2012 is vital to Hillary Clinton's chances in 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. The female vote.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This one is almost taken for granted, but it shouldn't be.
In recent national elections women have skewed heavily Democratic. This
demographic is likely to skew even more heavily Democratic with the historic
prospect of the first female president. This doesn't mean Democrats should take
women for granted.<br />
<br />
Hillary Clinton will almost certainly win the majority of votes cast by women,
but she also needs to increase turnout among women. The way to do that is to
address the issues most important to women, including equal pay, glass ceiling
discrimination, family issues, social justice issues, reproductive rights and
education. It can sound a bit creepy when older men talk about these issues,
but a young, fresh face, someone who’s spoken to these issues for their entire
political career, someone with a compelling story to tell of being raised by a strong,
political single mother, that’s an entirely different matter. Joaquín or Julián
Castro would be a net positive with women far more so than anyone else in the
running.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXkm2ZCyC7o/VTrE6ZDMW2I/AAAAAAAAAtw/5m92mTpQjig/s1600/it's_a_man's_world_unless_women_vote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XXkm2ZCyC7o/VTrE6ZDMW2I/AAAAAAAAAtw/5m92mTpQjig/s1600/it's_a_man's_world_unless_women_vote.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
Bonus Reasons<br />
<br />
There are bonus reasons why picking one of the Castros would be a smart move for the
Clinton campaign. Both of them are squeaky clean. There’s never been so much as
a hint of scandal around either of them. One of the roles of the VP nominee is
to play attack dog and take it to the opposition more aggressively than the
presidential nominee can. Someone with a spotless reputation, like the Castros,
will come in handy to rebut the screams of, “Benghazi! Benghazi! Benghazi!”
that are sure to come from the GOP camp.<br />
<br />
Finally, picking one of the Castro twins brings one more advantage no other VP pick can deliver. After the convention the two nominees usually campaign separately to maximize precious time. There are a few major campaign events where both nominees appear, but most of the time they appear at different events on the same day. Picking one of the Castro twins is like having an extra VP nominee. It's as close as you can get to a two-for-one pick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which one should Hillary pick?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joaquín and Julián Castro are identical twins with almost
identical qualifications and achievements. Either would make a great choice,
but there is one area where one of these brothers has an edge when it comes to
anchoring a national ticket. While Joaquín is engaged to his long time
sweetheart, Ana Flores, his brother Julián is already a family man, with an
attractive wife, Erica Lira Castro, and two beautiful children, Carina and
Cristian. A telegenic family is an asset
in any race. Because of this and his experience in Washington, the edge goes to
Julián. Joaquín will have to settle for a Senate seat, or perhaps the
Governor’s Mansion in Austin. Who knows? Perhaps it won’t be long before we see
a Castro and Castro ticket.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pAJjOmC3FcE/VTrFX8Z7XsI/AAAAAAAAAt4/PBDG_2uzH3c/s1600/Button_34__65349.1405357012.1280.1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pAJjOmC3FcE/VTrFX8Z7XsI/AAAAAAAAAt4/PBDG_2uzH3c/s1600/Button_34__65349.1405357012.1280.1280.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The winning Democratic ticket for 2016 is Hillary Clinton and Julián Castro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
John Avignone writes about politics for <a href="http://www.salon.com/writer/john_avignone/">Salon</a> and other outlets.</div>
John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-61053380746545320442014-06-08T01:04:00.002-05:002014-06-08T08:56:01.303-05:00Palin, Fox, GOP Dishonors All US POWs By Slagging Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
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<h3>
Sarah Palin, Fox News and the GOP have displayed truly stunning hypocrisy by politicizing the prisoner exchange that freed Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl after five years as a prisoner of the Taliban and attacking Bergdahl himself as a traitor. They've even attacked his family.</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NhroF9H9wo/U5PtryCnjWI/AAAAAAAAAno/SWtA6VaR-oQ/s1600/sarah-palin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NhroF9H9wo/U5PtryCnjWI/AAAAAAAAAno/SWtA6VaR-oQ/s1600/sarah-palin.jpg" height="320" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah Palin has attacked Bowe Bergdalh personally yet again</td></tr>
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Hiding behind her Facebook page, Sarah Palin again slagged Sgt. Bowe Bergdalh, this time for having difficulties speaking English after not hearing a word of English during the five years he was held as a POW by the Taliban in Afghanistan. She suggested he use Rosetta Stone and learn to speak "KickAss." I refuse to link to Palin's page or promote her hash tag directly, but <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/06/sarah-palin-bowe-bergdahl_n_5460026.html">HuffPo has the story</a>, including quotes from Palin's ridiculous hypocritical attack.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;">“Sympathizers now tell the media Bergdahl can't be held to account anytime soon because he can't be interviewed ... claiming he's forgotten how to speak English. Really?” Palin asked in a Facebook </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152473609618588&set=a.10150723283643588.424640.24718773587&type=1" sl-processed="1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088c3; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">post</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 21px;"> Wednesday. “Then # Call 1-800-RosettaStone.”</span></span></blockquote>
Palin, and much of the GOP, have already convicted Bowe Bergdahl of disloyalty and desertion at the least and treason at the worst, despite the fact that not one of them knows the true circumstances of his disappearance or what he might or might not have said while a prisoner or whether any statements he made were a result of torture and the threat of death, tactics the Taliban is known to commonly use on prisoners and threats backed up by grisly executions, beheading is their preferred method, posted to YouTube. Some, including Fox contributors Ann Coulter and Ralph Peters, have even suggested that Bergdahl should be executed, though only one American has been executed for desertion since the Civil War.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob and Jani Bergdahl</td></tr>
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The attacks don't stop with Sgt. Bergdahl. Fox News bashed Bowe's father, Robert Bergdahl, as well. Bill O'Reilly, Brian Kilmeade and other Foxers slammed the senior Bergdahl, saying that because of his long beard, "he looks like a Muslim." In fact, Robert Bergdahl and Bowe's mother Jani are conservative devout Christians who home schooled Bowe and his sister Sky. As a sign of solidarity with his imprisoned son, Robert Bergdahl swore to not shave until his son was returned to him, and for five years he kept that promise. For this patriotic act of honor the idiots at Fox have attacked him for purely partisan political reasons. The Fox Fux have so inflamed the GOP base that the Bergdahl family has received multiple death threats which the <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/fbi-investigates-threats-against-bergdahl-family">FBI is taking seriously</a>...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 22.5px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">William Facer, a spokesman for the FBI's Salt Lake City division, said Saturday in a statement: "The FBI continues to monitor the situation in Hailey, Idaho. We are working jointly with our state and local partners and taking each threat seriously."</span></span></blockquote>
Not to mention the hypocrisy of these guys with long beards lauded as GOP heroes...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck Dynasty Stars the Robertson Family</td></tr>
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Apparently Palin, Fox and most of the GOP are ignorant of the fact that American POWs in Vietnam, like John McCain, often broke the US POW Code of Conduct under torture. McCain went much further than most by making disloyal statements, admitting to being a war criminal, condemning the US efforts in Vietnam and providing the VC with valuable military intelligence, all voluntarily and not as a result of torture. Why isn't the Quitta from Wasilla slagging her former running mate? Most Vietnam POWs made varying degrees of disloyal statements, including many recorded confessions of guilt. Why is the Quitta from Wasilla not slagging them? All of the US sailors captured by North Korea in 1968 signed confessions of spying illegally. Why is the Quitta from Wasilla not slagging them?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pueblo prisoners admit to illegal spying at a press conference in North Korea</td></tr>
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It's not at all unusual for US POWs to be forced into making declarations of disloyalty. In fact, it's common. The military understand this. However, McCain's fellow POWs were particularity upset with McCain's actions. In his autobiography, McCain himself admits telling his VC captors soon after capture, "I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital." He did give valuable information and was taken to the hospital. The VC didn't know they had captured the son of the highest ranking Naval officer in Asia, Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. commander of Air Forces for Western Sea Frontier and the South Pacific Force, until McCain told them soon after his capture, in a bid to get special treatment. It worked. Unlike most American POWs, McCain did not endure years of torture at the hands of the VC. After that the VC referred to McCain as the "crown prince" of POWs and gave him special treatment while other POWs were tortured for years.</div>
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Phil Butler, who had known McCain since their Naval Academy days, says of him, "John allows the media to make him out to be the hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals." Air Force lieutenant colonel John Dramesi, a highly respected career officer who was imprisoned with McCain says of him, This business of my country before my life? Well, he (McCain) had that opportunity and failed miserably." Contrast McCain's behavior in captivity with real heroes like former GOP Senator Jerimiah Denton (R-AL), also a POW in Vitenam, famously blinked his eyes in Morse code during a forced admission recorded by the VC, spelling out "Torture." It is because of the valor of so many compared with the cowardice of McCain that so many former Vietnam POWs despise the man.</div>
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The GOP hypocrisy in this case, and particularly the nonsensical ranting of Sarah Plain and the stunning hypocrisy of John McCain, is obscene. America has always done whatever it takes to get back American POWs. Never has the alleged conduct of a POW been a consideration in repatriation. The credo for American troops is "Leave no man behind." Apparently the GOP would like to change this credo to "Leave no man behind, unless Barack Obama has secured his rescue, in which case, screw the disloyal traitor. Let him rot in a Taliban prison." McCain's hypocrisy is even more extreme. Not only was John McCain himself released as part of a prisoner exchange, but just a few months ago when asked about this specific hostage trade deal, trading five Taliban commanders for Bowe Bergdahl, <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1402/18/acd.01.html">he told CNN's Anderson Cooper...</a><br />
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“Obviously I’d have to know the details, but I would support ways of bringing [Bergdahl] home, and if exchange was one of them, I think that would be something I think we should seriously consider."</blockquote>
McCain, who's political career is littered with flip-flops of political expediency, claims his statement then and his condemnation now of the very same deal he previously supported are somehow perfectly consistent.</div>
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One final note. The one and only claim the GOP is making that has any merit is that Barack Obama did not notify them before negotiating a deal for Bergdahl's release, but even this claim is dubious. Putting aside the fact that this deal was widely reported in the media in 2012, senior Republicans, who now claim they were blindsided, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/06/03/white-house-first-discussed-bergdahl-prisoner-exchange-with-house-gop-leaders-in-nov-2011/">knew about this specific deal as far back as 2011</a>...<br />
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Obama administration officials first discussed with senior House Republicans the possibility of swapping five terrorism detainees from the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in exchange for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in late November 2011, according to senior GOP aides. </blockquote>
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The possible prisoner exchange was discussed again during a briefing on Jan. 31, 2012, after senior House Republicans sent two letters to the Obama administration seeking more information on the possibility of the swap, said the aides, who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. </blockquote>
...the details of the Bergdahl prisoner exchange, including the release of five specific Taliban commanders, <a href="http://the%20details%20of%20the%20bergdahl%20prisoner%20exchange%2C%20including%20the%20release%20of%20five%20specific%20taliban%20commanders%2C%20have%20been%20public%20since%20the%20spring%20of%202012.../">have been public since the spring of 2012.</a><br />
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Late last year, State Department negotiators put together a tentative deal in which five Taliban prisoners would be transferred from Cuba to house arrest in Qatar, where their families could join them. The administration discussed this specific deal with senior Republicans in Congress for YEARS. They moved when they did because the most recent video released by the Taliban showed a gaunt Bergdahl in obvious medical difficulty and a delay might have proved fatal.</blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still from the most recent Taliban video shows a gaunt, unhealthy Bergdahl</td></tr>
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If there is any one power on which the President of the United States stands on firm constitutional ground, it is the power of the Commander in Chief of all armed forces. The law requiring the president to inform Congress of any prisoner swap 20 days in advance is prima facia unconstitutional, and Obama said so in a singing statement at the time he signed the bill. The Constitution the GOP claims to love also specifically authorizes the president, and not Congress, to conduct foreign policy. The GOP sponsored law and the subsequent squealing is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to obscure a naked unconstitutional power grab.<br />
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Update: A retired Marine Corps officer tells me that it's highly unlikely that Bowe Bergdahl will ever face a court martial. Men who have served as POWs are almost never prosecuted. There will be an investigation, but almost certainly no court martial.</div>
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-27049520324522910502014-05-30T20:00:00.000-05:002014-05-30T20:01:13.882-05:00No, We're Not a Center-right NationNo, we're not a center-right nation. That's a lie created and funded by the 1%. In point of fact, polling on the issues proves that we're center-left nation, and far to the left of the well financed dreams of the 1% and their bought and paid for minions in the GOP. On issue after issue the public is far to the left of the elites.<br />
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Below are the results a poll of polls commissioned by the Russel Sage Foundation, which has been exclusively dedicated to research in the social sciences since 1907. The results clearly show a vast disconnect between the priorities of American elites, the 1%, and the majority of the American public. For the purposes of this poll, "elite" is defined as those at or near the top 1% of American wealth holders with an average income in excess of $1 million per year.<br />
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These results reflect an average of polling by a variety of leading pollsters, including Gallup, Pew and others. The contrasts between the views of the 1% and the views of the general public are truly startling. Our government is not representing we, the people. It's representing them, the 1%, who line the pockets of politicians with huge piles of sweet, sweet cash.<br />
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There is only one way to fight the influence of the 1%. Vote. Don't wait for 2016. Vote in the midterms. At this point it appears that it's a safe bet that Democrats will hold the Senate, especially as the most recent polling suggest an unexpected Democratic pick-up in Kentucky, where Allison Lundergren Grimes is leading Mitch McConnell (R), the GOP Senate Minority Leader. Ousting the Turtle Man would be a particularly sweet victory for Democrats in what appears to be a tough midterm election and would up the number the pick-ups the GOP needs to take control of the Senate to 7, which is highly unlikely.<br />
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<br />John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-20351182614245261172014-03-04T15:09:00.003-06:002014-03-04T15:09:27.087-06:00Photos - First Look at the Wreckage<div style="text-align: left;">
Here are the first before and after pictures. First up, this is just before being wheeled into the operating room looking surprisingly awake for 6am...</div>
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...and this is me shortly after waking up in the recovering room after more than eight hours of surgery and looking considerably less awake.</div>
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For the first part of the procedure they placed me on my back and entered through my abdomen. This picture was taken about a week after surgery. There are no visible stitches. Instead, the surgeon used self dissolving internal stitches and surgical glue, aka super glue. BTW, no I did not swallow a basketball. This swelling, known as distention, takes a while to go back down.</div>
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The next step was to close the incision in my abdomen, flip me over and work from the back. This image of the incision on my back was taken about a week after surgery. There are no stitches, instead, they used steri-strips. For scale, the tapes covering the steri-strips are just under one inch wide. A vacuum drain was attached through the hole to the right of the incision.</div>
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-91423810077988201922013-12-26T21:42:00.000-06:002013-12-27T15:48:26.256-06:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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Are You A Starving Writer? How About A Free House in Detroit?</span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, so this one isn't free. But plenty of others are.</td></tr>
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There's a new program in Detroit that I totally don't want you to know about if you're a starving writer, but I'll tell you about it, anyway. <a href="http://writeahouse.org/">WriteAHouse</a> is a Detroit based community non-profit with the goal of rehabbing abandoned houses, one resource Detroit has plenty of, and giving them to writers. Free. No charge. Gratis.<br />
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Writers have to meet certain standards, like not being a violent felon or a total deadbeat. They also need to supply a short bio, a sample of their writing and a few paragraphs about why they deserve a free house in Detroit. They also have to agree to remain in Detroit for at least two years. <a href="http://writeahouse.org/">WtieAHouse</a> will lease the houses to selected writers. After two years, the writers get the deed.<br />
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I lived in Detroit for years. I went to college in Detroit. I was active in community affairs. Call me crazy, but I've been thinking of returning for some time. I am totally down with this. If you're interested, check out the <a href="http://writeahouse.org/">WriteAHouse</a> website, look at their pitch on crowd sourcing site <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/write-a-house-renovation-of-the-peach-house">IndieGoGo</a> and follow them on Twitter (@WriteAHouse). Just remember, I got there first.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-54876161833270835652013-12-18T23:26:00.000-06:002013-12-19T17:42:04.193-06:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I'm Asking for Your Help</span></b></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's me during my last hospital stay</td></tr>
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I've been debating this for some time, but necessity has forced my hand. I'm asking for help. I'm also asking that you share this with your friends who may prove willing to help. Here's my story...<br />
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Those of you who know me well know I've done many benefits over the years. With your help, over a nine year period the Coat Party benefits raised many tens of thousands of dollars in cash and thousands of warm coats for Austin's homeless. Many of you may also remember SteveFest, where, with your help, we raised thousands of dollars for Steve Marangi, a friend who was dying of terminal throat cancer. With your help, I was able to give Steve a stable place to live pay his medical expenses and care for him for the last year of his life.<br />
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We did all of this together through the power of micro donations. Some chose to give more, but most gave $5 or $10, and because there were many of us working together, we were able to do great things. In every case, 100% of the money went directly to the cause. Venues waved their normal fees. Many people worked for free. It's something that to this day I'm very proud to have been a part these events. It's now time for me to swallow that pride.<br />
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Today, I'm the one who needs help. I'm hoping to use that same power of many people giving a little to help me make it through what is proving to be the hardest time of my life. With your help, I can make it through this time and once again be in a position to help myself and others.<br />
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I've had number of orthopedic surgeries over the years - a dozen knee reconstructions, a reconstructed shoulder, a double spinal fusion - as well as a fractured pelvis that kept me down for over a year. In all of these cases I was lucky enough to be fully insured. For the last three years of this period I was on COBRA. Though it cost me around $900 per month, it was well worth it, even with significant deductibles and copays. Since COBRA expired, about 6 years ago, I haven't been able to get any kind of insurance at any price, due to so many pre-existing conditions.<br />
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Fast forward to today.<br />
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About seven months ago I had a bad fall and severely injured my lower back. I spent ten days in Seton Hospital. As a result I can't stand for more than a few minutes or walk more than a few yards at a time. As you might imagine, I'm in constant pain. The fix is series of three major surgeries that will fuse all five of my damaged lumbar vertebrae into one using metal rods, screws and plates, a total of about 20 hours on the operating table.<br />
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If all goes well, I'll spend about two weeks in the hospital, then a few more weeks at an inpatient rehab facility. Most of this will be paid for through the Medical Assistance Program (MAP), but I'll still have significant costs, not the least of which is rent, food and basic necessities. I haven't been able to work for the past year and won't be able to work again for another year or so. I've lost my home of twenty-two years. I've racked up debts I can't pay and face expenses I won't be able to pay any time soon. Worse, I've lost dear friends who had faith in me that I am now unable to repay. I've tried to get various benefits, but so far haven't been able to cut through the red tape. I have no income and no savings. And so I'm asking you for help.<br />
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I know there are many far worse off and far more deserving than I. I encourage you to help those people, also, not instead of. But if you can spare $5 or $10 or whatever you can give, even if it's only a dollar or two, know that every little bit helps. I don't want anyone to give more than they afford. If you're in a position to give more, I'm in no position to refuse. I pledge to you do my best to be worthy of your support now and in the future. My problems are ultimately my responsibility. I'm just asking for a little help. If you'd like to help, but prefer to do it in other ways, please email me and I'll provide you with the information you need.<br />
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My PayPal account is tied to my email address:<br />
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john.avignone@gmail.com<br />
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You can easily send money through PayPal through the following link. You use a PayPal account or a credit or debit card.<br />
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https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/send-money-online<br />
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Thank you for listening to my story. With your help the future story will be much brighter. Please don't hesitate to contact me through Facebook or via email with any questions or comments you may have. To those can help and those who can't, thank you and God bless.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
<br />
John AvignoneJohn Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-20593725121443290462013-05-17T16:33:00.000-05:002013-05-17T17:15:58.591-05:00Obama Derangement Syndrome, Part Eleventy-Eleven - Former White House Marine Liaison Officer Speaks Out On Umbrellas<br />
Have you seen the latest POUTRAGE to catch fire in Lower Wingnuttia? Even by wingnut standards, this one is pure bat crap.<br />
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Disgraced hack Tucker Carlson's crapfest, <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/16/obama-breaches-marine-umbrella-protocol/">The Daily Caller</a>, has dived to new depths of inane asshattery with a story accusing Barack Obama of... Having a Marine hold an umbrella during a press conference in the rain.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">The commander in chief of the American armed forces today forced a violation of Marine Corps regulations, so he wouldn’t get wet.</span></blockquote>
The horror!<br />
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Apparently Lower Wingnuttia is AGHAST at Obama's TYRANNICAL DISREGARD for the HONOR of the Marine Corp! This latest poutrage erupted over a photo of two Marines holding umbrellas for Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during an outdoor joint press conference in the rain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The image behind the latest wingnut poutrage</td></tr>
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<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/16/obama-breaches-marine-umbrella-protocol/">The Daily Caller claims</a> it's against Marine regulations to hold an umbrella...<br />
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According to Marine Corps regulation MCO P1020.34F of the Marine Corps Uniform Regulations chapter 3, a male Marine is not allowed to carry an umbrella while in uniform. There is no provision in the Marine Corps uniform regulation guidelines that allows a male Marine to carry an umbrella.</blockquote>
This, of course, is complete and utter nonsense. Marines are not allowed to *carry* umbrellas in uniform, but there is no regulation that prohibits *holding* an umbrella for someone else.<br />
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But DC goes even further down The Stupid Hole. Not only do they completely misinterpret Marine regulations, they go on to claim that not even the President of the United States can order a Marine to hold an umbrella without the express permission of the Commandant of the Marine Corps.<br />
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Not even the President of the United States can request a Marine to carry an umbrella without the express consent of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, according to the Marine Corps Manual.</blockquote>
Apparently Tucker's wingnut loon writers and editors can't quite grasp the meaning of the term COMMANDER IN CHIEF.<br />
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I know someone with extensive experience with Marines holding umbrellas for dignitaries. My father was a captain in the Marines. He was stationed at 8th & I in Washington, DC, and served as a White House aid under Eisenhower. When I ran this story by him, he couldn't believe anyone would make a fuss over something so common.<br />
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"It's standard practice to hold umbrellas for visiting dignitaries and the president and vice president. We did whatever we could to make dignitaries comfortable."</blockquote>
Asked about the claim that the president can't order a Marine to hold an umbrella, he said...<br />
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"That's absurd. Of course he can. He's the Commander in Chief. He could order a Marine to stand at attention in his skivvies, if he wanted."</blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From 'Full Metal Jacket,' actual Marine drill instructor R. Lee Ermey runs drill in skivvies</td></tr>
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So, there you have it, straight from the mouth of a Marine who was in charge of the White House Marine Corp detail. Like so much of the poutrage out of Lower Wingnuttia, the entire story is just one huge, steaming pile of Tucker.<br />
<br />John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-44484820594213692122013-04-28T21:29:00.001-05:002013-09-10T00:44:01.042-05:00Cheap Guy Tip #73 - Rack of Lamb Genghis Khan<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rack of Lamb Genghis Khan, as served at The Lark</td></tr>
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Okay, so rack of lamb isn't exactly cheap. But it is delicious. For a special feast, it's hard to beat a rack of lamb. This rack recipe was the favorite dish of Genghis Khan and dates back more than 900 years. This version is from Marcus Haight, currently a professor at a prestigious cooking school. For 17 years, Marcus was the Chef de Cuisine at The Lark, a 4 star restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Before that, Marcus put in time at both Le Bec Fin and at Les Francais, with my mentor, Jean Banchet. For decades, Le Bec Fin and Le Francais have been considered by most experts to be the two best French restaurants in the US.<br />
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First up, Marcus' recipe exactly as he wrote it. After that, some of the secrets that take this dish from great to spectacular.<br />
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Rack of Lamb Genghis Khan - Serves 6<br />
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3 lamb rack (8 ribs each), trimmed, silverskin removed<br />
1 cup Hoisin sauce<br />
Lamb marinade<br />
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Place the lamb and marinade in a plastic bag, tie and place in refrigerator for 48 hours. Remove lamb from marinade and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Brush with hoisin sauce. Place lamb on rack in shallow roasting pan and roast in a hot over (450 degrees) for 15-25 minutes for rare lamb, depending on the size of the racks, or longer for a greater degree of doneness. Let rest 6 to 7 minutes before carving.<br />
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Lamb Marinade<br />
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1 cup onion, finely chopped<br />
2 teaspoons garlic, minced<br />
3 teaspoons lemon juice<br />
1/2 cup honey<br />
3 teaspoons curry powder<br />
1.5 teaspoons cayenne pepper, ground fine<br />
2 teaspoons Coleman's mustard powder<br />
2 teaspoons black pepper, ground<br />
2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 cup water<br />
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Combine all ingredients<br />
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I don't like to mess too much with recipes that have been around for 900 years, but there are a few tips that can greatly improve this already great recipe. First off, forget the oven. You can't get the kind of carmelization that makes this dish work (see photo) in a home oven. By far the best way to cook this dish is over hardwood burned down to coals. Alternately, grill over a charcoal or gas grill with wood chips to add smoke flavor. For either method, a very hot covered grill with the racks placed for indirect heat work best. If you're cooking over an open pit, keep the racks to the sides and out of the direct heat. You want it hot, not flaming.<br />
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Grilling instead of roasting takes a little extra care. Keep a careful eye on your racks. Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. Lamb is best served rare to medium rare. For rare, pull the racks when the internal temperature in the middle reaches 120 degrees. For medium rare, 130. Medium (just a touch of pink), 140. Well done, don't even bother making this dish. It's a waste to overcook lamb.<br />
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After removing the racks from the grill, let rest about 10 minutes before carving. Separate the rib chops into individual rib portions, serve.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-86718455703828439122013-04-13T03:03:00.000-05:002015-06-23T17:46:00.083-05:00Schadenfreude - Darrell Issa's Car Alarm Company Is Doomed<br />
<b>The convergence of automobiles and smart phone technology spells the end of the line for high end car alarm companies like Viper.</b><br />
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I was recommending a phone tracking/recovery app, AntiDT (Anti Droid Theft) to a friend on Facebook and I had an interesting thought. With smart phone technology being integrated into cars, and powerful free tracking/recovery apps like AntiDT available for both Android and iOS, there's no point in expensive car alarm systems like a Viper any more. This video shows what AntiDT can do...<br />
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Your smart phone equipped car will call your cell phone, text you and email you if it's stolen. You'll be able to track your car on your phone or computer in real time using GPS and cell tower data. Not only will you be able to remotely shut down your car, you'll be able to take a picture of the thief and even lock him in. With the exact location, the cops will be there in minutes. All for free.<br />
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Gosh, that's sure going to be tough on high end alarm makers like Viper. Probably drive 'em right out of business. What a shame. If I sound facetious, it's because the company that makes Viper alarms was founded by and is still owned by none other than wingnut PITA extraoridinaire Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA, chair of the powerful House Oversight Committee and source of endless BS investigations based on every wacky wingnut conspiracy theory poutrage du jour.<br />
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Jeez, that's tough, Darrell. Bad luck. My heart's pumpin' pisswater for ya...<br />
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Update: A friend brought up a good point I didn't address in the post...<br />
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"There's a lot to be said for an alarm blaring to dissuade a thief who just smashed in your window to not be too thorough when rifling through your car looking for stuff to take."<br />
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Very true, but it's a virtual certainty that a new car equipped with smart phone technology will also have at least a basic, very loud, alarm. Combined with smart phone tech, this is still enough to seriously impact Viper's business. Sure, they can still sell alarms for older cars, but their bread and butter market - expensive new cars - goes away. I doubt they can survive on legacy cars only.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-13702346446894045502013-02-11T21:35:00.003-06:002013-02-11T21:36:56.868-06:00Draft Stephen Colbert For Pope!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you know any practicing Catholic in good standing can become Pope? Yep, it's true. It's also true that pressure has been mounting on the Catholic Church for some time, now, to select a Pontiff from the New World. That's why good friends of ours started a grass roots Facebook campaign to draft practicing Catholic in good standing Stephen Colbert to be the next Pope. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DraftStephenColbertForPope">draft Colbert page...</a><br />
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The time has come for a New World Pope. Draft Stephen Colbert for Pope!</div>
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It's a little known fact that any practicing Catholic in good standing is elligable to become Pope. It's also a little known fact that Stephen Colbert is a practiciing Catholic in good standing. It's also a fact that for decades, now, pressure has been mounting on the Church to select a Pope from the New World.<br />
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Given this convenient coincidence of facts, the answer is obvious. The time has come.<br />
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Draft Stephen Colbert for Pope!<br />
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Draft Stephen Colbert for Pope is not affiliated with Stephen Colbert, drafting, the Catholic Church or any other person, thing, idea or organization.<span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
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We couldn't be more proud to be the first to bring you this exciting development. Who better than Stephen Colbert to become the next Pontiff? Stop by today and "Like" this page, then pass it on to every upright ambulator you know! Acording to little known by-laws of the Vatican, if the draft Colbert page gets 1 million likes, Stephen automatically becomes the next Pope. As far as we know...<br />
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-44474749420278065942013-01-10T18:21:00.000-06:002013-01-18T00:47:38.847-06:00No, Hitler Did Not Ban Guns - And Neither Did Mussolini, Castro, Stalin or Pol Pot...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1/17 - UPDATE: As the gun nut counter arguments have become repetitive, not to mention weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, I'm not going to answer individual gun nut stupid arguments anymore. Instead, at the bottom of this post you'll find a synopsis of the top stupid arguments in no particular order, and my rebuttals. If you're a gun nut and you don't see your favorite stupid argument here, by all means, regale us with your keen insight.</div>
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Gun nuts take it as a matter of faith that terrible dictators were only able to rise to power after they had disarmed their own people. This is quite simply not true. In the most commonly cited examples - Hitler, Mussolini, Stain, Pol Pot and Castro - gun restrictions played absolutely no role in gaining or maintaining power.<br />
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<a href="http://propagandaprofessor.net/">The Propaganda Professor</a> has a great post detailing why the oft repeated gun nut claim that Hitler banned guns is wrong. Hitler actually <a href="http://propagandaprofessor.net/2011/09/26/the-myth-of-hitlers-gun-ban/">loosened gun regulations in Germany...</a><br />
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The gun culture is right about one thing, however. Hitler really did enact a new gun law. But it was in 1938, not 1935 – well after the NAZIs already had the country in its iron grip. Furthermore, the new law in many ways LOOSENED gun restrictions. For example, it greatly expanded the numbers who were exempt, it lowered the legal age of possession from 20 to 18, and it completely lifted restriction on all guns except handguns, as well as on ammunition.</blockquote>
<a href="http://propagandaprofessor.net/2011/09/26/the-myth-of-hitlers-gun-ban/">PP does point</a> out that the Nazis did prohibit Jews from owning guns, among many other prohibitions. But the idea that a small minority with a few weapons could have stood up to the German war machine is risible...<br />
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Under their reign, Jews were prohibited from owning guns, just as they were prohibited from doing many things. And it has become an article of faith among the gun culture that had they been armed, the Holocaust would not have happened (that is, among those members of the gun culture who know that the Holocaust really did happen). But the concept of a handful of citizens armed with hunting rifles and Saturday night specials fending off an army is delusional hubris peculiar to gun addicts. </blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jews from Prague's ghetto on their way to the trains</td></tr>
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Taking it a logical step further, Jews in Prague still had guns. Jews in Warsaw and Kracow had guns. Jews in Paris had guns. Fat lot of good it did them. The claim that if only Jews in Germany had been armed, the Holocaust would never have happened is risibly absurd.<br />
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The gun nut appeal to Godwin, aka going Hitler, isn't the only oft repeated lie. "Castro banned guns in Cuba," is popular, as well. This is also untrue. Cuba has restrictions on long guns, but any citizen can own a hand gun. Not to mention, the revolution didn't succeed because Castro took guns from Cubans. It succeeded in part because he gave guns to Cubans.<br />
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"Mussolini banned guns!" No, he didn't. Il Duce used propaganda and political manipulation to gain and hold power. While he did speak publicly in favor of gun control, he did not ban guns in Italy. What he did do to consolidate power was introduce the Acerbo Law, which changed the way elections were run in Italy to greatly favor the Fascists. Italy under Fascism was a police state, but not because guns were banned.<br />
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"Pol Pot banned guns!" Again, not true. Pol Pot banned Vietnamese weapons traders. Guns were already in extremely short supply, even for Pol Pot's own army.<br />
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"Stalin banned guns!" Nope. He had nothing to do with Russia's strict gun control laws, enacted as Stalin was coming to power. At no time in the revolutionary period were guns banned in Russia, nor were guns - or the lack thereof - a factor in Stalin's rise or his grip on power.<br />
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Sadly, reality doesn't seem to matter. Those who believe these myths will continue to believe, facts be damned. But that doesn't mean the truth should be subverted, and the truth is these gun nut claims are not accurate, at best.<br />
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Here's the top gun nut arguments so far, with my rebuttals...<br />
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1. Read the headline, gun nuts. THAT'S my point.<br />
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Not one of you has been able to refute any of my facts. Comically, many of these nuts believe it's up to me to prove the facts true. Not surprising Very few gun nuts were on the debate team or know the first bleeping thing about forensics. FYI, ignorant gun nuts, in any debate, if you believe your adversary's statements to be in error, it is incumbent upon YOU to refute them authoritatively. And no, "Nuh uh," or, "Is not," do not refutations make, duh.<br />
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2. "Obama (Congress, etc.) has armed guards!"<br />
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You are not the president of the United States. You're just a gun nut with delusions of adequacy. How bleeping stupid must one be before one is unable to understand that the most powerful office in the world merits extra protection, especially as more than a few presidents have been SHOT? Is fork in the face stupid sufficient or must one be super dense, black hole, singularity-type stupid?<br />
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3. "In Australia (or England, Sweden, insert your favorite country to hate here) crime went UP after guns were banned!"<br />
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This one is double dumb. First off, it's simply not true, which is why not one of these nuts can provide any kind of citation to any such thing. Second, none of the favorite gun nut target countries banned guns.<br />
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4. "Chicago! (or NYC, LA, Detroit, etc.)<br />
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Gun nuts are too ignorant to know bringing up Chicago disproves their own argument. The fact is Chicago banned hand guns in 1982. Beginning in 1983 and continuing for 28 years, the murder rate trended consistently down, falling every year except 2.<br />
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In 2010 the Supreme Court overturned Chicago's ban. Once again cheap hand guns were easy to come by. Guess what happened? The murder rate skyrocketed.<br />
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As to comparing large states with large urban areas to empty rural states, what, are you gun nuts really THAT bleeping stupid?<br />
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5. "Mexico has strict gun laws and it's still flooded with drug gangs using illegal guns!"<br />
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Good point! Yes, Mexico is suffering terrible problems at the hand of drug cartels. Drug cartels that supply the American market using guns they bought legally in Texas, then smuggled into Mexico. IOW, our taste for drugs and our gun culture are in large part responsible for Mexico's troubles.<br />
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6. "Cars kill more people than guns!"<br />
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They do, which is why we require drivers to be licensed, which requires passing proficiency tests every few years. We require all vehicles to be registered with the state and pass inspections at regular intervals. We require liability insurance. We tax all vehicle sales, retail and private. By all means, yes, let's treat guns just like we treat cars.<br />
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7. "Hitler disarmed the Jews. If the Jews had guns, there would have been no holocaust!"<br />
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Yes, Hitler disarmed German Jews in 1938, long after the Nazis had consolidated total power and long after they had subjugated German Jews, taking not just their guns, but their citizenship, businesses, livelihoods homes, possessions...<br />
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Not to mention, Jews in Warsaw, Paris, Prague, etc., were not banned from owning guns until after Hitler had conquered their nations. Six million died. Fat lot of good their guns did them against the Nazi war machine.<br />
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8. "Criminals don't obey the law, so gun laws won't work!"<br />
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Following this toy train of logic to its inevitable flaming wreck, because some people will break the law, we shouldn't have any laws at all.<br />
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9. "You can't stop every tragedy!"<br />
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No, you can't, but it's stupid to argue that since we can't stop all tragedies we shouldn't try to stop any. Stupid, stupid, stupid.<br />
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10. "Banning weapons won't work!"<br />
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Learn to read. Nobody has suggested any such thing. Stop listening to those voices in your head.<br />
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11. "Israel and Switzerland have lots of guns and low crime rates!"<br />
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Both Israel and Switzerland have extremely strict gun laws, duh. Thanks ever so much for proving my point that gun control, does, indeed, reduce violent crime.<br />
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12. "The assault weapons ban didn't work!"<br />
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Nonsense. The rate of mass shooting during the ban was MUCH lower than before or after.<br />
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com308tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-52734705285572978212013-01-07T17:35:00.000-06:002013-01-10T18:22:38.193-06:00Biggest GOP A--hole of the Year - DebraLee Hovey Makes Early Case<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CT GOP State Rep. DebraLee Hovey</td></tr>
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The GOP produced a bumper crop of a--holes in 2012, but barely a week into 2013 Newtown, Connecticut's GOP State Representative DebraLee Hovey is making her case for GOP a--hole of the year. This nut has it all. First, she makes an idiotic and insulting post to Facebook, which she follows up with an "explanation" that, of course, just makes things worse. Then, she issues the standard GOP non apology apology. Here's how it happened.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012 GOP cast of clowns</td></tr>
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Last year, with a bevy of big name GOP a--holes running for president, a nobody GOP state rep like DebraLee Hovey could never make the a--hole big time. With the likes of Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Willard Romney, not to mention this guy...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Champion Asshole Donald Trump</td></tr>
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...sucking all of the a--hole air out the room, what's a small town stupid a--hole to do? Wait for a terrible tragedy to shine the national media spotlight on her little backwater, then jump on the a--hole train with both feet, that's what.<br />
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It seems Hovey was peeved that, in the wake of the Newtown massacre, shooting victim Gabby Giffords was meeting - in private - with families of the Newtown victims. What really peeved her was that Giffords hadn't bothered to notify Hovey of her visit, though no not stupid, not crazy person has yet to come with any reason why private citizen Giffords would be required to notify her of anything. To express her displeasure, Hovey took time out from her Florida vacation to post to her Facebook page...<br />
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Apparently the voices in her head told her this was crazy, even for a GOP a--hole, so a bit later she "explained"...<br />
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Putting aside the fact that Hovey seems incapable of crafting simple sentences with basic noun/verb agreement, what apparently chapped Hovey's stupid ass was the fact that two state wide elected leaders, a US Senator and the Lt. Governor, were invited, but a nobody sate rep, who was on vacation anyway, wasn't, because politics, that's why. With such a rich collection of stupid in such a compact package, where to start?<br />
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First off, Rep. Hovey, you are neither a leader in CT politics nor a state wide elected official, duh. Second, I can only assmue by "another political," you mean Gabby Giffords. FYI, Rep. Hovey, Gabby Giffords is not a politician. She doesn't hold any office and isn't running for any office. She is a private citizen, and as such can go where she damn well pleases without notifying you or any other stupid a--hole of her plans, duh. Finally, Rep. Hovey, "political motives"? This was a PRIVATE meeting, held in PRIVATE, with no cameras allowed. The names of the families attending wasn't even released. So, either these are the crappiest politicians in the history of politics or there were absolutely no "political motives," much less pure ones, duh. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gabrielle Giffords, with husband Mark Kelly, leaves the Newtown Municipal Building. Photograph: Michelle Mcloughlin/Reuters</td></tr>
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Finally, your towns? Really? I had no idea. I thought you were merely an elected representative, a servant of the people. I did not know you actually owned Newtown, or any other town in your district.</div>
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It's only January, but Hovey will be hard to beat. You heard it here first: The Biggest GOP A--hole of the Year for 2013 will be DebraLee Hovey. Congratulations, Rep. Hovey. You worked hard for it. You earned it. You deserve it. And boy, howdy, are you ever going to get it.</div>
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UPDATE: Here's the text of Hovey's non apology apology...</div>
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"The remarks I made regarding Congresswoman Giffords' visit were insensitive and if I offended anyone I truly apologize.</div>
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My comments were meant to be protective of the privacy of the families and our community as we work to move on, and were in no way intended as an insult to Congresswoman Giffords personally. Our community has struggled greatly through this tragedy, and we are all very sensitive to the potential for this event to be exploited for political purposes. This is what I wish to avoid.</div>
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The events of December 14th affected all of us deeply and like many others I am still working through my grief and trying to come to terms with what happened, how we as a community and a state move forward and how we can prevent horrific events like this from occurring in the future. My deepest condolences continue to go out to the families, the community of Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown and Connecticut."</div>
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So, IF she offended anyone, THEN she'd apologize? Hey, moran, you've already offended countless people. That's why you've been forced to eat crow. Duh.</div>
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However, credit where credit is due. How, er, selfless of you to take the heat just to protect the privacy of the private people at this private meeting held in private.</div>
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And OF COURSE you didn't mean to insult Gabby Giffords! Why, who'd find some crazy shrew screaming, "Hey, you, get out of my towns!!" insulting?</div>
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Boy, howdy, it's a good thing this POLITICIAN was just taking time our of her busy vacation scedule to complain about not being invited to a meeting in her POLITICAL district, which is totally not being political!</div>
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Congrats, DebraLee (which is a totally not stupid name), on coming up with an "apology" even more stupid than the stupid thing for which you were apologizing. That takes talent. Mom was right! You really are special! No doubt you'll be a rising start in the GOP clown show.</div>
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John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-28215681233326229612012-12-28T16:44:00.000-06:002012-12-28T17:10:24.829-06:00Armed vigilantes in schools? What could possibly go wrong?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Armed vigilantes to protect schools? What could possibly go wrong?</td></tr>
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Sheriff Joe "Birther" Arpaio has a plan to protect the 50 schools in his jurisdiction. Cops? You don't know Joe. Crazy Joe wants to put members of a "volunteer posse" in every school. You read that right. Crazy Joe thinks the way to keep our kids safe is to <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/28/arpaio-plans-to-use-armed-volunteer-posse-to-patrol-local-schools/">put armed vigilantes in every school.</a></div>
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Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio said he plans to send members of his department’s volunteer “posse” to patrol schools as a response to the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.<br />
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Arpaio said his plan, which he hopes to put into effect next week, would have volunteers providing security at 50 schools that fall under his jurisdiction. According to the station, the group of about 3,000 members includes 300 to 400 allowed to carry weapons </blockquote>
What could possibly go wrong? Flashback to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/minutemen-vigilante-shawna-forde-guilty-deadly-arizona-home/story?id=12916893#.UN4X_uTAcmg">another vigilante in Joe's jurisdiction...</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Border vigilante and convicted murderer Shawna Forde on patrol</td></tr>
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Shawna Forde, a border vigilante, was convicted today of two counts of murder for orchestrating a home invasion that left a 9-year-old Arizona girl and her father dead. </blockquote>
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Prosecutors said Forde planned the home invasion to rob Raul "Junior" Flores, who she (wrongly) thought was a drug dealer, to fund her border watch group. There were rumors that Flores, 29, had a stash of $4,000 in cash in the house. </blockquote>
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Flores and his daughter Bresenia were both killed in the May 2009 attack at their Arivaca, Ariz., home. His wife, Gina Gonzalez, was shot three times, but survived by playing dead.</blockquote>
Yeah, great idea, Crazy Joe. Tell ya what, why don't you go back to your paranoid wingnut loon Birther conspiracy. Sure, it's crazy and stupid, like you, but it won't get anyone killed.<br />
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<br />John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-32488044807216106552012-11-09T17:55:00.000-06:002012-11-09T18:04:01.198-06:00Gazing Past 2012 All the Way to 2028 - Crystal Ball Shows Democrats Will Keep The White House for Decades<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After calling this election bang on, I'm feeling my oats. I'm going out a limb - well, a pretty solid branch, anyway - to predict the next 4 presedential races.</div>
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Now that the 2012 presidential election is behind us, it's time to obsess over 2016. What does the future hold for Democrats and progressive voters? Gazing into my crystal ball, I see the same thing as an overwhelming majority of Democrats: Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States. If she wants it.<br />
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Polls have consistently shown Clinton is by far the most popular member of the Obama administration. Asked about presedential choices for 2016, Democrats give Clinton a 50 point edge over the field. If Clinton announces for 2016, she's a lock to get the nomination.<br />
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Well, you don't need a crystal ball to know that, I can hear you thinking, and you're right. It's a no brainer. But what about beyond 2016? I'll stick with Hillary for 2020, too. By 2020 demographic reality will have destroyed the once Grand Old Party as a national party. Florida, already turning blue will be solid blue. Even ded red Texas will turn begin to turn blue by 2020.<br />
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The combination of the increasingly bat crap crazy GOP base nominating increasingly bat crap crazy candidates and the inescapable demographic reality that there just aren't enough angry old whites guys anymore means the GOP has no hope of winning the White House any time soon. Or maybe ever. So, Hillary in 2016 and 2020, but then what?<br />
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Here's were I gaze deeply into my crystal ball and see... Wow. Can that really be? Lemme take another look...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X_RbGnrIX5M/UJ2W-D6bPBI/AAAAAAAAAaI/WN8lBVancdc/s1600/120905073938-michelle-obama-dnc-hands-gi-story-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X_RbGnrIX5M/UJ2W-D6bPBI/AAAAAAAAAaI/WN8lBVancdc/s400/120905073938-michelle-obama-dnc-hands-gi-story-top.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yep, it's Michelle Obama. I see Michelle Obama running - and winning - in 2024 and again in 2028. I see a historic stretch not just of Democratic domination of the White House, but the continuance of the rise of women in politics leading to 16 unbroken years of a woman in the White House.<br />
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My crystal ball rarely fails me, but I'd better check the Magic Eight Ball, just to be sure...<br />
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There you go. It's unanimous. After Obama it's Clinton for eight, then Michelle Obama for eight more. I see it all clearly, now. The future is bright for Democrats.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-15688509395649721032012-11-08T16:09:00.000-06:002012-11-08T21:47:16.325-06:00The Big Takeaway From the 2012 Election - It's the Turnout, Stupid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's lots of talk already and there will be a lot more about what this election means what lessons we can learn. Some of the conclusions are obvious. The GOP has an old fat angry white guy problem, as in there just aren't enough of them anymore. The Hispanic vote share continues to rise, topping 10% for the first time, and went overwhelmingly for Obama. Women and younger voters went overwhelmingly for Obama as did more educated whites.<br />
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All of these are scary trends for the GOP that have been in the making for years and will continue to affect elections for many years to come. Conservatives are already claiming Obama doesn't have a mandate because he got only 40% of the white vote. In point of fact, Obama won every single demographic group except white males, and more specifically, low education Deep South white males.<br />
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It's actually these older, more conservative white males that have lost the mandate in America, not Obama. The demographic reality is the once Grand Old Party is in now in serious jeopardy of ceasing to exist as a national party.<br />
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These aren't lessons learned to me. These are self evident facts. The Hispanic vote will continue to grow, as will the minority vote in general. Minorities, women and younger voters will continue to break big for the Democrats. And old white guys will continue to die off.<br />
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To me, the big takeaway is it's the turnout, stupid. The lesson to be learned for progressives is when we turn out, we win. The big winner issues in 2012 were LGBT rights, women's rights, minority voting rights and marijuana, all issues dear to the hearts of progressives. The big losers were billionaires out to buy the election, the Tea Party and Karl Rove.<br />
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When we turn out, we win. Handily.<br />
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After the 2010 mid-terms, the MSM and the punditocracy hammered into us that the country hard turned hard right and the Tea Party was the new political powerhouse. This election proves just how wrong they all were. The 2010 electorate was very different from 2008. There were 41 million fewer voters in 2010 than 2008. This smaller electorate was more conservative and less representative of the country as a whole. The country didn't suddenly become more conservative. Progressives did a lousy job of turning out their voters.<br />
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This year's electorate is very similar to 2012 and very different from 2010. But the GOP ran as if it was still 2010, picking far right candidates in races they should have easily won. In 2012 the GOP had their best chance in years to take the Senate. There were three Democratic senators in their sights, all of whom should have been vulnerable. But the ultra conservative Tea Party base of the GOP dominated the low turnout primaries and nominated a bunch of nutbags. Not only did the nutbags, Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, for example, all lose races that should have been easy GOP pick-ups, the Dems actually picked up two senate seats. That's a five seat swing, huge by Senate standards, that represents a complete and total rejection of the Tea Party and the hard core right wing of the GOP base.<br />
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Those who think the GOP has learned a lesson from 2012, don't bet on it. There's every indication they'll actually move further to the right and take up permanent residence in a land of conservative make believe '50's sitcom America that doesn't exist now and never did. There's every indication that GOP primary voters will continue to pick fundamentalist extremists and misogynist idiots. If anything, they'll go for even crazier candidates.<br />
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I plan to spend the next year gaming out strategies to convince progressive voters to turn out for mid-terms in numbers at least close to the turnout in presidential years. If we can come close to matching wingnut turnout in off year elections, we can not only keep the Senate, we can take back the House. But the numbers show it's not going to be easy. <br />
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In 2008, 131 million Americans cast ballots. In 2010, only 90.7 million people voted.<br />
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In 2008, 51% of registered young voters turned out to overwhelmingly vote for Obama and a whole slate of progressive candidates at every level. In 2010, less than 21% of young voters turned out.<br />
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In 2008, 10.2 million Latinos turned out to vote. In 2010, 6.6 million Latinos voted.<br />
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In 2008, 70.4 million women voted. in 2010, 48 million women voted. In 2008, women favored Democrats over Republicans by 56% to 42%. In 2010, far fewer women turned out, voting Democratic 49% and GOP 48%.<br />
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In the end it's simple math. The numbers show the 2010 electorate was much smaller, whiter, more male and more conservative than in 2008 or 2012. We lost. The lower the turnout, the more likely Democrats and progressives lose. in 2008 and 2012 turnout was much higher. We won. The calculation is easy. The larger the turnout, the more likely we win.<br />
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The trend line shows that turnout in presidential years has been steadily rising for some time while the trend line for mid term elections has been steadily falling. We have to do a better job of getting people out to vote in off year elections.<br />
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Keep this in mind, progressives, as we head toward the 2014 mid term elections. If we don't turn out in big numbers, we will lose seats in both houses and at all levels in state and local races. If we turnout in big numbers, we'll pick up seats and win races at all levels. It really is that simple. So, let's get to work now and make sure we get our voters to the polls in 2014.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-55543573363959906912012-10-27T16:31:00.000-05:002012-10-27T18:55:56.096-05:00How stupid are they? Oh... My... God! - Birthers Tout Badly Faked Vid As "Proof" Obama Was Born In Kenya<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Everything Possible Happens brings you a complete and thorough debunking of the latest insane stupid assholery to crawl out of the fetid swamps of Lower Wingnuttia...<br />
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Not content with the insane babbling boobery of Orly Taitz and Donald Dumbshit, the birthers are back, and this time they have PROOF! PROOF, I tell you, PROOF! And the PROOF has already gone VIRAL throughout Lower Wingnuttia! It's out there, man, it's out there!<br />
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And what might this, er, "proof" be, a not crazy, not stupid, not wingnut racist fundie moran birther boob might ask?<br />
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Vice, a stinking cesspool of a vulgarian loonytoonian website and magazine that I refuse to link to, has posted PROOF, PROOF, I tell you, that Obama was actually born in KENYA and they have the VIDEO to prove it!<br />
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Without further ado, here's the hilariously badly faked video...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/52049073?badge=0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="400"></iframe><br />
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Did we say debunking? When huge, steaming piles of Teh Stupid come this fast and furious, it's hard to know where to start. For example...<br />
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*The video is supposedly a "VHS transfer of a Super-8 home movie filmed by Barack Sr." In fact, there was no Super-8 in 1961, when Obama was born. Kodak didn't release the Super-8 format <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super-8">until 1965.</a><br />
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*The Kenyan flag, Bendera ya Kenya, conveniently placed on the bedboard next to the medical chart, wasn't adopted until <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Kenya">December of 1963.</a><br />
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*The woman in the video is obviously NOT the woman in the picture attached conveniently to the chart.<br />
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*The picture attached to the chart for no reason whatsoever is actually Ann Dunham's yearbook photo. Why would they attach a picture at all? They wouldn't, but if they did, why wouldn't they use a RECENT picture? What, no passport photo? Are we to believe Ann traveled the world with her yearbook in her purse just in case?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvexMw-TVd4/UIxMjSHRTiI/AAAAAAAAAX0/eIKGjErwE5Y/s1600/Ann-Dunaham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvexMw-TVd4/UIxMjSHRTiI/AAAAAAAAAX0/eIKGjErwE5Y/s320/Ann-Dunaham.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Ann Dunham's High School Graduation Picture</span></div>
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*The 6 inch long umbilical cord in the vid falls off on its own. Real umbilical cords are about 2 feet long and must be clamped, then cut.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0o4eQq6BySE/UIxNZmEfjHI/AAAAAAAAAX8/24vRHls52o0/s1600/umbilical+cord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0o4eQq6BySE/UIxNZmEfjHI/AAAAAAAAAX8/24vRHls52o0/s320/umbilical+cord.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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*The child in the video is obviously not a newborn, unless it's a 25 pound alert newborn holding up its own head with eyes wide open.<br />
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*All newborns are covered in a white, milky substance called vermix, which protects the infant from amniotic fluid. Vermix clings especially in the area around the eyes and folds in the skin. There is no vermix on this "newborn."<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Yf7Yg43zsM/UIxNu--cumI/AAAAAAAAAYE/LnURYAGIVbU/s1600/newbornvernix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Yf7Yg43zsM/UIxNu--cumI/AAAAAAAAAYE/LnURYAGIVbU/s320/newbornvernix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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*Whoever made this video has obviously not seen a live birth. Something important is missing entirely. Can you say "placenta"? You can say it, but you can't find one in the vid. In fact, the "newborn" comes out amazing clean with no sign of blood, amniotic fluid, vermix or fluids of any kind.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xk9EwIALzSo/UIxOSzZq42I/AAAAAAAAAYM/1-4B9v1T1GY/s1600/delete1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xk9EwIALzSo/UIxOSzZq42I/AAAAAAAAAYM/1-4B9v1T1GY/s320/delete1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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*Momma pops out this humongous, gargantuan, world's largest newborn ever easier than a baseball player spits out a pumpkin seed, and all in just a few effortless seconds. Not.<br />
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*And finally, my personal favorite, zoom in on the calendar conveniently placed next to the flag and the pic and you find that EVERY day in August of 1961 is shown as the 4th. Apparently the producers were too bleeping stupid to bother looking up the actual days as the fell in August of 1961, including FRIDAY, August 4th, Obama's birthday.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-moYDYYmlDUQ/UIxPFdCHD2I/AAAAAAAAAYc/l8BZN3bRQ6M/s1600/Obama_calendar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-moYDYYmlDUQ/UIxPFdCHD2I/AAAAAAAAAYc/l8BZN3bRQ6M/s320/Obama_calendar.jpg" width="600" /></span></a></div>
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The lesson here is a familiar one; Never underestimate the stupidity of GOP racist wingnut birther imbeciles.</div>
John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-31079824404983654402012-10-14T03:53:00.000-05:002012-10-14T14:59:30.677-05:00Iconic Austin Restaurant Pressures Employees To Vote GOP - Threats Of Cuts In Hours, Loss Of Income If GOP Loses, Obamacare Not Repealed<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Br7xYs-jMwk/UHnh62Gtc5I/AAAAAAAAAWw/L3GfQCxw824/s1600/youre_fired.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Br7xYs-jMwk/UHnh62Gtc5I/AAAAAAAAAWw/L3GfQCxw824/s400/youre_fired.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Addicting Info</td></tr>
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We've all read about GOP voter suppression efforts, but less attention has been paid to the efforts of private employers to coerce their workers to vote GOP. Service industry workers, especially those who depend on tips to make a living, are particularly vulnerable to this kind of pressure.<br />
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Some restaurant chains are already limiting employee hours, essentially creating an all part time work force to reduce labor costs and avoid the employer insurance requirements due to kick in next year under Obamacare. <a href="http://leanforward.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/10/14342234-restaurant-chain-experiments-with-more-part-time-work-to-avoid-obamacare-costs?lite">Ned Resnikoff reports</a> Olive Garden and Red Lobster are among those who're experimenting with part time staff...<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Rich Jeffers, a spokesperson for (Olive Garden and Red Lobster parent company) Darden, said the company was working on finding the "optimal mix" for satisfying the law's requirements while "address[ing] the cost implications of the Affordable Care Act."<br />
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"We're not moving people from full time to part time," said Jeffers. Instead, Darden has been "bringing on more people in part-time roles" in the restaurants they've opened since February, when the experiment began. The question the experiment is supposed to answer, he said, is, "Can we continue to deliver our brand experience with more part-time?"<br />
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While they say they are not reducing hours for full time employees - a claim disputed by workers and industry experts - the goal is clear. Darden hopes to shift from a mostly full time work force to an all part time work force and thereby avoid the employer requirements of the Affordable Care Act. But Saru Jayaraman, the director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, says <a href="http://leanforward.msnbc.com/_news/2012/10/10/14342234-restaurant-chain-experiments-with-more-part-time-work-to-avoid-obamacare-costs?lite">Darden is merely using ACA as a pretext to trim labor costs...</a><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Saru Jayaraman, the director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, alleged that Darden was using the Affordable Care Act as a mere pretext to cut back on labor costs. "Maybe they want to portray that that's the cause of the issue, but it really isn't," she said. As <a href="http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/4619/labor_organization_tries_to_cook_up_restaurant_worker_solidarity/">In These Times reported in July</a>, ROC has been engaged in a multi-city campaign against Darden for months over charges of wage theft, grueling hours, unpaid overtime, and even racial discrimination.<br />
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Jayaraman also said that Darden was wrong to claim it had not cut hours for full-time employees. "Since we've started the campaign we've received messages ... from workers saying similar things saying their hours are being cut, their positions are being cut," she said.<br />
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Now, this trend has come to Obama friendly Austin, and in very disturbing ways. A well known and loved local chain just attached the following memo to the paychecks of all employees. The memo uses scare tactics and well worn wingnut talking points to pressure workers to tow the political line of the owners. The intent is clear; Vote GOP or else.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hkaG3ResLS4/UHnkCQqLR0I/AAAAAAAAAW4/A5H-Cx-cMaE/s1600/ACA+memo+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hkaG3ResLS4/UHnkCQqLR0I/AAAAAAAAAW4/A5H-Cx-cMaE/s640/ACA+memo+edit.jpg" width="590" /></a></div>
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Regardless of how one feels about Obamacare, this is blatant coercion. This employer is using threats and intimidation to try to brow beat their employees to vote GOP. They don't say they *might* cut back hours for full time employees. They say the *will* turn full timers into part timers. Unless Obama is defeated and the GOP takes the House and the Senate.<br />
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Particularly distasteful to me - and many of their employees - is the blatant anti-Obama, pro GOP tired old talking points, many of which simply aren't true, interspersed with scare tactics and direct threats, complete with VERY SCARY ALL CAPS WARNINGS and unsubtle innuendo through Italics...<br />
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"...President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act."<br />
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"...in January, 20124 YOU will be to required to get and pay for health insurance."<br />
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"The actual bill is over 2,400 pages long..."<br />
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"YOU will have to buy insurance. Your employer _may_ help you, but YOU will be legally required to buy insurance."<br />
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"THIS IS THE LAW.... The law <em>could</em> be repealed, but that would require a Republican President, and Republican majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives (wink-wink, nudge-nudge). At this point "Hope" is not a strategy (ooh, BURN!). We need to plan our way forward to face the serious challenges that this new law presents to each of us."<br />
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I haven't named this restaurant. I know there'll be a clamor to out them, and that may happen in the future. But right now my primary concern is for the employees. Outing the restaurant would no doubt cause a significant backlash here in Obama friendly Austin. Business would suffer. Yes, the owners would take a well deserved financial hit, but it's the employees who would pay the steepest price, especially those who rely on tips. While conservatives might rush in to fill the void left by disgruntled progressives, it's likely not enough, as several servers told me, "Conservatives around here don't tip worth shit."<br />
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More important than punishing this one employer is realizing that this is happening all over the country and spreading the word. Businesses large and small are trying to intimidate, scare and coerce employees to vote GOP. Employers are free to have and express their political views, just like everyone else, but when expression turns into coercion, a dangerous line has been crossed. No one of any political stripe should be forced to accept views with which they fundamentally disagree just to keep their job.<br />
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My suggestion is instead of seeking to shame this one employer, let's all start asking all of our favorite restaurants and other service businesses if they've pressured their employees in any way.<br />
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"Have you or do you plan to pressure employees politically over ACA or any other issue?"<br />
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Let's make it a badge of honor for a local biz to proudly say, "No, we have never and would never try to coerce our employees to vote a particular way," and then publicly support those businesses that make such a pledge while avoiding those who don't.John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-848920490929654438.post-30897227109999041712012-10-07T16:02:00.000-05:002012-10-08T01:01:14.431-05:00A Tempest in a T-shirt - Philly Teen's Shirt Sparks Viral Poutrage in Lower Wingnuttia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A teacher known for joking with her class makes a mild joke about a student's Romney T shirt on dress down day and it's POUTRAGE in Lower Wingnuttia!<br />
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The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-05/news/34261217_1_samantha-pawlucy-romney-shirt-romney-t-shirt">how it all started...</a><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pawlucy was wearing a pink Romney/Ryan t-shirt on a "dress-down" day at school Friday when, she said, Gaymon began making fun of her. An adult aide waved a marker as if to draw an "X" on the shirt, Pawlucy said.<br />
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She also said Gaymon called the school "Democratic," and said Pawlucy's wearing of the Romney shirt was analogous to Gaymon, who is black, wearing a KKK shirt.<br />
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As students streamed out of the school Thursday afternoon, several groups of students shouted their support for Gaymon, calling her a "great teacher," "really fun," and "nothing like that story."<br />
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Students said Gaymon jokes around with her students, but never out of malice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TGnzvKsooB0/UHHrfpIcQRI/AAAAAAAAAWY/mOS0XEmwMco/s1600/20121004_inq_rrxromney04-c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TGnzvKsooB0/UHHrfpIcQRI/AAAAAAAAAWY/mOS0XEmwMco/s320/20121004_inq_rrxromney04-c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samantha Pawlucy shows the Romney shirt that started it all</td></tr>
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It's not okay to chastise or humiliate a student for any reason. Clearly that's not what happened here. This teacher is well known for using humor and joking with her class and she was obviously joking here, and every other student in the class knew it.<br />
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That said, it was a mistake to single out the T-shirt and a double mistake to joke about the KKK in class. But it wasn't harassment, bullying or in any way malicious. It's the girl's peers that humiliated her, not the teacher. Teenagers toss around taunts and make threats all of the time. Kids can be mean, you know. But the situation has <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20121006_Students_heckle_parents_of_Philadelphia_teen_over_T-shirt_incident.html?cmpid=124488489">gotten worse...</a><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Angered by a teenager's claims of being humiliated by a teacher over a Romney/Ryan T-shirt, students at Charles Carroll High School ignored warnings from administrators and shouted obscenities out school windows at the girl's parents Friday morning.<br />
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Samantha Pawlucy had accused her geometry teacher of humiliating her for wearing the shirt, and stayed out of school after saying she learned students had made threats against her. To calm the situation, district officials addressed students Friday, urging them to leave Pawlucy alone.<br />
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Minutes later, some students were heckling Pawlucy's parents, shouting obscenities at them.<br />
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But since you can't go after kids for being kids, her rents, who aren't politically active, went after the teacher. Now, Lower Wingnuttia is in full attack mode. The teacher, who is black, has been receiving phone messages complete with the requisite <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20121007_More_threats_alleged_in_shirt_flap.html?nlid=5013861">racist slurs and death threats...</a><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Watch your back, (nigger). I'mma blow your (fucking) brains out."<br />
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Gaymon lives with two of her aunts in Philadelphia; one of them said that she picked up the phone and heard a death threat around 6 p.m. Friday and that after that, they stopped answering the phone. The calls continued, with several callers leaving messages, before the women unplugged the phone, they said.<br />
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They played several messages for The Inquirer that were loaded with racial slurs and profanities.<br />
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Whatever happened in school that day, it was all in jest, the aunts said their niece told them.<br />
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Gaymon was not available to be interviewed.<br />
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"She's a jokester. Lynn is like the family clown," one of the aunts said. "When it comes to entertainment, she's the one."<br />
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(Gaymon) told (her aunts) she left school on the day of the incident believing her students, including Pawlucy, knew she had been joking.<br />
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Gaymon has long been an advocate for students, her aunts said, and had been on good terms with Pawlucy.<br />
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Pawlucy agreed that she (sic) gotten along with Gaymon and could see how Gaymon may have been joking. But she said the experience was humiliating.<br />
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Gaymon's aunts said she appreciated the support but wasn't happy with the divisive anger.<br />
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"Lynn's really hurting about Samantha. She's really, really hurting for that child," one of them said. "Do what Lynn would want, what she always wants her kids to do: Come to school. Do your homework. Be on time. Be respectful."<br />
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She said she hoped the Pawlucys would join them in calling for an end to all harassment, threats, and bullying. She said she'll be praying for Samantha Pawlucy and her family in church on Sunday, and wants to see the situation resolved peacefully.<br />
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Cheezus fracking crisco, grow a pair, WATB. Most people know better than to go full bat shit crazy over a teen with hurt feelings. Most people don't live in Lower Wingnuttia.<br />
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It's the actions of the rents that escalated this situation. The perfectly predictable - to a person of normal intelligence - harassment from her fellow students didn't start until after the parents made a big stink and went running to the media.<br />
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This mountain will be reduced back to a mole hill. Talk about teachable moments, at this point I'm guessing everyone involved has regrets, and they should. Lessons to be learned from this incident abound.<br />
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The teacher's joke was clumsy and inappropriate, but not malicious. The lesson is be careful what you say, even when you're kidding, especially in a classroom environment. Whom among us hasn't told an inappropriate or clumsy joke?<br />
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The lesson for the girl is if your feelings were hurt, say so. She had a good relationship with this teacher. She should have gone to her teacher right after class and said, "That hurt my feelings."<br />
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The lesson for the other students is yes, people do have differing political views. It's not necessary to agree with someone's politics to respect their right to express their opinion.<br />
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The lesson for the parents is don't take a minor incident in teendom and blow it up into a federal case. Get some bleeping perspective. Your teen is not a special princess to be protected from every pea. Instead of escalating the problem by going into full attack mode, how about actually addressing the problem directly and honestly?<br />
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The other, and perhaps most important, lesson here is for all of us. Be careful. Too many Lower Wingnuttians are dangerous, violent, racist nutbags, and they will react viciously at any perceived poutrage. Death threats and racist slurs because of a joke of questionable taste? Really? WTF is wrong with you people?John Avignonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14659725445861633610noreply@blogger.com0