U.S. politics 23

[sologdin]

the tax deductions for charitable contributions certainly can't explain why poor people give a higher % of their income to charity than the rich do, on average.

ormond--

yeah, tax abatements don't cover those contributions. i suspect it is proletarian fraternity masquerading as religious devotion.

[Ormond]

Houston, Texas, elects an openly lesbian woman as mayor:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/13/houston.mayor/

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6767621.html

I love the opening line of the Houston Chronicle commentary:

In Houston, it is now harder for a lawyer to be elected mayor than a lesbian.

:)

[The Real Will]

Michael Steele:Even lamer then you thought

So it's ok for the chairman of the GOP to give terrorist fist bumps then? I wonder where he got his dispensation and whether he could advise Michelle Obama on how to get the same.

[Annelise]

Posted this right before the other thread was closed so copying it over for possible discussion...

Here's a pdf with a summary of the financial regulation in the bill the House passed: https://salsa.democr...20Summary-1.pdf

Nate Silver commenting on the Dem's economic policies & liberal indifference to them: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

[Peter Irving]

These Micheal Steele pictures remind me of the putin going on the russian version of MTV and putin looked like a fucking chav. When will politicians learn that trying to be hip just doesn't work.

Glad to see Houston is doing the right thing, now the rest of the state.

[Annelise]

Update on the ACORN ban:

Yesterday, a federal judge ruled that Grayson was right and that the ACORN funding ban is unconstitutional:

A federal judge today issued an injunction preventing the implementation of a congressional ban on funding for ACORN. Judge Nina Gershon concluded that the ban amounted to a “bill of attainder” that unfairly singled out ACORN.

“[The plaintiffs] have been singled out by Congress for punishment that directly and immediately affects their ability to continue to obtain federal funding, in the absence of any judicial, or even administrative, process of adjudicating guilt,” Gershon wrote in her decision.

Gershon said ACORN had demonstrated “irreperable harm” from the ban, while “the potential harm to the government, in granting the injunction, is less.”

The decision noted that the ban had already prevented ACORN from receiving payment from contracts awarded before the ban took effect.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/12/judge-rules-acorn-funding/

[Annelise]

Well, he couldn't be any plainer.

Gingrich reiterated his call for all Republicans to commit to repealing any form of a health care bill that Democrats might pass before the 2010 elections:

GINGRICH: If the left manages to drive through a bill which is opposed by 65 percent of the country on health care, our commitment should be simple — when we get a majority, we’re repealing the whole thing. (applause)

And I want every Democrat who is about to sacrifice their seat for socialized medicine to understand: after you lose your seat, you’re going to lose the socialized medicine too.

Gingrich is just the latest Republican to commit to repealing health reform if it passes. Earlier, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) pledged to “repeal the disaster.” Also, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) said, “I’ll be Chairman Joe Barton of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and we’ll repeal it.”

In his speech yesterday, Gingrich also exhorted Republicans to commit to “not implementing Copenhagen [global warming treaty] in its current form under any circumstances.”

He also added this worthy gem:

Warning the 14th District Republicans Mr. Gingrich said, "The other side has no answers. The other side is not going to improve anything. And if we are not careful the other side is going to turn the whole country into Detroit. Then we will all be uneducated, we will all be poor, and we will all live in dangerous places."

:shocked:

[Peter Irving]

Gingrich always full of lies, half truths, and fear mongering. I fear him running for president because he had to be the one of the most corrupt members of congress in recent memory.

BTW I was wondering but would anyone support an amendment to the constitution making the death penalty available for any politician found sticking their fingers in the cookie jar?

[Annelise]

Gingrich always full of lies, half truths, and fear mongering. I fear him running for president because he had to be the one of the most corrupt members of congress in recent memory.

Well, I can say he certainly motivates us to make time to vote in midterms no matter what.

[Shryke]

http://rawstory.com/...change-offices/

Arguing that the location of their local congressman's office infringes on their right to free speech, Tea Party protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, have asked Democratic House Rep. Tom Perriello to relocate so they can protest him more easily.

I bet they are reconsidering those "Free Speach Zones" now, right?

....

Who am I kidding, they aren't that self-aware.

[lordofavalon]

BTW I was wondering but would anyone support an amendment to the constitution making the death penalty available for any politician found sticking their fingers in the cookie jar?

To be honest, isn't it already in the constitution that any federal employee found doing treasonous acts is to be hanged?

in my opinion, taking bribes, and doing whats best for you instead of your constituents as a public official is basically treason to them and they should be executed. after the first 100 or so politicians are executed, i think the other 400 or so in both houses will stop being so blatently corrupt

[Peter Irving]

So whop first do we execute than?

[Tormund Ukrainesbane]

To be honest, isn't it already in the constitution that any federal employee found doing treasonous acts is to be hanged?

Maybe we could fling them from the Tarpeian Rock instead.

[Shryke]

Looks like some good shit finally going down in Maricopa:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio, famous for his aggressive prosecution of illegal immigrants, has become mired this week in a whirlwind of back-and-forth accusations, investigations, indictments, arrests, and general animosity between warring factions of local politicos in Maricopa County, the fifth largest county in the country. Disputes have become so overheated that Sheriff Arpaio has been barred by one judge from searching the home of another judge.

Reportedly, the FBI is investigating Arpaio, who works hand-in-hand with Thomas on these corruption cases, for alleged abuses of power.

This week, the Phoenix Business Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had set up an Arpaio-specific hotline for Maricopa County residents to report suspected wrongdoing by MCSO related to "crime sweeps, traffic stops, and immigration raids." In March, the DOJ announced an investigation into alleged patterns of racial discrimination based on national origin. Although the DOJ has not been specific, the consensus among Arpaio's critics is that the investigation relates primarily to racial profiling and illegal searches and seizures. In October, Arpaio complained publicly that DOJ investigators had posed as reporters to gain access to one of his press conferences.

When connecting to the DOJ's Arpaio tip line, it says, "You have reached the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office investigation line." Then it prompts the listener to choose between English and Spanish. By lunchtime Wednesday, both the English and Spanish mailboxes were full. They have been full throughout the week and are still full as of Saturday morning. The toll free number for the tip line is 877-613-2137.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-teo/sheriff-arpaio-indicts-po_b_385086.html

The article also contains an extensive list of all the people Joe has put "under investigation" for daring to stand up to him.

[Tsavong Lah]

Pretty rich of Gingrich to say that the "other side" has no answers, when his party has been saying nothing but "no" since they lost power. And it should be noted, during their years of power they never passed a single law that significantly improved the lives of Americans.

[Peter Irving]

hangings more classic.

You know I think in the case of corrupt sheirfs we should just hand them over to the general prison populace though.

[TerraPrime]

Houston, Texas, elects an openly lesbian woman as mayor:

Hurray for Houston. :)

In Houston, it is now harder for a lawyer to be elected mayor than a lesbian.

I didn't know that lawyers who want to be lesbians need approval of the voting population?

[Shryke]

Pretty rich of Gingrich to say that the "other side" has no answers, when his party has been saying nothing but "no" since they lost power. And it should be noted, during their years of power they never passed a single law that significantly improved the lives of Americans.

The most childish and obvious one being THIS gem here:

Where members of the Democratic Women's Caucus are drowned out while explaining how the health care bill would benefit women by House Republicans continually yelling "I object" over and over and over again in order to disrupt the proceedings .

It's seriously the most pathetic bullshit I've seen in ages.

[The Marquis de Leech]

I fear him running for president because he had to be the one of the most corrupt members of congress in recent memory.

I don't fear Gingrich running for President. He's not going to win.

[Lightning Lord]

Nice of Gingrich to slam Detroit. I am sure it makes the residents feel good to have a national political figure stand up, point to them and say "Hey, we don't want to be like them, do we?

It's insane and dangerous that people listen to and respond favorably to this drivel. And just screaming at the top of your lungs in order to not hear the other person is juvenile at best. Why not just assume the fetal position, cover your ears, shut your eyes and scream "I can't hear you! I can't hear you!" whenever the Democrats are speaking?