LiveBlog for Wednesday, July 15, 2009
• Rob Kar, Professor of Law and Philosophy at the University of Illinois, calls in at 6:05am Pacific to talk about his experiences clerking for Judge Sotomayor in 1998-99, and his impressions of being at her hearing yesterday.
• Comedian Michael Ian Black calls in at 6:30am Pacific to talk about his new Comedy Central show, “Michael & Michael Have Issues.”
• Veteran political reporter Richard Wolffe calls in at 7:05am Pacific to talk about his new book, “Renegade: The Making of a President,” and about the news of the day.
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) calls in at 7:30am Pacific to talk about health care reform.
• Sonia Sotomayor faced tough questioning yesterday on political issues and controversial statements from her past, with both Dems and GOPers saying she responded well and appeared certain to win confirmation as the nation’s first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.
• House Dems unveiled their revised version of health care reform yesterday, offering a proposal that includes a government-funded health insurance option, required both individuals and employers to participate, and taxes the wealthy to help cover costs.
• A passenger plane carrying 168 people crashed this morning in northwest Iran, and all on board were feared dead. 153 passengers and 15 crewmembers were on the Caspian Airlines jet.
Tags: Chris Van Hollen, Health Care Reform, Michael Ian Black, Richard Wolffe, Rob Kar, Sonia Sotomayor
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at 2:36 am and is filed under liveblog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Good morning, everyone!
Just popping in for a bit. So much to do today that my usual multitasking blogging will not do. So, it’s ‘Cheery bye’ for now.
Have a great show and blog!
Well, I think I’m alone in here, but if not… Good Morning!
Gooood morning all.
Hi & bye, shaf. It’s a drive by for me as well, the programmer hat is going back on for the day.
Hi Danielle! sorry I missed Paul and shaf. Happy Wednesday!
Barack throws out the first pitch at the All Star game last night. Did you see any of it, with him in the broadcast box? He is so adorable. What can’t he do?!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/23/obama-to-throw-out-first_n_219885.html
Remember Kurt Vonneget’s suicide parlors in (?) Slaughter House? Here’s the real thing in Switzerland:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/14/conductor-edward-downes-a_n_231204.html
Edward was 85 and his 74 year old wife was terminally ill. This makes sense to me.
Morning carol… Nothing suprises me about Obama… I think he can do just about anything!
I love reading your posts, Danielle. In fact most all the live bloggers are smart, funny, articulate. I read it all everyday.
Tony lost me when he said the penalty box of the SMS LB should be sparse and bare. No, no, no. The penalty box is a space to contemplate and savor blogs that went to far. It is near the fainting couch and the rotary phone.
Catch any of the Sotomayor hearings – what a bunch of dumbf**k US Senators we have!
LOL… thanks Carol… I’m actually in the middle of writing some new prose… I’m probably going to post it later… I’d love to get your thoughts!
And I must agree… Mama ain’t a’lyin’ when she says her listeners are the smartest in the world!
Capt decorated the penalty box himself. Unfortunately he took his flat screen tv when he left. Back then, capt spent alot of time there and many others ran there, too. good times, good times.
Couldn’t agree more Ruth! I like the douche-nozzle description the best…
#9 One passing question for the Live Blog…
Jeff Sessions, Douchebag or Greatest Douchebag? Discuss.
Hi MWR. #9 nope, I did not watch and I buzzed through Steph’s rebroadcast on my podcast. I must protect my mental health and only hear/look at Republicans through the fingers covering my face.
jeff sessions: boulder dam’s douche nozzle
let’s start calling republican valdemort
Morning bloggenyawners…
#8: Is the penalty box suicide-parlor-adjacent?
when valdemort dies, will they call a valdemortician?
I didn’t say anything about a penalty box.
Morning all!
Which is more vile? the patriot act or microsoft spying on their customers. one way or another your being watched
It’s been around a year since the patriot act was renewed and rupert murdoch had cell phone records hacked and everybody’s talking about the cyber attack from north korea. but Microsoft, Apple and Google are looking at your searches and files on your PC’s. Microsoft is the most aggregous at this. their worse than what Facebook was planning to do:
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2368094.cms
http://www.pcworld.com/article/137315/chinese_student_sues_microsoft_for_privacy_violation.html
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/329335/is_microsoft_spying_on_you/
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-125321.html
http://www.vanwensveen.nl/rants/microsoft/IhateMS_4.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft#Criticisms_of_
the_case
http://www.vanwensveen.nl/rants/microsoft/IhateMS_5.html
http://www.vanwensveen.nl/rants/microsoft/IhateMS_6.html
http://www.vanwensveen.nl/rants/microsoft/IhateMS_7.html
http://www.vanwensveen.nl/rants/microsoft/IhateMS.html
http://i.gizmodo.com/5144366/former-employee-responds-to-microsoft-
spying-allegations
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Splying-Through-Windows-Live-
Local-14558.shtml
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Admits-It-Is-Spying-Apple-
Users-with-Office-2008-for-Mac-80147.shtml
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business06_july04_2006
http://www.marketingshift.com/2004/11/microsoft-search-beta-
manipulating.cfm
http://www.marketingshift.com/2005/3/is-microsoft-spying-on-you-
with.cfm
http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8956&Itemid=38
http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_m/microsoft/19990909spy.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/18/microsoft_advertising_pc_patent/
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=179623
http://boycottnovell.com/2008/09/14/corruption-spying-insecurity/
http://virtuelvis.com/archives/2006/02/microsoft-censoring-msn-messenger
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_3741/ai_55695355/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/852362/posts
http://www.twoengineers.com/Richard/microsoft.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/2008/8/microsoft-of-course-we-spy-on-
our-web-users-but-not-as-much-as-the-other-guys
john kerry is currently on the fore-front of regulating electronics and computer. for all intents and purposes he’s quite possibly the closest thing this century has to a ralph nader to tackle coorporate curruption by this almost un-regulated industry. he’s currently tackling wireless providers and their cell phone exclusivity scheme (http://www.johnkerry.com/blog/entry/john_kerry_more_choices_for_wireless_consumers/). contact him at http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm or at http://www.johnkerry.com/page/s/contact . microsoft is over do to be dragged in for an anti trust inquiry.
“The late Nobel economist Milton Friedman believed that the antitrust case against Microsoft set a dangerous precedent that foreshadowed increasing government regulation of what was formerly an industry that was relatively free of government intrusion and that future technological progress in the industry will be impeded as a result.[20]
Jean-Louis Gassée, CEO of Be Inc., which at the time made a competing operating system which eventually folded in the face of Microsoft’s dominance, criticized the emphasis on the “packaging problem.”[citation needed] He claimed Microsoft was not really making any money from Internet Explorer, and its incorporation with the operating system was due to consumer expectation to have a browser packaged with the operating system. For example, BeOS comes packaged with its web browser, NetPositive, and Mac OS X with Safari.
Instead, he argued, Microsoft’s true anticompetitive clout was in the rebates it offered to OEMs preventing other operating systems from getting a foothold in the market.”
STOP CYBERNETIC TRYANY.
I say enough provocative stuff. Don’t add that in there!
Something’s buzzing … Steph?
Good morning, BloggenMooksters. Another day of wimpy Republican leprechauns trying to besmirch Sonia.. Did you see Lindsay Graham’s reference to temperament, with the fear of a “bully” judge? What a pathetic little zero Graham is.
The Republican Party indeed seems bent on nulling out whatever Hispanic support they may have had.
Good morning live blogospherians! I’m late this morning…stupid phone calls from your kids….
#5 He can’t throw a baseball 60′6″. That’s about it.
#16 My mom likes to shop at Valde*Mort, despite my protests.
I keep expecting these guys to forget themselves and say something like “now what’s a BOY like you doin’ here?” in that deep southern drawl. It’s embarrassing that someone so overtly racist as Sessions can end up a U.S. Senator.
What else can we expect from Jefferson Beauregard Sessions and Miss Lindsay today?
#26 Well, he IS from the state of George Wallace.
And what’s with Obama’s sissy girly toss of the baseball? I expected him to turn his hat around a few times, pick up some dust and rub the ball, spit a stream of tobacco juice, rear back, wind up, and burn one in.. This is the sort of things where our President has disappointed me. Greatly.
Anderson Cooper, the man with two last names.
All these Republican senators asking Sotomayor questions are hoars. Look it up!
Oh, wait…I did say something about a penalty box. That was a long time ago.
#31 And Judge Sotomayor is experiencing hoarfrost from the Republican senators (look that up).
#24: When he gets around to visiting the moon, he’ll throw that ball as far as he damn pleases.
Anyway…since Graham said that Sotomayor will be confirmed unless she hsa a meltdown, why don’t they just get it over with, take a vote, stop the grandstanding, and get to other things.
They’re like a bunch of corporate execs who have to have a pre-meeting on a meeting, and then who hold the meeting to discuss something that they all know is going to happen.
Just shut up and do it!
The Repubs are hoary old whores..
BTW, ever try to throw a ball with a bulletproof vest on? Not so easy.
Okay guys… new work…thoughts?
“Lady Liberty”
Written today, 7/15/09
Lady Liberty awoke to find,
She’d lost her dignity along with her mind.
No longer could she bear to stand,
For peace and justice throughout this land.
Alone she stood throughout the years,
To represent blood, sweat, and tears.
She took our tired, our poor and weak,
And brightened futures, which once were bleak.
A torch she holds in her right hand,
To enlighten all throughout the land.
The tablet tucked on her life side,
Shows for what men fought and died.
With a heavy heart she bowed her head,
On the day fore fathers dreams went dead.
A country lost to a stolen vote,
Her dream of peace went up in smoke.
For near a decade she closed her eyes,
As not to watch her dream’s demise.
Her fist she shook in peaceful strike,
As the world filled up with war and strife.
She longed for freedom’s warm embrace,
But hate, fear, and tyranny took its place.
She turned away as our liberty died,
With every law lost, a tear she cried.
And then alas, there was new hope,
Of peace returned and laws un-broke.
There stood one man who knew we could,
Return the justice for which she stood.
“Yes we can”, he told us all,
And again she held her torch up tall,
Her eyes again opened to the light,
Though she knew it’d be a long, hard fight.
A return to dreams of fathers gone,
She saw hope and justice did live on.
With torch and tablet, again she shined,
To all the willing hearts and minds.
“Again”, she said, “we will be free”.
Again she stood for liberty.
“Yes we can” has paved the way,
And led us back to better days.
Renewed by hope throughout the land,
She proudly raised up her right hand.
A torch, once dimmed, now shined anew,
All because one man’s audacity grew.
George Bush Sr., who was more of a man than his son will ever be, used to play first base for Yale. He bounced his throw. It’s that bulletproof vest.
Danielle – wonderful poetry!
6: there were some well developed euthanasia clinics in “soylent green”, which appears to have been filmed on location during a good day in new york city… – this was a very weird film from the early 1970s, where the opening scenes show such intense population density, that you know they must be recycling the proteins from cadavers immediately into food. – very intensely atmospheric, thoe excessively simple in dynamics, this film took a typical slice of time from this situation, and stretched it into a feature length film with the dramatic climax that …*GASP*… INTENSE RECYCLING is a major component of civic activity !!! – the shock of experiencing this dark future in which recycling becomes de rigeur mortis, pushed charlston heston over the edge into madness, and eventually death,… now where did i leave the velveeta?
I like it, Danielle. Post it on your blog, feed it to you know where, and I’ll make sure I rate it and reddit it and so on.
Oh, and Danielle, if you want to get exposure for your blog, make sure you use tools like reddit, digg, and stumbleupon.
28: sessions is from paraplegia? – i thott that cat was just paralyzed from the neck up. – there are definite signs of necrosis. – in fact, “soylent jif” sounds worth a try.
It’s there Tony, I’ll post a link on your site later!
I appreciate any feedback… even if it’s not positive!!
Another pasty old white haired Repub Senator, Cornyn (TX) – off on the “wise Latina” offense, immediately.
Tony, I’ll have to email you about more detailed instructions for those tools… if ya’ don’t mind!
soniamayor’s temperament? – “the cracker formally known as graham” has some splainintoodooo.
is michael jackson ill?
BTW, I HATE raspberries/ooowies/road rash. I have a six inch one going from my knee down, and it’s annoying as hell. The knee needs to bend and it is highly annoying!
31/33: i made my mind up that i would do ANYTHING to get my victory garden growing down in south central, and some rooster in a decorous el dorado pulled up and shouted “USE A HOE !”.
So, Who’s gonna get the douch-nozzle award today??? Perhaps Graham???
Oh, gawd….streaming the hearings? Why? If that goes on for much longer, then I will blog and run. Bloomberg is talking about retail sales, and I’d much rather listen to that than this kabuki theater.
#48 You know about those hot-tempered Latins….
Repubs have a problem with nuance.. Sonia needs to bring it down to 12 year old level for these ignoramuses.
50: the logistical restrictions upon genuflection raise the question, what do catholics plan to do when the troposphere is SRO?
Hmmm…two reference to Soylant Green on two different web sites I’ve been two in two days….
54: amen. the last loser who called me “hot tempered” is still pulling cactus spikes out of his sigmoid colon.
#55 12 year-olds understand nuance better than Republicans. Aiming too high Ivan
#57, it’s people, you know.
Buh bye, Tony. Have a great day.
#60 As I said on that other web site, “I knew that about 30 minutes into the movie.
Close quotes.
What is the SECRET of Sotomayor Green??
Crap! Are we going to spend 2 hours listening to the confirmation hearings again? Seriously, this stuff is as dull as watching paint dry! Please, send me an e-mail when you get back to actual comedy….
#65 I like the MST3K-style riffing as the hearings are played. Sorry.
56: reminds me of the subject in the post yesterday, where the birther mania took it to 11, the guy who had been wanting to get out of going to afghanistan, and decided that becoming a birther would make an excellent last ditch effort… and this person impels the question, if the best part of you already went dripping into the wet spot before you were even conceived, then arent you already by definition a “dis-honorable discharge”? – most birthers definitely are.
57: chemistry riddle: what is the next letter in this sequence?
ANACLANDAAA…
#67, remember when soldiers just dressed in women’s garb to try to get out of serving?
“Klinger, how dare you wear that hat in your uniform!”
“It’s spring, sir!
Ah, but the hearing IS comedy – watching these morons trying to score some points with their moron Republican “base”..
Yes, Senator, if you’ll just READ the entire speech, you freaking Republican moron!
62: the UNSOLVED mystery remains why they wanted to “live” in those conditions. – the “pace” chili commercial got this one right. “new york city? – get a rope !”
At first I thought Heston was yelling, “Soylant Green is purple,” and I said, “Huh? Then why do they call it ‘Soylant GREEN’?”
As you can see, Senator John Cornhole is struggling to “understand”..
You’re struggling to understand period, you turd!
Arrrrrrggggggh!
Okay, enough of the kabuki theater. See you guys later. Yes, I am blogging and running, but with the hearings on, I’m just not interested.
See ya!
And tomorrow, I will not blog and run. I have the day off so I will be with you for all three hours. Muhahahahahaha!
Like she can speak for the White House?
why havent they veered off into talking about bill ayers yet? – even sarah palin was sharp enuff to squeeze in that talking point off a different topic.
75: something to do with lunar cycles, i understand… for more clair d’ lunacy, go thee to wikipedia, and keyword “menstruation”.
“We can’t find anything to hang on you, so I’ll ask you to explain what other people say about you.”
76: now that that nice young man is gone, i’ll admit i have been trying and trying to throw a baseball with a bullet proof vest on, and the vest just makes the ball way to bulky to wrap my hand around. – - – but after graham, the term must be upgraded to “kadouchi theatre”.
I liked her comment about corporate lawyers not looking at the law unless it concerned THEM..
Buh bye, Tony! Off to the exciting Bloomberg Channel.. Check on my Tampax stock, willya?
flombaye, to say nothing of the extra drag of a bulletproof vest wrapping. I suppose Tony knows what he’s talking about on the subject of bulletproof vests and baseball tosses..
#62: Everybody “gets” Soylent Green nowadays, because people have been giving away the ending for 35 years.
i would install sotomayor on the merits of the inquisition alone. pasta la soylent.
the white sox jacket was a clear message to Bill Ayers.
#84 Yeah, but this was when it first came out (ca. 1972), and I hadn’t heard the ending.
memo to self: never make a catchphrase the plot point of a movie. Damn you, Charleton. You blew it all up.
Obama is a Sout’ Sider and a Sox fan. (The real Sox, not those pretenders to the name from Boston.) He was wearing the colors proudly. Then he had to go and throw a 40-footer….
Now, be honest here. Was Charlton Heston a good actor? Can anyone point to a definitive movie of his where he did some great acting? Earthquake? Ten Commandments? Soylent Green? Planet of the Apes?
Face it, he was always a second rate actor.. IMO, of course. No offense to Charlie Heston lovers.
#90 Second rate? Second rate????? You’re giving him way too much credit!
I was trying to be gentle..
Just waiting to see the Confirmation Hearing highlights on The Daily Show tonight. Wonder if these guys will ever get a clue how they look…maybe the clue will come at the ballot box. A gal can hope, right?
You blew it up! Damn you! Damn you all to hell!
Did I just hear that Darth Cheney is one harpy from the presidency?
#94 Notice that all of the really good actors in that movie played apes.
Ruth, don’t forget, these Repub Senators got elected precisely FOR their backwards, racist, right wing views. It’s sad but true.
It’s really hard to tell how smart she really is considering the intellectual level of her inquisitors.
charleton heston came out of the star system, where you were chosen because of your cheekbones and physique and producers left it to the directors to get acting out of you. Reagan wasn’t an actor, John Wayne wasn’t an actor. When actors appeared on the scene in the 1960s, it was because of the demise of the star system. None of the stars of the 60s-80s could have gotten a part, even as an extra, in old hollywood. Maybe Robert Redford.
#97 well yeah, but they’re supposed to keep their racism under wraps. Even their bone-headed constituency knows that! Voters may not want the Guilt by Association with an overt racist.
now all the stars, just about, first appear in tiger beat.
#101 You know you’re getting old when you remember when it was “Lloyd Thaxton’s Tiger Beat.”
“IF” you remember
Ruth, you’re assuming that the people voting for them actually THINK. I have my doubts, I think the 3 G’s (Guns, Gays, and God) are their primary concern.
This Ricci Case..was this case scheduled for the supreme court before or after Pres. O’bama announced her?
#105 Before.
You don’t have to be a flaming liberal for the wingnuts to tear into you. Clinton was no flaming liberal, and look at the vituperation they still throw at him.
Dawg, although I’ve heard the queue is long for SC cases, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ricci Case were especially hurried up, so the Rethugs could claim Sotomayor had been reversed..
If you aren’t a slobbering, rabid right wing zero like these guys, you’ll incur their “wrath”. To paraphrase Molly Ivins, it’s somewhat like being gummed by a salamander..
If Judge Sotomayor accuses Judge Thomas of inappropriate remarks in the breakroom, which side will the court find for?
#107, right, it’s not about ideology, at least with regards to their opponents. It’s about tribalism. If you’re not with them, you’re all the same.
Unfortunately I can’t stay today… hope you all liked the poem… Later!
#110 It would go 5-4 for Thomas because Thomas wouldn’t recuse himself.
BTW, does Liz Cheney have top secret clearance? I mean, she talks about the Repubs keeping us “safe” and all. HTF would she actually know?
#114 Well, it stands to reason, there weren’t any attacks on the United States in the entire eight years they were in power.
Except for one minor little incident.
“You know…a temperament like a WOMAN during that time of month.”
Lawyers, of ALL people, really NEED some abuse, Lindsay! Someone needs to spank your fat, white, quaking butt. Graham the Cracker, indeed.
#108 Well, all I can say is: “Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman! Wise Latina Woman!”
It’s a new drinking game!
#115, and the other tiny thing with the white powder in the mail. Oh, and the shoe guy who couldn’t light a fuse and was subdued by passengers, not law enforcement.
#117, Greenwald points out that judges frequently berate lawyers who act stupidly in their court.
Think RHCP Higher Ground should be the show theme, “Walking on Sunshine” is kinda not so perfect anymore…
The Sotomayor hearings make it more apparent to me that Obama is playing chess while we play checkers. It has made the politics of race and the lack of empathy of Republicans obvious to all.
Well, I have to run, dear friends. Sorry about my abusive comments.. The Poor Little Republican Party deserves more respect from me, I know.
(Now, to get over on the Bloomberg Channel and watch something “exciting”..)
Actually, *She Who Must Be Obeyed* just dropped off two stone tablets, decrees for the work schedule, my Ten Commanded Tasks.
Hasta manana! Don’t you guys ever change a thing!
L.
Hullo!
115, 119… the war on terror was/is a fake. False Flag, State Terror,
Strategy of Tension, Burn the Reichstag, Operation Northwoods,
Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace, Military/Industrial Complex
excuse to establish the DICKtatership… I’m still amazed that
evil f#@ker actually left power…
Estrada!? What’s CHiPs got to do with all this?
Alberto VO5 Speedy Gonzales? why isn’t he in jail?
It’s got to go through two more committees first. Ways & Means, IIRC, and one other.
Rethugs would probably shriek and keel over if they self-reflected for a minute. I say we hold up mirrors toward them whenever they’re spewing. It would protect their evil thought rays from touching us, and it would frighten the little cowards.
#127 That’s the great thing about being a Republican. You know you’re always right, so there is no need for self-reflection.
Be prepared for idiocy regarding marginal tax rates.
If they increase it 3% on couples over 350k taxable, it means a couple who makes 360k taxable pay $300 more a year.
128. The mental health community calls it delusion I think.
Can someone help me out here. First, Sen. Graham says in no uncertain terms that the Senate will confirm Sotomayor (sp?) barring some earth-shattering revelation. I understand that. Can someone answer me this: why, then are the Republicans harping on this wise-Latina comment? They’ve said nothing about her actual rulings showing bias. The question that has come to my mind is: “Given Graham’s statement, why are they doing this? Is this the ‘earth-shattering revelation’? Do they hope to turn this into this? Or is this just attack attack attack a Hispanic woman for the benefit of their base?” I don’t get it.
38 very cool poem!
Hey Steph these last few shows this week are bumming me out. The allout plan of rep party is to divide and distract the people of this country while they get away with whatever they want to. They don’t care what happens they’re running the train full throttle into the station. A concrete wall they call it the rapture. Ask Pat Robertson.
#131, it’s all for the fundraising letters to the base. The rump right-wing loons that are left in the party are the only audience of this nonsense. If they didn’t, they’d be open to primary challenges by even rightier loons that promise they will.
127 yes, we need some kind of special reflector to kill the
rethugs with their own poison
131 who can say why these fools do anything? they like to hear
themselves flap their pie holes. they are trying act as if
they have some relevance. Lindsey Graham is an ass. Jeffy Sessions
is an ignorant bigot. A pox on them. I’m tuning out these
ridiculous confirmation hearings.
131. They could be trying to make her lose her cool, also too.
#136 “Unless you have some kind of a meltdown… which we’re going to try our damnedest to cause… you’ll be confirmed.”
Ivan, yeah it seems like out her entire career the Ricci case is the only defining case for her. Im watching it on the tube.. these Rep. should just give up
back to the ban on centaurs and mermaids… human animal hybrids
are actually a great possibility for advances in medicine, such
as changing a pig to grow a pancreas a human can use…
caller Steve please have a big cup of STFU
Here’s what it’s about. It’s all about embryos:
“Britain’s first human-animal hybrid embryos have been created, forming a crucial first step, scientists believe, towards a supply of stem cells that could be used to investigate debilitating and so far untreatable conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and motor neurone disease.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/apr/02/medicalresearch.ethicsofscience
Mama wants a centaur who can fix things around the estate and also replace Mr Happy
#55, #88, #96: Sotomayor probably feels like she’s landed on the Planet of the Knuckle-Draggers.
131—-because they want to show Rush and the bigots back home that they are going to be tough on the Democrats and Obama.
Did you hear it yesterday when Lindsey Graham asked the “how did you feel about 9/11″ question?
I wonder if feeling terrible when 9/11 happened will be a gotcha question for the rest of the century?
Look at her history on the bench? Why would RWNJs want to do that????
134, 135, 136…good points. I’m surprised at myself I didn’t catch the fundraising angle. This particular hearing just seems so insidious to me.
141—I don’t understand the science behind that. I think that’s just grown men and women pulling wings off flies.
The question of the 2nd applying to the states is a consequence of how the law works.
Originally, the Bill of Rights applied only to Federal Law. The 14th applies it to the states as well – in theory. But in practice, it takes an actual case to get the SCOTUS to override the precedent for each particular clause of the Bill of Rights that it applies to the Feds but not the States. At this point, the 14th has only been applied piecemeal to the Bill of Rights. The 1st, for example, has fully been extended by the 14th to cover the states. The 2nd is one of those where the 14th has not yet been applied by the SCOTUS.
In Heller, the court signaled that it was willing to consider applying the 14th to the 2nd, restricting the degree to which the states can regulate the 2nd by a great amount; and there are several test cases working their way up the system.
#136, #137: Exactly – they’ve got nothing to gain except the chance to gradually break down her “judicial temperament.”
#147 The idea is to produce stem cells without using human eggs or normal human embryos.
38. very nice poem.Reminds me of a song Bette Midler sang “Ready To Begin Again”. One line says “Reachin’ for the soap, my heart is full of hope, I’m ready to begin again.”
YES! Congress wants to go after EVIL DICK
Sotomayor is good, they can’t trip her up..
I wish some of these commentators have the balls to ask Liz, what did Dick do to protect us before 9-11? Im so sick of we kept america safe after 9-11..
142 I think you’re right… Momma wants a pony like any girl,
but a Centaur could also take care of other things, like holding
the rabbit ear antenna so Momma can watch her stories… and
pick up after Oliver/Max…
150—-and then what? Can they inject them into any creature ethically? No. That’s why I think it’s just grown-ups goofing around in a petri dish.
#153 The response would be, “9/11 was Clinton’s fault.”
#150 They’re looking into using stem cells to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Make that #155
L’il Jeffy Sessions STFU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
154. She already has the bridle path, and a centaur could probably shut up the screaming dog right quick.
(D) Whitehouse is on the block
did Steph ever talk about The Fellowship or The Family as it’s
also known? Rachel Maddow did two days on it. I was hoping to
hear Steph and the Mooks take it on
Don’t ask your centaur to do anything that involves climbing a ladder.
This is a great article and I can sure relate to Sotomayor’s feelings of being out of place amongst here peers at the Ivy League colleges:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/15/sotomayor.college/index.html
Mini Kiss plays the wedding when Steph marries the
worlds smallest man who appears at the ceremony riding
on a centaur’s back… but who will be the minister?
Steph writes her own vows…
Is this one of Steph’s ex-boyfriends?
His drunk old man sounds like Bill Cosby with the zerbert and the puddin pops.
#164 That experience with the cricket probably has served her well in these hearings.
Hillary Clinton brings It Takes A Village to the CFR????! WTF!
The CFR is evil. It highjacked American foreign policy
It Takes A Village is idiotic. It takes a family, you moron.
168—exactly. It probably taught her to accept strange, little, chirpy men for what they are and ignore them.
#38 Very nice Liberty can never die, for those who live and work and try. It’s in your heart and in your soul, Like having fun and rock and roll.
Is Hillary running for pres again yet?
169—I’m sorry. I kinda agree with the “it takes a village” strategy. With 50% of marriages ending in divorce and many of those marriages producing children, we really do need villages large and small watching over our kids.
Why does Jims “Hilary voice” sound a lot like his “Caribou Barbie” voice.
The CFR was created when the US Senate refused to ratify the treaty
making the US part of the League of Nations. It’s purpose has been to
integrate the US into the world government. It’s an elite organization
that has highjacked American foreign policy, and acts against our
interests.
I don’t even know anymore. Maybe it’s better we are subsumed into
the Great One World Brotherhood. The ground changes under your feet.
I still don’t agree with ‘It Takes A Village’.
#173, I agree. The notion that the nuclear family is the sole extent of one’s community is responsible for much of the anti-social tendencies that have crept into the American psyche.
How many of us know or socialize with our neighbors? I know I don’t. I wave and say hi, but I don’t even know many of their names.
I personally wish we could ban all those Wellesley grads from publishing any more of their ‘visionary’ drivel.
173 when there is no family left, then I guess you’re right
that the community needs to step in and care for the kids.
Does anyone love you more than your mother though, in most cases?
Shouldn’t we try to strengthen the family, instead of replace it?
#176, of course my thoughts are more in the “bowling alone” than “takes a village” vein, really.
175—I was a single parent for 14 years. I thank god for the villages I moved into that watched over my kids and kept them on the straight and narrow most of the time. My son’s high school was full of a bunch of judgemental Republicans who wander through the world in cluelessness, but at least he never got beat up or shot at.
In many parts of our major cities single parents struggle to keep their kids safe. Their villages are weak or just emerging or non-existant. So in today’s modern world with all of the modern distractions our kids can get sucked into, it really does take a village.
156, well that means Clinton kept us safe since the 1st World Trade Center bombing, and we caught them, where’s Bin Ladden
Morning all – late to the party, but tuned in just in time to hear Sonia once again, very slowly, very carefully try to explain things to Jeffie so he could “get it”.
I wasn’t able to call in as I was driving when the call was on air and now they have moved on, but I would like to say I was horribly frustrated and agitated by Steve’s call regarding health care. To suggest that unless you are old or lazy, you can easily obtain health care is offensive to me. I am a non union, non benefits teacher who makes too much money for government assistance, but like millions of others, still can’t afford to buy my own health care. If everyone like myself were to quit there jobs and work at McDonald’s, every restaurant would probably need to employ a couple thousand people each. There are many, many other people like myself.
What guys – half-hour to go and still no Sparta?
Here’s the difference, Lindsay: you belong to a race and sex and class that has experienced 300 years of privilege in this country.
Sparta is not in sight today. I think the overcoverage of the
confirmation hearings is hurting us.
165. Rev Dan for mini-ster and Steph’s vows: “I am NOT a DRUNK”
Los Angeles Police are calling Michael Jackson’s death a homicide, and they’re targeting the last man to see him alive. TMZ reported this morning the investigation is now focused on Dr. Conrad Murray
– news item
I have to admire Sonia for her restraint, her patience and her ability to not reveal what she is feeling. Having to deal with this backwards, racist mentality and keep a straight face at the supposed legitmacy of their questions…I don’t know how she does it. My eyes would have rolled to the back of my head!
176— I think some of my neighbors dislike me because of my liberal bumper stickers. After the election I was parked just about 6″ into the edge of someone’s driveway. They could still easily get it and out. I was just a scosh over. That neighbor called the local police on my transgression and I got a $35 ticket. I called the police and confirmed them, that I had been turned in. The cop didn’t just happen to drive by.
I think that’s when I had my anti-Bush stickers on.
My community is a very cliquish kinda town. I’ve heard others say the same thing about it so I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. I think there are multi-generations who have lived here for decades and “outsiders” like myself are always viewed with suspicion.
I am looking forward to my new pro-Obama bumpers stickers coming in the mail!
182—-It’s kind of her to try.
Greatest Principle Skinner line ever: “Nibbles, chew through my
ballsack”
Caller, it doesn’t apply to self-employed people; it will be subsidized for small businesses, and you will also be able to choose the Public Option.
Good for you Spiffy. We had some similar incidents in a part of my town well know for it’s right winger stance. They were upset when bumper stickers challenging the war, bush, etc. were on someone’s car while it was parked at a beach and they left a note on the windshield telling the person they don’t appreciate those “views” here. Now, this was back in 2004 but give me a break!
Steph’s vows include: I promise to love you as much as
I love my dogs, and box wine…
Criminals? No, caller. If you are a shop that employs more than 50 people, and you don’t provide insurance, you have to pay a $750/year/employee fine.
190. wow. I’m having similar reactions by neighbors. My car is plastered with liberal stickers. My next-door neighbors are uber-Christians (nothing wrong with that) and they’ve refused to allow me to cut THEIR tree branches that hang over MY house for no good reason.
caller is confused
Wow. The insurance companies are doing a good job of freaking people out.
Penalized as in fines, not being sent to a penal colony.
Caller either has a crappy newspaper or poor reading skills.
My understanding is that the government health option will be available at very low cost to low-income citizens, perhaps even free to a large number of the very poor and the very young.
Well we know Sean is an idiot, but unfortunately a lot of his listeners believe him.
Didn’t stop Guliani from going to Europe for prostate treatment.
194—Yes, Republicans really like to control the conversation. That’s why I can’t talk to my ex. He wants to control every word that comes out of my mouth and silly me, I really like the truth. I’m very fond of it.
Congress, according to Article I, has the power to legislate, levy taxes, and spend revenues to promote the general welfare of the country.
203 Sean is an accomplished liar, a con man. A graduate
of the Joey Goebbels School of Journalism
Hey we can’t even get Cheney and Bush in jail (yet)…they certainly aren’t going to put small business owners in jail.
Repeal the Telecommunications Act. Demand standards for news media!
fewer, not less, grammar cop
205 don’t you just love people who know everything? all you have
to do is ask them
#202, there are five prongs to the reform
1) Regulation of private insurance
2) Establishment of a public option
3) Subsidies to either 1) or 2) based on income
4) Employer mandates and penalties
5) Promotion of best practices in providing of care for savings
This caller is obviously unAmerican because he’s lived in Europe.
I hope he doesn’t get eggs thrown at his upside down flag because ignorant people don’t know what it means.
what if we all wear surgical masks in public?
The flag upside down is a sign of a ship in distress.
Our Ship of State is in distress, but Thank The Goddess
we’ve got a captain again, instead of a highjacking by
a gang of pirates
#197- call your city hall and find out what you can do. You should have the right to remove any overgrowth into or on your property. They can offer to take care of it (if they are neighborly – doesn’t sound like it) or you can take care of it.
#214 We may have to do that if a more virulent form of swine flu shows up this fall/winter.
Caller, very few countries have “single payer” like single payer advocates imagine. Germany isn’t even single payer – it’s a public option that’s so robust that it’s almost driven private providers out of the market (but they’re still there, providing boutique insurance for the wealthy).
Caller says ALL countries have single payer. Not quite. The proposed system is alot like the Germans.
The police came to my door when I flew the flag upside down.
When I explained to the officer that I thought our Ship of State
was in distress he didn’t say a single word, he got in his car.
During the reign of Gee-Boo Bush I used to put my flag postage stamps on upside-down. Not as effective, but sort of self-satisfying.
211—LOL. That’s exactly what he is like. He knows everything, he’s always right so there is no opportunity to discuss anything with him. He just yells you down. He does it to the kids too. They have learned to simply keep the peace with him and if they have to call him about anything that may set him off, they call him at work because he’s less likely to scream and yell when he’s in the office.
What a peach!
214—they will think we are mourning MJ or are afraid of swine flu.
#222 Gee, I can’t understand why he’s your ex!
220—-LOL. Good for him. He didn’t argue or ticket you.
197. Been there. The law says you have to have their permission and that’s it. The best I can do is get it declared a hazard by an arborist, notify the neighbor, and notify my insurance company.
Hey there… had a second to do a drive by… can’t listen because the t-1 line is needed for actual work… wanted to catch up on what happened… love doing so by reading your posts..
Mark & K to the G- Thanks… I’ve been inspired lately…which I definately owe to the SMS blog… I posted it on my blog too. http://themayberrylane.blogspot.com.
Don’t wanna “blog-pimp”, sorry!
But seriously, to all you regulars (you know who you are)… I am eternally greatful for the inspirational fire you’ve lit under my arse…. XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Hi gang!
Just time for a drive-by. Great discussion on the healthcare public option– I agree with the sane, informed callers who say the frantic, upset people are either seriously ill-informed or trolls trying to muddy the waters
As to flying the flag upside down as a symbol of distress to effect change, it didn’t work so well for this guy:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=21825
224—I could not figure out how he got remarried but then I realized that he married someone who shares his world view so they hardly ever argue about stuff. She is his Yes Man and don’t we all get along better with people who validate our views? Of course we do.
Oh, rusty- Sorry! Almost missed your compliment… thank you to you as well!
222 he sounds like a miserable bastard who will die alone
I’m not quite upside-down, but I’m pretty close to being horizontal.
Sotomayor really sounds angry, and Limbaugh sounds SO calm….
#218 Peter: Jinx!
Hey, kudos to your post made late in the day re: racial distinctions.
227 you can blog pimp Danielle, it’s OK with me
229 I’m sure they’ll be very happy together, wallowing
in their Rethug crapulence
Oh, tiss, tiss… your comments make me want to listen even more… and Diane Remes (Spelling?) on NPR is about the least interesting show on earth… Damn 940 winz for taking my station.. damn them.. damn them all to hell!
Mark.. you just like the pimp part… c’mon admit it… LOL…
#234, thanks. Good book for anyone interested in the subject: “Africa: A Biography of the Continent”.
Liz Cheney probably hides the batteries for Dad’s “machinery” so he can’t leave the house. Very dark family, that.
thank you Jim for always throwing out the conspiracy snausage,
I eat them up
Steph’s wedding to the World’s Smallest Man: who will be
her bridesmaid?
That’s Colonel Obama Birther scaredy cat to you!
242…. she’ll just put a dress on Oliver
Caller, the House bill pays for itself.
231—No. He won’t. I left him and that taught him an important lesson: be nice to people or they will dump you. So he’s much nicer to Wife 2 than he ever was to me. He was awful to the kids for a while–a long while–but now that he’s a millionaire he feels he can spare a few bucks for the kids. He has his little church group of dittoheads and they all meet every Sunday to tell each other how wonderful they are and how God loves them best, but God doesn’t really love liberals like you and me. That’s what they preach.
He is a wealthy man and the wealthy ALWAYS get treated better than the middle-class and the poor. It’s been that way through the ages.
bye for today Steph and Mooks and Blogeteers
242. Gotta be the Little Mermaid
Have a good day everyone!
Well, that’s all for today. See you tomorrow.
Have a nice day today people!
Glad that last caller got cut off. Too much griping today. In the meantime, my take home pay won’t take me home!
See you t’morrow.
bye all!
238 hee hee
Oliver in a dress: bridesmaid
Max in a tux: ringbearer
Reachin’ for the soap…..ooh, that could mean something else for Bernie Maddoff. nevermind. Have a great hump day all!
SPART?
No Sparta?
#237: oh no. Terrible news for me (no SMS on WINZ), I’m going to visit family in FLL and was looking forward to hearing the show loud and clear in the pickup.