Stories to Watch: 8/3/11

I made some pitas today. I found a recipe that uses a griddle and it was crazy. They blow up like little balloons. Now here's the news...


Remember when Rick Perry was going to be the next big thing that shook up the GOP presidential race? Yeah, turns out a lot of people aren't sold. Media hype strikes again.


What is it with the right and their all-consuming hatred of hamburgers?


Did I mention that President Obama also had the gall to have a birthday? It's an outrage! Geez, you'd think he was sharing a birthday cake with John McCain while New Orleans was being washed away.


China's been cyber-attacking... Well, everyone.


This is becoming a regular feature her, but the American people hate the debt limit agreement.


We really dodged a bullet when Robert Bork's confirmation to the Supreme Court failed. Unfortunately, he's an advisor to Mittens Romney now -- and no less insane.


Eric Holder on his Murdoch-9/11 phone hacking probe: "this is something we are taking seriously."


Finally, here's the new normal in politics; Sen. David Vitter takes a hostage.

Related articles

• Does Mitt Romney Agree With Advisor Robert Bork That Civil Rights Act Was "Unsurpassed Ugliness"? (alan.com)
• Bork to co-chair Romney justice committee (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• State actor seen behind "enormous" wave of cyber attacks (reuters.com)
• Biggest series of cyber-attacks in history uncovered (guardian.co.uk)

Stories to Watch: 6/17/11

I'm giving serious thought to taking next week off of blogging. Haven't decided yet, but it's been a while since I've had a vacation from it. Now here's the news...


Jimmy Carter calls for an end on the War on Drugs. Not the worst idea ever, considering that filling our prisons with nonviolent offenders is both mindbogglingly expensive and obviously not effective.


Bill O'Reilly scores one for conservative consistency; calls for David Vitter to resign in the aftermath of the Weiner resignation. Of course, it's never going to happen in a million years, but it's a nice gesture.


Polling shows a majority agree with the statement, "Government should do more to solve problems and help meet the needs of people."


US considers war crimes charges for Syria.


An Alabama Republican state senator and a horrible, horrible racist? Wow. I'm paralyzed with shock.


Russ Feingold's right; this does not seem like a step in the direction of overriding the Citizen's United ruling.


Finally, Andy Brietbart makes an ass of himself again. It's what being a media troll is all about.

Related articles

• Russ Feingold Lets Scott Walker Have It With Both Barrels (crooksandliars.com)
• Whither Vitter? (americablog.com)
• Russ Feingold: 'The Democratic Party Is In Danger Of Losing Its Identity' (huffingtonpost.com)
• Netroots Nation: Marcy Wheeler Introduces Guest of Honor Russell Feingold (emptywheel.firedoglake.com)

News Roundup for 6/7/11

Stuff is too complicated!

-Headline of the day-
"EXCLUSIVE: Herman Cain Pledges Not To Sign Any Bill Longer Than Three Pages."

At an appearance in Iowa, The Hermanator gave his take on the big ol' honkin' laws congress insists on passing and that presidents have a habit of signing. "Engage the people," he told the crowd. "Don't try to pass a 2,700 page bill -- and even they didn't read it! You and I didn't have time to read it. We're too busy trying to live -- send our kids to school. That's why I am only going to allow small bills -- three pages. You’ll have time to read that one over the dinner table. What does Herman Cain, President Cain talking about in this particular bill?"

A couple of points here; first off, President Cain wouldn't say jack in a bill -- congress writes them. That's in the Constitution and everything.

Second; super-complicated issues need super-complicated bills. That's just reality. You could pass the leanest federal budget in American history on three pages, but you'd need an electron microscope to read it.

"The vast majority of substantive bills passed by Congress are longer than three pages," the report tells us. "Under this bright-line rule, Cain wouldn't have signed such landmark pieces of legislation as the Civil Rights Act, the Social Security Act, or the PATRIOT Act. In fact, he wouldn't have even been able to sign the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, which ran 114 and 18 pages, respectively."

This is like saying that computers don't work because the mechanics and electronics are too complicated for most people to understand. In Cain's world, you'd be reading this on an abacus right now. (ThinkProgress, with video)


-Listen my children and you shall hear...-
...Sarah Palin butcher the story of Paul Revere.



I'm saddened that there wasn't a joke about "every middlesex village and farm." Seriously, kids have been giggling over that one for years. (Comedy Central)


-Bonus HotD-
"Party of David Vitter & Larry Craig & Newt Gingrich Tells Anthony Weiner To Resign."

Kind of speaks for itself, doesn't it? (Wonkette)

News Roundup for 1/27/11

Future home of Sens. Vitter and Paul

-Headline of the day-
"Rand Paul, David Vitter join forces to violate Constitution."

According to the report, "Freshman Tea Party pseudo-libertarian Sen. Rand Paul and Louisiana embarrassment David Vitter are introducing legislation that will end birthright citizenship. While birthright citizenship stems directly from the 14th Amendment, which means that banning it would require a constitutional amendment, Vitter and Paul have figured out a loophole: Their bill claims that the 14th Amendment doesn't mean what it says. Brilliant!"

While Randy and Dave say they "do not believe that the 14th Amendment confers birthright citizenship to the children of illegal aliens," the amendment itself says, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." So, yeah, that's exactly what it does. Sorry guys.

So, basically, the idea is to define the Fourth Amendment for the Supreme Court, so they can't say it means what it says. Do I need to point out that this is stupid and would never work in a million years?

I mean, as long as we're writing laws that hinge on deliberately misunderstanding what the Constitution clearly states, why don't we write one that defines the Third Amendment guarantee that you won't be required to house soldiers as really meaning that David Vitter and Rand Paul have to be on display in a cage at the National Zoo?

And Dave and Randy wouldn't be able to complain, because it says so right there in the Constitution. What, do they hate America? (War Room)


-Cartoon time with Mark Fiore-
Hey kids, do you want to go to a magical place? How about...

Click for animation

AT&T's real boy now! (MarkFiore.com)


-Bonus HotD-
"'Tea Party News Brief': The New News Network For the Insane."

I can't do better than Wonkette, who say the internet news outlet was necessary, because "Fox News seemed suspiciously lucid and organized." (Wonkette)