PIED TYPE
Election 2012
Super rich, super PACs, super dirt
Less than a month ago I referred readers to a Frank Bruni op-ed piece over at The New York Times. Today I’m going to do it again. “Of Bile and Billionaires” assesses the strategies and proposed methods of big money in the 2012 presidential campaign. Starting with billionaire Joe Ricketts’ super PAC and its plan … Continue reading
Mitt Romney, man of principle
The perfect summation of Mitt Romney’s principles and character, from his own lips: “I stand by what I said, whatever it was.” _________ (Video added May 20, 2012)
What a shame
Readers may remember back in November I posted a video from the Jimmy Kimmel show. It was a particularly funny Kimmel Kartoon, where the voices from a heated GOP debate were dubbed in over a Charlie Brown thanksgiving cartoon. It was widely circulated and widely enjoyed. But apparently not by everyone. Now it seems wherever … Continue reading
Federalism, states’ rights, and gay marriage
Gay marriage. It’s been in the news a lot lately. Who’s for it and who’s against. Politicians taking sides. Vice President Biden saying a few days ago that he’s “comfortable” with it and reporting that Pres. Obama’s view was “evolving.” North Carolina passing Amendment One banning gay marriage and any civil union other than a … Continue reading
Carlin on conservatives, abortion, and the war on women
I can’t say it any better than George Carlin did. He’d have had a thing or two to say about the war on women. In fact, he pretty much covered it with this monologue. This Saturday, April 28, join a march or rally near you and protest the ongoing war on women’s reproductive rights and … Continue reading
RIght to Lifers: You can’t make these things up
Yesterday the Huffington Post ran a story about Planned Parenthood clinics being targeted by suspected members of an anti-abortion group (Live Action) hoping to obtain (or create?) video showing illegal activities. Not to be missed was this declaration from National Right to Life President Carol Tobias, who is concerned about sex-selective abortion: “In 2010, more … Continue reading
Executive orders legal but …
The New York Times yesterday featured an article entitled “Shift on Executive Power Lets Obama Bypass Rivals.” It discusses at some length President Obama’s announced intention to employ executive orders to bypass his obstructionist Republican opponents in Congress. While there is ample precedent for doing so, it dances at the edge of constitutionality. Ours is … Continue reading
Oklahoma GOP kills personhood bill
(Updated April 21, 2012 at 6:21 pm MDT) The Republican caucus in the Oklahoma House of Representatives has voted to kill the proposed Personhood Act and not let it go to a vote on the House floor. The bill sailed through the Oklahoma Senate by a vote of 34-7 earlier this year and was widely … Continue reading
Romney and Bain Capital — ugh!
I’ve known for some time that disliking Mitt Romney because of his social awkwardness, general cluelessness, and tying his dog on top of his car were not necessarily valid reasons for discounting his candidacy, although they certainly don’t help. Nor does his Etch-s-Sketch flip-flopping and general tendency to sidestep tough questions about important issues. I … Continue reading
Arizona: Pregnancy begins before conception
The war on women just took a bizarre new twist. Arizona has sent to the governor’s desk a bill that declares pregnancies in the state begin two weeks before conception. According to the Huffington Post, “‘A sentence in the bill defines gestational age as “calculated from the first day of the last menstrual period of … Continue reading
What’s wrong with this picture?
How ridiculous are Florida’s gun laws? An editorial in the April 5 New York Times provides a great example. The city of Tampa will host the Republican National Convention in August and is hard at work preparing for the event. Security is a top concern. But there’s a hitch, brought about by a new state … Continue reading
Florida revisiting ‘stand your ground’ law
(Updated April 6 at 7:50 am MT) Belatedly, the state of Florida, in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, is starting to question its “Stand Your Ground” law and lawmakers today convened a task force to re-examine it. Task force members include prosecutors, law enforcement officials, public defenders, judges, law professors, and state tourism … Continue reading
Surprise! Romney in trouble with women voters
Note to Mitt Romney: Word is you’re in trouble with women voters and you’re trotting out your wife, Ann, to counter it. Lots of luck with that. It’s obvious she’s a woman, probably a loving and devoted wife — but we’re not voting for her. She won’t make one iota of difference in our evaluation … Continue reading
Don’t you dare miss an opportunity to vote!
Women’s suffrage was something I read about in a boring history text back in high school. A couple of paragraphs. No class discussion. Women have been able to vote since 1920. Big whoop. I’ve always voted. I don’t recall ever missing an election. I’ve always thought of it as something I get to do because … Continue reading
War on women hits speed bump in Oklahoma
(Updated March 29 at 2:49 pm MT) Uh oh. Sanity is rearing its head in the nationwide war on women. A district judge has ruled that Oklahoma’s law requiring women to get an ultrasound before having an abortion is “unconstitutional and unenforceable.” Enforcement of the law has been blocked since May 2010 when a Tulsa … Continue reading
Cain commercials crossing the line
What’s with Herman Cain and the weird ads? They were strange enough while he was actively campaigning for the GOP nomination. (I’d still be having nightmares about that leering smile if Stephen Colbert hadn’t produced such a great parody.) But the ads didn’t stop when Cain dropped out of the race. Next up was the … Continue reading
Yet another reason to tighten gun laws
This is a good example of why I advocate much stricter gun laws in this country. A reporter is pursuing a story. A man suddenly confronts her and whether to threaten her or bolster his own courage, gets a gun from his car and approaches her. As far as I’m concerned, incidents like this negate … Continue reading
Text of senators’ letter challenging Patriot Act abuses
(Updated March 17 at 2 pm MT) The full text of the letter to Attorney General Eric Holder from Senators Mark Udall (D-CO) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) concerning our government’s interpretation and application of the Patriot Act speaks more eloquently for itself than any report or summary of its contents. The senators are members of … Continue reading
Patriot Act under fire from senators & FOI lawsuits
In response to a New York Times article this morning, “Democratic Senators Issue Strong Warning About Use of the Patriot Act,” I fired off a note to my senator, Sen. Mark Udall, one of the two mentioned in the story: Thank you for speaking out against the misuse and misapplication of the Patriot Act. In … Continue reading
Women legislators turn attention to men’s health
This CNN report brightened my morning: Ohio Senator Nina Turner is absolutely right. It’s only fair that legislation across the country pay as much attention to men’s reproductive health as women’s. Certainly the focus has appeared to be tipping too far toward women’s health in the last few years. It is critical we maintain a … Continue reading
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