Headlines - Wednesday

Why factory farms are bad - volume 696,265

 

Swine flu linked to Smithfield Foods factory farm? 

 

Facing South

Grist Magazine online has a must-read story by North Carolina-based food editor Tom Philpott examining a possible link between the outbreak of swine flu and Smithfield Foods of Virginia, the world's largest pork producer and processor.

Philpott notes that the Mexico City daily La Jornada has reported on the possible connection between the flu outbreak and Smithfield's operations, noting that a Mexican health agency has acknowledged that the original carrier of the disease may have been the flies that breed in the company's hog waste lagoons.

"Hog waste lagoons." Sounds like a dream destination resort, huh? Blechhh...

The swine flu outbreak has led to a drop in Smithfield's stock prices, with analysts increasing their loss estimates for that company has well as Arkansas-based Tyson Foods due to consumer concerns about pork.

 

The Repug gasbags are trying to blame this deal on Obama. Probably closer to the truth to lay it at the feet of the Repugs who are famous for removing laws that protect consumers. Watch them try to cover up this part of the flu story.

 

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I don't like or trust Arlen Sphincter, for I well remember that when the party of Hoover was in control of the Senate, he made brave noises about confronting the Bush Administration on wiretapping and other blatant violations of the Constitution. But when it came to to pick up the hammer and bring it down, Specter reached for the Nerf hammer.

Specter is a weasel. Now he may be the Democrat's weasel, but he is still a weasel. 

 

Dittos - What Glenn said:

Arlen Specter is one of the worst, most soul-less, most belief-free individuals in politics. The moment most vividly illustrating what Specter is: prior to the vote on the Military Commissions Act of 2006, he went to the floor of the Senate and said what the bill "seeks to do is set back basic rights by some 900 years" and is "patently unconstitutional on its face." He then proceeded to vote YES on the bill's passage.

Yeah, that sums up the World According to Arlen. 

And before you get too excited about the magical 60 vote majority, down w/tyranny reminds us about the blue dog democrats.

 

Update: when Sphincter announced he was leaving the Republican party, he pledged loyalty to Obama's agenda:

At 10:32 am, President Barack Obama reached Specter and told him "you have my full support" and "thrilled to have you."

Specter told the president, "I'm a loyal Democrat. I support your agenda."

Just hours later, however, Specter reaffirmed his unfounded opposition to Obama's pick to head the Office of Legal Counsel, Dawn Johnsen:

Q: How are going to vote on the Dawn Johnsen confirmation?

SPECTER: I'm opposed to the nominee for Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Council, Dawn Johnsen.

Specter also reaffirmed his opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act, and has a long voting record opposing a new clean economy. Plus, if he gets chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, the "loyal Democrat" will be able to indefinitely delay hearings on Johnsen, not to mention completely kill Leahy's efforts to hold a truth commission to examine Bush's use of torture and other illegal practices.

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Stop me if you've heard this one before. It's a real knee-slapper... Gov. Ricky thinks we're jealous of his state. 

 

Jealous of you? Bite me, Gov. Goodhair.

Music aside, the best thing to ever come outta Texas is Interstate 40. You can get outta Texas faster.

 

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Because nothing says that you love your faith more than having a blue-skinned zombie amputee Jesus on your license plate, framed by an orange.

The State of Florida proves once again that any state run by Republicans is a state run by idiots...

 

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Since the banksters have put their economy in the toilet, Icelanders have decided to return the favor. 

 

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Good family man and Mormon that he is, Bybee defends the torture memos he wrote: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/28/bybee-defends-his-torture-memos/

 

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Full-time lunatic Michele Bachmann, woke yesterday from her barbiturate-wine cooler stupor, heard the news about the swine flu, and decided to craft a response — you know, something that would, uh, blame a swine/bird/human flu virus on, uhm, LIBERALS. She then did an interview with PajamasTV, where she falsely claimed that the last swine flu outbreak occurred under "another Democrat President, Jimmy Carter." Bachmann, however, insisted she was not trying to blame either man for the outbreaks:

BACHMANN: I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out then under Democrat President Jimmy Carter. And I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it is an interesting coincidence.

What I find interesting, Michele, is that the last U.S. outbreak of swine flu did not begin under Carter. Rather, it began in February of 1976, when Republican Gerald Ford was president

 

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May the lord God of Abraham shrivel your testicles like a raisin in the Negev sun

Gordon James Klingenschmitt, Chaplain, USN (ret)
PrayinJesusname.org

Dear Chaplain Klingenschmitt,

Far too often, Christians respond to charges of wrongdoing by either turning the other cheek or by quickly repenting and asking for forgiveness. That's the wrong response - it's wimpy and unmanly. It's not what Jehovah would have done. He'd have kicked some ass; he'd have smited the offender's whole city with hemorrhoids.

That's why I was so happy to see your response to charges that you were improperly wearing your uniform for political and religious purposes. You didn't turn the other cheek. No, you uttered the following imprecatory prayer:

Almighty God, today we pray imprecatory prayers from Psalm 109 against the enemies of religious liberty, including Barry Lynn and Mikey Weinstein, who recently issued a press release attacking me personally. God, do not remain silent, for wicked men surround me and tell lies about me. We bless them, but they curse us. Therefore, find them guilty, not me. Let their days be few, and replace them with godly people. Plunder their fields and seize their assets. Cut off their descendants. And remember their sins. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Now some might say that Our Lord, God of Abraham, would be engaging in a bit of overkill if He granted all of your requests. I mean, hey, is economic ruin and impotence (that's what you mean by cutting off descendants isn't it - I'd have gone more for, "Please Lord, dry up their testicles like a raisin in the Negev sun," but that's just me) really an appropriate response to a cease and desist letter from a lawyer? I have one response to such wimps. Look up Judges 2:23-24. God sent two she bears to eat 42 children simply because they mocked a bald guy. You're letting Weinstein and Lynn off pretty easy if you ask me. Heck, you're not even going after their teeth.

Heterosexually yours,

Gen. JC Christian, patriot

 

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Is the Porter Goss who is now condemning the release of the torture memos the same Porter Goss who hired Dusty Foggo--now in federal prison--and who resigned suddenly and mysteriously in 2006 as director of the CIA? Normally, the answer would be 'Yes', but since the essence of the CIA is deception and deceit, it's hard to say.