Friday, February 26, 2010

Headlines - Friday

 
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ABC News will cut between 300 and 400 staffers. Many affected employees plan to get out of journalism entirely. They've already sent their resumes over to Fox. 
 
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US military spied on Planned Parenthood, civilian phone calls.
 
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Iceberg the size of Luxembourg breaks off Antarctica.
 
 
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hoodiepw5qb7.jpg
 
"I may have just helped save Obama's presidency. How? By winning a drawn-out fight to make torture acceptable." Bush bastard John Yoo Link
 
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Gene Lyons: When Democrats take power, paranoia blooms
 
Ignorant, frightened people are notoriously easy to fool. Enter Glenn Beck and a host of other fast-talkers
 
 
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If they had intellectual curiosity, they wouldn't be Republicans
 
"In 2010 and 2012, public leaders need to have intellectual curiosity." - Jeb Bush, when asked about Palin's future Link  
Ha ha.

Isn't that precious?

Jeb Bush says the GOP needs to stop electing MORONS!

I wonder if his brain-dead brother feels the same way?

bushsqev4.jpg

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World Nut Daily was forced to admit that the infamous "Birthplace of Barack Obama" sign in Kenya is a photoshopped hoax when the man who took the original photo of the sign (which is actually in Oman) came forward. The best part is what the Arabic script on the faked sign really says.

failroadavp5hm3.jpg

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The Senate on Wednesday extended for a year key provisions of the nation's counterterrorism surveillance law that are scheduled to expire at the end of the month. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/politics/25brfs-PATRIOTACTEL_BRF.html?ref=us 

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The Cost of Doing Business

Remember, Wellpoint's need to jack up rates on its individual policyholders in California is all about "medical cost inflation", and the fault of hospitals, drug companies, and costly members. It has nothing to do with the millions in executive compensation they pay, or the lavish executive retreats they have for these hard-working folks. And yet there still were enough excess profits from the California operation to send over $4 billion back to the corporate parent company in Indiana since 2004.

Yet those GOP governors feel the market should be left alone to dictate prices, and object to the government having any role in rate increases at all.

Update: Looks like the moribund Jerry Brown campaign just found an issue.

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children playing with a gun

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South Duh-kota, hang your head in shame (alongside Utah) 

The South Dakota senate has been wrestling over an important resolution, HCR 1009. Here's the original text. It will look rather familiar to anyone who has seen creationist bills roll through a legislature.

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/02/south_duh-kota_hang_your_head.php

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Meanwhile, having fixed all the problems in California: 

The state assembly passed a resolution Thursday that would establish the first week of March as "cuss free week" throughout the state. If approved by the senate next week, the measure would take effect immediately.

The resolution includes no enforcement mechanism and is simply meant to promote greater harmony and connectedness, said assemblyman Anthony Portantino, a Democrat from La Canada Flintridge and co-author of the measure.-
sfgate

Great f**king idea, asshats.
 
asshat26koys5.jpg
 
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GOP Rep. Dean Heller claims extending unemployment benefits is creating 'hobos.'

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Intel bill pulled over torture provision 
House Republicans charged Democrats with trying to sneak a provision into the intelligence authorization bill that would establish criminal punishment for CIA agents and other intelligence officials who engage in "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" during interrogations.
Seriously, who would object to that? Wait, don't tell me. Rhymes with Shmepublicans?

Damn those ethical types who refuse to allow interrogators to murder, destroy lives, inflict pain, and damage psyches!

The provision, previously not vetted in committee, applied to "any officer or employee of the intelligence community" who during interrogations engages in beatings, infliction of pain or forced sexual acts. The bill said the acts covered by the provision would include inducing hypothermia, conducting mock executions or "depriving the [detainee] of necessary food, water, sleep, or medical care."

The language gave Congress the discretion to determine what the terms mean, and it would have imposed punishments of up to 15 years in prison, and in some cases, life sentences if a detainee died as a result of the interrogation.

Republicans criticized the language and the way it was introduced.

I find it so amusing that, when the Rushpublics are in power, procedural tricks, sneaky late night changes, and secret meetings are perfectly acceptable.

If the Dems try to throw something into a bill, fugettaboutit:

"I'm hearing from Republicans that we are somehow sacrificing our national security" through this bill, said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). She said the language underscores existing law and enhances national security.

Because Reyes included it in his manager's amendment, Republicans were not able to try to strike it from the bill before passage. The only recourse they had was to try to excise it during the House-Senate conference. The Senate version does not contain similar language.

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http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/_durbin400.jpg
 
"If you think it's a socialist plot, then please drop out of the federal employees health program." Sen.Richard Durbin (D-IL), to Republican lawmakers at yesterday's health care reform summit.
 
Anyone see any dropouts? No?

I didn't think so.
 
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h/t Dick
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) threatens to block unemployment insurance extension.
Whose dustbin will this end up in? 
It's good to remind ourselves of this now and again.
Officials puzzle over millions of dollars leaving Afghanistan by plane for Dubai. At least we don't need the money in this country.
 
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More than George Bush got for starting an illegal war and ordering torture

The House ethics committee has "admonished" Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) "for improperly accepting reimbursement for trips to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008 and has ordered him to repay the costs of the trip." The panel is still looking into whether Rangel improperly used federal resources for "a college center to be named after him and incomplete financial disclosures that omitted some income and assets."

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lake_nobody_cares.jpg Lake Nobody Cares image by craptastic13

The Department of Defense "abruptly" suspended a program last week that gave military spouses grants of up to $6,000 for college or career training. The program became so popular that it "nearly exhausted" its budget, leading to the suspension. About 98,000 military spouses had enrolled, while 38,000 more had applied.

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Sarah Palin wanted you to watch ladies' hockey yesterday. Did you?
 
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