One might also imagine her asking, did you stop the wars and drone attacks and torture, Daddy?
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Dozens of Italian women who have had relationships with Roman Catholic priests or lay monks have endorsed an open letter to the pope that calls for the abolition of the celibacy rule. The letter, thought by one signatory to be unprecedented, argues that a priest "needs to live with his fellow human beings, experience feelings, love and be loved"
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Bob Cesca
The Repugs haven't caught up with jack shit. As soon as this oil mess is off the news cycle they will conveniently forget their moment of sensibility and it'll be back to business as usual.
But for as long as it lasts I am enjoying the irony of them being forced to pop their heads up out of their own ideological muck and mire and draw a nice clean breath of reality.
Now that crude has begun to wash upon the shores and wetlands of Republican red states, any superficial bumper sticker griping about socialism has been temporarily forgotten.
That's the bitch about building a party platform around specious, shallow platitudes. They might be effective in terms of rallying the easily-led, low information base, but as soon as practicality steps in, all sloganeering is dropped in lieu of confronting and dealing with reality. Subsequently, these alleged free market state's rights small government anti-regulation southern conservative cardboard standee Republicans continue to demand federal help and socialized taxpayer money. The Republicans are demanding redistributed wealth from Pennsylvania and Vermont and Illinois and New York and Massachusetts with all of its socialist bleeding heart tree-hugging environmental wacko liberals.
However hypocritical the Republicans might be on this, they're ultimately correct. The federal government has a responsibility to protect our economy, our natural resources and our lives from the destruction that's often wrought by irresponsible corporations. Thanks, Republicans, for finally catching up.
The Repugs haven't caught up with jack shit. As soon as this oil mess is off the news cycle they will conveniently forget their moment of sensibility and it'll be back to business as usual.
But for as long as it lasts I am enjoying the irony of them being forced to pop their heads up out of their own ideological muck and mire and draw a nice clean breath of reality.
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Infamous singing Senator from Utah, Orrin Hatch, is fed up with people pretending to be heroes (He's looking at you, Richard Blumenthal), and so he is attempting to make a change to the 2005 Stolen Honor Act, which criminalized false claims of military service. Hatch says:
My amendment would add to this existing statute, making false statements regarding participation in combat operations. It appears to me that individuals make these false claims in order to obtain honorariums, employment, elected office or other positions of authority.
If convicted of this misdemeanor offense, the perpetrator could face 6 months in jail and/or a fine. This is the same penalty for falsely obtaining and wearing awards or medals.
To which I can only reply:
Wikipedia entry on Chimpy McStagger
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While not minimizing the BP disaster, nor my sadness at the damage to the environment and the locals' way of life, they sure as hell didn't bitch about the money companies like BP brought in:
... I've been schooled recently that the people of Louisiana love their corrupt politicians and expect them to keep Big Oil happy.
These are the folks who don't want "big government" meddling in their affairs, who don't want the gravy train derailed because of "government regulation", yet they're on every TV show now, bitching about how the government hasn't done enough to help them.
Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.
You can't welcome these corporations with open arms, hearing their promises of employment and money, dancing for joy as the leases were sold, and then cry when they give you the shaft...
Times Picayune outdoors Editor Bob Marshall put the blame on the backs of Louisiana's elected officials, saying they became boosters for development, not protectors of the public trust. "The shock being expressed by these folks – and many of their constituents – at the terrible environmental gamble that comes with offshore drilling goes beyond preaching caution after the horse is out of the barn. After all, these same groups helped open the barn door, hung a feed bucket around the horse's neck, and then gave it a good slap on the rump to speed it on its way."
Yes, there is plenty of blame to go around. But maybe it goes beyond just the feds, the Louisiana congressional delegation, and other public officials. The state as a whole just might want to take a look in the mirror. Louisiana was seduced by an outside industry full of vast economic promises. The money came in easily and there can be no dispute that many new jobs were created. But when you put the financial tally to paper, has it been worth it? [my ems]
...
When you deal with the Devil, eventually you have to pay the price (1 ea. Human Soul) and the people of the Gulf Coast are now paying with their souls, on many levels.
These are the folks who don't want "big government" meddling in their affairs, who don't want the gravy train derailed because of "government regulation", yet they're on every TV show now, bitching about how the government hasn't done enough to help them.
Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.
You can't welcome these corporations with open arms, hearing their promises of employment and money, dancing for joy as the leases were sold, and then cry when they give you the shaft...
Times Picayune outdoors Editor Bob Marshall put the blame on the backs of Louisiana's elected officials, saying they became boosters for development, not protectors of the public trust. "The shock being expressed by these folks – and many of their constituents – at the terrible environmental gamble that comes with offshore drilling goes beyond preaching caution after the horse is out of the barn. After all, these same groups helped open the barn door, hung a feed bucket around the horse's neck, and then gave it a good slap on the rump to speed it on its way."
Yes, there is plenty of blame to go around. But maybe it goes beyond just the feds, the Louisiana congressional delegation, and other public officials. The state as a whole just might want to take a look in the mirror. Louisiana was seduced by an outside industry full of vast economic promises. The money came in easily and there can be no dispute that many new jobs were created. But when you put the financial tally to paper, has it been worth it? [my ems]
...
When you deal with the Devil, eventually you have to pay the price (1 ea. Human Soul) and the people of the Gulf Coast are now paying with their souls, on many levels.
By god, we should do all we can to plug the leak and clean up the mess (and put some big shots from BP in jail), but when this is over, the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the others might just want shut the fuck up and let the "big government" do what it has to in order to make certain this never happens again.
I'm sick and tired of all these folks basically saying they don't want to be part of the United States until the shit hits the fan. They don't like the East and West Coast "Liberal Elite" until they're up to their necks in shit, or water, or oil, and then they're the first ones in line with their hands out. They don't want to pay taxes, but they sure as hell want the government to have the wherewithal to dig their ass out of whatever hole they're in.
Yes, I feel horrible for the fishermen, the hoteliers, and all the other folks who've had their lives turned upside down, but it's time they realize that nothing is for free. You might not have to pay for it right away, but the bill will eventually come due. The Gulf states are paying for the easy money and jobs they got when the oil leases were sold. If they don't want this to happen again, they'd better take a hard look at what they're getting before they sign on the dotted line.
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Attention, Gulf Coast teabaggers! (especially you, Govs. Jindal and Barbour)
How are those lines of "we don't want anything from the Federal government" and "drill, baby, drill" and "regulations stifle businesses" and "zOMG, socialism" working out for you, now?
Florida panhandle beaches not on top ten list this year.
Gulf Coast hotels are slashing rates to try and hold onto their bookings. Where the oil is coming ashore, the tourists have disappeared.
BP, whether by accident or design, is poisoning the fisherman that have joined the cleanup efforts.
Seafood prices are going up and may go much higher.
Summer home rentals on the Florida gulf coast are down by 80% and nearly a quarter of the Gulf of Mexico is now off-limits to fishermen.
A strong hurricane in the Gulf could blow the oil ashore and well inland.
Yeah, the party of Hoover's mantras "business doesn't need regulation" and "Federal oversight of business stifles innovation" have worked out really well.
Florida panhandle beaches not on top ten list this year.
Gulf Coast hotels are slashing rates to try and hold onto their bookings. Where the oil is coming ashore, the tourists have disappeared.
BP, whether by accident or design, is poisoning the fisherman that have joined the cleanup efforts.
Seafood prices are going up and may go much higher.
Summer home rentals on the Florida gulf coast are down by 80% and nearly a quarter of the Gulf of Mexico is now off-limits to fishermen.
A strong hurricane in the Gulf could blow the oil ashore and well inland.
Yeah, the party of Hoover's mantras "business doesn't need regulation" and "Federal oversight of business stifles innovation" have worked out really well.
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Scientists: Newly discovered Gulf oil plume is 22-miles long, six-miles wide.
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Finally: Environmental activists campaigning for a halt on Arctic oil exploration welcomed President Barack Obama's decision to halt planned drilling in two regions off the coast of Alaska. Also included in the suspension were drilling projects near Virginia, along with 33 others in the Gulf of Mexico.
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He was voted down 18-80: Yesterday, the Senate debated Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-WI) amendment to the war supplemental bill, which called on President Obama to provide a flexible timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan to Congress. Arguing for the amendment on the floor, Feingold complained that he is "disppointed that" Congress is passing a bill "providing tens of billions of dollars to keep this war going with so little public debate about whether this approach makes any sense." After Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) objected to the Feingold amendment, arguing that it sends the wrong message to the region, Feingold retorted, "The Senator suggests that somehow this sends the wrong message to the region. The real wrong message is that we intend to be there forever."
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The business of America is oil
Obama fires lady who ran America's oil industry meth 'n bribery office
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