Stand Your Ground, Mr. President

If I by gas at CITGO

am I supporting Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian revolution? Disclaimer - I hope I am. I am not a Hugo fanboy, but I support his efforts to share his country's wealth with its poorest citizens.

delusion of persecution - sound like anyone we know?

"delusion of persecution a delusion that one is being attacked, harassed, persecuted, cheated, or conspired against."

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/delusion+of+persecution

fits the teabaggers perfectly doesn't ?

Obama Gives Republicans A Tough Ultimatum On Taxes

Here’s how that threat would play out. Taxes will automatically go up on all income earners next week if a deal isn’t struck. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will put forth legislation to bring taxes back down for middle incomes. That’ll leave Senate Republicans with a choice: either let it move forward and pass, or go on record filibustering a middle class tax cut as the nation watches. Both bad choices.

....

“I believe such a proposal could pass both houses with bipartisan majorities, as long as those leaders actually allow it to come to a vote,” Obama said at the news conference. “If members of the House or the Senate want to vote no, they can.”

In other words, Obama isn’t hesitating to exercise what Democrats correctly recognized as their upper hand on the issue, not only because they have the ability to block any outcome they dislike but because polls say the public is likely to blame Republicans if the nation plunges over the cliff.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/obama-ultimatum-taxes.php

booya

one may either make his case by lashing out out emotionally

or take a more cerebral/academic/or just plane good-mannered tact. the latter may still illicit rudeness from knee-jerk obama supporters (of which i have been from time to time, especially during the election.) and again i apologize to anyone who has criticized the president in a civil manner, and gotten rudeness or snark from me. conversely i think those who lash out in ways that attack the president and his motives in a manner that is a vicious as any tea bagger nut should be prepared to get back what they dish out.

perfect example: the president "putting social security on the table." i agree with the president's critics in regards to the CPI mess. However, here is how both camps (DU) drive me nuts, or at least a small group that thrives on arguing for arguments sake.

Group One: Let's continually post threads about Obama plan, nay desire) to destroy SS. (Even thought tis is hyperbole at best and straight out ingeniousness at worst.)

Group Two: He never agreed to SS cuts. (hyperbole at best and straight out disengenousness at worst)

Group Three (my group): Let's hold BHO's feet to the fire - in a positive way. Let's call the White House, fence sitting Dems and even GOPers, flood them wit e-mails. And keep posting. But let's get over the proving who is right and work to a common goal like we did in November.

That Goal:

Restore Middle Class Tax cuts and strengthen, not weaken the social safety net!

Obama Sticks To His Guns

AP: Obama Not Making New Cliff Offer

The AP reported Friday afternoon that President Obama is not offering a new deal to avert the fiscal cliff during a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. This comes in contrast to reports from Friday morning that Obama would offer up a new, scaled-back offer.

Obama instead is spelling out again a plan he says can pass the House and Senate, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to speak publicly about the private meeting.

Obama wants a bill to halt looming tax increases on all families making $250,000 a year or less and would extend unemployment insurance to many people about to lose it. His proposal would also cover other issues as the Jan. 1 deadline nears.

If he does not get a counter proposal that can pass both chambers, Obama will press for a straight up-or-down vote on his idea, the source said.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/ap-obama-not-making-new-cliff-offer?ref=fpa

Army Seeking Death Penalty for Sergeant Accused of Killing Afghan Civilians

The Army has charged that Sergeant Bales, 39, who was serving his fourth combat tour, walked away from a remote outpost in southern Afghanistan and shot and stabbed members of several families in an ambush in two villages in the early morning hours of March 11. At least nine of the people he is accused of killing were children.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/us/robert-bales-faces-death-penalty-in-afghan-massacre.html?_r=0

seems to me the death penalty should be reserved for acts that overwhelmingly shock the conscience and for which the evidence far passes the reasonable doubt standard. this may be one such case.

New Villian Emerges In AFP Tent-Gate: Guy Fawkes-Masked ‘Radical Anarchists’

A spokesperson for conservative group Americans For Prosperity told TPM on Thursday the tent’s collapse this week during protests outside the state capitol may have been instigated not by union protesters — some of whom were “helping us” after the tent collapse, she said — but rather by “radical anarchists” wearing Guy Fawkes masks and coming from the Occupy movement.

Spokesperson Annie Patnaude also alleged some of the protesters threatened to blow up propane tanks inside the tent, potentially creating a deadly conflagration. Meanwhile union supporters continued to say the tent was felled by AFP members themselves, a charge Patnaude called “upsetting.”

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/afp-tent-guy-fawkes.php?ref=fpb

but curiously the dude does not want to press charges:

Michigan Police Scratch Their Heads At Fox Contributor’s Post-Punch Media Tour

If Fox News contributor Steven Crowder wants justice after being assaulted during right-to-work protests in Michigan this week, he sure has a weird way of showing it. That’s the word from Michigan State Police, who are ready to investigate and prosecute the man who punched Crowder multiple times on camera Tuesday — if only Crowder would let them.

The video of Crowder taking those punches has gone viral, even as Crowder’s story about the circumstances has started to unravel. Regardless of exactly what happened leading up top the punches, however, there’s a potential crime caught on film and according to Michigan State Police, Crowder has so far shown no interest in having it investigated.

Meanwhile, media reports have poked holes in the original, edited video Crowder posted online after he was punched. The New York Times reported “a look at the video broadcast on the Sean Hannity show appears to show quite clearly that [Crowder] left out an important section of the footage when he put together his edit.”

The unedited footage shows “the man who punched Mr. Crowder being knocked to the ground seconds before and then getting up and taking a swing at the comedian,” the Times reported.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/steven-crowder-no-charges.php

i suspect this is about to unravel as a AFP (Koch Bros.) media stunt.

Brietbart.com and Glenn Greenwald Love/Hate, respectively, movie they have never seen

You can't make this shit up. The latter thinks it glorifies torture and that is shitty (which it would be but I have no idea and neither does Glen Greenwald.) The former thinks it glorifies torture and that fucking rocks (which is fucking nuts but I have no idea and neither does Brietbart.com)

Zero Dark Thirty: new torture-glorifying film wins raves

Can a movie that relies on fabrications to generate support for war crimes still be considered great?

"I have not seen this film and thus am obviously not purporting to review it; I am, instead, writing about the reaction to the film: the way in which its fabrications about the benefits of torture seem to be no impediment to its being adored and celebrated."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/10/zero-dark-thirty-torture-awards

Well, all right then, Glenn

Then there is this sh*t.

“So will the film impact the public’s perception of bin Laden’s death?” writes Breitbart.com’s Christian Toto. “After all, the media gave credit to President Barack Obama for capturing the terrorist leader even though Obama spoke out specifically against enhanced interrogation. … In theory, bin Laden would still be alive and plotting more attacks had Obama’s ‘no torture’ policy been in place.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/critics-on-obama-dark-zero-thirty-84894.html#ixzz2EnaPlXg5

Nevermind the Academy Award winning makers of the film say that they are both wrong.

“Zero Dark Thirty” writer says “it’s misreading the film” to say torture led to bin Laden capture

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/zero_dark_thirty_writer_says_its_misreading_the_film_to_say_torture_led_to_bin_laden_capture/

I think I will wait and make up my own mind.

Lindsey Graham: Debt Ceiling Will Force Obama To Man Up On Medicare Cuts

Lindsay's is butching it up again.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/10/1308501/lindsey-graham-debt-ceiling-will-force-obama-to-man-up-on-medicare-cuts/



sh*t like this is why people get outed. his position on lgbt issues, not the debt.