The "Dapper Don" would see all the rackets run by big time corporate bag men, and be amazed that he wasted his life criminally grabbing millions, when he could have dealt with billions legally doing credit default swaps, doctored accounting and multiple Ponzi schemes. If he would have taken the corporate path instead of La Cosa Nostra, he would love that there would be no FBI stakeouts at the Bergin Wall Street Hunt and Fish Club, and no wiretaps or hidden microphones planted in his meeting places, because no one in the Governments thinks that those kinds of dealings need any new regulations! He'd be a captain of industry, instead of an out of work mobster.
Sen Coburn Obviously Asking for Sen. Byrd's Death!
Upset Teabagger Finds His Aim Isn't True!
Hark the Harkin Angel Sings!
by pablo December 23, 2009
Sen Tom Harkin is "Considering"
Re-introducing His 1995 Bill
to End the Filibuster.
STOP "CONSIDERIN'"
AND START DOIN'!
The filibuster is a self-imposed Senate rule, and, as James Fallows details here , it hasn't always been such a factor in Senate business. Filibustering was rare for most of the Senate's first two centuries, though perhaps more effective; for much of that period, backers needed 67 votes to overcome a filibuster.
The Senate changed the rules in 1975, so that it would only take 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Not too long after that – beginning roughly around the time Bill Clinton came into office – filibustering went from a rare maneuver to common practice. It's been particularly popular among Senate Republicans in the most recent Congress, as Norman Ornstein illustrates here .
"Republicans have invoked filibusters or used other delaying tactics on controversial issues like Medicare prescription drugs, the war in Iraq, and domestic surveillance—and on non-controversial issues like ethics reform and electronic campaign disclosure," he notes.
Harkin first introduced his bill in 1995 – with Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman as a co-sponsor. Lieberman, of course, recently leveraged the threat of not voting with Democrats in order to get major concessions on the health care bill, something he would not have been able to do without the current filibuster rules.
Harkin's bill keeps the 60-vote rule for the first vote but lessens it with each subsequent vote – after a week of debate, he suggested, the number of votes needed to defeat a filibuster would drop to 57. That process would continue until the simple majority of 51 votes was needed to end debate.
Hmm... I don't seem to see John Kerry, Al Gore, Bob Dole, George H. W. Bush or any of the LOSERS of the past 50 years being trotted out every Sunday to speak as some kind of expert on why the current President is wrong, and undeserving of his office.
John McCain is a Loser, I repeat...LOSER!
It's Empty, Schmucks !
by pablo December 20, 2009
Get Your War On!
by pablo December 20, 2009
No Pagan Christmas Trees in the Bills House!
Just the Agony Which Brings Ecstasy!
(You should see Mel Gibson's!
Gotta have a blood splatter expert!)
Health Care Blues
by pablo December 19, 2009
Let's Give it Up for Teddy!
Johnny Cash in the studio
As a former old (as opposed to still young) musician, and recording studio owner, (see humble beginnings below),
there is always that second chance to get it right. Of course you have to have gotten the basic tracks down before you go about trying to put lipstick on that pig!
So the ghost of Ted has spoken,
and that's good enough for me. Pass this sucker, and then lets re-rack it, and punch in some takes, and "fix- it-in-the-mix!"
CASE CLOSED!
AND THEN...
Revved Up Like a Douche
by pablo December 19, 2009
Jerked Around by Jerks Mama always told me not to look into the eye's of the sun.
But mama, that's where the fun is!
How I feel today:
Like it was November 4, 2008, I just woke up, and my candidate lost.
Next election, I might just vote for the enemy, just for spite.
I think one answer here is that Lieberman isn't actually all that smart. He speaks, and seems to think, exclusively in terms of generalities and broad statements of principle. But there's little evidence that he's a sharp or clear thinker, and certainly no evidence that he knows or cares about the details of health care reform. At one point during the 2000 recount, the Gore campaign explained to Lieberman why lowering standards for military ballots would be totally unfair and illegal, and Lieberman proceeded to go on television and subvert the campaign's position. Gore loyalists interpreted this as a sellout, but perhaps the more plausible explanation was that Lieberman—who, after all, badly wanted to be vice-President—just didn't understand the details of the Gore position well enough to defend it. The guy was taken apart by Dick Cheney in the 2000 veep debate. Jonathan Chiat
I'm sure everyone has a story like this to relate, but I get a chance to illustrate it!
Yesterday I was in a big box mega retailer, waiting in line behind a cell phone gabbing middle aged female that was having a tough time dealing with here credit card payment. When it seemed like her purchase was finally completed, she headed to the door..
The cashier yelled at the greeter (location giveaway) that the woman needed to return and sign for her purchase. Slightly miffed, but still gabbing, the lady returned, signed, and headed, again for the door.
With an "Oh my god", the cashier called to the greeter to get the woman's attention for a second time, and have her return to take the bag, containing her purchases, that she had left laying on the counter.
With nary a break in her conversation, she returned, picked up the bag, and exited to the parking lot, climbed in her SUV and head off into the world, with, I imagine, nary a thought about speed, stop lights, nor other pesky vehicles!
It's Hard Work!
by pablo December 12, 2009
Well...This Explains it All!
Not For 3 YEARS!
There's no other way to say it: Barack Obama, a once-in-a-generation political talent whose graceful conquest of America's racial dragons en route to the White House inspired the entire world, has for some reason allowed his presidency to be hijacked by sniveling, low-rent shitheads. Matt Tiabbi
"Where do you think these folks stood on impeaching Bill Clinton? It's clear there is forgiveness for politicians who cheat on their wives and abuse state resources to do so- as long as they're Republicans. "
You Dig?
by pablo December 11, 2009
"If the Treasury were to fill old bottles with bank-notes, bury them at suitable depths in disused coal-mines which are then filled up to the surface with town rubbish, and leave it to private enterprise on well-tried principles of laissez-faire to dig the notes up again (the right to do so being obtained, of course, by tendering for leases of the note-bearing territory), there need be no more unemployment and, with the help of repercussions, the real income of the community, and its capital wealth, would probably become a good deal greater than it actually is."
