Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Minnesota = dump land

See below post on Franken....and now this.
Barring some unforeseen major physical setback, Brett Favre will be at training camp in Mankato when they open up the end of July, a source has told WCCO's Mark Rosen.

That source said that Favre and the Vikings have indeed come to a contractual agreement, with heavy incentives. The Vikings equipment manager has already ordered number 4 purple jerseys with his name on it.
Sick.

I am beginning to despise our neighbors to the west...as if they could redeem themselves from holding "The Most BORING State to Drive Through" title anyway.

Al Franken

The U.S. Senate is officially a JOKE.
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled today that Democrat Al Franken won the U.S. Senate election and said he is entitled to an election certificate that would lead to him being seated in the Senate.

"Affirmed," wrote the Supreme Court, unanimously rejecting Republican Norm Coleman's claims that inconsistent practices by local elections officials and wrong decisions by a lower court had denied him victory.
And the "featured comment" says it all:
"Good luck getting taken seriously next time around."

A Whole New World

Bizarre stuff. but this guy's good.

Socialized healthcare supporters in Janesville...scary how close they are.
An organization working for a national health care system plans two events in Janesville on Tuesday.

Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care opposes the Obama administration and congressional leaders’ plans for a public/private health insurance system.

Paullete Garin, who ran for but lost the Democratic nomination for the 1st District congressional seat in 2008, is Wisconsin coordinator for the group. She has been holding sessions around the state to discuss what is called a single-payer health care system.

Garin is also state coordinator for Progressive Democrats of America. The Leadership Conference is an offshoot of the PDA, she said.
So while she's planning these "educational events" to get voters in contact with their representatives, there is seemingly no debate allowed.
Garin opposes both the public/private option that congressional Democrats and the president are contemplating and Republicans’ plans.

That includes the Patients’ Rights Act proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan, the 1st District Republican, and other Republicans.

A government approach means higher taxes, Ryan said. He proposes instead tax benefits that would help people buy private health insurance. He said his plan would also bring about universal health coverage, but it would be a totally private insurance system.

Ryan said his plan would allow patients to make their own coverage and health care decisions.

Garin calls it a right-wing scare tactic to suggest that the Democrat-supported plans would put the government between the patient and doctor.

A single-payer plan would have the government pay for all coverage, but doctors would not become government employees, and consumers would make health care decisions with their doctors, Garin said.

The insurance would be socialized, as Medicare now is, Garin said, but medicine would not be.
OK, sure. Any side to any argument can hold an event w/o recognizing the opposing viewpoint. Also known as a church service.

But this lady's a left-wing nutjob and frankly, I'm pretty sure that's why she lost the 1st Congressional nomination before.

People, socialized healthcare is a slippery slope...

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Healthcare censorship

Censorship, much?
Opponents of President Obama's proposed health care reform are blasting ABC News for refusing to air opposing ads during a prime time special next Wednesday, just as a new study finds ABC News coverage of the president's health care plan is favorable by a ratio of 3 to 1.

The prime time special -- called "Questions for the President: Prescription for America" -- will be a nationally televised event during which Obama will answer questions presented by audience members selected by ABC News. The network has refused to accept advocacy ads during the hourlong show.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele accused ABC News and anchor Charles Gibson of making Obama's case for "nationalized" health care "without any opportunity for opposing views to be aired.

In a fundraising e-mail aimed at raising nearly $100,000 to buy air time for a counterprogram, Steele said the RNC's request to add its views to the debate during the special was "flatly rejected" by ABC News.

Thoughts?

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

WPRI and some Chocolate Factory

This is pretty good.
Yesterday, the Legislative Fiscal Bureau released their summary of the state budget as rushed through by the Joint Finance Committee last week. It’s a long and complicated document, so we here at WPRI have enlisted some help in explaining many of the big themes included the budget.
As it happens, most of what legislative Democrats passed can be explained by eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, star of the 1971 children’s classic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Here are some famous quotes from the movie, and how they shed light on the budget currently before the Legislature. Cuddle up with your favorite little Oompa Loompa and read along:
Read the rest.

Obama changes Green Bay's exam times

The biggest thing since...President Bush visited Green Bay.
Southwest High School students and staff are excited about President Barack Obama's visit to the Green Bay school on Thursday, the principal said Monday.

"I think the students' reaction was the same as mine, 'No, really? Here?'" Principal Bryan Davis said at an afternoon press conference at school district offices, adding, "… It still seems surreal to me."

The event falls on the last day of school, Davis said. He expects about a third of the school's 1,350 students will be on campus Thursday morning. Seniors are done, and other students are taking final exams, he said. To accommodate the president's visit, exam times will be shortened from 90 minutes to an hour, he said. School will begin at 7:30 a.m. and be finished by 9:40 a.m., he said.

In a letter, school officials said staff and students have to be out of the building by 10 a.m., and students waiting to be picked up have to be picked up at a location off campus.

If students are late to their 7:30 a.m. final, they will have to come back on Friday to take the exam, the letter said.

So far, students and school staff are happy to make adjustments for the event, Davis said.
Well of course they are! I know that it's customary to say "We're so honored and pleased," blah blah blah when the President comes to visit your town....but this is a little TOO swelling with pride.

Especially for G.B.

Too bad the kids may have to go back on Friday. I guess they can thank the Commander in Chief for an extra night of study time.

I should try to find that GB story from Bush's visit...

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Those deadly spray tans

If we learn anything from this, it's that you're always safer with a little SPF.
A defense attorney has suggested that a spray tan might be to blame for the death of a 33-year-old South Florida woman whose husband is now facing a second-degree murder charge.

Prosecutors believe 36-year-old Aventura developer Adam Kaufman strangled his wife, Eleonora Kaufman, in November 2007. But during a bond hearing Tuesday, defense attorney Bill Matthewman floated a different theory.

Matthewman said arsenic or some other accidental poison in a spray tan might be to blame for Eleonora Kaufman's death. Matthewman asked Miami-Dade chief medical examiner Dr. Bruce A. Hyma if officials investigated adverse reactions to spray tans.

Could be true, huh? Though I'm tempted to say "NICE TRY. Makes you look like a sleezy attorney and your client look even more guilty for suggesting it."

But you never know.

Bin Laden still out there

And still talking.
Usama bin Laden's latest audio tape threatening retaliation for U.S. support of the crackdown on militants in Pakistan seemed to throw cold water on the idea that Al Qaeda and the Taliban could be going their separate ways.

The tape was broadcast Wednesday by Al-Jazeera as President Obama touched down in Saudi Arabia to start a three-day Mideast trip. In the tape, bin Laden accuses the United States of sowing "new seeds of hatred against America" for supporting Pakistan's fight against the Taliban in the Swat region of the country.

In speaking up for the Taliban, bin Laden signaled that speculation about a split between Al Qaeda and certain factions of the Taliban may have been wishful thinking, at least for now.

Uh yes folks, they still want to kill us.
Obama just weeks earlier, in an interview with the New York Times, had floated the idea of courting moderate elements of the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, suggesting the U.S. could replicate its success in persuading Sunni insurgents in Iraq to reject Al Qaeda.
Who is surprised by this?!! Logic isn't going to work with these wackjobs.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Tony Fratto: The White House

Tony Fratto: The White House "Jobs-Saved" Deception - CNBC Guest Blog - CNBC.com

Shared via AddThis

Driving Illegal

Why don't we buy them cars too?
Wisconsin would join Utah as the only states in the country to give illegal immigrants a license to drive while still preventing them from using the state cards as official IDs, under a proposal before lawmakers.

The proposal also would prevent law enforcement from using the “driver cards” as a reason to ask whether their holder is in the country legally — a provision that drew criticism Monday from state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s office.
Damn straight it drew criticism. For once, Sensenbrenner's got a succinct point.
U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Menomonee Falls, who authored federal legislation to restrict illegal immigrants’ access to driver’s licenses, said the card proposal would encourage people to be in the state illegally.

“If you’re not supposed to be here, you shouldn’t be driving here. It’s as simple as that,” Sensenbrenner said. “Permission to drive equals mobility to go around and get a job and do whatever you want to do.”
Amen.

And one more example of how completely counter-intuitive this is? The card would:
Prevent police and state agents from using the card as a basis for asking about the immigration status of someone who “lawfully presents the card for its intended purpose.”

The proposal also would prevent insurers from denying car insurance coverage to a cardholder solely because of it.
Let's break it down.

So therefore if you are an immigrant here ILLEGALLY, you could show this "card" to a licensed law enforcement official or an insurance agent, who could therefore do NOTHING about the fact that you are in this country illegally and would likely have to continue to provide you with services usually given to those who are LEGAL citizens. Or just write you a speeding ticket and be on their way.

Is this a joke?

If an illegal applies for a license, shouldn't we take that opportunity for...oh, I don't know, DEPORTATION?