;)
The Commentariat -- Feb. 26, 2013
Nedra Pickler of the AP: "President Barack Obama is arguing that looming government-wide spending cuts could idle military resources like naval aircraft carriers, while Republicans are criticizing the president for taking his arguments outside Washington instead of staying to work out a plan before Friday's deadline. The president planned to appear Tuesday at Virginia's largest industrial employer, Newport News Shipbuilding, which would be affected by cuts to naval spending. Obama warned Monday that if the so-called sequester goes into effect later this week, the company's 'workers will sit idle when they should be repairing ships, and a carrier sits idle when it should be deploying to the Persian Gulf.'" ...
... "These cuts do not have to happen." President Obama spoke to the National Governors Association yesterday, where he outlined the impacts of the sequester on the states:
... Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) of the Congressional Progressive Caucus "released the following statement [Monday] ahead of this Friday's sequester budget cuts:"
If Congress cannot come up with a replacement to the sequester before the end of the week, we should eliminate the sequester entirely. One million working Americans should not be forced to pay the price for Republican stubbornness. If this goes into effect, it will be one of the most irresponsible legislative failures in the history of the Republic.... Republicans held the world economy hostage in 2011. They created this crisis, and Congress should fix it for the sake of the country before people start getting fired."
Pew Research has mapped the likely effects of the sequester on various states. Go to the original map for more; it's interactive. The lighter the color, the higher the impact:
As contributor Dave S. points out, a lot of red states will be among those hit the hardest:
... Zachary Goldfarb of the Washington Post: "Since the day they were swept to power more than two years ago, the tea party's legions in Washington have made dramatic federal spending cuts the centerpiece of an economic message that has dominated the national debate. Now they're about to get what they want.... Although Democratic and Republican leaders are pointing fingers, the tea party and its allies are happily accepting credit for the cuts." CW: we'll see if they're still crowing come election eve. ...
... Steve Benen: "... one might expect [the Republicans'] message to be amazing. After all, once a political party gives up on governing and focuses solely on messaging, it's stands to reason they'll be pretty good at it. And yet, Republicans' sequestration message 'is all over the place.' GOP leaders believe the sequester will be awful but they want to let it happen. The policy was integral to the Republican fiscal plan and it's entirely the White House's idea. When Republicans say the cuts will hurt, that's fine; when Democrats say the cuts will hurt, it's evidence of scare tactics. And now Republicans are simultaneously convinced the cuts will hurt and help the economy." ...
This is not time for a road-show president. This is time to look for someone who will lead and work with us, because we're willing to work with them to solve America's problems. -- Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Majority Whip
So 'work with them' (sic.)* means punting responsibility for writing a sequester-averting bill to the Senate; it means refusing to consider any revenue increases; & it means taking off for a full week just before the sequester was to take effect, with no deal in the offing. -- Constant Weader ...
... * How can we expect the House leadership to reach an agreement with Democrats on a sequester fix when they can't even manage noun-verb agreement? Dan Amira's short post is titled, "John Boehner Loses the Grammarian Vote":
Boehner told Republicans in a closed-meeting Tuesday that the House doesn't need to pass a third sequester replacement bill before the 'Senate gets off their ass and passes it once.' ...
... A Crack in GOP Resolve? Sam Stein of the Huff Post notes that Sen. Lindsey Graham said on CNN last night, "I'm willing to raise $600 billion in new revenue, if my Democratic friends would be willing to reform entitlements...." But Stein also is aware of Graham's history: "Graham is notoriously flirty when it comes to bipartisan deal-making, often floating the possibility of some lofty bargain that, in the end, is too hard to achieve. This one seems to fit into that category." ...
... Brian Beutler of TPM: Democrats have a number of reasons to be confident that they'll win the PR contest, one of which is the result of the 1995 government shutdown. Beutler interviewed Paul Begala, a Clinton operative, who said, in part,
Before the government shutdown it was very much an open question in most people[s minds which party would win. Republicans were very confident at the time that the government would shut down and people's lives wouldn't change. They were wrong.... We all saw that theory proved in '95 and '96 and it's going to happen again.... Bob Dole said enough is enough. He stopped it. I may be selling Mitch McConnell short, but he's no Bob Dole. He's ... more worried about his political hide.
Wherein Eric Cantor Thinks Up Sequester Rationales
The National Science Foundation spent $1.2 million paying seniors to play World of Warcraft to study the impact it had on their brain. -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, in a February 19 release "identifying" wasteful spending
Before applying for the federal money, the researchers conducted a small, pilot study in which seniors played WoW ... and were tested to see if it improved their cognitive abilities. This study was funded with a $5,000 grant from N.C. State. No U.S. money was involved. The federal study involves hours of testing each participant and efforts to identify the aspects of computer games that might help seniors better deal with life offline. -- PolitiFact
Digby, on the long game: "on the fundamental battle over the role of government, [Republicans] have been winning.... After all, Obamacare, their most hated new government initiative was a GOP plan not even two decades ago. They aren't all stupid, especially those who are working to restore our society to a pre-New Deal state. It would be really helpful if Democrats ... started recognizing how much they have been losing on policy even as they've been winning elections. The country is losing either way."
** Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times: "Dozens of prominent Republicans -- including top advisers to former President George W. Bush, four former governors and two members of Congress -- have signed a legal brief arguing that gay people have a constitutional right to marry, a position that amounts to a direct challenge to Speaker John A. Boehner and reflects the civil war in the party since the November election. The document will be submitted this week to the Supreme Court in support of a suit seeking to strike down Proposition 8, a California ballot initiative barring same-sex marriage, and all similar bans. The court will hear back-to-back arguments next month in that case and another pivotal gay rights case that challenges the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act."
** Lyle Denniston, writing for the National Constitution Center: "No matter how eagerly some policymakers want to put some legal restraints on the Obama administration’s policy of targeted killing by drones in waging war on terrorism, it is a near-certainty that the idea of handing to a civilian court the power to decide who could be killed, and when, would not withstand constitutional scrutiny."
Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor accused a Texas federal prosecutor Monday of tapping into a 'deep and sorry vein of racial prejudice' in his questioning of a black man facing a drug charge. The justices did not accept Bongani Charles Calhoun's request that the court review his conviction, but Sotomayor appended a scathing statement to make sure that the court's denial would not be seen as a signal of 'tolerance of a federal prosecutor's racially charged remark.' ... [The prosecutor] had asked Calhoun: 'You've got African Americans, you've got Hispanics, you've got a bag full of money. Does that tell you -- a light bulb doesn't go off in your head and say, "This is a drug deal?'" ... Justice Stephen G. Breyer joined Sotomayor's statement." Sotomayor's statement is here, & it's worth reading, especially because it at least partially explains why she agreed to deny cert.
Sarah Kliff of the Washington Post addresses an issue that contributor Barbarossa raised the other day -- America's Worst Governor Rick Scott's persuading HHS to "allow the state to move nearly all Medicaid enrollees into privately managed plans." Other Republican-led states are making similar moves. As Kliff writes, "If the Obama administration agrees, the battles over the health-care law could have an unexpected resolution: A larger, but more conservative, Medicaid program."
Frank Bruni writes quite a good column on priestly celibacy. ...
Meddling Old Fool in Fancy Brown Loafers. Pontifex emeritus. Nicole Winfield of the AP: "Pope Benedict XVI will be known as 'emeritus pope' in his retirement and will continue to wear a white cassock.... Benedict's decision to call himself emeritus pope and to keep wearing white is sure to fan concern voiced privately by some cardinals about the awkward reality of having two popes, both living within the Vatican walls. Adding to the concern is that Benedict's trusted secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, will be serving both pontiffs -- living with Benedict at the monastery inside the Vatican and keeping his day job as prefect of the new pope's household.... Benedict has taken a liking to a pair of hand-crafted brown loafers made for him by artisans in Leon, Mexico, and given to him during his 2012 visit. He will wear those in retirement...."
Martha Mendoza of the AP: "The former archbishop of San Francisco said Monday that Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony has a rightful place among Vatican officials who will choose the next pope, even though Mahony has been battered in recent days by disclosures about his role in covering up clergy sex abuse. The comments by Cardinal William Levada, a high-ranking Vatican official until recently, came in the wake of a grass-roots campaign to shame Mahony into refraining from participating because of his role protecting sexually abusive priests. Mahony left for Rome over the weekend...." Levada's was the Vatican's CIO -- Chief Inquisition Officer (seriously). "While serving previously as an archbishop in California and Oregon, he kept some accused molesters in the church and failed to share some allegations with police or parishioners." Meanwhile Mahony continues his self-pity party, tweeting, "Wow, Jesus is demanding." CW: these people are reprehensible for more than one reason.
News Ledes
AP: "The second major snowstorm in a week battered the nation's midsection Tuesday, dropping a half-foot or more of snow across Missouri and Kansas and cutting power to thousands. At least three deaths were blamed on the blizzard, and gusting winds blew drifts more than 2 feet high and created treacherous driving conditions for those who dared the morning commute."
New York Times: "Saudi Arabia has financed a large purchase of infantry weapons from Croatia and quietly funneled them to antigovernment fighters in Syria in a drive to break the bloody stalemate that has allowed President Bashar al-Assad to cling to power, according to American and Western officials familiar with the purchases."
AP: "A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 19 foreign tourists in one of the world's deadliest ballooning accidents...."
AND Dennis Rodman goes to North Korea.
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Reader Comments (13)
Thank you and RIP to C. Everett Koop--an astounding physician and man of conscience. I'll bet Ronnie Reagan rued the day he appointed him. He was my husband's favorite teacher and mentor at Penn--and, I am told, was always available to his students to explain and empathize. With this man, party made absolutely no difference! His integrity ruled, and he was not afraid to change his mind--as he did on birth control and sex education. To be unforgivably trite: we will likely not see a person of his quality and standards in government again in our lifetimes. Sad.
With all this talk about secret gay cabals within the RCC leading to the resignation of the big poop I can only wonder - Do these groups have a name? How about Opus Testicularus or, perhaps, Penii Dei??
@Ak: feel free to correct my pig Latin.
Unwashed,
Excellent phrase for one of the church's many cacoethic impulses. I think the correct word is "mentulae" but yours is much more fun to say. So in place of a correction might I offer an addition?
How about Teeny Penii Dei?
Addition by diminution.
Seems to be the way the church has been going for some time. Penii, mentulae and all.
Any way you put it, it's just a bunch of dicks.
Having just gotten around to reading the Vanity article linked several days ago which recounts the tête-à-tête between Nina Totenberg and professional asshole Alan Simpson while the two debated the outfall from The Passion of Saint Clarence, the PornoKing, I noticed something mentioned in passing that prompted another sigh in recognition of how short our collective memories are, one reason assholes and miscreants are given so many chances to fuck us over repeatedly (see: sequester, fiscal cliff shenanigans, sub-prime mortgage failures, bank bailouts, Republican shut down of government in mid 90s, etc, etc...).
Among the many Totenberg stories listed was a reference to the highly questionable background of William Rehnquist, a figure who today is held in high regard with rarely a mention of his past history of subverting civil rights and desegregation.
In 1964, working for Goldwater's campaign, Rehnquist took time to lobby against a public accommodation law in Phoenix in order to allow restaurant and hotel owners to deny access to minorities. He worked on ballot initiatives to increase the difficulties of minorities to vote and once wrote a memo stating unequivocally that Plessy v Ferguson was correct and should be reaffirmed. There are quite a few other bits of evidence including testimony at his confirmation hearing from witnesses who had seen Rehnquist engaging in shoving matches with black citizens he had successfully prevented from voting.
And today low information citizens are again trying to determine who is at fault if the sequester goes into effect, forgetting that time and again one party has been responsible for this kind of disgraceful behavior.
And it ain't the Democrats.
History can be our friend but it's often the kind of friend we haven't seen or spoken to in years.
Good news for assholes. Bad news for the rest of us.
Akhilleus: On Feb.13th I wrote this: "something else I just learned: During the Brown v Board of Education court
case William Rehnquist was clerk to Robert Jackson whose pragmatism left him
doubtful of the decision at first, but came around in the end. However,
Rehnquist wrote a memo denouncing integration which came to light during his
confirmation hearings which most certainly would have derailed his
nomination, but he claimed that he was voicing Jackson's view which simply
wasn't true, but it went uncontested. And guess who then clerked for
Rehnquist––none other than Ted Cruz. Another one of those never ending
circles."
And since you and I have talked about Iran's history with the CIA here is an article from Truthdig re: what they got wrong in the film ARGO.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/oscar_2013_hollywoods_cia_celebration_20130226/
@P.D. Pepe: very interesting discussion. Another kid who clerked for Rehnquist is a guy named John Roberts.
Marie
"Flirty" seems an apt word to describe Senator Graham's negotiating style, conveying a southern belle kind of air.
Up here in the north we'd say "teaser."
Whichever. Exactly his style of playing at governance, making an offer then getting the vapors when it is taken. Switching metaphors here, how many times has he moved the goalposts on Hagel, Benghazi, or BenghaziHagel?
PD,
Thanks for that reminder. As I was writing this post this morning I was thinking that I had recently read something about Rehnquist and Jackson, so now I'm sure it was your comment.
The fact that Rehnquist was allowed to skate by on a lie about his anti-integration memo simply restating the views of Justice Jackson is evidence of how successful was Nixon's crafty strategy for embedding an anti civil rights justice on the court. Nixon had twice run racist judges up to the senatorial gates and twice was repulsed. The third time he figured the onus would be on the Senate committee to accept his nominee or look as if they were being willfully obstructionist to the president (funny how that consideration has vanished now that the racists are in that committee), and he was right.
I wonder if Rehnquist and Cruz shared stories about how Harvard had been taken over by liberal scum, commies, socialists, and other assorted enemies. Enemies. Always enemies. These people are forever in search of an enemy against which to measure themselves and their gaunt, dessicated values. Likely they are uneasy in their own skin and, like Dubya, incessantly trying to prove themselves. Too often what they prove is that their flaws and inner demons hold far more sway than their finer qualities and the angels of their better natures (although in Cruz's case we have yet to see any finer qualities or anything like a better nature).
And Rehnquist's lie about Jackson bespeaks an understanding that his true feelings could hurt his chances and that he then had no problem smearing a respected Supreme Court Justice to power his own advancement. How's that for a man of quality and moral standing?
Another asshole.
No wonder Roberts is so good at covering his own dark side. He learned from one of the best.
I find it instructive that information about Ted Cruz, either positive or negative, give facts about his various jobs, that he clerked for Rehnquist, that he's married to a Goldman Sachs exec and that he went to Princeton and Harvard. Beyond the usual, my father fled from Cuba (after he first sided with Castro after being tortured by Batista), I'm not sure his "story" explains much about his pathological behavior and rigid ideology. It is rare to find a political figure who doesn't have a hero-mentor-teacher figure(s) that helped form his or her ideology. Generally, a pol takes every opportunity to credit those folks when they tell their "story". Especially those who hold extremist views have a traceable pathway to their beliefs. Cruz strikes me as pretty close to a textbook sociopath with an singular belief in his own infallibility. I think he admires only himself and the value of others is merely to follow him. He is a nasty little piece of work.
A spy story for those as interested in religion as politics: http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201303/spy-in-the-house-of-lords-march-2013?currentPage=1
Diane,
An intriguing analysis of Cruz's pathology. I'm sure Kate can offer a clearer commentary than I, but your suggestion that his connection to others serves him purely as a mirror to his personal greatness could certainly account for his obvious misanthropy.
He is a rat fuck whose belief in his own superiority absolves him from concern for any human he considers beneath him which seems to place him squarely in the epicenter of Republican sociopathy.
The vote to confirm Cousin Weakeyes came off pretty much as expected EXCEPT Aqua Buddha Man voted "yea." Does this mean he hasn't figured out the buttons on his chamber desk yet, or what?
Another Rehnquist gem: After Clinton's impeachment trial Rehnquist would sum up his performance with an apt line from Gilbert & Sullivan's "Iolanthe": "I did nothing in particular, and I did it very well." And I would say that pretty much sums up his legacy as a Supreme or is that too harsh?