Walker pulls another fast one

MoonHowler

From NY Times News Alert:

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted Wednesday night to
strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public
workers after discovering a way to bypass the chamber’s
missing Democrats.

All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks
ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members
present to consider Gov. Scott Walker’s so-called “budget
repair bill” — a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million
budget shortfall.

The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that
spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday split from the
legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, which
spends no money, and a special conference committee of state
lawmakers approved the bill a short time later.

So Walker did what he intended to do all along.  Will this move end up in court?  Was Walker’s intent to union bust? 

The money issue still has not been settled. 

Marshall Compares Stem Cell Research to Nazi War Criminals

MoonHowler

Since when was ‘human life begins at conception’ implanted into the Virginia curriculum? Didn’t see that one coming.

More to the point, Bob ‘Sideshow’ Marshall is shown comparing scientists who conduct and study stem cell research to Nazi war criminals during WWII. Bobby, that is just too cultural warrior for the floor of the General Assembly. No, he didn’t say the words but he painted the picture. You might want to ask your local, state and national legislators if they support Sideshow’s proposed ban on stem cell research.

Stem Cell Information from NIH

Doug Hampton Calls for Senator Ensign to Immediately Resign

MoonHowler

Doug Hampton is the husband of Ensign’s paramour.  Despite the fact that Ensign has said he will not run for re-election, Hampton wants to end the investigation he and his wife will have to go through as long as the senator is in office.  According to the Huffington Post:

LAS VEGAS — The Nevada man whose wife had a monthslong affair with Sen. John Ensign said in a rare statement Wednesday that the Republican should immediately resign to shield the family from an ongoing ethics investigation stemming from the extramarital relationship.

Doug Hampton, Ensign’s former co-chief of staff, said Ensign’s “callousness and lack of remorse” has prolonged the anguish caused by the 2008 affair.

Ensign announced on Monday that he wouldn’t pursue a third term to protect his wife and children from “exceptionally ugly” campaign attacks. The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating whether Ensign tried to hide the affair by securing Hampton a lobbying job.

Hampton said he, his wife and others close to them are being forced to cooperate with the investigation, a process that continues to reopen old wounds.

“His selfish, steadfast refusal to resign immediately prolongs the pain and anguish he caused,” Hampton said. “It also requires us to continue to cooperate with the Senate Ethics investigation, including disrupting our lives by requiring myself, Cindy and others close to us to return to Washington D.C. to be deposed.”

Hampton dismissed the ethical questions driving the investigation. Ensign’s parents provided the Hampton family with $96,000 described as a gift and federal criminal law prohibits congressional aides from lobbying their ex-bosses or office colleagues for one year after departing their Hill jobs.

Should Ensign step down now to spare this family any more agony?  Is Hampton making unfair demands on both Ensign and Nevada?  Is Ensign on an equal footing with John Edwards?  Doug Hampton was not only Ensign’s co-chief of staff, but the 2 families were very close as couples.  Is this the ultimate betrayal?

 

 

McCarthyism Revived! Instead of the Red Scare, It’s the Muslim Scare!

Elena
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There have been many instances in our history where small groups of individuals have perpetrated heinous acts of violence, intended to instill fear in the public and our government.     Some examples of these infamous acts of violence can be found by The Mafia, the Manson Family, Timothy McVeigh,  Abortion Clinic bombings, Assassinations of Doctors,  Columbine High School, Fort Hood Massacre, and most recently, the murderous rampage by Jared Lee Loughner. 

Did we have have congressional hearings for all these horrible events?  No!

In this nation, whenever the larger group is held responsible for the acts of a small minority, as Americans, we should feel compelled to reject blanket statements of culpability by mere association.   Because Bernie Madoff was Jewish, as were several presidents of the some the too big to fail banks, at the heart of the financial disaster, should all Jews be held accountable? 

I resoundingly reject such suppositions.

What Kind of Reader are you?

MoonHowler

 

The Roanoke Times  made the following statement:

“I divide all readers into two classes–those who read to remember and those who read to forget.” –E.M. Forster

I’m a little bit of both. I often read for knowledge, but the majority of the time I read to escape.

What kind of reader are you?

There are other reading questions.  Some people never read a novel or even a non-fiction book.  All their reading is newspapers and magazines.  Others can’t put a good mystery down.  So the second question should be, are you a reader of fiction or non-fiction?  Additionally, many people have gone electronic.  Do you prefer to hold that book in your hand or have you gone the way of the e-reader?  If so, which one? 

Some people multitask.  Do you do other things while reading like listen to music or watch TV or are you one of those people who must have it quiet for concentration?  Do you slip a book in your pocket and read on your lunch break or do you read at night to relax?

Please take a moment to share your reading habits as well as any wonderful books that you just couldn’t put down.