23 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Thread”

1. (Knocked out by me in about 15 minutes. Stuff writes itself.)

    

   The GOP Manifesto:

    

   If you're brown, we're not down.

   If you're black, step on back.

   If you're gay, go away.

   If you're red, you're like dead.

   If you're yellow, oh hell no.

   If you're poor, we'll ignore.

   If you're sick, too bad, Slick.

   Equality for women?  Don't count him in.

   Freedom to choose?  That you will lose.

   No home to live in?  We’ve already given.

   Hungry and cold?  Your story’s grown old.

   Mentally ill?  It must be God’s will.

   Dependent on drugs?  We’ve nothing but shrugs.

   Don’t worship Jesus?  You never will please us.

   Got minimal loot?  Your existence is moot.

   Have tons of money? We’ll keep your skies sunny!

   If you're white, that's just right.

   If you're male, that's a sale.

   Worship guns?  We’re your "hons.”

   Anti-choice?  We're your voice.

   Into fracking?  Have our backing.

   Want to pollute?  We’ll open the chute.

   Funding for schools?  A pipe dream for fools.

   Government closure?  We lose our composure!

   Rebuild infrastructure? Not at this juncture.

   Someone who teaches? All losers and leeches.

   Dismissive of science?  We share your defiance.

   Deny global warming?  Our smokescreen is forming.

   Wilderness drilling?  We find the thought thrilling!

   Talk of secession?  We won’t use discretion.

   Voter suppression?  Our oldest profession.

   Trickle-down economics? Our plan’s from the comics.

   Military spending? Big plans are pending.

   Converse with our foes?  Good heavens, oh noes!

   SSI, Medicare?  We don’t like to “share.”

   Self-deportation?  It’s good for our nation!

   Health Care, Single Payer?  Oh no, not a prayer.

   Defund ACA?  We’re itching to play!

   Amtrak, PBS?  We could not care less.

   Head Start?  A non-starter, ‘cause we know we’re smarter.

   High-earner tax increase?  Our obstruction will not cease.

   Tax increases ever?  We'll let them pass never.

    

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   1. Nice work, DP.

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   2. Brilliant!

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      1. I dunno' . . . looks like a compilation of Moderatus inanities . . . 

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         1. But it rhymes! 

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2. "Obama has deftly engineered a historic change in policy. It's unfortunate Gross was caught in the middle and his life endangered. But an unfortunate pawn has been traded for a queen."

   Well played, Mr. President.  The Fox News account of the transaction?

   "This President is entering the HoneyBooBoo phase of his presidency"

   Seriously, what does that mean in neo-con vocabulary? Is Teddy Cruz's head popping off this morning?

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   1. For those watching their web intake, the same link as Michael's above, but with half the http://

      http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/12/obama-cuba-alan-gross

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      1. Thanks PCat!

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   2. "I particularly want to thank his Holiness, Pope Francis."

      ~President Obama

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      1. Greatest Pope ever!

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   3. I know it's late in the day, but this is too good to keep. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-medical-pot-20141216-story.html 

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3. NY environmental commissioner: I will ban fracking in New York

   DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens said a five-year study by DEC on fracking will be released next year.

   "I will then issue a legally binding findings statement prohibiting (fracking) in New York state at this time," Martens said at Gov. Andrew Cuomo's year-end cabinet meeting.

   Martens made his announcement after a detailed presentation by state health commissioner Howard Zucker, who concluded that he would not allow his family to drink tap water in an area where fracking occurred.

   "I cannot support (fracking) in the great state of New York," Zucker said.

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   1. Methane Emissions Just Like Oil Spills in the Sky
      

      The good news is, we have proven technologies available today to find and fix methane emissions – investments that would cost industry less than a penny per thousand cubic feet of produced gas. If deployed, these technologies could slash onshore methane emissions by 40 percent in just five years.

      To get the full extent of these reductions, however, it's critical that we get good, comprehensive federal policy that covers both new and existing sources of methane.

      This is because nearly 90 percent of emissions in 2018 would come from sources already in existence today – meaning we would only address 2 percent of methane pollution with a policy focused on new sources only.

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      1. Six 1%-ers indicted for recklessly polluting the Elk River in West Virginia.

         In January, a rusty holding tank owned by Freedom Industries leaked thousands of gallons of a coal-washing chemical into the Elk River of West Virginia. Consequently, drinking water supplies were tainted for more than 300,000 of the state's residents. A month after the spill, traces of the chemical—4-methylcyclohexanemethanol, or MCHM— were still being found coming out of the faucets at certain locations, including two public schools. Millions of dollars were lost because of temporary business shutdowns related to a spill that could have been avoided if the company had paid attention to controlling the chemical.

         Dennis P. Farrell, William E. Tis, Charles E. Herzing and Gary L. Southern were each charged with three counts of violating the Clean Water Act.

         Each man is charged with failing to meet a “reasonable standard of care” in running the company. […]

         “Farrell, Tis, Herzing and Southern approved funding only for those projects that would result in increased business revenue for Freedom or that were necessary to make immediate repairs to equipment that was broken or about to break,” the indictment says. It says that they failed to take any action to fund other repairs necessary for upkeep or improvements.

         Not very conservative, if you ask me.

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         1. Wonder how hard the wrist slap is going to be? Pretty sure they won't get shot dead as they might if they weren't white and were committing a misdemeanor.

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4. VIVA las gentes de Cuba y Los Estatoes Unidos!  Viva Obama!

   50 years of failure is reason enough to try a new approach.

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   1. Couldn't agree more!  50 years of failed policy, during which we've had decent relations with regimes as bad and worse, is enough.

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   2. Si! A mi tambien!!

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5. Hi Colorado Pols question for administrator…

   I am hoping to post a blog diary but your website tells me

   You do not have sufficient permissions to access this page.

   Is there some sore of initiation or secret handshake? 

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   1. You have to be cleared by the Illinati. And be registered at least 24 hours.

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      1. I believe I met that last criteria, although this may be the first time I logged on to the account.  Are you of the ill. ilk then?  

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6. In NY the state bans fracking, in Colorado the COGCC cannot even agree to levy the fines already in place.  

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   1. That's what happens when your Governor Hick drinks fracktinis.

       

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