Bush's obsession with Iraq is going to be an albatross around the neck of the U.S. military (and the U.S. budget) lonnnnggggg after he leaves office.
A recently released Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate, generated at the request of Sen. Kent Conrad (D - ND), places the costs of a long-term U.S. presence in Iraq at $10 billion (non-combat situation; think Korea or Germany) to $25 billion (combat) per year.
The estimate for each scenario assumes an occupation force level of 55,000 troops, less than 1/3 of the current level of 168,000.
More than $800 million per month for a peaceful situation? And more the $2 billion per month if there is fighting? That's a lot of money and lives spent to protect oil company profits for the next couple of generations. The figures also appear to be conservative ones, as the current estimated monthly cost for the war in Iraq is $12 billion.
Oh, and when you wonder what "long-term" means in this context, remember that as recently as 2004, 50 years after the end of the Korean War, the U.S. had more than 41,000 servicemen and women stationed in South Korea, the model cited by the White House as their goal for the Iraq force.
Current troop levels are estimated to be somewhat lower (25K or so), mostly due to the pressing need for replacements in Iraq.
At least South Korea was invaded by a country not named 'The United States," so the force presence could be justified; a circumstance that isn't true in Iraq.
A Korea-like occupation of Iraq could cost more than 2 trillion dollars and thousands more lives of American troops (and the lives of hundred of thousands of Iraqis.)
Bush's legacy - dead U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians, generations of budget shortfalls, and secured oil profits.
W's grandfather Prescott Bush would be so proud.
Let your Congresscritter know - *real* troop withdrawal (not token withdrawals to 'pre-surge' levels) by spring, and complete withdrawal by the end of Bush's term.
Nothing less.
A Reuters story on the CBO estimate is here.
Note: I heartily recommend bookmarking the CBO webpage; it's non-partisan and it's an incredible source of information and analysis on just about every issue that comes before Congress.
Better yet, sign up for their email service; whenever the CBO publishes a new document, a link to the .pdf file is sent to your inbox.
Have a good rest of the weekend!
Later...
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
New Scottsdale Nimby Sighting and Update
Apparently south Scottsdale and north Scottsdale have two (and perhaps only two) things in common - the name 'Scottsdale' and a lot of Nimby-ites.
...Went to a meeting of the Community Council of South Scottsdale tonight and found out that Nimby-itis isn't restricted to the denizens of north Scottsdale.
The main thrust of the meeting was an update and discussion with City staffers on redevelopment activity in south Scottsdale, particularly in the McDowell Road corridor.
One of the proposals that was discussed, in fact, the main topic at the meeting, was a pending proposal for redevelopment of the current Los Arcos Crossing location at the southwest corner of Miller and McDowell Roads.
The proposal/idea that was presented by Rick Sodja of retail developers PDG America and lawyer Lynne Lagarde of Earl, Curley & Lagarde, P.C (I think!) was for a mixed use project with some retail space, some office space, and 595 units of residential space (mixed rental and townhome).
The crowd in attendance stirred when they heard about the residential component, but when they heard about the height of the residential structures planned for the center of the location - 5 stories, 60 feet - they just about flipped.
More than a few mutters of "that's not Scottsdale" and the like could be heard among the shouts of outrage and consternation.
I don't know if this is actually a good proposal or not and can't comment on that; however, this meeting showcased something else that I've noticed about this area of the city.
Many of the residents of south Scottsdale cry out for new retail and other commercial developments for shopping and dining, but then object to any new developments that include a residential component to make the project financially viable. They ignore the fact that most businesses are unable to make a sustainable profit in the area because of the low density and dominance of the working class or retired demographics of the residential areas and hence avoid it.
In addition, many of the attendees cited the recently-opened Tempe Marketplace and wonder why that couldn't have happened in south Scottsdale, ignoring the fact that the Tempe Marketplace was built on 300 basically empty acres. South Scottsdale is basically completely built out - creation of any site large enough for serious development requires the assembly of a large number of lots into one parcel and tearing down any existing structures.
An often prohibitively expensive process, that.
The folks in this part of the city have to make a choice, and understand that whatever choice they make will have effects, some of which they won't like.
We can keep on trying to hang on to the Scottsdale of the past, and sit back and whine when modern businesses operating under modern business models take one look at the faux Pleasantville of south Scottsdale and pass us by; or
We can accept that change is going to happen, with some aspects that some folks don't consider to be part of 'traditional Scottsdale' such as taller structures or higher residential density, and *control* it. These days, to too many people, "control" means "block."
As for the situation right now, too many of the residents (and at least a couple of City Council members) are wondering where 1960s-era Scottsdale went, and how they can get it back. Activists fight any changes in Scottsdale, and are just effective enough that development in the area can be haphazard and uncoordinated. Often, there are infrastructure and congestion problems, or unexpected neighborhood disruptions.
Not all development is good, and not all development is bad, either.
Unfortunately, the City Council, the City Staff, and the City's activists seem to fall into either one camp or the other.
None are looking for that elusive middle ground.
Other notes from the meeting:
Campaign season has started - candidate Nan Nesvig was there with petitions in hand, and Councilmembers Tony Nelssen and Bob Littlefield made their presence known, too.
Nelssen, while sounding basically opposed to the Los Arcos Crossing project, expressed a desire that if it comes to fruition some of the rental units be set aside as 'workforce housing' with "deed restrictions" limiting tenants to 'good' workers like teachers, firefighters, and police officers. No "landscapers" or the like would be allowed.
Damn, I love code words. They reveal as much about what the user means as the actual words would.
Councilman Littlefield used the meeting as an opportunity to more than once call for "regime change in 2008."
Oh, and a north Scottsdale Nimby update -
Some north Scottsdale speed cameras have been shut off at night because people in the area are bothered by the flashes.
From the AZ Republic article on the subject -
Apparently, the concept of closing blinds is too subtle for the denizens of north Scottsdale. :))
Note: As I wrote earlier, I don't know if the Los Arcos Crossing project is a good one. However, Mr. Sodja and Ms. Largarde were verbally beat on by almost everyone at the meeting, but they never lost their cools, and should be commended both for their politeness and their willingness to bravely venture into the "lion's den" (aka - they knew the audience would be hostile and still showed up).
They acquitted themselves well.
Later!
...Went to a meeting of the Community Council of South Scottsdale tonight and found out that Nimby-itis isn't restricted to the denizens of north Scottsdale.
The main thrust of the meeting was an update and discussion with City staffers on redevelopment activity in south Scottsdale, particularly in the McDowell Road corridor.
One of the proposals that was discussed, in fact, the main topic at the meeting, was a pending proposal for redevelopment of the current Los Arcos Crossing location at the southwest corner of Miller and McDowell Roads.
The proposal/idea that was presented by Rick Sodja of retail developers PDG America and lawyer Lynne Lagarde of Earl, Curley & Lagarde, P.C (I think!) was for a mixed use project with some retail space, some office space, and 595 units of residential space (mixed rental and townhome).
The crowd in attendance stirred when they heard about the residential component, but when they heard about the height of the residential structures planned for the center of the location - 5 stories, 60 feet - they just about flipped.
More than a few mutters of "that's not Scottsdale" and the like could be heard among the shouts of outrage and consternation.
I don't know if this is actually a good proposal or not and can't comment on that; however, this meeting showcased something else that I've noticed about this area of the city.
Many of the residents of south Scottsdale cry out for new retail and other commercial developments for shopping and dining, but then object to any new developments that include a residential component to make the project financially viable. They ignore the fact that most businesses are unable to make a sustainable profit in the area because of the low density and dominance of the working class or retired demographics of the residential areas and hence avoid it.
In addition, many of the attendees cited the recently-opened Tempe Marketplace and wonder why that couldn't have happened in south Scottsdale, ignoring the fact that the Tempe Marketplace was built on 300 basically empty acres. South Scottsdale is basically completely built out - creation of any site large enough for serious development requires the assembly of a large number of lots into one parcel and tearing down any existing structures.
An often prohibitively expensive process, that.
The folks in this part of the city have to make a choice, and understand that whatever choice they make will have effects, some of which they won't like.
We can keep on trying to hang on to the Scottsdale of the past, and sit back and whine when modern businesses operating under modern business models take one look at the faux Pleasantville of south Scottsdale and pass us by; or
We can accept that change is going to happen, with some aspects that some folks don't consider to be part of 'traditional Scottsdale' such as taller structures or higher residential density, and *control* it. These days, to too many people, "control" means "block."
As for the situation right now, too many of the residents (and at least a couple of City Council members) are wondering where 1960s-era Scottsdale went, and how they can get it back. Activists fight any changes in Scottsdale, and are just effective enough that development in the area can be haphazard and uncoordinated. Often, there are infrastructure and congestion problems, or unexpected neighborhood disruptions.
Not all development is good, and not all development is bad, either.
Unfortunately, the City Council, the City Staff, and the City's activists seem to fall into either one camp or the other.
None are looking for that elusive middle ground.
Other notes from the meeting:
Campaign season has started - candidate Nan Nesvig was there with petitions in hand, and Councilmembers Tony Nelssen and Bob Littlefield made their presence known, too.
Nelssen, while sounding basically opposed to the Los Arcos Crossing project, expressed a desire that if it comes to fruition some of the rental units be set aside as 'workforce housing' with "deed restrictions" limiting tenants to 'good' workers like teachers, firefighters, and police officers. No "landscapers" or the like would be allowed.
Damn, I love code words. They reveal as much about what the user means as the actual words would.
Councilman Littlefield used the meeting as an opportunity to more than once call for "regime change in 2008."
Oh, and a north Scottsdale Nimby update -
Some north Scottsdale speed cameras have been shut off at night because people in the area are bothered by the flashes.
From the AZ Republic article on the subject -
Scottsdale police have shut down the Pima Road speed cameras for unspecified hours at night after neighbors complained about the bright flashes.
The cameras, on Pima Road north of the Loop 101, are operating the rest of the day and will be back in service as soon as the city can keep the lights from bothering nearby neighbors, said police Sgt. Mark Clark.
Apparently, the concept of closing blinds is too subtle for the denizens of north Scottsdale. :))
Note: As I wrote earlier, I don't know if the Los Arcos Crossing project is a good one. However, Mr. Sodja and Ms. Largarde were verbally beat on by almost everyone at the meeting, but they never lost their cools, and should be commended both for their politeness and their willingness to bravely venture into the "lion's den" (aka - they knew the audience would be hostile and still showed up).
They acquitted themselves well.
Later!
"Congress On Your Corner" on Saturday
Harry Mitchell will be holding another public listening session on from 10:00 a.m until noon on Saturday, September 22 in the Arabian Branch Public Library.
The library is located at 10215 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road in Scottsdale.
Harry and his staff will be there to talk with constituents and help constituents resolve issues with federal agencies, departments or programs, including passport inquiries.
The district office is located at 7201 East Camelback Road, Suite 335, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 The phone number is (480) 946-2411.
The library is located at 10215 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road in Scottsdale.
Harry and his staff will be there to talk with constituents and help constituents resolve issues with federal agencies, departments or programs, including passport inquiries.
The district office is located at 7201 East Camelback Road, Suite 335, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 The phone number is (480) 946-2411.
Our illustrious Senators, Kyl and McCain, had a busy couple of days...
...spending their time showing that they hold the same amount of respect for the Constitution and detainees in prison camps, the residents of the District of Columbia, and for American servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In short, they have no respect at all for any of them.
On Tuesday cloture motion, they voted to kill S. 1257, the D.C. Voting Rights Act. The Act would have given the residents of the District of Columbia full representation in Congress.
Then on Wednesday, in another cloture motion, the voted to kill an amendment to H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that would have restored habeas corpus rights for detainees.
Finally, later on Wednesday, as the bright sparkling star atop their Christmas tree of contempt, in one more cloture vote, they voted to kill another amendment to the Defense Authorization Act that would have limited the length of tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan served by U.S. troops.
I could rant and rave about their votes (and McCain's somewhat surprising backstab of American servicemen and women), but as despicable as their votes were, they aren't the most deserving of criticism over this.
It's time for Sen. Harry Reid to quit giving in to the Kyl, McCain, and the rest of the Republicans by going for a cloture motion to avoid a threatened filibuster; make 'em earn it.
Make them stand up on the floor of the Senate and on national television and hold up the business of the Senate...hell, the business of the entire nation...because they because the find habeas corpus, taxation with representation, and rested American troops all such dire threats to the Republic.
In other words, it's time for Sen. Reid and the rest of the Democrats that were sent to both chambers of Congress to improve things in D.C. to grow spines.
Washington Post coverage, via the Boston Globe, coverage of the tour of duty limits vote here.
AP coverage of the habeas corpus vote here.
Baltimore Sun coverage of the D.C. Voting Rights vote here.
Later!
In short, they have no respect at all for any of them.
On Tuesday cloture motion, they voted to kill S. 1257, the D.C. Voting Rights Act. The Act would have given the residents of the District of Columbia full representation in Congress.
Then on Wednesday, in another cloture motion, the voted to kill an amendment to H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that would have restored habeas corpus rights for detainees.
Finally, later on Wednesday, as the bright sparkling star atop their Christmas tree of contempt, in one more cloture vote, they voted to kill another amendment to the Defense Authorization Act that would have limited the length of tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan served by U.S. troops.
I could rant and rave about their votes (and McCain's somewhat surprising backstab of American servicemen and women), but as despicable as their votes were, they aren't the most deserving of criticism over this.
It's time for Sen. Harry Reid to quit giving in to the Kyl, McCain, and the rest of the Republicans by going for a cloture motion to avoid a threatened filibuster; make 'em earn it.
Make them stand up on the floor of the Senate and on national television and hold up the business of the Senate...hell, the business of the entire nation...because they because the find habeas corpus, taxation with representation, and rested American troops all such dire threats to the Republic.
In other words, it's time for Sen. Reid and the rest of the Democrats that were sent to both chambers of Congress to improve things in D.C. to grow spines.
Washington Post coverage, via the Boston Globe, coverage of the tour of duty limits vote here.
AP coverage of the habeas corpus vote here.
Baltimore Sun coverage of the D.C. Voting Rights vote here.
Later!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Breaking Consumer Group Alert
Warning: more than a little sarcasm ahead. ;)
So here I was, scanning the headlines of the press releases at PRNewsWire.com (yeah, I was bored :)) ), when my eyes fell upon the breathless headline of a consumer alert - "Does Insurance Regulation Kill?"
Naturally, being a concerned consumer and wanting to learn about this threat to the health and safety of the American public, I clicked on the headline.
The press release, from The American Consumer Institute, talked about a "recent survey" that showed that state insurance regulators "encourage risky behavior and lead to increased property loss" by mandating high-risk pools and other tools to force insurers to cover higher-risk (and lower-profit!) consumers such as "bad drivers" and "homeowners living in coastal areas."
Damn!! This is vital news, and we should do everything we can to spread the word, including to our legislators!
Deepest thanks to the ever-vigilant consumer watchdogs at the American Consumer Institute for shedding light on this grave threat to Americans....
...Of course, my gratitude would be more sincere if the "American Consumer Institute" was actually a *consumer* group; instead, it's actually a corporate front group dedicated to pushing anti-consumer, pro-corporate policies (they oppose net neutrality, regulation of wireless providers, etc. all because such things "hurt consumers").
A .pdf on one of their surveys on "consumer opinions on insurance price regulations" can be found here. Its policy value is minimal, but its comedic value is priceless.
Note: the survey report was picked up by a large number of insurance industry websites and cited as evidence that their practices are 'consumer friendly.'
You know, wingers (both corporate and social) can whine all that they want about MoveOn.org and General "Betray-us", but there's nothing sneaky, nor simply even subtle, about MoveOn and other progressive groups.
If their views are "right", why not stand up and openly take credit for them? Why the front groups? It's not like progressives are forming fake "industry" groups.
...Hmmm...."forming fake industry groups"....hmmmm..... :))
A TampaBay.com article on the trend of industry groups creating faux 'consumer' groups to front for their own agendas is here.
A Common Cause report on "Astroturf" lobbying (fake grassroots groups) is here.
Later!
So here I was, scanning the headlines of the press releases at PRNewsWire.com (yeah, I was bored :)) ), when my eyes fell upon the breathless headline of a consumer alert - "Does Insurance Regulation Kill?"
Naturally, being a concerned consumer and wanting to learn about this threat to the health and safety of the American public, I clicked on the headline.
The press release, from The American Consumer Institute, talked about a "recent survey" that showed that state insurance regulators "encourage risky behavior and lead to increased property loss" by mandating high-risk pools and other tools to force insurers to cover higher-risk (and lower-profit!) consumers such as "bad drivers" and "homeowners living in coastal areas."
Damn!! This is vital news, and we should do everything we can to spread the word, including to our legislators!
Deepest thanks to the ever-vigilant consumer watchdogs at the American Consumer Institute for shedding light on this grave threat to Americans....
...Of course, my gratitude would be more sincere if the "American Consumer Institute" was actually a *consumer* group; instead, it's actually a corporate front group dedicated to pushing anti-consumer, pro-corporate policies (they oppose net neutrality, regulation of wireless providers, etc. all because such things "hurt consumers").
A .pdf on one of their surveys on "consumer opinions on insurance price regulations" can be found here. Its policy value is minimal, but its comedic value is priceless.
Note: the survey report was picked up by a large number of insurance industry websites and cited as evidence that their practices are 'consumer friendly.'
You know, wingers (both corporate and social) can whine all that they want about MoveOn.org and General "Betray-us", but there's nothing sneaky, nor simply even subtle, about MoveOn and other progressive groups.
If their views are "right", why not stand up and openly take credit for them? Why the front groups? It's not like progressives are forming fake "industry" groups.
...Hmmm...."forming fake industry groups"....hmmmm..... :))
A TampaBay.com article on the trend of industry groups creating faux 'consumer' groups to front for their own agendas is here.
A Common Cause report on "Astroturf" lobbying (fake grassroots groups) is here.
Later!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Scottsdale City Council approves new firestation over NIMBY objections
Tuesday night, as part of a fairly mundane agenda, the Scottsdale City Council approved the acquisition of a parcel of land at 96th St. and Cactus Road for a new fire station. (2 acres, $1.26 million?!?!? - ouch!)
As predicted in an AZ Rep Plugged In blog entry from Jim McAllister, the opponents to the location cited 'noise' and 'reduced property values' (a north Scottsdale NIMBY favorite there) as the reasons for their opposition to locating the station on Cactus.
Stephen Oser (and I could have the spelling wrong there; my apologies to Mr. Oser if that's the case) objected to situating the station in a residential area was wrong and suggested that a commercial site at 100th and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. would have been more appropriate; another, Susan Madison, a neighbor of the site, stated that even though she was directly contacted about the project, she didn't think that there was enough community notice and involvement.
Oh, and she thought that the firehouse would lower property values in the area.
To be fair to the denizens of north Scottsdale, not all of them are Nimby-ites. Susan Wheeler, also a neighbor of the site, spoke in support of the location, citing assurances from the fire chief Willie McDonald and the history of the FD of being a good neighbor.
In addition, Mr. McAllister, a north Scottsdale resident himself, took the Nimby-ites to task in his post.
In the end, the item for the fire station was on the consent agenda portion of the meeting agenda, and was passed as part of that without much objection from the Council.
The rest of the meeting was actually fairly uneventful, addressing a petition submitted by a neighborhood asking for assistance doing maintenance in public rights-of-way (solution: recommend that the neighborhood apply for a Neighborhood Enhancement Program grant to help) and initiating a text amendment to City Code changing the Development Review Board process (solution: after a truly 'stimulating' discussion of the current process, the Council decided that no change was necessary at this point, though it could come up again in the next few months).
Overall, this was one of the quietest meetings that I've attended over the last year+; in fact the only thing really notable was the behavior of Vice-Mayor Tony Nelssen.
Nothing inappropriate, just very, well, 'cranky.' He was picking nits to the point that if he had actually brought up something significant, he would have had no credibility; after a while, people in the audience were rolling their eyes when he started to speak.
He was so ornery, I almost named this post "Well, Nelssen had a hair across his a__ tonight", but since the Council actually did the right thing with the fire station matter, I decided to cut them, and him, some slack. :))
Note: under normal circumstances, Vice Mayor Nelssen is *not* like this; he can be a bit of a thorn in the side of some of the other Council members and some of the City staff (and is a card-carrying member of the 'bring back the good old days' crowd in Scottsdale), but the points he brings up are usually pertinent and insightful. Not sure what was up Tuesday night though.
Note2: On Wednesday night, a Transportation Master Plan Open House and Panel Discussion will be held at the Granite Reef Senior Center from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. It's a boring but important topic - stop in if you are able.
Later!
As predicted in an AZ Rep Plugged In blog entry from Jim McAllister, the opponents to the location cited 'noise' and 'reduced property values' (a north Scottsdale NIMBY favorite there) as the reasons for their opposition to locating the station on Cactus.
Stephen Oser (and I could have the spelling wrong there; my apologies to Mr. Oser if that's the case) objected to situating the station in a residential area was wrong and suggested that a commercial site at 100th and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. would have been more appropriate; another, Susan Madison, a neighbor of the site, stated that even though she was directly contacted about the project, she didn't think that there was enough community notice and involvement.
Oh, and she thought that the firehouse would lower property values in the area.
To be fair to the denizens of north Scottsdale, not all of them are Nimby-ites. Susan Wheeler, also a neighbor of the site, spoke in support of the location, citing assurances from the fire chief Willie McDonald and the history of the FD of being a good neighbor.
In addition, Mr. McAllister, a north Scottsdale resident himself, took the Nimby-ites to task in his post.
In the end, the item for the fire station was on the consent agenda portion of the meeting agenda, and was passed as part of that without much objection from the Council.
The rest of the meeting was actually fairly uneventful, addressing a petition submitted by a neighborhood asking for assistance doing maintenance in public rights-of-way (solution: recommend that the neighborhood apply for a Neighborhood Enhancement Program grant to help) and initiating a text amendment to City Code changing the Development Review Board process (solution: after a truly 'stimulating' discussion of the current process, the Council decided that no change was necessary at this point, though it could come up again in the next few months).
Overall, this was one of the quietest meetings that I've attended over the last year+; in fact the only thing really notable was the behavior of Vice-Mayor Tony Nelssen.
Nothing inappropriate, just very, well, 'cranky.' He was picking nits to the point that if he had actually brought up something significant, he would have had no credibility; after a while, people in the audience were rolling their eyes when he started to speak.
He was so ornery, I almost named this post "Well, Nelssen had a hair across his a__ tonight", but since the Council actually did the right thing with the fire station matter, I decided to cut them, and him, some slack. :))
Note: under normal circumstances, Vice Mayor Nelssen is *not* like this; he can be a bit of a thorn in the side of some of the other Council members and some of the City staff (and is a card-carrying member of the 'bring back the good old days' crowd in Scottsdale), but the points he brings up are usually pertinent and insightful. Not sure what was up Tuesday night though.
Note2: On Wednesday night, a Transportation Master Plan Open House and Panel Discussion will be held at the Granite Reef Senior Center from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. It's a boring but important topic - stop in if you are able.
Later!
State Rep. Groe (R-LD3) indicted for felony DUI
From the AZ Republic -
The article went on to cover Rep. Groe's history, including a DUI 8 years ago and a suspended license due to an unpaid speeding ticket.
AZ Rep's Plugged In coverage (by the writer who wrote the main news article, Matt Benson) here.
In the Plugged In entry, he included the following quote from Emily Bittner, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party -
On this, I have to disagree with Ms. Bittner; much like her fellow Republican scofflaw Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) of Minneapolis airport restroom notoriety, if she steps down, she'll be 'out of sight, out of mind.'
Assuming that, if as expected, the case is ultimately plead down to a misdemeanor, Rep. Groe should stay right where she is.
As an incumbent, she can be added to the list of disgraced Republican officials serving as a campaign topic instead of serving time.
No, it's not nice or charitable of me, but simply put, she freely chose to live a public life; there are benefits and costs associated with that choice.
A La Paz County grand jury Tuesday returned a two-count indictment against state Rep. Trish Groe, including a felony charge of drunken driving for which a conviction would force her to resign her seat.
The indictment came at a court hearing shortly after noon. Groe, R-Lake Havasu City, faces one count of aggravated DUI, a Class 4 felony, and a second count of false reporting, a misdemeanor related to allegedly inaccurate statements that she gave police the night of her arrest.
The article went on to cover Rep. Groe's history, including a DUI 8 years ago and a suspended license due to an unpaid speeding ticket.
AZ Rep's Plugged In coverage (by the writer who wrote the main news article, Matt Benson) here.
In the Plugged In entry, he included the following quote from Emily Bittner, spokeswoman for the Arizona Democratic Party -
Trish Groe has no place in a Legislature that just passed one of the strictest DUI penalties in the country. We wish her the best in putting her life back together and getting the kind of counseling she needs. But her need for rehabilitation shouldn't come at the expense of representing her constituents. At this point, Groe should do the right thing and step down.
On this, I have to disagree with Ms. Bittner; much like her fellow Republican scofflaw Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) of Minneapolis airport restroom notoriety, if she steps down, she'll be 'out of sight, out of mind.'
Assuming that, if as expected, the case is ultimately plead down to a misdemeanor, Rep. Groe should stay right where she is.
As an incumbent, she can be added to the list of disgraced Republican officials serving as a campaign topic instead of serving time.
No, it's not nice or charitable of me, but simply put, she freely chose to live a public life; there are benefits and costs associated with that choice.
Sustainability Town Hall at ASU on Friday
An events/PSA post...
On Friday, September 21, Harry Mitchell (D-AZ5) will be hosting a Sustainability Town Hall in the Carson Ballroom of the Old Main Building on the ASU campus.
The panel will include members from ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability and the City of Scottsdale.
Panel Moderator: John D’Anna, Senior Editor, Arizona Republic
Panel Members:
Jonathan Fink, Director, Global Institute of Sustainability
Charles Redman, Director, School of Sustainability
Jay Golden, Co-Director, National Center of Excellence, GIS
Anthony Floyd, Green Building Manager, City of Scottsdale
Harvey Bryan, Professor, School of Sustainability
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the GIOS events page notes that there will be a social with refreshments from 3:30 - 4 p.m.
Later!
On Friday, September 21, Harry Mitchell (D-AZ5) will be hosting a Sustainability Town Hall in the Carson Ballroom of the Old Main Building on the ASU campus.
The panel will include members from ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability and the City of Scottsdale.
Panel Moderator: John D’Anna, Senior Editor, Arizona Republic
Panel Members:
Jonathan Fink, Director, Global Institute of Sustainability
Charles Redman, Director, School of Sustainability
Jay Golden, Co-Director, National Center of Excellence, GIS
Anthony Floyd, Green Building Manager, City of Scottsdale
Harvey Bryan, Professor, School of Sustainability
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the GIOS events page notes that there will be a social with refreshments from 3:30 - 4 p.m.
Later!
Short Attention Span Musing...
...Congrats go out to the Phoenix Mercury on their hard-fought victory over the Detroit Shock in the WNBA's championship series.
Has anybody noticed that the two championships won by the Mercury and the Diamondbacks in just over 20 combined seasons of existence are two more than those won by the Suns and Cardinals in nearly 60 years in the Valley?
Of course, with the Suns, at least each season starts out with the hope of a playoff run; with the Cards, the most common hope is that the team finishes the season with the same coach that it started with.
....Reason #436 that the Republican Senator Larry Craig is a never-ending nightmare for the GOP?
The ACLU is weighing in on the matter, on his side.
It's sort of difficult to express unbridled glee in a written post, but if I could... :)))
...Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled her health care plan; the best thing that can be said about it is that the Republicans hate it as much as her Democratic rivals.
Any plan that *mandates* that people buy health care insurance is less devoted to healthy people than it is to healthy profits for insurance companies.
By comparison, John Edwards promises to propose a plan "that ends health care coverage for the president, all members of Congress, and all senior political appointees in both branches of government on July 20th, 2009 - unless we have passed universal health care reform."
Edwards' idea would never pass Congress (Hell, I'm not even sure if it is Constitutional), but he's definitely on to something there...
Has anybody noticed that the two championships won by the Mercury and the Diamondbacks in just over 20 combined seasons of existence are two more than those won by the Suns and Cardinals in nearly 60 years in the Valley?
Of course, with the Suns, at least each season starts out with the hope of a playoff run; with the Cards, the most common hope is that the team finishes the season with the same coach that it started with.
....Reason #436 that the Republican Senator Larry Craig is a never-ending nightmare for the GOP?
The ACLU is weighing in on the matter, on his side.
It's sort of difficult to express unbridled glee in a written post, but if I could... :)))
...Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled her health care plan; the best thing that can be said about it is that the Republicans hate it as much as her Democratic rivals.
Any plan that *mandates* that people buy health care insurance is less devoted to healthy people than it is to healthy profits for insurance companies.
By comparison, John Edwards promises to propose a plan "that ends health care coverage for the president, all members of Congress, and all senior political appointees in both branches of government on July 20th, 2009 - unless we have passed universal health care reform."
Edwards' idea would never pass Congress (Hell, I'm not even sure if it is Constitutional), but he's definitely on to something there...
I have *so* got to start paying closer attention...
to the various investigations involving our many Congresscritters...
I was checking out the House of Representatives website to see what happened on the floor today, and what do I see?
The record shows that a number of Congresscritters (from both parties) made the following notification -
The list included Jerry Weller, Roy Blunt, Ike Skelton, Silvestre Reyes, John Murtha, Joe Knollenberg, Darrell Issa, Duncan Hunter, Peter Hoekstra, John Doolittle, Dennis Hastert, Norm Dicks, and Jerry Lewis.
That's a pretty high-powered bunch to drop paper on (most of them serve on major committees like Armed Services, Appropriations, or Foreign Affairs); even if it's just a fishing expedition, I bet it's an interesting one.
Anybody know what it's about?
Edit at 2:00 p.m. on 9/18 to add -
Apparently, I wasn't the only one to notice the Congresscritters defying of the subpoenas, en masse.
From MSNBC.com -
They were subpoenaed by attorneys for defense contractor Brent Wilkes; many of the Congresscritters stated that they simply had no knowledge that would help either side of the trial.
Assuming that's true for most of them, this really does sound like a fishing expedition/smokescreen, a legal operation mounted to assure Mr. Wilkes that he is getting his money's worth.
End edit.
I was checking out the House of Representatives website to see what happened on the floor today, and what do I see?
The record shows that a number of Congresscritters (from both parties) made the following notification -
The House received a communication from the Honorable _____. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Mr. _____ notified the House that he had been served with a subpoena issued by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California for testimony and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, he determined that compliance with the subpoena is inconsistent with the precedents and privileges of the House.
The list included Jerry Weller, Roy Blunt, Ike Skelton, Silvestre Reyes, John Murtha, Joe Knollenberg, Darrell Issa, Duncan Hunter, Peter Hoekstra, John Doolittle, Dennis Hastert, Norm Dicks, and Jerry Lewis.
That's a pretty high-powered bunch to drop paper on (most of them serve on major committees like Armed Services, Appropriations, or Foreign Affairs); even if it's just a fishing expedition, I bet it's an interesting one.
Anybody know what it's about?
Edit at 2:00 p.m. on 9/18 to add -
Apparently, I wasn't the only one to notice the Congresscritters defying of the subpoenas, en masse.
From MSNBC.com -
WASHINGTON - Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt and 11 other members of Congress have been subpoenaed to testify in the trial of a defense contractor charged with bribing jailed former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham.
All of the lawmakers said they do not intend to comply with the subpoenas.
They were subpoenaed by attorneys for defense contractor Brent Wilkes; many of the Congresscritters stated that they simply had no knowledge that would help either side of the trial.
Assuming that's true for most of them, this really does sound like a fishing expedition/smokescreen, a legal operation mounted to assure Mr. Wilkes that he is getting his money's worth.
End edit.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Rep. David Schapira (D-LD17) on MSNBC Monday morning
Edit to add - I've been watching MSNBC for a couple of hours, and apparently, OJ Simpson's and Britney Spears' troubles are the most important news in our fair Republic today.
I hope that Rep. Schapira was able to make it to air before the wall-to-wall breathless coverage of the celebrities' legal wranglings started...
End edit.
Info courtesy an email from Rep. Schapira and his constituent services website (emphasis mine)...
AZ Republic coverage of the new DUI law here.
BTW - It's nice to see an Arizona legislator not named "Russell Pearce" getting some national attention...
I hope that Rep. Schapira was able to make it to air before the wall-to-wall breathless coverage of the celebrities' legal wranglings started...
End edit.
Info courtesy an email from Rep. Schapira and his constituent services website (emphasis mine)...
...[W]atch MSNBC tomorrow (Mon) to see nationally televised coverage of David’s Bill! David Schapira will be doing nationally televised phone interviews on MSNBC Live throughout the day on Monday between 6am and 1:30pm Arizona time. (Note: that's 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern time)
Tune in to see coverage of the impact that the new Arizona DUI law is making on a national level.
AZ Republic coverage of the new DUI law here.
BTW - It's nice to see an Arizona legislator not named "Russell Pearce" getting some national attention...
Friday, September 14, 2007
Yet another challenger for Harry Mitchell
The long-rumored entry of Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert into the Republican primary race to face Harry Mitchell next year is a little closer to reality.
From the AZ Rep's Plugged In -
Note: I clicked on the link to the website, but it is unavailable as of this writing.
Brief background:
Elected as Maricopa County Treasurer in 2004 in a race that had at least a bit of controversy and allegations of racism/ethnic insults in his primary contest against Republican businessman Garry Ong.
From the linked article (from Asianweek.com) -
...He ran for Congress in 1994, losing in the Republican primary to J.D. Hayworth.
...A search of the FEC's databases didn't turn up an current campaign filings, but those aren't necessary until he actually starts a campaign or exploratory committee.
...Further FEC searching found contributions to the AZ Republican Party and to Susan Bitter-Smith's 2000 campaign.
...A search of the AZ Secretary of State's databases show contributions to AZ Right To Life PAC, LD7 Republicans, Sen. Karen Johnson (R-LD18), and 2006 candidate Carl Seel (LD6).
...He's been making the rounds in the non-District 8 LDs, schmoozing up Republican activists in LD21 (scheduled for last night) and LD18 (next week.) Note: He currently lives in Fountain Hills, which is in LD8 and CD5.
...Republican blogger Espresso Pundit, Greg Patterson (Schweikert's former colleague in the AZ lege) has a profile here.
From the profile by Republican blogger Sonoran Alliance -
Yes, I know I keep citing profiles by Republican bloggers, but let's face facts - it's not like we, meaning Democratic bloggers, write many profiles of Republican candidates. :)
Anyway, he seems to be intelligent, hard-working, very conservative, and not afraid to push the limits of decorum during a campaign (the personal insults). While he has low name recognition with average voters (and even some more active ones), he also has low negatives, unlike some of his opponents in the primary.
As of right now, he is probably the strongest candidate in the primary - he's got the connections to raise money, the experience to run an effective campaign, and is conservative enough to appeal to the far-right wing of his party while not scaring off the "Chamber of Commerce" wing with a "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" campaign platform.
Of course, we're nearly a year away from the primary, and there's at least a couple of other folks who are rumored to be interested in the Republican nomination to take on Harry.
Stay tuned...
From the AZ Rep's Plugged In -
Maricopa County Treasurer David Schweikert has launched an exploratory committee as he considers a run for the 5th Congressional District in 2008.
Sort of.
You see, his Website - David08exploratory.com - is up and running. But it's clearly a work in progress.
Note: I clicked on the link to the website, but it is unavailable as of this writing.
Brief background:
Elected as Maricopa County Treasurer in 2004 in a race that had at least a bit of controversy and allegations of racism/ethnic insults in his primary contest against Republican businessman Garry Ong.
From the linked article (from Asianweek.com) -
Political mud started to fly when a mailer sent out for a Schweikert barbecue-fundraiser read “No Tofu Dogs” invited. Ong’s team filed a complaint with the Anti-Defamation League.
At a public meeting, Schweikert told Ong, “It was just for the fun of it,” but he offered no apology.
...He ran for Congress in 1994, losing in the Republican primary to J.D. Hayworth.
...A search of the FEC's databases didn't turn up an current campaign filings, but those aren't necessary until he actually starts a campaign or exploratory committee.
...Further FEC searching found contributions to the AZ Republican Party and to Susan Bitter-Smith's 2000 campaign.
...A search of the AZ Secretary of State's databases show contributions to AZ Right To Life PAC, LD7 Republicans, Sen. Karen Johnson (R-LD18), and 2006 candidate Carl Seel (LD6).
...He's been making the rounds in the non-District 8 LDs, schmoozing up Republican activists in LD21 (scheduled for last night) and LD18 (next week.) Note: He currently lives in Fountain Hills, which is in LD8 and CD5.
...Republican blogger Espresso Pundit, Greg Patterson (Schweikert's former colleague in the AZ lege) has a profile here.
From the profile by Republican blogger Sonoran Alliance -
David, former State Legislator and current County Treasurer, has been running for this seat, in one way or another, since the day he lost to J.D. Hayworth in the primary in 1994. He is smart, ambitious and one of the hardest working people in politics. And his new bride is said to be just as motivated as he is, which is a huge deal in a Congressional race. He likely knows more detail about the district than anyone else, which demonstrates, to some degree, one of his weaknesses – he is a bit geeky, but in a charming way. He is a solid conservative (he actually ran to the right of Hayworth in 1994). Little known factoid: Sen. Karen Johnson was his assistant when he served as the Majority Whip in the state legislature.Well, that *does* explain the campaign contribution to Johnson.
General issues: Dems (and the New Times) attack Schweikert for his role in the LD 20 recount and for not releasing the ballots to the Senate. Dems have an universal heart attack when they realize they are taking the same position as Sen. Jack Harper.
Yes, I know I keep citing profiles by Republican bloggers, but let's face facts - it's not like we, meaning Democratic bloggers, write many profiles of Republican candidates. :)
Anyway, he seems to be intelligent, hard-working, very conservative, and not afraid to push the limits of decorum during a campaign (the personal insults). While he has low name recognition with average voters (and even some more active ones), he also has low negatives, unlike some of his opponents in the primary.
As of right now, he is probably the strongest candidate in the primary - he's got the connections to raise money, the experience to run an effective campaign, and is conservative enough to appeal to the far-right wing of his party while not scaring off the "Chamber of Commerce" wing with a "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" campaign platform.
Of course, we're nearly a year away from the primary, and there's at least a couple of other folks who are rumored to be interested in the Republican nomination to take on Harry.
Stay tuned...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Bush tells successor "F___ Y__, you clean it up."
In his speech on Thursday night, Bush did the expected -
He tried to spin a previously-planned troop rotation as a reduction in troop levels as "return on success";
He tried to spin a return to the pre-surge status quo (130,000 troops in Iraq) as a real improvement;
He tried to spin the entire war as a fight against terrorism, citing the threat of al-Qaeda, and organization that had no presence in Iraq prior to his invasion of it; and
He tried to spin the long-term occupation of Iraq as an "enduring relationship" requested by the Iraqis themselves.
In short, all he's doing is to guarantee that his successor, whoever that may be, will have the biggest, bloodiest, nastiest mess possible to clean up when he or she takes office in January, 2009.
He may even be hoping that a Democrat wins next year. Whoever has to clean this up is going to end up facing some serious criticism over whatever they do or don't do, which will just make it that much tougher to win re-election in 2012.
Text of the President's speech here.
Text of Sen. Jack Reed's (D-RI) Democratic response here.
BBC coverage of the speech here.
In March, I wrote that while I had previously thought that perhaps a U.S. presence in Iraq was justified under the principle of "we broke, we fix it," but that the Bushies had shown neither ability nor even inclination to actually rebuild Iraq, and therefore we should just withdraw.
Nothing has changed other than the growing number of casualties.
It's long past time for the Democrats in both chambers of Congress to grow a spine and force Bush to bring home the troops, and to do so before the end of his term.
Speak, write, or call your Congresscritters, folks. Let 'em know how you feel on this.
Later!
He tried to spin a previously-planned troop rotation as a reduction in troop levels as "return on success";
He tried to spin a return to the pre-surge status quo (130,000 troops in Iraq) as a real improvement;
He tried to spin the entire war as a fight against terrorism, citing the threat of al-Qaeda, and organization that had no presence in Iraq prior to his invasion of it; and
He tried to spin the long-term occupation of Iraq as an "enduring relationship" requested by the Iraqis themselves.
In short, all he's doing is to guarantee that his successor, whoever that may be, will have the biggest, bloodiest, nastiest mess possible to clean up when he or she takes office in January, 2009.
He may even be hoping that a Democrat wins next year. Whoever has to clean this up is going to end up facing some serious criticism over whatever they do or don't do, which will just make it that much tougher to win re-election in 2012.
Text of the President's speech here.
Text of Sen. Jack Reed's (D-RI) Democratic response here.
BBC coverage of the speech here.
In March, I wrote that while I had previously thought that perhaps a U.S. presence in Iraq was justified under the principle of "we broke, we fix it," but that the Bushies had shown neither ability nor even inclination to actually rebuild Iraq, and therefore we should just withdraw.
Nothing has changed other than the growing number of casualties.
It's long past time for the Democrats in both chambers of Congress to grow a spine and force Bush to bring home the troops, and to do so before the end of his term.
Speak, write, or call your Congresscritters, folks. Let 'em know how you feel on this.
Later!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Events Calendar
Edit to add time and other info for Constitution Commemoration Day (thanks to Lisa Blyler of the City of Scottsdale for her help)...
September 14-23 - DNC National Week of Action for Voter Registration
Contact your district chair or the ADP for information on how you can get involved in your area.
Saturday, September 15 - Join CD1 candidate Howard Shanker for a kick-off concert/fundraiser with Blackfire and Summit Dub Squad at the Mogollon Brewing Company in Flagstaff.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Mogollon Brewing, 15 N. Agassiz St., Flagstaff
Contact: shanker2008[at]howardshankerforcongress.com
Note: this posting doesn't constitute an endorsement of this candidate; if any of the other Democratic candidates in CD1 want free, intermittent publicity for your events, get the info to me at cpmaz[at]yahoo.com.
Saturday, September 15 - The Foothills Democrats present the "This Ain't No Crawford Texas BBQ."
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Reata Pass, 27500 N. Alma School Parkway, Scottsdale
Contact: The Foothills Democrats at (602) 234-6590
Monday, September 17 - The Nucleus Club presents guest speaker Senator Dennis DeConcini at its monthly luncheon.
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Place: Phoenix Country Club, 7th Street & Thomas in Phoenix
Contact: (602) 234-6546
Monday, September 17 - The City of Scottsdale presents the 13th Annual Constitution Commemoration Day.
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Place: Civic Center Mall, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale
Contact: (480) 312-3111
Wednesday, September 19 - The LD17 and the LD8 Democrats will be holding a Democratic Happy Hour at Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale.
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Carlsbad Tavern, 3313 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale
Thursday, September 20 - The LD8 Democrats present Dr. David Altheide, author of the award-winning book "Terrorism And The Politics Of Fear" at the Mustang Library in Scottsdale.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Mustang Library, 10101 N 90th St., Scottsdale
Contact: LD8 Democrats at (480) 596-8350
Thursday, September 20 - The LD17 Democrats and The Big Picture Film Series present "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea."
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Escalante Community Center, 2150 E. Orange St., Tempe
Saturday, September 29 - The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix present the 2007 Public Immigration Study Forum, a free event covering the many immigration-related topics.
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: The Terraces, 7550 N. 16th St., Phoenix (between Glendale and Northern)
Contact: lwvmp[at]lwvaz.org.
Later!
September 14-23 - DNC National Week of Action for Voter Registration
Contact your district chair or the ADP for information on how you can get involved in your area.
Saturday, September 15 - Join CD1 candidate Howard Shanker for a kick-off concert/fundraiser with Blackfire and Summit Dub Squad at the Mogollon Brewing Company in Flagstaff.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Mogollon Brewing, 15 N. Agassiz St., Flagstaff
Contact: shanker2008[at]howardshankerforcongress.com
Note: this posting doesn't constitute an endorsement of this candidate; if any of the other Democratic candidates in CD1 want free, intermittent publicity for your events, get the info to me at cpmaz[at]yahoo.com.
Saturday, September 15 - The Foothills Democrats present the "This Ain't No Crawford Texas BBQ."
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Reata Pass, 27500 N. Alma School Parkway, Scottsdale
Contact: The Foothills Democrats at (602) 234-6590
Monday, September 17 - The Nucleus Club presents guest speaker Senator Dennis DeConcini at its monthly luncheon.
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Place: Phoenix Country Club, 7th Street & Thomas in Phoenix
Contact: (602) 234-6546
Monday, September 17 - The City of Scottsdale presents the 13th Annual Constitution Commemoration Day.
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Place: Civic Center Mall, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale
Contact: (480) 312-3111
Wednesday, September 19 - The LD17 and the LD8 Democrats will be holding a Democratic Happy Hour at Carlsbad Tavern in Scottsdale.
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Carlsbad Tavern, 3313 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale
Thursday, September 20 - The LD8 Democrats present Dr. David Altheide, author of the award-winning book "Terrorism And The Politics Of Fear" at the Mustang Library in Scottsdale.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Mustang Library, 10101 N 90th St., Scottsdale
Contact: LD8 Democrats at (480) 596-8350
Thursday, September 20 - The LD17 Democrats and The Big Picture Film Series present "Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea."
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Escalante Community Center, 2150 E. Orange St., Tempe
Saturday, September 29 - The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix present the 2007 Public Immigration Study Forum, a free event covering the many immigration-related topics.
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: The Terraces, 7550 N. 16th St., Phoenix (between Glendale and Northern)
Contact: lwvmp[at]lwvaz.org.
Later!
Short Attention Span Musing
A mixed bag tonight...
...Presidential candidate and Man of the World, or at least of Utah and Massachusetts, Mitt Romney has criticized the top Democratic candidates for president for their lack of foreign affairs experience.
From AP via Yahoo! News -
In his interview, he targeted Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards.
Presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Sam Brownback and former Sen. Fred Thompson, Republicans all, escaped his criticisms.
Romney likes to cast himself as a latter-day version of Ronald Reagan, another Republican who used a stint as a state governor as the launching pad for ascension into the White House.
Yet Romney's own experience - one full term as a state governor (MA), one failed campaign for federal office (1994 Senate), and time spent in the business world (even to the Harvard MBA!) - is tracks closer to that of the current occupant of the White House (TX, 1978 House, Harken Energy).
And we all know how well Bush has done in the foreign affairs arena...
...At least Romney was smart enough to avoid criticizing Bill Richardson, as in "former Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, U. S. Secretary of Energy, Chair of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Governors Association, and staffer for the State Department and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and recently re-elected Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson."
...Let me be the first to thank the Republican presidential candidates for ceding the Hispanic vote to the Democrats.
From Time Magazine -
I'll grant Karl Rove one little bit of credit - he was smart enough to court Hispanic voters; by focusing their efforts on appeasing the nativist bloc of their party, the Republican candidates are helping to consign the Republican Party to a generation (or two!) of electoral irrelevance.
...If David Ortiz were to ever run for mayor of Boston, he'd win in a walkover.
From the Hartford Courant -
The Red Sox have a 5 game lead over the Yankees as they prepare for this weekend's huge series against those Yankees at Fenway.
I don't bite my nails, but if I did.... :))
...Now George Bush and his echo chamber is citing a possible drawdown of Iraq troop levels *next year* to pre-surge levels as an improvement.
Yeah. And a store raising its prices by 25% on a product that no one is buying, then offering an 18% discount on that same product, 18 months later? That's a bargain, right??
If the Republicans want to "run government like a business", they should at least pick an honest business to be pattern themselves after.
...Has the Taliban taken over the Board of Directors at Southwest Airlines?
From the AZ Republic -
While I couldn't find a pic of Ms. Qassim, a pic of Ms. Ebbert can be found here. While her outfit isn't exactly demure, it's hardly inappropriate.
...Wal-Mart is changing its slogan. Gone will be the insipid smiley face and "Always Low Prices" in favor of "Save Money. Live Better."
Guess my suggestions of "Cheap S**t Cheap" or "We're Smiling Because We Never Saw A Labor Law That We Wouldn't Break" didn't test well with focus groups or something. :))
The linked article cites study commissioned by Wal-Mart that shows that "The world's largest retailer also released a study that said it saves American families $2,500 each year..."
The study was conducted by an organization called Global Insight and apparently ignored the economic effects of depressed wages and increased taxpayer burdens on those same American families.
It's nice to see that some of the *scientists* from the Tobacco Institute have found a place to carry on their mission to mislead and deceive Americans in the name of profit.
Later!!
...Presidential candidate and Man of the World, or at least of Utah and Massachusetts, Mitt Romney has criticized the top Democratic candidates for president for their lack of foreign affairs experience.
From AP via Yahoo! News -
WASHINGTON - Republican Mitt Romney, a former one-term governor with a thin foreign-policy resume, argued Wednesday that the Senate tenures of his top Democratic presidential rivals don't automatically make them qualified to address world affairs.
"Sitting on committees in Washington does not guarantee that someone has the skills to solve the problems on the international stage," Romney told The Associated Press in a telephone interview while campaigning in Midland, Texas.
In his interview, he targeted Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards.
Presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Sam Brownback and former Sen. Fred Thompson, Republicans all, escaped his criticisms.
Romney likes to cast himself as a latter-day version of Ronald Reagan, another Republican who used a stint as a state governor as the launching pad for ascension into the White House.
Yet Romney's own experience - one full term as a state governor (MA), one failed campaign for federal office (1994 Senate), and time spent in the business world (even to the Harvard MBA!) - is tracks closer to that of the current occupant of the White House (TX, 1978 House, Harken Energy).
And we all know how well Bush has done in the foreign affairs arena...
...At least Romney was smart enough to avoid criticizing Bill Richardson, as in "former Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, U. S. Secretary of Energy, Chair of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Governors Association, and staffer for the State Department and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and recently re-elected Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson."
...Let me be the first to thank the Republican presidential candidates for ceding the Hispanic vote to the Democrats.
From Time Magazine -
The Republicans Flunk Spanish
To many casual political observers, it may have seemed remarkable that seven of the eight Democratic presidential candidates showed up in Miami on Sunday for the nation's first Spanish-language debate. But the more extraordinary thing is that only one GOP candidate is apparently willing to take part in a Republican follow-up.
The Univision debate showed the growing power of Latino voters; it also showed how that group — which has the potential to swing electorally crucial states like Florida, Nevada and New Mexico — is trending increasingly Democratic. Univision invited all of the GOP candidates to the same forum next week. But only one, Senator John McCain of Arizona, accepted the invitation and the debate has been indefinitely postponed.
I'll grant Karl Rove one little bit of credit - he was smart enough to court Hispanic voters; by focusing their efforts on appeasing the nativist bloc of their party, the Republican candidates are helping to consign the Republican Party to a generation (or two!) of electoral irrelevance.
...If David Ortiz were to ever run for mayor of Boston, he'd win in a walkover.
From the Hartford Courant -
Big Papi Does It Again
BOSTON - He did it again. And just in time.
Two outs away from seeing their division lead cut to four games over the Yankees with a weekend series looming, David Ortiz delivered his first walk-off of 2007, taking Al Reyes into the seats in right field for a two-run homer and a 5-4 victory before a delirious crowd of 36,931 at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox have a 5 game lead over the Yankees as they prepare for this weekend's huge series against those Yankees at Fenway.
I don't bite my nails, but if I did.... :))
...Now George Bush and his echo chamber is citing a possible drawdown of Iraq troop levels *next year* to pre-surge levels as an improvement.
Yeah. And a store raising its prices by 25% on a product that no one is buying, then offering an 18% discount on that same product, 18 months later? That's a bargain, right??
If the Republicans want to "run government like a business", they should at least pick an honest business to be pattern themselves after.
...Has the Taliban taken over the Board of Directors at Southwest Airlines?
From the AZ Republic -
DALLAS - A second young woman has come forward to claim that Southwest Airlines employees made her cover up on a recent flight, leading jet-setters to ask: Will my outfit fly?
Setara Qassim said a flight attendant confronted her during the trip from Tucson, Ariz., to Burbank, Calif., and asked whether she had a sweater to go over her green halter-style dress.
Qassim, 21, told KNBC-TV in Los Angeles she was forced to wrap a blanket around herself for the rest of the flight. She complained that if Southwest wants passengers to dress a certain way, it should publish a dress code.
Last week, 23-year-old Kyla Ebbert said a Southwest employee pulled her aside as she was preparing to board a plane departing San Diego for Tucson in July and told her she was dressed too provocatively to fly.
While I couldn't find a pic of Ms. Qassim, a pic of Ms. Ebbert can be found here. While her outfit isn't exactly demure, it's hardly inappropriate.
...Wal-Mart is changing its slogan. Gone will be the insipid smiley face and "Always Low Prices" in favor of "Save Money. Live Better."
Guess my suggestions of "Cheap S**t Cheap" or "We're Smiling Because We Never Saw A Labor Law That We Wouldn't Break" didn't test well with focus groups or something. :))
The linked article cites study commissioned by Wal-Mart that shows that "The world's largest retailer also released a study that said it saves American families $2,500 each year..."
The study was conducted by an organization called Global Insight and apparently ignored the economic effects of depressed wages and increased taxpayer burdens on those same American families.
It's nice to see that some of the *scientists* from the Tobacco Institute have found a place to carry on their mission to mislead and deceive Americans in the name of profit.
Later!!
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