“Unacceptable” — U.S. rattles its sabre back at North Korea.
Money Talks — Lawmakers tied to bribery plot in NYC mayoral race.
Bad Grades — Dozens of educators arrested in massive cheating scandal in Georgia.
That makes two — Republican Sen. Mark Kirk (IL) supports marriage equality.
U.S. auto sales hit record numbers.
Georgia town requires residents to own guns. Good thing I don’t live there.
U.S. moves a destroyer in light of North Korea’s sabre-rattling.
Landmark ruling in India patent case is good news for generic drugs.
Chicago’s murder rate drops by 42%.
Connecticut lawmakers reach a deal on tough new gun control.
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty in Aurora shooting.
Suspect in Colorado prison chief murder got out of jail due to a clerical error.
The Tigers beat the Twins 4-2 in their season opener; Verlander for the win.
I watched the Very Serious People on Morning Joe discuss the filibuster led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), and of course everyone pulled out the YouTube clip of Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and made the comparison. It works only if you cast Adam Sandler as Mr. Smith.
Anyway, the basis of Mr. Paul’s filibuster was that he couldn’t get a yes or no answer out of Attorney General Eric Holder and the White House as to whether or not they would rule out using a drone against an American citizen here on American soil. Seeing as how that is a hypothetical of the highest order, seeing as how this or any administration would probably not like to make a hard and fast statement on something like that — what about Pearl Harbor or September 11 — and seeing as how no matter what Mr. Holder or the president said they wouldn’t believe them in the first place, the exercise Mr. Paul went through was an entertaining footnote to a pointless discussion. It chewed up time on C-SPAN, it was a shiny object for the cable guys, and since nothing much else is going on in Washington — it’s snowing, I hear — and there aren’t any missing white women to hunt for, it was better than watching Bruce Boxleitner sell hair replacement kits on cable.
And, of course, does anyone doubt that if this had been under the administration of George W. Bush, John McCain, or Mitt Romney and a Democratic senator took to the floor of the Senate to talk for 13 hours to filibuster the nomination of John Yoo as the director of the CIA, we wouldn’t have the flaming gasbags of Fox News and the orcosphere calling for his immediate expulsion and a one-way ticket to Gitmo for doubting the methods of the never-ending War on Terra?
It doesn’t really matter who’s in the White House. The defense system we have is in place if it’s a Democrat or a Republican. The only difference is who gets to point the fingers when they want to distract us from the fact that we Americans are killing a lot of people using roughly the same methods we use to download a movie on Netflix. That’s more disturbing than listening to Rand Paul drone on.
Rachel Maddow on being misled into war:
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It’s a promo for her documentary about how we got snookered into the Iraq war, but it’s worth a look.
Nine bombers attacked the U.S. airfield in Afghanistan.
Russia urges North Korea not to launch rocket.
Egypt’s top court shut down amid protests.
Your turn — Treasury Secretary Geithner challenges the GOP to come up with some ideas.
Louisiana town evacuates while cops relocate explosives.
Kennedy Center honors include Led Zeppelin.
Pakistan test fires a nuclear capable missile.
Egyptians stage massive protests against Morsi.
Polls show Netanyahu with a big lead in Israel’s election.
President Obama launches his campaign for his solution to the fiscal “cliff.”
Judge orders tobacco companies to tell the world they lied about the dangers of smoking.
Hugo Chavez is going to Cuba for more cancer treatment.
R.I.P. Marvin Miller, union leader in baseball.
The Syrian government is not in the mood to talk to the rebels.
Hezbollah says Iran will hit U.S. bases if Israel attacks.
North Korea hints at economic reform.
The Democratic convention starts tonight.
President Obama stopped in Louisiana to see the damage from Isaac.
Travel to Cuba just got a lot more expensive.
R.I.P Michael Clarke Duncan, 54, Oscar-nominated actor for The Green Mile.
Tropical Update: TS Leslie could be a hurricane by Saturday, and there’s another areas of interest out in the Atlantic: TD 13.
The Tigers lost to Cleveland.
Iran tests a new short-range missile.
Egypt demands the release of Gitmo detainees.
The U.S. added 163,000 jobs in July; the unemployment rate went from 8.22 to 8.25.
Olympics — Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin had a golden day in the pool.
Tropical Update: TS Ernesto heads for the Yucatan; Tropical Depression Six is following behind Ernesto; there’s a little disturbance off the coast of South Florida.
The Tigers clobbered the Indians.
Iran tests a new short-range missile.
Egypt demands the release of Gitmo detainees.
The U.S. added 163,000 jobs in July; the unemployment rate went from 8.22 to 8.25.
Olympics — Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin had a golden day in the pool.
Tropical Update: TS Ernesto heads for the Yucatan; Tropical Depression Six is following behind Ernesto; there’s a little disturbance off the coast of South Florida.
The Tigers clobbered the Indians.
Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham want us to arm the Syrian rebels.
North Korea gets touchy about South Korean live-fire drills.
UN nuclear inspectors arrive in Iran.
It’s decision day for the second Greek bailout.
U.S. Senate candidate Connie Mack of Florida has some explaining to do about his finances.
We’re having a bit of a heat wave in South Florida, but it snowed down South.
Things get ugly in Iran.
A bomb kills at least 60 in Iraq.
North Korea rattles its sabre again.
A computer glitch is the apparent cause of the commuter train wreck in D.C.
The president talked about health care on ABC last night and got some tough questions.
Speaking of health care, the feds are investigating Medicare fraud in South Florida.
Frequent fliers — The top state execs are under scrutiny for their use of state planes.
Local kicker makes good — MTV’s Real World chooses South Florida’s Christian Koegel for its next series. (Okay, it’s an excuse to post some eye candy. So sue me.)
The Tigers win again against the Cubs; they’ve now won 40 games.
Baghdad bombings kill US solider.
South Korea and US troops are on alert as North Korea gets more belligerent.
Burris vs. tapes — Illinois senator says they prove he wasn’t trying to buy his appointment.
According to TPM, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) will challenge Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania.
Not Amused — Queen Elizabeth is left out of D-Day ceremonies.
$66.5 billion budget signed by Gov. Crist.
Father Jean-Juste, Haitian spiritual leader dies in Miami.
Don’t Smile — Virginia wants a “neutral expression” on your driver’s license.
Tigers beat KC 8-3 and head for Camden Yards.
Earthquake in Italy — At least 40 dead in central Italy. (I have friends and relatives there; I hope they’re safe.)
Coming Home — The media ban against coverage of arrivals of the fallen at Dover is lifted.
The North Korean missile was a dud, but it had the desired effect; everybody’s talking about it.
Talking Turkey — The president winds up his overseas trip in Ankara and Istanbul. (What, you think I’m going to pass up a pun like that?)
Closing corporate tax loopholes is under consideration as the Florida legislature looks for ways to raise revenue. Beats having a bake sale.
Spring break weather that’s more like winter? South Florida is slated for one last cold snap.
The bird may talk, but will it sing? — A parrot goes to court in Boca Raton to determine ownership.
North Korea launched their missile. It flew over Japan.
Gunman in Pittsburgh kills three policemen.
As previously noted, the Obama administration will lift travel and monetary restrictions on Cubans traveling back to the island.
Dead Heat in NY Election — it’s tied.
MSU to play NC in the NCAA Final.
Did you re-set your clocks?
Outreach — President Obama mulls an overture to elements of the Taliban in order to end the war in Afghanistan.
Going Home — 12,000 troops leave Iraq.
Treading Softly — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a cautious visit to the Middle East.
More Troubles — Two British soldiers killed in Northern Ireland.
A study in foregone conclusions — Parliamentary elections in North Korea.
Tigers Beat: Phillies 8, Tigers 2 in Clearwater, Florida. 29 days to opening day.
This is The Day — For those of you who have been in the Delta Quadrant for the last couple of months, today is Inauguration Day.
It Wasn’t Intentional — HBO says they meant to cover Rt. Rev. Eugene Robinson’s invocation on Sunday. Really. And to make it up, they’ll rebroadcast it.
No Pardon for Libby — I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby doesn’t get a pardon from President Bush. Not that it matters; he already got a commutation.
Moving Day — By the time the Obamas come back to the White House from the Inauguration, everything will be unpacked and no sign of the previous residents.
Class Act — Barack Obama honors John McCain.
In Other News: Israel speeds withdrawal from Gaza, Russia turns on the gas for Ukraine, and Britain unveils bailout plan.
Windy and Cold — Our annual reminder in South Florida that we only live in a sub-tropical climate is on its way with wind chill advisories and lows in the 30′s expected overnight. Beware of falling iguanas.
- $2 Trillion: That’s the debt estimate for 2009. Of course, it all depends on what you do with it…
- Bush: Hamas Started It. Glenn Greenwald has questions.
- AirTran apologizes to to nine Muslim passengers, offers free tickets. Fine, but where do they go to get their dignity back?
- ¿Me puede oír usted ahora? Cell phones in Cuba are expensive and used for texting and paging, not talking.
- What about Gitmo? The Obama administration has to tell the Supremes where they stand on the detainees at Guantánamo Bay.
- Fidel Castro arrested in Miami! But not that Fidel…
- Jett Travolta: John Travolta’s teenage son died in the Bahamas.
- Saturday Morning TV: Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
- The Gaza conflict continues: They fire rockets, they shoot back. Lather, rinse, repeat. Except people keep dying. At what point will they figure out that it’s pathetically useless?
- The killing doesn’t stop: GI’s returning from war and violent crime at home.
- IOU: California may issue promissory notes instead of tax refunds.
- Former Senator Claiborne Pell, who put a lot of people through college, dies at 90.
- Paranoid Much? AirTran boots 9 people off a flight because they “fit the profile.” They were Muslim.
- The Culture of Victimhood: Alberto Gonzales feels sorry for himself.
- But the memory lingers on: Pentagon political officer Jim O’Beirne — husband of right-wing hack pundit Kate — is still calling the Obama administration “the opposition.”
- Subdued anniversary: What if Raul Castro marked the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution and nobody paid attention?
- Brr. The polar plunge tradition continued in Toledo.
- Blagojevich Picks a Successor: For Barack Obama, that is. He’s former Illinois AG Roland Burris.
- Senate Democrats Say No to the Burris appointment, but the Supremes say they can’t not seat him.
- No Ceasefire in Gaza: Israel likely to reject plan.
- Minnesota Recount: It’s still going on with Franken in the lead by 50 votes.
- Flying by Plants: Air New Zealand tested a biofuel from the jatropha plant on a Boeing 747.
- Where Have You Gone, J.D. Salinger? The author of The Catcher in the Rye turns 90 tomorrow and is still as reclusive as ever.
- Gone Fishin’ President Bush refuses to interrupt his vacation while Israel and the Palestinians attack each other.
- More Ash: The estimate of the amount of coal ash dumped in central Tennessee is now at more than a billion gallons.
- McConnell Hits the Brakes: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is threatening to derail the stimulus plan being put together by the Democrats for the incoming administration.
- Coupon Coveting: The switch to digital TV makes the converter coupons issued by the government a hot commodity. (Good thing I have cable.)
- No Surprise: Lions fire Rod Marinelli after record-setting — 0-16 — season.
- Welcome, Tripp: Bristol Palin gives birth to a boy — Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. Mom and baby are doing fine, and best wishes to them. (Footnote: this will be the last post about this child and his family until they actually make some news that is newsworthy.)
