tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47768055991598938032011-08-16T20:09:35.924-07:00Politics Plus is a progressive perspective. All points of view are welcome, but personal attacks against me or anyone who comments here are forbidden. Trading insults never changes anyone's mind. After over a year offline, it's great to be back! This is mostly a political blog, but on occation you will see posts about my personal life and the volunteer work I do in and out of prison as an ex-convict helping other former felons become productive, pro-social members of our communities. Enjoy!TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.comBlogger6821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-42949640045950765492010-02-28T23:52:00.001-08:002010-02-28T23:52:32.351-08:00

Please join me at our new location. http://www.politicsplus.org/blog I’ll leave this site up, because it is where we have been, but I’ll be turning off comments in a couple days.

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-20379296473501246832010-02-27T19:00:00.001-08:002010-02-27T19:00:05.479-08:00

Click here.

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-41288186913805686842010-02-27T02:50:00.001-08:002010-02-27T02:50:49.753-08:00

I’ve read several rants blaming Democrats for letting Bunning get away with this, but that’s not fair.  The Republican and Democratic leadership had agrees to pass this measure by unanimous consent, and most of the Senators left for the weekend.  The Democratic leadership had no idea that Bunning planned this, and when he dropped the bomb, there were no longer sixty Senator’s left to override

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-39900830038795323572010-02-27T02:32:00.000-08:002010-02-27T02:31:45.774-08:00

Sarah Palin will be getting some ‘fair and balanced’ political education, thanks to Rupert Murdoch.  She will be tutored by paragon of fairness, love and understanding, Professor Glen Beck.   Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economySomehow I think that Bimbo Barbie’s first course will be Tea Buggery 101.

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-84832775784968811932010-02-27T02:30:00.003-08:002010-02-27T02:30:47.174-08:00

When I’m wrong, I say so.  Now I’m a staunch Democrat, but that would not excuse blindness.  When my party is wrong, it’s my duty as a patriot to say so.  My party could not be more wrong on this one. In the wake of congressional Democrats' reauthorization and extension of the USA Patriot Act, few elected Democrats have been as vocal about the post-9/11 security measures as they were during

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-79073478741947586282010-02-27T02:30:00.001-08:002010-02-27T02:30:08.589-08:00

Yesterday I did manage to get caught up replying to comments.  I spent the rest of the day working on website design for my nonprofit.  Today, I’ll just have to see what the day brings. Jig Zone Puzzle: It took me 4:06.  To do it, click here.  How did you do? Short Takes: Here's an idea. Democrats should agree to not to use reconciliation in return for Republicans agreeing not to use the

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-31249059816984823772010-02-26T01:35:00.001-08:002010-02-26T01:35:28.304-08:00

I tried to find one exchange that personified the health care summit.  Here’s my choice. CALVIN WOODWARD AP News Feb 25, 2010 13:07 EST When President Barack Obama and a Republican lawmaker sparred Thursday over what might happen to health insurance premiums in an overhauled system, both cited a nonpartisan analysis that looked at that very question. The president gave a fairer

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-35767655470400057232010-02-26T01:33:00.001-08:002010-02-26T01:33:59.214-08:00

Yesterday I did not catch up, because  I watched the summit and want to the prison as a volunteer.  The guys I work to help there are an inspiration to me, because they stay positive and focused on turning their lives around, despite a horrid environment.  The group is strictly voluntary, and it has grown to 140 prisoners.  I got hove very late and have only had about an hour’s sleep, so today, I

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-90877467301761530042010-02-25T10:09:00.001-08:002010-02-25T10:09:35.054-08:00

In today’s open thread I said that I hoped to catch up on comments before leaving for my volunteer day with prisoners.  I was not consider that I would be watching the health care summit on TV, which is exactly what I’m doing.  Worst case scenario is that I’ll be back up to date before the weekend is over. On the summit, the most notable feature is that all the Republicans have an expression

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-13151013056496826862010-02-25T04:14:00.003-08:002010-02-25T04:14:50.993-08:00

If you have not seen this, watch it.  If you have, watch it again.  I wish every Senator and Representative would watch this.  I have nothing else to say, because my words would only lessen the impact of his. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-52516794113853919832010-02-25T04:14:00.001-08:002010-02-25T04:14:07.747-08:00

First, Rachel Maddow and Barbara Boxer discuss the despicable GOP tactic of lying that reconciliation is ‘the nuclear option’.   Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Now you know full well what the nuclear option is, because we have discussed it here and here. Next Rachel Maddow explains why Health Insurance companies just don’t care who they hurt or

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-34754146481300461782010-02-25T04:11:00.003-08:002010-02-25T04:11:48.891-08:00

The sicker he gets, the more the Republicans love him. Fresh off a news cycle that saw him define executive power as bestowing the president the right to massacre whole villages, notorious torture lawyer John Yoo has published a new piece in the Wall Street Journal, boldly titled “My Gift to the Obama Presidency.” [Murdoch delinked] “Barack Obama may not realize it,” he writes, “but I may have

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-59430680743803627862010-02-25T04:11:00.001-08:002010-02-25T04:11:07.429-08:00

Yesterday I fell behind due to volunteer work and running errands.  Today is my volunteer day in the prison.  If time permits, I’ll try to do some catch-up before I leave.  Tomorrow’s posts may be late because I will return home late and exhausted tonight. Jig Zone Puzzle: It took me 3:45.  To do it, click here.  How did you do? Short Takes: Are democrats growing gonads?  Yesterday the Jobs

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-27658172041492019362010-02-24T03:23:00.001-08:002010-02-24T03:23:28.606-08:00

The gridlock in Congress is not the fault of either President Obama or the Democratic party.  For the most part, albeit with some glaring exceptions, they are doing their work.  However, Republicans in the Senate, with help from a few DINOs and one accursed independent, have brought government to a standstill. Exasperated House Democratic leaders have compiled a list showing that they have

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-32503743385289572092010-02-24T03:22:00.003-08:002010-02-24T03:22:57.145-08:00

The nonpartisan CBO has finally weighed in. For months, conservatives have been claiming that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, i.e. the stimulus) is a “boondoggle” that “failed” and did not create “one new job.” But last week, the New York Times’ David Leonhardt noted that economic research firms estimate that ARRA created or saved 1.6 to 1.8 million jobs. And today, the

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-91381882025373002512010-02-24T03:22:00.001-08:002010-02-24T03:22:11.549-08:00

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson joins Keith to expose the extent of the lies Dead Eye used in his bogus attempts to justify his torture program.   Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Now I ask you this.  Were it not for evil government run health care, Cheney would be dead.  If a proven war criminal deserves such benefits, don’t the rest of us?

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-84133920114533527142010-02-24T03:21:00.001-08:002010-02-24T03:21:34.367-08:00

Yesterday I had quite a bit of paperwork to do and some errands to run, but I still stayed up to date on replying to comments and returning visits.  I’ll fall behind again today, because it’s my volunteer day at the former prisoners’ therapy group. Jig Zone Puzzle: It too me 3:47.  To do it, click here.  How did you do? Short Takes: Goldilocks Boehner just can't make up his mind.  First the

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-65358825191158593022010-02-23T02:56:00.001-08:002010-02-23T03:01:08.999-08:00

I suspect that everyone will be posting an analysis of Obama’s proposed fixes to the Senate bill.  I like most of them, but rather than duplicating many efforts, I’d like to look at what the upcoming summit means. Responding to the release of Obama’s health care plan, the House Minority Leader forgets to mention that the plan pulls the plug on grandma: “This new Democrats-only backroom

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-88201054121581858642010-02-23T02:55:00.001-08:002010-02-23T02:55:22.566-08:00

Here are the results of the Republican vs DINO poll. And here are your comments. From Oso on February 21, 2010 at 12:51 pm.    I'm with Lisa G. We need an Other. I'd vote for a rotted dead dog over a blue dog. I'd campaign for a rotted dead dog over a blue dog.   From Kevin Kelley on February 19, 2010 at 11:29 am.    My selection was "I'm a Republican - The Dino"... with

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-40993233327815699952010-02-23T02:53:00.001-08:002010-02-23T02:53:08.418-08:00

At least it’s good to know that someone in government cares about our nation’s best interests. Two congressional lawmakers have announced legislation that would effectively remove military contractors from war zones. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the "Stop Outsourcing Security Act" on Tuesday. If passed, the act would force the United States to phase

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-18199878867219793672010-02-23T02:52:00.001-08:002010-02-23T02:52:24.906-08:00

Yesterday I not only stayed up to date on replying to comments and returning visits, but also made a few extra visits as well.  Today looks good for staying that way. Jig Zone Puzzle: It took me 3:52.  To do it, click here.  How did you do? Short Takes: What a quote!  “I love gridlock,” Coburn said. “I think we’re better off when we’re gridlocked because we’re not passing things.” Only one

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-35735875816873516022010-02-22T02:52:00.001-08:002010-02-22T02:52:33.472-08:00

Most of us are thoroughly fed up with the ChickenHawk and the Lizard. Today on Face the Nation, former Secretary of Sate Colin Powell dismissed former Vice President Cheney’s claim that President Obama has made the nation less safe. Saying, “I don’t know where the claim comes [from],” Powell ticked off Obama’s national security accomplishments, gave a full-throated defense of using civilian

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-82752305735784212812010-02-22T02:50:00.001-08:002010-02-22T02:51:12.356-08:00

AboutMost of you probably know that our government pays more per beneficiary to private insurance companies to provide Medicare Advantage plans than it spends per person on original Medicare. In October 2009, here's how Sen. Jay Rockefeller described the Medicare Advantage plans:"It's a wasteful, inefficient program and always has been," Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) said at a recent

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-84547781889562897452010-02-22T02:49:00.001-08:002010-02-22T02:49:39.494-08:00

Believe it or not I actually caught up on replying to comments and returning visits yesterday.  It took most of the day.  Today, I should stay caught up.  I have a few errands to run, and I have to arrange for a new web host provider for the nonprofit I help run.  If you’re considering Liberty Names of America (aka LNOA) as a host provider, don’t. Jig Zone Puzzle: My time was 3:20.  I have an

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-71893177800202078292010-02-21T02:33:00.003-08:002010-02-21T02:33:34.224-08:00

Obama has once again called for bipartisanship in the Thursday’s HCR conference.   I expect one of three things to happen. Door Number 1: Obama could cave in to GOP demands.  While this would cause consternation on the GOP, because they would have to immediately about face and pretend that they now and have always opposed whatever those demands are.  Such a move would doom Obama’s

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-29689884676825036452010-02-21T02:33:00.001-08:002010-02-21T02:33:09.709-08:00

I did not cover the horrid OPR report, absolving GOP war criminals Yoo and Bybee, because I had already covered its contents when it was leaked last month. Daphne Eviatar has prepared an excellent article on why the OCR report should not be the end of this matter. The New York Times this morning writes that the Justice Department's ethics report on the work of the lawyers who approved Bush

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-12225962002064725282010-02-21T02:32:00.001-08:002010-02-21T02:32:25.411-08:00

Yesterday the denizens of CPUKE demonstrated their idiocy in fine form.   Here are the results of their straw poll. …Results from the full field, and a link to the complete poll after the jump. Haley Barbour: 1% Mitch Daniels: 2% Newt Gingrich: 4% Mike Huckabee: 4% Sarah Palin: 7% Ron Paul: 31% Tim Pawlenty: 6% Mike Pence: 5% Mitt Romney: 22% Rick Santorum: 2%

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-61374599096093817392010-02-21T02:31:00.001-08:002010-02-21T02:31:49.488-08:00

Yesterday I caught up replying to comments before leaving for my Board Meeting, where I was nominated to serve as the Treasurer for another year.  Today I hope to catch up on visits, but at 4 I will divert my attention to the one US war that I support: the battle against the evil Canadian hockey team. ;-) Jig Zone Puzzle: My time was 4:03.  Click here to do it.  How did you do? Short Takes:

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-91512855946384947382010-02-20T04:25:00.001-08:002010-02-20T04:25:50.831-08:00

Yesterday I told you about a Facebook group honoring Joseph Stack, the nut case who crashed his plane into an Austin office building.  AmericaBlog captured images the teabaggers’ attempt to restart it, before Facebook took it down: Is this foul or what?  How anyone could honor this mad man boggles my mind.  But this had risen all the way to the GOP mainstream. Rachel Maddow and Chris

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-12339329018771457712010-02-20T04:22:00.001-08:002010-02-20T04:24:38.416-08:00

I wrote a college term paper for freshman level Economics, in which I suggested that the only way to fight pollution was to stop allowing polluters to externalize the costs of that pollution.  My economics professor agreed and told me it was years ahead of it’s time.  I sent a copy to whoever my Congressman was at the time and never received a reply.  Too bad.  Had they paid attention then, we

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-27005325576999440402010-02-20T04:06:00.001-08:002010-02-20T04:06:07.701-08:00

For years the GOP, with the complicity of some Democrats, has used our tax code to transfer wealth from the poor and middle classes to the very rich. For Democrats wavering in their resolve to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, shocking new data from the IRS should hopefully stiffen their backbones. Between 2001 and 2007, the 400 richest taxpayers doubled their

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-11588936762466401202010-02-20T04:05:00.001-08:002010-02-20T04:05:06.872-08:00

Yesterday I accomplished little.  Barely able to see, I took an intended short nap and slept all day.  Today I will be away most of the day attending a board meeting for the nonprofit for which I volunteer.  My schedule looks pretty clear Sunday through Tuesday, so I’ll be catching up then.  Ugh!  What a week!  At least I can see again. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 3:56.  To do it, Click Here

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-81877563045718653502010-02-19T00:55:00.000-08:002010-02-19T00:56:14.793-08:00

On November 5, I posted this article as part of Blog Blast for Peace.  I am reposting it today, because they are featuring this article as I learned in the following email: I wish the world could recognize today the sound of all our voices - crying for peace. I applaud your entry for BlogBlast For Peace on November 5, 2009. I learned and was reminded of a great deal in this post. I am just now

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-23851529651333736282010-02-19T00:51:00.001-08:002010-02-19T00:51:04.081-08:00

Let me begin by offering my condolences to the victims of this mad man and their families, as well as his wife and daughter.  This is a tragedy. Joseph Stack, the 53-year-old software engineer who piloted the plane that slammed into an IRS building in Austin this morning, posted an online suicide note railing against the federal government. The note, unearthed by the Statesman.com, blasts taxes

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-18519853803467148812010-02-19T00:50:00.001-08:002010-02-19T00:50:23.569-08:00

Yesterday I had my visual field test.  The good thing is that my glaucoma is no worse and they’re done with me for a year.  The bad news is that all those drops temporarily screwed up my vision something awful.  Everything is still a blur.  How I do with comments and visits will depend on hw wel I can see later. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 8:09, because I couldn’t see the dang thing.  To do

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-1301661463060345992010-02-18T03:13:00.003-08:002010-02-18T03:23:59.648-08:00

It has become abundantly clear that no progress is possible as long as Democrats try to include Republicans in their plans.  The reason they keep trying is they fear that they will lose votes, if the public perceives them as partisan.  A recent poll belies that fear. The vast majority of opposition to health care and allowing gays to serve openly in the military is coming from people who already

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-73276022754346879902010-02-18T03:13:00.001-08:002010-02-18T03:13:17.549-08:00

Aren’t you glad McConJob lost last year? Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — who is facing a primary challenge from former right-wing GOP congressman J.D. Hayworth — played along with Fox News host Sean Hannity’s uninformed idea that the recent snow storms in the mid-Atlantic region disprove that the earth’s climate is changing. “I think they made some movie that showed that the earth was

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-28645021085933663192010-02-18T03:12:00.001-08:002010-02-18T03:12:45.803-08:00

Grrrr!!   Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy I repeat… Grrrr!

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-73502880143450558422010-02-18T03:11:00.001-08:002010-02-18T03:11:48.786-08:00

Yesterday, by the time I returned from the therapy group where I volunteer, I had only enough tome to to reply to comments here.  This afternoon I gave field vision tests with my ophthalmologist to determine the extent of my glaucoma.  I’ll reply to comments and, hopefully, do some visiting before I leave.  The last time they did this, about eight years ago, they blurred my vision so badly that

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-3635058036808639482010-02-17T03:22:00.001-08:002010-02-17T03:22:12.710-08:00

The stimulus is beginning to work.  There’s certainly more stimulus required.  How do I know?  If not, why are GOP politicians grubbing for the money? The Wall Street Journal has followed up on The Washington Times report about Republican lawmakers who publicly opposed the stimulus but privately sought stimulus funds to create jobs in their states and districts. Some nuggets: Rep. Paul

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-18881944839879952192010-02-17T03:21:00.001-08:002010-02-17T03:21:34.555-08:00

As Latin America moves to free their people from US corporate slavery, corporate crimes are finding their way to court. A federal judge recently refused to dismiss a civil suit filed against Chiquita which charges that the company paid leftist (FARC) guerrillas operating near its plantations in Columbia -- during a period when the FARC killed four American missionaries, according to CNN.

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-49643518925777153052010-02-17T03:20:00.003-08:002010-02-17T03:20:53.934-08:00

As doubtful as I am that this will have any effect, at least he’s on our side. ... LETTER FROM SENATE DEMOCRATS TO LEADER REID Dear Leader Reid: We respectfully ask that you bring for a vote before the full Senate a public health insurance option under budget reconciliation rules. There are four fundamental reasons why we support this approach – its potential for billions of

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-14873022337135855162010-02-17T03:20:00.001-08:002010-02-17T03:20:17.774-08:00

By the time I finished my errands yesterday, I had time only to reply to comments here.  Today is my volunteer day at the therapy group, so I’ll just have to see how I feel when I return. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 4:06.  To do it, Click Here.  How sis you do? Short Takes: The Hill has an article about the lucrative opportunities on K Street for retiring politicians.  I wonder if they

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-86127266980657715732010-02-16T02:22:00.001-08:002010-02-16T02:22:51.949-08:00

Here are the results of the ‘support Obama poll’: And here are your comments: From Jo on February 14, 2010 at 1:24 pm.    Since I am a Canadian and not qualified to make a comment, I will say that since Obama is your President, you folks should support him on all issues, as long as he is your President. You voted for him, now he needs your support. Isn't that how it is supposed to

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-26922048043052486602010-02-16T02:20:00.003-08:002010-02-16T02:26:59.855-08:00

I thought this was the case, but now there’s support for that opinion. One of the greatest obstacles to passing progressive legislation in Congress has been the use of the filibuster in the Senate. With upwards of “40 cloture votes since the start of the 111th Congress in January, this Senate is on pace to record the second-largest number of filibuster roll calls,” transforming what was intended

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-22018429690339201372010-02-16T02:20:00.001-08:002010-02-16T02:20:11.412-08:00

Bayh’s decision not to run was a real shocker.  He did not even inform the Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid, until well after the story had broken. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana said Monday that he was fed up with Congress and wouldn't seek re-election this year, the latest in a series of retirements spurred by frustration with dysfunction in Congress. "To put it in words I think most people can

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-56792326114594300602010-02-16T02:19:00.001-08:002010-02-16T02:19:15.791-08:00

Yesterday I spent eight hours replying to comments and email and visiting blogs.  I have a few errands to run today, so I may not stay caught up.  I’ll try. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 4:21.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Short Takes: On a flight back to the US from Vancouver another passenger attacked Mitt Romney, when Romney asked him to put his seat in the upright positions. 

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-24250455736504460752010-02-15T02:54:00.001-08:002010-02-15T02:54:37.866-08:00

I’d love to see her get the nod from the GOP. Hyper-partisan, painfully ignorant, pathologically dishonest, chronically unethical, intellectually unconscious, and jaw-droppingly stupid. And those are her better qualities. Sarah Palin is so soulless that she traded away her credibility on the one issue on which she had any authority: her personal story about raising a child with special

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-63301738796866517442010-02-15T02:53:00.001-08:002010-02-15T02:53:49.689-08:00

With my background in public opinion polling, I knew that a poll could be influenced by how questions are worded and ordered, but the extent of this difference surprised me. A fascinating new CBS/New York Times poll reveals that attitudes about gays and lesbians serving in the military turn on how the question is asked. It turns out that 42% of Americans oppose allowing "homosexuals" to

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-63737478744297449702010-02-15T02:52:00.001-08:002010-02-15T02:52:49.529-08:00

Yesterday I finally caught up completely on replies and visits.  Hopefully, I won’t be as swamped in March as I am this month.  My dinner for my disabled neighbor went well.  I served steak, homemade noodles and cheese, Caesar salad, pie, and dark chocolate.  Kindness to those who can’t do for themselves feels good.  I also ate better than I probably would have had I been cooking just for me.  I

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-83425990707820536892010-02-14T01:11:00.001-08:002010-02-14T01:11:20.206-08:00

   

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-43169083946462435522010-02-14T01:10:00.003-08:002010-02-14T01:10:48.068-08:00

Wyoming’s resident C Street theocon can’t seem to make up his mind. Mike Enzi joins Boehner and Kyl on the not so fast on the transparency thing front. In an interview with Sirius XM's POTUS channel today, Enzi was asked about his expectations for the health care reform summit: "I'm really worried about it," he said. "I think it's gonna be just a media show, instead of an actual

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-29129103509210758982010-02-14T01:10:00.001-08:002010-02-14T01:10:02.283-08:00

Yesterday I kept up with comments and had returned all my visits except half a dozen when I pooped out.  I’ll finish today.  I’m cooking dinner for my disabled friend and watching Olympics this afternoon.  It’s been suc a slow nws day that there will be no short takes today. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 3:46.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Here’s your cartoon: See Cartoons by

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-81197191316738483662010-02-13T03:03:00.001-08:002010-02-13T03:03:31.986-08:00

Let’s give him a big ‘thank you’. Political analyst Lawrence O'Donnell is known for his strong opinions and occasional passionate outbursts. In 2004, he repeatedly shouted down [wing-nut delinked] Swift Boat Veterans spokesman John O'Neill with cries of "liar," leading conservative blogger Michelle Malkin to describe him as "unhinged." Now O'Donnell has repeated the performance by

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-8436013708472466292010-02-13T03:02:00.003-08:002010-02-13T03:02:59.980-08:00

Let me start with some good news.  Past President Bill Clinton is now at home after two stents were successfully installed in a coronary artery. Trying to take political advantage, Faux Noise falsely claimed that he would not have gotten such care had HCR passed. This morning, Fox & Friends covered President Bill Clinton’s hospitalization by asking if the President would have been treated

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-56742945019736092322010-02-13T03:02:00.001-08:002010-02-13T03:02:35.428-08:00

If ever there were a GOP poster boy, he’s it. The Massachusetts man charged this week with stockpiling weapons after saying he feared an imminent "Armageddon" appears to have been active in the Tea Party movement, and saw Sarah Palin, who he said is on a "righteous 'Mission from God,'" as the only figure capable of averting the destruction of society. As we reported yesterday, Gregory

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-24037092617607855442010-02-13T03:01:00.001-08:002010-02-13T03:01:59.322-08:00

Yesterday I completely caught up on replying to comments here.  Today, I plan to catch up on returning visits. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 3:36.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Short Takes: Today I have a couple videos for you. A Canadian legislator forgot how polite Canadians are:   He reminds me of a Republican! Keith Olbermann introduces the next Anchor Hottie on Faux Noise:

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-18525501360421761972010-02-12T02:41:00.003-08:002010-02-12T02:41:57.881-08:00

Too much is enough, according to Nancy Pelosi. In an interview with Roll Call [sub req] Nancy Pelosi makes the case for using a "majority vote," or reconciliation, for getting healthcare reform done. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is pinning the blame on Republicans for a lack of bipartisanship in Congress and plans to bypass them if they continue to oppose efforts to enact

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-60802503013432062472010-02-12T02:41:00.001-08:002010-02-12T02:41:26.601-08:00

I’m shocked to see this one coming from a mainstream source. This world view's modern-day prophets include Texas radio host Alex Jones, whose documentary, The Obama Deception, claims Obama's candidacy was a plot by the leaders of the New World Order to "con the Amercican people into accepting global slavery"; Christian evangelist Pat Robertson; and the rightward strain of the aforementioned

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-47043775664707137442010-02-12T02:38:00.001-08:002010-02-12T02:38:30.906-08:00

The private military of Bush, Cheney and the GOP is in hot water again. Two former employees of Blackwater Worldwide have accused the private security company of defrauding the government for years by filing bogus receipts, double billing for the same services and charging government agencies for strippers and prostitutes, according to court documents unsealed this week. In a December

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-16134344616458445752010-02-12T02:37:00.001-08:002010-02-12T02:37:40.713-08:00

Yesterday I fell even further behind.  By the time I returned home from pulmonary boot camp, I felt pooped and went to bed.  So, I’ve gone two days in a row without replying to comment or visiting blogs.  I shall, at least, reply to all comments today and visiting blogs tomorrow. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 4:04.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Short takes: Has the Nevada Leg Hound

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-90672073852118567412010-02-11T03:20:00.001-08:002010-02-11T03:20:33.799-08:00

The level of GOP hypocrisy is going up faster that the economy went down under their governance. Almost immediately after Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab failed to detonate a bomb on an airplane on Christmas Day, conservatives rushed to politicize the attempted terrorist attack. “People have got to start connecting the dots here and maybe this is the thing that will connect the dots for the Obama

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-32183368716577788272010-02-11T03:19:00.003-08:002010-02-11T03:19:51.445-08:00

If the GOP does show up, the only thing I expect Obama to accomplish during the health care summit is to make fools of them by slicing and dicing the talking points they parrot. Despite the demands of Boehner and Cantor that a reconciliation fix for healthcare refrom be ruled out, Obama is staying open to that option. White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that Republicans

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-91709096846887011362010-02-11T03:19:00.001-08:002010-02-11T03:19:18.541-08:00

Not much of this is new, but the article provides good overall perspective. Reckless greed on Wall Street is a dog-bites-man story. Still, the renewed feeding frenzy of the alpha dogs of finance in the embers of the bonfire of their own vanities has inspired amazement and disgust across the political spectrum. Despite the damage it yet may cause, though, the spectacle does seem to be

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-45437557986161387552010-02-11T03:18:00.001-08:002010-02-11T03:18:40.555-08:00

Yesterday I did my online grocery shopping, when I returned from my volunteer work.  That left no time to even reply to comments here.  Today is pulmonary boot camp, so today I may do no better at all.  I will reply to every comment by the end of Friday. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 4:51.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Here’s your cartoon: See Cartoons by Cartoon by Pat Bagley

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-18155319507517024512010-02-10T03:15:00.003-08:002010-02-10T03:15:45.511-08:00

Isn’t it amazing how Republicans fought the stimulus tooth and nail but are handing out the money at home as though they fought to get it? If there's one thing that unites the Republican Party it's that the stimulus bill was a job-killing piece of legislation that was the worst thing in the whole entire world for the economy, right? Or maybe that's just what unites them in public, because in

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-2745179787463966502010-02-10T03:15:00.001-08:002010-02-10T03:15:18.624-08:00

In hope we never become immune to the stories of real people suffering from Big Insurance criminal abuse and from having no health coverage.  Sometimes, though the stories are so far removed from human decency that indignation is the only appropriate reaction. PAUL AND MARIA VanNocker are filing a federal lawsuit today on behalf of their 5-year-old son, Kyler, whose insurance company,

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-82333500305808041462010-02-10T03:14:00.001-08:002010-02-10T03:14:34.898-08:00

Here’s some extreme media bias. Under the headline "Social Security Races to 'Negative': Rash of Retirements Push Fund to Brink," USA Today's February 8 front page presented an alarmist view on a story that is regularly misreported in the corporate media (Extra!, 7-8/95, 1-2/05; FAIR Action Alert, 10/19/07).   Reporter Richard Wolf leads with this warning: "Social Security's annual

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-62884510646345474422010-02-10T03:13:00.001-08:002010-02-10T03:13:19.853-08:00

Yesterday I went to my Pulmonologists office.  If you remember, I had a cat scan awhile back, and I learned what the cat had to say.  First, I do not have cancer.  That’s welcome news indeed.  Second, I’m ugly.  Since I already knew that,  it’s no big deal.  By the time I got back from there and visiting blogs, I only had time to reply to comments here.  Today I will fall further behind in

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-24642925142839224932010-02-09T02:51:00.001-08:002010-02-09T02:51:18.532-08:00

There has been considerable discussion about Obama’s proposed health care summit, on camera, with the GOP.  I have commented here and on several other blogs that the Republicans lack the courage to go through with it.  The following is an excerpt from a letter to the White House from House GOP leaders, Boehner and Cantor: ...Assuming the President is sincere about moving forward on health

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-84922709132175076462010-02-09T02:50:00.001-08:002010-02-09T02:50:18.163-08:00

The GOP was doing well as the Party of NO, but in a desperate attempt to prove that they really do have ideas, they have given us something to compare. GOP Rep. Paul Ryan handed House Democrats the perfect wedge issue last week, and they're going to use it. House Democrats want to kick House Republicans where it hurts, and are exploring ways to force the minority party to take a stand on Rep.

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-19235774271508696672010-02-09T02:49:00.001-08:002010-02-09T02:49:51.709-08:00

Do you remember John Thain and his infamy?  Like fair-weather friends on payday, he’s back. John Thain is getting a second chance. CIT Group Inc., the lender that is trying to regain its former stature after almost collapsing during the financial industry crisis, said late Sunday it has hired the former Merrill Lynch & Co. CEO as its chairman and chief executive. Thain is also trying

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-69637709952570562822010-02-09T02:48:00.001-08:002010-02-09T02:48:55.339-08:00

Yesterday I caught up on comments and returning blog visits.  I expect to fall behind today, because I have an an appointment with my Pulmonologist's LNP to review the results of my cat-scan. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 3:41.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Here’s your cartoon: See Cartoons by Cartoon by R.J. Matson - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-35497845826074061562010-02-08T03:23:00.003-08:002010-02-08T03:23:32.698-08:00

In yesterday’s Open Thread, I noted that I had seen Sarah Palin, aka Mooseolini, aka Caribou Barbie, aka the Dingbat Diva, aka Snake Oil Sarah looking at her palm, as though there were crib notes on it.  It turns out that I was right.  Here’s video:   Now I couldn’t quite make out what was there, but I also found a close up: Closer inspection of a photo of Sarah Palin, during a speech in

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-65352047264418838582010-02-08T03:23:00.001-08:002010-02-08T03:23:02.075-08:00

Last week, right-wing web and radio  and the GOP Reichsministry of Propaganda, Faux Noise, have been parroting a false claim in Reuters that the Obama administration has embedded hidden tax increases for most Americans in the budget.  No doubt this wing-nut media frenzy will continue, because they are counting on public ignorance of this: The journalist who wrote an article on Monday that

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-44687939835289049682010-02-08T03:22:00.001-08:002010-02-08T03:22:05.824-08:00

Perhaps they took lessons from Bush and the GOP. Human Rights Watch said on Sunday that Israel has failed to properly investigate alleged crimes committed during last winter's devastating Gaza war as demanded by the United Nations. "Israel claims it is conducting credible and impartial investigations, but it has so far failed to make that case," said Joe Stork, HRW's New York-based

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-51418535480813822762010-02-08T03:21:00.001-08:002010-02-08T03:21:03.762-08:00

Yesterday I caught up on comments early and planned to visit blogs before the Super Bowl, until blindsided by the news of the death of a very close friend.  I hope to do better today. The Saints beat the Colts 31-17.  The game was much closer that the score makes it appear.  It was an excellent game which I enjoyed as much as possible under the circumstances.  The New Orleans fans may stop

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-85514539311474689442010-02-07T10:01:00.001-08:002010-02-07T10:01:42.925-08:00

I am most saddened to report the passing of a dear friend, an authentic Christian, a true brother, a fine man. I just copied the following from his blog, Blog of Revelation: O'Donnell, Timothy J.60, son of the late Edward and Laleeta O'Donnell died on February 1, 2010 at his home in St. Louis, MO. Best friend and loving husband of Hallie O'Donnell; loving father of

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-29868242296165488312010-02-07T02:18:00.003-08:002010-02-07T02:18:48.635-08:00

Seldom have I seen a lawsuit where the actual intent was so despicably transparent. A Christian group in Michigan has filed a lawsuit alleging that a package of hate crimes laws named after murder victim Matthew Shepard is an affront to their religious freedom. Far from the intended purpose of severely punishing criminals who commit unspeakable acts against a persecuted minority group,

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-23464160698208798662010-02-07T02:18:00.001-08:002010-02-07T02:18:12.098-08:00

Robert Reich’s column on this is quite good. Senator Chris Dodd, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, scolded Wall Street representatives at a hearing Thursday for sending “an army of lobbyists whose only mission is to kill the common-sense financial reforms” needed by the public. “The fact is,” Dodd said, “I am frustrated, and so are the American people.” He charged that Wall

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-78591295128098245172010-02-07T02:17:00.001-08:002010-02-07T02:17:38.177-08:00

Yesterday I stayed caught up with comments, returned all pending visits to blogs and visited a few more.  I’ll try to do so today, but have some errands to run.  Of course, today is the highest of holy days in the First Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  There shall be a great sacrifice to the Orb.  Some think saints will sacrifice little horses.  Others think it will be the other way around.  Of

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-30019238419026068212010-02-06T03:38:00.001-08:002010-02-06T03:38:27.358-08:00

One lone GOP Senator has placed a blanket hold of all of Obama’s appointees.  The reason for it will disgust you.  Now, what will the Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid, do? Sen. Shelby of Alabama has done us all a favor through his brazen attempt to extort the Obama Administration by placing a hold on 70 critical appointees simply to obtain some financial pork for his state and key contributors.

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-10986257843161736412010-02-06T03:37:00.003-08:002010-02-06T03:37:56.831-08:00

The Teabagger Convention opened in Tennessee with 600 attendees, soon to be exaggerated by Faux Noise into thousands.  After omitting the Pledge of Allegiance, since they forgot to bring an American flag,  they turned to failed GOP Presidential candidate, Tom Tancredo. The opening night speaker at the Tea Party convention suggested a return to a "literacy test" to protect America from

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-41508298829184640362010-02-06T03:37:00.001-08:002010-02-06T03:37:23.196-08:00

Moving ahead with her standard GOP mindset, Mooseolini is a complete hypocrite. It seems that even the queen must bow to the king, in this, the latest installment of the "retards" controversy ... Let's start with a brief recap: Last year, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used the word "retards." A few days ago, Sarah Palin caught wind of the story, clutched her pearls, screamed

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-21012176792879094082010-02-06T03:36:00.001-08:002010-02-06T03:36:38.265-08:00

These days the Appalachian Trail is a most unpredictable byway, leading first to sexy South America and now to the coffers of Washington, DC. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) waged a high-profile war against the economic stimulus package last spring, claiming that accepting the $700 million for which his state was eligible would lead to “a thing called slavery.” Even as his state’s

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-45059231247205318102010-02-06T03:35:00.001-08:002010-02-06T03:35:52.653-08:00

Yesterday I spent most of the day replying to comments and returning visits.  I’m pretty well caught up and plan to continue that process today. Over at Faux Noise, they’re in heat, so they’re getting ready for Valentines Day in their own unbiased way.   Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 4:02.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Here’s your cartoon: (Note my PO’d cousin!) See Cartoons

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-46335752701539998142010-02-05T02:43:00.001-08:002010-02-05T02:45:05.771-08:00

On the issue of corporate advertising, Donna Edwards says no. Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards turned to Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis for guidance in framing the Constitutional amendment she proposed Tuesday as the right and necessary response to the decision by Chief Justice John Roberts and a high court majority to abandon law and precedent with the purpose of permitting

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-76673855501244138242010-02-05T02:34:00.003-08:002010-02-05T02:34:45.953-08:00

Glen Greenwald has written an excellent piece on the assassination of US citizens by executive order. Last week, I wrote about a revelation buried in a Washington Post article by Dana Priest which described how the Obama administration has adopted the Bush policy of targeting selected American citizens for assassination if they are deemed (by the Executive Branch) to be Terrorists.  As The

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-1347040325584088372010-02-05T02:34:00.001-08:002010-02-05T02:34:19.019-08:00

I’m pleased to see a beginning of activity to recover the people’s money from the banksters\, but skeptical. Democratic Senators Jim Webb and Barbara unveil another proposal aimed at allowing taxpayers to recoup bailout funds from recipients of exorbitant bonuses at firms that received more than $5 billion in TARP funds: WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Two Democratic senators on Thursday

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-38809043632893760392010-02-05T02:33:00.001-08:002010-02-05T02:33:40.118-08:00

Yesterday I spent all morning and part of the afternoon at ‘pulmonary boot camp’.  Other than feeling quite sore, I’m no worse for the wear, but I could not keep up with comments or visit blogs yesterday.  I [plan to do both today. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 5:40.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Here’s your cartoon: See Cartoons by Cartoon by Mike Keefe - Courtesy of

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-8796959089284966582010-02-04T02:31:00.003-08:002010-02-04T02:31:51.134-08:00

I have a pair of excellent videos for you today.  In the first, Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes nail Susan Collins and other GOP Senators for their lies about the handling of the underpants bomber:   Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy What we see here is GOP desperation.  For years they have hoodwinked Americans into believing that they are the national

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-71444421922530258932010-02-04T02:31:00.001-08:002010-02-04T02:31:24.130-08:00

Although the Republicans think HCR is dead, Nancy Pelosi is determined to get it done. In a call with progressive media yesterday afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated her determination, in no uncertain terms, to keep pushing to pass comprehensive healthcare reform. (Crooks and Liars has the audio.) Pelosi referred to healthcare reform as "first among equals" in Democratic

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-84960029803796113152010-02-04T02:30:00.003-08:002010-02-04T02:30:30.659-08:00

This is shameful. A Canadian man who was deported by US officials to Syria, where he was imprisoned and allegedly tortured, has appealed a court ruling preventing him from suing the US. Maher Arar filed a lawsuit before the US supreme court on Monday, appealing a lower court ruling that rejected his case because it involved national security information. Arar was arrested by US

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-32483574655962540132010-02-04T02:30:00.001-08:002010-02-04T02:30:02.408-08:00

Yesterday, after my volunteer work, I caught up on comments, but I had time to visit only one other blog.  Today will be worse.  I have pulmonary boot camp and will be away for six hours or more.  I think I can catch up tomorrow. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 3:44.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Here’s your cartoon: See Cartoons by Cartoon by Larry Wright - Courtesy of

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-24828401788697709232010-02-03T01:35:00.001-08:002010-02-03T01:35:17.685-08:00

In the Olbermann video in yesterday’s lead article, I learned that Daily Kos has commissioned a poll on Republican beliefs.  You can take it to the bank that this was the first thing I sought in this morning’s research.  Here, my friends, is the heart and soul of the GOP in all their teabagging glory: …I found myself making certain claims about Republicans that I didn't know if they could be

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-64122814498132358132010-02-03T01:34:00.001-08:002010-02-03T01:34:29.378-08:00

While I hope for implementation more quickly than it appears, I was most please to learn that America’s top military brass has come out in favor of repealing DADT. The US's two highest-ranking defense officials have thrown their weight behind President Barack Obama's call to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that bars homosexuals from serving openly in the military. Adm. Mike

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-81964590435697217802010-02-03T01:33:00.001-08:002010-02-03T01:33:50.996-08:00

Yesterday it broke that the underwear bomber is cooperating with US authorities and providing valuable intelligence about AQ in Yemen that has been confirmed accurate. The family of the failed Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouq Abdulmuttalab, played a pivotal role in getting their son to start cooperating with federal authorities in sharing information about Al Qaeda, a senior administration

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-62749862405412068272010-02-03T01:32:00.001-08:002010-02-03T01:32:20.502-08:00

Yesterday I kept up with comments here, caught up with returning visits, and visited a few more blogs as well.  Today I’ll fall behind again, because it’s my volunteer day assisting former prisoners in a therapy group, and I have errands to run afterward. Today’s Jig Zone puzzle took me 4:16.  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do? Here’s your cartoon: See Cartoons by Cartoon by Cameron

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-21104757805964201062010-02-02T02:18:00.001-08:002010-02-02T02:18:29.332-08:00

Two things remain constant in today’s GOP.  No lie is to bold for them, and they will oppose any position that Obama supports. Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), chairman of the House Republican Conference, appeared on Fox & Friends this morning to play down Obama’s strong defense of his administration’s policies at Friday’s House GOP retreat in Baltimore. Trying to refute the claim that Republicans

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4776805599159893803.post-60728305855699201492010-02-02T02:17:00.003-08:002010-02-02T02:17:52.782-08:00

Here are some of the highlights of Obama’s 2011 budget: ... Some highlights: $25 billion for state governments to meet Medicaid costs.   $33 billion in additional funds this year for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a budget of $159 billion for those conflicts in 2011, $46 billion more than the 2010 budget. The overall increase in the 2011 vs. the 2010 Pentagon budget: $44

TomCathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397335545286040472noreply@blogger.com4