L'affaire Petraeus widens: Now the top commander in Afghanistan is being investigated for "inappropriate communications."
House Freshman orientation begins today (although not all the races have been resolved). Rep. Allen West's opponent is showing up.
Senate Democrats may not have the votes for filibuster reform.
A look at what Texas lawmakers may be talking about this session, including abortion.
Remember when Florida lawmakers restricted early voting, saying "Democracy should not be a convenience?"
Mitt Romney's campaign website is all about selling merch now. (Juntos con Romney t-shirt, anyone?)
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How many votes to change the filibuster rules???
I believe it's a simple majority, in a vote held at the very beginning of the session.
IIRC, there's a controversy about that. Clearly, if it were a simple majority, the votes would be there.
Here's an article from HuffPo explaining the issue: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/harry-reid-filibuster-reform_n_2088767.html
It is 51, but.... many senior Dems remember when they were in the minority.
I was wondering the same - If it's 51 votes to change the Filibuster rules, are they still operating under the previous rules at the time they take the vote? In which case, couldn't a Republican filibuster that vote...?
Cooler heads SHOULD prevail, Marshall from Seattle is 100% correct. Just because you have the majority TODAY, one would hope Senate Liberals understand that the elimination of the fillibuster today could be to cut their face off because their nose was behind it after mid-terms.
They're talking about reform, not doing away with it. Right now it's used before the item even gets to a vote. Even Reid indicated he likes the filibuster.
Just read this last night about Secession petitions being filed--even from states that Obama won: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/secission-petitions-filed-20-states-190210006.html
Ever so patriotic. I know we'll find one of the big crybabies behind this. (Rove? Trump?)
Think of it as a cost saving exorcise,
With Puerto Rico wanting to join the union, it makes sense to let just one of those other states go independent!
Think of the cost savings in not to have to buy/make new flags? ^_^
and how much better out quality of life will be... ^_^
First, the GOP would never approve.
Second, I bet if there was a voter referendum on secession of various red states across the nation, it would get approved on both sides of the voter aisle.
I say let 'em go of they want.
Texas seems to have the most signatures, the greatest land mass (to accommodate other wingnuts moving there), and the most viable economy -- the best chance of survival (we all would like this new country to survive, right?). Could we cordon off Austin, though? I'd hate to lose Austin.
Seriously, is the concept of the United States so rigid that none can leave ever? Shouldn't be.
Take a look at the petitions on whitehouse.gov. Most of them use the same, grammatically-defective language.
Because cut'n'paste is so much easier than having any real thoughts of your own.
What does that even mean? Liberals think people have to continue down this path of Nanny state government, and have the Citizenry pay for the coddling and care of illegals and deadbeats on THEIR tax dollars...these things will only increase with every government program.
Hey Scott, they have your exit visa waiting for you, and you should leave today.....
Silly temper tantrums. Do you really think the government of these states want to loose Federal funds? Most of them are in the South and they take more money than they give to the Federal government.
To "Loose those funds"? *sheesh*
Yes scott I wrote loose rather than lose. I unfortunately only caught the error after the editing time was past. Silly me. What excuse do you have?
There some basic facts here: 1) Men have to stop using their pointy appendages to substitute for their brains, most especially when they are in vulnerable, high-powered, public positions; 2) Men cannot focus on more than one thing at a time - it has been scientifically deduced that most men cannot multitask; 3) A recent study indicated that women are supposed to be more intelligent overall than men. So what the hell just happened?
I'm guessing a Woman just completed the "alleged" study you point to. And it sounds like you have a serious GP syndrome.
I am a feminist, but your entry here has left me very uncomfortable. It is sexism, pure and simple. If a man said these things about us, I'd be hollering bloody, knife-wilding, hatchet-swinging murder. I take issue and hope that you will re-think your post.
Judy, I believe the events you are commenting on involved women too. Who is more deluded in thinking no one will ever know, the CIA chief or the lover of the CIA chief?
People are people, whether they hold a government job or not. Many people trash their careers and personal lives over lust every day, as divorce statistics prove.
Or are you suggesting that the women involved here were not responsible for their own consensual actions? Do you believe in repealing women's suffrage as well?
"Seven Days In May" or just Frank Burns & Hotlips -- again and again?
At least Hotlips got smart and dropped Frank.......
I know you are interested in veterans' rights. Thousands of veterans since Gulf One have been denied benefits they are entitled to because the army "can't find their records" and therefore denies they served! See:
http://www.propublica.org/article/lost-to-history-missing-war-records-complicate-benefit-claims-by-veterans
I agree that this is VERY important.
No matter how you feel about war, our involvement in the Middle East, or the military, this is just wrong, wrong, wrong.
The nuclear option is 51.
There's a lot of talk about this Petraeus thing, and what went wrong for the GOP. One of the interesting things that happened in the election (in my opinion) is Puerto Rico voting to pursue statehood. Is it something that really won't happen? What are the pros and cons for us and for the people of PR? Why is no-one talking about this?
Main Priorities:
National/World Economic Balance (full flow around process to benefit all)
Full Fair Employment
Corporate/World Bank Trust Busting
Compassionate Equality for all beings (human & non-human)
Organic Veganism/plant based nutrition (divine design) to solve health/world hunger/starvation issues
EVOLVE the War Department to a Peace Department (focus on LOVE - fuzzy & tough natural consequences instead of punishments - to truly win the hearts & minds of all beings)
So many more, but this is a start..........
Cooperative Solutions ... NOT Divisive Partisanships that only make things worse.
You can tell they legalized Pot in Co.....
It might actually help your posts Scott........
Thanks for the tip on the RR merch.
I now know what all of my right wing family members are getting for Christmas.
I'm so confused here. So to summarize... Petraeus has an affair with his biographer who gets jealous of a family friend (Kelly) and sends her threatening emails. Kelly contacts the FBI who uncover the emails between Petraeus and Broadwell. Now Kelly and Broadwell somehow connected to another ACTIVE General - although there was no indication of a love-connection... how is this later connection important?
Listening to Morning Joe and have to say that Joe is way off base here. Petraeus was right to resign. If you are in such a high position and you can't even control your personal indiscretions, then you do need to step down. Joe claims there is no "crime" here and the FBI is only acting because they hate the CIA. That's a bunch of bull. First off, adultery is still a crime in the military. If Petraeus is not considered "military" in his position, his biographer is. She is Army Reserves! If her little hissy fits of jealousy which caused her to send harassing emails isn't unprofessional enough, how about her video claiming there were prisoners being held in Bengosy(however that is spelled). Joe claims FBI has crossed the line with breaking into a "personal citizen's" emails. She is not just a personal citizen, she is a very public figure and as far as I am concerned, a criminal. She should be investigated completely and punished for her crimes and so should Petraeus.
I agree with everything you say except, perhaps, the "punish" part. General Petraeus has, and will continue to be, punished plenty. Can you imagine having an affair, having it published all over the world, and then losing your job over it? That's a helluva lotta punishment.
@Judy Feldworth,
That's the biggest load of malarkey I heard in awhile.
It is not scientifically proven that women can multitask better than men. It has to do with more than just gender.
Also, your sexist comment that men only think with their penis is completely wrong. I am taking classes towards my B.S.N. with a 4.0 at the moment.
As far as intelligence is concerned, it depends on what type of intelligence you are discussing. Developmental Psychologists point to 8 different types of intelligence. Some examples are analytical, lingquistic, emotional.
I really don't like it when people spew stuff that they do not know what they are talking about or refuse to engage in accurate research. The multitasking tests between male and female you are referencing took place almost 25 years ago that invloved IBM machines as ancient as the Pterodactyl. Go to: http://www.ynaija.com/ticker-reallymen-not-women-are-better-at-multitasking-new-study/ for more.
PS:
Judy, your post should read "There are some basic facts..." not "There some basic facts...:
So, who was running the wars? Is this why they dragged on so long?
Petraeus is sad, but we're getting off on a kind of "celebrity" issue again. Much more important, I think, is the non-counting of hundreds of thousands of votes in Arizona. I can't find anything on anything that's being done about this--no mention on USDOJ website. Note the Maricopa County website where it purportedly shows the Ballot Tabulation Center in realtime. It's closed down, no one there, as of 6:50 their time this morning. They're sure not working hard on this. http://recorder.maricopa.gov/elections/Live_Feeds/btcgallery.aspx Not a soul there. Just a couple of guys sitting around talking at 8:30 their time last night, too, when I first found the link. No sweat, right? Are the boxes in the "North" view full of provisional ballots? I understand provisional voters only have until tomorrow to resolve their provisional status.
It's 8:54 local time and the Maricopa County Ballot Tabulation Center seems to have ushered in its first customer of the day.
Susan; it was 'Chad' and he was 'hanging around!' Benny Hill would not have touched that one......
RAchel,
Can you address state facts? What is the "health" of each state? Who are the givers and takers? Five nights with a topic each night.
Hi Rachel and the rest of TRMS! I think you should do a segment on all of the people who tried to warn the GOP what was coming their way. Start with my favorite CW artist Brad Paisley. He wrote a song in 2009 called "Welcome To the Future" that told them EXACTLY what was coming. He was roundly criticized for performing at the White House. I know you and your team will find MANY examples of the GOP killing the messenger.
Put a woman in charge of the CIA. How many times in history has a woman stepped down from an important job because of an affair?
So, if adultery is a crime in the military and his paramour is in the Army Reserves then, as Laurie said above, she could be prosecuted. And what about sending anonymous threatening letters to Kelley? Is there no crime there? What were the nature of the threats? If Kelley was so concerned she went to the FBI that can't be good.
@Larry Shoup Jr.
As a nursing professor I sucked air when I read your claim of a 4.0 in nursing. There is something seriously wrong with your school if the sentence below is an example of your grammar and that you have such a poor knowledge of research as to try to use one study to refute an argument not to mention your beligerent attitude. I hope you made that up. You wrote:
I really don't like it when people spew stuff that they do not know what they are talking about or refuse to engage in accurate research. The multitasking tests between male and female you are referencing took place almost 25 years ago that invloved IBM machines as ancient as the Pterodactyl. Go to:
Rachel,
There was a picture posted yesterday of Rove and either the Patraeus whistle blower or mistress. Don't you think that's worth pursuing?
Wow.....just wow. I just saw the Biographer on John Stewart..Don't you think THAT is "worth pursuing"? OMG...*LOL*
So many things...I'd like to see a story on the states that are refusing to set up the healthcare exchanges (I live in FL) and a correlation of people with/without insurance and maybe the overall costs of healthcare of the states.
And I'm already seeing scary "We already know more about the Petraeus affair in 2 days than we know about Benghazi in 2 months!!" posts....People, please.
How about looking at the plethora of Companies downsizing due to the cost of Bammycare....This will be a disaster of epic proportions!
Umm, the healthcare exchanges are for individuals to buy healthcare...has nothing to do with corporations.
Scott: are you trying to be a drudge stalker, like Shooter242, or do you have any real solutions to offer America? I bet you would change your tune if you were medically blacklisted; you have no idea what your talking about, and you cite no proof. Did Hannity teach you how to say 'Bammycare?' Are you a Faux Parrot, or a free thinker?
Absolutely...Get Government OUT of your pockets and take care of yourself and those you close to bring into this world. What Government program operates efficiently and to basically tell Doctors the fees they (Government) will pay for services only discourages Doctors from seeing these people and only see paying PAYING customers.
scott
FYI Doctors drop patients all the time from private insurance policies because of fees. I know because it has happened to me. Where have you been?
http://www.plunderbund.com/2012/11/08/husteds-latest-idea-would-have-handed-ohio-to-romney/
" Under the current winner-take-all system, Obama won all 18 of Ohio’s electoral votes. Under Husted’s plan, 12 of those 18 electoral votes would be handed to Mitt Romney, the popular vote loser."
What I'm reading:
Paul Krugman: "Let's Not Make a Deal," New York Times, 11-08-12;
"Hawks and Hypocrites," New York Times, 11-12-12.
http://www.credoaction.com/campaign/obama_standyourground/?rc=homepage
What I'm watching:
http://laughingsquid.com/gay-men-will-marry-your-girlfriends-if-you-dont-support-gay-marriage/
For Me To Watch This, I Would Need One Of Your Drink That You Made Last Friday...