Today's edition of quick hits:
* There's not much bipartisan cooperation on gun policy, but once in a while, there's some. We'll have more on this on tonight's show.
* The arc of history is bending towards justice in the UK, too: "British lawmakers on Tuesday backed legalizing gay marriage in the first of several votes on the issue after a debate which split Prime Minister David Cameron's ruling Conservative party in two. The draft law, which proposes legalizing same-sex marriage in 2014, was carried by 400 votes to 175 votes."
* President Obama will visit Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan this spring. It will leave Reagan, H.W. Bush, and Ford as the only modern presidents who never visited Israel during their time in office.
* That's quite a network: "As many as 54 nations aided the United States in rendition and detention operations that swept up more than 130 people as part of the Central Intelligence Agency's global counterterrorism efforts, according to a report released Tuesday by the Open Society Justice Initiative, a human rights advocacy group."
* Hmm: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to Cairo on Tuesday, the first visit by an Iranian leader to Egypt since the two countries broke off diplomatic relations three decades ago and a barometer of the shifts in regional dynamics underway since the start of the Arab uprisings."
* The Pentagon has decided to extend "certain benefits" to the spouses of gay and lesbian personnel. Why not all benefits? Because it's not legally permissible under the Defense of Marriage Act.
* Superdome officials, as far back as October, were issuing warnings that "the venue's electrical system could suffer a power outage" during the Super Bowl.
* Newtown: "The six Newtown teachers and administrators who died protecting their students at Sandy Hook Elementary School will be the posthumous recipients of the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal."
* Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "If I had my way, there would be no death penalty. But the death penalty for now, is the law."
* Best of luck to Jon Favreau, as he departs his White House speechwriting office and heads to, of all places, Hollywood.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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Um, isn't there already a pretty famous Jon Favreau in Hollywood?
Beat me to it. He'd best start using all three names or something.
Obama should hire Sorkin as his speechwriter. (I'm serious)
* Superdome officials, as far back as October, were issuing warnings that "the venue's electrical system could suffer a power outage" during the Super Bowl. I knew it, President Obama knew about this since October. Coverup! Super Bowl gate!
I declare that we don't need gay marriage, we do need the death penalty and we don't need these same ol talking heads yaking the same useless physco-babble on MSNBC every evening.
Blips in electrical service are not vast conspiracies either you silly paranoids! This site is so amusing!
"I declare(,) I don't need gay mearriage, I do need the death penalty and I don't need these same talking heads yak(king) the same p(s)ycho-babble on MSNBC every evening."
There, fixed it for you. No, no, no thanks are necessary. By the way, the post by joca41? That was snark. Perhaps you're one of the many who've been subjected to a "snarchectomy"? Most likely by your parents when you were a child. Unfortunately, it's permanent.
Thanks Doug some people are pretty dense.
magnolia
If you want silly paranoid go look in the mirror.
Britain overwhelmingly votes to legalize same sex marriage AND splits the Conservative Party in two. Best news of the day, thanks!
Agreed Ruth Bader Ginsberg: I'm not with the majority, I vote no death penalty by the state.
I needed some good news after Super Bowl game. The party was a success even though not one Ravens fan was here!
A similar vote took place in the French parliament recently as well. Why do I get the feeling that snowball effect is beginning?
Meanwhile, in our corner of the world, right-wingers continue to be absolute @!$%#s with more amicus briefs in the two marriage equality cases before the SCOTUS. Today sees a gaggle of religious-right groups that includes the Southern Baptists and the Mormons (isn't that a sign of the apocalypse?) submitting two briefs, one on DOMA and the other on Prop 8 (nice to see the Mormons keeping their hand in there). If I were a lawyer and had the time and a cast-iron stomach, I'd be reading these things thoroughly. As it is, I can only skim a bit and feel ill.
Yeah, that is awesome. I see it too. Soon, it will be like MHP says, passé and no longer an issue we talk about.
But here, we get to sort though all this "evidence" to show how destructive my marriage is to my neighbor's marriage. (NOT)
I keep changing my marital status on my tax forms just in hopes someone will ask me why I changed marital status. Because some of you are being %#$&ish, that's why.
Well it's not all happy-go-lucky there on that issue in France. Remember France is a Catholic country, it is their top church. Many thousands are rioting against this decision. France is no as far ahead of us as they like to believe.
Nobody is 'rioting' in France. There have been protests, but protests are not riots. Also, American groups like NOM are partly behind those protests, which sucks a lot of the legitimacy from those events. But, again, so what? There are counter protests in support of equality. No matter how much noise the protesters make, polling shows that the majority of the French support equality. The majority of the people support it, the majority of the parliament support it, fact-free allegations of 'riots' notwithstanding.
Maybe NOM will spend all their money in France and Britain and leave us alone here? It's like saying we Americans have to say what is right over there. Not just here. Yikes. They are withering on the vine, becoming raisins.
Some folks can live as raisins, I suppose. But how sad.
The adoption thing is strange, but they can't take away the children already born into same sex marriages. I am helping out with babysitting for one such child, well cared for, well loved.
I know foster Moms and adopting these kids that are sort of left on their own, lacking attention or basic needs.
I wish they would put all that effort into helping to feed and clothe people in need. Maybe throw in some medicines for those that ration food and medication.
Yeah, all that fundraising and to no good purpose. Well, at least Brian Brown looks well-fed.
Well actually things have gotten a bit violent there as the pro, anti gay, and riot police have gone a little overboard with the tensions there. But fine call it a protest, call it a parade it doesn't really matter since the point is that there are lots of people against it. A detail that is commonly overlooked because people tend to forget europe has neo-cons too. You're parsing words, you know damn well what I was trying to convey which was that there is considerable tensions on the issue.
Who cares? Not me.
Again who cares? Not all the French people like the law my statement is intended to convey that at face value without opinion or alterior motives. You're reading between lines that aren't there. It is clear you seem to think I'm offering some opinion or implication when I am not. You're putting more thought into this than is intended or necessary, you're over thinking this.
If you think I am over-thinking, then you'll love this: I think that the fact that you are getting snide and superior for no conceivably valid reason means that I struck deeply at a very sensitive nerve without even trying. You did offer an opinion and I responded, which is my right. Scolding me for what I have every right to do is out of line. If you wish to make a substantive critique or a reasoned response, please proceed. Nothing but your bad attitude is stopping you.
You have not been scolded and you have clearly not been listening. Look you seem to think my intention was to give some idea on the policy when as I keep trying to you I'm not attempting to say anything about the measure.
If you believe I'm not in favor of the bill in France and stand with the protesters you are wrong. I'm simply trying to remind everyone that the same fights we have on issues here are the same fights we see abroad which in the case would seem to defy the common wisdom about western europe.
I'm only saying not everyone is France supports it which is a fact, one which for the life of me that I can not comprehend why you seem to want to have some big fight over this.
Again you are applying more serious and thought to my statement in reading it than I ever chose to in writting.
Food for thought, nothing more, nothing less.
Isn't it ironic that our "oppressor" beat us to the punch on LGBT equality?
The "memo" by the Obama adminstration on drones is a joke this was clearly a ploy to appease those of us who are principled progressives and guess what? We're not following for it. If they wanted to come with this they shouldn't have wasted the time. There is nothing there about what defines "feasable" or "imminent threat" and "high ranking official" who will be subject to no legal oversight from anyone.
While Obama has been successful in positioning us worldwide, repairing the diplomatic blunders of the past president and secreatary of state, and thwarting many enemies. Sadly Obama has been too cowardly to end GW's patriot act policies which are blatantly illegal. Say what you will of Obamacare but if you think that legislation was the most unconstitutional we've seen in recent times you're mistaken, the patriot act doesn't even deny it subverts the constitution. President Obama why are you continuing them? You have failed the progressive movement and the country in not removing this assault against our liberty.
Just recently the administration helped spearhead the passage of what has been described as a "secret law" to expand anti-terror powers that we aren't even allowed to know all of it. The senate passed it however interestingly it was not the democrats who did this, a great many of the democratic majority opposed it including all the progressive senators where as most of the republicans voted with the administration.
....and who says bipartisanship is dead...(sigh)....
ER, why so many segments about birthers and nutjob Republicans? Why on earth are we spending time discussing what Republicans are doing to to fix the party? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Surely there are some juicy stories out there. I'd take another expose on tar sands, or rebuilding New Jersey. Or start covering the Libertarian party.
Anyway, TRMS, some feedback. Nutjob republicans? We're hitting the FF, which we rarely need to do on TRMS.