Today's edition of quick hits:
* A sequel to the Citizens United ruling? The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging limits on how much an American can donate to political campaigns.
* The end of a long career: "Marine Gen. John R. Allen, the longest-serving leader of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, asked President Obama on Tuesday morning to accept his retirement from the military because his wife is seriously ill, a move that nullifies his nomination to be the supreme allied commander in Europe."
* Afghanistan: "Civilian deaths in the war in Afghanistan dropped in 2012 for the first time in six years, a sign of lessening hostilities, but insurgents dramatically expanded their campaign of assassinating government supporters, the United Nations said Tuesday."
* More gun violence: "Residents of several Orange County communities awoke to streets littered with yellow crime scene tape on Tuesday, after a gunman killed three people and injured at least three more before killing himself at the end of a shooting and carjacking rampage, according to law enforcement officials."
* I'm glad to see the DSCC's Guy Cecil get so much attention. (True story: I went to junior high and high school with Guy.)
* Congress is prepared to undo a lot of progress: "U.S. stocks ended higher Tuesday, pushing the S&P 500 index to a five-year high."
* I don't even know where to start with this: "When a physician removes a child from a woman, that is the largest organ in a body."
* Adding to the list of things Scott Brown doesn't understand: "Three weeks after tweeting (and then deleting) a series of strange messages, former senator Scott Brown spoke publicly on the tweets for the first time. 'Anyone ever hear of pocket tweet, pocket dial? I mean it was pretty simple,' Brown told a local news station." Um, senator? One cannot "pocket tweet" specific thoughts, deliberately directed to specific people.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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Well, for starters, Berlusconi might just win the election this weekend. If you have some Italian-speaking staff in your office, ask them to search the websites of La Stampa, Corriere della Sera, Reppublica, Il Giornale and Libero (the last two are Berlusconi-related or owned, but it's always the Italian press). The "secret polling" (for some reason, it is not permitted for anyone to release polling figures TWO weeks before the vote. Don't ask me why) seems to indicate Berlusconi will win the Senate (which is decided by proportional vote plus bonus divided region by region, with the Northern regions, Berlusconi territory, getting the biggest share of the bonus). Cheering has already come from the right wing press (Giornale-Libero), Monti (counseled, as I indicated in a previous post, by David Axelrod) is now desperately calling for Merkel's support (and has opened the door for a grand coalition between him and the left-wing), the markets are already betting on chaos and early elections (those Italian spreads will rise faster than flames in a cotton field, i tell you!), and a last-ditch theory places Mario Draghi, president of the BCE and the most ardent defender of Quantative Easing on the old continent, at the head of yet another technocratic cabinet with a lifespan of at least 18 months. Watch this race closely, as it will, surely, interest everybody. Most notably the man Berlusconi called "tanned"...
When I wrote "your office", i was referring to the people at TRMS offices. If they check this thread. It might be, after all, a good piece of discussion about the future of Europe...
I think what Scott Brown is referring to is Butt tweeting. As that is where it seems most of his tweets, comments, and statements seem to come from. Must be a lot of Republicans having the same problem.
More gun violence on the streets of California? If only California had some strict gun control laws to prevent such tragedies....
..oh wait....
WOW. If the SC rules in favor of unlimited personal campaign donations, is it finally safe to say that America has been sold out to the highest bidder?
Unfortunately that's more of a rhetorical question, as this has been the case for quite some time.
We live in a corporatocracy, not a democracy.
Pluto would be proud, and I wish I were refering to the Disney dog.
Aren't pocket tweets written and sent by @!$%#s?
Maybe the "pocket" tweets are a variation of "Is that a rocket in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"
A baby is the largest organ in the body???? From a biological point of view a developing fetus is a parasite. A genetically different growth totally dependent on the host (mama) in which there is no biological benefit to the host. If the host had to endure the condition for more than a year it would be fatal.
That's the way I heard it from med students, except that a fetus is the most common tumor in the female body. Definitely not a long-term survivable condition.
Everything Scott Brown says or tweets comes out his a$$, the man is a joke. A has been that never was....
Down here in Alabama, we use the following comment preface for people like Rep. McClurkin, "bless her heart..." Which generally is taken to mean something like, "The poor dear, her heart is in the right place but she just too stupid to know any better." I'm not particularly fond of calling people stupid, it's just too easy, and doesn't really advance any kind of conversation or understanding. But in this case, I think I'll have to make an exception.
If you watch the interview with Scott Brown from the local FOX affiliate, it's a total puff piece. The reporter seemed smitten with him, but perhaps she is as chummy with all of her interview subjects.
Anyone in the Boston area know if FOX25's Maria Stephanos addresses all politicians by their first names or is this particular to former Senator Brown?
With apologies to Sean Bean.
Awesomesauce
Butthead butt dials. Makes perfect sense.
Re Scott Brown's "pocket tweet" (most people call this "butt dialing"): uh, sorry, Scott, but iPhone screens are capacitive, not pressure-sensitive. Pockets are not capacitive; however, actual butts are. Either he's an un-techie liar, or, well, never mind . . .
Scott Brown's a$s must be more talented than him.