Today's edition of quick hits:
* Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan today, and during the flight, told reporters he was making his first trip abroad as Pentagon chief to better understand "where we are in Afghanistan."
* I wish congressional Republicans would take sentences like these seriously: "'We would be upgrading our forecast of 2013 growth slightly were it not for the federal spending sequester,' IHS Global Insight's chief U.S. cconomist, Nigel Gault, wrote to clients."
* Symbolism: "As Vice President Biden swore in John Brennan as director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Friday, Brennan held his hand on an original draft of the U.S. Constitution, the White House said."
* This does not seem like a smart idea: "Gov. Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota on Friday signed into law a bill that would allow teachers to carry guns in the classroom."
* As North Korea threatens to send nuclear weapons across the Pacific at the United States, Nate Cohn asks whether that's possible: "The Stalinist state doesn't have that capability -- yet. North Korea has built a long-range ballistic missile, the Taepeodong 2 (TD-2), which could hit the West Coast of the United States. That is, if it worked. The last TD-2 test was in 2006; it failed in 42 seconds. North Korea's longest-range ballistic missile that works, the Musudan, has a range of only 2,500 miles -- not nearly far enough to hit the continental United States, some 5,600 miles away, or even Hawaii, 4,800 miles away."
* It's International Women's Day.
* Americans sure do support raising the minimum wage. If only more of their elected lawmakers felt the same way.
* How did Gallup manage to fail so spectacularly during the 2012 cycle? Mark Blumenthal takes a closer look.
* And a Republican state lawmaker in Arkansas explains why she supports a new law that prohibits abortions after the first trimester, regardless of Supreme Court precedent: "I really believe that we are not eliminating choice at all. We're just saying after 12 weeks, the choice is over." I wonder if she intended that to be persuasive.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
"Brennan held his hand on an original draft of the U.S. Constitution, the White House said."
Cue Right Wing anger that a bible was no used for the swearing in.
Actually the current tempest in a teapot is that the draft doesn't include the bill of rights...
It wouldn't have one if it's an original draft of the Constitution. The Bill of Rights was added when states refused to ratify the Constitution unless a Bill of Rights was added. That's why the Bill of Rights are referred to as amendments. Jeesh! Some people need to go back to their middle school American history classes.
It's possible that Helen is being sarcastic. Otherwise, I don't think the phrase 'tempest in a teapot' would have been used.
You're right MM. But you with the Right it like Roseanne Roseannadanna said "You know it's always something, If it's not one thing it's another". I get confused.
Back in Poland (where I grew up), International Women's Day was a big thing. Among men. A bit like your Valentine (which we didn't have): get all the forced niceties over with on one designated day, and have the remaining 364 to show your true (and often nasty) nature.
Call for papers: "Economics of the Undead: Blood, Brains & Benjamins" (link)
I wonder how many "red state" minimum wage earners will be totally against raising the minimum wage because their employers told them it will hurt their employment?
The legislation from South Dakota is nothing more than grandstanding and "in your face", "because we can" crapola. Believe me, the last thing on a teacher's mind is packing heat and worrying about guns. A teacher's day is far too busy and packed with things to get through, and responsibilities to students, parents, and community. Take my word for it... I know.
Exactly. And if you're going to be required to have a gun on your job, you may as well be a police officer. The pay and benefits are about the same as a teacher's, but you don't have to worry about the education, health, and moral upbringing of 30-180 young people. You can concentrate on catching criminals and using your gun.
Sometimes I think the defining characteristic of a 'conservative' is the ability to weigh good and bad choices, and then consistently chose the bad simply as an adolescent expression of defiance.
How long is it going to be before a gun toteting teacher shoots a problem child? A substitute teacher tazed a kid just last week or so.
North Korea's longest-range ballistic missile that works, the Musudan, has a range of only 2,500 miles -- not nearly far enough to hit the continental United States, some 5,600 miles away, or even Hawaii, 4,800 miles away.
Yes, I would like to know what FedX charges for sending a Musudan missile From North Korea to the Stalinist continental US? Oh, that much? Well, whats that company that uses brown as its corporate color?
Arkansas, lived there; no surprise on their views and how they view the rights of women. Bunch of backwater inbreeds. Likewise not surprised cigar smoking, pizza eating, intern loving Clinton comes from there as well.
I hope you understand what the abortion law in Arkansas is all about, which has nothing to do with abortion. The governor's veto was overridden which the full knowledge the law would be struck down by the Supreme Court, which is the exact point- provoke the Supreme Court to strike down the law then claim "government tyranny" and "states rights" and "save the babies" in a leap toward secession.
"Anything to add?"
Via Political Wire
A new Quinnipiac poll finds support for same-sex marriage is inching up and now stands at 47% to 43%, including 54% to 38% among Catholic voters.
Said pollster Peter Brown: "Catholic voters are leading American voters toward support for same-sex marriage. Among all voters, there is almost no gender gap, but a big age gap. "
"Voters 18 to 34 years old support same sex marriage 62% to 30%; voters 35 to 54 years old are divided 48% to 45% and voters over 55 are opposed 50% to 39%."
Voters 55 and over were raised in an era when Biblical morals were accepted by most Americans.
And looking at the numbers without the over-55's we get approximately 55-38 support...this part of the culture war is over and those who claim opposition to gays based on "Biblical morals" have lost...
Oh, that's adorable! I bet you even believe that. Too bad for you. The problem with your 'biblical morals' is that that was the same excuse used to argue against interracial marriage. In fact, the arguments against same-sex marriage are exactly the same as those that were employed against interracial marriage. In addition, it does not help your fatuous case that there are plenty of individuals, churches and whole denominations which are for marriage equality and LGBT rights and who base their position on biblical texts; therefore, the assertion that 'biblical values' are unequivocally and exclusively against marriage equality is monumentally wrong. Even worse, for you, is the fact that opposition to marriage equality is narrowly limited to elderly, evangelical, not-college-educated persons. You can't win when the only people are your side is a minority of uneducated nearly-dead people.
lol A simple statement of fact elicits all this anger and assumption.
"Biblical" morals, not gospel? Again we see the Jesus-denying rightie who lusts to embrace Shari'a law, based on the Bible.
Hagel's question shouldn't be "where we are in Afghanistan," but, rather, WHY we are (still) in Afghanistan.
Minnesota has a bona fide case of voter fraud:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/07/margaret-schneider-voter-fraud_n_2828815.html
The single best thing we can do to improve the economy is to increase aggregate demand. There's a real simple way to do that: Raise the minimum wage.
Gallup got it wrong because it's bent. It became a Republican entity and it gave Republicans what they wanted-polls favorable to Romney.
I am worried the 5 injustices on SCOTUS will overturn Roe V Wade. But it might galvanize people to do something about it by returning the House to Dems so we can impeach a couple of those reactionary revanchists.
Wondering what Rachels take is on Dianne Feinstein saying that it's legal to hunt humans. If that's OK for here to get away with saying or not.
Ashley Judd...
Very close to declaring her candidacy for democratic Senator in 2014 for the great state of Kentucky, she will take on the Dinosaur Mitch McConnell !...
People !.. Every progressive democrat from New york to California from Colorado to Florida, east,west,north,south.. this is our moment to take on the man who said his number one priority is not to the people of Kentucky !.. No ! his number one priority is to make Barack Obama a "One term president" !
It's time to help ASHLEY JUDD (who in my view is our next Elizabeth Warren) defeat this prehistoric (Filibustering) Dinosaur MITCH McConnell and send him into retirement in 2014 !...
Ashley Judd will give Mitch McConnell the political fight of his life !.. believe that !..
She is articulate , well educated , charismatic , YOUNGER , and has instant name recognition... And she is NOT afraid !..This woman is fearless !..
She reminds me of a future president in waiting.. Hillary Rodham Clinton !..
ASHLEY JUDD, CAN defeat Mitch McConnell !..
But we progressives have to support her candidacy once she declares, 110 % !...
We have the opportunity to make Mitch McConnell eat his words !...
ASHLEY JUDD for Kentucky 2014 !... Yes she can !...
Gallup
Starting on October 1st, Gallup made a change in the way they evaluated Registered Voters (when compared to Registered Voter polls of other companies). This tended to add 4 to 6 points to Romney's percentage. They further filtered the Registered Voter results for their Likely Voter projection.
For a better estimate of what may really have been going on, check
https://mmicdata.rand.org/alp/?page=election
Rand's Mean Absolute Deviation for September to the end of October was 4.07.(Spread between Obama and Romney) For October alone, 3.84. Their final poll showed 3.4. Rand also only showed Romney leading twice during the first week of September.
The actual spread was 3.9 points.
The Rand Poll used a unique approach of 100% weekly polling of a single select pool of prospective voters. They also recorded voter shifts between candidates and likely hood of voting.