Coleman Consedes

Say Hello to Senator Franken, its over.

Source: Raw Story

It’s finally prime time for former Saturday Night Live writer Al Franken.

The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed early Tuesday afternoon that Franken won the state’s senate seat from former Republican Senator Norm Coleman in a razor-thin election.

By the final count, Franken won by just 312 votes out of some 2.9 million.

Speaking to Politico, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs exclaimed, “We’re pleased!” over the decision, which gives Senate Democrats a commanding, 60-vote majority.

“Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled under Minn. Stat. § 204C.40 (2008) to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota,” the court said in its ruling (PDF link).

Governor Tim Pawlenty has said that he would certify the election if the court ordered him to, although he has not yet done so.

More at Raw Story

HR 2749: Our food supply seized by the Merchants of greed

HR 2749, the “Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009“ is the latest in a series of misguided ”food safety” legislation that  utilizes a failed “one-size-fits-all regulatory scheme”. The legislation is completely absent effective regulation for US food imports and corporate agribusiness behemoths such as Monsanto, ADM, Con Agra and Cargill (primary causes of food safety failures).  HR 2749 clearly favors the increased greed of the corporate industrial food complex while shifting the cost to small, local farmers, local food producers. It must be stopped at once.

There’s more.

According to Farm to Consumer.org, a non-profit organization protecting the constitutional rights of  small family farms and consumers, “this bill would be an “absolute disaster for small farms and artisan food production”.

Here is the skinny on the HR 2749:

Tapes reveal Nixon supported the ideal of Interracial abortions

A recording made public on Tuesday by the Nixon Presidential Library reveals the former President supported  abortion in some cases, like rape.

Or interracial pregnancies.

On Jan. 22, 1973, when the Supreme Court struck down laws criminalizing abortion in Roe v. Wade, President Richard M. Nixon made no public statement. But the next day, newly released tapes reveal, he privately expressed ambivalence.

Nixon worried that greater access to abortions would foster “permissiveness,” and said that “it breaks the family.” But he also saw a need for abortion in some cases — like interracial pregnancies, he said.

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he told an aide, before adding, “Or a rape.”

Here is another example of Nixon’s leadership, its called an HMO.

Gov. Mark Sanford, Another hypocrite bites the dust

After going AWOL for seven days, Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Wednesday that he’d secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he’d been having an affair. He apologized to his wife and four sons and said he will resign as head of the Republican Governors Association.

“I’ve let down a lot of people, that’s the bottom line,” the 49-year-old governor said at a news conference where he choked up as he ruminated with remarkable frankness on God’s law, moral absolutes and following one’s heart. His family did not attend.

Sanford, a rumored 2012 presidential candidate, refused to say whether he’ll leave office.

“I’ve let down a lot of people, that’s the bottom line,” Sanford said at a news conference. He said he’s known the woman about eight years, but their relationship turned into something more a year ago while he was on an economic development trip to Argentina.

 

Damn those frequent flyer miles, he spent “the last five days of his life crying in Argentina”  Oh yeah, I was born yesterday. While he was choking back tears and talking about “God’s law, moral absolutes and following one’s heart” did it ever dawn on him that viagra maybe the devil?

Thanks a lot  Gov. Sanford, here we go again. Thanks to you and your economic development, we have to deal with a 24/7 news cycle covering another Republican “presidental hopeful” exposed as a hypocrite, having to stepdown from a leadership position, issuing a “heartfelt” apology to his GOP colleagues. Now where’s the morality in that?

Reminder: The Raleigh USDA NAIS listening session is Thursday June 25th

The USDA listening session about the proposed National Animal Identification System is this Thursday, June 25 at the Jane S. McKimmon Center, 1101 Gorman Street in Raleigh, NC. The session will last from 8:00am-4:00pm.

You can Pre-register online: Send an email to NAISSessions@aphis.usda.gov  In the subject line of the e-mail, indicate your name (or organization name) and the location of the meeting you plan to attend. If you wish to present public comments, include your name and address in the body of the message. Pre-register by Phone: call 301-734-0799 or Register the day of the meeting, beginng on-site at 8 am.  

Here is a video clip from the Texas listening session:

Here is a video clip from Missouri and SD sessions:

Central Regional Hospital employees investigated over nude cell photos

Another embarrassing incident for Central Regional Hospital.

The State Bureau of Investigation has been asked to review allegations that employees at a state mental hospital in Butner used a cell phone to take nude photos of at least one patient.

Two health-care technicians from Central Regional Hospital are on paid leave while the investigation proceeds, Renee McCoy, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services, said Monday.

The employees, whose names were not released, were sent home after a cell phone provided to hospital administrators Wednesday was found to contain a picture of a partially nude male, according to an incident report filed with Butner Public Safety, a state police agency with jurisdiction over the hospital.

Public safety officers seized the phone and are investigating the incident in cooperation with the SBI, according to the incident report.

Vicki Smith, executive director of the advocacy group Disability Rights North Carolina, said that hospital staff photographing nude mental patients, if confirmed, would constitute an “appalling” violation of privacy rights.

Oh, but an email was sent out, problem solved?

Missouri State Rep. Cynthia Davis, “Worst Person in the World”

WTF is wrong with this woman? Never have I been so appalled by a politician as I am with Cynthia Davis. I now feel sorry for the people in her district but hey don’t let me influence you, she does a much better job explaining her ignorance.

“Hunger can be a positive motivator” she says, indeed ”the number of poor Missouri kids who qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches” sits well above the national average at 8.3 %. While, I’m sure not all of the hungry children can work at McDonald’s, you wouldn’t know it from her press release: 

• Families may economize by choosing to not waste hard earned dollars on potato chips, ice cream, or Twinkies.  Perhaps some families will buy more beans and chicken and less sweets.
• Is school the only place a child can get a nutritious meal?   Parents have good reason to dispute the idea that their children will not receive a nutritious meal if they are not in a government institution.  Who should be the one to pass judgment on what defines a nutritious meal?  I represent many fine families in District 19 and I am proud of all of them for doing what is best for their children.
• If parents are laid off, that doesn’t mean they stop feeding their children, at least not any of the parents I know.  Laid off parents could adapt by preparing more home cooked meals rather than going out to eat.
• Why have meals at home with your loved ones if you can go to the government soup kitchen and get one for free?  This could have the effect of breaking apart more families.
• Who’s buying dinner?   Who is getting paid to serve the meal?  Churches and other non-profits can do this at no cost to the taxpayer if it is warranted.  That is what they did when Louisiana had a hurricane.
• While nobody is disputing the benefits of nutritious food, why the presumption that parents are not providing nutritious food for their children?  Even if they are not, who created a new rule that says government must make up for any lack at home?   The problem of childhood obesity has been cited as one of the most rapidly growing health problems in America.  People who are struggling with lack of food usually do not have an obesity problem.
• Anyone under 18 can be eligible?  Can’t they get a job during the summer by the time they are 16?  Hunger can be a positive motivator.   What is wrong with the idea of getting a job so you can get better meals? Tip:  If you work for McDonald’s, they will feed you for free during your break.

There you have it, the answer to world hunger according to Davis, eat more beans, chicken and work for McDonald’s. Missouri State Rep. Cynthia Davis, the most appropriate Worst Person’s ever.

How did 2 Japanese nationals obtain $134 billion in U.S. bonds, mostly Treasury bonds?

Imagine my surprise when I ran across this story.

Two Japanese nationals were detained by Italian financial police last week after trying to enter Switzerland with $134 billion worth of undeclared U.S. bonds, mostly Treasury bonds, an Italian daily said Wednesday. The Japanese consulate general in Milan confirmed that the detention had taken place and said it was trying to confirm with Italian authorities whether the two were indeed Japanese nationals and their identities.

According to the report in il Giornale, two unidentified Japanese in their 50s concealed the bonds, including 249 U.S. Treasury bonds each worth $500 million, in a suitcase with a false bottom that was searched by the Italian authorities June 3 when they were in Chiasso, at the border with Switzerland, about 50 kilometers north of Milan. The daily did not say on what charges they have been detained, but the two may have been detained on suspicion of attempting to take a large amount of securities out of Italy without declaring it because the paper said they had not declared the bonds.

Are you saying to yourself, Wow!, I haven’t hear about this? Well there is a reason for that.. other than Bloomberg, the only other mainstream media source in the U.S., that had any information regarding this story was Glenn Beck.  Bloomberg’s, William Pesek and Karl Denninger have two interesting perspectives regarding this under-reported event, and they also make reference to the lack of media attention this story has received, especially considering the amount of  the  undeclared  U.S.  bonds involved. I suggest reading both Bloomberg pieces but as a teaser, here is an excerpt from Denninger.

The Historic Keepsake Photo and the girl who can’t apologize

Goforth's Racist Email Photo

The photo above was sent out in an email titled “Historic Keepsake Photo” by Sherri Goforth, an administrative assistant for Tennesse State Sen. Diane Black. The following video has more.

One staffer who received the email posted it online. The title of their post was fitting, “Racist and Ridiclous”.  The staffer said:

I talked to my local rep, Mark Maddox about it, and described the picture to him at a recent fund raising event. I think he was as appalled as I was. I was going to post it last week but there was a death in my family and I had to think about it.

Because it made me mad.

But, you know, people need to know that this stuff is going on. I would be just as angry if a democratic staffer had sent it.

Dammit, Tennessee, haven’t we moved past this kind of crap. I’m serious.

GOP entertainment at it’s “Racist best” courtesy of Rusty DePass

You would think the GOP would get it by now. This comment coming from a man who wrote an op-ed entitled “Do Republicans have higher moral standards than Democrats?”

Source: The Huffington Post

The controversy started when FITSNews, a local politics Website, obtained a screengrab of DePass’s comment on Facebook.

After an aide to state Attorney General Henry McMaster detailed the escape of the gorilla from Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo, DePass responded with a comment: “I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors – probably harmless.”

DePass later admitted to WIS Newsthat he was referring to Michelle Obama and said, “I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone. The comment was clearly in jest.”

That’s what his mouth says, folks.