A Little Bit Scary

It seems our Supreme Court Justices are still a lttle thick when it comes to digital tech communications.

Perhaps President Obama should find a Supreme Court nominee who knows something about technology as DC Dicta points out how some of the current justices struggled with the subject during recent oral arguments.

"The first sign was about midway through the argument, when Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. -- who is known to write out his opinions in long hand with pen and paper instead of a computer -- asked what the difference was 'between email and a pager?'"

          Questions from other justices showed they didn't know much more.

Duh!. I'm somewhat dense with technology, but this is a tad shocking for such supposedly brilliant people on the highest court in the land making monumental decisions involving technology.

Thickening Plot in the US Senate

The budget resolution being drafted by
Senate Democrats will include reconciliation instructions, according to
Democrats briefed on the matter.

The reconciliation instructions, which allow legislation to move through the upper chamber with a simple majority instead of 60 votes, will be included

          to ease the passage of deficit reduction measures, according to Democrats on
          the Senate Budget Committee.

But the reconciliation language could
also be used to pass the extension of expiring tax cuts, job-creation measures
and energy legislation, according to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

It could also be used for any number of legislative items on dems wish list, even a Public Option for HCR. So long as it is budget related. Good sign though that Senate dems are planning for the certainty that the GOP will block whatever they try to pass, no matter if it is good for the country, or not. Stay tuned

I Love the Smell of Irony In the Morning--Smells, like, - Victory!

The same can't be said of another event held just outside town today at Ft. Hunt National Park in northern Virgina. According to the Washington Post, protesters at the "Restore The Constitution" rally will take advantage of new gun laws signed by President Obama allowing the carrying of firearms in national parks to make an armed stand for liberty today.

So Much For a GOP Tidal Wave In November

The Apple Dumpling Revolution, Too long in the oven? The faithful out in the countryside are not as pleased with the parties direction as Tea Partiers tell us.

Afternoon Obot Cafe

If you appreciate the intersection of traditional folk music and the ethereal female singing voice, then this tune could be for you. A little long at 11 minutes, but well worth it, especially if feeling stressed.

The Unthanks - Anache Gordon

Carolina Chocolate Drops performing "Hit' Em Up Style"

How Can It Get Any Worse?

From TPM Livewire

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said on CNN's State of the Union that Obama
has thrown "fuel on the fire at a time when the civil, when the debate
about politics is a very angry debate to begin with."

"What this is going to do is cause the election of a lot more
Republican Scott Browns in November who are determined to come in and
provide some checks and balances in Washington to stop the overreaching
of the government," he added

It would be impossible, or nearly so, for things to get much worse in the US Senate with the GOP obstructing about every thing that moves. It is the modus operandi and low brow political tactics of the party of personal responsibility. Fist make impossible for Obama to effectively run the government with record holds on various appointees, then when Obama has no choice but to make emergency recess appointments in key government agency positions, the right wing cries foul and that Obama is poisoning a well of comity that does not exist thanks to GOP obstruction. And if he doesn't fill these critical positions, it opens him up to GOP charges of incompetence and mismanagement when agencies fall short of their mandates to congress. It is abut the most cynical and depraved method of politicking and with a clueless or amiable media, it seems to be working, for now.

Some of this type of sparing is normal for political posturing in the senate done by both parties when a president of the other party holds the White House. But the republicans under Obama have taken it to an entirely different level with not only appointment holds, but record filibusters and other parliamentary trickery. It borders on sedition toward fostering failure of the government to function.

And HCR is just the most recent claim that Obama is governing like some kind of Marxist Dictator, when the only thing he is guilty of is passing laws well within the rules that the GOP doesn't like. Or, a duly elected government with democrats given a huge majority to govern, which they have done well within Obama's campaign promise to reform health care. With the truth being, the HCR bill that passed was much more conservative than liberal, with many provisions inserted by republicans.

And now we get, after all the lies and distortions the GOP has put out on HCR, charges of democrats passing laws that are not wanted by the public, a public that is so thoroughly confused from the lies and distortions from the right, based on mostly a single pollster called Rasmussen, a known GOP polling outfit.