Senate The US Politics discussion

Uncle Tom's neurosurgeon

 

oof

 

I think the weird part is like the libertarian insistence on addressing the members of the Paul family as "Doctor" Ron Paul. While it's true, they clearly mean to confer some sort of credibility to his political opinions that isn't their. Surprisingly, medical school curriculum doesn't tend to cover macroeconomics, foreign affairs, constitutional law, or any of the other things that one would imagine might be relevant to a President or senior policy-maker. All he has is lots of firsthand experience in one realm of policy. But most candidates can say that. Farmers can brag that they have the most firsthand exposure to the issues of the farm bill, but Collin Peterson's supporters try to make everyone call him "Farmer Peterson."John McCain doesn't ask that people address him as Captain McCain, nor does John Kerry make people call him Lieutenant Kerry.

Or, to pick the most direct analogy, neither Tom Coburn nor Bill Frist, nor really any of the other several physicians that are in Congress ever try to do this. Just two racist "libertarians" and him.

 

Inspired by Wocky's post, from now on, I shall be referred to as Dr. Internets.

 

Maybe I am too simple minded. But will someone read THIS and tell me why at the very least this does nto draw enough attention that the investigative powers that be don't at least take a look at all parties involed?

 

Because according to the Supreme Court, corporations are people too. /vomit.

 

good ol' crony cap

 

Anyone follow NYC politics?

 

I'm almost afraid to answer?

 

BILL DECOMMIO

 

I think he's going to, ultimately, be terrible -- but I think a lot of the early rush to judgment is pretty fun insanity-level stuff. Other than the shots of him jaywalking, those are hilarious...

 

i loved the tardiness twitter account. then it was taken down because boohoo waaaaahhh etc.

 

I admit I haven't read up on NYC's new mayor very much since, well, he's not my mayor and for some reason I've cooled to liberal populism since 2008. But what, exactly, are people freaking out about? He wants to raise taxes slightly, AFAIK. He talks about the growing economic disparity in the city and wants to address it a bit, which got some people hilariously mad. He supposedly doesn't subscribe to the "BROKEN WINDOWS" (go after the poor/minorities) theory of law enforcement.

Oh, and he doesn't clear the snow from streets fast enough or something.

 

i love reading all that stuff. even giuliani told everybody to cut the guy some slack. he does seem like a bit of a dim bulb, though.

 

ANYTHING SLIGHTLY LEFT OF EXTREME RIGHT IS COMMUNISM.

 

Wrong, correct and wrong.

So, first... he wants to raise taxes A LOT. Which, I'm not functionally opposed to, but he seems to be Bushian in his stances, regardless of economic data and consideration on business effects (small business, large business, whatever).

Second, you're correct -- he wants to address income inequality, but I haven't heard anything that indicates he has a plan with which to do this (granted, I haven't heard all his plans so they may be there). You can't operate in a vacuum and much of the income inequality is coming from housing market effects; I'm not yet sure how he will likely handle this, but raising of the minimum wage regardless of other factors is not the answer (see: Seattle).

Lastly, he appointed Bratton as police commissioner who is right back to enforcing "Broken Windows" while stopping "stop and frisk." So it's a trade-off of stopping stop and frisk (which have mixed reactions in the city, even among the minority communities) for going back to arresting homeless panhandlers on the subways and ticketing for everything under the sun. Personally, I'm a fan of nuanced versions of both polciies, but just remember: Bratton was the one who originally invented stop and frisk policies in the modern NYC under Giuliani. So it'll never go away entirely.

PS - the snow issue is not about him clearing it fast enough. It's a perception issue, where they don't cancel schools when it's dangerous to get the kids there (and threw the AMS under the bus one time when they got it flat wrong) as well as photos of him shoveling his own driveway during work hours on a workday which, while menschy, is a terrible use of his time as Mayor of NYC. Horrible PR handling on both sides. It hasn't helped that his first couple of days in office corresponded with some of the worst Winter weather in living memory...

 

Boehner invites Pope to address Congress

Won't that be slightly....awkward for the Republicans.

 

POPE FRANCIS DECOMMIO

 

I think as Speaker, he's kind of obligated to at least extend the invite, given that the Pope is in essence thought of in the same league as political World Leaders, given he's at the head of the largest religion in the world?

 

head of the largest single religious organization, in any case

 

I'm laughing at the potential reaction of the Religious Right to having to listen to a Pope who is explicitly sympathetic to gays and lesbians, and who rejects trickle down economics, as well as the hypocracy of the Republicans for inviting him in the first place. I want him to accept the invitation. I think the reaction of certain conservative religious groups would be very funny.

 

If the Pope has any sense, he will decline the invitation and instead, go fishing that weekend.