Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

What about innocent until proven guilty?

i actually don't get the relevance of that, sturg, tho i know it's been said a lot this week. Innocent-until-proven doesn't mean that the accused can go about doing everything they used to do -- in many cases they lose their freedom and await trial in jail. Appointing senators would seem to be a power that the Senate ought not validate for a governor so accused. Would be an interesting court test.

The real hypocrisy yesterday was Obama's flip flop on social security. Why didn't he announce his plans to curb government spending by overhauling social security before he was elected?

Does the "overhaul" include privatization?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/politics/08obama.html

Agree, chez -- the new talk that combines getting rid of "entitlements" to references to change coming for "retirees" is interesting to say the least.

There's plenty of hypocrisy in Washington, but I think the bigger joke is those Senators on the inside, who spend a third of their time putting the arm on constituents and other deep pockets for contributions so they can get re-elected, trying to keep Mr. Burris out of their pristeen club.

Quid pro quo doesn't literally translate as pay to play, but those clubs in Senator Reid's home state are also not the only place in the U.S. where there is legalized prostitution.

good morning gang....

hypocrisy.... thy synonym is politics....

of course if the GOP did this we'd all be screaming..... neither party is pure as the driven snow and neither are their supporters.... myself included....

we want what we want...... but we don't want "them" to have it....

"You'd think Senate leaders would at least wait to see if the Illinois governor is impeached and thrown out of office" and
"Senate ought not validate for a governor so accused"

craig, set a precedent like that and we'll be having govs and their electors at the mercy of unscrupulous prosecuters. consider also the other "official" actions taken by the accused that you are voiding and the problem of at what point in time is the line drawn when those actions are deemed invalid.

are you suggesting that heads of states, upon arrest or accusation, must automatically resign/step aside and pass the authority granted them by the electorate to someone else?

The in-vitro diagnostics are complete - The hypocrisy virus was found to be native among many of the old time representatives – They are the Carriers !! Craig be careful to keep up your vaccinations.

The choice of Senator should have NO CONTROL by the Senate – it is strictly a State issue. Whoever the State sends that meets the State requirments as outlined in the Constitution – then that is it.

Just another opportunity for Harry to show the impact of the many virus that he suffers from.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187684

yep, patd, i think the public business ought to be conducted by people who haven't been arrested

flatus, were you aware of the mk-ultra research referred to by spytalk that's basis for current legal action by vets? any tho'ts?
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/spytalk/

"If hypocrisy was a virus in Washington, we'd all be dead."

Craig, You can take Washington out of that statement, and just say 'If hypocrisy was a virus, we'd all be dead'. (Then again, I can only speak for myself)

Or maybe I'm thinking about conflict and contradicitons. :)
...............

"Why didn't he announce his plans to curb government spending by overhauling social security before he was elected?"

Good question chez

"So the Chicago Way hauled off and slapped the U.S. Senate in the face—one of those backhands with the knuckles to unsuspecting lips—and guess who blinked?

It wasn't Chicago.

It was the Senate.

Get used to it, America. And it won't be the last time either."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-08-jan08,0,6293839.column

"...the public business ought to be conducted by people who haven't been arrested"

craig, i agree if your "ought to" is, as the englishpage.com people explain,
"used to advise or make recommendations. "Ought to" also expresses assumption or expectation as well as strong probability, often with the idea that something is deserved."
but demanding such action under the color of law takes a law... and imho that law doesn't exist in this particular case.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187686

Criag - You can not let one undesirable situation create a larger more deadly flaw.

Roland W. Burris is the subject not Blagojevich.

We are not in a perfect world and to create and allow the US Senate to have any control over a States Rights is very dangerous.

Live with the smaller problem and do not create a catastrophic situation to fix something that is minor.

Is Roland Burris meeting the requirements - Yes? Is he a criminal – No !
Do we all have distain for Blagojevich? YES
Should that create a deviation of the Constitution and more power to the Senate – NO . Or only in Harry’s dementia.

The Fed MUST Stay out of the States Business !!

Harry, Barney, Nancy and Chris are greater risks to the good of this country then little Roland Burris.

I really should have quoted this next paragraph too. I got such a laugh out of "perhaps because he's from Illinois and he hasn't been indicted". I hate to admit it, but I love sarcasm - it's my humor of choice.

"Roland "Tombstone" Burris, the amiable Illinois Democratic political hack who is being called eminently qualified by the national Democrats—perhaps because he's from Illinois and he hasn't been indicted—has almost reached his goal of being addressed as "Yes, sir, Senator."

He hasn't been removed from office; his gubernatorial duties have in no way been suspended; he still had the right to appoint Burris.

However, did Harry Reid have to play puffer-fish on Sunday morning? No.
Could the Dems have handled the appearance of Burris in DC better? Yes.

Here's the the problem I have with Burris. He wanted to be the story. Blago may have the arrogant hair-do, but Burris is every bit as arrogant.

Plenty of that to go around in DC, too.

Craig, I have to disagree with you on this one just as I have from the beginning. If Burris is not a legal appointment according to the laws of Illinois, then absolutely nothing that Blagojavich has done since being arrested is also void. Do we go back and wipe out every law he has signed?

As long as there is no proven taint on Burris that lines up with anything for which Blago eventually may be convicted, there is no reason not to seat him. Even if it should turn out that there was, Burris would still be seated according to present law, but then the Senate could toss him out for criminal activity.

No matter how you look at it, the Senate Dems went off half cocked without considering the law and now Reid has egg all over his egotistic incompetent face.

"the current stats:

Craig “Trailmix” Crawford 74%
Eugene “Dance Man” Robinson 14%
Chris “The Fix” Cillizza 6%
Nate “Cool Geek” Silver 5%
The winner, to be announced Friday afternoon..... will receive the following exciting prizes:

A beautiful hand-crafted certificate plaque
A $100 donation made in the winner’s name to the Houston SPCA animal disaster relief fund."

also see symbolic baloney & craig comment at

http://olberblogging.com/

blue -
The In-Vitro test for arrogance is still in beta - as to diagnose does not require significant effort and it is very obvious - thus no need to come with a product in a the capitalistic world.

Arrogance virus seems to grow exponential once one arrives in DC.

Exception – Craig has his Home Town O-Town Immunity.

"Reid has egg all over his egotistic incompetent face."

Ha, well said!

arrogance & incompetence.... thy synonym is politics.....

hey... it was great to see the return of maxtrue last night....

Craig, I think your 'baloney' slogan cinched this for you!
And you even got an honorable mention for Houston!!

"The Houston SPCA takes the lead across the upper Gulf Coast for both pet and wildlife rescue following both natural and man-made disasters."

Thanks Craig! And go SPCA!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187686

Craig,

Did someone rip up your law license? If this were true, then bring on the kangaroo courts. I don't like that politician, arrest him for Jay Walking, instant resignation.

There is only a couple of ways to get rid of someone such as Blago: Conviction of a crime that sends him to jail forcing a resignation. Come to think of it, that might not even do it as I believe there have been a couple of cases of office holders still running things from behind bars.

The Illinois house and senate need to impeach him.

Things that make you go "HUH?"

Morning Joe ... gang chit chatting about the gathering of the Presidents yesterday, commenting about Clinton's remark, "I love this rug". They went off into conversation about, "didn't he recognize it" ... "I think it is new since he was there". Six peple and none of them know the story of the rug?

Which sensory deprivation tank have these people been in for the past several years? Bush repeatedly has raved about his Laura designed "a positve person works here" half million dollar rug. Catch up gang, Clinton was either actually admiring it, or gigging W a little about it.

BTW, Obama will have the right to design his rug as well if he wants to change it.

craig, given what cq guest analyst powers and others wrote yesterday about the senate's attempted coup d'etat or should that read coupette or mini couper, ya'll must have had some interesting conversations around the cq coffee pot re laws and outlaws.

"No matter how you look at it, the Senate Dems went off half cocked without considering the law and now Reid has egg all over his egotistic incompetent face."

Jamie
Spot on lady!!

" but those clubs in Senator Reid's home state are also not the only place in the U.S. where there is legalized prostitution."

Good one, Ed!

"set a precedent like that and we'll be having govs and their electors at the mercy of unscrupulous prosecuter"

Excellent point, patd....

Jamie,
Are those “Chicken” eggs, or Head in the Sand Ostrich eggs, or gooney bird eggs – on his egotistical incompetent face.

You know the cool thing ….
This has been there all the time but now that “The Distraction” is being replaced with a next father of two beautiful girls – people must again pay attention to all the arrogant egotistical incompetence that remains – which is the last part of our Government that needs Change - The OLD TIME DEMS!

Time to refocus the spot light – And I see it is already happening…… ‘bout time

Obama serves Reid taste of Chicago Way
Distractions Won't Undermine Obama -

Change That at Least Some People Can Believe In
"....Any politician who has ruffled so many feathers from such diverse constituencies must be doing something right.

Every new president causes some grumbling within his own base and even more from the political opposition, but incoming President Obama is particularly vulnerable to complaints from the peanut gallery.

That's because when he ran for president promising change, the Illinois Democrat was purposely vague. There are many forms of change, and Obama's campaign message allowed each person to define what he or she thought that change would be.

If Obama falters, it won't be because of Bill Richardson or Rod Blagojevich. And if he succeeds, it will be because he continues down the path he has already begun."
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/01/change_that_at_least_some_peop.html

mk-ultra research

Patd, I know nothing beyond what was in the newspapers of the day.

"the arrogant egotistical incompetence that remains – which is the last part of our Government that needs Change - The OLD TIME DEMS!"

Yes, a good focus Ping. But you forgot to add 'The OLD TIME REPUBLICANS' too.

Our glorious Senate.

The last time I watched a major vote in the Senate--it was probably on the bailout--I saw all those old men, and an occasional woman, wandering about the Senate Floor aimlessly.

At the time it struck me that their random movements could be absolutely described as Brownian Motion.

I half way expected a Zen monk to go around to those remaining in their seats poking them with his staff to see if rigor had set in or if they were merely asleep.

Patsi, time to clear off the Mall in preparation for massive old-peoples marches on Washington.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187700

yes that's what impeachment is for, and it ought to be used in this case. i'm not saying any lowly prosecutor should be able to force a resignation with an arrest. i am saying the legislature should remove this governor, based upon the information in his warrant, if nothing else. and the Senate has every right and obligation to wait for that before seating someone he appointed

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187711

Chloe - The Old Time Rep's got theirs in '06......

The cleaning of the GOP is all but done. The Dem's has really yet to begun

well, at least I can now see both sides of it......but I think I'll have to come down on the side laid out by patd......when they call and ask me that's what I'll tell them, I guess..........

From that NY Times piece:

"For Mrs. Clinton, the next challenge is passing muster with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Most observers said they expected her to get a warm reception. Mrs. Clinton, some noted, has not yet resigned her Senate seat, guaranteeing her some professional courtesy."

It's apparent that Barack and Hillary knew they were on the same page before any agreements were made. I find that comforting. This is looking more and more like a smooth transition.

I would add..

- Cue Phil Collins --- It is the Circle of Life..... only applied to Politics

Or Joni Mitchell - Round and Round we go.....

"The Dem's has really yet to begun"

gotcha :)

I've looked at cloudy issues from both sides now........

..... send in the clowns.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187714

Craig - Maybe Washington-itis has set in..... When is the last time you came home to O-Town? Do we need to send some buster shots your way?

Leave it to the State. This is a line that the Fed must not cross - and keeps doing.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187714

Craig,

The problem with this is that you can't leave a Senate seat vacant until a State legislature gets off it's flummoxed rear end. Even if they do impeach him, he doesn't stop being Governor until there is a conviction. After all, Clinton didn't stop being President just because he was impeached. You have to have a guilty verdict.

As stated above, the Senate can not dictate the law to the states about that state's representation. They can boot out a member if he or she violates the ethics rules of the Senate, but that requires that they be there in the first place.

"I half way expected a Zen monk to go around to those remaining in their seats poking them with his staff to see if rigor had set in or if they were merely asleep."

flatus, that's a good job for the pages. but there's a room off the chambers with cots for those who care to rip away from cameras' glare. can you imagine what it was like before cameras were allowed?

The Kass article that Chloe posted at 7:52 suggested that Obama called Senator Reid and played Chicago hardball.

Then again, he may have told Reid, if this gets as far as me, I'm just going to vote "present"

"Daschle's approach: Anything but Clinton
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/politics/08obama.html"

Thanks for the link....but this is the actual Times headline: "Obama Promises Bid to Overhaul Retiree Spending"

"It's apparent that Barack and Hillary knew they were on the same page before any agreements were made. I find that comforting. This is looking more and more like a smooth transition."

Good morning Chloe,all
I was just thinking the same thing.I find it comforting that for the first time in a long time there's real smart thinking people in charge.I think the days of gut level decisions are over,now brains and reason will rule the day....Change I do believe.....

after reading all the comments..... I've got to go with Ping on this subject....

not because I'm a big states' rights proponent..... but because I am a big voters' rights proponent....

the people of Illinois voted for Blago for governor..... he is exercising his duties to them..... the state legislature can remove him as governor as they too are duly elected by the voters of Illinois.....

to let the Federal government decide this thing is to say that all those voters votes didn't count...... which is exactly what the Supreme Court did to Florida in Gore v Bush, IMO.... and that pissed me off.....

the electrician is here..... he will be turning off circuits....
I may have to turn off this computer any minute now.....

'there's real smart thinking people in charge."

Tony, Yes! I think that's what gave me that feeling of comfort. (in my case, the absence of fear).

Tony, when are your cousins arriving? And are you ready.

"Crawford files suit: Tells Olbermann, 'close the polls, now' "

Just keep in mind Craig, that hand-crafted can be anywhere from calligraphy to crayon.

"I may have to turn off this computer any minute now..."

Renee, come back when he's done. (I take it you're getting your generator. (?)

Renee a terrible thought just came to mind. Ask the electrician if he can guarantee the generator won't harm your electronics. Reason is, most don't do a sine wave like the power company, but some variation like a square wave which may, or may not, be okay.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187739

Flatus, Maybe it would be a good idea for her to unplug everything before he starts. (?)

Yes, Chloe, that's an excellent idea.

Have fun everyone.
..out and about.

we are getting a transfer switch for the generator installed...... it is another panel that is hooked up to our main power panel.... we are responsible for buying our own generator..... there aren't any to be found in the area at the moment....

I knew people who had generators that ran their computers.....
and maybe you missed my post about Rick and his brother hooking up his parents router to a boat battery so Rick could work from his parents' house.... if a boat battery can do it.... I don't know why a generator wouldn't do it.....

but then..... I'm not an expert at any of this.....

chloe, thanks for that kass article. loved this line:

"Their statements back then were stern and inflexible, invoking the honor of the Senate and how they'd never let an allegedly corrupt governor put his greasy paws on their august dignity."

sturge, i'm touched. but our gracious host's opinion must be considered and given some weight as he is right there in the midst of the mysteries of the inner sanctum and may be privy to knowledge unbeknowst to us heathens.

RR -
What are you going to burn in your generator ? You're not near a nat gas line are you ?
----------------
" If hypocrisy was a virus in Washington, we'd all be dead. "

As Jamaica Vin said -
"If brother if."

Craig -
I've been picking the brain of a lady named Anya. She's the pres. of the Mt. Pleasant Solar co-op in Washington. Say hello if you ever bump into her.

Hubble Finds Stars That Go 'Ballistic'

ScienceDaily (Jan. 8, 2009) — Even some stars go ballistic, racing through interstellar space like bullets and tearing through clouds of gas.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090107174617.htm

Ten inches of snow melted in a 12-hour period at Snoqualmie Pass, according to Meteorologist Andy Haner.

Nearly 7 inches of rain fell in one 24-hour period at Marblemount in the Cascade foothills. A record 2.29 inches of rain fell Wednesday at Sea-Tac Airport and a record 4.82 inches at Olympia.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_winter_weather.html

-----------------

Snow is not supposed to be melting on mountain passes in the first week of January.

Bob, she was going to get a propane tank hooked to it. No natural gas out in the boonies.

The astronomy observatories atop the snow-capped mountain of Mauna Kea are seen near Hilo, Hawaii. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano and home to an astronomy community. A plume of smoke from the Halema'uma'u crater at Volcanoes National Park can be seen in the background. (AP Photo/Tim Wright)
(January 07, 2009)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/photos/popupV2.asp?SubID=458&page=3>itle=Day%20in%20Pictures&pubdate=1/7/2009

Thanks Flat-

RR -
If you don't mind. Let us know what this costs you guys. As someone who thinks we should be as decentralized as possible, you're tale will be a great case study.

I've had an idea and have no idea if it is practical or even doable. Right now the states are collapsing under the weight of unemployment costs. The unemployment numbers are heading for the stratosphere and the boomers are on the edge of retirement.

A large number of the laid off people are in mid to older years (companies like to avoid paying retirement if possible). They will probably never regain a position of equal salary if they are able to find a job at all.

How about a one time early retirement offer by Social Security to anyone between 55 and 70 not currently receiving benefits. Get them on to Medicare.

Reduces number of unemployed. Frees up jobs for younger workers. Takes a big burden off of the states, and provides medical insurance. It wouldn't be practical for everybody, but it might assist a lot of people for less cost than the current state by state system.

Anybody, have any comparison figures on costs and whether or not it would have a snowball's chance in Congress if the costs were viable?

More than 500 earthquakes have been recorded in the area around Yellowstone Lake in the past 10 days.

The earthquakes appear to be subsiding and caused no property damage. But they have left scientists and park officials wondering what it means for the world's first national park.

While the park has experienced earthquake swarms before, the recent activity is unusual because of its intensity.

Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah, has studied Yellowstone's seismic activity for the past 40 years.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wy_yellowstone_quakes.html?source=mypi
------------------
Smith is a pretty cool fellow.

APNewsBreak:
Larry Craig dropping further appeals

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_mn_craig_appeal.html
------------
Good bye Larry.

Craig,
Maybe its an "inconvenience" to you but the law is the law. You make it seem as if the Dems have a choice in this. Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of the constitution realizes that the Senate cannot legally block this lawful appointment.

What amazes me is that every Dem senator signed a document saying that they wouldn't seat a legally appointed senator. Even PEO echoed this sentiment. Many of these people have a law background. They should know the law. I would think that you would as well.

Luckily the public woke up and decided that the constitution still means something to us......You might want to take note.

Bit of trivia now that we have a Hawaiian native in charge and are likely to be seeing words from the Islands. The Hawaiian alphabet only has 12 letters and they pronounce them ALL. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAFeMFFjVrA

Renee,
A quality generator runs computers and other sensitive electronics fine. Some of the cheaper models have a difficulty maintained the proper cycles and can damage sensitive equipment. Make sure and use a surge supressor and try not to get close to the surge amperage threshold and you'll be fine.

Jamie -

Some how I get the feeling we're still in the phase of a falling knife. You're idea may seem more reasonable in 3 months, and absolutely fabulous in 6 months.

LOS ANGELES - Wildlife experts are trying to figure out why sick, disoriented and bruised California brown pelicans are being found in record numbers along more than 1,000 miles of coastline.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28542756/

Excerpt from Letterman's Top 10 List Last Night:

"The Top Ten Things Overheard at the Presidents' Lunch"

#10. Sorry, you're not on the list, Mr. Gore.
# 8. Laura! More Mountain Dew!
# 5. Hey Barack, wanna go with us to Cabo in March? Oh that's right, you have to work!

When we had that kind of thing happen on the Gulf coast, it usually was related to toxic 'red tides'. But, I've never heard of anything of that magnitude--1,000 miles is awesome.

UFO claim over wind farm damage

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lincolnshire/7817378.stm

jaxtrader,
I agree!

It was lawyers that authorized torture-some are extremely arrogant. Good thing we are guaranteed public trials.
I was observing in court one day and the defendant said "my lawyers said I could do it" the judge responded "that's my job"

The Doors - Spanish Caravan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V06LZDmtCA

Flatus,
Sounds like a bacterial or viral outbreak of some sort.

Easy Rider Documentary: Shaking the Cage (Part 1 of 7)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIwD1wFlMn4

The news release about Pepsi's role notes: "During the week of the inauguration, Pepsi will continue its brand re-launch around the ideas of hope, positive change and active participation, through forums, out-of-home communications, television and digital communications."

So Pepsi gets all these celebrities to lend their star power to the brand relaunch, and wow, although it's not exactly, well, nutritionally useful, I'll bet there will be free Pepsi at the party. The White House, after all, is having a brand relaunch, too.

P.S.: Lee Houskeeper spotted a 4-foot-tall $400 Obama saint candle in the window of Just for Fun on 24th Street. And Steven Marker notes that Twin Peaks Pizza's new flyers feature "Obama Specials." Marker is wondering, however, "how they decided that 'Change Can Happen' would be two 16-inch one-topping pizzas, and 'Yes We Can' would be two meat lasagnas and two small salads."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/08/DD9I154H77.DTL

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187729

I also admire him,i hope it comes to pass...

Sanjay Gupta: What the Next Surgeon General Doesn't Know About Pot

By Russ Belville, NORML. Posted January 8, 2009.

The next surgeon general needs to stop putting politics before science. Gupta may not be ready for that.

In 2002, Gupta was more than willing to echo the outrageous claims that smoking pot would lead to psychosis, depression and schizophrenia:
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/118126/

The US spends over 7 billion dollars a year enforcing pot laws --a complete waste of money

So KGC

If you give them a $20, does can change happen?

Jack

"Tony, when are your cousins arriving? And are you ready"

Hey Chloe
They got here yesterday.I had a nice dinner for them last night (baked Chicken with my homemade Potato salad and coleslaw and some fresh baked bread).It was tasty and they really enjoyed it..I also had my aunt and uncle over and used the dining room with lit candles,i must do that more often.Nice...I just returned from taking them for breakfast and now there back on I-95 headed for Miami and the game between the Dolphins and Oklahoma.I'm off today and its so beautiful I think I will go to the beach for awhile and read.No grand baby yet?I hope soon..Thanks for checking up on me,your a dream...Hey whats up with Champ?Champ you need to stick around....

Blago should look at Kwame Kilpatrick. For a very long time he refused to resign. He nearly forced our state governor to step in and remove him from office. He finally resigned and he is now in jail. The woman involved in the scandal that brought him down got sentenced to jail yesterday. I just don't buy the argument by people like who don't abide by the rules and then claim, "It's my job to represent the people of my state etc..." They didn't think about them when they were doing whatever they were doing that got them into trouble in the first place. Also claiming that these scandals won't affect how they do their job on a daily basis.

Posted by: whskyjack Author Profile Page | January 8, 2009 12:24 PM

a 20...the change may not be as much as one would like

afternoon.

Craig, I agree and disagree with your comment. I'd like to see government of the clean, by the clean and for the rest of us - that point is the point of agreement. Fact is, though, Fitz's case against Blago doesn't seem as open and shut as the clips we've heard or read might suggest - otherwise why would he ask to quadruple the time between arrest and indictment? And that's just for the charge for an indictment - and as all us lawyer types know, a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich if he wants. I do bemoan the fact that Blago is the one who appointed Burris - whose hubris is apparently in no short supply - but that aside, the appointment appears to be legal on its face and until Blago is actually indicted at a minimum, or convicted ultimately, unless he in his discretion steps aside or is impeached and convicted by the ILL legislature - and I'm really not sure what the hell they're waiting for - like it or not, Burris is the duly nominated temp for Obama's vacated seat and is entitled to take his seat - which is the point of disagreement.

Extending your analysis would seem to mean that any official at any level of government should step aside if arrested (and I assume you mean to include only offenses somehow related to their job or at least to offenses that bear on their ability to do their jobs in the manner voters would approve). Of course I also assume your wish is that they just don't do stuff that gets them arrested. Me, too.

Tony - I assume they are going to see the Gators against Oklahoma. I don't think there's an Okie NFL team or an NCAA Dolphins team playing tonight.

KGC, that's 7 million that could be spent on pot! LOL!

and if it were legal...it could be taxed!... Savings and revenue all in one reform package.

KGC, I worked with a guy who smoked and sold weed. I worked with another guy who took and sold ecstasy. The guy who sold "E" said he was gonna stop selling it, because so many of his friends were getting busted. That's never been my thing. I've always stayed away from that stuff. They used to random drug tests at work. If you failed one, you had to admit you had a drug problem. If you did, they would get you help. If you didn't admit that you had a problem, you got fired. I wouldn't have wanted to get fired for something stupid like that.

As an employer of heavy equipment operators I shudder when I think of having to determine when someone is an "under the influence pothead " or just drowsily happy.......yikes....

Not that we don't have to now but the prevalence of it is much less than it would be if legalized. OMG and the insurance.....I don't even want to think about it.

I'm back again.....

CBob.... I have no problem letting you (or the blog) know what this costs us....
we have decided not to go the propane route.... we will buy a generator that runs on gasoline..... as we always have some around we rotate in use for chain saws and log splitters.....

but you should know that we will buy the best generator that's out there and we will be willing to wait for it..... fortunately... we can afford quality.....

I really want to go to the Big Island of Hawaii again...... we went there for a day trip to see Volcanoes National Park when we went to Maui a few years ago..... it was the highlight for me of the whole trip..... seeing all that volcanic stuff was awesome!

"a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich if he wants"
slippery slope, pogo. next thing will be possession of fried baloney.

"Savings and revenue all in one reform package."
kgc, yeah try and get that argument past our friends the prosecutors. most won't even consider savings by cutting long mandatory sentences to help reduce the $30,000 per year per non-violent drug offender costs of incarceration.

My best friend from high school is a cop. He's been in on a few drug busts. Including a major one a few years ago. He went to a house and when he and his partner walked up to the door, there was a huge cloud of smoke in the living room. There was a man and woman smoking weed in the living room. They also had a bunch of crack cocaine in the house. Another guy appeared from one of the bedrooms. When my friend searched the bedroom, he found a few guns. He didn't know that guy was in the bedroom earlier, that guy could have killed him. An old joke between my friend and I goes back to when he graduated from the police academy. He had to take an oath. In the oath, the word "unsullied" came up. I walked up to him after the ceremony. The first thing I asked him was "What does unsullied mean?" He started laughing. He said, "I knew you were gonna mention that!"

Not that we don't have to now but the prevalence of it is much less than it would be if legalized. OMG and the insurance.....I don't even want to think about it.

That is just wrong. Pot should be available just as alcohol is available to adults who wish to use it. I guess you think prohibition was a good idea too

Corey

As long as it is illegal nothing is worth the risk of being jailed.
I'm just saying it should not be illegal. That doesn't give one the right to use it at work just as it is not ok to drink alcohol at work either. Alcohol is responsibile for far more damage and abuse then marijauna.

Jax, back in the day, things were different at work. We knew about people and their drug and alcohol addcitions. Some of these people would disappear for a month or so. We would ask, "Where's Jimmy at?" The answer we would get was, "I can't discuss that with you." Usually when people at work suddenly disappeared it meant they were either in jail or in rehab.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187773

KGC

Change can happen since you would get change back from a $20

and

Yes We Can would be stuffing your face with all that food.

http://blog.norml.org/2008/12/23/if-obama-is-pro-science-and-honest-hell-put-the-kibosh-on-the-drug-war/#more-271

"Meanwhile, NORML will push Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to reintroduce his decriminalization bill, HR5843, also known as the Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act. Co-sponsored by former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the bill would in effect decriminalize possession of up to an ounce. When introduced last year, it became the first bill to take
aim at prohibition since 1982.

Advocates may have their best ally not in the White House or in Congress, but in the economy. As state budgets shrink across the country, legislatures are often forced to choose between education and prison budgets. This phenomenon is most stark in California, where a budget shortfall and massive overcrowding has Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about letting people go
and the legislature discussing sentencing reform. "

"Famously, Franklin Delano Roosevelt saved the United States banking system during the first seven days of his first term.

And what did he do on the eighth day? “I think this would be a good time for beer,” he said.

Congress had already repealed Prohibition, pending ratification from the states. But the people needed a lift, and legalizing beer would create a million jobs. And lo, booze was back. Two days after the bill passed, Milwaukee brewers hired six hundred people and paid their first $10 million in taxes. Soon the auto industry was tooling up the first $12 million worth of delivery trucks, and brewers were pouring tens of millions into new plants.

“Roosevelt’s move to legalize beer had the effect he intended,” says Adam Cohen, author of Nothing To Fear, a thrilling new history of FDR’s first hundred days. “It was, one journalist observed, ‘like a stick of dynamite into a log jam.’”

Many in the marijuana world are now hoping for something similar from Barack Obama. After all, the president-elect said in 2004 that the war on drugs had been “an utter failure” and that America should decriminalize pot
http://blog.norml.org/category/norml-executive-director/

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187785

Jax, I can't see where it would be any different than someone drinking on the job or coming in the worse for wear from the night before. Drug testing would still be permitted.

wapo story on the just relased ill. house draft report .
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010800599.html?hpid=topnews

President-elect Barack Obama this morning delivered his first major speech on our national recovery, pledging to "put the American Dream within reach of the American people."

A major component of this plan, according to Obama, is "expanding broadband lines across America" to give everyone the chance to get online.

This is urgent. America has fallen to 15th in the world in Internet adoption. Millions of people trapped on the wrong side of the digital divide are being deprived of a better education, good jobs and full participation in our democracy.

if pot were legal, the tax and savings from enforcement could pay for free broadband for everyone --something both John Kerry and Shrub supported.

KGC

Just allowing cultivation of hemp and manufacturing of hemp products would be something.

My only objection to pot is that I can't stand the smell. I don't know whether it is alergy or just distaste, but that sicky sweet odor has me fleeing the room long before I could even get a contact high.

I know, KGC. I worked with a guy who got drunk every night. He drank until he passed out on his couch. He also had many DUI's. We all used to listen to his stories and shake our heads. He was someone who if you ever wanted to scare your kids away from drinking, he would be the person to let them listen to. Another friend of mine used to tell us how he drank a six pack before going to bed in the morning. I was then told he did that every morning before going to bed. He was becoming an alcoholic. I've worked with people who came to work and smelled like alcohol. Usually, they tried to cover it with cologne. One of my bosses got really drunk one night and called into work. He got reprimanded for calling in sick to work because he was too drunk. He had to apologize to us. He said "he made a bad choice". He later got fired for having too many DUI's and getting arrested. He lost his driver's license. Alcohol is bad. I had an Uncle who died from drinking. I also had a cousin who was killed by a drunk driver. She was only 29. She would have been 65 tomorrow.

If they legalize pot, then they need to do something about the strip club laws! Making strippers wear pasties? The hell is that?! I'll concede on pot, if they relax on strip club rules. LOL!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187788

patd,

Given the cost of incarceration and the fact that most of the people who end up there for drugs are too poor to get off with probation or have some connected crime such as boosting the local stop and rob, I've always thought it would be cheaper to put them in a community college for the sentence period.

jax, i think jamie is right. in fact insurance costs might go down for those employers who have formally adopted (made part of employment contract) preventive health and wellness programs which can include abstinence, random testing and certain life style restrictions on employees.

If the Court(s) rule that Burris' exclusion from the Senate is unconstitutional, would any interim votes and laws be legitimate or lawful?

"pasties? The hell is that?!"
corey, tom waits has a song fyi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPSktrg6GO0

a contact high -

Now there's a good ole' phrase.

Rez, that's what I thought - up until a few days ago, that is.

Legalizing pot for adults makes a lot of sense to me for a lot of reasons, but there will be states that don't follow the federal lead, assuming thaqt ever happens. I do know that I've had bad hangovers before from drinking too much - but never felt all that bad the day after I was high from smoking pot - of course it's been more than a few years since I've used pot, so my memory could be faulty, but I don't think so. I can recall refusing to drink and opting to get high on nights I knew I needed to get up and put with my head on straight the next morning. All I know is that I thought I had found the miracle drug when a gyno friend of mine introduced me to Ibuprofen to control alcohol hangovers. Ecstacy - I've been pretty happy, but I've never had it & can't say I even know anyone who has used it.

Corey, you crack me up. A piece of advice my young friend - stay unattached for a while.

I guess it all goes back to something my friend said when he was in college in response to the question as to whether something he was doing was morally right. He said, "It's hurting no one and helping me."

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187798

KC, antiquated communications infrastructure aside (a byproduct IMHO of shortsighted management of the private communications industry) this screams for a competent FCC - therein lie the regulations that make BB access so damned limited.

patd..... that Tom Waits video was awesome..... now if I can only figure out the lyrics......

I haven't smoked pot in about 25 yrs..... I like getting high on real life.....
but I do believe pot should be legalized.... all those people in jail on drug use charges is stuuuuuupiiiiiiiid, IMO..........

thank god old vine zin is legal......

pogo, take care on the ibu tho' if you're on blood pressure meds.
http://www.medicinenet.com/ibuprofen/article.htm

"my memory could be faulty".... isn't that a side effect of mj?

I watched the Easy Rider documentary. It was weird to hear them talk about the "New Buffalo Commune".

New Buffalo Commune, Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico, 1967

http://americanhistory.si.edu/LisaLaw/6.htm
----------

Cirey, kind of a "First, do no harm" sort of thng?

Those guys actually bought a kilo of weed for the Easy Rider.

pat - that is a side effect of mj - and of drinking, and of AGING - you name it, faulty memory is a side effect of it. (BTW, I'm not on BP meds and sincle LP came along I don't drink enough anymore to need ibu for hangovers more than once in a blue moon . . . but back in the day, well , , ,) Hell I didn't even drink enough at the NYE party we went to to worry about getting pulled over on the way home or about waking up with a hangover.

I can''t quite say that RR, but I can say I haven't bought any pot in 25 years.

When my 2 friend and I used to go out to the bars the first questioned we asked before we left the house was "Who's driving?" After one of us volunteered to drive the question that person got asked was, "Did you wanna drink tonight?" If you volunteered to drive, that meant you weren't gonna drink. If you wanted to have drinks at the bar, you didn't volunteer to drive. That was how we always handled it. There was always one of us who was the designated driver.

Well, I've got stuff to do. You guys have a good afternoon.

Of course, my one friend tended to become an ass when he drank, so we often tried to make him be the designated driver. LOL!

What I like about the drug debate is that the free marketeers in America, have never asked the question of how we remove the profit motive from drugs. Why hasn't the CATO Inst. tackled that one ?
We will never remove the 10 % of us who seem to fall prey to our genes, and have drugs ruin our lives. But why do we have to pump money to Mexican gangsters in the bargain ?

Well, judging by Obama's speech this morning, it looks like my solar co-op idea has arrived at the right time.

RR-
I'd wait until the Obama energy bills pass congress. There may be some new breaks coming this spring.

NEW THREAD

"we will buy a generator that runs on gasoline..... as we always have some around we rotate in use for chain saws and log splitters.."

Renee, That's what we have, but it really takes a lot of gas over a long period of time. Normally that's ok, but at the time of Ike we couldn't get gas for a few days, and when we could, I think that was when it was almost $4 a gallon. No matter what the price, we were lucky to get any at the time.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/01/hypocricsy-on-parade.html#comment-187777

Tony, What a nice meal. And by candle light! (Ha, I wish I could have been there). And what a great host you are. Hope you enjoy the beach. It's beautiful and sunny here today too. I'm enjoying it before our next cold front comes through.

NEW THREAD