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Daily Links – June 15, 2012

By: Caleb Howe (Diary)  |  June 15th, 2012 at 06:00 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Today is June 15th. On this date in 1215, King John put his royal seal on the first part of the Magna Carta, an early example of limitations on the authority of a monarch and codification of the rights of citizens under the law. Plus it would make a great band name, so there’s that. Also on this date, in 1300, Dante, of “‘s Inferno” fame, became a prior of Florence, Italy. His Divine Comedy is considered one of the most important works of western literature, and barely had any fart jokes. On this date in 1902, psychoanalyst Erik Erikson was born. No relation. And finally, today is National Lobster Day. Take THAT poor people! Consider this an Open Thread.


The Horror: NYT’s Timothy Egan Forced to Watch Fox News | Newsbusters
“I only am escaped alone to tell thee: Timothy Egan, a liberal reporter turned columnist for the New York Times, was forced to watch Fox News at the gym and lived to tell his readers about the horror in a Thursday post at nytimes.com”

The Anti-ALEC Alliance | Free Beacon
“ProgressNow, a leader in the leftwing campaign against free-market model legislation organization ALEC, is a shadowy organization funded by millionaires, billionaires, and leftwing philanthropies with the intent of expanding Democratic power.”

In The Real World, Steven Spielberg Loves Private Equity | Human Events
“Attacking Bain was a flop, but Spielberg certainly knows a thing or two about private equity. After all, in 2008, DreamWorks, the studio Spielberg co-founded in 1994, struck a $1.2 billion deal with Reliance Capital that pumped $325 million of equity into the studio”

Obama’s amnesia about his first year as president | Washington Examiner
“Listen to the president and his aides talk, and you’ll soon hear claims that the administration has accomplished great things in the last 27 months.”

For one protester, ‘Occupy’ becomes a way of life | Reuters
You’ll want to read this one just for the #facepalm.

Obama To Celebs: ‘You’re The Ultimate Arbiter Of Which Direction This Country Goes’ | Big Hollywood
“Obama spoke these creepy words at a $40,000-per-plate fundraiser that raked in a total of $2 million and took place in Sarah Jessica Parker’s home.”


Politics On Tap – Weekend edition from kowenhoven


cunctation (kuhngk-TEY-shuhn): noun Delay; tardiness.
(via Dictionary.com)

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  • westcoastpatriette

    Just thought I would share an article that was in my local paper this morning to see if it makes your head explode. :)

    Seriously, read it and comment.

    http://www.pe.com/local-news/breaking-news-headlines/20120614-region-feds-indict-figures-from-medicinal-pot-stores.ece

    • acat

      Yes, I know I’m not aesthete, but .. look, how is this any different than the periodic “liquor store clerk busted for selling alcohol to minors” or “convenience store clerk busted for selling cigarettes to minors”, other than it involves cannabis?

      To my point of view, this shows the system working. Nothing more.

      Mew

      • westcoastpatriette

        and I don’t. Was just curious to hear what aesthete thought about the mess.

        And yes, I was talking to aesthete. But, since this is a public forum, I’ll let you answer, too.

        • acat

          given recent history, to have a rational discussion of the topic.

          Mew

          • the anti-acat

            It seems as if my two favorite, errrrr, individuals are about to get into a catfight.

            In this corner we have a self-righteous dingbat and in this corner over here we have a egocentric acat.
            Ding, Ding, Ding!

          • tnfriendofcoal101368

            You’re loose again. Really this is just sad, go over to the DKos sandbox, you would be lots happier.

          • gekster

            You think you are the first one to post to ones self with double accounts.
            Geeze you’re a maroon.

          • gekster

            Rock star status has been achieved.
            Kudos and a thumbs up.

          • westcoastpatriette

            she hasn’t used my handle yet, but I am the self-righteous dingbat she mentions. Makes me feel pretty good that I irritate her enough for her to follow me around and read my stuff. :)

          • westcoastpatriette

            Just in the nick of time, Neil.

          • gekster

            but I saw on Sponge Bob that they can be illiminated with a squirt of mayonaise, at least that’s what Sponge Bob did.

            I Think Neil might need to have a big jar of that on hand for this one.

          • acat

            I didn’t have a rumble in mind here.

            I’m just used to conversations on the topic rapidly devolving…

            Mew

          • westcoastpatriette

            I’m really not that moved one way or the other about the issue. I think it would be foolish to legalize and I do not feel the current laws are out of line so I don’t understand the passion that some have about thinking the laws are so cruel.

            And because of my professional background, I see the issue in a very different light as I have seen the destruction upon many families who have to deal with additions and their aftermath. So, as usual, I just like to make sure all things are being considered and sometimes I feel like those in favor of legalization/decriminalization go overboard in their zeal and assume those of us who disagree are tyrants rather than concerned.

          • acat

            My point in replying to you is that the existing restrictions around alcohol and tobacco appear to be working ..somewhat well, at least .. and that this indicates similar restrictions would work around pot.

            While I’d like you to think differently, I’m satisfied that you’re thinking rationally – from your point of view. I don’t think the laws are particularly “cruel”. Wrong-headed, unenforceable, and therefore selectively enforced … but not cruel. I also do not think you’re any kind of tyrant .. we disagree in this case.

            Unlike, say, the emotionally stunted over at Daily Kos, a disagreement here needn’t turn into a cage match, eh?

            Mew

          • http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

            on which of us you are talking to. There are a lot of johnny come latelys who can’t seem to have anything but a shouting match.

          • aesthete

            but good intentions can and have been claimed by all people advocating for any level of government, no matter how light or how tyrannical. Almost no one who advocates for larger government truly believes that they are doing something wrong or tyrannical. If you asked Mayor Bloomberg about his ban on restaurants selling drinks > 16 oz, he would tell you right now about all of the concern that he has for his constituents’ health.

            More important than intentions are results:

            What do we gain?

            At what cost?

            1 out of 10 inmates in federal and state prisons are in there for possession. 1 out of 4 inmates are non-violent drug offenders. The police (federal and local) have become much more militarized in recent years. An illicit industry worth billions is profiting and funding organized crime. SC decisions on the WOD have been a major problem in expanding Federal control of other economic activity, and is one of the chief areas of precedent that the Obama administration is drawing from in its argument for the Affordable Care Act. Abroad, it’s a war that is wrecking Latin America.

            This is quite a high cost for few tangible gains. It is a regime which is incredibly hostile to liberty. Concern is nice, but it isn’t sufficient when it comes to justification of policies that one knows will lock people up.

          • westcoastpatriette

            as I have seen much good that comes from incarcerating drug users, you just don’t want to see or accept that. The medical/treatment aspect of drug addiction works very closely with law enforcement and law enforcement has played a crucial role in motivating many addicts to change their lives for the good. So, we will never agree on that part.

          • westcoastpatriette

            And neer the twain shall meet. And with that I’ll say goodnight, again.

          • aesthete

            I do think you’re on the wrong side of liberty on this one.

          • 10ab

            Um, I haven’t really seen that and I certainly haven’t seen “the much good” that you refer to regarding incarceration. There are better personalized options with higher success rates.
            I volunteer with a faith based organization called Church Army who have done a remarkable job in our city in lieu of incarceration.

          • aesthete

            I see more good coming out of voluntary organizations dealing with the problem than with any of the government-sanctioned alternatives.

            I do wonder how many drug warriors claiming that incarceration is good for addicts and families would be so jovial if it was their own family member. Would anyone see to their father or brother or sister getting incarcerated for 2-10 years as a fix to an addiction which does not manifest itself violently?

          • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

            .

          • acat
    • aesthete

      I’ve always said that most users of medical marijuana are using for recreational purposes, and that people who are legitimately using due to pain or for other medical reasons are a minority.

      Doesn’t mean it’s the Federal government’s prerogative to interfere with a private business or to override the 10th Amendment in pursuit of its aims, as it is so clearly doing here.

      • westcoastpatriette

        is how the local politicians are using the feds to sabotage all of the medicinal marijuana clinics all over the state ever since the voters approved medical marijuana by ballot initiative.

        Since I live here, I am watching the back and forth and city officials admit they are enlisting help from the feds since they know they may be challenged if they try to handle shutting them down through city bans and so forth. So, that has been surprising to me. Didn’t expect that kind of reaction from local officials. But I think their main concern is the conflicting laws — state and federal — and fear of lawsuits rather than a personal objection to allowing the use of med. marij.

        I think the problems underscore that decriminalization alone is not the answer because it leaves the growers and sellers too vulnerable. The only way this could work is if there is full-on legalization and regulation of the industry. But then convincing the feds to stay out of it would be the next hurdle, and good luck with that.

        • aesthete

          and with the extent to which state and local governments are enabling this breach of federalism.

          From my postings here, I’m sure that most can surmise that I am in favor of some form of legalization or decriminalization of many of the drugs on the Controlled Substances List for several reasons, but I understand that many don’t agree with me. That said, one area where all conservatives and federalists should agree on is that the intrusion of the Federal government is a violation of the 10th. Voters used their state mechanisms to make their will known with the intent of having their desires implemented throughout their state. The Federal government is overruling the democratic process un-Constitutionally. Whatever else you can say about it, Prohibition was entirely Constitutional: Prohibitionists sought and got an amendment, and Prohibition ended when that amendment was repealed. The War on Drugs hasn’t gotten a similar amendment. The War on Drugs should be a state issue until there is an amendment which details a Federal role, in much the same way that gay marriage is a state issue.

          IMO, the city and local officials are just as much of quislings and traitors to their state constitutions as the judges who overturn the people when it comes to things like gay marriage. It is just like politicians and bureaucrats, to think that their desires trump that of the little people who pay their salaries. Doesn’t matter what their personal views are, state government officials have a duty to their constituents and to the state constitutions that they signed onto. Same thing is happening in AZ; an initiative legalizing MMJ passed in the 90s and was overturned (completely without valid legal reasoning) by a judge. Democratically-sanctioned state laws falling victim to a predatory Federal government should be a concern for all of us who believe in federalism and states’ powers.

          • westcoastpatriette

            The federal government is frighteningly intrusive and until we shrink it, which seems more and more like an impossibility, no state is safe.

  • http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

    Poor people can afford lobster now.

    Lobster is actually quite inexpensive.

    • avgjo

      consider myself poor and hamburger is quite pricey right now. Round steak’s a splurge. I wish lobster were cheap here. Is the cheapness regional?

      • http://impudent.edublogs.org/ kyle8

        One of our giant supermarkets has them at 5.99 a lb. That compares quite favorably with steak.

        Of course it isn’t real cheap, but compared to what it was 20 years ago it is.

        • avgjo

          doing awesome! Round steak’s that price here. I’d substitute lobster for it sometimes if I could get it at that price.

  • commonsenseobserver

    The previous polls probably oversampled Republicans… Or these turnout models could be oversampling Democrats. I’d note that Romney cut a good 6 points off the Dem sample advantage.

    • earlgrey

      I can’t figure out these polls.

      • acat

        But if you head over to unlikelyvoter.com, you’ll find some articles on just how these things are fudged, and how you can figure out what they really mean.

        Mew

    • PowerToThePeople

      as Romney should take a permanent leap in the polls once he announces his running mate and as we get closer to the day we fire Obama.

      Polls in MI have been notoriously wrong in the past, I see no reason why that trend has changed. Polls had Rick loosing the Gov race up until the day he won. Not ever poll mind you, but most.

      MI has been trending right for some time now going back to the abysmal leadership of Granholm. What saves the dems in MI is Detroit, Lansing, Dearborn, and some other cities like those. Oakland county has been a stronghold of the dems for years and now that has changed almost. The UP is nothing but republican territory and many of these folks have moved down into the major cities altering the political makeup.

      Michigan may not go Romney this time, but it will be close and it is only a matter of time before MI becomes a toss up state or even a republican state.

      I never thought I would see it move towards the right in all the years I lived there.

  • commonsenseobserver

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeWiv_pXbWg&feature=g-all-u

  • commonsenseobserver

    http://www.nationalreview.com/agenda/303034/might-cogan-hubbard-and-kessler-offer-guide-emerging-romney-health-policy-reihan-salam

  • commonsenseobserver

    https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=209611697914812565322.0004bb627ee4991874568&msa=0&ll=38.582526,-91.230469&spn=21.935114,46.538086

    This will help.

  • lineholder

    I hope you have an enjoyable day with family and friends!

  • lineholder

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/debt-crisis-live/9336591/Greek-election-Live.html

    • lineholder

      312 to 326 seats out of 577-seat National Assembly

      Intensity will increase now between France and Germany as to what direction EU will go in from this point forward.

  • commonsenseobserver

    And it isn’t pretty.

    http://townhall.com/tipsheet/kevinglass/2012/06/17/new_polls_highlist_uphill_deficit_battle

    I’d note, though, that social security personal accounts may endup being a winning issue for Republicans. We will have to expose the wasteful spending and unsustainability in other areas. Most people don’t know how irresponsible our current education and welfare funding system is. The Romney campaign would do well to make better use of charts and graphics showing our budget woes.

    But increasing infrastructure spending seems like a losing issue for Obama…

    • commonsenseobserver

      People still favour higher revenues paired with spending cuts. I think our failure to pay for the Bush tax cuts made them open to attack, even though they didn’t really contribute to the deficit.

      The problem with allowing the current, higher income tax rates to expire is that it hurts small businesses. Obama proposes a tax hike on small businesses, on small business workers, and on new startups, not just the “rich”. The same thing with the Buffett Rule.

      I think raising the SS Wage Base may turn out to be the most palatable. It ought to be indexed to inflation.