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Open Thread (’cause one is needed)

By: tngal (Diary)  |  March 4th, 2012 at 10:55 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Seeing as how so many threads got hijacked,  thought maybe it would be a good time to open one up.  Here ya go. Land of the feel free to spit it out. Rather than putting the first post in the diary, I’ll put it here. 

 I’ll start off with  SHAME!!! Shame on Newt’s  Tennessee team for a quitting him yesterday and going to Santorum. The Knoxville News Sentinal reported Senator Stacey Campfield has jumped and taken a few others with him. .

“Campfield said Santorum called him personally earlier, even though he was an outspoken advocate of Gingrich and co-chairman of the former U.S. House speaker’s campaign in the state. After he met with the other legislators, Campfield said he met separately with Santorum, who “asked me to leave Newt Gingrich and support him.”

The paper also goes on to say “ Campfield said three of the five people on the 2nd Congressional District ballot Tuesday as candidates to become committed Gingrich delegates to the Republican National Convention have joined Campfield in switching to Santorum supporters.”

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/mar/04/super-tuesday-switch-gingrich-co-chairman-backs/

As much as I have my heart set to writing in Herman, I will have to vote Newt just because this was dirty 3 days before super Tuesday.

Feel free to complain about whatever.

 

 

 

COMMENTS

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  • Common_Cents

    It was all “dont blame me”, “don’t believe the Republicans”. Unreal. Since it is election year, will Netanyahu be able to come through the front door? I’m sure they’ll make a big splash of his entry and exit this time.

  • lineholder

    Quotes from the article:

    “The sweet deal that all the 3,400 teachers in Buffalo are eligible to get under one of their insurance plan options, they are billed nothing for any plastic surgery procedure, such as botox, liposuction, tummy tucks, and there is no deductible.

    (snip)

    Last year, Buffalo’s schools spent $5.9 million on plastic surgery which is also known as a cosmetic rider. And Buffalo teachers have had this rider for nearly four decades.

    Now you might think Buffalo’s school district must be flush with cash to be offering perks like free plastic surgery, right? Wrong. Louis Petrucci, the president of the Buffalo Board of Education says he is projecting a $42 million deficit in next year’s school budget.”

    http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/197295/70/Free-plastic-surgery-for-teachers-in-Buffalo-NY

    • carolina

      The school boards (and too many local govts) are happy to give away the taxpayers money.
      Somehow the tax payers need a voice (vote) on all of these egregious give-aways. Our republic is failing. People are “too busy” to stay involved in every single govt decision. Meanwhile the unions stay focused on electing their lackeys. Something has to change.

    • carolina

      The school boards (and too many local govts) are happy to give away the taxpayers money.
      Somehow the tax payers need a voice (vote) on all of these egregious give-aways. Our republic is failing. People are “too busy” to stay involved in every single govt decision. Meanwhile the unions stay focused on electing their lackeys. Something has to change.

      • lineholder

        that the contract negotiations between the city of Buffalo and the teacher’s Union in that area broke of about 8 years ago. This insurance provision was included in the contract at the time. The head of the Union says that they will give it up if the city returns to negotiations. But in the meantime, these teacher’s will get their “pound of flesh” one way or another, eh?

        Yeah, they need to be revealed. Absolutely.

        • http://MichaelHarrington.org creinstein

          Full sex change insurance coverage for any govt workers of the city.

          I fully agree this crap is out of hand.

          I know a few businesses where the Unions have negotiated such powerful benefits plans it is less costly to work everyone overtime than to hire new employees.

          • lineholder

            It’s a ridiculous question only remotely associated with your comments. But does anyone know how to publicly address someone who has either had a sex change or is rather obviously cross-dressing?

            I’m from the South. Habit is to say “ma’am” and “sir”. I end up tripping all of over my tongue in situations like this because I don’t know which to use, LOL.

          • http://MichaelHarrington.org creinstein

            I tend to try to avoid that situation, lol.

            I guess I would address them as their adam apple appeared or did not.

          • acat

            address the individual as they prefer to be addressed.

            If that’s a challenge, then “I’m sorry, dearie, I’ve forgotten your name” and then using it would also be appropriate.

            Mew

          • acat

            Mew

          • lineholder

            I work with the public every day…and we aren’t allowed to use the word ‘dearie” (PC rules employment rules, it’s inappropriate to use personal term of endearment…seriously, LOL)

            But you can’t imagine, with my being from the South, how much I stumble over this one. My first question is “how are you today?” Then by their “okay”, “fine” “horrible”, etc. etc., I have to discern “male or female? Ma’am or Sir?” Except when the person looks like a “ma’am” and says the word “fine” in a bass voice…that one just seem s to throw me somehow!

          • acat

            Not that I’m in any way customer-facing, but .. it seems like you need to get more verbal cues than just one word. .. so how about asking a follow-up question?

            —————-
            lineholder: “How are you today?”

            person: “Fine / Okay”

            lineholder: “That’s great to hear. How can I help keep that going?”

            —-
            lineholder: “How are you today?”

            person: “Horrible.”

            lineholder: “I’m sorry to hear that. What can I do to help turn that around?”
            —–

            I’m not sure if you’re already on a script or not, but .. You’ll notice no use of gender-specific pronouns, a bit of bonding, and the use of a question that elicits more than a one-word answer. This should help you get more cues, although I’m not sure what script you’re using and how this would throw it.

            Mew

          • lineholder

            At may age, habits are tricky things to deal with. I’m working on it. These are very practical suggestions. Thanks.

            It’s better than saying “Siram” or “Masir” anyway.

          • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

            but my first question would be how do you know someone’s had a sex change? I suppose if you know, I’d address them as their current status.

            As for a cross-dresser, I’m going with how they were born. Clothes don’t make the man, or woman, so to speak.

          • lineholder

            People can change…uhhhmmm, other things. But the hands give them away. Ever looked at a pair of hands, and you know that those are a man’s hands, and you look at the face…makeup, earrings, facial hair waxed off (probably hormones) but those are STILL a man’s hands. Fingernails and all, those are a man’s hands, LOL.

          • lineholder

            Glad to see you’re still in touch!!!

          • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

            in the Huntsville area. We just had some heavy rain and a little wind. Bad weather was close enough to my family in TN that they got in their closets with some quilts and pillows, but no tornadoes hit them directly.

            My prayers go out to those families hit with loss of family and home.

    • Scope

      a few days ago. They interviewed a plastic surgeon in the area as a part of the story, and the interviewer asked him if he performs liposuction, tummy tucks, botox injections and etc. and he said yes to all of them. Then they interviewed one of the teachers and she said it was important to them they they feel good about themselves while doing their teaching jobs. It was shocking and outreageous.

  • lineholder

    Quote from the article:

    Within two hours of polls opening in Moscow at 8am, Twitter and other social media were flooded with reports of suspected “carousel voting”: a ploy widely used during disputed parliamentary elections in December in which organised groups of people vote at several different polling stations using the same absentee ballots.

    (snip)

    Rosvybory, a monitoring organisation run by the anti-corruption blogger and protest leader Alexei Navalny, claimed to have recorded 2,500 violations of electoral law by early afternoon. One case involved voters being paid to cast their ballot.

    • lineholder

      Quote from article:

      Clerical Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has tightened his grip on Iran’s faction-ridden politics after loyalists won over 75 percent of seats in parliamentary elections at the expense of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a near-complete count showed.

      The widespread defeat of Ahmadinejad supporters – including his sister, Parvin Ahmadinejad – is expected to reduce the president to a lame duck after he sowed divisions by challenging the utmost authority of Khamenei in the governing hierarchy.

      http://www.france24.com/en/20120304-supreme-leader-ayatollah-khamenei-loyalists-win-75-iran-parliament-ahmadinejad-election

      • carolina

        I’m not sure what this will mean for ‘world peace’ – but it was definitely a rebuke of Ahmadinejad’s ego and ‘power’.

        • lineholder

          It’s not as if Ayatollah Khomeini is anyone’s favorite person. But Ahmadinejad has turned into a loose cannon and a dangerous one at that.

          It depends on how things go from here, I guess.

          • http://MichaelHarrington.org creinstein

            Supreme Ruler of Iran I guess..

            Slapping someone down hard..

            I wonder what this does to the crack downs, usually the hardcore followers of the Ayatollah are more harsh.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    but I blame the deserters more than Santorum. All’s fair and all that… Actually, I think panic that Romney might win is setting in, and since Santorum has the momentum, some are jumping ship to him. I hate to admit it, but if Newt doesn’t do well on Super Tuesday, I’m going to give some serious thought to voting Rick on March 13, because I’m sure not going to vote for Romney. In the meantime, I’ll be making a donation to Newt before Super Tuesday.

    • jamesm

      Everybody in politics is aware that Gingrich and Santorum are splitting the vote.

      • Scope

        donors/supporters from SC abandoned him shortly before the SC primary, and jumped over to Romney.

        I agree james that consolidation is needed to beat Romney. If he can’t be beat in the southern states, we are in trouble. Gingrich must do better than just winning GA on Tues. From the last delegate count I’ve seen Romney has 184, Santorum has 91, Gingrich has 30, and Paul has 23. I don’t know if those numbers are current, but I don’t think they are far off. While Gingrich may have increased his poll numbers some over the past week or so, he hasn’t managed to get the needed big bump from his last debate in AZ. I would hope that if Gingrich doesn’t start to show some real life after Tues. that his supporters would get behind Santorum. Santorum has more momentum now than Gingrich, and he has 3 times the number of delegates as Gingrich. From what Gingrich told Candy Crowley this morning, when she asked what he would do if he doesn’t do very well on Tues., he doesn’t seem to be apt to stop splitting the conservative vote. No one ever accused Gingrich of lack of an ego.

        • jamesm

          he is in trouble. I do not see a path forward for him. He is not leading in the polls in any state that votes after March 6th. If he does not get a bounce then I believe he knows that him staying in only benefits Romney. Most likely he will drop out and endorse Santorum. I don’t think newt would want to dampen his prospects on super tuesday by saying he may drop out it he doesn’t do well. I am sure he will sit down with his people on wednesday and figure out where they go from here. There will be a consolidation but it seems the time is getting critical

          • tngal

            Consolidation or not, when you look at how many states lost half their delegates because they moved up their primary date, then look at places like virginia, which had one or more candidates not get on the ballot, then add places like Ohio where some candidates didn’t get the required signatures so might not get all the candidates they normally would.

            And then there’s RP. Whose plan is NOT consolidation but to get every delegate he can so he can barter for something at the convention.

            Even with consolidation, I don’t see how anyone can do it. Even Mittens.

  • rightland1111

    IMO…Gingrich won that one hands down. Bob and I just shook are heads knowing that Romney again was playing to the crowd, working the people asking the questions. God…I am going to hate voting for him (WILLARD).

    Newt had all the answers…all of them with factual information. Gasparino, after asking Romney TWICE about his 59 point plan…gave up. Guess what…we didn’t learn anything.

    Romney is sooooo good at this ploy. When asked a question, he states past information. We all know about PAST INFORMATION…that is why we are asking what you are going to do about it…but…as usual…NO PLANS from Willard.

    We want to know how you are going to fix things…and you came up with NOTHING. Can you all imagine how badly this guy is going to do in a debate with Obama?

    Here we had a candidate with a CLEAR CONTRAST…clear as day with Obama that would have given the freedom back to the people and cleaned up this sewer…but HE WAS TOO STUPID. So, now we have WILLARD…and what does he do…state what has already happened!

    Oh…and if that is not enough…you should read the blogs in Ohio. What a mess. Santorum is going to give them ALL MANUFACTURING jobs….pleeze. Enough with the Ethanol subsidies…now it’s onto the unions. It’s bad enough Obama gave them $$ out of stimulus…but now to cut a deal because of our financial situation. I’m glad I live where I do.

    • Scope

      Patrick Gaspirino, who many on Fox business say “when Gaspirino talks everyone listens” said that he thought Santorum was very strong. Huckabee remarked that he (Gasprino) really pushed him hard with some of his questions, and Gasprino said he was very pleased with his answers. Gasprino is considered an economic guru by many. The lady in the middle, don’t remember her name, gave Romney a plug, even though he was very evasive, plastic, and stale. The guy at the end Dave, the very emotional one, didn’t seem to lean to any of them.

      • rightland1111

        nt

        • Scope

          which you are entitled to. I don’t think you have the same microphone, and economic reputation that Gasprino does though. Of course all of us think the candidate we are supporting did the best in most every debate, even when we at times have to find excuses to support that opinion.

          • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

            Santorum is right. It was a tough call on the bailouts incl TARP, but I think Santorum is right and I think Gaspirino would agree that Rick defended his position well.

    • Common_Cents

      He kept harping on how EXACTLY do you get $2.50 gas? What a stupid question. Gingrich told him energy experts said a range of 2-2.50 following a variety of steps, Newt selected $2.50. Sheeesh, you gotta pick some number! Charlie just couldnt understand that. He kept asking for exact math for an exact number. Newt almost laughed at him and said of course the market forces create volatility and a range.

      Then about jobs, Gasparino was questioning Gingrich of nearly killing jobs by pursuing more automation for higher level jobs. Does chuck G. want us to go back to pick axes, weaving looms? Yeah, that’d employ a bunch of people. He totally dismissed global competition. and he is a financial reporter?

      He was a terrible panelist and perfectly reflects the intelligence of CNBS, his former network, and now brings his stupidity to Fox Biz.

      • Scope

        after showing a graph where $4.2 billion go for oil and gas subsidies, and $8.2 billion is going for green energy subsidies. Cavuto asked Gingrich if he was against energy subsidies, and Gingrich said no. Cavuto asked if he even supported green energy subsidies, and Gingrich said again he is in favor of subsidies. Of course Gingrich could get gas down to $1.00 per gallon if he federally subsidies it at even higher rates. Gingrich may be in favor of drill here drill now, but not that long ago he supported the myth of man made global warming. Does the Pelosi couch ad come to mind?

    • Common_Cents

      Not sure if it was planned or coincidence. What candidate will look a crying man in the face and say they aren’t going to help his son? sheeesh.

      All the panelists nearly gushed over Romney for that wonderful answer!

      Yet Romney dodged some real policy stuff.

  • mikelindell2

    He was obviously best last night @ Huck Forum even though Romney was given planned questions to try to humanize him. I’m sure just by coincidence, immediately after the forum Fox News started to desperately talk about how well Romney did and how warm he came across.

    • rightland1111

      He’s a manipulator. People see the surface stuff and fall for it. He’s all about making you come to a conclusion. Fox News has given him an edge, even with question. However, did you notice…he never said HOW he was going to help that man’s son. No…he just empathized with him…WHO WOULDN’T. I felt really bad for the guy and I know he is telling the truth because we have a friend that is getting terrible treatment at the VA…Bronze Star and all!!! Not that that should matter.

      The chaotic mess in the VA is terrible. It takes three appointments to get one diagnosis and then all the docs must confer. Again…the Federal Government. My husband has that insurance…he does not use it because I’m afraid he’d be dead by now.

  • tngal

    For those who missed it, tornadoes hit Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama , Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, North Carolina, and Virginia on Friday. 36 is the current death toll.

    Of course beyond the human numbers, there are an untold number of homes, farms and businesses damaged or destroyed along with damage to infrastructure.

    So today, Ron Paul says NO FEMA FOR YOU!
    ____________

    “Paul said there was a role for the National Guard to restore order and provide care and shelter in major emergencies, but that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) led to nothing but “frustration and anger.”

    “To say that any accident that happens in the country, send in FEMA, send in the money, the government has all this money

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