I’ve been busy, what are you hearing?
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Deja Vu
Oh God… The Villagers are gonna cream themselves.
I’m hearing that there was another school shooting in AZ last night. right on time.
dude its freaking beyond crazy and I don’t know what to do.
besides voting.
Early reports seems like Frat boys fight. In a parking lot where the students are allowed to keep their guns locked in their car. Think we will see a stand your ground trial.
Three today.
That if Biden got in the race the chances of a brokered convention are surprisingly high.
I played around with the numbers a bit after a friend suggested it (allocation rules are complicated).
Example, the last Texas poll would result in the following delegate allocation:
Clinton 96
Sanders 65
Biden 41
Against Sanders the deep south states really are Clinton’s firewall. Sanders might get shut out of some CD’s because of the threshold rules. California, where Sanders might win and which has 407 delegates by itself, is so late in the process it won’t matter.
BTW – if you look at the GOP rules (which have higher thresholds) it is hard to see much of a race after March 1st.
They are all “brokered,” fladem. The major national media are the real brokers, and they are owned lock, stock and barrel…as are the people who comprise the functioning power structures of both parties…by hugely powerful and wealthy corporate interests.
It’s a rigged game.
Sorry, but there it is.
AG
The Pentagon, hopefully with some nudging by Obama but who knows, decided to drop its $500m program to train Syrian “moderates” (hehe). I understand only a half dozen trained “moderates” actually took the field. That’s $100m/per.
The recent military step up by Russia is the big news that should concern everyone. And the ball is now in Obama’s court, to continue our stubborn insistence on ousting the Assad regime, and risk a military confrontation w/Russia that could spiral out of control, or take the sensible path and join up with the Russkies in a coordinated attack on ISIS. Profile in courage time for the Big O.
Otherwise, looking forward to the Dem Debate on the 13th, finally. Cooper Anderson moderating, with Don “Meadowlark” Lemon assisting on asking stupid questions.
I saw a post that said five. lol Why didn’t they just have a bonfire–would have done less damage.
I believe I saw reports that an entire group of 200-300 were trained. They went into Syria, and were immediately ambushed by ISIS. The commander was captured, possibly executed. The next group that went in turned over their weapons.
This reminds me of reports about green troops. They are green until someone stiffens their spine. The fear and concerns of an actual battle are not able to be “trained into” a groups of troops. This is learned and understood only in the line of fire.
Note that I have never been a soldier or experienced live fire of any kind. So, I am just reporting what I have read.
Yes, the ISIS resupply linke is US trained troops.
” . . . or take the sensible path and join up with the Russkies in a coordinated attack on ISIS . . . “
So glad you said this. I thought it was just me.
Except I don’t think it can happen QUITE that way. We will not actually “coordinate” with the Russians. Obama will continue to pretend that he’s pissed off at them. But fighting Assad is now out of the question, as is defending the “rebels”, and whether we go after ISIS or not, the Russians certainly will. So either we fight ISIS or there’s no point even being there. It’s not a question of coordination, it’s just the way it has to pan out.
The issue is in many ways reminiscent our recent negotiations with Iran. In fact, Iran is involved in this too, as allies of Assad. Again, we change a senseless policy, and piss off our “allies” (the same ones!) who are causing much more trouble than our official enemies are.
Obama appears to be pissed off at Putin, but if I were Obama I’d be realizing that Putin has just given us an irrefutable excuse to discontinue a senseless policy. And the Neocons, Turks, Saudis, Emirates, Israel, can just suck on that.
I think the operative word here is “appears”; imo they set this up; also, note the war crimes hospital bombing happened immediately thereafter. what was that about? who was trying to provoke what? staff said attack on the hospital continued for a long time [half hour?] after they were in communication w USA command? some free lancers doing something?
except that the hospital bombing was in Afghanistan where the Afghani government and USA were fighting the Taliban . . .
true. seems to be about the USA presence in the region, withdrawal of our troops on the agreed timetable. – in the numerous talk radio discussions I listened to yesterday, one proposal in response to the hospital bombing is to maintain more troops there than agreed upon timetable?? – solves precisely what??? so I’m just wondering if the bombing was some freelancers trying to upset the present direction of troop withdrawal. but who? bombing does look deliberate, but as they say, cui bono? or just nastiness? heard that MSF insists on an independent investigation so maybe we’ll eventually find out. do you have any thoughts about it?
No, other than I agree there was almost certainly some kind of skullduggery behind it, to make the US and/or Afghan govt look bad. My point was only that I don’t believe it had any connection with Syria, it’s too far away and different players.
This is due to a strategic shift. He’s going to arm the Moderates in GOP. Many are worried that those arms will simply wind up in the hands of terrorists.
snort Won’t find any moderates there either.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kevin-mccarthys-exit-affair-allegations_5616f004e4b0082030a1e0a8
That it is a long-standing affair that brought down McCarthy. And yes, now McCarthy is endorsing Paul Ryan to be Speaker.
And yes, there was a school shooting with one death in AZ yesterday. Where will a student get shot to death today?
Needless to say, if this had been a Dem battle over the speakership with those rumors, the MSM, and especially Faux and CNN, would have been all over the story, 24/7. But since it’s a Republican …
Btw, I heard Kevin McCarthy was going back to Santa Mira to rejoin his former girlfriend Becky Driscoll, local beauty queen back in her day.
So a wife and two mistresses – one in DC and one at home. No wonder he wasn’t good at the Whip job. He didn’t have time for work.
Do ANY of the GOP representatives actually DO anything other than goof off and fool around with mistresses or gay lovers? Asking in all seriousness bc they sure don’t, you know, do anything that looks like “working” to me. Heaven forfend. Need some time to text my willie to that next woman on Tindr, doncha know.
Dana Wynters died in 2011. In Ojai which is much nicer than Bakersfield.
Nicer, but just about as hot.
Anyway, I figger I’ve only got a limited time left to keep playing this Kevin McCarthy movie card, as his time in the klieg lights is about to expire.
Where will a student get shot to death today?
Somewhere in the Middle East or large parts of Africa, for sure. Probably Afghanistan as well. There’s a good chance of it happening in the many roiling countries of South/Central/Caribbean America as well. All of these are places that U.S. militarily-enforced economic imperialism has totally ripped off for well over 50 years. Well over 100 years, really, only now it’s done big-time.
Why do you ask?
Probably because you won’t hear about it in the daily governmental newsfeed forcefed to you by the mainstream media.
So it goes.
The chickens are coming home to roost, RUKidding.
Several little chickens at a time.
Bet on it.
Get used to it.
It’s only going to get worse until either the whole system breaks down or the American electorate wises up.
So far? No wising up is apparent.
So it goes.
Down like a motherfucker.
Watch.
AG
No argument from me, but you’re preaching to the choir here. Albeit very very good points. All those people everywhere murdered/bombed/droned/shot/whatever by Team USA! USA! Like the MSF hospital recently in Afghanistan, where MSF doctors and their patients were bombed/strafed/shot by Team USA! USA! Oh, I guess Obama semi-sort of-not really-quasi “apologized” but while shouting down the idea of an indie investigation (can’t have that. Military no likee).
And as we see, when USA students are mass-murdered, what happens? Nothing, zip, nada. Because it will never ever ever ever be time to actually “do something” about it because … NRA/gunz ‘n ammo dealers and their bought off weasels in congress and state houses.
Rightwing pols will blame the Ds and the victims and their parents and Planned Parenthood and whatever other “demon” they can shake their sticks at. D pols and the very few “rational” R pols will do nothing while cowering in corners with their hands out to their lobbyists.
Same as it ever was…
Yes it is…
Same as it ever was, indeed.
See the sig below for my position on that. Throughout human history.
Later…
AG
Very hard to credit and we wonder where the poison pill is located, but …http://usuncut.com/politics/congress-to-eliminate-billions-in-wall-street-subsidies-to-fund-repair-o
f-nations-highways/
Oh ye of little faith . . .
Well, the plan emanates from progressive Democrats and is enthusiastically supported by political writer David Dayen,
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/123064/republicans-may-cut-big-bank-handout-thanks-progressive-de
mocrats
who appears to be a good guy.
http://inthesetimes.com/article/18480/democratizing_modern_banking_to_help_the_poor
As Dayen points out, there are other such indefensible caches of pure corporate welfare lying around. I’d love to see something similar for AMTRAK and urban rapid transit, which would make a lot of sense as a balance to the highway appropriation. These kinds of subsidies make a substantial contribution to the REAL economy, as opposed to the Wall Street crapshoot.
Maybe this is an area for rethink instead of another bandaid that more like moving around the deck chairs than getting at core problems and rational solutions to them.
A few GOPers are trying to draft Newty to return as speakers!
Isn’t that special.
dare I hope?
Has Newt moved on to wife 4 yet, or is it 5? cuz if he hasn’t tossed the last one under the bus yet, he’s due to do so soon, whilst being busted for fiddling around with his latest mistress(es). Would that be problematic? Or would it just be another case of IOKIYAR??
I’m hearing that the Rs can’t govern
Yesterday saw more windmill propellers being trucked around our midwest than on any single day during stimpac. also enormous number of WI plated cars driving away from Wisconsin -? pretty late model cars, some loaded w possessions. it’s not the start of fall semester and not the opening of hunting season, so are these 2015 equivalent of okies? Wisconsin dust bowl? Scotty redeploying his primary workers? his campaign workers fleeing for greener pastures?