This Is the Second Notice

JNS: Are you sure it’s not Amy? She doesn’t interact at all with us so she has alot of free time on her hands. Have you did anything to p!ss her off lately? I used to get a heavy breather. I think that was Amy too.

I called the FTC about this and was assured by the representative that these calls were phishing attempts of foreign origin and that there was nothing that could be done about this continuing harassment. I get the calls on my business phone throughout the work day. I have spoken — briefly — to a couple of the company’s reps. One of them swore at me for asking to be removed, while another just hung up the phone. Whatever else one can say about this group, their mamma didn’t teach them any manners.

I thought I was alone… but apparently not

I get them every F**king day. They also call to remind me it’s the last chance to lower the interest on my credit card.

I must live a charmed life. I never get them.

I get them AND one saying it is my “credit card” company (no specific name) and they are trying to contact me about lowering my interest rate. Yeah, right. I hang up and they keep calling.

Sacred, if I give you my number will you pass it on to the heavy breather?

somepeoplelikeit: You just made me laugh out loud.
JNS

JNS, my work is done here.
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I’m going to be like George Constanza and leave on the high note.
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I’m out folks!
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PS, thanks for the Saturday post!

We get them off and on. I think they are pretty funny in their lameness.
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“This is the FINAL notice that the factory warranty on your vehicle is about to expire.”
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I always say the same thing. I bet it isn’t.

somepeoplelikeit: If they ever calls back, I’d be happy to. I thought they were fun. I’d listen for a little while and then get very explicit. The last time she called she finally screamed at me that I was sick and hung up. I was devastated. I thought about using *69 but you know how paranoid pervs get. I didn’t want her to think I was harrassing her.

Make them STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We get them at least weekly, and you’re right … there’s no reason they should get away with it! (“isn’t anybody enforcing the do not call law?”) Just another thing the last administration left us with … a law that doesn’t work.

It just occurred to me that JNS left us with a thread we could have alot of fun with over the weekend.

Sacredh: My gift to you since you no longer have the heavy breather to play with. Enjoy, JNS

I’ve been getting them for months – mostly the credit card versions and the “warranty is about to expire on your car” version (my car is 22 yrs old this summer).
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I called my attorney general’s consumer protection office about this, since they gave a call back number, but the AG’s office said it’s a dummy number and they can’t actually track down the people making the calls.
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But I find the Do Not Call law works well for me, and although I get an occasional call from the benevolent police, the fireman’s circus, or a political party (all allowed under the law) I get absolutely no calls from any people who are not supposed to call- other than these scammers. (The people who don’t pay attention to laws aren’t the people this particular law was designed to stop. I presume these people are engaged in fraudulent practices other than calling people who don’t want to hear from them)

but you know how paranoid pervs get.
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Why should I know? Who have you been talking to?

sacredh: You have a very low threshold for fun, don’t you

A peek into wingnut bizarro world.
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http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_05/018006.php

Ben Nelson wants to kill the public option on universal healthcare because people will like it too much. Funny I thought conservatives opposed the single payer because everyone would hate it and it would put “a bureaucrat between a patient and their doctor.”
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http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_05/018005.php

I haven’t been getting the calls but I have been getting mail about warranties from some place in Missourri. I thought it was weird that some random company in Missourri would be handling my Toyota warranty.
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So thanks for the heads up.

I remember that the very day that Do Not Call went into effect, all those annoying calls abruptly stopped. It was like magic. Of course that was during the law-and-order Clinton administration. No surprise that the BoozeAddledJackass administration slacked off — they weren’t real big on obeying or enforcing the law.

sg – both of those links are mind-boggling.

SG -did you go to the source material -PJ media-in that first link? The comment section is hilarious.

Cliff
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The Ben Nelson one is par for the course for that ass hole which is why I am like if we can allow that sumb*tch to call himself a Dem then we should welcome Specter with open arms
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PNNTO
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Not yet, I have to get my mind right before I go to read anything on pj media.

I should point out that Joe Scarborough was on twitter earlier today echoing the same lame kind of victimhood. This from a guy who lies every weekday for 3 hours on Tee Vee about anything having to do with liberals or progressives. But somehow they aren’t represented in the MSM.

SG they have a commenter Sheesh who is pretty good at interacting with the regulars.
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Scar was crying about republicans not having a big enough microphone? Perfect.
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If he said conservative rather than republican he is right, but that’s only because there are no conservatives in American politics.

Check out Scar’s twitter feed
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http://twitter.com/JoeNBC

Scar-”How funny that the open-minded left are the angriest and most intolerant of opposing views.”
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Hasn’t that been retired yet?
Act 1 republican says something stupid
Act 2 gets called out on it
Act 3 “I thought you were supposed to be tolerant!”
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No republican Class of 94 member (Hey lets make Rush an honorary member!) can cry for civility. Babies.

And Scar, of all people, uses Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People as his Twitter background? I think he would have been more comfy on the other side of the French Revolution.

How SG and others can monitor Mourning Scar every day is amazing. Taking one for the Swamp!

PNNTO
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There is nobody on Tee Vee angrier than Scarborough. Or at least when he is debating a woman. He will shout them down and demean them but when a man comes in he gets his ass handed to him on the regular. Dr Z telling him he had a stunnngly superficial understanding of the I/P conflict will go down in history as one of the most delightful moments in Morning Joe history. Funny how he was just sitting there like a blithering idiot after Dr. Z was done with him but then the next day he had all kinds of sh*t to say when Dr. Z was gone. The guy is a frikking joke and most people are starting to see that now if they hadn’t before. I think the biggest problem most conservatives including Scar have is that they never allow for the fact that most people don’t agree with them. They ignore every single bit of polling and just decide that whatever they believe is what America believes. And twitter has to be driving Scar crazy. If you keep clicking through to earler tweets from him you will see that just about every time he gets on twitter its to reply to people PWNING him but he tries to explain it away by claiming everyone who disagrees with him is just the “angry left”. But the question he is going to have to ask sooner or later is if that many people are telling him he is wrong and hardly anybody is telling him he is right that maybe the “angry left” IS America now.

Ivy_B
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I bet you dollars to donuts that Scar thinks that picture is really about the Revolutionary War here in America.

I tried to read some of those comments, wow. I had no idea I was such an a hole.

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My favorite was the guy who said, “We should make it ‘uncool’ to be a Democrat.”
The only way they could do that is if they all switched parties. It would definitely be less cool.

I went out this morning right after you were commenting on the other thread about Franco Harris running. I suspect he wouldn’t do well running for the Senate. If he is really interested, he should run for a House seat first.
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A lot of people are still burned by how poorly Lynn Swann did in his run for governor against Rendell. Rendell won his second term by nearly 20%. Swann seemed like a nice, bright guy, but he was really hopeless in discussing policies or what he would recommend to solve problems. Of course, since he was running as a righty Repub, I wasn’t going to vote for him, but he was really embarrassing when he was put against Rendell. Proved that some political experience is important before going for larger offices. The fact that he had never held any office before running for governor was held against him by a lot of people, even some who might have been inclined to vote for him.

I bet you dollars to donuts that Scar thinks that picture is really about the Revolutionary War here in America.
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sgw, LOL! You’re probably right – he wouldn’t support some icky French thing, would he?

Ivy I seem to remember a particularly poor This Week interview by Swann. Genial but really out of his depth.
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SG that Dr Z interview with Scar was gold. Scar showed himself to be as intellectual as Limbaugh.

For those who didn’t notice JNS added a 2nd update to the post below.

Amy, yes, I am a victim too. Not only of the auto warranty calls, but another scam to sell credit cards. The credit card scam I tried to track down to report but it is impossible. If you hang on to talk to a live person, if you ask any questions and don’t just answer theirs, they hang up. The scams use some kind of routing through the Carribean islands. The boiler room is in the US, often times in Florida, but the call originates from the Carribean. The Do Not Call List was to me a godsend. Reputable companies honor it. But the thieves and scammers are pushing the envelope and should be prosecuted. Thanks for this post.

PNNTO
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One of the things that goes unnoticed about that Dr Z interview is that when he got challenged Scarborough’s comeback was that he got his information from the NYTimes. The same NYTimes that he is always complaining about as being unreliable and liberal. That exchange was so good I damn near needed a cigarette when it was over and I don’t smoke.

Per JNS’s update, isn’t that what several of us said yesterday? Why did it take some cat named “Petey” on twitter to get her to publish an update?

I get these calls every day. I don’t own a car.

Ivy_B
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You should send Scar a tweet and tell him about the picture to see if his head explodes lol

publius PWNS Ed Whelen
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http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2009/05/clone-wars.html

You should send Scar a tweet and tell him about the picture to see if his head explodes lol
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I live to serve.

For any interested in more info on the painting –
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Leading_the_People

Oh sh*t!
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http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/05/cowboys-indoor-facility-collapses-during.html
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The afternoon practice ended in horrifying fashion when the Cowboys’ indoor facility collapsed.
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While a violent thunderstorm pounded rain down on the roof, the lights started shaking back and forth. Then chaos broke out, as the facility collapsed and players, coaches, reporters and team personnel scrambled for safety.
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Several people were trapped under the wreckage. Police and emergency personnel have arrived on the scene.
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More to come.
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UPDATE: According to a Cowboys spokesman, at least four members of the team’s support staff are being taken to the hospital. All players and coaches are believed to be safe. Rescue personnel is still searching through the debris.

I get these calls every day. I don’t own a car.

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I feel neglected. I own my car outright though.

Holy crap SG, my cousin is a beat writer for the Cowboys…now I’m worried.
It is coming down in sheets here.

Ivy_B
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Thanks for that link on the picture, very informative.

somepeople
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Evidently so far they are only saying support people for the team were hurt. But a CNN guy tweeted about an hour ago that there are tornado watches from Texas to Alabama.

Holy crap SG, my cousin is a beat writer for the Cowboys…now I’m worried.
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Maybe he/she got lucky and it was a closed practice. Or he’s got a really good story for his source now. A bad situation all around.

Whew, he wasn’t there…he goes to practice sometimes so I was a little worried. I’m trapped at work so my info gathering is limited. If anybody like the Cowboys he’s B. Davis for the DMN…has some good columns during the season.
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Thanks for the updates SG.

Another update with picture
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http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/05/special-teams-coach-joe-decamillis-taken.html
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Evidently the special teams coach was hurt and had to have his neck stabilized but he can move his arms and legs. I think the Cowboys have a “bubble” indoor facility rather than an actual bricks and mortar structure. Its actually easier for those “bubbles” to collapse than many people realize. I am just glad that evidently nobody was hurt more seriously.

While I don’t normally mind hijacking a blog, and have done it myself, I wouldn’t this one. It is serious. Check out the links to see the aggravation caused by this slime.
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Before the Do Not Call list, I would receive an average of 10 or so telephone solicitations per day. Sometimes more, sometimes nonstop. It was horrible. It stopped after registering. I have filed some complaints for violations but have no idea what the outcome was.
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Amy, I hope you follow up on this. If these scumbags are alllowed to violate the law and intrude again as before, I will curse the day.
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Amy, again, thanks for this post and please don’t let it slide away.

And slap me for my confusion. Not Amy. Sorry, Jay.

I wonder why we don’t get any? We get on the “Do Not Call” list through work (federal) and it seems to work. I wonder if the callers know where the lists originate? If so, is there a way for people to go through a federal website and register there?

I formally invite all thread hijackers to retreat to Jay’s last post on Lindsey Graham (a hijacking target if there ever was one).

sacredh, the point is that these people are violating the Do Not Call List. You are fortunate to not be on the viscious lists. But if you were, or get on the lists, you will understand the aggravation of the constant intrusion. I am on the Do Not Call List. The scumbags call anyway, though not near what is was before I registered. Charities, politicians, those you have done business with before are exempt, and I don’t mind that. But blatant cold calls by scammers is what the problem is. Not a big problem now, but at the risk of seeming chicken little, I call for something to be done before it reaches the level it was before the Do Not Call List.
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Seeing my stupidity thinking Amy had posted this, I now see that Jay is the congressional correspondent for Time, and again beg her to ring the bells in the congressional hallways (dramatic lisence). I am a crazy person on this issue.

One more point. The exemptions do not allow robo, automated, recorded calls under any circumstances. A live person has to be on the line. The scammers ignore this as well.

Correction, sometimes automated calls are allowed. Your own bank or credit card company may use automated calls such as for fraud surveillence, but it is clear what it is about, and it is in your interest.

About Jeff Sessions…
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http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/engineers-of-train-wreck-by-digby.html
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Might be nice if some MSM type pointed out that this guy is or at least was a raving bigot. Especially before or shortly after he becomes ranking member on the Judicial committee.

I formally invite all thread hijackers to retreat to Jay’s last post on Lindsey Graham (a hijacking target if there ever was one).
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I think the Saturday bone gets gnawed first. That and that other thread has gone to 155 comments already, so it may be officially declared dead.

Meghan McCain spits in the wind.
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http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/02/meghan-mccain-dont-look-at-us-like-dirty-moderates/

The actually have video of the Cowboys’ bubble coming down.
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I seldom take my own advice so I guess we’re back to hijacking this one. For the upcoming SC nomination, I’m almost hoping the republicans try to block it no matter who it is. I’d like to see it get pretty dirty so that we can retaliate and use “Well you started it” as an excuse to use the nuclear option. Reid’s such a pussy that I can’t see him doing it though.

Boo HTML not working!
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I agree Sacred, especially if Obama is smart enough to wait until after the health care vote to propose the nomination. Then they REALLY will look like whining biznatches!

I’m also wondering if Specter has formally switched. I don’t know what the procedure is, but it would make my day if Specter waited until the nomination cleared the committee and used it as a “goodbye and go to hell” kiss to his old buddies. I’d really be rolling on the floor if there had to be an exorcism ceremony. Holy water in water pistols, monks cracking themselves on the heads with wooden tablets like the sceen in the Holy Grail and maybe Bachman doing the pea soup number. Probably won’t happen. Not undignified enough.

I think I’ve watched too many MST3K’s. Even bad theater cracks me up.

sacredh
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Specter will still be a Republican for voting purposes in committee but as was pointed out yesterday and JNS finally acknowledged in her update on the other thread they won’t hold up the nominee in committee. They may try to filibuster the nomination when it hits the floor but by the time that happens I think Franken will be seated and we will have enough votes for cloture. Its a non issue that JNS made into an issue based on something posted on a blog of someone who it seems didn’t know what in the hell they were talking about.

I think the hearing for Franken/Coleman is June 1st. I’d be surprised if Pawlenty didn’t sign after the hearing decision. He has his own future to worry about. I think the possibility exists that Franken is going to be the senate version of Barney Frank. I can see Al shredding the republicans every chance he gets. They sure haven’t endeared themselves to him by making him wait 6 months.

Actually I’m terrified the Specter switch will make the RNC lean on Pawlenty to not sign until every single legal avenue is exhausted. If they can keep the final decision going on and on and on that keeps the magic number from being reached. If nothing else it’s a decent psychological ploy for them, other than it makes them all look like dumbdonkeys. But I repeat myself (H/T Samuel Clemens).

I’ve been getting these and they are totally annoying. I work days as a temp and I’m not supposed to get cell calls. I hardly give my number out to anyone. My parents are disabled and elderly in the care of a caretaker, so I can’t not take calls. I’m furious enough about these calls from my car company that I will seriously consider not buying a Honda again, although I love my car and I love that it is built in my state, but I’m not going to have my already awkward workday and precarious job situation interrupted by unsolicited sales calls.

yutsano
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From what I understand Pawlenty’s approval numbers are tanking so I don’t think he is going to allow himself to be used by his party for much longer.

I don’t have much info on Tim’s latest approval numbers. Do we have a resident Minnesotan who could weigh in on that subject?
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Oh and I know you’ve seen this Sgw, but this was just too awesome to not share. The context of the post is discussion of Obama maybe re-enacting the military commissions.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=20687#comment-1222191

From what I understand Pawlenty’s approval numbers are tanking so I don’t think he is going to allow himself to be used by his party for much longer.
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That and Senator Milquetoast uhh I mean Reid refusing to even acknowledge seating Franken, even provisionally. I want him primaried so bad I could spit!

midwestwife, thanks for returning to the point of the blog.
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On the hijack, my main thought is what a gift Souter was from the replugs. Thanks very much to the real President Bush, the first one.
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I am encouraged that Obama has read the Constitution and will have a chance to choose a competent justice. But wouldn’t it be the height of irony if some closet wingnut catholic prolife America first god guns and gays slipped by a la Souter. Good luck to us all. Roberts, Thomas, and Alito are ideologically predictable in their decisions and are a disgrace to the Constitution.

The Celtics just beat the Bulls 109-99 in game 7. Jack Kemp died this evening.

yutsano
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Here is a quick blurb on Pawlenty’s numbers being his lowest ever
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http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/05/01/1918260.aspx?p=1

formerlyjames: I think the chances are much higher that we’re going to get closet liberal activist justice. There was no attempt at all by Bush (the idiot one) to choose a moderate. He chose hard right justices. I want Obama to go for left wing justices. F*#K going for a moderate that’s a compromise selection. The right wing of the SC is out of step with the rest of the country. We’re not center-right anymore. We’re center left. I want to see justices that reflect that.

The right wing of the SC is out of step with the rest of the country. We’re not center-right anymore. We’re center left. I want to see justices that reflect that.
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You can call this potentially racist, but I want a Latina judge there too. It’s about time we acknowledge those who have been Americans as long or longer than we’ve been around.

How is this for crazy, stupid & annoying?

I have been getting both the calls and the junk mail with the car warranty expiration notice, but I have not owned a car in 4 years!!!

I have been getting both the calls and the junk mail with the car warranty expiration notice, but I have not owned a car in 4 years!!!
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They’re trying to incentivize you into buying one? Personally if I can get a decent amount from the car buying program Obama is proposing I might just dump my 99 Olds!

Sg-How did you put that video in here?

On another note Jack Kemp as died. If you want to know or maybe even forgot the type of republican and man Jack Kemp really was read the letter to his grandchildren upon Obama’s election:
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http://www.kemppartners.com/about-jack-kemp/column/a-letter-to-my-grandchildren/

gunny
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Thanks for the link. Kemp was a true blue supply side conservative but at least he actually believed in what he was proposing and he wanted big tax cuts for everybody not just the rich. But I think the quote at the end of his letter encapsulates who he was as a man and a politician and how far the Republican party has moved away from people like him.
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President-elect Obama talks of Abraham Lincoln’s view of our nation as an “unfinished work.” Well, isn’t that equally true of all of us? Therefore let all of us strive to help him be a successful president, so as to help make America an even greater nation.

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Now I believe that this is how he truly felt everyone should look at President Obama’s presidency. You would be hard pressed to find another Republican these days who would utter the same words unless they were under the gun trying to explain away something that Limbaugh said. Jack Kemp wasn’t perfect but from everything I know about him it does seem that he wanted what was best for the country above and beyond what was best for his party. And that’s just not a common sentiment anymore these days.

yutsano: That’s not rascist at all. It’s diversity. My own preference is a female Latina justice. Next up…a black justice that actually gives AA’s a voice on the court. Conservative white America has Clarence Thomas. They’re already covered.

“You would be hard pressed to find another Republican these days who would utter the same words unless they were under the gun trying to explain away something that Limbaugh said.”
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From the GOP pizza party:
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The leaders received positive feedback from the crowd, which included reporters, Republican aides and their friends, but not many new ideas.
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On the subject of education, one attendee declared that “people learn more from listening to Rush Limbaugh than they do in high school or college.”
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And while the leaders said they’re willing to embrace the thoughts of the concerned voters, a group of conservative activists who were protesting in the parking lot complained that they were not allowed through the doors.
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The activists grumbled that Republican organizers did not widely advertise the event. Several wearing shirts declaring themselves “Republicans Against Maverick McCain” craned their necks for a glimpse of the senior lawmaker, who did not show up.
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More non-ideas and non-solutions at the link:
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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/romney-cantor-jeb-bush-stump-for-gop-revival-2009-05-02.html

gysgt213: The republican make-over should be a real hoot. They’ll put on some very expensive makeup, comb their hair differently and try to say a few words like personal freedom, diversity, inclusion and reform without choking, but the first time they take a shower they’re going to look just like what they did before they started.

The Dallas Cowboys Special Teams coach who was hurt yesterday broke some vertebrae in his back and is lucky to not be paralyzed.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/02/dallas-cowboys-stadium-co_n_195215.html

Well, I’m late to this game. I get both the car warranty and the credit card calls. Have for a long long time. I always hang up.
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On the Repug rebranding, Steve Benen had another great catch:
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there were some policy-oriented questions from an obviously Republican-friendly crowd, which spoke to a larger truth. One young person asked what the government can do for people who "have aspirations to college" but can’t afford it "because college expenses have gone up." Another asked what government can do "to assist small businesses."
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So, at a Republican event with a Republican crowd about the future of Republican ideas, those on hand wanted to hear more about what the government can do for them.
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Good luck with that rebranding, guys.
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Tee double hee. Fail!

Also, I’ve found of late that collecting blog posts on the manifest, delusional failures of “greater wingnutia” has become quite entertaining as they become more and more delusional. The latest is here: A Wingnut Sunday: "their perfect world" Edition.
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BTW, about 2 weeks ago, it became clear to me that “wingnut” and “republican” had become synonymous. A week ago I added “torture enabler” to that list.

Wvng: Makes you wonder who was in the crowd.
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Bush noted that Florida pays the tuition of students who earn above average SAT scores and attend state universities.
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But some in the crowd were not so enthusiastic about that proposal.
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Jared McMullen, who attended the event, whispered to a friend: “I took the SATs three times and never broke 1000. That doesn’t help me at all.”
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McMullen later explained in an interview: “I had a great GPA but I had to go into the Marine Corps Reserve to pay for my tuition at a state school in New York.
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“What are you going to do for people who didn’t do so great on the SAT and have aspirations to college? They’re the people who need help. We’re caught out there in the wind because college expenses have gone up.”
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Romney repeatedly emphasized that the American people and not government are the solution to the nation’s problems.
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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/romney-cantor-jeb-bush-stump-for-gop-revival-2009-05-02.html

Gunny, West Virginia also has a tuition support program for high school students with a 3.0 or higher grade average. It’s called Promise Scholarships. Very popular, Democratic program. Only problem is that a 3.0 average at many WV schools does not necessarily translate into the capacity to do college level work.
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As for Romney and “the American people and not government are the solution”, what part of American government being of, for and by the people does he not understand?
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/rhetorical question snark

“Only problem is that a 3.0 average at many WV schools does not necessarily translate into the capacity to do college level work.”
Tell me about it. I live right across the river from WV and had a 3.875 in high school. 3.8 in college. They should have warned me.

wvng:
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“/rhetorical question snark”
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Maybe we should have “un-elections” then. We could vote on who we don’t want in office.
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I don’t know if that would help, but the alternative is chawing your own leg off and crawling away on the bloody stump, which wouldn’t help either but it would definatly be more dramatic.

FYI, you can get your cell phones on the National Do Not Call list.
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Also, I got a robo call from British Columbia.
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I had no idea that the British ruled Columbia. I always thought is was Spain*.
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*Yup, snark. I’m pulling a Palin here…

I just read an interesting article on CNN’s website about the GOP slumber/makeover snoozefest. They had quite a few protesters outside saying the people inside were RINO’s. This is one of the few times I’ll root for a civil war.

Here’s an interesting article concerning Obama’s experiences as relates to the nomination he will have to make:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30542679/

I don’t know what’s going to happen to those guys, but I think that this is the start of the process where the party beings to bifurcate (I like that word, sounds nasty, but isn’t!) into Rush Limbaghs’ party (which will keep the GOP name) and a new one, headed by the modertates.
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Here’s why:
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That 538 article yesterday makes it pretty clear that there is a large group of people who are moving out of the GOP tent into the street and calling themselves ‘independent’. They are now equal in number to the Dems, who, like them, hold 36% of the alleigence of the electorate.
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Rush will keep the GOP name because the far right has essentially complete control of the GOP’s admininstrative levers.
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The moderates have been splitting off from the GOP for some months now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if these become independent rather than Dems. They, and this nucleus from this do-nothing spitshine conference will eventually see a political opportunity to lead the ‘independents’ which I’m pretty sure, are center-right.

“modertates”.
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Ouch. Need another cup of coffee.
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That could be a pretty descriptive moniker though, marrying “moderate” with “potato”…

Ivy, Last year Rendell gave his big margin of victory over Lynn Swann as the reason why Pennsylvania would never vote for a black candidate for president. (Obama won by 10+%, even though McCain believed Rendell and spent his last couple of weeks here.)

Lynn Swann was just a dreadful candidate who’s had no experience outside of the football world; he didn’t seem to know anything about state government or have any ideas to improve the state. Not to mention that (1) he was running against Rendell, regular panelist on the Philadelphia Eagles’ postgame show for decades, and (2) the leadership of the state GOP has been fratricidal since, at least, Santorum’s big loss, with the saner faction preferring a former lieutenant governor to Swann and with frequent newspaper stories about this county GOP or that voting out a longtime chair or facing an embezzlement or sex scandal.

How does Swampland not have a post up about the passing of Jack Kemp? This blog is so full of fail!

53_3: Thanks for the link on Obama’s SC views. I guess I can kiss my hopes for a flaming liberal sh!tstirrer goodbye.

joyfulalternative, the remark you quote from Rendell was taken out of context from a Pittsburgh editorial board interview. The columnist who used it wrote a column the following day apologizing for it. He was talking about the primary and said there were some voters in PA who would never vote for an African American. The next thing he said was that there were also some who would never vote for a woman. The second sentence was not picked up however. He said if Swann had been white, he thought his own margin would have been less.
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I could never figure out why McCain’s people thought it was smart to concentrate in PA, except that PA went for Hillary in the primary and they believed the silliness that there were a lot of Hillary voters who would vote for McCain.
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My point was that if Franco Harris suddenly ran for the Senate seat, he would like be in the same position as Swann, with no experience in office and he should consider running for a House seat or some other office first.
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The once solidly moderate Republican counties around Philadelphia are now all Democratic and they have to be won for any candidate to win the state in a general election.

@53,
Not only do I agree with your scenario but would welcome it. To function properly a Democracy needs a credible viable opposition. With the Republican party’s credibility and vialbilty in a tailspin, something’s got to give.

53_3, I was also interested in that Nate Silver graph. I wonder if this is going to be the time that a third party will evolve. All those former Republicans who now identify as moderate would seem to be a natural base. Possibly some of the Blue Dog Democrats would be more comfortable there as well. The present GOP seems to have no interest in any moderation. If the ladies from Maine leave, that would really sound the death knell.

53_3: About your 11:03 post. That would be a dream come true. Take the hardcore RW base and give them 20-23% of the electorate. They get the evangelical and bubba vote but not much else. Even if independents and democrats claim roughly the same percentages, it shouldn’t be hard at all to attract enough independent/moderate voters to keep a democrat in the White House for a generation. Scalia and Thomas aren’t going to last anywhere near a generation. I’d be surprised if either of them are on the bench in 10 years.

With the changing demographics, it isn’t a stretch at all to envision a solid democratic base of over 40%. In a three party system, it’s hard to imagine a democrat not doing very well. We’ll lose some blue dogs but I think that scenario could give birth to a coalition style governing majority. I truly hope I get to see that. The cries of socialism are going to be something. Just the thought of the RWer’s themselves essentially ushering in European style government is hilarious.

I get these robocalls all the time. Thanks for amplifying this consumer annoyance and for sone light on its origins.

In response to my Sunday wingnut post, PD asked “”Aren’t you afraid that all that wingnuttery concentrated in such a small space might reach critical mass and implode sending us all into an alternate Universe wherin it all makes perfect sense?”
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I found that an interesting question, and it got me thinking about concentrated evil exploding. Like this terrifying bit of evil from Time Bandits:
.

Here is the contact info for the management, harass them just like they do us to get removed:

National Auto Warranty Services
100 Mall Pkwy
Wentzville, MO 63385
Tel: 636.639.1620

General Sales Manager, Derek Carroll (ext 7799)
General Manager, Eddie Struckman (ext 7706)
Team Managers: Brian Hayes, Brian Sczepanski, Chris Robinson, Len Woolfenden and Nils Foldberg.

————————————————–
Complaints to:
FTC tel 877.382.4357
File complaint with MO Attorney General’s office

National Auto Warranty Services, Inc.
Incorporated by Darain Atkinson, Philip J. Jehle, Cory C. Atkinson, National Auto Warranty Services, Inc. is located at 100 Mall Pkwy Wentzville, MO 63385. National Auto Warranty Services, Inc. was incorporated on Wednesday, November 02, 2005 in the State of FL and is currently active. Business Filings Incorporated represents National Auto Warranty Services, Inc. as their registered agent.

State of Florida Incorporation Record for National Auto Warranty Services, Inc.
State: FL
State #: F05000006403
Filing Type: Foreign for Profit
Created: 11/2/2005
Status: Active

Darain Atkinson
• President
• Secretary
• Director
1009 Hawks Landing Dr
Lake Saint Louis, MO 63367
Saint Charles County

Cory C. Atkinson
• Vice President
• Director
20 Signal Hill Ct
Saint Charles, MO 63301
Saint Charles County

Philip J. Jehle
• Chairman
• Vice President
3 Fort Sumter Ct
Saint Charles, MO 63303
Saint Charles County

PD, sacred, Ivy_B:
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Nate Silver has another poll from pollsters.com that shows 26.4% GOP branding. Still bad, even though not to the degree of the others. Don’t know if each poll’s “lean” was corrected for, or they were just tossed in a bag with the left hand polls and hope they cancel out. Or both.
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Either way, I don’t even think we’ll have a “third party” in a few years. Once the moderates (independents) pick up the poltical baton, the blinders will come off as far as the dittoheads being able to keep immersed in their own “news” sources. The media that leans right for the most part will likely choose affiliation with the moderates over the shrill dregs still carrying the GOP brand.
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With that, their listenership at FOX and the like will either fall off, or they’ll make changes.
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It’s a dream come true for 2012, though. With the Waco* fringe sucking off even 10 to 15% of the votes by then, the way will be clear for Obama to do another four, unless he tanks, which he won’t.

sacred:
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Scalia and Thomas have a plum life-tenure position. I can’t see either one leaving any time soon. I wish they would, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

53_3:
I’m writing about this today — I went to the GOP event in Arlington yesterday. I’ll blog my story tomorrow and look forward to your thoughts then. And thanks for the 538 link.
JNS

53_3, you are right, of course, about the independents not pulling into a third party – just a hopeful dream on my part. As I said before, I voted for John Anderson. I would love a viable alternative to the system we have now. The real problem is in Congress – that’s where a shake up would benefit the country.
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A mere pipe dream on my part!

53_3: If the country does keep turning leftward, I can see them both leaving either because of a date with the Grim Reaper or because they have lost their majority on the SC by then. They could easily make more in a month by speaking on weekends than they do in a year on the SC. Given a chance to make several million a year versus a few hundred thousand, the allure could be awfully tempting. Stevens and Ginsberg probably will both retire well before the end of Obama’s 1st term. If Obama gets re-elected I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get a fourth pick. If Obama picks middle agers, there’s a generation wrapped up. Barack is playing middle of the road and both Scalia and Thomas could very well decide to retire before the end of a second term if it looks like someone more liberal is going to get elected. They could see it as damage control. Plus, Scalia knows he’s never going to get a shot at being Chief Justice. Regardless of the logic of putting a younger guy in there, that has to sting.

One other thing that has crossed my mind recently is Kennedy. He’s basically a moderate and I wonder if he’s happy with the hard right the Supreme Court has taken? If he isn’t, he can reshape the SC overnight by letting Obama replace him.

Scalia and Thomas have a plum life-tenure position. I can’t see either one leaving any time soon. I wish they would, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
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Thomas I could see bolting for the money. Scalia will hold on until he’s a rotting corpse, as he honestly sees himself as a conservative bastion against the liberal forces threatening to seize the country. So Thomas could go, but Scalia will die on the bench unless another Bush gets elected (and yes that made me shudder to think about too!).

You’re welcome JNS.
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sacredh:
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Clarence Thomas seems to be the type that will last until he’s 110. Or later. He’s a numbskull with a cushy, permanent job that has a paycheck he can always count on. I don’t think that “tokens” are too employable these days, given what’s happened to Micheal Steele. He’s villified in the Black community, and what’s left of the GOP isn’t exactly interested in Black voices. I don’t see where the millions are that he would make.
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There’s still hope that something might break. At least, I figure, Obama will refresh the liberal end and maybe get us a 5-4 majority by the time he ends year 8.
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Yutsano:
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Don’t say it, please don’t say it!
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Damn, you said it…

Ivy_B:
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Just think of what history might have been like had John Anderson won those primaries!

53_3: Thomas is VERY popular with the right wing. If more AA’s thought like Thomas (gag, retch,choke), republicans would consider diversity. I think he could make piles of money speaking at fundraisers, conservative conventions etc. A Supreme Court justice gets at least 100k a year for retirement I believe. Thomas could easily command 20-25k a speech. Throw in dinner and it doesn’t sound too bad.
yutsano: I think the thought of Jeb getting elected and having another Bush in the White House might make the right wing shudder too. Maybe even leave a little wet spot. Ewwww….I just made myself puke.

Thomas is VERY popular with the right wing. If more AA’s thought like Thomas (gag, retch,choke), republicans would consider diversity.
-
That leaves Thomas and…Thomas Sowell. Yeah, that’s what I would call a representative sample! One of the reasons I geek out so bad on 538 is because I used to work in survey research, and while some of the higher math involved will make your head flat, when they talk about regressive means and such I actually kinda sorta get it.
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I think the thought of Jeb getting elected and having another Bush in the White House might make the right wing shudder too. Maybe even leave a little wet spot. Ewwww….I just made myself puke.
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I’m gonna blame that thought on blogging with low blood sugar. It doesn’t change my opinion that if Jeb thinks he has anywhere near a shot he’s gonna do it. Heck he could run on a platform of actually being a marginal success at something as opposed to his doofus brother!

” If more AA’s thought like Thomas (gag, retch,choke), republicans would consider diversity.”
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Actually sacredh, 40% of the Black community is conservative, often very conservative, but they also like to be safe. It’s the racist trappings the GOP surrounded conservatism with they cant abide, so they don’t consider the GOP as a place to roost.
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I make that point only because others may not be familiar with that fact. It translates into some six to eight million votes, if they were smart.
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But, of course, you know and I know they aren’t. I have to give you the nod on this, because he will be able to pull in that money, given that the GOP is fast becoming an OBN* where white people tell each other how racist they’re not being and Thomas will certainly be more than happy to maintain that myth.
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*Old Boys’ Network

53_3: I have friends of several races/ethnic groups and it doesn’t surprise me in the least that roughly the same percentages are conservative, moderate or liberal. You’re absolutely right about many AA’s being conservative and still being democrats. There just isn’t anything in the makeup of the republican party that says “you’re one of us”. The republicans are basically saying “you’re one of them but you can vote for us…just don’t expect anything in return”. If anyone had any doubts about which party represented all Americans, the conventions should have laid to rest that question. I’d have felt safe at the republican convention because as much as I hate to admit it…I look like a poster child for the Aryian Nation. If I was a minority member, I wouldn’t have felt safe unless I was packin’.

Hey, anyone remember the swine flu?
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http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1895566,00.html
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Of course it’s a little too soon to say for sure, but I’m feeling pretty vindicated right about now.

nhautamaki:
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/04/swine.flu.main/index.html
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I can see that there is a bit of hysteria that went on over it, but considering it came out of the gate closing down a city of 22 million and killed 150 (now 101), I can understand the anxiety.
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It appearently did mutate into some less-virulent form, with the more potent strain staying home.
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Remember though, it could have not mutated, with truly lamentable consequences…
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sacred:
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The GOP is so stupid they’d rather cut their nose of to spite their face. If they had truly made an effort in the past few years to dump Southern Strategy, and reach out to Black Americans, they might have won!
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McCain, at one point, in the distant past, was actually considered a viable choice by many in the Black community. He was one of the few GOP candidates that were.

53_3: If the republicans had dumped the southern strategy they could very well have lost much of the support of their base that would have been greater than the number of Black Americans they could have picked up. Let’s face it, they just aren’t an appealing party to much of America. After the 2010 census and the redistricting, they’re going to be in a world of hurt. I hope you read JNS’s article about the pizza party/rebranding. The first paragraph had me laughing out loud.

sacred:
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You’re right on putting lipstick on the GOP pig. A pig is still a pig, even if you dress it in drag.
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Going to check JNS article now. Was hanging around for her blog today.

I like this tidbit, sacred:
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“Quite honestly, people learn more from listening to Rush Limbaugh’s show than in high school or college,…”
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Ahyuh, ahyuh, ahyuh.
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If only I had known…

I liked a couple of parts in the first paragraph. “Freshly born” =born-again and “made the crowd seem thick”=slow, dimwitted. I think that was a thinly disguised slam against saying you’ve changed when it’s still the same old thing.

Thank you for outing the lamentable non-enforcement of the do-not-call list. There are doubtless more pressing national concerns, but few are more irritating than junk phone calls.

YES! and I live in new york city so don’t even own a freakin car!!
What is up with these people? Thaks JNS for bringing this up.

[...] Posted by Jay Newton-Small | Comments (0) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This On May 2 I blogged about the increasing number of annoying and illegal robo-calls that I, and thousands of others, have been getting. Well, thanks to Senator Chuck Schumer and the [...]

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