Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in Afternoon Open Thread

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

jelana — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:15:44 -0000

That is certainly the truth. My 27 year old nephew has it and he has to have a whole body blood transfer every 5 weeks. It is unbelievable what he has to endure. My sister and her husband were both tested for the trait, but her husband was misdiagnosed.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

southernbelle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:39:15 -0000

they test african americans automatically now. in the past this wasn't the case. so it is very rare that one wouldn't know if they have the trait. but to your point about prevention, you would be surprised at the amount of people who know they have the trait & still have children. if they saw someone in a crisis they would rethink that decision long & hard.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

ch555x — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:10:03 -0000

I suppose it's hard for me to accept that we're practically everywhere in these so-called bad stats. You'd think we'd be extinct as a people!

>_<

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

jelana — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:46:40 -0000

We also need to be tested for the trait before we have children--males & females. When both parents have the trait, a sickle cell child will most likely be born. Prevention is a necessity.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

Town — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:48:41 -0000

Don't even get me worked up again on Deeds. LOL

Well, don't forget, redistricting is next year and the Pat Robertson crew now has control. I wouldn't be surprised if these mofos didn't draw Scott's district to make him weaker (right now all the black people from Richmond to Newport News are lumped together). D's probably thinking he'll have a shot at shutting down Bobby Scott once the Thugs get finished playing their Etch-a-Sketch with Virginia.

Drawing a weak district for Scott is the only way D or any other teabagger will be able to get him out of office. Most of the Richmond teabaggers live in the 7th District.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

CPL — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:33:41 -0000

He did keep asking me about what kind of representative Bobby Scott was. I told him the man was a solid progressive and that didn't sit well with D.

I always wondered if he had plans for challenging Scott. I just hope that McDonnell's victory isn't giving this brotha ideas; McDonnell won because Deeds ran a piss-poor campaign and didn't get Moran and Obama to schill for him until it was too late.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

CPL — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:31:37 -0000

You ain't neva lied.

Unless Bobby Scott royally screws up, D has his work cut out for him, considering the GOP's track record in helping out the brothas in their party.

D would be better served getting a job in McDonnell's administration, as opposed to challenging a 20 year incumbent in Norfolk, but he'll learn that lesson when no cheddar gets thrown his way. If the GOP sees no benefit in having Scott's seat, they won't throw money in that direction.

Right now, looks like the Conservatives and the Moderates of the ReThug party are going to spend the next year eating their own, if the New York race is any indication.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

rikyrah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:02:22 -0000

He WAS at home in California, wasn't he? Don would have been comfortable on one level, but I do think he likes the ' role' that he plays as hubby.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

RobM — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:36:03 -0000

The Breck girl has no idea what she wants. I've no sympathy for Don because for all his empathy for everyone else he has no idea what it means for his wife. Part of it is he bought into what a wife is supposed to be June Cleaver, yet he is so unsuited for it. He also had to become married or he would have been accused of being a homosexual and cut off at the knees. It is why until the school teacher careful in letting people see whom he is sleeping w/.Had he been able to wait to marry he would have taken off to California w/ the school teacher type after the payoff of selling the firm. Remeber the West Coast eay girl was part of an upper class he wasn;t exposed to. it was a little alien in its lack of monogamy.
T

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

blksista — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:34:17 -0000

I'm really sorry to hear about Maine, but I also knew that it was very close.

Re Houston: watch the hate really start.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

rikyrah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:11:31 -0000

EVENING OPEN THREAD IS UP

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

rikyrah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:31:19 -0000

Senate votes 98-0 to extend Unemployment Benefits

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

Town — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:22:17 -0000

LOL good luck with that. Maybe McDonnell can help him out. I'm not trying to be funny but the Va. GOP didn't help Winsome Sears out and didn't help Paul Harris out, so unless they truly are trying to reach into their big tent and reach out to minorities they aren't going to help D out either.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

Miranda — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:43:44 -0000

Is Obama inspiring black men to step up?

(CNN) -- The Natural Edges Salon in Dallas, Texas, is a rowdy barbershop where black men gather to loudly talk smack, politics and sports.
But on one wintry November morning last year, the men suddenly stopped talking. Someone turned the radio off, and the barbers' clippers stopping humming. A man had just challenged the customers' manhood.

The man was President-elect Obama. He was giving a televised speech challenging men to get involved in their communities.
The men had heard the message before, but this time they could relate to the messenger. Obama had shared their struggles -- raised by a single mom, never really knowing his father -- but had never used his struggles as an excuse.

Nor could they anymore, some of the men decided. Seven joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of America that morning, barber Michael Johnson says. One of them was Johnson, who says he grew up without his father but was saved by the friendship of an older man.
"I just said, 'You know what, I can do this today instead of tomorrow,' " Johnson said. '' 'Tomorrow may be too late. I can save a young man's life today.' "
Full Article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIV...

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

Miranda — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:41:53 -0000

Report: AARP to back health care

The 40-million member AARP will support the $1.2 trillion health care bill heading toward a vote in the House, a potentially critical endorsement, the Associated Press is reporting.

The powerful seniors lobby has been in a difficult position on health care legislation this year. It has generally supported revamping the system but has also lost tens of thousands of members over concerns about how the current proposals in Congress would affect Medicare.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/o...

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

RobM — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:28:03 -0000

They need to be beaten in the halls of Congress like it was the German Social Revolution of 1918. these people are simply haters and it is all they understand.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

djchefron — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:12:25 -0000

House Will Bring up HCR This Week
by mcjoan
Share this on Twitter - House Will Bring up HCR This Week Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 01:40:09 PM PST
Last night, Speaker Pelosi filed the manager's amendment--the final tweaks--to the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962). Here's the announcment describing the changes made in this amendment:

Building on the legislation House Democrats introduced last week, this manager’s amendment includes these key improvements to the bill:

providing $1 billion in new resources to states to rein in price gouging by insurance companies,
excluding insurers who put profits over patients from an affordable marketplace that will serve tens of millions of Americans,
expanding on the provision that removed insurance companies’ anti-trust exemption and strengthening it to further promote competition and bring down costs for Americans; and
expanding oversight to further prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
To read the manager’s amendment click here. The full text of the bill is available here.

According to CQ, it's possible that they could bring the bill to a vote on the House floor as early as Saturday, Nov. 7. The Hill has a whip count here, based on media accounts, press releases and spokesmen for the lawmakers.

Here are their undecideds:

Brian Baird (Wash.)
Melissa Bean (Ill.)
Marion Berry (Ark.) Wants more aggressive action against HMOs, drug makers
Rick Boucher (Va.)
Dennis Cardoza (Calif.)
Yvette Clarke (N.Y.)
Chet Edwards (Texas) A perennial GOP target
Bob Etheridge (N.C.) May run for Senate
Bill Foster (Ill.) "Encouraged" House is moving forward
Bart Gordon (Tenn.) Republicans targeting Science panel chairman
Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.) Wants vote on "robust" public option
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.)
Baron Hill (Ind.)
Frank Kratovil (Md.) Voted yes on climate change bill; GOP targeting him
Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) He said he "will have trouble voting for anything other than robust public option."
Daniel Lipinski (Ill.) Opposes abortion rights
Betsy Markey (Colo.) Has concerns with cost of the bill
Jim Marshall (Ga.)
Eric Massa (N.Y.) Fan of single-payer approach
Jim Matheson (Utah) Prefers Senate Finance measure; voted no in committee
Harry Mitchell (Ariz.)
Dennis Moore (Kan.) Was target of death threat last summer over healthcare reform
Jim Oberstar (Minn.)
Heath Shuler (N.C.)
Zack Space (Ohio)
Harry Teague (N.M.) Skeptic of public option

Grijalva and Kusinich have both been holding out for somtehing better, Grijalva for a robust public option amendment, and Kucinich and Massa for single payer. Some of them--Brian Baird?--are just head scratchers, some (Oberstar, Lipinski) having been holding out on the Stupak abortion amendment, and others are predictable Blue Dogs who don't want to be looking like they agree with Nancy Pelosi on anything.

In a bow to the abortion opponents, Slaughter says that the rule will include anti-abortion language from Rep. Brad Ellsworth.

The Ellsworth language would become part of the House adopts the rule for the bill, Slaughter said. It would explicitly prohibit federal funding for abortions and also guarantee patients access to "pro-life" insurance plans that would not cover the procedure.

Stupak, according to CQ, is still holding his breath. As of yet, there's no word from leadership on what they've done to appease progressives.
http://www.dailykos.com/sto...

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

EKnight — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:56:45 -0000

"We will have to come up with another name other than wingnuts because they have really went off the cliff with this one."

How about:
-The Talibangelicals
OR
-Sarah's Satans
OR
-The Palinoid Quitzaphrenics
Or
-The Foxbots

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

djchefron — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:38:32 -0000

Time to research and pull up all of D's post and see whats there.Nothing personal D just business

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

djchefron — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:34:18 -0000

Gay Mayor in Houston? Could Very Well Be…
By: Phoenix Woman Wednesday November 4, 2009 6:56 am

You’d never know it from reading the RNC talking points at Politico or the Washington Post, but guess what: Houston, Texas — a historically-conservative city in a historically-conservative state — is on the verge of getting its first openly-gay mayor. What’s more is that she was by no means the only progressive or trailblazing major candidate in the race:

The unpredictable and unorthodox race for Houston mayor narrowed Tuesday to a choice between a veteran City Hall insider trying to become Houston’s first openly gay leader and a former civil rights activist hoping to become only the second African-American to run the nation’s fourth-largest city.

City Controller Annise Parker and former City Attorney Gene Locke, the two candidates originally predicted by many to prevail at the race’s outset, face each other in a Dec. 12 runoff.

The upshot: Houston will get to choose between two very good candidates five weeks from now.

Meanwhile, pro-gay-rights measures passed in both Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Washington state. So while Maine may have been a disappointment, it’s not the only thing that happened last night.
http://seminal.firedoglake....

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

rikyrah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:33:55 -0000

Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Hill Dems. don't want to vote on Dem. agenda
by Joe Sudbay (DC) on 11/04/2009 01:16:00 PM

Members of Congress ask us to support them because they claim to share our values and our agenda. Then, they win -- and they whine and moan when we actually expect them to pass the agenda they promised during the campaign. According to The Hill, several Democrats are actively trying to ditch the Democratic agenda:

Vulnerable House and Senate Democrats want their leaders to skip the party’s controversial legislative agenda for next year to help save their seats in Congress.

In the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections, they don’t want to be forced to vote on climate change, immigration reform and gays in the military, which they say should be set aside so Congress can focus on jobs and the economy.

Got that? Key Democratic constituencies (environmentalists, Latinos and gays) = "controversial legislative agenda." So, here's the question: Why should we support any Democrats who throw us under the bus? Trying winning elections without environmentalists, Latinos and gays. Try it.

http://www.americablog.com/...

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

MonieTalks — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:32:22 -0000

Check this tidbit out JJP:

A challenger for Bobby Scott?
After running unopposed in the past two elections, U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott might have competition in 2010.

Coby Dillard, a paid worker for Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell’s campaign and a Norfolk resident, said Wednesday he’s considering seeking the Republican nomination to run against Scott, a Newport News Democrat, in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Norfolk and Portsmouth.

Dillard, 29, is active in the Tea Party movement - an anti-tax group that opposes the federal stimulus packages and bailouts of large private institutions.

Finance reports for McDonnell’s successful gubernatorial bid show that between May and Octobe 16, Dillard was paid $13,948 as a campaign worker, according to The Virginia Public Access Project.

On his Web site, Dillard, who grew up in Richmond and served six years in the Navy, cited his personal beliefs on many issues, which he calls “The Dillard Doctrine.”

“I don’t support any system, program or entitlement that gives preference to one over another. People should succeed - and experience failure – on their own,” he wrote.

He opposes forcing gun owners to register their weapons, wants parents to decide which school their children should attend and opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants.

“I also believe that our country is a Christian nation,’’ he wrote, adding that while he respects other religious traditions, he cannot “subordinate my beliefs to anyone in the name of political correctness.”

Scott, 62, who was elected to his first two-year term in 1992, has won reelection seven times. His last opponent was Winsome Sears, a Republican, in 2004, whom he defeated by a 2 to 1 margin.

- Bill Bartel

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/challenger-bobb...

Interesting comment and possible development....hmmmmm.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

djchefron — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:26:28 -0000

So if it gets out of hand and a congressperson gets assaulted can we please have this bat shit crazy person expelled and beck arrested for inciting a riot.

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

rikyrah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:17:22 -0000

Chicago Inspector General's Office Sues City
IGO demands city turn over records concerning a 2006 no-bid contract.
By CAROL MARIN

It’s a first.

NBC5 and the Chicago Sun-Times have learned the city Inspector General’s Office is taking the Daley administration to court after issuing a subpoena last month.

The IGO is demanding the city Law Department and its boss, Mara Georges, turn over documents and records concerning an unspecified no-bid contract awarded in 2006.

First Deputy Inspector General Mary E. Hodge filed the lawsuit in the Chancery Division of Cook County Circuit Court Wednesday asking that Georges be compelled to fully co-operate in an ongoing contract probe “investigating how a former City employee was awarded a sole-source contract in apparent violation of the City’s ethics and contracting rules.”

Hodge has been the interim head of the IGO since August 2009 when Inspector General David Hoffman resigned to run for US Senate. Hoffman’s replacement, former Assistant US Attorney Joseph Ferguson, awaits City Hall confirmation hearings later this month.

The lawsuit does not name the contractor or the amount that contractor has been paid.

The IGO wants the court to require Georges to tell them who hired that individual and why, saying it “has been unable to determine who bears responsibility for the critical decision to contract with the former employee.”

Citing attorney-client privilege, Georges and the Law Department have, according to the lawsuit, refused to say.

IGO argues attorney-client privilege is a bogus argument, that the Inspector General and Georges both work for the same city and follow the same law, requiring the full cooperation of every city department in investigations of questionable hiring and contracts.

This is hardly the first time the Inspector General’s Office and the Daley administration have butted heads. Recall the now infamous case of Christopher Kozicki, the $130,000 Planning Department supervisor who rigged the 2004 hiring of a 19-year-old, unqualified building inspector named Andy Ryan. Though Kozicki admitted his role in federal court under a grant of immunity and then-Inspector General Hoffman urged his firing, the Daley administration refused. Kozicki later resigned.

The appointment of the city’s first Inspector General, made by Mayor Daley five years ago, was meant to signal, in the wake of a series of scandals, that hiring and contract abuses would not be tolerated.

But Daley’s relationship to the IGO became increasingly testy over the years.

Today’s lawsuit suggests those tensions remain.

The City Law Department has not yet replied to a request for comment

http://www.nbcchicago.com/n...

Re: Afternoon Open Thread

rikyrah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:14:03 -0000

BREAKING: AARP to Endorse House Bill! Hotlist
by Drdemocrat [Subscribe]
Digg this! Share this on Twitter - BREAKING: AARP to Endorse House Bill!Tweet this submit to reddit Share This
Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 01:13:16 PM PST

Well this is a HUGE coup for the House Democrats. The AARP will give their seal of approval for the House Bill.

This is extremely important for "wavering" House members who are afraid of angry seniors in the 2010 mid-terms.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

* Drdemocrat's diary :: ::
*

This is a GREAT development for health care reform and may be the momentum this bill needs for the next step.

In a coup for House Democrats, AARP will endorse sweeping health care overhaul legislation headed for a history-making floor vote, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

An announcement from the 40-million member group is expected Thursday, said officials with knowledge of the group's decision. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the endorsement is not official yet.

Backing the 10-year, $1.2 trillion House bill is a tricky move for AARP. Many retirees are concerned about cuts in Medicare payments to medical providers, which will be used to finance an expansion of health insurance coverage to millions of working families who now lack it.

http://www.dailykos.com/sto...