Cry havoc, and let slip the prairie dogs of chat. Try not to break an ankle.
Reader Interactions
64Comments
Comments are closed.
Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.
Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.
Fear or fury? The choice is ours.
Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.
A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.
Let there be snark.
Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard
The willow is too close to the house.
In after Baud. Damn.
That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.
Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.
It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.
America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.
You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.
An almost top 10,000 blog!
If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.
Shut up, hissy kitty!
You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?
Our messy unity will be our strength.
Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.
We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.
DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.
Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.
Republicans in disarray!
ppGaz
Wolf Blitzer is gay.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Krista
ppGaz – are you a spoof today, or am I? I misplaced my schedule.
ppGaz
I’ll have to check with Brian, I think he is on duty this morning (yes, morning, out here in the desert).
demimondian
All I know is that I’m not the Easter Bunny today.
Paul Wartenberg
I’ve posted this elsewhere, and noone’s answered me on it yet… But with all this outrage (and there’s a lot of it) about Bush’s warrantless wiretapping, where are the planned street protests? Why aren’t there people marching up and down the streets of DC? Has the gov’t locked down on such protesting, can we not get permits to make such protests as we are allowed to under the First Amendment? Seriously, is there anything planned to protest Bush’s illegal conduct regarding warrantless wiretapping? If so, who’s organizing it and when will it be? If not, who do we need to yell at to get this done???
ppGaz
Uh, how about the Little Einsteins?
demimondian
Oh, look! [a href=”http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13143129/”] Fifty more Iraqis who have been thoroughly liberated from Saddamist hegemony!
Will
Classy white-trashy mom takes her 4-month old baby out for a night of partying. Who says Britney spears ins’t still a role model for some?
ppGaz
Yet, if she took me to her breast, I’d forgive her.
Krista
Gad – now that was a mental image that nobody needed, really.
scs
Ok, this is for TimF (and others) in reply to your responses about Harry Reid. I didn’t have a chance to respond before. Basically the defenses for him were, 1. other Senators do it worse, 2. it’s no big deal and 3. the tickets were “credentials” and of no monetary value, so they were not “gifts”, and did not violate Senate ethics rules and 4.) he voted ‘against’ the parties so what’s the big deal anyway? Sorry, but all four arguments are irrelevant, but I know none of you are honest enough to admit it.
As for 1 and 2, true I agree that what Reid did in the grand scheme of things was no big deal. However, it’s not the crime, it’s the “cover-up” by his holier-than-thou defenders that is the true scandal, because he and you lefties are not honest enough to admit that such actions he engages in with interested parties does not look good, is not wise and that he shouldn’t continue such behavior. And as to all the Senators being bad, even a small hint of a violation of Senate rules when done by the TOP senate guy, is kind of a big deal, because he is the one who is supposed to set an example for the others, and Reid has been caught in this type of behavior several times, suggesting not an accident but a pattern. Again if you can’t be big enough to at least admit that what Reid did at the minimum gave the wrong impression and should be stopped, then it just proves what hyocrites you all are.
As for 3, please SOMEONE print any Nevada statute that states it is illegal to pay for “credentials”. Anyone? You are all assuming that is the law because the story quoted one boxing commision employee who stated that. Let’s at least look that up first (Tim) before we accept that as legal fact. But again, you are all missing the point. Just because a gift does not have “monetary” value, does not mean it’s not a gift. A “favor”, without any monetary value per se, is still a gift. For instance, as a hypothetical, letting Reid stay at some boxing executive’s fancy ski cabin for a week for free would be a “gift”, even though it’s not costing the executive any money. If the benefit was given from an interested party during the time of legislation, according to any idiot who reads the Senate guidlines, it is w-r-o-n-g.
As for 4, again, it doesn’t matter ir Reid and his party voted against the legislation. Tim keeps asking for the quo there. First of all, IT doesn’t matter man! Just the act of taking the gift or favour is a violation, whether or not a quo can be established. That’s kind of like saying, well I can shoot at somebody, but if the bullet missed, it didn’t count. The rules are there for a reason, and Reid should follow the rules, period. Again, the quo is very hard to prove. How do we know that Reid didn’t act favorably to the boxing commision in other ways behind the scenses – adding favorable language to the bill, watering it down etc, that he might not have done? We don’t. And that’s why the rules are there, and that’s why Reid should follow them. TimF, if you can’t understand or admit that, then you should give up this faux non-partisan blogging idea.
The Other Steve
BTW… The results are in…
http://wcco.com/local/local_story_153231832.html
Republicans in Minnesota want Newt Gingrich in 2008, by a more than two to one margin.
2nd was George Allen
3rd was Condoleezza Rice
4th was John McCain
then Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney
This should be encouraged. Gingrich will lose an election by at least 30 points. People are so fucking sick of the party he created.
scs
Ok, I just did a search for some Nevada statute that states it is “illegal” to pay for boxing “credentials”. Well, I didn’t find it, but I did find dozens, maybe hundreds of blogs asserting that it is so. And you know who they all quoted as their source for such knowledge of Nevada law? This guy…
That boxing promoter, whoever that guy (or gal) sure must be some unassailable legal source, as I saw him quoted dozens of times. I am glad all the blogs are using that anonymous “boxing promoter” as their legal guru. Maybe if I ever get into legal trouble, that boxing promoter can come to my trial and talk about how what I was charged with wasn’t illegal. No need for the judge to actually look up the statute- the boxing promoter said it was so! It has to be true! The blogging media sure is doing their homework here.
Just one more question – if it is indeed “illegal” to accept payment for credentials, then why did the commision accept John McCain’s payment? If it illegal to “accept” the payment, then the act of accepting McCain’s payment should be illegal as well, no? Even if they later gave it to charity. It would be like a prostitute taking money for sex, and then giving it to the Salvation Army on the way out and then claiming it wasn’t illegal. Sorry, it’s still illegal. Did the boxing commision break the law? Should we perform citizens’ arrests? Just ludicrous. All this twisting and turning is still hilarious to me.
The Other Steve
Ok, because scs says so.
Sorry scs, but you really don’t have much credibility in this department considering your nothing but a partisan hack.
scs
Hmm, was this a computer generated response?
The Other Steve
Then why the twisting arguments?
I’ll be serious with you, even though you are a partisan hack. I used to work for a company that sold software to local government. Iowa has pretty strick rules on gifts. You can’t buy a meal worth more than like $4, for example.
We had released a new version, and we wanted to invite a number of county officials to come see it. Well obviously this was a whole day even, and we wanted to serve lunch. At the $4 limit we couldn’t even order for pizza. So some of the people who worked for the company got together and made ham sandwiches at home and brought them in.
Now honestly, making ham sandwiches yourself will probably get your more props in Iowa than ordering out for pizza. But it was still just kind of ridiculous.
Now I’m not advocating $50 catered lunches from Abramhoff’s restaurant. Just reasonable limits.
As for the boxing credentials. I think it’s a patently stupid argument, and I would think so even if it was Hastert taking them.
If congress critters are going to legislate about Boxing, then they ought to have some fucking knowledge of a boxing match. Now obviously Reid does because of his past as a boxer, and as a regulator in Nevada. But not all Congress critters do, and a rule that says “Ok, anybody but Reid can accept credentials is ok” is patently stupid.
It’s one thing for cash to be changing hands, with reps stashing $90k in their freezer, or for Congress critters to be hiring their spouses in their campaigns at inflated salaries, or worse hiring them as consultants and taking a skim off the contributions.
It’s quite another for Elected officials to attend shows, opening ceremonies, etc. If Harry Reid and George Bush got free tickets to the Knicks games, I wouldn’t fucking care.
A Timberwolves game I went to back in 2000 I saw Jesse Ventura, then Governor of Minnesota. I’m sure he had his own tickets, but if he didn’t I would have wanted him there. Just like the Mayor of the city ought to be there, or the Senators, or Congress critter from the district. It’s a fucking public event, and they are fucking public personalities and I think it is perfectly fine and acceptable for them to be there, and I really don’t give a shit if they had to pay for their fucking tickets.
I hope I’ve been straight enough to you scs. When you get caught with your hand in mom’s wallet, you don’t whine at mom and say “But joey stole a cookie!” and expect to be forgiven for taking the cash.
It’s childish
It’s pathetic
The Other Steve
This whole Reid thing reminds me of the pathetic “Clinton rented out the Whitehouse!!!!!” whining from the REpublicans back in ’99 or so.
Jesus christ, if the worst thing a President ever did was let campaign contributors spend a night at the White House, then we’ve got the most ethical government I’ve ever seen.
Spending a night at the white house costs nearly nothing, and sure as hell doesn’t hurt anybody.
Compare this to handing out no-bid contracts to your buddies, as we’ve been seeing over and over again from this Republican administration and Congress.
I’m tired of politics being about who can be the biggest fucking Drama Queen.
The Other Steve
It could be. Your responses are so predictable, we could setup Eliza as the blog and let you talk to yourself.
scs
Yeah, that’s why Reid can buy a ticket- like the rest of the folks. It’s not rocket science man.
Andrew
What about your own responses are so predictable we could setup eliza as the blog and let i talk to myself?
The Other Steve
And this Reid nonsense. This is the kind of shit that we get into any time some party starts abusing ethics.
It’s not enough that we simply say “Look, selling your house to a government contractor for $1 million more than you paid for it isn’t ethical”. Hell I’m sure it’s already illegal.
No, we have to go and impose more ethics rules. And the Drama Queens(that means you scs) start coming up with all kinds of excuses of why they aren’t guilty because joey stole a cookie, and so we should make taking a cookie illegal too since we’re making stealing $100 out of mom’s purse illegal. I mean, really, you know, to be fair and everything.
And this all leads eventually to “elected officials can’t take a lunch worth more than $4”
If you’re a Drama Queen, I do n’t want to hear another word out of your pie hole.
scs
Look, I already said, it wasn’t that big a deal. What I find a big deal is the inability for his defenders to admit that he was at least unwise with his actions. Look, you might think the ticket rules and such are silly, and let’s face it, lots of rules seem silly on their face. But they are set up for a reason. They are set up for guidlines and to set a limit. And these gift rules are set up by the Senate to discourage ALL gift taking, so that it makes it clear to all Senators what is or isn’t acceptable around the time of legislation. Without such black and white rules, it becomes a slippery slope. Reid should understand and respect that. Sorry, but he is not above the rules.
The Other Steve
So you’re saying that anything Congress legislates over, the legislators should have to pay their own way to find out more about it? And if they wanted to go talk to the people, they should have to pay their own way. If they wanted to fly in an economist to give testimony on tax policy, that should come out of the legislators salary? After all it’s not a job related expense.
Funny, if I buy a new book on SQL Analysis Services 2005, my job considers it a reimbursable expense. Oh, and get this… sometimes my work sends me to training classes or conferences, to like uhh, learn about new stuff happening in the industry! But according to you, I should pay that out of my own salary, because it’s not like it helps the company if I have additional knowledge with which to do my job properly.
Heaven forbid we have legislators who have a fucking clue about the stuff they are writing legislation for.
Education is for losers! Which I think scs quite clearly demonstrates.
The Other Steve
Right, which is why you had to pollute another thread with the accusations.
Because as a Drama Queen, you just couldn’t let the slur slide.
ppGaz
It’s not a statute, you idiot.
The documents in question were not tickets, they were VIP credentials. They have no face value. The boxing commission cannot accept payment for items that have no face value. In order for them to accept payment, they would have to issue tickets. But they were not tickets. They had no face value. Since they had no face value, there was no way to accept payment for them. That’s why they weren’t paid for. There was no mechanism to accept payment.
How many fucking times do you have to be told this? If you think I’m wrong, contact the issuer:
Maybe they have a department that explains simple things to stupid tedious shits like you. As for the Stupid Tedious Shit Department for faster service.
They didn’t. The promoter forwarded it to a charity, the same thing they did with Reid’s submitted payment on another occasion.
All found on Google in less than one minute, and this is not the first time you have been told these things on this blog. What the fuck is the matter with you?
ppGaz
Neither the law, nor the commission, nor the applicable ethics rules consider it a “gift.” It is considered an acceptable practice for Senators to be invited to attend state-regulated activities even when the invitation is not from their own state. The latter caveat (emphasis) applies to McCain, who is from Arizona, in this case.
Again, not the first time you have been told this here.
Are you hard of hearing?
Perry Como
PotD.
scs
Look ppgaz, I know you’re kind of slow as well as mentally deviant, but I will try to explain this slowly to you. For a boxing commision to not be able to accept payment- it has to be against a Nevada statute. That’s why thing cannot be done in Western soceity, because there are “laws” against them. If there is no law against it, then it CAN be done. In order for us to be sure there IS actually a law against this, we have to find the appropriate Nevada statute which specifies this. It’s not just because “some boxing promoter” says so. Get it?
scs
Says who? What is the definition of a “gift” in the Senate guidlines? I’ll tell you what it is. It’s whatever the Senate wants to call a gift.
scs
Ummm. Yes.
ppGaz
Again, information you have already been given.
No, I will not point you to the reference again. If you don’t pay attention, tough shit.
The Senate ethics rules do not consider the invitations a gift, according to the source I quoted. If you have a problem with that, you should contact your Senator.
scs
Well ppgaz, you are defeintley no legal scholar. As far as I know, the person who accepted McCain’s payment was the boxing promoter who gave McCain the credentials on behalf of the commision. If the promoter accepted the payment for something he did on behalf of the commision, it’s the same legally as the commision accepting the payment. Any employer is responsbile for the acts of its subordinates, that’s a basic concept of work place law.
ppGaz
You fucking idiot. The commission regulates the activity.
If you have questions or complaints, take them up with the commission …. whose address and phone number I furnished you with, above. I also gave you the name of the executive director of the commission, so that you can ask for him personally when you call.
If you think the commission is deliberately misrepresenting its own regulated activity, then take it up with the State of Nevada.
TALK TO THEM. I’m sure they’ll agree that you know more about it than they do. Then you can come back and tell us all about it.
scs
Is swearing allowed in Balloon Juice rules? I’ll have to ask John.
ppGaz
READ THE MATERIAL YOU COMPLETE JACKASS.
The commission could not accept the payment and directed it to the promoter. The commission cannot sell seats.
What part of this SIMPLE STORY are you unable to grasp?
scs
No ppgaz. The promoter accepted the payment. Read the story please.
Perry Como
ppGaz, you’ve already lost.
ppGaz
Uh huh. You’re a fucking lunatic.
Get out of here.
scs
Again, I will explain slowly. The point everyone keeps saying is – it is ILLEGAL to accept payment. I know the boxing commision is big, but I don’t think they write Nevada law. At least not until they slip Harry some more perks.
ppGaz
The promoter gave the money to charity.
ppGaz
What story would that be? The one you can’t find?
I’ve read many stories on the subject. Find your own.
Call the commission and verify it with them. It’s their story. Not mine.
scs
Wow. You write legislation?! No, I don’t think you do. You work for a private company. Whole different ball of wax my friend.
scs
The AP story and the one in hundreds of blogs.
scs
Legally that wouldn’t matter. What he did AFTER he accepted it is immaterial.
ppGaz
It’s the other way around, you uneducated dolt. The law creates the commission. The commission regulates the activity. The commission governs this activity, not state law. That’s why they HAVE commissions …. to regulate activities that fall into the category of things about which the commission has the requisite knowledge.
Medical practice is regulated by medical licensing boards. Boxing matches are regulated by the commission. That includes the seating, the credentials and the distribution of tickets. The commission cannot sell seats.
That’s not according to me, that’s according to the commission. The one for which you have the address and phone number, and will get validation of these facts, and report back to us.
ppGaz
The AP story was botched. The writer did not know about the ethics rule that applied, nor about the commission’s regulations, nor about the details of the two senators’ falternate payments or seats, nor about the disposition of those payments …McCain’s and Reid’s. Again, information that has been posted to you before but you were paying no attention.
scs
Wrong. All state legal rules are governed by state laws, approved by the state legislature. Any thing that is “illegal” will be coded in a state statute somewhere. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist, I would just like to see it cited first before we take it as a given.
ppGaz
Well, it’s material unless he wants to go to jail. He cannot keep the payment for seats not under his control and for which he issued no tickets.
As the commission stated, they are “government seats,” not ticketed seats. No tickets. No value established for the seats. Can’t be sold.
scs
ppgaz, why don’t we try something new for you. Why don’t you try to write a post free of swear words and gratuitous insults for once? Do you think you could do it? Are you up for the challenge? You might have that outburst disorder I heard about in the news today, but either way I think you could make progress if you tried. Baby steps, ppgaz, baby steps.
ppGaz
Nope. You’re done. And anyone who questions my account of the facts, feel free to call or write the Nevada authority I referenced upthread and validate them for yourself.
Talk to them, and then decide for yourself if scs is just pulling another of “her” stunts here.
ppGaz
Why don’t you go fuck yourself?
scs
First of all we need to see the statute as written. But if people are going to make the point that it is illegal to accept payment for certifications, then the act of a person linked to the commision “accepting” payment would be illegal. It’s just logical.
scs
Don’t you want to elevate yourself to a more civilized level, or do you like being down in the gutter? Deep down, you must want to change. Few people enjoy being that depraved.
ppGaz
To anyone who questions whether scs is full of shit, just contact the Nevada authority I referenced upthread and find out for yourself.
Nobody need take my word for any of it. It’s all public information.
ppGaz
Go fuck yourself.
scs
Yup. Definitely that outburst disorder. You are an interesting case study to be sure.
ppGaz
Nevada Athletic Commission
555 E. Washington Avenue, Ste 3200
Las Vegas, NV 89101
PHONE (702)486-2575
scs
Hey while you’re at it, try and get that Nevada statute. I have looked through the law books here in my state and have had fun looking at all the crazy laws in there, medical laws, gaming laws, etc. Sometimes you can find some state laws online, other times you can’t. So if anyone is in Nevada, maybe they can go to their public library look it up for us.
ppGaz
If my account of the facts of this story is in error, let me know after you talk to them.
scs
Likewise.
ppGaz
United States Senate Ethics Overview
Are the VIP credentials considered gifts?
Senate Ethics Manual
See: Chapter 2, “Exceptions to the Gift Rule”
Page 26, item 16:
Anything paid for by Federal, State or Local government.
Expanded, Page 36 (text)
The Other Steve
I think we’ve heard enough from the Drama Queen today.
scs
First of all, a gift from a boxing promoter is what many would consider kind of tangential to the state government. But second of all, like I wrote earlier, “gifts” from government agencies may be okay in general, EXCEPT that all favors or gifts are not acceptable around the time of legislation, and Reid took them around the time of legislation. It was a bad idea, end of story.
So I suppose in your world, Reid is allowed to get free weekends to fancy hotels in Vegas from the gambling commision when he is involved in crafting legislation to regulate Nevada gambling, or he is allowed to get free hunting trips when he is involved in gaming legislation, or allowed to receive bottles of expensive Kystral Champagne from the state board of alcohol regulators when he is writing legislation that might affect state liquor sales? Come on. You people are such hypocrites it’s almost making me sick. Just admit it was a bad idea from Reid and at least save a little dignity for yourselves.
scs
Well ppgaz, thanks for your link. I found this is the Senate Rules:
See. Even if no linkage is found, it is considered wrong by the Senate guidlines.