SWTOR is here. See you all in 2012.
BTW- I very seriously thought about banning DougJ for life today, because I have had that hideous Paul McCartney song stuck in my head for days.
Archives for 2011
Walker Of The Last Mile
How terrified is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and the state’s GOP about the news that in just 30 days, Wisconsin Dems have already obtained 90% plus of the signatures they need to trigger a recall election? Why, they’re scared enough to actually try to sink the whole proceeding with this pathetic tactic.
Wisconsin Republicans have mounted a new response to the effort to recall Gov. Scott Walker — filing a lawsuit today against the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections, alleging that Walker’s 14th Amendment constitutional rights are being violated by the procedures the board uses in verifying, accepting or rejecting petition signatures.
The state GOP’s legal complaint argues that the GAB’s procedures for recall petitions, which involve the incumbent’s campaign challenging duplicate signatures of people who would have signed more than once — place an undue burden on the Walker campaign. Under the law, the incumbent has a ten-day review period, in which to submit challenges.
“The GAB’s position that it is the responsibility of the Walker campaign to identify and challenge duplicate signatures flies in the face of the idea of a fair electoral process,” the party said in a press release.
Of course let’s remember that “the idea of a fair electoral process” to Wisconsin Republicans is one where Wisconsin Democrats are regularly disenfranchised and misinformed of their right to vote at all as the GOP puts up as many roadblocks as possible to curtail voting among the poor and elderly.
The only problem here according to them is the unconstitutional part of Wisconsin’s constitution that allows recalls.
Thursday Evening Open Thread
(Jeff Danziger’s website)
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This would, of course, be dreadfully offensive to my Wiccan friends, if only they’d had their sense of humor surgically removed as a condition of membership.
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What’s chafing the shorts of the dominating monotheist practitioners or other victimology addicts in your area this evening?
On the radio
Just a reminder that I’ll be on Virtually Speaking with Jay Ackroyd (and Sherry Reson!) tonight at 9 pm eastern time.
If Jay lets me, we’ll be taking requests for all your favorite holiday songs.
To know him is to loathe him
Is the full court press by anti-Newt forces having an effect? Maybe. You could also argue that even the GOP base can only handle so much of listening to the guy listen to himself talk.
Huntsmania anyone?
Justice Dept. Confirms Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a Scumbag
Not even remotely surprising:
In a harshly worded critique of the country’s best-known sheriff, the Justice Department accused Joe Arpaio of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office of engaging in “unconstitutional policing” by unfairly targeting Latinos for detentions and arrests and retaliating against those who complain.
After an investigation that lasted more than three years, the civil rights division of the Justice Department said in a 22-page report that the sheriff’s office has “a pervasive culture of discriminatory bias against Latinos” that “reaches the highest levels of the agency.” The department interfered with the inquiry, the government said, prompting a lawsuit that eventually led Mr. Arpaio and his deputies to cooperate.
“We have peeled the onion to its core,” said Thomas E. Perez, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, noting during a conference call with reporters on Thursday morning that more than 400 inmates, deputies and others were interviewed as part of the review, including Mr. Arpaio and his command staff. Mr. Perez said the inquiry, which also included jail visits and reviews of thousands of pages of internal documents, raised the question of whether Latinos were receiving “second-class policing services” in Maricopa County.
More bothersome to me than Arpaio is the fact that there are apparently enough voters in that area sick enough to keep supporting a sociopath like him.
Justice Dept. Confirms Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a ScumbagPost + Comments (79)
On the Local Front
The WV BOE changed the bullying rules:
For the first time in state history, gay and lesbian students will be expressly protected from school bullying after the West Virginia Board of Education unanimously adopted a new anti-bullying policy Wednesday.
Under the new policy, bullying based on 13 categories including race, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation and “gender identity or expression” qualifies as a Level 3 disciplinary offense.
Punishments for harassment can range from detention to suspension from school for 10 days. Students can also be punished for “vulgar or offensive speech” online if it disrupts school learning.
“Students and teachers alike are entitled to a safe educational environment,” said state Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple. “This policy addresses behavior and school safety comprehensively by addressing inappropriate behaviors proactively to promote safe and supportive learning conditions.”
I like most of this, but my gut instinct is to be troubled by the “vulgar or offensive speech” aspects.