Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Second rate reporter says what?

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

The revolution will be supervised.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Everybody saw this coming.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

I really should read my own blog.

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240Comments

  3. 3.

    mai naem

    Mitt’s secret communications with Barack Obama:

    Mitt: All is going according to plan

    Barack: Good, good job. Gotta tell you making that secret tape and sending it to Jimmy Carter’s grandson – that’s a master stroke

    Mitt: Well, he’s unemployed. Thought I could get him a job and make you look good by getting one person off the dole.

    Barack: Excellent.. I’ll have that pardon for your offshore accounts ready to go for you, by Thanksgiving. Press won’t be paying attention then.

  4. 4.

    Violet

    Okay, I SWEAR I didn’t hit “Submit Comment” more than once. The stupid page hung up and I just left the tab and went and did something else. Eventually it timed out with “Problem loading page” error message. Went back to the home page, opened a new tab for this thread, and somehow my post appears twice. FYWP.

  6. 6.

    OGLiberal

    Check out this TPM story about poll numbers for the recent events in Libya and the Obama and Romney responses.

    http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/romneys-libya-remarks-may-have-done-real-damage.php

    There’s that number again.

    Monmouth U – Disapprove Obama response: 27%; Approve Romney response: 25%

    Pew – Approve Romney response: 26%

    Do pollsters now, whenever there is an unpopular GOP candidate, position or statement – not even call and just assign it 25-27%?

  8. 8.

    ? Martin

    @Violet: Christ. You really do feel entitled to that extra comment and refuse to take responsibility for your commenting. We can’t help people like you.

  9. 9.

    Turgidson

    Yet somehow the Gallup tracking poll has it back to a 1 point race. Failing upward doesn’t usually work in presidential races…with the possible exception of C+ Augustus.

  10. 10.

    robertdsc-iPhone 4

    I wish Willard would just hang it up. Walk away & never give another public interview for the rest of his life.

  12. 12.

    smintheus

    The first question to Romney on the complete video at Mother Jones is about foreign policy. Questioner seems to be saying that Obama may find himself in a foreign policy crisis as Carter did in 1980, and if so Romney could be able to take advantage of Obama’s weakness. Romney responds that indeed if some kind of disaster like the Iran hostage crisis does arise then he will do his best to seize on it:

    And yet in that election, the Jimmy Carter election, the fact that we had hostages in Iran, I mean that was all we talked about. And we had the two helicopters crash in the desert, that’s, that was the focus, so him solving that made all the difference in the world. I’m afraid today if you simply got Iran agree to stand down from nuclear weapons they’d go wholly…you know, but…By the way, if something of that nature presents itself, I will work to find a way to take advantage of the opportunity.

    Think of that. Romney sees a crisis in foreign policy or an American military disaster as a political “opportunity”. And he was waiting for a chance to leap upon it to advance himself. That’s an important insight into his soul.

    Little wonder that Romney leapt upon the ongoing riots in Egypt and Libya to attack the president.

  13. 13.

    Violet

    @? Martin: Ha. Made me laugh. Does this mean I’m a member of the moocher class? 47% represent!

    @OGLiberal:
    If I were doing polls, I wouldn’t bother and would just phone in the 25-28% numbers.

  15. 15.

    dmsilev

    What’s everyone up to these evening?

    A fun and exciting few hours doing finite-element analysis calculations. Otherwise known as “Will this thing I’m planning on building withstand the needed 3 tons of force?”. Joy.

  18. 18.

    BruceFromOhio

    Stuck in BWI because Orville and Wilbur apparently can’t fly the Way-Back Machine in the rain. Thank you Google for the free internets, wish I had thought this whole thing through before committing to it without a liter of booze near at hand, I’ll be selling plasma for a year to pay the GAIA DAMNED BAR TAB.

  20. 20.

    Violet

    @smintheus: Certainly makes you wonder if some of the rich folks attending the fundraiser provided funds for the movie. That movie didn’t get made for free.

  21. 21.

    OGLiberal

    @Turgidson: Gallup has not had a Dem lean this year. In fact, it seems to be the opposite, although not nearly as bad as Rasmussen. Other polls don’t shot it as tight…my guess is that we’re at about a 3% Obama lead nationally right now. Good news out of Virginia today – WaPo has Obama up by 8 there, 52-44, and PPP has him up 5, 51-46. Both have him over the 50% mark. Tough for Mitt to win if he can’t grab either Ohio or Virginia – and it’s not looking like he’ll be able to do that.

    That said, Ras (I know) has Mitt up by 2 in Colorado and PPP has Obama only up by 1 in Wisconsin…so who knows.

  23. 23.

    Turgidson

    @OGLiberal:

    Yeah, they have leaned GOP this year, it seems…but the deflating of the bounce he got in their poll seems weird and disappointing. He was up as much as 6 or 7 in the Gallup tracker a week or so ago.

  24. 24.

    Ben Franklin

    @smintheus:

    Little wonder that Romney leapt upon the ongoing riots in Egypt and Libya to attack the president.

    It’s a clusterfuck trying to figure this one out. How could a Coptic think this film would stop the Egyptian church burnings and killings? And why aren’t there protests outside the Syrian Embassy? Somehow the slaughter of fellow muslims by a muslim dictator is ok, but the US is somehow responsible for this piece of celluloid crap?

  26. 26.

    Punchy

    Seems like the SCOTCOP is not happy that some clown judge cant figgy out what is and isn’t voter supression and decided to let him know his shit show isn’t very funny.

    If Penners actually get to vote per normal, that’ll become about as blue a “swing” state as Obama will get.

    Big fat booyah to judicial common sense.

  27. 27.

    BruceFromOhio

    I take temporary refuge in 50 Sheds of Grey:

    At the touch of her lips, it grew long and swollen. I gasped as she squeezed and pulled expertly. It was the best balloon giraffe I’d seen.

    ‘Mmmm that’s it,’ she moaned, ‘Now pinch it between your fingers, wiggle it about then pull gently.’ She was the noisiest Jenga player ever.

  29. 29.

    Hill Dweller

    @Turgidson: The wingnuts have been blaming Obama for the embassy protests/attacks and deaths in Libya, which could sway some low-info voters.

  32. 32.

    trollhattan

    @Turgidson:
    Maher had some Republican sadsack on last Friday who cited Willard being verrrry close per Rasmussen, and claimed over the laughter “It was the most accurate poll last election.”

    Beer–meet livingroom. I think Maher should pay Nate Silver to be on call in the wings every show.

  33. 33.

    Hungry Joe

    Every few days I post something along the lines of “There’s no way Romney can top himself. [Whatever he just said] is the dumbest thing he can possibly say. I know I keep saying this but this time I’ve gotta be right.”

    Well, there’s no way Romney can top himself. What he said on the 47% tape is the dumbest thing he can possibly say. I know I keep saying this but this time I’ve gotta be right.

  34. 34.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Violet:

    I hear you.

    It seems that WP does this to me a couple of times a day. I submit once, it hangs, and unless I close the page it will go nuts and replicate my comment several times. So I close the page. THEN, a few minutes later, I resubmit the comment (which I carefully copied before I submitted it) and I’m informed that I’ve already said that! So I look at the page, and my comment has been repeated four times!

    ARRRRRRRRGH

  36. 36.

    mai naem

    @Comrade Mary: You have to be kidding me. Are you sure this isn’t somebody pretending to be Jennifer Rubin? Somebody’s not hacked into her Twitter account or whatever account? There is no way she doesn’t get this.

  41. 41.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Hungry Joe:

    Joe, he still hasn’t broken the ni*CLANG* event horizon.

    That’s the ultimate stupid thing to say.

    I still think he’ll hit the first debate, Obama will say something that really gets under his skin, and he won’t be able to stop himself.

    The moderator will collapse on the stage, and all hell will break loose. Secret Service will hustle both candidates out of the venue while the crowd gets ugly.

  43. 43.

    Comrade Mary

    @burnspbesq: It’s over, and I did avoid it.

    Still an idiot, though.

    (Can I claim that it was a cunning plan to make y’all think critically? No? Right, right, right …)

  44. 44.

    burnspbesq

    What am I doing? I’m lamenting the fact that a meteorite did not strike the Bernabeu duing today’s Real – Man City match.

    The only thing better than that would be for a meteorite to strike the Dean Dome during a Carolina – Kentucky game.

  45. 45.

    Violet

    @BruceFromOhio: Hilarious.

    Did anyone watch Romney’s interview on Fox this afternoon? Saw something that said the lighting/set was good and Romney doubled/tripled down on the 47% comments. Anyone see it?

  48. 48.

    Turgidson

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    And somehow, some way, at least a few brave lonely voices in the Village would somehow manage to proclaim that both sides do it. Or that somehow it was all Obama’s fault.

  50. 50.

    Violet

    @jgaugust: From your link, Mitt says:

    “I think people would like to be paying taxes.”

    That’s going to go over well with the wingnut crowd. I thought they were all about lowering taxes to zero or something.

  51. 51.

    Randy P

    PA Voter ID update. We’ve had a couple of comments already in earlier threads on the PA Supremes’ decision to vacate and send it back to the lower court. Thought I’d provide the ACLU’s analysis, as it’s written in pretty clear language. This blog has been providing really good commentary throughout.

    They sound fairly optimistic. They say the burden of proof has now been shifted to the state, and that the bar is extremely high.

  52. 52.

    The Dangerman

    @Hungry Joe:

    Well, there’s no way Romney can top himself. What he said on the 47% tape is the dumbest thing he can possibly say. I know I keep saying this but this time I’ve gotta be right.

    I’m reasonably sure that we will reach the Romney Event Horizon when he attempts to explain away his taxes if he releases them. Which he won’t, but, damn, that would be fun.

  53. 53.

    OGLiberal

    While I think the 47% quote is certainly not good news at all for Romney I think it, like the Libya reaction, matters because of it’s impact on the media, not on average voters hearing the quote in isolation. I saw on the Twitter a tweet from somebody saying that Gallup found that 93% of people believe that the amount they pay in taxes is either just right (47%) or too much (46%). The tweeter concluded that given this, most people would think Romney was talking about other people, not them. But, again, that’s in isolation. As Michael Grunwald pointed out, what Romney said was so outrageous that journalists are now picking apart that 47% figure, something that, as Grunwald also says, they should have been doing all along. And now people will realize that, hey, a lot of them are in the 47% Romney was talking about.

  54. 54.

    catclub

    @Hungry Joe: Remember the Romney spokesdroid who said that the plan in September was to put pressure on Obama and force him to make mistakes they could pounce on? Good times.

    I wonder what the plan for October is? Interpretive dance during the debates? Probably better than foot in mouth from any spoken responses.

  56. 56.

    lamh35

    Romney’s Libya Response May Have Done Real Damage

    Mitt Romney’s tough — and inaccurate — response to a fatal attack on the American Consulate in Libya last week is not sitting well with voters, according to several new polls.
    Romney drew widespread condemnation in the press, including from some Republicans, for accusing the president of “sympathiz[ing]” with rioters who stormed diplomatic compounds in Egypt and Libya while the situation was still ongoing. Few Republican lawmakers backed Romney up as the White House accused him of politicizing a sensitive international crisis.
    Polls show significant swaths of America are interested in the Mideast attacks and generally unhappy with Romney’s reaction.

  57. 57.

    lamh35

    NBC/WSJ poll: Optimism in Obama presidency increases

    The percentage of voters believing that the country is better off since Barack Obama became president jumped seven points after the two political conventions, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
    Thirty-eight percent of registered voters now say the nation is better off, which is up from 31 percent in the August NBC/WSJ poll conducted before the conventions.

  58. 58.

    Brachiator

    @OGLiberal:

    Check out this TPM story about poll numbers for the recent events in Libya and the Obama and Romney responses

    Wow. I guess this 27% cannot be persuaded to move from the GOP and Romney no matter what. I suppose that the Republicans should be pleased that their efforts to demonize Obama has engendered such fearsome loyalty.

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Joe, he still hasn’t broken the ni*CLANG* event horizon. That’s the ultimate stupid thing to say.

    Not really. But keep flogging that dead horse.

    The moderator will collapse on the stage, and all hell will break loose. Secret Service will hustle both candidates out of the venue while the crowd gets ugly.

    And your speculation lacks creativity.

    Even if Romney said something like this, he would smoothly say in a later press conference that his words may have been inelegant, but he had nothing to retract. The news media would go into deep “both sides do it” mode and factcheck instances in which they would search for all the times that any Democrat used the words honkey, ofay, whitey or cracker.

    Balloon Juicers would retire to their fainting couches on realizing that the supposed the ni*CLANG* event horizon doesn’t mean a goddam thing.

  59. 59.

    catclub

    @MattR: I keep saying, Newt and Mitt do best when the public cannot see or hear them.
    Newt’s Greek Isles vacation was genius if he could just stay there.

  60. 60.

    The Dangerman

    @Violet:

    Did anyone watch Romney’s interview on Fox this afternoon?

    I saw it; it was entirely forgettable, however. He had a brief set of talking points and he regurgitated them regardless the question. It was 100% unapologetic other than he repeated that his words weren’t “elegant”.

  61. 61.

    beltane

    @catclub: Yes, Mitt will entertain us all with an interesting rendition of “Putting on the Ritz” followed by Ann singing “Material Girl” accompanied by scantily clad Russian dancers and torch-wielding Polynesian men.

  62. 62.

    MattR

    @catclub: Same could be said for pretty much the entire field of Republican candidates this year. It was a regular parade of “latest and greatest contenders to Mitt” who arrived with a big splash and high poll numbers which quickly dropped as people realized that they were just as batshit insane as the previous “latest and greatest contender” who was just discarded from the race. And who can forget Rudy 9/11 Giuliani who was the favorite (or close to it) in every state he contested in 2008 until he actually showed up and started talking to the people.

  63. 63.

    lamh35

    Flashback of the Day

    “Running for president in the YouTube era, you realize you have to be very judicious in what you say. You have to be careful with your humor. You have to recognize that anytime you’re running for the presidency of the United States, you’re on.”
    — Mitt Romney, quoted by the New York Times, in June 16, 2007.

  64. 64.

    trollhattan

    @lamh35:

    NBC/WSJ poll

    Am guessing there’s considerable handwringing at WSJ because, “This isn’t the reality we’re paying to poll!”

  66. 66.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Brachiator:

    You and I will have to disagree on this, because the instant that word is uttered, especially by the candidate, the vaunted “civility” of the Village will be terminally breached.

    It’s the Rubicon.

    Limbaugh’s been aching to say it for four years now.

  68. 68.

    Amir Khalid

    I was shopping for new jeans lately, because two very old pairs of Levi’s appeared to have given up the ghost. Saw the prices at the Levi’s store, said nope, got the old ones professionally mended for less than a tenth the price of two new pairs. The guy said I might get another year of use from the two pairs. He was impressed to hear I’d already gotten 17 years.

    @Villago Delenda Est:
    Mitt might well be oblivious enough to make your scenario plausible. But instead of the actual the N-word, I suspect he’ll say something unavoidably racist that he can’t spin away; and that no one on the right will be willing to spin away for him, because they’ll all have given up on him by them. There’s like two weeks to the first debate, enough time for Mitt to execute about half a dozen fresh insertions of foot into mouth.

  69. 69.

    Redshift

    @jgaugust: He’s running for president from the “all taxes are evil” party, the “lowest taxes since Eisenhower equals Taxed Enough Already” party, and he tries to get out of this by saying that those people would really like to be paying taxes if it meant they were working?

    This seems like the very definition of flailing.

  70. 70.

    muddy

    What I am doing, amongst other things, is waiting to get out of moderation in the previous thread, please release me!

  71. 71.

    cathyx

    I didn’t stay to watch, but today Mitt was on Live with Kelly and Andrew, formerly know as Live with Regis and Kelly, formally known as Live with Regis and Kathylee.

  72. 72.

    Violet

    @Villago Delenda Est: I don’t think Mitt will go full metal N-CLANG. It’s just not in his make up. He studiously avoids “bad words” and I just don’t see him going there, even if upset. Some of the people around him would, however.

    I do think Mitt might lose it during the debates, but it’ll be more along the “$10,000 bet” type flubs. Something that shows him completely out of touch with normal people. Maybe he’ll refer to non-white people as “those people” or something.

  73. 73.

    MattR

    @lamh35: That is one of those poll questions that I would have to lie about if ever asked. Personally, I don’t think the nation is better off than it was 4 years ago because Republicans have become such obstructionists that nothing can get accomplished and there isn’t much hope for that changing in the near future if President Obama is reelected. But since they would use that response as a cudgel against the president, I am forced to answer that the nation is better off. (To answer a slightly different question, the passage of PPACA means that I am personally better off today than I was 4 years ago regardless of anything else that has happened)

  74. 74.

    Hungry Joe

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Their approach to the Ni*CLANG* event horizon is asymptotic — i.e., they get ever closer, but even given eternity they’ll never reach it. Seriously (for once). The word has been verboten for too many years; anyone of any standing in public life has that one under control.

  75. 75.

    Roy G.

    Listening to some early Fleetwood Mac, and thinking it might be a good pivot for Rmoney:

    Can’t help about the shape i’m in,
    Can’t sing, I ain’t pretty, and my legs are thin,
    But don’t ask me what I think of you,
    I might not give the answer that you want me to.
    Oh well…

  76. 76.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @beltane:

    accompanied by scantily clad Russian dancers and torch-wielding Polynesian men.

    Might actually be entertaining, however, I don’t trust the GOP as choreographers or to secure music rights properly.

  78. 78.

    BruceFromOhio

    Now its 7:30. No, it’s 9:30. No, it’s 7:05.

    Gaia save me, Orville is winding the rubber band and Wilbur is feeding the hamster. If we all pedal fast enough, I just might leave BWI while still inebriated.

  79. 79.

    Violet

    @cathyx: Isn’t it Kelly and Michael? Was this the one where he says he wears “as little as possible” to bed? Must.Bleach.Brain.

  80. 80.

    Redshift

    @Violet: Speaking of which, does Mitt’s constant use of “this president” strike anyone else as weird? Obviously he’s trying to avoid saying Obama’s name or “the president,” and maybe it’s just his constant sneering tone, but it strikes me as being one step away from McCain’s “that one.”

  83. 83.

    Brachiator

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    You and I will have to disagree on this, because the instant that word is uttered, especially by the candidate, the vaunted “civility” of the Village will be terminally breached.

    I know you may believe this. Reality and American history is against you.

    And Romney and the Republicans have routinely insulted black people and other groups this election season and the world has not stopped spinning.

    And one of the essential aspects of the Village is its ability to draw itself into a protective shell in order to protect, at any cost, its facade of civility.

    Limbaugh’s been aching to say it for four years now.

    Shit, he could shout it for his entire show. His most devoted listeners would claim that Obama somehow made him do it. And Dr Laura would creep out from whatever rock she is hiding under to say that if rappers can say it, then she should be able to say it, too.

  85. 85.

    ranchandsyrup

    Packing to move in a couple of weeks.
    Going to spend a lot of time on the phone with various in-laws explaining the vagaries of probate and criminal courts since they have a lot of questions.

  87. 87.

    cckids

    @Amir Khalid:

    But instead of the actual the N-word, I suspect he’ll say something unavoidably racist that he can’t spin away; and that no one on the right will be willing to spin away for him,

    I agree. Expecting him to drop the N-bomb assumes that he regularly uses it in private, so that it would slip out if he gets flustered. He isn’t really old enough (or Southern enough) for that to have been the case, not to mention I can’t imagine his parents would have been using it at home.

    With Mitt, it is the attitude, that insufferably superior “you’re all beneath me”/”release the hounds” crap that puts everyone’s teeth on edge.

  88. 88.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Brachiator:

    This is a case where “that word” has been verboten for decades now.

    To speak it in this context, to not dog whistle, would be shocking.

    It hasn’t been heard in so long in this context.

    You’re right about the wingtards…look how they’re reacting to the 47% thing? They’re all rejoicing that someone has come out and SAID it. They’ll do the same for the N-Bomb.

    But I think most Americans will be offended. You can think it, but you can’t say it. The Village, in particular, will have an attack of the vapors.

    I think Rmoney has been conditioned not to say it, but it’s very obvious now that the race thing is all that he has. He’s given up on policy. He’s been reacting for so long he doesn’t know how to seize the initiative, even in the vanishing unlikely event that the Obama team will give him the slightest chance to…because every single time he does take the initiative, it blows up in his face.

  89. 89.

    quannlace

    “We don’t want a safety net that encourages more dependency because there’s no economic growth behind it,” Ryan said, “because what that ends of up doing is it drains people of their will … to get on the path to prosperity.”

    Yes, Sen. Ryan. We don’t want to give people unemployment insurance or food stamps when they actually need it. That could sap their will.

    Drains them of their will? Who talks like that?

  90. 90.

    aimai

    I don’t think Romney will be caught saying the N word. But I do think that eventually a tape might surface that really freaks people out of Romney saying something angry and obscene. Because that is what is transgressive for Mormons: talk about sex and getting angry.

    aimai

  91. 91.

    Gex

    The greatest and most dangerous thing about our culture: 90% of us are convinced we are in the other 53%.

  92. 92.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @cathyx: I thought it was Kelly and Michael? Have they replaced Strahan already?

    Serious question time. The current situation for wait staff in at least some restaurant chains is for their health coverage to be dependent on the number of hours worked. This means that when they miss work due to injury or illness, they often lose their insurance. Is there anything in the ACA that addresses this? I haven’t a clue where to start looking.

  94. 94.

    Bill Arnold

    @Brachiator:

    …the ni*CLANG* event horizon doesn’t mean a goddam thing.

    It could well mean a point or three in the general.
    Perhaps distributed as + for Obama outside the bigot belt, and – for Obama in the so-called bigot belt. (this belt (click on the “Voting shifts” tab) is a from a map in the post 2000 election comparing margins for obama vs mcain, vs kerry vs bush. Some say that is it irresponsible speculation to suggest that bigotry motivated the shift in the red zone.)

  95. 95.

    beltane

    @quannlace: So says the man who has been sucking the government teat his entire adult life. All this abundant wingnut welfare has truly sapped these people’s minds of all cognitive ability.

    The Republicans used to excel at making sure it was only “those people” who were being referred to. Now they’ve gone from “those people” to “you people”, meaning everyone who’s not a rich f*cker.

  96. 96.

    ? Martin

    Tonight, the next episode of The Free Market Will Solve Everything!
    or
    Who the Fuck Still Hires Haliburton?

    The search for a missing radioactive rod in Texas enters its second week, despite efforts from energy services giant Halliburton, local law enforcement, and the Texas National Guard to find it. The 7-inch stainless steel cylinder contains radioactive Americium-241/Beryllium and was reported missing on September 11th, after a three-man Halliburton survey crew drove from a site near Pecos to a well south of Odessa. The rod — used to identify deposits of oil and natural gas by being lowered into a well — was discovered missing after the team arrived and found the device’s container unlocked. This is the only time such a device has been “lost in the public domain” in the past five years, according to a Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesperson.

    Nuclear material lost by Haliburton on 9/11. You cannot fucking make this shit up.

  100. 100.

    JPL

    The NYTimes has the first comments from Obama’s appearance on Letterman.. link

    “When you run for president, you are under a microscope all the time. All of us make mistakes. That incident in 2008, I immediately said, ‘I regret this,'” Obama said………….
    “What I think people want to make sure of is you’re not writing off a big chunk of the country.”

    Mitt is the no apologies guy. He also says that you are president of all the people.

  101. 101.

    Enhanced Mooching Techniques

    @Brachiator:

    Balloon Juicers would retire to their fainting couches on realizing that the supposed the ni*CLANG* event horizon doesn’t mean a goddam thing.

    Yes it does Oh Mighty Brachiator – it means Checkov’s law of theater is observed even in politics.

    And you got to admit Romney saying “n-CLANK” over and over again for ten minutes would be up their with Eastwood screaming at an empty chair.

  102. 102.

    hep kitty

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:

    pcip.gov

    Give ’em a call:
    Call PCIP Customer Service at: 1-866-717-5826 (TTY: 1-866-561-1604)
    Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST

    I called and talked to a real person, about 1 1/2 years ago before I got my current job. The person I spoke with was very helpful.

  103. 103.

    hep kitty

    Romney said, “First and foremost, I would like to offer a heartfelt apology to all the whores, junkies, bums, and grime-covered derelicts out there who make up nearly half our nation,” a visibly contrite and solemn Romney said outside a campaign stop

  104. 104.

    trollhattan

    @Enhanced Mooching Techniques:

    And you got to admit Romney saying “n-CLANK” over and over again for ten minutes would be up their with Eastwood screaming at an empty chair.

    He could sing that Patti Smith song. Could be amusing, especially if Tagg, Dragg, Flagg and the boys accompanied him ala Osmonds.

  105. 105.

    hep kitty

    “I know it can be challenging to wake each morning, covered in you own feces and refuse, and get back out there on the streets to beg for spare change and food scraps, always one step from dying right there in an alley.”

  108. 108.

    ? Martin

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:

    Serious question time. The current situation for wait staff in at least some restaurant chains is for their health coverage to be dependent on the number of hours worked. This means that when they miss work due to injury or illness, they often lose their insurance. Is there anything in the ACA that addresses this? I haven’t a clue where to start looking.

    Tricky one.

    ACA employer mandate covers all employees – full and part time. The tricky part is whether the mandate applies or not. The rule is 50 FTE or more, with a full time equivalent calculated at 120 hours per month (about 30 per week). So if your employer books 6,000 hours per month – no matter how many employees, then all employees need to be covered.

    This gets dicey in two ways:

    1) That’s probably right around the size of a lot of medium-large restaurants. Franchises/chains with multiple locations will likely come in easily over that, smaller mom-and pops or single owner franchises likely under.
    2) Calculating for seasonal employees isn’t clear. This matters not only because of the mandate but also because of the tax credits for smaller employers. Each employer will probably be incentivized either to add hours in order to earn credits or cut hours in order to avoid the mandate, so expect a fair degree of dicking around at the edges.

  110. 110.

    lamh35

    @JPL: Funny, the headline says POTUS “slams” Romney, doesn’t look like he slammed him, he just said the truth, he apologized after his “guns and religions” remark, Romney so far doubling down!

  112. 112.

    Maude

    @? Martin:
    Last night I hit submit once and went away from the page. The comment posted twice. It does happen. I have a slow connection and don’t click the submit button more than once.
    How you doing?

  114. 114.

    Forum Transmitted Disease

    Nuclear material lost by Haliburton on 9/11. You cannot fucking make this shit up.

    @? Martin: They’ll find it the same way they found the cesium that somebody tossed into a junkyard in Brazil: when about ten people, all related, show up at a hospital dying from radiation poisoning.

  115. 115.

    Publius39

    How Megan McCain and S.E. Cupp collect a fucking check from MSNBC is beyond me. They are some of the most vapid, moronic, and useless people on this station. They got rid of Pat Buchannan, why can’t they get rid of them?

  117. 117.

    Forum Transmitted Disease

    @Opie_jeanne: If he’s in any way aware, he’s glad that you’re there.

    You will be too, afterwards. Probably too much going on for you to feel it right now.

  119. 119.

    hep kitty

    Just as telling, and disturbing, is the behavior of the audience at that $50,000 a plate fundraiser.

    Oooh, nice “are you better off” Obama ad I just saw there. Very nice. Just the facts. Nice graph.

  122. 122.

    JPL

    From nbcnews.com
    Fueled by increased optimism about the economy and nation’s direction, President Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney by 5 points among likely voters and now sees his job-approval rating reaching the 50 percent threshold for the first time since March, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

    also, too… this does not include the gaffe about we all want to be victims cuz our parents can’t give us stock and cash and stuff.

  123. 123.

    S V

    @Opie_jeanne

    i am so sorry. had that happen to me a bit over 2 years ago. it’s painful and memories will keep coming back on a regular basis that will make you want to break down and cry. it gets better over time, but even now a random thought about my dad will pop into my head and it will break my heart.

  124. 124.

    WaterGirl

    @Opie_jeanne: I am so sorry. I have been there with my dad. At some point a nurse told us that when a person hangs on, as my dad was, it can be because they are worried about someone they are leaving behind.

    I am the youngest of three, and daddy’s girl, and single (my two sister’s were married) so it wasn’t hard to figure out who he might be worried about.

    I stood in the hallway of the hospital, with my legs shaking uncontrollably, as I worked up my courage to go into my dad’s room and tell him that it was okay for him to let go, that I would be okay. I adored my dad, and it’s the hardest thing I have ever done. He died a few minutes later.

    I am so sorry.

  127. 127.

    Felinious Wench

    +2 on red wine, Weezer’s “El Scorcho” is blasting, and I’m writing code. The red wine keeps the defects down.

  128. 128.

    Maude

    @Litlebritdifrnt:
    We don’t have them anymore. I got these jeans at yard sales and thrift stores. They were second hand and cost about a quarter. I will run across more second hand jeans in time.
    I used to think I was dressing the way I do because I was wearing second hand. I saw Sunday that the quality of my clothes is much better than what is in the stores now.
    There is one consignment shop that is lousy, expensive and smells of mold.

  132. 132.

    Felinious Wench

    @the Conster:

    Evidence Jesus was married.

    Saw that today. Another fragment of the Gnostic Gospels, I think. Many of them point to this conclusion it’s just never been expressly written in the texts.

    Until now, if it’s legit.

  133. 133.

    Chris

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    This.

    Part of the Nixon Southern Strategy shtick is that it appealed to people who had racial hangups out the wazoo but for whom George Wallace, Bull Connor and company were just a bridge too far. Maintaining some ambiguity/plausible deniability has been key to getting the most out of racial resentments.

  134. 134.

    jimmiraybob

    Frankly I find the Romney/Ryan approach to be bold and fresh. The right has spent decades defining half of America as the Real America, accelerating the process with the help of The Snowgrifter, Beck and Fox News*, and now Romney/Ryan (R-the Seceding States Neoconfederacy) and the ghost of Ayn Rand have chosen to fully represent that Real America. Good for them.

    *Of course, as a weak parasite of the state, I feel compelled to do an apology tour for all of the brave men and women that I missed giving credit. Also too, go Anglo Saxons!

  135. 135.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @JPL:

    I’m with you. I wear Talbots, Calvin Klein, Dior, Joseph, etc. My DH wears Ralph Loren, PGA Tour, Haggar etc., all bought from Thrift Stores. I just LOVE a bag sale (my local domestic violence store has one every couple of months), for some reason all the local high dollar spendthrifts love to give to the Domestic Violence store (as opposed to Goodwill or the Sally Army) so I can stuff a brown paper bag full of designer duds for $5.00 a bag. I actually did not go to the last one seeing as my closet was too full of clothes I had nowhere to put any new ones.

  136. 136.

    trollhattan

    @Felinious Wench:
    The Pierce commenterati are having a lot of fun filling in the text missing after, “My wife.”

    In other news of interest:

    2012 wine grape harvest predicted to be a bumper crop
    __
    While the wine grape harvest is still underway and expected to last well into October, early predictions are showing an especially bountiful crop for 2012.
    __
    According to Allied Grape Growers, a Fresno-based growers association, the 2012 wine grape crop is expected to reach 3.7 million tons. That amount would tie the second-largest crop ever, and provide some balance after two consecutive years of smaller than usual harvests. 3.7 million tons would be a 10 percent increase over 2011’s harvest, and a significant increase from the some 3.1 million tons harvested in 2010. Allied Grape Growers consider 3.5 million tons an average sized harvest.

    You may be paying double for your HFCS but by gawd, we’re going to keep your wine prices down, you hear?

    http://blogs.sacbee.com/dining/archives/2012/09/2012-wine-grape.html#storylink=cpy

  137. 137.

    ? Martin

    @Maude: Doin okay. Finally getting over my various ailments. Means I need to get my ass back working on stuff around the house.

    Willards epic self immolation is proving very distracting though. Watching such public incompetence gets me a little down, even when it’s someone like Mitt. I really want all Americans to be good at what they do. He isn’t good at this. It gives me a tiny sad.

    Oh, and be careful with EBay for them. Wife got me a new pair of Levi shorts as I’m unfat now, and they’re shit. Probably from Walmart. I’ll be lucky if they make it through election day given how hard I am on jeans.

  139. 139.

    JPL

    @jimmiraybob: It’s important to divide the poor blacks, poor Latino and poor whites in order for them not to ban together and demand living wages. In the south dirt poor whites feel privileged not to be included among the others. Companies recognized this early in the century and it works for them. That’s why the CEO’s are paid so much.

    For folks like Mitt, I’m not going to waste my time using swear words. There has to be something else.

  141. 141.

    catclub

    @Felinious Wench: I also thought that quote could be like the quote they have of Obama saying
    “If we talk about the economy we will lose”. Obama was actually quoting McCain. Jesus spoke in parables, a lot. And had cases where a man asks about his wife. Context will matter.

    Nonetheless, Jesus would have been particularly unusual to be unmarried in those times.

  146. 146.

    trollhattan

    @? Martin:
    Heh. Will guess the farther you are from the Pasadena mothership the more you may pay for your Chuck. In NoCal the lowest varieties go for two.

  147. 147.

    j

    RAHM CAVED!

    He’s doing a “I WIN” speech, but the strike is only “suspended”.

    Rahm is almost crying on live TV. His dream of privatized schools run by a for profit corporation (which he undoubtedly owns shares in) is dead for now.

    Kids go back to school tomorrow, and a real vote takes place next week (AFTER the Columbus day holiday).

    REPEAT, Rahm says “The strike is over”.

    The teachers union says “It’s suspended”.

    Rahm just kissed any political advancement good bye. He can never run again for anything and expect ANY union to back him.

  148. 148.

    jl

    @Randy P:

    But PA voter suppression law not vacated. The PA Supreme Court is sending it back to lower court for redo, with instructions to pay more attention to how the law is actually being implemented adequately (or not) before the election. Is that right?

  149. 149.

    geg6

    I want to give my thanks to all the BJ attorneys who helped me understand what the PA Supremes were doing today. I got super busy just after I posted and just sat down and read the thread. I’m feeling hopeful now. I was sure that with Orie-Melvin (R, of course) busy with her criminal trial that the court would just split along party lines, meaning the law would be upheld.

    NBC/WSJ has RV’s going for Obama at 50. LVs I missed. But they both show a 5 point spread. Chuckie Todd looks pissed. Job approval is back at 50. I hate when Tweety tells him how smart he is.

  151. 151.

    quannlace

    Rahm is almost crying on live TV

    Well, I suspect, whatever side you’re on, everybody is very very TIRED.

  153. 153.

    Randy P

    @jl: Yes. It was the lower court decision that was vacated. Read the ACLU PA blog for details on what the Supreme Court has specifically ordered the lower court to do in reconsidering the decision.

    Here’s an excerpt.

    Firstly, the Supreme Court’s instructions shift the burden of proof from our plaintiffs to the state. This is significant. Secondly, it establishes a very high standard that the state must meet in order to uphold the voter ID law – a standard that, in our opinion, the state cannot meet. In reevaluating the case, the Supreme Court has instructed Judge Simpson to focus on two questions. If the answer to either of those questions is “no,” the Supreme Court says Judge Simpson is obliged to issue an injunction against the voter ID law.

  154. 154.

    jl

    @Randy P: So we will get another lower court decision by Oct 2. And PA Supreme Court will then hear appeals immediately. So we will not know for sure what will happen before October, probably. That is cutting it close. Hope PA voting rights people keep working hard getting people IDs.

  156. 156.

    NotMax

    Spiraling fast into “there are nobles and serfs; there are patroons and peons” territory.

    “There are makers and takers, there are producers and there are parasites,” [Mary Matalin] said.  Source

  159. 159.

    Political Observer

    So if Romney is such a terrible candidate, why is this race so close? Obama is only +1 in Gallup, and actually 2 behind in Rasmussen…even Nate Silver has Obama’s chances declining precipitously in the last week.

    I think liberals are popping the champagne corks a little early…remember the money advantage.

  160. 160.

    Political Observer

    Romney has had a very bad three weeks, and yet, he’s even even money to win this thing according to the polls.

  161. 161.

    Chyron HR

    @Political Observer:

    If Obama is such a terrible president, why can’t Romney seal the deal?

    Here’s a free tip for 2016, next time nominate someone qualified, not a con artist who claims that he’s the chosen one foretold in the holy Mormon scriptures.

  165. 165.

    Elizabelle

    Watching PBS’s “The American Experience” on “Death and the Civil War.”

    J.R. Montgomery of Mississippi writes to his father as to where his grave can be found. Signs off “your dying son.”

    Reminds you of the cost of the last crusade of stupid.

  167. 167.

    Felinious Wench

    @catclub:

    Nonetheless, Jesus would have been particularly unusual to be unmarried in those times.

    The only Christians who would freak out at Jesus being married are the ones that have tried to keep women from any power in the church. His being married has nothing to do with what he taught or his message. Sexuality of any kind has nothing to do with his teachings. Gender has nothing to do with his teachings. Why people cannot grasp this simple fact is beyond me. IT IS IRRELEVANT.

    Personally, I’d love it if he were married. The turmoil in the patriarchy would be delicious.

  169. 169.

    Chyron HR

    @Political Observer:

    Remember that night you sat at your computer sobbing and screaming “Personhood Amendment in Mississippi: VICTORY” over and over again while your precious bill died? I hope you give us another show like that in November.

  171. 171.

    quannlace

    And as a professional political consultant, Matalin is a personal expert on parasitism.

    Whenever I’ve seen Matalin lately, she seems to be turning into a dried stick-insect.
    ***********

    I think liberals are popping the champagne corks a little early

    Don’t stand too close to those corks, Poli. It can put your eye out!

  172. 172.

    Political Observer

    @Chuck Butcher:

    Exactly. The fact that Romney has kept it this close after the worst three weeks in his entire political life is a HUGE victory for Romney.

  173. 173.

    Political Observer

    There’s also a full length feature film documentary about disappointed, disaffected Obama voters that will be airing that was done by Citizens United and Frank Luntz. It’s been focus-grouped, and according to Luntz, the dials were “off the charts”.

  175. 175.

    Political Observer

    @Chyron HR:

    Look at Reagan in 1980. At this time, Carter was ahead in the polls. How’d that work out for him? See, Carter couldn’t close the deal, and all Reagan had to do was hit it out of the fucking park in the debates. Romney will do likewise.

    Bank on it.

  177. 177.

    Political Observer

    And I wouldn’t really call Romney’s position “losing”. It’s 50/50 according to the daily tracking polls.

  180. 180.

    Political Observer

    @Sly:

    LOL, you don’t get it, do you? I’ll put it this way: I bet close to 80% of this country doesn’t think they’re in that “47%”, even if they are. Kind of like how white trash in trailer parks will think that they’re “middle class”. Got it?

  181. 181.

    Political Observer

    @FlipYrWhig:

    I wouldn’t call it unflattering. The impact will be minimal, if anything, this will serve to fire up the GOP base. BIG time!

    The media is going to have some egg on its face after this one.

  182. 182.

    Cacti

    @Political Observer:

    And I wouldn’t really call Romney’s position “losing”. It’s 50/50 according to the daily tracking polls.

    If only the national popular vote was how we elected our Presidents. We might have been spared 8-years of C+ Augustus.

    Meanwhile, Romney’s trailing about 332-206 in the electoral vote polling.

  183. 183.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Political Observer: Mitt Romney is so lovable he’s sure to catch the nation’s fancy. “Mitt-mania,” they’ll call it. Public appearances and off-the-cuff speaking are where he’s in his element, that’s for sure.

  184. 184.

    Chyron HR

    @Political Observer:

    BUH BUH 1980! I wasn’t born then but an obese drug addict on the radio assures me that this is just like 1980! VICTORY!!

    If you really wanted another Reagan, maybe you shouldn’t have nominated John Kerry Jr.

  186. 186.

    quannlace

    here’s also a full length feature film documentary about disappointed, disaffected Obama

    You’ve already flogged this on another thread. Oooooh, disaffected Obama voters. Sceearry! Funny how you never say what network or channel itls going to be broadcast on.

    and according to Luntz, the dials were “off the charts”.

    Well, the fact that his cat happened to be walking over the control panel doesn’t count.

  189. 189.

    Political Observer

    @quannlace:

    All three broadcast networks in PRIME TIME, baby! The slots are already bought and paid for thanks to generous contributions from corporate donors.

  190. 190.

    FlipYrWhig

    @quannlace: Anything with a focus-group dial in it reminds me of the Poochie episode of The Simpsons. “Please refrain from tasting the knob.”

  193. 193.

    Political Observer

    And word is there’s a poll coming out from Wisconsin soon that will show Romney/Ryan with a slight lead.

    Battleground Wisconsin: bad news for democrats! And you’ve already given up on Indiana, North Carolina, and Missouri.

  195. 195.

    Evolving Deep Southerner

    I’ll tell you. You folks are either stomping all over one another starting new, competing threads, or you’re all asleep. Everybody must be asleep at the moment. And Maude, et al will come along in a moment to tell me to die in a fire for pointing out this blog’s ADHD.

  197. 197.

    FlipYrWhig

    @Southern Beale: Here’s an idea for a screenplay. Get a bunch of people talking about how they thought they’d like Obama better than they actually did. It’s box office gold. Straight from Frank Luntz’s knobs.

  199. 199.

    PsiFighter37

    @Political Observer: You realize some brand-new shiny flunky-ass right-wing polling outfit that hasn’t taken a basic statistics course or Rasmussen doesn’t count, right?

    What’s funny is that you and your fellow right-wing brethren have a whole lot of trouble when it comes to numerology. And when the math crushes you on November 6, I will be here, spiking my beer with your tears and tasting something that will be close to euphoria.

    Asshole.

    Oh, and Frank Luntz can go fuck himself. He’s got as much credibility on polling matters nowadays as that toe-sucking turd Dick Morris.

  201. 201.

    1badbaba3

    It is amazing how every foible, flop, and gaffe is pawned off as being in service to the cause by energizing or re-energizing the base of the GOP. If you need to jump start your car so often, might be a design flaw. Perhaps a problem with the engineering or manufacturing. Either way, deep questions need to be asked and answered before success can be won.

    Nah, y’all are too damn dumb. Just ask Rick Santorum (and has Charlie Pierce mentioned what a colossal dick Santorum is lately?

  205. 205.

    PsiFighter37

    @Political Observer: Rasmussen? Oh, the pollster who invents his own reality where Republicans always win and everyone gets a unicorn steak for dinner every night? Fuck him. He gets in line when it gets close to election time to preserve what little credibility he tries to preserve going forward.

    The last time there was as Republican of an electorate as he forecasts was before you were an itch in your daddy’s nutsack. He was also the shittiest pollster in 2010, so you can take that data point and suck on it like Dick Morris getting his toe fetish on.

  207. 207.

    quannlace

    Rasmussen? You mean the most accurate pollster of 2004 and 2008?

    That’s the one. As accurate as Dick ‘I’m wrong 100% of the time’ Morris.

  208. 208.

    Rita R.

    @FlipYrWhig:

    And here’s the blockbuster script: “I believed in the hope and change Obama promised. I still think he’s a nice guy. But he’s over his head.” Because that’s worked so well in getting people to want to vote for Romney. Rinse and repeat, coming mostly from white people, but also a few brown people thrown in, a couple of whom will have Hispanic accents. Make sure many of them are women, preferably including a grandmother and a pregnant married mother of three. Meanwhile, continue to have Fox and Rush call Obama a Muslim soshulist traitor.

    Victory!!

  209. 209.

    Political Observer

    @PsiFighter37:

    Let’s compare apples-to-apples. Presidential year to Presidential year. Congressional years are much more volatile, Rasmussen was closer than Nate Silver for example in 2010.

  210. 210.

    Political Observer

    @PsiFighter37:

    BTW, is Gallup “inventing [their] own reality” when they show that Obama’s bounce has evaporated and he’s only up +1 over Romney now? TOO CLOSE TO CALL, baby.

  211. 211.

    PsiFighter37

    @Political Observer: Anyone can get the ‘last poll’ right when everyone is converging to a consensus.

    When Obama crushes the math on November 6th, I’ll take a nice giant dump on a piece of paper, and you’ll have a nice visual and olfactory reminder of what Rasmussen polls are worth.

  212. 212.

    quannlace

    The slots are already bought and paid for thanks to generous contributions from corporate donors.

    Ah, the Koch bastards, I take it.

    Funny, I just took a quick look at the Hope/Change website. And I can only see these broadcast networks: FamilyNet, Rural TV, and World Harvest Television.

  217. 217.

    quannlace

    TOO CLOSE TO CALL, baby.

    Aw, Honey. You might want to drop the ‘baby.’ It doesn’t help your argument to sound like Austin Powers.

  219. 219.

    Chyron HR

    @Political Observer:

    I think the funniest part of your posts is when you take a break from credulously shrieking Fox News headlines and try to pretend that Mitt Romney is personally calling you up with hot scoops about his campaign strategy.

  220. 220.

    Hill Dweller

    @Political Observer:

    I have it on good authority.

    Why are you always telling us you have some sort of inside info? Are you really that desperate for a bunch of dirty hippies’ validation?

  222. 222.

    quannlace

    More are coming, including the major broadcast networks as it gets closer to election time. I have it on good authority.

    Ha, ha. sure……sure

  227. 227.

    Uriel

    @Political Observer:

    All three broadcast networks in PRIME TIME, baby! The slots are already bought and paid for thanks to generous contributions from corporate donors.

    Um, yeah, about that:

    HDNet Movies and FamilyNet, along with local stations in Louisiana, Colorado, Indiana, Hawaii and Louisiana

  228. 228.

    Chyron HR

    @Uriel:

    You laugh, but this FEATURE LENGTH FILM will push Hawaii into Romney’s column for sure.

    (This is what ReaIity Check actually believes.)

  231. 231.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @Opie_jeanne: Many hugs. I’ve been there; it’s never easy.

    @? Martin: Not my situation, thank pasta. A friend of mine is close enough to that cut off to be worried after missing a week of waiting tables with a back injury, so I was curious how the scenario will play out as various parts of the ACA come online. It won’t help her right now, but I would have liked to be able to say “I agree, it’s not right, and they won’t be able to pull that stunt once Obamacare is fully in place.”

  232. 232.

    j

    @Political Observer: Any links?

    I didn’t think so.

    Oh, NEW made up numbers from the tracking poll in your ass, Romney DOWN 114% in ALL polls that aren’t currently shoved up your ass.

    Show your numbers, or get lost.

  233. 233.

    Uriel

    @Political Observer:

    More are coming, including the major broadcast networks as it gets closer to election time. I have it on good authority.

    I thought you said the spots were already bought and paid for? Let me check… Oh yeah, [email protected]Political Observer:

    The slots are already bought and paid for thanks to generous contributions from corporate donors.

    See? ‘bought and paid for.’ In the present. Not in some hypothetical, fever dream of a possible future. Here and now.

    So, which is it dolt?

  237. 237.

    A moocher

    @Brachiator:

    What is your major malfunction, anyway? Are you a construction worker on disability from some grotesque injury that causes untreatable, nagging pain? A ruptured spleen, for example?

    I hope so for your sake. Because, as it turns out, simply being an a**hole is not a treatable personality disorder, so you’d pretty much be doomed.

  238. 238.

    OGLiberal

    @Gex: Very, very true. Which is why it’s important for Dems to explained we are not. This Mitt comment has actually caused the complacent media to actually point out just who are the 47% – ie, not lazy just lazy black and illegals..in fact, altogether different than perceptions. Here’s hoping the white dudes who have an effective federal income tax rate of zero or lower yet who think they are overtaxed start to realize Mitt is talking about them. Not holding my breath but more hopeful now than yesterday.

  239. 239.

    A moocher

    @Political Observer: I’ll take that bet: US$2,000 on Obama being sworn in as President by the official date in 2013. Even odds. I suggest we have John Cole hold the bet. Does that work for you?

    Cause if it does, you are a fool soon to be parted with your money. If any.

  240. 240.

    A moocher

    @opie jeanne: Peace to you and your family, and joy to vanquish all sorrow. Ninety four is a great age, a generation more than most of us can expect. It seems that he and his family made something of that priceless gift, and that too is more than many can say.

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