Unless I am missing their intent, pythons and other imported snakes are becoming a tremendous ecological blight in Florida. Morons buy these things when they are 6in long but can't care for them when they grow to 6ft so they just dump them in the swamp. As a result many native species are being severely threatened. Hell, when alligators can't keep this in check then you know there's a problem.

9/16/2011 4:02:02 PM

its a niche market

[Edited on September 16, 2011 at 4:27 PM. Reason : the exterminator lobby is pretty strong!]

9/16/2011 4:23:43 PM

Quote :

"No, it's contempt prior to investigation. If you can prove to me how these policies have been destructive, especially to your livelihood, then fucking show me."

so, AGAIN, you demand that I show how it affects me before it will actually be a legitimate concern to me. Hey, I'll probably never murder anyone, and I won't be murdered, nor will anyone I know probably ever be murdered. I guess I shouldn't advocate policies that crack down on murder, then, should I?

9/16/2011 6:31:20 PM

^ aaronburro, I guess in a roundabout way I'm asking you why you think these policies are destructive in the first place.

I just feel like when plans are created from the president that people don't really give them a chance. They just label them a "bad plan" for various reasons (it costs too much, it's not going to work, etc etc). Personally, it seems to me like people aren't even giving these plans a chance and they just get shot down before anybody even really knows whether or not they will work (contempt prior to investigation). I'm not necessarily saying you are one of these people, but I am curious as to what your viewpoint as to why the president's plans and/or polices are destructive.

9/16/2011 11:05:32 PM

you don't see ANYTHING destructive about spending fucktons more money than we bring in? you don't see anything destructive about propping up failing companies? you don't see anything destructive about the spectre of hyper-inflation? you don't see anything destructive about a government that can't fucking stay within its means?

9/16/2011 11:48:18 PM

Quote :

"The reason why the economy has not been improving is because just about every bill going through Congress that attempts to address these issues is getting stuck in a gridlock. Of the few bills that do pass, they all seem to suffer the same fate as the health care bill: they become watered down and meaningless to the purpose of actually achieving any semblance of a positive impact. "

Believe it or not, the American economy was actually steadily improving until the death of Ted Kennedy. Ted Kennedy's senate seat was replaced by a Republican which not only increased the opposition, but it broke a supermajority the Democrats had held in the Senate. The stimulus of 2009 actually had positive effects in the areas of the country where it was implemented but the loss of the supermajority gave Republicans the ability to cripple any and all follow through measures to maintain these positive effects. The end result? The stimulus is a failure, and Obama looks like a do-nothing jackass with nothing but failure to bring to the table. The same thing happened to the health care bill. That "public option" that made the bill so attractive was quickly and effectively killed by the GOP once they had the ability to do so. The end result? We get watered down legislation.

Now, I'm not trying to just demonize the GOP here. While I think the GOP has a LOT of insane, crooked, and shady politicians who could not give less of a fuck about you or I, and I do not feel like the majority of them have the best interests of the country at heart by any means, the Democrats also have several in their camp guilty of the same charges. I can't let Obama off the hook either. While I feel like the man tries to do well, and I admire him for it, he does not have the power people seem to think he does when it comes to actual legislation. Obama does not create legislation; he can exert his influence on Congress, that much is true, and he can veto any legislation he deems unfit to pass.

However, in my opinion this doesn't make him more blameless; on the contrary, this reason along with his complete inability to stand firm for his beliefs is one of the reasons why I have become so severely disappointed in him. He caves in WAY too much to the Republicans, compromises to the point of disarmament (pissing off and alienating his own party in the process), and ultimately signs off on the watered down bullshit that gets put on his desk.

The reason why the economy has not been improving is because just about every bill going through Congress that attempts to address these issues is getting stuck in a gridlock. Of the few bills that do pass, they all seem to suffer the same fate as the health care bill: they become watered down and meaningless to the purpose of actually achieving any semblance of a positive impact (yet Obama will still sign them). Any measure that could be undertaken is being stomped into inaction because the bills never even get to the point where people can act on them. If you aren't going to take my word for it, consider the debt ceiling debate this past July. Setting political parties aside, that debate and the consequences from it were all self-imposed because the idiots in Congress can't get their shit together. In terms of making progress on our economy, it is not just something wrong with Obama and his administration. It is the result of having a fucked up government and letting idiots get elected into Congress to draft our legislation. I believe that if the country is going to get shit fixed, it doesn't start by just blaming the president and looking at the president and his party for everything that is upsetting or wrong about the current state of affairs. I believe it starts by looking instead at the people who are drafting our laws, having the foresight to recognize those who would make things worse or preserve the status quo, and getting them the fuck out of Congress.

9/17/2011 7:46:42 AM

Quote :

"John Fleming, GOP Congressman, Blasts Obama Over Buffett Rule: I Can't Afford A Tax Hike “By the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over," Fleming said."

[Edited on September 19, 2011 at 8:50 PM. Reason : http://huff.to/qvLtHn]

9/19/2011 8:49:32 PM

He said his net income is $600k. After his personal expenses, he has $400k left to reinvest in his business stuff for the future (adding employees, buying equipment, opening a new location).

The tax implications on his $6mil of business revenue, even if slightly adjusted, can make a big difference in how much he has available to re-invest or expand. That is his point. He wasn't trying to create a sob story for himself.

He was creating a sob story about what that leftover money wouldn't be able to do if it weren't there.

If that's his setup, and he keeps only $200k for himself and his family, and the other $400k is reinvested in the business or expansion, then you have a very responsible corporate citizen that you shouldn't be playing gotcha games with.

He walked into the trap, though, and didn't fight his way out very well.

9/19/2011 9:13:03 PM

Buffett rule seems like the next step towards a flat tax doesn't it?

Why should a millionaire pay 17% when the rest of us pay 20% on average?

Isn't a flatter tax what you people want?

9/20/2011 1:16:49 AM

^ That's working on the assumption that them people have a cohesive ideology.

9/20/2011 10:14:08 PM

Holy shit I just found a place where 90% of this forum (the part that feels the GOP is credible) can go live happily

http://seasteading.org/

9/20/2011 10:44:47 PM

^Somalia's just as good!

There's no central government­, no taxes, no central bank, really no law except religious ones, and everyone can have all the guns they want.

9/26/2011 1:46:56 AM

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-september-26-2011/indecision-2012---the-great-right-hope---the-gop-finds-another-ideal-candidate

Nothing new but hilarious as always. I think the best point is that Republicans today would never vote for their old demi-god Reagan.

9/27/2011 1:07:26 PM

http://pamshouseblend.firedoglake.com/2011/09/29/breaking-anti-gay-n-c-senator-forrester-falsifies-credentials-and-an-open-letter-to-the-lawmaker/

Quote :

"your online bios claim that you are a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, but today, ACPM officials told me that you are not a member, still less a Fellow, which is their highest level of distinction, and that they would be asking you to remove your phony claim from the internet. Apparently, your lack of integrity in talking dishonestly about gay human beings extends to claims you make about your professional medical associations. I sent an e-mail to your Senate address james.forrester@ncleg.net giving you a chance to explain yourself, but you didn’t even give me the courtesy of a reply."

party of hate hate hate

9/29/2011 2:54:58 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vIqYJcLC4I&feature=player_embedded

An elected senator (NC, but not a district near Raleigh), displays homophic views, and lack of any reasoning skills, complete avoidance of scientific reasoning or fact, and admits defeat, in a simple radio interview.

I am utterly ashamed that this man represents a group of people, my fellow North Carolinians.

9/29/2011 11:58:25 PM

9/30/2011 1:04:50 AM

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/11/guess-who-is-not-coming-to-the-south-korea-state-dinner/

Quote :

"The administration's nominee to be ambassador, Sung Kim, was announced this summer. The choice of Kim, who would be the first American of Korean descent to hold the post, was hailed by Seoul as an opportunity to for the two countries strengthen relations. Kim, a career diplomat who has served in several Republican and Democratic administrations, was until recently the U.S. envoy to multilateral talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear program. He was expected to be easily confirmed until Sen. John Kyl, R- Arizona, placed a hold on his confirmation, sources tell CNN. "

Quote :

"According to State Department officials, a letter answering Kyl's concerns was sent last month, but efforts to schedule a briefing with Kyl's office to explain its policy in order to confirm Kim before Lee's visit have stalled. Korea experts and former U.S. diplomats suggest the current political acrimony between the administration and Congress is at play and say the hold sends a poor message to a key ally with whom the United States is cooperating on a wide variety of diplomatic and political issues. Some sources who have been in touch with Korean leaders say Seoul has privately expressed the concern about the delay. "This is apparently being done for partisan reasons, since there is no other public reason being offered," said Jeffrey Bader, a former special adviser to to President Obama and senior director for Asia of the National Security Council. "

10/11/2011 5:27:01 PM

This IS breaking news!!!

An Obama shill is on record saying a Republican Senator is holding up the President's pick of someone to do something?

10/11/2011 6:04:04 PM

Yeah, it's hard to get worked up about a Republican congressman blocking an appointment. At this point it's just their standard procedure.

Easiest way to sabotage the government, make sure there's nobody around empowered to make decisions.

10/11/2011 6:32:35 PM

^ Easiest way to bypass that: appoint czars.

10/11/2011 7:30:19 PM

10/12/2011 12:04:01 PM

Newsflash: The guy banging on a trashcan with a bone through his nose prob is going to be unemployed no matter what system we have or change to. I can't wait for the winter.

10/12/2011 12:31:48 PM

Seriously? You really want to go down that road? What about the all Tea Partiers holding up signs with gross misspellings and waving guns around looking like a bunch of uneducated hicks on welfare. And that was before unemployment hit 9%.

10/12/2011 12:44:03 PM

they still had jobs then.

10/12/2011 10:31:00 PM

the GOP controlled House spent the day discussing and voting on another abortion bill.

The same thing they did when they took control of the House. H.R. 3 abortion ban.

In Feb 2011, they voted to ban all federal funding for Planned Parenthood

What happened to focusing on the economy?

10/13/2011 6:48:12 PM

They are just helping the President stick to his Executive Order that says:

Quote :

"Executive Order - - - - - - - ensuring enforcement and implementation of abortion restrictions in the patient protection and affordable care act By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (approved March ­­__, 2010), I hereby order as follows: Section 1. Policy. Following the recent passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("the Act"), it is necessary to establish an adequate enforcement mechanism to ensure that Federal funds are not used for abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered), consistent with a longstanding Federal statutory restriction that is commonly known as the Hyde Amendment. The purpose of this Executive Order is to establish a comprehensive, government-wide set of policies and procedures to achieve this goal and to make certain that all relevant actors--Federal officials, state officials (including insurance regulators) and health care providers--are aware of their responsibilities, new and old. The Act maintains current Hyde Amendment restrictions governing abortion policy and extends those restrictions to the newly-created health insurance exchanges. Under the Act, longstanding Federal laws to protect conscience (such as the Church Amendment, 42 U.S.C. §300a-7, and the Weldon Amendment, Pub. L. No. 111-8, §508(d)(1) (2009)) remain intact and new protections prohibit discrimination against health care facilities and health care providers because of an unwillingness to provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions. Numerous executive agencies have a role in ensuring that these restrictions are enforced, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Section 2. Strict Compliance with Prohibitions on Abortion Funding in Health Insurance Exchanges. The Act specifically prohibits the use of tax credits and cost-sharing reduction payments to pay for abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered) in the health insurance exchanges that will be operational in 2014. The Act also imposes strict payment and accounting requirements to ensure that Federal funds are not used for abortion services in exchange plans (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered) and requires state health insurance commissioners to ensure that exchange plan funds are segregated by insurance companies in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, OMB funds management circulars, and accounting guidance provided by the Government Accountability Office. I hereby direct the Director of OMB and the Secretary of HHS to develop, within 180 days of the date of this Executive Order, a model set of segregation guidelines for state health insurance commissioners to use when determining whether exchange plans are complying with the Act's segregation requirements, established in Section 1303 of the Act, for enrollees receiving Federal financial assistance. The guidelines shall also offer technical information that states should follow to conduct independent regular audits of insurance companies that participate in the health insurance exchanges. In developing these model guidelines, the Director of OMB and the Secretary of HHS shall consult with executive agencies and offices that have relevant expertise in accounting principles, including, but not limited to, the Department of the Treasury, and with the Government Accountability Office. Upon completion of those model guidelines, the Secretary of HHS should promptly initiate a rulemaking to issue regulations, which will have the force of law, to interpret the Act's segregation requirements, and shall provide guidance to state health insurance commissioners on how to comply with the model guidelines. Section 3. Community Health Center Program. The Act establishes a new Community Health Center (CHC) Fund within HHS, which provides additional Federal funds for the community health center program. Existing law prohibits these centers from using federal funds to provide abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered), as a result of both the Hyde Amendment and longstanding regulations containing the Hyde language. Under the Act, the Hyde language shall apply to the authorization and appropriations of funds for Community Health Centers under section 10503 and all other relevant provisions. I hereby direct the Secretary of HHS to ensure that program administrators and recipients of Federal funds are aware of and comply with the limitations on abortion services imposed on CHCs by existing law. Such actions should include, but are not limited to, updating Grant Policy Statements that accompany CHC grants and issuing new interpretive rules. Section 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) authority granted by law or presidential directive to an agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This Executive Order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This Executive Order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity against the United States, its departments, agencies, entities, officers, employees or agents, or any other person. THE WHITE HOUSE"

Gotta give them credit for trying to keep him honest. It's not like the Democrats are (since Robert Byrd passed, anyway).

10/14/2011 10:57:20 AM

10/17/2011 11:05:17 PM

Quote :

" Senate Republicans blocked a popular piece of President Barack Obama's stimulus plan -- one to raise taxes on millionaires to create or protect 400,000 jobs for teachers and firefighters."

10/20/2011 10:51:46 PM

Quote :

"Politician didn’t want event touted Herrera Beutler’s office asked paper to not publicize meeting; select residents called"

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/oct/18/politician-didnt-want-event-touted-herrera-beutler/

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/10/20/348754/graham-libya-money-to-be-made/

Quote :

"On Friday The Chronicle in Centralia received a phone call from Herrera Beutler staffer and Communications Director Casey Bowman informing the newspaper of the meeting. Bowman asked that a meeting announcement not be placed in the paper. However, he did invite the paper to cover the event. The Chronicle refused his request and published an announcement in Saturday’s paper. The reason for not publishing an advance notice of the meeting was the fear that people from outside the immediate area could come and “just yell” at the congresswoman “whatever’s on their minds,” Bowman said Friday. “When word gets in the paper, you get a certain set of people,” Bowman said. "

10/21/2011 11:44:40 AM

10/24/2011 12:44:19 AM

mfw government investigations is in quotes.

10/24/2011 1:06:37 AM

I think taxation -> job creation

10/24/2011 1:19:32 AM

Quote :

"The end of a saga that began with “Herman Cain’s Pro-Choice Moment” moment came on Saturday, when Cain declared himself in favor of a Constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion entirely. “Yes. Yes I feel that strongly about it. If we can get the necessary support and it comes to my desk I’ll sign it. That’s all I can do. I will sign it,” "

Herman Cain: I will sign it that thing that requires no signature of the sitting President.

10/24/2011 1:03:46 PM

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-28SP

Healthcare spending under Obamacare:



Healthcare spending if Obamacare gets repealed:



Romney:

Quote :

"“Obamacare spends a trillion dollars. If it were perfect– and it’s not perfect, it’s terrible– we can’t afford more federal spending.”"

Just more of the same, Republican talking points not matching the facts on the ground. Seems like the only thing we can't afford is repealing Obamacare.

10/24/2011 3:38:40 PM

Projected spending doesn't mean shit.

10/24/2011 3:46:54 PM

ON THE OTHER HAND DEATH PANELS

10/24/2011 3:51:52 PM

Shrike, your first graph presumes cuts to medicare payments which have already been repealed. As such, the first graph should look like the second graph, only worse.

10/24/2011 3:53:21 PM

Huh? Citation please, as far as I know the reforms to MA payments for 2011 went through as planned and the ones for 2012 are still scheduled.

10/24/2011 4:10:44 PM

Quote :

"U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio sold his American success story as he stumped across Florida two years ago. His parents left Havana in 1959, he told a Panhandle audience, implying, at least, that they fled Fidel Castro's communist revolution. Now records show that they left in 1956, while Castro still plotted in Mexico — and that even when Rubio doubted his dates, he didn't correct the record. "

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/politifact-florida-marco-rubios-parents-immigration-predated-castro/1198006

10/24/2011 5:21:40 PM

So they are just smarter than the other Cubanos who left after Castro.

OMG!!! SENATOR RUBIO HAD SMART PARENTS!!!

In the meantime, the Republicans have yet to INTRODUCE one jobs bill, whereas the Democrats have yet to PASS one jobs bill. Reason? The Republicans know that bills don't create jobs, whereas Democrats believe they do.

Republicans - 100%
Democrats - 0%

10/24/2011 9:03:08 PM

I'm assuming that when you say that you just aren't counting any jobs where one works directly for the government.

Would that be a safe assumption?

10/24/2011 9:10:32 PM

If you're working for the government, your wages have to be funded by taxes or borrowing. So, no, they really shouldn't count.

10/24/2011 9:18:10 PM

Isn't that true, at least in part, of every bailed out or subsidized corporation in the country?

10/24/2011 9:39:21 PM

I sure wish the press had time to research Obama's background. Maybe get his college records... Research the crazy ass pastor he listened to for so many years. nope. some senator from florida is way more important than a presidential candidate.

10/24/2011 10:10:02 PM

10/25/2011 1:28:12 AM

10/25/2011 11:15:45 PM

Quote :

"OMG!!! SENATOR RUBIO HAD SMART PARENTS!!! LIED!!! In the meantime, the Republicans have yet to INTRODUCE one jobs bill, whereas the Democrats have yet to PASS one jobs bill. Reason? The Republicans know that bills don't create jobs, whereas Democrats believe they do."

Quote :

"GOP's Perry promises 2.5 million jobs in first ad"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jl3XZdq0Dbs36pisZwV-4RGYUbvg?docId=cbbae341c43141e092d322c73d00e6f8

[Edited on October 26, 2011 at 12:25 AM. Reason : ...]

10/26/2011 12:24:58 AM

Quote :

"Want Proof That Current GOP is Incompetent? You're Welcome. The basic premise of this post is simple. The current incarnation of the Republican Party is absolutely incompetent to run government, and the evidence is clear to anyone who bothers to look. I start with the national debt and economy, but I go a whole lot farther. Stick with this to the end, and you'll have a hell of a tool to use to show people. We have to defeat these people politically, and all we need is the truth. The two parties are NOT the same. The Republican Party is demonstrably less competent than the Democratic Party, and their political ideology is demonstrably a sham. Let's start with whether or not we're "broke." If anyone you know thinks this country is "broke," as Congressional Republicans keep repeating over and over, find out which planet he's from, and send them this article. This economy's had some rough times lately, but get real; there's plenty of money here. Our economy is still the second-largest in the world after the European Union, and that's only because the EU was actually cobbled together from a number of different countries. But that's based on GDP, which is the amount of wealth that is created and/or transfers each fiscal quarter or year. That's the first reason why right wingers can't be trusted with the economy; they are simply incapable of seeing economic issues in terms other than the current year or the current quarter. For example, the best way to retire the national debt is to run it up for a couple of years and invest a ton of money in infrastructure that creates jobs. When you create jobs, you create taxpayers, and when you create taxpayers, revenue goes up. These people also still preach the gospel of "trickle-down economics," despite the fact that even its key architect, David Stockman, is screaming to anyone who'll listen that he was wrong. Not only does the concept of reducing taxes to increase revenues not make any logical sense; it's been implemented and proven wrong. And yet, right wing idiots STILL swear that every tax cut for rich people creates more jobs, and creates more revenue. I want you to go HERE and check out these charts; reality will blow your mind. In 1980, Reagan and the right wing claimed the debt was growing out of control, despite the fact that it was actually at its lowest point as a percent of GDP since before the Great Depression. But in 8 years, Reagan tripled the size of the debt, and in 4 more after that, Bush, Sr. doubled it again. In the first 193 years of our democratic republic's existence, even with a number of wars, recessions and depressions, we only managed to accumulate $900 billion in debt, total. In 12 years with neocon Republicans at the helm, more than $5 trillion in debt was added. Democrat Bill Clinton forced the Republicans in Congress to help him balance the budget, and they even created a surplus. By the time Clinton left in 2001, the federal government was scheduled to run surpluses for at least the next ten years, according to the CBO, and trim the then-$6 trillion to about $4.5 trillion in that time. "

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2011/10/rightwingeconomynotsomuch.html

10/31/2011 8:19:54 PM

Quote :

"For example, the best way to retire the national debt is to run it up for a couple of years and invest a ton of money in infrastructure that creates jobs. When you create jobs, you create taxpayers, and when you create taxpayers, revenue goes up. "

Anyone with more brain function than Terri Schiavo stopped reading right there.

10/31/2011 8:36:37 PM

The GOP thought Schiavo had plenty of brain function.

11/1/2011 12:40:33 AM