Last Call

Looks like the Democrats will make their party stance on marriage equality official at the Charlotte convention in September.

Democrats appear ready to embrace same-sex marriage as part of their party platform, a policy shift that reflects the rapidly growing acceptance of gay rights in mainstream politics.

Party officials met over the weekend in Minneapolis and approved the first step to amend their platform. In two weeks, the entire platform committee will vote on the matter at a meeting scheduled in Detroit. Then, if approved as expected, it would move on to convention delegates in Charlotte, N.C., for final approval in September.

According to Democrats who were briefed on the vote in Minneapolis, there was no objection when the issue came up. Though the language that was voted on still could be revised, party officials do not anticipate any major obstacles going forward.

The platform language approved over the weekend also included a condemnation of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing legal same-sex marriages.

Your move, Republicans.

Oh wait, you've already made it.  Back to the middle ages, that is.  Please, tell me again how there's no difference between the two major political parties, folks.

Twilight: Fade To Black

Robert Pattinson is moving out of the house he shared with Kristen Stewart.  According to TMZ, a U-Haul was spotted outside the former couple's home.

After Stewart's highly public apology, Pattinson remained silent.  The marriage of director Rupert Sanders may also be in jeopardy, as his wife has made at least one comment that cast doubt upon their future, expressing the sentiment that sometimes things fall apart so other things can fall together.

To make it even more uncomfortable, Stewart is scheduled to play in the sequel, once again under Sander's direction.  She will also have many public appearances with Pattinson while they promote the final Twilight movie.

Aaaaawkward.

Another Milepost On The Road To Oblivion

You know you're a winger when your reaction to stories like this...

Northern India's power grid crashed Monday, halting trains, forcing hospitals and airports onto backup power and providing a dark reminder of the nation's inability to feed a growing hunger for energy as it strives to become an economic power.

While the midsummer outage was unique in its reach - it hit 370 million people, more than the population of the United States and Canada combined - its impact was softened by Indians' familiarity with almost daily blackouts of varying duration. Hospitals and major businesses have backup generators that seamlessly kick in during power cuts, and upscale homes are hooked to backup systems powered by truck batteries.

...is banal crap like this, from Daily Pundit's Bill Quick.  

That’s more than the entire population of the U.S.

The article seems to indicate that the grid was quickly restored. I’m not so sure that would be the case if the U.S. grid ever went down this hard.

Yeah Bill, Flying Spaghetti Monster forbid we improve the nation's power grid there.  I know, tax cuts will surely cure any infrastructure issues we have along these lines, if you'll excuse the pun.  The invisible hand will get around to burying our major power lines any time now.

How Hot Is It?

It's so hot that the Ozark Empire Fair is reporting low numbers.  People just can't take the heat, and after we have begged for more than a decade to move the fair to a more logical time, customers are voting with their feet.

According to one source, today is supposed to reach 106 degrees, with at least 80% humidity.  For those of you who are fortunate enough not to live in the steam bath we call home, this is enough to be dangerous for every creature outdoors.  From livestock to mail delivery, anyone who is outside is risking heat exhaustion or worse.

By the numbers, we have had 147 emergency room visits due to the heat, carrying our part for the state total of 962.

I understand we're not alone in this heat wave, and most of our readers are feeling the same effects we are.  Stay cool, and if you are able, put out some water for animals and birds who are desperately trying to stay alive.  Also, for you rural folks, deer are moving in record numbers seeking water and food.  Drive safe, as they are causing an unusual number of accidents for this time of year.

City Council Sticks It To Springfield Again

Before you dismiss this for being Springfield, realize it could happen anywhere.  My folks are just above the curve when it comes to being stupid, that's all.

Regardless of the result at the polls Aug. 7, Springfield will not have a City Council primary in February.

Held whenever three or more candidates file for the same council seat, the primary has suffered from low turnout and comparatively high costs in recent years.

Council members decided in May to ask voters to do away with the February contest, but state legislators and Gov. Jay Nixon beat them to it.

A bill Nixon signed into law earlier this month eliminates the February election date for everything but bond issues and the presidential primary; the bill also axes the June election date, which the city at times has used for tax renewals and petition elections.

Because of low voter turnout, the option to vote is being taken away.   With our governor's blessing, no less.  By using cost as a determining factor, they make it even more arbitrary and dangerous.  Since when is the privilege of voting subject to cost analysis?

Opponents say the price is justified. Groups including Live Free Springfield and the newly formed Citizens Rights Coalition have said the lack of a primary could make it more difficult to unseat incumbents and could allow candidates to be elected without majority support.

“(The primary) was instituted because people were getting elected with less than 20 percent of the vote, and that will happen again,” said Sharlee Lawless, a spokeswoman for the Citizens Rights Coalition.

Believe me, there will be more coming on this.

A Healthy Debate About Israel

It's funny, Republicans hate government health care and the individual mandate for health insurance.  But they love Israel.  Which emotion matters more?  Well, when you're in Israel, the choice is obvious.

But during his trip to Israel, Romney inadvertently praised the individual requirement and universal health care. “[F]or an American abroad, you can’t get much closer to the ideals and convictions of my own country than you do in Israel,” he said. And according to The New York Times, Romney spoke favorably about the fact that health care makes up a much smaller amount of Israel’s gross domestic product compared to the United States:

“Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the G.D.P. in Israel? Eight percent,” he said. “You spend eight percent of G.D.P. on health care. You’re a pretty healthy nation. We spend 18 percent of our G.D.P. on health care, 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, compare that with the size of our military — our military which is 4 percent, 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of G.D.P. We have to find ways — not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to fund and manage our health care costs.”

Israel spends less on health care because of a universal health system that requires everyone to have insurance. Every Israeli citizen has the obligation to purchase health care services through one of the country’s four HMOs since government officials approved the National Health Insurance Law in 1995. People pay for 40 percent of their HMO’s costs through income-related contributions collected through the tax system, and the state pays the remaining 60 percent. And by many standards, Israelis are getting better health care than U.S. citizens. The infant mortality rate is much lower, and its mortality rate due to heart disease is half the U.S. rate. 

Boy, Republicans must really despise those socialist hellholes like Israel, right?   I mean they have even more government intervention than Obamacare does and they've knocked health care costs down to a fraction of ours, with better results.  Obviously Israelis are living under a despotic tyrant who any Romney administration would immediately oppose.

Right?

Knee Deep In Koch-A-Poo

What does a right wing foundation, legions of winger bloggers and your own hack author buy you for your Citizens united free speech money?  If you're the Koch brothers, you use the change in your couch to buy a "devastating new bombshell" that Barack Obama really didn't give the order to kill bin Laden and therefore deserves no credit.  Luckily, Hart Williams over at His Vorpal Sword is there to illuminate us all that the "bombshell" author is Richard Miniter, of not, one, not two, but three Koch brothers outfits:

Institute for Humane Studies is Charles Koch’s pet and first “foundation.” You know, like Americans for Prosperity and Freedomworks, both of which came from their original Koch parent “Citizens for a Sound Economy.”  Eric O’Keefe — currently heading the Sam Adams Alliance, and formerly President of Americans for Limited Government — sits on its board of directors.  The Competitive Enterprise Institute comes of the same ideological parentage. Here was their “journalism fellowship” awardee (cash) for 1995-1996: Michelle Malkin. CEI gives out a big award every year. In 2006  the winner was John Stossel (formerly of ABC now of Fox) and in 2001, it was Stephen Moore, then of the Cato Institute (Koch controlled) and founder of the “Club for Growth.” Now a Wall Street Journal editorial board member.

There's a shocker.  And we see what the Kochs are buying here:

Notice any pattern here? How about “Bin Laden was CLINTON’s FAULT!” followed by “We’re WINNING the war on terror!”

Now somehow Obama’s GETTING bin Laden is a bad thing, an accidental thing, a questionable thing.

Ham-handed swiftboating from an author of questionable objectivity with a long Koch employment and an ideological axe to grind.

And, of course, the professional character assassins at the Daily Caller (funded by Foster Friess) cite the pre-publication copy they’ve mysteriously acquired as a “BOMBSHELL REVELATION!”

Election coming up. Obama’s signature achievement in the “War on Terror” must be disparaged and destroyed. Book comes up with perfect timing from a “New York Times best-selling author.” You know, like Paris Hilton or Snooki or the Kardassian sisters.

Doesn't matter if it's true or sourceable or corroborated.  But a couple months of "Was Barack Obama really responsible for making the call to get Osama bin Laden?  A new book claims..." on all the "news" channels followed by GOP pit bulls growling "How dare he take credit!" and watch the swing voters fall away.

We're knee deep in Koch-a-poo and it's rising higher by the day.  Pretty soon it'll be "Remember when Dubya killed bin Laden after that Obama guy lost the Twin Towers?"

Laugh.  The people who'll believe that?  Their votes count just as much as yours do.  The Kochs know that.  They're counting on it, in fact.

Have you registered anyone to vote this year?  Time's running out.  We need you out there to help fight this, and the only way we win is by voting.

While we still can, of course.

StupidiNews!

• Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes faces 24 counts of murder and 116 counts of attempted murder, 2 sets of separate charges for "indifference" and "premeditation" for each victim, under Colorado law.
• Researchers at Ancestry.com claim the President is the 11th grandson of the "first slave recorded in the US"...on his mother's side.
• The husband of SC GOP Gov. Nikki Haley, Lt. Michael Haley, will serve one year in Afghanistan, marking the first time the spouse of a sitting governor has been deployed in war.
• President Obama is calling on European leaders to take "decisive action" to forestall the collapse of the euro currency.
• Apple could launch the next salvo in the tech wars sooner rather than later with the new iPhone and rumored "iPad mini" tablet announced as early as mid-September.

Last Call

Turns out not only do I owe TPM's Paul Werdel an apology for spotting this on Friday where he flagged down that the Romney administration really is making a serious foreign policy shift by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's rightful capital, but that he was right for reasons that I didn't even consider.  In his speech Sunday, he declared a sea change in US policy if he is elected:

Romney's declaration that Jerusalem is Israel's capital was matter-of-fact and in keeping with claims made by Israeli governments for decades, even though the United States, like other nations, maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv.

He did not say if he would order the embassy moved if he wins the White House, but strongly suggested so in a CNN interview.

"My understanding is the policy of our nation has been a desire to move our embassy ultimately to the capital (Jerusalem)," he said, adding, "I would only want to do so and to select the timing in accordance with the government of Israel."

His remarks on the subject during his speech drew a standing ovation from his audience, which included Sheldon Adelson, the American businessman who has said he will donate millions to help elect Romney to the White House.

So not only was Werdel right when he said this on Friday:

So, accepting that Romney is aware of the significance, it seems likely he’s prepared to signal a very real, very controversial departure from decades of U.S. peacemaking policy, and put the weight of his potential presidency behind a declaration that he believes Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. That would be a very big deal. 

...but Romney apparently really has decided to throw away any pretense that Bibi Netanyahu does not control our foreign policy totally.  The Palestinians are livid:

US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s endorsement of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is “harmful” to US interests in the Middle East, a senior Palestinian official said on Sunday.

“Romney’s declarations are harmful to American interests in our region, and they harm peace, security and stability,” Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP.

“Even if this statement is within the US election campaign, it is unacceptable and we completely reject it. The US election campaign should never be at the expense of the Palestinians,” he said.

“Romney is rewarding occupation, settlement and extremism in the region with such declarations.”

Romney is insane.  I absolutely believe electing him means open war with Iran now.  All indications are that Netanyahu used Romney to say what was on his mind to attack President Obama, and Romney was more than happy to go along, doing the bidding of a foreign leader to go after the President.

That's the kind of guy Mitt Romney is, of course.  In order to score campaign points, he's using a foreign power to do it with on top of now hoping to force President Obama to change decades of stated US foreign policy to benefit a foreign power.  That's dangerous as hell.  Romney doesn't care.  He'll do anything to win.

Even if it means a major diplomatic incident.

Voting Against All Odds

The Cincinnati Enquirer has a major story today on widespread voter disenfranchisement in the state, finding that Ohio regularly tosses thousands of valid votes due to a combination of a "confusing maze of state laws, administrative directives and court rulings on voting procedures, errors – by voters and poll workers alike – and other factors".  Republicans will of course tell you it's working as intended.

    The problems call into question both whether every Ohioan’s vote will be counted Nov. 6 and whether the state, always pivotal in close presidential races, can assure the nation a timely, accurate and lawsuit-free count.

    “If the Wednesday headlines the day after the election say, ‘All eyes are on Ohio,’ it probably won’t be a good thing,” said Ed Foley, an Ohio State University law professor and a nationally respected expert on election laws.

    In Hamilton County alone, hundreds of votes are routinely disqualified in major statewide elections because they are cast in the wrong precinct, often only feet from the correct location. Hundreds more votes have been tossed out for another relatively minor miscue: voters’ failure to seal an inner envelope containing their absentee ballot.

    “Every vote is a voice,” said new Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter, who owes her election to a federal court ordering local officials to count some contested 2010 ballots. “People fought, bled and died for the right not only to vote but to have that vote counted.”

And yet the disenfranchisement is -- surprise! -- most likely to happen in Ohio's three largest urban counties, Hamilton (Cincinnati), Cuyahoga (Cleveland), and Franklin (Columbus).

    The Enquirer’s examination of how well Ohio is prepared for November found:

    • Unless voters take a more proactive approach about how and precisely where to vote, poll workers improve their performance over past elections or courts order new changes before Election Day, tens of thousands of ballots are likely to be disqualified.

    • Ohio has adopted only a few of the changes recommended after the 2008 election to improve registration, Election Day and vote-counting procedures.

    • All 88 Ohio counties have prepared lengthy election administration plans outlining their preparations for November, including recruitment and training of poll workers, steps to ensure that individuals vote in their correct precinct and how to process ballots. Some, however, have failed to make adjustments that could help remedy past electoral problems.

The bottom line is that in a state that may be decided by a few thousand votes, we could see tens of thousands of votes thrown out.  A healthy chunk of them will be in the state's most urban districts.  Nothing's changed since these institutionalized problems cost John Kerry the state and the election in 2004, problems created through years of neglect.  Now Ohio may decide the White House or control of the Senate once again.

And keep in mind, Ohio does not have strict Voter ID laws like neighboring Indiana or Pennsylvania.  Imagine if it did.  Tens of thousands more would be disenfranchised.  And this will only get worse.

Video Stupidity: Paralyzed Woman Uses Bionic Suit To Walk

"Walking never gets old for me," she says looking at the camera.

Moving is something most of us take for granted.  If we want something across the room, we can hop up and get it.  Some of us even complain at having to expend the energy.  But for someone who can't walk, it's a miracle to be able to move again. 

Bomb Threats Now 80% Off

At least seven Walmarts across Missouri were evacuated this week because of bomb threats, KCTV reports.

Stores in Gladstone, Raytown, Nixa, Ozark, Jefferson City, St. Peters and Piedmont all received threats Friday evening.

Dan Fogleman, a spokesman for Walmart, told The Kansas City Star that any retail establishment may be subject to such an event. He added however that it was uncommon for so many to be threatened in one evening.

"We're concerned anytime someone makes a threat that may endanger our customers," Fogleman told the paper. "We're grateful that no one was injured and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience. We will work very closely with police in these jurisdictions."

Nixa and Ozark were among those affected, but none within Springfield city limits.  Was this an orchestrated prank?  A distraction or response test?  Nobody seems to know yet.  However, people were more annoyed than concerned by the bulk of the reports.  I'm pretty sure no blowout on school supplies is worth my safety.  There have been no more calls since this original incident.  If an update becomes available we'll share it here.

Follow Up To Marine Story

I got a few comments and quite a few emails about the marine story that ran yesterday.  Let me add just a couple of things, in a way that I think will reach most of our readers:

1.  I apologize for the soldier comment.  I do not come from a military family, and I did not realize that the word did not apply to all who fight on behalf of their country.  I used the wrong word, and would never intentionally offend anyone who risked life and limb to protect me.  I did not check dictionary.com before using the word soldier, but when I went there this morning it does clearly mention a person serving "in an army" and did give a general definition of someone with military skill.  I sent them a note explaining our conversation here, to make amends for what is clearly a common misunderstanding of how the word soldier applies to Marines specifically.

2.  I got a couple of comments that seemed to think I was saying this was unheard of for a Marine.  I did not intend to sound shocked beyond belief that a Marine would show this level of dedication.  I think it's amazing, generous and beyond awesome.  But I am not surprised, I simply felt it should be shared so we see another side, and can enjoy simple pride in the goodness of another person.

I hope that resolves the bulk of the comments, and thank you all for correcting my choice of phrasing.

Oops! Where Did I Leave That Kidnapping Victim Edition

NEW YORK -- An NYPD detective has been suspended without pay after a kidnapping victim was found tied up in his Queens garage, sources tell NBC 4 New York.

Sources say Ondre Johnson, a 17-year veteran of the Brooklyn North gang unit, was being questioned by internal affairs about his involvement in the kidnapping of a 25-year-old victim off the street early Friday morning.

A ransom note was left, and there is some confusion as to what this detective played in the kidnapping.  Several men have been arrested, including a cousin of the detective.

In the meantime, for the first time outside of a bad 80s movie, he has been "stripped of his gun and badge" while this is sorted out.

Another Milepost On The Road To Oblivion

Things that Supreme Court Justice Antonin "Wario" Scalia thinks you have a right to:  rocket launchers.

In the wake of a massacre in Colorado that left 12 dead and 58 wounded, host Chris Wallace asked Scalia if the Constitution would support assault-type AR-15 rifles and 100-round clips.

The justice explained that under his principle of originalism, some limitations on weapons were possible. Fox example, laws to restrict people from carrying a “head axe” would be constitutional because it was a misdemeanor when the Constitution was adopted in the late 1700s.

“What about these technological limitations?” Wallace wondered. “Obviously, we’re not now talking about a handgun or a musket, we’re talking about a weapon that can fire a hundred shots in a minute.”

“We’ll see,” Scalia replied. “Obviously the amendment does not apply to arms that can not be carried. It’s to ‘keep and bear’ so it doesn’t apply to cannons.”

“But I suppose there are handheld rocket launchers that can bring down airplanes that will have to — it’s will have to be decided,” he added.

Things that Supreme Court Justice Antonin "Wario" Scalia thinks you do not have a right to:  birth control.

During an interview on Sunday, Fox News host Chris Wallace asked Scalia why he believed that it is a “lie” that women have a Constitutional right to abortion.

“Nobody ever thought that the America people voted to prohibit limitations on abortions,” the 76-year-old conservative justice explained. “There’s nothing in the Constitution that says that.”

“What about the right to privacy that the court found in 1965?” Wallace pressed.

“There’s no right to privacy in the Constitution — no generalized right to privacy,” Scalia insisted.
“Well, in the Griswold case, the court said there was,” Wallace pointed out.

“Yeah, it did,” Scalia agreed. “And that was wrong.”

But please go ahead and tell me how it doesn't matter if Romney gets to pick a couple more Supreme Court nominees in the next four years.   Also, what the hell is a Supreme Court Justice doing on FOX News?