Last Call For Open Carry, Openly Threatened

I'm sure cops really, really love open carry firearms laws, especially in states like Texas where stuff like this is becoming a more regular occurrence.

A demonstration by a pro-gun group in Ft. Worth, TX sent restaurant employees at a Jack in the Box location fleeing into the freezer as police responded to the scene thinking a robbery was in progress.

According to Dallas-Ft. Worth’s NBC Channel 5, Open Carry Texas protesters are irate that police treated them like criminals for staging a heavily armed protest without notifying authorities and without visible signs stating the purpose of the demonstration.

Sgt. Ray Bush of the Ft. Worth Police Department told Channel 5 that officers received a call Thursday night from employees of the restaurant who thought that the large group of heavily armed white men had come to rob them.

“They locked themselves inside a freezer for protection out of fear the rifle-carrying men would rob them,” Bush said via email. “The demonstration had no signage that would have alerted anyone to their real purpose, and to our knowledge they did not attempt to contact anyone in the Fort Worth Police Department to advise us prior to the demonstration.”

And as any open carry advocate will tell you, this is the entire point of open carry laws:  I can exercise my Second Amendment rights anywhere I choose to.   And no, these wonderful patriots really see themselves as the aggrieved party here.

The department responded as it would to any armed robbery in progress, with multiple police cruisers and officers carrying tactical weapons. Demonstrators say that the aggressive response by law enforcement was unnecessary.

“I’m upset that that many officers had to arrive on the scene,” demonstrator Edwin Haros said. “I would estimate around 10 squad cars showed up, some with two per squad car. I believe we counted more than 15 officers showed up on scene.”

Haros is an Open Carry Texas member who believes it is his right to carry his Smith and Wesson semi-automatic rifle with him at all times and in all situations.

“We’re not breaking the laws,” Haros complained. “We’re not here to hurt anybody. We’re not trying to alarm anybody. We’re doing this because it’s our constitutional right.”

The constitution says I have the right to terrify the hell out of you with an armed group of people ready to use deadly force at a moment's notice in self-defense.  Cool.

Exit questions:  Would you feel safe at a fast food restaurant with your kids and family when a dozen visibly armed guys came in and sat down?  Would your answer be the same if the armed men in question were all say, black or Latino?

Have a nice day.

Condi-ments No Longer Available, Upon Request

Kinda hard to get speaking gigs these days when you're a war criminal.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has backed out of delivering the commencement address at Rutgers University following protests by some faculty and students over her role in the Iraq War.

Rice said in a statement Saturday that she informed Rutgers President Robert Barchi that she was declining the invitation to speak at the graduation.

"Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families," Rice said. "Rutgers' invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time."

The school's board of governors had voted to pay $35,000 to the former secretary of state under President George W. Bush and national security adviser for her appearance at the May 18 ceremony. Rutgers was also planning to bestow Rice with an honorary doctorate.

But some students and faculty at New Jersey's flagship university had protested, staging sit-ins and saying Rice bore some responsibility for the Iraq War as a member of the Bush administration. Barchi and other school leaders had resisted the calls to disinvite Rice, saying the university welcomes open discourse on controversial topics.

It's not "open discourse" over someone's place in history when you pay somebody $35,000 to speak at your commencement and plan to give them an honorary doctorate, it's complete acceptance of them as a hero and holding that person up as a living example of someone you want your students to be.

The students of Rutgers disagreed with that assessment of Condi Rice, as apparently unlike the school's board of governors, they still have a functioning moral center.  Frankly, the faculty and administration should be proud that the students told Condi to go screw herself.  It means that the students are smart kids who will more likely than not become better people that the board of governors.

And yes, Condi should be rotting in a cell along with Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Dubya.

Cheesed Off Republicans In Wisconsin, Again

Remember the story a few weeks back about Wisconsin Republicans holding a vote at the state convention to "affirm the right of the state to secede from the union" if necessary?

It turns out that Republicans will actually get to vote on that now this weekend, and now that it's had some time to sink in that the party will be voting on what is essentially the right to reserve planned treason at some later date, they can't run from it fast enough.

“This has been totally blown out of proportion,” said Michael Murphy, vice chairman of the 4th District Republican Party and a former chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, a Ron Paul-affiliated outlet. “This is one sentence in one resolution out of 23 that were passed, it is one tag line out of a larger resolution discussing state sovereignty. At no point are we going to the convention and debate that we want to secede from the union, even though some paint that as the case.”

To be clear, the text of the resolution reads, in full, “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we strongly insist our state representatives work to uphold Wisconsin’s 10th Amendment rights, and our right to secede, passing legislation affirming this to the US Federal Government.”

“We should remove it. Nobody wants to secede from the union,” said Todd Welch, chairman of the libertarian-leaning Wisconsin Campaign for Liberty and a member of the Republican Party. “Obviously, it is an option, but nobody wants to do that. We should focus on the real issues of stopping Obamacare, stopping Common Core, protecting gun rights.”

Wisconsin Republicans say they are not exactly sure how the resolution got through the caucus to begin with. “It was stuck in there by somebody, and nobody seems to know who,” said Welch. There was, they acknowledge, a states’ rights fervor in the air at their meeting, with the caucus voting to censure two state lawmakers who support the Common Core educational reforms and calling on them to resign from their position on the legislature’s education committee.

So these idiots are now shuffling their feet going "Well, secession of course is still an option but nobody would ever actually do it and all"  and trying to have it both ways.  Worse, nobody seems to know the identity of the brave, brave patriot who suggested this in the first place.

And the state of Wisconsin should elect these clowns in November?

I'm betting this vote is actually going to be a lot closer than people think it will be.  And that should scare the hell out of all of us.

StupidiNews, Weekend Edition!

• The first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been reported in the US as a health-care provider from Indiana traveled to Saudi Arabia last month and contracted the disease.
• Firefighting costs to battle Western state wildfires on federal lands this year may exceed the budgeted amount by $470 million or more, according to the latest estimates.
• A firefight in the streets of the Ukranian port city of Odessa has killed dozens as pro-Russian militants and Ukrainian government forces clashed near the Black Sea.
• Swiss officials are looking to the US for a "fair and balanced process" in the Department of Justice cracking down on Swiss banks used to avoid US taxes.
• Apple has again won its copyright infringement trial against Samsung, but got less than $120 million of the $2.2 billion in damages requested.

Last Call For MAXIMUM BENGHAZI

With the House GOP report on Obamacare an embarrassing dud directly contradicted by insurance companies who say the White House's figure of 85-90% of first premiums have been paid up is correct and the April unemployment rate seeing the best numbers since September 2008 the Republicans are now in pure panic mode.  No surprise then that just hours after that monster jobs report and the unemployment rate down to 6.3%, Orange Julius gave the Tea Party what they wanted: a select committee to investigate Benghazi and Darrell Issa's clown show calling up John Kerry to testify.

The creation of the panel, which Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced on Friday, comes the same day that House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) issued a subpoena to force Secretary of State John Kerry to testify about the attacks.

Together, the steps signal a bold escalation of the Republican strategy to find the Obama administration at fault for its handling of the Benghazi attacks, which left U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead. They come after internal White House emails were released this week that Republicans say prove the administration lied about its role in drafting talking points about the attack.

“These revelations compel the House to take every possible action to ensure the American people have the truth about the terrorist attack on our consulate that killed four of our countrymen,” Boehner said in a statement announcing his intent to create the select committee.

It’s unclear who will chair the panel, but leadership aides said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) is being seriously considered for the post.

By convening a select committee and demanding that Kerry testify, House Republicans are assuring that scrutiny of the White House over Benghazi — a topic that energizes the GOP base — will remain strong in the months ahead of the midterm elections.

 Because Benghazi was such a successful issue for the GOP during the 2012 elections.

Look, the GOP is clearly terrified that they've got nothing for 2014, and need something to keep the rubes busy while they keep pillaging the country.  Benghazi fits the bill pretty well.  If they're reduced to this nonsense, then they're screwed and they know it.

Bring it on, clowns.  New Tag:  Benghazi Is The New Hodor

A Streetcar Now Desired

Time to check in on Cincinnati politics again, and as a reminder Mayor Cranley's quixotic battle against the streetcar ended last December.  He's not only accepted the fact that the streetcar is cheaper to finish than the kill right now, but suddenly with Cincinnati being in the mix to land the GOP National Convention in 2016, getting the streetcar done ahead of time to show off to the country is suddenly making the project a priority.

Cincinnati's streetcar could be open to riders up to two months earlier than expected if the city lands the 2016 Republican National Convention.

"It's certainly possible," said John Deatrick, head of the streetcar project. "If all goes well, it could be done quicker than the time we've laid out."

The $133 million streetcar currently is scheduled to open on Sept. 15, 2016, but project leaders have started looking at whether they can open it in time for the convention – most likely in July or August.

Cincinnati is one of six cities on the short list to land the Republican convention. Members of the Republic National Committee's convention site selection committee are scheduled to visit Cincinnati on Tuesday to help determine whether the city makes the next round of cuts in mid-May.

Business leaders have told The Enquirer that the local steering committee expects to push for the streetcar to open early if Cincinnati makes the next round of cuts. The streetcar was not mentioned in Cincinnati's official convention bid package, because the steering committee did not think it would be finished in time, City Councilwoman Amy Murray said.

But Murray said she now expects the possibility of the streetcar being ready at convention time will be discussed with RNC officials on Tuesday. Murray is a member of the local convention steering committee and chairwoman of City Council's transportation committee.

"Ideally, if we have any large convention in the summer of 2016, it would be great if the streetcar would be done in time," Murray said. "If we get the Republican National Convention, then I think it's time to have a serious conversation."

What a difference five months makes, huh John.  The streetcar project went from albatross and boondoggle to selling point for the Republican National Convention in near-record time.  It would be hysterical except for the fact that Cranley largely won by opposing the streetcar, then dropped that opposition within weeks of taking office, and now he's hoping to sell it as a convention draw.

That's our Mayor!

The Assault On Sexual Assault

The Obama administration this week launched efforts at dealing with sexual assault on college campuses nationwide, and it's not just public service announcements. These also include investigations with real teeth as the Department of Education is going after a number of major universities for failure to handle these cases correctly.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a list of 55 colleges being investigated, a move that the agency expects will encourage dialogue and coax schools to toughen up on how they deal with sexual violence.

Among the schools on the list are: Michigan State University, Arizona State University, Princeton University, Catholic University of America, Florida State University and Swarthmore College.

“We are making this list available in an effort to bring more transparency to our enforcement work and to foster better public awareness of civil rights,” Catherine Lhamon, the Education Department’s assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement.

The investigations are being conducted under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which ensures that students are not denied, for reasons of gender, the ability to fully participate in educational and other opportunities at schools that receive federal funds.

The comprehensive list released on Thursday is the first of its kind. The move is part of the administration’s efforts to curb sexual harassment and sexual violence, especially in colleges, and to push schools to do more to prevent and punish on assaults.

Following a three-month study conducted by a task force established by President Barack Obama to address the issue, the White House earlier this week launched a website, NotAlone.gov, to help victims find help and report crimes.

According to the White House, one in five women, and a smaller number of men, are sexually assaulted during their college years, with cases often going unreported.

One in five is a real problem, a serious epidemic that has to be stopped.  I'm glad to see the Department of Education stepping in because it's painfully clear that universities are more inclined to sweep these incidents under the rug than deal with them.  It's a promising start.

StupidiNews!

• The NTSB is investigating the cause of Wednesday's oil train derailment in Lynchburg, VA that spilled 50,000 gallons of crude into the James River.
• A senior prank night gone wrong resulted in over 60 students arrested for vandalization of a high school in New Jersey.
• Reported sexual assaults in the US military spiked by 50% in 2013 as Pentagon officials credit more incidents being reported due to crackdowns by the various military branches.
• Toyota is joining the effort in California to fund building hydrogen-fuel stations statewide to power the next generation of fuel-cell vehicles.
• Chinese university researchers may have answered that oldest of existential human questions: How to win at rock, paper, scissors.

Last Call For The Freedom Of Hate

Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds takes to his weekly USA Today column to defend professional bigot (and apparently amateur sci-fi writer) Larry Correia's Hugo Award nomination, and declares Correia's long, long history of political speech in his books to be completely irrelevant to his fiction writing because only the true bigots on the left would censor his views blah blah blah.

But then, there was a time when that sort of openness characterized much of American intellectual life. That time seems to be over, judging by the latest science fiction dust-up. Now, apparently, a writer's politics are the most important thing, and authors with the wrong politics are no longer acceptable, at least to a loud crowd that has apparently colonized much of the world of science fiction fandom. 

The Hugo Awards are presented at the World Science Fiction Society's convention ("Worldcon") and nominees and awardees are chosen by attendees and supporters. The Hugo is one of the oldest and most prestigious awards in science fiction, but in recent years critics have accused the award process — and much of science fiction fandom itself — of becoming politicized. 

That's certainly been the experience of Larry Correia, who was nominated for a Hugo this year. Correia, the author of numerous highly successful science fiction books likeMonster Hunter Internationaland Hard Magic, is getting a lot of flak because he's a right-leaning libertarian. Makes you wonder if Robert Heinlein could get a Hugo Award today. (Answer: Probably not.)

Correia does have his fans, and he successfully politicized the Hugo Awards to teach us liberal fascists a lesson or something and got his nomination.  Getting a win on the other hand, well, that's something altogether different.

These are the same folks who have rallied around odious pile of racist vomit and techno-misogynist Vox Day, who also defends Correia (and is himself up for a Hugo award this year):

What is the solution? There are various possibilities, but my answer would be to outwrite them, outsell them, and win all their awards until they beg for mercy and offer a truce. They politicized science fiction, and only they can unpoliticize it. Until then, they'll have to deal with the fact that we're not only capable of playing the game according to the new rules, we're able to play it better than they are.

Politics don't belong in science fiction. But we didn't put them there and we can't take them out.

Apparently sci-fi is now totally a contact sport, and Vox Day and Larry Correia are just gonna write liberalism out of existence or something.

Definitely fiction writers.  Just not very good ones.

Dear America

"This whole notion that the White House has a PR department and they had talking points on Benghazi is probably the most treasonous thing is the history of all mankind since I'm intellectually incapable of recalling anything done by the Dubya administration.  But since this is the worst thing since mankind was created, why won't Hillary Clinton just throw that one under the bus and split the Democratic Party in half and ruin her chances in 2016 like I want her to?  I don't understand, I have her best interests at heart."

--Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post

 Bonus Verbatim Stupid:

And frankly Hillary Clinton’s supporters should encourage this. The spinning here originated from the White House (and persisted there until Sep. 25). Why should she take the fall for a “cover-up”? To be candid, she may have been responsible for the attack by failure to recognize the massive influx of al-Qaeda into Libya, but it was the White House that clung to the video narrative up through the president’s Sept. 25 speech at the United Nations. What’s the point in protecting aides in a failing presidency if Hillary Clinton’s reputation and potential presidential campaign could be in the balance?

Because Jennifer Rubin is so very concerned about Hillary Clinton's political career

Meanwhile In Kansas...

Another week, another Republican governor under investigation for corruption and abuses of power.  This time it's Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, who is in a heap of trouble with the FBI over funneling business to his former chief of staff's lobbying company to profit handsomely from the state's Medicaid privitization scam.

The Topeka Capital-Journal learned the months-long inquiry involves Parallel Strategies, a rapidly expanding Topeka consulting and lobbying firm created in 2013 by a trio of veteran Brownback employees who left government service to work in an environment where coziness with former colleagues could pay dividends.

Of concern to the FBI were behind-the-scenes financial arrangements related to Brownback's privatization of the state's $3 billion Medicaid program. The governor's branding of KanCare handed to three for-profit insurance companies exclusive contracts to provide Medicaid services to 380,000 of Kansas' disabled and poor.

Owners of Parallel Strategies, who also maintain separate individual lobbying firms, declined requests to discuss for this story emergence of their influential joint franchise, which includes on its client list the governor himself.

Parallel Strategies was founded by David Kensinger, Brownback's former chief of staff and campaign manager and current director of the governor's political organization Road Map Solutions; George Stafford, a longtime fundraiser, employee and adviser to Brownback; and Riley Scott, a senior staff member to Brownback while he was in the U.S. Senate and son-in-law of Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita.

So yeah, looks like in exchange for privitizing Medicaid for the state, Brownback's former staffers made big, big money doing it.  What did Brownback get in return, you have to wonder?  How about total control of the state?

In 2012, Brownback's red-state overhaul entered an advanced phase when he took a prominent role in a series of contested Republican Senate primary races. In a maneuver rare by Kansas standards, Brownback embraced a slate of GOP challengers and worked against incumbent Republicans opposed to pieces of the governor's agenda. Ten Republicans seeking re-election were ousted.

"They're ruthless," said Steve Morris, a former Senate president who lost re-election to a GOP candidate backed by the Brownback machinery. "I served with (Govs.) Joan Finney, Bill Graves, Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson. None of them, to my knowledge, did that."

Within days of the August primary, high-ranking members of the Brownback administration began informing political advocates that campaign contributions to moderates or Democrats would no longer be tolerated.

So you're Brownback's friend, he makes life good for you.  You oppose him, well...

This road-to-riches boulevard in the U.S. capital was a hub of activity among former government employees eager to exploit revolving-door access and Republicans in government who made it known they were in charge and expected future political investment to mirror that reality.

"That is the sinister part of the Brownback folks," said Rep. Jim Ward, a Wichita Democrat. "They punish. They can make it very cold for you. I think that's bad for democracy. At some point, it's going to blow up."

Loos like it just went kaboom.

StupidiNews!

• With a new tape surfacing showing him allegedly smoking crack as recently as last weekend, embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is leaving the campaign trail and checking into rehab.
• Protestors in Nigeria descended on parliament Wednesday to demand the government and military rescue hundreds of girls kidnapped from schools by Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
• Following through on Monday's announcement, the NBA is moving ahead with efforts to force LA Clippers owner Roger Sterling to sell the team after his lifetime ban.
• Massive consolidation in the pharmaceutical industry has led to a major increase in drug prices across the board, with the price of some treatments more than doubling since 2007.
• New security analysis of US traffic signals and the computer systems that control them suggest they are vulnerable to hackers with relatively inexpensive and legal equipment.

Last Call For Wage Slaves

As expected, Senate Republicans who are "for the working class" and "helping American families" blocked an increase in the minimum wage to $10.10.

Democratic legislation to raise the federal minimum wage hit a road block Wednesday when Republicans blocked the bill in the Senate, setting up an election-year battle over which party can best grow the economy and help struggling Americans.

The bill was six votes shy of the 60 needed to advance the legislation that would gradually up the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10.10 over the span of 30 months. The bill also included increases based on inflation that, if fully implemented, would allow a family of three to earn an annual income above the poverty line.

Republicans argue the bill will hurt small business owners, which may need to cut jobs to account for the higher wages. They cite a study released by the Congressional Budget Office released in February that found, while helping to alleviate poverty, raising minimum wage would cost the country about 500,000 jobs.

In other words, every single Republican in the Senate thinks $10.10 an hour, or the massive yearly wage of $21,000 a year is too much money, because only teenagers make minimum wage (only 24% are in reality and half are white women.)  Seems to me that Republicans would want to see that young women, especially mothers, would be paid more to keep them off food stamps, but apparently that's okay with them.

By the way, there's no state in the nation where $21,000 a year can get you an apartment and it still be affordable.  In most states you'd need twice that.

Meanwhile, slimebag Sen. Ted Cruz pitched the GOP blocking minimum wage as, get this, a victory for black teenagers.

“Every senator who votes ‘yes’ is voting with an absolute certainty that hundreds of thousands of workers, including a great many African-American teenagers and a great many Hispanic teenagers, will be laid off as a consequence of their vote,” Cruz said. “I would challenge any of the senators in this chamber to look in the eyes of those African-American teenagers, those Hispanic teenagers who are looking for a better opportunity.”

Only one problem.  Cruz is full of crap, as usual.  In states where minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum, the evidence is clear.

Raising the minimum wage is neither as wonderful as its advocates claim nor as dangerous as its detractors warn. On the upside, it would increase pay for millions of Americans, not only those earning the minimum but also those at fixed increments above it. These are people who could really use a raise. Contrary to what generations of students were taught in freshman econ, new research finds that minimum-wage increases at the state level have caused little, if any, harm to employment. “Outside of the simple Econ 101-type environment, increasing workers’ pay can improve the functioning of the low-wage labor market,” Arindrajit Dube, a University of Massachusetts economist, testified before Congress in March.

Washington State has the highest minimum wage in the nation, indexed to inflation.  If raising the minimum wage is so disastrous for employment, then it should have one of the highest unemployment numbers in the nation.

It's 6.3% as of April, below the national average.

Raise the wage, guys.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Meanwhile, the notion that the issue at the Bundy Ranch in Nevada is over just because it's suddenly inconvenient to back an avowed racist asshole like Cliven Bundy is sadly not the case.  The heavily armed militia types are still out there "defending" Bundy and are doing a pretty good job of threatening anybody in the area who doesn't back the guy.

The locals are getting understandably nervous.

A growing number of Bunkerville residents want to see the armed militiamen guarding rancher Cliven Bundy leave Nevada, according to a letter from Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., to Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie.

Horsford, whose congressional district includes Bunkerville, wrote that his constituents are concerned about Bundy supporters carrying weapons near local churches, schools and elsewhere.

But gosh, guns equal safety and freedom.  Why would anyone be scared of gun-toting vigilate justice mobs armed to the teeth near churches and schools?  Maybe because of this?

The letter also says militiamen have a presence on state and local roads as well as federal highways. In some areas, according to the letter, militiamen have set up checkpoints where drivers are stopped and asked to provide a proof of residency.

They’ve been seen carrying high-caliber weapons and keep a round-the-clock security detail on Bundy.

Setting up armed checkpoints on public roads.  You know, like the Taliban does in Afghanistan.  But don't you dare call them domestic terrorists, right?

The Ghost Of Losers Past

Guess which former presidential candidate thinks America needs a Rand Paul versus Elizabeth Warren race in 2016 that could potentially unite the left and right towards a new era of libertarian utopia and that President Obama needs to be impeached immediately?

That’s the premise of the new book “Unstoppable: The Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State” by longtime political activist and five-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who contends that such a left-right alliance is not just the stuff of imagination but is actually emerging.

“On Capitol Hill, I'm seeing more and more in Congress, left and right,” Nader told “The Fine Print.” “It was a vote in the House over a year ago over the NSA snooping, it almost broke through … so we're beginning to see formulations that once they click together, they're unstoppable.”
  

Oh goody.  And Rand Paul?

But Nader qualified that the success of his envisioned left-right alliance is dependent on strong leaders. He said Sen. Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul, has the potential to be a leader for the alliance, but added that he thinks the Kentucky Republican has certain shortcomings as a leader.

“He’s a mixed bag, you know, he's evolving. He's broadening his issues that he's talking about and they’re beginning to resonate,” Nader said. “On the other hand … he has problems dealing with people.”

Paul’s “problems” aside, Nader predicted that he will be “the one to beat” in 2016 in a Republican contest that is also likely to also include Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. He also made it clear what he does not want to see in 2016: A Jeb Bush - Hillary Clinton matchup.

In fact he says he will actively try to sabotage Hillary Clinton in 2016, and wants President Obama impeached immediately.

When it comes to the current president, Nader said that Obama has violated the Constitution on several occasions and should be impeached.

"Oh, most definitely," Nader said when asked if Congress should bring forward articles of impeachment against Obama. "The reason why Congress doesn't want to do it is because it's advocated its own responsibility under the Constitution."

Nader said the president's use of military force in Libya has been his most "egregious violation of the Constitution."

So, you ready for President Rand Paul?  Ralph Nader is.  And the last time he meddled we got Dubya instead of Al Gore.  How'd that work out for you 14 years later?