StupidiNews!

• Over 4 million homeowners who lost their homes in 2009 and 2010 will get a chance to have their foreclosures reviewed as part of the "robo-signing" scandal.
• Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is under attack by his GOP opponent for participating in a "Hindu-style" groundbreaking ceremony.
• The convictions in the "Liberty City Seven" terror case were upheld by the 11th Circuit despite jury irregularities cited by the defense.
• New studies show fatty foods may trigger the same "addictive" responses in brain chemistry as cocaine.
• The White House has nominated a Democrat and a Republican to fill vacant seats at the FCC.

Last Call

Rick Perry loves maple syrup, folks.



With all the insanity over Herman Cain's high-speed train wreck into a 137-car pileup, I think this is the real political story of the week.



Cain may walk away from the events this week. But Perry's "college open mic night at the Improv routine" here? Nope. Done. And the only reason we're not all laughing at this idiot is that we're too busy laughing at Herman Cain right now.

What I walk away from after seeing all this is just how apt the comparisons are between Perry and Dubya. There's no doubt that the exact same sort of Animal House frat-boy "Now watch this drive!" center-of-attention nonsense is the true motivation of Rick Perry as it was of Bush Jr. and all.

Perry looks like Will Farrell channeling Dubya if he was running today. Period.

Identifying The Problem WIth Voter ID Laws

House Dems are finally starting to make a stink about state voter ID laws and disenfranchisement and want an investigation into them.  House Republicans are so far completely ignoring them.  Surprise, right?

Two top House Judiciary Committee Democrats want to know, and on Monday they asked Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, to hold hearings on those laws, which have been adopted or are pending in 37 states.

The chairman is reviewing the request, and he had no immediate comment.

"As voting rights experts have noted, the recent stream of laws passed at the state level are a reversal of policies, both federal and state, that were intended to combat voter disenfranchisement and boost voter participation," said Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

Conyers is the committee's top Democrat. Nadler is the top Democrat on its Constitution subcommittee.

They're concerned about new laws in 13 states that they say will curb access to the ballot box.

The changes require voters to present government-approved identification cards, curb voter registration drives by third-party groups, curtail early voting, end same-day registration and overturn rules that give convicted felons who've served their time the right to vote.

Twenty-four states are considering similar measures, according to New York University's Brennan Center for Justice, which issued a report on the topic in October.

Once again, the "widespread voter fraud" that these laws are supposed to prevent has never materialized, meaning that the real reason that these laws exist are to make it more difficult for Americans to vote and to discourage the poor, the elderly, and students from doing so.

Let's understand here that the laws Republicans are enacting are there to reduce overall turnout and to raise barriers making it more difficult to exercise your right to vote, not less.  Republicans know the fewer people vote, the better they do in elections, period.  It's painfully obvious as to what they are doing, and it's far past time House Dems demanded action.

Of course, the odds of the GOP lifting a finger to even look at these laws is nil.  It's a nice thought, however.

All He Wants For Christmas Is A Two-Horse Race

Bless his poor little heart-analogue, Ben Smith really, really wants the 1% to buy him a primary challenger for President Obama for the holidays so he has a story to cover that doesn't involve a political party convention that includes the very real possibility of being covered in thrown feces.

Progressive disgruntlement with elements of President Obama's governance, and with his principled fondness for compromise, has not at any point seemed on the verge of a serious primary challenge, and the most serious potential challengers -- Howard Dean and Russ Feingold -- have ruled it out.

But a New York reader sends over the stirrings of that disillusion in one of America's true liberal heartlands, Manhattan's Upper West side, where Obama and Biden won 84% of the vote in 2008. A longtime local Democratic activist, Bob Ginsberg, has sent around a mailing to about 1,800 New York Democratic leaders and activists, calling for a progressive challenge to President Obama.

Obama, Ginsberg writes, is destined for David Weprin-style defeat because of "his wimpiness; his unwillingness to fight for anything; and his addiction to compromising."

Some kids want a pony, some kids want a Red Ryder BB Gun, some kids want Santa to bring them a primary challenger for the incumbent President, because that always turns out awesome for the party doing that.

Here's a hint.  If you have been unable to identify a primary challenger before now and the primaries start in, oh, two months or so, then your grand plan probably isn't working too well.

Might I suggest a heavy investment in a robotics fabrication team and a skunkworks instead?

This Week's Supersensitive Jackass Is Brought To You By Great Falls

Smith, who lives on the 1600 block of 1st Avenue North, said the problem began when he noticed a large decal on the back window of a car in the parking lot of Quality Life Concepts. The decal is a white silhouette of a naked woman.

"To me, this has crossed the line," he said.

Offensive or not, Shanna Weaver, who owns the car and decal in question, said it's her right to display the picture.

"It's my freedom of speech, which he can't take away," Weaver said. "It's no different than the mud flaps that you see on trucks."

So, a few things here. Just because you want to call it pornography doesn't make it so. The fact is, you can't tell the woman is naked. It's a solid block shape, she could be wearing tight fitting clothes for all we know. There is no display of genitals, no sexual activity being depicted. It's a sexy silhouette and that's all. And if it bothers him so much he can look away.  Weaver is correct, I've seen this exact image on mud flaps all across the country.

The issue does bring a problem to light with how laws are written. 

Great Falls and the state of Montana both have laws that make it a misdemeanor crime to knowingly distribute or display "obscene material" to minors. According to Great Falls city code, "obscene" is defined as any material that depicts nudity or sexual conduct "in a manner that is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community with respect to what is suitable for minors."

Those terms aren't specific, and they should be. It would allow the law to be enforced in a way that isn't subjective, and would allow for a clear line to be drawn.  Because one super conservative jackass feels he can tell others what they can display on their vehicles, the cops have had to come point out that her sticker is not a violation of decency laws.

Frankly, if this is enough that he cannot control his dirty thoughts, he needs to find Jesus right away.  By this man's standards, Georgia O'Keeffe and her "suggestive" flowers would have been over the line.

Real obscenity where minors can find it?  Bad.  Controlling jerks who use their personal beliefs to stomp over others?  Just as bad.  Too bad this guy can't tell the difference.

What "Forever" Means To The Hopelessly Spoiled

I'm just going to say what everyone is thinking.  Kim Kardashian needs the ever living hell slapped out of her.  She spent ten million dollars of someone else's money to throw the wedding of her dreams, marched untold hundreds of people in circles to meet her escalating demands, files for divorce without giving her husband the courtesy of a heads up phone call, and then has the balls to say she sure did wish it would last forever, but sometimes things don't work out that way.

The length of her marriage?  72 days. 

I'm not a fan of Kris Humphries, nor of Kim Kardashian.  I feel terrible that this impudent little rodent has been selected as a "celebrity" that we have to see splashed everywhere.  Like we don't have enough shallow overpampered brats swarming the headlines, we now have to contend with the worst of them all treating marriage like a handshake.  She's had more commitment to her phone contract.

I won't give her any more space (unless she crosses the line of can't-ignore-it stupidity again) but l have to say my momma had it right... money doesn't buy class.

No Gay'n, No Pay'n

I wonder, does the UK's list of anti-gay countries include the United States?

Britain will consider withholding aid from countries that do not recognize gay rights, Prime Minister David Cameron said, afterCommonwealth leaders failed to adopt reforms on the issue.

“Britain is now one of the premier aid givers in the world. We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights, and that includes how people treat gay and lesbian people,” Cameron told the BBC.

He added: “British aid should have more strings attached, in terms of do you persecute people for their faith or their Christianity, or do you persecute people for their sexuality. We don’t think that’s acceptable.”

Someone should probably explain Cameron's position to the Republican party, preferably using small words.  Would it be that our own politicians would resolve to do something like this instead of, you know, exactly the opposite.

It's Peanut Butter Bubble Time!

Anyone who still thinks record-breaking drought patterns in the South don't matter because Al Gore is fat, red state immigration laws chasing off migrant farm workers is only a good thing, and rampant food commodity speculation by the financial sector is a way to boost the economy, and that a few giant food conglomerates controlling all the market for the stuff you eat is a super capitalistic idea, meet the confluence of all four of these lovely occurrences in your supermarket aisle as you're about to see the price of peanut butter go through the freakin' roof.

Kraft will raise prices for its Planters brand peanut butter by 40% starting Monday, while ConAgra  has instituted increases of more than 20% for its Peter Pan brand that went into effect this month. 

J.M. Smucker , which makes Jif, will introduce price hikes of around 30% starting Tuesday.

Consumers, meanwhile, are already seeing these increases reflected at grocery stores.

Maria Brous, a spokeswoman for the Publix chain, said the store had already made slight increases in retail prices and expects them to go higher "as the cost of goods continue[s] to rise".

Dick Roberts, a spokesman for Giant Eagle grocery stores, said that "like all retailers," the store is "being affected by industry factors on peanut butter pricing". Chris Brand, a spokesman for Giant food stores, said the "outlook does not look good until next year's crop is harvested and produced".

Yes folks, we've finally gotten to the point where the Invisible Hand just Rochambeau'd you for your frackin' peanut butter.  Is there anything that the conservative "greed is good", deregulation at all costs policies of the last decade or so can't destroy and doesn't result in the average American having to pay the check?

Peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat, indeed.

StupidiNews!

• A Tennessee judge has told Nashville officials to stop enforcing curfew rules used to arrest Occupy Nashville protesters.
• Hacker group Anonymous has announced its latest target will be identifying members of Mexico's infamous Zetas drug cartel.
• A federal judge has rejected the bankruptcy plan for the Chicago Tribune and says he will appoint a trustee without a viable measure soon.
• Greek PM Papandraeou has decided Greece needs to put the new EU austerity/bailout deal to a referendum, raising the specter of scuttling the entire accord.
• Research suggests genes from long-extinct human ancestors may be more common in modern human DNA than previously thought.

Last Call

And finally, should you need to get rid of your pumpkin this year, the Cincinnati Zoo recommends giving it to your baby aardvark, should you have one on hand.

 

Gave that aardvark a pumpkin.  Aardvarks love pumpkins.  Who knew, right?

Tebowed, But Not Tebroken

Should you still need a last minute Halloween outfit for tonight, might I suggest Tim Tebow?

Tebowing: (vb) to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. 

Oh, and he's still a lousy QB.

Obama To The Rescue! Drug Shortages To Be Addressed

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Obama is directing the Food and Drug Administration to take steps to reduce drug shortages, an escalating problem that has endangered patients and raised the possibility of price gouging.

Patient deaths have been blamed on the shortages, which tend to affect cancer drugs, anesthetics, drugs used in emergency medicine, and electrolytes needed for intravenous feeding. Hospitals have been forced to buy from secondary suppliers at huge markups. Surgeries and cancer treatments have been delayed.

A White House official said Obama planned to sign an executive order Monday instructing the FDA to take action. The order would be the latest in the president's campaign to move on initiatives that do not require congressional approval.

Obama also will announce his support for House and Senate legislation that would require drug makers to notify the FDA six months ahead of a potential shortage, the official said. Under current regulations, drug manufactures are only required to notify the FDA if medically necessary drugs are being discontinued. Notification of shortages is strictly voluntary.

Of course, I'm curious to see how the GOP will turn this into a hostile act towards citizens, but seriously... this should have been done some time ago, and thank goodness he's stepping in and doing it now. People are dying to protect the bottom line, and that should never be. Hand mixing sterile solutions should never be what we are reduced to because the sterile version isn't available. The rules of the marketplace should not extend to life-saving treatment, period.  I've been following this for a while, reading cases of people who are dying or facing painful delays in treatment because the medicine they need is just not available, or insurance companies are balking at new prices.  In a word: unacceptable.

Up In Smoke - Legalize It Already

WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress are calling on the Obama administration to end the federal crackdown on marijuana dispensaries in California, citing Attorney General Eric Holder's past promise to maintain a hands-off approach toward pot clinics operating in compliance with state law.

Although most of the nine signatories on a Friday letter to the White House were California Democrats -- including Reps. Barbara Lee, Pete Stark, Lynn Woolsey and Sam Farr -- the group also contained a California Republican, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who is an outspoken medical marijuana advocate, and a Tennessee Democrat, Rep. Steve Cohen.

"We write to express our concern with the recent activity by the Department of Justice against legitimate medical cannabis dispensaries in California that are operating legally under state law," the lawmakers said.

Should marijuana be available to patients it can help? Hell yes. I think it should be available to anyone over 21, but particularly so in the case of patients who need the effects or the relief. There are many helpful benefits to marijuana under the right circumstances, and the people who need it most should have access.  Like any other restricted drug, when a benefit is found for an ailing patient, concessions are made.

I can vouch personally for how much it helped a friend of the family who died of cancer. It was a brutal and painful process, and the man had never so much as watched a Cheech and Chong movie. When he was given marijuana he resisted, but finally took it out of desperation. His appetite improved, he regained some strength, his mood improved and his final weeks were much improved. He died about a week after composing a letter to our governor stating how much medicinal marijuana had helped him.

It's time we separate science from myth. People don't smoke pot and disappear into the night talking to imaginary elves. It's more stable and less harmful than alcohol, and could be a cash crop for the U.S. as well as taking the rug out from under foreign drug empires. We have more money to make from sales than from the prosecution process. But if they are going to be so damned stubborn, at least allow it as a mercy to peole who are suffering. People that could be helped if they would allow it.

It's time to put an end to this stupidity once and for all.

Republicans Gaming The Stimulus And The System

Next time when you hear Republicans attack "Obama's failed stimulus" or any federal aid to states in general, remember that whenever federal money is given to the states, it's up to the states themselves to use the money as intended.  Not all of them do, particularly states under GOP control.  Take Kansas Republicans and the money they received for loans for home weatherization projects, for example.

The weatherization program, known as Efficiency Kansas, began with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the federal government’s stimulus package to get Americans back to work.

The state planned to use $32 million in federal energy efficiency funds to create the revolving loan fund. State officials promised to lend most of that to Kansans to repair their homes within three years.

The program was expected to create 1,150 jobs, such as weatherization auditors, and heating and cooling, roofing, insulation and window workers, according to the KCC.

But the KCC did not get the loan program moving quickly. In the first six months of Efficiency Kansas, only 13 people had taken out loans.

When concerns were raised last winter that all the money would not be lent by the March 2012 deadline, Brownback, a supporter of the biofuels industry, reallocated $20 million from the loan fund to grants and gave the money to two organizations in that industry.

Banks didn't want to make the program loans in the first place, and when Republicans came into power halfway through the program's lifespan, they stonewalled the program from ever really going anywhere, allowing Brownback to raid the fund to give to corporate biofuel producers instead.  Due diligence on the part of Democrats to make sure the program wasn't abused or defrauded turned into deliberate sandbagging by the Republicans who gleefully dismantled the program instead.

The same "set up to fail" scenario has already been put into motion by Gov. Brownback for the state's health insurance exchanges.  Brownback's not the only GOP governor to reject funding grants for setting up health insurance exchanges either, as Republicans are counting on enough states refusing to implement health care reform so that the entire Affordable Care Act collapses regardless of whether the law is repealed by the GOP or not.

As I've said before, this is why wresting state control away from Republicans is as important or more so than at the federal level.  It doesn't matter what federal reforms you want Democrats to pass in Washington if blood red states simply ignore the laws or refuse to implement them.

Cain Unable, Part 6

And the Cain Train just derailed all over the Monday morning headlines as claims of sexual harassment are coming forward from Cain's days as head of the National Restaurant Association lobbyist outfit in the 90's.

Politico reports “at least two” women working at the NRA when Cain ran it “complained to colleagues and senior association officials about inappropriate behavior” by the man who is now the national frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

More:

The women complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that made them angry and uncomfortable, the sources said, and they signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them financial payouts to leave the association. The agreements also included language that bars the women from talking about their departures.

Details on the incidents described in Politico include “conversations allegedly filled with innuendo or personal questions of a sexually suggestive nature” and “descriptions of physical gestures that were not overtly sexual but that made women who experienced or witnessed them uncomfortable and that they regarded as improper in a professional relationship.”

Ever notice that anybody who gets close to/ahead of Mittens in the primary polling suddenly gets a "bombshell revelation" dropped on them that reveals the clearly obvious fact that they are a grifter lunatic that couldn't operate a paper bag correctly, a trenchant observation apparent to anyone who isn't a Tea Party mouth-breather and has a functioning frontal lobe?

First it was Ron Paul, then Shelly Bachmann, then Rick Perry, now Herman Cain.  The Tea Party wants anybody other than Mitt to win this thing so badly it hurts, but the real people in charge of the GOP won't let that happen.

(More after the jump)