Last Call For Coming Clean On Chemical Weapons

It looks like Syria is taking the first steps at following through on turning over control of their chemical weapons to the UN.

Syria has handed over information about its chemical arsenal to a U.N.-backed weapons watchdog, meeting the first deadline of an ambitious disarmament operation that averted the threat of Western air strikes. 

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Saturday it had "received the expected disclosure" from Damascus, 24 hours after saying it had been given a partial document from Syrian authorities. 

It said it was reviewing the information, handed over after President Bashar al-Assad agreed to destroy Syria's chemical weapons in the wake of a sarin gas strike in Damascus's suburbs last month - the world's deadliest chemical attack in 25 years. 

Washington blamed Assad's forces for the attack, which it said killed more than 1,400 people. Assad blamed rebels battling to overthrow him, saying it made no sense for his forces to use chemical weapons when they were gaining the upper hand and while U.N. chemical inspectors were staying in central Damascus. 

The timetable for disarmament was laid down by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a week ago in Geneva when they set aside sharp differences over Syria to address the chemical weapons issue. 

Their plan set a Saturday deadline for Syria to give a full account of the weapons it possesses. Security experts say it has about 1,000 metric tons of mustard gas, VX and sarin - the nerve gas U.N. inspectors found had been used in the August 21 attack. 

The U.S. State Department said on Friday, after the OPCW announced Syria's initial declaration, that it was studying the material. "An accurate list is vital to ensure the effective implementation," spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

It's a first step only, and there's lots to go.  But it looks more and more like there's the real possibility of a breakthrough here, and again, we haven't had to fire a single cruise missile so far.

Here's hoping Assad's regime continues to meet these deadlines.

Well Shut(down) The Front Door

As Steve M. points out, the government shutdown fight on the GOP side has gone so far off the rails that in order for GOP senators like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Mitch The Turtle to keep from being destroyed by the Tea Party, they are now forced to filibuster the House GOP bill defunding Obamacare:

What's going on in the GOP reminds me of the way a lot of people talk about gang violence. It's often said that in recent years it's been more common for kids in gangs to shoot other kids in gangs (and shoot innocent bystanders) because they just can't walk away from a dispute; if they've been disrespected, the fight inevitably escalates, until somebody gets shot.

That's how the GOP seems right now. Look at the Obamacare fight. John Boehner was disrespected when he was accused of offering a fake vote on defunding of the health care law, and so he gave in to Senator Ted Cruz's demand for a House vote on a provision that would really defund Obamacare, after which Boehner and other House Republicans attacked Cruz for saying that he and his allies couldn't really block Obamacare in the Senate.

People who looked at the likely course of the Obamacare-defunding proposal in the Senate agreed that, for complicated reasons, Cruz was correct and there was no real opportunity to stage a true filibuster of a bill with full funding of Obamacare. The only filibuster opportunity requires Cruz and his allies to block a bill that includes the defunding proposal they favor.

And if they don't take that opportunity, the Tea Party will eliminate them.  Only total opposition to President Obama and the Democrats counts now for those who opted to ride on the back of the Tea Party tiger.  Unless they do everything in their power to destroy our country's economy and turn President Obama's second term into ashes (along with the rest of 90% of the country) then the Tea Party will replace them with someone who will.

So this is where we are, weeks away from what could be the start of another economic disaster that will almost certainly put us into economic recession is not a full-blown depression (should the Tea Party cause the loss of America's credit rating) and the vast majority of Republicans are okay with that, because they think you will blame President Obama.

Give in to their political demands or face guaranteed financial ruin.  That sounds like terrorism to me.  Why don't we call it what it is, folks?

StupidiNews, Weekend Edition!

• Health officials in New Hampshire confirm a neurosurgery patient suffered from Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease and as many as 13 may have been exposed to prions on the surgery equipment used.
• The EPA has proposed limiting carbon emissions from all new power plants, not just coal-fired ones, to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
• All but one Republican has left the House's "Gang of 8" bipartisan immigration group, signaling all but the end of House GOP efforts to deal with immigration this year.
• House Republicans will next week vote on a plan to suspend the debt ceiling until the end of 2014 in exchange for $250 billion in Medicare and Medicaid cuts and an Obamacare suspension.
• Grand Theft Auto V reached $1 billion in sales in just 3 days, making it the most lucrative video game launch in history.

Last Call For Messing With The Man

President Obama's analysis of the GOP is not wrong here.

With one vote on Friday, the Republican-led House launched the latest spending battle in Congress -- one that could bring a government shutdown in less than two weeks.

By a 230-189 tally almost strictly on party lines, the House passed a short-term government spending plan that would eliminate all funding for Obamacare.

The measure now goes to the Democratic-led Senate, which is certain to reject the provision that defunds President Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement of his first term.

The best part is that Republicans think they are perfectly reasonable burning the country's economy down.

"The American people don't want the government shut down, and they don't want Obamacare," the Ohio Republican said to applause and cheers. "The House has listened to the American people. Now it's time for the United States Senate to listen to them as well."

In a display of the raw politics of the battle, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia called out Senate Democrats facing re-election next year by name, asking how Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Kay Hagan of North Carolina will vote on the House proposal. 

"It's up to Senate Democrats to follow House Republicans and show some responsibility," Cantor said.

The President laughed that nonsense off.

Later Friday, Obama accused conservative Republicans of holding the nation hostage by trying to make passing a federal budget and increasing the debt ceiling contingent on defunding health care reforms. 

"You don't have to threaten to blow the whole thing up if you don't get your way," Obama said in a campaign-style speech at a Ford plant in the Kansas City, Missouri area, adding that legislators in Washington were focused on politics and "trying to mess with me," rather than helping the middle class.

Ding ding ding!  It does have to be said, folks:  this is about attacking the President.  That's all that the GOP cares about.  If they can't get rid of the President, they will make America so awful that they think we'll do it for them.  It's better to get rid of the Republicans, of course.  And even Republicans are starting to think this is a really bad idea.

But please proceed, gentlemen.

Un-Hammered And De-Slammered

Former GOP House majority leader Tom "The Hammer" DeLay has apparently won his appeal on his conviction in 2010 because Texas.

A Texas appellate court has overturned the 2010 conviction of former House Majority Leader Tom Delay’s (R-Texas) for money laundering.

The court said it was acquitting Delay due to insufficient evidence.

Since his conviction three years ago, Delay has remained a free man as an appellate court considered the case. 

He was sentenced to three years in prison for his alleged role in a scheme to influence elections in Texas. 

Delay was accused of laundering more than $100,000 and conspiring to commit money laundering for that amount or more during the 2002 election cycle. Those offenses would violate election laws. 

The court, however, concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the conviction. 

It also concluded that he was a Republican and that since the state of Texas elects appellate court judges, laws don't really apply to him.  Nice work if you can get it, and as the story mentions, he never actually spent a day in prison either.

Texas.  It's like a whole other country.  A third world one with really lousy legal systems and easily influenced judges.  Also, Shiner Bock.

Pope On A Hope

Pope Francis certainly talks a big game about social justice Catholicism, but actions speak louder than words.  Sad part is that still puts him miles ahead of the last batch of pontiffs.

In one of the first lengthy interviews he has given since ascending to the papacy in March, Pope Francis said he believes the Catholic Church has grown too “obsessed” with social issues like abortion, birth control, and gay marriage. The pope’s statement is a sharp departure from many of the other leaders in the Church, who have recently been pressuring him to take a stronger stance on those issues.

“It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time,” Pope Francis told an Italian outlet. “The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent.”

U.S. Catholic Bishops have been criticized for focusing almost exclusively on social issues — like advocating against marriage equality and fighting against Obamacare’s birth control benefit — at the expense of the Church’s other teachings on social justice issues.

But the leader of the Catholic Church said that the religion needs to “find a new balance” on the moral teachings that it prioritizes. “Otherwise, even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel,” the pope explained.

On the other hand, this line of thought has basically got to be driving the rest of the hardliners insane, so I'm okay with this guy keeping up the pressure.  You do have to start somewhere to reform a church whose values long ago left a guy like me.  Or, well, anyone in the 20th century or after, for that matter.

Good luck with that, Frank.

StupidiNews!

• Colorado officials say it will be a race against time in order to repair flood-damaged roads before winter as the death toll from last week's record rain reaches 7 dead....
• ...While Colorado House Republicans all join efforts to secure federal disaster aid for the state after all voted against federal disaster aid for Hurricane Sandy last year.
• The US is preparing to begin the major phase of drawing down troops and equipment in Afghanistan, but many challenges remain.
• The future of SNAP remains in doubt as House Republicans narrowly passed a plan to cut $40 billion in food stamps and kick nearly 4 million people off the rolls.
• TV ratings company Nielsen will finally begin counting smartphone and tablet viewers in 2014 as more Americans more their TV watching away from the TV.

Last Call For Cruz Control

GOP Sen. Ted Cruz tried to weasel out of responsibility for his role in taunting House Republicans over not being Tea Party enough to shut down the government over Obamacare.  The House GOP promptly called Cruz out, and now he's thumping his chest again in his dog and pony show.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested Thursday that he would stage a talking filibuster to block a Senate government spending bill that funds Obamacare.

"I will do everything necessary and anything possible to defund Obamacare," Cruz told reporters. When asked about a talking filibuster specifically, a la Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and drones, he said: "Yes, and anything else, any procedural means necessary."

The House will vote Friday on a spending bill that would defund the health care reform law. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that such a bill would be "dead" in that chamber.

Meanwhile, Karl Rove is trying to be the voice of reason, screaming "What are you morons doing?" over a shutdown playing into the President's hands.

But won't voters be swayed by the arguments for defunding? The GPS poll tested the key arguments put forward by advocates of defunding and Mr. Obama's response. Independents went with Mr. Obama's counterpunch 57% to 35%. Voters in Senate battleground states sided with him 59% to 33%. In lean-Republican congressional districts and in swing congressional districts, Mr. Obama won by 56% to 39% and 58% to 33%, respectively. On the other hand, independents support by 51% to 42% delaying ObamaCare's mandate that individuals buy coverage or pay a fine.

The desire to strike at ObamaCare is praiseworthy. But any strategy to repeal, delay or replace the law must have a credible chance of succeeding or affecting broad public opinion positively.

The defunding strategy doesn't. Going down that road would strengthen the president while alienating independents. It is an ill-conceived tactic, and Republicans should reject it.

It may not matter.  The beast is slouching towards Washington, waiting to be born, and the now completely fractured GOP may not be able to do anything to stop it.

Dear America

"Rich people are better than the rest of you worthless slobs.  It's time for America and Americans to recognize this fact and move forward with policies that celebrate the rich and keep them that way -- at the expense of the useless poor -- instead of rich people having to pretend they give a damn about 'community' and stuff."

--Harry Binswanger, Forbes

Bonus Verbatim Stupid:

Here’s a modest proposal. Anyone who earns a million dollars or more should be exempt from all income taxes. Yes, it’s too little. And the real issue is not financial, but moral. So to augment the tax-exemption, in an annual public ceremony, the year’s top earner should be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

God bless America, land of the Randian troll douchebag.

Let's Play "Not My Job" With Chuck Todd

If you thought the Village media's job was to clear up blatant, known falsehoods about Obamacare, Chuck Todd would like to remind you that you're not dealing with facts, you're dealing with hurt fee-fees of people on TV who are mad that Obama didn't give them the war they wanted.

I said the Village would make President Obama pay for the Syrian peace deal.  Chuck Todd just plunked down the bill.

MSNBC host Chuck Todd said Wednesday that when it comes to misinformation about the new federal health care law, don't expect members of the media to correct the record.

During a segment on "Morning Joe," former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) speculated that most opponents of the Affordable Care Act have been fed erroneous information about the law. Todd said that Republicans "have successfully messaged against it" but he disagrees with those who argue that the media should educate the public on the law. According to Todd, that's President Barack Obama's job.

"But more importantly, it would be stuff that Republicans have successfully messaged against it," Todd told Rendell. "They don't repeat the other stuff because they haven't even heard the Democratic message. What I always love is people say, 'Well, it's you folks' fault in the media.' No, it's the President of the United States' fault for not selling it."

To recap, Republicans lie about Obamacare on TV news shows, it's not the news media's job to correct the liars, it's the President's job to counter-attack on every news show simultaneously, rather than try to govern the country.

The latest Village meme, by the way?  President Obama has "lost his connection" with the American people, according to the Village.  That's nonsense, but the Village is now in the process of ignoring and marginalizing the President the best that they can, because they're petulant, oafish children.

StupidiNews!

• Heavyweight boxing champ Ken Norton is dead at 70, following a battle with a stroke, Norton most famously broke Muhammad Ali's jaw in his title victory in 1973.
• Scientists say solar expansion will make the Earth too hot to support any life sometime in the next two to three billion years.
• In an interview with FOX News, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says that his agreement to give up his regime's chemical weapons under a US-Russian plan is "unconditional".
• New US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy defended the Obama administration's position on cutting greenhouse gases to Congress on Wednesday.
• A unanimous decision by the 4th Circuit finds Facebook "likes" are free speech protected under the Constitution, the "equivalent of displaying a political sign in one’s yard."

Last Call For The No Taper Caper

Helicopter Ben made everybody happy today when the Fed decided that with, you know, a government shutdown coming in a couple of weeks that now may not be the best time to roll back bond purchases.  The immediate short-term result?  A record high for the Dow Jones and S&P 500.

Fed chair Ben Bernanke added fuel to Wednesday's stock rally during his press conference.

Bernanke laid out plans to maintain the central bank's "highly accommodative monetary policy" for the foreseeable future, even if the Fed eventually chooses to taper.

Bond yields, which have been rising lately, slid back as well as investors bought more bonds. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.71% from 2.87% earlier in the day.

The Fed's moves also pushed down the dollar and drove up commodities. Gold prices spiked more than 4% following the announcement. Oil prices rose more than 2%.

Whoever does get the keys to Helicopter Ben's ride will be dropping billions in bond cash each month for a long, long time.   Our economy has become more and more dependent on it.  Stimulus by any means necessary when Republicans in Congress wants to end government assistance anyway...well, to everyone but the one percent.

More Shutdown Countdown Nonsense

Orange Julius is now being completely controlled by the Tea Party wing, and the move to shut down the government is moving forward.

In the weekly conference meeting Wednesday morning, GOP leaders intend to propose a continuing resolution to keep the federal funded beyond Sept. 30 but strip out funding for Obamacare. The move was first reported by the conservative National Review.

Senior Republicans know the strategy is a nonstarter in the Democratic-led Senate, and for months have wanted to avoid a shutdown confrontation over Obamacare. The latest move is a tacit admission from leaders that they have, for the moment at least, been defeated by conservatives who are eager to eliminate the health care law at all costs. When the House bill fails in the Senate, as it is certain to do, House GOP leaders would then try to pass a "clean" continuing resolution that funds the government but leaves Obamacare alone. The prospects of a clean stopgap bill winning over most House Republicans are also remote.

"No decisions have been made, or will be made, until House Republican Members meet and talk tomorrow," said House Speaker John Boehner's (R-OH) spokesman Michael Steel.

There's now the very real chance that Orange Julius will have to face the prospect of taking 40-50 Republicans and the vast majority of House Democrats in order to pass a budget bill that favors the Democrats, or shut down the government because the Tea Party won't be able to get the votes to defund Obamacare in the House.

And the Tea Party has made it clear such a bill going around them will cost Boehner his gavel.

The long-predicted schism in the House GOP is maybe only days away from erupting.  Stay tuned, folks.  This might be the big one.

Hungering For More GOP Pain

House Republicans lost a bill to cut $20 billion over 10 years from SNAP.  Their solution?  A bill to cut $40 billion over 10 years from SNAP.

House Republicans on Monday introduced a food stamp reform bill that they say will cut $40 billion from the program over 10 years.

The move sets up a dramatic debate and vote on the bill on Thursday, with the fate of the stalled farm bill likely hanging in the balance.

The House Rules Committee announced a meeting on Wednesday on HR 3102.

The bill contains twice as much in cuts as the House Agriculture Committee originally sought for the program and it was devised by a task force led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) after an integrated farm bill failed on the House floor this summer.

The House later passed a bill just dealing with the rest of the farm bill, including crop subsidies and crop insurance, before the August recess.

Rural Republicans appeared torn on the new bill, which has 10 times the level of cuts to the food stamp program as the Senate-passed farm bill. The difference could make it impossible to complete a planned House-Senate farm bill conference.

Which, if you've been paying attention, is the point.  Republicans are sick and tired of seeing Obama win, and this time with Mitch McConnell facing a real Tea Party challenge and Orange Julius facing revolt, the wheels could come off the government as soon as October 1.

The question then is will the GOP be forced back to reality and cave before the debt ceiling blows up two or three weeks later.  If that doesn't happen, then serious chaos ensues.  It's conceivable too that a shutdown within weeks of the debt ceiling deadline may be the leverage the GOP thinks it needs to get major concessions from the White House and Senate Dems on everything.

We'll see.

StupidiNews!

• A new UN human rights report on North Korea finds "unspeakable atrocities" committed by the government of Kim Jong-Un.
• Senate majority leader Harry Reid admits Democrats don't have the votes for new federal gun control measures despite Monday's Navy Yard shooting.
• The improving US economy did nothing to significantly lower poverty rates in 2012, but Boomers joining Medicare did decrease the number of uninsured according to Census figures.
• The rise of leprosy in Mumbai's slums has India's Health Ministry concerned about possible drung resistance.
• Blizzard tells Diablo III players it will completely remove the auction house by March 2014 as buying items has supplanted playing the game as the best way to receive the best items.

Last Call For Shutdown Countdown

If Republicans really believe this Rasmussen poll is accurate, then by all means, let's see what happens when you shut down the government and take the blame for it.

Just 20% of Likely U.S. Voters believe a partial shutdown of the federal government would be good for economy, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifty-six percent (56%) say such a shutdown would be bad for the economy, even though payments for things like Social Security, Medicare and unemployment would continue. Sixteen percent (16%) think it would have no impact. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

But 58% favor a federal budget that cuts spending, while only 16% prefer one that increases spending. Twenty-one percent (21%) support a budget that keeps spending levels about the same. 

This helps explain why 53% would rather have a partial government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans can agree on what spending to cut. Thirty-seven percent (37%) would prefer instead that Congress avoid a shutdown by authorizing spending at existing levels as the president has proposed.

Some conservative Republicans in both the House and Senate are refusing to approve a budget unless it slows or stops funding for the health care law, but the president and most congressional Democrats are adamantly opposed to any such cuts. However, 51% of voters favor having a partial government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans agree on what spending for the health care law to cut. Forty percent (40%) would rather avoid a government shutdown by authorizing spending for the health care law at existing levels.

Go for it.  I'm sure a government shutdown will help ensure a Romney win in 2012, guys.

In Which Zandar Answers Your Burning Questions

Piers Morgan asks a question about yesterday's Navy Yard shootings:

I'm absolutely sick of these endless bloody mass shootings in America. You promised action after Sandy Hook @BarackObama - where is it?
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 16, 2013

Ask Congress.  You're a reporter.  Find the hell out, douchebag.

Orange Julius About To Get Pulped?

While Syria and Russia and debt ceiling and Obamacare and budget showdown were all happening, I missed this little tidbit on House Speaker John Boehner:

The Federal Election Commission is examining whether dozens of political action committees and individuals contributed more than the legally allowed amount to House Speaker John Boehner during last year's election cycle.

Letters the Federal Election Committee sent Monday to Friends of John Boehner indicated that donors including coal, energy, and gambling interests, exceeded contribution limits to Boehner's committee by more than $150,000.

Among the groups that were allegedly overgenerous to Boehner were Coalpac and Minepac, which represent the mining industry, as well as political committees representing the Exelon, Constellation and Luminant power companies, and the Ceasars and Penn National gambling enterprises.

"Although the commission may take further legal action concerning the acceptance of excessive contributions, your prompt action to refund the excessive amount will be taken into consideration," the letters say.

Coal, energy and casinos?  All three big, big business in Ohio with major coal fields and plants, new fracking digs, and new casinos now up in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincy?  And they all donated more than was allowed to Orange Julius, you say?

Why, it's almost like the guy is up to no good.

Last year Friends of John Boehner sucked up $348,000 and Boehner used the money to buy loyalty from incumbents and Republican candidates with $4,000 checks. Last year he gave out 54 of those $4,000 checks (+ $6,000 to failed neo-fascist Jesse Kelly in Arizona). Like Kelly, dozens of the contributions Boehner made with the sleazy money were given to losing candidates, most of whom were judged too extreme by the voters. Boehner's losers included Adam Hasner (FL), Mia Love (UT), Robert Dold (IL), David Rouzer (NC), Charlie Bass (NH), Randy Altshuler (NY), Joe Coors (CO), Matt Doheny (NY), Joe Walsh (IL), Bobby Schilling (IL), Jonathan Paton (AZ), Lee Ivey Anderson (GA), Nan Hayworth (NY), Chip Cravaack (MN), Tony Strickland (CA), Richard Tisei (MA), Brian Bilbray (CA), Ann Marie Buerkle (NY), Allen West (FL), Ricky Gill (CA), Brendan Doherty (RI), Martha McSally (AZ), Steve Obsitnik (CT), Dick Snuffer (WV), and Frank Guinta (NH). But many who accepted the tainted checks are still in Congress-- and still upholding Boehner's shaky hold on the Speakership. Among the current Members of Congress who have not returned their $4,000 checks are a dozen crooked congressmen who are fighting uphill battles to stay in Congress:

• Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm (R-Mafia)
• Jeff Denham (R-CA)
• David Valadao (R-CA)
• Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
• Joe Heck (R-NV)
• Lou Barletta (R-PA)
• Sean Duffy (R-WI)
• John Kline (R-MN)
• Patrick Meehan (R-PA)
• Tom Latham (R-IA)
• Mike Coffman (R-CO)
• Gary Miller (R-CA)

 So if you were wondering what the reason was behind the whisper campaign that Boehner may be stepping aside as Speaker at the end of 2014, it may be because he doesn't have a choice.  Boehner may have been caught red-handed shuffling dirty cash around to keep his position, and there may be a lot of fallout to go with it.

We'll keep an eye on this one.

StupidiNews!

• Some 13 dead, including suspected gunman Aaron Alexis, another 8 wounded in yesterday morning's shooting rampage at the Washington DC Naval Yard.
• New figures from the CDC estimate 23,000 Americans die each year from untreated drug-resistant infections, with another 14,000 from related infections.
• UN weapons inspectors have confirmed that sarin gas was used in last month's deadly attack outside Damascus, Syria, and "overwhelming evidence" that military surface-to-air rockets delivered it.
• Eurozone region car sales in August hit a record low, bringing yearly totals down to the smallest since records began to be kept in 1990.
• Scientists are working on squeezing electricity out of municipal wastewater with "microbial batteries" that run on bacteria.

Last Call For AmmuNation

Today, another mass shooting, this time at the Washington DC Naval Yard.  The suspect, Aaron Alexis, killed 12 before police killed him in a running gun battle.

Tomorrow, Grand Theft Auto V is out.  May be the most hotly anticipated and highly rated game in years.

The media would like you to think one has something to do with the other. I'm not blaming video games for mass shootings any more than I blame Dumas' The Three Musketeers for starting swordfights or The Guns Of Navarone for starting wars. 

America, pretty much right there.