Thinking Right

By Diane

July 23, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this

“…add another group of bad guys the law should pursue to the ends of the earth: government officials who victimize people over whom they have authority.”

I agree. Impeach Bush, Cheney and Gonzalez, put them and Rumsfeld in prison, and throw away the key.

By Mid-South Philosopher

July 23, 2007 8:44 AM | Link to this

Good morning, Jim,

I have no points to ponder with respect to this morning’s column…with, perhaps, one exception.

While I might be able to enjoy some aesthetic value in observing a selected group of twenty or even thirty something females wandering down the street in a state of nude, I guarantee that the 19 year old in Brattleboro would be at the head of the march to ban old man nudity if he or she ever saw me waddling down in the market place. About the only thing worse would be if Dick Cheney and Teddy Kennedy joined me!

By Brook

July 23, 2007 8:50 AM | Link to this

Several bona fide plutocrats are embracing progressive positions on all sorts of issues. Warren Buffett made news when he complained that his $60,000-a-year secretary’s tax rate was nearly twice his own and argued that taxes have to go up on rich people like him. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein went even further: he said flat out that rising income inequality is “poisoning democracy.”

What’s going on here? Buffett and Blankfein are genuine plutocrats and they seem as angry as the rest of us about where this country is headed. It’s similar to a phenomenon I noticed at the lower levels of corporate America. Corporate America is riddled with secret dissenters — anti-corporate corporate lawyers, pro-consumerist admen, even healthcare company consultants who don’t believe in our healthcare system. So if everyone except for the crew in Dick Cheney’s bunker is on board for some serious reform, why does nothing change?

The reason, I’ve come to believe, has a lot to do with something called “corporate personhood,” a legal concept obscure to many but pervasive in its effects. It stems from the last Gilded Age when corporation lawyers argued before the Supreme Court that the Fourteenth Amendment, which was written to guarantee “equal protection of the laws” to African-Americans, should be reinterpreted to apply to corporations — and not to blacks. It sounds crazy, but it worked. And even after we repaired the damage by applying the amendment to the African-Americans it was intended for, we’ve never gone back and stopped applying it to corporations. (This is too long a story to tell in a single post but for a good primer check out the documentary, The Corporation, or the book, Unequal Protection.

The doctrine of corporate personhood allows corporations to assert that they have human rights just like people — for example, the first amendment right to free speech. That’s allowed them to get law struck down that were passed by We The People to bar them from using their wealth to control our politics. For example, in the 1950s, big business got a Wisconsin law overturned which had mandated, quite sensibly, that corporations shouldn’t be able to buy influence by giving money to political parties or candidates. More recently, the Supreme Court applied the same logic to scale back federal campaign finance reform.

That means corporations are allowed to lobby “their” representatives in congress as if they were people. But unlike people, they are legally bound to look after their own narrow self-interest. People pursue politics as citizens — with concerns not just for themselves but for the nation, the environment, and for social justice. That’s why someone like Warren Buffett argues as a citizen that his taxes ought to go up. It’s not in his narrow self-interest, but he understands it is in the interest of the country and in the interest of basic fairness. But corporations have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize profits even if it means betraying the nation, trashing the environment, or fomenting unconscionable levels of inequality. Nothing is unconscionable for a corporation because they don’t have consciences; they’re not really people, whatever the courts may say.

Ironically, with this state of affairs there are surely scores of corporations in which Warren Buffett is the leading shareholder that have actively lobbied to cut the very capital gains taxes he believes should be raised.

That’s how plutocracy works. Even if you convince the people — and even if you convince the plutocrats — that we need reform, there are wealthy, powerful non-human forces that will thwart those reforms.

So if things don’t get better soon, don’t blame the plutocrats. A lot of them are on our side. Rather, if nothing changes, blame — and change — the system.

We can start by electing presidents who will appoint justices that will interpret the Fourteenth Amendment correctly. And — to avoid future “misinterpretations”, we should amend the Constitution to specifically state that Constitutional rights are limited to real people.

By RCH

July 23, 2007 8:54 AM | Link to this

Thanks to the Democrates next time I see a individual trying to light his tennis shoes on an airplane , I will have to look the other way!

What was Congress thinking?

By Redneck Convert

July 23, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this

Well, as a good Christian conservative, I’m upset as I can be about people walking around nekkid in public. I’m not surprized that place in Vermont would want to ban it. A yankee state is just where you would expect to find people strolling around nekkid. I bet that God Hates Trash guy don’t own a stitch of clothes.

If you don’t nip it in the bud now pretty soon you will have all kind of people walking around nekkid as a jaybird. And it could get real ugly. Can you imagine how you would throw up if you was walking around just minding your own business and suddenly Sister Dusty or @@ decided to show off their 350 lbs. each on the sidewalk? The property values would drop like a stone off of a cliff.

Anyway, I’m for going a lot further. I think the towel heads have a great idea. Make women cover up from head to toe with just a slit for seeing thru. That way good Christians won’t be thinking about You Know What. Its thinking about You Know What that causes most of the sin in this world.

And make everybody eat food that puts on the pounds. Like making Big Macs dirt cheap or free but putting a big tax on skinny food. Oncet everybody weighs about 350 lbs. people won’t give You Know What a second thought. We got everything backwards in this country. We make it too cheap to eat stuff that keeps you from putting on weight and all the women are too skinny. Leading to good Christians straying from the godly path and having unChristian thoughts about women they see. Fat and covered up is the way to go. Ever notice its the people that rail most against You Know What that have about twelve kids?

Anyway, everybody knows the Asians own all the convenace stores. Except downtown where Those People own them. I don’t care much if they all get locked up for selling drugs. Long as I got my street corner to go to I won’t miss them none.

Well, its a day of heavy lifting for me. The Baptists done cleaned out about every bar I deliver to. I guess the sermons was pretty dry yesterday. Billy Bob says the church-goers just flocked to his place after church let out and cleaned out the whole place. I hope all those godly people wasn’t thinking about You Know What while they was drinking.

By jbmlaw

July 23, 2007 9:10 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. Ruth Knox’s comments have the ring of truth, and I credit her statement fully, even acknowledging that the US News rankings contributed significantly to the Ensign’s decisions a half dozen years ago. As to Jim’s first pet peeve, bar rankings of judiciary candidates, I have mixed feelings. Occasionally one sees a judge who ought not be judging; the only people who are likely to know are the attorneys. In reviewing my own experience with such cases, however, one rarely sees a meaningful contribution to the debate by the attorneys. The bar tends to act as any other special interest group, sometimes attempting to cure the problem, other times attempting to use it to its favor. On balance, a better resolution of the theoretical judge problem would be to set a 10 year term limit at any level.

Jim would suggest I should apologize for critique of the meth labs investigations; I do not recall whether I offered comments, but if I did, it would have been harsh toward the government pursuit. I think I am not ready to apologize. I would apologize if the meth problem was cured, and the causation of the cure was busting a convenience store distribution ring. I am not persuaded that we are there. I also am not particularly impressed by negotiated pleas as proof of the goodness of a government effort. I think it would be at least as reasonable to credit drug lab disruption to WalMart and Kroger, for discontinuing sales of Sudafed.

I think both sides of the debate on Mexicans are gratified to see the large increase in citizenship applications. New Haven calculates there is benefit to inducing resettlement there by a large population of hard working, religious people; sounds pretty smart to me. Typical Atlanta thinking, that we try to run off the hard-working religious types, but keep the unemployed artsy types.

Thought about posting something silly on naked Vermont babes, but I resist the temptation. We’ll leave the humor to Analchord.

By jbmlaw

July 23, 2007 9:17 AM | Link to this

Dear Brook @ 8:50, I cannot imagine which of Jim’s topics inspired your Rawlsian rant - I’ve always suspected leftists awaken angry and hateful - but there is a simpler explanation for plutocrats advocating higher progressive taxes: they have no cash income, and live on untaxed capital appreciation. They “have theirs” and don’t mind kicking at anyone still trying to make it. Could also be mere leftist “guilt.” The plutocrats you admire are the lowest sort of scum.

You may wish to review the “politics of envy” essay in todays WSJ, on the editorial page. Generally speaking, taxes diminish a nation’s wealth. A more admirable course would be to advocate reduction in Leviathan.

By Analchord

July 23, 2007 9:20 AM | Link to this

I would like to participate in the peerer assessment portion of the nude-aliens rankings. (Some salsa sisters are hot, man).

Imagine banning nudity…. Now there’s a government official abusing his authority! The idea that seeing the human body can cause severe psychological trauma must be the basis of all racism, sectarianism and even tribal war.

If Eve hadn’t seen the Paris Hilton video on the net, she’d have never figured out that she was naked, nor could she have tricked Adam into acting out the scene, which emboldened them both to wear the snakeskin Prada, which God must have spotted immediately, and then God banned nudity (and shoes) from the Garden of Eden and now we’ve got all this….

Thanx a lot, Paris.

By deegee

July 23, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this

“Once a nation’s policies are known, fixed and enforced, illegals react by either making themselves legal or by going home.”

JW’s distortions. Illegal immigrants have no way of becoming legal residents as the law stands today. Their only recourse is to stay and take their chances or go back. Permanent legal residents are becoming citizens in order to vote ASAP. Immigrant advocacy groups are registering US citizens and conducting citizenship workshops. Their voice was stifled in July but it will be heard at the ballotbox come election day.

By AmVet

July 23, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this

When my band of right-wingers take over, our uptight rules will declare…

It’s a nice tongue-in-cheek(?) dream Jim, but it is never going to happen.

Where was your head last November when the American electorate spoke VERY loudly against some of these dangerous and reactionary elements of your ideology?

True American conservatism has been hijacked and IMHO, even polluted with this Reagan/Gingrich/Bush claptrap. And we want the real thing back!

To me it appears that this “new” conservatism is basically dead and unless there is some tremendous sea change in the Republican Party, it has no viable future in this country. And it only took 12 years.

And a very unhealthy GOP is not a good thing, as the far left-wing Democrats, that seem to have undue sway over their party, are not any better.

But based on the disastrous results of the past few years, the demise of these “right-wing” doctrines is indeed a very good thing for America.

By RCH

July 23, 2007 9:35 AM | Link to this

deegee When will you get it. The people did speak in July. They spoke loud enough for all to hear the wordNO. What makes you think they will not again at the next election. Remember, illegals supposedly can’t vote.

By AmVet

July 23, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this

Brook, I very much enjoyed your earlier post. These exposes on this topic and terms like “corporate welfare” almost inexplicably really rile those Americans that are the very victims of these organizations. And I have never understood how many of the people in this country seem to want to fight to the death to support the very groups that are screwing them. Oh well.

A couple of quotes from Ralph Nader really speak to this usurpation of a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Today the large organization is lord and master, and most of its employees have been desensitized much as were the medieval peasants who never knew they were serfs.

This (George W. Bush’s) administration is not sympathetic to corporations, it is indentured to corporations.

The only difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door. That’s the only difference.

The liberal intelligentsia has allowed its party to become a captive of corporate interests.

The corporate lobby in Washington is basically designed to stifle all legislative activity on behalf of consumers.

So now we seemingly have a government of the General Electrics, by the General Motors and for the General Dynamics .

By deegee

July 23, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this

RCH, illegals can’t vote but their US-born children can after they come of age. Many illegal immigrants have family here that are permanent legal residents. As they become citizens they will vote for change. The boisterous anti-immigrant crowd that programmed their senators’ numbers in their speed dial have been voting for a long time. Nothing there will change. It’s the independents and the immigrant vote in states like Florida, Texas, and California that will make a difference.

By Analchord

July 23, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this

I was about to type something where the phrase “me thinks” would have been at home, but I’ll leave the pedanticism to jbmlaw.

Nakedness is a rebellion against god? I meant clothes are a rebellion against god. That’s what Paris does to me. Paris.

Paris. Venus. Paris.

By RCH

July 23, 2007 9:54 AM | Link to this

Degee Why do you think the law concerning anchor babies is now up for discussion. A product of a illegal act should also be deemed illegal.

As you saw in July, the people of this country banded together to make their will known. You will most assuredly see more of this.

At this point and time I am more concerned about the block on legislation concerning the “John Doe” bill. I see all my liberal friends have stuck their heads in the sand. Even they can’t believe what the Democrates have done. How are they going to defend that vote? Debbiedoright,getalife,where are you?

By deegee

July 23, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this

That’s good right-wing thinking RCH. Anyone coming into this world by way of a rape should have no rights. Human product, thanks for opening a window into your distorted mind. Time to close it now.

By Captain Freedom

July 23, 2007 10:03 AM | Link to this

Varis. Penus. Varis.

By RCH

July 23, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this

Deegee

“Anyone coming into this world by way of a rape should have no rights.”

That’s not a anchor baby Nice liberal tactic.

By getalife

July 23, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this

It is absolutely amazing the gop are going to run on trashing the Constitution and the rule of law.

Who in their right mind would vote for this position?

By deegee

July 23, 2007 10:12 AM | Link to this

“A product of a illegal act should also be deemed illegal.”

RCH, those were your words, not mine. Where do you draw the line?

By Curious Observer

July 23, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this

Those who went against the immigration reform bill are like the gunfighter shielding himself behind a moving wagon from the cops. Sooner or later, the cover is going to disappear. Anyone stupid enough to believe that anchor babies can be stripped of their automatic citizenship by passage of a law is delusional. It’s in the Constitution. Try reading it sometime. There’s no way that automatic citizenship can be removed by a constitutional amendment—such an amendment will never receive the necessary number of votes. And every election, more and more of those anchor babies will become eligible to vote. They will ensure Democratic majorities for a long time.

I’m ambivalent about the John Doe bill. On the one hand, it might make reporting suspicious activities easier. On the other, it is a dream for those malicious persons who want to settle scores with enemies. The bill would put the onus on the accused person to prove that the reporter was being malicious in reporting a suspicious activity. I really don’t care to live in a Cuba-like country, where residents are routinely expected to report anti-party activities to the heads of residential blocks. I see nothing conservative about such a bill. It is, in fact, just the opposite of conservative. It is Orwellian group think, but I am not surprised that RCH, a true blockhead, would be in support of the bill.

By RCH

July 23, 2007 10:16 AM | Link to this

Deegee

We where speaking about illegal alien’s children and voteing, not rape.

By Captain Freedom

July 23, 2007 10:25 AM | Link to this

RCH: A product of a illegal act should also be deemed illegal.

This is the kind of reasoning that makes the Captain’s Right Thinking heart go all a flutter.

This is one reason why the Captain supports a move to declare out-of-wedlock sex a crime. If we can declare any child born without benefit of wedded parents (and I mean decent, Right Thinking hetero marriage, not that man-on-turtle Santorum sex so popular in Midtown), we will solve problems in multitude:

Further, this approach would eliminate any future illegal immigration, as no one in their Right minds would travel here simply to become slaves. The deterrent effect alone is worth the effort.

Finally, since it is apparent to everyone with Right Thinking that 99.9% of all crime is committed by those with skin that is darker than a Starbucks mocha latte, the Captain suggests we just go ahead and assume that anyone with a dusky hue is by their very nature the result of (or carrying the intent to commit) a crime, thereby solving the problems created by the Civil Rights era, what with all the kerfuffle over bussing and equal access to rest rooms and such. (And after all, Mr Wooten and the rest of us True Believers know that most of Them {aka, Those People, pace Redneck Convert} are all out of wedlock ba$tards anyway.) We can just arrest them and lock them away without trial, since as non-persons, they have about as much right to habeas as a Gitmo-bound raghead.

It really is a win-win.

The Captain believes this is RCH’s best idea since he hit upon vaporizing the entire Middle East with nuclear weapons.

The Captain is proud to stand with this forward Right Thinking Patriot.

By ron

July 23, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this

By RCH

July 23, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this

Curious Observer

With all due respect;

The 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution as part of the post Civil War reforms aimed at addressing injustices to African Americans. It states that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States” and was crafted so that state governments could never deny citizenship to anyone born in the United States. However, when the amendment was crafted, the United States had no immigration policy, and thus the authors saw no need to state explicitly, what they believed was understood. The phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” was intended to exclude from automatic citizenship American-born persons whose allegiance to the United States was not complete. In the case of illegal aliens who are temporarily or unlawfully in the United States, because their native country has a claim of allegiance to the child, the completeness of the allegiance to the United States is impaired and logically precludes automatic citizenship. The 14th Amendment stipulates that Congress has the power to enforce its provisions by enactment of legislation and the power to enforce a law is necessarily accompanied by the authority to interpret that law. Therefore, an act of Congress stating its interpretation of the 14th Amendment, as not to include the offspring of illegal aliens, would fall within Congress’s prerogative. Now the only question is will it be done?Fat chance but as you can see it can be done.

If you read the bill it states the individual must have “prudent concerns” of safety. The “flying Imams” after whom this legislation was based gave numerous individuals on the flight the same concerns. This was not “anti-party”,but rather anti-safety.

By Van

July 23, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this

RCH, it is refreshing to hear someone else expound on the mis-interpretation of the 14th Amendment.

That phrase, “subject to the jurisdiction thereof”, has been ignored by all far lefties for many decades.

Regarding the flying imbeciles, I mean Imams, Does this mean, if I report unusual or suspicious activity around a business, I can be sued?

I guess then that no one will help the cops if a civil law suit could be your reward for doing your civic duty.

By Aryan Nation Pride

July 23, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

Captain Freedom has just posted the finest most reasoned post this year. His vision is extraordinary, a true patriot has spoken. The shameless litany of apposite racial epithets and astute incisive commentary, perfectly describing non-white shuffling freeloaders is the unmistakable mark of a steadfast faithful supercilious liberal who naturally despises inferior, dependent duskier types who need congressional liberals to endlessly approve welfare checks from the cradle to the grave.

My compliments Captain - you are indeed a true scholar sir and a gentleman.

By deegee

July 23, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this

Isn’t starting a statement with “with all due respect” pretty much like saying, “you dumbass”? Why don’t people just come right out and say, “you dumbass” instead of faking some superficial respect for somebody.

By Captain Freedom

July 23, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this

Dear Prideful,

While the Captain appreciates the kudos, he wishes to emphasize that everything that is wrong with Our Nation is the fault of liberals and Democrats. Everything good is due to the tireless Patriotism of Right Thinking True Believers.

If the Captain has created any confusion on that point, the Captain begs forgiveness and offers to report for re-education forthwith. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

By RCH

July 23, 2007 10:58 AM | Link to this

Van There are laws to protect “whistle blowers” against corporations and govt agencies, but I guess that right does not extend to the safety of the American passenger. Al-Qaeda must be laughing their a** off.

By Curious Observer

July 23, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

Well, OK then. Bring the John Doe bill on. My first act upon its signing will be track down the true identity of the deranged TFTT and report him to the police as a danger to the public. I will also report to the IRS my suspicions that the antitax Van and RCH are engaging in income tax fraud. The burden will be on them to prove that my actions are malicious. I plan to rest secure in my knowledge that the federal code protects me from retaliatory actions. Finally, I plan to report that Dusty harbors thoughts of a murderous conspiracy against me, given her anti-liberal stance. I’m sure she will stand up well to a few months of investigations.

By Joe H

July 23, 2007 11:00 AM | Link to this

So the Braves are off to San Francisco for a four game set against the Giants. Too bad for Bruce Bochy that they’re in the NL West cellar by a healthy margin.

The excuse for a commissioner, Bud Selig, will be in the Bay Area to watch this interminable Barry “never was and no longer on steroids” Bonds lovefest, but Hammerin’ Hank wont. And I don’t blame him.

The burning question in Atlanta is, will the classy Michael Vick be there???

Remember when MLB had SOME integrity?

By RCH

July 23, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

Curious Observer ** You may wish to brush up on the “Prudent Man theory.

What would a prudent person do after witnessing actions such as those orchestrated by the shoe bomber or the flying Imams.

By deegee

July 23, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this

While we are amending the constitution to bring it up to 2007 standards, let’s make sure we revisit the 2nd amendment and get the guns out of the hands of our angry, bloodthirsty population. It was written for citizen militias because Andy, Barney and Goober had not yet been invented.

By Van

July 23, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this

deegee,

And whom would you suggest to determine whether anyone is angry or bloodthirsty?

Convicted criminals are already banned from having firearms.

And yes, you are right, it was written to insure that we would have a civilian militia. That means every able bodied person over the age of 17.

Why is it that the democrats dislike law abiding citizens owning firearms? We place less restrictions on car ownership and licensing of drivers. Bad drivers and a 3000 pound weapon are much more dangerous than my 1911A1.

By the only good liberal is a dead liberal

July 23, 2007 11:37 AM | Link to this

Its enormously amusing and mildly reassuring to see that like a good sullen leftist hatepig lemming curious peeping tom pukes up more bilious pinko bile vilifying its conservtaive betters. peeping tom with its debile and somewhat flaccid sneering bigoted patter seeks to emulate the true leftist hatepig inbred rednekkk and L Cpl Syphilis who are the blog leaders in anti-black hate. peeping tom’s deranged little Stalin fantasies about (thankfully) total complete strangers are symptomatic of the most diseased and psychotic leftist ‘mind’ (if one can generously call it that).

peeping tom needs to spend some quality quiet (solitary) time in the state mental hospital reptile house - a semi-tame, not fed for a month 30 ft ananconda called HiTllary would be the best bet for some quality pet hugging therapy for peeping tom.

By GA

July 23, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this

Curious Observer & dungaree

Positively amazing how these two rabid, frothing at the mouth liberal Democrats were ever able to swim the Rio Grande without government assistance.

And jbmlaw, son where are your legal nuts. This county has always welcomed the downtrodden but always in a legal fashion. How rich that the law types reward those that break the law as long as they edge their grass OK.

By jm

July 23, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this

rch@10:58 - you mean just like those laws that currently protect us from illegal immigration. laws only work if the powers that be decide to enforce them.

By Lily Toad

July 23, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this

What we need is more naked old people in public. We never get to see old people naked in movies, just the young and firm-skinned.

By jbmlaw

July 23, 2007 11:57 AM | Link to this

Dear Analchord @ 9:53, both of us made wise non-posting decisions today. Your 9:20 post validated my judgment, well-done.

Dear RCH @ 10:32, I respectfully disagree with your analysis in part. The 14th Amendment rights are granted to the individual, not to Congress to “reinterpret.” “Subject to the jurisdiction thereof” would almost certainly refer only to those citizens who do not live beyond the jurisdiction of the courts. [Thus, a court could not prohibit an expatriate American from holding slaves in his home in the Sudan, for example, as it could not enforce its decrees.] There is a popular “living, breathing Constitution” doctrine, widespread mostly among our leftist friends; most of us who are conservative believe the Constitution is a rock, on which we can build our castles, not a form of shifting sand. On the other hand, your “flying Imams” argument is sound, and it is the common law tradition also; only corruption by activist courts and attorneys tolerate such suits.

Dear Deegee @ 10:49, with all due respect, I disagree. Civility reigns among conservatives. Only the moonbats embrace epithet first. All true conservatives respect others (indeed, that is the foundation of our ideology); only moonbats hold “superficial” respect.

Dear Curious @ 10:59, what you propose can be done now, but if you are in Dekalb County, they will prosecute you for making a false report. Dekalb is less interested (than most jurisdictions) in finding out about real criminal activity.

Dear GA @ 11:39, after reading some of these posts, I am persuaded that the legal nuts are all over this board today. (Perhaps, alternatively, you suggest that lawyers with integrity enforce the majesty of Leviathan - I disagree.)

By RCH

July 23, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this

jm Your right. Just like the barrier that is supposed to built along our southern border. The law has been passed, the money appropriated, but no barrier.

By deegee

July 23, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this

Britain once again dumps its garbage on our shores.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22114470-23109,00.html

By GA

July 23, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw It’s apparent your legal nuts are elsewhere occupied - no doubt. I wouldn’t impune the integrity of other lawyers nor lump them in with you.

By catlady

July 23, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this

Maybe if we have more naked elderly wandering the streets, we will have fewer illegal aliens! Sure would send me running!

By RCH

July 23, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this

catlady Are you volunteering? LOL

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this

Britain once again dumps its garbage on our shores

tut tut snigger snigger … the black xenophobic racistbitch heebeedeegee pukes up its complete utter ignorance of the GREATEST SPORT ON EARTH which most Americans have NO chance of ever “getting” as the average attention span of most American sports fans is just a few minutes - in between mindlessly repetitive glossy TV commercial breaks which plague every so called micky mouse “sport” over here.

now brainless heebeedeegee … as Beckham is very eagerly being paid $250 million by Americans that must make Americans infinitely more stupid than Becks who obviously is ONLY here for the money. to pay such appearance money to play for one of the worst, crappiest, poorly supported football teams (in such a major city) on the planet for an ageing midfielder - albeit probably still (for a little while) the best dead ball kicker in the modern game - is NOT what a non-American would be dumb enough to do. Not even Utd or Real - arguably the two biggest clubs in the world were moronic enough to pay that kind of Ghettopoly money when Becks was winning “real” leagues and cups. The pathetic MLS is about the level of the old Division 4 in England.

Thanks for letting us keep the Ryder Cup … yet again!!!

By deegee

July 23, 2007 12:40 PM | Link to this

Once again, Mexican immigrants demonstrate why they are welcomed and respected by the majority of North Americans.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/soccer/fire/479625,CST-SPT-fire23.article

By Soccor - A Sport ??

July 23, 2007 12:42 PM | Link to this

togrliadrl

Hope I got that moniker correct - it’s a rather long name and I was really straining my attention span - whew !!

BLOW ME !!

By @@

July 23, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this

Well Jim, it seems as though the theme of your column today is RAISE THE BAR. Would the Democrats respond with BAR NONE?

I doubt it.

In the case of the South Asian convenience store owners, their “meth-ideology” would argue that there was a language barrier, how could they have known?

I read the article on the nekkid Vermonters. You would think that in a state whose child protection laws are so lax, they wouldn’t promote an activity that attracted perverted tourists. I mean goodness me, don’t they have enough homegrown liberal “cucumbers” legislating the laws there?

I remember reading where some out-of-towner was not only walking around nekkid, but was straddling a towel through his crotch in the presence of children.

Yup, we as a society need to raise the bar. But Vermonters won’t be jumping it. They’d have to wear a cup.

By DebbieDoRight

July 23, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

RCH:At this point and time I am more concerned about the block on legislation concerning the “John Doe” bill. I see all my liberal friends have stuck their heads in the sand. Even they can’t believe what the Democrates have done. How are they going to defend that vote? Debbiedoright,getalife,where are you?

I really can’t comment too much on the bill; so far all I’ve heard, and read, is bi-partisan bickering, no real meat, just potatoes. I haven’t had a chance to read the bill itself, so I really can’t make an unbiased comment on it. Unlike some on the blog, I believe in reading commentaries on both sides, pro and con; AND the actual bill itself.

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 1:08 PM | Link to this

dickweed … aint NO such thang as “soccor” or even “soccer” … its FOOTBALL or Association Football.

Which is why every single team in England and the rest of Europe etc has F.C after their name i.e. Football Club. And why FIFA the world body is called Federation of International Football Associations.

TYPICAL PIG IGNORANT arrogant AMERICAN INSULARITY.

Why is so called American football - which is a simpleton, moronic bastardised inferior form of rugby played by mostly functioning illiterate wankers and an increasing number of felons wearing crash helmets and girly shoulder pads rarely actually played with the feet? Any old brutish dickhead can throw a pass forward ‘behind’ the defending team to score … in real FOOTBALL and rugby that’s called offside and is not allowed - its too freaking easy!! Nice to see that the NFL just copied rugby style goalposts though - as well as copying the “kick” for converting the rugby try - although typically Americans “cheat” by having the ‘conversion’ kick RIGHT in front of the posts instead of taking the kick from the more difficult ‘angle’ where the score actually happened

Letting a game actually flow for 45 minutes each way - with only free kicks, injuries etc briefly interrupting is a vastly more entertaining spectacle and is vastly more demanding of skill/concentration/effort/fitness etc!!

Cheers yet again for the Ryder Cup - I’m kind of wondering why the Americans still bother to show up though - to get hammered and humiliated every time?? Any thoughts?

By getalife †

July 23, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this

“Bush’s approval rating has dropped so low
the only thing he’s above now is the law.”
— Jay Leno

Are the gop really going to run on this position and trashing the Constitution?

Geez.

By getalife †

July 23, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this

The only good thing about soccer is it has united the Iraqi people and gave them something to celebrate.

The real football season is starting soon and that gives the American people something to celebrate.

Geaux Tigers and Saints!

Vick is a dog torturer like Willard Romney.

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 1:19 PM | Link to this

Once again, Mexican immigrants demonstrate why they are welcomed and respected by the majority of North Americans.

HA HA HA HA HA … LMFAO

that was hysterically funny heebeedeegee … got any more rib tickling gems like that. illegal leeches from mexico are mostly despised as free loading graspers, tax avoiders, identity stealers, racist anti-gringo interlopers and criminals. they are destroying many areas of the US and sucking dry public services. as for that pathetic match report … that moron doesn’t have a clue how to write about football. that pitiful attendance with a supposed star player making his debut is less than the likes of Bristol City managed last season in the old English Division 3.

mercilessly exposing your sad bigoted lies is fab fun - keep your sh!te coming!!

By RCH

July 23, 2007 1:22 PM | Link to this

Debbiedoright

In a nutshell:

Congressman Peter King (R-NY), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced an amendment to protect passengers and commuters against friviolous lawsuits. Please note this language was adopted 304-121 in March, as an amendment to H.R. 1401, the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007.

The amendment ensures that any person who voluntarily reports suspicious activity in good faith (anything that could “threaten” transportation security) will be granted immunity from civil liability for the disclosure. It covers threats to transportation systems, passenger safety or security, or possible acts of terrorism, and also shields transportation systems and employees that take reasonable actions to mitigate perceived threats. It is retroactive to activities on or after November 20, 2006.

Peacenik democrats are working to remove this amendment from the homeland security bill based on a technicality. It is reported that Nancy Pelosi and her lieutenants are using the fact that the amendment was to a railroad security bill, not the 9/11 bill so it should not be allowed in the conference report.

While it is true this “John Doe” amendment was approved as part of the railroad bill, Republicans wanted the provision in the homeland security conference bill, that will implement final recommendations from the September 11 commission.

“Democrats are trying to find any technical excuse to keep immunity out of the language of the bill to protect citizens, who in good faith, report suspicious activity to police or law enforcement,” Mr. King said in an interview last night. “This is a slap in the face of good citizens who do their patriotic duty and come forward, and it caves in to radical Islamists. I don’t see how you can have a homeland security bill without protecting people who come forward to report suspicious activity.”

It would seem that Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson feared that the “John Doe” protection would lead to racial profiling.

By The dems

July 23, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

blocking the John Doe bill has Congress’ public approval rating at 14%. Top billing goes to the demwits.

By Curious Observer

July 23, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

I just learned that surgeons took Dusty, tftt, jbmlaw, @@, and Van out of Bush’s colon, and none of them were found to be cancerous.

Could have fooled me.

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 1:27 PM | Link to this

real football season is starting soon

Christ - maggot brain has for once not completely posted cut and run lies!!

August 11th is the start of the new FOOTBALL season and it runs until May 11th plus the FA Cup final at Wembley. Bit earlier than usual start as the Euro Championship Finals kick off in June.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/default.stm

By Commander Guy

July 23, 2007 1:30 PM | Link to this

The Insane Brit: TYPICAL PIG IGNORANT arrogant AMERICAN INSULARITY.

At last, all the proof we need that the looney limey is at his core an America hating immigrant.

One more reason the borders should be sealed and the foreigners rounded up and deported.

Why does the batty Brit hate America?

By getalife

July 23, 2007 1:31 PM | Link to this

I guess they missed the RCH polyp.

Snow looks bad, he should go home to his family.

By RCH

July 23, 2007 1:35 PM | Link to this

getalife Being a conservative does not make you a Republican. Case in point , the immigration issue.

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 1:36 PM | Link to this

jbm it seems that I am just ahead of you in peeping tom’s hatepig hate list - but I am somewhat surprisingly behind Dusty. This is just plain unfair and despicable leftist discrimination!!!

Pssssssssssst Dusty - wannna swap places - then I can be the most hated by peeping tom!!

please please please let me know peeping tom what I have to do become number 1 on your hatepig list … I can step up the anti-liberal scumbag wit and erudition if that would work!!

lets abort all Bush hating dogturds now - that any good - or do you need something a wee bit funnier, pragmatic and wittier?

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this

Why does the batty Brit hate America?

LMFAO … see how incredibly easy it is to wind up the dumbassh!t liberal scum on here!!

You cannot deny my comments on colonial bastardised rugby perpetrated by mostly hippety hop felons are 100% factually accurate!!

By Commander Guy

July 23, 2007 1:42 PM | Link to this

Insane Brit writes: I can step up the anti-liberal scumbag wit and erudition if that would work!!

While he is at least honest in describing his work as “scumbag wit”, it is unlikely that this crazed Brit can “step up” any aspect of his game. He is the Peter Principle incarnate, trapped by his staggering incompetence whilst at the same time unaware of it.

Why do you hate America, Brit twit?

By BS Aplenty

July 23, 2007 1:43 PM | Link to this

Unless that nude 68 year-old strolling the Vermont streets is Rachel Welch (formerly Jo Rachel Tejada) I would say “less is more.”

By getalife †

July 23, 2007 1:44 PM | Link to this

RCH,

Wow, one issue.

Do you think w is above the law and should trash the Constitution?

By Commander Guy

July 23, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this

Crazy Brit Twit suggests we embrace the soccer culture’s well-known respect for law and order. Thinks that hooliganism is a right and proper substitute for American traditions.

All the while he he insults and degrades us, he refuses to deny that he hates America.

Why does tranny Brit Twit hate America? Will the John Doe bill cover me if I report this America-hater to the authorities?

By RCH

July 23, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this

Getalife That is not the only issue, however it was the largest issue.

By getalife †

July 23, 2007 1:53 PM | Link to this

crickets.

chirp.

chirp.

chirp.

By getalife †

July 23, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this

RCH,

This is a major red flag

This is scaring many people.

What do you think they are hiding this time?

By jbmlaw

July 23, 2007 2:03 PM | Link to this

Dear TFTT @ 1:36, your observation is correct. I’ve notice for many of the moonbats that there is something about our friend Dusty really gets under their skin, far beyond the normal leftist hatred. I suspect they just cannot handle someone who is happy and confident in beliefs (while that would cover all of us listed in the post, maybe explains Dusty hitting the top of the chart.)

By BS Aplenty

July 23, 2007 2:08 PM | Link to this

In slight defense of TFTT

While his style is somewhat reminiscent of a nuclear attack (so I hear), our English friend likes to throw grenades in the water to see what comes up. Not bad for political comedy but he certainly won’t win any diplomatic prizes.

I would think this form of “fishing” would appeal to Redneck Convert.

P.S. All the Yanks are waiting for Henmann to take Wimbeldon - hope we don’t pass out first mate!!

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 2:11 PM | Link to this

I just hate liberalism - which is a virulent mental sickness that immediately needs eradicating.

As an American I obviously do NOT hate America - see how the lying lefties desperately lie!!

but the NFL is a sad pathetic joke of a so called sport … that’s just undeniable!!!

I note you pathetically ignore my actual factual points about the inferiority of most American sports.

We Brits ‘invented’ virtually every single major sport that you play over here and the major one’s much of the rest of the world plays.

Netball (English schoolgirls game) - Basketball

Golf

Field Hockey - Ice Hockey (see Windsor in Canada)

Rounders (a young kids game) - Baseball

Tennis

Rugby League/Rugby Union - NFL Bollocks

Association Football - “sokkker”

Cricket

Whilst we may not be the very best nowadays at these games - we still gave the world disproportionately MORE (given our size as a nation) than anyone else.

England are the current Rugby World Cup holders.

England/Britian gave the world the industrial revolution … the world’s biggest most successful empire The steam train and first passenger railway line, the first personal computer, we deployed the world’s first tanks, world’s first TV broadcast, tourist package holidays, the internet (it wasn’t that nutter al Bore) see Sir Tim Berners-Lee who is “credited” with this, the Beatles, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, … YOUR LANGUAGE AND YOUR COMMON LAW and on and on.

By getalife †

July 23, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this

fakelaw,

Looks like the Dems are presuring Pakistan to go after the real enemy.

The problem with Dusty is she screamed wag the dog when Clinton wanted to go after the real enemy like the rest of you wingnuts.

Polyp.

By the only good racist liberal is a dead racist liberal

July 23, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

BS

Tim Henman is a bit of a chokes at the last 4/8 joke - like the Braves in the playoffs. Just an average circuit player. Wimbledon is still the world’s TOP tennis comp though - not the US Open. Roger Taylor was the last mens Brit player to be consistently any good before Henman - although not that good. Virginia Wade and Anne Jones the last really good wimmins players. Long long time ago.

jbm

Its Dusty’s patriotic unwavering, implaccable defence of Bush that gets up their treasonous cut and run noses.

See how easy it get some of the more doltish pinko ones to bite hard today!!

By Anonymous

July 23, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

JBM: I disagree. I think Dusty is picked on so often because she’s such an easy target. She keeps repeating the same tired lie, day in and day out.

That’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

By Curious Observer

July 23, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this

TFTT will be no doubt pleased to know that I have moved it ahead of Dusty in my order of most detested things. It was a close call: Dusty is always drunk and unavailable on Mondays, and TFTT is deranged, a doubtful subject for any display of animosity.

I am pleased to know that TFTT regards the shirtless hooligans of English soccer as more desirable than plain old USA football fans. At this point, I cannot think of a single country that has banned NFL fans, but I know of several that have forbidden British soccer fans to cross their boundaries.

Let’s not dignify soccer as “football.” The wimps who play soccer seem to spend half their time writhing in contrived pain on the pitch. A hangnail or any boo-boo will utterly cripple a soccer player, whereas NFL players routinely get off the ground to play another down, regardless of the pain they felt on the previous play.

Perhaps TFTT would enjoy reading the comments of Robert Greene, one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, on the subject of this faux football. But then, Greene is probably too intellectual for TFTT’s taste. But Greene was one of England’s earliest pornographers, and that might make him attractive to our deranged twit. After telling his salacious tales, Greene always ended with a righteous homily to keep the censors off his back. This kind of hypocrisy utterly befits the modern-day neocons, who visit houses of prostitution and chase Congressional pages while delivering sermons on the subject of family values.

I sincerely hope my comments here haven’t driven my new No. 1 enemy TFTT to Wikipedia for more information. After all, I thrive on his customary ignorance and ill-humor.

By Instant Death to British Immigrants

July 23, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this

The Commander Guy demonstrated how easy it is to provoke the Twit Brit into a tantrum in which he declares all things Brit to be superior to the good Ole USA.

Go back where you came from, America hater. We kicked your a$s in 1776 and saved your a$s in WWI and II. How dare you come here and leech off our Great Nation in one breath and spread your hate with the next?

God, I hate these Brits swarming across our borders. Why can’t our government do something about this rampaging horde? Pretty soon, we’ll all be speaking Britishistan. {{{shudder}}}

By jm

July 23, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

rch - while I like the idea of being protected from being sued if I report someone for suspicious activity, I am a little uncomfortable with the fact that I can be whisked off a plane, detained indefinately based upon someone’s suspicions, only to be released at some later time with nothing more than a “whoops, sorry about that” (of course, I am sure that I would be watched for a time after that). For all I know, the person who reported me could have been honked off because I grabbed the last copy of USA Today before I got on the plane or snagged the parking spot he was eyeing.

By Outsource Wooten's Column to India

July 23, 2007 2:35 PM | Link to this

As a long-time reader of this lofty debate forum, I do not get the impression that Dusty is a target of hate. A recipient of lampoon, derisive sarcasm, and even of incrdulous disbelief at her simpleton ways…all those things, yes. But hate? I haven’t seen it.

But I agree that there is an astonishing degree of America hatred coming from that potty mouth from England. Can nothing be done about this pathetic whin(g)er?

By Analchord

July 23, 2007 2:35 PM | Link to this

It’s a shame that it’s not Barry Bonds what done the dogfightin’, seein’ how every cant stand him anyway.

Most journalists have trashed poor Barry. How many radio spots, how many columns, how many tv spots all start out with, “I simply dont like Barry Bonds”?

Now, with Vick, they have to escalate the jargon, with “I abhore, I detest, I despise”.

What invectives will they use if a celebrity sports figure ever commits a real heinous act, like voting for a democrat?

By jbmlaw

July 23, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this

Good afternoon getalife @ 2:12, it is good to see the dem’s following the WSJ lead for a change, perhaps they will enjoy a success with Pakistan offers. Pakistan needs free elections immediately – unlike the PLO and most other terrorist-based countries, Pakistan has a real middle class, and really does not have much use for the Islamists, so there is a real chance of US-style success there. My guess is we should not bet the farm on Nancy Reid or Harry Pelosi’s diplomatic skills – more than likely they’ll threaten the Pakistani strongman General, and undermine potential elections.

By jbmlaw

July 23, 2007 2:44 PM | Link to this

Dear Anachord @ 2:35, your question is purely hypothetical – felony convictions prevent them from voting.

By Hallway monitor

July 23, 2007 2:46 PM | Link to this

The most ridiculous comment and biggest laugh of the day!

Dear Deegee @ 10:49, with all due respect, I disagree. Civility reigns among conservatives.

sure you desperately want to believe that repugnicant family values, compassionate conservatism and the moral christian high-road aren’t all lies. and if by civil conservatives you mean tftt, markus and luckodull, you are either an ostrich or a fool. also you have conveniently forgotten these paragons of civility coulter, o’reilly and limbaugh. or more likely you are just fos (full of salami).

By Analchord

July 23, 2007 2:53 PM | Link to this

Good One! (jbmlaw)

By getalife †

July 23, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

fakelaw,

WSJ?

This is a Dem position not a corporate w-hore rag.

“John Kerry (D-MA) will chair a meeting of the Foreign Relations Committee called “Pakistan’s Future: Building Democracy, Or Fueling Extremism?” Not that Team Bush cares, but it’s possible the subject of Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts might come up.”

The gop just want the oil in Iraq but the Dems want the ones responsible for 9/11.

The WSJ will look like the NY Post next year.

By jbmlaw

July 23, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

Dear getalife @ 2:56, have you noticed that the dems always intend to do good or smart things in the future, but nothing ever seems to go according to plan? If they follow the WSJ argument, they may pull off their first success.

Dear HM @ 2:46, your note reminds me why I don’t try humor too often. I thought my original post, response to our friend deegee, was a pretty clever demonstration of internal irony but, as always, wasted on our leftist friends.

By DJ

July 23, 2007 3:15 PM | Link to this

The only thing “nekkid” around here is Jim Wooton’s “nekkid ambition” to suck up to all things extreme right-wing. Hey Jim - didn’t you study history? Don’t you know what happens when you let zealots and ideologs run your government?? Intelligent people generally consider that a bad idea, but you don’t seem to have a problem with it.

And JBMLAW - as long as you’ve crawled so far up Wooton’s butt as you have, why don’t you give him a free prostate exam. You should be in the right area.

By Hallway monitor

July 23, 2007 3:17 PM | Link to this

Dear HM @ 2:46, your note reminds me why I don’t try humor too often.

Good, conservatives don’t get humor. They’re too busy being pri-cks. Sometimes they’re hysterical, but seldom funny.

By peeping tom's most hated and feared conservative

July 23, 2007 3:18 PM | Link to this

Wikipedia is a far left site full of lies and distortions and half witted egotistical liberal academics sneering at each other, often posting half true bollocks. Some of the less contentious stuff on there is fairly trustworthy. Clearly more obtuse leftist wankpigs like yourself shy away from more sound, more erudite sources such as the UK version of Britannica.

It is ENGLISH hooligans who gave been barred from travel - not the porridge gobbling jockstraps or sheep shagging welsh although the old firm and cardiff/swansea have had their moments rampaging around Old Albion. Foreign hooligans, even in places like Egypt and Turkey are now much worse than the English. If you actually knew anything about the sociology of footy violence you would know it occured first about a century ago although on a more localised/regional scale when railway travel to away games became affordable/possible. The Research Unit in Football Studies at Leicester University has produced reams of (sociological) stuff on this topic.

If you had ANY notion of the depth and complexities of “terrace culture” you would NOT have lazily merely googled wankipedia. The England team has a very different meaning/role for footy fans than their club sides. Many footy hooigans are prosperous professional types -with university degrees - they aren’t just knuckle dragging yanKKee Klan types. The mindless lack of atmosphere at any US FRANCHISE SPORTS EVENT is beyond pathetic. Lets Go Braves … is as daring as it gets - with occasional naughty booing. Taunting the opposition players/manager and fans at home games is half the fun - especially the travelling fans - the comical, sometimes verbally aggressive banter makes the atmosphere - especially in a tense local derby.

I am truly underwhelmed at finally and formally displacing Dusty as the new peeping tom hate figure. A very proud split nanosecond for yours truly and almost as meaningful as watching my neighbour’s paint dry on their new front door.

Go tell Vinnie Jones he’s a wimp … he’s exLeeds/Chelsea/Wimbledon/ You colonials are so insular and PIG IGNORANT about any other part of the world.

The WORLD SERIES … LMFAO!!!

92 football professional league clubs in England and Wales - with relegation and promotion in all FOUR national divisions - so teams play 3-4 new clubs every season and every season there”s promotion or relegation to play for. European trophies to compete for for the top placed clubs in the premiership, several National domestic knockout competitions at various league levels to compete in … always playing randomly drawn teams - and even some non-league clubs in the FA Cup early rounds …

contrast the pathetic NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL - the same damn FRANCHISES … YEAR after year after year after year … NOTHING much to play for, playing the exact same US (and couple of Canadian) teams … NO FEAR OF RELEGATION etc.

NO CRASH HELMETS or shoulder pads - or steroids … numerous players from all over the world - unlike the NFL …

45 mins each way is way better than constant stopping and starting dicktated by TV commercials. it creates tension - the longer the game goes without someone scoring - travelling to a 0-0 draw away from home can be just exciting and as important as a big win … league survival/promotion is over a 9 months long season.

peeping tom needs to find a psychiatric social worker that wont just double its dose of experimental ritalin and leave it manically rocking back and forth in the familial sand pit obsessively drooling about BUsh and Cheney. maybe peeping tom could ask a kindly mental nurse to help it start a pen pal relationship with Bwarney Fwank … the rent boy abusing hero of the demoNcrat party of hate … all cut and run queers together - eh?? and peeping tom might get a free buttock bouncing holiday next year in Assachussetts …

By peeping tom's most hated and feared conservative

July 23, 2007 3:23 PM | Link to this

But I agree that there is an astonishing degree of America hatred coming from that potty mouth from England. Can nothing be done about this pathetic whin(g)er?

QUIET PROUD SIGH!!!

the resident leftist dogturd vaingloriously clones itself yet again to make it falsely appear that more than one worthless lefty scumbucket is niggled by my witty, sniggering inducing banter.

THE NFL IS STILL A LOAD OF PATHETIC SH!TE!!!

By peeping tom's most hated and feared conservative

July 23, 2007 3:30 PM | Link to this

We kicked your a$s in 1776

Instant Death to British Immigrants

HA HA HA HA HA …. yeah right!!! you and Thomas Paine, countless other Brits and the snail gobbling french and the rest of ya!!!

and its still grining away at ya!! LMFAO

a 3000 mile sailing ship supply line was a wee bit of a difficulty…

the same leftist dogturd cretinously and very obviously anally clones itself yet again to make it look like a different leftist wanker is gettng uppity!!

By AmVet

July 23, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this

Good people of the USA and UK, please cease and desist with all of this “across-the-pond” sniping and juvenile nonsense.

I had the good fortune to be stationed in England during the mid seventies and I can assure you that the people there were as warm and hospitable as any I have ever met anywhere.

By and large they were well informed, caring and very well mannered. And though we all had much good humored fun with each other, from everything to cars to sports (hey, we’re guys!), under that was great respect for each others traditions and cultures and our mutual friendship and shared history.

But then I am a big believer in karma. If you go about your lives being respectful and kind, you will more than likely get the same in return.

And guess what? If you send hatred and anger out into the universe, you’ll likely create little but that in your own life.

And though I honestly believe that the vast percentage of the righteous indignation and enmity displayed here, in the safety of virtual personas of course, is mainly a bunch of hooey, it still applies.

But it’s your choice.

By DebbieDoRight

July 23, 2007 3:53 PM | Link to this

Found this article while browsing through the Times, (london), and I was wondering WHY haven’t I seen it here in any newspaper in America, (I’ve looked on the Miami Herald’s website, AJC, Portland, etc), why doesn’t anyone want us to know what’s going on in the world? Why haven’t we TOTALLY eradicated the taliban in Afghanistan? Isn’t that what we went over there for?

Taleban militants threatened to kill a group of South Korean Christians yesterday unless their country withdrew its personnel from Afghanistan.

By DebbieDoRight

July 23, 2007 3:53 PM | Link to this

Found this article while browsing through the Times, (london), and I was wondering WHY haven’t I seen it here in any newspaper in America, (I’ve looked on the Miami Herald’s website, AJC, Portland, etc), why doesn’t anyone want us to know what’s going on in the world? Why haven’t we TOTALLY eradicated the taliban in Afghanistan? Isn’t that what we went over there for?

Taleban militants threatened to kill a group of South Korean Christians yesterday unless their country withdrew its personnel from Afghanistan.

By peeping tom's most hated and feared conservative

July 23, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this

I’m simply discussing the awfulness of the NFL and certain other US sporting travesties - although I concede its a bit unfair actually using facts …

There’s always been a wee bit of (cultural) tension across the Atlantic.

The ONLY actual anger and hate is all coming from the colonial lefty side … me - I’m just having fun!!

I guess (see the attempted transatlantic rapprochement there) blogging listening to The Stones can make one slightly more pugnacious than usual.

Talking of karma - when can we expect the pardon selling Arkansas rapist to actually really pay for his crimes?

By Penelope

July 23, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this

I noticed that, at 9:10, jbmlaw’s addressed Brook’s 8:50 post to make the point that Warren Buffett is “the lowest sort of scum”. At the same time, jbmlaw ignored the main point of Brook’s post about the Court’s misinterpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment and the resulting doctrine of “corporate personhood”.

Then later in the day, jbmlaw has the gall to write, “…most of us who are conservative believe the Constitution is a rock, on which we can build our castles, not a form of shifting sand.” Of course, a person who believes in corporate personhood cannot also be a strict constructionist – the two ideas are mutually exclusive.

But then again, consistency is not jbmlaw’s forte. Ideology? Yes. But consistency? No.

By Penelope

July 23, 2007 4:06 PM | Link to this

Please forgive the typos at 3:59. Too many misplaced question marks.

???????

By AmVet

July 23, 2007 4:16 PM | Link to this

Yes, the NFL is even for me a bit much to take sometimes, but then we have college football, which is IMHO, much more enjoyable.

And though I always heard jokes about cricket when I was there, I must confess I never saw it nor know anything much about it.

But if it’s even remotely similar to our national pastime, I’d probably give it a look!

And listening to the greatest Rock N Roll band of all time (according to some) can’t be a bad thing!

Talking of karma - when can we expect the pardon selling Arkansas rapist to actually really pay for his crimes?

I can’t really say how the teflon coated slick willy coasted like he did, but I suppose he will pay for his crimes on or about the same day that the equally teflon coated commutation loving Texas incompetent does!

Tally ho! I’m off to kill some terrorists! Just kidding. My work is now much more mundane.

By Daniel

July 23, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this

Jonathan Swift couldn’t have thought up a better satire. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market and avowed libertarian, just got caught exploiting imperfect market information and scheming to rip off consumers by building an organic food monopoly. Libertarians claim the market should be left alone to regulate itself, while the rest of us have long argued that investors need accurate information from companies about their finances and consumers need competition to get the best price. Apparently John Mackey is just the kind of nefarious businessman we need government to regulate.

Mackey was caught posting on Yahoo Finance’s bulleting board under a pseudonym pumping up Whole Foods’ stock and blasting its rival Wild Oats Markets. (Not content just to trick potential investors, he even praised his own coiffure: “I like Mackey’s haircut. I think he looks cute!” he wrote under the pseudonym Rahobed, a corruption of Deborah, his wife’s name.) The posts were discovered during a Federal Trade Commission case stemming from Whole Foods’ attempt to acquire Wild Oats.

The libertarian philosophy that Mackey champions argues that government should butt out and let markets do their thing. But without government regulation, à la this FTC hearing, consumers and investors don’t have the information they need to make informed choices. All too often, people who appear to be impartial tout products they have financial ties to. At the Department of Education, officials pushed a private student loan company they held shares in. Henry Blodgett of Merrill Lynch infamously pumped stocks on CNBC not because he thought they were good buys (he famously described one in an in-house e-mail as “a piece of s**”) but in order to get those companies to do more business with Merrill Lynch.

Companies are supposed to compete by providing the best product at the best price for consumers and a legally-earned profit for investors, but greed has a tendency to get in the way. The business world attracts people who love money, so we need to count the proverbial silverware when they leave the dinner party. Temptation is everywhere in corporate America and businesspeople often cut corners or pull the wool over the eyes of consumers and investors. This temptation only grows stronger when conservatives are in power, gutting government watchdog agencies. Without government regulations governing conflicts of interest we get bloggers like Rahobed and touts like Henry Blodgett. Without the kind of strict anti-trust regulation libertarians abhor, companies tend towards monopoly and consumers get screwed. As John Mackey told his board members, according to FTC filings, buying Wild Oats would help the company “avoid nasty price wars in Portland (both Oregon and Maine), Boulder, Nashville and several other cities which will harm our gross margins and profitability.”

The irony of Mackey’s outing is delicious indeed. But shouldn’t be surprised when libertarians, who after all preach that greed is good, are shown to be so greedy. And we shouldn’t buy their self-serving rhetoric about deregulation.

By Van

July 23, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight Re: your 3:53

I guess it isn’t that big a deal to the leftist media.

Or it might be too big a deal.

This just shows the type of people we are dealing with in the middle east. I just can not call them religious, I can call them blood thirsty and a danger to all civilized mankind.

It is a mockery to the Deity to associate them with anything that looks like a religion. It is odd that only one formal group is doing this kind of terrorism these days. I see no world wide war waged by atheist, Christians, Jews. Yes, some sects of hinduism do have problems with others faiths, as in , but on the whole it is minor.

By Lisa

July 23, 2007 5:05 PM | Link to this

Van wrote, “I see no world wide war waged by … Christians, Jews.”

Wow. The level of ignorance displayed by this statement cannot be overstated. To think that one out of four Americans are as stupid as this guy, as demonstrated by Bush’s 25 percent approval rating, is scary.

By Benen

July 23, 2007 5:26 PM | Link to this

In 2001, after the explosive growth of the Internet and online businesses in the 1990s, the United States had taken the lead online. In terms of percentage of the population with high-speed access, countries like Japan and Germany had half the penetration we did. France had less than a quarter.

Now, all three of those countries have passed us. We’re falling behind in providing high-speed access to the Internet, and just as importantly, our high-speed connections are much slower and more expensive than other countries.

How’d this happen? How did the U.S. go from setting the pace to falling far behind? Krugman explains —

“[T]he world may look flat once you’re in cyberspace — but to get there you need to go through a narrow passageway, down your phone line or down your TV cable. And if the companies controlling these passageways can behave like the robber barons of yore, levying whatever tolls they like on those who pass by, commerce suffers.

“America’s Internet flourished in the dial-up era because federal regulators didn’t let that happen — they forced local phone companies to act as common carriers, allowing competing service providers to use their lines. Clinton administration officials, including Al Gore and Reed Hundt, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, tried to ensure that this open competition would continue — but the telecommunications giants sabotaged their efforts, while The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page ridiculed them as people with the minds of French bureaucrats.*

And when the Bush administration put Michael Powell in charge of the F.C.C., the digital robber barons were basically set free to do whatever they liked. As a result, there’s little competition in U.S. broadband — if you’re lucky, you have a choice between the services offered by the local cable monopoly and the local phone monopoly. The price is high and the service is poor, but there’s nowhere else to go.”

Effective market competition and effective regulation produced quality results. Then Bush took office.

Conservatives tend to disapprove to anything relating to the French, but Krugman notes all the advances France is making in this area.

“[A]s a recent article in Business Week explains, the real French bureaucrats used judicious regulation to promote competition. As a result, French consumers get to choose from a variety of service providers who offer reasonably priced Internet access that’s much faster than anything I can get, and comes with free voice calls, TV and Wi-Fi.

It’s too early to say how much harm the broadband lag will do to the U.S. economy as a whole. But it’s interesting to learn that health care isn’t the only area in which the French, who can take a pragmatic approach because they aren’t prisoners of ideology, simply do things better.”

Maybe it’s time for this issue to play a bigger role in the presidential campaign? At a minimum, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is putting it on the policy table.

By Analchord

July 23, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this

Now, lisa, most comments here are cries for acceptance and love. I mean, look how hard they try to impress with clever (if labored) word-plays and self-laudatory (if overly optomistic) declarations of superior wisdom. Let them adhere to their mutual admiration peanut galleries.

No, we must accept our right honorable breathren across the aisle as we find him: hacking Hannity or lipsynching Limbaugh, for it is not our place to change others, but to lead by our own fine example.

By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I

July 23, 2007 5:47 PM | Link to this

Greetings, trash, from your Pope. We are still in England - this weekend visiting Our people in Bath and Swindon, today in Southampton and Romby.

Today’s papers are talking about the 7th Brit to die in Iraq this month. That’s out of a contingent of 5,500.

The Pope has not been to Brattleboro yet to see the sights.

Besides, We thought that John McCain was 69, not 68.

Vermont is an interesting place, very tolerant . But ugly monsters like Dusty and tft-tranny better wear their burkas when they go up there - there are no gun laws in Vermont, and someone might shoot their ugly fatt arses thinking they’re a moose.

By Analchord

July 23, 2007 6:03 PM | Link to this

Cartoon Idea: Show a neighbor’s dog barking furiously to tell Timmy and Timmy’s pa that Lassie has been thrown in the well by Vick….(Bark bark!) “what is it, boy…..Lassie? (bark) What about lassie?…(bark) he’s in trouble?…..where? (Bark bark bark)…..what happened…..well?(bark) …..Lassie’s in the well?…….(bark bark) who did it?……football player?….(bark) quarterback?…….VICK THREW LASSIE IN THE WELL!!!”’