New Developments III

[taki15]

I remember Ann Coulter saying the day after the election that the only silver lining for the Republicans was Franken's defeat. Well, I guess now they don't have even that.

By the way, I'm curious to see how Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh are going to spin this. But then again, after saying today that Obama plots to repeal the 22nd amendment in order to run for a third term at 2016, I'm not holding my breath.

[Mister Tee]

I was actually going to retrieve last year's Senate Results thread, to finally put a button on the '08 election.

It's officially over; Coleman's conceded. Congratulations to Eric on finally having full Senate representation.

[OscarGuy]

It may almost be over, but who really knows with a scab like Norm Coleman or a Republican governor like Tim Pawlenty...but hopefully this will be the end and MN will finally have a second senator.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/30/franken.ruling/index.html

[OscarGuy]

As I've stated to people I know. I don't care that he had an affair. What I care about is that he's a Religious Values man which means he's displaying profound amounts of hypocrisy over the whole matter. So, I get tired of the sanctimony over the issue, yet they can't help but do what they preach against. It's like a pig working in a butcher shop. It's antithetical to your existence. Haven't so many campaigns imploded in recent years that it should be second nature for these politicians to NOT engage in these activities for they WILL be caught (eventually) and they will suffer the consequences (hopefully).

[Heksagon]

I'm delighted to see that the Republican Party is getting what it deserves. People who believe that they are morally superior to others always believe that they themselves have the right to do things that they would deny to others.

But I have to wonder, why on Earth would people take a hypocrite like Sanford seriously? And no doubt, they will still do so in the future.

[Johnny Guitar]

It's certainly satisfying on a gut-level to see a hypocrite hoist on his own petard. But I confess to some unhappiness that the sex police seem to be growing ever more powerful. Many of us thought, when Clinton stood up to the press-urged impeachmnet wave, that this country would adjust to a more mature, realistic standard on sexual behavior. But the witch-hunts have, if anything, expanded, and too many have resulted in immediate resignation rather than what I'd prefer, a quick "Fuck off, it's not your business".

I agree with this. This unending string of mainly Republican, heavily hypocritical scandal revelations in recent years yields some satisfactions, of course, but really I'm more of the mindset that these things aren't anyone's business. It's not lost on me that these moral crusaders are making it difficult for other Americans to have their "own business." But our finger-pointing and nosiness can get a bit too gleeful, too zealous. Part of the problem is that left-liberals are often more uptight and puritanical than they should be and than they will admit to being. If you ask me, hypocrisy in matters of sexual morality should not be the primary arena of combat against the right wing.

The cultural critic Lauren Berlant had a line somewhere that went something like, 'Every time I hear about a new sex scandal, I feel bad for sex.'

Jack Nicholson's response, in the wake of the Clinton scandal, was, 'What, do you want a president who doesn't have sex?'

Writing about Ezra Pound's mistress Olga Rudge, who demurred from being seen in public with him to avoid humiliating EP's wife Dorothy, Guy Davenport asserted, 'Lives were private in those days, and our animal nature was accommodated with a respect we can hardly imagine.'

[Big Magilla]

And another thing -- Adultery is illegal in South Carolina. What kind of example does it set when the state's top executive breaks the law? :p

That's why he had to go all the way to Argentina to do it!

[Damien]

And another thing -- Adultery is illegal in South Carolina. What kind of example does it set when the state's top executive breaks the law? :p

[Big Magilla]

I pretty much agree with everything Tee says, but just once I'd like to see one of these assholes say "I was wrong to criticize so-and-so for doing what I did myself and offer him/her/them my sincere apologies."

[Mister Tee]

I was a bit embarrassed to write about the Sanford thing, since I hadn't summoned up the energy to write anything about the Iran situation, which is clearly far more important.

However, a few thoughts:

It's certainly satisfying on a gut-level to see a hypocrite hoist on his own petard. But I confess to some unhappiness that the sex police seem to be growing ever more powerful. Many of us thought, when Clinton stood up to the press-urged impeachmnet wave, that this country would adjust to a more mature, realistic standard on sexual behavior. But the witch-hunts have, if anything, expanded, and too many have resulted in immediate resignation rather than what I'd prefer, a quick "Fuck off, it's not your business".

Two things unique about Sanford (beyond the obvious hypocrisy of a guy who specifically said Clinton had to go for the adultery, not even using the fig leaf of perjury): First, the guy seems gobsmack in love with this Argentinian woman. It may be unacceptable to society in general that a guy his age should get tired of his wife and remake his life with someone else, but it seems to me that's the best route for Sanford to take. He did not strike me as a guy who just got a little on the side; he's head over heels, and he'll regret it the rest of his life if he breaks it off.

But second, the more political judgment: this guy has no business being governor anymore...not because of "scandal", but because he appears rudderless at the moment. Dropping off the face of the earth for almost a week is something I couldn't get away with at my job, and I don't have near the executive responsibility. As many have said, suppose a natural disaster had hit SC while he was incommunicado? Waiting for the Lt Gov. to be authorized to command might have cost lives. I believe that's the opinion in the SC legislature -- the GOP-controlled legislature -- which is why I think he's going to face pressure to step down in the coming days.

[Damien]

Come on guys!
I was expecting you'd be all over the Mark Sanford saga. That's just too rich to leave it without comment.

I guess "Appalachian Trail Hiking" is going to become the latest adultery euphemism.

How many new things can you say about yet another hypocritical self-righteous "family values" politician?

At least John Ensign comes from Nevada so it goes with the territory. This prick Sanford was even citing the Bible in his statement today. A truly neauseating individual.
======
Oh, Daily Kos has posted some emails between Sanford and his paramour:

The Sanford E-mails
by Jed Lewison
Wed Jun 24, 2009 at 03:34:23 PM PDT
Last December, The State managed to get its hands on some of the e-mails between Mark Sanford and his lover, an Argentinian woman named Maria.

For some mind-boggling reason, The State has sat on those e-mails for the past six months, but now they say they will release them tomorrow. Today, they released a sample e-mail, sent on July 10, 2008 at 12:24 a.m., and oh what an e-mail it is. It's got everything.

It's got politics:

"The following weekend have been asked to spend it out in Aspen, Colorado with McCain - which has kicked up the whole VP talk all over again in the press back home ... "

It's got sweet nothings:

"You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that so fitting with your beauty. "

It's got a torn heart:

"In the meantime please sleep soundly knowing that despite the best efforts of my head my heart cries out for you, your voice, your body, the touch of your lips, the touch of your finger tips and an even deeper connection to your soul."

And of course it's got steamy passion:

"I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificent gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curve of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of the night’s light - but hey, that would be going into sexual details ... "

Wow. Who knew Sanford was such a romantic . . .
======================

Hahahaha What a clown!



Edited By Damien on 1245885463

[taki15]

Come on guys!
I was expecting you'd be all over the Mark Sanford saga. That's just too rich to leave it without comment.

I guess "Appalachian Trail Hiking" is going to become the latest adultery euphemism.

[Greg]

Schwarzenegger's testicle sculpture a flop
Senator wasn't laughing at governor's gag gift during budget negotiations

updated 11:28 a.m. ET, Fri., June 19, 2009
SACRAMENTO, California - It was a gift no girlie man would give.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has warned lawmakers they need to act boldly and make some tough budget choices, sent Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg a metal sculpture of bull testicles.

It was intended as a gag gift but Steinberg, a Democrat, was not amused and returned the football-sized gift with a terse note about the seriousness of the ongoing negotiations.

The account was given by sources within the Capitol who were familiar with the situation. They said they were not authorized to speak on the record because it was considered a private matter between the Austrian-born Republican governor and the Senate leader.

According to the sources, Schwarzenegger's gift was in response to an earlier gag gift he had received from Steinberg: a package of mushrooms after the governor called Democrats' budget proposals, which included tax increases, "hallucinatory."

Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear confirmed the two had exchanged gifts but declined to discuss the details.

"We never talk about the governor's private gifts," he said. "Senator Steinberg sent the governor a gift and the governor responded in kind. They maintain a great relationship and will work together to fix the budget."

Steinberg's spokeswoman, Alicia Trost, also declined to discuss the testicle sculpture. She agreed that the governor — who once called Democrats "girlie men" — and the Senate leader have a good relationship.

"We've got more important things on our plate right now than to waste any more time on such trivial matters," Trost said.

California faces a $24.3 billion budget shortfall.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31443342/ns/us_news-life/

[Greg]

Amusingly, Greg, this is pretty much what you suggested yourself some time ago, so who knows, maybe Moore is reading this message board...

I think it's a matter of great minds think alike. :;):

[Heksagon]

Obviously, these type of things are easier said than done. Of Moore's suggestions, maybe only #9 is economically sensible, but obviously, it would be politically difficult or impossible to implement. As for #3, U.S. passenger rail services have been nationalized for a long time already, so if the Federal Government really wanted to promote bullet trains, there is nothing standing in its way, as it can always buy ready-made technology from abroad.

In any case, the bottom line at the moment is that it was the free market which gave the competitive advantage to cheaper and more fuel-efficient Japanese cars, and the U.S. government which is using taxpayer money to subsidise one of the world's most infamously polluting industries.

Amusingly, Greg, this is pretty much what you suggested yourself some time ago, so who knows, maybe Moore is reading this message board...