* Nancy Pelosi was the unanimous choice among Democrats to continue serving as Speaker of the House.

Should be: Unanimous choice of House Democrats. This rank-and-file Democrat wouldn't have minded a change.

Norm Coleman held a press conference this afternoon, not to concede, but to announce that he's filing yet another lawsuit.

Depending on how you read the Constitution and the SCOTUS case on Adam Clayton Powell, you can argue that the Senate has the right to decide whether an election/selection process is acceptable, or you whether they are limited to deciding age and citizenship. However, if you take the second position, you must then accept that Norm Coleman has a right to pursue unlimited frivolous lawsuits contesting the Minn election, while Pawlenty appoints him to fill his old seat until he decides to stop.

Thanks Steve for the referral for the article to read.

I completely missed that and no doubt I miss many others.

This one is critical to read. I cried out loud.

Perhaps you might indulge us in this more often, as you seem to have a bit more ready access to the 'essay of the day' so to speak than the most of us do..

Anyhow, thanks tons. It was a keeper, for sure.

Has Reid decided to sit Franken or will he wait until he has Republican permission?

Some points lost in tail end of other threads, food for thought.

1. Note how conservatives gripe about the UN and how irrelevant or lacking in legit authority, but they slip over that Israel was created by UN fiat (mostly.) It's such hypocrisy. Hence Israel is in effect a ward of the UN, and should be even more subject to the UNs resolutions and rules, not less.

2.Just what *is* Gaza anyway, and what relevance to the conflict? It is not a nation state, true? Israel supporters are mostly unaware or not accepting the irony, that not being a NS gives one less privilege but also less vulnerability as well (kind of like being a minor in law.) It is almost more like the USAF bombing Guam to stop separatists or the Brits dropping bombs on Belfast, not like Israel responding to a Syrian attack etc. Israel had settlers in Gaza until recently, they have "responsibility" over the region and can't treat it like a mere "combatant" in a genuine war under international law.

i'm tempted to say that lou dobbs is a waste of protoplasm but that's a little too strong. in the 90s the guy kissed the ass of every ceo who would appear on the show, including the notorious Albert J. "Chainsaw Al" Dunlap who became infamous for two things: laying off tens of thousands of workers in the name of "restructuring" and running Sunbeam into the ground (and getting into hot water with the SEC in the process). Dobbs made heroes of these guys and helped make it respectable to pay them ridiculous salaries no matter how poor their performance. Dobbs is a fool who should not be on the air.

But Dobbs has also made populist hits against corporations etc. so I don't get his odd dissonance.

Burris had a reputation to destroy?

Not sure there's been much of a change in US position on Gaza/Israel since the US has always said that any ceasefire had to be sustainable. And that's the problem, it cannot be made sustainable.

Perhaps you might indulge us in this more often, as you seem to have a bit more ready access to the 'essay of the day' so to speak than the most of us do...

Agreed. It is a terrific idea.

Regarding this particular essay: Any chance DiFi might comment on it?

Crickets chriping...

The planet isn't in peril. It is one big fucking fraud.
Al Gore will NOT debate anyone face to face on it.
Temperature has been going down since 1998.
Your a real schmuck if you believe in global warming.

How many Israelis have died from the recent Hamas 'rocket' 'barrage'? If we responded in kind, we would be firebombing our ghettos. A little proportionality could do no worse than this and many less innocents would die.

Speaking of Richardson, ABC news is now reporting that Obama took big money from David Rubin, the man at the center of Bill Richardson's current problems.

[...] an Israeli bombardment hit outside a U.N. school where hundreds of Palestinians had sought refuge. -- Steve Benen

They didn't mean to; they simply missed the intended target, which was a couple of streets over. Admittedly, a school building -- being large and stationary -- is an easier object to hit than a d....d rocket launcher on wheels. Even for the "smart" and "highly selective" mortar weaponry that Israel is using. At least it wasn't "friendly fire" (probably means that particular piece of equipment wasn't supplied by us in US?), eh? And, besides... Maybe all the civilian deaths will "make others think". Isn't that the stated object?

that U.S. officials "quickly stressed they would not budge from their stance that it must be durable, sustainable and indefinite."

As has been pointed out by people with bigger public megaphones than I (Rachel Maddow, for one), people saying that (I'm presuming that "indefinite" here is poorly-considered shorthand for "of indefinite duration") simply don't understand what a "ceasefire" is.

By nature, such things tend not to be durable or sustainable, and when they don't have a defined expiration, that usually means they are even less durable and sustainable. They exist to provide an environment in which negotiations for a durable, sustainable, and ideally permanent settlement can be carried out.

Speaking of Richardson, ABC news is now reporting that Obama took big money from David Rubin, the man at the center of Bill Richardson's current problems.

Leonardo di Caprio was at the same fundraiser and sat one table away from Rubin -- should we be investigating his Obama ties, too since he donated almost $40,000?

Sorry, but there's going to have to be a better connection than "Rubin attended the same fundraiser as Leo Di Caprio and Chris Rock" to get a pay-for-play allegation going.

Depending on how you read the Constitution and the SCOTUS case on Adam Clayton Powell, you can argue that the Senate has the right to decide whether an election/selection process is acceptable, or you whether they are limited to deciding age and citizenship. However, if you take the second position, you must then accept that Norm Coleman has a right to pursue unlimited frivolous lawsuits contesting the Minn election, while Pawlenty appoints him to fill his old seat until he decides to stop.

Its quite possible to read the Constitution and case to view them as having the right to determine whether or not an election or appointment has occurred according to the law (even preempting other venues in which such determinations might be pending) as well as deciding qualifications (since they are explicitly empowered to judge the returns as well as the qualifications), without viewing them as having an unlimited authority to judge the acceptability of purportedly elected or appointed members on any criteria they feel like (such as the character of the the appointing executive, or personal characteristics of the appointee outside of those related to legal qualifications.)

You seem to be attempting to erect a false dichotomy in which those who see the Senate as overstepping its bounds in attempting to exclude Burris could not also see it as within its authority to resolve authoritatively and without waiting for all other authorities to complete their own proceedings any dispute in the Franken/Coleman race.

ABC news is now reporting that Obama took big money from David Rubin - civitas

ABC is reporting that Rubin gave $30,000 to Obama. Actually he gave $3,300. Employees of his firm also gave a total of $26,200 to the DNC through the Obama Victory Fund. That's how ABC gets to 30K.

Now put this in perspective. Obama raised 700 million. Rubin and his company gave $279,100 in Fed contributions to a wide variety of candidates and PACs since '91. The two giants intersected when Obama got $3300 of that 279K. McCain, by the way, got $250 as well, and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) got $4250.

Deep quote

Jon Talton the Rogue Columnist:

There are deeper problems. No amount of tax cuts can replace the stunning amount of housing values that have vanshed for most American families. This wealth was particularly chimerical for those who used their houses as credit cards or tried to make it rich flipping properties. Tax cuts can't replace years that should have been spent saving and not racking up debt. Nor can they make up for the lack of well-paid, secure jobs with health care and pensions. Or for the vast amount -- perhaps 40 percent -- that has been whacked out of the portfolio of the average American who probably shouldn't have been in the stock market to begin with.

On a philosophical level, tax cutting continues the infantalized American belief in a free lunch. Taxes may be relatively high for some lower-income earners, but Americans face a fraction of the taxes paid by those in most other advanced nations. No wonder we have so little to show for our money. The real answer is to restore progressivity to the system, with the rich and corporate tax dodgers brought back into the civic covenant, paying the highest share. But the current conversation seems to avoid this...

Exlibra, the Israelis admitted they targeted the UN school (whether or not hit the exact spot they wanted to) because of Hamas rocket fire or etc. coming from there (and the administrator of such schools said both sides commandeer them for such purposes.

Hey, this Jon Talton is great and makes the point so spot on and articulated, I hadn't heard of him.

cmdicely - The problem is that the appointment of Burris is within Illinois state law. Minnesota, meanwhile, does not give official certification until after the contest process is done, but allows the Gov to appoint a temporary Senator.

The Senate is either required to judge elections/selections according to state law or it is not. If it is, then Burris must be seated, Franken cannot be, and Coleman must be seated if appointed while the contest is ongoing.

Only if you interpret Art I Sec V to allow the Senate to judge elections and returns by whatever means they want to (and I would), can you reject Burris or an appointed Coleman.

BTW I assume you are being sarcastic/cynical about "making others think" unlike others we have heard about - amazingly.

... to remind readers of Former McCain-Palin campaign spokesman and current Weekly Standard editor Michael Goldfarb:
"But to wipe out a man's entire family, it's hard to imagine that doesn't give his colleagues at least a moment's pause. Perhaps it will make the leadership of Hamas rethink the wisdom of sparking an open confrontation with Israel under the current conditions."

"ABC is reporting that Rubin gave $30,000 to Obama."

yes. And it looks like he did.

"Now put this in perspective."

It does not help Obama any way you look at it.

"Leonardo di Caprio was at the same fundraiser and sat one table away from Rubin -- should we be investigating his Obama ties, too since he donated almost $40,000?"

If he's elected president, yes.

"Sorry, but there's going to have to be a better connection than "Rubin attended the same fundraiser as Leo Di Caprio and Chris Rock"

There may be. Obama apparently took a lot of money from Rubin. You may think this helps Obama, I don't.

Neil B, @20:42 and 20:47,

You illustrate, perfectly, the old Polish principle "we, ourselves, ask; we, ourselves, answer" :)

Indeed, I *was* being sarcastic since Goldfarb's recommendation of civilian deaths as a desired deterrent (it'll make others think) is still giving me sour-tasting heaves.

Hey civitas, do you really think any politician can really be all-knowing about all his or her donors and screen out everyone who will turn out later to have a problem? Would you be able to do that? I want to see the actual workup of the system, then you should present it in Harpers or something as a gift to the World.

No Neil. I don't think that. Nor did I say that I did. In fact it has zero to do with what I said.

exlibra,

"They didn't mean to; they simply missed the intended target, which was a couple of streets over. Admittedly, a school building -- being large and stationary -- is an easier object to hit than a d....d rocket launcher on wheels. Even for the 'smart' and 'highly selective' mortar weaponry that Israel is using."

An Israeli military spokesman stated it was rockets fired from a chopper. Those lock onto a target and stay locked onto a target, unless they malfunction. They are routinely fired in pairs or multiple pairs, and the odds are astronomical that they all malfunctioned.

They hit what they were aiming at, which was not the area a few streets away, where allegedly a surface to surface rocket was fired from.

The same Israeli military spokeswoman who yesterday claimed there was no humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that the Palestinians had plenty of food, water, and fuel, today admitted they did indeed target the UN school for attack because they assumed that Hamas "leaders" were utilizing it to hide in.

She was caught lying. Two days in a row.

ABC is reporting that Rubin gave $30,000 to Obama. Actually he gave $3,300. Employees of his firm also gave a total of $26,200 to the DNC through the Obama Victory Fund. That's how ABC gets to 30K. -- Danp, @20:04

Yes, dear, but that doesn't sound half as bad as insinuating that Obama took 30K directly from Rubin, does it? And that's why the smelly tits (civet's tatas) ignored that part of your argument.

Actually, $3.3K personal contribution sounds kinda stingy, given that the guy (Rubin) had been spreading $$$ largess like confetti. TPM Muckraker has, today, been on the case of Rubin contributing $35K to Rendell (Gov, D, PA). And in the PA case, it looks like there *might* have been some quid-pro-quo involved, while anyone has yet to point to any in Obama's case (not that it would stop either the smelly tits or ABC but...).

norm coleman f off.

They hit what they were aiming at [...] -- Joe Friday, @21:36

Yes, they did. And then used all sorts of unconvincing "excuses" for their actions, which was, *precisely*, what got my hackles up; I've heard similar too many times while growing up in Poland ('49-'73)

Sigh... I guess I'll have to stomp harder on my (innate) sense of the absurd... It wasn't appreciated by the govt hardliners in Poland and it seems not to be all that well received here, either.

what's even more interesting in the realm of political connections is that george w. bush started an oil company with osama bin laden's brother, and there are multiple business connections between the two families.

i wonder if that will hurt obama?

It does not help Obama any way you look at it.
Posted by: civitas

But does it necessarily hurt him? Is it in any way meaningful?

Didn't see the other contact, if it is there, Steve.

Here is a subject that might bear some scrutiny, eyeglasses. I got talked into bifocals before I needed them. I NEVER used the lower half. Last time in they said in needed trifocals, I said no.

I was sitting in a bar today, 35' from the screen, farthest in the bar from that screen and although it was small, I could see every contour, every shade with my long distance lens. That is nice but too much. I tried to get my old lenses again but they say it would be irresponsible for them to give them to me. Multi-lens prescriptions cost much more. It is particularly difficult for net users. I sit here with my 8-10 yr old glasses wired together with paper clips.

Michael(+a string of numbers), @ 22:03

Multi-lens spectacles may cost more but they're worth *every penny*, if you can manage the price. I couldn't use bifocals (driving &'puter, plus no glasses for really close work); they made me seasick. And, because I do a lot of close work (lace), I spent a lot of time looking like a mole in daylight, trying to find the glasses (never could remember where I laid them down last). Until I got my multi-line lenses. Took my lace pillow with me to get fitted for close work and then we established the needed levels for everything else. Had the same pair for 10yrs before I needed a new one and have had the current ones for 4. I highly recommend them.

Best of all... Those multi-line lenses are called "progressive" :)

Another recent prediction of future global cooling, based on a paper presented at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Dec, 2008. Complete with graphs relating past temperature fluctuations to fluctuations in solar radiance.

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/12/29/don-easterbrooks-agu-paper-on-potential-global-cooling/

The current cooling seems to be right in phase with the cooling and warming episodes of the 20th century.

For what it's worth, there are now fairly distinct, empirically and mathematically based forecasts for the future, one predicting continued (1977-1998 trend) warming, the other predicting continued (1998 - 2008 trend) cooling.

A beings-neutral House would be better.

In fact, how about a twenty questions format...because over the past eight years, but especially while Republicans were in charge, many of the Republicans throughout our federal government would have fallen in one of three categories: spokesanimal, spokesvegetable or spokesmineral...with spokesvegetable perfectly describing our outgoing Glorious Leader, George W. Bush and spokesanimal describing Dick Cheney, the snarly bastard.

exlibra,

"Sigh... I guess I'll have to stomp harder on my (innate) sense of the absurd... It wasn't appreciated by the govt hardliners in Poland and it seems not to be all that well received here, either."

No, I got it. (Admittedly not until half-way through, so I had to start again)

I was just pointing out that it was even worse than you had suggested, and even less defensible. Which doesn't stop them from still trying, and lying. RightWingers are alike wherever you find them.

st,

"what's even more interesting in the realm of political connections is that george w. bush started an oil company with osama bin laden's brother, and there are multiple business connections between the two families. i wonder if that will hurt obama?"

More likely it will hurt osama.

Another recent prediction of future global cooling, based on a paper presented at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Dec, 2008. Complete with graphs relating past temperature fluctuations to fluctuations in solar radiance.
Posted by: MatthewRMarler

Don't real scientists publish in peer-reviewed journals as opposed to global warming denial blogs?

Graph 2, for example, depicts a positive slope for actual data points, and arbitrary sharply negative slopes projected for the supposed coming global cooling.

... It doesn't make you suspicious that the ONLY (unoriginal) data presented suggests continued warming, and yet the projections and conclusions (WITHOUT a mathematical model included, btw) suddenly decide that the next 30 years are the coming ice age?

Better scientific illiterates, please.

"Leonardo di Caprio was at the same fundraiser and sat one table away from Rubin -- should we be investigating his Obama ties, too since he donated almost $40,000?"

If he's elected president, yes.

So we need to investigate Rubin's donations to Obama now, but we only need to investigate Dicaprio's similar donations to Obama if Dicaprio is himself elected President at some point in the future? Or we only need to investigate Dicaprio's donations to Obama if Rubin is elected President at some point in the future?

I think you may need to work on your reading comprehension, dear heart.

Perhaps,the eyes have it.

After two decades of wearing glasses, I passed a DMV test w/o them.

Ah, targeting Palestinian schools. Your tax dollars at work...

Credit where credit is due: Bush's new protected marine areas in the Pacific Ocean is a good move.

Call me cynical, but this really smacks of "legacy enhancement." As in, "what's the largest area I can give protection without costing businesses anything?"

Nancy Pelosi was the unanimous choice among Democrats to continue serving as Speaker of the House.

CRAP!
.

I really hope Mr. Iqbal's trial turns out good for him. If his accounts are accurate, which given is current state, they probably are, this is a travesty for America, and should be paid more attention to. The fact that this had been going on for years with no reason to hold Mr. Iqbal...that's nothing but shameful. Mr. Bush should be embarressed and ashamed.