Arlen Specter really isn't much of a Democrat, sure. And since he's only "been" a Democrat a few days, I hope his time as a "Democrat" will be what counts in Committee assignments, not his total seniority - shouldn't it be the former? But I heard, he might angle to replace Tom Harkin in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions etc. based on total seniority, IIUC. That would be an outrage.

Weirdly enough, a company named General Dynamics bought out a company named Veridian. Strange choice there...

She added, however, that she still questions whether Shepard was brutally murdered because of his sexual orientation.

Oh? Which explains why the defendants used the "gay panic" defense, right Ms. Fox?

I hope his time as a "Democrat" will be what counts in Committee assignments

I think it was Reid who said he will be given seniority as though he had been a Dem since he was first elected in 1980.

"The Senate has defeated legislation that would have let hundreds of thousands of debt-ridden homeowners seek mortgage relief in bankruptcy court." The measure drew 45 supporters, all from the Democratic caucus.

Which is why getting 60 votes won't mean shit if there are Dems willing to not act like they are such.

I guess letting judges re-do mortgage terms for middle class folks who need a roof over their heads will tear apart the fabric of our nation -- but letting judges re-do terms on second homes is great because it helps rich people keep their vacation homes.

Or ... something.

Sweet fucking lord that makes me want to puke ...

If anyone should know something about ineffective disaster response, it's Brownie.

Great to have an administration that favors competence over cronyism, isn't it?

The Maine House is certain to vote yes for equal marriage. I wonder how long the anti-marriage folks will keep complaining about "activist judges."

One of the yes votes was a very prominent and well-liked Republican, Peter Mills, who will be running for governor.

I just heard on the TV that Perry of Texas secession fame, since he became Gov of Texas has asked the federal government for more help than any other gov, 13 times!!!

"she used a "poor choice of words."
she just repeated the mistake. What she used yesterday was a poor choice of neurons.

And here I thought I was the only one watching Better Off Ted. Unfortunately, quirky shows like it tend to only last a season or two (Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies).

No wonder the GOP is happy Specter switched sides. He's voting like a Republican now. Remind me again why it's advantageous for us to rescue rats from a sinking ship? Sounds like a great way to catch the plague.

Wasn't it just yesterday, Brownie was screaming "scapegoat"?

I am so sick of these shameless skanks.

Rumor has it that Sen. Arlen Specter is a Democrat now. Given his voting record over the last two days, I find that hard to believe.

And if he's reelected in 2010 Reid will hand him committee chairs (including Appropriations) like he's been a Dem since 1980. I've said elsewhere that the short term PR gain from Specter's purely opportunistic party jump will not outweight the long term costs. Between pulling hte Democratic cacus further right it will sqeeze out long sitting Democrats from key leadership roles and, if Reid and DNC back Specter in the primary (as reportedly promised), deny a real democrat the chance to take over that seat in the fall.

thorin-1,

There's only one thing to do at this point, and that hurt them in their wallet. If the DSCC won't support any other PA Democrats for Senate, then I won't support the DSCC. I'll give directly to who or whatever challenges that archaic sack of shit in the Democratic primary.

The same goes for any takers against Reid. Hell, I'm prepared to support the Republican against Reid. Afterall, his loss is our gain.

Without cramdown, communities and borrowers have no way to make lenders face the actual risks of lending.

Grr.

"National Organization for Wedlock" would make for a catchier acronym.

"Conservative bloggers are still talking about people 'going Galt'? ..."

You don't get it ... it's the bloggers who have "gone Galt" -- assuming "going Galt" means withholding your genius-level talents from America that socialistic county you profess to dislike.

Arlen Specter is not a democrat. He is putting a "D" after his name to remain in the senate. It will give dems the 60th vote to end filibusters but you cannot count that Specter will give them that vote just because he could. He's always been able to do that but to expect him to do that is folly.

The best thing that can be said about his move to the dems is he will likely be able to keep Toomey from getting elected. Toomey is a far right wing lunatic and any measutre that can keep him out I'll support but Specter is just an opportunist already voting republican every since he switched to "D".

We need a real dem in his seat and I hope Sestak defeats Specter in the primary but only if I can come to believe that Sestak will defeat Toomey.

Specter will just be a part of the dem party splitting into 2 parties eventually. One side will have Specter, Liebermann. Bayh, Ben Nelson etc. all DINOs.

Without cramdown, communities and borrowers have no way to make lenders face the actual risks of lending.

If nothing else is clear, it's that the banks are completely unaware that they have screwed the proverbial pooch and are out of options. They really think that they're going to be able to continue to dictate terms to homeowners when 600,00+ people a MONTH are losing their jobs.

Thanks for dragging us down, banksters! We couldn't have had this Great Depression II without you!

Sounds like not everybody in the Dem Senate Caucus is in on the agreement to give Specter seniority. And PA progressives aren't too happy either.

Regarding Specter's historical voting patterns David Boaz from the Cato institute had an interesting take on that in today's Chicago Tribune. Basically, it documents how the last few senators who switched saw their progressive/conservative vote ratings swing significantly over a relatively short period of time. We can only hope that is the case here too.

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10161

That "D" behind Specter's name won't do him much good in a Democratic primary against a strong Dem candidate if he keeps voting like a Repub. DINO indeed. That wouldn't fly here in Oregon anyway, as we voted out our moderate Repub (Gordon Smith) for a strong Democrat, Jeff Merkley, who was interviewed on Ed Schultz' show today (on the mortgage relief bill). Jeff will keep pushing for this legislation, you can count on it.

"Confirmed cases of swine flu worldwide increased to 236 on Thursday, up significantly from the previous day's total of 147, the World Health Organization reported." There are 109 confirmed cases in the U.S., but for now, most are considered mild.

So the US has been looking for H1N1 for about a week, and has already found 109 confirmed cases, almost half of the confirmed cases world wide. Yes, we have a huge amount of traffic with Mexico, but it suggests to me that there really are a lot more cases out there in the world.

During the CBS Evening News, their National Security Correspondent, David Martin, interviewed former CIA officer Michael Scheueur in regards to torture.

MARTIN: How can we know that less coercive techniques couldn't have produced the same results?

SCHEUEUR: Why would you care? If we get the information we needed and America is better protected, who cares? These are not Americans.

100 Days In, A Hard Look At Torture

A) According to the CIA Inspector General, they DIDN'T get the information they needed.

B) According to former FBI Director Mueller, America WASN'T better protected.

C) Scheueur is a JACKASS, and exactly why much of the world hates us.

Re: Panama Canal
Geraldo Rivera had to step in to be the voice of reason!

Sounds like not everybody in the Dem Senate Caucus is in on the agreement to give Specter seniority. -- Danp, @19:36

An' can you blame them? *Jesus* may have cherished the repentant sinners more than those who never strayed in the first place but Congress ain't church (no matter what "some" might hope for, to the contrary). People like Specter (and Lieberman) should appreciate they're allowed at the table at all, not claim the seats "above the salt".

* Rumor has it that Sen. Arlen Specter is a Democrat now. Given his voting record over the last two days, I find that hard to believe.

Specter, LIEberman, Bah, Nelson - stern reminders that the Democratic Party isn't really the Democratic Party, its the 'Not called Republican Party'.

100 Days In, A Hard Look At Torture

I still haven't seen any worthy analysis of the two torture questions asked last night.
So let me give you some loving:

The questions showed we are at a moral impasse: Bush says waterboarding is a-ok and Barack says its a no-no. Polls show Americans are equally divided. Something has to got to give. This is too important an issue to just twist in the wind like that. But twist and slowly choke it does...

Barack needs to give a big time speech addressing this issue. I want some moral authority. I want facts and oration delivered to the American people from the bully pulpit. I want holy clarity from up high.

Right now Barack is content to toss in threes from outside. Crap on that. He needs to get his ass in the paint and throw some elbows on this topic.

I didn't drain my coffers getting this guy elected for him not to make this argument. He's got the eloquence and the facts on his side. This is no time to play it like a soft sissy. Fifty percent of American's think it is okay to torture. We need educating.

Get off your ass Barack...
And get this done.

SCHEUEUR: Why would you care? If we get the information we needed and America is better protected, who cares? These are not Americans.***************************************

WTF!?!!! They're human beings, you fucking asshole! Most of whom were innocent. What a steaming pile of shit this MF'er is. I hope you Scheueur, get captured and the nation tortures you relentlessly, and the justification they give for doing so is that you are not from their country. What a royal psychopathic dickhead you are.

For anyone who'd like to vent, Michael "Brownie" D. Brown is on Facebook.

I must say, it felt rather good. :D

Breaking news on CNN:

Justice David Souter to retire from Supreme Court, source says

SCHEUEUR: Why would you care? If we get the information we needed and America is better protected, who cares? These are not Americans.

Uh, CIA rank and filers who are whining about being unfairly targeted for your participation in torture? Guys like this aren't increasing our sympathy for you, nor are they making you less likely to see the inside of a courtroom over this.

A very disappointing result on cramdown: "The Senate has defeated legislation that would have let hundreds of thousands of debt-ridden homeowners seek mortgage relief in bankruptcy court." The measure drew 45 supporters, all from the Democratic caucus.

Someone is surprised when the Millionaires' Club comes out in favor of millionaires? How much loot do they get from the Wall Street Cabal of Pinstriped Pimps?

And in case the previous National Organization for Marriage ads weren't quite bad enough, the conservative group is now launching a new campaign starring a Miss USA contestant who has become a cause celebre in Republican circles for her anti-gay attitudes.

She's Miss Orangutang County. Girlfriend of our favorite Olympic dope-smoker.

And in case the previous National Organization for Marriage ads weren't quite bad enough, the conservative group is now launching a new campaign starring a Miss USA contestant who has become a cause celebre in Republican circles for her anti-gay attitudes.

As has been pointed out, her expressed opinions on same-sex marriage are indistinguishable from the opinions expressed by candidate Obama during the election campaign.

Michael Scheuer - further proof of why CIA stands for "Can't Investigate Anything."

another nifty fusion device:

http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/04/helion-built-one-third-scale-nuclear.html

What I have never understood about hate crimes legislation is why it is worse to kill a man because you hate his religion, profession, sexual orientation, etc, than because he has money that you want to get for yourself. Is it so that the murderer can be executed twice, or serve consecutive life sentences, once for the murder, and the second for the hatred? Is it so you can convict the murderer of hatred when the evidence is not sufficient to produce a conviction for murder? What if, instead of hatred, it's anger caused by jealousy or some such -- does the jury have to reach a decision of whether it's anger (which might be mitigating, if transient) or hatred?

I appreciate the motive behind hate crimes legislation, but it looks to me like a step beyond what society can actually accomplish through laws and punishments.

What I have never understood about hate crimes legislation is why it is worse to kill a man because you hate his religion, profession, sexual orientation, etc, than because he has money that you want to get for yourself.

For the same reason it is worse to kill someone because they looked at you funny than it is to kill someone because they have money you want -- motive matters.

Children understand this basic concept; why don't you?