G’morning, BT.

Things are really busy here this morning.

Is it Christmas already?

Yer early.

Couldn’t sleep. And now you have to leave for work before the sun comes up. Oh, wait. You’re in FL, right? Cesspools open for bidness?

What did Bibi do to drive folks away from the reichwing Likud? I was under the impression that they were picking up support rather than losing it. The polling numbers selise posted yesterday were amazing. Likud has dropped about 18 points in just a few months. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch.

Republican RNC race coming to a head, eh? Why does this bring to mind pimples? (rhetorical)

Well I think that Jimmy Carter, who by the way looked terribly uncomfortable at yesterday’s photo op with the grouping of right wing present and ex presidents, wrote pretty convincingly that it was Israel that did not live up to the agreement for a cease fire. They did not open the border, they did not allow essential supplies to be brought to Gaza, they attacked Gaza and now are shocked, I tell you shocked, that the imprisoned Palestinians would fight back.

I get up in the dark and that’s bad enough. When I worked at VA it was still dark when I went to work though. And not much light after I got home. I want it to be summer all year long. Cold front moving in now too. That sucks. Blood’s too thin for that.

What little I watched of Satann Coulter’s appearance on NBC yesterday was a far cry from previous interactions with Lauer. Seems the MSM is tiring of her rants and now almost holding her up to ridicule. She looks terrible.

Had dinner last night in St. Louis Park (home of Al Franken). Kind-hearted Jewish friends. They’re very pleased about Franken’s prospects, not because he’s Jewish but because he’s not Coleman. But they also labor under the impression that the Israel/Palestine mess is because the Palestinians want to ethnic cleanse the Israelis into the hereafter and that that is the root of the problem. They were incredulous when I told them that Israel has consistently violated truces, etc., etc. My friends are not stupid people. But the drumbeat of Palestine run amok for no particular reason beyond bloodlust seems to override critical analysis. They may not be totally representative, but I am guessing they are not unique.

Way too much to absorb I am afraid what with the economy in a free fall, Congress choosing up partners for the kabuki dance, the Dem “leadership” giving BJs to all and sundry, Israel continuing the mass murder in Gaza, the Turks bombing Iraq, Reid bombing in DC and Boom Boom about to give a speech on the economy but too fucking busy to say a bloody word about Israel.

Business as usual in the city without representation.

You would hate it here, at least in the winter. We have a lot of depressed Scandhoovians wandering around in parkas and mittens looking sad and feeling cranky.

Morning, BT. I see Tom Coburn hasn’t yet figured out that the American people simply don’t like the GOPer sgenda, so he isn’t giving up the GOPer line: $1 billion just to repopulate an endangered species, why that’s $2 million per salmon. “They’re worth more than gold,” he whines. Typical GOPer–let’s just equate an endangered species with money, and since I’m not getting any of that money, piss on it.

But, as per usual with the ‘liberal’ NYT, the money quote comes buried at the end: “The package also authorizes funding for laboratories operated by the Smithsonian and for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.”

No GOPer worth his or her salt will ever vote to support science. Quite the opposite, in fact.

What did Bibi do to drive folks away from the reichwing Likud?

just my guess, which may likely be bs because i’m seeing it through american eyes… that said, my take is that bibi didn’t drive folks away so much as the contrived war in gaza is temporarily driving folks towards the current gov.

Too cold for the Scandy’s? That’s way too cold for this kid.

Mr. Reid’s move amounts to a blunt warning to the diminished Republican minority: his patience has run out, and that he intends to use the broader Democratic control of the Senate to move aggressively to accomplish his party’s agenda.

Blunt warning, eh? Ah, jeez. I hope it cheered everyone to read Reid’s proclamation that he fully intends to hold sway through 2015.

remember the usa when we attacked afghanistan? i don’t think it’s unusual (comment on topic from a couple of threads ago)

Now I would have thought it would drive them into Bibi’s camp. My understanding is that the main difference between Kadima and Likud are the tactics required to reach a shared goal, the acquisition of all of Palestine.

Kadima and Likud are the tactics required to reach a shared goal, the acquisition annihilation of all of Palestine.

Edited

Didn’t see the comment before. (Y’all were up at a pre-dawn-cracking hour.) Thanks.

i have to say i don’t understand kadima even more than i don’t understand labor. previously, i would have agreed with your distinction as applied to labor (not kadima) and likuk at least wrt to the palestinians.

but hell, i don’t even understand usa politics or my own party – so what do i know? even if we can get some of the simplistic stuff right, there’s probably mountains of stuff going on below that.

OT, sorta. How’d you link to your earlier comment? Is that the anchoring thingie? I’ve never tried it.

i get tired of repeating myself, and i’m sure you-all like it even less than i do. *g*

yes! the magic of html….. actually, i think elliot wrote a diary on how to do it. let me see if i can find it real quick. if not, and no one beats me to it, i’ll walk you through it.

here you go, elliot’s diary: Making links is as easy as pie. the diary is on how to make links within an oxdown diary, but it works very similarly to the comment box. give it a try!

and i must say once again how much i love the pie picture elliot found.

Booyah!! Thanks, selise.

They are certainly not unique. I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying what I really think. It’s not worth losing friends over, when your opinion doesn’t matter. I recall a book about Germans in the 1930s reporting people doing the same thing in polite company. Oh well.

Yeah, I know. Have known them for decades, so not likely to give each other the boot. And to be fair, I brought up the subject and kinda put ‘em on the spot, i.e., “So, what’re you thinking about Gaza?”

Yep. I have to agree with biting ones tongue from time to time. When one has a friend that they admire for a lot of reasons, there’s no point in focusing on one issue that one disagrees on. Makes for an interesting life. Helps to be tolerant and not have a my way or highway attitude. Can get mighty lonely on the highway.

But the drumbeat of Palestine run amok for no particular reason beyond bloodlust seems to override critical analysis. They may not be totally representative, but I am guessing they are not unique.

We can’t realistically expect them to be much better informed than most Americans were about the Iraq debacle. They’re fed information by the very same “bought and paid for” media. Sad.

I find it easier to use the icon that looks like a chain. I copy the URL and then click the chain and paste the URL into the popup. Then type the title between the two carrots or arrow symbols > at the end. (can’t put two carrots pointing to each other as they are not viewable)

Juan Cole has an update on ME and Gaza.

He does not bite his tongue today.

The The Minister of Justice at the Vatican, Cardinal Renato Martino, said Wednesday, “Defenceless populations are always the ones who pay . . . Look at the conditions in Gaza: more and more, it resembles a big concentration camp.”

Since the Gazans are trapped in Gaza and cannot leave, and since some important proportion of them is denied by this condition enough food to avoid malnutrition, I’d say “concentration camp” is about right.

That ain’t a pie. That’s a berry bowl. Yum yum.

Morning All, Thaw here suppossed to be in 60s here today. Been windy as hell though.
Today there will be confirmation hearings for Daschle. This should be very informative as to directions for health care reform.
287 hrs & 5 min

Katy: Good Morning…I have been here hit & miss…How are you doing? I hope you are feeling well and have gotten some good reports, which, I think were to be coming to you.

I love Reid’s letter. It’s kind of a like a parent who will hold his breath until the kids behave. I’ve know parents like that.

for those who didn’t hear from late late night….. Health Update

My husband made a good point about Reid and Burris. If the Dems did not make a big protest show about Burris, the Repugs would have done it for the Dems. He thinks Harry was willing to play “bad cop” in order to level the Repugs opportunity.

I thought his take interesting and probable.

Good morning, katymine. Nice to see ya and what RevBev said.

From the WP article on Gaza.

Seven Israeli soldiers and three civilians have died in the conflict. Four of the soldiers were killed by errant shells fired by Israeli forces.

Thanks for the note. Good luck on how it goes. My best. Please keep us up to date. We are certainly with you…as you know. Bev

Damn. I’m sorry to hear that.

For every season there is a purpose.
I time for tongue biting
And I time for a tongue lashing.
*g*

A friend has had great success with the drug. I hope it works well for you.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

BS, plain & simple. Let the Rs make a fuss over seating a legally appointed African-American. It would be just one more event for them to reveal their true spots for all to see. Besides, how can someone with no backbone play bad cop?

Coburn has to go! Unfortunately, that would mean Oklahoma would have to go as well since they just reelected the ass over a bright, young progressive candidate. We need find an ex Oklahoma Sooner football player to run against him next time.

Yea and there are some Norwegians that feel the same way. Not the Palestinians, who are pawns but the people who use them.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

It was a crap shoot anyway with the Interlukin…. only 10-20% respond but it could shrink or clear the nodules from my lungs….. it was a decision before going the Sutent….

klynn…. heard the same thing……my sisters brother-in-law treats patients with it with very good results.

Speakin’ of the Sooners… Tonight at 8 ET.

Go Gators!!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. My thoughts are with you every day.

To my husbands defense. He added, Reid is stupid. We both listened to an NPR interview with a former Repug Gov from Ill (right after the announcement of Burris) The former Gov is also a constitutional scholar. He made it clear in the interview, the appointment was legal and Reid had to accept it.

We came home from listening to the interview and did our homework and agreed, Burris had to be seated. But we saw the impending PR concern if the Dems just said, oh well, he’s a legal appointment.

The Dems were screwed by Blag. Were they right to oppose? Of course not.

((((Katymine)))), saw that, not the happiest news that. Hoping the chemo-T will act upon the buggers where the interlukin didn’t – fuckfuckfuckfuck. Don’t overlook taking your broccoli, every bit helps.

Oh, Katy.
Stepping up my visioning for ya.
(I guess there are worse things than orange hair – maybe Elmore will start saying Katy, you got some ’splainin’ to do.)
Big hug for Katy and Elmore.

Blago won the political battle. Shit happens.

The Ds best response would have been to acknowledge that, reiterate that the U.S. is a country of laws, and that they would pursue the legal actions against Blago to the fullest extent. Instead they chose to play political games in an arena where Blago clearly possesses serious talents, while Reid has no weapons.

Chris Matthews made that same point last night. If Dems had rubber-stampted Blago’s appointement, they would have been “hacks”. If they do what they did, they are “bums”. It was a no-win situation. Even now, they can’t get the IL Sec. of State to take one for the team and sign, without saying, “they never needed my signature.” I think they screwed up initially when they all said they would never accept a Blago appointment without tracing to the bottom line that they really couldn’t do otherwise.

Oh, crap! Well, then, time to kick a** with new chemo! It happens, girl. You have such a huge cheerleading team here. Rooting for you big time. (((katymine)))

Reid to send Republicans strongly-worded letter?

Without going to the link, Would the following be far amiss?

Masta Br’er Bear, Masta Br’er Fox, do as you like but DON’T go throw me in that yonder briar patch, whatever you do, DON’T throw me in there!

I agree. If I had been in Reid’s shoes, I would have noted, that the Gov, who was indicted, took political advantage of the situation and decided to make a political battle out of the appointment. And then, state the hope that Burris is who the people of IL would want to represent them. That the appointment should be about doing the best by the constituents of IL and the law is the law so the Senate must accept him despite the cloud over the appointment and it would have been more professionally responsible to the people of IL to have the appointment done in a less controversial manner. Thus, I would have played it “holier than thou,” so to speak. It would have made Blag look like the total slim he is, just out for his own political game.

Beleive it or not, Reid could possibly still play this card and simply state that the Dems were extremely reluctant to seat Burris because of the cloud over the action of the appointment by Blag when he was under the legal cloud of an indictment and it is unfortunate that Blag took advantage of the situation and did not put the citizens of IL first. Then follow with some high points of Burris’ career service to the citizens of IL and despite the circumstances, the citizens will be represented properly and the Dems in the Senate will stand by IL voters and uphold the legal grounds for the appointment of Burris.

It would not save face, but it would still call Blag out for being a scum and only thinking of himself.

I would make sure to add that the politics of the appointment were as much unfair to Burris as the citizens because it reflects badly on Burris in an unfortunate fashion and that Blag’s act served no one but Blag, despite the selection being legal. Many actions can be legal and still be unprofessional and filled with questions.

Late post and way downthread, but I just got a look at Colter on Fox. That rumored “broken jaw”, where has she been?

Answer: face peel and eye work.