Category: Politics

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Politics

Americans Prefer Democrats, Gerrymandering Favors Republicans

This report conducted by Think Progress is based on a recent Quinnipiac poll released today, showing that if the election were held today, 43 percent of the electorate would support a Democratic U.S. House candidate, as opposed to just 35 percent who would back a Republican.

That 8 point lead for Democrats is significantly more than the GOP’s margin of victory during the 2010 Republican wave election (6.6 percent) and even more that the Democratic margin of victory during the 2006 wave (7.9 percent) — when Democrats were bolstered by both an unpopular Republican president and a failing war in Iraq. And yet, if Democrats succeed in maintaining this substantial lead through next year’s congressional election, they will likely emerge with a tiny majority of just 5 seats.

Last January, the Republican Party published a triumphant report bragging that “Republicans enjoy a 33-seat margin in the U.S. House seated yesterday in the 113th Congress, having endured Democratic successes atop the ticket and over one million more votes cast for Democratic House candidates than Republicans.” The report touts the role GOP gerrymandering played in enabling Republicans to keep the House despite losing the popular vote, citing states like Michigan, where “Michiganders cast over 240,000 more votes for Democratic congressional candidates than Republicans, but still elected a 9-5 Republican delegation to Congress.”

Indeed, Republican gerrymandering was so successful during the last redistricting cycle that Democrats would likely need to win the national popular vote by more than 7 points in order to win the barest of majorities in the House. In 2012, gerrymandering enabled 215 House Republicans to win their elections by at least 8 points or more — only 218 seats are needed to control a majority of the House.

Thus, assuming Democratic gains are evenly distributed nationwide, even if Democrats won the 8 point landslide predicted by the Quinnipiac poll they would control the House by only a narrow 220-215 margin. If this poll is off by just one point, and Democrats win by only 7 points, Republicans will retain control of the House by a single seat.

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Politics

President Obama Gives Back 5% Of His Yearly Salary To Treasury

Another example that the President identifies with what the American people is going through. He has volunteered to give back 5% of his salary. Now if only each member of Congress would follow suit.

Sharing a bit of budget pain, President Barack Obama will return 5 percent of his salary to the Treasury in a show of solidarity with federal workers smarting from government-wide spending cuts.

Obama’s decision grew out of a desire to share in the sacrifice that government employees are making, a White House official said Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of workers could be forced to take unpaid leave – known as furloughs – if Congress does not reach an agreement soon to undo the cuts.

The president is demonstrating that he will be paying a price, too, as the White House warns of dire economic consequences from the $85 billion in cuts that started to hit federal programs last month after Congress failed to stop them. In the weeks since, the administration has faced repeated questions about how the White House itself will be affected. The cancellation of White House tours in particular has drawn mixed reactions.

A 5 percent cut from the president’s salary of $400,000 per year amounts to $20,000

Categories
Politics Racism racist

The Racist Judge Who Sent Racist Email About Obama Finally Quits

U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, the federal judge in Montana who sent an email last year suggesting that President Barack Obama’s mother had sex with a dog, has retired following an investigation into his conduct.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit announced Tuesday that Cebull had submitted his retirement letter, effective May 3. A special committee had conducted a “thorough and extensive investigation” and submitted their report to the circuit’s Judicial Council, which issued a confidential order and memorandum on March 15, according to the court.

In the email forwarded by Cebull, a young Obama asks his mother why he’s black and she is white. “Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!” his mother replies. Cebull told recipients of his email that he hoped it “touches your heart like it did mine.”

Cebull, nominated by President George W. Bush, stepped down as chief U.S. district judge in October and took a reduced caseload. He apologized for sending the letter back in the spring.

h/t Huffington Post

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exercise Health Politics

Why I Want to Stay Fit

We all want to look our best.

And while a lot of people start going to the gym for swimsuit season, looking good in a swim suit is not my motivation behind setting the alarm clock early and hitting the street for an early run.

For me, staying strong and fit isn’t just about today.  Staying healthy is an integral part of the vision for my life.

I want to stay fit for the person I will be in three decades.  It’s about being in the best shape possible so I can participate in life.

It’s hard to enjoy life to the max when we aren’t feeling our physical best.

That’s why taking the steady route to fitness and good health is better than working out in fits and spurts.  Because health isn’t about getting fit for a season.  Good health is about being fit for life.

It’s about our kids and our families and friends.  It’s making sure we are here for the important events in life like watching sunsets in June and shoveling snow in February.

Staying fit is about being able to throw my nephews up in the air and chasing my youngest sister around the park.

It’s about walking all over Boson and participating in community activities- now and in thirty years.

In the near future, I want to backpack through Italy and coast of La Cinque Terre.  I want to hike all over Bali and Manila.

I want to throw my own kids up in the air one day.  I want to run over (medium sized) mountains and through nature trails.  It’d be nice to beat my brother in arm wrestling (probably just a fantasy).

I won’t be able to do what I want to do, to live the life I want to live, if I’m lugging around a lot of extra pounds or if I don’t keep my bones and muscles strong .

I worked for more than 8 years as a RN in acute care hospitals.  I saw what happened to people who spent years doing all sorts of activities but neglected to care for their own bodies.

Watching a grown man- a big, tough guy- break down crying sitting on the side of the hospital bed was heart wrenching.

He was significantly overweight and was recently diagnosed with diabetes.  To top it all off, the knee operation after an accident was going to require a lot of physical therapy and his pain was intense.  He had a lot going against him in his battle to regain his health.  Now he couldn’t take care of his young family like he wanted to.  They were going to take care of him.

I wish I could tell you he was an isolated story.

Unfortunately, I witness hundreds if not thousands of people whose current physical situations were being exacerbated by lifestyle choices:  overweight, weak muscles, years of smoking and basic inattention to their own health.

Before I make it sound like I’m a marine about working out…I’m not.  I love to bake.  I love to eat.  I love to cook.  I am convinced that what goes on in the kitchen is a lot more than onions and mushrooms sautéing on the stove.  I’m working on a book about the joy of baking and building relationship in the kitchen.  Working in the kitchen has changed my life.

But at the same time I’m careful that what I love doesn’t interfere with my ability to live.

I don’t eat out at fast food.  I watch the salt intake.  I’ve eliminated certain foods from my diet.  I believe in moderation in all things.  I walk every day.

Some days I mess up and have a few too many just-out-of-the-oven warm, chocolate chip cookies.  But I get back on track.

I’ve got a future that compels me to.

I think you do too.

 

 

 

Categories
Politics

Republican Mark Kirk Joins Rob Portman In Supporting Same Sex Marriage

Another Republican congressman comes out in support of gay marriage, and this time, it didn’t take his son being gay for him to accept gays loving each other. He now joins Rob Portman as the only two Republicans in Congress approving of same-sex marriage.

Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois announced his support Tuesday for gay marriage, becoming the second Republican to endorse marriage equality.

Kirk, who recently returned to Congress after suffering a stroke, joins Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio as the only sitting Republican senators to support marriage for same-sex couples.

“Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage,” Kirk said in a statement. “Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life comes down to who you and love and who loves you back — government has no place in the middle.”

The senator’s announcement comes a week after the U.S. Supreme Court heard historic arguments challenging same-sex marriage and as public opinion polls show more acceptance. The change in attitudes has also been occurring in the U.S. Senate, starting first with Portman and then a host of Democrats who have publicly declared their support.

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gun control Politics

Connecticut Proposes Toughest Gun Laws In Nation

In what is being described as the toughest gun control laws in the nation, Connecticut lawmakers yesterday agreed that the murder… no, slaughter of kids by crazed lunatics in their state will not be tolerated.

The proposal also called for background checks for private gun sales and a new registry for existing magazines that carry 10 or more bullets, something of a compromise for parents of Newtown victims who had wanted an outright ban on them, while legislators had proposed grandfathering them into the law.

The package also creates what lawmakers said is the nation’s first statewide dangerous weapon offender registry, immediate universal background checks for all firearms sales and expansion of Connecticut’s assault weapons ban.

A new state-issued eligibility certificate would also be needed to purchase any rifle, shotgun or ammunition under the legislation. To get the certificate, a buyer would need to be fingerprinted, take a firearms training course and undergo a national criminal background check and involuntary commitment or voluntary admission check.

The deal is “the most comprehensive package in the country because of its breadth,” said Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, a Fairfield Republican whose district includes Newtown.

The NRA and their Republican supporters in Congress will not be happy.

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Politics

A Special, Very Important Message From the President

This morning, the White House released a special, very important messages from the President.

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Healthcare ObamaCare Politics Repeal

Talks Of ObamaCare Repeal Hurting Republican Rebranding Efforts

Republicans are in the midst of a vast re-branding effort. They have looked at the results of the 2008 and 2012 elections and have decided that the American people are correct – their policies are as popular as trickle down economics, and Americans are not buying those policies anymore.

The obvious next move for Republicans would be to dump the failed policies of yesterday and adopt policies that a majority of the American people want. What people want is health care; and after President Obama signed the affordable healthcare law in his first term, the American people voted overwhelmingly for him in 2012 guaranteeing him a second term.

But Republicans, in their infinite wisdom, are promising the American people that their cherished healthcare will be repealed. It is that stubbornness and their failure to accept the will of the people that is setting the foundation for more lost elections in the future.

I’m not complaining.

The LA Times reports on how Latinos, one of the fastest growing minority group, is responding to Republicans talk of health care repeal.

As Republican leaders try to woo Latino voters with a new openness to legal status for the nation’s illegal immigrants, the party remains at odds with America’s fastest-growing ethnic community on another key issue: healthcare.

Latinos, who have the lowest rates of health coverage in the country, are among the strongest backers of President Obama’s health care law. In a recent national poll, supporters outnumbered detractors by more than 2 to 1. Surveys show that Latinos overwhelmingly see guaranteeing health care as a core government responsibility.

Yet congressional Republicans continue to make repeal of the 2010 Affordable Care Act a top agenda item and have renewed calls for deep cuts in health programs such as Medicaid which are very popular with Latinos.

“Obamacare is a colossal mistake for our country,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said recently in a speech on the Senate floor. “It needs to be pulled out by its roots.”

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Easter Politics weekly address

President’s Weekly Address – Easter And Passover Greetings To All

The President used this weeks weekly address to acknowledge Easter and Passover. In his message to the nation, President Obama said that this is a chance to embrace loved ones, give thanks for our blessings, and help those less fortunate as we celebrate our individual traditions as well as the thread of humanity that connects us all.

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Homosexuals Politics

Republican Says Homosexuals Responsible For Suicides And Syphilis

Last week was not a good week for the Republican re-branding experiment, as more and more Republican leaders made their true feelings known. The week brought us comments from Alaska’s Republican Representative Don Young, who called immigrants “wetbacks,” and comments from a rising Republican star Dr. Ben Carson, compared gays to pedophilia and bestiality.

And now this. A Republican National Committee member from Michigan went on his Facebook page and called homosexuals “filthy,” and responsible for a majority of suicides and syphilis cases in America.

Dave Agema posted remarks on Wednesday that said the “homosexual lifestyle” is “filthy” and that it will reduce your lifespan. He posted statistics, will little backing evidence, that gays are responsible for over half of suicides, and 60% of all syphilis cases.

Agema told a local Michigan TV station that he didn’t agree with everything in the article he posted but that he was interested in many of the statistics in the article.

Several Michigan Republicans have called on him to step down from his post over the comments. One operative told the Detroit Free Press that you can’t “insult a wide swath of the electorate” and hope to win elections.

Agema told WWMT that he had no plans to resign from office over the controversial remarks and that he was standing his ground. “If the party doesn’t stand on its principle, we’ll lose our base.”

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Politics

Video Shows Dumb Burglar Tripping All Over Himself

Now I’ve seen a lot of dumb criminals before, but this… this dude is definitely close to the top of the list.

Watch as the potential burglar walks up to his target, turns away so that he could put his mask on. Then tries to break  the glass with a rock. An alarm sounds and the potential burglar trips over himself as he feebly runs away from his target. All the time, unaware that the entire episode was being captured on video.

Needless to say, this video – released by Redding police – has gone viral.

Categories
Immigrants Politics

Alaska Republican Refers To Immigrants As “Wetbacks”

Rep. Don Young of Alaska said Thursday that he “meant no disrespect” when he used the term “wetbacks” to refer to the migrant laborers who used to work on his father’s California ranch.

The Republican congressman dropped the racial slur during an interview with the Alaska radio station KRBD when talking about the changing market for U.S. labor jobs.

“My father had a ranch; we used to have 50 to 60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes,” he said. “It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine.”

The term “wetback” was originally used to refer to Mexicans who entered the U.S. by swimming or wading across the Rio Grande.

After an uproar about his use of the derogatory term, Young issued a statement that walked back the remark without exactly apologizing.

“During a sit down interview with Ketchikan Public Radio this week, I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in Central California,” he said, according to Alaska’s KTUU-TV. “I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect.

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