Last week after Senator Shelby, Republican of Alabama, shocked the sensibilities of the nation by placing a hold on some 70 executive nominations, Paul Krugman penned a short note comparing our dysfunctional Senate to Polish-Lithuanian Sejm.
Here's Krugman's brief historical overview:
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Polish legislature, the [...]Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama released holds on most of the Obama administration nominees he has been blocking, the Washington Post reports, citing a statement from Shelby's office:
"The purpose of placing numerous holds was to get the White House's attention on two issues that are critical to our national" [...]beta testing live? Yea, its still somewhat in progress of working out all of the features, at the same time that we get bugs squashed. But, its been 5 weeks from the date of the launch, and things have moved in the right direction. We are working on some of [...]
The Huffington Post has the story.
As a top ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and a member of Congress since 1974, Murtha was a powerful player. His past was often marked by scandal but he certainly knoew how to get things done for [...]
Though I know it, I'm always a bit surprised when I'm reminded how young the DC Metro system is.
In case you didn't know it, the foreclosure crisis isn't even close to being over.More than 60 percent of Iowans think gay marriage "does not deserve the Legislature's limited time" this session, according to the latest poll conducted by Selzer and Associates for the Des Moines Register.
The poll surveyed 805 Iowa adults from January 31 to Feburary 3, with a margin of [...]
This is a fairly common thing. Conservatives often misconstrue (or misrepresent, the stupid or lying debate never goes away) derision with outrage.
Last week I told The Man that I might officially subscribe to my first conspiracy theory. 
...while she's on the news saying that Sarah Palin needs to brush up and not get her facts wrong. President Obama has proposed holding a bipartisan summit on February 25th at the White House in the hopes of restarting the now seemingly sidetracked health care reform packages. The event would be televised presumably on C-Span but perhaps as well by the cable news networks.
I caught one of the commercials flipping channels. All I could think was, wtf? Fortunately, we have Echidne.
[...] Laura Chinchilla of the ruling Partido de Liberación Nacional, traditionally a social-democratic party but one that has adopted a neo-liberal economic programme, won a decisive first round victory winning 46.8 percent of the vote in a four-way race. Her margin of victory was wider than expected. A former Vice President, [...]
1) Name the 14th state admitted to the Union. Vermont was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791 becoming the 14th state.
2) How many men have served as President? While President Obama is the 44th President, he is only the 43rd man to hold the office since [...]
We are approaching the two-week anniversary of the worst Supreme Court ruling since the Dred Scott decision in 1857. I speak, of course, of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in which the court's nihilist justices gave carte blanche to corporations to buy politicians out in [...] 
Ann Althouse is pretending we haven't seen her stupid movies before.
The results of tonight's sporting competition confirm and validate all of my opinions about the electorate.
[...] By now I suspect many of you have seen the picture of Sarah Palin's left hand with her scribbled crib notes. I'd embed the picture but MyDD5 doesn't seem to allow that functionality but you can view the image over at Andrew Sullivan'sThe Daily Dish.
On her hand she scribbled [...]
The British game show Quite Interesting hosted by the comedic actor Stephen Fry tackles the subject of the American gaol (the Oxford Dictionary spelling of jail) population. As always, the erudite QI uncovers some statistical gems demonstrating how insane our criminal justice policy is.
The United States has the highest documented [...]Yeah, I tried to sit through Palin's speech... I couldn't make it... Ah, but even Palin can't dampen today. This is the one holiday that truly brings all Americans today. There's the faux War on Christmas, there's legitimate concerns about the history of Thanksgiving, but today is a day for [...]
Reporters complaining about newsroom cutbacks and blaming bloggers should consider the resources used to cover the Tea Party and the former governor who will never again hold elected office.
[...] 
This chart provides the explanation for why the unemployment crisis does not get the policy response it requires.
[...]
In a rambling, often incoherent 40 minute speech, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin addressed the faithful at the Tea Party National Convention in Nashville. She covered topics from national security to health care to budget deficits often deriding and mocking the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party though she took [...]
It is a testament to the complexity of the brain that despite decades of research we still have relatively little understanding of why so many of us enjoy music so deeply and revel in its ability to alter our moods, trigger memories and even change our [...] Whether you call it hostage-taking or shark-jumping, we can all agree that Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama is abusing Senate conventions by putting a blanket hold on all Obama administration nominees. Roxanne Conlin, one of three Democrats running against five-term incumbent Chuck Grassley of Iowa, may be the [...]
The good thing about zero visibility is it keeps you from driving faster than you should on unplowed roads.
I get home this morning and I get about two-thirds of the driveway shoveled and I'm clammy-sweaty and I start to remember all those articles we've been running in the paper about [...]
Sunday, February 7th
12:30-2:30 p.m.
Drinking (Coffee) Liberally Mt. Airy
Mt.
Airy Drinking Liberally meets every Sunday at Infusion Coffee +
Tea (7133
Germantown Ave.), from 12:30 until 2:30 PM.
6 - 10 p.m.
Drinking Liberally Super Bowl XLIV Party at Triumph Sunday
Evening
Come join us at [...]
Enjoy.
Hold on... If you do youth outreach in an election you have higher youth turnout? Who knew?! Sarahkatheryn did, and she explains in Oregon Special Kills Mass in Youth Turnout.
Yes there is a lot of it. Somehow the foot that was forecast became two. No big deal, don't need to drive anywhere.
' [...] 
At the National Tea Party Convention, former GOP Colorado Congressman Tommy Tancredo bemoaned the civic literacy of Americans in particular taking a swipe at immigrants which is ironic since immigrants have to pass an American history and civics test in order to become citizens.
TANCREDO: And then, something really odd happened, [...]
A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
But the Dick Whisperer loves him 
enjoy
10-18 more inches of snow on the way.
enjoy
But CNN has the 
Really glad I'm not 
the words "Winter Wonderland" one more time, I'm gonna take a hostage.
Stay warm and safe.
Back from snowshoeing through the 'hood.
26.7 inches and counting here in the urban hellhole.
The metal beer-tray to the head is used to optimal effect here:
Rock on
The FDIC is hungry.
