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Author: TriSec    Date: 08/28/2012 10:18:35

Good Morning.

Today is our 3,978th day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing war, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 2,104
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,053

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$1, 367, 060, 575, 000. 00



While we've been rightly focused on the alarming attack on women's rights in this coutnry, there's been an equally alarming escalation on attacks on US forces in Afghanistan. You may have heard about it - it's so-called "Green on Blue" violence. Afghan soldiers that we are allegedly training to be self-sufficient have turned on their US trainers.


(CNN) -- An Afghan soldier killed two American troops Monday in the latest attack by Afghan security forces on coalition soldiers, authorities said.

The killings occurred the same day 10 Afghan soldiers were killed when members of their own unit opened fire on them at an army post in southern Helmand province, according to provincial officials.

The latest attacks come at a sensitive time for the United States and its NATO-led allies, who are preparing to withdraw the majority of their troops by 2014 under a plan that requires Afghan forces to take responsibility for the country's security.

NATO: Most attacks on coalition troops driven by personal grievances
A defense official not authorized to speak on the record confirmed the nationality of the two Americans. The official said circumstances are still under investigation, but it appears to be an insider attack.

Pentagon: Afghans killing U.S. troops Special Ops troops lured then killed
With Monday's killing of the two, at least 42 NATO troops have been killed in attacks by Afghan forces or insurgents disguised as soldiers or police, according to coalition officials.

U.S. Marine Gen. John Allen, chief of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, said last week that an estimated 25% of such attacks are carried out by Taliban infiltrators.

The coalition did not provide details of the attack in eastern Afghanistan, saying only that NATO "troops returned fire, killing the ... soldier who committed the attack."

Afghan authorities, meanwhile, are investigating the attack by five soldiers on their own unit in Helmand's Washir district, which killed 10 people and wounded four, said Daud Ahmadi, a spokesman for Helmand's provincial governor.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the killings, and the governor's spokesman did not outline a possible motive for the attack.


The Pentagon has come up with all sorts of excuses, even going so far as to blame hunger and thirst brought on by the fast of Ramadan (just completed) for the uptick in violence. I've really got no comment on how ignorant that remark is.

But just think about one thing...throughout mankind's history, there have been many invasions and lengthy occupations. At some point, the partisans start to rise up and harry the occupying force...whether coordinated or not, there is always resistance to a perceived enemy on your land, no matter what their intentions may be. You saw the chart....3,978 days is an awfully long time.

Moving on, Raine posted this yesterday. While it's one thing to point at the rhetoric from the right and shake our heads, this one is far more serious. There have been mutinies in our past, but these have all been isolated incidents against specific commanders, or specific conditions. In my admittedly brief search this morning, I could not find a single incident of such a thing happening that targeted the Commander-in-Chief.

But perhaps this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, as we've long suspected, the US military is becoming a haven for extremists and racists. Something the Pentagon is only just beginning to realize.


FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — They call it "rahowa" — short for racial holy war — and they are preparing for it by joining the ranks of the world's fiercest fighting machine, the U.S. military.

White supremacists, neo-Nazis and skinhead groups encourage followers to enlist in the Army and Marine Corps to acquire the skills to overthrow what some call the ZOG — the Zionist Occupation Government. Get in, get trained and get out to brace for the coming race war.

If this scenario seems like fantasy or bluster, civil rights organizations take it as deadly serious, especially given recent events. Former U.S. Army soldier Wade Page opened fire with a 9 mm handgun at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin on August 5, murdering six people and critically wounding three before killing himself during a shootout with police.

The U.S. Defense Department as well has stepped up efforts to purge violent racists from its ranks, earning praise from organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has tracked and exposed hate groups since the 1970s.

Page, who was 40, was well known in the white supremacist music scene. In the early 2000s he told academic researcher Pete Simi that he became a neo-Nazi after joining the military in 1992. Fred Lucas, who served with him, said Page openly espoused his racist views until 1998, when he was demoted from sergeant to specialist, discharged and barred from re-enlistment.

While at Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, Page told Simi, he made the acquaintance of James Burmeister, a skinhead paratrooper who in 1995 killed a black Fayetteville couple in a racially motivated shooting. Burmeister was sentenced to life in prison and died in 2007.

No one knows how many white supremacists have served since then. A 2008 report commissioned by the Justice Department found half of all right-wing extremists in the United States had military experience.

"We don't really think this is a huge problem, at Bragg, and across the Army," said Colonel Kevin Arata, a spokesman for Fort Bragg.

"In my 26 years in the Army, I've never seen it," the former company commander said.

Experts have identified the presence of street gang members as a more widespread problem. Even so, the Pentagon has launched three major pushes in recent decades to crack down on racist extremists. The first directive was issued in 1986, when Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger ordered military personnel to reject supremacist organizations.

That failed to stop former Marine T.J. Leyden, with two-inch SS bolts tattooed above his collar, from serving from 1988 to 1991 while openly supporting neo-Nazi causes. A member of the Hammerskin Nation, a skinhead group, he said he hung a swastika from his locker, taking it down only when his commander politely asked him to ahead of inspections by the commanding general.

"I went into the Marine Corps for one specific reason: I would learn how shoot," Leyden told Reuters. "I also learned how to use C-4 (explosives), blow things up. I took all my military skills and said I could use these to train other people," said Leyden, 46, who has since renounced the white power movement and is a consultant for the anti-Nazi Simon Wiesenthal Center.


I've written this column for a long time now....and I think this is quite possibly the most alarming thing I've seen in all my years of doing this. You can point to all the rhetoric the extreme right spouts about how America is on the wrong path and blah, blah, blah. If the military is overrun by extremists, especially those that are easily swayed by extremist points-of-view, then this is a true threat to the Republic. I eagerly await the GOP's response.
 

102 comments (Latest Comment: 08/29/2012 12:56:48 by Mondobubba)
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Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 12:13:52
Good morning!


from last night:
Quote by wickedpam:
Must pass this along - Mom was home on vaca today and got a call from the Rmoney people. She said they started negative right away how the Democrats and the Democratic party weren't doing anything. Before they got very far she told them to "Shut up, I'm voting for Obama" (verbatim). She said they said have a nice day and hung up

Hope they realize they should remove our home number from their list

Yay for Momma Mala!


Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 12:18:29
Waltham, MA - BREAKING NEWS

This just in from City Council:


David,

Returning Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan
Wars will be recognized at the city's Veterans'
Day ceremony on November 11.

I met with the planning committee last week and they
gladly agreed to do it.

We haven't had great success with parades in Waltham.
People don't turn out for them.

We should have a decent crowd on Veterans' Day
on the Common.

Thanks for this suggestion.

Bob Waddick


I'll be in touch with TRMS and IAVA later today to spread the word.



Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 12:45:22
Quote by Raine:
Good morning!


from last night:
Quote by wickedpam:
Must pass this along - Mom was home on vaca today and got a call from the Rmoney people. She said they started negative right away how the Democrats and the Democratic party weren't doing anything. Before they got very far she told them to "Shut up, I'm voting for Obama" (verbatim). She said they said have a nice day and hung up

Hope they realize they should remove our home number from their list

Yay for Momma Mala!



Momma Mala rules!

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 12:45:58
Morning

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 12:45:58
Quote by TriSec:
Waltham, MA - BREAKING NEWS

This just in from City Council:


David,

Returning Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan
Wars will be recognized at the city's Veterans'
Day ceremony on November 11.

I met with the planning committee last week and they
gladly agreed to do it.

We haven't had great success with parades in Waltham.
People don't turn out for them.

We should have a decent crowd on Veterans' Day
on the Common.

Thanks for this suggestion.

Bob Waddick


I'll be in touch with TRMS and IAVA later today to spread the word.




Hurrah for citizen activism!

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 12:47:00
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
Good morning!


from last night:
Quote by wickedpam:
Must pass this along - Mom was home on vaca today and got a call from the Rmoney people. She said they started negative right away how the Democrats and the Democratic party weren't doing anything. Before they got very far she told them to "Shut up, I'm voting for Obama" (verbatim). She said they said have a nice day and hung up

Hope they realize they should remove our home number from their list

Yay for Momma Mala!



Momma Mala rules!


They never seem to call when I'm home, but it sounds like mom's got it covered


Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 12:52:44
I know we have all been ruminating on the Issac making landfall in the Gulf coast almost 7 years to they day that Katrina made a little trip up the might Mississip. But in other hurricane related news it has been 20 years since these storm hit Florida and Hawai'i Andrew and Iniki. These for me, are the Rubicon of hurricanes. They heralded a new era in big-ass global warm driven strorms.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 13:01:25
Quote by Mondobubba:
I know we have all been ruminating on the Issac making landfall in the Gulf coast almost 7 years to they day that Katrina made a little trip up the might Mississip. But in other hurricane related news it has been 20 years since these storm hit Florida and Hawai'i Andrew and Iniki. These for me, are the Rubicon of hurricanes. They heralded a new era in big-ass global warm driven strorms.



for me it was Hugo, came ashore in Charleston but it wrecked havoc along the whole Carolina coast. We felt it up in Wilmington and a friend and I had decided to go to Myrtle Beach just a weekend after that - the place was a mess.

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 13:04:06
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I know we have all been ruminating on the Issac making landfall in the Gulf coast almost 7 years to they day that Katrina made a little trip up the might Mississip. But in other hurricane related news it has been 20 years since these storm hit Florida and Hawai'i Andrew and Iniki. These for me, are the Rubicon of hurricanes. They heralded a new era in big-ass global warm driven strorms.



for me it was Hugo, came ashore in Charleston but it wrecked havoc along the whole Carolina coast. We felt it up in Wilmington and a friend and I had decided to go to Myrtle Beach just a weekend after that - the place was a mess.



Oh Hugo was nasty. It caused a lot of enviromental damage near where my parents live. There is a lot of industrial hog farming in those parts, the "waste retention lagoons" (ponds of pig shit) were flooded out sending thousands of gallons of pig shit into the river systems around them.

Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 13:05:49
Hmm, and up New England way, we've got last year's Irene.

Hurricanes aren't really our thing, but this one was a huge impact through the Western and Central part of the state. Couple that with last year's non-winter, and it makes you go hmmm.....



Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 13:14:22
Speaking of hurricanes, I'm trying not to chortle over the RNC convention.

I generally laugh at the weather...I won't fault them for cancelling some things. Better safe than sorry.

I will snicker over them taking great pains not to party too hard in case the Big Easy gets wiped out again. I won't wish that on anyone; I'm still livid over Katrina.

But wouldn't the image of the GOP fiddling while Rome burns a second time just be a scream? (OK, not really, but you get the gist.)


Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 13:18:01
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I know we have all been ruminating on the Issac making landfall in the Gulf coast almost 7 years to they day that Katrina made a little trip up the might Mississip. But in other hurricane related news it has been 20 years since these storm hit Florida and Hawai'i Andrew and Iniki. These for me, are the Rubicon of hurricanes. They heralded a new era in big-ass global warm driven strorms.



for me it was Hugo, came ashore in Charleston but it wrecked havoc along the whole Carolina coast. We felt it up in Wilmington and a friend and I had decided to go to Myrtle Beach just a weekend after that - the place was a mess.



Oh Hugo was nasty. It caused a lot of enviromental damage near where my parents live. There is a lot of industrial hog farming in those parts, the "waste retention lagoons" (ponds of pig shit) were flooded out sending thousands of gallons of pig shit into the river systems around them.



though I do have to admit that I love the air after a hurricane and standing out in the eye of the storm is amazingly freaky


Comment by BobR on 08/28/2012 13:24:35
TriSec - it is definitely way past time to get out of Afghanistan. We are becoming King George's redcoats. Better energies would be spent on monitoring and infiltrating terrorist cells, both international and domestic.

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 13:28:39
AWww, this Dad makes me cry. :group.

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 13:37:36
Rich Galen is such a tool.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 13:37:55
Quote by Raine:
AWww, this Dad makes me cry.



He sounded like he was on the verge of tears he was so angry about this.

Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 13:53:04
BTW, I'm an idiot.

I am drinking coffee today with no ill effects.

Non-Dairy Creamer.

Not my favorite thing, but it's better than not having coffee. I guess it's so far out of my realm that I just didn't even think of it.



Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 13:57:00
Quote by TriSec:
BTW, I'm an idiot.

I am drinking coffee today with no ill effects.

Non-Dairy Creamer.

Not my favorite thing, but it's better than not having coffee. I guess it's so far out of my realm that I just didn't even think of it.




So if coffee regulah is coffee with cream, is coffee with non-dairy creamer coffee irregulah?

Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 14:11:48
Ahh, Mondo.

A "Lahj Regulah" is cream and two sugars. I do not drink it that way; only cream. Which unfortunately always gets a double-take at the local Dunk's. I am an outlier.



Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 14:14:36
Question for "you people"

Is there any standard out there for the order of the conventions?

I'm encouraged that the DNC is last, and on the following week too. Any GOP bounce is going to be immediately erased next week.

I just wonder, does the "defending team" usually get to go last, or do they draw names out of a hat, or what?


Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 14:29:37
Quote by TriSec:
Question for "you people"

Is there any standard out there for the order of the conventions?

I'm encouraged that the DNC is last, and on the following week too. Any GOP bounce is going to be immediately erased next week.

I just wonder, does the "defending team" usually get to go last, or do they draw names out of a hat, or what?
Usually the party in power goes first (in 2008, the GOP convention went before the DNC since Bush was still in office) but I heard (I think on WTOP politics corner) that the GOP wanted to go first this year.


Well played, RNC, Well played.


Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 14:32:45
Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 14:33:23
Quote by TriSec:
Ahh, Mondo.

A "Lahj Regulah" is cream and two sugars. I do not drink it that way; only cream. Which unfortunately always gets a double-take at the local Dunk's. I am an outlier.




:carson: I did not know that. Good stuff.

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 14:39:56
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 14:43:27
Don't you hate it when you try to fix one problem and inadvertently wipe out your entire email and address book?

Thank God I archive everything!

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 14:44:41
Quote by Raine:
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?


Not sure - I did see button down shirts at Costco though. What did I miss?


Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 14:45:10
Quote by Raine:
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?



Costco sell everything! Best of all their CEO is an Obama supporter!

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 14:45:11
Quote by Raine:
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?
SEE? Chris just mentioned this as well.



Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 14:45:29
Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 14:48:18
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?


Not sure - I did see button down shirts at Costco though. What did I miss?
Romney talking about how Ann bought him a three packs of lovely shirts at Costco. I'll see if I can get the audio.

The other funny thing about that, the founder and Former CEO of Cosco is going to speak at the convention


Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 14:52:57
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?


Not sure - I did see button down shirts at Costco though. What did I miss?
Romney talking about how Ann bought him a three packs of lovely shirts at Costco. I'll see if I can get the audio.

The other funny thing about that, the founder and Former CEO of Cosco is going to speak at the convention


I really doubt Ann as seen the inside of a Costco, probably sent the maid for them


Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 14:55:13
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?


Not sure - I did see button down shirts at Costco though. What did I miss?
Romney talking about how Ann bought him a three packs of lovely shirts at Costco. I'll see if I can get the audio.

The other funny thing about that, the founder and Former CEO of Cosco is going to speak at the convention



Comment by trojanrabbit on 08/28/2012 14:56:31
Bobby Jindal is whining the Feds aren't responding to his emergency requests with enough aid.

I found this Fark response very amusing.

Maybe the state of Louisiana could sue the RNC for praying the storm away from their convention and towards New Orleans.
Yes, yes, you can't sue someone for acts of God, but I don't see why you can't sue them for their actions which lead to God changing his mind and shifting his point of aim.


Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 15:00:48
Good morning, bloggers!!

I hope that everyone is well. Also, let me wish Velveeta Jones a Happy Belated Birthday. (I was busy, but more on that later.)

TriSec, the news about the soldiers plotting to overthrow the government but I am not completely surprised. We see a lot of heated rhetoric in our public discourse.

I am very uneasy about another hurricane heading to the Gulf Coast. My former roommate in Phoenix lived through Hurricane Katrina.

As for myself after subbing, shopping and doing other stuff, a Chicago Public high school called to ask if I was still available for interviews. So, I may get one soon. I doubt that this would be related to the likely strike as it would be easier to use subs. So, we will see what happens. No word from New England on jbs.


Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 15:01:31
Quote by wickedpam:



*gasp* a new Butterstick!?


I just hope the new Butterstick isn't squirted out and bounced off a wall

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 15:02:17
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Bobby Jindal is whining the Feds aren't responding to his emergency requests with enough aid.

I found this Fark response very amusing.

Maybe the state of Louisiana could sue the RNC for praying the storm away from their convention and towards New Orleans.
Yes, yes, you can't sue someone for acts of God, but I don't see why you can't sue them for their actions which lead to God changing his mind and shifting his point of aim.



EffU Bobby you whiny little prick.

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 15:03:34
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Raine:
Costco sells three packs of button down shirts?
SEE? Chris just mentioned this as well.




Costco=
Sam's=

Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 15:03:58
Quote by wickedpam:


I really doubt Ann as seen the inside of a Costco, probably sent the maid for them


The closest Costco to their digs in Belmont is the one I used to frequent here in Waltham with the other peasants. I think we would have known.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 15:13:29
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by wickedpam:


I really doubt Ann as seen the inside of a Costco, probably sent the maid for them


The closest Costco to their digs in Belmont is the one I used to frequent here in Waltham with the other peasants. I think we would have known.



I am not sure that the Romneys would even think of going to Costco themselves, as servants could buy anything there.

As for the convention, I am concerned that Romney will be able to portray himself as a normal guy. I worry that people will buy into the billionaire backed ads on Medicare and other topics.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 15:22:24
ok channel 9 put a "How would you describe Mitt..." on their facebook page - oh 16 comments - only 2 are positive

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 15:24:46
Quote by wickedpam:
ok channel 9 put a "How would you describe Mitt..." on their facebook page - oh 16 comments - only 2 are positive
I bet they are the 2 new neighbors who moved on the block... They have Romney signs up... I have to wonder how they feel knowing that pretty much this whole street is NOT REPUBLICAN.


Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 15:27:41
A friend made me aware of a new article on Romney changing his positions on abortion in Slate. It is a pretty long article:


The Conversion
How, when, and why Mitt Romney changed his mind on abortion.

By William Saletan|Posted Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, at 3:52 PM ET



Is Mitt Romney an abortion extremist? That’s what Democrats are saying. They’re equating Romney’s position with that of Rep. Todd Akin, the Missouri Republican who thinks abortion should be illegal even in cases of “legitimate rape.” But earlier this year, William Saletan investigated Romney’s record and found no such extremism. Instead, Romney’s history is a long trail of shifts, equivocations, and reversals, coupled with ongoing revisions of his image and his autobiography. The original article is reprinted below, along with a video synopsis of Romney’s flip-flops.

To understand Mitt Romney, you have to understand the most difficult passage of his political life: how he changed his position on abortion. Not the story he tells about it, but the real story.

Romney began his political career as a pro-choicer. In the story he tells, he had an epiphany, a flash of insight, and committed himself thereafter to protecting life. But that isn’t what happened. The real story of Romney’s conversion—a series of tentative, equivocal, and confused shifts, accompanied by a constant rewriting of his past—paints a more accurate picture of who he is. Romney has complex views and a talent for framing them either way, depending on his audience. He values truth, so he makes sure there’s an element of it in everything he says. He can’t stand to break his promises, so he reinterprets them.







Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 15:29:08
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
ok channel 9 put a "How would you describe Mitt..." on their facebook page - oh 16 comments - only 2 are positive
I bet they are the 2 new neighbors who moved on the block... They have Romney signs up... I have to wonder how they feel knowing that pretty much this whole street is NOT REPUBLICAN.



yeouch! you know I find it interesting in Manassas, even with Romney/Ryan coming to town and having their event at the pavillion, I haven't seen a ton of Romney signs around. Granted I haven't seen any Obama (but I think thats more to the fact that there aren't that many in the office last I check)

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 15:34:04
This story is so terribly disturbing.

I think one of these guys killed his pregnant wife for the Life insurance money.

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 15:35:09
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
ok channel 9 put a "How would you describe Mitt..." on their facebook page - oh 16 comments - only 2 are positive
I bet they are the 2 new neighbors who moved on the block... They have Romney signs up... I have to wonder how they feel knowing that pretty much this whole street is NOT REPUBLICAN.



yeouch! you know I find it interesting in Manassas, even with Romney/Ryan coming to town and having their event at the pavillion, I haven't seen a ton of Romney signs around. Granted I haven't seen any Obama (but I think thats more to the fact that there aren't that many in the office last I check)

the houses are right next to each other as well. The moved in about a month or 2 apart.

it just seems so strange to see on this block.

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 15:39:51
Quote by wickedpam:
ok channel 9 put a "How would you describe Mitt..." on their facebook page - oh 16 comments - only 2 are positive
I posted:

yenmoR ttiM


Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 15:43:54
Comment by Scoopster on 08/28/2012 15:44:55

Actually there hasn't been a whole lot of press about this fellow.. but hey if the fucking corporate banks and billionaires can legally shelter their money from taxes by gaming the rules, then why the hell shouldn't this guy or anyone else be allowed to do the same thing right back to them using their own rules?

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 15:46:50
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
ok channel 9 put a "How would you describe Mitt..." on their facebook page - oh 16 comments - only 2 are positive
I posted:

yenmoR ttiM





Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 15:54:32
Quote by Will in Chicago:
A friend made me aware of a new article on Romney changing his positions on abortion in Slate. It is a pretty long article:




Mitt is vastly different now than he was when he was elected governor in 2002. He was actually fairly moderate then....some of his more extreme flip-floppy positions now would have never flown then. If 2012 Mitt ran in 2002....We'd have had Governor O'Brien.

This was when his residential irregularities were first raised...and I'd say he's been dodging legitimate questions about his personal history and background since then.


In June 2002, the Massachusetts Democratic Party challenged Romney's eligibility to run for governor, noting that state law required seven years' consecutive residence and that Romney had filed his state tax returns as a Utah resident in 1999 and 2000. In response, the bipartisan Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission unanimously ruled that he had maintained sufficient financial and personal ties to Massachusetts and was therefore an eligible candidate.


And another snippet from 2002 that is revealing in Mitt's current light...


O'Brien's campaign was hobbled by the short amount of time between the primary and general election, and by her having exhausted most of her funds by spending $4.5 million to win the nomination. She focused her attacks by portraying Romney as being out of place in Massachusetts. Romney had stumbled earlier in the year by not knowing that "MCAS" stood for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System of school exams. To soften his image of being rich and privileged and a wealthy corporate buyout specialist out of touch with the needs of regular people – an image that had damaged him in his 1994 U.S. Senate race – a series of "work days" had been staged over the summer, in which Romney performed blue-collar jobs such as herding cows and baling hay, unloading a fishing boat, and hauling garbage. Television ads highlighting the effort, as well as one portraying his family in gushing terms and showing him shirtless, received a poor public response. O'Brien now said in response that "Massachusetts doesn't need a governor who thinks getting in touch with working people is a costume party."


I think there might be a Saturday blog in the offing....

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 15:59:11
Quote by Scoopster:

Actually there hasn't been a whole lot of press about this fellow.. but hey if the fucking corporate banks and billionaires can legally shelter their money from taxes by gaming the rules, then why the hell shouldn't this guy or anyone else be allowed to do the same thing right back to them using their own rules?


Really? Besides the Propublica article he was the single story on "This American Life" last weekend. They made is sound like he was Rhode Island's most wanted.

Creepy getting those near death to sign up for the scheme, yes? Immoral, I don't think so. He found a loophole in these badly written contacts and exploited the hell out of it.

Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 16:07:00
Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 16:09:33
TriSec, a comparison of Mitt Romney's past and present stands would be useful. This man seems to shift with the political winds.


Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 16:15:52



what the F is wrong with people!

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 16:17:53
Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 16:20:53
When I first saw this crew, I said to bob it looked like they were forced to look like dirty coal miners. IT seemed so odd.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/cnn_live_romney_coal_120814c-615x345.jpg


Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 16:22:47
Quote by Raine:
When I first saw this crew, I said to bob it looked like they were forced to look like dirty coal miners. IT seemed so odd.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/cnn_live_romney_coal_120814c-615x345.jpg
Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob Moore told Blomquist that the charges were untrue.

“There were no workers that were forced to attend the event,” Moore said. “We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event. We had a pre-registration list. And employees were asked to put their names on a pre-registration list because they could not get into the event unless they were pre-registered and had a name tag to enter the premises.”

“What about not getting paid for an eight-hour day?” Blomquist wondered. “If the mine was shut down for the visit, I understand, but wouldn’t it be fair — let’s use the word ‘fair’ — to still pay these individuals for that day? I mean, it wasn’t their fault they weren’t working.”

“Our management people wanted to attend the event and we could not have people underground during Romney’s visit,” Moore insisted.




Comment by livingonli on 08/28/2012 16:22:57
Good day, folks. Actually, the party in power always has their convention last. I do remember in '08 the Democratic Convention was in August while the GOP convention was close to the anniversary of 9-11 as they were still trying to exploit that. Then again I used to remember when the first convention was in July and the second was in August but we seemed to have moved away from that.

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 16:28:01
Caller on Ed is right - that debt clock is going to be a powerful image for them

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 17:02:06
So Ann didn't write her own speech, did she have any input in it?

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 17:21:05
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Raine:
When I first saw this crew, I said to bob it looked like they were forced to look like dirty coal miners. IT seemed so odd.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/cnn_live_romney_coal_120814c-615x345.jpg
Murray Energy Chief Financial Officer Rob Moore told Blomquist that the charges were untrue.

“There were no workers that were forced to attend the event,” Moore said. “We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event. We had a pre-registration list. And employees were asked to put their names on a pre-registration list because they could not get into the event unless they were pre-registered and had a name tag to enter the premises.”

“What about not getting paid for an eight-hour day?” Blomquist wondered. “If the mine was shut down for the visit, I understand, but wouldn’t it be fair — let’s use the word ‘fair’ — to still pay these individuals for that day? I mean, it wasn’t their fault they weren’t working.”

“Our management people wanted to attend the event and we could not have people underground during Romney’s visit,” Moore insisted.




We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event


If it's manditory, doesn't that mean they are compelled to attend?

Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 17:30:42
man·da·to·ry   /ˈmændəˌtɔri, -ˌtoʊri/ Show Spelled [man-duh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] Show IPA adjective, noun, plural man·da·to·ries.
adjective

1. authoritatively ordered; obligatory; compulsory: It is mandatory that all students take two years of math.
2. pertaining to, of the nature of, or containing a command.
3. Law . permitting no option; not to be disregarded or modified: a mandatory clause.
4. having received a mandate, as a nation.


Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 18:01:35
BIRD LIVES!

(sorry, excuse me.)



Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 18:01:58
apparently Ann had the cooks bake up some cookies so she could hand them out on the plane -

whatever Ann

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 18:24:26
Quote by Mondobubba:

We had managers that communicated to our work force that the attendance at the Romney event was mandatory, but no one was forced to attend the event


If it's manditory, doesn't that mean they are compelled to attend?
Ok, I read that sentence a few times, and that is my conclusion as well.


Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 18:37:30
Todd Akin has taken his second dive into the deep end of the crazy..




Mmmmm that's good satire!

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 18:42:43
Quote by TriSec:
BIRD LIVES!

(sorry, excuse me.)




Psst that's tomorrow, Tri. Are you gonna shoot some smack and play the changes to Cherokee?

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 18:45:22
Quote by wickedpam:
So Ann didn't write her own speech, did she have any input in it?
Really?


Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 18:50:37
Quote by wickedpam:
apparently Ann had the cooks bake up some cookies so she could hand them out on the plane -

whatever Ann
They are REALLY trying to make them look like ma and Pa Ingles...


Comment by TriSec on 08/28/2012 18:54:59
Quote by Mondobubba:



Psst that's tomorrow, Tri. Are you gonna shoot some smack and play the changes to Cherokee?



Hmm, actually I'm randomly listening to the best of the Verve years this afternoon. I couldn't restrain myself.

And yes, as the man himself said..."Just play chromatics and do heroin." (which is probably super-bad wilst having chemo, but I digress.)


Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 18:55:49
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
So Ann didn't write her own speech, did she have any input in it?
Really?


only going by the news snipets from the Mic 92.1 - supposedly she's been practicing her speech and learning to us a telepromter -to me that sounds like someone else wrote it (not the telepromter stuff - the practicing stuff)


Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 18:56:58
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
apparently Ann had the cooks bake up some cookies so she could hand them out on the plane -

whatever Ann
They are REALLY trying to make them look like ma and Pa Ingles...



I don't know her but she gives off such an air that I can't stand her, she's so fake.


Comment by livingonli on 08/28/2012 19:13:56
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by wickedpam:
apparently Ann had the cooks bake up some cookies so she could hand them out on the plane -

whatever Ann
They are REALLY trying to make them look like ma and Pa Ingles...



I don't know her but she gives off such an air that I can't stand her, she's so fake.

I guess when Mitt and Ann both realized they had trouble with authenticity that they realized they were made for each other.

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 19:20:20
The next time Sarah Palin complains about sexism, maybe she needs to look at HER OWN PARTY

And check this lovely delight:
According to the New York Post, the raunchy rally's attendees responded to the political striptease with approving hoots.

As for who those attendees were, at least one Thee DollHouse employee insists some were in town for the RNC.

"The main people I'm seeing is Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.," Tiffany Mitchell, who checks IDs at the door, told the Tampa Bay Times. "They are dressed nicer, more conservative. Business casual for the men and Ann Taylor Loft for the women, for sure."


Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 19:38:22
"The mobile version of your website would be specifically designed to be viewed on the smaller screen of a smart phone."


Is this not English? Is this hard to understand?

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 19:51:21
Quote by Raine:
The next time Sarah Palin complains about sexism, maybe she needs to look at HER OWN PARTY

And check this lovely delight:
According to the New York Post, the raunchy rally's attendees responded to the political striptease with approving hoots.

As for who those attendees were, at least one Thee DollHouse employee insists some were in town for the RNC.

"The main people I'm seeing is Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.," Tiffany Mitchell, who checks IDs at the door, told the Tampa Bay Times. "They are dressed nicer, more conservative. Business casual for the men and Ann Taylor Loft for the women, for sure."


Yeah, stay classy GOP. What I loved about the article is they report as if her first name is Lisa and last name is Ann. I think what she's going for is the Elvis/Byonce/etc thing, just the first name. Of course Gawkr could just be doing an ironic piss-take by calling her "Ann."

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 20:00:06
Quote by Raine:
The next time Sarah Palin complains about sexism, maybe she needs to look at HER OWN PARTY

And check this lovely delight:
According to the New York Post, the raunchy rally's attendees responded to the political striptease with approving hoots.

As for who those attendees were, at least one Thee DollHouse employee insists some were in town for the RNC.

"The main people I'm seeing is Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.," Tiffany Mitchell, who checks IDs at the door, told the Tampa Bay Times. "They are dressed nicer, more conservative. Business casual for the men and Ann Taylor Loft for the women, for sure."



I have come to the conclusion that expecting logic or consistency out of today's GOP is futile. I find it strange that a party that prides itself on following the values that they espouse are expected to greatly increase the money spent on the adult entertainment industry in Tampa.

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 20:05:27
Now, let's show Lisa Ann some respect! She is a multiple award winner

2006 XRCO Award Best Comeback
2009 AVN Award MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2009 AVN Hall of Fame inductee
2010 XBIZ Award Nominee Porn Star Website of the Year
2010 XRCO Award MILF Of The Year
2010 F.A.M.E. Award Favorite MILF
2011 XBIZ Award MILF Performer of the Year
2011 Urban X Award Best Milf Performer
2012 - Best MILF Performer Nominations:

2010 AVN - Best Actress
2011 AVN - Best Porn Star Website
2011 AVN - MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2011 AVN - Best All/Girl Group Sex Scene - FemmeCore
2011 AVN - Best Oral Sex Scene - Massive Facials 2
2012 AVN - Crossover Star of the Year
2012 AVN - Best Porn Star Website


Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 20:29:14
um Randi might want to amend what she's saying about the "south" not everyone here is a rebel idiot

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 20:33:20
Quote by wickedpam:
um Randi might want to amend what she's saying about the "south" not everyone here is a rebel idiot



Just most of them

Comment by wickedpam on 08/28/2012 20:40:35
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
um Randi might want to amend what she's saying about the "south" not everyone here is a rebel idiot



Just most of them


Northern VA would like to break off and be a state of its own .


Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 20:44:21
What? No love for Lisa Ann's award winning work? I'm sure her performance in "Massive Facials 2" was subtle, complex and achingly moving.




Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 21:10:18
It is official, the GOP adopted their platform. From the Washington Post:

GOP platform through the years shows party’s shift from moderate to conservative



By Marc Fisher, Tuesday, August 28, 5:30 AM The Washington Post

The word “abortion” does not appear in a Republican Party platform until 1976, when the party concedes it is deeply split between those who support “abortion on demand” and those who seek to protect the lives of the unborn.

The quest for lower taxes does not define Republicanism until the 1980s, and matters of faith play almost no role in the party’s platform until the 1990s.

The Republican Party, viewed through its quadrennial platform documents, is consistently business-oriented and committed to a strong defense, but has morphed over the past half-century from a socially moderate, environmentally progressive and fiscally cautious perspective to a conservative party that is suspicious of government, allied against abortion and driven by faith.

Influenced by the rise of tea party activists, this year’s platform, scheduled to be released and adopted Tuesday at the party’s convention in Tampa, has shifted to the right, particularly on fiscal issues. It calls for an audit of the Federal Reserve and a commission to study returning to the gold standard. There are odes of fidelity to the Constitution, but also a call to amend the Constitution to require a two-thirds majority in Congress to raise taxes.



Here is a link to the full platform.

Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 21:10:40
Quote by wickedpam:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by wickedpam:
um Randi might want to amend what she's saying about the "south" not everyone here is a rebel idiot



Just most of them


Northern VA would like to break off and be a state of its own .
So would Atlanta.


Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 21:12:43
Quote by Will in Chicago:
It is official, the GOP adopted their platform. From the Washington Post:

GOP platform through the years shows party’s shift from moderate to conservative



By Marc Fisher, Tuesday, August 28, 5:30 AM The Washington Post

The word “abortion” does not appear in a Republican Party platform until 1976, when the party concedes it is deeply split between those who support “abortion on demand” and those who seek to protect the lives of the unborn.

The quest for lower taxes does not define Republicanism until the 1980s, and matters of faith play almost no role in the party’s platform until the 1990s.

The Republican Party, viewed through its quadrennial platform documents, is consistently business-oriented and committed to a strong defense, but has morphed over the past half-century from a socially moderate, environmentally progressive and fiscally cautious perspective to a conservative party that is suspicious of government, allied against abortion and driven by faith.

Influenced by the rise of tea party activists, this year’s platform, scheduled to be released and adopted Tuesday at the party’s convention in Tampa, has shifted to the right, particularly on fiscal issues. It calls for an audit of the Federal Reserve and a commission to study returning to the gold standard. There are odes of fidelity to the Constitution, but also a call to amend the Constitution to require a two-thirds majority in Congress to raise taxes.



Here is a link to the full platform.
They are doing the roll call right now.

Lucky me. I justsaw Jan Brewer.


Comment by Raine on 08/28/2012 21:14:14
Quote by Mondobubba:
Now, let's show Lisa Ann some respect! She is a multiple award winner

2006 XRCO Award Best Comeback
2009 AVN Award MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2009 AVN Hall of Fame inductee
2010 XBIZ Award Nominee Porn Star Website of the Year
2010 XRCO Award MILF Of The Year
2010 F.A.M.E. Award Favorite MILF
2011 XBIZ Award MILF Performer of the Year
2011 Urban X Award Best Milf Performer
2012 - Best MILF Performer Nominations:

2010 AVN - Best Actress
2011 AVN - Best Porn Star Website
2011 AVN - MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2011 AVN - Best All/Girl Group Sex Scene - FemmeCore
2011 AVN - Best Oral Sex Scene - Massive Facials 2
2012 AVN - Crossover Star of the Year
2012 AVN - Best Porn Star Website
I respect her. She's a dental Hygienist.

IT was Sarah Palin's hypocrisy that I was pointing out.


Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 21:22:04
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Now, let's show Lisa Ann some respect! She is a multiple award winner

2006 XRCO Award Best Comeback
2009 AVN Award MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2009 AVN Hall of Fame inductee
2010 XBIZ Award Nominee Porn Star Website of the Year
2010 XRCO Award MILF Of The Year
2010 F.A.M.E. Award Favorite MILF
2011 XBIZ Award MILF Performer of the Year
2011 Urban X Award Best Milf Performer
2012 - Best MILF Performer Nominations:

2010 AVN - Best Actress
2011 AVN - Best Porn Star Website
2011 AVN - MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2011 AVN - Best All/Girl Group Sex Scene - FemmeCore
2011 AVN - Best Oral Sex Scene - Massive Facials 2
2012 AVN - Crossover Star of the Year
2012 AVN - Best Porn Star Website
I respect her. She's a dental Hygienist.

IT was Sarah Palin's hypocrisy that I was pointing out.



For me, the issue of hypocrisy is a major concern. I believe that if you advocate a position, you should live by it. The GOP has too many figures who say one thing and do another.

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 21:26:34
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Now, let's show Lisa Ann some respect! She is a multiple award winner

2006 XRCO Award Best Comeback
2009 AVN Award MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2009 AVN Hall of Fame inductee
2010 XBIZ Award Nominee Porn Star Website of the Year
2010 XRCO Award MILF Of The Year
2010 F.A.M.E. Award Favorite MILF
2011 XBIZ Award MILF Performer of the Year
2011 Urban X Award Best Milf Performer
2012 - Best MILF Performer Nominations:

2010 AVN - Best Actress
2011 AVN - Best Porn Star Website
2011 AVN - MILF/Cougar Performer of the Year
2011 AVN - Best All/Girl Group Sex Scene - FemmeCore
2011 AVN - Best Oral Sex Scene - Massive Facials 2
2012 AVN - Crossover Star of the Year
2012 AVN - Best Porn Star Website
I respect her. She's a dental Hygienist.

IT was Sarah Palin's hypocrisy that I was pointing out.



Right, I know. Used to be a dental hygenist. More money in porn than plaque.

I respect Ms Ann more than Sarah Palin because she is clearly more honest about what shes does and who she is than Ms Palin.

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/28/2012 21:54:58



No love for the libertarian, racist nut job from the racist, tea party nut jobs. Sheesh!

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 22:07:34
Quote by Mondobubba:



No love for the libertarian, racist nut job from the racist, tea party nut jobs. Sheesh!



If a house divided cannot stand, I hope that this happens to the GOP soon.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XEBtZS9tyNY/Txo5JfBhbKI/AAAAAAAAB_U/g36pUt4nTkY/s1600/A%2BHouse%2BDivided-.jpg


Comment by livingonli on 08/28/2012 22:09:03
Quote by Mondobubba:



No love for the libertarian, racist nut job from the racist, tea party nut jobs. Sheesh!

I really hope this lacks of enthusiasm ends up diluting GOP turnout and it shoots them in the foot.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 08/28/2012 23:32:45
Quote by livingonli:
Quote by Mondobubba:



No love for the libertarian, racist nut job from the racist, tea party nut jobs. Sheesh!

I really hope this lacks of enthusiasm ends up diluting GOP turnout and it shoots them in the foot.



We can hope. Heck, I heard the clip of the vote on limiting what states can do in setting up rules for primaries and I am not sure that the ayes had it. Boehner accepted it as passing. The Ron Paul people may be tempted to create a lot of headaches when Romney accepts the nomination. (Heck, a few may be thinking it is time for a third party run.)


Comment by TriSec on 08/29/2012 00:32:22
*tap tap*

Huloooooo???

Any conventioneers out there?

<-- Lone delegate from the Four Freedoms Party.



Comment by BobR on 08/29/2012 00:38:42
Quote by TriSec:
*tap tap*

Huloooooo???

Any conventioneers out there?

<-- Lone delegate from the Four Freedoms Party.




Comment by livingonli on 08/29/2012 00:45:58
I'm watching Free Speech TV and will watch Thom Hartmann's show at 9 PM. I don't think I can watch the crazy train.

Comment by TriSec on 08/29/2012 01:53:11
I think I've heard enough droning for one night.

Pity, I wanted to see Governor Goodyear Blimp, but I'm not staying up late to wait for him.



Comment by velveeta jones on 08/29/2012 12:41:17
Sorry I missed the convention party.... I had a um.....
.... PTO school function, meet the teachers. *sigh*


I've become a ............. parent.

Comment by Mondobubba on 08/29/2012 12:56:48
Quote by velveeta jones:
Sorry I missed the convention party.... I had a um.....
.... PTO school function, meet the teachers. *sigh*


I've become a ............. parent.



You say that like it is a bad thing. You and AA haven't gotten a minivan, right?