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The Morning Flap: December 12, 2011
These are my links for December 9th through December 12th:
- U.S. Supreme Court blocks court-drawn Texas map in win for Republicans – The U.S. Supreme Court has again thrown Texas’s new congressional map into a state of flux, temporarily blocking a court-drawn redistricting map late Friday and announcing that it would rule on the constitutionality of the map early next year.
The ruling is a win for Republicans who had sought to hold up the map of the state’s 36 congressional districts. The map was drawn by a three-judge panel after a map drawn by Texas Republicans got caught up in the courts.
The court also put a temporary hold on the state legislative districts drawn by the panel, and will decide on the constitutionality of those maps.
The Supreme Court has called for an expedited hearing and will hear arguments on Jan. 9.
- Supreme Court to decide Arizona immigration law – The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would decide whether Arizona’s tough law cracking down on illegal immigrants can take effect, a case arising from the fierce national debate on immigration policy ahead of next year’s presidential election.
The high court agreed to review a ruling that put on hold the key parts of the law signed by Republican Governor Jan Brewer in April 2010. The case has been closely watched because several other states have adopted similar laws.
The law requires police to check the immigration status of anyone they detained and suspected of being in the nation illegally. Other parts require immigrants to carry their papers at all times and ban people without proper documents from soliciting for work in public places.
The justices are likely to hear arguments in the case in April, with a ruling due by July. It could produce another contentious election-year ruling for the court, which also will decide President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul law.
- BuzzFeed Adds Politico Writer – Ben Smith – BuzzFeed, a site where the editors and algorithms sift the Web in search of viral articles elsewhere, has decided that it needs articles of its own.
In a move that is sure to surprise the political and journalistic classes, the site is hiring Ben Smith, one of the foremost writers at Politico, to build a new breed of social news organization.
As editor in chief, Mr. Smith will hire more than a dozen reporters right away, said Jonah Peretti, who founded BuzzFeed with Kenneth Lerer, “and then we will keep growing from there.” The reporters will be scoop generators, Mr. Peretti said. “By breaking scoops and drawing attention,” he added, they will help increase traffic and, by extension, advertising sales.
It is a tenet of BuzzFeed that the Web pages users like to click are different from the pages they like to share with others. BuzzFeed encourages the second case, the sharing of links, articles and photos on Facebook, Twitter and other social sites. The reporting by Mr. Smith and his staff will be produced with that sharing strategy in mind.
“I already write for the social Web and consume most of my news on the social Web,” said Mr. Smith, who calls Twitter his main source of news.
- Gingrich Ahead in Iowa by Double-Digits – A new University of Iowa Hawkeye poll shows Newt Gingrich leading among likely Iowa caucus-goers with 30%, followed by Mitt Romney 20%, Ron Paul at 11%, Michele Bachmann at 9%, Rick Perry at 8% and Rick Santorum at 5%.
Another 11% of likely caucus goers remain undecided.
- Rick Perry going for broke in Iowa with 3 weeks to go – Seen just four months ago as conservatives’ potential savior, Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry is fighting for his life in Iowa.
With three weeks until Iowa’s leadoff caucuses, the Texas governor has retooled his message from the strict jobs focus he began with in August to one promoting him as a conservative outsider.
And he’s doubled down on television advertising for the home stretch, having already spent more than $2 million in Iowa only to see his support remain in single digits.Perry’s revamped charge to the Jan. 3 caucuses is a sign of the pressure he faces to revive his faltering national campaign. And it’s far from clear whether it’s working.
- Record 64% Rate Honesty, Ethics of Members of Congress Low – Sixty-four percent of Americans rate the honesty and ethical standards of members of Congress as “low” or “very low,” tying the record “low”/”very low” rating Gallup has measured for any profession historically. Gallup has asked Americans to rate the honesty and ethics of numerous professions since 1976, including annually since 1990. Lobbyists also received a 64% low honesty and ethics rating in 2008.
- Under fire for bet, Mitt Romney recalls more austere times – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has faced criticism over the years for being too guarded and impersonal on the campaign trail.
But on Sunday afternoon in Hudson, N.H., prompted by a voter who asked him to share an experience that had changed his world view, he opened up about how his experience as a Mormon missionary in France had given him an appreciation for the privileges of his upbringing.
Romney – a wealthy former business consultant who has been under fire for offering rival Rick Perry a $10,000 bet in Saturday night’s debate – noted that he had grown up “with a great deal of affluence” as the son of an auto executive who became Michigan’s three-term governor. - William Jefferson Appeal Could Weaken Corruption Statute – A federal prosecutor warned Friday that if the conviction of former Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) is reversed on appeal, it would place many fraudulent acts committed by lawmakers outside the scope of current bribery law.
Jefferson was convicted of 11 corruption charges in 2009, but his legal team is arguing that since the former Congressman’s scheme to connect businesses in which he had a financial stake with foreign governments was not related to his formal legislative duties, his activities are not covered by the bribery statute under which he was prosecuted.
Government prosecutors say agreeing with Jefferson’s argument would require a narrow interpretation of the law that is unprecedented. - President 2012: Rick Perry calls ‘Solynda’ a country – Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) stumbled over Solyndra, mispronouncing the company’s name and calling it a country.
Perry was hitting President Obama for his green energy policy when the slip occurred at a campaign event Sunday in Iowa.
“No greater example of it than this administration sending millions of dollars into the solar industry, and we lost that money,” he said. “I want to say it was over $500 million that went to the country Solynda.”
Solyndra is a solar energy company that went bankrupt after receiving over $500 million in federal loan guarantees.
The gaffe was the latest in what has become a pattern of verbal miscues for the Republican presidential candidate.
- (404) http://shar.es/o9kaL–and – RT @jpodhoretz: Put the 10K line together with Jonathan Last’s piece in Standard today– Romney has had better days
- TRENDING: Gingrich won’t use surrogates to go negative – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs – RT @PoliticalTicker: Gingrich won’t use surrogates to go negative
- foursquare :: Ronnie’s Diner :: Los Angeles, CA – I just ousted Dan M. as the mayor of Ronnie’s Diner on @foursquare!
- foursquare :: Gregory Flap @ Ronnie’s Diner – Post 10 miler brunch with Alice, Tara, Mary And Nancy (@ Ronnie’s Diner)
- | www.theacornonline.com | The Acorn Online – In Print and on the Web – | | The Acorn Online – In Print and on the Web
- | www.theacornonline.com | The Acorn Online – In Print and on the Web – Santa’s elves | | Camarillo Acorn | | Camarillo Acorn
- @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-12-10 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-12-10 #tcot #catcot
- Feds crack down on HCG weight loss claims – latimes.com – Firms warned by Feds over sale of weight-loss hormone HCG
- Poll Watch: Americans Health Habits Decline as Winter Approaches | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Poll Watch: Americans Health Habits Decline as Winter Approaches
- Santa’s elves | www.thecamarilloacorn.com | Camarillo Acorn | www.thecamarilloacorn.com | Camarillo Acorn – Congressman Elton Gallegly and friends deliver toys to local military families #catcot #tcot #cagop
- Like Father, Like Daughters – Charles C. W. Cooke – National Review Online – OUCH |Like Father, Like Daughters Jon Huntsman’s girls merely amplify his nondescript persona #tcot
- Americans Set “Rich” Threshold at $150,000 in Annual Income – Americans Set “Rich” Threshold at $150,000 in Annual Income
- Is Perry Moving Up in Iowa? – Is Perry Moving Up in Iowa?
- Austin dentist gets 5 years for child porn possession |
kvue.com Austin – Austin dentist gets 5 years for child porn possession - Americans Favor Televising Supreme Court Healthcare Case – RT @gallupnews: Americans Favor Televising Supreme Court Healthcare Case… #Supremecourt #Healthcare #Gallup
- PSA testing: Information is better than ignorance – RT @kevinmd: PSA testing: Information is better than ignorance
- Dilbert December 9, 2011 – Wrong Side » Flap’s California Blog – Dilbert December 9, 2011 – Wrong Side
- The Morning Flap: December 9, 2011 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – The Morning Flap: December 9, 2011 #tcot #catcot
- U.S. Supreme Court blocks court-drawn Texas map in win for Republicans – The U.S. Supreme Court has again thrown Texas’s new congressional map into a state of flux, temporarily blocking a court-drawn redistricting map late Friday and announcing that it would rule on the constitutionality of the map early next year.
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Flap’s Links and Comments for September 20th through September 23rd
These are my links for September 20th through September 23rd:
- South Carolina Boeing factory turns sour for Obama – In many ways, Boeing should be a boon to President Barack Obama. In a faltering economy, the aerospace titan opened a $750 million factory in South Carolina and hired thousands of workers to build the world’s most fuel-efficient commercial jet.
But instead, it’s become a drag on his job creation agenda and a boon for candidates seeking the GOP presidential nomination.
In a case that has become a cause célèbre among Republican lawmakers and 2012 hopefuls, the National Labor Relations Board has accused Boeing of opening its South Carolina shop in a “right-to-work” state to retaliate against union worker strikes at its main manufacturing base in the Seattle area. An Obama appointee is now asking a judge to order Boeing to relocate all 787 Dreamliner production to Washington state — a move that’s feeding the GOP narrative that Obama’s Big Government is meddling with job creation, just as the first plane nears its first commercial flight.
“It’s like a lightning rod,” said Gary Chaison, an industrial relations professor at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. “The Boeing case is so dramatic. All the anti-union forces and all anti-Obama people are coalescing.”
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Read it all
- Challenging the NLRB: Pushing back – As the Obama-anointed National Labor Relations Board pushes its unrelenting pro-union agenda, manufacturers and businesses aren't waiting for Congress to act before pushing back.
The National Association of Manufacturers, 11,000 members strong, is suing the NLRB in U.S. District Court over a union-toadying regulation that, effective Nov. 14, requires most businesses to post notices informing workers of their right to unionize.
NAM President Jay Timmons tells The Hill newspaper that the NLRB is acting outside its authority to aggressively "insert itself in the day-to-day decisions of businesses."
And with the National Federation of Independent Business, the manufacturers group has launched an ad campaign urging Congress to stem the NLRB's meddling in where businesses choose to operate. This, in response to the board's crusade against Boeing's decision to build a new jetliner factory in right-to-work South Carolina.
The business groups' timing couldn't be more apropos. As President Obama shifts into overdrive urging businesses to hire, they've responded with a clarion call of their own for Mr. Obama and his NLRB enforcers: "Get off our backs!"
What's clear from this rebuke is that Obama's pander to Big Labor via the NLRB won't carry him or his big-spending jobs scheme.
- NLRB Has Busy Week on Defense – The folks at the National Labor Relations Board could be forgiven for feeling like pinatas this week.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday sued to block an NLRB rule requiring employers to post notice about unionization rights. Rep. Austin Scott (R., Ga.) on Wednesday introduced a bill, the Protecting American Jobs Act, to strip the agency of its judicial powers and send certain cases straight to federal court. That would “depoliticize” the agency, Mr. Scott said.
On Thursday, it was time for a fourth House hearing to scrutinize the board. Rep. John Kline (R., Minn.), chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, said the board’s aim was to “expand the power of big labor … whatever the costs to the American people.”
The panel’s top Democrat, Rep. George Miller of California, sounded weary. “This hearing has pointed out a number of redundancies of previous hearings,” he said.
The hearing included discussion of several labor-friendly rulings the NLRB made last month (see this WSJ story) and the agency’s allegations against Boeing Co. involving nonunion jobs at the plane maker’s South Carolina plant.
Mr. Kline said Republicans won’t cease attacks on an agency that he said is boosting employer costs and discouraging job creation.
The NLRB’s recently appointed chairman, Mark Pearce, issued a statement shortly after the hearing saying the board is working “in a fair and even-handed way” to “protect worker free choice, promote collective bargaining and preserve labor peace.”
- Who Benefited from Job Growth In Texas? – This analysis shows that job growth was significant in Texas. But, depending on how one calculates the impact of immigration, between 2007, before the recession began, and 2011 more than three-quarters or more than half of that growth went to immigrants. This is the case even though the native-born accounted for more than two-thirds of the growth in the working-age population. Some may argue that it was because so many immigrants arrived in Texas that there was job growth in the state. But if immigration does stimulate job growth for natives, the numbers in Texas would be expected to look very different. The unemployment rate and the employment rate show a dramatic deterioration in the Texas for the native-born that was similar to the rest of the country. Moreover, if immigration does stimulate job growth for natives, why have states that received so many new immigrants done so poorly in recent years? (See Table 2.) For example, unemployment in the top-10 immigrant-receiving states in 2011 averaged 8.7 percent, compared to 8.1 percent in the other 40 states. Moreover, unemployment is 7.2 percent on average in the 10 states where the fewest immigrants arrived since 2007. These figures do not settle the debate over the economics of immigration. What they do show is that high immigration can go hand in hand with very negative labor market outcomes for the native-born. And conversely the native-born can do relatively well in areas of lower immigration.
There is a long and complex debate among economists about whether the native-born population benefits economically from immigration, which cannot be settled here. There is also significant debate about whether the impact of immigration can be measured by comparing different parts of the country that have varying levels of immigration. What we can say about Texas is that there has been significant job growth in the state since 2007, and that immigrants (particularly newly arrived non-citizens) were the primary beneficiaries of this growth. This is an important finding and should be part of any discussion of the performance of the Texas economy.
- President 2012: Fox News/ Google Sponsored GOP Debate at 6 PM PDT | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – GOP Presidential debate sponsored by Google and Fox News coming up at 6 PM
: - Dilbert September 22, 2011 – Eternity » Flap’s California Blog – Not the wedgie for eternity…….
: - Daniels Pushing Christie Presidential Run | The Weekly Standard – RT @weeklystandard: Daniels Pushing Christie Run: Via Politico, the AP reports: Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey
- Texas Republicans warming up to Perry bid – Public Policy Polling – RT @ppppolls: Perry leads the GOP field in TX with 49% to 10% for Romney, 8% 4 Gingrich, 7% 4 Bachmann/Paul/Cain:
- Cigarette Makers Go to Federal Court Over FDA Graphic Warning Ads | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Should the Food and Drug Administration be limited to text only warnings?:
- Meg Whitman Expected to Be Named Hewlett-Packard CEO After Markets Close Today » Flap’s California Blog – eMeg going to Hewlett-Packard. Wonder what Carly Fiorina thinks?:
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: September 22, 2011 – Today's health and dental headlines…..:
- Facebook Live with House Republican Leaders
– YouTube – Nice RT @katieharbath: Video: Young Guns on their visit Monday to Facebook: - Romney: Palin Candidacy ‘Would Be a Good Thing’ – Washington Wire – WSJ – Why of course – for Romney RT @WSJWashington: Romney: Palin Candidacy ‘Would Be a Good Thing’ #tcot
- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Now Wealthier Than Google Founders – Wow! RT @mashable: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Now Wealthier Than Google Founders –
- President 2012 Poll Watch: More Voters Like Mitt Romney Than President Obama or Rick Perry | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Another good poll for Mitt Romney and points to his electability.:
- Facebook and the ‘Like Me’ Election – BusinessWeek – And, the Google Plus Circle election coming?
: - Untitled (http://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/AW08qK0GhHs/hqdefault.jpg) – A very good political ad from Ron Paul…..
: - President 2012 GOP Florida Poll Watch: Perry 31% Vs. Romney 22% But Romney 47% Vs. Obama 40% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Perry Leads Romney in Florida But Romney Leads Obama – tonight's debate a decider?:
- Day By Day September 22, 2011 – Burn Notice | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – The McGinniss book on Sarah Palin is the REAL burn…..:
- Issa endorses Romney – The Hill’s Ballot Box – RT @thehill Rep. Issa endorses Mitt Romney
#cagop #catcot #tcot - Intrade – Sarah Palin to be Republican Presidential Nominee in 2012 is 8.8% probable – RT @JimPethokoukis: Growl! | Sarah Palin 2012 contract on Intrade rockets 226% to 20.9% Romney 36.5% , Perry 33.8%
- CA-Sen: Michael Reagan Says He Is NOT Considering A Run for U.S. Senate » Flap’s California Blog – CA-Sen: Michael Reagan Says He Is NOT Considering A Run for U.S. Senate
- Dilbert September 21, 2011 – Fail » Flap’s California Blog – Dilbert September 21, 2011 – Fail
- Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. – Newsroom – California Governor Jerry Brown took action on the following bills today: #catcot #cagop
- Poll Watch: Americans By a Small Majority Blame Obama for the Economy – But Still Blame Bush More | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Poll Watch: Americans By a Small Majority Blame Obama for the Economy – But Still Blame Bush More #tcot #catcot
- Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman to Hewlett-Packard? » Flap’s California Blog – Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman to Hewlett-Packard?
- Ventura County Star Poll: Should Rep. Elton Gallegly Retire? The Results = NO | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – The results are pretty clear: Rep. Elton Gallegly should NOT retire from the House in 2012.:
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Jeff Galloway: Why is the Half Marathon So Popular? – I like the Half Marathon – Marathons too!:
- President 2012 GOP Poll Watch: Rick Perry 28% Vs. Mitt Romney 24% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Perry is up only by 4 points in this national poll. Rest of the candidates start to fade.:
- Does Cessation of Smoking Boost Everyday Memory? | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Does Cessation of Smoking Boost Everyday Memory?
- Untitled (http://www.vcstar.com/) – Hey Tweeps and FB's go here and vote NO on a Rep. Elton Gallegly retirement (half way down the page): #cagop #catcot
- Gregory Flap Cole – Google+ – Tweeps – please add @Flap to your Google Plus circles: and Facebook: #tcot #teaparty #catcot
- Ventura County Star Poll: Should Rep. Elton Gallegly Retire? Vote NO | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Vote NO on a Rep. Elton Gallegly retirement. Go to the Ventura County Star and vote.:
- Video: President Obama’s Summer Assault on American Jobs | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Video: President Obama’s Summer Assault on American Jobs #tcot #catcot
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: September 21, 2011 – A collection of dentistry and health related links/comments for your day.
: - Flap’s California Morning Collection September 21, 2011 » Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Morning Collection September 21, 2011
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Gregory Flap Cole on Social Media: September 21, 2011 Edition – Gregory Flap Cole on Social Media: September 21, 2011 Edition
- President 2012 GOP Florida Poll Watch: Rick Perry 25% Vs. Mitt Romney 25% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Latest GOP Poll in Florida and we are all tied up….:
- Day By Day September 21, 2011 – Never Again | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Is Sarah Palin in or out? We will know soon = October 1:
- @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-09-21 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-09-21 #tcot #catcot
- President 2012 Poll Watch: Obama 49% Vs Palin 44% | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – By a margin of 49 percent to 36 percent, voters said they definitely plan to vote against Obama -one term President
: - California # 1 on Worst Business Climate List Again » Flap’s California Blog – California # 1 on Worst Business Climate List Again
- Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Can the Use of Dietary Supplements Cause Athletes to Fail Drug Tests? – Can the Use of Dietary Supplements Cause Athletes to Fail Drug Tests?
- Gregory Flap Cole on Social Media: September 20, 2011 Edition | Smiles For A Lifetime – Temporary (Locum Tenens) Dentistry – Gregory Flap Cole on Social Media: September 20, 2011 Edition
- Gregory Flap Cole on Social Media: September 20, 2011 Edition | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Gregory Flap Cole on Social Media: September 20, 2011 Edition #tcot #catcot
- Robert Scoble – Google+ – Why I am still betting my future on Google+
If you haven’t…
– Why I am still betting my future on Google+If you haven't noticed yet, my blog at isn't the sa… - Scobleizer — Searching for world-changing technology – Why I am still betting my future on Google+If you haven't noticed yet, my blog at isn't the sa…
- Gregory Flap Cole – Google+ – Wow! Starbucks AND Angry Birds! – Wow! Starbucks AND Angry Birds!
- Robert Scoble – Google+ – Facebook just announced new features
These have deep…
– Facebook just announced new featuresThese have deep implications for the war over our social behaviors I call the "G.. - Gregory Flap Cole – Google+ – Everyone can join Google Plus now: Add me to your circles here: #tcot #teaparty
- South Carolina Boeing factory turns sour for Obama – In many ways, Boeing should be a boon to President Barack Obama. In a faltering economy, the aerospace titan opened a $750 million factory in South Carolina and hired thousands of workers to build the world’s most fuel-efficient commercial jet.