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Joe Biden Gaffe Watch: Gimme a F*&k%$g Break
Vice President Joe Biden announced today that Amtrak will receive $1.3 billion in grant funding from the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand passenger rail capacity.At an event at Union Station today where Vice President Joe Biden was heralding the $1.3 billion in investments in rebuilding train stations and passenger rails, a microphone picked up one of the former senator’s myriad Senate colleagues addressing him, formally, as “Mr. Vice President.”
That met with Vice President Biden’s standard reply.
“Gimme a f*&$#ing break,” he said, apparently unaware that the microphone was on.
The audio is here.
Technorati Tags: Joe Biden
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Justice Ginsburg Hints of Supreme Court Vacancy
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks to students at New England Law School in Boston Friday, March 13, 2009. Ginsburg said advice and camaraderie from her fellow justices have helped her in her fight against pancreatic cancer. The 75-year-old had surgery last month to remove a small malignant tumor but returned to the bench without missing a day of work.
United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hinted today that there may be soon a vacancy on the nation’s highest court.Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told law students there could be an opening on the Supreme Court soon but didn’t hint at who might be leaving.
Ginsburg spoke Friday at New England Law’s annual “Law Day.”
In a question-and-answer session, she said the nine justices only take pictures together when a new member is added. She said: “We haven’t had any of those for some time, but surely we will soon.”
Of course, it depends upon the definition of soon. But, Justice Ginsburg is recovering from pancreatic cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and could possibly be contemplating retirement. She is 75.
Politically, Ginsburg one of the most left-leaning Justices could be reassured that President Obama could appoint and obtain confirmation from another committed “Traveller” since the Democrat Party enjoys a near veto proof majority in the United States Senate. This could change in 2010 – so a window of opportunity may exist now.
Stay tuned……
Technorati Tags: Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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Jon Stewart Hammers Jim Cramer on The Daily Show – What About Bush?
Cramer vs. Stewart: ‘Mad Money’ Host Faces Multiple Slams in ‘Daily Show’ ShowdownNow the discussion about the economic meltdown is about the greed and corruption of Wall Street and NOT Boooooosssh. Why is it not focusing on the Obama Administration’s attempt at a solution?
By spending $Trillions……..
No, Stewart who is a left-wing supporter of “The One” would rather focus on Cramer.
Jon Stewart hammered Jim Cramer and his network, CNBC, in their anticipated face-off on “The Daily Show,” repeatedly chastising the “Mad Money” host for putting entertainment above journalism.
“I understand that you want to make finance entertaining, but it’s not a … game,” Stewart told Cramer, adding in an expletive during the show’s Thursday taping. The episode was scheduled to air at 11 p.m. EDT on Comedy Central.
It was perhaps the hardest lashing Stewart has given to a TV commentator since 2004 when he called Tucker Carlson and his then co-host Paul Begala “partisan hacks” on CNN’s “Crossfire,” the since canceled political commentary program.
How relevant is this?
Technorati Tags: Jon Stewart, Jim Cramer, George W. Bush
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Japan Threatens to Shoot Down North Korean Missile
Japan today threatened to shoot down a North Korean missile or “SATELLITE LAUNCHER.”
Tokyo’s warning that it would deploy its multibillion-dollar missile defence system raised tensions in the region after North Korea said that it had identified a potential “danger area” near Japanese territory along the rocket’s flight path.
The regime told the International Maritime Organisation that the missile would be launched during daylight between 4 and 8 April, and that its boosters would fall into the Sea of Japan – about 75 miles (120km) from Japan’s north-west coast – and the Pacific Ocean.
Officials in Tokyo said they reserved the right to destroy any threatening object in mid-flight, despite North Korean warnings that it would consider such a move an act of war.
“Under our law, we can intercept any object if it is falling towards Japan, including any attacks on Japan, for our security,” Takeo Kawamura, the chief cabinet secretary, told reporters.
This North Korean satellite launcher is widely suspected to be a test of a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile with a range that threatens Alaska and Hawaii.
The Taepodong-2 long-range missile is estimated to have a range of between 5,000 and 6,000 km, putting Alaska, Hawaii and parts of the west coast of the US within range.
But the first launch of the missile, in July 2006, appeared to be a failure after it crashed within seconds of launch – according to US sources.
If the missile was successfully launched, it is not thought to be particularly accurate or to be able to carry a large warhead.
Like the Taepodong-1, it requires a fixed launch site.
The Taepodong-2 test took place from the Musudan-ri complex on the East coast of the Korean peninsula. Analysis of satellite images of the area appear to show a range of missile fabrication, fuelling, testing and control facilities.
Japan’s threat is not surprising but the United States has their missile defense Aegis fleet in position and they have been conducting joint-training exercises.In a move to strengthen its missile defense against North Korean missile threats, the U.S. Navy has deployed more warships equipped with the Aegis Combat System for this year’s Key Resolve/Foal Eagle joint military exercises with South Korean forces than it did before, according to a news report.
According to the report, the U.S. Navy dispatched seven of its Aegis warships to the eastern coast of Korea to conduct exercises with South Korea’s 7,600-ton Sejong the Great Aegis destroyer during the annual combined command-post/joint field training exercises March 9-20.
Officials of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) declined to comment on the report, citing the issue’s sensitivity.
The Aegis warships, used in intercepting high-flying ballistic missiles with advanced SM-2 or SM-3 ship-to-air missiles, are part of the U.S. multi-layered missile defense shield. The Aegis system built by Lockheed Martin is the world’s premier surface-to-air/fire-control system, capable of simultaneous operations against aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, ships and submarines.
Should North Korea proceed with the test either Japan or the United States WILL attempt to shoot down the missile.
North Korea’s last test failed or so it is reported. Flap always suspected espionage or successful deployment of a stealth missile defense as the reason for failure.
Exit question: Will North Korea which has certainly received the attention of the new American President push the envelope?
Technorati Tags: North Korea, Missile Defense
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Day By Day by Chris Muir March 13, 2009 – Experience Needed
Day By Day by Chris MuirFlap does not think the “TAX CHEAT” issue or GOP hype of same is the real reason why Barack Obama is having trouble filling administration positions.No one is a Saint with regards to the IRS and the U.S. Senate has NOT made back taxes a deal breaker on the path to confirmation – for example, Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury.
But, let’s look at a couple of the folks who withdrew their nominations e.g. Tom Daschle and Bill Richardson. There is an underlying issue of corruption and inapprpriate use of government influence/resources in each case. Plus, their nominations were withdrawn by themselves (really Obama pressure) before they were considered by the Senate.
The Obama Administration needs to stop moaning about Republican obstructionism, find some good political appointees and get the Treasury Department staffed at appropriate levels.
Previous:
Technorati Tags: Day By Day, Barack Obama, Timothy Geithner
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links for 2009-03-13
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took dead aim Thursday at potential foes to a budget-related ballot measure he wants voters to pass in May.
In a speech at the Commonwealth Club of California, Schwarzenegger said "special interests" are trying to derail Proposition 1A, which would limit spending in good years but also extend a series of temporary tax increases. So far, no coordinated opposition has formed, but labor unions are discussing whether to mount an attack.
"And the very interests, the far left and the far right, that prefer dysfunction over change have already launched a campaign to confuse the people and to defeat the reform," Schwarzenegger told the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. "But this time they are not going to be successful."
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These balloot propositions of Arnold's are DOA in the May Special election. -
A pair of Republican activists has opened a campaign committee to recall Assemblyman Anthony Adams, chairman of the San Bernardino County GOP.
The main name on the Committee to Recall Adams is David Bauer of Sacramento. Last year, Bauer was campaign treasurer for Rep. Tom McClintock during the hard-fought race in Northern California's 4th Congressional District.
Bauer also is the chief financial officer of JohnsonClark Associates, a statewide campaign-consulting firm based in Sacramento.
That would be the same JohnsonClark that has overseen Adams' past campaigns and would be leading the fight against any recall effort.
That should make for some interesting conversations around the water cooler.
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So what can Steele do in the near-term?
His advisers say he's going to shut up for a while. (They note that the GQ interview took place two weeks ago.) Steele is very confident, and he treats on-the-record interviews as if he were speaking off the record… or as if he were speaking as a Fox News commentator. The truth is that the only relevant people listening to Steele's GQ-type interviews are pro-life activists who want to find something to object to. I am told that Steele understands this now.
He's also going to focus on the party itself; watch for a series of announcements about team members over the next few days.
And he's going to focus on fundraising. He's yet to name a finance director; perhaps more pressing is a finance chairman – the person who can get other major donors to Steele's side.
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He better hurry. -
As I reported (yeah, we can do that, too, MSM), one of the most notable e-mail exchanges I found in the docs (which was not spotlighted in JW’s release, but could be found by anyone who actually clicked through on JW’s site to the actual records) dealt with Pelosi’s absurd demand in December 2008 (that’s just three months ago, not “early in her tenureâ€) that the military move her jet from San Francisco airport to Travis Air Force base (where she had “business†and where she just so happens to have a country home nearby in Napa 30 minutes away!) Queen Pelosi didn’t want to drive 1.5 hours. She demanded that the military come to her. DoD officials pointed out that this had never been done before — not even for the Defense Secretary.
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Michael Steele's days are numbered,†Rendell said. “Fortunately for us, his days are numbered."
ALSO:
"He's in trouble because I just think that those who control the Republican Party don't want a big tent," Rendell told reporters during a lunch hosted the Christian Science Monitor.
Rendell, a past chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said he believes the approaching special election in New York's 20th Congressional District – to replace Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed senator – is not likely a make-or-break event for Steele, whom Rendell said also faces more fundamental problems.
"I don't know if they want a chairman who is basically pro-choice," Rendell said, referring to an answer Steele gave to GQ magazine in which he described abortion as an “individual choice."
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Palin will attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind., on April 16, Stapleton said. Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele will be a speaker at that "Freedom for Life" banquet, and a major Christian musician, Matthew West, will perform, according to the Web site for the event.
The banquet, established in the late 1980s, has become known nationwide and typically draws around 2,000 people.
The governor also will attend a celebration of special needs children in Indiana on the same trip, Stapleton said. That event is by the group S.M.I.L.E. on Down Syndrome.
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RNC Chairman Michael Steele said today that despite telling an interviewer he supports "individual choice" and state-level decisions on abortion, he in fact opposes abortion and supports a Constitutional ban.
Steele said in a statement through an RNC spokesman:
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Governornator urges constituents to support budget reform on the ballot in May in Thursday address to the Commonwealth Club Of California.
"Never again do we want to find ourselves wandering around in another $42 billion Valley of Doom."
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