Month: August 2010
Verbatim
The president is obviously — he’s Christian. He prays every day. He communicates with his religious adviser every single day. There’s a group of pastors that he takes counsel from on a regular basis. His faith is very important to him but it’s not something that’s a topic of conversation every single day.
— White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, defending President Obama’s faith.
RNC Goes Into Debt During July
$2.2 million
— The amount of debt the Republican National Committee revealed in its July fundraising report. The RNC started the month with $10.8 million in cash on hand, received $5.5 million in contributions, and spent $11.1 million, leaving $5.2 million in cash on hand and the aforementioned debt. CNN noted that the press releases and fanfare normally associated with RNC fundraising announcements were absent this month, as the organization attempted to keep the bad news on the down-low.
Verbatim
It’s a loser issue — they have a big L on their foreheads. If that’s all they’ve got, it’s a pretty good indication of the problems that the Democrats face in 2010.
— Jeb Bush, quoted by the New York Times, on Democrats trying to use his brother, former President George W. Bush, as a campaign issue this year.
Hydrophobics Chronicles: Bad Bats, Unfriendly Foxes and Rabid Racoons
I like to read Pro-MED, the newsletter of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, to learn what deadly diseases are circulating around the planet.
Today’s newsletter offers news stories about incidents involving rabies in Virginia, Idaho, South Carolina, Montana and Florida. These stories have a real Americana feel to them, with unintended humor and commentary by Pro-MED moderators. However, these are not tales about the cute, clever, endearing critters found in children’s books — these are crazed, deadly, demons with saliva that can rot your brain. Enjoy!
Chesterfield County authorities say a cat that was attacked by a rabid raccoon has been euthanized. Chesterfield County police say the cat fled after he was attacked last week. The raccoon later tested positive for rabies. The cat eventually returned home with severe injuries. Because it had not been vaccinated, the cat was euthanized in accordance with state law.
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The state Department of Health and Welfare says a boy was scratched by a rabid bat while swimming at a pond in southwestern Idaho earlier this week.
The agency says the child, who was visiting from Oregon, is undergoing treatment for exposure to rabies, which can cause a deadly viral illness without medical attention.
Bats are the only animals in Idaho known to naturally carry the rabies virus. The bat that scratched the Oregon boy is the 3rd in Idaho to test positive for rabies this year. Last year, 8 bats tested positive for rabies in Idaho.
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[…]
A Modern Inquisition
Poor Prez Obama, he can’t catch a break.
They say he’s Muslim, that his faith is fake.
But one religious tradition
Would prove he’s a Christian —
Let’s scourge him, then burn him at the stake!
Recap of Republican Disinformation Points on Manhattan Islamic Center, Courtesy of Florida Governor Candidate
Disgraced HCA Columbia Healthcare CEO Rick Scott (who was forced to resign rather than face criminal charges in the nation’s largest Medicaid fraud case, resulting in a $1.7 billion fine) sums up all the Republican lies about the Islamic Center in New York in one TV spot, going FOX News one better by tying construction of the facility to health care reform. Why Scott, who is running for governor of Florida — a state which will have little if any say in the issue — would chose this as a campaign platform is unclear.
