May 2014 - Page 7 of 8

A Pointless Poll

May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 Buck Banks

CNN says the GOP leads by one point,
Putting upon it way too fine a point.
Is it just for the ratings
Or just Democrat baiting?
Really, CNN — what’s your point?

GOP Leads by One Point in Congressional Straw Poll

May 6, 2014 Buck Banks

46% to 45%

Margin by which Republicans lead the generic congressional ballot among registered voters, a new CNN/ORC International poll finds.

Lewinski: ‘My Boss Took Advantage of Me, But …’

May 6, 2014 Buck Banks

Sure, my boss took advantage of me, but I will always remain firm on this point: it was a consensual relationship. Any ‘abuse’ came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position.

— Monica Lewinsky, writing in Vanity Fair.

Barring Any Screw-Ups, Kerry Has 2.75 Years Left as SecState

May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 Buck Banks

I only have two years and three quarters left as the Secretary, provided I don’t screw up in the next few months.

— Secretary of State John Kerry, quoted by the Weekly Standard.

Republican Proposes Republicans Propose Solutions

May 6, 2014 Buck Banks

Instead of people talking about problems all the time, I think the better exercise is: If you don’t like it, what would you propose instead?”

— Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on the GOP opposition to Obamacare.

Perry: Execution ‘Botched,’ Not ‘Inhumane’

May 5, 2014 Buck Banks

I don’t know whether it was inhumane or not, but it was botched.

— Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), quoted by The Hill, on Oklahoma’s trouble carrying out the death penalty last week for a convicted murderer.

Super Donor Avoids Meeting ‘Disappointing’ Candidates and Politicians

May 5, 2014 Buck Banks

I go out of my way to avoid meeting candidates and politicians. All too often, these people are so disappointing that it’s depressing. Most of these people you meet, they’re unemployable…. It’s just easier not to know.

— GOP super donor John Jordan, quoted by National Journal.

Blame Obama: Uninsured Rate Sinking Like a Stone

May 5, 2014May 5, 2014 Trish

Since healthcare is one of the few parts of the economy not yet easily outsourced overseas, the numbers mean economic growth across the board

A new Gallup/Healthways survey shows the number of uninsured has fallen to pre-recession levels, before so many Americans lost not only their jobs but their health insurance too.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but it wasn’t this way less than a year ago, even though the economy has long been picking up steam and employment continues to increase. Rather, at the end of last summer, the uninsured rate was about 18 percent, compared to 13.4 percent today.

What I’m trying to say is: Obamacare, Obamacare, Obamacare.

[…]

Fewer Americans Don’t Have Health Insurance

May 5, 2014 Buck Banks

13.4%

The percentage of U.S. adults without health insurance in April, compared with 15.6% in the first quarter of 2014 and 17.1% in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to Gallup. The rate dropped most among blacks, Hispanics, and lower-income Americans.

Not Sold on Hillary? It Wouldn’t Be the First Time

May 4, 2014 Trish

The air of inevitability surrounding Hillary Clinton is unlike anything we’ve ever seen – since 2008, that is — when she was also considered inevitable. Then a first-term Senator from Illinois came along, and we know how that story ended.

— Gwen Ifill, anchor on the PBS Newshour, in a blog post titled, “Beware The Clickbait (Or Why There’s Always More To The Story), which is pretty self-explanatory.

46% to 45%

Margin by which Republicans lead the generic congressional ballot among registered voters, a new CNN/ORC International poll finds.

Sure, my boss took advantage of me, but I will always remain firm on this point: it was a consensual relationship. Any ‘abuse’ came in the aftermath, when I was made a scapegoat in order to protect his powerful position.

— Monica Lewinsky, writing in Vanity Fair.

I only have two years and three quarters left as the Secretary, provided I don’t screw up in the next few months.

— Secretary of State John Kerry, quoted by the Weekly Standard.

Instead of people talking about problems all the time, I think the better exercise is: If you don’t like it, what would you propose instead?”

— Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on the GOP opposition to Obamacare.

I don’t know whether it was inhumane or not, but it was botched.

— Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), quoted by The Hill, on Oklahoma’s trouble carrying out the death penalty last week for a convicted murderer.

I go out of my way to avoid meeting candidates and politicians. All too often, these people are so disappointing that it’s depressing. Most of these people you meet, they’re unemployable…. It’s just easier not to know.

— GOP super donor John Jordan, quoted by National Journal.

13.4%

The percentage of U.S. adults without health insurance in April, compared with 15.6% in the first quarter of 2014 and 17.1% in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to Gallup. The rate dropped most among blacks, Hispanics, and lower-income Americans.

The air of inevitability surrounding Hillary Clinton is unlike anything we’ve ever seen – since 2008, that is — when she was also considered inevitable. Then a first-term Senator from Illinois came along, and we know how that story ended.

— Gwen Ifill, anchor on the PBS Newshour, in a blog post titled, “Beware The Clickbait (Or Why There’s Always More To The Story), which is pretty self-explanatory.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“If you are committing fraud against the American people, all of us in public leadership should be trying to stop it and throw you in prison for enriching yourself off the American taxpayer.”

— Vice President JD Vance, on Fox News.

“Your generation has a great bullshit meter, because you’re fed bullshit online all day. And the Democratic Party brand right now is so bullshit.”

— Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D), quoted by The Atlantic, speaking to college students.

“We are done, Americans are done with endless conflict in the Middle East, spending trillions of dollars, American lives… this is insane and we have to call it for what it is.”

— Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), on CNN.

Numerati

+175,000

“The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas during President Donald Trump’s administration so far,” Fox News reports.

$4,600

11

30%

A new American Research Group poll finds just 30% of Americans say they approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president and 67% say they disapprove.

61% to 35%