July 8, 2014 - Pensito

The Imagination Coronation

July 8, 2014 Buck Banks

A king commanding Congress — an image quite surreal!
Though it’s a tempting fantasy, to see John Boehner kneel.
But a couple of executive actions
Don’t quite give us satisfaction,
And there’s not much about Obama that looks at all “imperial.”

Palin Hints She’d Like to Have a Political Talk Show

July 8, 2014 Buck Banks

But the politics would have to be interspersed with a whole lot of fun and real life and inspiration showcasing American work ethic, because those topics are all pretty much the antithesis of today’s politics, which I find incorrigibly disastrous! It’d be so much fun to shake it up taking on issues that make audiences objectively consider all sides, and I’d do it with my own real-life groundedness, candor and commonsense that I’m known for. Media needs that today, versus the condescension that oozes from TV and radio… You know, someone willing to go rogue.

— Former vice president candidate and now nobody Sarah Palin, telling the Hollywood Reporter that she might be interested in hosting a political talk show.

Most Americans Favor Obama’s Iraq Withdrawal

July 8, 2014 Buck Banks

58%

Of Americans believe President Obama’s decision to withdraw troops from Iraq in 2011 was the right thing to do, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. In contrast, 61% said that George W. Bush’s decision to invade in 2003 was the wrong thing to do and 51% of voters blame Bush for the current problems in Iraq.

Reid Accuses Republicans of Stalling Until Midterms

July 8, 2014 Buck Banks

It appears that the Republicans in the Senate have intentionally left on the emergency break.

— Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), quoted by The Hill, adding that Republicans are trying to “run out the clock” before the November elections in order to make Democrats look bad.

House to Spend More than $3 million on Benghazi Investigation

July 8, 2014 Buck Banks

$3.3 million

Amount House Republicans are planning to spend for this year’s operations of the special committee they created in May to investigate the September 2012 Benghazi attacks, a bigger budget than the House Veterans Affairs and Ethics committees were given this year, USA Today reports.

Indonesian Presidential Vote Copuld Lead to Unrest

July 8, 2014July 8, 2014 Buck Banks

190 million

“… Indonesians will cast ballots in a tightly contested presidential race Wednesday, with questions mounting about whether one candidate can win convincingly enough to stave off vote challenges and unrest over ambiguous results,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Pollsters say the race is too close to call between candidates with starkly different leadership styles and backgrounds: Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, a former army general under the late authoritarian ruler Suharto.”

Solar Freakin’ Roadways Can Change the World

July 8, 2014July 8, 2014 Trish

If you’re down in the dumps and worried, feeling like we might be witnessing the end of the world as we’ve known it and there’s nothing we can really do about global warming and climate change, then you’ve got to watch this video. Seriously. Watch it now.

Obama Derangement Syndrome Alive and Well in Nebraska

July 8, 2014 Buck Banks

Obama Library Float — The epitome of Cornhusker political commentary: A zombie president effigy, overalls and an outhouse.

What’s a Fourth of July parade in Norfolk, Neb., without a racist, redneck float? The epitome of Cornhusker political commentary featured a pickup truck with a zombielike effigy of President Obama in overalls outside an outhouse with the words “Obama Presidential Library” on it.

To their credit, the commentators did spell all the words correctly, which means they are probably not Tea Party members.

The float apparently was approved by the parade organizers, the Odd Fellows Club, since it had an official float number in the windshield.

[…]

Day: July 8, 2014

The Imagination Coronation

Palin Hints She’d Like to Have a Political Talk Show

— Former vice president candidate and now nobody Sarah Palin, telling the Hollywood Reporter that she might be interested in hosting a political talk show.

Most Americans Favor Obama’s Iraq Withdrawal

58%

Reid Accuses Republicans of Stalling Until Midterms

It appears that the Republicans in the Senate have intentionally left on the emergency break.

— Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), quoted by The Hill, adding that Republicans are trying to “run out the clock” before the November elections in order to make Democrats look bad.

House to Spend More than $3 million on Benghazi Investigation

$3.3 million

Amount House Republicans are planning to spend for this year’s operations of the special committee they created in May to investigate the September 2012 Benghazi attacks, a bigger budget than the House Veterans Affairs and Ethics committees were given this year, USA Today reports.

Indonesian Presidential Vote Copuld Lead to Unrest

190 million

Solar Freakin’ Roadways Can Change the World

Obama Derangement Syndrome Alive and Well in Nebraska

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“They’ve invested heavily in AI labs. They’ve invested heavily in data centers. So, the first family has a financial stake in this industry, and as a result, the president of the United States is compromised.”

— “Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on Monday said President Trump will likely not heed calls from technology leaders to implement guardrails on the development of artificial intelligence because of his family’s investments in the industry,” NewsNation reports.

— Jane Haman

“We’re working through some political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the end state. They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards.”

— Jared Kushner, quoted by CBS News, on the lack of progress in Gaza.

Numerati

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.

$184 million

50%

38%

31%