A Floridian’s Lament
Legislators are wrapping it up in Tallahassee,
And for 60 days they’ve been kept mighty busy.
But between higher speed limits
And arming Cracker dimwits,
Somehow I feel my lawmakers are just out to kill me.
Year: 2014
Miami Lawmaker Wants to Protect Floridians Against a Zombie Apocalypse
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: I’m thankful that the Florida legislature only convenes 60 days a year — think of the mischief lawmakers could do if they were in session more than two months!
Fortunately, the 2014 session thankfully ends tomorrow. But the mischief ain’t done yet.
Odds Are, Even if You’re a Democrat, You Agree with Former First Lady Barbara Bush on This One Thing
For all the media attention bestowed upon the younger son of Pres. George H.W. Bush, most of us agree with his mom. A new poll shows we don’t want Jeb Bush to run for president in 2016.
The WSJ/NBC poll asked Americans if they agree with a statement by former First Lady Barbara Bush…In January, Mrs. Bush told C-Span that there are “more than two or three families” that should seek high office.
It turns out that most people agree – some 69%.
The desire for new faces runs stronger among Republicans than Democrats. Some 77% of Republicans agree with Mrs. Bush, compared to 67% of Democrats. But the desire for something different cuts across virtually all income levels and demographics.
While Mama Bush’s statements apply to the Clinton family as well, former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton polls higher within her base than former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush does in his.
Dick Morris Gets It Wrong — Again
Of the defeated candidates left over from 2012, Santorum is probably too focused on social issues to win. Cain and Bachmann can be dismissed as flashes in the pan and the problems that knocked them out of contention have not gone away. Romney probably won’t get a third chance. Even Nixon only got two. Newt inflicted too many wounds on others and on himself. … That leaves Rick Perry. Acceptable to Latinos based on his Texas record. Draws strong Tea Party support without being defined by it. A southerner, he is clearly ready to play on the national stage. A big state governor whose record on jobs has only gotten better. He can’t be dismissed.
— Dick Morris, writing for NewsMax.
Senate Campaigns Dominated by Ads from Outside Groups
59%
Of the television ads in Senate campaigns this year were paid for by outside groups, a Wesleyan Media Project analysis found. Key finding: 67% of ads favoring Republican Senate candidates were aired by outside groups, compared to 49% of the ads favoring Democratic Senate candidates.
Clinton Sums Up the Political Media
If a policymaker is a political leader and is covered primarily by the political press, there is a craving that borders on addictive to have a storyline,” Clinton said. “And then once people settle on the storyline, there is a craving that borders on blindness to shoehorn every fact, every development, every thing that happens into the story line, even if it’s not the story.
— Bill Clinton, quoted by the Washington Post.
Violence Cost the World $9.46 Trillion in 2012
$9.46 trillion
Cost to the world in 2012 of creating violence of various kinds and then attempting to contain and quell it, according to research by the Institute for Economics and Peace, reports the Pacific Standard. That’s 11% of gross world product. By contrast, the recent financial crisis cost just 0.5% of 2009 global output.
Rushin’ the Web
Vladimir Putin’s drive to recreate the USSR ain’t over yet.
To those who say get out of Ukraine, he says “Nyet!”
But if you think that’s bad,
Keep an eye on sly Vlad —
Word is, he also wants to break up the Internet.
