Reason Morning Links: Poverty Goes Up, ACORN Workers Fall Down, Faith-Based Initiatives Stay Level

- America's poverty rate hits an 11-year high.

- Barack Obama makes Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives his own.

- Cass Sunstein is confirmed as director of regulatory affairs.

- Gun prices skyrocket in Afghanistan as still more election irregularities emerge.

- ACORN fires the two Baltimore employees caught in BigGovernment.com's sting.

- Glenn Beck sics his lawyers on a satirical website.

Comments

[damaged justice]

Cass Sunstein: The Most Dangerous Man In America

Sunstein would ban the eating of meat, hunting, and the private ownership of firearms. He would grant legal rights to animinals and allow attorneys for them to file lawsuits.

[Xeones]

? Barack Obama makes Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives his own.

When i said once that Barack Obama is pretty much just George Bush with a tan and better PR, i was not kidding.

[Tomcat1066]

Sunstein would ban the eating of meat, hunting, and the private ownership of firearms.

I guess he'd expect me to get my protein through soy, huh?

It's just a damn shame I'm allergice to soybeans! These tyrannical jackasses piss me off. They're OK with trying to kill me with malnutrition (I can only eat so much of other protein sources and still get the rest of my nutrition) so long as they get to save a fucking cow? FUCK the cows!

Of course, thanks to my private ownership of guns, this turdnugget wouldn't have the fucking guts to tell me I should be allowed to survive because my food allergy is inconvenient to his agenda.

I fucking hate people.

[ACORN]

Nothing to see here. Move along. Crackers.

[Aditya]

Another isolated incident!

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/09
/11/2009-09-11_dea_storms_wrong_apt_rattles_family.html

[J sub D]

Now that Mr. Bush is gone, however, no one seems particularly worried about the entanglement of the federal government with religious organizations.

Or the two unwinnable wars we are involved in.

Sports bar politics. Go team, go!

[SugarFree]

I'm a born-again, boot-stomping, witch-humper. Are we there yet?

[sage]

I guess he'd expect me to get my protein through soy, huh?

If that's how he gets his, you can bet he has a nice set of man boobs.

[Tomcat1066]

Yeah, but the intestinal distress and vomiting that will kick in after eating the soy would make me look more like Lindsey Lohan.

[J sub D]

"For aiding and abetting tax evasion, for aiding and abetting child prostitution ... you need the actual crime," said Armstrong, an attorney for Jones Day in New York. "That's what's missing here."

Lots of "internet predators" caught up in stings by 40 year old male LEOs will be glad to hear that.

[PantsFan]

Charlie Sheen's video message to Obama

[R C Dean]

For aiding and abetting tax evasion, for aiding and abetting child prostitution ... you need the actual crime," said Armstrong, an attorney for Jones Day in New York. "That's what's missing here.

There's tons of law on the books that says that stings by cops get around the "actual crime" requirement.

Why wouldn't that apply here?

[Nick]

From the Brickbats:

Massachusetts drivers challenged more than 250,000 traffic tickets last year. That was apparently too many for the state legislature, which imposed a $25 fee earlier this year on those who take their case to court. That fee won't be waived if a driver wins his case.

Is it wrong for me to be OK with this because it happened in Massachusetts and they kinda deserve to get screwed by the government they love so much?

[ACORN]

Because you can't say "niggers" anymore.

[Joe M]

There's tons of law on the books that says that stings by cops get around the "actual crime" requirement.

Why wouldn't that apply here?

Because cops didn't set up the sting. Only cops can fabricate pretend crimes fit for prosecution, duh!

[Kant feel Pietzsche]

Well, I guess the ACORN doesn't fall very far from the tree, eh?

[cracker]

ACORN | September 11, 2009, 9:19am | #

Nothing to see here. Move along. Crackers.

Hey Acorn, how would you like your to get your nuts crunched?

[John]

"? Barack Obama makes Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives his own."

It amazes me how people think the Republicans are the Jesus freak party. What a crock. The Dems bible thump just as much or more than the Republicans do.

[Corduroy Rocks]

I find it interesting that Barry Lynn has proven himself to be a partisan hack, now that he has signed on to the OFI.

[Pro Libertate]

The head of OIRA is a pretty powerful bureaucrat and can do a lot to affect policy in all of the administrative agencies.

In any event, I'd respect Sunstein more if he wanted to arm animals rather than disarm people.

Odd how the left can appoint its wackos to these positions. I know the right does some of the same, but I can't recall this many people with extreme viewpoints getting appointed. Maybe the occasional Creationist (or, just as likely, unwilling-to-publicly-support-evolution-ist), but not anything politically crazy, like, say, a libertarian.

[Rich]

The government defines poverty as an annual income of $22,025 for a family of four, $17,163 for a family of three and $14,051 for a family of two.

The current calculation sets the poverty level at three times the annual cost of groceries.

Interesting definition. No wonder they're looking to change it.

[Jordan]

Barack Obama makes Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives his own.

Paging shriek! Why aren't you here to lecture us about Christfags?

[Pro Libertate]

By the way, Beck may have a legitimate defamation claim. I've already seen an e-mail chain that suggests that Beck did rape and murder some girl without reference to the site. If a court were to find "actual malice" in spreading false information about Beck, I think the author is in trouble.

Usually, parody is sufficiently over-the-top or so clearly parody that this sort of claim won't go anywhere. Here, I suspect, there may have been a real attempt to spread a false rumor. Not a good idea, if true.

[John-David]

I remember seeing mention of the Beck thing on 4chan a few weeks ago. I figured it started there, not Fark.

[TEA Party is tomorrow]

Are you becoming increasingly fed up and disgusted with our insane, out of control, irresponsible, corrupt federal government?

If so, attend the Taxpayer March on Washington tomorrow. Details and agenda can be found at

http://912dc.org

[JW]

? Barack Obama makes Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives his own.

Isn't that what his health care proposal is? It doesn't have any basis in rational thought or objective reality.

[Ranilen]

Saw a lot of the Glenn Beck thing on Reddit a few days back. I have to say, while I don't think going after them with a lawyer is the right answer (morally or legally), I have a hard time seeing the "satire" value of page after page of photoshopped arrest records etc. saying someone is a rapist and murderer.

[Invisible Finger]

Isn't that what his health care proposal is? It doesn't have any basis in rational thought or objective reality.

That's why his campaign message was "hope" (not unlike Bush I) instead of "Intelligence" or "Reason".

[Johnny Longtorso]

instead of "Intelligence" or "Reason".

Drink!!!!!!

[R C Dean]

I have to say, while I don't think going after them with a lawyer is the right answer (morally or legally), I have a hard time seeing the "satire" value of page after page of photoshopped arrest records etc. saying someone is a rapist and murderer.

If someone is posting falsified documents claiming you are a rapist and a murderer, why wouldn't suing them for libel and/or slander be the right thing to do morally and legally? It strikes me as a crystal clear example of when libel/slander law can and should be used.

[Ranilen]

If someone is posting falsified documents claiming you are a rapist and a murderer, why wouldn't suing them for libel and/or slander be the right thing to do morally and legally? It strikes me as a crystal clear example of when libel/slander law can and should be used.

I guess I'm just a little weirded out that they've forced me into a position where I'm defending Glenn Beck ;p.

[Pro Libertate]

Hey, everyone hates Illinois Nazis, but the ACLU defended them, anyway.

[TrickyVic]

Can't speak for the chain letter but the name of the website is asking a question, not making an accusation.

[Pro Libertate]

TrickyVic,

I doubt that putting it in the form of a question will help. After all, there is no question--this was made up out of whole cloth and can be traced to a joke made about someone else. A joke or clear parody would likely be protected, but if the intent was to spread misinformation, then there's likely enough to justify a case.

Most likely, this will just get settled, of course.

[FrBunny]

Most likely, this will just get settled, of course.

Don't forget the part where the site's creator rockets to stardom and gets his own cable news show, handbag line, or both.

[SugarFree]

Fame. Nien! It's mine! Is just his line
To bind your time, it drives you to crime

[Pro Libertate]

Beck should invite the author to his show and drink a beer with him.

[John]

the beck thing is completely stupid. First, the same people that think it is free speech now, would be perfectly happy to see the Secret Service jail someone who did the same thing to the Obamasiah. If such a site existed, it would be listed in the MSM as an example of right wing hate and why everyone not on board with the Obamasiah needs to be put in a reducation camp. And lastly, it is not funny. To use the defense of satire in defense of a libal suit, you ought to have to at least be kind of funny.

[\"Obamasiah\"]

And lastly, it is not funny.

But me? I'm hilarious!

[Michael Ejercito]

Or the two unwinnable wars we are involved in.

The war is unwinnable... for the Al Qaeda sand Nazi terrorist nithings.

[TrickyVic]

"""I doubt that putting it in the form of a question will help."""

I would think accusation versus inqury would be a central issue at trial. The guy who owns the website claims he's not accusing Beck of anything but would like Beck to answer the question. His intent is not to defame Beck, but to use Beck's own tactics against him.

Besides Beck would have to prove how he is harmed, and didn't SCOTUS just make that tougher to do not long ago. Beck could get a boost in ratings ranting about this guy, if so, Beck's defamation claim would be laughable.

[TrickyVic]

"""The war is unwinnable... for the Al Qaeda sand Nazi terrorist nithings."""

They don't need to win, they just need to keep us from winning. Which is not real tough to do for the home team.

[Mike M.]

By the way, where is that gosh diddly darn Osama Bin Laden, anyway?

Lefties and media types used to love needling Bush by asking this question. Oddly, it doesn't seem to get asked all that much these days.

[!]

By the way, where is that gosh diddly darn Osama Bin Laden, anyway?

In the basement of the Alamo.

[Jesse Walker]

Re: Glenn Beck: The purpose of the site is to mock the style of argument that Beck has brought to his discussions of Obama's birth certificate and similar issues. You may or may not find it funny and you may or may not agree with the point being made, but I think it's pretty clear that they're engaged in satire, and not actually suggesting Beck committed such a crime.

Re: Cass Sunstein: I'm glad he's in, because I think anyone else Obama would have nominated for the job would be far worse. See Julian Sanchez's comments here.

[Michael Ejercito]

They don't need to win, they just need to keep us from winning. Which is not real tough to do for the home team.

That must be what kept the Romans from conquering the Gauls.

[TrickyVic]

Gaul kept the Romans from winning? That would be news to me.

[TrickyVic]

If your point is that is was tougher for them as a home team, big deal. There are far more examples in recent history that proves my point.

[TrickyVic]

Besides, Europe is not that big, the Romans were not that far from home. They were in their neighbors yard.

The mighty British empire couldn't defeat the colonies back in the late 1700s.

[han]

If your point is that is was tougher for them as a home team, big deal. There are far more examples in recent history that proves my point.