Jesse Jackson Jr.'s Troubles Continue, Loughner Sentenced to Forever in Prison, Maine Elects Orcish Senator: P.M. Links

• Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), who just won re-election to Congress despite being absent for months seeking treatment for bipolar disorder and depression, is reportedly in talks with feds to offer a plea over alleged misuse of campaign funds.

• With the talk now of our approaching fiscal cliff, Ron Paul would like to point out that we've essentially already gone over it.
• An orc rogue (and technically the woman who plays her in World of Warcraft) has been elected to Maine's State Senate. It truly is a historic election.
• Now that "repeal and replace" is obviously not going to happen, Republican governors are mulling what to do about ObamaCare. Florida's Gov. Rick Scott has reiterated that he will not set up health exchanges or expand Medicaid rolls there.
• Amazon is getting into the wine delivery business, offering more than a thousand options from around the United States. Unfortunately, thanks to various protectionist and/or Nanny State regulations, whether or not you can actually order such wines depends on where you live.
• Assad vows he will not leave Syria, defiantly saying he will "live and die" there. The drones perk up their noses at the word "die."
• In thoroughly unsurprising news, Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced to seven life terms, plus another 140 years, in prison for his Arizona shooting rampage.

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Comments

[Episiarch]

Where is FoE?

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Good question

[Fist of Etiquette]

Right behind you, Stillwell.

[Episiarch]

Don't be angry.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Firsters are finished, you understand? I see an off-topic first comment, I report the man making it. So run, you cur... RUN! Tell all the other curs the mods are coming! You tell them I'm coming... and hell's coming with me, you hear? HELL'S COMING WITH ME!

[$park?]

I thought quoting the shitty Wyatt Earp movie wasn't allowed.

[nicole just can't even!]

This is the good Wyatt Earp movie. Watch it.

[A Serious Man]

Wait, you think the Kevin Costner Wyatt Earp movie wasn't the shitty one?

[Fist of Etiquette]

There are Wyatt Earp movies?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

There are non-shitty Kevin Costner movies?

[hotsy totsy]

Can't think of a non-shitty Keven Costner movie.

[A Serious Man]

You tell them I'm coming... and hell's Warty's coming with me, you hear? HELL'S WARTY'S COMING WITH ME!

That's how you threaten the Firsters.

[Episiarch]

FoE and Serious, if you think that by threatening me you can get me to be your slave...well, that's where you're right. But--and I am only saying this because I care--there are a lot of decaffeinated brands on the market today that are just as tasty as the real thing.

[db]

You're laborers! Aren't you supposed to be laboring?

[Brett L]

You can be my wingman anytime, Epi.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced to seven life terms, plus another 140 years, in prison for his Arizona shooting rampage.

But without Sarah Palin's Twitter feed, he's no threat to society.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

How do they define life term?

[gaijin]

only the death panel knows for sure

[Mike M.]

Loughner's rampage was less than two years ago by the way, and yet Nidal Malik Hasan still sits there as a mockery to all decent Americans three years after his.

Yep, justice moves rather swiftly indeed for someone who shoots a Top Man (or Top Woman). Kill a bunch of unconnected enlisted grunts though, and the message from our government is clear: tough luck: they and their loved ones can all go pound sand.

[Stormy Dragon]

That's because Loughner pled guilty, you idiot. The fact a trial goes much faster when the defendant isn't even contesting the charges isn't proof of some grand conspiracy against soldiers.

[Gray Ghost]

The fact a trial goes much faster when the defendant isn't even contesting the charges isn't proof of some grand conspiracy against soldiers.

LOLwhut?

You think it normally takes three years to have a trial for murder when they caught the fucking guy in the act? Loughner's trial also had a giant delay while they tried to figure out if words-boy was even competent to stand trial.

That Hasan is even still breathing at this point is an indictment of the justice system. I cannot believe they're still arguing over his beard, of all things.

Look, if it's too embarrassing to try the guy, just rendition him. Or accidentally turn your back while he hangs himself. It's being delayed, among other reasons, because it's really embarrassing to the Army that they let a fucking jihadi run around for several months if not years before he snapped.

[Stormy Dragon]

Less than half of murder convictions reach sentencing within a year of arrest:

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/conte.....fssc00.pdf

[Mike M.]

You sure moved those goslposts a pretty long way there, pal. What's the percentage of accused murderers whose trials don't even begin within three years of the arrest?

[VG Zaytsev]

You think it normally takes three years to have a trial for murder when they caught the fucking guy in the act?

Pretty much - goes to show how fucked up the criminal justice system is.

[Brutus]

I mean, they built the goddamn Empire State Building in like 14 months, but it takes three times as long to build a case against a fuckstick that scores of people saw shoot more than a dozen people to death?

[Stormy Dragon]

It's because we're so busy arresting people for smoking marijuana that the murderers have this huge line to wait through.

[Virginian]

Yep. I mean just look at the coverage. Plenty of dead bodies, but the media focused on the injured Congresswoman. They really do have a feudal mindset.

[Ted S.]

Her and the youngest victim.

Every time I hear/read a headline like, "Ten people were killed in a fire. Three of them are children", I want to puke and ask the person reading it, "How come you don't care about the seven adults who died?"

[hotsy totsy]

Because they've had more years to live? Yes, I'd feel worse over an eleven year old as opposed to a 92 year old.

[generic Brand]

Florida's Gov. Rick Scott has reiterated that he will not set up health exchanges or expand Medicaid rolls there.

I can already see the minds of liberal friends exploding. Scott has been a mix of good bad, but seriously, how were people actually trying to elect Alex Sink??

[generic Brand]

good & bad?

Please still be with us precious ampersands.

[Pro Libertate]

This is what needs to happen: Refusal to comply.

[generic Brand]

Agreed. And it's why I deluded myself into voting for Pam Bondi for AG in '10. Little good that did (silent f'you to John Roberts).

[Brutus]

We passed proposition Tuesday that prevents the establishment of healthcare exchanges. Passed by 61-39.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Nothing like having Reason put your specially found news in the PM Links. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

http://www.washingtontimes.com.....-far-gone/

[Alack]

Did you really expect them to not link to an article featuring statements by Paul?

[Doktor Kapitalism]

I was just feeling proud of having something to contribute, and The Man said, "You didn't find that!"

[Scott S.]

I found it over at Politico without any Reason commenter assistance, sorry.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

I actually found it through the Skyfall review

[Killazontherun]

You ever feel like scanning through all the daily postings and sarcastically putting up all of our links with attributions for everyone including a few random souls uninvolved?

[Scott S.]

There is an amusing hat tip on 24/7 today, but I can't remember which tip it was. Got it from the morning links.

[robc]

If I was running PM links, I would only put up links posted by the commentariat, and then refuse to hat tip any of them.

Oh wait, thats what is already being done.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.)...is reportedly in talks with feds to offer a plea over alleged misuse of campaign funds.

The plea should include a having to do a PSA about graft with his old man. "From you, okay? I learned it from watching you!"

[NoVAHockey]

i made a joke using that PSA a few weeks ago to my 26 year old sister in law. she had no idea.

of course, she also had no idea what I was talking about when i mentioned east germany once.

[Rich]

My empathy. I have a mentally-challenged BIL.

[Robert S]

Empathy? Someone make this man the President!

[Rich]

Rich/Robert 2016 -- "They care A LOT!!"

[Robert S]

You're going to regret not vetting your vp choice more thoroughly.

[Ted S.]

Surely you could just give her the Youtube link?

[Alack]

...It truly is a historic election.

AN historic, you illiterates! "An"!

[Episiarch]

Are you a Cockney? Because Americans pronounce the "h".

[Alack]

Not Cockney, just a grammatical conservative.

[Episiarch]

So basically you're saying that I'm right, as usual. I totally agree.

[Brett L]

As long as we all agree about a uvula and a unit being correct.

[Episiarch]

We agree! Congratulations, you get to right along with me.

[Pro Libertate]

It is "a unit."

[Brett L]

Yeah. Just pointing out that the long u sound is an exception to the a/an vowel sound rule.

[Pro Libertate]

Unit is pronounced "yoonit." "Y" in that context is a consonant sound.

[Brett L]

That's just silly. Long u is pronounced that way all the time. its a vowel sound exception.

[Pro Libertate]

The rule is simple--consonant sounds get an, vowel sounds get a.

[Bobarian]

I've never referred to mine as 'a unit'.

It is 'the big unit'.

Wait, what are we talking about?

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

"'ang on to my yoonit, love!"

[Art Vandelay]

"the big unit"

Do you have a randy johnson?

[Rich]

It's pronounced "herb", because it's got a fucking "h".

/Eddie Izzard

[Matrix]

so does he pronounce the 'h' in hour?

[Alack]

It's spelled "whore".

[Rich]

Not sure. I know he pronounces the 'h' in henge.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

I found it to be a pretty "ahistoric" election, if you're catching my drift.

[$park?]

That should be "anhistoric."

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

*glares at Sparky*

[generic Brand]

hWhat are you talking about? This hwas a truly historic hwin for Bronco Bamma.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

hWeat hTins

[Doktor Kapitalism]

hWheat thIns

You're making me hungry...

[Stormy Dragon]

o/~ Hear them down in Soho Square, dropping h's everywhere, speaking English any way they like! o/~

[Pro Libertate]

It's "a historic" and has been for quite some time. That's a firm rule--consonant sounds get "a"; vowel sounds get "an."

[Rich]

An histrionic display, PL.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

+1 too many "n's"

[Pro Libertate]

Yet an accurate one. This is one of American English's easy rules, people.

[generic Brand]

I had an English teacher who pronounced "human" as yuman. That was pretty much the point that I decided I was going to ignore anything she had to say on the subject of English and/or grammar.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

I bet she was a yinzer. that's the first thing we noticed when a friend and I started working for a company based in Butler, PA (just N of "Picksboooog"). Drop all their H's, and had a bunch of other yinzerisms -

"It's yoooomid out today"
"That dog is yooooooj"
"Where are yins [you] goin'? The Jine Iggle? [Giant Eagle]. There's one donton [downtown]."

Fucking mongoloids.

[Bee Tagger]

Hey! Butler is the County Seat!

[Pro Libertate]

Alan Charles Kors does that. I've listened to some of his audio lectures--which are quite good, I should mention--and I always laugh the first time he says "human." And he usually says it a bunch.

[Spoonman.]

My FIL is from the Scranton area and believes the city my wife and I lived in for a few years to be called "Yoostun".

[Francisco d Anconia]

Scrantun's a cool place, henna?

[Francisco d Anconia]

So like Kirk.

[Pro Libertate]

Without the sob. Unless you're talking about Spock.

[Brett L]

This is 'Murca, boy. Donchu savvy the English?

ORLANDO, Fla. (CBS Tampa) ? A failure to understand English at a Chinese restaurant has led to a botched robbery attempt.<?i

[generic Brand]

ORLANDOOOOOOO!!! Fuck Lake Eola.

Also, you SF'd the link.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

So do they pronounce it "Olrando" at that restaurant?

/FUCKING MONGORIANS!

[Doktor Kapitalism]

SugarFree'd the link

[Brett L]

Shit. Aaaand trying again.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Good job! Have a gold star.

[generic Brand]

For the lulz, here is my district's vote counts in southeast Orlando:

Mitt Romney: 1354
Barack Obama: 2662
Thomas Robert Stevens: 2
Gary Johnson: 36 (pretty disappointed about this extremely low number)
Virgil Goode: 0
Jill Stein: 0
Andre Barnett: 0
Stewart Alexander: 0
Peta Lindsey: 0
Roseanne Barr: 2
Tom Hoefling: 0
Rocky Anderson: 1
Write-in: 7

With 12 candidates on the presidential ballot and write-ins a possibility here in Florida, it's no wonder that I had to wait in line two and a half hours to vote.

Roseanne Barr got more than or equal the amount of votes to 8 other candidates. But no complaints from Tulpa about her stealing the election for Obama.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

No votes for Jill? I'm surprised.

[Episiarch]

Look, don't be Tulparded. Even Tulpa wouldn't be dumb enough to complain about that.

[LolbertarianRAGE]

Why not Tulpatarded?

[T]

I can't get precinct level. But here's my county:

Mitt Romney 137,822
Barack Obama 32,852
Gary Johnson 1,715
Jill Stein 431
Avery Ayers 1
Stewart Alexander 4
Thaddaus Hill 3
Virgil Goode 36
Tom Hoefling 21
Andre N. Barnett 0
Rocky Anderson 9

And honestly, I have no idea who some of these people are.

[Hell's Librarian]

These breakdowns are pretty interesting.

My county (Baltimore County)

Obama-Biden 202,733
Romney-Ryan 144,686
Johnson-Gray 4,691
Stein-Honkala 2,545

I am the 1%, apparently.

[Ted S.]

Stein beat Johnson in my county. 🙁

Johnson did get just shy of 1%: 716 votes out of about 73000 cast.

[Ted S.]

Sorry to respond to myself, but we also had somebody running unopposed for town council to fill out the term of a councillor who died earlier this year. I see I was one of four people to cast a write-in vote.

[alittlesense]

That Honkala person must marry someone whose last name is pronounced "yerhorn".

[Generic Stranger]

My county still only has 79% counted (we have a mail-in ballot), but here are the totals so far:

Romney: 14,108
Obama: 12,792
Gary Johnson: 331
Jill Stein: 188
Will Chirstensen: 70
Ross C. Anderson: 28

[A Serious Man]

Bradley Manning offers to plead guilty to some of the charges against him in an effort to avoid a life sentence.

[Scott S.]

I knew I forgot something. We did have that over in 24/7, but I meant to put it in the links, too.

[John]

He won't get life.

[Rich]

Jackson Jr., who handily won re-election Tuesday despite a lengthy stay at Mayo Clinic for depression and bipolar disorder, is in the midst of plea discussions with the feds probing his alleged misuse of campaign funds.

The terms of the plea bargain include replacing the resigning Eric Holder with Mr. Jackson.

[Brett L]

Change the batteries in the cattle prod, I've got a new post-Thanksgiving gorging tradition.

Walmart today announced that its Black Friday sale will start at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 22, its earliest open ever.

[$park?]

Next year, Black Friday will begin at 8:00 am Wednesday.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

No, next year's Bacl Friday event starts THIS December 31.

It's getting out of hand, srsly.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

"Bacl"? REALLY? Jesus, I haven't even taken any drugs yet. THis is gonna be a good evening!

[Rich]

"THis"? REALLY? Looks like a good afternoon!

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Wooooooooo!!!! PARTYYYYYY!!!!

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Forget that. I'm doing things I enjoy with my family at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Who's going to work then, anyway?

[Brett L]

What? Using the cattle prod on panicky obese women is a fun-for-the-whole-family outing! Teaching kids to stand their ground and delivering a strike to relatively unprotected neck wattle during a stampede is a necessary skill.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

It's like you were THERE

[Doktor Kapitalism]

I think we'll wait another year before prepping for food riots, thank you very much!

[sticks]

25 bucks for a working gun? What did Chicago offer?

http://www.postandcourier.com/.....charleston

[nicole just can't even!]

That's the tax we charge on one!

[A Serious Man]

'Super Earth' discovered orbiting stars habitable zone.

But will the planet's high council heed the warning of Jor-El that the planet is doomed?

[Episiarch]

That's the BSG (original series) home planet! That explains why in the last season when they got to Earth they could jump super high! It wasn't just an insanely retarded gimmick from a show taking its last breaths or anything.

[Tim]

in 1980 there was only one thing lamer than Jimmy Carter. And you found it.

[Episiarch]

At least Buck Rodgers didn't go downhill...crap. But it did have Erin Gray and really, isn't that all that matters?

[Tim]

She can't touch Linda Carter.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

What Tim said

[Episiarch]

You're out of your fucking mind.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Although I also loved Erin Gray. Who looks absolutely HIDEOUS now - saw a pic of her somewhere - yeesh...

[Karl Hungus]

Although I also loved Erin Gray. Who looks absolutely HIDEOUS now

That's because she's at least 95 years old now, give or take a decade.

[$park?]

HA! Erin Gray was sooo much hotter than Linda Carter.

[$park?]

And now I'm sad, knowing that once again I agree with Epi. Fuck me!

[Episiarch]

Only a hideous monster could think that Linda Carter was hotter than Erin Gray. That's like thinking Heather Locklear was hotter than Heather Thomas. It's pure insanity.

[Francisco d Anconia]

When I discovered masturbation, Erin Gray was the subject matter. Tight blue jumpsuit...

I'll be in my bunk.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

True. I saw Linda Carter give a speech in Washington D.C. in '90. 11 years after the series and pregnant and I still would have tapped that. She won the good genes sweepstakes that day.

[John]

Frankenstein. I saw her at the school where my wife used to work just a couple of years ago. I would tap the hell out of her still today and she must be near 60.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

John, That's just amazing that she's held up so well.

[Killazontherun]

She won the good genes sweepstakes that day.

Of course its good genes. She's a white Hispanic.

[Karl Hungus]

She looked pretty damned good in Super Troopers, and IMDB tells me that was 2002. Good genes all the way

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I saw Linda Carter give a speech in Washington D.C. in '90. 11 years after the series and pregnant and I still would have tapped that. She won the good genes sweepstakes that day.

She was a bit clueless, though:

"I never meant to be a sexual object for anyone but my husband. I never thought a picture of my body would be tacked up in men's bathrooms. I hate men looking at me and thinking what they think. And I know what they think. They write and tell me."

"HOW ON EARTH COULD THIS PLUNGING NECKLINE AND VOLLEYBALL BUTTHUGGER SHORTS HAVE MADE ME A SEX OBJECT?!"

[hamilton]

I think this is a very close one, but I am going with Carter. For the twirling.

[Pro Libertate]

Carter/Thomas.

[Bobarian]

'She can't touch Linda Carter.'

In their heyday, I'd have paid a lot of good money to see her do just that.

[Karl Hungus]

'She can't touch Linda Carter.'

I'd pay to watch that.

[MattJ]

That's a stupid rule.

Are you into denial or something?

[alittlesense]

Would have been hot if she had......

[Pro Libertate]

I watched one episode of that and turned away in WTFness. And I was a kid, easily lullable.

[Fist of Etiquette]

There were twelve colonies, dummy.

[Pro Libertate]

We have to make allowances--it's Episiarch.

In the original series, were all twelve colonies supposed to be in one star system?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Yes, but everybody knows that each of the 12 colonies had the exact same gravitational force. God, you are stupid. Sometimes I wonder about you.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I liked Muffit.

[Pro Libertate]

I liked how Boxey in the new show was almost immediately jettisoned.

[Brett L]

7x more massive at that distance probably means 3 or more Earth gravities depending on the size of the planet. Inhabitants would have to be supermen.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

The article I read mentioned Valeria and Jinx in footnotes on the subject.

[db]

Tits get real saggy there.

[hamilton]

I get roughly double the gravity but maybe my math is off. Assuming same density as Earth.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Um, anybody remember the equation for the force of gravity? I thought weight increased proportionally to the mass of the planet. 7x as massive equals 7 Gs, no?

[robc]

Depends on the radius of the planet.

G=gm/r^2

or something like that.

So if the planet is the same size as Earth, then yes. But if its the same density as earth, then its larger, and I would have to do math. But the point is, G wouldnt by 7x earth, but less than that.

[hamilton]

Gm1m2/r^2. So linear with the mass but divided by the radius squared. The planet is bigger, but not 7x as big because the mass is proprtional to the cube of the radius (assuming same density).

Um, yeah.

[Brett L]

No Gm1m2/d^2. So hamilton would probably be right at Earth density. For some reason I was thinking that the planet had to be more dense to orbit in the water region in 320 days, but I can't do any math to prove that.

[Killazontherun]

All those fat asses. We have to get a diplomatic mission going. Species we can ridicule!

[Tim]

7 times earth's mass. Even the skinny kid's will weigh too much.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

How bad is their global warming climate change problem?

[Pro Libertate]

Terrible. Which is why we're getting evicted next week.

[JW]

They discovered Jinx!

[Pro Libertate]

Or Krypton.

[John]

When Obama drone strikes the entire Asad family, will Vogue run a feature on it?

[A Serious Man]

The Atlantic: Michael Bloomberg should be the next Treasury Secretary.

[nicole just can't even!]

Hahaha. Right after he finishes rationing gas.

[db]

Secretary of Business, then!

[Brutus]

I'm going for Minister of Fear.

[Brett L]

Listen, just because NYC liberals are tired of him, doesn't mean they get to promote him out of his job. You picked him, you live with him.

[Anonymous Coward]

Fuck up, move up. It's the Chicago New York American way.

[John]

It must be someone who wants him out of New York.

[tarran]

Oh please, please, please!

The dream Obama cabinet of fuckitude:

1) AG: Deval Patrick (utter fecklessness)
2) HHS: Robert Reich
3) Treasury: Krugman, but Bloomberg would be awesome
4) State:
5) DOL:
6) Defense: Colin Powell

Let's fill in the blanks!

[Brett L]

State: John Kerry
Labor: Jimmy Hoffa Jr. (No, wait, is he dead, too? Who's the sitting SEIU president?)

[Episiarch]

State: Kal Penn

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Bloomberg for Labor?

[John]

Wesley Clark for DOD.

[nicole just can't even!]

Wesley Crusher for DOD.

[Episiarch]

I would actually support this. He is a teenage fuck machine after all.

[Killazontherun]

It's a Wheedon episode tonight on that show you hate for good reason. Reruns I've caught on TBS of Wheedon playing the tall gay guy's nemesis tended to be funny though.

[tarran]

I call my my Mee-maw Nana, and she'll be very happy to hear that my small rock kills your enchanted bunny.

[Rich]

State: Bill Clinton

[hamilton]

I cannot think Clinton would be anywhere near crazy enough to get that close to this cabinet.

[Rich]

You're right, of course. I actually meant to type Gennifer Flowers.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Homeland Suck-curity: Russell Brand

[db]

You forgot Secretary of Business.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Michael J. Fox - duh!

[db]

Ohhh yeaaahh.

[Killazontherun]

State: John Kerry

[Sidd Finch]

Reich to DOL. Jackson Jr for HHS. Sean Penn for State.

[Killazontherun]

Does State have to be an American citizen? If Chavez or DinnerJacket survive a case of early retirement, they'd make interesting picks.

[Rich]

Awesome. Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright are precedents.

[VG Zaytsev]

Where's Lizzie Warren's slot.

[sloopyinca]

About two inches from her asshole.

[sloopyinca]

God, I regret the thought even entering my mind.

Where's the "delete" function we were promised in the ;ast fund drive?

[John]

Here's a note of caution for President Obama and the Democrats: "Begin with the facts: A 51-48 percent victory is not a mandate." Surprisingly enough, the source of this warning is E.J. Dionne, the Washington Post's perennial liberal triumphalist.

You won't be surprised to learn that Dionne taking the opposite tack today: "Now Obama will have the strongest argument a politician can offer. Repeatedly, he asked the voters to settle Washington's squabbles in his favor. On Tuesday, they did. And so a president who took office four years ago on a wave of emotion may now have behind him something more valuable and durable: a majority that thought hard about his stewardship and decided to let him finish the job he had begun."

http://professional.wsj.com/ar.....g=reno-wsj

When you were in 1st Grade EJ did you say that you wanted to be a party hack when you grew up?

[A Serious Man]

Were you born a hack, slimy, scumbag puke piece o' shit, EJ Dionne, or did you have to work on it?

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

I think it's both - born that way, continued to perfect it into adulthood.

[Episiarch]

Didn't I warn you all that they'd harp on the man dates?

[John]

A win out by a single vote that was pulled out of a car trunk in Cleveland two weeks after the election is a fucking mandate man.

[Alack]

Millions fewer votes and a lower margin of victory toooooooootally sounds like a mandate to me. What a fuckstick.

[Stephdumas]

I guess EJ Dionne got some visitors who warned him.

Meanwhile, we got some unintended consequences....
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-G.....ma-Victory

[Rich]

Obama told him he didn't build that!

[Red Rocks Rockin]

"That job loss? You didn't cause that."

[nicole just can't even!]

Donderooooo!

[nicole just can't even!]

Damn squirrels. Donderoooooo!

[John]

Why is New York Magazine writing about Donderoo? Hell I barely know why I even know who he is. What is next, a feature piece on the box lone wacko lives in?

[Alack]

Because his tears are delicious?

[John]

So are a lot of people's. But they don't get feature pieces in New York Magazine.

[Citizen Nothing]

You know how NPR always features the most idiotic GOP candidates? This is like that.

[Episiarch]

Dondero calling himself a libertarian is just pouring fire on TEAM BLUE's retarded hatred of libertarians.

[John]

So you are saying Donderoo is a professional retard who stands in as a libertarian for liberal news magazines?

[Citizen Nothing]

He works for cake.

[Killazontherun]

You really want to live in a world where he has a portal gun?

[nicole just can't even!]

I know, I was not super happy about this.

[Episiarch]

If you'd just step over here completely into the individualist anarchist shadows, it wouldn't really bother you.

[generic Brand]

Epi, have you seen the movie Hesher with Joseph Gordon-Levitt? It was my imagination's version of you, but about 200 pounds lighter and a way cooler van.

[generic Brand]

Also, now that I think about it more, the TV description made mention of him being an anarchist, but that didn't really play into the storyline at all. The guy was actually pretty violent, which is a possibility for anarchists but certainly not reflective of the group and/or libertarians, so I remember being upset about that.

[Greg]

I've seen it in my guide a few times and I noticed the "anarchist" tag and also wondered myself if the character actually was one or was just some crazy young guy that didn't give a shit and broke some stuff. I'm going to watch it next time I think.

[Episiarch]

No I haven't. Now I'm intrigued.

[Killazontherun]

If he can get coverage, anyone can get coverage.

[John]

As the economy continues to tank, I think my favorite indoor outdoor sport is going to be guilting liberals about the number of people who are out of work and suffering out there. Any talk about how bad things are and the suffering of the poor is something they normally instinctively gravitate to. But since the Black Jesus was elected they have to believe everything is great and getting better. It gives them a sort of short circuit.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

We need to continue to push for a public option and lowering of the Medicare age to 55. We need to push for more government spending to get this economy healthy again. We need serious legislation to address climate change, and we need to start investing in infrastructure to protect ourselves against future disasters like Hurricane Sandy. We need to get serious about liberalizing our immigration laws. We need to help expand access to abortion and contraception. There's a lot that needs to be done.

I've been seeing sentiments like the above coming out of liberal circles. IMO, liberals are going to continue making the same kinds of doubling-down mistakes that Bush Republicans made after his first term. Conservatives and Republicans may not learn the right lessons from their defeat, but liberals certainly won't learn the right lessons from their victory.

[John]

We need to help expand access to abortion and contraception.

Who doesn't have access to this? What do they want? Every woman in America to get an abortion? They have gone beyond the point of creepy when talking about abortion and contraception.

[nicole just can't even!]

This is killing me man, killing me. Everyone has access. And they're still acting like abortions are bad, sad, blah blah blah. EVERYONE HAS FUCKING ACCESS. (Except maybe, maybe, some folks way out in the sticks of SD where it truly would be a hardship, but you know this isn't what they're talking about.)

I mean I don't get it. They're not anti-natalists (and don't you pro-lifers try to tell me they are; they're not), so what the fuck gives? NEEDZ MOAR FREE MONEY.

[John]

I think they are anti-natalists Nicole. Talk to them. All they talk about is the need to make sure poor people don't have unwanted children. It is always about how we can't have too many of the wrong people being born. If that is not anti-natalism, what is?

[nicole just can't even!]

They have kids. If they have kids, they are not anti-natalists.

[John]

They are just hypocrites. They can have kids. But those other people need to be sterilized or forced to get abortions.

[nicole just can't even!]

I'm just saying, that's a completely different thing. Real anti-natalists really believe it is immoral to reproduce.

And just look at all the talk you hear about how abortion is a difficult decision and crap like that. No one is telling all teen moms to abort. They are saying they need more education, more "access to contraception," more support, etc. They're not even telling 13 year olds they should just get a fucking abortion, let alone women in their 20s and 30s. They're not trying to convince anyone to abandon their religious ideas about the value of fetuses. They're not trying to convince anyone who thinks abortions are bad, or that they don't want one, to have one. They're just trying to make them free.

[VG Zaytsev]

They are just hypocrites. They can have kids. But those other people need to be sterilized or forced to get abortions.

They're eugenicists, John, not anti-natalists.

[robc]

The over-population zealots dont off themselves either.

[nicole just can't even!]

Overpopulation zealots are not the only anti-natalists. See David Benatar.

[heading out now]

[Sidd Finch]

http://hooverhog.typepad.com/h.....-harm.html

The current issue of the South African Journal of Philosophy is devoted to antinatalism and features a number of critiques of David Benatar's Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence, as well as a detailed response by Benatar. I do not yet have a hard copy of the journal, but contributions are bulleted below, with free links to the abstracts and full-text content that I can find online.

[Killazontherun]

Better to have spent his life sweating in the diamond minds than to have written a book, if he really wants to take that logic where it deserves to be sent.

[C. Anacreon]

Now you know the philosophy behind Benatar's song "Love is a Battlefield."

[nicole just can't even!]

Anti-natalists think it is morally wrong for anyone to have children. And you do not, in fact, ever see Democrats encouraging people to get abortions under all circumstances. This is what anti-natalists would do.

[John]

Fair enough. But they are certainly pretty close to eugenicists.

[nicole just can't even!]

They are. Just in a different, much less logical way.

[Sidd Finch]

Fair enough. But they are certainly pretty close to eugenicists.

No People. Better People. They don't seem close to me.

[nicole just can't even!]

Also, anti-natalists would not do anything to subsidize people who did have children. No welfare moms under an anti-natalist regime. No sirree.

[John]

They love single mothers. Single mothers have no husband and no family support. So they look to the government as a substitute husband.

[Alack]

John, I think you've missed out on the Team Blue's stance on these things. It's not about having access in the systemic sense- it's about having no barrier to use, even cost. You're not free unless you're subsidized.

[VG Zaytsev]

Freedom's just another word...

for getting shit gratis.

You're just a slave honey if you got's ta pay a fee.

[Anonymous Coward]

51% is TOTALLY a mandate! The people want more government!

[0x90]

51% 26%* is TOTALLY a mandate!

* of voting-age population who actually indicated a preference for Obama

[generic Brand]

That's an excellent point. I think all abstaining votes should count towards some "None of the Above" candidate.

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Nevada has a "none of the above" option on the ballot for state races. If NOTA wins, the election is held again and the candidates who were on the ballot last time are disqualified from winning. I've always thought that was an inspired idea.

[Invisible Finger]

Really need an "Abolish the office/department" option, too.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

If anything, we need to *increase* the Medicare age, with a set implementation plan (to give people time to plan), to maintain the system at all.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

WAY TO FUCKING HATE ON OLD PEOPLE, DOK, YOU FUCKING OGRE!!

[Fist of Etiquette]

The dirty secret is that Dok Kap is old himself. He's a self-hating old person!

[Doktor Kapitalism]

I'm tempted to say "I wish," but no.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Well, all libertarians are old at heart.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

My grandmother would be dead by now, if not for Medicare.

But she didn't save up a whole lot.

Younger generations need to realize that Medicare won't always be there. In the medium term, we should increase the age, but give people enough time to plan for it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Younger generations need to realize that Medicare won't always be there.

But I still have checks left in the checkbook. It's not faaaaaaaaiiiiiirrrrrr!

[Rich]

we need to start investing in infrastructure to protect ourselves against future disasters like Hurricane Sandy.

A Virtual Sea Wall all along the Gulf and East Coasts!

[John]

And the same people will sue to make sure none of it ever gets built. IT is just endless retard with these people.

[VG Zaytsev]

It might disrupt the view from the yachts offshore.

[Apatheist ?_??]

won her race and overcame attack ads alleging that her video game hobby was inappropriate.

I'm guessing these ads were coming from the Stupid Party.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

from the Stupid Party

Which one?

[Apatheist ?_??]

I was going to give TEAM BLUE a break for a couple of days for winning the election but no you are right they are both the stupid/evil party.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Amazon is getting into the wine delivery business, offering more than a thousand options from around the United States.

Those transaction ratings are going to contain even more typos than usual.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

I can't remember for sure, but I think Michigan changes its law so you can order wine online now.

Therefore, I must hide this information re: Amazon from Mrs. Almanian.

[Another David]

If you're the evil twin, wouldn't you want to screw with his life?

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

He is me and I am he - so I already do

[Ryan60657]

Corrupt Illinois politician re-elected? What is new. It's the Illinois way.

[John]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49745604

CNBC figured out that maybe the economy isn't so good after all. They found out just after election day. Funny that.

[Gray Ghost]

I'm waiting for the Nov. jobless numbers to magically be revised upwards. Again. What is it now, something like 43 out of 45 months they've been revised up?

[Killazontherun]

But that 7.8 percent unemployment rate. We hadn't had it so good since Clinton! Or, maybe, even JFK. Cartwheels time!

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Abolish paper money for great prosperity!

The bottom line is that all we have to do to give the Fed (and other central banks) unlimited power to lower short-term interest rates is to demote paper currency from its role as a yardstick for prices and other economic values?what economists call the "unit of account" function of money. Paper currency could still continue to exist, but prices would be set in terms of electronic dollars (or abroad, electronic euros or yen), with paper dollars potentially being exchanged at a discount compared to electronic dollars. More and more, people use some form of electronic payment already, with debit cards and credit cards, so this wouldn't be such a big change.

An economics professor in Michigan wrote the above.

[John]

Why can't we just give everyone a million dollars and then no one would be poor?

[Pro Libertate]

Why stop there?

[Sidd Finch]

You must be from the future.

[robc]

I don...wha...if...I...

I give up.

I took 2 econ courses. No wait three.

How do I have more of a fucking clue than a professor?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

I have an Econ/Math major from a really shitty public university. Yet, my degree embarrasses me less than being associated with these clowns.

[Brett L]

You would think that we'd start calling them two different things if they weren't going to be perfectly interchangeable.

[wareagle]

How do I have more of a fucking clue than a professor?

because you stopped at three classes. The prof got a PhD, full retard.

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't you mean "Phull retarD"?

[wareagle]

+1 post-doctoral course for you.

[Pro Libertate]

Piled high and Deep.

[Rich]

we wouldn't have to worry about the Fed or any other central bank ever again seeming relatively powerless

This seems appropriate.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

We need to get this guy into the Dept of Treaury STAT! Chief Advisor to Turbo Timmeh. All will be better. All.

[gaijin]

So, having gone off the gold standard in the 70's, it's now time to go off the paper standard?

[The Immaculate Trouser]

It's so perfect! The next step, naturally, is to ban currency-based economics altogether and to criminalize hoarding.

I don't know why no one's tried this yet.

[mnarayan]

No one's crucifying me on a cross of paper.

[Fatty Bolger]

Why US Economy May Be Headed for Another Recession

All the problems investors face?from a fiscal meltdown to the various economic woes around the world?add up to one daunting prospect: Another possible recession just over the horizon.

As the financial world puts Tuesday's presidential election behind it, the light in the tunnel could be an economic freight train.

Slowing corporate profits, the remnants of Superstorm Sandy and the ramifications of the "fiscal cliff" in Washington are expected to result in at least two quarters of slow or no growth that could make investing even trickier than it was during the ups and downs of 2012.

"The other overriding problem is we never really gained true escape velocity this cycle," David Rosenberg, economist and strategist at Gluskin Sheff in Toronto, told CNBC.

[John]

Beat you to it.

[Fatty Bolger]

Just noticed that. [shakes tiny fist]

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Go ahead and slap John right in the face. He deserves it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Refresh my memory. Back in 2008 when the evil George Dubya was president and unemployment was at *cough* 8%, it was a recession. Fast forward to 2012 when the saintly Barry O is president and unemployment *cough* is 8%.

So how is the recession on and popping at 8% for George, but for Barry, not so much?

[Alack]

Because for George, the economy was contracting. Now, it's just expanding at a snail's pace- about 1/2 to 2/3 historic norms (way less if you compare it to recovery periods). Every quarter with annualized growth under 3 percent increases the gap in potential GDP and actual GDP. I expect another recession soon, though, so feel free to wait and gloat.

[wareagle]

because this is the land of Obama where it's okay for everyone to be average. Or below average.

I say let all the tax cuts, actually rates but what the hell, expire. Let folks get an idea of what all this govt is costing them, that the free pony is not that free.

[VG Zaytsev]

In Barack Obama's Amerika, everyone is below average.

[Pro Libertate]

Bad economy is bad. What does it take to wake these people up?

[Not an Economist]

Because temporary 8% unemployment is bad. Steady 8% unemployment is good.

[Fatty Bolger]

Because this unemployment cares about people like me. Bush unemployment was heartless.

[Pro Libertate]

During Bush's unemployment, poor people were unemployed.

Under Obama's more enlightened unemployment, only the rich are unemployed.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

We're fucking DOOOOOOMED.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Roll Ayn Rand quotes from 1960...

[The Late P Brooks]

all abstaining votes should count towards some "None of the Above" candidate.

Hear, hear.

[Rich]

This might piss off some folks who don't want to legitimize the system.

[protefeed]

It's true that the United States Senate now has an unprecedented number of women and its first lesbian member

I believe that sentence is missing the word "openly".

[Rich]

"openly true"?

Well, it *is* still the administration of transparency.

[The Late P Brooks]

Paper currency could still continue to exist

Why not use sea shells, or pretty rocks?

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

sea shells

"Haha! He doesn't know how to use the three seashells!......Um...*cough*...I can see how that might be confusing..."

[JEP]

They hurt when you throw them out of helicopters.

[Jordan]

Chris Matthews continues his quest for peak retard:

On Tuesday while assessing Obama's victory, Matthews said he was "glad" Sandy happened because it showed undecided voters the president could come together with Republican leaders, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, to help the superstorm's victims.
"I'm so glad we had that storm last week," Matthews said before attempting to clarify himself. "No, politically I should say. Not in terms of hurting people. The storm brought in possibilities for good politics."

[wareagle]

no doubt, plenty of folks in NJ and NY are mightily pleased with the "good politics" they're seeing.

OT: Iran took a shot at one of our drones. On Nov 1. Story becomes public today. I am probably racist for even thinking it is anything but a coincidence.

[Anonymous Coward]

On Tuesday while assessing masturbating furiously to Obama's victory, Matthews said he was "glad" Sandy happened

The union of disaster porn and political porn has happened. Now tell us again how much more compassionate and sensitive statists are compared to everyone else.

[Episiarch]

Matthews has officially crossed the line to sociopath. I swear, the TEAMs are becoming so partisan and focused only on political outcomes that it is literally making them sociopathic. People aren't people to them, they're just props in their insane little TEAM world.

It's completely fucked.

[Warty]

Chris Matthews is nothing but a taller joe.

[Episiarch]

Seeing that joe has essentially admitted to being a sociopath, yeah, he is.

[Eduard van Haalen]

It was God's will.

[0x90]

I'm guessing he walks around imagining people getting into car accidents and such, in order that he might step in and be the hero. And by step in, I really mean: call somebody to actually help. And by call, I really mean: force.

[sloopyinca]

Am I late to the party? Well then everybody line up and get kicked in the fucking balls.

[Episiarch]

So the jury convicts him and the fucking judge just throws it out?

Rule of law? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Warty]

Prosecutors say Anderson caused a 2009 crash that killed David Servin and Ashlie Krakowski because he was driving 94 mph in Orange without his cruiser's lights or sirens on. The defense argued that Servin, who had an elevated blood-alcohol level, was at least partly at fault.

Fuuuuck.

[Doktor Kapitalism]

Just say an ad for Space Studies at American Public University. I think it's safe to say the ad software reads the comments.

What's the weirdest thing we can get it to show, I wonder?

[Sidd Finch]

Anti-natalism is ITT. That's pretty fucking weird.

[Almanian's Evil Twin]

Warty's pprivates, I'm guessing

[sloopyinca]

Better pat attention, cause another nut punch is heading your way.

FTA: The video, released by a Sarasota judge Wednesday, shows Officer Patrick throwing punch after punch after punch.

Then he appears to choke the man being held down by a number of officers.

According to Sarasota Police detectives, Officer Patrick admitted hitting Jason Dragash ten times in the face and choking him unconscious during his arrest for disorderly intoxication.

One fucking guy terminated but still not charged with felonious assault with a firearm enhancer. Also no mention of why none of the other "number of officers" were charged.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the taxpayers will pay out a large settlement.

[sloopyinca]

Ohio police officer pleads no contest to misdemeanor charge after shoving handcuffed woman into a wall and seriously injuring her. Is ordered to serve zero days in jail but got a whopping 60 days house arrest and a year's probation.

In an e-mail to family and friends, he laments the court system as well as his own department not having his back. He did not address the fact that false arrest, false imprisonment (charges against the woman were dropped), assault and battery with a firearm enhancer and filing a false police report would land a layperson in the fucking slammer.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

it's a wonderful day. liberty has expanded. marijuana has been legalized IN THE GREAT STATE OF WA and the lesser state of CO.

pretty awesome. oh yea, and gay marriage rights expanded as well. darn that pesky presidential election, but oh well...

and totally unsurprising that here, even on the very day these results came in it was all gloom and doom in hit and run. no sunshine amongst the "we're all doomed " cynics. in addition to case after case that restrict WA LEO's search and seizure power (no more pretext, no more search incident - these are HUGE expansions of freedom and civil liberties) , not to mention no permit needed open carry of firearms and shall issue concealed carry, we now have the addition of legalized mj and expanded gay marriage rights. things are looking GREAT.

imo, MJ is where RKBA was a couple of decades ago. we are just starting to gain momentum and there's no turning back. it's FREEDOM ahead.

so, go back to the wanking about all the horrible things in this awful country, but i am still in 100% excited optimistic afterglow mode 🙂

proud to be a washingtonian!! proud to be an american. kick back, stop a wankin' and celebrate for once. enjoy freedom

[Stormy Dragon]

Eric Dondero is giving us the silent treatment:

Starting early this morning, I am going to un-friend every single individual on Facebook who voted for Obama, or I even suspect may have Democrat leanings. I will do the same in person. All family and friends, even close family and friends, who I know to be Democrats are hereby dead to me. I vow never to speak to them again for the rest of my life, or have any communications with them. They are in short, the enemies of liberty. They deserve nothing less than hatred and utter contempt.

I strongly urge all other libertarians to do the same. Are you married to someone who voted for Obama, have a girlfriend who voted 'O'. Divorce them. Break up with them without haste. Vow not to attend family functions, Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas for example, if there will be any family members in attendance who are Democrats.

Do you work for someone who voted for Obama? Quit your job. Co-workers who voted for Obama. Simply don't talk to them in the workplace, unless your boss instructs you too for work-related only purposes. Have clients who voted Democrat? Call them up this morning and tell them to take their business elsewhere.

*sniff* This is the best election ever!

[Mike M.]

What do you mean "us"?

[Stormy Dragon]

You forget that for Team Red, voting for Gary Johnson was the same as voting for Obama, so I'm sure Dondero includes us among the "suspected of Democrat leanings".

[Gray Ghost]

Dondero hated us long before the election, though what you bring up only helped. If only he'd actually be silent during his silent treatment...

What a ridiculous little man.

Good call on your explanation for the poll sampling, BTW.

[Killazontherun]

Kind of a big deal:

CFA Institute Requires Knowledge of Austrian Business Cycle Theory

http://www.economicpolicyjourn.....ge-of.html

Before this year the mainstream and prestigious CFA Institute excluded the Austrian Theories from their Exam materials (based on a review of their 2011 books). This year they have included the Austrian School Business Cycle Theory with mention of Hayek, and Mises (see section 3.1 on page 313). I believe about 100,000 people a year take the Level 1 CFA exam, and now all are required to know the Austrian School Theory. Another sign that you guys are winning.

[Fatty Bolger]

That's very good.

[Elspeth Flashman]

OT- Bar passage rate for Feb 2012 and Jul 2012 bar exam in Michigan now makes MI the fourth hardest state in the nation for passing the bar. It went from 70 percentage avg passing rate in the last five years to 55% passage rate in 2012 (across all law schools).

[Pro Libertate]

Could mean the students are dumber, too. That used to be true in California, which (may still be the case) had a bunch of unaccredited law schools. Not that ABA accreditation matters per se, but the students tend to be of a lower caliber (not all of them, of course).

[Gray Ghost]

IIRC, you didn't even need to go to law school in order to sit for the CA Bar. Which didn't help the pass rate either. Isn't their Bar Exam fairly tough, as such things go?

[Pound. Head. On. Desk.]

Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced to seven life terms, plus another 140 years, in prison for his Arizona shooting rampage.

Who else doubts he'll make it 10 years?