K-9

You don't think that labeling a pregnancy as a result of rape as the "method of conception" and that the woman MUST remain pregnant as a result of this violent assault, as crazy? Or how about forcing a 14 year old i.n.c.e.s.t victim impregnated by the same "method of conception" to do the same? The more I think of it, batschit crazy doesn't even come close to capturing it. EDIT: didn't know i.n.c.e.s.t wouldn't pass the word filter. Understandable though.

Seeing as how Ryan, Mourdock, and others have cited their religion as what has informed them on the issue, that is safe to say. As to your 2nd paragraph, that's the Pandora's box I'll simply stay away from.

No Pandora's box at all. You're just describing "choice" is all. Mourdock "chooses" to believe what he believes. And that's between him and his God and that's fine. He has NO right to tell a woman made pregnant by rape that she has to remain that way, LET ALONE pass laws that say so. That is her "choice" and it's between her and her God, family, etc. It's always been about "choice." Same with the in-vitro fertilization argument. Some people simply can't get pregnant any other way. There are literally thousands of people walking the planet today because of this advancement in medical science. Nobody has the right to deny people this "choice."

That was funny. But Mourdock is part of a growing fringe that feels the way he does. Making the philosophy an official part of your party's platform is one thing but when the VP candidate is leading the cause it's quite another. Paul Ryan looks upon pregnancy as a result of rape as a "method of conception." He is against abortion in the case of rape regardless of the "method of conception." Those are his words. And that is batschit crazy no matter how you slice it. And that joke Stewart made about in-vitro fertilization is not just a put on. The evangelical wing of the party that starting co-opting the platform as part of the Moral Majority back in the 80s, has always been against that procedure as well. So yeah, like Stewart implies, it's quite possible that Ryan and his cohorts would enact laws that ban in-vitro fertilization AND dictate that a women MUST carry a pregnancy as a result of rape to term. I don't see how any rational person can be OK with that. Exactly. And the hypocrisy that the right doesn't care about Powell's endorsement is off the charts. If he had come out endorsing Romney, it would be the lead story all over Fox and the Republican blogosphere. When the right has to trot out surrogate Sununu to pooh-pooh the Powell endorsement that's all you need to know. But I'm getting a kick out of Sununu's backtracking for having said that Powell only endorsed Obama because he's black. Apparently he didn't hear what Powell had to say about economic and foreign policy concerns. Then again, when has he ever spouted off with all the facts at hand?

And if we're in the middle of hyperinflation, then Bernanke needs to turn in his economist membership card. EVERYTHING he does is geared toward preventing that. It's it's inflation, look for interest rates to skyrocket in order to curb it.

You mean pissah naheastah

Just read that Colin Powell is once again endorsing Obama based on his concerns about Romney's economic plan and his worry that Romney's foreign policy will be informed by the same neo-cons that surrounded Bush. That is a scary thought indeed. Good for Colin Powell for having the cojones to stand up for his principals regardless of his party affiliation. If there were more like him in the party, I'd have no trouble considering rejoining it.

Definitely not your phone. I was viewing from a desktop. LOTS of lines of text. Phone would be very difficult. GO SABRES!!! Thanks again, chz. Pretty good breakdown on the key points from the reddit forum. Not sure why the exec. cited the Winter Classic as a game the owners wouldn't want to miss because "it's their biggest moneymaker." Owners are receiving $180 m in TV revenues regardless even if the season is lost entirely. Is the Winter Classic a one-off deal that pays the league separately? GO SABRES!!!

My question is when Mexico invades Texas to reclaim their lost land, do we have to send in federal troops to help, or can Rick Perry and the rest of his merry band of secessionists (thanks BuffaninATL) hold their own? I'm hoping it's the latter.

Interesting read so far but laborious. Thanks for posting. How long before GoDD attempts to figure out what team this exec. works for? GO SABRES!!!

Yes, thanks for the heads up.

Why waste your good time defending your qualifications as a proud American to the likes of someone who has no basis for questioning them in the first place OTHER THAN the fact that he perceives you have a different political viewpoint?

Unbelievable, even for you. I wonder where freeman is to admonish you to "do better." There's a war among the states right now. Perhaps you should get back to Texas in time for its secession. After all, that great American patriot and current Texas Governor, Rick Perry, has already endorsed the idea. I'm sure they need more comrades for the job.

Well, considering that the Texas GOP platform for 2012 calls for the repeal of the Voter Rights Act of 1965, is there really any wonder what they are afraid of?

I see. I thought that you were suggesting that the Arabic name derivatives were or could be made to be derogatory when translated to Arabic. Absent that, I doubt the right can make any more of an issue out of his name. Like I've said numerous times it's an appeal to base human emotions and it's effective because it resonates with a certain portion of the far right. Has been since 2004.

No need to pretend, I seriously don't know what you are driving at here. SFiNS suggested his name had negative connotations in Arabic. I was wondering what they are. The right has, since 2004, been making it a point to use his middle name for no other reason than to create a connection to Saddam Hussein, Muslims, 9/11, terrorists, Arabs, etc etc. And you know damn well why, too. Or are you pretending not know this?

I'd be interested to know what those negative connotations of his name are. In the very little amount of cursory research I've been able to do, both the names Barack and Hussein carry strong, positive meanings.

So, what do you have in mind? Is it one test for all the people or is it adjusted for certain social strata? How about differences in geographic location? Should it focus on civics or current events? Who determines what current events are included?

Pointing out Romney's first name has nothing to do with pointing out he's white. Just like pointing out Obama's middle name has nothing to do with him being black. The pejorative use of Obama's middle name is to create the connection to Saddam Hussein, Islam, the MIddle East, terrorists, 9/11, etc. solely to appeal to our base emotions. Another Roger Ailes strategy. And it seems to work on the simpler minds out there in the electorate.

I can't speak for anyone else but I use Romney's first name to clarify that he bears a resemblance to the actor who starred in a movie of the same name. I'll let you decide which one he looks like.

Mathematically you're completely right of course. And I'll be cheering come hell or high water. But it's the way we've screwed the pooch that has me concerned. We just don't pass the eye test as a competitive team. And it seems like the edges are fraying if Kelsay's words are indicative of anything. GO BILLS!!!

Speaking of the Rangers, how do the fan loyalties get divided in Brooklyn? I gotta believe it's mostly Rangers with a smattering of Devils. But there's gotta be a fair amount of Brooklynites that came of age during the Islander glory years, too. \ GO SABRES!!!

Yeah, he got the limp removed. GO BILLS!!!

Appeals to our base passions has long been a Republican strategy. Particularly prejudices and fear. What Karl Rove orchestrated against McCain in South Carolina is a good example. Bush's entire 2004 re-election campaign was an appeal to our fears. And today we hear news that Romney's campaign is sending direct mail DVDs which claim Obama is the love child between his mother and a black communist activist in Chicago. They hit the trifecta with that one. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/us/politics/strident-anti-obama-messages-flood-key-states.html?_r=0

What was so curious about it? Romney said it in an interview on CNN in March. Of course Fox and the Republican blogosphere are busy trying to parse the language in determining the difference between the words "foe" and "threat." In fairness to Romney, he said that our biggest national security threat was a nuclear-armed Iran.