Posts Tagged The Senate

Is that a gun in your pants, or are you just happy to see me…

Posted by zoboxrox in Uncategorized, crime, politics on July 24th, 2009

maryjayne

How many senators does it take to screw in a light bulb?  Of course the answer is 60 — and thank god for that.  The Senate narrowly rejected an ammendment (which has to be approved by 60 votes — not a majority of 50+) attached to the new defense bill which would have allowed people to travel between states with concealed weapons, no matter the laws in the states to which they are traveling.  In other words, anyone who has a gun permit, which is about as easy to get these days as a driver’s license in some places, could legally carry their hidden firearm on the streets of your home town, no matter what your local laws dictate.

My home town happens to be New York  City, and I am so grateful to the two dissenting Republican Senators Richard Lugar of Indiana and George Voinovich of Ohio, because while its one thing to have a gun in your house, it is entirely different to bring it out with you at night.  HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A BAR?!?!?  There are so many morons out there (see below)… adding weapons to idiocy is never smart.

concealedweapon

400 big city mayors, who came together to form Mayors Against Illegal Guns,  agreed with me, including my own, Dictator Bloomberg, and sent a letter to the Senate pleading with them to come to their goddamn senses not to pass the bill. While this is clearly a case of the Federal Government imposing itself on State’s Rights, which is like, the main platform for conservatives these days, it was of course a Republican sponsored and supported bill.

The debate forced senators to wrestle with issues of states rights, sometimes in ways that seemed to clash with the general philosophies of their parties. Many Republicans, who typically favor limiting the ability of the federal government to dictate to states on social issues, voted in this case to limit the ability of states to insist on their own rules for concealed weapons carried by people from other states.

That said, however, 20 democrats also voted for the bill (NOT including my new Senator, Kristen Gillibrand, who was previously considered gun friendly but voted with her brain this time around).  Why do people think this is a good idea?  I know the argument –  gunfreezonecartoon

– but it doesn’t sit well with me.  Is the good of the one really more important than the good of the many?  Do we really live in a state of such fear that we generally feel a need to arm ourselves at all times?  Maybe if we fixed the broken things in this country — health care, the economy, the middle-class — crime wouldn’t consume our streets.  Is adding weapons really the answer to the problem?

, , , , ,

4 Comments

Obama v. Limbaugh, Best Week Ever: 2/1-2/6

Posted by zoboxrox in corporate america, health, malfunction, politics on February 5th, 2009

Miss Andy C.P., the Juliette Lewis to my Melissa Etheridge, has been begging me to “fill her in” on the newest members of the Cabinet, and while I remind her, ever so gently, she could just read the paper, its true that I have been slacking.  So here is my very own Top 5 list (bite me VH1) of this week’s sassiest political moves, featuring four cabinet positions, three senators, two governors, and one very tricky president.


1. Eric Holder confirmed as Attorney General. Despite efforts by a handful of republican senators against Holder, he is voted in with an overwhelming majority, 75-21, and makes history as the first African American to hold this Cabinet post.  Good for Obama, good for the Cabinet, good for the Country; bad for Rush Limbaugh.

Barack Obama: 1; Rush Limbaugh: 0

2. Former Senator Tom Daschle withdraws his nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services after it is revealed he, until very recently, owed over $100,000.00 in back taxes.  With two decades of service to the nation and a large contingency of allies in the Senate, of which he was once the Minority Leader for several years not too long ago, it is likely Daschle would have been confirmed despite the tax troubles.  His decision to remove himself based on a tarnished image puts more focus on Obama, who apparently did not vet his nominees as well as we were led to believe.  It comes as a major blow to the administration.  Bad for Obama, bad for the Cabinet, bad for sick people around the Country; good for Limbaugh!

Barack Obama: 1; Rush Limbaugh; 1

3. Nancy Killefer withdraws from consideration to be the federal government’s chief performance officer, based on her own taxation confusion.  The new position was designed by the President to ensure that federal agencies were performing at an acceptable level (ahem ahem THE F***ING DMV for instance), and Killefer was chosen for her ability to stay on top of things.  Great pick.  Anyway….bad for Obama, bad for performance, bad for business; excellent for Limbaugh.

Barack Obama: 1; Rush Limbaugh: 2

4. Obama nominates Republican Senator as Commerce Secretary. Now don’t ask me what Commerce Secretary is, cause I haven’t looked it up yet, and there’s no obvious answer (I would imagine he fits somewhere in between the Secretary of Treasury, State, and Homeland Security).  Obama’s first failed cabinet nomination way back in January (New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson who himself withdrew for personal reasons relating to money) left the Commerce post open until his late game bi-partisan move this past Tuesday when he nominated Republican New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg, who’s name sounds like a drain cleaner.  While New Hampshire’s governor, John Lynch, is a Democrat, he has agreed to Gregg’s request that if he accept the position his seat be filled by a fellow GOP member.  Obama proves his promise of bi-partisanship is real, and though he may not get the 60 seats he was going for, New Hampshire is a pretty Libertarian place, and I’m sure Mr. Lynch will appease both sides with his centrist appointment.  Good for Obama, good for bipartisanship, good move in the right direction for our world; inherrantly bad for Limbaugh.

Barack Obama: 2; Rush Limbaugh: 2

5. Michael Phelps gets caught smoking pot.

I’m not sure who gets a point for this…

, , , , , ,

1 Comment

Politics Unusual

Posted by zoboxrox in malfunction, politics on January 7th, 2009

The 111th Congress convened today under quite unusual circumstances.  Both Minnesota and Illinois are without senators and three more appointments are set to be made in the following weeks in New York, Delaware, and Colorado.  While we know that longtime Biden aide Edward Kaufman will be replacing the Vice-President Elect and Michael F. Bennet, the superintendent of Denver public schools is taking over Ken Salazar’s Colorado seat, Governor Patterson of New York has kept his mouth shut about his choice, even speaking out against the idea that he had settled on Caroline Kennedy: “There is no front-runner, and the governor is not on the verge of any decision,” Errol Cockfield, Paterson’s spokesman.

Meanwhile, Roland Burris, the world’s most outwardly egomaniacal confident man, was denied entry to the Senate today, as he was warned he would, and gave a brief press conference outside where he vowed he “was not seeking to have any type of confrontation,” despite the confrontation he had just sought and the enormous scene that had gathered for the event.  Congressman Bobby Rush then emerged from the crowd and accused the  entire Senate of racism for not seating Burris as the only black senator.  So while this was once a fight about legality, Rush has helped turn it into a much more sensitive and, I would say, inappropriate issue. The idea that any black representative is better than none, is insulting, dangerous, and could backfire terribly in the future.  Do Rush and Burris really want to set a standard of less than but equal?

The real question here is not whether Burris deserves to be seated, based on his race or his mausoleum of accomplishments, for that is truly an irrelevant issue in the realm of public service; it is should never be about the man but about the people he will serve.  The only issue that should be in focus is one of legality: is this a legal appointment?  While I think that anyone crazy enough to accept a position like this in the midst of this crisis is most likely not fit for office, I’m gonna have to side with my girl Diane Feinstein here:

“The question is really one, in my view, of law,” Feinstein told reporters in a Capitol hallway.

“Does the governor have the power, under law, to make the appointment? And the answer is yes. Is the governor discredited? The answer is yes. Does that affect his appointment power? The answer is no, until certain things happen” she said.

That being said, Burris could never win in 2010, and his egomania will most likely hurt the Democrats in the end.  If he really cares about the future of the seat, the party and the state of Illinois, its time for him to take a bow.

, ,

No Comments

Minnesota, Meet Your New Senator…. Maybe

Posted by zoboxrox in malfunction, politics on January 6th, 2009

“Even close elections have winners.” - Harry Reid, 01/06/09

After weeks of confusing recount proceedings, the The Minnesota State Canvassing Board has finally determined that Al Franken is the winner of the November 4th state elections and thus their new Junior Senator, thereby replacing incumbent Norm Coleman (with a lead of roughly 225 votes out of 2.9 million).  Senate Republicans have vowed to filibuster the move if the Elite Liberal Media-Machine Franken is appointed tomorrow, citing Minnesota’s law that requires the Secretary of State to certify the election, which he cannot do if there are any pending lawsuits regarding the seat in question.  And despite the fact that the SecState himself personally believes, “All lawful votes were counted,” the Coleman camp is arguing that there are another 650 or so votes that have been mistakenly rejected and should be included in the recount effort.  And so it goes…

Coleman’s campaign has complained the recount has favored Franken by excluding some absentee ballots, double-counting some votes and counting some ballots that went missing. Franken’s campaign countered with similar claims of uncounted ballots and Coleman votes counted twice.

Are you kidding me!  This is America right?  When did our election process become so incompetent? 

I have come to two major conclusions as a result of all this nonsense and they are as follows:

  1. Apparently, all you need to win an election is a good legal team.
  2. Al Franken is no longer very funny.

That being said, I’m glad creepy looking tooth-face Coleman didn’t win.  Also, I’ve got to find out which thrift shop Bush is donating his clothing to.  That jacket is fire!

, ,

1 Comment

Stuck In the Middle With You

Posted by zoboxrox in crime, malfunction, politics on December 30th, 2008

Well Governor Blagojevich may be an idiot, but he’s no dummy.  Despite pleas from basically every other Democrat in the government, including Jesus reincarnate B-rock, today he went ahead with his bad self and appointed former Illinois Attorney General 71-year-old Roland Burris to Obama’s vacant Senate seat. Immediately, Democrats insisted they would absolutely not consider Blago’s pick, no matter who it is, based solely on their belief he should not be allowed to choose.  Problem is, Blags made a pretty good choice, actually and politically, and it may be hard to reject Mr. Burris.

For starters, he’s obviously Superman. Or the Terminator.  I mean this guy is 71!  Look at him.  I hope to look that good when I’m 35.  You want this magic man on your side.

Secondly, Barack Obama happened to be the only sitting representative of African descent in the entire Senate.  By naming Burris, Blagojevich is affirming that there will be at least one Black Senator in 2009, which is of course an extremely popular move for many in Chicago, Illinois, and the Country in general, who desire to see a diversified Senate that more accurately reflects the population.  US Representative Bobby Rush, a fellow Black Democrat from Chicago made this clear today, standing side by side Blagsy and Burris,:

“There are no African-Americans in the U.S. Senate. And I don’t think any U.S. senator who’s sitting in the Senate right now wants to go on record to deny one African-American from being seated in the U.S. Senate“

‘Roland Burris is worthy. He has not, in 20 years of public service, had one iota of taint on his record,” said Rush. “I applaud the governor for his decision, and I would ask you not to hang or lynch that appointee as you castigate the appointer‘.”

So then there’s the fact that he’s clean.  Born and raised in Illinois, Burris spent over two decades serving the people of Illinois while avoiding scandals, which is super hard to do in Chicago.  Its like when you get caught being naughty and bring a nice kid over to dinner so mom thinks your still her little angel.  Tricky tricky move on Blago’s part.

Finally there’s the fact Blaggy still has the power, and the duty, to make this appointment.  Chances are, any legal actions again Blagojevich will take a few months and could last into at least February, in which case, had he not made an appointment to the Senate seat, it would at the time remain unfilled and the people of Illinois would be underrepresented in the Federal Government, and nobody likes when that happens!

While the Illinois Junior Senate seat is stuck between a rock and hard place, Blagojevich might just be slippery enough to eel Burris through the doors.  And if there’s one thing this Roland Burris can do, its raise money money money:

, , ,

2 Comments