July 21, 2013

Senate Republicans Splinter As Moderates Rise Up: Talking Points Memo

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/07/senate-republicans-splinter-as-moderates-rise-up.php?ref=fpb

Sahil Kapur- July 19, 2013, 2:15 PM 10818
Whether it’s immigration reform, the budget, or President Obama’s nominees, a faction of more moderate Republican senators are increasingly splitting from both their leadership and the tea party and partnering with Democrats on key issues.

The growing signs of division are remarkable after years of exceptional Senate GOP unity under the reign of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), during which minority use of the filibuster to thwart governance has soared to unprecedented heights.

This week, large numbers of Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), broke with McConnell and voted with Democrats to secure the confirmation of controversial Obama nominees to the Labor Department, Environmental Protection Agency and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In all eight cloture and confirmation votes, McConnell voted “no.”

The most controversial nominee so far, Tom Perez for labor secretary, overcame a GOP filibuster by the thinnest of margins, 60-40. The six Republicans who joined Democrats in his favor, whom Democrats will look to for cooperation on other matters, were Sens. McCain, Bob Corker (TN), Lamar Alexander (TN), Susan Collins (ME), Mark Kirk (IL) and Lisa Murkowski (AK).

In a clear sign of boiling rank-and-file frustration, Corker reportedly cried “bullshit” loudly while McConnell was discussing the issue of nominations and Democrats’ nuclear option threat during a closed-door GOP meeting on Wednesday. He later declined to apologize for it and said he’s “glad that that occurred.”
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Just perhaps...think of this....if this could happen in the Senate...Maybe..just maybe...17 or 18 Republican moderates.(that is about.. 7 percent..that is all)...yes there are some...in the House of Representatives ,could help the country recover by passing needed legislation to rebuild the nation's infrastructure..just maybe..(another point..Lisa Murkowski doesn't owe the Republican establishment anything. they tried to destroy her..with a tea party challenge...)

July 18, 2013

joke: An Older Guy, With a Younger Woman...

An older, white haired man walked into a jewelry store one Friday

evening with a gorgeous young gal on his arm. He told the jeweler he was

looking for a special ring for his girlfriend. The jeweler looked

through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring and showed it to him.

The old man said, "I don't think you understand, I want something very

special."

With that, the jeweler went to his special stock and brought another

ring over. "Here's a stunning ring at $40,000", the jeweler said. The

young lady's eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement.

The old man seeing this said, "We'll take it."

The jeweler asked how payment would be made and the old man stated, by

cheque. "I know you need to make sure my cheque is good, so I'll write

it now and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds.Then I'll

come by and pick the ring up Monday afternoon," he said.

Monday morning, a very teed-off jeweler phoned the old man. "There's no

money in that account."

"I know", said the old man, "but can you imagine the weekend that I

had?"

July 17, 2013

Tonite the Air is Unhealthy for sensitive people in New York, Chicago and Denver..

Hit this link...take a look for yourself

look underneath the map, underneath the colors and see Current AQI..hit that box..

which stands for Current Air Quality Index approx.
6:30 pm Eastern Time

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.main

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The report changes every hour
If you hit it now..7:25 Eastern time. .you will see different results
Now it is Redding CA, Denver and Phoenix AZ ..also Rocky Mt National Park is under the same air inversion that Denver is under.

July 17, 2013

Health Care Costs Set to Fall 50%....NYT...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/health/health-plan-cost-for-new-yorkers-set-to-fall-50.html?_r=1&


Individuals buying health insurance on their own will see their premiums tumble next year in New York State as changes under the federal health care law take effect, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Wednesday.


State insurance regulators say they have approved rates for 2014 that are at least 50 percent lower on average than those currently available in New York. Beginning in October, individuals in New York City who now pay $1,000 a month or more for coverage will be able to shop for health insurance for as little as $308 monthly. With federal subsidies, the cost will be even lower.

Supporters of the new health care law, the Affordable Care Act, credited the drop in rates to the online purchasing exchanges the law created, which they say are spurring competition among insurers that are anticipating an influx of new customers. The law requires that an exchange be started in every state.
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What do you think of this. Oh, the Federal Law is sooooooooooooooooo..soooooooooo bad???????????????????
I don't think so.............................

July 17, 2013

Why Bad Air in Philadelphia and Denver Today..Climate Change...

I looked at this site:
Click on it..it is ok...U.S Government site with info provided by state pollution agencies..

http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.main

And clicked on Current Air Quality Index.{Current AQI ]
Now. 7am .....in Philadelphia PA...air is bad..

also..today in Denver it is predicted that the air will be kinda bad..
New Brunswick N.J. bad air....but then. I clicked on the weather in those places..
...not the air pollution ..This morning in Philadelphia Pa...7am

no wind....0 wind

Denver..no wind.. 0 wind..

what does it mean in simple terms.. the pollution from l yesterday has not had a chance to blow away.
so..it piles up and stays put, that is called an "air inversion" .. you can see it at that first map predicting pollution in Denver..
kinda a large circle almost like a ball....brown color..so no wind, equals air inversion...bad air. the Jetstream has been altered...
why?..well... I am saying climate change altered the jet stream. . providing us strange weather.. no wind....often extreme..
fast changing weather..in extremes..that is climate change...more and more of it. no wind at all..more inversions, more pollution
and more people having trouble breathing which is what this is about... humans, breathing dirty air.

July 16, 2013

Mc Connell loses Filibuster Battle, But Winning the War

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/07/mcconnell-loses-filibuster-battle-but-winning-the-war.php?ref=fpb

Sahil Kapur- July 16, 2013, 4:45 PM 435
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) lost big in the filibuster battle that ended Tuesday morning. Senators struck a tentative deal to confirm seven nominees to run federal agencies and departments, in exchange for Democrats agreeing not to nuke the filibuster on executive branch nominations — for now.

But McConnell is still winning the war. In his 6 1/2 year reign as Republican leader, the Kentuckian has so dramatically strengthened the minority’s muscle on routine matters that his concessions this week amount to little more than an half step back toward normalcy.

Where McConnell Lost

Earlier this year McConnell corralled 42 other Republicans to sign a letter pledging to filibuster any nominee to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau until Democrats weakened its regulatory authority. That threat went up in flames Tuesday as many of those same Republicans voted Tuesday to advance Richard Cordray’s nomination — in exchange for nothing. The vote was 71-29.

Although McConnell and GOP leaders touted the fact that they persuaded Democrats to agree to replace two recess-appointed members to the National Labor Relations Board — something they have demanded for months — the real NLRB battle was a proxy for whether the minority could use the threat of a filibuster to force changes to the law that they couldn’t achieve through the regular legislative process. Democrats won that battle.

further down.

Where McConnell Is Still Winning

At the end of the day, the 60-vote Senate is still the norm. The minority retains the ability to obstruct with no credible nuclear threat when it comes to most matters.

much more at article...

July 16, 2013

A Disgusting Play on Patriotism

Hit the link below, front page of New York Times...let the ad show, do not collapse it. Look briefly. Bank of America supports veterans.
The colors glare at you. Red, White and Blue. The Bank of America's colors. odd. Who else has those colors?. Where do we see those colors? In the American Flag. Nice of the Bank of American to show an American Flag in its ad. Is Bank of America claiming that it is patriotic? More patriotic than other banksters and big banks? What is a patriotic bank? Does a patriotic bank break banking rules or the law? Does it cheat consumers? Look for yourself. Hit that link. Is a person more patriotic if they put their money at Bank of America or a credit union? ..Aren't you glad that the Bank of America is telling us that it is "patriotic" and... That ad at the New York Times, Front Page is not free. nope


http://www.nytimes.com/

July 16, 2013

Reid Edges Closer To Nuclear Option As Lengthy All-Senator Meeting Ends With No Deal

Source: Talking Points Memo,

Sahil Kapur- July 15, 2013, 10:20 PM

A 3 1/2-hour long meeting of all senators ended Monday night without a resolution to the impasse over stalled presidential nominees, bringing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) one step closer to the nuclear option.

Reid said after the meeting in the Old Senate Chamber that there was no deal reached but that talks would continue. Don Stewart, a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), said “discussions will continue” because “a clear bipartisan majority in the meeting believed the Leaders ought to find a solution.”

Seven nominees are scheduled to come up for Senate votes Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. ET: three members of the National Labor Relations Board and picks to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, Labor Department and Export-Import Bank. Reid has promised to change the rules by a simple majority vote if Republicans don’t let all of them through, and he’s confident he has the necessary 51 votes.

The crux of the dispute is over two NLRB nominees who were recess-appointed by President Obama (Sharon Block and Richard Griffin), and Richard Cordray to lead the CFPB. In a new development, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said Cordray may have the votes to break a filibuster and be confirmed but that there was no agreement on the NLRB picks.


Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/07/senate-filibuster-meeting-reid-mcconnell-nlrb-cfpb.php?ref=fpa

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I have said some unkind things about Harry Reid in past threads about him making a "deal." Perhaps this time, he will not make a deal.

July 15, 2013

Reid: GOP Can Avoid Rules Changes If They Confirm 7

Source: AP, Huffington Post

Charles Babington
1:50 pm Eastern

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that Republicans must confirm at least seven presidential appointees they've been blocking if they want to avoid a controversial change in Senate rules as early as this week.

A compromise deal to confirm fewer than those seven will not suffice, Reid said only hours before a planned bipartisan gathering on the deeply divisive issue.

The Nevada Democrat again threatened to change Senate rules to allow simple-majority votes for presidential nominees other than judges. Despite virulent protests by Republicans, Reid called the move "a minor change, no big deal."

Republicans have often delayed or blocked presidential nominees by using their filibuster powers, which allow 41 senators to block actions in the 100-member chamber. Many senators cherish rules and traditions that give minority members far more power than anything enjoyed by minority-party members of the House


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130715/us-filibuster-fight/?utm_hp_ref=homepage&ir=homepage

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So, Will Harry Fold?
Or Will the Turtle Fold?
Or Will it be 5 and not 7?
What will it Be?

July 12, 2013

3 years ago today...I gave up food that I was addicted to for many years...

No ice cream, cookies, donuts of any kind, brownies, chocolate, candy, sherbet, cake, pies and deserts like cheese cake. It has helped my to stay normal weight Hard to watch others eat...but not as hard as early on...Used the OA program to help do it..