House Passes Climate Change Bill

With a vote of 219-212, House dems narrowly passed the climate change bill Obama was calling for during his election campaign. Why was it so close? The idea was to pass it with the bare minimum of necessary votes as to allow some dems cover so they could vote no on it.

From Politico:

"But the all-hands-on-deck effort to protect politically vulnerable Democrats by corralling the minimum number of votes to pass the bill, 219-212, proves that there are limits to President Barack Obama's ability to use his popularity to push through his legislative agenda. Forty-four Democrats voted against the bill, while just eight Republicans crossed the aisle to back it."

This is good for Pelosi, Obama, and the two sponsors/writers of the bill House Energy and Commerce committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Ca.) and Massachusetts Rep. Edward Markey (D)

There is a loooonnnngggg way to go in the senate. Often, these type of good bills go to the senate and get all screwed up. So we will see what the senate does with the bill. Don't cross hold your breath.

SCOTUS Finds Strip Search of Middle Schooler Illegal

The supreme court ruled that strip searching students is illegal. A-men brother! The student in question was said to have extra-strength ibuprofin. Her bag was searched then her pockets. When that came up negative she was sent to the nurse and was told to strip. She was told to take off her bra and then pull her underwear away from her body to show her pubic region. All of which came up negative.

Can you imagine being a 13-year-old girl and told to take off your clothes and show your pubic region (without parental consent). I would have been mortified.

The problem with the ruling? From the LA Times

"In today's ruling, the justices agreed the search itself was unconstitutional, but they also rejected the suit against the school employees because the law had not been clear."

This is really frustrating. The law is not clear? What makes a principal think they can take it this far? At no point in time should a school strip search a student to this degree for over the counter headache medicine. This was WAY beyond what is needed.

NPR Is Getting Some Online Recognition

NPR took a different look at the health care overhaul and is getting some buzz about it. Instead of taking pictures of the senators, they took a picture of the audience and is trying to identify the lobbyists in the room during the hearings.

Unique way to look at it.

Too F-ing Frustrating

Media Matters caught this. If the people over at Fix news don't like the story, they change the facts. The picture above shows S.C. Governor Mark Sanford as a "D". This isn't an accident. This network is hell bent on making shit up. The GOP has been melting down as of late so Fix new decides to change the reality that everyone else lives in.

This makes me so fucking mad.

Finally, Dems Sticking Up For Public Option

More of this please.

"Leaders of four Democratic caucuses representing more than 120 members of Congress said Wednesday that they would vote against any health overhaul legislation that excludes a “robust” government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers." (emphasis mine)

Why? Because the "public option" has been getting a beating as of late with repubs controlling the message. With crap like this:

"Republicans are out in force against a public option, seeing it as a precursor to full government takeover of health insurance. Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, takes to the Senate floor routinely to warn against government-supplied insurance."

72% of the population wants a public option. But it seems that even the dems don't hear the will of the people. How do we know? Because of crap like this from the dems:

"White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel met last night at the U.S. Capitol with Senate Democrats and told them Obama is 'open to alternatives' to a new government insurance program in order to get legislation overhauling the health-care system to his desk, said Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota.'"

Come hell or high water should the dems let the repubs push them around. Bipartisanship is assinine. However, it depends on your definition of bipartisan. From Dailykos

"Congressional Republicans are uniformly against a public option, but as Kilgore points out, about half of Republicans who don't live or work in DC support a public option...

1. They [dems] can pursue Congressional bipartisanship, which will put them at odds with their own base and likely create political cover for Republicans who might otherwise have issues in their base, or

2. They can pursue grassroots bipartisanship, which will put them on the side of an overwhelming majority of Americans and create a schism within the Republican-leaning electorate."

What does that mean? It means don't deal with the elected repubs. They're useless. Deal with the grassroots repubs. They want it. Give it to them.

At the end of the day, I can't stand that Obama wants to deal with repubs when the congressional repubs will do anything to sabotage the public health plan.

South Carolina Governor Lost and Then Found

Governor Sanford of South Carolina adds to the woes of the GOP today with his reappearance from a six day disappearance. Upon his return he admitted to being in an affair with an Argentinian woman.

Sad for lots of people. As I have seen over the past couple of years with politicians admitting to infidelity or some other form of dishonesty, I realize that people who back these politicians (wives, supporters, or fellow politicians) are really betrayed. John Edwards's betrayal was probably the worst. He was running for president and had lots of backers from all over the country.

I wonder what the motivation for these things are? Is it really just sex?

GOP Having Problems Raising Money Against Sotomayor

Turns out that hate doesn't make money. After months of calling Obama's Supreme Court nominee her racist, it doesn't seem to be having the money appeal they had hoped.

From the Politico:

"Nearly a month after President Barack Obama picked her for the Supreme Court, Republican senators say Sonya Sotomayor isn’t serving as the political lightning rod some in their party had hoped she would be.

'She doesn’t have the punch out there in terms of fundraising and recruiting, I think — at least so far,' said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), who most likely will be elected as the No. 4 Republican in Senate leadership this week."

For the GOP to think that their venomous attacks against an accomplished judge/lawyer would pull in the cash and support is ludicrous. I think they know their licked on this one.

Voting Irregularities in Iran's Election

Turns out, the protesters have a case. The Times:

"Even so, Iran’s most senior panel of election monitors, in the most sweeping acknowledgment that election was flawed, said Monday that the number of votes cast in 50 cities exceeded the actual number of voters, according to a state television report.

The discrepancies could affect some three million ballots of what the government says was 40 million cast, giving the official victory to the incumbent president (Ahmadinejad)"

That is pretty major. Do the math. 3 is what percent of 40. That's 13% of the votes cast. That is a MAJOR discrepancy. What does the commission plan to do? Nothing. They said this would not change the results.

That doesn't matter. Also, that is assuming this is the ONLY discrepancy.