You three probably are right, and my idea of better Nov. unemployment numbers effecting the election isn't well thought-out.

But I stand by my assessment of the BLS-truthers as total nutcases.

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Just in time for Super Bowl weekend.

Modern Bow-Tie magazine citing a CREW report is just too precious.

Ugh, please warn me of Daily Caller links - if I can help it, I don't want to give those jackholes any clicks.

I keep clicking on this thinking it's a Taft Mascot thread. More Girthquake!

Dedicated Taft thread here.

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Just in time for Super Bowl weekend.

This article is worthless without pictures.

Nazism : I should point out that the holocaust idea spawned from the idea of Eugenics which was a very very large part the creation of Americans who were the first to really put what was otherwise a controversial "science" into practice. of course, a wide range of folks backed that, including the likes of Alexander Graham Bell (though he focused on the more local aspect at least) Teddy Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, and it wasn't until the Nazis took it to batshit insane level that people realized that was dumb as hell in it's conclusion... well except for the American South which didn't seem to get the memo until several decades later..... sorta...

So it is not surprising to see a part of the American Political prospectus to justify the Holocaust to some extend.

On NRA list : if the anti gun crowd has any sort of brains of backing of money they'd run a huge ad nation wide for several month based on this.


In other international News, the PM of Japan Shinzo Abe said in Parliament yesterday that he would consider putting permanent installation and public officials onto the contested islands with China, well if he's serious about that, then the CIA better assassinate him before he goes through with it. there is a 100% chance that war will happen if that happens.

This Sunday's long form must read.

there is a 100% chance that war will happen if that happens

Happened to be rewatching Ken Burns' The War this week. If I were the Japanese, I don't think I'd be in any hurry to give the Chinese an excuse to make up for Nanking et al.

F####ing Walnuts - @SenJohnMcCain: So Ahmadinejad wants to be first Iranian in space - wasn't he just there last week? "Iran launches monkey into space"”

Has anyone ever gone from respected opponent to rank embarrassment to the country faster or farther?

And of course, Jeeze, it was just a joke!

Last time PPP checked in Arizona (early Oct.), McCain's approval was at +12. That's a marked improvement from Feb. 2012 (-7) and Nov. 2011 (-21).

This is where I register my disgust with Arizona's voters. However, I don't see John losing his next race (if he decides to run again).

This is where I register my disgust with Arizona's voters. However, I don't see John losing his next race (if he decides to run again).

Post 2008 McCain has become untethered from anything other than AZ politics. He has no incentive to think beyond "what gets me votes in Arpaio country?" That, combined with his raging bitterness at having had his natural right to the Presidency upended by that uppity boy from Chicago...

The dumber he acts, the more popular he gets in Arizona...there must a punchline in here somewhere!

Justin Amash just whacked McCain on twitter -- "Don't make racist jokes"....

So... from straight talk express to maverick to loyal opposition to bitter to crazy uncle you hope stays quiet in just 4 years?

#108 There were forced sterilizations going on in Canada until the early 1970s.

That's interesting; I'd think it'd be pretty unusual for someone as established as McCain to see his approval rating change by 19 points in eight months or 33 points in a year. That'd seem like a lot for even a President, who is much more likely to be given personal credit/blame for events, never mind for a Senator. I wonder why that occurred.

The dumber he acts, the more popular he gets in Arizona...there must a punchline in here somewhere!

Man, when the demographic numbers finally hit the tipping point in Arizona, there are going to be either a whole lot of sudden converts to brotherhood or a whole lot of migrations to heated gated communities in Idaho.

The dumber he acts, the more popular he gets in Arizona...there must a punchline in here somewhere!

It should probably involve monkeys, and space.

Thou shalt not question Israeli policy, ever.

When did it become acceptable to again be openly racist and homophobic in this country? I can understand ( a little) people saying things in a presumably private conversation. But this is a public figure (fmr exec director of the SC GOP and an attorney). Can people really publicly hold views like this and not be shunned? On the plus side Mark Wohlers of all people got after him on twitter about it, but really, I am just not getting how anyone not in a militia or something would publish this sort of thing on the web openly. There doesn't even seem to be much furor about it.

//Daily Kos link, but just so all the tweets would show up on one page.

Happened to be rewatching Ken Burns' The War this week. If I were the Japanese, I don't think I'd be in any hurry to give the Chinese an excuse to make up for Nanking et al.

If you were Japanese you probably think that the "Rape of Nanking," is either a complete hoax or grossly exaggerated - it's what they were/are still taught in most schools there. Historians there who deny Nanking (and a few other things) are not ostracised from the profession the way Holocaust deniers are in the west.

Can people really publicly hold views like this and not be shunned?

In the south? You know the answer to that question. This guy is a GOP player from South Carolina. The only notable thing that happened here is that he said in public, via Twitter, #### he says to his inner circle all the time. This is the southern GOP/TP at its heart. It's no surprise.

Just how many groups of little uninhabited or sparsely inhabited islands, reefs, and shoals are there in the general vicinity of East Asia or Southeast Asia? And does ever goddam one of such groups come with a territorial dispute (and the rumor that there might be undersea oil in the vicinity)? It's hard to keep track. Anyone have a scorecard?

The fight over those "islands" is the same as the fight over territorial rights between Canada and Russia and Iceland and Norway for the Arctic Ocean. It's all about the oil under the sea.

Thou shalt not question Israeli policy, ever.

This is particularly odious, because it means we're sinking to the level of the anti-semetic pigs in European academia.

Todd Kincannon basically made himself unemployable. That's the best punishment for a man like him.

there was no such thing as 'Senate Majority Leader', since the VP was (and technically still is) the 'President of the Senate'

I may be missing something in the question, but in what sense is the Senate Majority Leader the head of a branch of government?

There can't really be a "head" of the legislative branch but, if there is one, it is the Speaker of the House. If there is a leader of the Senate it is either the VP or the President pro tem. Yes, the president pro tem is not a very powerful position but is the head of the Senate in the absence of the VP.

And, likewise, there is a president who served as president pro tem. Who was it? (Bonus question: who is the current president pro tem?)

Double bonus: one man (oops - two men) has presided over both House and Senate. Who? (Helps explain his most famous quote).


But, while the Senate Majority Leader wields a great deal of political power, he/she is not officially the head of any part of government.

Thou shalt not question Israeli policy, ever.

This is particularly odious, because it means we're sinking to the level of the anti-semetic pigs in European academia.

what is odious?

What Sam decided to name the link?

Or the behavior of the pro-Israeli lobby in attacking Brooklyn College?

If it's the latter I agree with you
If it's the former I agree with Sam and think that your invocation of antisemitism is disgusting and contemptible.

So -

Let me say something nice about the GOP for a change of pace...

I'm down with the Republicans on this... Obviously, the tax-and-spend liberal in me wishes to winnow down the sequester in some areas - but I'm 100% A-OK with saying "fine, no new tax revenue -- and the DoD cuts STAND!"

Just how many groups of little uninhabited or sparsely inhabited islands, reefs, and shoals are there in the general vicinity of East Asia or Southeast Asia? And does ever goddam one of such groups come with a territorial dispute (and the rumor that there might be undersea oil in the vicinity)? It's hard to keep track. Anyone have a scorecard?

There's a lot in the South China sea and that's actually where the biggest mess is, China / Japan thing was actually stable for the last 35 years or so until crazy Japanese right wingers decided to try to change that . (which is stupid as hell seeing that they had the advantage in that status quo)

The list of East Asia island dispute is...

Kuril Islands Russia holds it, but Japan claims that wasn't part of the deal after WW2.

Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japane) held by Korea, but disputed by Japan on various historical grounds. (North Korea also asserts claim)

Pinnacle isles, or Senkaku in Japan / Daioyu in China controlled by Japan, claimed by the Chinese (by that I mean both China and Taiwan)

South China Sea dispute this is the most complex of it all, since there's basically 7 country here all with various degree of conflicting claims. China (mirroring the claim of Taiwan) essentially claims the whole thing, so obviously they're the big target, but Vietnam's claim is also in conflict with other country.

There's 3 major island group in the sea, the most problematic dispute is the far south Spartly island group, to give you an idea of how bad this is, 7 different country claims all or a significant part of the islands, and 6 of them have troops / personal occupying at least 1 island or reef there (yes they're even squabbling over the reefs). there's a total of 45 islands in the this group, though only 1 is somewhat inhabitable and that has been occupied by Taiwan ( Republic of China) for the last 55 years.

(Bonus question: who is the current president pro tem?)

Patrick Leahy since Inouye died.

Double bonus: one man (oops - two men) has presided over both House and Senate. Who? (Helps explain his most famous quote).

The famous one is John Nance Garner. No idea who the other one is.

Who is the least-recognizable VP? My short list would include Tompkins, Morton, Hobart, Fairbanks, Marshall, Sherman. It's hard not to give bonus points to Sherman, who would not be one of the first four Shermans named by a good guesser. Fairbanks probably gets lifted out of the competition because they named a city after him. Morton is known to people who follow politics of the era, more for what he did before being VP than during. Marshall comes up because of the incapacity crisis. But I think Hobart might be the champ.

Who is the least-recognizable VP?

I could not pick any of them out of a lineup or description of their life (possible exception Fairbanks if he had anything to do with Alaska - and btw my friends tell me is is a bland and depressing city), and I am well above average in political knowledge. I suspect there are a pile in the "no one but historians and relatives know who these people are" category.

Who is the least-recognizable VP? My short list would include Tompkins, Morton, Hobart, Fairbanks, Marshall, Sherman. It's hard not to give bonus points to Sherman, who would not be one of the first four Shermans named by a good guesser. Fairbanks probably gets lifted out of the competition because they named a city after him. Morton is known to people who follow politics of the era, more for what he did before being VP than during. Marshall comes up because of the incapacity crisis. But I think Hobart might be the champ.

Hobart is the only one on your list that I recognize, so he can't be the answer. He was McKinley's VP before Ted R.

I'm looking at the list of VPs now. Someone named Hendricks was VP for 8 months in 1885, though he was very important in Indiana before that.

William A. Wheeler was apparently nominated ironically by Roscoe Conkling's crew who were perplexed by his refusal to take patronage. Hayes didn't know who he was when he was told Wheeler was his running mate. So why should we know who he is now?

Double bonus: one man (oops - two men) has presided over both House and Senate. Who? (Helps explain his most famous quote).



The famous one is John Nance Garner. No idea who the other one is.

Schyuler Colfax. Speaker during the Civil War, VP under Grant.

John Tyler was both President Pro Tem, VP, and President. Not a bad run.

Zonk, I'm still sincererly curious about the phrasing of Majority Leader as leader of a branch of government. I would usually defer to your knowledge here but it still seems wrong to me.

(Bonus question: who is the current president pro tem?)



Patrick Leahy since Inouye died.

Correct on both counts. It struck me as odd, when I went to check, that the President Pro Tem is such a forgotten position. I think zonk is phrasing Majority Leader as de facto leader because, well, in terms of getting stuff done in the Senate (you know, in a hypothetical scenario where such happened), the Majority Leader is the leader. But the actual head of the Senate is the VP and the president pro tem the every day leader. It makes me wonder, looking at recent pro tems, if we shouldn't amend the line of succession to make the Majority Leader the pro tem. The actual pro tem is usually some old guy you really wouldn't want taking over in the crisis that must have happened if the first three go down. Leahy is probably the best we've had in a long while, just in terms of still having some wits about him.

Zonk, I'm still sincererly curious about the phrasing of Majority Leader as leader of a branch of government. I would usually defer to your knowledge here but it still seems wrong to me.

Well, deferring to me is your first mistake ;-)

But absolutely, the legislative branch really just has 'one' leader (the Speaker of the House) who only happens to control half that branch... The role of 'Senate Majority Leader' really only goes back about a century in recognizable custom - but in effect, there's generally sort of been an acknowledged Senate leader even prior to the early 20th century...

Correct on both counts. It struck me as odd, when I went to check, that the President Pro Tem is such a forgotten position. I think zonk is phrasing Majority Leader as de facto leader because, well, in terms of getting stuff done in the Senate (you know, in a hypothetical scenario where such happened), the Majority Leader is the leader. But the actual head of the Senate is the VP and the president pro tem the every day leader. It makes me wonder, looking at recent pro tems, if we shouldn't amend the line of succession to make the Majority Leader the pro tem. The actual pro tem is usually some old guy you really wouldn't want taking over in the crisis that must have happened if the first three go down. Leahy is probably the best we've had in a long while, just in terms of still having some wits about him.

Yes- I am.... I think the VP is still actually "President of the Senate" -- or at least, conducts business on the rare occasions he's present... but both the veep and pro tem role are more honarary....

It makes the original question less fun then -- because technically, every VP who eventually ascended to President would qualify under the 'two of three' branches rule ;-)

I think the Senate is the most confused and goofy part of our government - even the SC makes more sense. Oh well, I suppose it has largely functioned as designed, I am just not sure the design was a super good idea.

Postal Service to Cut Saturday Mail

But the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Fredric Rolando, said the end of Saturday mail delivery is "a disastrous idea that would have a profoundly negative effect on the Postal Service and on millions of customers," particularly businesses, rural communities, the elderly, the disabled and others who depend on Saturday delivery for commerce and communication.

Who knew that receiving a letter on Saturday instead of Monday was that delicate thread keeping our society together?

I'm surprised they haven't made the switch already.

Hyperbole and self interest in that statement, of course, but FedEx and UPS, et al get to focus their business on the most profitable routes, by excluding or charging a premium for remote places and puts the USPS at a tremendous competitive disadvantage.

But the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Fredric Rolando, said the end of Saturday mail delivery is "a disastrous idea that would have a profoundly negative effect on the Postal Service and on millions of customers," particularly businesses, rural communities, the elderly, the disabled and others who depend on Saturday delivery for commerce and communication.



Who knew that receiving a letter on Saturday instead of Monday was that delicate thread keeping our society together?

The PO discussion has created one of the oddest of alliances that I've ever seen...

Certainly - you have the NALC opposing this, but what do you expect? However, the USPS cannot just 'cut' Saturday delivery (they're using some clever legalese to get around a law) - Congress has to let them.... the big legislative obstacle? lots of deep red, rural Republicans.

It's uniform, of course -- some (Tom Coburn, for one) are in favor of it... and sure, there are also very union-friendly Democrats who are backing the NALC.... but it's one item where the lines truly are awfully squiggly.

I always thought that the best idea for the USPS to stay relevant would have been get more digital... I wouldn't pay a lot for it -- but I would be willing to pay a nominal fee for let's say, a "lifetime e-mail box" where delivery would be at least somewhat restrained/spam free. I would likewise be happy to have something like a USPS p2p network and delivery mechanism available -- something that would allow me to have access to a network where, yes, file sharing and digital packages would have to be 'blessed'/free of copyright/etc infringement, but also kept free of ne'er-do-wells that might slip a trojan or somesuch into the works.

Open source is all well and good -- and I'm not saying the USPS should 'take over' the internet by any stretch... but providing a safe, secure highway -- where the sender and recipient are known to the 'traffic cops' so to speak -- would be something that would interest me at a low price point.

I'm certainly not paying $0.44 for an e-mail --- but for an e-mail system completely free of spam? $1 for a 100 e-mails? Or - for a business - a secure and trusted method to send 10k e-mails, knowing that the recipients are real people (and those people also being secure in knowing that this 'GREAT DEAL'! isn't a phishing attempt?)

Hyperbole and self interest in that statement, of course, but FedEx and UPS, et al get to focus their business on the most profitable routes, by excluding or charging a premium for remote places and puts the USPS at a tremendous competitive disadvantage.

Right -

It's actually the rural communities that need the USPS, not me... sitting here in a large urban center -- I'm going to have package and mail needs met (and probably met at competitive rates) regardless of whether the USPS exists or not.

Cut ~80% of the country (geographically speaking) out of the mix -- or -- don't force the USPS to service those areas at the same price as the 'more profitable' urban centers, and the USPS would do just fine... but I don't think that was really ever the point of it - it was supposed to be a national mail delivery service.

Jeb Bush tried to buy Marlins, Loria said no....

I could have sworn that when I was a kid ( in the 70's) that there was no Sat mail service.

It's funny; I had read a little bit about the career of Charles Dawes, who was an important bureaucrat in the post-WWI years; but I had totally forgotten he was ever Vice President (for Coolidge). Most of the VPs from the Civil War through Dawes are just names to me, unless they happened to become President, of course. William Wheeler, who was VP for Hayes, is a complete mystery: can't figure out why he was important or how he got nominated. I reckon it was a swing-state move, since Wheeler was from New York; but that was futile; so was the Democratic Presidential nominee, Samuel Tilden. (It ended up close, though, Tilden winning NYS 51-48%, so perhaps it was a smart move overall.)

As to Saturday mail, I won't notice that much, although I am a mail junkie and love my magazines. I can't remember the last time I got a piece of business mail that meant much of anything: maybe a check from TIAA-CREF last year when my father died, but it's not like he's going to do that again.

I have almost all packages sent to my office anyway, so they don't just get dumped on the front porch; I never get a package on Saturday anymore. I realize lots of people don't have offices, but like zonk in #145 I'm one of the urban types who isn't going to be affected much.

Seems to me that reducing services just leads down a death spiral. If you cut Saturday service, people will use you less in general, leading to more cuts, etc. I think the postal service needs to offer more reasons to use them, not less. Like tracking. They have some services that will give you a tracking number, but you can never actually track any of it on line. Every single time I've gotten something shipped from Amazon or wherever, the postal service site tells me that item can't be tracked. If I go on there after it's delivered, sometimes it will tell me that it's delivered. Like that helps.

I have to say that if I was still a Netflix DVD subscriber, this "no Saturday delivery" might make me drop the service. Before I quit (over the doubling of the price), I had a pattern where I would get a TV Show disc on a Saturday, watch it Saturday and Sunday, mail it Monday, get a movie on Wednesday, watch it that night, mail it on Thursday, get next TV Show on Saturday. So 2 discs per week. Without Saturday delivery, that wouldn't work.