Are state Republicans about to take plunge into the absurd?
I swear, Georgia Republicans have mashed their “stupid pedal” to the floorboard and it’s gotten stuck there.
First they tried to pass a constitutional amendment in the state Senate to declare that no Georgian could be mandated by government to buy health insurance, as if Georgia law could somehow supercede federal law. The amendment failed.
(The amendment was sponsored by state Sen. Judson Hill, who three years earlier had introduced legislation that would have — wait for it — forced Georgians to buy health insurance, even giving state officials the power to garnish wages of those who refused. At the time, Hill attributed the legislation to House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is now one of the sternest critics of “Obamacare”. In other words, mandated health insurance was a good idea until it became part of the Democratic health-reform bill, at which point it became unconstitutional and the most dire threat to American liberty since General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.)
Frustrated in the Senate, Republicans then tried to pass a similar constitutional amendment in the House.
They failed. Again.
Meanwhile, Gov. Sonny Perdue has been stamping his feet like a petulant three-year-old, insisting that Attorney General Thurbert Baker enlist Georgia in a lawsuit filed by 14 other states challenging the constitutionality of the health-reform bill. Baker refused, citing its cost and the exceedingly small chance of success.
“While I understand that the new law is the subject of ongoing debate here in Georgia and around the nation, I do not believe that Georgia has a viable legal claim against the United States,” Baker wrote Perdue. “Considering our state’s current severe budgetary crisis, with vital services like education and law enforcement being cut deeply, I cannot justify a decision to initiate expensive and time-consuming litigation that I believe has
no legal merit.”
Baker’s right. I’m no lawyer, but I’ve read my share of lawsuits. This one (available here) reads like a poorly drafted oped piece, not a legal argument. It cites no case law, no precedent. It is a multi-page whine. Most lawyers, conservative or liberal, agree that the argument behind it is absurd.
“The states cannot just say ‘not for us;’ that’s the theory that was around before the Civil War,” Harvard Law professor Charles Fried, the solicitor general under Ronald Reagan, has been quoted as saying. “It’s truly silly.”
Furthermore, adding Georgia to the list of states challenging the law would change absolutely nothing. The suit will succeed or fail — almost certainly the latter — on its merits. To hear House Majority Leader Jerry Keen wail that Baker’s decision is “pure politics,” as if the lawsuit itself was not motivated solely by politics, is to witness hypocrisy flowing pure and sweet from its source.
But all that may have been mere prelude. Still ahead may be the point that, stupid pedal to the metal, the GOP does its “Thelma and Louise” act, driving off the cliff and plunging into the abyss.
The latest rumor is, House members are circulating a resolution to impeach Baker. Seriously. And Perdue and Gingrich have called a press conference this morning, which I will be hastening to attend. The circus is in town and I’m gonna get a ticket.
However, I must say I’m encouraged by at least one thing. Here I was worried that our state leaders had an awful lot on their plate, what with trying to balance a devastated state budget and fix transportation and deal with the ongoing water crisis, etc. But apparently I was wrong. Apparently, our legislators and governor have so little to worry about here in the little state of Georgia, the piece of real estate over which they have real influence, that they feel free to divert a lot of their time, energy and intellect telling Washington what it ought to do.
Well, their time and energy anyway.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
509 comments Add your comment
Mr_B
March 25th, 2010
1:06 pm
Night Train @ 11:36
Sorry to rain on your nostalgia parade but in 1910 the USA was the 2nd or 3rd most prosperous country (UK was #1 by a long shot), there had been a national debt since the administration of Martin VanBuran (sp?) and mom AND the kiddies worked on the farm or in the mills. The taxes you list exist because we as a people have decided through elections that we want our government to perform certain services which we as a people thought were vital. If politician ARE the problem, to whom do you propose we entrust those duties which we can’t/won’t do for ourselves? The guy with the biggest stick or the deepest pockets?
Drain The Swamp (NIF)
March 25th, 2010
1:06 pm
Doggone
**Where in this bill does it do that? **
So you don’t even know what is in the bill. I see. You don’t even know that the bill will require families to buy health insurance and the IRS will be the enforcement arm of the insurance comapnies
That explains it.
Peadawg
March 25th, 2010
1:07 pm
“Bush got us into a “you break it, you own it” scenario and it’s going to take a long time to get us out of that.”
LAMO! It’s funny you said that b/c that’s what Obama is doing w/ this “health care reform”.
GoingBroke
March 25th, 2010
1:08 pm
USinUK.. if you click the google chart.. it is the BLS site that it’s linked to.
Doggone – I am all for a healthier population.. so can we do something about the fat people and the smokers? Why should someone have to pay higher taxes for someone else to be a slug?
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2010
1:08 pm
“He SAID he would fix it”
He SAID he would get the troops out. If he’d said “fix it” instead, I’d not have been disappointed that he made a promise I KNEW he couldn’t keep. I’ve know all along that getting the troops out completely, on a short time-frame, was a no hoper.
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2010
1:09 pm
“all the time …”
yep! But I haven’t yet lost ALL hope, though it’s getting tougher to hand on to.
jewcowboy
March 25th, 2010
1:10 pm
“The guy with the biggest stick or the deepest pockets?”
I’ve always liked the guy with the biggest stick personally
USinUK
March 25th, 2010
1:11 pm
going broke – well, I sent you today’s release, anyway, complete with updated bar chart
mr_b – “(UK was #1 by a long shot)” yep … nuttin’ like a little Empire action to boost GDP …
M Percy (Banned by Cynthia Tucker)
March 25th, 2010
1:11 pm
NowReally @12:47 pm
“I am a citizen of the United Stated of America first and a resident of Georgia second. I take great offense to the possibility of being denied a right that all other citizens in the United States would have access too.”
Already here. In Georgia, as in a few other states, we cannot make any change to our state’s voting laws, districts, etc. without federal approval. Citizens in other states may do so without federal approval.
On the other hand, you did say “right”, and there is still plenty of room for debate over whether health insurance and/or health care is a right. If it’s a right, why must people be forced to exercise it or pay a fine (or move out of the country)? Will we be expecting to be forced to use our right to free speech or pay fine if we don’t?
USinUK
March 25th, 2010
1:11 pm
jewcowboy – 1:10 –
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2010
1:12 pm
“So you don’t even know what is in the bill”
I know what’s in it, and I also know what ISN’T in it.
Drain The Swamp (NIF)
March 25th, 2010
1:12 pm
USinUK
**actually, you wouldn’t know if they did (or still are) as the gummint fought releasing that data under the guise of “national security”*
Say they did. What a waste of time.
So because someone listened to a phone call I was making to a vender, that equates to the government forcing it’s way to control 1/6th of the economy.
You guys have a good day. It used to make me mad to see people who are so indoctrinated as to compare issues like that. Now it just makes me sad. I just hope we can flip this congress before they do any more damage.
BTW, USinUK, enjoy your Universal Health Coverage. We don’t have that here. We just have a government that makes us buy health insurance and a really dumb political party that goes along with it and just calls it Universal Health Care.
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2010
1:13 pm
“b/c that’s what Obama is doing w/ this “health care reform”.”
Possibly. But healthcare reform will be easier to correct if they have gotten it wrong.
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2010
1:13 pm
“so can we do something about the fat people and the smokers?”
Like what?
Drain The Swamp (NIF)
March 25th, 2010
1:14 pm
Doggone
REally? So all these news stories on ALL the major networks about forcing Americans to buy heath care are just made up?
Gosh. You must be reeeeeal smart.
jewcowboy
March 25th, 2010
1:14 pm
“there is still plenty of room for debate over whether health insurance and/or health care is a right.”
Funny…I never viewed healthcare as a right, but rather as a national obligation once a country achieves a certain level of wealth.
USinUK
March 25th, 2010
1:15 pm
“BTW, USinUK, enjoy your Universal Health Coverage. We don’t have that here. We just have a government that makes us buy health insurance and a really dumb political party that goes along with it and just calls it Universal Health Care.”
no, it’s only numpties on the right that do that. no one on the left does because we KNOW it’s not the single-payer system that the US SHOULD be putting into place.
oh, and I do like knowing that, if I or my husband should ever lose our jobs, that we won’t lose our healthcare, as well.
Drain The Swamp (NIF)
March 25th, 2010
1:15 pm
**I’ve always liked the guy with the biggest stick personally**
So did the members of the National Socialist Workers Party.
NowReally
March 25th, 2010
1:16 pm
Drain The Swamp (NIF)
March 25th, 2010
12:51 pm
I’m talking about my right as a citizen of the United States of America. The govenor, state republican party and some people in this state believe that the State of Georgia trumps my rights as a citizen of the United States. I don’t believe that it does. The Healthcare bill has been signed into US Law.
The states rights people are using the same reasoning they did during the Civil Rights Movement. They want to create their own laws to keep people from having the same basic rights as everyone else in the United States. The only thing different is that in the 60’s it was the right to vote and now it’s the right to healthcare.
Peadawg
March 25th, 2010
1:16 pm
Possibly. But healthcare reform will be easier to correct if they have gotten it wrong.
1. There isn’t an “if”.
2. This is one of those things where they should get right in the first place. All that “we won’t know what’s in it until is passes” is very very scary. They don’t know what’s in it but they passed it anyways….
Peadawg
March 25th, 2010
1:18 pm
“now it’s the right to healthcare.”
And higher premiums. Welcome to the good ‘ol USA people, where health insurance and higher premiums is a right!!!!!
USinUK
March 25th, 2010
1:19 pm
So sad … the funny
slips right by NIF, not
so much as a snort …
@@
March 25th, 2010
1:19 pm
USUK:
Typical leftist.
sorry, missy, you can’t cheer people on to be anti-government then act surprised when some of your own get swept up in the mobs that you created.
Always somebody else’s fault.
This may come as a shock to you, but I can do as I please, MISSY!
AmVet
March 25th, 2010
1:19 pm
M Percy, I’m bored with the same old RepDem vs. DemRep stuff here.
I have never posted at her place, but how is it that you were banned there?
(Of course, it’s really none of my beeswax, but clearly you are promoting the event. And if you wish to decline, no worries…)
USinUK
March 25th, 2010
1:19 pm
“Welcome to the good ‘ol USA people, where health insurance and higher premiums is a right!!!!!”
hey, we’ve been telling you that you should have a single-payer system …
jewcowboy
March 25th, 2010
1:20 pm
Drain The Swamp (NIF),
“So did the members of the National Socialist Workers Party.”
And Charlie Crist, Larry Craig, Ed Schrock, David Dreier, Jim McCrery….
jefferson
March 25th, 2010
1:22 pm
Swamp dude – I am laughing at you, you are funny. Get some help, bro. You don’t want to end up in a state run institution. Really.
USinUK
March 25th, 2010
1:22 pm
@@ – “Always somebody else’s fault. This may come as a shock to you, but I can do as I please, MISSY!”
oh, we know you do and think as you please … logic be damned …
but, like I said, when you have a year + of “gummint and politicians are bad” shouted from the rooftops and talk radio, then don’t be surprised when the mob you’ve whipped into a frenzy turns against your own …
USinUK
March 25th, 2010
1:22 pm
and ,with that, I’m off to catch the 5:45 …
have a good night, all!!!
AmVet
March 25th, 2010
1:23 pm
Seeya expat. Enjoy your evening…
M Percy (Banned by Cynthia Tucker)
March 25th, 2010
1:24 pm
jewcowboy: I might be tempted to agree with you if we weren’t $14T in the hole and sinking fast. I’ll even blame Bush for a good chunk of that to save you the trouble.
My position on this can be summed up simply:
I believe that I have absolutely no right to force you or anyone else to provide for my wants and needs; I likewise think that you have absolutely no right to force me to provide for your wants and needs. However, I believe that we all have a moral obligation to help our fellow human beings and should do so voluntarily. If there is to be a punishment for one’s failure to heed this moral obligation, it is not the bailiwick of you or anyone else (government) to mete out that punishment.
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2010
1:24 pm
“So all these news stories on ALL the major networks about forcing Americans to buy heath care are just made up?”
Nope, but what you said about people being forced to give up food and school supplies WAS.
Doggone/GA
March 25th, 2010
1:28 pm
“i never viewed healthcare as a right, but rather as a national obligation once a country achieves a certain level of wealth”
I like that!
jewcowboy
March 25th, 2010
1:29 pm
M Percy (Banned by Cynthia Tucker),
“I might be tempted to agree with you if we weren’t $14T in the hole and sinking fast.”
It comes down to the choices the government makes…we could afford to do many things to help our own population if we chose different priorities…
jewcowboy
March 25th, 2010
1:30 pm
USinUK,
Good evening…
@@
March 25th, 2010
1:31 pm
but, like I said, when you have a year + of “gummint and politicians are bad” shouted from the rooftops and talk radio, then don’t be surprised when the mob you’ve whipped into a frenzy turns against your own …
And when you have 6 years of “Iraq is an unjust and illegal war and that our soldiers are bad” from the rooftops and left-wing pundits, don’t be surprised when some anti-war activist or AQ type murders a recruit or two.
@@
March 25th, 2010
1:33 pm
Oops! forgot to let everyone know. I’m off to pick the lint from between my toes.
Scout
March 25th, 2010
1:33 pm
Oh, is this going to be interesting !!! Jay ……… what are your thoughts on this one ???
Headline: “France to ban veil says Nicolas Sarkozy”
“The move would protect the dignity of women, the president added:
“The full veil is contrary to the dignity of women,” he said. “The response is to ban it. The Government will table a draft law prohibiting it.”
Abrazos
March 25th, 2010
1:42 pm
“My fully auto AK-47 begs to differ”
Seeker, why don’t you just march around with sign advertising your male physical inadequacies? All that “AK-47″ talk is textbook overcompensation dribble.
M Percy (Banned by Cynthia Tucker)
March 25th, 2010
1:45 pm
AmVet @1:19 pm
I was banned for pointing out on several occasions that Ms. Tucker was becoming a tad lazy, since more and more of her “columns” contained less and less of Ms. Tucker’s writing and more and more cut&paste from other sources (attributed, always).
Here’s the short exchange:
M Percy
March 23rd, 2010
10:25 am
93 words from Ms. Tucker. 356 words she borrowed from the WSJ. Barely topped 20% today. Of course, I come here for the comments, which are always more interesting that anything Ms. Tucker cut&pastes.
ctucker
March 23rd, 2010
10:27 am
M Percy, Since you dislike my blog so much, I’m banning you from it.
M Percy (Banned by Cynthia Tucker)
March 25th, 2010
1:50 pm
jewcowboy @1:29 pm
I’m going to excerpt a longer posting from my own blog that I wrote originally to address a similar question.
It is oversimplifying the issue to say we are against taxes and government. When I say “we” here I cannot speak for all Tea Party attendees, but only those I know and spoke with.
The case is more that we are opposed to increased Federalism, especially so much of the federal government’s actions that appear to be outside the limited powers provided for in the Constitution.
We understand that government is necessary, and it has to be funded. But we also believe that, especially at the federal level, the Constitution provides a very specific set of powers and responsibilities. We are seeking a return to that limited government–we believe that the federal government ought not be everyone’s mommy. We believe that the current situation (huge deficit spending) is unsustainable and it is better to deal with the problem now rather than face total economic collapse. We see a future when the Treasury will be forced to print money, when devaluing the dollar will be the only way to pay our debts. That will not be pretty. One way to stave that off is to start cutting the expenditures of the federal government. As it is much of the federal government actions are simply unfunded mandates to the States. We believe that these actions should be made at the State level anyway, and taking the federal government out of the loop is a good thing.
So, we believe that government is a necessary evil, but that it must be limited to what is prudent, necessary, and affordable. We know that government must be funded to do those things and that taxes, equitably assessed, are necessary. What we disagree on is simply what we believe is the line for prudent, necessary, and affordable.
jewcowboy
March 25th, 2010
2:02 pm
M Percy (Banned by Cynthia Tucker),
“What we disagree on is simply what we believe is the line for prudent, necessary, and affordable.”
Very true…
md
March 25th, 2010
2:04 pm
“The govenor, state republican party and some people in this state believe that the State of Georgia trumps my rights as a citizen of the United States.”
I guess you would be willing to forgo all your services then considering they are provided by your local gov’t and not the feds – right?
Scout
March 25th, 2010
2:28 pm
Hey, the siren just went off over at the golf course nearby. Does that mean there are “wild women” in the area?
Hillbilly Deluxe
March 25th, 2010
2:38 pm
To use a baseball analogy, Thurbert Baker must feel a whole lot like a player who is trying to catch the manager’s eye in a crucial situation. The bases loaded, 2 out, down a couple runs, and he sees a 70 mph fastball heading right into his wheel house. Looks to me like he’s hitting it out of the park.
Dawgs88
March 25th, 2010
6:23 pm
I think we Independents should just get rid of all you left and right wingers. It’s people like you that are ruining this country. Y’all are the ones that have made most of the decisions that have screwed the place up beyond repair. It amazes me how people follow these lunatics come election time though. Both sides are nothing but corrupt trash anyway. Almost every decision made at any level of government helps one side or the other, and leaves the people with common sense, Independents, taking the brunt of the screw job.
GA73Native
March 25th, 2010
8:34 pm
Well, it looks like this is going to by Sonny’s crowning achievement.
Here is a sample of the Sonny Don’t list. He stood by and provided zero leadership about water issues with Alabama and Florida. He did nothing about a worsening budget problem…choosing instead to make Georgia more “business friendly” by offering more corporate handouts while attempting to balance the budget on the backs of local educators and the University System of Georgia (in both cases, actual citizens of the state who PAY TAXES). Sonny did nothing in order to mitigate the coming drought, choosing to cut the additional planned water resivoirs when he came into office, resivoirs which had been recommended in order to lessen the impact of such a shortage (the state was not in a budget crisis when he came into office and such cutting of the budget wasn’t required). His answer was to pray for rain. Forget about common sense Sunday sales of alcohol in order to raise funds in order to balance the budget..although 68% of the state wanted it, Sonny wouldn’t support it…choosing instead to worry about our collective mortality. On the other hand, he opposes programs like CHIP, which is born out of a concern for poorer (mostly white and black with brown sprinkled in) children. Interesting moral compass, eh?
Thank goodness his time is up next January. Sonny, please do us all a favor..take nine furlough months – you are an embarassment to this state.
stands for decibels
March 26th, 2010
7:13 am
Mornin’.
erm, Jay, didja really mean to delete the whole danged thread about Newt/Erick, and leave just yesterday’s up there?
(Not that I’m opposed to deleting Newt and Erick.)
Jay
March 26th, 2010
7:19 am
actualy, sfd, no I didn’t mean to!
That was a big ooops.
Normal
March 26th, 2010
7:19 am
Good morning Stands, and Happy Friday! Have we entered an alternate universe? Is there anybody out there???
Normal
March 26th, 2010
7:20 am
Whew Jay, you had me discombootled…not that’s hard to do…
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
7:20 am
jey – it’s friday … have another cup o’ joe …
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
7:21 am
oh, and jey is not jay’s evil twin …
Normal
March 26th, 2010
7:22 am
Whiner’s not here, when you deleted Newt, you don’t think…?
Normal
March 26th, 2010
7:23 am
Yea, USinUK didn’t get deleted. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! Top of the morning to you, ma’am…
Rightwing Troll
March 26th, 2010
7:26 am
so 300 million cut from GA’s universities, now Cobb County alone has to add another 37 million in cuts to thier schools making a total of 137 million (bet they’d like that 10 million back the bible stickers in biology books cost them right about now) and Sonny “pray for rain” and “go fish” thinks it’s a good idea to pursue a lawsuit that will affect us all regardless of GA’s involvement or not… Poor hapless sonny… Somebody needs to remind him he can’t run again, and the last year of 8 lame duck years, in the middle of the worst recession in memory (caused by his party), is not the time to asscert hisself and waste our tax dollars for NO REASON WHATSOEVER….
Normal
March 26th, 2010
7:27 am
Go to pundit kitchen agd check out the first four photos…
http://punditkitchen.com/
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
7:27 am
Normal – right back at ya, my friendly!!
and, just for you … a Friday haiku:
the sun is shining
the daffodils are blooming
bring on the baseball!
Rightwing Troll
March 26th, 2010
7:28 am
“Palin tweeted her followers, saying: “Commonsense Conservatives & lovers of America: ‘Don’t Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!’”
Palin also used her Web site to target 20 House Democrats who voted yes on health care. There was a map with gunsights on the districts.
“When Sarah Palin uses gun analogies and gun imagery when she makes her political point, she may believe that she’s engaging in metaphor. But there are too many people who have twisted minds who might think that she’s being literal,” said Weiner. “What might seem as an obvious metaphor for some people may seem like an invitation for someone else.”
Poor sister Sarah, and her twisted followers…. I’m sorry I meant to say “real Americans”…
stands for decibels
March 26th, 2010
7:31 am
Funny thing is, I had just posted a sincere apology to “RB from Gwinnett” because I had completely misunderstood something he’d posted last night, when the thread went bye-bye.
I thought it might’ve been God telling me not to be such a pu$sy.
Normal
March 26th, 2010
7:31 am
the sun is shining
Here, not so much, but later today and Saturday is good. More rain on Sunday.
How’s it in the UK?
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
7:35 am
Normal – despite the forecast for a crappy Thursday – Sunday, the sun is shining this morning and the daffodils are, in fact, blooming!
it’s feeling like a whole buncha spring!
stands for decibels
March 26th, 2010
7:38 am
Jay, maybe that thread going away forever wouldn’t be the worst thing ever to happen to the blog. I deliberately stayed out of the truly heated, on-topic stuff because I knew nothing more than “you started it!” / “no, YOU GUYS started it!” / “well, you’re EVIL!” / “no, you’re MORE EVIL!” would result.
(No matter how thoughtful your own observations on the matter of immediate import might have been.)
stands for decibels
March 26th, 2010
7:40 am
(And RB from Gwinnett, if you are around, I am truly sorry for misreading what you wrote last night about Boortz and Rush being on while you work. My cheap shot at you was utterly unwarranted. And I don’t mind sounding like a pu$sy for admitting it, either.)
TaxPayer
March 26th, 2010
7:55 am
Jay,
You just wanted Cynthia’s thread to go unchallenged as the one from yesterday with the most posts, didn’t ya.
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
7:58 am
meanwhile … the GOP Inquisition continues:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/25/AR2010032502336.html?nav=hcmodule
that’s right, GOP – you keep aiming farther and farther right … we’ll keep beating you at the polls …
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
7:59 am
dammit, Jay – there is NOTHING wrong with my 7:57 or either 7:58s … could you please get the bot to release it!
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
7:59 am
test:
Inquisition
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:00 am
test:
Frum
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:00 am
test:
debacle for republicans
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:01 am
nope … no idea what has the bot in a tizzy …
since I know all three of those work – Frum was fired. the GOP Inquisition continues.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/25/AR2010032502336.html?nav=hcmodule
Normal
March 26th, 2010
8:02 am
USinUK,
“it’s feeling like a whole buncha spring!”
In our case, as you probably remember, it means it feels itchy, sniffy and sneezy…
TaxPayer
March 26th, 2010
8:05 am
Has Whine accused the AJC of censorship yet.
Normal
March 26th, 2010
8:07 am
Taxpayer, whiner dissapeared when the thread did…Twilight Zone…
Normal
March 26th, 2010
8:08 am
USinUK, Gawd, a Conservative that tells it like he sees it (truth). That just HAS to tic off the GOP…
Mork
March 26th, 2010
8:13 am
Has anyone seen Ork?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
March 26th, 2010
8:13 am
So what happened?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm!
March 26th, 2010
8:14 am
Too much talk of freedom?
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:16 am
whiner – 8:13 – Jay hasn’t had enough coffee this morning. (see his 7:19)
Normal – 8:02 – THAT is one thing I do NOT miss about the south and DC – pollen counts in the thousands … my poor brother suffers horribly from it …
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:17 am
TaxPayer – 8:05 – you were just a bit premature on that one … or whiner was a bit slow (8:14) …
jt
March 26th, 2010
8:20 am
“criminal justice sector”? I guess one must get to know the natives before killing them. This is wrong on so many levels. Combining the peace corps funding with the defense funding. We ARE exceptional. Oh well, I’ll leave ya’ll with the partison bickering.
From the WSJ————————
Last year, Lockheed had two of its highest profile programs, the F-22 Raptor fighter and a fleet of presidential helicopters, ended by the Obama administration. Now, Lockheed is one of several defense firms expected to bid for a State Department contract to support “criminal justice sector development programs world-wide,” that could be worth up to $30 billion over five years.
Northrop Grumman Corp., the No. 3 Pentagon contractor behind Boeing, has trained Senegalese peacekeeping troops in the basics of human-rights law. Another giant defense contractor, BAE Systems Inc., has provided anthropologists to accompany U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to aid understanding of local cultures. BAE said it is seeking more “smart power” contracts, including in Africa, where much of the government’s efforts are being targeted.
The Obama administration has requested $39.4 billion in funding for civilian foreign operations in fiscal 2011; part of that will be for programs such as the Peace Corps, while some will go to defense contractors for development or training programs.
TaxPayer
March 26th, 2010
8:20 am
you were just a bit premature on that one
The story of my life… well, except for that one time.
jt
March 26th, 2010
8:23 am
The civilians of Afgan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Somalia should claim preexisting conditions,
or move to Darfur.
There will be no help from the democrats. They’re currently busy fighting Tea Partiers.
Tea Partier
March 26th, 2010
8:27 am
Get out of our lives! No more taxes! No more government in private business!
By the way, before you go, I need you to give me a job, NOW!
Outhouse GoKart
March 26th, 2010
8:27 am
Jesse James is my new hero.
Michellebombshell.com…YEA!
AmVet
March 26th, 2010
8:29 am
Today’s Thought.
“Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.” ~George Carlin
Mick
March 26th, 2010
8:33 am
outhouse
She is a skank…
Outhouse GoKart
March 26th, 2010
8:35 am
No way dude. Brother, she would rock your world…
jt
March 26th, 2010
8:42 am
AmVet
I can understand projecting our influence all over the world, especially in unstable regions.
Provided that our influence is positive. (happy meals, Tom Petty, beer, etc…..).
But to have Defense contractors do it??????????? Bizarre.
What will they show the criminal justice system? A more humane Tazor?
stands for decibels
March 26th, 2010
8:43 am
Mick and OGK’s excellent imitation of middle-schoolers is probably due to my immoderate verbiage @ 7.40. These lads follow my example, and I set a poor one.
(Also, it is my world, they’re just living in it.)
Really must run. Don’t blow up the blog, Jay! so many lives depend on you.
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:43 am
OGK – there isn’t enough penicillin on the planet that would make me want to touch either of them. ew.
jt – not that this will mean anything to you, but you do realize that the DoD said that it didn’t WANT the F-22 or the new choppers. but, I guess Obama should have spent billions on them anyway, just to make sure you and the WSJ has a happee
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:45 am
jt – “But to have Defense contractors do it??????????? ”
you do realize that defense contractors have been administering things like child support recovery, don’t you (they’ve been doing that since the mid-90s)
Mick
March 26th, 2010
8:46 am
Chelsy handler is going to be down the street today signing books – now she can rock my world!
stands for decibels
March 26th, 2010
8:47 am
I guess Obama should have spent billions on them anyway, just to make sure you and the WSJ has a happee ending.
fyt.
(really going now.)
david wayne osedach
March 26th, 2010
8:47 am
For those Republicans: “what goes around comes around.”
FinnMcCool
March 26th, 2010
8:48 am
US, interesting op-ed about Liberal Democrat Vince Cable in today’s NYTimes.
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:49 am
Finneus – thanks for the heads-up … will have a look!
Outhouse GoKart
March 26th, 2010
8:51 am
Thanks dB…whatever thats supposed to mean.
Outhouse GoKart
March 26th, 2010
8:52 am
Chelsey is funny…
USinUK
March 26th, 2010
8:52 am
I’m not finding it …. got a linkee?