Archive for January, 2013

Judicial Activism: Rogue Republican Judges (January 28, 2013)

Posted in Congress, Constitution, Courts, Journalism, Judges, Law, Newspapers, Presidency on January 28, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

1          “I can’t say that I like it.”

2          “Me neither.  Smells bad.”

1          “Why is it that the first thing you recognize is that three Republican federal judges concocted the decision.”

2          “Because that is what Republican federal judges do.”

1          “Congress is dysfunctional and inoperative.  The President tries to do something rational consistent with limited Congressional action.  The Republican federal judges in the judicial branch step in and do their part to pummel and constrain the President and the executive branch.”

2          “Congress established the agencies and Congress authorized the funds and Congress appropriated the dollars and then a minority in Congress plays games to keep the President’s appointments from getting in the saddle to run the Congressionally-approved and authorized and appropriated agencies.”

1          “And undermine the actions of the agencies.”

2          “The Republican federal judges take up the ball and undercut the President and the operation of executive branch agencies by proclaiming that the President is playing games.”

1          “Sort of a new take on the old rope-a-dope one–two punch.  Not pretty.”

. . .

1/2       “Courts are increasingly illegitimate, partisan and dishonest.  The day may come when they may need to be disregarded.”

. . .  

2/1       “Journalists typically note the political party and state of a legislator at the first mention of her or his name in an article.  ‘Congressman Billy Bob Jenkins (R-Uranus).’  Articles about court decisions may refer to the politician who appointed the judge in the last few sentences and thus the insight is often among the first sentences to be edited.  In the interests of full disclosure and recognizing that space is always at a premium, articles should note the President who appointed a federal judge in parens at the first reference to a judge or justice.  ‘Chief Justice John Roberts (Bush II)’.”  

. . .

[See the editorial at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/opinion/a-court-upholds-republican-chicanery.html?hpwand and the article linked in the piece.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

There is no law; there is only ideology.

Don’t believe anything until it has been officially denied.

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O’Bama. Part Deux. (January 21, 2013)

Posted in Foreign Policy, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Guns, Immigration, Locke Gary, Military, O'Bama, Presidency, Supreme Court on January 21, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

A          “Cope not hope this go around.”

B          “Not as cold this time.  And a different climate than four years ago.”

A          “Sounds like he is moving from the right to the center.”

. . .

B          “Chuck Hagel is a great move.  The first enlisted man who actually saw combat as an NCO (“no chance officer”) and was not promoted to the officer corps now gets nominated to order and oversee the officers.”

A          “Amazing thing in America that those who go to war and reflect on the experience become Democrats.  Those who dodge the draft and never see combat become Republican chickenhawks.”

B          “Hagel was never a butter bar and now he is tasked with reducing the fat in the Defense budget.”

A          “The best place to start is with the Offense Department of the Department of Defense.  Hagel is the most qualified player to oversee that transition to a sustainable defense in a complex and dangerous world.”

. . .

B          “Jack Lew is a weak move.”

A          “William Black for Treasury would move us into the black.”

B          “The Owners will not allow O’Bama to make that selection.”

A          “Someone must start the process of downsizing too-big-to-fail banks so that they are the right size to succeed.”

B          “Financial reform may not be part of his legacy.”

. . .

A          “We must force him to address his increased use of drones.  If Bush had undertaken the current level of drone attacks on foreign soil and homes, he would have been leveled in some salons.”

B          “Now drones can fill the skies in America.  In the near future, there will be news reports of mid-air collisions between the ‘Fillmore County police drone’ and the ‘state troopers drone.’  Fly the friendly skies of United States of America.”

A          “I suspect that some opposition to gun control in some quarters may be supported by a scintilla of rationality.  A few individuals recognize that these violations of privacy are getting out of hand, so they want something in hand even if it is likely to be deadly, futile and counterproductive.”

B          “They are impinging on our fundamental right to sit in my back yard and scratch body parts without being scrutinized.”

. . .

A          “He has followed the nation’s emerging notions of gay rights and now is in lockstep with the public while the other legislature on Jenkins Hill – the Supreme Court – has elected to decide whether to take a step backward.”

B          “The Supreme Court Legislature is as partisan and divisive as the real Congress legislature.”

. . .

B          “And he mentioned climate change even though the climate changed in the scientific community many years ago.”

A          “His comments were not warmly received.”

. . .

A          “Immigration.”

. . .

B          “And the most important appointment of the last decade – Gary Locke – may just stay on the job for four more years.”

. . .

[See the “e-ssay” titled O’Bama Arming Industry (November 22, 2010).]

[See the essay at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/opinion/confessions-of-a-liberal-gun-owner.html.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

No country is exceptional; no country is evil.

provide for the common defense

In order to serve as many customers as possible, all ammunition sales are limited to three boxes per customer per day.

Because of extraordinarily high demand for ammunition and limited . . . .

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Sports Writers: 1 – 0 (January 14, 2013)

Posted in Awards / Incentives, Courts, Economics Nobel, Federal Reserve, Guns, Journalism, Law, Newspapers, Perjury, Perjury/Dishonesty, Sports, Taxation on January 14, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

A          “A mixed group of informed individuals acting individually issued a profound collective indictment.”

1          “In court, the government only determines whether a person is guilty or not guilty, a court does not determine whether a person is innocent.  Yet when you look carefully, far too many courts have found far too many innocent individuals to be guilty.”

A          “Still not a great idea to be Black or Brown and get mixed up in the American judicial system.”

1          “It is to be eschewed.  The government is not and should not be allowed to deprive someone of his or her liberty without proof beyond a reasonable doubt.  The court of public opinion does not need to meet that high threshold when considering those who play on the court or field or pitch.”

A          “The sports writers are akin to an informed group of jurors from all ages, albeit a little older, and backgrounds, albeit a shade White, and world views from different parts of the country.”

1          “On the uniforms, they sport the initials MLB not MDL – the Major Dopers League.”

A          “They can get their own hall of fame, the Hall of Shame.”

1          “I might waive the character requirement and support a scoundrel if he played clean against others who played clean.”

A          “They may also be atoning for the great oversight in the late 1990s when any honest person realized that the guys were juiced and few said anything.  Finding the individual who was not juiced or was not juiced much will be a challenge.  The brush could be too broadly brushed.”           

1          “This is a promising start.  Now if we can get the Norwegian suits to follow suit and not award the Nobel in e-con-omics unless they award it to someone who understands eco-nomics.”

A          “Everyone from Roberts on the Supreme Court to players on the courts succeeds by lyin’ and cheatin’.”

1          “He’s a lawyer-type.  He said that he would call balls and strikes, but keep this in mind.  He never ever said that he would call a ‘ball’ a ‘ball’ only that he would call balls and strikes.”

A          “He and Alito and Thomas and Scalia are having a ball.”

1          “Dishonesty and hypocrisy are so American.”

A          “So human really.  We don’t have a monopoly on it.”

. . .

[See http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/opinion/australia-banned-assault-weapons-america-can-too.html?hp for some international perspective on gun restrictions.]

[See the “e-ssay” titled “Why Johnny And Roger? (April 30, 2012)” and the recent article on the deliberations of the Federal Reserve at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/opinion/the-new-tell-all-fed.html?hp&_r=1& and the “e-ssay” at The Kids (At The Fed) Are Not Alright (January 30, 2012).]

Bumper sticker of the week:

Play ball!

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Tax Bullets (January 7, 2013)

Posted in Guns, Pogo Plight, Taxation on January 7, 2013 by e-commentary.org

. . .

GO1     “I have visited a gun store every few days.  They are flying off the shelves.  And not guns for personal protection, target shooting or hunting.”

GO2     “The NRA is a terrorist organization that lobbies for gun manufacturers and terrorizes legislators.  We need a new organization, the NGO, the National Gun Owners organization, to represent gun owners not gun manufacturers and to keep guns in the hands of normal persons and out of the hands of psychos.”

GO1     “With a one hundred year supply of guns and a five year supply of bullets, restrict access to bullets.  We subsidize what we like and tax what we don’t like.  Others have noted that we should tax bullets.”

GO2     “The Constitution does not recognize any underlying right to keep and bear bullets or limit the governments’ ability to restrict access to bullets.  And Congress has almost unfettered authority to tax.”

GO1     “The government should place a huge tax on .223s that are used in assault rifles, a moderate tax on other calibers, and no tax on .22s.  I have shot over 20,000 rounds of .22s and about 500 rounds of other than .22 caliber rounds.  Almost all indoor and outdoor target rifles and pistols use .22s.  Most automatic pistols can be modified to shoot .22s so that a person can practice with the pistol using a cheaper round.”

GO2     “Sounds reasonable.”

GO1     “Won’t go anywhere, but it is worth a shot.”

. . .

GO2     “The gun buyback programs should set up a review process so that any gun that is rare, novel or historical is made available for purchase by individuals who pass background checks.”

GO1     “Finding volunteers who know the history of guns would be easy.”

. . .

[GO1 = Gun Owner 1; GO2 = . . . ]

[See the “e-ssays” titled A Taxing Explanation (August 22, 2011) for some perspective on the current tax challenges, O’Bama Arming Industry (November 22, 2010) on gun purchases and One Gun Per White Adult Male? A Flintlock Musket? The “One Man, One Gun” Decision (October 4, 2010) on the legal framework of gun regulation.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

If you need ten rounds to kill a deer, take up tiddlywinks

You know, cigarettes are getting so expensive that I just might have to give them up.

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