Vic Shoup

This notion of “shake down” is absurd on two fronts: first, it is not the same as extortion like Barton described it in his apology and, second, what would make BP exempt from this sort of tactic when the rest of us are not… and why should it be exempt?

When I first heard about this I thought I misunderstood it.  Then I thought someone was taking his words out of context.  After about the fifth time I watched the video I concluded he really said it.

Congressman Joe Barton (R) Texas really did apologize to BP CEO Tony Hayward for being asked to put $20 billion in escrow for damages related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Worse, he accused the Obama Administration of extortion. The White House finally accomplishes something tangible in favor of oil spill victims and American tax payers and Barton tries to spin this against them. He could have left it alone, but that would have been too easy.

Of course, he’s apologized for the apology by now but everyone is still backing away from him like a turd in a swimming pool. Basically, it was the typical half-hearted, awkwardly-worded apology we hear far too often these days. Something to the effect of “I’m sorry if you misunderstood the words I said to mean what they would normally mean when put in the order in which I put them.”

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If Israel were one of your friends, she’d be that really paranoid friend who takes everything way too seriously.  There have been a few times she’s been dead right, but every once and a while she screws up big time.  When she does screw up, it can be really hard staying her friend – all your other friends call her out on it as well as all the people you don’t like or even know that well.

Israel’s ex won’t (and can’t) move out of her basement. He gets loud and rough if she doesn’t keep him in his place and cut off from anyone who might help him get at her. Neighbors nearby really don’t like the situation and think she should get out of town altogether, but she doesn’t have anywhere else to go either. It makes a lot of folks tense. (more…)

Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson do not represent Georgians

Some how, back in October when this passed through the Senate 68-30 it didn’t make as much news as it does today with getting signed into law. Now it is hitting a lot of our radars. Maybe it wasn’t so much news then because it passed, but the news today is that 30 male republican senators voted against it.

I read through Sen. Franken’s amendment (SA.2588) to the FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill.  It says it will stop funding defense contractors who deny sexual assault victims access to courts through arbitration clauses in their employment contracts. Please go read it for yourself, but my understanding is that the amendment says in cases of rape, assault, harrasment and so on, alledged victims would have access to real courts instead of corporately run and funded arbitrations.

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This picture looks like Sarah Palin’s little girl is flipping some other kid off.  If it is legit, it is priceless!