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Before the blizzard that walloped the Northeast, New Jersey's controversial Gov. Chris Christie went to Disney World. He didn't fly back when he heard of the news. And compounding the issue, his No. 2, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, was (and still is) on vacation in Mexico with her family, leaving the state Senate president in charge.
Christie, who has seen a slight decline in his popularity recently, is facing criticism for that from state Senate Democrats and the state's largest paper's editorial board. The lieutenant governor position is a new one, created after disgraced Democratic former Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned. McGreevey’s resignation left a leadership void that installed then-state Sen. President Richard Codey as acting governor for 14 months.
Christie spokeswoman Maria Comella dismissed the criticism, telling Politico's Ben Smith, "Snow in the northeast happens often which is why the response was handled expeditiously between the acting governor, secretary of transportation, state police and governor's staff with all the appropriate and necessary coordination. And like every other day, the Governor was and continues to be in regular contact with his staff and cabinet officers."
But this wasn't just a regular snow fall; Elizabeth, N.J., for example, saw a record 30 inches come down. The New York Times notes that the reputations of other elected officials -- former Chicago Mayor Michael A. Bilandic, DC Mayor Marion Barry, and Denver Mayor William H. McNichols Jr., for example -- were badly damaged because of their handling of snow emergencies.
The (Newark) Star-Ledger’s editorial board called the move of both the governor and lieutenant governor being on vacation at the same time “absent-minded.” It notes Guadagno pulls a salary of $141,000. “Maybe next year,” the paper wrote, “the state’s two top executives will plan their vacations better so someone from the team is in charge. That’s how this was supposed to work.”
For the dogs: The Washington Post’s Perry Bacon notes that President Obama’s call to the Philadelphia Eagles owner praising them for giving Michael Vick a second chance, shows again that he’s willing to take on divisive social issues, citing the Skip Gates controversy, Kanye West, and that his views on gay marriage are “evolving.”
PBS’s David Chalian noted on Twitter, “So if 2012 is Romney v. Obama, dog lovers have no candidate.”
Remember that Romney faced criticism in 2007 from animal-rights groups after it was revealed that he had strapped his dog to the roof of the family car on a 12-hour drive to Canada. “PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air,” Romney said at the time.
Huckabee leads ’12 field; Palin fades: By the way, a new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Mike Huckabee leading the field of potential 2012 candidates -- 67% of Republicans said they would be likely to support him if he runs; Romney was second – with 59%; Newt Gingrich was third with 54%; and Sarah Palin saw a significant decline -- just 49% said they would support the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice-presidential nominee with 51% saying they would not. That’s down 18 points from the first week of December, when 67% said they were likely to support her.
Chicago, Obama's kind of town: As most of us expected, the Obama reelection campaign will be headquartered in Chicago. It’s long been known that adviser David Axelrod would head to Chicago early next year to work on the reelection effort. The move appears unprecedented, however, in modern history. “George W. Bush's 2004 campaign, Bill Clinton's 1996 campaign, George H.W. Bush's 1992 campaign, Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign, Jimmy Carter's 1980 campaign, Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign and, of course, Richard Nixon's infamous Committee to Reelect the President were all based in suburban Virginia or Washington,” Politico writes.
Budget Valentine: The White House will unveil its 2012 budget on Feb. 14, a week later than scheduled, because OMB Director Jacob Lew’s nomination was held up in Congress, National Journal reports.
'Cut As You Go': National Journal adds that Republicans want to implement a “cut-as-you-go” policy that would require cutting spending dollar for dollar for new spending, though that would not include tax cuts. The bipartisan Committee for Responsible Federal Budget says the plan likely would lead to higher deficits.
Going Greene: Oddball candidate Alvin Greene is running again. This time for a state House seat in South Carolina, The State reports. Greene badly lost his 2010 bid for U.S. Senate against Sen. Jim DeMint (R).
Leave a Comment:
Listening to Republicans:
Yes, our President is in Hawaii, Congress is on vacation, yet conservatives are busy saying and doing whatever comes to mind. Representative Ralph Hall (R-TX) the incoming Science Committee chair praised the 'tremendous' BP oil spill. Clearly he's in bed with the oil companies and not so interested in…science and alternative energy sources.
Frank Lucus (R-OK) recently hired Ryan Mckee to chair the over site of financial regulations committee. Mr. Ryan was a lobbyist in charge of 'trying to kill' financial reform. His efforts may succeed in the House, but I don't expect much headway in the Senate. Maybe he doesn't realize President Obama is still President and will veto any legislation that was passed in the 111th Congress.
Then one of my favorite Republicans, Haley Barbour has been caught using the state plane as his private jet: racking up $500,000 in the past 3 years. BTW, how's your bid for the Presidency going? Palling around with the KKK and spending tax payers' money on plane rides doesn't look so good.
Looks like Mike Huckabee has been working for/with "Project to Restore America's Voice" by calling people to sign a repel petition against HCI. It appears that Michael is working to undercut Sarah to earn the support of the Tea Party. Probably a good strategy, considering Mrs. Palin is unelectable. What Huckabee does not realize is that restoring America's voice is not the voice of a majority of Americans.
Good news for Senator Jim Webb: Jamie Radtke, Head of the Virginia Federation of Tea Party Patriots has filed papers to run against Webb. Senator Webb will expose Jamie Radtke to be just another Sharron Angle. Buyer's remorse for electing Tea Party candidates will be a common theme in the next election.
And here I thought it would be quiet while Washington was on vacation. My bad.
What’s the best (stupidest?) way to re-ignite the Barry “birther” controversy??
Have ultrablue state Hawaii elect a Dumb, Jackass, moron as its new governor and have him start an anti-“birther” crusade while Barry is on vacation just over the mountains from Honolulu. The stupidity of the party of Dumb Jackasses never ceases to amuse me. I think about 99% of American’s, other than those that will never be convinced that Barry is not Kenyan born, had gotten beyond this issue.
UNTIL NOW, when it’s in all the headlines again!!!
Looks like 2011 is shaping up to be another LAFF filled year of Dem missteps and moronic stupidity. And, I thank all the lefty liberals, in advance, for every one of those LAFFS!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In order to be on the ballot in many states in 2012, PROOF of Natural Born Citizenship will need to be provided.
The Dems are just getting ahead of the game, for once. Ha Ha Ha............
No one screams 'Attention Whore' quite the way you do Joey...
Well, maybe Bob...
PS: Nice to see you're still voting for yourself! lmao!
Nasty Redhead: I do enjoy your misery, keep up the good work.
It's Hillaryous!!!!!!
Just like Ron Indiana's ever present, sad, mournful, posts.
"Then one of my favorite Republicans, Haley Barbour has been caught using the state plane as his private jet: racking up $500,000 in the past 3 years."
Just when I was asking myself if I was too harsh in my assessment of our new, Tea Party supported Governor in Maine, Paul Lepage, he goes and appoints his own 22 year old daughter to a $41,000 position as an administration aide. I don't have a problem with "fiscal conservatism," per se, but why is it that "fiscal conservatives" don't seem to be able to apply it to themselves? (Or their relatives?")
Hey Joe--
Why not just come out and say it--you believe the Democrats or, more accurately, president Obama put the Hawaiian governor up to this, right? You people are so wildly delusional its a surprise that you possess anything resembling human DNA. But then again, you hail from Albany where Republicans like yourself have had a history of dabbling in hallucinogens and engaging in or promoting non-human tendencies.
I thought this article was actually about absent minded people in New Jersey. Like the cast from Jersey Shore would be running for state legislature.... Lame.
If birthers, emboldened by Tea Party success in the November elections, want to come out of the woodwork to start that whole mess up again more power to them.
Nothing else could make it more clear just how crazy the GOPTP has become.
"Why not just come out and say it--you believe the Democrats or, more accurately, president Obama put the Hawaiian governor up to this, right?"
_______________________________________________
Actually, I don't think that. I believe Abercrombie is just a Dumb Jackass Dem that thought this one up all by himself.
That's the kind of thinking that makes lefty liberal Dems so Hillaryously FUNNY!!!!!
Joe in Albany
Have ultrablue state Hawaii elect a Dumb, Jackass, moron as its new governor and have him start an anti-“birther” crusade while Barry is on vacation just over the mountains from Honolulu.
Looks like 2011 is shaping up to be another LAFF filled year of Dem missteps and moronic stupidity. And, I thank all the lefty liberals, in advance, for every one of those LAFFS!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You fringe birthers will be receiving the butt end of the joke. Plus, you'll be ridiculed for wasting taxpayer dollars.
Aw, Beverly- they're just ticked that Sarah Palin is still in the news almost daily, and remiding people how stupid Repubs were, and still are. Some of 'em, like Joe, just seem to have more time to go online and express that feeling on a daily basis.
But then again, if I had to live in Albany, too, I'd find a similar way to pass the time.
Enjoyed your post, Ron. The TP keeps digging a deeper hole for the GOP to fall into.
Can't say as much for HaHa Joe and pal Paul who seem to ignore that any person who was not a natural born citizen would be exposed almost as quickly as that person announced that he/she was running for president. What a waste of taxpayer money GOPers will undertake when after a couple centuries of the system working just fine--they decide the birth thing must be clarified and another law passed just in case.
As for Governor Christie--at least he isn't claiming he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Whether you're a conservative, independent or liberal--Christie's policies will do more harm than good and voters will likely figure that out in the near future.
Of course Joe in Albany chose to ignore each of the valid points in the comment to which he appears to attempting to reply. And funny how Republicans whose talking points always attempt to portray the opposition as out of touch elitists now seem to cackle at every comment that comes their way. No worries obviously in your case Joe that we might confuse you as an intellectual! If Democrats didn't learn anything else in '10 they should have learned that a smug attitude will get you nowhere. The Republicans (represented by the likes of Boehner and McConnell) appear to have learned no such lesson from their own thrashing in '08. Sadly from the recent actions of Pelosi and others the message hasn't been fully taken on the Dem side either. No one takes responsibility, no one admits mistakes, no one gets a da-n thing done.
Don't tell the voters that you know how to solve a problem and then fail to deliver. The dumbest move by the Obama administration since taking office was the statement that should the stimulus pass that unemployment would not rise above 8%. Note to WH: You cannot create that many jobs. Private industry holds the trump card here and they threw it down (by refusing to hire and continuing to lay off) and gave the GOP new life. They know who will allow them free reign. They know who supported the likes of Enron and WorldCom. They simply can't make satisfactory profits in a regulated market. Nevermind the near 2 trillion in profits they are sitting on. The tragic irony is that American business is really doing quite well but not the average American worker.
Back to the story and in regards to the weather; we live on a magnetized rock with an erratic weather pattern and people want to blame politicians for extreme examples? It makes no sense. 80+% of Americans claim to believe in God; blame HIM! Bush did not cause Katrina nor did Cris Christie plan his vacation to evade dealing with the aftereffects of this blizzard. Certainly mistakes were made in the responses but no one intentionally left anyone stranded. You really have to be a misanthropic pessimist to believe such insinuations. These are truly petty arguments. Nature rules man, not the other way around. Man can damage nature but not totally destroy her. The opposite is clearly not true.
Joe in Albany,
Did you know that the out-going governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle, is a Republican?
In order for the birther's little conspiracy theory to work she would have to be in on it, right? What are the chances of that?
So whats the big deal..Christie is right you people from NJ get off your dead an dying ass and go to work.. there is no free lunch...Come to OHIO and see the real world!
Uhhhh maybe he didn't fly back because flights were canceled? What would he do if he rushed back anyway? Get a shovel?
Bill R. I'm sure the majority of NJersey folks would be happy to go back to work IF there was some work to go back to; of course, Gov Christie killed several thousand jobs and now owes the Fed Govt money for stopping the tunnel construction. Wonder how those laid off workers feel about it. The conservative talking point has apparently succeeded with you--all out of work people are lazy, no good hobos, stray animals just looking for a free meal.
It is hard to phantom why the democrats are crying about a blizzard and who is responsible. I believe that our wonderful president & his family are in Hawaii, while the Vice President & his family are in the US Virgin Islands. Who does that leave in charge in Washington DC? Hillary, Pelosi, or Reid:)
I guess Christmas vacations are just for democrats, Republicans are not allowed to spend time with their families. And of course, everyone knew there would be a blizzard during the Christmas break. You lefties are incredible.
Awww... I love it when the birthers come out of the shadows. It means that President Obama is doing a fantastic job.
Ron in Indiana,
Without even bothering to read your long winded , boring post, I noticed right off you mistake in calling the oil spill disaster a BP oil spill. Everyone knows this is, and remains, the Obama oil spill disaster. The coating on the shrimp is Obama sauce. Please keep your facts straight.
Edward-1075991;
"President Obama personally drilled for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Being a rank amateur at this sort of thing he naturally spilled millions of gallons after his personal well blew up. He's a weaselly sort so he worked really hard to hide the facts. This is all his fault, no one else had anything to do with it. Especially the sort of oil industry professionals who never take risks, cut corners, lie to the government, withhold information, or employ PR teams to deceive the public. Get your facts straight."
Are you kidding me? Lucky Grama wasn't along for the ride and it was poor Fido that ended up in the 'cat bird' seat... lol
Where was the phony 'poutrage' from the right wing nuts over that little stunt?
Just when you thought it couldn't get any nuttier with these nitwits...
My thought is that whatever you do to an animal should also be done to you....so even though Vick paid his penalty, etc., someone should have stuck a rape stick up his bum just to show him how it felt....as for Mitt, maybe someone should tie him to the top of the car for an 8 hour ride and see how he likes it. And Feisty is right, why didn't we hear all the screaming about that.
I do have one other question about absent-mindedness and the fairness of justice. How is it that in the past several years, women, school-teachers, etc. (two cases right in Cincinnati) have left their babies to die in car seats in their cars in the hottest weather, yet nothing has been done to them. Not even a finding of negligence. I know it must be a nightmare for these mothers, but I'm sorry, how do you forget your kid? I think people who mistreat animals should be in prison (just as Vick was), but I also think that kids are sure more important than animals, yet I guess you can leave your kid to die and that is punishment enough????? I have mixed emotions about that!
Long ago in the very very olden times I remember that Moms used to stay home with their kids till at least they were in school......I know those times are long gone, but maybe we wouldn't be leaving infants in killer heat if Moms could have time to remember they even have kids. Maybe that's an ode to the economic realities of consumerism, capitalism, and many other economic "isms" running around today.
"someone should have stuck a rape stick up his bum just to show him how it felt...."
Actually, some guys like that sort of thing, Cathy M.
Hey, Feisty- seen my pal Me First around here lately??
Nah... Last time I saw him he was feverishly licking 'Nacho-Cheese' off his fingers from gift basket I gave him for Christmas! ;0)
Come to think of it... I haven't seen you girlfriend around either... coincidence? lol
DBO: Appreciate the humor!
Ahhh come'on Feisty,
No big deal, actually it's kinda smart.
Wash the dog, put him in the crate, tie it to the roof and when you get to Canada the dog is clean, refreshed and incredibly fluffy. On top of that you don't have to worry about dog hair on the sofa for a week.
The down side for you though, with the dog on the roof, when a pop corn fart all of sudden woke up everyone, you wouldn't be able to blame the dog.
But other than that, it's a pretty good idea.
I didn't want to laugh but I couldn't help it.
That's funny, Bob, but I gather from this even you disapprove of Mitt's top side puppy ride.
Heck yea, I would never do it.
Having the free butt gas pass on a long trip is one of the finer things in life.
PBS's David Chalian noted on Twitter, "So if 2012 is Romney v. Obama, dog lovers have no candidate."
Mr. Chalian: President Obama was not defending Michael Vick's actions. Most people understand that. He was saying what leaders ought to be saying - people deserve a second chance. I do wonder though if Michael Vick will not be considered for the MVP Award because of his past. He should be. If he's going to be allowed back into the game, then he ought to be considered for his outstanding play on the field just like every other athlete. I'm just not sure if it works that way. I'm really not.
Not really important in the larger scheme of things I realize. But since President Obama brought it up and we see this response from Mr. Chalian, then I think it's worth noting that the president in no way condoned Vick's behavior, which is what Mr. Chalian is implying.
President Obama's only point was people deserving second chances. Vick was mentioned only because of who President Obama was speaking with at the time.
Good Afternoon Pat:
Watching the weather in Boston, I was hoping that you would be warm and dry. It was impressive that Logan continued to stay open during the snow and flooding. I trust you and your family had a Merry Chritmas.
Hi Ron. First things first. I'm worried. The Colts are looking stronger each week.
Yes, we had a lovely Christmas as I hope you and your wife did as well. I have the week off, which means I'm not heading into bed until 4 AM. I just love reading through the night in the stillness of the winter, other than my windows rattling all night of course & plows pounding up and down the street at all hours. {I live on a very busy main street}. It was a nasty snowstorm. The winds out there are still howling, but the sky is blue with lovely sunshine.
Welcome back. With so much talk about election year 2012, I find myself constantly thinking that the New Year on Saturday will be 2012, instead of 2011. lol
Chalian is busy creating a nonstory. The White House released a statement that President Obama did NOT condone what Vick did. I'm always amazed at how the media salivates at the possibility of some controversy. This morning Nora O'Donnell asked if "Obama had fumbled" regarding the Vick remarks; later two talking heads discussed whether or not this would hurt the Obama presidency. It is obviously a slow news week.
I was reading some of the comments from yesterday and found it interesting that the usual conservative posters were in their daily anti-Obama mode to the extent they ignored the simple point of President Obama's comments to the Eagles. In most instances everyone deserves a second chance. What Michael Vick did was awful but he served his time; his fate rests in his own hands but the Eagles have given him an option to choose what he will become. I applaud President Obama for acknowledging it.
If more employers gave people like Vick, who served the time for their crime, a chance at a job, we might see fewer people returning to their past ways. There is an employer in the Quad Cities who hires people with criminal records, some fail but many succeed--whether they succeed or fail is up to the person but without the opportunity to try again, they are all doomed to fail.
Pat, Ron, Jody... I'm with you 100% It's pitiful that the conversation with the Eagles coach was about 'going green' and a casual mention about 2nd chances... So the headlines screamed "Obama's a Vick Fan"... I supposed the humane society will be monitoring the White House now to check on BO...
Very, very slow news week... (Thank Goodness - knock on wood)
Liberals and LaLa Land,
Funny that Obama/liberals see everything in terms of some social play.
The Eagles could not have cared less about the social redemption blah, blah when they signed Vick. They signed Vick because he is a very uniquely gifted and talented quarterback (hard to find) that Andy Reid thought would help the team win football games. If the Eagles were 6-9, with Vick playing the same way, there would be no story, not the LaLa Land redemption stuff on the national level. If Vick had left the ball on the carpet a few more times, or had a ball tipped for a pic a few more times, no story. Reid would have dropped Vick in half a heart beat. That is the reality.
But Reid was right. Vick has helped win games and in a sensational way. And because this is a sensational story, Obama has to weigh in for the PR value. (Obama a Bears fan? Probably like him being a devout, long time White Sox fan on opening day, but couldn't name a single player when ask who he liked.)
There are hundreds of more socially conscious players that have worked every day as opposed to slacking off due to their gift, stayed out of trouble, devoted more time and money to their communities, are more worthy and deserving of recognition than Vick. These guys are not the story, though, Vick is the story and Obama will work with that.
That's the reality. The reality of the NFL, but also the reality of political opportunity.
Apart of me likes Chris Christie but another part of me thinks he is a pompous gasbag. Regardless pretty poor planning to have your 2nd in command take a vacation at the same time you do.
Like President Obama I have no problem with giving Vick a second chance. People make mistakes and he paid for it.
The Republican field is interesting to me. I think some of these polls are real BS. Palin is not out of it by any stretch of the imagination. She has a large motivated base. I have a feeling that if she ran it is very likely that those republican primary voters will give her the nod. I think that 49% she pulls in on that poll is a much more passionate and motivated 49% than the 67% that support Huckabee. Social conservatives will decide between Palin or Huckabee, while the fiscal hawks will vote for Romney, but lets not kid ourselves social conservatives will be deciding who the Republican nominee is.
I still think Republicans are looking for someone else to emerge other than those three. They are looking for their Obama that is largely unknown with strict conservative values. If I were a bettin man and I’m not. I would still put my money on Haley Barbour to emerge as the Republican candidate for 2012. Granted the latest string of controversies do not help him but I don’t it will hurt him in the long run either. Like him or not he was a pretty successful governor. He handled the Katrina aftermath particularly well and I think he is the conservative firebrand that the Republicans are looking for to take on Obama. Palin has way too much baggage now. Social conservatives think Romney is fake. Huckabee just doesn’t have the moxy to take on Obama and I think conservatives know that. He has tepid support at best. Barbour is the perfect unknown with the conservative street cred to take on Obama.
Of the current crop of potential Republican candidates the only one I would consider voting for is Pawlenty. I would also consider voting for Trump or Bloomberg if they were to run on the Republican ticket but none of these three will make it out of a Republican primary.
"Cut as you Go" is going to be a disaster for America. It's a clear step away from the "fiscal responsibility" platform the GOPTP ran on this Fall.
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3359
Conservatives are wasting no time making clear to their wealthy elite masters that all those anonymous campaign contributions were a wise investment.
So according to your way of thinking.... everytime the government wants to spend more money they should be able to raise my taxes as opposed to cutting spending somewhere else?
And people wonder how the liberals have ran this once great country into the ground?
Why dont we just do what some European countries were thinking about doing? Why dont we just have out employers give our pay checks to the government and let them take out what they want / need and let us have whatever is left?
What is the matter with you people?
Do you not realize that the money I earn is NOT the property of the government?
How could any normal citizen not see that the Republican Party is their enemy, Americans really are "that" stupid.
They are that ignorant, distracted, oblivious, and misled, mostly by Rush and FAUX "NEWS".
Hey John, (Sorry this came up in the wrong spot.)
Business: 52% Dems, 47% Repubs
Labor: 93% Dems, 6% Rerubs
Ideological: Dems 61%, 38% Repubs
Other: Dems 73%, 27%
6 of top 10 PACS were Big Union (93% Dems)
7 of top 10 wealthiest zip codes heavily supported Dems over the Repubs.
Wouldn't this seem to indicate that Dems are the real b*tches to the wealthy?
Larry-Do you understand that every time we cut taxes, we take money away from infrastructure, education and other things that have made this country great? I agree that there are things that could be run more efficiently, however; this is the lowest our taxes have ever been. The farther down they go, the more that is taken away from our public necessities. We need to end the wars. We need to end the outsourcing. Bring everyone back here. That will create revenue. And by the way, this once great country is still great.
Way to get it backward Larry. If Republicans want to cut taxes they ought to be willing to tell us what services are being discontinued to accomplish that. This is just one more way for Conservatives to continue pretending there's an unlimited pool of waste, fraud, and frivolous programs that can be cut forever with no impact on government services.
Larry explains to all, "And people wonder how the liberals have ran this once great country into the ground?"
===================================================================
Larry what exactly is a liberal? And just exactly how did they run this country into the ground? Do tell

Larry,
So according to your way of thinking.... everytime the government wants to spend more money they should be able to raise my taxes as opposed to cutting spending somewhere else?
And people wonder how the liberals have ran this once great country into the ground?
What is the matter with you people?
Do you not realize that the money I earn is NOT the property of the government?
Larry,
Before you spout this kind of nonsense you should at least check your facts.
Since 1978 Republicans have increased Federal spending by 12.1% and increased the debt by 36.4% while increasing the GDP by 10.7%
Since 1978 Democrats have increased Federal spending by 9.9% and increased the debt by 4.2%
whild increasing the GDP by 12.6%
So you see, it has been the republicans who have run this country into the ground. Remember, when George Bush took office there was a balanced budget and a budget surplus and a thriving economy which republicans turned into the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression.
It is people like you, Larry who accept what their betters tell them to think and repeat what they are told to repeat without regard to the truth. You are a perfect example of a republican.
Larry, the answer to your question is "yes".
Don't bother to read the responses. They will be full of circular logic arguments framed around pretzel logic. The danger here is, if you subject yourself to too much of it, you will develop a migraine no amount of Excedrin will mitigate.
Yes, they think your money belongs to the government, they believe that the government uses it to help "the poor", who are this undefined, amorphous group who are entitled to your earnings, because, well, because they are.
By the way, to whoever it was up above who asked foe the definition of a liberal, that is pretty much it. Oh, along with the belief that the government creates the poor, but has the solutions to every problem in existence, except when it creates the problems.
Like I said, pretzel logic is a hallmark. Along with hypocricy. Simply read the comments of the regulars, and see how they ooze the milkmof human kindness and
John B,
I agree, the government should be willing to tell us what programs are going to be cut. And many should be cut. Why don't you lefties tell us what programs we should keep, I would love to have an understanding on why we should have so many government entitlement programs.
Cutting programs is something that has to be done if we ever want to control the debt. And I also know from personal experience, you can't spend your way out of debt. So any of you that think you can, well that is BS.
It would be a good idea for all of you criticizing John B. to go read the article. The article was written by people a whole lot smarter, educated and experienced than any of you criticizing John B. Your criticisms, conclusions and comments only show your lack of information and understanding of what John B. has posted and the article was talking about. Until you read the entire article and correctly comprehend what the article is saying, you have no intellectual leg to stand on.
BigBear62, how about we cut the government welfare program that allowed Exxon to pay no taxes last year and actually had the government paying them over $160 million in 'tax rebates'. How about we cut the program that allows a person to make over $5 billion and pay only 15% in taxes and nothing into SS or Medicaid/Medicare. How about we cut the program that lets someone like Warren Buffet pay around 17% on his income while his personal assistant paid about 32% (WB, to his credit, made this complaint). How about we cut the program that gave away over $3 trillion worth of bandwidth to telecommunications companies.
Need I go on?
Leave it to NBC to report more liberal lies.
CHRISTIE LAUGHING AND SWIMMING ON HIS VACATION WHILE SLAMMED NEW JERSEY SUFFERS.
Of course he's on vacation. It's vacation time for the government.
You dont see OBAMA LAUGHS AND SKIPS WHILE THE COUNTRY GETS SLAMMED WITH SNOW STORM EMERGENCY!!! now do you?
LIBERAL ZOMBIES are a sick crowd.
Thanks for screwing the country
It's vacation time for the Federal Government. Congress and the President and SCOTUS are out of town on recess.
It is Christmas for Christians, yes. If you are in state and local government, your family can vacation away from home, if that is the way you celebrate family at Christmas?!? That doesn't mean that if you are an executive in a part of the country which experiences EMERGENCIES during that part of the year that you shouldn't expect to have to leave your family's vacation spot to get back to work. The family can still vacation without you there.
"The New York Times notes that the reputations of other elected officials -- former Chicago Mayor Michael A. Bilandic, DC Mayor Marion Barry, and Denver Mayor William H. McNichols Jr., for example -- were badly damaged because of their handling of snow emergencies."
I don't think Marion Barry's was with the same kind snow.
Chris Matthews says "Hah!"
Vick was caught in a dog-eat-dog game. Â While that is sad, how does that constitute a major fubar that requires redemption? Â So many GOPTP have slept around despite having holier than Christ attitudes? Â Herein lies the travesty in America. Â We use Christ to hide behind our own unethical, stupid, corrupt behaviours, and then we espouse conservative values? Â Anyone been to Alabama? Â Seen the strip club next to the Church? Â Riiiight! Â This is the real USA...a bunch of horny folks who like to run to Christ after jacking off in the corner room!
Ron - Good news for Senator Jim Webb: Jamie Radtke, Head of the Virginia Federation of Tea Party Patriots has filed papers to run against Webb. Senator Webb will expose Jamie Radtke to be just another Sharron Angle. Buyer's remorse for electing Tea Party candidates will be a common theme in the next election.
Jumping the gun or wishful thinking? Cant we wait until they actually start their term. Maybe they will surprise you. Anything is better then what we have now.Â
Bob - Thanks for pointing that out.
d
Doesn't sound like the Governor or Lt. Governor of New Jersey is a real important job.
Absent minded you say ? Fly back to what airport ? Not even the forecasters knew till the last minute what this storm was going to do. I didn't even hear the word "blizzard" used till the day of the storm.
Who among us does not want to see Michael Vick turn his life around and be a better guy ? Some people may have a hard time with his current success and what its bringing him. Some people my feel he doesn't deserve this kind of success and attention so quickly. I can understand that but you want to believe, at least I do, that he's a changed man and working to make the wrongs right. At least for now he appears to be heading in the right direction and we can certainly support that for his own good and the good of his family.
Speaking for most people in the State of New Jersey, actually WE are quite pleased to have Christie there in the Magic Kingdom and his second in command down Mexico way. In their absence, some things might actually get down, besides CC's posting of videos on YouTube. Besides, what exactly would Le Grand Orange do? Can you imagine him in a snow suit? He'd look like the Michelin Man. Shoveling snow? He's already a heart attack waiting to happen.
Yes, we've got plenty of snow, and yes, much of our public transportation has been shut down. But breakdowns and delays are almost a daily occurrence now. This time it is just more widespread.
With any luck, both families may be able to return to Newark none the wiser. Then Christie can blame Sweeney for spending for snow removal in his absence. After all, CC is happy to point the finger and assign blame. Action, well, that is yet to come.
Oh what a surprise this article from MSNBC NOT!!!! I don't know why I am even posting a comment her but, this is typical MSNBC. Hacks there all hacks at msnbc I try to be open minded and even watch the channel but I just can't sit though all that crap and bashing and and oh my head is spinning. This article is just that crap!!. They just want to put down Gov Christy because he is doing well as Gov and he is not a Dem. If your not a Dem, msnbc will just attack and smear you even if you are doing a good job as a Governor. I just can't wait till Comcast takes over, as the bought them, and hop they will fire a lot of the ideologs that work there and get some new news reporters.
Christie may be doing well, but is he doing good?
Better than the crooks that were in there before that were making sure their supporters friends got overpriced contracts to do shoddy work.
And he took on the teacher's unions when the unions were telling the state to go to hell, that they wanted their money EVEN IF it bankrupted the state.
Your so right CherylLM he has taken on unions and other things to make the state better and to not end up with a broke state. He has done what so many other Gov have not done in other states.
And by the way Christy is doing well, good, awesome. mo' bueno, what ever you want to call it. I just wish we could have a gov here in are state like that to clean house. Are state is broke and in next few years are state will be spending way over 1/2 of state budget to just pay pensions. That is just INSANE!!!! Hate to say it but I feel are state needs to go broke so they will have no choice to have to clean house.
There is a false premise within this article... that newspaper editorial boards continue to be relevant in today's Internet-dominated world.
To all you "Birthers"... Let's just for the sake of argument say that the President was born....on the moon; Guess what? HE"S THE FREAKIN PRESIDENT! Get over it OR get in line to ki$$ his Alien BUTT!!! HAHAHA
You are a @!$%#ing retard sir. No explanatio necessary.
That's how you treat these people from now on. Don't reason with them, don't give the
The pleasure of YOu arguing with them. They're A bunch of morons. Just evade them, try to destroy them legally. @!$%# them
Ummmm, no, that would be you in the line MP.
Most Americans don't kiss butt. We don't follow the example of the current president and travel the world kissing other nation's leader's butts trying to get Olympics, World Cup, money, or anything else. And we DON'T apologize for being Americans either.
To lower case s and CherlyLM,
First of all I am not a sir. I am a black and beautiful Vietnam-era female veteran. I am far from being a moron as I did serve my country in the U.S. Air Force for six years and received an Honorable Discharge.
I never mentioned that MOST Americans kiss butt...but, maybe you read that in my post somewhere....sorry. And I'm sure you know MOST Americans. Sure.
It's apparent to me that the likes of people like you would rather do the domestic butt-kissing... :-)
The President is SO far ahead of you and your thinking that your head must be about to explode....sorry.
So what you are saying, MPEvans, is that if he were really born in another country or planet, you don't care that he did not follow the constitution, and therefore our laws are worthless. And according to you, you swore an oath to protect this country and the constitution, which you don't seem to care about, because of your statement above.
So if it were found out that he or any other president were not born in the US, it doesn't matter. Because they were elected.
Big Bear62,
We have had and still do have politicians that do NOT follow the Constitution!!! DUH!! Don't act like you don't know.... There are plenty of politicians out there who prove often that our laws are worthless to THEM. They like to change them to suit their likes.
Not only did I take the oath, so did our President and I upheld my promise and in my eyes, so has he!
Don't hate on the man because your ideals might differ. He has proven a lot of things to a lot of people. If you choose to be in denial about his accpomplishments, that's on you.
Just because a President is born in the USA does not make him worthy or qualified to be President. Can you say...GW
And being a community organizer or a peanut farmer doesn't qualify you to be Presient either. Both of who will have a worse rating as president than GW in the end:)
I know that the constitution has been broken by politicians, but as far as I know, all presidents have been natural born citizens. But if one were not, then they should be removed from office or denounced in history. But since it hasn't happened it doesn't matter. I am more concerned with your believing that if he is not a natural born citizen that you would still support him, because that is unconstitutional.
There is no hate on him, my questioning is of your values. You seem to think that it is okay for him to be born on a different planet or different country would not matter. That is the problem I have with your comments. That if he were not a natural born citizen, it would not matter because he was elected. Our other elected officials, do not have to be a natural born citizen, but the President & the Vice President have to be. That is stated in the constitution.
Several comments deleted by s-2730132, who was a good Cosmic Log contributor and all of a sudden started spraying #1 violations:
+
=
You're suspended for a week for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
What makes him "controversial"? Oh right, that' just means he's a Republican. You never, ever, EVER hear a liberal or a Democrat called "controversial" in the media, just like these racists never call a white man "articulate." And likewise, they'd never report a "slight decline in popularity" for, say, Obama -- or even the huge crash his approval has seen down below 40% in some polls.
I'm in New Jersey. I love the governor. We don't need him to shovel the streets. That's a local responsibility, thanks. We got it covered.
That's because it's actually a slight INCREASE in popularity and President Obama is STILL more popular than Reagan or Clinton at this point in their terms. No matter, just keep lying. Maybe it'll become true if you wish hard enough. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/Presidential-Approval-Center.aspx
As the billboard or bumper sticker said I saw recently Gorge W Bush miss me yet. Even hard to believe is that some of my Dem friends are starting to agree with that.
No one misses George W. Maybe if you're a Texan...I dunno, I guess if there is a Republican I miss it would be Gerald Ford. But Bush? Never in a million years.
For God's sake. Let the man have a vacation. Whoever's whooping up the noise, first off, needs a life and second, is only playing politics. The reason I left New Jersey 2 years ago.
This is simply another example of a non-news item developed by the stupid news media. The media would do better by cutting back on their overpaid news staff and just reporting the facts (you know, like on Dragnet: Just the facts mam, just give me the facts).
My question to the Liberal media is simple. How would you expect anyone to return to New Jersey in that blizzard? Airports and roads were shut down. As for timing how soon you forget Obama was calling the shots via telephone when he and staff were on vacation during the summer time when the worst oil spill disaster occurred, FYI that would be the BP oil spill, lives were lost and my last question to you is did the plows clear the roads? According to my relatives things went well there and you comparing Gov.Cristie handles the plowing on State Highways for those who were wishful thinking,spinning and lying in hopes to turn people of local towns and Cities in your State against the Gov. Well the truth is Balandic was the Mayor in Chicago and did nothing before and after the blizzard to correct the problem in an expediantely manner. It time the people all of the people in America put petty politics aside, this includes you media people, teachers unions etc... Wake up stop worrying about your self servant attitudes and pay attention to the tea party which is a mixture of Americans from different genders,age groups, races and political back grounds. Those who have woke up and voted in people like your current Gov. will know who to hold accountable and when to do so. Its time media agencies are held accountable I just shut them off and do not purchase news papers because of the liberal bias reported by them. If I wish to watch the news and get the truth I turn to Fox!
No kidding! We never would have guessed. FAUX "NEWS" ?
You fly back before the blizzard. You evacuate New Orleans before the hurricane hits. Are you all really this incompetent? Why do you seek positions of responsibility if you don't know how to anticipate a problem?
Halliburton and TransOcean and BP ignored every safety precaution required of them, lied about their compliance to regulations, bribed the regulators to look the other way, shut off all the warning alarms, and we still call it an accident ....please..when they blew up their own rig and 11 of their employees, spilling hundreds of millions of barrels of oil into the gulf, and because they failed to assemble from parts on hand, a back-up blowout container unit ,for months, when they could have fixed the problem in as little as two weeks. And you want to try to blame Obama for only getting 5 briefings a day on the "progress" that BP wasn't trying its best to make?
DC has a mayor, and its own local government. Try not to imply that the executive branch must stay there when congress and SCOTUS are not in session.
The basic point here is that SOMEONE should have been available to make executive decisions and serve as a public face of government in a major emergency.
Paul,
Didn't the people of New Orleans know about the hurricane? Could have evacuated if they had wanted to. But the biggest problem with Katrina, wasn't the hurricane that did not give a direct hit on New Orleans, but the fact that the levies broke the day after the hurricane had passed. But you know, if you live 6' below sea level, you should expect to get a flood every now and then. Katrina caused damage to the levies, that should have been updated, but when the government cuts the corp of engineers each year, it is hard to catch up. Especially when the government keeps adding money to the foreign aid department--yet we don't take care of ourselves.
No one can predict the weather correctly. Both people were on vacation--should have planned better, but there is someone in charge, read the article. What is to happen to the US if a major tragedy happens today--Obama is in Hawaii & the VP is in the Virgin Islands? So the media is making a bigger story out of this than it really is. Just a media ploy--keep Americans fighting.
"...and pay attention to the tea party which is a mixture of Americans from different genders, age groups, races and political back grounds."
bogieboo 2, you have got to be kidding! The Tea Party demographic is one that is almost completely white and looking for someone to blame for whatever they're angry about. These are people that are totally unnerved by the fact that, as Bill Maher once said, "there's a black cat in the White House." The Tea Partiers are a culmination of a movement begun by Richard NIxon 40 years ago that political scientists have called "Nixon's Southern Strategy," and that NIxon himself called "the mobilization of discontent," which is what has brought us to the sorry state of public affairs and political discourse that we witness today.
BTW, I seriously doubt that it was only liberals that were upset that Christie was in Florida while they were freezing; I'd bet that conservatives had some choice words as well, with both the governor and lieutenant governor in nice warm climes at the same time.
I did not read about all the good things and how Christy is saving the state from going broke. Just that the crap about Christy not taking care of all the snow. Come on, you want him to come shovel snow of your driveway. I hope the writer of this article is reading these comments because, YOU ARE A PIN HEAD
And I love the msnbc moto at the top
"The first place for key political news and analysis from the NBC News Political Unit"
It should read
The first place for key progressive liberal political news and analysis from the ideological NBC News Political Unit
That reads better.
MSNBC has some gifted liberal pundits like Maddow and Schultz, but First Read is an objective political blog. They report all the dirt, not just the right or left's. Stick around, you'll see.
Amy
Come on now -- MSNBC, NBC and the First Read Blog are about as unbiased as Fox News and Fox News.com -- one is to th left and one is to the right.
Which is ok, but do not try and portray either as unbiased news reporting.
That dog won't hunt!