For Those With No Life

Not much to say here, except Gatemouth now has a Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=130737086942289&ref=mf

And now, for fanatics only, The Gate-Way’s archives for April 2010.

Maybe it is time to reinstitute reconstruction

The Essence Of Anarchy | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

Online edition of journal of politics and culture, with selected articles from print magazine.

April 1

Hey, let's keep things in perspective (and that's not even mentioning the large amount of military aid at a time when the majority of this country would surely prefer that all foreign aid of any sort be eliminated)

U.S. Protects Israel at U.N. | NJDC Blog

www.njdc.org

As was noted today in the NY Post, Israel receivse more defense dollars than any of our other allies, of which there are many. Obama has not moved to change that. If he were an enemy, he would have done so.

It would not be so hard do so; make it part of broad overall slash in such military spending—please the base, etc. Instead, he has not done it, we are still in Iraq, we are expanding in Afghanistan, we are trying to assemble allies in favor of multilateral actions in Iran.

BTW, would we even be worrying about Iran if there were still a Sunni Ba'ath regime in Iraq?

With the existential threat of Iran on the horizon, you think Israel would be worried about not pissing off our potential allies in Turkey, Britain , Dubai, Saudi Arabia, etc (all of which they've done recently) –seems to me Iran is more important than housing for Shasnik's who won't even join the army.

If someone supplies 18% of your defense funding and stand virtually alone in the councils of nations in your defense, and you then have the nerve to say that they are an enemy dedicated to your destruction (mostly on the basis of policies that have remained unchanged for decades) then you are almost leaving the realm of ingratitude and entering the realm of psychosis. Which is probably why Netanyahu has started to walk it back.

Survey by National Review and George Mason U on partisan bias in stimulus finds fails to not be stupid

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Study Claiming Link Between Stimulus Funding and Partisanship.

www.fivethirtyeight.com

April 1

 

I've been critical of Lincoln, and health care is certainly not my only problem with her, but I think the author may have a point

Leave Blanche Lincoln Aloooone | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 2

Must note though that some of Lincoln's bad conduct cannot be forgiven as politically astute–she's stood up for some special interests in cases where pandering to constituents is not an adequate explanation

April 4

Why arguing with your conservative friends is like kloppen kupf in vant.

The Right And Epistemic Closure | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 2

While the phenom exists to some extent on both aides, as someone who's been banned from NYC's lefty blog, and encounters my harshest criticism form the right, I think the conservative worldview is really a hermetically sealed greenhouse where exotic things grow which can not sustain life in the real world. Frum is just the most recent example of them eating their own. I find far less party line ism on the liberal side, and certainly far less infrastructure to enforce discipline

The fact much of the left reviles Obama proves the left does not enforce the party line in the same manner as the right. Fox ran as the house organ of the Bush administration, suppressing right critiques of immigration reform and Harriet Myers when the White house told them to. By contrast, Maddow accused Obama of practicing preemptive war in Afghanistan — the charge was preposterous (we were attacked on 9/11), but she still has a job; in fact, the White house is not trying to encourage primaries against Democrats who voted against HCR

 

The end of Pesach–free at last, free at last, thank G-d almighty, free at last!

April 6

Gatemouth, the Encyclopedia Brooklynica of Kings County politics"—No Land Grab, 2/23/2010

No Land Grab: It came from the Blogosphere…

Honk if you support Romney-care

Romney Death Watch | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 6

Yglesias says Lincoln’s a corpse, so let's shoot her–Chair demurs, and I think, so do I

Lincoln, Lincoln, I've Been Thinkin' | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 6

Ben Smith blew off my party in honor of the blog he owns, so he made up for it by gving me a national link (item #5)–now some peckerwood will probably make a pilgrimage to burn a cross on my lawn, only to discover I don't have one.

Remainders: Lobby – Ben Smith – POLITICO.com

www.politico.com

to quote a peckerwood fiddler, "I don't even got a garage, you can call home and ask my wife"

April 8

A way to save some tax dollars–end the tax-exempt status of the Heritage foundation! (And to be fair I'll add all the phony not for profits run by the Working Families Party too)

A Rich Heritage | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 12

I'm not necessarily adverse to implementing ideas that discomfort the teacher's unions–but only if they work

Education Reform After Vouchers | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 12

My previous awe of Nate Silver has definitely been dampened by the realization he has no clue what the boundaries are for neighborhoods in Brownstone Brooklyn. Just for the record he ranks the neighborhood where we I 7th, though if one uses his boundaries (in which Boerum Hill includes not one block in the Boerum Hill Assn's catchment area), we are in #3!

The Neighborhood Issue 2010 – A Quantitative Index of the 50 Most Satisfying Places to Live in New Y

April 12

The horse Wall Street rode in on is named Mitch McConnell

Mitch McConnell's Populism | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 13

The big problem with this article is that Lind actually takes Beck and his ilk seriously–still I suppose it is time someone engaged them on their own terms, and I'm sure as hell glad it didn't have to be me.

Glenn Beck's partisan historians – Liberalism, Liberals, Liberal Politics – Salon.com

www.salon.com

April 13

Coburn is not merely conservative–he's right wing; but it is also clear he has qualities of menschitude

Hat Tip: Sen. Tom Coburn for Promoting Civil Discourse | NJDC Blog

www.njdc.org

April 13

Norm Ohrenstein is a fount of bland establishment conventional wisdom. For him to write such a strong piece shows how far Republicans have slipped into lunacy

Norman J. Ornstein – Obama: A pragmatic moderate faces the 'socialist' smear

www.washingtonpost.com

April 14

The Party of No Won't say Yes to Proposing its own ideas

Contract With America Redux | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 15

For those who think I'm not sufficiently Zionist (and don't feel like calling Brad Lander for his opinion)–I just want to remind you that Norman Finkelstein is garbage wrapped in skin.

Mic Check | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 16

Weisberg says blame Kristol, but can we add lack of integrity?

Who Killed the Responsible Republican? Bill Kristol, of course. – By Jacob Weisberg – Slate Magazine

www.slate.com

April 17

The continuing story of someone as far right wing as Tom Coburn becoming the GOP's moderate voice of reason (and a Fox target because of it) is a little scary.

But, as I've pointed out, if Barry Goldwater were alive today, he'd be getting a primary from JD Hayworth

April 18

Haley Barbour continues to wave his ugly hillbilly pecker

The Boss Hogg Oppo Research Project Begins | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 19

To paraphrase Harry Truman, it is amazing what can be accomplished if one is willing to let others take credit for your work. LOL!

The conservative Heritage Foundation indignantly denies influencing Obamacare. – By Timothy Noah – S

www.slate.com

April 19 at 8:40pm

 

Dog bites man: Palin is ignorant

Sarah Palin's ignorant imperialism. – By William Saletan – Slate Magazine

www.slate.com

April 19

I don't find the credential of being a Taxi and Limousine Commission Judge too impressive; and the batting average for TLC judges seeking elective office is pathetic (as are some of the TLC judges who've done so) –but he's running against Carl Kruger. I'm not saying I'd vote for a dead dog against Kruger, but I'd probably vote for a dog who was terminally ill.

Oberman Challenges An "Amigo" For Brooklyn Senate Berth

www.nydailynews.com

April 19

Probably should be writing more and linking others less

April 19

Back in 2008, his promise to do this reminded me of Citizen Kane: “Anybody else, I'd say what's gonna happen to you would be a lesson to you. Only you're gonna need more than one lesson. And you're gonna get more than one lesson.”
http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/charles_foster_powell.html

Will someone stop this woman abusing lunatic from running so that sane people will not have to support Ed Towns again?Kevin Powell Is Running Again | The New York Observer

www.observer.com

April 19

Title? "A Cut Above"? "Heart of Glass"?

His greatest distinction. He'll soon be the one person in American to have written more books than he's read.

Coming To A Bookstore Near You: Monserrate’s Memoirs?

capitaltonight.com

April 19

 

I happen to know Chris St. Lawrence, and like him a lot–and I think Bill Samuels is a good guy with good ideas–but HELLO–an all white ticket at a time we are dumping an African American Governor is just not tenable. Wake up and sell the G-ddamn coffee guys. Chris, why not run against Morahan?

LG Follies

capitaltonight.com

April 19

“State's Right's” is a code word. And they don't even mean it. Ask them about tort law or DOMA and “State's Rights” is then a luxury we can't afford.

Hendrik Hertzberg: Tea Partying Like It’s 1961 : The New Yorker

www.newyorker.com ideo, slide shows, an archive of articles and abstracts back to 1925

April 19

Kinsley rewrites this article every time a vacancy opens on the Court. In earlier times, the points he made were as harsh on liberals as conservative; no so here. Back then, bad faith and hypocrisy ran evenly on both sides. It hasn't really lessened on our side, but the conservatives have just gotten so much worse.

What Is a Conservative Judge? – Politics – The Atlantic

www.theatlantic.com

April 19

The news from Brooklyn: All that glitters is not Goldstein, but there is Goldstein in them thar concrete hills.

http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2010/04/21/2010-04-21_last_atlantic_yards_holdout_daniel_goldstein_folds_makes_3m_deal_with_ratner_to_.html

No, Not Al Goldstein; although, in the end, what they both did was make money from facilitating wanking

Brooklyn Update: He's changing his name to Dan Pyritestein

William Jennings Brooklyn: Please crucify me on a cross of Goldstein

Usually Hightower is not my cup of barbeque sauce, but he gets it right

Jim Hightower | WHICH MITCH DO YOU BELIEVE?

www.jimhightower.com

April 22

It's not that I necessarily think Obama's policies are the right ones and (like Kinsley, but unlike most other liberals) I accept the notion that mutually assured destruction was a policy which once served us well, but what are your alternatives? I've yet to hear any thoughtful conservative critic of Obama, or thoughtful left one, articulate any policy ideas which intelligently deal with the nuclear dilemmas we face in this century. At least BHO is asking the right questions

Obama’s summit on nuclear weapons : The New Yorker

www.newyorker.com

April 22

Two scam artists bond

Blankfein and Sharpton: Peas In A (Brooklyn) Pod?

www.nydailynews.com

April 22

 

Pedro espada defines "human decency" as not asking him tough questions. No wonder he never walked out on Dominic Carter

the albany project:: Pedro Doth Protest Too Much

www.thealbanyproject.com

April 26

Video of Espada walking out of interview: Hey Pedro; don't let the doorknob hit your ass on the way out. Hope you make a similar exit from Albany later this year.

(No Title)

April 26

Pedro: "The real crisis in this state is not sushi,"
Yes, but something fishy is going on

Embattled State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. storms off in the middle of tv inteview

www.nydailynews.com

April 26

The other Senator from Mamaroneck; sad to say that this is one of the better State Senate Democrats–and you should only see the Republicans

Suzi Oppenheimer Endorses Schneiderman, Then Brodsky, Then Both For AG

www.cityhallnews.com

April 26

Conservative takes it on the chin for speaking truth to his fellow righties. Given my own experiences on the left of center (see, http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/validating_right_wing_frames.html), I am designating Manzi my hero of the dayThe Manzi Soap Bar Beating | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 26

Jews who want to live in Hebron are delusional psychopathic maniacs, but their case for doing so is just as legit as the "Palestinian Right of Return", and just as counterproductive to a plan for peace and a Palestinian state. So, WTF did Human Rights Watch call for a Palestinian right of return (a demand which scuttled a peace plan years ago)? And why do they continue to show bias against Israel?

Minority Report | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 27

Perhaps they should change their name to Tay-Sachs
The disease seems incurable, and the only solution is to abort.

Fool's Gold(man) – Forbes.com

www.forbes.com

April 28

Trouble in the leper colony. Kevin Parker is so unstable he is making Ruben Diaz seem sensible. That enough would seem to justify Parker's defeat.

Diaz: How dare Parker call me a homophobe? – Capitol Confidential

blog.timesunion.com

April 28

Republicans: The tale is wagging the dog, or more likely it's become the dog, but probably it's more like the thing just below the tale has become the dog.

The GOP HCR Lurch, And The Republicans Left Behind | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 28

Sad thing is these nuts could end up controlling Congress anyway

If Democrats are doomed in November, why is it Republicans who are freaking out? – By Timothy Noah

www.slate.com

April 28

Immigration is one of those issues where Huckabee's always asked Wjt Jesus Would Do, and one of those where he's most shown his underlying humanity (such that it is). In this clip, he tries to supress this decent aspect of himself, and nearly succeeds, but his better angels do show just a bit in spite of his efforts.

GOP 12: "It's not my place to agree or disagree"

www.gop12.com

April 29

Dybbuk got so mad at Domestic Partner, he threatened to send her to Arizona without her documents

April 29

They are all Socialists now

2nd good article in a row by Norm Orenstein, which is almost a statistical impossibility

Newtered | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 29

In an effort to prevent abortions, a new law in Oklahoma prevents women from suing doctors who knowingly withhold information about the fetus, including whether there's a fetal abnormality. I understand that the pro-choicers in the State are few and poorly organized, but what the hell happened to their Trial Lawyers’ Association?

April 29

Just when it appeared that Republicans had the monopoly on idiocy, Brain Dead Leftist Jane Hamsher accuses Obama of the left equivalent of "death panels."

Privatizing Social Security, No, Cutting Social Security, Si! | The New Republic

www.tnr.com

April 30

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