Newt Gingrich may have sunk to a new low, but the commenter here sure does him one better

Newt Gingrich's overtly racist comments during this election season reach new lows in uncivil discourse. Between Gingrich and Santorum, the US electorate is getting far more information than it needs about the sick slimy underbelly of the Republican Party.

~Via

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/newt-gingrich-sinks-new-low#comments

At his Field Negro blog, Wayne Bennett accuses Newt Gingrich of fearmongering in his attack on President Obama for apologizing to Afghans for the inadvertent burning of the Quran. Such talk only fuels anti-Muslim sentiments, Bennett says.
What Newt did today was low even by his lousy standards.
He hastily called a news conference to politicize the deaths of two American soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan. Newt used the killing of those poor soldiers to score cheap political brownie points with his base.

And here's our commenter, Mr. Friedo Watermellow

Newt is right on target.
Wayne Bennet your mentallity isn't American what so ever.
You like Obama because he's black and that's the only reason, unless your a total moron.
Your kind see the glass half empty.
We Americans have the greatest country on Earth because we worked hard for it, unlike you and Obama we don't have the beggar mentallity and we don't have to appologize to every nation that doesn't like our policies.
The terrorist used the Koran to make notes in for other terrorist and this POS president appologizes to these low life terrorist.

And here is my reply:

Friedo Watermello, your racist white supremacist views tell us all we need to know about how hard you work. After all, it was you white guys who had slaves build the White House.

Friends

On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 5:52 PM, Jennifer Van Bergen  wrote:

Deb,
I know how terrible tooth infections can be and you have been suffering from an infection in ALL of the top ones?! And must have them ALL pulled? AND a hurt (?) ankle. Terrible, terrible you have to go through all this, but at least you will get these things taken care of and will heal.

Funny what you say about being decrepit and over-committed. I may have mentioned to you what Matt said during the trip, since our health problems made very loud appearances in us both. He said he thought that instead of looking for property for 12GI, maybe we should look for a nursing home.

Haha.  Handi want both a cooperative living space and our own space, which we quite adequately fill, as long as it has a workshop :)  We could have a nursing home with wood and metal shop, a printing and publishing operation, communal kitchen, auditorium, and comfy individual units.  I have drawn several plans.  My most recent creation is a snail house.  People are afraid to have me draw it. *snicker*

Also, funny because when I first read that phrase (decrepit, etc.), I thought you meant everyone on the list (to which you didn't post)! And maybe you are unwittingly correct! At least exhausted and over-committed. 

There's something about you that I love very much, Deb, and always have and have never told you. I really love your innocent perspicaciousness. You're so smart (in ways I'm not) and strong in ways I really admire, but you're also sweet and innocent at the same time. Your Midwest (sounds like Minnesota to me) accent emphasizes this, altho I felt it before I ever heard your voice (and if someone just heard you and hadn't discussed with you or read your words, they might mistake you for something less, because you sound so young and innocent).

I am so deeply touched by what you said about me.

Good ideas for 12Gen and the church. Funny, too, cuz Matt also said we ought to establish it as a religion! Then he moved onto "why not a cult"? LOL!

As you may know, that's how scientology started.  Rather, I propose a religion based upon human values, human rights, and human aspirations.

I told you, didn't I, about my brilliant promotional idea? To write a book of clues. Or a treasure map for people to follow. Or a code for readers to break. 

One thing we discussed was whether this might make it so popular, it would get out of control.
Anyway, would you please post something on the 12GI ning site about your idea? There are a few people on there who have NO clue what archetypes work is, but they joined for some reason, so ....  Actually, come to think of it, maybe I should just go ahead and subscribe some people to the 12GI yahoogroup (letting them know in advance so they can object if they really need to). That way, if you (or someone else) posted a suggestion or subject of discussion, others might even be inspired to respond. Who knows?! 

There's a vacuum in the center of the world right now - a black hole - that is sucking everything into it, all people of conscience and intelligence and wit, all goodness and will power, all inspiration, all love. What is to become of us?

I am frightened by this trend.  I am also heartened to have found so many sisters and brothers.
Peace and love,
~Deb

Two Cheers for the Endangered Species Act

by Olivia LaRosa, February 5, 2012

I wish to make certain that it is clear to you that I was completely in love with the Endangered Species Act since its passage when I was a young mother. I thought I knew what the Endangered Species Act meant. I saw it as a means to protect our critical biosystems.  I see a biosystem as a natural long-term self-perpetuating synergy among the lifeforms who share an area.

The ESA meant of course, that if a species' population begins to decline to dangerous levels, scientists were alerted that something was not well in that biosystem. Thus alerted, they could investigate the biome for harmful agents that might hurt humans, other animals, plants and microbes in the system.

It turns out that I was in error.

The Endangered Species Act has been turned into a political football. Right-wingers, who seem to think that everything belongs to them unless proven otherwise, mock the process by pretending that it is about the critter  named in ESA documents rather than that critter's entire habitat. 

On Scaling Back the Confirmation Wars

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/scaling-back-the-senate-confirmation-wars/2012/02/02/gIQAvXuCqQ_print.html

Olivia's comment: These battles seem to have begun in earnest during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Robert Bork, a right-wing authoritarian fanatic. People with such narrow minds do not belong in high government posts. Since then the Republicans have turned confirmations into a blood sport. What their actions say is that: when we are in control, we can appoint any old nutcase we want. Plus, no matter who is in control, our job is to make sure that effective leaders will not be appointed.   Therefore, it's a trifecta! * As a right-wing politician, you have another trifecta!  You can pander to your corporate masters, score cheap political points with your base, and enhance your argument that government does not work by making it unworkable.

George W. Bush after 911:

Bushism Audio Gallery Funny Audio Clips of Classic Bushisms   "You know, I was campaigning in Chicago and somebody asked me, is there ever any time where the budget might have to go into deficit? I said only if we were at war or had a national emergency or were in recession.  Little did I realize we'd get the trifecta." —President George W. Bush, Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 27, 2002 (If audio clip does not play automatically, click here to listen)

Case Holdings That Make Me Mad

by Olivia LaRosa 2/3/2012


From Findlaw.com's Weekly Summary of Opinions: Civil Procedure, Week of 1/31/2012 - 2/3/2012


Banks Ripping Us Off in Yet Another Way


United States Ninth Circuit, 02/01/2012 
GECCMC 2005-C1 Plummer Street Office L.P. v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 10-56219 
In a suit alleging breach of lease agreements that the defendant bank assumed after it purchased a failed bank's assets and liabilities from the FDIC pursuant to the terms of a written purchase and assumption agreement, the district court's grant of the bank's motion to dismiss is affirmed, where under federal common law, the plaintiff lacked standing to bring suit under the agreement because it was not an intended third-party beneficiary of the agreement. Read more...

Where was her attorney, AWOL, ffs? WTF! Plus, turning down an offer in compromise is not supposed to affect the final outcome in a suit such as this.


http://login.findlaw.com/scripts/callaw?dest=ca/caapp4th/slip/2012/g044718.html&DCMP=NWL-pro_civpro

In a wrongful termination suit that the plaintiff lost and after which the defendant filed a memorandum of costs, the trial court's order denying the plaintiff's motion to tax those costs is affirmed, where the costs were properly calculated and awarded in all respects, and Code of Civil Procedure section 998(c) gives the trial court the discretion to award expert fees to the defendant, regardless of whose witness the expert is, if the plaintiff fails to obtain a more favorable judgment or award after rejecting an offer to compromise. Read more...

A legally protected entity claims stupidity and wins...

California Court of Appeal, 02/02/2012 
Lewow v. Surfside III Condominium Owners' Ass'n, Inc., No. B230595 
In a case in which judgment was entered in favor of a condominium association on a complaint for failure to perform its duties, against a plaintiff who subsequently filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the trial court's award of attorney's fees to the association is affirmed, where: 1) although the motion for fees was not timely filed, there was good cause for the delay, as it was understandable that the association was mistaken on the complex and debatable issue of whether the bankruptcy stay tolled the limitations period; and 2) although the trial court's articulated rationale for granting the fees was erroneous, its acceptance of the association's tolling argument was tantamount to a finding of good cause based on mistake. Read more... 


Company goes bankrupt to avoid paying legally contracted wages


United States Fourth Circuit, 02/02/2012 
Gentry v. Siegel, No. 10-2418 
In bankruptcy proceedings in which former employees of the debtor filed claims for unpaid overtime wages, the district court's judgment affirming the bankruptcy court's denial of a Rule 9014 motion and its refusal to allow the claimants to pursue class actions is affirmed, where: 1) the bankruptcy court was within its discretion to rule that the bankruptcy process would provide a process superior to the class action process for resolving the claims of former employees; 2) notice of the bankruptcy process to the named claimants was not constitutionally deficient; and 3) with respect to unnamed claimants, the named claimants lacked standing to challenge the notice. Read more...