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Wednesday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 08:24:59 PM EST
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All blogged out for today. Time for Survivor, America's Next Top Model and The Defenders.

Our earlier open thread is full, here's another one, all topics welcome.

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    Wednesday Night Open Thread | 75 comments (75 topical)

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    OR governor's race finally decided. (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by caseyOR on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 09:59:49 PM EST
    Democrat John Kitzhaber very narrowly defeated Republican, and former NBA player, Chris Dudley. Kitzhaber, who served as gov. during most of the '90s,  becomes the first person in Oregon history to be elected to  three terms as governor.

     Good luck, Kitz. You'll be dealing with nearly 11% unemployment; a gigundo budget shortfall; and a legislature that, at this moment, looks like a 30-30 split in the House and a one vote Dem. majority in the Senate. Oh, and redistricting.

    Gov-Elect Brown breaks first promise (none / 0) (#1)
    by nycstray on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 08:34:49 PM EST
    will not be moving to Sacto. Can't sell the house for what he paid . . .

    Rent (none / 0) (#2)
    by Stellaaa on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 08:53:56 PM EST
    I think he will rent a place in sacatomatoes.  

    Parent
    The old Jerry would pitch a tent (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by ruffian on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 08:56:26 PM EST
    on the capital grounds.

    Parent
    Right... (none / 0) (#46)
    by weltec2 on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 03:12:28 AM EST
    and passers by would hear him in there with Linda Ronstadt.

    Parent
    This could make a fun reality TV show. (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by EL seattle on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:00:33 PM EST
    Really, how hard would it be to come up with a cast of eccentric but endearing semi-celebrity California neighbors and a cranky landlord for the governor's temporary crash pad?  Proceeds from the show could go to debt reduction.  I'd bet that the ratings from the show would be better than that Palin reality TV thingie.

    Parent
    Well, this is our former gov. who distained (none / 0) (#23)
    by oculus on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:23:53 PM EST
    the newly built Governor's mansion in Sacramento and a state car in favor of a mattress on the floor of a rental unit and a Plymouth.

    Parent
    Did you ever think? (none / 0) (#32)
    by Stellaaa on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:00:09 AM EST
    That he would be back?  It was nice to see the Burton machine at work, old school  California politics.  

    Parent
    No. And I can't really understand why he (none / 0) (#68)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:15:57 PM EST
    wanted the job.  Maybe his wife wants to try her hand.  She was quite active as an unpaid vol. in the AG's office.

    Parent
    So next, will we hear (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by Cream City on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:29:37 PM EST
    that the rent is just too d*mn high!?

    Parent
    Took the words.. (5.00 / 1) (#59)
    by kdog on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 08:02:17 AM EST
    right outta my mouth:)

    Governor Elect Brown could always squat one of the foreclosed homes near the capitol, better yet squat and invite the evicted family back to crash with him.

    Parent

    prob down the rd (none / 0) (#8)
    by nycstray on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 09:45:19 PM EST
    and if he's still Jerry, it will be modest.

    or perhaps as he suggests, he'll get CA working again and sell his house :)

    Parent

    Join the club of the (none / 0) (#3)
    by ruffian on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 08:55:06 PM EST
    underwater immobile Jerry. Luckily you can do your job from Oakland, or wherever you live these days. Most of us are not so fortunate.

    Parent
    he's going to commute (none / 0) (#7)
    by nycstray on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 09:43:35 PM EST
    not work from oakland. will stay in sacto when needed.

    Parent
    Which is what the previous Gov. did-- (none / 0) (#69)
    by oculus on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:17:18 PM EST
    from L.A., or, more precisely, Brentwood.

    Parent
    Change in Ohio (none / 0) (#5)
    by Politalkix on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 09:17:36 PM EST
    Apparently, many Union votes went to the GOP in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
    link
    The following links explain how the newly minted Governor Kasich will bring jobs to Ohio.

    link 1
    link 2

     

    Patty Murray has widened her lead (none / 0) (#6)
    by Inspector Gadget on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 09:25:57 PM EST
    with 72% of the vote counted. I find this state fascinating. They are going to drag this out for as long as they can simply because they think it will gain them national attention.

    73% of the vote is all they've managed to get counted. So either they are pretending 100% of the mailings will be returned, or they took today off from counting.

    And you guys (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 09:53:25 PM EST
    are so calm about it. Fist fights would have already broken out here in Ga.

    Parent
    It's part of a local NW tradition. (5.00 / 3) (#13)
    by EL seattle on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:06:45 PM EST
    Every few years we like to watch Dino Rossi get beaten fair and square by a girl.

    Parent
    Hehe (none / 0) (#15)
    by MO Blue on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:10:47 PM EST
    Gotta like some of those NW traditions.

    Parent
    Jay Inslee (D-WA) (none / 0) (#19)
    by denise k on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:18:57 PM EST
    made a joke about Rossi at the Clinton rally for Murray in Everett.  He said the State was going to pass a special law against Rossi:  Three strikes and he is out!

    I am all for that.  This is strike three.

    Parent

    I assume he'll get the message at this point (none / 0) (#20)
    by andgarden on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:20:42 PM EST


    Parent
    128 Votes (none / 0) (#22)
    by denise k on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:23:25 PM EST
    That is the number of votes that kept him out of the governor's mansion.  And that was on the second recount.  

    Parent
    Well, andgarden, he should have (none / 0) (#34)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:39:14 AM EST
    stopped after his last loss. Even his Tea Party key opponent went all the way to election day saying he would go ahead and vote for Rossi, but he would NOT endorse him! :)

    Parent
    I got my fascination (none / 0) (#36)
    by Cream City on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:45:49 AM EST
    with watching politics from my mother, who got it from growing up in Washington State . . . and from her father.  Mom and Grampa could tell stories about politics in the Northwest -- Idaho, too -- that had us laughing so hard that it left us gasping for oxygen.  In part, that was because the stories would go on and on and on, with twists and turns in political tomfoolery . . . and every time that it seemed a story was over, a political career was over, the story and the career would continue.

    Moving to the Midwest, my mother developed a fascination with the neverending political career of Harold Stassen.  She would have loved Dino Rossi.

    Parent

    Oh wow, Harold Stassen. (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by caseyOR on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 01:09:49 AM EST
    Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time. He was quite a regular on the candidate circuit for a time. Did he ever win election to any office?

    If anyone has written a biography of Stassen, perhaps it would make a lovely parting gift for Dino.

    Parent

    Vote validation and counting (none / 0) (#18)
    by denise k on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:16:27 PM EST
    takes time and thousands of ballots will be coming in yet for the next few days.  King County (Seattle and burbs), which gets the vast majority of the ballots does not have the capacity to process these ballots.  They need to have signatures verified and all, plus there is just not the physical capacity to process the ballots all at once.  This is just how it is done here. No one expects anything different -- except for benighted out of staters. ;)  Washington has had more re-counts anyone (including Florida and Minnesota) so we take care.  

    All that being said, I can't see how Rossi could possibly pull out a victory at this point.  He is losing by 2 to 1 in King County and there are still hundreds of thousands of votes to count there.  Murray is in.  

    Parent

    Gosh, I've lived in King County for 47 years (none / 0) (#33)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:33:55 AM EST
    I'm pretty sure I know the system used here, it's obstacles, and the obsession of the local media to be nationally featured.

    Parent
    Speaking of Iowa (none / 0) (#12)
    by vicndabx on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:03:36 PM EST
    Ouster of Iowa Judges Sends Signal to Bench

    An unprecedented vote to remove three Iowa Supreme Court justices who were part of the unanimous decision that legalized same-sex marriage in the state was celebrated by conservatives as a popular rebuke of judicial overreach, even as it alarmed proponents of an independent judiciary.


    That's what happens when you elect judges (none / 0) (#35)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:45:28 AM EST
    There's no such thing as "independence of the judiciary" when judges have to stand for election every few years.  See what's happened in Texas over the years.

    Parent
    I shouldn't have watched the news tonight (none / 0) (#14)
    by andgarden on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:06:52 PM EST
    "Speaker-elect John Boehner."

    Vomit.

    What does "Majority Leader Reid" (5.00 / 3) (#61)
    by Anne on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 08:37:11 AM EST
    inspire in you, keeping in mind that it's still better than "Majority Leader McConnell?

    I understand that Harry will be back for another term as Majority Leader...

    Just hopped off a conference call where Harry Reid said the words "work together" about 154 times. The news hook is that the leadership, including Reid, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin and Bob Menendez, were asked on the call if they supported Reid for Majority Leader, and Schumer and Durbin said simultaneously "Absolutely!" So he's the Leader, contrary to a couple reports out there.

    As I said, the rest was just a recitation of wanting to work together. Reid said, "I look forward to working with new members to find shared solutions to shared problems." Durbin said, "The lesson of the election is that we need to work together. Playing to a draw in Senate is not acceptable." Schumer said, "We have to create good jobs and find common ground." I don't have a Menendez quote, he was too busy bragging about losing only six Senate seats (at the moment).

    I don't know..."working together" is not the lesson I think they needed to learn, but apparently, Dems are warming up for two years of rolling over, bending over and assorted other gymnastics.


    Parent

    Seriously (none / 0) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:12:47 PM EST
    he makes me laugh. He is so greasy and orange that he reminds me of an oompa loompa

    Parent
    It's even worse when he talks about issues (none / 0) (#17)
    by andgarden on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:15:55 PM EST
    It's like they reincarnated an over-expressive George W. Bush with a tan. Listening to him talk makes my skin crawl already.

    I didn't expect to say this, but I'm going to miss Nancy Pelosi. At least I usually agreed with her--if not on methods.

    Parent

    All of the GOP (none / 0) (#21)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:21:02 PM EST
    is downright creepy right now. It's no longer the people with the friendly faces like Reagan et al. I can understand your skin crawling. There aren't too many people in the GOP that don't do that to probably the majority of the public.

    Parent
    Thinking you are wrong. GOP won. (none / 0) (#24)
    by oculus on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:25:31 PM EST


    Parent
    Depends on what you mean by "majority" (5.00 / 2) (#26)
    by andgarden on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:28:14 PM EST
    A different universe of voters from 2008 showed up.

    If we had presidential turnout, the result would have been something between 2004 and 2008.

    District-by-district, the result yesterday was only a little bit more Republican than Bush/Kerry.

    Parent

    Yeah (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:29:14 PM EST
    but according to the polls people hate the GOP more than the dems. People who hated the GOP voted for the GOP because they wanted to send Obama a message apparently. What that message was varies from voter to voter I imagine.

    Parent
    Temper tantrum (5.00 / 2) (#41)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:57:32 AM EST
    on the part of the voters is what this was.  Don't think the "message" intended was particularly for Obama but more for Dems. generally.  You don't generally punish A by tossing out B, after all.

    The public has been utterly fed up with Congress for quite some time now, and I think the message wasn't much more complicated than "Get lost."

    I wonder whether the GOP leadership is able to see that in private.  (Obviously not going to acknowledge it publicly.)  I do think they're probably extremely relieved they didn't manage to take the Senate and can continue to duck responsibility for anything.

    We had not a whisper of this in VT-- replaced a GOP gov. with a Dem., and the overwhelmingly Dem. Lege lost two empty Dem. seats to GOPers. (And nobody who voted for marriage equality, btw, got tossed out.)  I sure would like to see a thorough analysis of the places the temper tantrum was the most dramatic and what the local economic conditions are.  Our unemployment here is only 5.8 and we almost completely missed the housing bubble and its collapse, so no need for a temper tantrum.

    Parent

    "People" are really stupid. (none / 0) (#29)
    by oculus on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:31:12 PM EST


    Parent
    It really is hard to draw any other conclusion (none / 0) (#53)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:16:35 AM EST
    Try as I might.

    Parent
    Article analyzing the reason on MSN today (none / 0) (#39)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:49:56 AM EST
    said there was a segment of the population that wanted Pelosi out of the Speaker position. That actually makes sense....if you don't live in her voting district, you could still kick her to the cheap seats by contributing to a change in Majority party.

    I don't like her at all, but could put that aside without hesitation knowing Boehner would be her replacement.

    The article said the message these voters wanted to send was their disapproval of both Obama and Pelosi.

    I think we saw a preview of this in January's election in Massachusetts...they didn't pay attention, so the people said it again, only louder.

    Parent

    I think it was the usual Republican tactic of (none / 0) (#57)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:35:25 AM EST
    Hyper-demonization of the Dem leaders. Pelosi is this era's Janet Reno. For some reason it works when the Republicans do it, while Dems are lucky if they get off a good joke or two at Republican's expense. Just not as nasty, and that's overall a good thing.

    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#25)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 10:27:24 PM EST
    but now there creepy mugs are everywhere. Can't be good for them can it?

    Parent
    Sad (none / 0) (#55)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:19:23 AM EST
    to say, Nancy made my flesh crawl as well.

    Parent
    Nancy Pelosi was an excellent Speaker (none / 0) (#70)
    by christinep on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 03:23:33 PM EST
    In future, when people talk (or reminisce or call to mind) former Speakers, Pelosi's ability to produce will rank near the top. (I suspect ol' boy Sam Rayburn will rank at the top.) She was labelled "#itc%" from the start by the right...the face of the left and all that.... In spite of all that or because of it, she marched on through with power and class.

    Parent
    want to miss Nancy? (none / 0) (#71)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 03:38:17 PM EST
    try this:

    The Chairmen: New House Leaders Have Familiar Ties to Business, Revolving Door

    and this

    like faces of Meth with a dental plan.  did you ever see so many old white men?  
    no diversity?  whadda ya mean?  there are pasty pates and pathetic combovers and Ryans luxurious locks.

    Parent

    oops (none / 0) (#72)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 03:39:13 PM EST
    faces of meth with a dental plan

    dang I wish we could correct comments.

    Parent

    last (none / 0) (#73)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 03:40:37 PM EST
    try

    Parent
    makes me want to cry (none / 0) (#75)
    by nycstray on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 07:04:10 PM EST
    in frustration.

    Parent
    I do wonder if he (none / 0) (#38)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:48:03 AM EST
    mightn't be rollable the way Trent Lott was in the Senate back in the day.  He's even more vain and even stupider than Lott, so it should be possible if the Dems. come up with a good minority leader.  Steny Hoyer ain't gonna cut it, though. He'd join him in the tanning bed instead.


    Parent
    Actually (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 05:57:47 AM EST
    I think he is completely rollable but that like you say depends on the Dem leadership and I wouldn't put too much faith in that either.

    Parent
    How (none / 0) (#54)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:18:28 AM EST
    about Kucinich as minority leader?

    Would love to see it.

    No chance.

    We'll get an apologetic wimp who is consumed with reaching across the aisle.

    Parent

    Did you miss Speaker Gingrich? (none / 0) (#30)
    by MKS on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 11:49:46 PM EST
    It has been worse.

    This too shall pass.

    Parent

    When Gingrich was last in office I was 13, (none / 0) (#31)
    by andgarden on Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 11:54:55 PM EST
    so he isn't my most recent "scary Republican" memory.

    It's OK, though: Craig Ferguson is making Boehner jokes (I.e., "moderates try to bend. . . ."

    I think I'll deal--for now.

    Parent

    At your stage in life (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by Cream City on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:56:38 AM EST
    you might enjoy knowing that Gingrich enjoyed posturing as quite the intellectual, the ex-academic (do look up where he taught).  This finally sent some scholars to look up his dissertation.  Much was learned from that exercise that explains his worldview -- keeping in mind that it resonated, even shaped, the worldviews of other Republicans then and since.

    Gingrich's dissertation was on education in the Belgian Congo.  As one who read it said, "the whole thing is kind of a glorified white man's burden take on colonial policy that was almost certainly out of vogue in the early 1970's," when Gingrich did his dss. "Gingrich wrote this as the Black Consciousness and Black Power movements were approaching their pinnacles. It was most decidedly not the time to be arguing that white European masters did a swell job ruling black Africans."

    Gingrich saw Belgian rule as "beneficent," she said, and "he liked paternalism. A lot."  Oh, and he never actually went to the Congo.  But that didn't stop him from pontificating about it from afar, for hundreds of pages. . . .


    Parent

    Belgium rule in the Congo was one of extreme (5.00 / 3) (#64)
    by esmense on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 10:18:10 AM EST
    ... and I do mean extreme and inhuman ...cruelty. And the revolution that followed was extraordinarily bloody and brutal. My ex-husband was Special Forces in the early days -- he was sent to the Congo as part of a unit that was, as the cover story went, suppose to simply help evacuate the Belgiums. But, the real point of the mission was to demonstrate what these new, elite fighters could do. They stepped into the middle of a bloodbath. It marked him for life.

    I've never saw much intelligence in Gingrich, but, Cream City, you've just convinced me that there may not in fact be any intelligence at all.

    Parent

    I did know that he had a doctorate (none / 0) (#44)
    by andgarden on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 01:05:54 AM EST
    in history, but I had no idea about the subject of his thesis. Do you suppose he actually speaks French?

    Parent
    But he never went to the Congo? (none / 0) (#58)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 07:53:45 AM EST
    Amazing how far some people get in life simply on phoniness and self promotion.

    Parent
    Speaker Gingrich was (none / 0) (#42)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:58:49 AM EST
    bad, but not nearly on the level of unmitigated horror as Speaker Boehner.

    The only thing worse would be Speaker Bachmann...

    Parent

    No (none / 0) (#48)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:01:49 AM EST
    Gingrich was worse IMO. Boehner is the butt of jokes already. Maybe he can be the mascot for the Syracuse Orangemen and run around on the court and lead cheers. The big problem is that the GOP is even creepier now than it was in 1994.

    Parent
    I saw (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:15:51 AM EST
    a video of Boehner talking after the victory.

    He appeared to be a lighter shade of orange.

    I think his handlers and cosmeticians are busily refining his appearance.

    His hair, however, is fashioned after the Trent Lott flattened look.

    Weird.

    Parent

    I (none / 0) (#51)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:10:35 AM EST
    respectfully disagree.

    For some reason, the media seemed to (and still seems to) consider Gingrich to be an intellectual.

    Boehner is already a joke.

    Let's hope he stays that way.

    Reagan was a joke... and now everyone including Obama genuflects in his direction...

    Parent

    The worst thing about Speaker Gingrich (none / 0) (#43)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 01:01:13 AM EST
    actually was the media's utter fascination with him.  Not just his press conferences but his informal "chats" were televised in full on cable for months and months.

    Parent
    That's (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:02:47 AM EST
    why I think Gingrich was worse simply because the media had this fascination with him. Everybody is already laughing at Boehner.

    Parent
    By "miss"--did not mean to imply you (none / 0) (#66)
    by MKS on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 11:42:17 AM EST
    weren't paying attention....

    You appear fortunate to have not been around for a lot of that demagoging....

    Parent

    Speaker Boehner (none / 0) (#37)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 12:46:36 AM EST
    is vastly worse, and we're all going to have to get used to it.

    Parent
    Why (none / 0) (#50)
    by lentinel on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:07:20 AM EST
    do these Republicans get their hair done at Madame Tussaud's?

    Parent
    Well, there is only one (none / 0) (#56)
    by ruffian on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 06:21:50 AM EST
    Republican hair stylist in D.C.

    Parent
    And obviously not... (5.00 / 3) (#60)
    by kdog on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 08:09:18 AM EST
    a log cabin Repub:)

    Parent
    Surprised (none / 0) (#63)
    by jbindc on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 09:49:24 AM EST
    Considering what they charge for just a haircut here!

    Parent
    Is it a toupe? (none / 0) (#67)
    by MKS on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 11:42:40 AM EST


    Parent
    At least my mortgage does not (none / 0) (#62)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 08:38:44 AM EST
    appear at this time to be lost.  It looks to have been properly conveyed up to the point of reaching the servicer.  I am somewhat relieved, but not certain.  I think that everyone who has a mortgage though should begin investigating whether the conveyance of their mortgage is clear.  It makes it easier to trust sending that monthly payment off, and it sends a clear message that if nobody else will hold the mortgage industry accountable to the law, at least home purchasers will make an effort to.  I just read at Firedoglake that mortgage servicers by law are supposed to respond to valid customer complaints within 20 days.

    new (none / 0) (#65)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 11:40:36 AM EST
    Sucker Punch trailer

    wow

    White House says ... (none / 0) (#74)
    by Yman on Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 04:54:47 PM EST
    ... it's willing to compromise with Republicans on taxes but says tax cuts for the wealthy should not be extended permanently.  GOP leaders say any tax cuts have to be across the board.

    Any bets on who will cave?

    Wednesday Night Open Thread | 75 comments (75 topical)

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